Every so often I'll post a top 10 list of my favorite whatever's on my mind. Today it's videogames. My general rule with these is to only include 1 title per franchise. I used only 3 criteria to compile this list: fun factor (guaged by how much time I spent with the game, and my rough estimate of how much "fun" I had playing it), influence (did the game revolutionize or evolve games in some important way?), and durability (Does the game stand the test of time? Games with great controls, clean graphics, and a smooth framerate tend to succeed in this area). And a disclaimer: It's too soon to know if and where GTAIV falls on this list, which is why it's absent. Without further ado, my top 10 videogames of all time.
10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
Complex level design, tough and creative boss fights, and a lengthy adventure that (unlike later Rare efforts) isn't too overextended by tedious fetch quests.
9. MVP Baseball 2005 (XBOX)
Still the pinnacle of virtual baseball. I hate Take Two for killing it, but EA brought it on themselves when they made a deal with the devil (the NFL). The Batter's Eye addresses the inherent depth perception problem that all baseball games struggle with better than any game before or after it.
8. Mass Effect (XBOX 360)
First time I felt like I was playing a next gen game rather than an HD Xbox game. Games were starting to feel a little tired, but a writer's strike and BioWare brought me back in.
7. Halo 2 (XBOX)
The 10 year evolution of the console FPS culminated in this. And unlike Goldeneye, this hasn't shown it's age (yet).
6. Super Mario 64 (N64)
Mario had to be somewhere on this list, it was only a question of which game and where. SM64 is one of the most influential games of all time, and still the best of the 3d Marios.
5. Shenmue (Dreamcast)
There was a lot of talk about GTAIV providing the feeling of a "lived in" world. Shenmue did it first, and is still unmatched in this regard.
4. The Sims 2 (PC)
Virtual comfort soup. This is the game the keeps on giving. Every time I think I'm done with this game, there's another expansion that pulls me back in. Seriously, I've probably put in over 400 hours. Nearly unlimited replay value.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (XBOX)
Star Wars + d20 system = wet dream for any nerd that grew up in the 70's or 80's.
2. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
Tough to pick a favorite Zelda, but it usually comes down to this or OoT for me. I'm the type of Zelda player that enjoys towns and sidequests more than dungeons, and MM is best for that.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)
The Metal Gear franchise, more than most classic franchises, has stayed very close to its roots. This is great for gamers looking for an old school experience in a next gen package. Subsistence's camera was a long time coming; Snake Eater was beginning to show the franchise's age.
Honorable Mentions: Goldeneye, Sim City 2000, Chrono Trigger
UPDATE: I'm pleased to announce the addition of guest contributors. Expect a post from our good friend Izzy in the near future.
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2 comments:
Couple things big, i feel they must be said.
1. Twin Snakes is the best Metal Gear game to date and the only one offered in pro-scan.
2. OOT >>>> MM. Everyone agrees on that one, even if some people still like MM. Ocarina is what all (adventure) games today strive to be.
3. You didn't know what a d20 system was until about 6 months ago.
4. You can still get custom made roster updates for MVP 05 (on xbox at least), demonstrating just how great a game it really was.
5. Finally, I know you haven't played it, but Chrono Cross deserves to be in the top ten. It really is one of the greatest traditional jrpg's ever made (better than Trigger imo).
I'm curious where you'd place some of todays MMORPG's on your list. I know you don't play them, but like it or not they have changed how games are perceived today, even if just in terms of their lifespan and replay value.
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