Why 35?
I started by just throwing down the first games I could think of that were f***ing awesome onto a list, and came out with 29. Then I discovered a few older ones I had missed, so I ended up with 36. I trimmed one (Sonic Adventure 2), to land up with 35. Just because it's a nicer, more round number.
35. Burnout 3
I'm not a huge fan of racing games on the whole, and I certainly don't have much time for the more realistic ones like GT and the Formula 1 games. But Burnout 3 is simply the pinnacle of the genre for me. The chaos you could cause with a single takedown was brilliant, the controls were simple and satisfying, there's just nothing to really dislike here. I was never really compelled to finish the single-player mode, though, and I think that's something of a strike against it. Generally, though, awesome.
34. Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations
Phoenix Wright is the only B8 fad I really bought into. I did buy Me+My Katamari on the PSP, and that was pretty fun, but really Phoenix Wright is one of the only times a B8 fad has gotten me into a series.
And I was not disappointed. Sometimes it's a bit melodramatic and it feels a bit...contrived, I guess? But that's pretty rare. On the whole, the story is incredibly fun and figuring things out for yourself is very satisfying. The characters here are probably the best. Edgeworth's cameo is great, playing as him is even better, and Godot is a cracking antagonist (that theme) - what's more, Dahlia is arguably better. So deliciously evil. It has the best overarching story of the trilogy as well, I think.
I remember playing the first case and when Grossberg returns with the information and you begin to expose Dahlia and saying "holy s***, this is the FIRST CASE". Unlike Apollo Justice, though, this game delivered what the third game promised (not that I hated Apollo Justice all that much, mind you!).
33. Shadow of the Colossus
This game is so divisive. Personally, I think it has its issues (yes, those controls are not that good), but on the whole I think this game is both beautiful and in some ways unique. I don't think it's this grand settler of the "are VGs art?" debate like some people think it is (simply because I think VGs are an art form, and that good games are simply good art in the way good movies are good art). SotC is art, but then so is Kane and Lynch 2.
I love most of the bosses. 13 is my favourite, though it's close with 5. Figuring out ways to beat them is great fun, and the music direction when you make your progress is great. 5 has that great music change when you finally get on the back of 5. Very good. 12 is the only one I really don't have much time for. Favourite song in the game would be the one when you battle 16. That whole battle in general is quality, tbh.
Not going to bother with a ranking. Wouldn't know where to put the ones in the middle, and ranking this list was a pain in itself.
32. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Limiting the game merely to Egypt was a bit of a shame, I thought. Tomb Raider is at its best when it globetrots. That said, TLR is great fun and does a lot of things so well, delivering better from a story perspective than any of its predecessors. I like Von Croy a lot. Then there's the new gameplay elements and the cool weapon selection. I think the game drags a bit in the Cairo levels, but the Citadel onwards and the pyramids are great fun. It's also a massive game, especially compared to the original Tomb Raider. I think it has twice as many levels as the first game in the series. Fun fun fun.
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