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Metroid almost became a live-action movie, GTA Vice City nearly competed for a serious design award, and the PS2 was about to get a flood of brand-new $9.99 games. January 2003 was not quiet, it was just weird in the best way, and that makes it perfect for a retro gaming time capsule.

I’m flying solo this week as we jump back to January 2003 and scan what we would have been playing across PS2, original Xbox, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. We talk through a grab bag of releases, then slow down for the games that still spark curiosity today: The Getaway’s HUD-free, movie-like approach to crime action, and OutRun 2 as an all-time arcade racer that shows off what the original Xbox could do.

Then we dig into three stories pulled from the gaming press of the time: the unrealized Metroid film plans and what kind of Samus casting could work now, Vice City’s recognition by London’s Design Museum and why its 80s Miami aesthetic still lands, and the “Play It” budget publisher strategy that raises a timeless question about cheap games and hidden gems versus shovelware. We wrap with Stingray’s Boot picks for February 2003, a quick movie recommendation with The Ring, and ways to join the conversation through email and Discord.

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