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NeoGAF Games of the Fifth Generation Awards
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
Gaf you get that Gold/Silver > Red/Blue, so how come you haven't realized that Perfect Dark > Goldeneye?
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
I've never played Xenogears and Suikoden, but I certainly think it is well deserved Banjo beat the other three. Though of course it is also a matter of genre preference. You seem to like RPGs the most, I like platformers the most. To be a bit more fair in regards to genres: It's a shame that FFT beat Tearring Saga!
Elitist1945
Member
Lack of Medal of Honor saddens me 
thesaucetastic
Unconfirmed Member
Party
6. Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt (Nintendo 64)
I can't believe I got this shitty game on a list.
Also Anihawk, are we doing affinities or were there not enough ballots/diversity for that? And Gen 4 is coming around September of next year, right? Because I need to knock out more SNES titles before then.
edit: I think you left out my vote for Earthworm Jim on PC. It's nothing big though, since I only put it at #9.
There were only 192 ballots in comparison to Gen 6's 479; blame the people who couldn't be bothered to vote.
Fair enough! We definitely differ on taste preference so it's not something we can fully agree on.
I really need to replay BK because I do miss it.
Eh. For all CC's flaws, there's still many great things going for it. It's a huge game with lot's of content that can leave you playing for hours. There's replay value and the art direction is gorgeous.
It might not be the greatest game ever but it's still good.
Mr. Nice_Guy
Member
Very solid list, especially with IX cracking the top 10. No idea what FF VIII is doing on this list, personally, but other than that it feels like a good representation of some of the best that generation had to offer.
hosannainexcelsis
Member
I don't think it's just people not being bothered, but also that the farther back in time you go, the fewer people here will have completed enough games in a generation to feel comfortable voting on the best.
I think you'd get more votes on an 8-bit or 16-bit poll though, mainly as they tend to be fairly short games that younger gamers can easily have played through even if they weren't around at the time. Fifth generation is where a lot of the 3D titles started becoming really long games in comparison to their 2D forebears, due to less compact levels, more tutorials, more cut scenes etc etc.
thesaucetastic
Unconfirmed Member
That's pretty true. Hell, I even need to scramble to get more Gen 4 games under my belt if I want to vote next time...
I still find the poor PC representation a shame though.
Well, now Anihawk won't be able to fix his mistake because you erased your list, soooo...
edit: You're lucky I still had that thread open for my own votes, if Anihawk still wants to include yours.
VirtuaFighter64
Banned
u didnt include my votes bcause of that?? lmao..fukn fascist geeks...
I did my part, but it was clear from the voting thread the list would be heavily biased towards console, specifically Nintendo. Don't think it's the best representation of the era because of it, but still an interesting retrospective.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Ocarina of Time came at a time when the best example of a 3D action aventure game was Tomb Raider. You had to be there.
Personally, I think Majora's Mask is better, but that game is marred by some design decisions that prevent it from enduring in the mainstream's conscience the way Ocarina did.
Imp the Dimp
Member
More of a popularity contest than anything but not a bad list by any means.
By todays standards? Not a chance.
By 1990s standards? Not a chance.
It was the Halo of the 90s. Spectacular for the console, average/horrible in comparison to PC offerings.
Still loved it, though!
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
I am surprised Sin and Punishment got 2nd place in the shooter ranking. I thought the Panzer Dragoons would beat it only because of exposure.
I can list many reasons why I think VIII is better than Xenogears and I'm a huge fan of a Xeno. But man the dismissive attitude and lack of attempt at discussion is pretty shitty.
Napalm_Frank
Member
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Dude, come on.
Actually I'm not sure if your post was counted or not.
I was basing my judgement on World Driver Championship but it seems it got two spots.
entremet
Member
It's good, but it's not top 25 of the generation material. That's all.
DoctorFling
Member
Hah, the top 4 are pretty much my favourite games of all time. Go figure.
That's the reason why I didn't vote. I've gone in and started to fill in my history of the era, but during the era all I was playing was Pokemon RBY, GSC, Stadium, and Snap.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Looking through the top 10, I have played all games, but FFVII and Castlevania. Castlevania is extremely expensive though. Having played and not liked Castlevania IV on SNES all too much, would it still be worth it to check it out? It is the initial Metroid-style Castlevania, right? Are there cheaper options of "almost as good" games that are worth checking out to see if I should play this game? Before I get FFVII (which thankfully isn't too expensive) I'll first have to finish IX, which I like a lot (way more than IV, X, XIII-3 and VIII, but less than Chrono Trigger).
SplitYourInfinities
Member
Great work Anihawk. Very happy with the results, the top 25 is flawless.
BTW, according to this list most of GAF thinks N64 > PSX.
BTW, according to this list most of GAF thinks N64 > PSX.
Makoto Yuki
Banned
Both are great, I don't think one is better than the other having grown up playing both. Though I would say that the N64 had the more revolutionary games like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Golden Eye, while the PS1 will be remembered for it's wide range of game variety, practical use of the disk format allowing for games like Final Fantasy VII to be made.
Symphony of the Night is the first Metroid-inspired game, yes. Aria of Sorrow on GBA is known for being one of the best in the series as well, and it continues the SotN style. You can probably find that cheaper. The DS games are great too.
barneystuta83
Member
That is one incredible top 10.
Could any gen match that? I mean, Goldeneye and Half life couldn't break in, the top 10 is dat gud.
Could any gen match that? I mean, Goldeneye and Half life couldn't break in, the top 10 is dat gud.
Great work AniHawk! Like I said, I'm still surprised at the RPGs. More their placings than their quantities though. FF7 is often considered in contention for GotG but it was at 5. And like others have said N64 dominated, which surprised me since GAF is more global than a lot of other forums I've been to.
Now to give my opinions on all of the top 25, and see which ones I have/haven't played!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time-Not my pick for GotG but absolutely, absolutely deserving. I didn't really give this game a good go until its 2011 remake, and the whole time I was incredibly impressed at how this was a game from 1998. In terms of 3D game design it's seemingly so far ahead of everything else at the time. It's the Super Mario Galaxy of Zelda games in how well-designed each dungeon feels.
Super Mario 64-Definitely the most influential game this gen but I've never loved it outside of those terms. As a kid playing this in the early 2000s I saw it as merely good. I feel like I should give it another go, because watching speedruns of this game is a blast. Still, it's good and incredibly influential so I understand it more than other games I've seen rank this high on lists.
Metal Gear Solid-I've never played. I loathe stealth games and any type of stealth mechanic so I have no interest. I'm a little tempted to watch a Let's Play so I can understand how iconic it is.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask-Haven't played. I need to. For the longest time I was afraid to play this game because time limits (even inconsequential ones) deeply hamper my enjoyment of games, but after all the praise this one's gotten in the last 5 years or so it's a must-play game.
Final Fantasy VII-Overrated. Admittedly I still need to finish it but the battle animations and stiff graphics just make this game not hold up well. I think the SNES games and FFX are fantastic, but this didn't give me a good impression of FF on the PS1.
Castlevania:Symphony of the Night-I tried playing this and I didn't enjoy it. However, I rarely like Metroidvanias and I feel like I didn't give this game a fair shake. The art is certainly gorgeous.
Pokemon Gold/Silver-My GotG. Builds upon RGBY with more Pokemon, two regions (and yes, they both have messed up level balancing), an improved battle system, and one of the best soundtracks in any video game, and certainly on the Game Boy. Pushed the GB to its absolute limits. Even if it's not necessarily as good as gens 4-6, at the time it blew me away. To this day Johto/Kanto is still one of my favorite parts of the entire series.
Resident Evil 2-I tried Code Veronica and watched a playthrough of RE1, and I'll be honest, I can't get used to the tank controls. That being said, apparently the N64 version has an optional control scheme without them, so I'll be giving that a try at some point. I can't imagine I'll love it but it's definitely on my list of games to play.
Final Fantasy IX-Definitely on my list of games to play. Seems like the most likely PS1 FF game for me to enjoy.
Banjo-Kazooie-Haven't played, but yeah it's on my list. Will probably doing soon via Rare Replay. I've yet to play a collectathon I love so I wonder if this will do it for me, or if it'll just create more distaste for that kind of platformer on my end.
Goldeneye 007-I think people give it more crap for having aged poorly than it deserves. It's not great FPS but it certainly has its own flavor apart from the modern stuff. It's still probably overrated at number 11, but I'm sure some people who didn't vote for it would call it poorly aged garbage, which isn't completely true IMO.
Pokemon RGBY-A childhood favorite. The first game I fell in love with, and the first I could call my own. It's not as good as any of the games that followed by a longshot but I respect its place here. If you never played any of the follow-ups then this game aged better than people give it credit for (though you're robbing yourself by not playing a modern Pokemon game).
Half-Life-Never played. Not really on my radar since I didn't care much for HL2.
Paper Mario-Solid game. Honestly I dunno if I'd put it around 14, in my head this game is just so overshadowed by tTYD. But it's totally great on its own and holds up.
Suikoden II-Need to play. I've only played the beginning 30 minutes of 1 after downloading both these on PSN, and it was completely great, and gave me slight Dragon Quest vibes, so I have high hopes for these games.
Final Fantasy Tactics-I tried getting into this and couldn't. I should give it another shot. I love the FFTA games though. Actually, how come those games don't get as much love?
Final Fantasy VIII-I will play but tbh I'm not looking forward to it. Everything I've read makes it sound like something I wouldn't like.
Mario Kart 64-Definitely poorly aged, like the other racers I've played this gen honestly. The handling is so much worse than Double Dash and MKDS to me. I get that it was a classic multiplayer staple, but still.
Star Fox 64-I get that this is a classic but I can't get into it. I'm not a rail shooter guy.
Silent Hill-Haven't played. Does this have tank controls in an isometric game? I don't know much about it and it seems generally overshadowed by 2. I have it on PSN I think.
Super Smash Bros- Eclipsed by Melee I actually think this game deserved more credit. At a casual level it still feels totally unique and at a competitive level "zero-to-death: the game," is actually fairly compelling. Though in terms of features and characters and whatnot it's totally dwarfed.
Tekken 3-This game's alright. I never got why people hold it in such high regard to this day. 5 and 6 seem similar but better. And I don't think either of those are great either.
StarCraft-I tried playing this at my friend's house way back in the day and couldn't get into it. RTS games just aren't fun to me.
Planescape Torment-I'm not usually a PC RPG guy but I probably should give this a shot now that I think about it.
Panzer Dragoon Saga-I need to give this a shot. I'm definitely afraid to plop down the money at some point. There's always the possibility that I won't like it, which seems possible and would mean a huge waste of cash.
Now to give my opinions on all of the top 25, and see which ones I have/haven't played!
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time-Not my pick for GotG but absolutely, absolutely deserving. I didn't really give this game a good go until its 2011 remake, and the whole time I was incredibly impressed at how this was a game from 1998. In terms of 3D game design it's seemingly so far ahead of everything else at the time. It's the Super Mario Galaxy of Zelda games in how well-designed each dungeon feels.
Super Mario 64-Definitely the most influential game this gen but I've never loved it outside of those terms. As a kid playing this in the early 2000s I saw it as merely good. I feel like I should give it another go, because watching speedruns of this game is a blast. Still, it's good and incredibly influential so I understand it more than other games I've seen rank this high on lists.
Metal Gear Solid-I've never played. I loathe stealth games and any type of stealth mechanic so I have no interest. I'm a little tempted to watch a Let's Play so I can understand how iconic it is.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask-Haven't played. I need to. For the longest time I was afraid to play this game because time limits (even inconsequential ones) deeply hamper my enjoyment of games, but after all the praise this one's gotten in the last 5 years or so it's a must-play game.
Final Fantasy VII-Overrated. Admittedly I still need to finish it but the battle animations and stiff graphics just make this game not hold up well. I think the SNES games and FFX are fantastic, but this didn't give me a good impression of FF on the PS1.
Castlevania:Symphony of the Night-I tried playing this and I didn't enjoy it. However, I rarely like Metroidvanias and I feel like I didn't give this game a fair shake. The art is certainly gorgeous.
Pokemon Gold/Silver-My GotG. Builds upon RGBY with more Pokemon, two regions (and yes, they both have messed up level balancing), an improved battle system, and one of the best soundtracks in any video game, and certainly on the Game Boy. Pushed the GB to its absolute limits. Even if it's not necessarily as good as gens 4-6, at the time it blew me away. To this day Johto/Kanto is still one of my favorite parts of the entire series.
Resident Evil 2-I tried Code Veronica and watched a playthrough of RE1, and I'll be honest, I can't get used to the tank controls. That being said, apparently the N64 version has an optional control scheme without them, so I'll be giving that a try at some point. I can't imagine I'll love it but it's definitely on my list of games to play.
Final Fantasy IX-Definitely on my list of games to play. Seems like the most likely PS1 FF game for me to enjoy.
Banjo-Kazooie-Haven't played, but yeah it's on my list. Will probably doing soon via Rare Replay. I've yet to play a collectathon I love so I wonder if this will do it for me, or if it'll just create more distaste for that kind of platformer on my end.
Goldeneye 007-I think people give it more crap for having aged poorly than it deserves. It's not great FPS but it certainly has its own flavor apart from the modern stuff. It's still probably overrated at number 11, but I'm sure some people who didn't vote for it would call it poorly aged garbage, which isn't completely true IMO.
Pokemon RGBY-A childhood favorite. The first game I fell in love with, and the first I could call my own. It's not as good as any of the games that followed by a longshot but I respect its place here. If you never played any of the follow-ups then this game aged better than people give it credit for (though you're robbing yourself by not playing a modern Pokemon game).
Half-Life-Never played. Not really on my radar since I didn't care much for HL2.
Paper Mario-Solid game. Honestly I dunno if I'd put it around 14, in my head this game is just so overshadowed by tTYD. But it's totally great on its own and holds up.
Suikoden II-Need to play. I've only played the beginning 30 minutes of 1 after downloading both these on PSN, and it was completely great, and gave me slight Dragon Quest vibes, so I have high hopes for these games.
Final Fantasy Tactics-I tried getting into this and couldn't. I should give it another shot. I love the FFTA games though. Actually, how come those games don't get as much love?
Final Fantasy VIII-I will play but tbh I'm not looking forward to it. Everything I've read makes it sound like something I wouldn't like.
Mario Kart 64-Definitely poorly aged, like the other racers I've played this gen honestly. The handling is so much worse than Double Dash and MKDS to me. I get that it was a classic multiplayer staple, but still.
Star Fox 64-I get that this is a classic but I can't get into it. I'm not a rail shooter guy.
Silent Hill-Haven't played. Does this have tank controls in an isometric game? I don't know much about it and it seems generally overshadowed by 2. I have it on PSN I think.
Super Smash Bros- Eclipsed by Melee I actually think this game deserved more credit. At a casual level it still feels totally unique and at a competitive level "zero-to-death: the game," is actually fairly compelling. Though in terms of features and characters and whatnot it's totally dwarfed.
Tekken 3-This game's alright. I never got why people hold it in such high regard to this day. 5 and 6 seem similar but better. And I don't think either of those are great either.
StarCraft-I tried playing this at my friend's house way back in the day and couldn't get into it. RTS games just aren't fun to me.
Planescape Torment-I'm not usually a PC RPG guy but I probably should give this a shot now that I think about it.
Panzer Dragoon Saga-I need to give this a shot. I'm definitely afraid to plop down the money at some point. There's always the possibility that I won't like it, which seems possible and would mean a huge waste of cash.
Visualante2
Member
Bonkers that Symphony of the Night isn't available on Steam
entremet
Member
I doubt that. The PS1 had a stronger library overall, but the N64 had some really great highs.
yours was the favorite one of mine i could find for fft. i was hoping others would agree and that some would check out your post. i didn't want to condense it down (which is something i did for some - omitting sentences and ending others earlier)
affinities should be a go sometime tomorrow. it's actually dependent on cheesemeister who has no stake in this thread really and works on it during very small windows of off-time.
weird. i couldn't find examples of it so i left it off. i'll go ahead and throw it on.
uh, your vote was counted there. see how colin mcrae 2.0 is in the list? you were the only person to vote for it. you didn't follow the format but i still counted your vote.
blast processed
Member
Great work AnlHawk! This must have taken a good bit of time to compile. Love the way everything is broken down.
the psx collectors/appreciation thread was reached, and i contacted the other console collection/appreciation threads from that era, and sent out a reminder on the final day to each, too.
also if you care about music and stuff, the vote for the best soundtracks of this generation is ongoing and can be found here:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1096830
the vote ends on september 15.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1096830
the vote ends on september 15.
actually, you're fine. I wasn't referring to you at all. I don't wanna say what I mean outright but when the GotY 2015 result thread gets posted, it'll be apparent the tone in there will be way different than the GotY 2014 thread
well, almost fine
DKR >>>>>> those two
i thought the three people would have most issues with are mk64 over gran turismo 2 or dkr, smash bros. over tekken 3, and goldeneye over half-life 2. no one has really taken issue with that second one.
i played ctr for the first time last year - the courses seem fine but they are a chore to get to. unskippable voiced text in my kart racing game? thanks naughty dog, you are so ahead of the curve that i still don't think we're there yet.
blast processed
Member
Yeah, GAF likes their consoles.
I thought GAF did a great job voting on the Gen 6 thread. I pretty much agreed with the entire list, but this one seems a bit all over the place. I think it might have something to do with a larger amount of games from this gen missing ports to current platforms.
Anyway, what is the next vote supposed to be? Backwards to Gen 4 or are we ready for a Gen 7?
Anyway, what is the next vote supposed to be? Backwards to Gen 4 or are we ready for a Gen 7?