yo Ani, I'm doing 10 to 1 ok? ok.
after much deliberation, I've decided to reserve this post for futu- no, eff off. If any of the ballots aren't allowed or you want me to revert back to 1 to 10
then tell me
I know we do the whole ballot thing for discussion but I spent like an hour writing this and mostly it's for myself. It's been great trying to remember what I played. Didn't exactly translate directly from my reminiscing into post writing >_>
10.
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga ; Press Turn, that music (the standard boss music is really good by the way), blah blah, Argilla is my girl, that one boss in the middle is super freaking annoying oh gawd my blood is already boiling from remembering it.
The high encounter rate is such a huge turn off. That final dungeon? DUDE.
9.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; unlike CJ, I managed to follow the train. Compared to V, this joint is mad old. The shooting? It was terrible back then and now it's super terrible compared to just about every other game that involves shooting! But I really liked CJ, the other characters and watching the story unfold. Maybe it was the primitive graphics or the basic voice acting that really drove it home but that one scene where everything fell apart. I remember it vividly to this day.
8.
Fire Emblem ; Eliwood is a lame so I was sad that Lyn, while still a main character, stuck to the background a bit to make way for this dude. Hector though.
Responsive battle system. Still my favorite FE. And it really has to be. Everything else just tries too hard by adding in unnecessary features.
7.
Halo 2 ; For me, this was multiplayer at its finest. Spending the night over at a friend's house just to play this, bliss. I think there were about five of us at some point and it was New Year's and friend's family were out lighting fireworks. The rest of us? We closed the curtains and cranked the music up. Coagulation and Rockets only, yesss.
I screwed up and didn't play Halo: Combat Evolved before this. Just fell into the hype. Halo 2 was the first time I've seen a news channel do a report on a video game. Yeah, I don't remember what news channel and I don't know if they're still around but whoever they are, thank you. Anyway, so here I was playing the intro and I was really lost. I didn't know what was going on but it didn't matter because the shooting clicked straight away. My eyes were melting too. That scene in the ship and the bomb and Chief doing all that good stuff. We didn't even need to upgrade our graphics, I thought this was our ceiling and we didn't need to go any further.
6.
Tales of Symphonia ; I got really invested into the world building. Having played other Tales now, it's safe to say that (again, for me), Tales peaked here. In terms of pretty much everything. Yes, even combat.
Like with Fire Emblem, Tales of Symphonia was simple. Run up to an enemy, hit them with a normal attack, chain to a tech. Rinse and repeat. This is gonna sound crazy but this game was almost turn based-like. And that's when you step back from the computer and you're wondering what the heck am I even typing. Where did I find such potent drugs to write this? I
The story! Riveting. The best cast of characters I've seen. I liked everyone, nearly. Regal is kinda blah but everyone else was spot on. And the group didn't feel forced. Being childhood friends, teacher and a student, common acquaintances, I look back and I think everyone has a connection to someone. And get this, everyone actually has a reason why they tag around. It's not as if they all feel that they have to save the world. Eventually they do make this their ultimate goal. They have motives. A desire to explore, because of orders, for redemption, like wow Namco, can you please make another Tales game like this. I'm not asking. And dial down the hard on for making stupid battle systems, please.
And the twist not that far in. Yo. Keep this in mind.
5.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ; okay, this one's a real turn based game. No drugs this time.
The jokes are nicely done. The writing as a whole is excellent. Just a really fun game to play from start to finish.
I remember losing my save file of 35 hours because someone wanted to be funny and just delete my stuff. My anger died down rather fast. I used this opportunity to do everything again. Normally when I replay games and I hit a section where it's really boring I'd lose the urge to keep playing. I still keep playing though. That's what I just do. I don't lose any urge of playing when I play TTYD. Not a single boring part. Maybe the Chapter 4 stuff is kinda boring with all the backtracking but I always tell myself the ending of that chapter makes up for everything and it does.
The game isn't exactly short but I've played through it a bunch of times already. The best.
4.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ; it's always black and white. Dark and Light. Cookies and cream. What is up with the fascination of opposites in fiction? I asked for this for Christmas 04 and it remains my favorite present.
Out of everything in this list this is the fairest game. Not difficult, not a cakewalk. When you enter Aether and step out in to the miasma, you get panicky since the atmosphere is corrosive as heck. Watch that health bar drop down to 0 really fast. I loved that rush. While there are these things called Light Crystals that provide protection and heal your HP little by little, I was still impressed at how imposing this dark unknown world was. Eventually you get an armor upgrade that made you a little bit resistant to these effects but Retro was smart enough to start spacing out the light crystals. Your health bar didn't go down fast like it previously did so you aren't as worried as before but then you realize it's been a while since you last stepped in a safe zone and panic starts to sink in again. Like when will that darn Crystal pop up again and save me
Those were my memories a decade ago. Actually, that's not really true. The whole spacing out crystal thing. Well, it is true but just a slight exaggeration on my part. Still, Retro Studios remain masters of their craft. Still masterful game design and it's everywhere to be found in Metroid Prime 2. Varied areas and the bosses, ooh the bosses. Some of my favorites ever.
The Chykka. Battle doesn't really play out any different but the logbook data for it was interesting. Oh thanks to the poisonous dark water, it started to mutate heavily and age rapidly. The transformation was something else.
Same with Quadraxis. This one was a really good boss fight. It's a giant mechanical spider with a floating head. Don't know how you can beat that.
3.
Resident Evil 4 ; Another game where I fell for the hype. Out of nowhere, my childhood buddy was creaming his pants for this game. He didn't have a Gamecube so it was up to me to save the day. Thanks so much, buddy. True classic status right up here.
It's kinda unfortunate the game loses its mysticism as your further explore the second area and loses ALL of it in the third area. Only negative.
Everything else is so good it's like a fantasy. I wasn't feeling the first couple of minutes since the game was trying to scare me with the ambient music, ooh someone's moving in the background, this guy wouldn't respond to my cheese (I mean, freeze!), typical scare antics. But I got to the village. And the stake. And the whole barricade thing. And the window breaking with the ladder. The cursing. The chainsaw!
So I did my job and I beat that section. Instantly, I faced my friend and I thanked him. I knew I was gonna be up for something special. Honestly I'm kind of sad we haven't good clones of this. The over-the shoulder perspective and the immaculate shooting. I don't know why. RE5 is a major step down compared to this.
2.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; I would actually bump this down to a mere honorable mention but how can I when this game is still my favorite game of all time? Favorite =/= best. Words of wisdom.
I hate how piss easy this game is. The implementation of the QTE moves didn't help either. It's a mechanic that makes the already easy combat even easier. With how abundant grass and pots are, enemies should have been hitting 2-3x as much.
So I hate a big part of an adventure game like WW. What's left.
I role-played. The only time in a video game I ever role-played. Link? Link didn't exist. I was the main character. My sister got captured by some eagle thing. I had to save her. I had to sail the seas to do that. And with how big the world was (har har it was empty) I felt this sense of adventure I haven't felt before. Fast forward a decade later and I felt that sense of adventure again in Etrian Odyssey IV but Wind Waker started it all for me.
I was soaking in the sights. Empty sea map and just a compass, I didn't know what awaited each island I sailed by. Everywhere and everything was an unknown. The sun constantly shining on my skin, the taste of salt and the flurry of wind hitting my hair as I rode the waves. Making trips to Windfall Island, interacting with merchants and the townsfolk. Seeing so many Rito for the first time in a single place when my only encounter of them before was a single Rito making deliveries. Little Koroks of The Forest Haven, hiding above the withered branches of the Deku Tree.
Yup, call me close minded but this game will always be my all time favorite.
And that final boss fight is so awesome. I really felt like if I didn't down this boss, it'd be the end of my world as I'd know it.
1.
Metroid Prime ; The pinnacle of game design. I don't know what else I would put here. If we included all games from all generations, Metroid Prime would still be my top pick.
And I copped this for $15.
The pacing is so good. Like you wouldn't believe it. The items unlock at the right time. Combat gets old kinda. Super Missile that, Super Missile this. Occasional trap the player into a tiny corridor while a Space Pirate there wailing at you with its plasma scythe thing.
Of course, the adventure part of the game is the best. Encounter a place where I need a new piece of equipment. Gotta backtrack all the way since I clearly went the wrong way. Not. A. Problem. Really. Didn't have any problem with that. What if I did see this tiny room like ten billion times already. I saw it ten billion times differently every time.
Always I see Phendrana Drifts get mentioned in any Metroid Prime related topic. But I think all the areas deserve praise. The areas for MP2 also get the shaft but places like Sanctuary Fortress are so cool and out there.
Greatest. No doubt in my mind.
x.
God of War II ; the best God of War game. The game has no low points and also no high points but it's really consistent in everything. All the other God of War games, as much as I want to praise the living daylights out of them, they ain't touching II.
x.
SSX Tricky ; fun snowboarding game. The Uber moves are so creative. The worm, breakdancing, pirouette, backflips... Insane.
x.
Super Smash Bros. Melee ; nice game with friends around.
x.
Soul Calibur II ; borrowed it from a friend and it had Link and all. Great fighting game. Once I dug into it, I forgot about Link. The character designs though. As a kid, I spent a long time ogling the official art for Xianghua, Seong Mi-na, Ivy and Taki. Yeah, just putting it out there.
x.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; I really wish Nintendo would add the 2-characters on a kart gimmick back. They don't have to make another main entry. Even a simple mode would be welcome. I know the game's easy but I liked thinking whether I should be saving my item by stocking it in the back or use it right away and stuff. Liked using Bowser and DK together and saving giant bananas and the giant shell, mayhem hahah
x.
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal ; I think I abused a bunch of weapons and rarely deviated. Oh well, I definitely remember the fun I had
x.
Half-Life 2 ; All these games and the only one I didn't finish. I didn't even play this on PC. I played it on my Xbox! How's that for an L. Might even be a win. Who else played this on Xbox? No one? Okay.
x.
Tekken 5 ; great game with all the different characters and fighting styles.
x.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening ; yes, amazing amazing amazing battles. Legendary boss fights with Vergil. That last one. I gotta walk that off.
x.
Pokemon Emerald ; to most RBY -> GSC brought bigger changes but I thought RSE brought more than gen 1 to 2 did. Dead serious. All you guys clowning on this gen and its Pokemon designs but the coolest legendaries, freaking Flygon, best region, best music, all from this gen, baby.
x.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones ; umph Eirika.
x.
Shadow of the Colossus ; nowadays I find this game near unplayable. I beat the game when I was younger but I can't do it now. Every passing year my memories of this game fade. With those screwed up controls that much needed replay always escapes my grasp.. or grip. Wait, that's the same thing.
x.
Dragon Quest VIII ; oh ho now this is one game that will never get a replay from me. That atrocious battle speed. It's criminal. I should sue Square Enix. I still beat it though. Some games just aren't meant to be played twice. With how slow everything this game, from the battle system, the traversing, glacial movement of the plot, no way does this deserve another run. But I'm judging this from my first run so yeah good memories all around. It's why I even put it in my honorable mentions list. I liked the cast and Yangus is that one guy. That one guy you'll remember 'til death take you.
x.
Super Mario Strikers ; quirky soccer game. I was playing RuneScape (yeah, RuneScape) and my two friends just came over. They didn't notify me with a fancy email or nothing. I had my GameCube in the other room and for the next six hours while still playing RS, those two scrubs sat there screaming each other and laughing their heads off.
x.
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Last Ocean ; the long lost oshun. Voice acting woes aside and painfully slow battle system aside, great experience. Card battles. Nothing else like it And that twist left me legitimately shook down to the very core. That twist is so legit. Another Namco twist. They only published (I think, don't know the specifics) but same thing.
x.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne ; Press Turn. My girl Chiaki may be insane but she rocks that denim skirt.
x.
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 ; oh Atlus. The DDS series is two parts of a whole but this mess? Not gonna be a part of it.
****
Okay. I'll separate this section using symbols. This section might as well not exist. It ain't part of my ballot. It ain't my honorable mentions either since it don't have that x with a period. I ain't even bolding the titles.
Ever17: The Out of Infinity ; that subtitle makes no sense. I used the Wikipedia title but the GameFAQs title is different. Don't know what to think of that.
I always thought Sora was my one but then Sara came along and swept me off my feet. The game's a slog until you do the true route and when you get on that route, there ain't no force in the universe stopping you from just marathoning it from beginning to end. Written by the same person who did 999. Call them a hack for using the same concept all the time whatever at least the writing is captivating. Maybe just for me but I know I got hooked.
Tsukihime ; yeah uhhh game came out 2000 in Japan but the translation patch didn't come until 2006. A year past the due date. I'm cheating the system. Still, I wanna mention it in some capacity because it's still my favorite VN. Akiha is the best little sister in games, dudes.
****
I'm done messing with the memories. Thank you to all the developers, companies, whatever, the people from those other electronic stores, basically everyone who took part in my favorite gaming generation.