#049 – Paper Mario (N64) And here it is… my favorite Mario RPG game. Paper Mario was released in the dying days of the Nintendo 64 but it almost brought a nearly dead console back to life with its sheer charm and beauty. The paper cut-out styling of the characters is brilliant and it gives you the feeling of being inside a magical storybook. Paper Mario’s story revolves around the cliché Bowser takes Princess Peach hostage with a little twist this time. This time the sacred Star Wand is stolen and Princess Peach’s castle (along with her) is taken hostage. Bowser also receives seemingly invincible powers and pummels Mario this time. It is when Mario recovers from the beating he took, where the game really begins. Yes! There’s Luigi this time and a lot of familiar faces from the Mario series and yes Mario can jump in this game as well. Paper Mario has a charming turn based battle system which doesn’t really have that much depth but it fits the style of the game. Paper Mario is also a very simple RPG but even with its simplicity it has the unspeakable Lunar SSS-like charm, add that with nostalgic faces from the Mario series and a terrific world of Mario and this becomes easily the best RPG on the N64 and one of the most charming games of all time.
#048 – Chrono Trigger (SNES) One of the best RPGs of all time yet one of the most overrated. It’s true that CT took a genre turning stale and reinvented it into something different. It’s true that CT eliminated random encounters and made it adapt well with a more realistic style of encountering enemies. It’s also true that CT has some of the most recognizable faces from any RPG. This game quite frankly has everything and if it were called only the best SNES RPG, I wouldn’t dare call it overrated. But many people hail it to not only be the best RPG ever but also the best game ever. I think its a little more credit than it actually deserves. Granted there are many games treated like CT but I feel CT doesn’t quite deserve the monster credit it gets. Here’s why: The writing in CT (and any SNES-era RPG) is too bland to make a story truly epic. The story in itself is very impressive but the presentation, in which it draws the gamer to make them really care, just isn’t there. And the other thing, character interaction is virtually non existant except when the team needs to do something to make the plot advance (Most games from this era are like this and it can’t be blamed).These things and the fact that the main story in CT is extremely short for an RPG makes it far from being the best game ever. Now the text above may seem as if I hate CT. This is far from the truth. I love CT. It is one of those RPGs with extremely high replay value and some of my favorite characters (even though they don’t have enough development) are in it as well (Frog, Magus, and Robo). The soundtracks in CT are the absolute best in its era. Hell it’s still one of the best to this day (Frog theme, Lucca theme are my favorites especially). Uncovering all the endings in CT is also one of its strongest points since CT has a LOT of different endings. CT is certainly not the best game ever but it may very well have been the best of its era.
Oh, and sorry I didn't get a chance to bump the topic this weekend. Usually I'm good about that with things I'm following but it was a crazy, crazy weekend. Glad you saved it. >_<;
^Its alright man. Its just that topics over here purge so quickly. I'd hate to restart this topic w/ all the write-ups now that I'm very close to the end. Seriously though, I did not know what I was getting myself into haha. Thank the stars I'm not busy with work so I can hog gamefaqs during my work hours. I'll try and finish this list within 1 or 2 weeks before I get loaded with work again. Anyways we're having a national holiday here in Bhutan so I won't be posting any new write-ups until Thursday.
Man, Chrono Trigger is like my fifteenth-favorite game and I still think it's overrated! Sure would be sweet seeing another entry in that series though but not only does SE seem eternally hellbent against it, I'm also not sure how good it'd be without Masato Kato at the helm. (Then again, he is freelance, so you never know.)
Tales of the Abyss is a game I've been convinced to purchase when I get my 3DS. Looking forward to giving the series another honest chance.
But anyways my expectations for a new Chrono game is about as high as my expectations for a new Final Fantasy game. So yeah. Don't really care.
BTW Tales of the Abyss is awesome and you might like it even if you didn't like Symphonia that much but it all comes down to a matter of choice. The main character might annoy you depending on your tolerance against bratty snooty loudmouths.
#047 – Mega Man X (SNES) The most genius invention of the Mega Man series’ developer is the first entry and best entry to the Mega Man X series. I have NEVER played and replayed a Mega Man (both Mega Man and Mega Man X) game as much as this . Before playing Mega Man X, I was one of those fans who was getting really tired with the repetitive Mega Man games on the NES. I frankly didn’t expect Mega Man X to be all that different but then for the first time since Mega Man 2, I was totally blown away by another Mega Man game. It was Mega Man X on the SNES. Not only is Mega Man X more advanced in the side scrolling shooting department but it has its fair share of platforming as well. Mega Man X himself (the Hero) can learn a lot of unique skills this time which makes the game have a lot more variety than the normal Mega Man games. There are a number of health and energy upgrades which makes revisiting previous levels worthwhile and some of the upgrades are fairly tricky to get. Mega Man X also has my favorite levels (w/ terrain changes) in the Mega Man series and ALL of the Maverick bosses in this game are very well done unlike the sequels following it. Mega Man X is simply an outstanding game overall and the best Mega Man game I’ve ever played.
#046 – Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2) Insomniac is once again the developer of my favorite 3D platforming game. From Spyro 3 to Ratchet & Clank 3, the quality of platforming and gameplay has come very far. R&C:UYA is simply the perfect R&C game. It has thankfully eliminated all the flaws GC (the previous entry) possessed. Weapon upgrading is SO MUCH fun this time around and the weapons itself having much more variety. Although UYA seems shorter than GC for reasons unknown, everything else just seems to be better in every way: The shooting, the platforming, the objectives, the planets, the story as well as the script. UYA also introduces one of my favorite villains in gaming, Dr. Nefarious along with his hilarious butler, Lawrence. Not to mention the arena matches are a massive improvement as well. The R&C future games I’ve played recently are also outstanding but it just doesn’t have the feel of the magnificent UYA. R&C: UYA is the pinnacle of 3D platforming and it’s hard to imagine any 3D platformer outdoing it.
#045 – Assassin’s Creed II (PS3) Assassin’s Creed is one of those series which went from oh-my-god-I-can’t-stand-this-**** to oh-my-god-this-is-just-amazing. I’m really glad AC2 polished things up in such a way that a sequel of a game I simply couldn’t stand with the same mechanics managed to be fun. I was quite impressed with AC1 until it got insanely repetitive and monotonous that I gave up halfway through the game. However I do plan on playing AC1 in the future and give it a proper chance. Now AC2’s story is said to pick up from where AC1’s left off. I’m not entirely sure since I never finished AC1 but in AC2 Desmond relieves the past of another one of his ancestors. Instead of Altair, it’s Ezio, an assassin from the Renaissance times in Italy. I personally liked the story of AC2 better than AC1’s (From what I’ve seen) and Ezio is also much cooler than Altair IMO. Now the gameplay in AC2 has improved so much and has much more variety as well. I already stated I gave up halfway in AC1 because of its repetitiveness but AC2 remedies that by adding more variety in not just the assassinations but the enemies and weapons as well. These additions made AC2 extremely fun to play through and it was overall a remarkable experience. Assassin’s Creed 2 opened up the doorway to a great series because I enjoyed Brotherhood and Revelations just as much (They are not on the list since I only finished them after finalizing this list). This is without a doubt one of the most creative games of this generation and if there are a number of games of this caliber, the future of gaming is in good hands.
#044 – Mother 3 (GBA) I lied when I said Fire Emblem was my favorite game on the GBA or when I said Golden Sun was the best RPG from that handheld system. But in all fairness, what I said may not be considered a lie since this fantastic RPG was never released outside Japan. Fan-translation or playing with the Japanese language is the only way you’ll ever experience the third entry of the Mother series. My take on the Mother series has always been this: The first game may have been great for its time but it has aged so poorly that its barely playable these days, The second game (EarthBound) is given way more credit than it actually deserves although it is still a great SNES RPG. Mother 3 is not only a great game from its system, it is the best and can even go toe-to-toe with the very best games of all time. The cast in this game is my favorite from the series (Because they are family instead of just close friends this time) and there are times when they really make you care. There are some really heart-warming scenes and some really emotional ones (I’d hate to spoil any of those for you). The story is close to perfection in terms of presentation and delivery. The gameplay is also so polished overall that it comes off as the perfect game on a system like the GBA. Really I cannot stress how good this game is. This is something you should try out for yourself and experience the best from the Mother series firsthand.
#043 – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) Zelda: LttP was one of the first few games I got as a gift along with my Super Nintendo. Back then, it was the one I played the least because I got stuck while trying to find the entrance to the otherworld. It was only several years later that I beat LttP and realized the greatness of the third Zelda game. The first two Zelda games can’t even compare to the third: story-wise, gameplay-wise and dungeon-wise. It is certainly debatable as to whether LttP is the greatest SNES game ever created because only a few from its generation can contend with its quality. The dungeons in LttP have a lot of variety (puzzles, enemies and the look as well) and is moderately challenging. The bosses also require certain strategies which eliminates button mashing. And the best part about LttP is certainly its huge and detailed world (two worlds including the Dark World) which gives gamers the opportunity to explore. For its time it was something quite unprecedented. While LttP is quite frankly overrated beyond the skies it is by all means a flawless game considering the time of its release. But IMO there are quite a number of Zelda games which have surpassed this amazing entry to the series hence why I’d call LttP a tad bit overrated.
#042 – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2) MGS2 was the sequel that stirred up a lot of controversies after casting a brand new protagonist over the much-loved Solid Snake from MGS1. MGS2 was also notorious for having a plot which seemingly made no sense. I was one of the few people back then who thought the sequel was outstanding story-wise and character-wise (gameplay-wise is pretty obvious). I also loved how the ending made you go WTF. Now, the MGS series NEEDED MGS2 as a stepping stone for achieving an epic storyline overall and I believe it’s done its job. Many important characters who play a huge role in the later series are introduced and their motives are also clearly fleshed out. Gameplay-wise MGS2 is a massive improvement over its predecessor. MGS2’s gameplay mechanics goes on to become the series’ trademark. Replaying MGS2 is also so much fun because each difficulty has its own set of collectibles (namely the dog-tags) for unlocking new items such as the famous bandana and the stealth. Now MGS2 has certain flaws for sure and is unanimously the least favorite from the MGS series. Those reasoning are pretty justifiable if I say so. Here’s why. The plot in MGS2 on its own makes little sense (especially the later part of the game and the ending) and ONLY with the conclusion of the whole series can the plot be fully understood. Then there’s the issue with the new main character. Raiden (The protagonist of MGS2) clearly couldn’t pull off a Leon Scott Kennedy because Solid Snake set the bar way too high for basically anyone to overcome. No longer are you controlling the legendary mercenary who only complains about how his cigarette isn’t getting lit. So it was pretty evident that I missed Solid Snake while playing MGS2. But in no way is Raiden a bad character or anything. He has an excellent back story and is overall very well developed but MGS just doesn’t feel MGS without Solid Snake. All that said MGS2 is still a killer entry just like each and every game in what is quite possibly the most consistent series. Whoops I kinda spoiled the list now.
#041 – Resident Evil 2 (PS1) I honestly thought RE2 couldn’t possibly surpass its revolutionary predecessor but not only did it surpass the original, RE2 was the one which made me a fan of the series. If you just look at the gameplay mechanics, RE2 is merely an improved yet less scary successor. The plot isn’t as good as the first either if you look at it objectively. But what makes RE2 a massive improvement is the 4 different scenarios spanning on two discs. You play as Leon (I prefer him much more than Chris) and Claire and each of them has two different scenarios. Scenario B is unlocked after you complete Scenario A of the other character. This makes you view all the possibilities of RE2 from the eyes of both the characters which adds so much replay value to the game. And trust me the Scenario B isn’t simply a rehash of Scenario A it has quite a lot of variety including an all new final boss and the true ending of the game. RE2 has a better overall cast as well and IMO the areas are also better (especially the final area). There are also quite a number of jump scares in this one so tread carefully ^_^. The set of enemies and bosses, the variety in weapons and the areas in general makes RE2 the one which truly paved the way for the series to become something great.
#040 – Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube) I have very few RPGs on my Gamecube console and this is the only one I have ever completed. Granted, Gamecube was never my main console during the PS2 era. However I’m glad I got to play this magnificent RPG before all the hype it got (and eventually hate from certain fans). I saw through this game without any expectations or negative feelings and maybe cuz of that, Symphonia was a blast. Symphonia is also the game which revived my lost faith in the Tales series. I never really liked a Tales game after Tales of Phantasia in the series. Even though many people unanimously agree that Tales of Eternia was also a great game, I personally couldn’t get into it. Now the Tales series is usually known for its awesome battle system and gameplay and as I had expected, Symphonia has an outstanding battle system. What I didn’t expect from the battle system was how it keeps every battle fresh (I hardly got bored in any battle), it even had a slight resemblance to Dynasty Warriors if I should make comparisons. The party customization, the unique world map navigation and the world of Symphonia in general adds much to the gameplay. But the pros of Symphonia doesn’t end with only the gameplay. This is probably the one Tales game where I thought the storyline did a little better than the gameplay. All the characters in this game have great character development. And Lloyd Irving (the main character) is infact one of my favorite RPG protagonists. The story in Symphonia is also not the generic save the world from evil. It actually makes it quite clear that good and evil is a subjective term and It also gives you the option to help develop the plot by initiating ‘skits’ (small dialogue bars). It’s a shame that Tales of Symphonia was only released on the Gamecube with an official translation. The PS2 version was never released outside Japan and I believe because of that it couldn’t quite achieve the popularity it deserves against a friendlier RPG crowd (PS2 owners). Ignore the haters, try this out for yourself. I personally think Tales of Symphonia is one of the best in its series and one of the best games I’ve ever played.
#039 – Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) No matter how you feel about Shadow of the Colossus being overrated you cannot deny the sheer size and beauty of its world and the amount of creativity for each colossi battle. Shadow of the Colossus is a masterpiece invention however you look at it. The first time I was playing through the game, I was astonished at the size and detail of the world. I’ve never been this impressed by the size and depth of a world since GTA: San Andreas. The beautiful scenery is just a side show mind you. The meat of the game lies with the colossi battles. Now SoC doesn’t have normal enemies or puzzles. It only has bosses. Each boss (Colossi) requires you to use your wits and skill to overcome the beast ultimately. There are a total of 16 gigantic (I’m not exaggerating, you’ll see) colossi and each of them are so unique and requires completely different strategies to be bested. Your only arsenal is a sword, a bow and a horse… AGRO!! ^_^ But you do get different sorts of weapons in a New Game+. In short the gameplay of SoC is nothing short of perfection. It’s actually quite amazing how video games can still surprise you at this day and age. Just when you think you’ve seen everything you get an original genius invention like this.
#038 – God of War (PS2) This game needs no introduction anywhere and I’ve already stated the key gameplay mechanics of the GoW series in my previous GoWII and III write-ups. The first GoW game became one of the most popular games around the globe. Hell even casual gamers or people who had little to no interest in video games knew about GoW. GoW pushed the action genre to greater heights and it even created a mini-genre of its own. Hell most action games are being compared to GoW. It’s as if the GoW games are used as measuring sticks for comparing greatness. In short, the first GoW is a revolutionary action game whether you like it or not. It also remains my favorite from the series despite the improvements GoWII had in the gameplay department. So why is GoW1 so special? The story of GoW1 is easily the best in the series. Much of Kratos’ character is also fleshed out and developed in the first game. By the second and third game, he’s already a developed character. Oh and the areas in GoW1 also remains the best in the series for me. The one flaw about the first GoW game is that there are hardly any bosses (only one apart from the final boss). That factor however is remedied in GoWII and is the only gripe I have about the first GoW game. The first GoW is a spectacle which can probably never be reanimated because even with GoWII and III’ superior graphics and gameplay, they still fail to usurp their revolutionary predecessor from the throne.
Totally in agreement with you on MMX and MGS2's write-ups and I'll have to check out Mother 3 for sure. But...
Ignore the haters
Well I don't go around bashing the game left and right for no reason, so I suppose I'm not really a 'hater', but I really just could not get into ToS. =\
ToS is awesome man but yeah I know quite a number of people who just can't get into it. And Mother 3 is gonna blow you away if you go in expecting an Earthbound sequel. Best GBA game ever
#037 – Shenmue (Dreamcast) The short lifespan of the Dreamcast (I mean the time on the market not the durability, my Dreamcast still works fine) didn’t stop it from producing an amazing game. There’s just so much you can do in Shenmue and it just doesn’t stop being fun. I don’t know if I should call this an Action RPG or just an Action Adventure game because it certainly does have RPG elements. Exploration and the environment are the highest points of Shenmue. The level of interaction and the unique gameplay also adds so much to that experience along with a deep immersive plot and ass kicking combat. Learning new moves and collecting toys of Sega mascots (Sonic ^_^) are great fun as well. The one thing which may come off as a huge negative is the fact that the plot doesn’t conclude by the end of the game (And hence Shenmue II, which I never got to play >_>) and sadly I could never for the life of me get my hands on a copy of Shenmue II wherever I tried. But even with its pretty short length and quite crappy VAs, Shenmue is one of my most replayed games because it just has so much charm and brilliance to it.
#036 – Pokemon Red Version (Gameboy) When you still play a game from over a decade ago, it says something. Pokemon haters can rant all they want about how the whole series is for kids. It doesn’t change the fact that the first Pokemon game became a world-wide mega hit. Anyone who’s seriously played the game can’t possibly not have fun with this behemoth of an RPG. It’s not just the content of the game which is impressive. The first Pokemon game created such a game that it is uber fun even after countless rehashes. This game just doesn’t get old. Pokemon Red/Blue and Yellow used to be the talk of the town (or school rather) during its time of release. Not only did the video game hit children and adults world-wide but the anime, toys, collectibles and everything was just huge at the time. Pokemon basically dominated the market and not just in video games. The game itself is golden. It’s a timeless classic to say the least. Even the glitches in Pokemon Red have become so famous (Missingno). Pokemon also proved that RPGs can be more than just a story and great characters because quite frankly its gameplay still remains majorly impressive. Pokemon Red is undoubtedly one of the most significant landmarks in gaming history and still remains one of the best in gaming even with the handheld system’s limitations.
#035 – Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2) This is one of the reasons why I love Atlus so much. Disgaea is one of the best and longest SRPGs I’ve ever played on any system. I’ve heard the newer installment have better gameplay but I never played through any of those properly (I own all 4 from the series though). It’s because I played through the first Disgaea so damn much. This game just has so much to do and I think I have a file which clocked almost 200 hours on it. It’s not that the main game itself is long but the side contents and the amount of things to do are almost MMORPG-like if you know what I mean. The battle system is based on a grid-style terrain like most SRPGs but the combination attacks which can stack depending on how you’ve surrounded the enemy adds so much more fun to the seemingly cliché SRPG battle system. The gameplay is quite similar to Final Fantasy Tactics I might add but this game takes it one step further and you can have insane character levels (9,999 but I’ve never reached anywhere near that). This game also adopts the Shining Force style of being able to retain stats when you decrease your character’s level back to one. This just makes any completionist with so much to do. The story is supposed to be quite dark but the mix of hilarious dialogues makes it feel pretty light-hearted. Laharl is also a superb protagonist with very good voice acting I might add. Overall this game has very few flaws in the story and the gameplay. Wow, this write-up is making me wanna play through Disgaea 2, 3 and 4 now. Anyways Disgaea 1 is just awesome if you can look past the pretty bad graphics. Atlus creates yet another monster of a game.
#034 – Tales of Vesperia (X360) When I said Symphonia had a storyline which was a little better than its gameplay I was not kidding. Vesperia however does not have a storyline as good as its gameplay. But it still has the best story from all of the Tales series I’ve played. Not getting it? In short: Tales of Vesperia has a monster gameplay which its great storyline can’t possibly overcome. The story in Vesperia is just as non-cliché as Symphonia’s. You play as Yuri Lowell, another fantastic main character who’s an exiled knight and his main objective is to search for an object called the blastia (which can bring machines to life). Skits are also present in Vesperia which is always a good thing. Then there is the great voice acting, the beautiful anime-like graphics and an even more awesome world than Symphonia. The gameplay of Vesperia is just THE bomb. There’s just so much variation in each character and their skill set and the battle system is also my favorite from the series. There is also a ton of side content in this game including side quests, missions and achievements. There’s just not much more to say about Vesperia other than the fact that it’s the best Tales game I’ve played. While Symphonia and Abyss are worthy contenders to the title, this game is just too polished and perfect to be overtaken by any in the series.
I can't stop bumping into people who loved Vesperia. I ought to give the series a second chance with it. I played the demo on 360 and the dialogue scenes didn't do it for me but then a bunch of folks told me they chose a really awkward, below-average stretch of the game for the demo. I just remember the little tutorial on not bumping into the poison shrubbery (or something) featuring the token snarky chick pushing the nerdy kid in as some sort of joke and it came across as really anime-cliche, if you take my meaning.
The gameplay seemed fun though! But the demo wasn't really long enough for me to get a full accounting of it. Definitely reminded of Star Ocean 2 a tad, which as I was talking about earlier is sort of my breakthrough reason for wanting to get into Tales. I know you said it's plenty different and I know it is plenty different but it's close enough for me considering I won't go near the other Star Ocean games again outside of 2!
#033 – Super Metroid (SNES) I first played Super Metroid in the early 2000’s and my reaction was “GTFO”. I thought I’d seen it all with the first two Metroid games and 2D side-scrolling shooters in general. I was dead wrong. The first two Metroid are barely playable by today’s standards to be quite honest (mainly due to the lack of a map). SM’s inclusion of that simple feature changed the face of the Metroid series. Mapping is only secondary compared to the game’s insane gameplay. The amount of moves Samus can learn, the different weapon upgrades she gets in the massive world of SM is impressive in itself but what is more impressive is the amount of fun you’ll be having. Areas in SM have also so much variety compared to its predecessors. Boss fights are also the most memorable in the series. Scratch that everything is just more memorable, better and more polished here in SM. Super Metroid is still the pinnacle of side-scrolling shooters and the game just never gets old even with multiple replays. Not playing this SNES classic is a crime in the world of gaming.
#032 – Final Fantasy VI (SNES) Final Fantasy VI was one of the first few RPGs I’ve completed before I got hooked to the genre and the FF series. This game used to be hailed as the greatest game ever during the time of its release and I think that statement was quite accurate at that time. FFVI is a beast when you compare it to RPGs from its generation. The story, characters and gameplay depth is nothing short of amazing. FFVI has one of my favorite magic learning system and some of my favorite characters (Edgar, Celes, Cyan) from the whole series. Kefka is also one of the most original RPG villains you’ll ever see. Simply put, the characters in FFVI are just a fantastic bunch. The story is also something quite special because very few RPGs from its era could match its quality. Apart from that FFVI is just about the perfect 2D RPG and certainly the best from the old school FF games.
^ FFVI's magic learning system is pretty old when its compared to many of the RPGs released after it but during its time, it was unprecedented.
My only actual gripe with FFVI is that you can only summon an Esper once in battle and once you start learning spells like Flare, Meteor and Ultima even the best Espers are next to useless (Except Phantom, Golem and Zoneseek ofcourse).
What I love most about FFVI is that you can build up your characters to be insanely powerful with the stat bonuses. I always give Edgar an Atma Weapon and Ragnarok with Genji Gloves and X-Fight and he does 9,999x 8 every hit ^_^ and my Mages can do close to 9,999 even with -ra spells.
#031 – Kingdom Hearts (PS2) It’s actually quite astonishing how the legendary PS2 kicked off with SO MANY great games right from the start. Kingdom Hearts was one of the first games I owned and beat on my PS2. This game quite frankly set the bar really high for Action-RPGs and most games released after KH are barely comparable to its greatness. Now KH isn’t so popular just because of its great gameplay and real-time combat system, it is the fantastic mix of Disney and Final Fantasy characters which is really the soul of the game. The Disney characters in particular are so well done but the FF characters should have been done a little better. Only Squall (Known as Leon) from FF8 has any sort of significance to Sora (the main character) and the plot and even he isn’t really his FF8 self if you ask me. The rest of the FF cast are basically sideshows (Including Cloud). Sephiroth on the other hand has a greater role to play and he plays it perfectly^_^. What I like more than the awesome Disney characters are the Disney worlds. You now get to explore the worlds of many Disney movies you’ve probably only caught a brief glimpse of in the Disney movies. This along with the great overall gameplay and awesome boss fights makes KH one of the most memorable games ever. Now there is one slight flaw in what is seemingly a flawless game. I wasn’t nearly as amazed with the story as I was with everything else in the game. Don’t get me wrong though, I really like the original characters in KH and the ending made me instantly anticipate a KH2 but the plot in all fairness isn’t anything special. But even with its rather simplistic plot, KH1 opened the doorway for its future successors to do something great.
#030 – Diablo II (PC) When a game released over a decade ago is still your favorite PC game, it says something. Well that is exactly the case with me as far as Diablo II is concerned. I still play this game (w/ the expansion of course). Now as far as my first experience with Diablo II goes. I wasn’t impressed at all initially. I thought the graphics were really crappy looking even for its time and I was just plain bored at the beginning. But once I started gaining levels, new items and skills, the game’s fun factor multiplied tenfold. It is when are adapted to the style of Diablo II that you start noticing the mastery of this game. The 5 unique characters are so fun to cycle through (More of them are added in Lord of Destruction) and is probably one of the main reasons why Diablo II gets so addictive. Each character can learn skills only his/her class can acquire which makes them different from each other. This also adds so much replay ability to the game. Now as far as the game’s main objective is concerned, it has only a simple motive: Travel through different lands and slay the fiends unleashed by Diablo. And of course slay Diablo himself ultimately. But nothing in Diablo II is as fun as playing the game online. Diablo II is probably an addiction I can never get rid of.
Yeah, that is something pretty cool about FFVI for sure. I just really loathe the micromanagement involved in doing so, checking to see when a character is about to level up after every couple of fights. Of course it's the blood, sweat and tears that turns you into a monster literally ten times more powerful than necessary to beat the game, so I respect that. It's just very repetitive! And because I am who I am, now that I've beaten the game at more appropriate levels I always wanna do it. =o
Nothing to say on Diablo II other than I watched it at a friend's house a few times and it looked cool but my computer back then refused to touch it with a ten-foot pole.
Not hot on the KH series though. But I didn't grow up with Disney so that factored into it. I got about halfway through the first game when it came out before I lost interest. I did like the battle system though.
Yes! Watching your status screen every now an then in order to see who's about to level up or not in FF6 is a huge pain. That is why I always solo-level up at the tyrannosaurus forest near end game. Its fun to see Locke attack almost 3 times before an enemy makes a move.
As for Diablo II. I bet it'll run on even the crappiest PCs today. But I don't know if you'll have as much fun since the majority of its fans are from the time of its release. Like me. New players usually give up somewhere around the beginning.
And as for KH, I can totally understand anyone saying the game or the series suck. If you didn't grow up with Disney and if you aren't a huge fan of Final Fantasy, that's where the charm of KH ends.
#029 – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii) I seriously do not get the hate TP gets other than the fact that it is one of is not the easiest Zelda game ever made. That statement is quite accurate because I did not die once in the game. But in all fairness the easy difficulty stems from the great gameplay mechanics rather than the enemies being statues and you can’t blame something like that. There’s enough puzzles (moderately difficult to figure out) which will keep you occupied and quite an impressive variety of enemies and bosses. The story in TP is also one of the better ones in the series but there is no Voice Acting which is quite strange for a game being released in that era. But there’s just something about TP which makes me love playing it and it is one of those games you just can’t put down once you get started. One of things I liked most about TP is the dark tone in its story and setting. It no longer has the light-hearted cartoony feel of Wind Waker and is a more serious game like Ocarina of Time which I felt the Zelda series needed by then. The visuals in TP impressed me a great deal as did the dungeons, town and the main quest itself. The variety of items and the amount of fun in using them are also the best parts of TP much like most Zelda games. TP has a split fan base but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try out the game if you love the Zelda series. After all I think this is one of the best in the series and it is also one of the few Zelda games which I enjoy replaying (Considering most Zelda games don’t have that much replay value). Other than the fact that this game isn’t as challenging as its predecessors, it is definitely deserving of the title ‘The Legend of Zelda’.
#028 – Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening (PS2) DMC3 still remains the pinnacle of Action games even after all these years. It was what I expected back then from the 2nd DMC game which not only failed to live up to my expectations but also took the DMC franchise off track. Well not only is the DMC series back on track, the third DMC game destroys any other DMC game, past or present. Dante has gotten rid of his emo personality from DMC2 and is back to his old stylish, cocky, trash-talking self. He is also back with more moves, a bigger repertoire of both weapons and items and above all, more stylish combos. The fact that you can switch between two of Dante’s weapons makes you unleash an INSANE number of combos simultaneously. This is one of the main reasons why DMC3 is my favorite DMC game. The different classes of style also adds a lot to the experience, each with their own unique move set. Not to mention DMC3 also has some of the best and most challenging boss fight you’ll ever experience in any video game. As far as storyline goes, the third DMC game takes you back to the events before the first game focusing on the story of Dante and his ‘evil’ twin brother, Vergil. Although I thought DMC3’s story wouldn’t work out initially, it most certainly did. Hell, it didn’t just work out it became quite easily the best storyline from the entire series. DMC3 is just more polished than any of its predecessors and expands upon the vision the first game initiated. This is what every action game hopes to ultimately achieve.
#027 – Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2) You can imagine the excitement in the air when you anticipate one of your favorite series transitioning from 2D to 3D. The DQ series’ transition to the 3D world is nothing short of magnificent. The anime-style graphics actually makes the world of DQ8 that much more beautiful. As far as the gameplay in DQ8 goes it is basically the same as the rest of the series except for a few tweaks (improvements I’d say) here and there. You should understand that the DQ series always follows a traditional turn based style of combat as well as a traditional fantasy setting overall. These were always the charm of the DQ series and to be able to experience it in a 3D world was one of my greatest joys. The story isn’t anything particularly special but I’d still go on to say it is one of the best in the series mainly because of the spectacular voice acting and presentation. However filler segments are ever present but it still doesn’t hamper the experience. DQ8 is a massive adventure and one of the best overall experiences I’ve had. The post-game dungeon and optional bosses are my favorite to this day and although I know the DQ series in general isn’t for everyone, I’ve always loved the series and DQ8 is quite easily my favorite one.
#026 – Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) The best superhero game? Not quite. Although it was my favorite superhero game for quite some time I admit. I’ve always thought Batman in particular has so much promise for an epic video game and FINALLY I was blessed with one. We now have a superhero game worthy of the accolades which the best games in the world deserve. Arkham Asylum stunned me right from the start. The opening of the game was just magnificent with Batman escorting his arch nemesis The Joker to Arkham Asylum. The moment hell broke loose in AA, I noticed the level of innovation this game had. First of all the combat was unique and awesome and as you advance you’re introduced to certain platforming elements which are infact very polished as well. And it’s not just regular platforming. It’s what Batman usually does in the comics and movies like you’ve always imagined. Detective mode is another feature which I really liked. Batman can use that mode for investigation and analyzing the environment for finding clues or advancing to the next area. The boss battles are also a spectacle since you fight against some of the most recognizable faces from the Batman comics. The Riddler’s riddles, the collectibles and unlockable character profiles, whew, there’s just so much to do in this game. Batman: Arkham Asylum isn’t just an outstanding superhero game for me, it is one of my favorites from this generation.
Wow, on a roll tonight. Well I like Final Fantasy a good bit but yeah, the Disney stuff won't do it for me. :(
I agree with you wholeheartedly on Twilight Princess, it's a great game, but I would refrain from typifying The Wind Waker as less serious simply because of its visuals. The graphical system definitely lends a certain childishness to certain scenes but it also delivers a couple of the series' darkest moments. Just saying. And have you played Skyward Sword? That's in the running for my favorite game in the series these days.
^ I liked WW a lot during the time of its release but after playing TP, it just screams inferiority. As for the take on the rest of the series. I'll refrain from commenting because it may or may not contain spoilers for the rest of the list.
And anyone who likes DQ is automatically on my 'cool' people list. So cheers man.
#025 – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (XBOX) A game really can’t go wrong for me when it’s an RPG and Star Wars. I’m kidding *Thinks about Lord of the Rings on the SNES >_>. I really can’t express the greatness of this game with words alone but I’ll tell you this. If you’re a Star Wars fan, hell if you’re a fan of PC-style RPG (Baldur’s Gate, Diablo): Just get this game! KOTOR gives an impressive cinematic experience with great visuals and sound. The world of Star Wars is fleshed out brilliantly and you’ll be left astounded at the sheer depth of this game. The depth doesn’t lie with exploration or such but with the choices you’re able to make. You can either go the Jedi way (The good) or to the Dark side (The Evil) depending on the actions you take throughout the game. Actions like killing innocents or doing outrageously evil things will ultimately lead you to the path of the Sith. Actions like being a goody goody save the innocent and refrain from doing ‘dark’ stuff will lead you to the path of the Jedi. Now apart from this brilliant innovation, KOTOR has an awesome and easy to master combat system and you can build and customize you own light saber as well. As for the plot, KOTOR has one of the best overall presentation and is excellent in all respect. Those of you who can’t get their hands on an XBOX copy should at least get the PC version (which I never played) because I heard it’s just a good.
#024 – Okami (PS2) Okami tops the list in one of the most original and innovative games in the past generation along with Shadow of the Colossus. Set in a traditional Japanese fantasy world, Okami is basically the adventure of Amaterasu (The goddess of Sun) who takes the form of a wolf and whose main objective is to stop the dreaded Orochi (a mythical beast from Japanese legends) from being revived after it was stopped 100 years ago by Amaterasu’s predecessor and the great warrior Susano’o. The story in Okami is pretty good and very entertaining at parts. Okami also has a great set of characters and very memorable scenes particularly during the end. And Amaterasu’s sidekick Issun makes a pun here and there but I found him to be annoying for the majority of the game. But just like SoC, Okami’s originality and innovation lies not within the story but the gameplay. Okami features a unique paint-brush system where the gamer has to sketch for some particular action to take place. You can paint rivers, slash enemies, bomb walls, create gusts of wind, fire, ice, water, etc with your paint brush. This is very difficult to explain but you’ll be amazed at how much the paint-brush system works and how it is vital for the game itself. The combat and exploration of Okami is almost Zelda-like but it has much more platforming than most regular Zelda games and the boss fights in Okami are also some of the most unique battles you’ll ever face. Overall, Okami is a pretty flawless game with great animated visuals, a good story, great characters, so many unique dungeons and areas and great innovative gameplay. It is also one of the longest Action/Adventure games I’ve played with great replay value (You’ll see). Okami doesn’t make this list just because of the level of its originality but because it’s one of the best games ever as well.
#023 – Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast) This is one of the games which inspired me to do this ranking list in the first place. It’s really really sad that this beautiful RPG isn’t experienced by many mainly because it was released on the Dreamcast system which didn’t last very long in the market. Hardly anyone knows about SoA because it wasn’t released on a more popular system like the PS1 or the PS2. SoA with its pretty cliché story of good vs. evil is pretty much the best cliché storyline you’ll ever experience. Maybe it’s the script or the presentation in general but this game just gives you the aura of charisma which only few RPGs can give. SoA doesn’t really have anything special with its gameplay either. The combat’s pretty generic and the gameplay isn’t something outstanding to be all fair. It just has this inexplicable Suikoden-like aura which just makes you care about the story and characters so much. And then there’s the music, SoA has some of the catchiest soundtracks ever. I still find myself humming them whenever I’m on a boring drive or just lost and doing something pointless (like this topic). Oh and then there’s the airships which is the main source of transportation. The world of SoA has barely any ground to it so you’ll be travelling around in airships and having ship battles here and there. This is another one of SoA’s unique charms and why it’s so memorable. To be quite frank I can’t explain why this game is so great with words. Skies of Arcadia is something you should experience firsthand to find out why it is one of the best RPGs of all time.
#022 – Xenogears (PS1) How can Square bomb with every single release as of late? Because it’s other half known as soft is replaced with Enix. The two just doesn’t go well together. And it’s not just Final Fantasy which is going down the drain. I haven’t played any Square-Enix game as of late which is remotely comparable to its prime when it was once called Squaresoft. It is games like Xenogears which once propelled Square to almost being the best gaming company ever. In the RPG department, Square was basically leaving everything else in the dust. Xenogears isn’t your typical RPG with an average-to-good storyline with good overall gameplay. It is infact the very definition of an RPG because it is loaded with dialogues and scenes. Gameplay is very much average in Xenogears. Infact I may even call it pretty bad compared to even the most standard RPGs I’ve played. The battle system in particular is one of the worst I’ve come across. It’s button mashing x3. Sure there are combos and such but most battles just feel so dragged out because you have to constantly release those combos to damage the enemies significantly. Everything else apart from the battles is pretty much average in the Gameplay department. Character levels being basically useless for most of the part (especially end-game) is also one of Xenogears’ biggest flaws. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like Xenogears’ gameplay is unplayable it’s just that it doesn’t do anything special for the game. It does have its redeeming factors such as characters with the ability to jump and rotate camera angles but that’s about it. Disc 2 of Xenogears has barely any gameplay in it anyways and that has also been stated by many angry fans as the biggest flaw of the game. Now how can a game with such gameplay flaws be ranked this high? I have only a single word for that as the answer. The story. If Xenogears actually had great gameplay it may have been ranked 20 spots higher. Trust me. The story isn’t your typical cliché RPG storyline either. Infact it’s because Xenogears has such a unique and brilliant story that takes about a full play through or more to understand fully. The main character, Fei Fong Wong is one of the most developed and realistic characters ever. Not to mention the rest of the cast who are about as good (Citan is one of my favorite characters of all time) in the development area and significance. The villains (Which I will not reveal) are also superbly crafted characters who have their own motives and reasoning. Some of the later revealed villain/s can easily take the top spot for one of the most shocking twists in an RPG I might add. The story of Xenogears is practically untouchable as far as anything from ANY game can come up with. And much of the game revolves around the story as well rather than gameplay. So be prepared for an epic ride in a novel-like world rather than a video game. And once you’ve played through Xenogears enough to understand it s plot entirely. You’ll be amazed at its sheer depth and mastery. Nothing comes even close to it.
#021 – Super Mario World (SNES) How many years has it been since the release of SMW on the SNES? 2 decades. That’s right 20 ******* years. I’ve played this game to death more than any other platformers combined. I was one of those kids who purchased SMW w/the All Stars Pack on its release date along with the SNES itself. Not a year has gone by without me completing this game at least once. Every single level holds so much memory and this may just be the game which holds the most nostalgia for me. All reminiscing aside, I have yet to play a 2D platformer greater than SMW. I’m not kidding. This game has set the bar so high that hardly any game from the same genre has a chance of surpassing it. And I doubt any 2D platformer ever will. SMW expands the very idea of a Mario game. It has EVERYTHING. The levels are set in different Islands where you have to defeat the Koopa boss in a castle for you to advance to the next Island. Each of the Islands are unique as are the bosses and the variety of charismatic enemies you meet through different levels. Mario has his usual fire flower ability as well as the ‘tanooki’ ability from SMB3 (It’s a cape instead of the tanooki suit this time). But more than just Mario are the different kinds of Yoshis in the game. Mario’s faithful dinosaur has different kinds who can breathe fire, fly, stomp enemies or simply swallow and release enemies. All these things stated above are only secondary compared to the overall entertainment and fun factor which SMW naturally emits. The overall structure of SMW is just brilliant and I honestly can’t find a single flaw in any aspect of the game. It does just about anything you can do with a side scrolling platformer. The SNES was always my childhood system (Even though I owned a NES and Atari before it) and I honestly can’t think of a better game on this system than the great ‘Super Mario World’.
#020 – Batman: Arkham City (PS3) THIS! is the best superhero game of all time. I really didn’t think it could get any better after Arkham Asylum astonished me and became my favorite superhero game. Arkham City honestly makes its already impressive predecessor look quite inferior when comparisons are made. I won’t get into detail with the gameplay mechanics since I already covered most of that on the AA write-up. AC’s gameplay is similar as you’d expect but the availability of more gadgets adds much more to the gameplay and also makes it easier. Gliding and sneaking up on enemies are more plentiful in AC and there’s just more action overall. Another one of AC’s improvements over AA is the variety in the boss battles. While AA has its share of memorable boss battles, AC just has more variety in it. Each boss requires different strategies to overcome this time. Catwoman being playable is another one of AC’s new features. While playing and especially fighting as Catwoman is very fun, her inability to glide like Batman makes her a pain to use for exploration especially in the large environment of AC. Overall AC is just flawless. The little flaws which AA had are all taken care of and AC is just a superior successor no matter how I look at both games. This is not only the best superhero game of all time but one of the very best I’ve ever played. I’m glad I finished this game before I made this list.