Sorry. My last topic purged before I could save it. I'll be posting ALL my write-ups this time since I retrieved all my previous ones.
If anyone can bump up this topic during Saturdays and Sundays, I will be very grateful because usually I won't be able to access gamefaqs during those days.
The last topic closed down at #150. I'll be posting all the previous write-ups today and continue onwards from 150. Cheers all
Guidelines - The games ranked on the list are based on my perspective alone so please avoid flaming - I won't rate a game unless I've beaten it or played it thoroughly (In my case I've FULLY beaten 99% of the games on this list) - The Top 300 list is based from over a 1000 games I've played and beaten and from a library of over 4000. Therefore low ranks doesn't mean the game is bad. In fact I'm quite fond of even the lower ranked games here, in some way. - Some famous titles may not appear because a. I've not played them enough b. I've not played them at all c. I've not beaten the game - My previous write-ups are (up until #210) written almost 6 months ago and I may alter the write-ups in a few of them if necessary.
I hope you enjoy reading my write-ups as much as I enjoy writing it. Cheers people.
#300 - Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (PS1) The first and last Tenchu game you're gonna see on the list. Not that I haven't played any of the sequels. I did. But this is the best and the first one I've played. Just as the title implies Tenchu 1 has great stealth mission packed with great action but is still flawed with pretty bad controls. But there are many better games I've come across even in the same genre.
#299 - Mega Man X8 (PS2) Change. Change is what the Mega Man X (and even the Mega Man series) series really needed. And that's exactly what MMX8....... didn't bring. I commend Capcom for trying a different formula for the previous game (even though critics and fans didn't like it). But hey MMX8 is still fun, the formula is stale yes but I got to enjoy another MMX game even if it isn't as memorable as the others.
#298 - Chrono Cross (PS1) You're gonna be seeing a lot of RPGs on the list and the first one up is the sequel to one of the most revolutionary RPG ever created. I'm gonna be fair and not compare CC to CT. CC disappointed me mostly in the character development and story presentation area. You get to use 40+ characters but only few are really important. Hell, I only remember the names of around 5 characters right now and it's only been around 1-2 years since I last played CC. CC is a beautiful game with one of the best soundtracks in gaming history but still it failed to make me feel like I was playing a great RPG. The thing I remember the most from CC is *SPOILERS* Nikki stealing a line from Gun n' Roses' Sweet Child o' Mine Sweet Child o' Mine in CC is Oh oh oh ooooh Sweet Sister o' Mine
#297 - Super Tennis (SNES) The best tennis game I've played until very recently when I discovered something better (It will be coming up on the list later). The game mechanics of this SNES Tennis game is ridiculous considering it was released in the early 90's. Seriously me being a big fan of tennis thought all tennis games were rubbish (Mario Tennis doesn't count and I don't even like it anyways) until I stumbled upon this SNES gem.
#296 - Soul Calibur IV (PS3) Before I continue let me get this out of the way. I'm not a big fan of fighting games. Yes there are some I'm really fond of but only few are gonna be on the list. That being said Soul Calibur is one of my favorite fighting series. However SCIV failed to deliver anything groundbreaking. I find it almost the same as SCIII but somehow a little less enjoyable. However I cannot ignore the countless hours I've spent beating my cousin to death and I can see fighting vets having higher acclaim for this game.
#295 - Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (X360) Ok so the first time I've played the latest Sands of Time entry which is actually a prequel to Warrior Within, was on my PC. It was a horrendous experience with the controls but then later I played it on my X360 and it was a much more enjoyable experience except that its a complete clone of the first 3 and fails to deliver anything more.
#294 - Adventure Island II (NES) Ok so anyone who's played the original and then played this would know how much of an improvement the sequel is over the original. First the unfair and downright impossible to beat (without cheating) difficulty is gone. Heck I would go on to say Adventure Island 1 is impossible to beat (w/o cheating) because the game is designed in a way where enemies are gonna get you no matter what and platforming requires perfect landing and even that isn't enough most of the time. Adventure Island II is still quite difficult for the average gamer but is much much MUCH more forgiving. The best thing about this game is the set of dinosaurs you can ride. Each having their own ability and use. One of the best platforming games on the NES for sure.
#293 - Warioware Twisted! (GBA) I bought this game because I read someone's Top something GBA games of all time and it was first on the list. The reviews are good and I'd say it did live up to a lot of them. The game is one of its kind I'd give it that. But without any sort of seriousness it is far from being the best GBA game around.
#292 - Super Castlevania IV (SNES) Konami should have named this game Super Castlevania because this game is only a remake or rather a reimagining of the original Castlevania. Well that's about where the similarities end though. The stages are totally remade with a LOT of new ones. What makes Super Castlevania better than Castlevania is the controls and the newly gained abilities of Simon Belmont.
#291 - Castlevania: Bloodlines (Sega Genesis) It is difficult separating Bloodlines and Castlevania IV in terms of rank because I think I like them equally as much. I'd give the higher rank to Bloodlines because it is its own game and not a remake or a re imagining. People say Bloodlines is too short. Well I beg to differ. Even though there are only a few levels. They are LONG. And you get to play as two characters who have totally different moves in beautifully designed levels.
#290 - WWF Wrestlemania 2000 (N64) Wrestlemania 2000 is without a doubt one of the first Wrestling games to ever impress me. This game was released before No Mercy and its impressive how similar it is to it. Not to mention the quality of the entrances are BETTER in this one. Everything else is sadly inferior to No Mercy but it still remains one of the best Wrestling Games of all Time.
#289 - Super Punch-Out!! (SNES) "Exit liiiiight... Enter niiiight... Take my hand. Off to never never land." Enter Sandman and ofcourse Little Mac. The game is a much needed sequel to my favorite boxing game of all time. The characters are varied but somehow it didn't reach the level of entertainment it did with the original.
#288 - Metroid II: Return of Samus (Gameboy) Let me get it out of the way first. You won't be seeing any of the Metroid Prime games on the list or Other M for that matter. I do own all three Prime games as well as Other M. But I didn't play them enough to include it on the list, So yeah Metroid II. A lot of people (including Metroid fans) don't even know this game existed. The game didn't get many good reviews but I still decided to give it a chance. There are some on the Metroid II board who claim it to be a better game than the original. I respectfully disagree. Metroid II hardly brought anything new to the table except a few which weren’t polished enough to actually matter. The controls were almost as bad as the original. No maps made exploring very annoying w/o a guide. But the game is balanced quite well. Upgrades are spread evenly and it was another enjoyable Metroid game but definitely the worst from the series (from the ones I've played).
#287 - Tekken 6 (PS3) Ok I will be fair. I like the way the story mode was made even though the gameplay in it was quite flawed. I would have preferered something similar to Tekken 4 or 5 but hey every series needs to evolve and Namco tried at least. However I can barely remember the names of the majority of the new characters. The final boss in Arcade is super cheap on high difficulties and designed very poorly. I don't like the approach they have taken with Jin's character but gameplay wise Tekken 6 is as good as Tekken 5 but definitely not better.
#286 - X-Men Legends (PS2) I have been waiting for a good X-Men game for ages and this was the first one to impress me. The Action-RPG approach and the portrayal of the characters are superb although the game does have its flaws.
#285 - Double Dragon II (NES) I used to have a Double Dragon buddy who would occasionally come over to my house just to play this game. I was always Jimmy cause I like Red. Double Dragon II is a huge improvement over the original (which I thought was a horrible game) on basically every single thing and also the only Double Dragon entry you'll see on this list because it’s the only one I actually like.
#284 - Mega Man X5 (PS1) Trick MMX5 question. Who do you think the Mavericks (bosses) are named after in this game?.... Thats right Guns n' Roses baby! That immediately gave me love for this game. I don't get the massive hate for this game at all. Zero's repertoire of moves has vastly increased and you can play as a different character on every level which was a huge step in the MMX series. All in all MMX5 did have some changes but not enough to make it truly differentiable and great at the same time.
#283 - Soul Blazer (SNES) Ah the first of the Soul Blazer series is the first one up. The game when I played in the 90's was incredible. Level ups were very rewarding and I love the gradual growth of your town. Its amazing how cheesy the storyline is though. I don't wanna spoil it but it's really really funny in not a comical way but the way it's written. *Chuckles* Apart from that we have a really good SNES game. Ok. Lets try to get some write-ups shall we.
#282 - Breath of Fire II (SNES) I can't stress how much of an improvement BoFII is over the first one. I however do remember giving up halfway through BoFII the first time around for some reason. I decided to play through it years later and realized I missed out on a really good game. I don't think I'll ever be replaying BoFII again but I do remember having fond memories of it.
#281 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4: Turtles in Time (SNES) Cowabunga!!! No this isn't the only TMNT game you'll see on this list because it isn't the best TMNT game out there. No. Not by a long shot. I can safely say this is the TMNT game which has the best reviews on many sites including this one but I've definitely played better TMNT games. I like the levels in this game and the bosses but the challenge wasn't really there(Not that I'm complaining). This is probably one of the best beat em' ups on the SNES but yes this game is a tad overrated. Oh! and I always play as Leonardo in the TMNT games ^_^ Katanas baby!
280 - Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis) The first time I played Gunstar I would never have dreamed to place it on any of my Top lists because I simply detested the game. It would have easily been listed in one of the most overrated games I've played but it was until I realized It wasn't the game's fault. I got better at the game and I realized I was the one who sucked at the game and decided to bash it unfairly. "This is a great side scrolling shooter" is my opinion now but it is definitely overrated no matter how I look at it.
279 - The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (PS2) I dreaded how the video game version of my favorite movie would be like because it's a stereotypical yet accurate view that movies-games or games-movies usually end up sucking really badly. Yet I find myself purchasing the game and enjoying it a lot. One of the best Movies-Games VG out there if I say so.
#278 - Super Mario Land 2 - The 6 Golden Coins (Gameboy) I played this game a lot on my Gameboy when it released but have never got past a certain boss. I think it was some Pig boss which kept killing me over and over again lol. Years later with more experience in gaming, the game was a breeze. Super Mario Land 2 is an improvement over its predecessor in basically every single aspect. It’s definitely one of the must haves on Gameboy but it is nowhere near the bros. level
#277 - EVO: The Search for Eden (SNES) The first time I saw this game was when I was in Switzerland. Me and my dad were staying at his friend's house. My dad's friend had two sons who kept hogging their tele with their SNES plugged in. The game they were playing was EVO and it looked so good. I immediately made a purchase as soon as I got home and at that time that game made me hog my tele just like the two kids. A unique experience until I figured there was another of its kind called ECCO the Dolphin which is not on this list because EVO > ECCO brothers!
#276 - Crystalis (NES) Another one of those games which are massively overrated but good. I wouldn’t say Crystalis is revolutionary but it does have a few implementations. The game is entertaining yes. Good yes. Great ummm I don’t know. But I can definitely say it hasn’t aged very well but taking my first playthrough into account. Yes it is one of the best NES RPGs out there.
#275 - X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse(PS2) Let me tell you this. Best X-Men game EVER! But frankly that’s not saying a lot. Legends II is an improvement over the first in every way. Even the story. The roster of the mutant has expanded and I reckon every X-Men fan should try out this game because I believe it is better than classic arcade X-Men which many fans love.
#274 - Illusion of Gaia (SNES) Yeah baby! It’s Soul Blazer 2 was something I learned waaaaay after I finished the game. Maybe it was the lack of research but I didn’t know Illusion of Gaia was a sequel to Soul Blazer. Or maybe because I didn’t take the story in Soul Blazer seriously at all *chuckle. Anyways yeah a much improved story although nothing great but the gameplay still maintains the Soul Blazer finesse making it one of the best SNES RPGs out there.
#273 - Mega Man X2 (SNES) This game did jack to the series except follow the original around like a complete clone. But hey this is where ‘air dash’ first came into the series. That move is as useful as MM3’s slide but that’s about it. MMX2 is MMX1 with air dash but lesser quality in level design and more forgettable mavericks. Need I mention the upgrades are a pain in the ass to get. Apart from those MMX2 does everything right. I thoroughly enjoyed the game and probably even more than some of the games higher on the list. But because of lack of originality MMX2 falls way behind. Even the story also hardly did anything to build up on MMX1’s foundation.
#272 - Adventure Island III (NES) Adventure Island II paved the way for the series to improve upon the still visible flaws the series had and this game sure straightened it out. The game is much more playable now than the rest of the series because of how balanced it is. The final boss is also something which is credible and has some relevance unlike Adventure Island II. It’s also good that the dinosaurs are still there along with a new one whose impact can really be felt because he/she/it is goddamn useful. If you wanna get an Adventure Island game then get this one. Oh and that’s it for the Adventure Island series on this list. The Super Adventure Island games are fodder and Adventure Island IV didn’t make it because I thought II and III deserved a place on this list better. IV is pretty good though so don’t hesitate trying it.
#271 - Front Mission 3 (PS1) I love strategy RPG games and trust me Front Mission 3 is one of the best and definitely the best from the series. I’ve played Front Mission 1, 3 and 4. Square decided not to release 2 and 5 outside Japan so I know little about those two games. Front Mission 3 is Front Mission 1 totally refined with a much more engaging story and more importantly much more epic battles. If you’re a strategy fan I don’t see how you cannot enjoy this one.
#270 – Doom (PC) The one and only reason why Doom even made it to the list and above all these games is because of how much I loved the game when it was first released. It was also my first 1st Person shooter game and I remember playing countless hours of both Doom I and II. But then I tried playing it a few months back and I’m now seeing how horribly it has aged. Let’s be fair it was great at its time but not anymore. Some games still stand the test of time but some don’t and unfortunately Doom didn’t. If I made this list around 13 years ago Doom definitely would have cracked at least the Top 50. And that’s it for the Doom games on this list. I decided to put Doom over Doom III even though Doom III is the better game by today’s standards (obviously). Doom created 1st Person Shooters and I’m not making a list without the original Doom on it.
#269 - Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) I’d say Halo is the most controversial gaming series which has the most divided fan base. I know a lot of people who hate the game as if it was some personal grudge ^_^. On the other hand I also know a lot of people who would worship the game even more than how FF7 fans worship Final Fantasy VII. But I’m neutral with Halo. I don’t know much about the series except that I’ve beaten the 1st on my PC (I didn’t own the XBOX back in the day) and played half of Halo 3 on my 360. And it was one of the better shooters out there. It’s definitely not the Best 1st person shooter ever but definitely doesn’t deserve any of the hate as well as the love it gets. Halo 3 won’t be on the list as I haven’t played enough to truly judge the game and I haven’t played Halo 2 at all. That PC game on my shelf has probably collected a lot of dust by now ^_^.
#268 - Kirby’s Dream Land 3 (SNES) The first pink puff ball game on the list but definitely not the worst. I’ve decided not to put the GBA Kirbys, Kirby 64 and Kirby Adventure on the list because IMO there are better Kirby games like this one. Kirby’s Dream Land 3 was hugely overshadowed by Kirby Super Star but I felt it was really good. I love the graphics animation in this game. It truly does feel like a Dream Land now. Kirby also has all his slick abilities and more animals to ride on than its predecessor
#267 – Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (Gameboy) Again, I cannot separate these two in terms of rank. I’d give Dream Land 2 the slight edge (even though Dream Land 3 is more refined) because I’ve played it more than Dream Land 3. This is also the first good Kirby game because Dream Land 1 was too short (and by short I mean really short), Adventure had horrible controls and lag but Dream Land 2 suddenly changed the Kirby series from flawed to fun. I don’t know which Kirby game (Adventure or Dream Land 2) implemented the enemy ability gaining system because this is just brilliant. IMO the abilities which Kirby can suck from the enemies is what differentiates Kirby from the rest of the other platforming series
#266 - Duck Tales (NES) I love Walt Disney films but I cannot say the same for the games. The majority of them atleast. Duck Tales is one of the first Disney games to have really impressed me. I didn't like it at first because it looked choppy but as I gave it time I was amazed with the exploration this game offered. Duck Tales took the NES system to the limit and in doing so it was an enjoyable experience which got better as I played the game more often.
#265 - Aladdin (SNES) Two Disney games in a row now. I first played Aladdin on the NES and I don't know whether it was a hack or something because it was the same as the SNES minus the true final boss. When I played the SNES version I realized how beautiful this game's graphics looked. All the badguys you see in the film are in this game and the design of the levels are simply awesome. Looks just like places you see in the movie. Not to mention platforming in this game is also really really fun. Anyone who liked the movie would definitely like the game as much cuz I definitely liked the game better.
#264 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (X360) The Call of Duty series really did take a step backward with this one because the Campaign in Modern Warfare 1 was so much more engaging. I haven't played MW3 but Black Ops took the series further down. MW2 is a good follow-up to MW1 but failed to do anything groundbreaking. I really can't differentiate the two in terms of gameplay to a significant extent but MW2 failed to be as fun as MW1. That being said I'm not the biggest fan of Call of Duty or MW1 but I did have fun with both games especially on multiplayer.
#263 - Spider-Man: Enter Electro (PS1) My favorite Spider-Man video game series is definitely the two PS1 Spider-Man games. What I love about these two games is how it's based on the comics and how most of the Spider-Man villains make an appearance in these two games. Enter Electro had more costumes and unlockables than the first which made the game really fun but it didn't have the same feel and I prefer the villains in the first by a long shot.
#262 - Batman (NES) I didn't like Tim Burton's rendition of Batman in his first movie and this is a game based on a movie which I didn't really like. I didn't like how Batman had no problem killing people or how The Joker was a cheesy money minded con artist. All that aside the game blew me away. I was blessed with a good Batman game early in the 90's. The game is super challenging but hardly unfair because I could beat it w/o cheating. The bosses are also super cool. Bane makes an appearance as well yes Bane!. I just wish I can completely erase the fact that the game is based on 'that' movie.
#261 - The World Ends With You (DS) OK you're not gonna be seeing too many DS games on this list because I've only played a few of them (mostly remakes). TWEWY gave me a really good impression at first with it's art but the moment I started controlling Neku with my stylus I was left a bit disappointed. I didn't like playing with the stylus at first until I got further in the game and realized how the fluid the combat system was with the stylus. That made TWEWY fun and entertaining. However the story is average at best and none of the characters made any lasting impression on me. Apart from all that TWEWY is a worthwhile game I'd say.
#260 - Silent Hill 4: The Room (PS2) I cannot understand the hate for this game except that it went into a different direction which the series really needed by then. Is this game scary? I'll admit the only time I was scared in this game was near the end of the game *SPOILERS* when you find the main villain's body in your apartment. Apart from that no. I have played way scarier games than this. The game isn't half bad infact it's good but it does have it's flaws. I really liked the story of this game and the changes which were made (although they should have been a lot more fluid). One thing developers usually forget when making changes is making the game as fun and engaging that is the downfall of SH4 which is a really good game if it didn't bear the title Silent Hill.
#259 - Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1) I was so impressed with how much more playable the series became with this entry. Soul Reaver totally revamped what could have been one of the greatest series in gaming but the later entries failed to capitalize of any of that. The battle system in this game is an example of how much it has improved over it's predecessor, not to mention the graphical upgrade as well. However Soul Reaver fails to come anywhere close to the first in terms of the series' core aspect: STORYLINE. Even though Soul Reaver has improved in many ways over the original. It doesn't feel as epic, isn't as engaging even though it's more beautiful and polished.
#258 - Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES) *Whistles the Zelda overworld theme joyously*.... oh wait! I forgot it isn't in this game. Or is it? Ok its been over a decade since I last played the game. But I still remember a lot of things about this game. How Death Mountain is a ***** in this game. I remember dying countless times in that area until I decided to cheat ^_^. The game is fun but definitely the 2nd worst Zelda game I've played. That honor goes to Phantom Hourglass which I gave up close to the end. Zelda II is a side scrolling action adventure game and that side scrolling feature turned off a lot of the dedicated fans (too dedicated and uncompromising at times). But I liked the aspect except that it could have been done a lot better. Apart from the unfair difficulty (in some areas especially) and the way Link looks. The game is a good sequel to the first but hardly worthy.
#257 - Valkyrie Profile (PS1) I'll admit I was bitterly disappointed with Valkyrie Profile the first time around. I gave up halfway around Chapter 5 and didn't plan on playing the game for a while if not at all. Part of the reason lies with the amount of hype I had for that game because the reviews I read only had good things to say about the game. I was disappointed with how one dimensional the game became after a while and anyone can easily make out whats gonna happen to a character halfway through chapter 1. And that was my opinion of Valkyrie Profile until I decided to give it a fair chance. This time I went into the game knowing fully well what to expect and strangely I was having more fun with with the game than I could have ever imagined. It's not even close to being the best RPG on the PS1 but definitely fun once you get used to things but it doesn't erase the fact that its extremely overrated.
#256 - Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (NES) Yes I've played the DS version but I'm gonna be reviewing the original instead. First of all I don't like the chapter system this game has. Leveling up a person from scratch at every chapter sucks trust me. Also the A.I battle system (the DS has manual though) is one of the worst ideas ever. But DQIV is way ahead of it's time in terms of storyline. Infact this game may very well have the best storyline of any of the NES RPGs. I like some of the characters in this game because they actually have a personality. DQIV stays true to the DQ series but leaves so much to be desired in the gameplay department.
#255 - Beyond Good & Evil (PS2) Initially I have had bad memories of this game because I've encountered a game ending glitch which was the famous disappearing partner glitch. Beyond Good & Evil is unique. It has a vast number of gameplay elements (action, adventure, stealth) which are mostly well done although some of them are not (The Hovercraft's horrible controls). I don't know how a lot of people felt about the characters but I thought they were very well done (Double H is awesome). Each of them had a reason for being there and the game cuts right to the chase and is a unique and masterful experience. However the glitches in this game cannot be ignored, the puzzles are as obvious as one can get and the A.I comrades can tend to not follow your order sometimes (leading to game ending glitches a.k.a the disappearing partner), the difficulty is laughably easy and the hovercraft controls are horrible (Not to mention you spend quite a lot of time there). Anyways BG&E could have been a whole LOT better if the game breaking glitches weren't there, if it was a little longer, had more dungeons, and possibly a harder difficulty and YES! lesser time on the damn hovercraft.
#254 - Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2) "And distance holding you... Suspended on silver wings" is the thing I remember about the game most. Which can't be good right? Wrong. I don't consider X-2 as a part of the mainline FF series but I'm sure glad it isn't. Is it a worthy sequel to FFX? I'm gonna go with hell no and join the "X-2 should have never happened" bandwagon. FFX should have ended with FFX's ending that's it. I don't like most of the FF spin-off games out there cuz they usually suck so much, and I've played almost all of them. FFX-2 is one of the better spin-off games. There are many aspects of the game which I actually love yes 'love' and hate as well. Lets start with the things I dislike. X-2's story sucks almost as much as some of the NES RPGs. The main villain and his story could have been done a lot better but instead he's now my least favorite FF villain. The mission system is also something I truly detest (Oh I'm playing FF13 right now by the way and hate that system about FF13 as well). But what I love about this game is the Battle System. I don't care what ATB haters say but this is what should have been the future of the FF Battle System. The mini-games are addictive as hell, Blitzball is better than Blitzball in FFX, and the Job System isn't half bad (Yet hardly original). I don't like a lot of things about X-2 but then again there are also a lot of things I like about the game. But one thing is for sure, X-2 clearly deserves a spot here for some of the golden innovations it had.
#253 - Final Fantasy II (NES) Ok FFII haters please stay away. I love how Squaresoft had the courage to try something completely different even though the first was a worldwide super hit. FFII however received a lot of hate for the changes it brought along with it. The way stats increase in FFII and how magic and weapon level builds up is something completely unprecedented. It wasn't necessarily good because people could easily break the game from the beginning. Sure the stat increasing was weird but that doesn't stop the fact that FFII is a actually a good game underneath all that. The game is fun once you get used to the system but not enough for a mainline FF game making FFII easily my least favorite from the series.
#252 - Top Spin 4 (PS3) For years I've been searching for a tennis game superior to 'Super Tennis' and have failed miserably.. or rather the VG companies have failed me miserably in delivering even a decent tennis game. After playing Virtua Tennis 4 recently I gave up all hope. I thought it wasn't possible for a VG company to simulate a good tennis game EVER. Boy was I wrong. What's surprising is I didn't expect a Top Spin game to be the best tennis game ever considering how the previous titles were flirting with mediocrity at best. Top Spin 4 is far from what my dream tennis game should be (with the small roster especially) but it is EASILY the closest which any tennis game has gotten so far.
#251 - Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 (PS3) I've always liked the Ultimate Ninja series but Storm 2 just blew away all my expectations. The roster is incredible in Storm 2 not to mention a better story mode than all it's predecessors. Definitely one of the better fighting games I've played and the best of the Ultimate Ninja series.
#250 - Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) Ok first of all. I cannot for the life of me understand why the GTA series is regarded as one of the best in gaming. Hell, I've played GTA since the first game and still don't think GTA deserves the credentials it gets today. However I cannot ignore how much GTAIII improved over GTA2. GTA1 wasn't playable then and sure as heck isn't now. GTA2 is decent at best but GTAIII revamped the series in a direction it has smartly taken and improved upon. The story in GTAIII failed to grab any of my attention and having a silent protagonist didn't make things better. I quickly lost interest in the story and completed the missions on for the sake of advancing. Most times I'm like "Whatevah I'll do what I wan't" and just go around slaughtering innocents riding on a truck. However GTAIII upped the ante of a genre which was suffering from accelerated aging ^_^ and deserves this position on my list without a shadow of a doubt but nothing more.
#249 - Spider-Man (PS1) I grew up anticipating a good Spider-Man game but until late 2000 every single one failed to be even decent. That's was until Spider-Man was released on the PS1. Frankly I didn't expect much at that point because I bought a similar superhero game on the N64 (Superman) which was possibly the worst game I've ever played. And I was wrong. The moment Spider-Man started swinging his webs and the moment I got to the first boss I knew this game was something else. Spider-Man is exactly like he is in the comics not to mention many of my favorite villains (Carnage, Venom, Doc. Octopus) makes an appearance in this game. The levels are designed really well but deep down I still desired more. To me this is easily the best Spider-Man game so far but I'm still hoping for a bigger and better Spider-Man game.
#248 - Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2) Don't listen to anyone who says the 3D Castlevania games suck because a lot of the 3D ones totally blew me away. Its a crime for any true Castlevania fan to not play this game because this game shows you how the feud between the Belmont clan and Dracula first started. Lament of Innocence has one of if not the best storyline in the Castlevania series (the only Castlevania game where I actually cared about what happens in the story) but still could have done much much better. The game suffers from being a little too short but the areas, the enemies and the bosses are very nicely done.
#247 - Dino Crisis (PS1) I replayed that game a week ago and it was awesome. Well I actually didn't give Dino Crisis much of a chance my first time around which was ages ago but I can't believe I missed out on this PS1 survival/horror gem. The gameplay mechanics is more polished than Resident Evil for sure and even though it's dinosaurs there was a lot of tension created by the T-Rex occasionally chasing you around. I honestly believe Nemesis took something from that. The environment is also fantastic but still the game suffers from a lacking story. I probably would have given it a much higher rank had I played this game back in the days.
#246 - River City Ransom (NES) The amount of time I spent playing this game during my childhood days are countless. I never got far because I kept wandering around aimlessly beating the s*** out of them bad guys. Years later I decided to actually finish the game (using a guide >_>) and I did. The game is fun sure but the bosses are a huge disappointment. I was also shocked to find out that the game was actually really short once you get the general idea of where to go. River City Ransom hasn't aged well though but it doesn't change the fact that it was one of the best games at its time and I'm sure GTA took some inspiration from this game.
#245 - TimeSplitters 2 (PS2) The TRUE Successor to Goldeneye. The very start of the first level will have you reminiscing about Goldeneye's first level 'The Dam' because TS2's first level 'Siberia' has a striking resemblance to it. TS2 doesn't allow a player any breathing room as far as the difficulty goes. The story mode can be downright brutal (I've played on Normal) and is not something to be taken lightly. But that is a good thing. Completing each level (there are 10 huge levels in total) is immensely satisfying. Now TS2 has an average at best story but has other challenges like Arcade mode and Challenge mode (Which are easier than the Story mode BTW). TS2 manages to be extremely fun despite the fact that it has dated controls and an aiming system more annoying than Goldeneye itself. But TS2 released years and years after Goldeneye so it should have done a lot better.
#244 - TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS2) I liked how TimeSplitters didn't follow the Goldeneye formula anymore. Future Perfect is the best of the TimeSpiltters for sure but it is still far from being the best FPS out there. The gameplay in Future Perfect is more balanced than TS2 and the mechanics are better too. What has improved the most in TS:FP is the story mode. Saying that its 10 times better than TS2's story wouldn't really be a stretch.
#243 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (X360) Modern Warfare is a huge improvement over the previous titles in many ways. Graphics (surely), campaign, multiplayer and gameplay. What I like most about Modern Warfare is the feeling of realism of actually being on the battlefield. That aspect also makes CoD4 something special. But other than the multiplayer CoD4 doesn't have that much re-playability and since I'm only an occasional multiplayer gamer it doesn't rank so high on my list.
#242 - Plants vs. Zombies (iPhone) Write-Ups not found.
#230 - Mario Kart 64 (N64) I was actually quite hesitant whether to include Mario Kart 64 or Mario Kart DS on the list. I felt only one of them deserved a place on the list but after thinking hard I decided to go with my heart rather than my head and thus you have MK64 on this list. I definitely think MKDS is more polished and has more content but MK64 has that homely feel and it just makes me come back to it more often than any of the other Mario Kart games. Believe it or not MK64 still holds its own against the newer gen toon racing games. Nostalgia goggles or whatever I’m not making a list without MK64 on the list.
#229 - Pokemon Stadium (N64) Attrapez les tous.. Attrapez les… tous! Pokemon! That’s how you sing Gotta catch em’ all in French. I purchased my first N64 in Switzerland and Pokemon Stadium was one of the first games I had along with it. The game was in French but thankfully the language didn’t make much of difference. I expected Red/Blue/Yellow like gameplay but was blessed with a rather original turn-based fighting game.
#228 - Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2) Ok whoever says Mortal Kombat can’t be anything but a 1 on 1 fighting game are dead wrong here. This game has been wrongfully abused by the hordes of MK fans for not being what a MK game usually is and i.e in most cases, a crappy fighting game. I’ve played almost all of the MK games and I can say this without a shadow of a doubt “Shaolin Monks deserves so much more than the horde of crap Midway has produced past MK2”. In Shaolin Monks you can choose between Liu Kang and Kung Lao. (Sub-Zero and Scorpion are unlockables) I’d say Shaolin Monks is more a beat em’ up reimagining of MK2 than anything else. The unlockables are awesome and so is the game once you get the hang of it. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking this game just cuz MK decided to take a different approach.
#227 - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (PS2) If you thought Hot Pursuit 1 on the PS1 was awesome wait till you get a load of this. Hot Pursuit 2 is Hot Pursuit with enhanced graphics, better mechanics and overall much more fun. This game is without a doubt my favorite Need for Speed game and rightfully so.
#226 - Syphon Filter (PS1) Never judge a book by its cover is the motto of the Syphon Filter series (Well at least 1, 2 and 3). At first I thought Syphon Filter looked and played like crap. I didn’t like the way Logan ran and the way you fired your guns. However the game mechanics quickly grew on me and before I knew it I was having a major amount of fun with the game. The game does suffer from irregularity in the difficulty though, it kinda does spike up during the end and I know quite a few people who actually quit the game because of that. The stealth missions are my favorite part of the game (I may be one of the few though) and Syphon Filter is one of those PS1 games which really stood out in its genre. I don’t know how well the game may have aged since then because I haven’t touched a Syphon Filter game beyond 3 since the early 2000s.
#225 - Twisted Metal 2 (PS1) I take all my pent up frustration on the road and unleash it in….. Twisted Metal! I’ve haven’t played the original enough to actually rate it however Twisted Metal 2 does look so much better. Although the graphics are still dead ugly (Looks so much uglier now than ever) it doesn’t stop the game from STILL being fun. The character I always use is the guy who rides the vehicle with the huge ass wheel in the front(Can’t believe I forgot his name). It’s my dream car for causing destruction on a road full of stupid maniacs.
#224 - Harvest Moon: Back to Nature (PS1) I didn’t think farming was that fun back when I played the original Harvest Moon on the SNES. However Back to Nature revamped the formula and made it into an incredibly delightful experience. I loved the choices in marriage and how the mechanism in farming worked. Harvest Moon created a genre of its own and so far nothing has topped Harvest Moon: Back to Nature on the PS1.
#223 - Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen (SNES) Strategy-RPGs were few back then and Ogre Battle definitely played a huge role in shaping up the genre. Although Ogre Battle did suffer from a pretty weak storyline, the battles more than made up for it. I heard Tactics Ogre is similar to Ogre Battle but have never tried that series out therefore Ogre Battle for me is a revolutionary in the SRPG department thoroughly deserving a place on my list.
#222 - NiGHTS into Dreams (Sega Saturn) I remember this Saturn classic as a short and sweet experience. I don’t know what genre this game belongs to but so far I haven’t played any game quite like it. The game starts to get fun the moment you know what you’re doing although it suffers a lot from being way too short. With a little more length and probably a little more variety NiGHTS into Dreams may just have been one of my favorite games of all time rather than one of favorite Saturn games.
#221 - Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (PS2) First of all, I love DBZ. Second, this has thus far been the best DBZ game I’ve experienced. The story mode in this game is gold! It does an awesome job at telling the story compared to its predecessor, not to mention the voice acting is just like it is in the anime. What I really like about this game is how you unlock the massive amount of characters and how the campaign is handled. The campaign just makes you feel so accomplished because there are various challenges including some really tough fights. I’ve played most if not all the new DBZ games but none of them had a lasting impression on me like Budokai Tenkaichi 2 on the PS2 did.
#220 - Dynasty Warriors 5 (PS2) Everyone knows Dynasty Warriors as a famous hack and slash series on the PS2, but sadly not many have noticed the improvements Dynasty Warriors 5 offered and in my opinion, revived the series. The massive amount of characters you can unlock (40+ If I recall correctly) and the story mode makes Dynasty Warriors 5 the best I’ve played from the series. (I haven’t played the original and 7)
#219 - Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2) Did we really need a sequel to ruin the original just like what many of the sequels usually do to their otherwise classic original? I’m just messing around man. I’m really happy that there is a Viewtiful Joe 2 because if anything it made me wanna wish for a Viewtiful Joe 3 which probably won’t happen. Viewtiful Joe 2 is almost as good as the first but not quite. It falls a little short because for me it just didn’t impress me the way the first one did. As a standalone game the sequel would have done much better but as a follow-up to one of the best beat em’ ups of its generation, it is just a sequel inferior to the original.
#218 – Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) And we’re back in Liberty City…. again! Yes it is bigger, yes it is more detailed and yes it is better as well. But by how much? Well I’d definitely say GTAIV is the best GTA from the numbered titles but compared to the major titles which preceded it, it doesn’t do much. Apart from the cell phone there is not much new GTAIV brings to the series. The missions are mostly repetitive but some of them were fun. What I do like about GTAIV is the way the story unfolds and how Nico Bellic actually has a personality. The GTA series should learn a lesson from its 4th installment and learn to focus a bit more on the plot if there is ever gonna be a GTAV rather than focusing on more frustrating missions. Don’t get me wrong I like GTAIV, It’s just that I find the whole series in general to be overrated.
#217 – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2) Vice City took everything good from GTAIII and improved upon it. First, We have an actual main character i.e Mr. Vercetti. Second, the place i.e Vice City looks much better than the Liberty City in GTAIII. Third, Vice City is set in the 80’s and is done really well. I just found Vice City more fun than GTAIII in general, from the plot to the missions to basically everything. Granted I’ve never been a huge fan of the GTA series which may not mean much but Vice City did improve upon its predecessor and is just better overall.
#216 - Diddy Kong Racing (N64) Who says Mario Kart owns toon racing? DKR has upped the level of the genre by implementing a less arcade-y story mode than usual by allowing players to roam around freely and at the same time retaining awesome levels. In my books DKR is better, more polished and more fun than Mario Kart 64 except maybe the characters.
#215 - The Simpsons (Arcade) Being a huge Simpsons fan, I used to spend countless hours in the arcade playing this game. Something about the Arcade version of The Simpsons was so addictive that I used to revisit this game time and time again. At first you might mistake The Simpsons for just another side scrolling beat em’ up but soon you’ll come to realize how deep the gameplay actually is. The level design is simply fantastic and you get to play as all four members of the Simpsons family adding more hours and more variety to the gameplay. One of my favorite arcade games without a doubt but would have done so much better if it were ported to a console and retained the arcade feel.
#214 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES) For some strange reason I’ve never seen this game in the Arcade but have only played it on the NES even though the title says TMNT2: The Arcade Game. If you were like me and were a huge Ninja Turtles fan in the 90s you’d have wanted to play a great Ninja Turtles game back then. TMNT1 on the NES wrecked my expectations of ever anticipating a good TMNT game but much to my surprise TMNT2 blew my expectations away. The levels were just phenomenal, as were the characters, the enemies, the bosses and the level of challenge (which was unfair by any means but still challenging). Everything looked just like it did in the TMNT TV shows back in the 90s and it was one of my favorite games way back then. It’s safe to say I’ve played better TMNT games over the years but this one was the first to have truly impressed me.
#213 - Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (NES) I love what Konami did with the second installment of Castlevania on the NES. They tried something new and I loved it. I loved it more back then when I first played the game. The levels concept is totally taken out of this game and instead we have free exploration. Simon can level up, buy new things as well as new weapons, something which was unprecedented in action side scrollers back then. The game could definitely have been more polished and the final boss is ridiculously easy which makes it seem as if the game is a little broken. However the game was simply more fun than the original as well as many other Castlevania games for many years until Konami totally remodeled the series, thus taking the Castlevania series to new heights.
#212 - Metroid (NES) I played the original Metroid way way after its release therefore it may not have had the impact on me like it could have if I’d played it back in its hey days. I’ll start with the negatives first. Samus’ jump controls are quite stiff making the game frustrating in some parts. Having no map is the biggest ball drop of the original Metroid because for me completing that game w/o using a guide was nearly impossible. Having no clues as to where to go doesn’t exactly help either. That being said it is obvious that the game is a revolutionary. The upgrades are so satisfying to get not to mention the game is fun when you know where exactly you have to go. The game isn’t too difficult and the level designs are a masterpiece for the NES system. Without a doubt one of the NES system’s finest accomplishments but I can’t find it in my heart to give the first Metroid more than a #200 in this list.
#211 – Pitfall (Atari 2600) This is the FIRST GAME I’ve EVER played. Well I was probably around 5 or 6 when I first saw my dad playing this game. The Atari was my Granddad’s and was quite old and even though I owned a Nintendo very shortly after, I played Pitfall quite a lot before shelving my Atari for good. I didn’t have a clue as to what the objective of the game was, back then. But then I figured it was avoiding obstacles and collecting as many treasure as you can. I’ve played this game quite recently and beat it for the first time…… cheating. Man did it bring back memories and man was it fun ^_^.
#210 – Resident Evil: Code Veronica (Dreamcast) After playing both versions of Code Veronica, the Dreamcast version proved to be clearly superior. Even with the PS2 having the more advanced engine, the game looked and played much smoother on the DC. Code Veronica is basically RE 3.5 or RE 2.5 (whatever you’d wanna call it) and plays much like its predecessors. What I liked about CV was its intense atmosphere. The beginning part of the game is where it truly shined. The game then started going downhill but picks up at the mid-to-end parts. Code Veronica was probably the first RE game which screamed for changes. The formula for the RE series and Survival Horror in general was turning horribly stale. While RE2 expanded on the RE universe and polished up the series and RE3 upped the ante with its gameplay, Code Veronica did next to nothing except enter itself as an entry to the series. However Code Veronica is a good RE spin-off to say the least and a must have for RE veterans.
#209 – Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (PS2) Like many Hideo Kojima fans, I was first introduced to ZOE1 for the sole purpose of wanting to play the demo of MGS2. The first entry had an arcade-y style and was quite good. However it suffered from being extremely short (2-3 hours 1st play through) and had the whiniest protagonist in the history of video games. The 2nd entry ZOE: The 2nd Runner polishes up the gameplay, graphics and the cut scenes and produces far more likeable characters. However I can’t help but feel the game is still overrated. The spike in difficulty around mid to end game will frustrate many and the clunky controls are still ever present. Not to mention the horrid camera. If you can get past all that, ZOE2 is a unique experience and definitely a step up from its predecessor. You will likely receive far more favorable opinions from people who are into the whole Mobile Suit Action genre; I unfortunately never was that big on that genre.
#208 – Super Contra (Super C – American Localization name) (NES) Super Contra, the 2nd entry to the Contra series lived up to the huge name its predecessor created in every way. The levels, bosses and the gameplay are as good as the original. Hell, Super Contra provides more challenge than the 1st. Any Contra fan would agree with the fact that the best days of Contra were during the NES and SNES days.
#207 – Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PS2) The Sands of Time Trilogy has always been one of my favorites on the PS2. The third and final entry did not disappoint. Playing as the Dark Prince took platforming to new heights. While I like the combat system more in Warrior Within, The Two Thrones has more balance in gameplay. However I’m still disappointed by the plot. I was expecting so much more from it after the cliffhanger ending in Warrior Within. It’s not bad but nowhere near what it could have been.
#206 – Super Mario Bros 2 (NES) Why people hate Mario Bros 2, I still haven’t got a clue. Sure it isn’t anything like the classic Super Mario Bros but can’t people embrace change? It’s not like the change was bad. You can select 4 characters each with their own strengths, weakness and moves. The levels provided way more of a challenge than Super Mario Bros could ever dream of. The boss battles were also unique and needed different strategies, not to mention the graphics were really pretty for an old system like the Nintendo. I commend Nintendo for trying something totally new with their famous mushroom eating Italian plumber and I enjoyed it quite a lot.
#205 – Onimusha 3: Demon Siege (PS2) I’m a huge fan of hack and slash games and the Onimusha series were one of the best on the PS2. Many people complain about the time travel aspect and the entry of Jean Reno as a character in the 3rd installment. I however loved playing as Jacques (Jean Reno) as much as I love playing as the great Samanosuke. Critical Hits (Issen) remains my favorite aspect of the game and this game gives you the opportunity to slay massive hordes of enemies within seconds. However like most Capcom series, Onimusha was also turning stale and needed change. I personally wouldn’t have forgiven a ‘clone’ 4th entry because then another Capcom series would have gone the ‘Mega Man’ way.
#204 – Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue (PS1) Do NOT let the title fool you. This Disney game is a masterpiece. I don’t blame people hating on Movie-games because usually they always tend to suck and thus the stereo typical view. I was initially put-off by this game just because it didn’t look very appealing. By the time I was in the 3rd level and then as I started to embrace the mechanics of the game, it was just hard to put down. I would never have discovered how good this game was if it weren’t for my younger cousin. He loved Toy Story and used to play this game a lot and frequently ask me for help on some levels. I decided to check it out and voila I’ve got my favorite Disney game.
#203 – Suikoden III (PS2) ~Dah… Dah… Da Da… Dah ra rada da da da dah~ *hums Suikoden theme song. This was one of my highest anticipated games on the PS2. I’ve probably NEVER overhyped a game before it was even released as much as this. As soon as I started playing the game, my expectations were deflated. At first I couldn’t stand Suikoden III. I even quit playing because of how tedious it was to traverse from one town to another in SIII. The problem however wasn’t with the game. Sure it had its flaws but it was still a very good RPG (As I came to know later on). I was blinded by the fact that the previous two entries were KILLER entries. I expected the 3rd one to follow suit and sure enough I was left disappointed because of the monster expectations I had. I played Suikoden III a year later and enjoyed it SO MUCH more. Konami took some risk with changes (3 main characters, chapter system, switching roles after the end of each chapter) and while it wasn’t executed to perfection, it did more than a decent job. Suikoden III does have its issues with tedious World Map Travel and storyline pacing but it sure is a worthy Suikoden entry after playing the travesty which was Suikoden IV. IMO, Suikoden III also has the best villain from the Suikoden series and THAT is saying a lot considering the one from the previous entry even has its cult of followers and fans.
#202 – Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (PS2) Unlike many who were disappointed by the 2nd entry in the Sands of Time trilogy, I thought Warrior Within couldn’t have been a better sequel to the 1st. Combat wasn’t painful anymore and was in fact one of the best aspects of the game. Many people didn’t really like the story but I beg to differ. The fact that a sinister invincible creature haunts your every footstep created a tense atmosphere. The game keeps you on your toes and the platforming was as good as the original. I liked the story quite a lot and thought they did a good job with the ending. While Warrior Within didn’t break any new grounds like the 1st one did, it totally lived up to it.
#201 – Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis) One of the best side-scrolling beat-em ups I have ever played. I used to clock hours playing Streets of Rage 2 with a friend who was a hardcore beat-em up fan. From all the beat-em up entries like Double Dragon, Final Fight, Golden Axe, etc, Streets of Rage just stood out. It was simply more fun, more polished, more entertaining. SoR2 improved DRASTICALLY from SoR1 which was also a good game. Boss battles kept you on your toes and the level designs were simply awesome. Only complaint I have with SoR2 is that once you figure out some techniques, and start spamming them, the challenge of the game just dies down.
#200 – Legend of Mana (PS1) One of the better Mana games. It’s sad to see the series has been run to the ground by Square Enix. Dawn of Mana was a nail in the coffin. I just don’t see the series ever recovering from something like that. But let’s talk about the good times. Legend of Mana was no Secret of Mana clone (Nor was Seiken Densetsu 3 but that game was never localized). The game offered so much customization which was unprecedented for Action-RPGs at that time. The story was average at best like most Mana games but the gameplay shined like it always did. A classic PS1 RPG deservedly so.
#199 – Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PS2) The first entry of Sly was an amazing experience at the time. I probably wouldn’t have even played the game (and thus started the series) were it not for my late purchase of the Gamecube. Basically I ran out of platformers and decided to try this one out. The game was fun right from the start to finish. While I’m not all that big on the plot of the Sly series, the gameplay was always a joy. Hunting the clue bottles and eventually retrieving a piece of the Thievius Raccoonus added more gameplay. The game is quite short and the thieving aspect of the game needs more to be desired. I’m at a stalemate to say good or bad things about the game so I’ll say this; Sly Cooper may not be the best platformer on the PS2 but is worth mentioning in any list considering great platforming games.
#198 – Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (PS2) Don’t make the mistake of buying Hawk’s 3 for the PS1 like I did. It is a total rip-off and not the same game as the PS2 version. Hawk’s 3 on the PS2 took gameplay (namely create a skater) to new heights. I have to say the game was tougher in my experience than the previous entries (as if the previous one wasn’t tough enough already). I dunno if I was bad at the game but I really struggled with Hawk’s 3 initially. The game remains my favorite skateboarding game on the PS2. Neversoft has never done a wrong as far as this entry.
#197 – Pokemon Platinum Version (DS) The Pokemon series is one of the most if not the most consistent gaming series. In that it never disappoints its fans. The secret is no secret. The same formula is used over and over again on consoles with superior engines thus producing a clone with superior graphics and a slightly different angle of story. I personally am against game series which don’t even try to evolve and Pokemon has showed the least interest in doing so. But I can’t deny the fact that Platinum was an engaging experience like all Pokemon games are. Having two different screens on the DS was definitely a plus and catching them all was insanity… as always ^_^. The experience still gave me that ‘consistent’ enjoyment but I can NOT call it one of the best games ever as it doesn’t break the barrier of evolution. I have Pokemon Black in my closet and the non-evolution factor has put me off from playing it (haven’t even tried it yet).
#196 – Syphon Filter 2 (PS1) I already gave a long “don’t judge a book by its cover” speech on Syphon Filter 1. By the 2nd release I wasn’t judging any covers. Instead I had great expectations of the sequel. Seeing two disks was mouth watering and to my surprise the sequel outdid the original. Missions were just more fun in Syphon Filter 2 and the story was overall better as well. I still have many fond memories of the 1st level in the snowfield and the fact that gameplay is so much more balanced in the 2nd one. While Syphon Filter 2 plays almost like the 1st, I believe it to be the pinnacle of the series. A polished and engaging game of an underrated series with no unfair difficulty spikes this time.
#195 – Tomb Raider (PS1) It’s amazing how a single game can be a revolutionary inspiration to the birth of many genres. The first ever Tomb Raider is a timeless and memorable classic. Tomb Raider introduced Survival which in turn gave birth to the Survival/Horror genre. Tomb Raider took the Adventure genre and gave it a whole new angle. Tomb Raider introduced solving puzzles in order to advance to the next level. Tomb Raider featured a now almost Mario-like famous female heroine which many games at that time wouldn’t even dare to put as their company’s model. Tomb Raider…… ^_^. The original just has a special feel to it which was missing in the 2nd and 3rd, hence why the other two aren’t on the list. The original trilogy on the PS1 is one the best the console has to offer. My knowledge beyond the 3rd is limited but I’ve only heard bad things about those.
#194 – Tekken 5 (PS2) Tekken 5 was a huge surprise to me. The moment I started kicking my cousin’s ass, I knew the series was back on track. I’m kidding. No seriously though, Tekken 4 was a step down for me in the Tekken series. I didn’t like the move sets for the characters (and even the limited no. of characters themselves) and I felt the game was really stiff. Tekken 5 offers a huge roster along with customization to boot. The story mode is more or less the same as Tekken 4 which isn’t a bad thing since the story telling in Tekken 4 is one aspect I loved. Looking at Devil Jin’s move set almost brought tears to my eyes (tears of happiness)… And I’ve never lost a match since (well maybe one or two here and there).
#193 – Soul Calibur II (PS2) Soul Calibur and Tekken are inseparable fighting series for me and in rankings as well. I was expecting a lot out of the 2nd release and I wasn’t disappointed. SCII has an awesome list of characters (Heihachi from the Tekken series is also added as a bonus character) and awesome levels just like the original. I can’t really go in depth about a fighting game when reviewing them because it is one of my least favorite genres. Soul Calibur and Tekken are one of those which I actually care about in a genre I’ve never ‘really’ been into.
#192 – Spyro the Dragon (PS1) Did you know that before the famous Ratchet & Clank series, Insomniac’s hero was a tiny purple dragon. A hero he was indeed. Spyro the Dragon started one of the best platforming trilogy on a single console, the PS1. The first entry broke grounds with its unique style of platforming focused on collecting things like gems, eggs and freeing the imprisoned dragons. The feeling of accomplishment is amazing in this game and it’s very hard to put down once you’re in the groove. The 1st entry still holds its own against many modern platformers and deserves a place in any man’s best platforming game lists.
#191 – Twisted Metal Black (PS2) When I first got my hands on Twisted Metal Black I was like “Finally! A Twisted Metal for the PS2”. I mean we had like what 4 Twisted Metals on the PS1 and the 2nd one was actually the only good one because the other ones were more or less a rehashed version of it. Twisted Metal Black brought back that TM2 feel and for once a TM game didn’t look like an eyesore. Trust me I don’t mind bad graphics that much but playing Black and going back to TM2 is rather difficult these days. This isn’t just about the graphics TM Black outdid TM2 in almost every aspect and is simply more fun to play.
#190 – Tecmo Super Bowl (NES) I learned the rules to American Football just so I can play this game (I’m not from the U.S) and man was it fun. This game has that addiction factor where you just keep coming back for more. The Super Bowl seems to be a huge thing in the U.S and I thought playing it on an old system like the Nintendo wouldn’t do it justice. But I was wrong, I don’t know what a real Super Bowl is like but this old game seems a cut above the rest as far as sport games from the older generation consoles go. And just for that it deserves a place among the greats.
#189 – Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA) I very disappointed by the fact that most of the Fire Emblem games haven’t been localized. The Sacred Stones on the GBA is one of the few which have been and I’d say good choice. Fire Emblem’s bread and butter is the addicting turn-based strategy battles and The Sacred Stones has a polished battle system to say the least. The plot interested me a great deal (although I have seen many say otherwise) and so did the characters and their interactions. If you’re looking for a great SRPG on the GBA look for the Fire Emblem series not a poor man’s Final Fantasy Tactics i.e Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. *Shudders*
#188 – Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (PS1) I was initially put off from buying Crash 2 because the first one was a torture. I’m glad the horrible save system and the next to impossible platforming is gone from the 1st game. Crash 2 is like Crash 1 except that Crash 2 is better in EVERY single aspect. From the boss battles, to the levels designs to the platforming to the… EVERYTHING! Crash 2 is the turning point in the series, in that it revamped and evolved the platforming aspect of the game by making it fun. Crash Bandicoot 2 is one of those PS1 platforming classics which you’d wanna get back into every now and then.
#187 – Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS2) Sly 3 is more or less the same as its previous entries but I found myself enjoying the third entry a lot more than the second and little bit more than the first. I thought Sly 2 was quite unbalanced and did a lot of wrong but Sly 3 remedies that by making the game actually challenging (in a fun way) and requires you to actually use the skills available with Sly. Sly has a few more abilities and I’d say great addition. I think this is the pinnacle of the series and also the time the series needs to end (sorry Sly fans). I just don’t see any other way for the series to evolve unless the development is taken as seriously as a major franchise. Sure Sly could have a 4th clone which I’d probably never forgive. But it is better to end something on a high note rather than ending after being run down to the ground with numerous failure projects.
#186 – Viewtiful Joe (PS2) At first Viewtiful Joe didn’t look very appealing to me. Well I found the artwork anything but Viewtiful. As I started playing the game it started to grow on me, the game grew on me and the difficulty grew on me literally. It is true that Viewtiful Joe is a side scrolling DMC type game which is as hard as DMC itself. I found it harder since I’m better with 3D action. The moves and abilities become so fun to use and that is when the game starts to get addicting. The superhero plot was hilarious and the game just spells fun or rather… VIEWTIFUL game man VIEWTIFUL game!
#182 – Medievil (PS1) This game is a classic! Playing as a skeleton (a.k.a Sir Daniel Fortesque) protagonist slaying evil minions and traversing from one area to another (The levels designs were superb at the time) doing some platforming. This game had it all! The platforming part is probably the weaker wing of this game as it isn’t too polished. Killing enemies in the game feels rewarding because it adds towards finding a chalice which can grant you a trip to the hall of heroes where you get a new weapon, a health boost or money. Medievil is just a joy to play through and I’ve only got fond memories of it, which is why it is also one of my favorite games on the PS1.
#181 – EarthBound (SNES) I would probably have ranked EarthBound much much higher if I hadn’t replayed it recently. When I was in my teens, it was one of my favorite RPG on the SNES but time it seems has made even a true SNES classic look like a regular joe with the release of SO MANY great RPGs after the era of the SNES RPGs. EarthBound still has that special feel to it. The graphics, characters and story remains a classic. The areas you travel to are as memorable as they can get and EarthBound also has a certain level of challenge (not a walk in the park like most RPGs are these days). EarthBound is the sequel to Mother (Never localized) which was a downright horrible game in my experience. EarthBound also know as Mother 2 in Japan does so well to make itself likeable to the gaming audience. Ness, the main character has become an icon of his own which shows how much success EarthBound has had with its fans. Is this game overrated? IMO Yes! I think fans do give it more credit than it deserves. Is it a good game? It’s a great game if you take into consideration the time it was released and how it was more modern themed rather than being the generic medieval themed RPG (the safe route as I call it for most RPGs).
#185 – Bully (PS2) Activists actually protested against this Rockstar (GTA series developers) game in various regions stating that it would influence young students to take up violence in school. Well, violence-wise I don’t think it’s any worse than the GTA series. In fact it’s not even remotely close to GTA’s violence, profanity and such. Bully was a breath of fresh air from the GTA series. This time around you’re a school boy who has a striking resemblance to Wayne Rooney. A notorious and frustrated teenager who’s about to unleash his wrath on a school he’s transferred to. Bully just proves to be fun and has a lot of gameplay elements which keeps you entertained. I’ve clocked many hours on this game but I usually only play it while taking break from long RPGs. This game is the pinnacle of relaxing yourself, not taking things too seriously and letting everything out.
#184 – Guitar Hero (PS2) I think my username heavily implies that I’m a huge rock n’ roll fan and that I am, that I am. Naturally a game like GH appealed to me and I bought it the very second I saw it in a nearby store. The problem at that time was that I wasn’t very familiar with the rhythm genre games except for Dance Dance Revolution. As I started playing the game, the very first song was Joan Jett’s “I love Rock n’ Roll” and I was playing on medium. Every time I hit a note the satisfaction was electrifying. Somehow I proved to be a quick learner and went on to love the genre. At present I’m pretty good in the Guitar Hero series as I can finish almost all songs on Expert (w/ my GH Guitar). The first of the GH series holds so many memories but it was lacking Guns n’ Roses songs which I really really desired.
#183 – Star Wars: Battlefront II (PS2) The best Star Wars game on the PS2 without a shadow of a doubt. The first Battlefront game broke grounds by being the first good Star Wars game apart from the KOTOR series. Battlefront II felt more like an expanded, polished and overall better version of the original. The Galactic Conquest was deeper and BFII consisted of newer levels since Episode III. However I can’t say that much has changed except that BFII is more objective based, has space battle and is overall more entertaining. I haven’t played multiplayer at all so I might have missed out on some elements the game had to offer. No matter, BFII is great game for both Star Wars fans and 3rd Person Shooter fans. I was both.
#180 – Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (SNES) The sixth DQ game was never localized for the SNES but it had various translation patches. With the recent DS release (Which I haven’t played) the game has gained some popularity. My review is on the Super Famicon version of DQ6. My first impression was that the graphics, character sprites and areas in general looked so different from DQ5. I mean DQ1-4 (On the NES) had similar style of graphics and areas but DQ6 I believe used a separate engine which I commend. Battles in this game were tough initially and like most DQ games, this game requires grinding if you want to advance the game without too much frustration. After playing DQ6 you find out that the job/class system from DQ7 wasn’t its own idea. It only built upon DQ6’s implementation. I have a soft spot for the DQ games. Its traditional RPG style is just soothing and DQ6 was without a doubt one of the best RPGs on the SNES.
#179 – Winning Eleven 10 (PS2) Forgive me if putting a Football/Soccer over your favorite RPG/Game is annoying you. I put this game at this high a rank for good reason. First I love football and have always been a supporter of FC Barcelona since 1998. Second, the gameplay mechanics, depth, and career mode (Master League) was simply fantastic. To this day I can’t think of a better football game than this. Everything was so balanced and the 6 star difficulty added a whole new dimension of challenge and entertainment. This game has so much playability that it’s not even funny. But all in all this is only a game for football fans and football fans only and me being a huge fan played (and still plays) this game for hours and hours.
#178 – Pokemon Stadium 2 (N64) This is just like Pokemon Stadium except that it is better in every SINGLE way. This game was also the talk of the town during its release and I used to have many fellow players hanging out just so we could play Pokemon Stadium 2 after school. Pokemon dueling is so much fun and at that time the craze over Pokemons were staggering. That added so much to the experience and was one of the key reasons why Pokemon Stadium 2 was such a joy to play. This game also pushed the N64 system to its limits and IMO it most certainly goes down in the books as one of N64’s best.
#177 – Starcraft (PC) Starcraft along with Age of Empires remains a landmark in the history of real-time strategy games on the PC. I personally found Starcraft to be more engrossing than Age of Empires and multiplayer Starcraft on a LAN was simply fantastic. The Expansion of Broodwar is also well worth the while as it adds to the campaign which was already really good. As far as I remember I used to play as Zergs most of the time over Terrans. Starcraft brings innovation to a new level thus giving birth to many great RTS games over the years but few could leave a legacy behind like it did.
#176 – Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2) I didn’t really think the GTA series could improve upon Vice City, at least not with the PS2 engine. I was wrong but since I’ve never been huge on GTA, I was probably one of the few gamers who actually thought SA wouldn’t be all that good. My initial impression was the same as Vice City. I didn’t think the plot would be all that great but it turned out to be quite decent and the characters in SA appealed to me much more than either Vice City or GTAIII (CJ >Vercetti >Mute MC). Vice City improved on GTAIII by quite a margin but it still failed to make me fall in love with such an acclaimed series. I didn’t think San Andreas could improve by as much of a difference between Vice City and GTAIII but the game surprised me and was actually entertaining. GTA:SA deserves to be placed this high just because it was and still is the height of its genre (Better than GTAIV). I’ll never to this day know what the craze is over the series but I can’t deny the fact that the GTA series has left its landmark on the gaming industries. San Andreas is a quality game but like all its predecessors (GTAIII, Vice City) and its successor (GTAIV) it is one of the most overrated games of all time.
#175 – Dragon Quest VII – Warriors of Eden (Japanese Name – DW7 in U.S) (PS1) I hate calling the Dragon Quest series Dragon Warrior so I’ll just call this game DQ7. DQ7 is quite possibly one of the longest if not the longest RPG I’ve ever played and trust me I’ve played a LOT of them. The DQ series’ charm remains with its medieval fantasy world and its traditional turn-based style of play. DQ7 does not deviate from the series’ bread and butter but expands upon it. The plot like most DQ is not the strong point of the game and neither are the characters. The fun of DQ7 lies upon the journey and the exploration. Although a grind fest, DQ7 remains fun with a more polished job system of DQ6’s and fighting the monsters in the DQ Universe is always one of the series’ high points. Let me warn fellow gamers that this game isn’t for everyone. From my point of view, I don’t think this is a very good game for RPG beginners because it is a moderately difficult game (Most RPGs just tends to hold your hand, this one doesn’t) even for the experienced RPG gamers. The graphics are also… well hideous but if you can look past that you just might enjoy the game like I did. But don’t listen to me, I’ve always been in love with the DQ series ^_^
#174 – Prince of Persia (1989) (PC) I don’t know how many knew a classic PoP game existed before the Sands of Time Trilogy but I did. Hell my memories of playing PoP are on one of my black and white laptops. I think it was Toshiba black and white but boy did I have a blast with that one. So what is so great about a game from the late 80’s. The fact that PoP did something no platformer/action game dared to do (at least in my memory) i.e putting a time limit to finish the game rather than giving the cliché 3 or 5 lives was pure genius. And it couldn’t have worked better for a game like this. You, the Prince has to rescue the Princess from the evil Vizier in an hour or the game ends. Continues are unlimited and each level requires quick reflexes, smooth platforming and beating the **** out of the palace guards. If you haven’t played this already do so. If you have a Sands of Time Copy, unlock the classic and see for yourself.
#173 – Crash Team Racing (PS1) My honest opinion is CTR annihilates EVERY Mario Kart game. I’m not even kidding. The time I purchased this game I couldn’t believe how good it was. CTR takes toon racing to a whole new level and is arguably the best in that genre. Completing the levels was never more satisfying in a racing game. And what’s best about CTR is that it stands the test of time even with its graphics.
#172 – Ninja Gaiden (NES) I used to have a love/hate relationship with this game. Now I simply love it (Save States, yeah sue me). No matter how hard I used to try I could never get past that ****ing second last boss. Every single strategy I tried simply bombed. Hell even using a guide couldn’t get me through. But years later I finished the game in a single try (I don’t consider save states cheating for games like these). But looking at this game from a reviewer’s standpoint, it has barely any flaws apart from the insane difficulty. Boss battles are all unique, levels look SO good, not to mention action games at that time didn’t have much of a plot but this game did a pretty good job with it. I just wished Ryu Hayabasa could have gained the ability to climb and attack while climbing. The lack of that feature brought upon me… SO many cheap deaths.
#171 – Battletoads (NES) Whew as if things could get any more difficult than the game I just mentioned in the last post. It just did. Hell this game leaves Ninja Gaiden or any NES Castlevania game in the dust if you wanna compare difficulties. I could never for the life of me ever get past “Rat Race” and even getting there took me over a year of perfecting my Battletoads play. I beat Battletoads the same way I beat any of those ridiculously difficult NES era games (save states) and even then I’m ashamed to say I almost couldn’t beat it even WITH these godsend options. Apart from the RIDICULOUSLY RIDICULOUS difficulty this game is an enigma. Each level is their own level much to the gamer’s dismay but when you think about it it’s almost an unprecedented element at that time. Gameplay changes drastically with each level. If you master say level 3 there’s no guarantee you’d even do a decent run in level 4. I don’t know what genre to put Battletoads in because it is like a compilation of beat-em up/platforming/action/racing. Battletoads will forever be remembered for the torture it put me through and for the classic it always will be.
#170 – Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (PS2) A-Spec is my favorite GT game and also one of my favorite racing games. GT3 smoothed out the gameplay so much from the previous entry and looks so much better as well (obviously). The arcade-y feel is still there which adds to the driving aspect. There’s not much I can analyze about this game other than the fact that I still play this game and it still gives me a kick like it always used to which speaks volumes for itself.
#169 – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (NES) As Little Mac you have to make your way up the ranks beating world class boxers and ultimately have a bout with the invincible Mike Tyson. There wasn’t a single decent boxing game at that time. And Punch-Out 1 was like a genius invention. The best element in the game is the charismatic and funny opponents you meet throughout the game. Figuring out how to beat them is also half the fun and with patience you can see right through your opponents except Mr. Tyson who is just a cold blooded killer. The gameplay mechanics are very simple and quite simple to master as well which adds so much to the entertainment value. Punch-Out definitely takes the award for best sporting game of its generation.
#168 – Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA) Superstar Saga is my one and only experience with the Mario & Luigi series unfortunately. This game is an RPG, not many places where you can say that about a Mario game but it was much to my delight. I was expecting cliché-isque gameplay and story instead I was treated to a hilarious experience and just an overall very “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day” vibe from this game. This game isn’t similar to the either Super Mario RPG or Paper Mario and I’m glad it isn’t. The GBA has a great collection of RPGs and classic RPG remakes. This game transcends the norm and is just a great game.
#167 – Super Mario Bros (NES) I’m pretty sure many were expecting this later than sooner and I’m also pretty sure EVERYONE’s already familiar enough with this game for me to not write an explanation of how this game is. Instead I’ll give my take on it. Classic. Played it to death. Impressive as always but many other games outdid it.
#166 – WWF No Mercy (N64) No Mercy is hailed by MANY as the best wrestling game and for good reason. However I’ll spoil the ranking list a little by saying there’s one above this. Some of No Mercy’s best feature lies with the match options and the fabled CaW. The sheer depth of that feature and at that time was more than any WWE/F fan could have ever imagined. Career Mode also kicks major ass because the game was developed in the post-Attitude Era where many Superstars from the Era was at their prime.
#165 – Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos (NES) The 2nd entry of the Ninja Gaiden remains my favorite to this day because it was significantly less frustrating than the original. The story also takes a darker turn and during my younger days I used to be creeped out during the cutscenes. Ninja Gaiden II is longer and better than the original. Even the boss fights which IMO were the charm of the series were just more fun.
#164 – Street Fighter IV (PS3) The return of SF after the disappointment which was SFIII: 3rd Strike. I found the characters in SFIII to be extremely bland and very unappealing. SFIV did so much to improve over the 3rd. For one we now have decent storyline segments for each characters. The moves challenge also proved to be fun. But nothing beats a classic Ryu vs. Ken bout. HADOUKEN! SHOURYUUKEN! The one thing which irks me about SFIV is the way the characters are modeled. The blocky Dragon Ball Z like design just didn’t appeal to me. I would have preferred a polished anime model. But other than that playing against a friend is so much fun. Street Fighter is back to its glory days.
#163 – Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits Von Gut und Bose (PS2) It’s a general consensus from Xenosaga fans that the series went through a bump in the road during the 2nd episode. I’m also one of the many who feel that way. Episode II is obviously a continuation of the first but it hardly plays like it. For one I thought the battle system was changed for the better. It requires a little time for getting used to but it pays off to be fun later on. However everything else just seemed inferior to Episode I. The voice acting was a huge let down but more importantly the unavailability of stores (that’s right no more weapons and armors) and the abysmal character customization system. Trust me as far as I can remember I hardly used any of those ether ‘skills’ because they just plain sucked. Using items to learn skills were alright if those weren’t exclusives (be careful of missables). Despite all that, Episode II still manages to retain that Xenosaga charm with its epic (although not as epic as the first) storyline and is a great game if you don’t compare it too much with the 1st and the 3rd.
#162 – Mega Man X3 (SNES) This is where the Mega Man X series take a turn for a darker Storyline and I loved that about it. Although the following games did a poor job of cashing in what could have made the MMX series’ story reach epic proportions, MMX3 did a great set up for it. MMX3 also has IMO the best overall music from the series. The music also has that Dark feel which I felt was highly suitable for MMX3’s environment. Apart from that MMX3 plays just like its predecessors. The Mega Man series are notorious for being almost the same game and MMX3 doesn’t do much better except add Zero as a playable character (And did a poor job at that). The bosses from MMX3 are more memorable to me somehow than the ones in MMX2 but apart from all that MMX3 is just about the same. I can’t deny I didn’t have a blast with MMX3 but like the previous entry it didn’t bring that much to the table for future purposes.
#161 – Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (PS2) You can’t say you’re a fan of RPGs if you’ve never even played a SMT game. My main reason for playing this game was not because it was SMT but because I’ve heard from many that this game has the hardest super optional boss in an RPG ever. They were not exaggerating. Demi-Fiend (I won’t spoil the name of the Demi-Fiend to people who haven’t played SMT: Nocturne or this game) makes optional bosses from the Final Fantasy series look like random encounters. Here’s my story. With a max level party and high stats the Demi-Fiend bested me over 20 times before I finally got lucky on him. Believe me, you do not wanna underestimate a SMT’s super boss or its difficulty or else you’re in for a rude awakening. Be ready for many cheap deaths and game over screens if you just play it casually. Enough with the Demi-Fiend, let’s analyze the game itself. The music is just fantastic; I personally love the music in DDS1. The story while not the best is fairly decent, it isn’t anything epic but gets quite good in the latter stages of the game. Now the gameplay is where it is unique in itself. While DDS plays itself like most SMT it has a few tweaks. I don’t wanna get into detail about the mechanics of the battle system otherwise it’s gonna take a wall of text to cover just that. However long story short: exploiting weaknesses and guarding against it still remains the key to victory in battle just like every other SMT game. What’s best about DDS is its demon conversion system which is known as the hunt system, a far more friendlier system compared to Nocturne’s. DDS saga is a moderately challenging game like any SMT game is and any RPG fan should at least give it a spin. Who knows you just might like it as much as I did.
#160 – Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC) PC-Style RPGs usually fails to appeal me unless it is really good. I first bought my Shadows of Amn copy in the early 2000’s when I was looking for a copy of Daggerfall (because one of my friends kept on telling me how good that game was). I couldn’t find Daggerfall (which I found later on) at that time but in its place I found a PC gem. I’ve never played the first Baldur’s Gate back then so I really didn’t know what to expect from this game. The first time I played it I sucked so much I kept dying in the very first area (Yup I’m taking about that bat or whatever which attacks you). Well as I progressed the game brought on that inexplicable addicting factor. The feel you get when you play Warcraft III or Diablo II. Customization and the amount of choice is just amazing, this game beats the early Fallout entries to the ground in that area. Shadows of Amn also opened the doorway for me towards the Dark Alliance series which was a totally different experience but Baldur’s Gate nonetheless. Oh and in case you didn’t know this game was developed by BioWare.
#159 – Super Smash Bros Melee (GC) The Smash Bros series is one of those series which has some of the best brawling and mechanics but is overrated way beyond what it deserves. Well, I feel that maybe I’m being a little harsh towards the fighting genre and Smash Bros in general but I can’t deny I’ve played better fighting games than this. First of all, Melee is like a million times better than Super Smash Bros on the N64. I didn’t like the 1st Smash Bros very much but Melee outdid it on every single ground. It may just be the most improved sequel in the history of video games if I dare say so. New features like Tournament and Coin mode added more playability to the game. SSBM is just a unique and a very good brawler and no doubt one of the must-have games on the Gamecube.
#158 – Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii) Brawl does everything that Melee does and better. I realized I had significantly less off-screen deaths than in Melee which was a huge plus because that annoyed me to no end. The ‘Smash Ball’ feature kept you on your toes and was an exciting new feature added to the game. Not to mention the 35 characters featuring Solid Snake was one of Brawl’s selling point (For a lot fans and myself included). All in all Brawl is overrated beyond the stars just like its predecessor which has always raised a ! and a ? for me. I prefer Brawl to Melee but only slightly because I had a slightly more exciting experience but the two are quite inseparable in terms of ranking.
#157 – Final Fantasy XII (PS2) The Final Fantasy series took a jolt after many claimed Final Fantasy X to be one of the best games of its generation worldwide. FFX-2 failed to live up to the expectations of so many fans (including myself) and FF11 was an MMORPG (average at that) which was unappealing in itself and for some it wasn’t even accessible. FF12 was the next big thing. The game could have very well been the salvation of the series after the departure of the beloved Hironobu Sakaguchi. At first FF12 disappointed me immensely. In fact I was NEVER this disappointed with a game EVER. Everything from the story to the characters to the Lord of the Ring-ish (I love LotR though) dialogue was unappealing. I gave up playing the game after 8 hours or so into it. It was also the first ever FF game to make me do that, none of the previous entries (even X-2) even got me remotely close to quitting. 3 or so years after its release I played through FF12 (wanting to give it a fair chance at least) and not much has changed except that I started to like the game as I progressed further. It wasn’t the story trust me. FF12 has the most uninteresting characters in an RPG. Hell I’ve seen silent protagonists with more personality than FF12’s main (Vaan). The story itself was also laughably bad and my god don’t even get me started on the character interactions. But thankfully story takes up only about 20% of the game (not exaggerating) and it’s the actual gameplay where the game truly shines. In my first play through I was so focused on the story and characters that I totally overlooked the gameplay. The gambit system is a fantastic implementation and I also liked the license system where you can make your character a mage, a knight or whatever (but ultimately everyone ends up being the same) suits you best. The real-time ATB style battle system is also a breath of fresh air. I commend Square-Enix for keeping up the every-FF game is its own game thing and not taking the safe route (Although for once I wish they had done it with the story). The dungeons (and its atmosphere especially), bosses (Gilgamesh, Yiazmat, Behemoth King), side quests (hunting marks, collecting weapons and armors [Danjuro and Grand Helm ^_^]) gives you a very MMORPG feel but in a good and an epic way. FF12 will forever be remembered by me as the game which has one of the best gameplay elements in an RPG but at the same time it will also be remembered as the FF which produced a lackluster story and the most boring yawn-worthy set of characters (I don’t like Balthier either but sadly he’s like the best one in the game). With all that said FF12 is still one of my favorite games on the PS2 and I would love to see certain gameplay elements from FF12 in the future but I sure don’t want Square to ever produce a FF game with story and characters nearly as bad as this
#156 – The Legend of Zelda (NES) The Legend of Zelda is like the mother of all Action/Adventure games. Over the years many games have tried to mimic the Zelda gameplay indicating how much of a success the series was in gaming. Hell this series is most popular right here on gamefaqs. The first Zelda game is a great start to the series. The dungeons, the enemies and bosses (found in many of the later Zelda titles) are all classics. The story is a simple Link must rescue Princess Zelda and collect the pieces of the Tri-Force to stop the evil Ganon from ruling over Hyrule. Zelda 1 has great replay value mainly because after finishing the game you can play “second quest” where the dungeon layout is different and enemies from later dungeons are placed in the earlier ones adding a new dimension of difficulty. Zelda 1 is no doubt a huge landmark in gaming because its legacy still continues with many many great titles over the years.
#155 – Dino Crisis 2 (PS1) Many thought Dino Crisis couldn’t possibly compare with the likes of Resident Evil 3(which was also released around that time) or live up to its predecessor which gained its own set of fans. I, along with many were surprised by how good Dino Crisis 2 turned out to be. I’ll get the bad things about the game out of the way first. The story isn’t very good (I liked the one in DC1 better) and the atmosphere doesn’t give out tension the way it did in DC1. Now these things may seem huge but the ground DC2 covers up in gameplay will make the first two sound highly insignificant. DC2 with its combo system makes gameplay just plain addictive. The variety of Dinosaurs you see and the boss fights are also so much better in DC2. Not to mention the amount of replay value with the kickass weapons you can buy. DC2 is a more a RE style shooter than a Survival/Horror but man is the shooter style done so well in this game. I could replay the game like right now because of how much fun it is.
#154 – Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny (PS2) Onimusha 2 has always been a clear favorite of mine from the Onimusha trilogy on the PS2. Playing as Jubei instead of Samanosuke wasn’t much of a factor to me because Jubei was equally cool. Compared to the first, Onimusha 2 does so many things better. The story is much more intriguing than the first and the sheer number of paths you can take (leading to different scenarios) adds so much gameplay to the game. You could be playing through the game 10 times and still haven’t seen half the scenes the game has to offer. These scenes potentially lead to who your partner will be and each partner has his/her own unique personality and style of fighting. The levels in Onimusha and some of the epic boss (Gogandantess ^_^) fights are what makes Onimusha 2 a truly fun experience. The best from the trilogy IMO but if you wanna play this game I suggest you play all three of them.
#153 – Dragon Quest III: And Thus Into Legend (NES) Again, I refuse to call Dragon Quest – Dragon Warrior. You will not believe how much DQ3 has improved over the first two. For one you can control 4 party members unlike DQ1 and for two the super unforgiving and unfair difficulty from DQ2 is gone (DQ3 is still moderately challenging for an RPG). Like always story isn’t the main attraction of DQ3 (It isn’t anything bad just generic). This is also the DQ game which concludes the Erdrick or Loto storyline as far as I can remember. However what makes DQ3 one of the best RPGs of the early gaming era is its unique job/class system. Now I dunno whether FF stole this idea from DQ or if it was the other way around but the class system in DQ3 added so many possibilities to the gameplay. Upgrading a class to a higher class is also an original DQ idea and overall DQ3 does everything a DQ game does best, and i.e the wide variety of memorable monsters, great dungeons and overall a fantastic journey or rather a quest.
#152 – ICO (PS2) Many claim ICO to be the underrated masterpiece of the Decade and why not? It is a unique puzzle game which really requires you to think and grants immense satisfaction when you advance to the next area. The area and atmosphere in the game is breathtakingly beautiful and the game just gives you that strange feeling as if you are isolated from the world (And you are). This game was made by the developers of the famous “Shadow of the Colossus” and so fans even go around saying its better than its successor. I disagree to it. I think ICO is a great game every way you look at it but it doesn’t come without its flaws. First of all the game is way too short, second the combat in the game is one of the most annoying things you’ll experience. Babysitting a girl older than you (Yorda) nails the coffin at that. Not to mention if you leave her alone she’ll be taken by the shadows within mere seconds and then the game over screen will follow very shortly. For around 90% of the game you’ll be with Yorda and at times you’ll be shouting at your TV screen for her to not do something stupid or to follow your orders. If the AI responded aptly it wouldn’t be a problem but just so you know it isn’t perfect in this game. ICO is an underrated gem without a doubt but it has its fair share of flaws and thus bars it from being the underrated masterpiece of the Decade as many claim it to be.
#151 – Shadow of Rome (PS2) Now here’s a truly underrated masterpiece. This game is set in the Roman Ages where Julius Caesar was the almighty ruler. The story of the game is about the conspiracy regarding the murder of Caesar (*Not a spoiler I hope) and it does more than a decent job at that. This game is like a cross between the movie “Gladiator” and a stealth game in medieval setting. Many have complained about how brutal the stealth part of the game is but I disagree. With a little patience the stealth part requires little to no luck and is very interesting once you get in the groove ^_^. Now the meat of the game is the Gladiator games. The gameplay just goes off the charts and trust me I’ve never had a more thirst for blood once I started to get on a roll. The SALVO points (Points you get from performing different moves) makes each Gladiator game much more replayable (Gladiator games include: Battle Royale, Fighting with wild animals, Chariot races and so much more). Now some of the games (especially mid-way) has a huge spike in difficulty and may annoy the hell out of you (mainly because of broken weapons) but these are about the only flaws I can find in the game. Oh yeah and I thought the Boss battles were simply astonishing. It does require a fair amount of patience (quite a few complained about this) but the satisfaction of tearing your opponent limb from limb is well worth it. If you haven’t already, try this game out. You won’t be disappointed.
#150 – Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (PS1) We are now at 3 Underrated masterpiece games in a row. The first of the Legacy of Kain series remains my favorite till this day. It has a certain charm to it despite it showing so many aging qualities from the not so good graphics to one of the worst loading times in gaming history. The loading times especially have turned off many new gamers and frankly I don’t really blame them. If I hadn’t played this game back in the day I might not have gotten very far. Blood Omen has issues which could easily turn anyone casually playing the game away or playing through to see if the game is any good. Fortunately for me I have experienced the best the game has to offer: the story. How the story unfolds as you play the game and how it actually affects the player is just incredible. Halfway through the game you’re so drawn to the character (Kain) that you actually feel less and less human yourself. I cannot explain how great the story is without any spoilers so I suggest you try it out yourself. If anyone can rise above what would seemingly be a poorly developed game at first, they will find one of the most engrossing experiences in gaming.
#149 – Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (SNES) I’ve played 3 versions of DQ5 and all of them are great. The DS version especially is the safest and the best experience if I say so. However my rating will be based on the original Super Famicon version because I personally hate reviewing a remake over the original. DQ5 is the first DQ game which allows you to recruit monsters and use them in your party. This function alone made DQ5 a very special experience for me more so because I loved the monster designs in the DQ series. DQ5 also has arguably the best story in a DQ game. It leaves its predecessors in the dust and none of its successors surpassed it. I hope this isn’t spoilerific but you can choose between two brides halfway through the game branching out the story and making the game more replayable itself. DQ5 is the perfect DQ game in every way you look at it.
Looks like I've got some catching-up to do. I'm going to bed shortly but I'll check these out tomorrow, hopefully.
I did read your X-2 entry, though. Praise be to Yevon you agree with me that it should never happened. I just blank it outta my headcanon. That way everybody's happy; the folks who love its contributions to the Spiran lore can go on enjoying it while I ignore the hell outta it.
But yeah, its innovations are impressive. Not sure it'd manage to make it into my top 300 even on that, but it's... hell, I don't know. I don't want to know either, so I'll just keep on keeping on.
The Battle System in X-2 is just too good to ignore. That aspect alone makes X-2 special. Everything else about the game was average but some parts were fun. And also Blitzball in X-2 is better than the one in X.
I prefer FFX's because I actually enjoyed it on Manual. I know it's not the most popular thing (my girlfriend never played a single match after Luca... /sigh) but I dig it.
#148 – Tales of Phantasia (SNES) Before I begin, DO NOT play the GBA version. Trust me on this. This is where it all began for the Tales series and boy was it a great start. Now I personally think the Tales series went into a dormant slumber after this game until it awoke with a full jolt on the Gamecube. What I’m trying to say is the PS1 Tales games (Tales of Destiny I & II) didn’t really live up to this game, Tales of Destiny II (Eternia) came close but not quite. Tales of Phantasia was beyond its time when you compare it to most RPGs from its generation. Only few was at its level or beyond. Tales of Phantasia is also the first Action-Menu Based RPG I’ve played and I couldn’t have asked for a better one. The Battle system is unique but fun at the same time. Phantasia has a great story and probably the best character interaction of its generation. The characters are also a very likable bunch, each with their own respective class and exclusive moves. You can easily clock around 80 hours on your first play through because this game has so many sidequests. A Top ten SNES game for sure, it’s such a shame that it hasn’t even been localized apart from its very crappy port on the GBA.
#147 – Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) A game from my childhood ^_^. First of all let me make this clear. My knowledge with the Sonic series only lies within the Genesis so no Sonic Adventure and Sonic Generations in this list. Ok so, Sonic 1 holds so many memories to me, almost as much Super Mario Bros except I used to prefer Sonic in my early days. The first entry of Sonic was a start to one of my favorite series on the Genesis. A classic game is all I can say, the Bonus Stages in Sonic 1 however is easily my least favorite from the series.
I prefer FFX's because I actually enjoyed it on Manual. I know it's not the most popular thing (my girlfriend never played a single match after Luca... /sigh) but I dig it.
But FFX's Blitzball just felt so repetitive, boring and easy after a while. Getting Wakka's overdrives were always the biggest pain for me in a perfect game. More so than the Chocobo Race and Thunder Plain's Lightning Dodge.
If you haven't already, you should play the PAL version of FFX or the FFX International version. Fighting Penance and the Dark Aeons adds a whole new dimension to the game. I don't know why the N.A Version removed this feature. Penance and Dark Aeons too hard? They should try Demi-God from SMT: DDS, then they will know whats hard/
#146 – Mega Man 3 (NES) This was Mega Man before it started getting stale. Mega Man 3 introduced the slide function much to my delight but it was introduced for a good reason. The Bosses in Mega Man 3 were so much more difficult than Mega Man 2. Also the most memorable thing about Mega Man 3 is the Dark Master Stages where you battled two previous bosses in a single stage. Those levels just had that awesome feel to it. Mega Man 3 showed many promises for the series but Capcom refused to develop it any further other than making similar clones trying to milk the series dry.
#145 – WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw 2006 (PS2) Flame me all you want. SvR 2006 is my favorite Wrestling game. I actually like most of the SvR or Smackdown games developed by THQ but this one just stood out. The unlockables were the best. The Challenge mode was awesome. Season was also the best at that time with good voice acting. But what is most memorable about SvR is the GM mode. Boy did I spend a huge amount of time there. Nothing has topped ‘06 so far. I was hoping WWE ’12 would but it didn’t let’s hope a WWE ’13 or SvR 2013 would do the job.
#144 – Rock Band 2 (PS3) I bought Rock Band 2 just to see how good it was compared to the Guitar Hero series. Well at first I couldn’t play Rock Band 2 because it constantly kept reminding me to connect a microphone. I went on to buy the whole set for RB2 (The drums, guitar, microphone) and that’s when I saw how different this was from the GH series (Not all that different but quite so in a few ways). Screw karaoke! I have a Rock freaking Band at home ^_^
#143 – Silent Hill 3 (PS2) Every wonder how a SH game at its prime was like? The later installments of the SH series; Origins, SH4: The Room, Homecoming, and Shattered Memories DOES NOT EVEN COMPARE to the original trilogy. SH3 is probably the SCARIEST game I’ve ever played. I had to quit playing this game when I was about 16 because it just frightened me and made me uneasy. I couldn’t take a step further because it was that scary. I played and finished the game years later after gaining so much experience (with scary stuff) watching numerous horror movies. Was it still scary? Yep it still was. The game has this unspeakable tension filled atmosphere which just makes you reluctant to take the next step further. And to top that off, SH3 has some of the most heart stopping scares from the series (Which is a LOT). Apart from the scare factor, SH3 retains the aura from its previous two predecessors. Although the story of SH3 doesn’t even compare to SH2’s or even SH1’s it isn’t nowhere near as bad as Homecoming or Origins. SH3 also feels more of a survival/horror than any of the SH games before it. Team Silent’s presence is definitely felt here ^_^.
#142 – Donkey Kong Country (SNES) DKC started one of my favorite platforming series on the SNES. You can play as Donkey Kong and his sidekick Diddy Kong (Who becomes almost as famous as Donkey Kong himself with the later installments) each with their strengths and weakness. You also have the ability to switch between the two anytime in the game. The bonus stages and the completion % added so much more to the game. When I first beat the game I missed out on more than half the game. I 100%’ed it in later playthroughs and it was one of my most satisfying feats in gaming. The ability to use different animals each with their own special ability, the increase in challenge during the later stages, the fun and memorable levels makes DKC one of the greatest landmarks in gaming.
#141 – Psychonauts (PS2) I didn’t pick up this platforming gem until I heard about it around 2 years ago. And boy was this one of the best purchases I’ve made. This unique game allows you to dive into one’s mind with your psychic powers and that’s where the gameplay actually takes place. Now the platforming itself isn’t anything out of the ordinary and isn’t very challenging either. The most interesting part about this game is the fact that you can see what is in minds of other people. Most thoughts are generic and usually light-hearted but some can prove to be quite disturbing which is what makes this game so interesting. Outside of people’s minds Raz (the protagonist) has telekinesis, pyrokinesis, levitation powers and the ability to confuse minds. All these aspects come together for a different one of a kind platforming experience. A underrated game but one of the best on the PS2 without question. Now I’ve heard the XBOX version is superior to the PS2 version but I’ve never played Psychonauts on the XBOX so I don’t know in which ways the PS2 version is inferior. As far as I’m concerned the game played pretty smoothly on the PS2.
#140 – Sonic & Knuckles (Genesis) I’ll list S&K and Sonic 3 as two different games because they ARE two different games. Even though the levels were a step down from Sonic 3, the fact that you can play as Knuckles made up for it. Gameplay with Knuckles is quite different and harder from my perspective. However the storyline didn’t really have that much variation (except at the beginning and the end). The Sonic series on the Genesis were always a big part of my childhood and this game was definitely a part of it.
#139 – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis) I don’t see how Sonic 2 is leagues above the rest of the series as many fans claim it to be. In all honesty Sonic 2 was an improvement over the first (especially the bonus levels, thank god!) but is more or less the same game. The levels are definitely more interesting than the first and boss battles are decent for once. Sonic 2 may be overrated and all but for me it’s just the second best game from a series I adored in the past.
#138 – Contra (NES) My first ever Shooter and it still remains one of my favorites. I probably wasn’t even born at the time Contra was released but I remember playing the game co-op with my cousin at a very very young age. The 8 levels are all epic and I still know the structure of it like the back of my head. This game is just one of those classics you never hesitate to get back into. The very first Contra yet it is still easily the best one.
#137 – Final Fantasy (NES) FF1 has never been my first FF game. I got back into it later after playing the later titles IV and VI. So how did I find the first FF game? I’d have to say it is probably the 2nd best RPG on the NES. The difficulty isn’t very hard at all. I believe a lot of fans are used to the later titles which basically hold your hand. FF1 isn’t very easy nor is it difficult (with a little grinding). Comparing it to other RPG titles of its generation FF1 is virtually a cakewalk. The best thing about the first FF game is the class system you choose at the beginning of the game. They later get upgraded to a superior class and its very fun to use each of them. Replaying the game is also a pleasure because you can choose a different party on each play through. That being said, FF wipes the playground with its dungeon layout when compared to RPGs from its generation. The dungeons aren’t very tedious at all and it still manages to be very satisfying when getting through. The story is practically non-existent during the mid-parts of the game but for a game released just before the year I was born ^_^, it manages to outclass many of its competitors. The FF series has had a great start and if it weren’t for this title god knows if RPGs would even exist today. FF1 is one of the best things to ever happen to the gaming industry and it is what made RPG mainstream.