Top 10 Video Games

Ok, so I'm bringing this blog out of retirement just post my response to Jon's thing.

First, let's get through the honorable mentions, because there's many of them.

Windwaker
Now I know a lot of people didn't care for this game, but I really liked it. The cartoony feel was a nice change as well as the whole sailing thing. Plus it's like the only console Zelda game I've ever bothered to beat. Severely underrated in my opinion.

Kirby's Dreamland 2/Nearly any Kirby game
I'm a real big fan of Kirby. Definitely my favorite character on Smash. This was one of the first games I got for Game Boy and I played it for a loooong time. I worked hard and got all the Crystal Shards and what not. Then my bro pulled out the cartridge while it was running and erased all my data :P. Aside from this game, most Kirby games (including Air Ride), are just a blast to play.

Peggle
If video games were drugs, this would be crack. It's cheap, easy to use, and incredibly addicting. Me and the guys on my floor spent hours playing this game, wasting many a good Friday night (and most of Saturday and Sunday). You want to stop, but it's just too addicting. I also here now that they put a Peggle game on WoW. Those people are never going to leave their computers. Ever.

Rock Band
Guitar Hero, I admit, started it all. But then they went crappy and Rock Band took up the concept and improved upon it. This, along with Smash, is one of those all time great party games. You can get a whole bunch of people together, bang on some drums, and act like you're awesome. Plus, it doesn't have like 30 death metal songs that are impossible to beat.

Assassin's Creed
This was a VERY close one. I might actually say it's better than #10. But, I need to make some cuts. If there were a 11th spot, this is the game. When I first saw the trailers for this game a few years back, I just thought it looked awesome. I mean, what other game allows you to climb to the top of a church spire, jump off into a hay stack, jump out and stab a guy, and then blend right into a group of passing monks. The world is vast and awesome, and really allows that sandbox aspect to come out. The missions, although a little repetitive, are still a decent time. The story, combining Middle Ages with sci fi...I could give or take. But it was still a decent story. Hopefully Assassin's Creed 2 will improve upon all the flaws of the original and kind of shine it up.

Now the actual top 10:

10.SSBM
I know some people (Jon) are fans of the original. Me, personally, I like the sequel. I never owned the original on N64 till like a year or two back. Although I rented it multiple times, I never really played it a ton. The sequel however, I spent many hours playing in many different situations. This is like the all time best party game. Like Jon said in his blog about fighting games, this one doesn't involve a lot of weird button combinations. Heck, you can button mash and win most of the time. The ease of play and overall appeal are probably what puts this on in the 10 spot. Plus, it doesn't get all full of itself with some crazy long story mode like the new Wii one does. It's a party game. I'm sure at least one of the developers has been to a party before. No one likes bringing a new awesome game to the party and then realizing that you need to play through the 12 hour long single player mode to unlock any of the good characters. Seriously, learn this people!

9. Tie between Halo 2/3 and COD4
This is a hard one to decide. Both are decent shooters, and both have their advantages. In means of story, both have an excellent single player mode. Both stories are very immersive and great to play through. However, I like Call of Duty a little bit more just because it's a little more realistic/challenging than shooting lasers at aliens that don't shoot back. In terms of multiplayer, both are also great. Halo 2 still has some of the best multiplayer and maps out there (although not many people play it any more). Halo 3 has more variety and modes than COD4, but also more whiny 12 year olds. Call of Duty does have a nice rank system, though at times, you just want to skip the crap and get the good weapons. All in all, they're both good shooters, but not the best games out there.

8. Fallout 3
This is a recent favorite. I borrowed it from my friend down the hall for the weekend and ended up keeping it in my dorm for a month. The whole game is great. I've never really played any Bethsheda games before like Oblivion or anything, but people tell me they are equally as addictive. I love the whole combat thing like VATS and all the great weapons and stuff. The post-apocalyptic setting is amazing. They created to landscape so well that you feel like this is exactly what things would like if the bombs ever dropped. Although I don't know why everything's like the 50's if the bombs fell in 2277. Regardless, it's great. I recommend everyone at least try it.

7. Pokemon
This is one of those games that pretty much made up my childhood. I still remember in 4th grade when one guy brought his Pokemon game to the playground, and everyone took turns playing it for an hour. I remember playing my own copy for days straight after I got it for Christmas. I also remember buying for too many Pokemon cards and playing matches (I still have them, and I'm waiting for them to be worth millions). While I won't say it's the "perfect game", I will say it is a great game that has had a huge impact on my life in one way or another. Also, you gotta catch 'em all.

(I was reminded of this video after that last rating http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UaJWzw79GI )

6. Paper Mario
We're talking the N64 version here. This is one of those great games that again, not many people have played. I think I rented this game from Blockbuster like 5 times before I finally bought it. It's great in so many aspects. The RPG element is great, the turn based play is fun, and the music is phenomenal. It's all just a great game that I highly recommend borrowing or buying. There's really not much more I can say about it.

5. Link's Awakening/Oracle of Ages
I am a personal fan of the Game Boy Zelda games (except Link to the Past). I love all the story and gameplay they're able to pack into such a small system. Link's Awakening was probably the first game I ever beat. From the many dungeons, to the twist ending (it was all a dream!) it was all great. Also, no game made me want to buy the Game Boy Printer more than this one. I totally wanted all those little pictures I took. Oracle of Ages was another great Game Boy Zelda title. This one introduced a whole bunch of new weapons, along with the interesting concept of solving all the puzzle by going back and forth in time. And I know what you're thinking, "Brian, how's that different than Ocarina of Time?". Because you do it on the spot, and there's three different times. That's how. In addition to all of that, you could transfer your game data from one game to its companion (Oracle of Seasons) and get even more content. I think I'm at like the 5th transfer already. It's that good.

4. Left 4 Dead
Now here's a game that knows exactly what it is and does it perfectly. Too many movies and games nowadays are overly full of themselves. Let's look at two examples here. Transformers is an action movie that people try to sell of as a legitimate film with a solid plot. It's not and everyone knows it. Shoot Em Up, on the other hand, is a crazy action movie with minimal plot and lots of insane action, and they know it. They play off this idea and embrace it. And that's what L4D does. It knows it's nothing more than an awesome zombie shooter. They put out the bare minimum of story and tell you to go shoot zombies. It doesn't bore you with 3 hours worth of cut scenes like a Metal Gear game. Rather, it gives you what you want, and in multiplayer fashion. That's the other thing about this game. The co op between all the online players is just great. You work in a tight knit team, each looking out for the other, and in the end, it's an incredibly well put together game.

3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater
While I said Pokemon pretty much defined my childhood, this was a close second. I'd say it was the game that best defined the 90's. You think of this game, and you think of the days where you'd grab a Surge, watch the X Games, and maybe listen to some Smashmouth. Yes, the 90's were good. And this game pretty much summed them up. Everyone loved coming over, getting their favorite skater, and then ollieing up to get the secret tape or all the SKATE letters (oh you remember that now eh!?). It was simple to play and a great time. Maybe this is #3 for more nostalgia sake than actual quality of gameplay. Still this game and it's sort of franchise reboot Underground (you could walk around!) were some of the best games I've ever played.

2. Golden Sun
I'm not much of an RPG guy, but this is one of the few ones I like. This game and its sequel is one of those series that will keep you up for a while, just trying to get a little farther. It combines all these elements of mythology, alchemy, and awesome fighting to make one seriously awesome game. The use of psyenergy powers (their version of magic) to solve all sorts of different puzzles really challenges you. I remember once staying in a Toys R Us for near an hour reading the strategy guide, trying to figure out this one puzzle. Aside from that, there's like a hundred different classes you can make your characters by combining different powers and items. And then after that, you want to find all the items and creatures and it just goes on and on. A great game by any standard and fantastic amongst RPGs.

1. The Orange Box
Ok this is sort of cheating. This is actually like 5 games in one. But the quality of all the games, rolled into one awesome package is just too much to not be counted on here. Let's start off with the Half Life games. Half Life 2 has to be one of the best shooters ever made. The quality of the game play along with the great story just make it fantastic in so many ways. The other two episodes on the disc I could give or take, but Half Life 2 is one of those games that people just need to play to experience it. Also to get all the crowbar jokes. If I didn't roll all these games into one, Half Life 2 would probably be between Paper Mario and the Zelda games. Next, we have Portal. By far, one of the best games I have ever played. It's a short game, but Valve managed to pack so much in there that it's amazing. The dry humor of GLaDOS, the sadness of euthanizing your faithful Companion Cube, and the Cake. So many great jokes and humor and such a great game. I'd probably put this one between Tony Hawk and Golden Sun. Finally, there's Team Fortress 2. This is the one game I wish I had a PC to play on. Regardless of that, it is still the best game I've ever played. The thought and effort that went into making this game so perfectly balanced is astounding. Every class has certain strengths and weaknesses that make them all equal. There's no one great class and one crap class (though I do prefer spy). Although some do better together than others, apart they are still great. Besides all that, I'm a multiplayer man. If given the choice between playing the multiplayer or the story mode first on a new game (say Halo), I would take the multiplayer. I love the variety, the interaction, the people (well, most of them anyway). Team Fortress 2 relies solely on this multiplayer aspect and feeds off this interaction between people that really puts the TEAM in Team Fortress. By far, the best game I have ever played.


So that's about it. Love em hate em, it's my opinion. Comment all you want.

-Brian

PS. The Cake is a Lie