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48| The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Released: November 23rd, 1998

Definitive Version: Nintendo 3DS; Also on: GC, N64, Virtual Console for Wii and Wii U

Out of all the games I have on this list, this one is likely to be by far the one to get the most complaints in terms of its ranking. In virtually every single "top X games of all-time" lists, one game consistently takes the number one spot. That is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. To be fair, there is a big reason for that. During its release Ocarina of Time was revolutionary. Prior to it full 3D movement games were mostly limited to 3D platformers, in no small part due to Ocarina of Time's director Shigeru Miyamoto pioneering that genre. "3D games" in general still moved around in a 2D space. Sure games like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII seemed impressive, but they relied moving around in two dimensional painted backgrounds. Even when games ditched 2D backgrounds and went full 3D, they were still technically 2D. Metal Gear Solid made a huge buzz when it was released two months before Ocarina of Time, and was essentially Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake with polygonal graphics and a zoomed in camera. Unless it was a racing game, first person shooter, or a platformer, the game wasn't going to have full 3D movement. Nintendo could have taken the easy way out by essentially having Ocarina of Time follow in these game's footsteps, but that isn't the "Nintendo Way."

Nintendo actually had Ocarina of Time be a full 3D game. The game had full 3D combat, full 3D interactive dungeons and puzzles, and even a full 3D overworld. In fact the only place in the game that wasn't fully 3D was the main town, as that used painted backgrounds. Usually a developer juggling too much at once leads to an over ambitious project that ends up falling flat on its face. Instead, Ocarina of Time soared to being the most critically acclaimed game of all-time, a title that it still holds to this day. There are primarily two reasons for that. The first is that it solved so many problems with working in 3D that developers just couldn't figure out. For a modern comparison, think of virtual reality. Try imagining making a game like Zelda with the HTC Vive. The concept of just sword fighting with the enemy is confusing enough. One would having to figure out just how to sync the animation and hitbox correctly with the player's swinging motions. They would also have to figure out what would happen when the sword clashes with the enemy's sword or shield. This doesn't even bring up the matter of depth perception. Keep in mind we haven't even begun to talk about how the A.I. will even react toward the player. And all this just for a sliver of the Zelda experience! It comes to no surprised that virtually every VR game designed from ground up so far is very simple and essentially a walking simulator. This was where 3D was more or less at during most of the 1990's, as developers then had the same problems working with 3D as modern developers do with VR today. Ocarina of Time figured all of these problems out, that is one of the reasons why it is so renowned.

Of course, the other reason why the game was so critically acclaimed is because it is so good. To this day, Ocarina of Time is amongst the best games.one can play. Despite laying the ground work for interactive 3D gameplay, it still manages to not feel outdated. This is a very rare thing to see with 3D games of that era that dared to experiment. So it wasn't just the fact that Ocarina of Time solved the many problems of making an action/adventure title in 3D, but that it did it very well from the get go.

Ocarina of Time is more or less The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but in full 3D. The game is presented in a behind the back perspective as the player transverses across the world through various towns, forests, plains, and other locations. The game starts the player off in a village where an infamous fairy greets them. It continues the basic formula of a Zelda entry's opening scene to the first dungeon essentially being a tutorial. The game begins by moving very slowly, as Link explores the town, moves throw mysterious woods, and explores the first dungeon. Once that is complete, the world opens up for our legendary hero. Well, at least somewhat. After leaving the village one goes to the main town. There they will briefly meet the princess and later see her kidnapped. After that, the game opens up where the player explores the overworld to tackle whatever dungeon they want to first. There is plenty of variety as there is a water dungeon, fire dungeon, ghost dungeon, and what have you. Like all Zelda game, the objective is to complete each dungeon to receive a special item and eventually collect the pieces of the tri-force and defeat Ganon.

From the get go, you can tell Nintendo knew what they were doing. Controlling Link is a breeze as he smoothly runs across the screen as he can jump, roll, back flip, and side step. He can also slash and stab his sword and put up his shield with ease. There is also a targeting system in which a reticule stays on to the enemy and black bars cover the top and bottom of the screen like watching a widescreen film. Link locks on to the enemy, as does the camera, making battles easy to focus on and relatively painless to engage in. Combat is admittedly a bit slow, but like Dark Souls, it gives the advantage of the player being able to see what they are doing. The combat is surprisingly refined for the time that it was made, and still to this day holds up well enough. Being honest, I actually find the combat more engaging than almost every Zelda game that came after it. The enemy A.I. reacts very well to what the player is doing, and there is one sub-boss battle that is really impressive to how the A.I. engages in sword fighting, especially for its time.

The heart of a Zelda game is of course its dungeons. Ocarina of Time's dungeons are very well made. They may not be the best in the series, but they managed to get A Link to the Past's polished level design perfectly translated to a 3D space. The puzzles are simple enough to understand, but complex enough to have the player really have to think about what they are doing. Puzzles often take multiple stages to complete, and much of the time require transversing through the dungeon and interacting with the general environment. Sometimes, I feel that they were too advanced for their time. The Water Temple is a good example of this. Personally, I found this to be the easiest temple in the game, but at the time of release it was infamous of being so confusing. This was primarily due to the fact that in order to progress in the dungeon, one would have to raise and lower the water levels. This would require exploring and memorizing where all of the main doors are, and having great spacial awareness. These were things that most game player lacked in the early days of 3D gaming. Sure games like Duke Nukem 3D and Doom required exploration, but that was in mostly on a flat map contained to a single floor with limited interaction with the environment. Ocarina of Time took its exploration to multiple floors throughout its dungeons, with the player regularly picking up and stacking items, observing to shoot down objects and enemies, and so on. The level design was very complex for its time, and in some ways shows how many games have gone backwards since its release, as doing such things highlighting a key to pick and up and open a door across the room to solve a "puzzle" is so commonplace now a days.

In terms of presentation, Ocarina of Time certainly gets the job done. In either version you play, the graphics have a nice and clean cartoony style, and the world has a very washed out colored look to it. Admittedly it seem a bit weird at first, but one quickly gets used to it. There is no voice acting, but personally the game doesn't need it as characters don't have much to say. The music is also very catchy as people are still humming the tunes almost twenty years after the game was released. The game does have cutscenes but they rare. It isn't the most cinematic game, and wasn't even considered as such during its original release, but the game isn't suppose to be cinematic so it makes sense.

It isn't difficult to see why The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ranks so high on so many lists. It is a very well made game that has few weaknesses. Its mechanics and design are timeless, which ensures that the game will enjoyable for generations to come. That said, much like Super Mario Bros., the game has been picked and influenced by almost every game released after it. It is inevitable that games will improve upon aspects of its design almost twenty years after its release. Regardless, the game still holds up very well today and still deserves to be listed among the greats. The fact that it's on the top half of this list speaks volumes of its quality



47| Banjo Kazooie

Released: June 29th, 1998

Definitive Version: XBLA for Xbox 360; Also on: N64, XBO

Just like its 2D predecessor, after Super Mario 64 there were a lot of games that emulated its design. Games like Gex: Enter the Gecko and Glover clearly took notes from Super Mario 64's playbook as they featured a hub world, multiple collectibles, and large semi open-ended levels. While these games were good, none of them came close to being as good as Super Mario 64. It turned out that Rareware was creating a 3D platformer of their own. According to trailers and interviews, the game would be much like Super Mario 64. This seems very familiar, as the game that put the studio on the map was heavily influenced by the previous Mario platformer. The difference is however, is that the new game couldn't rest on unique technology to stand out from the crowd. It would instead be on the same playing field as Miyamoto's and everyone elses' efforts. Would Rareware be able to make a hit platformer game on its own merits? This question was answered with the release of Banjo Kazooie. And the answer was a resounding "yes!"

Banjo Kazooie is essentially a Super Mario 64 reskin. It has a hub world the player travels through to enter levels, stages are completed be earning golden items from various objectives, and it offers collectibles to... well collect. The key difference between Banjo Kazooie and Super Mario 64, is that Banjo Kazooie takes Super Mario 64's formula and adds a shit ton of hot sauce. The game does everything Super Mario 64 does but more of it. Yeah, Banjo Kazooie has a hubworld, but the hubworld is massive. Rather than being a series of interconnected rooms it is more spacious and larger than any level. Yeah, Banjo Kazooie has objectives to complete in each level like Super Mario 64, but rather than having five or six of them, each level has around ten different objectives. Yeah, Banjo Kazooie has collectibles like Super Mario 64, but instead of having just two or three types coins, Banjo Kazooie has even more collectibles...a lot more collectibles...A LOT MORE. The point is Banjo Kazooie took everything good about Super Mario 64 and expanded on it.

The game's story is fairly simple. Banjo and Kazooie are having a nice day and relaxing, when Banjo's sister, Tooty, gets kidnapped by the evil witch Gruntilda. Gruntilda, often called "Grunty", kidnaps Tooty in order to extract her "cuteness" to become beautiful. Seeing that his sister is kidnapped, Banjo teams up with Kazooie to save Tooty. There isn't really much else to the game's plot. It certainly isn't the deepest out there. However, the story does stand out a bit, as it is pretty humorous. The entire game has a tongue and cheek Saturday morning cartoon tone to it. Admittedly the game won't have you laugh out loud, but it will make you chuckle or at least smile.

Presentation wise, like most Nintendo 64 games, Banjo Kazooie isn't too cinematic. However, the game has a colorful art style that is very easy on the eyes. I guess it helps that there are no humans featured in the game, so the blocky character models and muddy textures are more forgivable. The title also features a great soundtrack that is amongst Rare's best. The music goes perfect with the game's wilderness setting and cartoony vibe.

Gameplay wise, as said before, Banjo Kazooie is essentially a souped up version of Super Mario 64. One thing to note however, is that exploration plays a much bigger part in this game than any other 3D platformer out there. Levels are huge and sprawling with content. Finding out where to go and how to get to it isn't always obvious. This game was released in a period where either 3D level design either really relied on players to use their heads or where everything was spoonfed to them. Luckily this title falls into the former. It can take quite some exploring in certain levels just to find the next puzzle piece (Banjo Kazooie's version of gold stars). The maps in the game aren't flat with occasional platforms about, they are designed with the third dimension in mind as the player will frequently travel vertically and horizontally as they hop across ledges, fly in the sky, or swim underwater. Like most games of its era, it shows in many ways how 3D game design has gone backwards over the years.

Controlling the characters feel great. Banjo moves around well as he clearly has some weight to him. If the player ever wants to speed things up at the sacrifice of brawn, they can immediately switch to his partner Kazooie who is much faster and lighter, but can't do much if any damage to the enemies. Players can use the two characters to perform a variety of moves. This includes the butt stomp and the punch that were shamelessly taken from a certain other platforming game. However, there are also unique abilities such as Kazooie's multi-peck for up close baddies and egg coughing for range attacks. They aren't the most accurate attacks, but they get the job done. Banjo can also perform a double jump as after Banjo's first jump Kazooie will flap her wings to give Banjo an extra oomph. There are also parts of the game where Kazooie can fly Banjo throughout the air and that Banjo can dive underwater. Like in Donkey Kong Country, the characters can turn into various enemies to get into tight spaces, but it is rarely used.

The game isn't perfect however. For starters there are way too many things to collect. There is such a thing as too much content, as at times I was wondering just what I should focus on collecting. The levels require the player to explore and use their heads to figure out where to go and what to do next, which is something I commend Rare for doing. Unfortunately, it does get very annoying walking around for thirty minutes as one explores every nook and cranny just to find the last puzzle piece. But by far and wide the game's biggest offense is the last part of the game. To actually end the game requires getting almost every single puzzle piece. With how large and complex each level is (not to mention all of he collectibles) this is just too daunting of a task. Personally they should have just ended the game after completing all of the levels. The last part really wasn't needed.

Even if one doesn't complete the game, Banjo Kazooie is still one of the best, if not the best, 3D platformers ever made. As saturated as the genre was during the late 1990's, it is unfortunate that adventure 3D platformers went the way of the dinosaur. Or at least so it seemed. In 2014, a group of ex-Rare staff formed a development studio called Playtonic Games. They went to set up a Kickstarter for their first project called Yooka-Laylee, a "not Banjo Kazooie, but it's Banjo Kazooie" platformer. They reached their project's goal in just thirty eight minutes and ended up raising over €2,000,000, shattering their expectations by over tenfold. It just goes to show how much of an impact Banjo Kazooie made on the gaming community.


46| Super Castlevania IV

Released: December 4th, 1991

Definitive Version: Super Nintendo; Also on: Virtual Console for Wii and Wii U

Yes, it's the "casual" Castlevania of the 16-bit era. Yes, it is the "boring" answer of what the best classic Castlevania game is. Yes, the game is "easy". Yes, it isn't as "dark" as the other games. But god damn it, if it isn't the best classic Castlevania out there. The reason? Because it is fun to play that's why. Releasing just a few months after the Super Nintendo crossed American shores, Super Castlevania IV gave gamers no excuse to not want a Super Nintendo. It took everything that made the original games good and refined it to create a highly enjoyable experience.

Anyone who is even familiar with the Castlevania games knows the deal. The player controls a vampire hunter out to kill Dracula. They venture off on a journey across the country to reach the castle. The perilous journey is conveyed in game in a sidescrolling fashion, as the player hops from platform to platform as they dodge projectiles and defeat enemies. The primary weapon in these games is the whip. It is truly the trademark to the series because, well whips are fun to use. In addition to that the player can pick up secondary weapons for range battle such as a knife, ax, and holy water. There is also a secondary weapon that can be used once to stop time, as enemies all turn into stone for a couple of seconds. The enemies the game offers are usually skeletons, bats, mermen, zombies, and pretty much any classic movie monsters you can imagine.

Admittedly, Super Castlevania IV doesn't deviate much from this. There are a few new features such as the useless, but addicting, spinning your whip around like a baton, and manually swinging off of hooks to hop on ledges. Again, these aren't the most groundbreaking features, but they are fun. What makes Super Castlevania IV head and shoulders above the rest is that it is so expertly designed. Levels are crafted as each platform and enemy are placed to give the player a sense of enjoyment. While there is a lot of trial and error in the game, it is always fair, because enemies never just pop out of nowhere, and as long as the player is paying attention to their patterns they can be easily defeated. This goes from the smallest baddies to the biggest bosses.

Presentation wise the game is great. The pixel art is very colorful, for a Castlevania game, and the sprites are large and detailed. This does come at a cost however, as the game features significant slowdown. This is especially true when fighting the "mud men" in which they break apart and create smaller versions of themselves until there are around half a dozen on the screen. The good thing is that the slowdown doesn't really effect the gameplay much as it only occurs during the flashy effects the game offers. This may sound like I contradicted myself as I just brought up the mud men, but they are so slow and have such a simple pattern that the game could be sped up by three hundred percent and they would still be easy to kill.

But let's be honest. Where Super Castlevania IV really stands out is the soundtrack. It's just baffling that such quality music is coming out of the Super Nintendo less than a year after its launch. The game could arguably be the pinnacle of midi music. Yes, later Castlevania games featured CD quality sound, but I always felt that the music was better with the "chip tune" aesthetic.

Saying all of this, the game isn't perfect. For one, it is a little on the easy side. The game isn't easy per say, but for a Castlevania game it is. There is a certain expectation one has when playing an entry to the series, sort of like when one picks up a Dark Souls title. Sure Castlevania isn't that unforgiving, but they are still a bit difficult to get through all the way. On top of that, the game doesn't have a save feature. There is a password system, but come on! This is the Super Nintendo and battery saving should be standard.

It is rare for a title to launch so early on its consoles life and sit on top of its throne as the best game in its genre. But Super Castlevania IV did just that. It released less than a year after the Super Nintendo hit store shelves anywhere in the world, and despite that it managed to push the system to its limits in many ways. It is unfortunate that Castlevania never returned to its popularity that it had with this entry. Rondo of Blood was only released on the PC Engine in Japan and received a less than favorable port to the Super Nintendo. Bloodlines was a good entry for the Mega Drive, but that's it. Symphony of the Night certainly is held in high regards in the hardcore gamer crowd, but it hardly lit up the charts. The series proceeded to be adored by handheld gamers, but only sold in the hundred thousands. Today the series is about alive for Konami as Mega Man is for Capcom. At least the last time the series was in the spotlight it was for its most exceptional title.

 

[TheMink]

Is there a way for the Mods to consolidate the list at the beginning of the thread when he is done?

 

[Lucumo]

Is there a way for the Mods to consolidate the list at the beginning of the thread when he is done?

Sure, they can just delete all the other posts ;-)

Eh, I'd pick Mario Kart 8 as the best in the series.

Double Dash will always be the best.

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

Eh, I'd pick Mario Kart 8 as the best in the series.

 

[RespectThySole]

Bravo OP. I'm enjoying these write-ups and looking forward to playing some of the ones haven't played.

i think TLOU is by far the most overrated game of all time

I agree. I don't hate it or anything. I actually think it's a pretty good game, but it's nowhere near "the greatest of all time" to me.

 

[Nuu]

45| Persona 4: Golden

Released: December 9th, 2008

Definitive Version: Playstation Vita; Also on: PS2, PSN for PS3

In December of 2008 the then new current generation systems were red hot. Nintendo's Wii was selling extremely well to the annoyance of a lot of gamers who were displaying self-parody levels of hysteria, their DS system was selling even more, the Playstation Portable was at its high point, and the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 were in their stride. Persona 3 was released in the summer 2007, when all the new systems were out and gaining traction. Despite the media and the market being laser focused on the new generation consoles, Persona 3 gained a huge amount of buzz being released on the Playstation 2, the senior citizen of the console market. The game sold well and gained a big cult following. When Persona 4 was announced shortly after, fans were ecstatic. However, people were shocked to hear when the game was announced for the Playstation 2, when every other developer seemingly moved on to one of the major new consoles, or even handhelds, to develop games. Despite the initial bemoaning, in hindsight it was a great move as it gave so many more people the opportunity to play one of the greatest games in the genre.Persona 4 quickly became one of the best regarded JRPGs of all-time, and threw a wrench in the common notion that the subgenre has stagnated.

Persona 4 starts off as you play a teenage boy who is going to live with his father and his cousin for a year. The transition is going to seemingly be rough as the main character, I'll call him "Senpai" as that is what most people call him (yes I know this is a formality in Japanese), is a city boy who is moving into a small town. The transition occurs smoother than expected as he picks up new friends fast. Before he knows it, he has his own little clique going on. Suddenly a grisly murder occurred as a former TV announcer's deceased body is publicly displayed for all to see. Murders and disappearances start becoming a common occurrence. Senpai begins to notice that prior to a murder occurring, silhouettes of human figures begin to appear on TV at midnight when it is raining. What is strange is that this happens when the TV is turned off. As the days pass by, eventually the silhouette will turn into a visible person who rambles on and on about strange things. It turns out that these figures are of those who have disappeared. In sheer curiosity, one night Senpai touches the screen on his TV and discovers that his hand goes through it. He tells his friends, but they obviously don't believe him. When they go into a department store, he and one of his friends are in the TV section. They joke about Senpai putting his hand inside the TV. It's all fun and games...until he actually does. In a panic Senpai and his friend fall into the TV world. They are greeted by a stuffed bear who claims that strange occurrences have been happening lately. They form a pack with the the bear to solve the mystery for him. The rest of the game follows the Senpai as he makes new friends to save innocent people from being murdered as he tries to find who the real mastermind behind these murders are.

Gameplay wise Persona 4 is very unique. It's part dungeon crawler and part dating simulator. It seemed to hop on the date sim bandwagon well before the likes of (waifu) Fire Emblem and other titles. This really help set the series apart from other RPGs during its initial release. Basically during the day the player goes to school. Once school is finished, they have the option of either going to a school club, talking to their friends, or going inside the TV. The former two choices can result in building social links. Essentially, the stronger the link, the stronger the friendship. This results in specific perks, mostly that whenever the player fuses as persona of the same arcana, alliance type for the layman, as their friend, the persona gains experience points to level up depending on their strength of their friendship. If the player strengthens their friendship with one of their party members, then that party memebr gains special battle abilities. Some of these are useful such as characters learning new magic skills, but others are extremely important such as the ability to resurrect the player automatically from death. If one chooses to go through the dungeon instead, then the game plays just like any other dungeon crawler. The party walks around an, often randomly generated, dungeon trying to find the next stair case until they get to the dungeon's boss and save the kidnapped victim. As hinted at before, the party fights enemies with creatures called "persona", they are literally the demons from the Shin Megami Tensei games, as you can collect up to a certain amount at a time. Players can fuse demons into specific types as they can customize some of their moves to create the perfect persona for any given situation. Boss battles will often require the player to craft the right persona for the job. Some times bosses may change into different forms and what not, and lucky for that the player can switch persona at any given turn.

The battle system is press turn. Essentially this means that one can exploit an enemy's weakness as if they use an attack they are weak against, one can attack again. For example imagine fighting a fire monster and then proceed to use an ice attack. After the fire monster is hit, it collapses and gives way for another attack. If all enemies are collapsed it gives the option for a gang beat up as all party members rush across the screen to the enemy(ies) to give them an ass whooping.This results in the foe(s) taking significant amount of damage. The press turn system is powerful, but is also a double edged sword. The game's rules goes for the player's party as well, as if someone is hit with an attack they are weak against, they fall down and receive another attack from the enemy. Fortunately enemies don't have a rush down attack like the party does, but that only comforts one so much when an enemy gets three attacks in a row by exploiting your characters weaknesses.

While the game's general story is pretty good, Persona 4 truly shines in its individual vignettes. Building social links with friends and acquaintances has the player get to know them much more personally and even intimately. The player feels a connection to others, as their stories are often well written and very human. There is story that everyone can relate to, as the stories often touch upon families, dreams, and expectations. Building social links isn't best just to gain advantages in battle, but to also experience to core point of the modern Persona games. If one doesn't feel like doing social links for some reason, but still wants to fulfill more traditional, and boring, RPG duties, the game has many sidequests for the player to complete. Admittedly most of these are fetch quests or "find person X", but they can be a nice distraction at times.

As said before the game's main story is very good. What really makes it so good is the cast of characters. Even if one doesn't bother to build up their social links, they really stand out. They are actually arguably some of the best cast of characters in RPGs in general. Each of them has a very unique personality and back story. In a way, it makes the game's ending very sad as one knows that they will end up wrapping up the story and no longer seeing the characters. It isn't surprising at all that Atlus managed to milk the cast for four completely unique games.

Presentation wise the game is probably has the most memorable style since Jet Set Radio. The entire game has a very "hip" feeling to it, thanks to its art style, fashion sense, and menus. But what really makes the game stand out is its incredible soundtrack. It's "groovy" and stylish soundtrack really give tons of character to the game. I say this with no hesitation that it is probably the best soundtrack in any video game ever. Eight years later I still find myself listening to the music on an almost regular basis. It is kind of ironic thinking of how trendy and "cool" the game is being that it doesn't take place in Shibuya or Akihabara, but a small town.

The game received an enhanced port on the Playstation Vita called Persona 4: Golden. It is the exact same game but with updated graphics, new music tracks, new social links, a new character and dungeon, and a much more fleshed out epilogue. It is comfortably the best version of the game. Being on the Playstation Vita also makes it a portable experience, which despite being developed with a console in mind, fits the game much better.

Persona 4 isn't perfect however. For starters the game is a bit too grindy and the bosses take far too long to beat. To be fair this may be because I suck, am too good, or both. This may sound weird, but when ever I made these complaints people always said grinding literally isn't an issue with the game if one hunts down the golden hands. This is something I often didn't do because I found the golden hands way too difficult to defeat, especially since they would often run away. People were also shocked when I told them what level I was at, and were amazed that I managed to beat the bosses at such a low level. So I'm not sure if grinding and repetitive fights became a problem with me because I was too bad at the game or too good at it.

However, one extremely obnoxious aspect of the game that is universal to all players is the difficulty to actually get a satisfying ending. First is that around two thrids through the game there are a series of actions one can choose, unless they choose the exact correct order, the player will immediately receive the bad ending. What's worse is that if somehow the player doesn't realize this, the game gives the option of saving over the previous file. This could result in hours of loss play time, or even having to replaying the game from scratch as the player goes through dozens of hours just to get back to that specific scene once they realized that they made a mistake. On top of that, the true ending of the game is very obtuse to get. The game tricks the player at literally the last minute thinking everything is finished and wrapped up. It turns out that if the player goes to the major department store at literally the last second before heading home, they will meet up with their friends and end up fighting the true final boss. This is something I would have never figured out by myself if it wasn't for someone telling me, especially since you can go to the department store beforehand and nothing happens. The plot, while interesting, is kind of ruined by how stupid the concept of the Midnight Channel is. How the fuck do such few people notice that their TV will turn on mysteriously at midnight showing crazy people on screen. Midnight isn't even that late! I refuse to believe if something like this really happened that it wouldn't be all over world news the next morning. The game is also a dozen hours or so too long for its own good, but again this could be because I had under leveled characters while playing through it.

With the fifth entry finally in sights of being released, I feel that there is no better time to reflect on Persona 4. In development for less than two years, Atlus managed to create one of the most classic RPGs ever made. The game is almost ten years old and despite that still has a fanbase that is hungry for more as they purchased games in the dungeon crawling, fighting, and music genres due to the characters starring in them. It isn't surprising as the world of Persona 4 is one of the most engaging around. Here's hoping that Persona 5 will capture the same magic that this title did.


44| Rolling Thunder 2

Released: 1991 (Exact date unknown)

Definitive Version: Arcade; Also on: MD, Virtual Console for Wii

Before Street Fighter II stepped on the scene, arcades were dominated by two genres: beat-em-ups and run-and-guns. Games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sunset Riders dominated arcades. Whether it be at Chuck E Cheese or a Mom n' Pop establishment, any arcade would have rows and rows of cabinets of games in these genres. Due to the Super Nintendo and Mega Drive still being relatively new or not even released during the heyday of these genres, the only option most had to play a reasonable version of these games was at an arcade. In today's world, these games are either widely available to play or are lost in time, depending on your stance on emulation for abandonware. While there are a lot of quality series in the run-and-gun genre such as Gunstar Heroes, Contra, and Metal Slug, none of them are quite as enjoyable to me as Rolling Thunder.

In this write-up I will be talking about Rolling Thunder 2. The easiest way to explain the Rolling Thunder games is that they are typical run-and-gun games, but with dash of Time Crisis. These may seem like polar opposites, but the game achieves this blend very well. Essentially the player can choose between two characters, with the ability of a second player to tag along if they want to. The player walks around the screen, but can only progress by walking to the right. Soon enemies and multiple platforms appear. Enemies obviously need to be shot at, otherwise they shoot at the player. The player can have the character hop up or down on different platforms. No matter which floor the protagonist is located on there will be boxes and similar items about. The player can move their character in front of these objects, where they can duck and cover to dodge enemy bullets. When the wave of bullets come to a brief halt, the protagonist can stand up and fire bullets at the enemy killing them. It takes the duck and cover aspect of Time Crisis and uses it very well. The difference is that this game is 2D and came along years earlier. The game also has a set amount of bullets the player can use per gun. When a weapon is out of bullets, the gun fires seldomly and bullets move across the screen very slowly. Fortunately there are doors to enter that either give the characters more bullets, more powerful ammunition, or even a different weapon. There is also a timer that counts down at each level. If the level isn't cleared by the end of the timer then the stage is automatically failed.

What makes the game interesting besides its duck and cover mechanics, is that it is very vertically orientated. As said before, there are multiple platforms to hop on to. Namco took note of this, and had the level design take advantage of this. Not only do levels often require the player to switch platforms more often, but there are levels that are designed entirely to be scaled vertically top to bottom as some type of maze. This is something very rarely seen in these types of games, even today.

The presentation of the game is a bit disappointing. It comes of in trying to be hip and smooth '70s spy thriller film, but falls short of it. The beginning of the game features some pretty cool music and character art that really sets the tone of the game. Unfortunately, this seems to get lost at many points of the game with music awkwardly switching to more traditional synthy game music of that era. You can still technically hear the hip and smooth '70s soundtrack in the music somewhere, but it's been considerably buried. The title still does a reasonable job in establishing a tone, but I feel that if the developers put in a little more effort into into the aesthetics of the game, it could have been something really special.

Another flaw with the game is its difficulty. I will admit I don't play this game with a partner, but in single player mode the game is just far too difficult. It isn't Metal Slug per say, but it is still a bit tough at times, especially in certain stages. To be more specific, it isn't really the stages themselves that are difficult, but more so certain parts of their stages. The game for example relies on a duck and cover system, but sometimes the player find themselves juggling to take out enemies on more than one front. This makes things very difficult as the game gives each character two hits before they die. To be fair, each character has two or three lives, but that only goes so far when you are stuck at a certain group of enemies.

The game also has a story...and there isn't much to say about it. Basically, satellites from countries around the world are being destroyed. The lack of information puts the planet into chaos. It turns out that the once defeated terrorist group Gelda has regrouped itself and is off to try and take over the world. It is decided that two agents, Albatross and Leila, will be sent to save the day. It is pretty forgettable, which is to par with games of this era.

Rolling Thunder 2 may not be perfect, but it is an arcade classic that is one of the go to games to play when bored and looking for a bite sized playthrough. The mechanics are fun, unique, and challenging. While run-and-guns started to become focused on being as chaotic and frantic as possible, Rolling Thunder always took the more calm and strategic approach. That alone makes it stand out from the pack. Unfortunately, these games never really got their due. While the series was moderately successful in North America, it never gained the popularity that Contra and Metal Slug had, nor the cult status that Gunstar Heroes did. This has led Namco to be very apathetic toward this series, proven that the only title in it available for modern home use is the second entry on the Wii's Virtual Console. And it isn't even the arcade version, but the Sega Mega Drive one. Though to be fair, it is a pretty good port and an okay substitute. But being that re-releasing old titles is so common these days and cost very little, there is no excuse not to be able to play the definitive version of any of these games on a modern platform.

 

[BumRush]

OP, you should actually host these on a blog and link there so it's easier to find your entries!

 

[Firemind]

I don't agree the 3DS version is the definite version OP.

 

[TheMink]

I don't agree the 3DS version is the definite version OP.

At this point it's fairly obvious OP will take portable versions over any other version.

 

[Myriadis]

I don't agree the 3DS version is the definite version OP.

The most cinematic and therefore most cinematic is the 15 FPS PAL one for the N64 anyway.

 

[Nuu]

43| The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (First Chapter & Second Chapter)

Released: March 29th, 2011

Definitive Version: PC; Also on: PSP, PSN for PSP and Vita

As stated a few entries ago, the success of Final Fantasy VII opened up the floodgates of JRPGs to be released in western territories. In just a couple years virtually every noteworthy JRPG series received a Western release for their main entries. Even extremely niche and Japanese titles such as the Shin Megami Tensei series began to see frequent releases. There was just one hold out series...well really company in general. Unfortunately, that company was Falcom. One of the oldest, if not the oldest, Japanese game studios that primarily produces role playing games, their RPG origins date back all the way to the early '80s, and had their first breakout hit with 1984's "Dragon Slayer." That's how old this development studio is, that when they started the name for a game called "Dragon Slayer" wasn't even trademarked yet. Anyway, the studio began to make a name for itself, with successful titles such as Xanadu and Popful Mail. But their most well known series by far was the Ys series. Despite it releasing on the ill-fated Turbo-Grafx CD, the game gained a lot of buzz for its cutting edge CD features such as cutscenes and an arranged soundtrack.

Unfortunately for Falcom, being limited by their platform of choice was always huge hurdle. While Final Fantasy VII opened up the floodgates for Japanese developers to release their games in the west, that was particularly only for consoles and handhelds. Falcom was first and foremost a PC developer. While Squaresoft, Enix, Atlus, and Namco focused on the Playstation consoles and Nintendo handhelds, Falcom stuck with Windows PCs. This made many diehard JRPG fans frustrated, as they saw Falcom as the "white whale" of Japanese role playing game developers. They made many quality games, but they weren't released. There were occasional tidbits such as the terrible Ys VI port, which is also one of the worst games in the series, for the Playstation 2, but it wasn't enough. What's more is that during that time Falcom apparently really ramped up their ambition with their other well known franchise, The Legend of Heroes series, as the latest entry, Trails in the Sky, was highly praised. Unfortunately, PC gaming was declining in the west, and Japanese games in general on the PC was unheard of. Due to this, games like Trails in the Sky, Xanadu Next, and Ys: Origin never were released in the west despite being some of the best games in their genre. Well Xanadu Next did receive an NGage port...but that was for the NGage...

Luckily, during the 2000s many small western publishers like XSeed, Ignition Entertainment, and Aksys began releasing lesser known Japanese titles. Seeing that Falcom began to focus on PSP releases for their games, XSeed took initiative and contracted Falcom to release some of their games, specifically all three Trails in the Sky games. JRPG fans everywhere rejoiced. Things looked optimistic at first, as the first game was coming along nicely. Then something rather unfortunate happened. It turned out that the first chapter in the series didn't sell well. On top of that, the sequel required the first game to be completed, as it literally continues the story the following morning after the events of the first game. So XSeed was put in a situation where they promised to release the next game in the series, which requires people to play the first game, which sold badly. What could be worse than that? That the games had a crazy amount of text to translate, with the second chapter in the series being by far the most text heavy and ambitious.

XSeed didn't just choose to localize any game, they chose to localize the most ambitious game a publisher could choose. Seeing that the PSP was declining, like any reasonable company, XSeed decided to abandon the project. Fortunately, the company decided to release the PC version on a whim. Trails in the Sky: First Chapter was very successful on the PC, even selling significantly more than its PSP counterpart. Due to this, Falcom decided to begin localization on the second chapter of the game series. This resulted in a nightmare of a development process that was so bad that it led to a near suicide. The workload was unbearable for almost everyone involved. Despite this, the fanbase would not stop bitching about XSeed being lazy as shit for not releasing the rest of the following games. In a miracle, the game actually released on both PC and PSN for Playstation Vita and even PSP owners. Unfortunately it wasn't the best selling game out there, but XSeed never said the sales were bad per say.

While the story of the localization of these games is fascinating, what of the actual games themselves? After all, Magic Knight Rayearth for the Sega Saturn had a very infamous localization story as well, but most say that the story behind the game was more interesting than the game itself, which many said was fairly dull in comparison. Trails in the Sky doesn't fit this bill, as it is a very quality title that was well worth the time and effort XSeed put into it. It is easily one of the best JRPGs western shores have received in quite some time.

To spare confusion, Trails in the Sky is really one game split up in two. There is the first game titled "The Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky: First Chapter" and the second game titled "The Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter." While the games were technically released separately, the first game's story doesn't conclude at the end and continues on in the second game. On top of that the character's choices and experience transfers over to the second game. In fact, going from the first chapter to the second chapter is no different than switching from disc one to disc two in a large console RPG. Due to this, I will be reviewing the game as a whole, as a combination of playing the first chapter and the second chapter.

Trails in the Sky is the quintessential JRPG. It features a group of teenagers who venture out and explore the world as they meet a cast of colorful characters. Eventually they stumble on an evil plot and decide to save the world. Throughout the game, the player picks up a variety of party members that can be used in battle. In addition to the main quest, there are a variety of side quests one can pick up at the local guild. The game uses a turn based battle system, but it also uses a grid on the battle map that the characters can move around in. It also has various minigames, particularly fishing. In other words, it is the definition of a typical JRPG. It doesn't even try to do anything unique or noteworthy.

What makes the game so praised, is not due to its innovation, but more so how well it executes its story, design, and mechanics. Sure, the game is filled with tropes, however they are done very well. Part of this is due to the setting. The world Trails in the Sky takes place in is unique enough to differentiate itself from the medieval settings these types of games typically have, but is tame enough to be relatable to the player. It isn't world that is as imaginative as say Final Fantasy VII or as immersive as say Persona 4, but it gets the job done. The world is an interesting mix of knights and dragons, steampunk industrialization, and magic and the supernatural. It manages to throw a bone to appease most types of fantasy nerds and ends up succeeding.

But the real formula to the game's success is the writing. I say this with no hesitation that The Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky has the best writing I've encountered in a game. Each character from as important as the main protagonists to as small as a maid NPC cleaning a house is filled with personality. Playing the game, one can see part of the reason the English release took so long. XSeed didn't half ass the localization process, that went all out. It seems that each line of text tells a character's story and reveals their personality. This does wonders for the main cast as each character feels wildly unique and memorable. The game features an assemble of playable characters and each of them have as much depth and personality to them as the most memorable character in your average renowned RPG. Meanwhile, the brightest stars of the bunch lead to some very hilarious lines to which I found myself literally laughing out a loud toward their quirks. Again, this just isn't limited to the main characters, every line in the game has a significant amount of thought put into it. Even when talking with two or three line NPCs, they almost always say something important that reveals something about themselves and the general community.Things such as "their parents are out paying respects to those that fell during the war" or "my brother is in a gang and is causing trouble", or something similar.

Presentation wise the game does great. The graphics initially may seem a bit dated, but seeing them in 1080p on a PC really makes them shine. The pre-rendered 2D sprites add a lot of character to the game, and mesh very well with the fully 3D backgrounds. Personally I wouldn't have the graphics any other way. On top of that the game features some of the best music gaming has to offer. Falcom is one of the very few gaming studios that still has an in-house music team, and it really shows. There is no voice acting in the game, but personally I prefer it this way. Playing the title is much like reading a book in many ways, and I feel that the characters are much more alive when I imagine their voice and tone in my head than actually hearing it myself.

The battle system is a bit dated by today's standards, but still gets the job done. The system features the usual attack, skill, magic, and item choices. Though, unlike most of the game, it does have some unique features. Most notably is that it has a system that displays the order of which character will attack next, this includes both the party and the enemies. Occasionally some stat bonuses will be given out during specific turns, such as critical attacks and healing. This adds a layer of strategy to the game, as some party members will be better doing weaker and longer attacks in order to bump the stat advantage off of the enemies turn and into one of the party members. It is actually very innovative and can make for some real tense moments. On top of that, each character has a super move they can unlock if they achieve a certain amount of "CP" (craft point). When a certain amount of CP is achieved the player can select the party member's super move and perform it at any time. Ideally these moves are best saved for when a critical attack bonus appears to be able to dish out the maximum amount of damage possible.

Trails in the Sky is a great game, unfortunately it has one severe flaw that prevents it from being amongst the top of the top. That flaw is the pacing. The purpose of the game's pacing is for it to be very slow and gradual so that the player feels that they are in an adventure. This makes the settings and locations stand out more, as well as clearing areas all the more rewarding. When you journey from being a simple student in training to saving the world from ancient evil, you actually feel that getting to that point is justified due to all the shit you had to go through. When combining the two chapters the game is very long. By the time the credits roll comfortably over one hundred hours would have passed. Now during many of these hours are some of the best moments in gaming I've ever had. Some incredible plot twists, engaging battles, and whimsical characters. On the other hand, there are certain parts in the game, especially in the second chapter, that just drag on and on. In fact, I'd say that they were very tedious. By the time you have undergone the story for sixty hours, the formula of walking in a town, discovering a problem, doing various side quests to level up, and then tackling on the main quest, gets pretty damn old. Luckily the latter third of the game abandons this formula, which results in gaming bliss, but that doesn't stop some points of the game, particularly the midpoint, from being very boring.

It just isn't the progression, even exciting moments such as the boss battles can be a chore. Some bosses take way longer to beat than they should. One boss battle I clocked at close to twenty five minutes before my party stood victorious. Then again, this may be Persona 4: Golden syndrome, as when I commented on my party's level during these boss fights people were impressed that I managed to get so far being so underleveled. That said, this gives no excuse for the general pacing as most of the time is eaten up by walking around and exploring rather than fighting enemies. The game certainly has its highs and lows, but luckily it isn't quite as extreme as something like say Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.

XSeed managed to strike a tomb of treasures when they struck the deal with Falcom, as they now have many titles under their belt that have achieved five figure sales. Unfortunately, the tomb turned out to be haunted as well as the effort to release some of the titles were plagued with difficulties. With the latest Trails games released/being released in the west, and XSeed even localizing the third and final game in the Trails in the Sky story, though its more of an additional chapter than a continuation of the story, all seems well with the series. I do find it a bit ironic though, as the company couldn't release its games in the west due to being so focused on the PC market in Japan while JRPGs dominated handhelds in the west, and now that Falcom has transitioned to handhelds, the western market is beginning to favor their JRPGs more on PC than on handhelds. This largely due to a huge resurgence of PC gaming in North America and Western Europe. It's quite amusing and sad, but hopefully Falcom takes cue from other developers and start releasing their games on as many platforms as possible. Trails in the Sky was the white whale series for localizers, and one was crazy enough to go after it. The journey to catch the series was perilous, but in the end was well worth it.



42| Lords of Thunder

Released: 1993 (Exact date unknown)

Definitive Version: PC Engine; Also on: Virtual Console for Wii, Mega CD

Despite the PC Engine's strength in its native country of Japan, it was struggling everywhere else. It turns out that a Japanese competing console did manage to shake up Nintendo's iron grip on the North American market, but it wasn't NEC, but SEGA. In a last ditch effort, Hudson heavily pushed the game "Lords of Thunder" to the North America market in an effort to revitalize their Turbo Grafx CD platform. The game wasn't anything special at a glance, it was your standard horizontal shoot-em-up. What made it stand out was the godly CD quality soundtrack and tight game design. While the game garnered a lot of buzz amongst the hardcore market, it was relatively unknown to the mass market. As the Turbografx faded in to obscurity, Lords of Thunder is forever known as not only one of its finest and defining titles for the platform, but also of the entire generation.

Let's get this out of the way. The music in the game is fucking incredible. Despite being made in the '90s, the game has an '80s hair metal (power metal more specifically) soundtrack. As a metal head myself, I often cringe when games use metal soundtracks, as it almost always leads to disastrous results. I'm sure many hip-hop fans can relate. But with Lords of Thunder the music is actually legitimately good. If one of my friends were to play this music to me, I would have praised it and never would have imagined that it would belong to a video game.Stereotypically, this type of music often involves vocalists singing about high fantasy themed heroes, gods, and battlefields. It turns out that this is the entire theme of Lords of Thunder, hence the music fits in perfectly.

Luckily, Lords of Thunder is not a Sunsoft game, so it has the gameplay to match its quality music. The game begins with some light RPG elements. The player can choose between four different types of "armor". This includes earth, wind, fire, and water. Each piece of armor has different types of attacks and advantages. All you need to know is that the water armor is by far the best one, as it focuses on shooting projectile beams and waves in both in front and behind the player. After that there is a shop screen where one can purchase health, bomb attacks, and various upgrades. When that is finished there is a stage selection screen that the player can chose to go to each stage in any order.

The objective of the game is simple, defeat all stages on the screen selection. The game involves controlling a "lord" that wears powerful armor that fire projectiles at enemies. The enemies obviously fire back in great quantities. Occasionally power up items will appear which, as one could guess, powerup the character's weapon. Each weapon has three different levels to powerup to which usually results in the protagonist's projectiles becoming bigger, faster, and stronger. The player scrolls across to the right side of the screen defeating as many enemies as possible to rack up the highest score. There is more benefit to this than the usual dick measuring contest at the high score screen. The more enemies one kills, the more money one gets, which can be used to buy valuable items from the shop. At the end of each stage is a "Dark General", who is basically also a lord who acts as the final boss of each level. Defeat the Dark General and complete the level.

As one can see, the game isn't that unique. Again, what makes the game stand out is that it is so good. The protagonist feels very good to control, the enemy placement is seemingly perfect, and the speed of the game is fast enough to be intense, but not reasonable enough to be draining. The bosses earn their title and are very intense to play and are very ambitious in general. In short, the game is just an all around great package.

Of course, Lords of Thunder isn't perfect. The main gripe I have about the game is that it is far too difficult for its own good. I have no problem beating a stage or two, but I find it very difficult to tackle three or more stages in one sitting. Essentially, if one dies enough times, they then have to restart all the way back to the beginning. Unlike most shoot-em-ups there is not even a password system in place. If you fail at the game, you don't get another chance, you go all the way back. While there is some admiration to the "git gud" philosophy of this, it is a bit overwhelming. While diehard shoot-em-up fans won't be bothered by this, it will certainly affect the less hardcore players. That said, the difficulty isn't to the point of being game breaking like say in the infamous Mortal Kombat Advance.

Lords of Thunder was the PC Engine's last big push. It was the last major exclusive game on the platform to be heavily featured on major magazines and storefronts. Unfortunately, despite the game's quality, it was in the wrong genre and the wrong lifespan of the generation. 1993 was the year of Star Fox, Mortal Kombat II, Street Fighter II Turbo, NBA Jam, and Shinobi III. Not only did the game have a tough hill to climb by being in a niche genre on a niche console, but it was also fighting off the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis when they were at their very strongest. Due to the growing popularity of emulation (both legal and illegal), the game has gotten a second look. Even major websites have revisited the game and given it a huge amount of praise. It is said to be one of the best shoot-em-ups ever made by the genre enthusiasts, and they may be right.

 

[Jimmyfenix]

i think TLOU is by far the most overrated game of all time

i keep seeing how everyone praises the story while shits on the gameplay and says it's bad

for me, TLOU had a typical Hollywood zombie movie story that we have seen hundreds of times and i really didn't like it, even the characters were unlikeable except for Joel, but what i liked about the game was the gameplay, never felt so good to beat the shit out of someone in a game, smashing their heads to the wall was satisfying, it was the best gamelay i have ever played until MGS V came, but still TLOU is the king of melee combat

An mgs v fan saying this.

How laughable

 

[MaximumSpider]

P4 is at 45 sorry OP but I just can't accept this list

 

[Nuu]

41| Team Fortress 2

Released: October 10th, 2007

Definitive Version: PC (All major OSes); Also on: 360, PS3

It is kind of surreal that after all of these years, Team Fortress 2 is still one of the most popular multi-player first person shooters. Releasing almost ten years ago, the game was extremely unique at the time for more ways than one. Immediately what stood out was its cartoony art style. When the seventh gaming generation was just getting started, games were often dark and grimy shooters with brown and beige pallets. In contrast, Team Fortress 2 was very colorful and cartoony, which made it a beautiful sight for weary eyes. What's more is that the game had specific character classes, this was uncommon at a time when most games simply had the player choose any weapon they want at the beginning of the game, and even pick up dropped weapons while running around maps. Finally, Team Fortress 2 was a team based game, it revolved around each player doing their part in order to complete objectives such as capturing control points or capturing flags intelligence. The game has garner a huge following and is one of the most popular first person shooters of all-time.

As said before, Team Fortress 2 revolves around players selecting what specific character class they want as they work with their team in order to complete objectives. Originally, these objectives were limited to capturing control points and intelligence, but over the years Team Fortress 2 has added more modes to play. The most notable and innovative was payload mode in which players have to move an armed cart by walking up to it as they "push" it to the enemy's base before the timer runs out. Admittedly it seemed dumb when first introduced but over-time it has become the staple mode of the game. The maps in the game are all specifically designed for their modes. Intelligence base maps tend to be very small, but maze-like. Control Point maps are moderately sized, but are filled with busy areas where players fight to claim each control point. Payload maps tend to not be too wide, but compensate for this by being very long, with various hidden paths to go through. Most of the maps are very memorable and well designed as as Valve definitely went for the quality over quantity approach. There are very few official maps in the game that I wouldn't describe as "great."

The classes are arguably the most defining part of Team Fortress 2. There are nine classes total in the game. These include: Scout, Spy, Heavy, Demoman, Soldier, Engineer, Pyro, Sniper, and Medic. Each class has defining traits and are crucial to complete any objective. The Scout scouts ahead the area and is able to cover a lot of ground fast. The Spy sneaks around as they can even dress like the enemy and kill critical opponents. The Heavy is a slow but powerful juggernaut who can annihilate enemies with his gatling gun. The Demoman can plant bombs and shoots grenades that bounce around the area, as he is great for taking out groups of enemies quickly. The Soldier is an all around balanced character who can handle multiple situations. The Engineer builds teleporting stations, health centers, and turrets. The Pyro is great for taking out enemies in close range as well as having them take damage over time. The Sniper kills enemies from afar. While the Medic heals other players. Each character has a specific job that they do and if a team is missing even one of them then the entire game leans toward the opposite teams favor.

In terms of presentation, Team Fortress 2 is a bit on simple side, but is still solid. All the characters have a unique personality to them that draws the player in. In fact there was time period of the game where Valve created short Team Fortress 2 films that were highly entertaining. The world of Team Fortress 2 is a bit of a mystery as Valve often leaves fans in the dark, however tidbits and winks often come across from time to time.The entire game is essentially that of a Saturday morning cartoon that takes place in the 1940s. However, it is clearly made for adults due to the violence, but despite heads rolling around and bodies exploding it never feels too unnatural or off putting. The game also has a nice 1960s esque spy film soundtrack that fits everything perfectly.

I feel that I can't talk about Team Fortress 2 without talking about its move toward micro transactions and free to play. The game has changed so much since launch, that the only other game that comes to mind that has undergone so many radical changes without an expansion pack is possibly Splatoon. Not only has there been the addition of new maps and modes, but the game has added tons of weapons and costumes for players to wear. The most infamous of these are the hats. It may seem stupid at first glance to have a game economy revolve around costume changes for characters in a first person shooter, and it is, but nevertheless the community for the game can't get enough of them. And to me this is the biggest negative aspect of the game. Prior to Team Fortress 2 moving free to play and having all of the cosmetics the game was highly balanced and very crafted. All the characters looked distinct so you would know exactly who is who and how to measure the threat effectively. Now that the game is filled with tons of weapons and obscure costume choices the entire game has changed for the worst. It is still a highly enjoyable title, it is just that Valve compromised competitive play for the booming in-game market.

Nearly a decade after release, Team Fortress 2 is still one of the hottest game titles around. The only team based shooter in the same vein that is getting more attention than it currently is, is one that is essentially a clone of the game and advertises itself as a "Team Fortress 2 alternative". The game may not be as popular as its heydays, but it still one of Valve's cash cows. I may not prefer what the game has become exactly, but either way it is still a fantastic title.



40| Snatcher

Released: November 30th, 1994

Available On: Mega CD

You never know what obscure game could be worth big bucks in the future. Currently, if you want to play Snatcher in any form of the English language, you will have drop at minimum $250, just for essentially the disc. It is one of the most expensive video games to buy, and is only surpassed by an extremely small list of games. The reason why the game is such a collector's item isn't just because it is rare or that it is good, but because it was developed by none other than Hideo Kojima.Before he became the rockstar game developer he is today, he primarily made Japanese style adventure games. It was a genre that perfectly fit Kojima's cinematic style. Despite his adventure game titles being big hits in Japan, in the West they were not even released. This was primarily due to the fact that they were developed for hardware that wasn't common in the West. However, once his sleeper hit Snatcher was released on the Mega CD in Japan, Konami took the opportunity to release the game the game in North America.

The plot of Snatcher is Blade Runner meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Basically in a dystopian future intelligence cyborgs begin snatching human bodies and posing as them. This clearly being a problem detective Gillian Seed, who is an amnesiac, is brought on the case. The premise of the game is so similar Blade Runner, that I would expect Warner Brothers to sue Konami if the game had been more successful.

Snatcher is just like any other Japanese style adventure game. Rather than being point and click like Western style adventure games, the navigation in the game's all take place in an ever present menu. While the player can technically "move" around the screen, it is not done by having a character move bit by bit as one drags clicks a cursor around, but rather that the screen changes angles or entire scenes. There aren't many puzzles in the game, as most of the game progresses by talking to the correct individuals. These things are done to keep the game as cinematic as possible. The screen always has the cinematography of a feature film, while the dialogue almost always relates to the plot. People often state that Metal Gear Solid games feel more like watching a movie than playing a game at times, but Snatcher take things to a whole different level. In fact, almost all the interaction the player has is pressing the confirm button to continue the dialogue.

Snatcher does differ gameplay wise from other Japanese adventure games in some key areas though. The first is that the game contains light gun segments. The game can be used with a light gun in which parts of the game turn into a Lethal Enforces type shooting gallery. There are puzzles too, but while there aren't too many puzzles in the game, the ones that do exist often break the fourth wall. For example, there is a part of the game that requires the player to physically go to their local library (now use a device with internet) and look at a periodic table to solve a hidden code.These are brilliant moments in the game, but unfortunately they do not happen nearly enough.

Being honest, the gameplay isn't much to write home about. It isn't so much that the game play is bad, but more so that it is very thin. One could say that there is hardly any gameplay at all. Sure games like 999 aren't the most "gamey" games out there, but at least they regularly have intricate puzzles, as one could argue that they are half visual novels and half puzzle games. To be fair, it seemed that Snatcher was going for trying to be half visual novel and half shooting gallery, but it didn't bother as much with the latter as it should have.

What really sells Snatcher is its story and world. Its story is the usual twist and turn Hollywood affair one could expect from Kojima. The world is also fantastic. It is bright,blue, and neon. It feels like anime version of Blade Runner. Sure it is technically a rip off, but it is welcome as it presents the premise in a totally new way. This is a game that came out in the golden age of sci-fi anime and it really shows. Despite the world clearly being run down, it still looks vibrant and beautiful. Players taking screencaps of the game aren't uncommon.

It just isn't the visuals that are great though, the music also does a great job in setting up the atmosphere. It is the perfect blend of chip tunes and grunge synths that are tailored toward a Sci-Fi Spy Thriller Hollywood experience.It's a soundtrack that sounds by far the best on the Mega Drive. There are other versions of the game that do exist, even for higher end consoles, but they don't match the drummy bass feel of Sega's sound chip. The game comfortably sits on the top of the premiere Mega Drive soundtracks.

I feel that I can't leave out that the game had voice acting. Now that wasn't that uncommon at the time as CD based add-ons had been available for years. What made Snatcher stand out is that the voice acting was actually not that bad. Keep in mind that this was at a time that if Working Designs wasn't localizing the game, more often than not it would sound like this. While it may be average at best today, upon release Snatcher's voice acting was akin to hearing harp music.

Overall, Snatcher is a game where its whole is better than the sum of its parts. It doesn't have the most engaging story, doesn't have the deepest gameplay, the world isn't the most memorable, and the music, while great, isn't the best gaming has to offer. What makes the game is how all these things connect to create a highly enjoyable experience. There is a certain feeling one gets from playing a Hideo Kojima game, the same way one feels a certain way when watching a Quentin Tarantino film. They both have a specific style and tone that noone else can replicate. If you're a Kojima fan then you owe it to yourself to play this game. Just simply empty $250 from your piggy bank!



39| Fire Emblem Awakening

Released: February 04th, 2013

Available On: Nintendo 3DS

For the longest time, Fire Emblem joined the ranks of Advanced Wars and Mother as one of Nintendo's most underappreciated franchises. The series were solid strategy RPGs that never seemed to have found much love outside of Japan. And even there the series didn't perform too stellar. Seeing the writing on the wall, Nintendo decided to give Intelligent Systems one more chance with the franchise. They gave them an ultimatum, either the next entry sells well and the franchise continues or it doesn't meet expectations and dies. Originally planned to be a new take in the series with a science fiction tone and the focus of a Mars colony, Intelligent Systems later decided to go the other way with it. Instead of breaking new grounds, the next Fire Emblem would be just like the previous ones with only one real big difference. That difference is that it would be extremely well polished. The game was released and not only did it meet expectations, it soared passed them and single handedly made Fire Emblem a noteworthy franchise for the western marketplace.

Fire Emblem Awakening is your typical Japanese strategy RPG. You move units in a grid, each with their own specific moves, weapons, and classes. Each time a unit beats an enemy they get experience points to level up and possibly learn new skills or equip better weapons. The objective of the game usually boils down to either wiping out all enemies on screen or taking out the commander. In truth it is very simple, but nevertheless is still very addicting.What makes Fire Emblem standout from other games is the fact that when a unit dies in battle...they die. You will never be able to use a comrade again if they fall in combat. That was at least the case for the longest time in the series. Fire Emblem Awakening however adds two modes to the game "Classic" and "Casual". Classic mode upholds this tradition, while casual mode discards it. I can see why Intelligent Systems would do this. Losing your characters in battle adds a lot more challenge in the game and makes some stages take an absurdly long time if you don't want to lose anyone. However, it is that challenge that truly defines the series, and without that penalty it makes the game a bit too easy.

Being completely honest, I stretched the truth a bit when saying that Fire Emblem Awakening only had one big difference from the previous games. Over the years, dating simulators have become quite popular in Japan. The genre really began to seep into the RPG genre with the hit title Persona 3. Fire Emblem Awakening takes cues from this and takes things even further relationship wise. During the game the two protagonists can marry characters of the opposite sex and thus procreate children. These children then become soldiers that can be used on unit. It is very exciting and entertaining mixing and matching characters to see just what kind of child will come out of the gene pool. This also contributes a lot to replayablity as the player can "fuse" together a different character each game.

Presentation wise the game is great. It is a very high budget given the genre it is in. The game features 3D cel-shaded cutscenes that look fantastic and tell the story exceptionally well. In-game, the game jumps between 2D sprites on top of 3D backgrounds for the field view, and fully 3D models for the combat view. This all works very well, especially with the Nintendo 3DS's 3D effect. The only thing that is really bothersome is that the characters don't have feet. It is something that is really distracting during the first few initial playthroughs.

The game also has quite the bombastic soundtrack. It fits the medieval tone of the game very well, yet strangely gives the game its own unique flavor. It isn't the most memorable soundtrack, and it isn't something you will be listening to on YouTube while engaging your hobbies, but it is very good. Thinking of it, this is surprisingly a bit Un-Nintendo, as the company tends to be very conservative in certain aspects of their games. One aspect is that games often have midi (or at least midi-like) soundtracks. While this works well in some games, it doesn't so much in others. So it is good that Nintendo made the right call with this title.

Obviously, there still is the story to talk about, but really there isn't much to say about it. The plot of the game revolves around a royal group discovering a young man with amnesia. Seeing that he is in a bit of delirious state, they transport him to safety. The group discovers that the young man is an exceptional fighter, so much so that they ask him to join their army. The young man agrees. I don't want to go too much into spoiler territory, but let's just say the game involves an empire trying to take over the world and use an ancient evil to do so. Being honest, it is all very clichè, which is by far the biggest problem with the plot. That said the story is still enjoyable, and it really is more about the characters you meet than the overall arching plot.

With Fire Emblem Awakening, Nintendo's goal was to have the series stay alive. Instead the series began thrive with six figure sales. What was once a franchise so niche people were concerned that the latest entries wouldn't even come Stateside, is now one that charts on the NPD list. Fire Emblem Awakening was a game that came out at the right place on the right time. It came out right as the Nintendo 3DS's steam was slowing down after the holidays and was in a genre that people were hungry for. Nintendo's gamble with the franchise paid off, and hopefully that paves the way for the company to take more risks with their other franchises.



38| Momotarou Katsugeki

Released: September 21st, 1990

Available On: PC Engine

Throughout this list, there have been a fair share of Japan only games. Most of these games have been on the NEC's PC Engine. As explained before this is primarily due to the fact that the PC Engine was very successful in its homeland of Japan, but struggled to find success elsewhere. Due to this, most of its games didn't leave Japanese shores. Out of all the games on the PC Engine, I feel that the one that sticks out to me the most is Momotarou Katsugeki. This is more than likely because it perfectly embodies what the PC Engine was.

Released in 1990, the game is an action/platformer hybrid. In many ways it works like most games of its era as the player walks around the screen as they hop over platforms and take out enemies. The main character is a ninja who damages enemies by using his projectile flame attacks from his trusty sword. It sounds simplistic, and to be honest it is, but that is sort of its charm. There are primarily two reasons to as of why the game manages to stand out from similar games of its era.

The first reason is the game's presentation. It has a Saturday morning cartoon feel to it, however there is a bit of twist. It is very Japanese complete with cute oni, a feudal era theme, and various cultural gags such as tiny angels with equally tiny penises. The game's art style does very well to complement this. The PC Engine struggled in making detailed sprites with precise pixels, however, it did well in making base colored sprites. As a result of Momotarou Katsugeki taking in the classic cartoony PC Engine art style, it looks very much like a cartoon. This is artstyle does well to complement the various bosses and enemies that take up a significant amount of screen space. Not much room for pixelation when most of the pixels are a solid color. This results in some pretty looking moving pictures across the screen. That said, it isn't just the graphics, as even the music is very Japanese . You can just imagine the 1980s style Japanese child anime tropes coming to life just by listening to the soundtrack. Unfortunately that is about as standout as the music gets, as it is average at best. Though there are a few standout tracks.

The second reason why the game differs from its peers, is the game design. Most games of the era revolved around the player walking to the right side of the screen until they get to the end of the level. While this is true much of the time with Momotarou Katsugeki, it isn't always the case. There are many parts in the game that has the player moving up, down, left, right and which ever way the level takes you. It seems that as soon as the player becomes bored traveling primarily one direction, the game switches things up. Luckily it does more than just merely changing the direction the player is traveling in. Some levels mix things up by having ice stages that add friction to the ground floor, others will have new enemies throw objects from above while the player tries to scale a mountain, etc. Considering that the game came out at a time when Super Mario Bros. 3 was the gold standard in its general genre, it was way ahead of its time.

In reality Momotarou Katsugeki wasn't really a revolutionary game. It merely expanded and refined what 8-bit games had been doing for years. To me, that is what the PC Engine symbolizes. While Nintendo's and Sega's consoles of the era had titles that were focused on pushing gaming from a presentation based perspective or an arcade purity one, the PC Engine took a different route. Sure it didn't specialize in beat-em-ups, fighting games, role playing games, or action-adventure titles. But what it did specialize in was titles that people enjoyed playing during the 8-bit era. The platform primarily focused on shoot-em-ups, action platformers, and action games. Due to this, I always saw the PC Engine as the "true" Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Because looking at its library, that is what it was. Simply the classic style NES games, just with better graphics, bigger sprites, and tighter gameplay.

 

[PizzaFace]

An mgs v fan saying this.

How laughable

Are you suggesting TLOU has better gameplay than MGSV?

 

[Lucumo]

Unfortunately, PC gaming was declining in the west, and Japanese games in general on the PC was unheard of.

PC gaming =/= PC game sales. Just because people didn't buy many new ones, it doesn't mean they didn't play at all (they did, especially MMOs during that time).

 

[Nuu]

37| Super Mario 3D Land

Released: November 13th, 2011

Available On: Nintendo 3DS

Super Mario 3D Land is the best Mario game I have ever played. I realize that this isn't a popular opinion, as most prefer Super Mario 3D World. To many that was a game that took the good things about Super Mario 3D Land, but expanded upon it. While I agree with that to an extent, I still feel that Super Mario 3D Land is the better game. Solely due to the fact that I feel that the level design is much tighter as, as well as the stages being much more inviting to come back to.

The best way to explain Super Mario 3D Land is that it is the most accurate interpretation of the traditional 2D Mario games in a three dimensional space. While Super Mario 64 was a great game, it wasn't really that "Marioy". For starters, rather than following a set path with a clear end, for the most part Super Mario 64 was open ended with multiple ways to complete each stage. While the level design was great, going through them focused a little too much on the running aspect of platformers than the jumping aspect. Being that Nintendo likes to reinvent the wheel with many of their franchises, they made sure that Mario is no exception. Every debut 3D console Mario changes the formula significantly. Super Mario 64 practically invented the genre. Super Mario Sunshine added a unique water gimmick. Super Mario Galaxy rewrote 3D level design and heavily incorporated gravity in the mix. People were obviously speculating of what Nintendo would do for their next console based Mario game. It turns out that Nintendo would surprise fans twice over. The first thing is that the next big Mario game wouldn't be on the big screen, but on the small one. It would be exclusive to Nintendo's, then new, handheld the Nintendo 3DS. The second is that it is a game that reinvented the wheel by taking the game back to its roots.

While the game is certainly three dimensional both in gameplay and in visual effects, it heavily emulates the traditional 2D Mario gameplay. Each level clearly has a set path the player has to follow. While the levels certainly aren't as linear as say Crash Bandicoot, they certainly aren't open ended. The player follows a set path as they hop on platforms, jump on enemies, and collect coins and power ups. To accompany the throwback even more, the powerups are done in a "suit system" just like the 2D games. Mario physically grows when he collects a powerup as he practically doubles in size. Even the classic draining sounds accompanies him whenever he gains or loses a power up. Mario keeps running along the area until he gets to the end goal, which is a flagpole. Mario jumps as high as he can trying to reach the top of the flagpole to finish the level. The game is exactly what people have theorized for years of what an alternative 3D Mario could be like.

To blur the lines between 2D and 3D style gameplay even more, the game is played in an pseudo overhead/isometric perspective, much like many Game Boy Advanced games. This gives a lot of advantage to the player as the perspective is clearly defined, which is enhanced even more by the 3D effect put out by the system. It also conveniently shrinks the models and textures, having the game's graphics looks notably cleaner. The game is colorful and is easy on the eyes, but doesn't take a daring art style so that everything is easy to spot out.

What makes this game stand on top of the other games in the series are the levels. They are very well designed and varied. While the game has the token haunted mansion levels, lava levels, underwater levels, and what not, it also has added many new types of stages to the mix. Most notably, to me, are the "beam stages" where Mario hops on various beams like a trampoline to scale the territory. Each of these levels are finely crafted and tuned with the trademark Nintendo polish. To add on to that, they are also fairly short as they can each be completed in only a few minutes. This leads to a lot of replayability. What's more is that the game is on a handheld which complements the short burst playstyle very well.

That said, there are a few things that Nintendo has kept from the Super Mario 64 formula. First is that while each level can only be completed by reaching the end goal, there are still stars hidden around the each level that the player can collect. The more stars the player has, the more levels they can open up. To add on to that Mario still has most of his trademark moves from Super Mario 64, including the back flip, the skip, and the butt pound. In a way, this makes the game feel like a "best of both worlds" situation.

Two years later Nintendo released a direct sequel called Super Mario 3D World. It was pretty much the same exact game with prettier graphics, multiple characters, online features, and a multiplayer component. While the game is also very good and the new features are welcomed, I feel that the level design is lacking compared to the original. The levels are either too difficult for their own good or are too easy. Checkpoints are either too close together or are too far apart. And the pacing in just isn't as tight as it was in 3D Land. So while I feel that 3D World is a great game, it is notably less in quality compared to 3D Land.

No matter how you look at it, the Super Mario series is the most important franchise in gaming. It has been dominate for over thirty years as one of the top selling gaming brands in the world. This is large due to the appealing and quality gameplay, as well as a bit of a nostalgia. I realize that many will harshly disagree with my choice and state that 3D World is the superior title. I realize that many more currently have their heads spinning that none of the Galaxy games will be on my list. But to me, I feel that 3D Land is the best Mario game out there to date.



36| Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

Released: October 23rd, 2014

Definitive Version: PC; Also on: PS4, XBO, Wii U, 3DS, AFTV

2D Action-Adventure games are a genre that have come a long way. Ever since Adventure for the Atari 2600 developers struggled on how to balance exploration based level designed and classic action focused gameplay. During the 1980s two notable franchises took a stab at the genre. The Legend of Zelda series and Wonder Boy titles. The former was played in a top down perspective and put heavy focus on the exploration and puzzles, while the latter was played from a side-scrolling perspective and was more focused on the combat and story. Over the years the genre continued to evolve, most notably during the mid-90s with Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Due to 2D falling out of style in the 2000s, the genre began to fade away. However, due to the independent gaming boom, these types of games are currently more plentiful than ever, with seemingly every day there being a new title that is a "spiritual successor" to Symphony of the Night, Metroid, or Wonder Boy.

It's obvious that there is demand for these types of games. Unfortunately, this wasn't always the case. In 2002, an unknown developer who worked on nothing but crappy licensed titles named Wayforward released a game called Shantae. It was modern version of the Wonder Boy games for the Game Boy Color. Despite being well received, the game performed very poorly commercial wise. The developer continued making mediocre licensed games until they got a chance to work on a mainline Contra game. After that game's success they proceeded to roll back focus on licensed titles and put their eyes on utilizing their own IPs. This is when Shantae came back into the equation.

In 2010, Wayforward released Shantae: Risky's Revenge. It was a sequel to the first Shantae game and featured far better graphics, tighter controls, and just overall more ambition. It played much like the Wonder Boy games, specifically Wonder Boy 3. The game had the player control a half genie named Shantae as she traversed the overworld to hop on platforms, beat up baddies, and explore dungeons. It's a pretty good game, but that' s it, it's just "pretty good". It just didn't have that "wow" factor that other games in the genre had. Luckily a few years later Wayforward released a sequel which remedied that.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse takes everything from the previous game, and polishes it up. It doesn't really add anything new per say. As a matter of fact, it even takes some things away. Most notably is that the game no longer has a transversable Z-axis for the player to hop to and fro platforms in the background and foreground. The game also takes away Shantae's ability to transform into different animals. Rather it takes cues from Super Metroid by having her use special abilities by entering specific inputs. In a way, one can argue that the game takes the "less is more" approach to a degree and it works.

Before continuing on, it would be best to actually explain how these games play if one isn't familiar with the Wonder Boy or even Metroid series. The Shantae titles involve being stationed primarily at a bustling town where you can shop for weapons, items, and upgrades. You can also talk to several NPCs who give hints of where to go and what to do next. You explore the world in a two dimensional side scrolling map as the player hops on platforms and beat up enemies with physical attacks or items. As one explores the map they will eventually come across a dungeon. The protagonist will uncover the depths and solve the puzzles until the dungeon boss is encountered. After that it is a matter of rinse and repeat.

Unlike most modern games in the genre, Pirate's Curse doesn't have most of its areas tied to one large map. Most locations are reached by sailing to them on a ship via a level select screen as Shantae travels to different islands. Each of these islands have a different theme such as zombies, arctic climate, the desert, and what not. There is even a location that seems awfully like Hell. Wayforward didn't take the easy route though. These locations each have a different playstyle. The arctic area heavily relies upon friction when running, the desert location has the option exploring additional parts of the map through sinking sand, and the other areas have their quirks as well. This keeps the game fun and interesting throughout the playthrough.

The world Shantae is also very appealing. I don't want to give too much of the story and lore away, but it's essentially a Saturday morning cartoon, but with lots of girls in skimpy outfits. It stars Shantae who was born from a mortal scientist and a genie. She constantly struggles trying to balance her mixed heritage identity. Her arch nemesis, Risky Boots, is always trying to stir up trouble, so it is up to Shantae to defeat her. The plot is very basic, but it is really the characters and tone that sell it. Everything about the game is so upbeat and everyone is so likeable, so much so it is hard to hate the world the game reveals to you.

The graphics in this title are great. They are admittedly a bit low on resolution side, but there is so much love and charm put into them it is impossible not appreciate them. The sprites look wonderful and animate very well. They just ooze with personality. The surroundings are also detailed giving the game a 32-bit era 2D game vibe. But where the game really stands out is the music. It is comfortably one of the best soundtracks I've heard in gaming. Not only is the music incredibly catchy, but it is also very appropriate with the cartoony and upbeat vibe. Composer Jake Kaufman really outdid himself.

I find that overtime as core gaming continues to grow and take the route of blockbuster entertainment that I am gradually gravitating toward the smaller more independent type of games. Call me old fashion, but I am more of a traditional gamer that longs for the snappy and "fun" gameplay from the '90s heydays. It's great that in todays gaming climate there is room for a variety types of games to shine.



35| Bayonetta 2

Released: October 24th, 2014

Available On: Wii U

In 2001, the world was greeted with an entire new genre. A game titled "Devil May Cry" gave birth to the "hard action" genre which took the speed and combo focus of a fighting game, and transfer that to the 3D space and a single player focused experience. The title became an instant hit. Over the years there have been a fair amount of games in the genre that have been released. The Devil May Cry series had a string of four sequels, Team Ninja revived the Ninja Gaiden IP with three entries, Metal Gear Solid received a bizarre, but highly enjoyable, spin-off title starring one of its costars. Out of all these games however, the one series most people will agree that stands on top is the Bayonetta series. Created by the father of the genre himself, Hideki Kamiya, the series focuses on the same combo heavy and twitch based combat. Released in the dawn of 2010 the game instantly connected with fans of the genre. Unfortunately while it was well received it didn't meet sales expectations.

The franchise was shelved until Nintendo out of all companies took a chance to resurrect it as an exclusive for their new Wii U console. This obviously caused a lot of uproar to some fans as the original entry was only available on the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, and a Nintendo platform was foreign to the audience. Regardless, most fans were just happy to get a sequel at all. Bayonetta 2 was released in 2014 and not only instantly became a must have title for Wii U owners, but for any gamer in general.

The game plays like any other title in the genre. The player controls the protagonist as they venture upon mostly linear levels. As they explore the map groups of enemies attack the player at a time, forcing the main character to defeat the enemies in order to progress to the next area. The player keeps pressing on forward until they get to the end of a level which is typically accompanied by a boss battle or at least some type of final trial. The game centers around the player defeating enemies in the most complex, efficient, and timely manner in order to get a higher score. The higher the score the player gets, the more goodies they can unlock. When protagonist defeats an enemies as they collect halos, which look a bit like Sonic's rings, that can be used to purchase new moves and items. This is seen as advantaged to some because can gradually master the game's playstyle as they add on new moves bit by bit. There are also golden records to collect to unlock new weapons amongst other things.

It isn't innovation that makes the game stand out, in fact it really isn't all that innovative. It does have a unique multiplayer component which is surprisingly active and is entertaining enough, but it isn't something you will constantly go back to. What makes Bayonetta 2 stand head and shoulders above the crowd is that it is so well polished. There are very few video games, especially modern games, where one can just sit down and play it and be constantly entertained every minute of it. Bayonetta 2 starts of strong and doesn't cool its steam until the end credits roll. No matter what point the player puts down the game, when they pick it back up they will be instantly entertained. This also lends the game to being highly replayable. When these factors add up, it isn't hard to see why the game is so beloved.

Unfortunately the game isn't all peaches and roses. There are two ways one can look at a title like this, from a casual perspective and a hardcore perspective. From a casual perspective the game is a very tight and well paced action games that highly entertains. From a hardcore perspective however, things become a little more complicated. It boils down to primarily two reasons. In the original Bayonetta there was an effect called "witch time", in which slowed down time astronomically after the protagonist briefly dogged an enemy's attack, as the player then executes a slew of combos. While this is entertaining, it isn't the most "pure" way to play as it makes the game a little too easy and too focused on activating the effect. This is why in the hard difficulty mode witch time is absent. In Bayonetta 2, witch time is present throughout the entire game, no matter what difficulty level one plays on. The other reason is due to the new move called "umbran climax" which revolves around the player filling up their meter in order to do a special onslaught of powerful moves. This is criticized because it has players focusing too much on charging up their meter to unleash umbran climax, rather than experimenting with different strategies. To be fair, one can play the game but not using umbran climax and using items that turn off witch time. The problem is that the game is designed around witch time. While disabling witch time results in some areas in the game being far improved and some of the best in the entire genre, it makes other previous high points in the game all but unplayable. For example, the best boss battle in the game is limited to just dodging moves and shooting bullets at them. Actually hitting the enemy hardly does anything at all because the boss battle focuses on dodging their attacks to activate witch time.

That said, if one can ignore these faulty instances, then Bayonetta 2 is probably the best action game ever made. If you play the genre casually than Bayonetta 2 is absolutely the best action game ever made, if you play the genre seriously than it is up in the air, but is still more than a worthy contender depending on how comfortable one is in altering "how the game is meant to be played." The hard action genre has been in bit of a slump lately as Devil May Cry took a strange turn and Ninja Gaiden 3 was hot garbage. Sequels are unknown for these games, while Metal Gear Rising 2 was likely canceled due to Konami gaining more control over the property. There have been winks and nudges to a new entry in the Bayonetta series, but things are still unknown as of now. If the genre continues its long slumber, at least we can take comfort knowing that it entered it with a bang.



34| Dynamite Headdy

Released: August 04th, 1994

Definitive Version: Sega Mega Drive; Also on: PC, PS3, 360, Wii, GG

The game opens up with the player controlling a puppet who is running away from giant towers crashing onto the ground causing multiple big explosions. Soon a giant robot begins attacking the player as they have to retaliate against its attacks. Once defeated the giant robot stops in its tracks with a myriad of explosions. A couple seconds later an airplane appears and starts firing at the main character. Once the player dodges all of the attacks they encounter the game's first boss battle. If it isn't incredibly apparent already, this is a Treasure game.

Dynamite Headdy involves controlling a puppet with a detachable head named "Headdy." There isn't much explained in the story, after all it is a 16-bit platformer, but it seems to involve Headdy beating up a gang baddies while he impresses his love interest. The entire world he is in seems to be filled with puppets, while the entire game takes place on a stage similar to Super Mario Bros. 3.

Gameplay wise the game is a mix of different genres. For the most part it is a typical platformer game with a unique gimmick. It involves using the title character's detachable head ability as he can latch on to things and scale buildings, attack distant objects, and what not. The platforming isn't the deepest out there or the most polished, but it is very fun. It wouldn't be a Treasure game with a lot of ambitious boss battles. Just the first few levels involve fighting screen filling robots and giant dancing mannequins. They aren't as difficult as their intimidating stature implies, but they are still very fun to do battle with.

As said before, the game mixes things up a lot, but the most notable change in the game occurs halfway through when it turns into a shoot-em-up for a few stages. Unfortunately this is where the game's quality takes a nosedive. First is that the game makes for a pretty average shoot-em-up. It isn't particularly bad, but it isn't particularly good. On top of that the game is way too difficult for its own good. It is so hard to progress it makes one wonder what Treasure was thinking when play testing the title. After playing this title dozens of times, I still can't beat the shoot-em-up sections. What's worse is that the difficulty isn't something that gradually happens, it appears out of nowhere. Being honest, these shoot-em-up sections are what really holds the game back.The platforming sections are some of the most enjoyable I've had in a video game. Unfortunately the shooting sections are so mediocre and frustrating they severely damage the game's overall enjoyment.

Presentation wise, the game is great. The graphics are very colorful and just pop out of the screen. To add to that the game also has a lot of neat effects including scaling and rotation. This isn't just limited to boss battles, but is even present in the levels themselves. Something I feel that few people mention is the amount of detail put into the game's animation. There are a lot of little touches the developers put focus on that few developers did at the time, including several animations applied to the game's backdrop. As per par with Treasure games, the title has a wonderful soundtrack. It isn't the best out there, but it has a few standout tracks and it fits the game very well.

Overall, Dynamite Headdy is a great game that could be fantastic if it wasn't for overly arduous shoot-em-up sections. There is such a thing as a game being too difficult for its own good and unfortunately this is what happened here. Treasure managed to create a highly unique, high quality title. Unfortunately just a few sections of the game managed to really bump this game down some ranks. Regardless, it manages to speak volumes for the first couple of stages of the game which are some of the best offerings of the 16-bit era.

 

[Omega Kirby]

Yup, it's certainly up there.

Right up there with Red Alert 2 and Metroid Prime 1

 

[ViolentP]

Nice work, OP.

 

[zMiiChy-]

Wow.
Regardless of what your opinions are, I'm mind-numbingly impressed with the effort you've put forth.

 

[Majmun]

Super Mario 3D Land higher than Super Mario 64

mess

Can't wait to see more of your list. Appreciate your work.

 

[Freeman76]

I admire the amount of time you dedicated to this. Unfortunately this thread will probably be full of people telling you how wrong you are

 

[Nuu]

33| Dark Souls

Released: October 04th, 2011

Definitive Version: PC; Also on: PS3, Xbox 360

Once upon a time video games were difficult to complete. You see back in the day gaming was based in the arcades. And the premise of the arcade was simple, you insert coins into the machine to play the game. As such games were designed around this concept, in which the more the player died, the more quarters they put into the machine. Games were made very difficult because once you beat them you no longer had a reason to insert more cash to play. Even console based games subscribed to this model to a degree. Due to games being constrained on cartridges and other small sized media, it was difficult to create a lengthy game without an insane price tag. As such, developers created games that were very difficult to beat as it would take players dozens of hours just to complete half a dozen levels.

Eventually times changed, arcades went the way of the dodo and games moved on to disc based media. As a result the pressure to create difficult games faded away. While this had many advantages, it wasn't without its downsides. By far the biggest downside is that games became very easy. By the time the first decade of the 2000s rolled around what was seen as "difficult" in a video game was quaint compared to the hardcore shooters and action games of the past. It wasn't until a sleeper hit titled "Demon's Souls" was released on the Playstation 3 in 2009 set a counterculture against the industry norm. Known for its unforgiving difficulty, execution based mechanics, and near non-existent handholding, it was an anti-thesis for everything games were doing at the time. In 2011 the game received a spiritual sequel called "Dark Souls" which was an improvement in everyway.

The concept of Dark Souls isn't unique at all. It's a simple dungeon crawler with action-based combat. The goal of the games are for the player to explore the map and defeat all the enemies and bosses in their way. It is a very simple premise. What makes the game stand out is how ingenious its design is. For starters the level design is second to none. The layout of the area is simple enough that one is able to guide oneself to where they should go next, but is open enough for them to actually have to explore the area. On top of that, the entire map is interconnected and practically non-linear, allowing the player to encounter whatever area or boss they wish.

The combat is equally if not even more impressive. Rather than focus on being a twitch action game, such as Bayonetta, the combat is slow and methodical. This may be a turnoff at first, but it quickly becomes addictive as it makes every hit count. A single mistake can cost the player an entire battle. That said, the combat system is also very flexible as it involves a lot of strategy and tactics. The game is designed in a "class" based system, though the player can control where their stats go to when they level up. One can chose to become a master swordsman, axeman, lancer or be a pyro or mage. There is a lot of versatility at play.

The intricate dungeons combined with the unforgiving but strategic combat pave a mighty road toward the boss of each area. The developers of the game, From Software, were sure that the bosses lived up to the journey. Dark Souls has some of the most intimidating and "epic" boss encounters in any video game ever. What's more is that From Software didn't rest on their laurels. Each boss is unique as they mix things up a bit, some tower over the player with huge crushing attacks, other's are the of a similar size of the player but with swift and cunning attacks, while other bosses will call for aid as the player has to focus on two, three, four, or even five opponents at once.

Presentation wise the game is fantastic. Usually RPGs follow two trend lines: either be colorful and cartoony like most JRPGs or be monotone and serious like most WRPGs. Dark Souls seems to take in aspects of both of these types. While the game is serious to the point of being down right depressing, the world is beautiful and very rich in color. This is aided by the area selection as throughout the title the player will be traveling through lush forests, icy caverns, the darkest of dungeons, and even something reminiscent of hell itself. The game has a nice high fantasy feel to it and it is so easy getting lost in its world. The game's soundtrack is also something to beholden. It's dark orchestral score meshes with the game perfectly and really brings the world to life. The bombastic nature of the music in the boss battles manages to push them even more over the top.

It wouldn't be right mentioning Dark Souls without talking about it's unique multiplayer component. Throughout the game players are able to leave messages to give hints, tips, and even tricks to others in how to progress the game. To add on to that one can summon other players in helping them defeat specific bosses and enemies. Though the real stand out feature is the ability for a player to invade another's game. This either results in both players battling one another or a sneak kill from the intruder.

The Souls series is one that started from being viewed as so niche that Sony refused to publish it and Atlus, a company infamous for publishing niche titles, had to pick up the ball, to becoming a multi-million selling franchise. From Software took a massive gamble in creating a title that was at odds against industry trends. It turned out to be a risk well worth taking as it catapulted the developer from being the red-headed stepchild of the industry to becoming a superstar. They eventually developed the, inferior, sequel Dark Souls 2 and the, worthy, third entry Dark Souls 3. However, no game in the franchise has yet managed to capture the "magic" of the original Dark Souls.



32| Street Fighter III: Third Strike

Released: May 12th, 1999

Definitive Version: PS3; Also on: Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, DC

It is incredibly rare for competitive games to get a second chance. In genres where there are lot of choices to pick and only so much time to invest, first impressions mean the world. During the 1990s if there was one game that was synonymous with competitive gaming it was Street Fighter II. Initially released at the dawn of the decade, the game turned many heads due to its strategic and skill based gameplay. Not only did it single handedly revive the arcade market, but it also became a cultural phenomenon. It was regularly mentioned in popular culture and even received a summer blockbuster film around it. Throughout the '90s, one question was constantly burning in gamers' minds, "When's Street Fighter III?" Technically Capcom did make a successor series, the Street Fighter Alpha titles. But to many there is a built in psychological factor that "true sequels" need to be numbered. Eventually Capcom did release Street Fighter III, six years after the legendary second entry launched.

Unfortunately the game didn't do well at all. It was coldly received by most players. Many complained about the lack of familiar characters as the game was a virtual roster reset with a much more darker and "weird" cast. On top of that the game introduced a controversial parry mechanic in which players can stop their opponent's attacks without receiving any damage. Diehard players felt that this was a cheap move that erased much of the risk in strategic play, while casual fans were annoyed that their attacks were often canceled out by more experienced players. On top of that the game was released on the new CPS3 hardware which wasn't only expensive but prone to failure. This was at a time when arcades were entering their twilight years and were doing their best to penny pitch to save the small profits they had. Street Fighter III alienated its hardcore fanbase, the casual players, and arcade owners. To top it all of, due to it being a high end 2D game, no console at the time could run it, thus a console release was out of the question. As a result, Street Fighter III far under performed Capcom's expectations. To recoup the cost Capcom released two revisions of the game, Second Impact in 1998 and Third Strike 1999.

Street Fighter III faded from memory for most gamers, but did have a cult following. Fighting games in general experienced a severe decline in popularity, however the diehard group continued to grow. Major competitions such as Final Round and Evo became popular annual events. Then in 2004, two major events happened that would propel Street Fighter III from being the black sheep of the franchise to the black swan. One event was that the game finally released on a platform that people actually owned, the Playstation 2. The other reason is due to this moment at Evo 2004. Possibly the most legendary moment in FGC history, Daigo Umehara managed to execute a legendary comeback against his opponent. It caught the attention of not just the diehards in the fighting game community, but gamers as a whole. The reason it turned so many heads is because it managed to show all of the strengths of Street Fighter III's unique fighting system in less than a minute. The parrying mechanic was instantly seen less like something that was added for complexities sake, and more like a very useful tool that can turn the tides of any match. Due to these two events, Street Fighter III quickly became the most played game in the fighting game community.

It's been well over a decade since that moment and the fighting game scene has never been healthier. Street Fighter III's time in the spotlight has come and gone, and now the days of it lighting up huge screens for tournaments are a distant memory. Ignoring its obvious history, how does the game actually stack up? Replaying the game after all these years I can comfortably say that Street Fighter III: Third Strike just isn't an excellent fighting game, but also the best in its respected series.

For starters, Street Fighter III is by far the most unique entry in the series. This isn't just because of the game's newly added parry mechanic, but because the game just "feels" different. Unlike Street Fighter II which was fast paced and had player bouncing off of invisible walls, Street Fighter III is much slower. It's almost as if the game is telling the player to "calm down and make sure you calculate your actions." Besides Ken, Ryu, Akuma, and Chun-Li, the Street Fighter III series features an entirely new cast. What's more is that much of this cast doesn't play like characters in Street Fighter II or the Alpha series. There are characters like Urien who revolves around trapping opponents in electric reflecting mirrors, Q who controls essentially like a tank but doesn't rely on grappling abilities, and Elena who seems to be dancing more than fighting.

As expected these changes were very controversial. Even during the height of Third Strike's popularity it seemed that the fighting game community was split into two fronts, those who liked this unique take on Street Fighter and those that didn't. However, something everyone agreed on was the game's phenomenal presentation. For starters the game had a very nice comic-book-like artstyle. The characters looked just like a grounded anime while the backgrounds were painted like a high color print comic book. But where the game really stole the show was in the animation department. Until Skullgirls came around, Street Fighter III comfortably held the title for the best animated 2D game in gaming.

has a very high frame count and detailed animation. To be fair it isn't that strong in the squash and stretch department, but it does have its moments.

There is also the matter of the game's soundtrack. Unlike previous games in the series, and pretty much any game since, Street Fighter III: Third Strike uses a hip-hop soundtrack. Unlike almost every other game that has incorporated such a soundtrack, it is actually pretty good. I even find myself listening to the music while I am working on various projects, an extreme rarity when it comes to hip-hop music not made by actual hip-hop artists.

Despite its heyday being years in the past, Third Strike still gets a lot of play as it isn't uncommon to find well over a hundred people playing online at any given time. In many ways Street Fighter III was part of a lost era in gaming. It was made to be a high-end 2D game for the arcades that was meant to evolve fighting games in general. It was meant to not just shake up fighting games, but gaming as a whole. Unfortunately the game was released in the wrong time. In 1997 arcades were taking their last breath as they only had half a decade or so before becoming truly extinct. 2D games were yesterdays news as 3D was all the rage. While fighting games were declining in popularity as the newest Street Fighter on consoles went from being the biggest hits on their platforms to barely squeaking out a million copies sold.

Some would say that the game was simply ahead of its time, others would say it was a happy accident more than anything. Whatever it was, Street Fighters III: Third Strike is one of the most fun, unique, and addicting fighting games out there, that will be continued to be played for years. Welcome to the world of Street Fighter III.



31| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Released: November 19th, 2006

Definitive Version: Wii U; Also on: Wii, GC

The Legend of Zelda series is one of the most respected in all of gaming. It is franchise that has set the standard of the action-adventure genre time and time again. The original NES game practically gave birth to exploration based game design. A Link to the Past refined the formula into tried and true 2D gameplay. Ocarina of Time brought the series into the 3D space and fixed many issues with 3D gaming as a whole. While Skyward Sword nailed motion control combat. Over the years the series has declined a bit in popularity. The series has put focus on the handheld space which is generally smaller than the console market. On top of that the last major console entry in the series, Skyward Sword, was released after its console lifespan had all but run out.

Looking at things through retrospect it is a bit odd, as just a few years before Skyward Sword the franchise was at peak popularity. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the best selling Zelda game of all-time. Reaching almost 9 million copies sold the game was a mega hit title that complemented its mega hit console. While it was very well received by critics, like all Zelda games it was either loved or hated by its fans. Over the years the game has gotten a warmer reception from the fanbase. It was also recently released on Nintendo's Wii U with high acclaim.

So what exactly does the best selling Zelda title ever play like? Truth be told, it is very much like most other 3D Zeldas. The game revolves around exploring the general area as the player completes various tasks until they come across a dungeon. The dungeon is filled with various baddies and complex puzzles for the player to complete. The objective while in the dungeon is to unlock various rooms until one comes across the large key. Once obtained the player then goes into the final room to fight the boss of the dungeon. This process rinses and repeats until the final battle of the game.

This may sound very repetitive and while it is true that the game is very formulaic, it is so well done that most don't mind it. There is also the fact that the game does mixes things up a bit. In between dungeons the main character can turn into a wolf and enter the "twilight realm" to explore various clues and where to go next. While in the twilight realm creatures called shadow beasts appear to which the protagonist has to defeat them with their companion. It's pretty interesting as combat as a wolf is obviously going to be different than combat with a sword and shield.

The game also features and overworld which is pretty significant in size compared to previous Zelda titles. There are a lot of places to explore and treasures and secrets to find. One can spend hours on horseback looking through every nook and cranny in the game's map in order to collect all of the hearts and goodies. It may pale in comparison to something like Xenoblade, but the title still manages to scratch that exploration itch.

What's very significant about the title is the controls. Well at least on the Wii and Wii U. While the Gamecube version has traditional gamepad controls, the Wii and Wii U versions have added gyro functionality. This results in aiming being far more accurate, and it is particularly useful when shooting arrows or operating the clawshot. One temple in particular is greatly improved due to the gyro function as it focuses so heavily on using the clawshot . That said the Wii version also uses motion controls. This is mostly limited to swinging the sword. Unfortunately one can tell that the controls were changed at the last minute, as it doesn't matter what direction one swings the Wii remote as it will register any type of swing as a press of the action button. In short, instead of pressing "A" to perform the common combo you just swing the remote around instead. It seems cool at first but becomes very old quickly. As a result the Wii U version is the definitive version of the game as it has best of both worlds.

Story wise the game seems to shake things up, at least initially. It revolves around a dark and evil force taking over the city of Hyrule and it is up to a young hero named Link to save the day. What becomes immediately apparent is that the evil force isn't Ganon and his henchmen, but rather a creature named Zant and his shadow beasts. This is a very welcomed change from the typical Zelda lore. While on his journey Link comes across a peculiar being who calls herself Midna. I'm not sure exactly what she is suppose to be, but her character is designed very well and she is incredibly likable. She helps Link travel into the twilight realm and even aids him during combat. In my opinion, she is one of the best characters Nintendo has ever created. She is far superior to having a ball of light with wings as a companion. I know I usually avoid spoilers, so if you have not played the game yet avoid the rest of this paragraph. A big disappointment with the game is that it turns out that Zant is nothing but a pawn of Ganon who is the real big bad boss at the end. So instead of taking chances Nintendo once again uses Ganon as the final boss. Personally I find this incredibly disappointing. Nintendo already went through all of the hard work in making a new bad guy for the series, why chicken out in the last minute?

Speaking of disappointments, the game isn't without its faults. For starters the game is very linear. In fact, it is the most linear Zelda game there is. Unlike pretty much every other Zelda game, dungeons have to be completed in a set order. On top of that, one can't help but feel that Nintendo played it a little too safe with this game. Gameplay wise, it is essentially a more linear Ocarina of Time. Yes Majora's Mask and Wind Waker received some backlash for being too different, but at least Nintendo was willing to experiment with the formula. There is also the introduction part of the game, which is bar far and wide the longest in any game in the series. I can't find the image online, but someone made a comprehensive list of the average playtime it takes before the first dungeon is encountered in each Zelda game, and Twilight Princess takes the longest by far. To be fair, Twilight Princess is also the longest Zelda game so one could say it is warranted. Though to also be fair, Skyward Sword is just a hair shorter and doesn't have as an extensive tutorial chapter. There is also the matter of the game's difficulty, or more so lack there of. The game is far too easy to the point where it is almost impossible to die in many stages. Most of the deaths are due to falling off a ledge too often or something similar.

Saying all of that, Twilight Princess does excel in many key areas. For starters, the game has the best dungeons in the series bar none. At least when it comes to the 3D titles. The dungeons are vast with intimidating enemies and complex puzzles. Each dungeon is very unique as it is designed ground up for whatever specific item it carries. Nintendo really out did themselves. There is also the fact that the game had fantastic bosses. It easily had the best bosses in the series when the game was initially released, however it has since been surpassed by Skyward Sword.

When it comes to presentation Twilight Princess hits a lot of the right notes. The art style of the game is great as it is filled with beautiful fall colors and a lot of strategic bloom effects. The music may be midi, but it is well done with a lot of catchy tunes. The title also lacks voice acting, but personally I see this as a plus as it adds a lot of character to the game. There are also a lot of cutscenes for a Zelda title with many of them being very well done.

Love it or hate it, Twilight Princess is one of the most well recognized Zelda entries. It is the best selling game in the entire series and has garnered a huge following since its release. The game certainly isn't perfect and has many faults. That all said, it is still a highly enjoyable title and personally my favorite Zelda adventure.

 

[Jaraghan]

Outstanding work here OP. I can already see several games that I have never played but now want to.

 

[Greatest Ever]

3D Land and Ocarina of Time? Worst page yet.

 

[ViolentP]

I admire the amount of time you dedicated to this. Unfortunately this thread will probably be full of people telling you how wrong you are

Undoubtedly. Truth is, if I wanted a list I'd fully agree on, I would have written it myself.

 

[dude]

Twilight Princess better than Dark Souls? I just lost my faith in you, OP

 

[muetimueti]

Mostly great picks so far, quite a few interesting ones as well. Can hardly keep up reading with the pace you're posting.

 

[Nuu]

30| No More Heroes

Released: January 22nd, 2008

Definitive Version: Wii; Also on: PS3, Xbox 360

Music and film are filled with art that strives to be avant-garde. Songs and motion pictures that are born and bread to be rebellious and strive to be different. In gaming this isn't as common. Even in the age of independent developers, there are few studios that really try and break the mold. Even those that do break it tend to fall into the same indie clichè traps. Most "out there" indie games often feel different for the sake of being different rather than actually having a coherent vision in mind. Back in 2008, the game industry was even more homogenous. It seems that games fell into two camps, the devoid of color military steroid shooter side and the happy Walt Disney party game side. Sure there were tons of games that weren't in either extreme, but most games at that time did feel as if they were in general range of those two groups. It was at this time that studio Grasshopper Manufacture, headed by the strange Suda 51, released a game titled "No More Heroes" on the Nintendo Wii. The system was the hottest thing around at the time, and while most consumers were satisfied with their purchase, many hardcore gamers were becoming disappointed in Nintendo's new console due to the lack of titles focused on their demographic. Unlike most games on the system, No More Heroes promised to be a hardcore gaming experience through and through. When players got their hands on it, they found it to be a very unique, extreme, weird, and highly enjoyable experience.

The gameplay of No More Heroes is nothing special. It is a typical action game where the player travels a world map as they do random missions and enter levels to defeat bosses. The action isn't all that deep either, it isn't exactly Devil May Cry. However, the combat is very fun and enjoyable. On top of that it puts very good use to the Wii's motion controls. The combat works by the player wielding a lightsaber. They press the "A" button to perform a slashing attack. Hitting the button repeatedly results in a string of slashes. Pointing the Wii remote up results in the protagonists executing high attacks, while pointing the Wii remote down results in low attacks. This is important as enemies will block either high or low. When the lightsaber is out of juice the player waggles the Wii remote in anyway direction as the main character chargers their lightsaber by...

yeah...After a combo is completed the player can then finish an enemy off by doing wrestling moves as they use both the Wii remote and nunchuck to suplex enemies and slam them onto the ground. It seems like a gimmick at first but it is very satisfying. Alternatively, the player can continue doing a string of slashes where they can then either decapitate an enemy or slice them in half. Again it isn't the deepest combat system out there, but it is very fun and enjoyable. This is probably just me, but personally I referred to the game as the Wii's "Zone of the Enders" due to its satisfying, though a bit simplistic, combat.

Combat isn't the only thing the game has to offer though. Throughout the world there are random mini-games to discover such as playing with cats, washing cars, and catching scorpions. Yes this is typical for a Wii game, however, these mini-games aren't half bad. I even found myself replaying them several times throughout my multiple playthroughs.

Now while the gameplay in No More Heroes is solid, what really makes the game standout is its style. It would be best to explain the premise of the game first. Travis Touchdown, a Johnny Knoxville look-a-like, is hired to be an assassin. Each assassin is ranked by how deadly they are. To make things simple, an assassin attains their rank by killing the previous title holder. So if one wanted to be the 7th best assassin in the world, they would have to defeat, or in more accurate terms kill, the assassin who is 7th in rank. Travis Touchdown is on a mission to become the number 1 ranked assassin. The reason? Because the female recruiter who got him the job stated that if he became the best ranked assassin, she would have sex with him.

The game takes the player on a wild ride as they encounter tons of memorable characters and events. Being honest though, where the game really stands out is the bosses. Each boss has a very specific personality and design that just makes them very appealing. The closest game series I can relate this to is Metal Gear Solid. The bosses do not feel throw away, but rather intricately designed and crafted to mesh with the world as well as possible. From superheroes with laser beams to a sexy woman in pink with a baseball bat and a S&M fetish, No More Heroes's bosses deliver.

One piece of constructive criticism is that the game becomes a little too non-sensical sometimes, specifically with the plot. I realize that this is very much part of the game's appeal, but toward the end of the game the plot gets way too ridiculous and dare I say, stupid. It clearly isn't enough to damper the overall experience, but how things wrap up leave a lot to be desired.

Presentation wise No More Heroes is second to none in what its trying to achieve. The game has a very interesting and appealing art-style as much of the world is cel-shaded. On top of that many cool and unique graphics pop-up throughout the game, especially during loading screens. The UI is all over the place with an 8-bit styled map and health and even has a fucking tiger as a rage meter. There are also other ingenious additions such as saving being done by going to the nearest toilet and taking a shit. These little touches are present in almost every corner of the title, and personally I can't get enough of them. There is also the unique "so bad it's good" aspect of the game. The over-world looks terrible with '90s esque graphics and stiff animations and a chuggy framerate to accompany them. The game can look like absolute shit sometimes, but in strange way that's the appeal of it. It sounds weird, but I even prefer it this way.

The music of the game is pretty memorable. There are some really well done and standout tracks in the title. The music does very well to complement the game's strange and rebellious style, and also really show off the bosses characteristics.

Suda 51 prided himself in making "punk games", meaning games that deviated from the norm to the point of making a statement. I feel that No More Heroes comfortably accomplished that. Unfortunately Suda 51 hasn't directed a game since, and really it shows. The sequel, No More Heroes 2, was pretty poor overall outside of some highlight levels and bosses. The story was ridiculously terrible and the final boss was almost impossible to stomach. Killer is Dead and Lollipop Chainsaw followed, and they seemed to have No More Heroes "crazy" touch, but they felt too "safe". In a way Grasshopper's "punk" style has now become the norm for them, to the point where if they made a normal game than it would be seen as deviating more from the norm than their usual affair. No matter how one looks at it, No More Heroes is arguably the high mark in Grasshopper's and Suda 51's career. After years of waiting, Suda finally announced that the third game is in development for Nintendo's new console, the Nintendo Switch. Here's hoping it lives up to expectations.



29| M.U.S.H.A. Aleste

Released: 1990 (Exact release date unknown)

Definitive Version: Sega Mega Drive; Also on: Virtual Console for Wii

You boot the game up, start the first level, then this music immediately begins playing. It is at this time that you realize the title you are playing is very special. Coming out at the time when the shoot-em-up genre was red hot, Compile's M.U.S.H.A. Aleste came out swinging. Most would say the pinnacle of the genre occurred later with titles such as Dodonpachi, Radiant Silvergun, and Ikaruga. While I agree that those are all solid games, personally I think that the genre peaked twenty-six years ago with the Mega Drive entry of the Aleste games.

In all honesty, there isn't much that makes M.U.S.H.A. Aleste unique. It plays like any other shoot-em-up on the planet, and even the graphics aren't much to speak of. Sure it uses giant robots rather than space jets, but that was the trend during the early nineties. In reality, what made M.U.S.H.A. stand out from the dozens of other shooters being released every year was its killer soundtrack and its very refined gameplay.

The game starts off with a unit of mechs being deployed to wipe out an onslaught of enemies. In just a few seconds all of them are wiped out...but one. The lone surviving mech is the convieniantly the one the player controls over. The screen scrolls over vertically as tons of enemies popup that need to be eradicated. The player has two attack buttons. The main attack button simply shoots bullets straight ahead, while there is also a special attack button where the mech uses its more power and specific secondary attack. These secondary attacks include a green charge laser and multi-directional satellite shots. At the end of each stage is a boss battle, most of these tend to be quite large as they take up the entire screen. Once the boss is defeated the mech exits the screen and a new stage appears. The process continues to rinse and repeat.

I realize that this is a very short write-up, but that is because there isn't much to say about M.U.S.H.A. Aleste. It's simply a shoot-em-up that is completely run-of-the-mill on paper, but is near flawlessly executed. The biggest flaw in the game is its availability. The cartridge is a bit pricey. Luckily it is available on the Wii's Virtual Console, however with even the successor system soon to be replaced, one wonders just how much longer the title will be up for sale. Either way if you have even such as a faint interest in the game, it is best to purchase it now as it will likely be far more difficult to do so in the future.



28| Sin & Punishment

Released: November 21st, 2000

Definitive Version: Virtual Console on Wii; Also on: N64, Virtual Console on Wii U

As one would realize from reading this list, it once wasn't uncommon for Japanese games not to be released in the West. Quality localization wasn't cheap, and at times the game sales wouldn't cover the cost. With "Sin & Punishment" however, things seem complicated. It isn't too shocking that a Japanese styled arcade game for the Nintendo 64 wasn't released outside of Asia. But what is shocking is that it wasn't released in the West, despite the game having a full English localization. Not only was most of the text already translated into English, but the game even had English voice acting. If the developers merely translated the menu screen, then the game would have had a 100% completed localization. However, the title never left the Pacific. The game was released in Japan and, oddly enough, in China, but it was never released elsewhere.

Being that it was a Treasure title, and the game having phenomenal import impressions, it quickly became one of the most desired games of its time. The urge was elevated due to the fact that the title was released at the twilight of the Nintendo 64, when games were very sparse. A glimmer of a hope occurred with Nintendo's Wii console as it supported emulation of previous consoles, including the Nintendo 64. Nintendo soon gave the okay for previously unreleased titles to appear on their service. Sin & Punishment was an obvious candidate due to the localization process already being completed. Many fans had hope that it would be among the titles Nintendo selected as all they would have to do is simply upload the game's ROM to their database and be done with it. It turns out that is exactly what Nintendo did. On October 1st, 2007, almost seven years after its initial release, Sin & Punishment made it stateside. The game was met with critical and commercial success.

So what exactly made this game so great? For starters, the game is pretty unique. It is an on-rails third person shooter, but it is in no way a shooting gallery. While the camera and the stage moves to the developer's will, the main character can walk around in a 360 degree space as they can move left, right, forward, or backward. They can even hop over on-coming objects. Their is a reticule on the screen as the protagonist is armed with a gun, so much of the game plays like a third person shooter similar to Jet Force Gemini. Waves of enemies appear on screen as the player launches bullets toward them. There is also a secondary sword attack to take out enemies at close range. This attack can also be used to destroy debris or even send fired missiles back to enemies or toward specific objects. All of this may seem very simple, but it works out very well.

Like most Treasure games, the true beauty is in its design. The game is played at a very fast pace as wave after wave of enemies come across the screen. The environment changes as does the situation the player finds themselves in. One minute they will be jogging down the highway taking out stationary enemies and the next they will be flying over the ocean going head to head with fighter jets. This is a Treasure game, so you can expect lots of explosions, ambitious bosses, and chaos. Taking into account that this was Treasure's first 3D game, it makes things all the more impressive.

Besides the gameplay, Sin & Punishment is also a beautiful game. It has arguably the best graphics of any game on its respected platform with detailed models and textures, as well as impressive lighting effects. The game's cutscenes coupled with the voice acting really achieves the signature "Playstation cinematic feel" that other games such as Metal Gear Solid were known for. The Wii version is upscaled to 480p, so the game looks much more detailed and smooth. Unfortunately the Wii U version suffers from poor emulation as it has darkened colors.

There is really only one "complaint" one can make about the game. It is very short, as it takes only two hours or so to complete. The thing is, that could arguably be said to be a positive. It is clearly an arcade game made for a console, so it is made to be beaten in one sitting, as well as having strong replayability. It really is one of those "depends on how you look at it" things, hence why complaint was in quotations.

Treasure is known for releasing quality games late in a system's life. Ikaruga was one of the last game's released for the Dreamcast, while Gunstar Super Heroes came out well after the Nintendo DS craze had started. It shouldn't be too surprising that Treasure gave the Nintendo 64 the same treatment as Sin & Punishment was released at the end of its timeline. A worthy end for a quality system.



27| Pulseman

Released: July 22nd,1994

Definitive Version: Sega Mega Drive; Also on: Virtual Console on Wii

Game Freak is a rockstar developer. The creator of the widely successful Poke'mon series that dominates all forms of mobile gaming, are only rivaled in their mainstream cultural success by Blizzard. For the longest time Game Freak was stuck in the "Kojima Dilemma", as they would exclusively make games for only one specific franchise. It wasn't until over the past few years that they began branching off to create other titles such as Harmoknight and Tembo the Badass Elephant. While these games were praised for being "good" they weren't exactly "great". This led to even some gamers claiming that Game Freak is a one trick pony, as they can only dish out quality Poke'mon type games. In reality, this couldn't be further from the truth, as arguably their best game was released prior to Poke'mon in 1994.

The game titled "Pulseman" played very much like most games of its era. It was an action/platformer side-scroller with a unique gimmick. That gimmick was the ability to turn into an electric ball as the title character can fly in the air and bounce off walls. It's actually a bit shocking just how accurate Game Freak got the feel and speed of this "electric mode". The game is designed like a typical 2D action/platformer. The player runs to the right side of the screen as they hop over obstacles, jump on platforms, and defeat various enemies. Like most games toward the end of this list, what makes Pulseman stand out isn't due to its innovation, but how well it executes already existing mechanics.

To be fair however, the game clearly does do a lot of unique things. For starters levels are extremely varied. The first level is very horizontal and doesn't have much vertical scaling, other levels really take advantage of Pulseman's electric ball as he bounces around the screen like a pinball, and some have disappearing floors and hidden rooms scattered about. Sure the game may not have a high level count, but it makes the few levels it does have count. On top of that, the levels can be selected in any order, which is very friendly from a replayability perspective.

While Game Freak isn't exactly Treasure when it comes to boss battles, the bosses Pulseman does have to offer are very enjoyable. From a giant hand that punches through platforms and attempts to squash the player, to a doppelganger who challenges Pulseman's abilities, many of the bosses are very well throughout and enjoyable to fight. There are eight bosses in total, though to be fair three of them or so are toward the end of the game.

Besides the gameplay, where the game really stands out are the graphics and art. Graphically the game is arguably the best looking Mega Drive game. It's a technical marvel with large sprites, smooth animation, colorful pallet, and little to no pixelation. The technical wizardry isn't just limited to the visuals though, as the game also has brief instances of English voice acting. The sprites are primarily made with Game Freak's clean and simplistic style, in which they continued on with the Poke'mon series. In fact many characters in the game are said to have inspired later Poke'mon characters. While the sprites are very "safe" in this regard, the environments are anything but. The background is often a mishmash of abstract art and objects. I believe this is due to much of the game taking place "in the internet" or something similar. There are a lot of odd shapes and transparent colors about and it all looks fantastic. The soundtrack complements these areas very well with a unique techno-like beat.

Unfortunately, this game didn't get its due. While it was technically available in America, it was only through Sega's "Sega Channel" which was a very obscure direct download game service. It allowed Genesis owners to rent and download games over the internet. In a way it was like a pre-historic version of Steam. As a result, for the longest time the only way to own the game was through importing the Japanese version which was extremely rare and expensive. Luckily in 2009, Pulseman was released on Nintendo's Virtual Console for the Nintendo Wii. Like all the other Mega Drive games, it was great port and was well suited with the Classic Controller.

In a way Pulseman is sort of like a Treasure game. Sure it doesn't have the same chaos and fast paced gameplay. However, it is a solid title that incorporates a unique gimmick. On top of that it is technical showcase that was released toward the end of its respected console's life. Pulseman showed that Game Freak was capable of developing creative high quality games, and the studio only managed to prove so as it moved into the future.

 

[jack_package_200]

While I might disagree with placement of some of those games on your list, you have opened my eyes to quite a few games I had never heard of.

Spoiler

Shadow of the Colossus better be in the top ten tho

 

[Icolin]

While I might disagree with placement of some of those games on your list, you have opened my eyes to quite a few games I had never heard of.

Spoiler

Shadow of the Colossus better be in the top ten tho

You mean ICO better be in the top ten tho.

 

[Baron von Loathsome]

Okay, yeah, I can't argue with Sin & Punishment's inclusion.

 

[Nuu]

26| The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Released: May 17th, 2011

Definitive Version: PC (All major OSes); Also on: Xbox 360

The original "The Witcher" was a breath of fresh air for many RPG gamers. After the genre had been plagued by "casualization" from Bethesda and Bioware's works, rookie developer CD Projekt unleashed a beast that was unthinkable at the time. A big production traditional WRPG aimed at hardcore PC gamers. Despite the title being so niche it was met with both critical and commercial success. Like any new developer whose first title was a run away hit, CD Projekt decided to start work on a sequel immediately. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a sequel that manages to improve on its predecessor on all fronts.

Some improvements of the game are seen outright. For starters the combat has been much more refined. It still isn't quite Devil May Cry, however one does feel like a badass slashing and dicing through enemies. The game also has impressive boss battles and higher quality writing. However, what is most notable is that the actual role playing of the game has been improved as well. The choices the game gives the player drastically change the game. One even enough to result in two completely different experiences for the player.

Saying that, The Witcher 2 doesn't rest on its laurels. It does enough to truly differ from its predecessor. For starters, the game feels much more personal. Rather than having most of the tough choices through various small encounters, many of the choices the game presents the player are directly part of the main storyline. As a result, Geralt feels much more as a central figure in the politics and chaos he encounters, rather than just being someone from the outside looking in as he was in the first title.

Storywise, the game is good, but it isn't the best. It isn't exactly "insert obligatory highly acclaimed narrative based RPG game" caliber. While some characters do stand out and are relatable, they aren't exactly the type that will stay with you after the credits roll. Even Geralt isn't that memorable. That said, he and most of the other characters in the game do get the job done. And to also be fair, Western role playing games aren't really known for their bombastic plots or appealing characters. A plus in the game's story however, is that its plot does include many relevant themes. This includes radicalism, racism, and sexism. These topics are handled surprisingly well in the game, and the multiple choices in the game results in multiple perspectives being put forth.

Presentation wise, the game is stunning. Graphically it still holds up today. At the time it was comfortably the best graphical game at the time, which is impressive considering the game has wide open spaces rather than small corridors. It just isn't the textures that make the game look great, the game also has gorgeous art style with a unique pallet and well placed lighting effects. This is very welcomed being that most RPGs in general are either in shades of brown and gray or filled with porcelain characters and objects. The soundtrack is also great. My only complaint is that many of the songs sound very similar to each other. But that isn't such a bad thing when they all sound good.

Overall, The Witcher 2 is a fantastic title. While it certainly got its due praised during its heyday, it has since seemed to be forgotten in a way. The problem is that due to being the second in the trilogy, it finds itself sandwiched between the latest installment and title that started it all. As such it is mostly remembered as merely being part of the excellent The Witcher series, rather than the entry itself. Nevertheless it is a incredible game that deserves a playthrough for any RPG fan.



25| Rolling Thunder 3

Released: May 19th, 1993

Available On: Sega Genesis

The third installment of the Rolling Thunder series is often seen as the black sheep of the franchise for multiple reasons. The first is that it is a console game first and foremost. Unlike the first two games, Rolling Thunder 3 was made exclusively for the Sega Genesis. The second is that the game has never been re-released. You can't even find the game on any modern digital distribution service, including the Wii Virtual Console. The third and most bizarre reason is that the game didn't have a world-wide release. In an opposite world type fashion, the game was never released in Japan, as it never left American shores. However, the deal breaker for most was that the game is only single player, as it doesn't allow the classic cooperative gameplay that Rolling Thunder is known for. Due to these reasons the game has widely been shunned by fans of the series. This is displayed even today as despite it having so many marks for it to be a collector's item, the game sells for modest prices on second hand sites.

Personally, I felt that the criticism the game gets is undeserved. Sure if you enjoy coop mode then I can see how the title would be a disappointment. But if you are like me and play most of these types of games alone, the entry is a huge improvement over the previous titles in the series. For starters, the player doesn't die after getting hit only once, they now have three life marks to deplete. There is also a checkpoint system, so when the player does die, they don't have to start from the beginning of the level. These are both welcomed changes as the previous games were a little too punishing all things considered.

However, the core gameplay has also been altered. The famed timer is completely absent, and instead the game has a sniper that pops up and starts shooting at the player if they take too long. There is also an additional button that switches between the character's primary weapon and secondary weapon. The primary weapon obviously being the trusty pistol while the secondary weapon being something with a bit more firepower with a bit less ammo. At the beginning of each level the player is able to select any weapon they want, ranging from automatic rifles to shotguns to rocket launchers. This leads for some nice experimentation during combat. Finally, the protagonist is not only able to jump and shoot, but also is able to shoot diagonally. In short, the combat has received a complete overhaul.

All of these changes aren't without some drawbacks. The most obvious one is that the game is significantly easier than its predecessors. While the game isn't exactly a walk in the park, it is still easier than it should be. It seems that Namco had a difficult time trying to balance the difficulty in these games, with the predecessors being too arduous, while this title being too manageable. That said, I would say that the third entry gets closer to the "sweet spot" when it comes to difficulty, even if it still manages to land quite off the mark.

It is very apparent that this game was crafted to be a single player experience from the get go. Not only due to the obvious gameplay changes, but the presentation as well. The story plays a much bigger part in this game, meaning that instead of being a single shot still prior each level there are cutscenes. The cutscenes are very well done with big characters covering the entire screen, zoomed in objects, neat lighting effects, and even actual animation. It's clear that Namco didn't skimp on the presentation. Even in-game this technical wizardry is apparent. Most notably are the brief instances of voice acting, such as the sniper announcement, amongst other things. Unfortunately, all of this effort does feel a bit wasted as the story is pretty generic and dull, but to be fair it is an early '90s style arcade game.

Design wise, the game is traditional Rolling Thunder for the most part. It does take a lot more liberties in level design. Rather than most levels being vertical, they are instead mostly horizontal so the landscape is a bit more Mario-like rather than being reminiscent of Elevator Action. There are also more vehicle stages that involve the player dodging obstacles and taking out enemies. The most iconic of these is the motorcycle stage in the desert. It's even the art for the front cover.

One thing to add is that unlike the previous titles, the game actually manages to pull of the techno-noir soundtrack. The music fits the game's style and tone perfectly as it rarely diverts from it. It took Namco three tries, but they finally accomplished their futuristic noir atmosphere. It helps that the music is also pretty catchy as well.

There are two types of black sheep. The first are those that are ostracized because they legitimately lack quality and due to this turn off on lookers. The second type are those that are merely misunderstood. They have just as much, if not more, quality than their sisters, but are just too unique or different to attract on lookers who were expecting something else. The latter type is the situation I feel Rolling Thunder 3 is in. Fans of the series were expecting another arcade style coop game. What they got was a crafted single player experience merged with arcade gameplay. And while the end result may be similar, it was just different enough for some players to be disappointed by their expectations. That said, when looking at Rolling Thunder 3 in a different light, it arguably the best game in the series, and a must have for the Sega Genesis.



24| CounterStrike: Global Offensive

Released: August 21st, 2012

Definitive Version: PC (All major OSes); Also on: Xbox 360, PS3

There are very few game franchises that have the legacy of CounterStrike. While most gamers today will think of Call of Duty being the undisputed king of first person shooters, the reality is that not only is CounterStrike tethering with that mantle, but has been so for years. It may seem like an odd comparison to make, but I have always seen CounterStrike as the "King of Fighters of First Person Shooters." I realize this statement will make a few people raise their eyebrows, but bare with me here. What I mean by that comparison is that while CounterStrike is reasonably popular in the major mass market countries, much (if not most) of its popularity comes from players in "non-traditional" countries. While Call of Duty lights up the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, CounterStrike is on fire in Russia, Poland, Brazil, and various other nations. The global player base really helps put the "Global" in "CounterStrike: Global Offensive."

Now there have been multiple CounterStrike titles since its debut. But for the longest time the players were divided into two camps. CounterStrike v1.6 or "Classic CounterStrike" and CounterStrike: Source. CounterStrike v1.6 was the final version of the original CounterStrike game while CounterStrike: Source was the newest entry made for Valve's then hot and sexy Source engine. That said, few 1.6 players jumped the boat to Source. Most complained about the game's funky hitboxes, lack of recoil on the weapons, and the butchering classic of maps. In contrast, Source players stayed away from 1.6 due to the game's primitive physics ("watermelon grenades"), '90s era graphics, and relative lacking mod support. For almost a decade these two groups were in some sort of Super Smash Bros. esque rivalry with one another. With the players of the older game decrying the newer version as a "casualized" and "watered-down" version of their favorite classic game. While the players of the newer game kept telling the older players to "get with the times" as they believed that there wasn't much difference between the older version and the newer one. Technically there was also a third game titled CounterStrike: Condition Zero, but few people played it as most agreed that it was the "worst of both worlds" in terms of comparing it to the other games in the series.

Valve recognized the rivalry and split player base between the two games. As a result they attempted to create a new version of the game that would appeal to the Source players with modern physics, graphics, and mod community, as well as appeal to players of the old game with tight hitboxes, strong recoil, and competitively designed maps. This usually seems to be a common story for developers and almost always ends in two ways. It either ends with the players of the new game jumping onto the newer game, while players of the old game stick with their tried and true. Or at even worse, players of both the new game and the old game stick with their respected games while the newer game just dies off after a year or two. Either way, Valve decided to release CounterStrike: Global Offensive on August 21st, 2012. Miraculously, Valve did the impossible. They managed to get both the new and old CounterStrike players on board with the game, connecting the two communities together, as well as bringing in a bunch of blood. The game was and is wildly successful.

As someone who used to play all the games in the series frequently, except Condition Zero, there are a few reasons that explain Global Offensive's success. But before explaining that, I think it would be best to describe the kind of game CounterStrike is. CounterStrike is a relatively simple game. Players are divided into two teams as they are split across the map. One team plays as the terrorists while the other plays as the counter-terrorists. The game has a few modes, but really only two are played. The most popular mode is the bomb defusal in which terrorists plant the bomb in either of two specific places in the map. It is counter-terrorists team's job to kill off all the terrorists before they plant the bomb and it detonates. The other mode is the hostage rescue in which terrorists guard hostages while the counter-terrorists have to break through their formation and lead the hostages to safety. Again, these modes are simple but very addicting.

What leads to CounterStrike's addiction is how it successfully marries its punishing deaths, corridor map design, and tactical team work all in one perfect formula. Unlike in other first person shooters, when you die in a round of CounterStrike, you die. No respawns, no continues, no nothing. You sit and watch the remaining players until the end of the match. This may seem morbid at first, but it makes the players time on the maps that much more intense. To add to the intensity is that maps are designed with a lot of corners and side rooms. Meaning that players rarely know what is going to be ahead of them beyond a few yards. This leads to a lot of tension approaching rooms and corners and often leads to standoffs. The final piece of the formula is team work. Obviously in a game with few opaque spots and punishing deaths no one is going to charge in alone. You need team work not just to win, but to even take down the opponents in the first place. As a result players will constantly find themselves on chat and coordinating with their team. All of this adds up to a very addicting formula and lots of "one more game" nights that turn into play sessions until the sun is up.

Obviously all of these things make CounterStrike into a very peculiar game, which makes few people acceptant toward change. This makes Valve's success in creating a game that branched the two camps together all the more impressive. The reason why both groups jumped in on Global Offensive is simply because it is the best game in the series. It took everything good about the previous games and discarded everything bad. Global Offensive improved on 1.6's hitboxes, recoil, and maps, while also updating Source's physics engine, graphics, as well as lowering the barrier of entry for modding. It truly is a best of both worlds type game. Sure there were some changes, but most were for the better. Classic maps got updated in a big way and are much more enjoyable. This is very apparent as servers are no longer only populated by just two maps (de_dust 2 and cs_office). There are also a few new modes for players to sink their teeth into such as arsenal and demolition (though admittedly many of these new modes are based on existing mods).

That said, Global Offensive isn't without its faults. The biggest is that it contains a microtransaction economy that has poisoned so many similar titles in the genre. Admittedly it doesn't seem to affect Global Offensive's quality much, but there are occasional snipits of it here and there. There is also the game's artstyle which while works in its favor a lot, there are times where the color tones of certain maps are way off. Particularly in any map located in the desert. Everything has a washed out, bluish grayish tone to it, much like Metal Gear Solid 4. It is very distracting at times, especially when certain characters wear clothing that matches the tint. I am sure there are mods out there that fixes this problem, but still.

All in all, CounterStrike: Global Offensive had huge shoes to fill. Not only was Valve dealing with a legacy franchise, but they were dealing with a legacy franchise that was divided. Not only did Valve manage to fill in the shoes and bring the player base together, but they also managed to recruit tons of new players along the way. It has been close to twenty years since the original CounterStrike debuted and the series has never been more popular. There are always around at least half a million players playing the game at any given time and it constantly fights its way in being the most popular game on Twitch. It is arguably the most successful first person shooter of all-time in terms of player base size and consistency, as well as global popularity. And being completely honest, it deserves all of it.

 

[lastrealgameralive]

I am certain Ikaruga is going to be in the top 10 based off his game preferences to Treasure.

 

[Hip Hop]

almost top 10

 

[Adam Prime]

Damn.

I appulaud the effort of the OP. I don't even care about his list. The time it took to think about, rank, and do all the write-ups. I don't even know or care about the OP, but now I feel invested in that I really really want to see the end of the list.

... I'm going to guess Mega Man 2, SF2, SMB3, Tetris, Zelda LTTP are going to be in that Top 10.

 

[Diancecht]

Amazing job.

 

[LotusHD]

Oh wow, TP higher than Ocarina of Time.

Spoiler

Heh.

 

[Anth0ny]

OOT at 48?

TP above OOT?


pls

 

[Loxley]

At this point I don't even care about the rankings, this is just an impressive amount of work

 

[Nuu]

23| Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence

Released: December 22nd, 2005

Definitive Version: Playstation 3; Also on: Xbox 360, PSV, 3DS, PS2

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is undisputedly the best Metal Gear game. In my mind no other Metal Gear game comes close to it. The reason for this is because it perfectly encases everything a Metal Gear game is supposed to be. It has very well designed levels that are made exclusively for sneaking around enemies and leaves a lot in the way for experimentation. It contains a string of unique and exhilarating boss fights. And it has an engaging story that just reeks of 1980s B-Movie action. It is the definitive Metal Gear experience.

Unfortunately, I did not feel this way the first time I played it. This was solely due to the fact that the initial version of the game, Snake Eater, had one humongous problem with it. You couldn't see anything. The entire game was played via overhead. Now this doesn't sound too bad as this was how Metal Gear had been traditionally played since the series inception. However, being that Metal Gear Solid 3 takes place in the outdoors, it meant that the player had too transverse through a lot of open spaces and few corridors. This meant that it was very difficult to pinpoint or even see enemies. To add insult to injury the traditional radar screen was gone in favor of more obscure methods. This certainly makes sense in the context of the setting, as of course the 1960s would lack the technology that would be available in the 1990s and 2000s. However, it didn't change the fact that the gameplay didn't accommodate the new changes in level design.

In 2005, the game was re-released as Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence which added multiplayer, the two original Metal Gear games, and a slew of other modes. However, the most exciting addition to most was the fact that the game now had a third person perspective for the camera. Now I was hesitant toward this at first, as the game wasn't designed with that perspective in mind. Things rarely work out when things are shoed in after the game is complete. After playing the game a second time with the new camera, I simply fell in love. One simple change managed to completely fix virtually everything wrong with the title. Enemies can now be seen, as well as the layout of the area. What's interesting about this change is that it didn't make the game too easy. This is due to the ways the maps are designed led to few times where the player can get a clear shot of where everything is. Luckily this is when Metal Gear becomes Metal Gear as the player can then just huddle along a wall and use the tools they have to scan the area. It just wasn't the gameplay though, the graphics of the game seemed much better as they could now be appreciated as the textures became much more visible. In short, I went from disliking the game to loving it.

Metal Gear Solid 3 was an abrupt change from what fans were used to in the series. For starters the game took place during the 1960s. Keep in mind that up until that point the series had always taken place in the not so distant future. So technology was always a bit ahead of the curve from what we were used to. From remote controlled missiles to nanomachines, Metal Gear's futuristic setting was part of its appeal, and it was part of the gameplay. However, this game took players forty years into the past. Not only did this change the setting astronomically, but it also changed the gameplay as well. All the high tech gadgets the series used since the first entry were gone. All that was given to the player are simply guns, bullets, and not much more. To make up for this, Kojima Productions managed to really fine tune gunplay in the game and give the player a wide variety of guns to choose from. Not only that, but they also created the close quarters combat system, abbreviated as "CQC" in the game. Basically the CQC system relies on the player doing brief takedown attacks on their enemies, knocking them down and dizzying them in just a few moves. The game also gives the player a knife to wield which often results in a lot of slit throats.

It just wasn't the time period that led the game to be unique, but the location as well. The game takes place in the exotic jungles of the Soviet Union! As a result, there be tons of trees, swamps, and wildlife scattered about. Survival in the wild is a big part of the game, the protagonist often becomes hungry and needs to eat. As a result, the player needs to hunt for food. This includes animals like crabs, snakes, alligators, and pretty much anything you can see walking around. However, the player needs to be careful as some creatures are poisonous. Camouflage also plays a huge part in the game. Being that the jungle has so many different textures, it leads to a lot of different camo outfits to use depending on the situation. Wearing the right outfit is the difference between being able to walk right past enemies, and not even being able to crawl toward them dozens of feet away.

Despite all of these changes, the game is still Metal Gear through and through. As stated before, the maps are wonderfully designed and lead themselves to a lot of experimentation. Whether your playstyle consists of sneaking past enemies, or taking them head on, Metal Gear Solid 3 satisfies. The jungle is a perfect setting that leads to experimentation with all of the different cover options, camos to choose from, and wildlife to exploit. The facilities in the game are just as well designed with tons of rooms and floors to play with. This is the type of game where you will be screwing around with the map for hours before you even want to progress to the next cutscene.

At the end of the day however, a Metal Gear game isn't a Metal Gear game without the batshit story. And boy does Metal Gear Solid 3 have one. It starts off with the player playing as a spy who is codenamed "Snake", or "Naked Snake" to be more precise. His job is to retrieve a scientist who has been kidnapped by the Soviets. Soon everything goes haywire as one of the Soviet agents does a false flag attack triggering a Cuban Missile Crisis style situation with the United States. What's worse is that apparently the Soviet's are constructing a super high tech weapon capable of mass destruction. As a result, Naked Snake is sent out to do a secret covert mission. Admittedly it isn't the best story in the series, but it is still very entertaining and has the perfect balance of batshit and grounded storytelling. The story also introduces a lot of unique characters who often translate to fascinating boss fights such as a rocket man with a flame thrower, a centenarian sniper, and an electrified body builder to name a few. But the character that I feel really steals the show is a young Ocelot. It was a bit strange seeing him so young in the game as in the previous two games he was an old man. Yet in this game is nothing but a kid with a huge ego. Nevertheless, he is very entertaining to watch.

I can't close this entry without mentioning the game's online multiplayer mode. Perhaps it could be because it was one of my first multiplayer online games ever, but the original Metal Gear Online was fantastic. Sure it was riddled with bugs and cheaters, but when it was played correctly it was a blast. It was very interesting in playing an online shooter that wasn't quite in first or third person perspective. There were a multitude of modes but most people stuck with team deathmatch with occasionally spy vs soldiers on the side. Yes, spy vs soldiers was pretty much one player playing as Snake whose goal was to sneak around while it was everyone else’s job to find him. It was pretty enjoyable, but I mostly stuck with team deathmatch. Apparently it has been revitalized for online private server play, but it is only for the emulated version.

No matter how you slice it, Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is a fantastic game. It certainly isn't perfect as constantly changing the camo can get annoying and the frequently changing maps breaks immersion. However, all in all it is still a high quality game and represents the peak of the series. I feel that after this game the franchise began to fall off. Metal Gear Solid 4 was a huge disappointment as it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. The PSP games were just awful. And Metal Gear Solid V was literally unfinished and took the approach of playing a TV show rather than a movie (if that makes sense). Metal Gear Solid 3 was the last "traditional" Metal Gear in my eyes, and it really shows. I just wish Kojima the best on his recent endeavor.



22| Sid Meier's Civilization V

Released: September 21st, 2010

Available On: PC (All major OSes)

Out of any video game I have ever played, the game that I have clocked the most hours in, is Civilization V. 360 hours on the dot I have put into this game. Just by the fact alone, no matter how you slice it, this game has made a significant impact on me. There have been countless playthroughs where I ended up clocking well over four, five, or even six hours at a time. At best, Civilization could be described as gaming bliss, at worst it could be described as an addiction. Looking at the hour logs of my peers, it definitely seems that I am not alone.

To explain just what makes Civilization such an addicting game, one has to explain just what Civilization is. Civilization is the father of the "4X" genre. The "4X" is an abbreviation for explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate. The basis of Civilization is that the player chooses a legendary leader from history to play as. This includes anyone as respected as Gandhi to as infamous as Genghis Khan. When the game begins the player has nothing but one pack of settlers and a single military unit to command. The entire location around them, but the immediate area is invisible. As time passes by the player will have settled cities, explored the area around them, and met other civilizations as they bond as friends or brawl as enemies. Playing Civilization is basically playing through an alternate history. You get to see just how the world will unfold as you and multiple A.I. controlled players fight to become the most powerful civilization. This is what makes the game so addicting, to live out a pseudo-history fantasy where it was the Native Americans who colonized Europe and not vice versa. To have Africa rise as the most wealthy and powerful continent in the world. To have Communism tower over Capitalism. To turn the world into a blatant theocracy. For the average person this may not sound very exciting, but for history buffs it is captivating.

It's also interesting to see just what the A.I. will do in the game. Seeing skirmishes between Otto van Bismark and Attila the Hun is always fascinating to see play out. Both to see which nation will conquer over the other, but also to determine which one will be the bigger threat. To shake things up even more, the game allows player gather multiple "points" in different attributes. These attributes include faith, culture, and science. Faith allows players to create religious prophets and spread their faith across the territory for influence. Culture is used to influence other populations and have one's nation stand out from the rest. Science allows the country to research technology and become more powerful. All these things start off small, but gradually snowball to matter much more later on in the game. The power of religion can make or break allies, and even be the final straw that has cities rebel against their government. Culture can not only boost tourism, but have a nation's populace feel much warmer toward one's country, lowering the chances of war and more accepting of one's ideology. Science quickens the time to discover new technologies, which can give the player a significant edge in population growth, logistics, exploration, and war. While it is recommended to focus on one attribute more than others, rarely is it wise to ignore one outright.

Focusing on these attributes also contributes to which types of victory a player can achieve. The game features four types of victories: culture, technology, domination, and diplomacy. Culture is won by adopting the most social tenants. Technology won by winning the space race. Domination is achieved by having the most capitals in one's possession. While diplomacy is won by having the most allies in the UN. It's common for players to say that one or two of these are relatively easy to achieve, while the others are almost impossible. I myself fall into this group as to me, technology and diplomacy are very easy to achieve, but culture and domination are victories I can't grasp.

The game also features a very popular online multiplayer mode where players compete against one another on a map. It plays just like the single player game, only instead of A.I.s controlling the rival civilizations, it is other actual players. This sounds cool at first, and it is, unfortunately games take way too long to complete. It is common for matches to go on for several hours. I always eventually quit early.

Beside that, there isn't much to say about Civilization V. It is very awesome and addicting game. Sure it has its faults like questionable and predictable A.I., uneven difficulty modes, and turns taking far too long at times. However, it is still a fantastic game. Even after putting in almost as many hours into at as days in a year, I still occasionally have an itch to jump back in.



21| Ranger-X

Released: 1993 (Exact date unknown)

Available On: Sega Mega Drive

There is no denying that the Sega Mega Drive was a fantastic game system. It may be a popular theme today that despite the console war at the time being red hot, it was really the Super Nintendo that had the obvious edge of the two platforms, but personally I don't believe that. Many of the Super Nintendo's games were much rougher around the edges than most seem to remember. Super Mario World may look like a classic, but it is a very boring Mario game with some of the least exciting level design in the 2D series. Secret of Mana's concept sounds incredible in theory, but it suffers from terrible pacing issues. A lot of the "big classic" arcade ports are very poorly done with tons of missing frames, slowdown, and key missing features. And even the games that were pretty good at the time, have aged pretty badly. JRPGs and platformers have had 20 years of continuous work built on their respected genres since the system bid its farewell. So many of Squaresoft's and Nintendo's "legendary" offerings just fall flat in the present day. Sure, there are still many awesome games for the system that hold up such as Donkey Kong Country 2, Chrono Trigger, Super Castlevania IV, Shin Megami Tensei II, and Yoshi's Island. However, at the end of the day a lot of the games just don't hold up as well as they once did.

In contrast to this, the Sega Mega Drive focused on arcade type experiences. These genres the games fell into were already very developed and since haven't really "evolved" all that much. So a title like, M.U.S.H.A. Aleste won't seem too dated compared to say Crimzon Clover. But despite that, I feel that the games on the Mega Drive have also aged better due to two more reasons. The first is that the system was actually up to the task to play these games. Sure the hardware may have lacked the flashy graphics of the Super Nintendo, but its speedy CPU meant that it could run these titles with minimal to no slowdown. There is also the fact that the Sega Mega Drive had a lot of titles that really experimented with their set genres. While most fighting games at the time were copying Street Fighter II, Yuyu Hashinko attempted to be its own thing by being a four player brawler. At a time when most platformers were Mario clones, Sonic the Hedgehog focused on vertical level designed and had the layout less like a traditional "hilly" platformer and more like a rollercoaster. There are plenty of examples of this, but one of my favorite ones is Ranger-X.

Ranger-X can be described as another side-scrolling shooter for a 16-bit system. In it the player controls a giant robot that is protecting residents from an enemy invasion. This sounds very typical right? Well it does, until one realizes that Ranger-X does a few things that changes up the system a bit. First off, there are a few different "formations" the mech can transform into. The default mode is a flying humanoid robot that is most typically seen from most Japanese anime. It is accompanied by a unicycle which in a way acts like the humanoid's "dog". In this mode the player can control both mechs as they fire upon waves of enemies. There are also however two more modes. The simpler one is that the player can have the humanoid mech jump onto the unicycle and attach to it. This results in creating a wall that blasts away enemies and can travel quick distances while remaining on the ground. The third mode is having the humanoid mech fully integrate with the unicycle, and turn into a full fledged motorcycle with increase speed, firepower, and jumping abilities. What's interesting about this is that the humanoid mode and motorcycle mode both have their own health bars, giving the player two chances in a way. These multiple modes result in the player having multiple ways to approach each stage.

Admittedly, the first level of the game is as typical as one can get. The player simply has to move to the right side of the screen and shoot down all the enemies. Very simple. However, as the game progresses, it appears that each level is a different. Once the first area is cleared, the next takes a complete alternative approach. Rather than start off in an open desert, the mech transverses through a maze like cave. It revolves around the player traveling around finding various locks to destroy in order to find their way out of underground labyrinth. Other levels involve vertically scaling a massive tower or balancing combating enemies both high up in the sky and on the ground. The game never really has a point where it rests on its laurels.

It just isn't the gameplay that is impressive about the game. The title is also technical masterpiece for the system. Not only does it have a high color count, detailed pixel art, and impressive scaling, but it also features some nice parallax scrolling, pseudo 3D effects, and various other visual wonders.

This is the type of wizardry one would expect from Treasure or a major developer like Konami or Sega themselves. Not some fresh of the presses rookie developer.

GAU Entertainment, the developer of this game, performed a slam dunk right at the start. But unfortunately seemed to lose their footing not long after. They were eventually brought by Sega and were merged into Nex Entertainment, a studio most known for the Time Crisis games...the later bad Time Crisis games. It is always unfortunate to see these talented developers either go to waste or the wayside.

Ranger-X isn't the perfect game. For starters the game is far too short, even considering the genre it is in. It is also way too easy as well. There is also the music which leaves a lot to be desired as it is pretty much your standard Mega Drive fare. But at the end of the day, I really enjoyed this game and in my opinion it is the best game made exclusively for Sega's 16-bit system.

As I say farewell to Sega's little machine that could, I can't get over the fact of how overlooked I feel the console is. It featured dozens of high quality games that support the statement of "they don't make them like they used to". Despite that, it constantly gets over shadowed by its rival. Maybe its because the genres the Mega Drive specialized in have fallen out of popularity since the 1990s, or possibly it is because Nintendo is still around to promote their franchise, play style, and philosophy, while Sega has kicked the bucket as a console maker and is a shadow of their former selves. It is hard to tell for certain, but either way the Mega Drive was a fantastic system and I feel that there is no better game to bow down as the curtain's close on it for this list than Ranger-X.

 

[MouldyK]

SMB3

Nope!

Super Mario 3D Land is the best Mario game I have ever played.

 

[lastrealgameralive]

25| Rolling Thunder 3

Released: May 19th, 1993

Available On: Sega Genesis

I think Rolling Thunder 3 has one of the best cutscenes and gaming diversions on Sega Genesis, but I don't rank it that high.

What I wrote in 2012

Got this game a couple weeks ago. I've been playing it and it is fairly worse than Rolling Thunder 2. I was having trouble coming up with a review for RT2, but now playing this has given me vital comparison knowledge on what works and doesn't work for the franchise. A full review is in the works, but for now...

Rolling Thunder 3 Mini Review

Rating: 2/5

Pros:
+ New weapons (knifing enemies is fun)
+ Time running out makes things frantic
+ Destructible objects (only on stage 1)
+ Fast pace push forward style
+ Good music

Cons:
- Weapon animations are dumbed down from RT2 (ex. the flamethrower looks super lame now)
- Time will not run out unless you suck
- Cutscenes are worse*
- Character design and animation is slightly worse
- Bosses look ugly
- Bosses's flash white when hit and generally don't feel good seeing them shot by your weapons (visually unrewarding)
- Diagonal shooting isn't utilized well
- Diagonal shooting can be awkward initially due to only being able to shoot at a 45 degree angle
- No 2-player
- Level design tends to be simple straightaway
- No hidden rooms

source: http://soundtrackcentral.com/rolling-thunder-3-gen/tp6707

 

[Camwi]

Chrono Trigger only at #75? List invalid, also fuck you.

Spoiler

Just kidding. Good on you for going through the effort of writing something up for each game instead of just making a list.

 

[IceDoesntHelp]

Are you serious?

 

[Nuu]

20| Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines

Released: November 16th, 2004

Available On: PC

Most RPGs only focus on two settings. Either they are from a medieval era or they are science fiction. Whether they are of the Western or Japanese variety, it's almost always either going to involve dragons or space cruisers. It is very uncommon to have a role playing game take place in the modern era. For this alone, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines turns heads. But add on the fact that it was made by Black Isle veterans and it used the, then uncommon, theme of vampires, and on top of all that using the then hot Steam engine, it made role playing gamers stop in their tracks. Those who dared to test the jungles of digital distribution found a role playing title rich with core role playing elements. A true three dimensional successor to Black Isle's role playing behemoths of yesteryears. Unfortunately, the game didn't sell too hot. In the long run the studio went bankrupt after a string of underperforming titles. However, it was not without all of their games becoming cult classics. The most well known one being Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines.

Even today the game seems just as popular as ever. With the title being talked about on a regular basis whenever WRPGs, or even just RPGs in general are brought up. But what exactly makes Troika's outing stand out so much even today? In an age of Witchers and Deus Exes, titles that are far more modern it doesn't really make sense that this title is still so yearned on. However, once one plays the game it becomes pretty obvious. The simplest way to explain it is that the game is arguably the best representation of a core WRPG in the three dimensional sphere. Sure games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim are certainly ambitious when it comes to map size and the number of quests they offer. However, when it comes to making choices or altering world around the player in a personal manner the games truly lack. In contrast, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is a very personal game. The choices the player makes throughout the title not only has rippling effects to change the overall arc and story, but also alliances they can form and even the lives of acquaintances and strangers.

The game begins as the player selects which race of vampire they want to be. Depending on which they chose, they have different strengths and weaknesses, and can partake in only specific quests or even storylines. Once the player is finished setting things up, they are left to embark in the stunning metropolis of Santa Monica, California. The game is set up in a free roaming map that the main character explores to discover unique locations, events, and characters. The characters players come across results in interwoven quests with connected storylines. It is up to the choice of the player of how the story will play out depending on their decisions.

Now in text, there really much that sets this game apart from most other well done RPGs. But when playing the game everything just fits so well. Most RPGs can't seem to figure out in having a open world that truly feels alive and full of discovery. Quests that truly feel that the player is making an impact in real events around them. However, this game nails these things perfectly. On top of that, the game has very unique gothic type theme to it. Today, the vampire craze that begin in the late 2000s has recently ended. But before vampires turned into a guilty sex pleasure for girls in their teens and twenties, they were seen as very clliche horror monsters. Troika's title mixed things up by bringing the vampires into a much more modern, urban, and hip atmosphere. To simplify things, most JRPGs clearly focus too much on targeting teenagers. In contrast, most WRPGs focus too much on targeting adults well into their thirties and beyond. This leaves many people who are in their twenties and early thirties without anything that focuses on them. JRPGs seem too child-like and angst, while WRPGs are too dry and pretentious. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines finds itself targeting those in young adulthood very well with its focus on stumbling upon social themes, but divorcing itself from child-like drama or life long regrets. It isn't the fact that the actual gameplay allows a lot of freedom, but the setting the player finds themselves in. You are twenty-something year old without parents to answer to or children to take care of. The world is your playground with the city as your playpen. I feel that is an accurate deduction of why the game is so beloved.

Of course this isn't to say the game doesn't have a dark and creepy atmosphere. The game has a wonderful gloomy artstyle with dark tones and saturated colors. The environment is dirty and depraved. And the soundtrack is top notch. However, at the end of the day I feel that the two things that make this game so beloved is the focus on appealing to the lifestyle of twenty-something year olds (as well as a good share of those in their thirties), but the fact that it showed an alternate route of where 3D WRPGs could have gone. It seems that most 3D WRPGs today focus on having a large environment with lots of quests at the expense of consequential choice based gameplay. Sure there are some titles like The Witcher that show developers that they can have their cake and eat it too, but they are incredibly rare. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines went against the tide in many aspects, and as a result it stands out today in many many ways, and will continue to do so in the future.



19| Mother 3

Released: April 04th, 2006

Available On: Game Boy Advance

I'm going to be very blunt about this. I didn't like Earthbound at all. Personally, I feel that it is one of the most over-rated games ever made. Don't get me wrong, it's very unique and charming at times. However, much of the game mechanics, as well as the over-arching story are a mess. The cult status the game enjoys is a big mystery to me. That said, when I gave the game's sequel a try "Mother 3" all I could think of to myself was this "I am very glad that this wasn't localized". This wasn't because the game was bad, rather to the contrary. It was because the game was so unique and avantgarde that there would be no way that Nintendo's conservative localization team would be able to do it justice.

Due to Earthbound having a large cult fanbase, when the game wasn't getting localized the Earthbound community decided to localize the game themselves. The result was one of the best localization of any game ever. I can't praise the fan translation enough. It's probably the best localization I have ever played. It's up there with Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter. It's even more mind blowing considering that it was done for free. It isn't just because of how they handled the characters and plot, but how they handled the game's lighthearted as well as off-beat tones. This includes some touchy subjects such as death, slavery, and sexuality. Yes you heard that right, despite this game looking like a Nick Jr. cartoon, it takes on some serious subjects. But to add further to the confusion is how when these subjects are present the game, for the most part, still takes a lighthearted tone.

To explain exactly what Mother 3 is, it is essentially a parody of common Japanese Role Playing Games. Technically it plays just like any other JRPG out there. It's party based, has a main character, has a turn based battle system, is linear, and has a strong over-arching story. Even if you want to get more technical about it, the game even revolves around kids saving the world. The thing is, outside of that, the game is anything but ordinary. For starters the world of the title is far removed from anything typically seen in other video games. Supposedly it takes place in the modern day, but despite that there are dinosaurs, advanced spaceships, and cowboys running amok. If I had to compare the world of Mother 3 to something, I would say that it's sort of like the world of Dragonball. A mix of the past, the future, and the modern day. This kooky crazy world lends much to the look and feel the game shoots for. Playing the title kind of feels like you are in a living comic strip. There are plenty of times when you crack a smile or even laugh. That said, things can get pretty morbid at times, however going into detail, I will likely be spoiling it.

Gameplay wise, despite the game doing it's best to hide it, it follows a mostly typical JRPG design. There are some stand out features though. The biggest is the battle system. Like it's predecessor, damage is done by rolling health, as health gradually depletes instead of being taken instantaneously. For example, say that my character has 200 HP left, and an enemy hits me with 300 damage. Obviously my character is on their way to die, however I don't get the 300 damage all at once. The health will see a quick drop initially and then gradually deplete over the course of a some seconds. During that time I can heal my health back up or attack the enemy, hoping to kill them first, before my health counts down to zero. Unfortunately, this is a double edged sword, as the opposite can happen with an enemy that could do quite some damage to my party before they collapse. There is also the fact that the game takes some pages from Dragon Quest IV as throughout the title the player plays as multiple characters, each with their own story arcs. Personally, I don't usually like this, but the it is done perfectly as each character is very charming and memorable.

Before closing out, I have to give a shout out to the soundtrack. It isn't the best out there, but it is certainly unique. It fits the style and tone of the game perfectly.

Despite being such a niche series, it is crazy how much influence the Mother franchise has had on gaming. I've already covered it in an early entry, but Undertale was so influenced by the Mother series that the creator got his start with an Earthbound game hack. Again, I don't see what people saw in Earthbound, but I certainly see what people see in Mother 3. It is a highly unique and entertaining game that I wouldn't want to have come out any different. Mother 4 may never, and likely will never, be released. However, the spirit and tone of the series will live on for a long long time.


18| Splatoon

Released: May 28th, 2015

Available On: Wii U

Splatoon is the game that Nintendo fans, and gamers in general, had been waiting almost fifteen years for. The biggest criticism given to Nintendo is how they rarely create new IPs. Now before Nintendo diehards pull out the guillotine, let me explain what most people mean by this criticism. Sure, technically Nintendo makes new IPs, even frequently. Recently we saw Codename S.T.E.A.M. and there is the upcoming 3DS game Ever Oasis. However, what people mean are big budget new IPs that are clearly part of Nintendo's entrenched catalog of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and what not. For an equivalent, take Ubisoft's Watchdogs. It was a huge big budget game developed internally by Ubisoft to be slatted as one of their biggest franchises. It was also highly praised at the time not only due to its seemingly unique concept, but that it was a big budget new IP for Ubisoft, as the company had been resting on its laurels every since Assassin's Creed. Sure, Ubisoft had made some new IPs around that time such as Child of Light and Grow Home, but they weren't that highly budgeted and clearly don't serve those who want something more meaty and part of Ubisoft's main catalog. This is similar to Nintendo's dilemma, they make new IPs, but they aren't planned to be as entrenched in Nintendo's main lineup as their other well known titles. The last game Nintendo released as a new IP that fit this criteria, was Pikmin all the way at the turn of the millennium. When Splatoon was announced, it was met with a lot of excitement just for being a new title that was part of Nintendo's main course.

At the time of Splatoon's release, it was initially met by skepticism to some. First off, it was a third person shooter where the goal wasn't to shoot the enemy, but rather to shoot literally everything else. "Paint the town red" isn't just an expression in the game, in fact it is the game. Each player controls a humanoid squid equipped with squirt gun-like paint weapons. The goal is to cover the map in as much of your team's paint as possible before the timer runs out. It sounds simple, but it is surprisingly fun and competitive. What's more, is that due to competitors being squids, the characters can actually jump inside and swim in their team's paint, being undetected by the enemy. However, if they manage to walk on the enemy's paint, their feet get stuck on it and thus they begin to walk very slowly, basically being the perfect targets. What's more, is that the game is developed around the Wii U's unique controller. The touch screen is used to have players instantly travel to other players across the map at any time with no interruption of the game. There is also the fact that the game uses gyro controls for superior aiming, proving that gyro controls are far more accurate and responsive than analog controls. If you took any one of these aspects of the game, you would have an innovative title, but when you add them all up together, you get ground breaking one.

As time has gone on, Splatoon has changed in many ways. Unlike virtually every other game with updates, Splatoon not only hit the ground running, but began offering tons of new weapons and modes on a regular basis for free. It seemed Nintendo has taken a chapter out of Valve's Team Fortress 2 book in rather than creating a game with a bunch of paywall DLC, expansions, or yearly outings, focuses on keeping the title alive with free updates. And it seems to be working well as the game is one of the best selling titles on the Wii U and has a strong following. This isn't too surprising as many of these updates keep pulling people back into the game. Many of the new modes such as Splatoon's version capture the flag and payload are so popular that it is difficult to imagine the game without them. This goes ditto for a lot of the new weapon classes such as the paintbrush.

One thing that is to be said about the game is how cool and hip it is. Never since Jet Set Radio has there such a "cool" and "with it" title. From the Akihabaran inspired location, to the killer soundtrack, to the fashion focused design choices, the world of Splatoon feels very young and energetic.

Splatoon is a welcome in not just Nintendo's offerings, but gaming in general. In the modern age, it feels all of the best and most interesting games are happening in the independent scene. Boxed games are becoming less and less relevant to the gaming community as the titles feel more homogenous than ever. Splatoon is different, it breathes new life in the long stagnant shooter genre as it puts a focus on expanding territory and teamwork, all with a happy and energetic vibe. Splatoon is the game Nintendo needs if they want to stay relevant in the modern era of gaming. And if the title is a hint at things to come, the future looks very promising for the house that Mario built.



17| Guilty Gear XX ^ Core

Released: September 11th, 2007

Definitive Version: Arcade; Also On: PS2, Wii

In today's gaming world, the fighting game genre is as healthy as it has been in years. Just this year alone there has been a new Street Fighter, as well as a new King of Fighters. Both titles are seen as solid according to the fighting game community at large. The future also looks bright with many ongoing series continuing to receive revisions, as well as a slew of interesting indie titles, and rumors of a fourth Marvel vs Capcom game. However, things weren't always so peachy when it came to the fighting genre, specifically the 2D type.

After 2001, Capcom all but abadoned the genre. SNK was a shell of its former self constantly working with the same rehashed sprites from the Neo Geo, and the only developers focusing on making traditional style 2D games were doujin developers from Japan. Which were never properly released in the West (most notably Melty Blood). However, in this dark period of the 2D fighting genre there was one developer keeping things alive. Arc System Works was releasing the "Guilty Gear" series which boasted unique and fast one on one gameplay, an enticing combo system, and the highest resolution sprites ever seen. Both playing the game and looking at the game had it an arm and a leg above of what other developers were churning out.

It's difficult for me to try and explain what made Guilty Gear so different from other fighting games at the time, but I'll try my best. The most obvious reason is that it focuses a lot on dashing, specifically in the air. Hence why it's often referred to as an "air dasher". If you ever watch Guilty Gear being played, especially by experienced people, you will notice the characters dashing back and forth in the air after the player does a jump. This is a very good way to close and gain distance on your opponents. It also makes certain moves, such as overhead attacks, much more of a threat. Technically there were games that had airdashing long before Guilty Gear, Vampire Savior for example had air dashing. However, it wasn't as intuitive nor as useful as it is in Guilty Gear.

There is also the fact that the game has many different features crammed into it. There is the burst meter which results in the character immediately "pushing" their opponent far away while they are being attacked, which is a good way to stop long drawn out, and even possibly infinite, combos. There is also the tension meter which can be used as a shield to stop damage when blocking, performing supers. And of course, there is also the option to disable the tension meter to perform an "instant kill" attack which results in the opponent being killed outright, no matter the state of their health.

All these things combined to make Guilty Gear's "airdasher" genre the "third pillar" subgenre of the 2D fighting game...err...subgenre. You had traditional one on one fighters like Street Fighter, combo focused tag team games like Marvel, and now airdashers like Guilty Gear. Yes, this is a hilarious oversimplification, but it does ring true to a degree and displays just how unique Guilty Gear was for its time.

Before I close out, I HAVE to mention the game's incredible soundtrack. The Guilty Gear series has the best soundtrack of any video game out there. I feel that only the Ys series can be compared. Even today after almost a decade of discovering the series, I still listen to some of the tried and true tunes in my car while driving to work.

Despite the series starting from humble beginnings, the once cult franchise has become one of the most popular game series in the fighting game community. The newest iteration was in the top five most registered games at EVO last year, and the second most registered traditional fighting game at nearly one thousand people. This is pretty impressive for a series that was once dropped for a year, as some suspected due to the lack of entrants. The series love is more than deserved as there is nothing else like it both from a gameplay and presentation standpoint. I can't wait to see where the series goes from here.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

OP plays everything from Momotarou Katsugeki to Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

OP is a Renaissance Man.

 

[d00d3n]

Just letting you know OP, this thread will be divided by two warring parties in the future: one group focusing on the top 10 and one group focusing on the placement of Super Mario 64.

Well, to be fair, he just listed Shantae and the Pirate's Curse tens of placements ahead of Mario 64 ...

 

[Jawbreaker]

This is really impressive. I have to admire the amount of time and effort you put into this, OP, even if I strongly disagree with some of your choices. It makes for an interesting list when you have explanations, and it isn't the same old.

 

[MouldyK]

Splatoon at 18 makes the List valid again.