Your top ___ games of all time

[🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀]

This was on my mind a couple days back and it made me think - I don't believe we ever had a thread where people just post a straightforward list of their very favorites of all time. If there was one on here, it was before my time.

I don't really want to make rules, but I think restricting yourself to a meaningful number of games would be nice (a top 100 kind of makes each game not very special, and no runner-ups please). Also, I'd like to see people rank their games. It doesn't really matter if it's kind of arbitrary at times, it's just fun to see what you'd come up with if you're pressed to pick your very favorite no. 1 game. Oh and write a little bit about why it's in your list and perhaps why it made the cut over similar games, will you?

As for my list, I decided to go with 30, and with no multiple games from the same series since otherwise I'd just be listing a bunch of Marios and Zeldas and that'd be boring. Feel free to do whatever you want, though.

30 - Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver: Pokémon was at its peak on the GBA and DS. Hard to pick a fav, but I guess this one.
29 - Splinter Cell: I thought it had some flaws when I played it two years ago, but it has stayed on my mind quite a bit. It strikes a great balance between cinematic and video-game-y, though it fails to really work when it pretends it's an action game.
28 - Gradius III SNES: This is probably blasphemous, but my favorite shmup is a slowdown ridden SNES game. You can't beat the Gradius power-up system.
27 - Rollercoaster Tycoon: I played it a ton as a kid, but never really seriously attempted to play the scenarios until I was an adult. It's both fun now and back when I just messed around. I love isometric prerendered stuff.
26 - The Sims: Kind of like Rollercoaster Tycoon, only as an adult I really started to play while setting goals to myself. The later Sims games have too many options, I think. This game fits my playstyle the best, and the graphics are still the most charming, by far.

25 - Kid Icarus: Uprising: Underrated game that needs a sequel. Very replayable and has a cool weapon combining system. One of the standouts on the 3DS.
24 - Sonic 3 & Knuckles: The best Sonic game. Still not perfect, but pretty much the best the formula can get, 2D or 3D. Graphics and music about the best the MD has to offer.
23 - Mega Man 3: I don't know if I really have a favorite Mega Man game but I had to put something here. MM4, MM9 or MM&B are all about as good, so it's kind of interchangable. Never cared for the X series, I think the original formula just works too well.
22 - Minecraft: It's easy to forget how great this game is because it's so ubiquitous. But it IS great, and I played it tons of hours.
21 - Rayman: I grew up with Raymans 1, 2 and 3, so this is nostalgia-biased I'm sure. As a kid I liked the other two better, but in retrospect this one is the best (and most special to me). I don't think there's a better-looking 2D platformer.

20 - Earthbound: It's really something special, funny and charming, but it's also backed by a very good traditional RPG system and an interesting rolling-meter mechanic. The OST is too good, and the nods to the Beach Boys, Beatles and Zappa are still very original.
19 - Rhythm Heaven: A rhythm game that has completely original music and gameplay tailor made for each song. A brilliant idea, and so is the finger-flicking control scheme that works a lot more precise to me than buttons.
18 - Banjo-Kazooie: A game that outdoes Mario at its own game (at least Mario 64).
17 - Quake: The only FPS besides DOOM that I managed to really get into. And it was made by the same guys. Coincidence? I don't think so.
16 - Worms Armageddon: A game so good that I have no interest in checking out any sequels no matter how many they make.

15 - Puyo Puyo Tetris: I don't like the mode that has one field with both Puyo and Tetris, but the alternating one is brilliant. It's both Puyo and Tetris in one game, so it's almost kind of cheating. Both are brilliant on their own too.
14 - Tetris Attack: The best puzzle game ever made. Completely hypnothyzing when you get in the groove.
13 - WarioWare, Inc.: Such a simple but brilliant idea wrapped in a really unique mix of artsyles and sound design.
12 - Dragon Quest III: I love well-made basic RPG battle systems like this, and add to that the steady difficulty, fun exploration and great monster designs and I'm satisfied.
11 - Ace Attourney: Trials and Tribulations: Only game I've ever played that completely engrosses with story alone. Gameplay still very fun, though.

10 - Donkey Kong Country Returns: Perhaps Tropical Freeze is better, but this is the one that I played a billion times when it came out, so it's the most important to me.
9 - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door: Such a unique game. Manages to be pretty deep gameplay-wise even though it takes a while to get going, and all the scenarios you find yourself in are totally interesting. It's sad that this game is stuck on the GCN and is pretty expensive second-hand.
8 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: Kind of a tossup between this and MK8, so I'll let the nostlgia take over here. Still by far the most skill-based Mario Kart.
7 - Spelunky: Random enough to be interesting each playthrough, but predictable enough to be totally fair. Very impressive balancing, in other words.
6 - Etrian Odyssey IV: Only played it this year, and still have a good amount of EO games to go, but I'm willing to call it the best RPG I've played yet. I've always felt it's silly that RPGs have the tendency to be ashamed of what they are and tend to put a bunch of other shit in to distract from the battles. As long as there's a good battle system I can play on for hours.

5 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Toss-up between this and BotW, honestly, but what the heck. BotW will potentially be surpassed with the next Zelda, while OoT will remain king of its kind for a while, I suspect. Overworld is a bit weak, but the dungeons make up for it.
4 - The Ultimate DOOM: Not just for what it is, but also the long line of fan-made mods that I've enjoyed over the past years. The weapons and enemies from DOOM and DOOM II are so perfectly in balance that I'm always just dissapointed when I try another FPS and it's not as good as DOOM. But it simply doesn't get any better than DOOM. I like DOOM II for what it brought to the formula, but DOOM 1 is a better game as far as levels design goes. Every once in a while I have to play some DOOM, it just never gets old.
3 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: The most ambitious crossover game that will ever exist, I'm sure. Both accessible and deep, with distinct characters that are nonetheless all easy to pick up and play. That alone makes it hands down the best fighter ever.
2 - Super Mario Bros. 3: Do I even have to say anything about this one? Perfect balance between slipperiness and control.

1 - Splatoon 2: It's not a topic that comes up too much around here, but this is probably the game nearest and dearest to my heart. I was there when the first demo of Splatoon 1 released, and I've been hooked ever since. I love too much about this game to describe here. The main gameplay loop is brilliant. The music, graphics, typography, stage design, weapon variety, updates, Splatfests...it's all just so good. The only downside is that it keeps taking up time I want to spend on playing new games.

Yes, I own mostly Nintendo consoles.

[spanky]

Without putting much thought into it, here's a top 7.

7. Super Mario World - My favorite Mario game. When I think "video game" in the abstract, this is what pops in my head.

6. DOOM - The original. Never gets old for me. I enjoy II and 64 and all those, but the original hits just right. I love the progression of the atmosphere in this game. Military bases and science labs give way to caverns and ruins and finally hellscapes.

5. Starcraft: Brood War - There's a reason this game sold out stadiums in Korea. Really enjoyable campaign and endlessly replayable multiplayer.

4. Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Favorite edition of my favorite fighter. I totally get liking Super Turbo better but I like the goofy stuff you can do like combo into an air hurricane kick and Zangief's wacky clothesline that can't be hit low.

3. Resident Evil IV - I was not a huge fan of RE in general but they managed to make the series fun with this one (IMO, of course...). REALLY fun. Even inventory management is fun in this one. Just the right amount of camp too.

2. Earthbound - I waffle on what my favorite RPG is sometimes but I always come back to this. One of the few games to ever get some sort of emotional reaction out of me.

1. Mega Man 2 - Just a perfect game in my opinion.

[Deleted]

My apologies, but I have written too much. In fact, it is taking me a while and I am still at it. Because there is so much (and people likely wouldn't want to read it all anyway  ) I am breaking this down into parts. Probably not the done thing, but it seemed more digestible to me.

Here are entries 30-21


30. Bayonetta 2

I shied away from Bayonetta when she first released, assuming this over the top heroine to be the kind of misogynistic female sexualisation I really dislike in the industry turned up to 10. When Bayonetta 2 came to Wii U, however, I found myself seduced by the lady’s charms. What I actually found was over the top sexualised humour that I can only describe as a video game drag show, in which accidental gay icon Bayonetta joyfully flaunts herself whilst empowering the player with her ability to stomp enemies with her oversized heels. Joyful in its flamboyance, the game had me laughing throughout. I can’t wait to see what she does next.



29. Batman: Arkham Asylum

I was a huge comic book fan growing up, and so being able to play as the heroes of those comics in a video game was always something I wished for. With each comic book game announced I would hope to see the characters done justice, and whilst there have been quality comic book games over the years, Arkham Asylum is the first that really puts the player in their shoes. The game has the player feeling like he can do whatever Batman would, and all in a rich, atmospheric Metroidvania which is just the icing on the cake.



28. Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus has a fascinating and unique concept of climbing the bodies of giants to find their weak points and I had to give it a try. What is really something is that not only does the game work, feeling truly evolutionary on the PS2, but it is elevated by a moving soundtrack, which makes you connect with the wondrous beasts that you must slay. The simplicity of the story is mostly told through that music, and the feeling that it gives when you bring down each colossus is one of loss.



27. Phantasy Star IV

Despite being a Nintendo fan first and foremost, it was Sega who for me came out with the best RPG across the generation of consoles. Phantasy Star IV is paced so briskly, yet does a phenomenal job of portraying its story. Cutscene’s use manga panels with gorgeous, colourful artwork. They help to give a real glimpse into the characters personality, and raise the stakes of the plot. This really feels like a team sci fi/super hero story and of course has a fantastic battle system to boot.



26. Super Probotector/Contra 3: The Alien Wars

Whilst nowadays set pieces are talked about in video games, they often refer to games that take the ‘set’ part of that too literally. Super Probotector makes its set pieces truly dynamic as any action game should. There are so many bosses and scenarios in each stage that are memorable. As the game moves along not once do you fall into familiarity, keeping the player on their toes all the way to the end.



25. F-Zero GX

The last F-Zero game on console is also the best in my opinion. Of course, you could just as easily pick F-Zero X, but I prefer the track design here. The sense of speed in F-Zero is something else; and the fact that you still have full, precise control is really impressive. This may be the most difficult game Nintendo ever published, yet win or lose, it always feels like it comes down to player skill. Personally, I prefer the simpler soundtracks of previous entries, but GX wins in all other aspects.


24. Worms Armageddon

Like 🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 said, Team 17 made this game too perfect. They simply peaked too soon, and have never been able to better Worms Armageddon despite many attempts. I have so many memories growing up with this game, and it’s over the top ridiculous weapons. But of course it is all balanced in a wonderful skill based, strategic package.


23. Super Bomberman

Another multiplayer game I played time and time again with friends and family, Bomberman just works so well. Many entries in this series are great, but this is the one I have the most experience with. Pulling out a victory in this game never gets old.

22. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door


Since JRPG’s basically had no presence in Europe in early generations, this was actually the first one I played through. I remember I had the flu one week and with my aching muscles, and swollen tongue, didn’t feel able to play my usual action-adventure favourites. And so I pulled out The Thousand Year Door. The game is a fantastic introduction into the genre, simple to play, but features puzzle like battles to keep me interested. The Mario characters and that this features action-adventure like item gating also really helped bring me in to the experience. This was one time where being sick was a great experience, and I’ve tried to recapture my love for it in so many JRPGs since.


21. Outrun 2

In my opinion the finest racing game ever made, with its ridiculous scenarios as you try to impress your seemingly shallow girlfriend. Driving feels tight and drifting perfectly round each corner has never felt so satisfying. The best part of Outrun for me though is its road trip feel. Whether I win or lose is less important, because when I play I can sit back, take in the sights, and enjoy the drive.

[Deleted]

Here are 20-11


20. Fire Pro Wrestling R

I was a bit of a wrestling enthusiast in my teens which for me meant exploring all the nuances of storytelling and performance and becoming familiar with many Japanese stars. In game form, nothing presents pro wrestling better than Fire Pro. Whether it be junior, mat based or strong style, this series does it well. I was a tad disappointed with the first PS2 entry, Fire Pro Z, but with the second the mistakes were corrected. There is nothing quite like having a classic back and forth in this game. Of course I would be remiss not to mention the deep customisation system. I spent many hours making my own wrestlers in this.


19. Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo

Of all the many block falling games in the industry this is the one that captured me the most. The Capcom characters, and familiar yet remixed music, the backgrounds, everything bursts with personality. With regard to the gameplay, building up huge blocks and chaining an attack together is so satisfying.
I felt like I really mastered this game back in the day, which speaks to how much I played it, since I am rarely good at games.


18. Winds of Thunder

I only discovered NEC’s PC Engine with the arrival of the Wii and it’s Virtual Console in 2006, however, the lineup had me so intrigued I had to hunt down my own Turbo Duo just a few months after. Since then I have picked up so many (too many) games for the platform. Of course considering the library’s strengths it is only fitting my favourite experience be a shoot-em-up.

Winds of Thunder just does everything right. The action is fast, the player is powerful and the heavy metal soundtrack has the adrenaline rushing. One thing that puts the game over the rest is the shop system. Killing enemies gives you gems, and once you die you can spend them to beef up your ships power. Whereas many shmups leave you powerless after you lose a life, here you can pick up with just as good a chance as you had before, as if you played well enough you can fully power up your character. This means the game is more accessible and I was able to see the entire game.


17. Sim City 4

I used to be a little addicted to Sim City games. The loop of creating a town, seeing it expand, expanding your income and continuing to expand is really engaging. Sim City 4 was my favourite, but for me this was the last great one. I haven’t been able to play in a fair while unfortunately.


16. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

This one is simple gameplay executed very well. Geometry Wars takes the single screen action of Robotron and adds analogue stick shooting, whilst upping the ante. You are constantly under pursuit and looking to create space to move next, whilst needing to ensure you take out the right enemies. It is imperative to learn the enemy patterns and as you do you’ll find your high score increases. This game fits the mould of simple to play, difficult to master perfectly.


15. Doom

There isn’t much you can say about Doom that hasn’t been said before. Even as someone who generally doesn’t enjoy the FPS genre I am sucked in. I want to explore every corner when I play this. Will the next hidden door lead to much needed weaponry or armour, or will I stumble upon a nest of demons. I have a hard time putting this down.


14. Gradius V

I have always found the Gradius power up system created a perfect sensation of empowerment, with it’s copy abilities ensuring your laser blasts could fill the screen. How to improve on perfection though? Bring in team Treasure of course. Gradius V is designed to perfection and then some. Every level adds a new challenge, something I had never seen done before. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. An impeccable achievement that really has me missing this wonderful creative team every time I play.


13. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

I must admit I was part of the collective groan when Tropical Freeze was revealed as Retro’s project back in 2013. At a glance the game looks like a carbon copy of their previous Wii game. Logic prevailed though and I decided to pick this up. True to form, Retro nailed it. No longer held back by motion controls and with more experience in the genre, this is a design master class. There’s a lot of trial and error, but it is done right and the mine cart levels are simply wonderful. To top it off David Wise’s soundtrack is one I return to listen to time and time again.


12. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Not everyone’s favourite Zelda, but Wind Waker for me is the ultimate escapism experience. No game felt like I was on an adventure more than this. Whilst it would have been nice to have more substantial islands to explore there was still something magical about exploring the seas of this Hyrule. The soundtrack really elevates the experience, and we have a Link who is more expressive than in other entries, making the story easier to engage with personally.


11. Resident Evil (Remake)

As a horror fan no setting has brought the creepy atmosphere for me like the Spencer Mansion. I enjoy the gated exploration so much in this game, and finding what’s behind each locked door only adds to the mystery of the story. I love the original version also but in my opinion the remake took everything to the next level. I have returned to Resident Evil countless times.

[Deleted]

Games 10-1 here:


10. Tetris

This is the only game I could possibly say is flawless. Maintaining the Tetris blocks is just logical perfection. Not only that, but this game is addictive as they come. I remember when my brother got this for Christmas one morning with the Game Boy – but he didn’t get a go. Everyone, including several who wouldn’t usually play video games wanted to play this, and found it hard to put down.


9. Yoshi’s Island

The last great 2D Mario game is also the best in my eyes. Of course it is treated as something as a spin off by many, but that doesn’t change the quality of the design. What is interesting for Yoshi’s Island is that playing the levels through just to beat them is pretty easy, and honestly gives the impression that there is a nice but not really special game here. However, it seems the developers really intended for player’s to explore, as trying to 100% this makes it shine. Of course there are frustrations (crying baby Mario is enough to put anyone off having kids, and yes, Poochy is stupid), but they do not come close to matching the sheer joy in these levels.


8. Final Fantasy VII

No nostalgia goggles here. I first played this game in 2016 and whilst it is cool nowadays to hate on this most popular entry in the Final Fantasy series I have to say it is my favourite. It has to be the Opening Theme, Bombing Mission that really grabbed me straight away. It is the perfect compliment to our introduction to Midgar. But it never let’s up either. Uemetsu raised the bar in his compositions being no longer held back by the cartridge medium. I also enjoyed the simplicity of the limit break system, which was so much fun to explore. The character models are very basic, but they do the job of telling the game’s story to the point I often forgot how primitive they were.


7. Super Metroid

I couldn’t do a one game per series rule for my list because of this game. I can maybe consider dropping Wind Waker or Yoshi’s Island, but Super Metroid (Superb Metroid I call it) absolutely has to be here. Just an absolute marvel of atmospheric, exploration based level design. The power ups were a revelation at the time, letting us interact with the world in ways previously not seen. The fact that is hasn’t been topped in many people’s eyes is a real testament to it’s quality.



6. Persona 4

I struggle with this series. Everything I abhor about video games comes to mind with Persona. The game is casually homophobic, treats female’s as objects and provides the worst kind of male empowerment. And yet, the series, and specifically this game, always draws me in. Persona 4’s high school experience is relatable. Even though the wrong message is sent in that it treats homophobia as acceptable, this is how it was for me when I was growing up, so with this entry it felt very true to life and made the group seem like more believable characters. Despite some of its members being pretty crappy, the tight knit group of characters feel like they have genuine bonds, and when I play this game I feel like a part of this friendship circle. Beyond that the game really triumphs with its turn based combat and the stellar soundtrack makes it very hard to turn away. The murder mystery of its story is really intriguing and pulled me in from the start on several occasions with its anime heavy introduction.



5. Super Street Fighter 2

Street Fighter 2 never gets old for me. The game has a wonderful cast of characters, each of whom has design, music and stage art that comes together to create a personality. It is no wonder that these characters have transcended the video game series. The fighting, just works. To the point where I actually don’t want to learn the combat systems of newer entries, because it is far easier to just pick this up again. Super is my favourite in this sub series. I take the extra 4 characters (well, 3 really. Deejay is kind of lame) over the speed options since I don’t enjoy competitive play.


4. Celeste

As an anxiety sufferer I have never related to a game like I have with Celeste. Her journey of self-acceptance of her trans identity somewhat mirrors my own growing up experience (though I am not trans, I had similar feelings expressed in the game in the past as I learned to embrace being gay as part of my identity).

The game deals with mental illness, and the way her mindset is tapped into and reflected as gameplay is something remarkable. When things get tense she is literally chased by her inner demons in tense platform segments; the levels are purposefully too long in order the player is not given time to breathe; and collecting strawberry’s is made difficult in a way that we feel we’ve come up short by not being able to manage it, but ultimately teaches us to accept our own ability and not worry so much about comparing to others. In a medium that is full of games that simply tell their story’s alongside the gameplay, Celeste stands out by embracing the interactivity that video games are built around. The gameplay IS the story, and the gameplay had my feelings of anxiety coming back again, but this time in a way where I could feel acceptance of those feelings and put them in their place.



3. The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening (Remake)

Whilst Celeste had me feeling my anxiety, and embracing it, Link’s Awakening’s remake I found, did the opposite. From the perspective of someone who always worries about himself, I had never had the feeling that Link’s Awakening brought me. Playing this game made me feel completely at peace. There is something about the dreamlike visuals, and the minimalist wind soundtrack that enabled me to completely escape. Koholint Island feels oddly idyllic in a way that I didn’t want to leave. I hope the game can enable me to capture these feelings for years to come.



2. Super Mario Galaxy 2

How is it that the best Mario game is also the one left behind? Galaxy 2 improves on its already incredible predecessor through more varied level design, more power ups, more difficulty and of course more Yoshi. I see complaints that the game feels like a level pack and would agree that the soundtrack was a step back, but in moment to moment enjoyment, it’s Galaxy 2 for me any day.


1. Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime encapsulates what I love about games perfectly. Exploring, interacting with and using tools to progress through a carefully handcrafted, well thought out world. The world of Tallon IV is densely packed, with every part of it having purpose. Scanning the environments to tell the story was well integrated and feels natural through the visor of Samus’s armour. Meanwhile there is an atmosphere to the game that is rarely felt, as it gives a real feeling of isolation.



Anyway, that is the list. Hopefully somebody takes the time to read it all, and more so I hope I didn't spend this time today writing a bunch of old nonsense and that I managed to explain why I love these games. 

[Tony]

It's a great idea, to put in perspective everybody's taste (and comments) here!

Here is my list. Because of time constraints, I am posting just the titles comments.

01- Sekiro
02- Bloodborne
03- Shadow of the Colossus
04- Cave Story
05- La-Mulana EX
06- Dark Souls
07- Half-Life 2
08- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
09- The Silver Case
10- Hollow Knight
11- To The Moon
12- Hotline Miami
13- Undertale
14- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
15- Klonoa: Door To Phantomile
16- Katamary Damacy
17- Resident Evil REmake
18- Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
19- TxK
20- Steins;Gate
21- Dragon Quest XI
22- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
23- Ico
24- Snatcher
25- Blackwell
26- Phoenix Wright Trilogy
27- Metro 2033 Redux
28- Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood
29- Guacamelee
30- Steins;Gate Zero

[ommadawnyawn2]

Epic post by excelsior! I had made some recent system top 10s in a racketboy thread so I'll post those and add a little write-up for one of the SNES games. Generally I prefer tier lists, and using subcategories like year, genre or platform since there are so many games that I'd rate around the same but depending on my mood I'll pick one over the other on different days.

MD/GEN:
Rocket Knight Adventures
RKA! This game is a smörgåsbord of all things I love about Konami during this era: fast and tight movement, great variety with a couple of shoot 'em up levels mixed in as well as a boxing duel between two giant robots, great bosses that sometimes have multiple forms or phases, great audiovisuals with some humourous touches, and near technical mastery of the system all in one package. The jetpack, while implemented slightly better in later games, is great fun to use here as well and sometimes makes the game a contender for the fastest playing 16-bit game if you know the levels well. By the way, check out Screw Attack's Retro vs. Reboot for a laugh.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or Sonic Classic Heroes (Hack)
I gotta go with 2 as I think it has the best overall pacing, music and my fave set of zones in the MD Sonic games. I think the spindash was a great addition since it makes any side- or backtracking much less tedious and you often want to do this with the multiple paths through each level, plus it's just fun to rev it up and let go like in a pinball game. With mods/hacks you unlock a lot of cool stuff like the hack mentioned where you can switch between the three playable chars on the fly and play across both 1 and 2 in one game, though that's true for the other games as well.

Panorama Cotton
It's pretty odd that this game even exists for the stock MD. Success, a game company that never made anything for the console prior to this (though I think some devs come from Compile), decides to turn Cotton into a Space Harrier-like shooter, make it one of the most technically impressive efforts for the system, then release a limited amount of copies exclusively for the Japanese market as late as mid-1994. Well I'm glad they did, because they certainly _succeeded_ in making Panorama Cotton an amazing game (for example you get branching paths and RPG elements years before PD Zwei here) and something of a swan song for the 2D-based rail shooter. Now if someone would port this to the MCD for super smooth scaling...

Langrisser II
When it comes to SRPGs I think this is as good as it gets for the MD, and the game outshines its prequel (Warsong) with its improved character customization, balancing, AI and variety. L2 offers a very challenging game (dead characters stay dead), huge battles, cool classes like Summoner and Dragon Knight, a decent story with a lot of humour and twists, and excellent music. Still only playable in English via emulation, but you'll probably want to be able to fastforward after a few battles anyway. Also: Chou Aniki cameo.

Contra: Hard Corps (Japanese version)
If I was god, the levels in this game would be about 20% longer, and the egg-shaped crawling robot segment would be removed from most paths. It would be the perfect run 'n gun game. Contra: HC is worth playing simply for the fact that it's an experimental entry in a very conservative series - they actually let you dodge attacks without that akward jump here, and in the JP version you can take more than one hit before dying! As with RKA, Konami makes great use of the hardware for a fast and intense experience that basically never repeats itself.

Ristar: The Shooting Star
A late release for the system that most people (including me, at the time) missed out on. Ristar seems like a slower, more kiddy version of Sonic at first, and it kind of is but it's also a high quality platformer with a fun to use grab/climb/headbutt ability as its main gimmick, interesting levels and some of the best sounding music on the system. The flow of the game is closer to the Illusion games or Revenge of Shinobi except said gimmick makes movement more involved, though sometimes you'll also find these gadgets that let you temporarily fly across part of a level while bouncing off of the walls and this can be used to reach certain items or a higher path if you get good at it. The higher difficulties are definitely challenging too, so if you're one of those hardcore gamer mandudes you still need to play Ristar.

Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament '96
There's not that much to say about Micro Machines except that it's an excellent multiplayer game which is easy to get into for anyone. This iteration let you build your own courses and had more modes than the previous games. As with MM2 no multitap was needed to play with 3 others (they called this J-cart technology, you actually had a couple of controller ports on the cart itself. You could also play up to 7 other people at once by sharing 4 controllers, which I haven't tried yet but I'm sure it's awesome.

Thunder Force IV
There's a bunch of great shoot 'em ups for the MD and this is the best horizontal one overall. A pretty big leap from the prequel in several ways. The developers had really mastered the MD hardware at this point and their talent and attention to detail is visible throughout every aspect of the game, from the big, tough and intimidating bosses to the impressive and catchy soundtrack that somehow mixes metal and jazz fusion tracks in a way that works. I thought the great people at Technosoft overdid it a bit when trying to make up for the low difficulty of the prequel, to the point where some parts require precise memorization and having the special charge-up weapon ready, but it does still take first place in the series for me. An odd tidbit I can add is that while there's some slowdown here and there, it tends to be built in for effect.

Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole
This game can stalk my land any time. Landstalker is... quite a bit like Zelda 3 if it was an isometric view game, but with an actually interesting story (not the usual damsel in distress thing with a silent protag), a less formulaic structure, and more challenging puzzles. The lack of a shadow when jumping and some other control quirks were only a minor annoyance for me, since I used save states hehe.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyou Toitsusen
Was gonna put Mega Bomberman on the list but assuming we're doing PCE/TG16 (this was copy-pasted from another thread) I can mention this one instead. Growing up we used to play the 3-player fighting game International Karate+ on a buddy's Amiga a lot, and we loved the sheer chaos of it. So when I discovered that this game had the same feature but with yet another player added, I had to play it. And (spoiler) Treasure did it once again, it's a great fighting game in the vein of Fatal Fury 2. Matches might not be as fair or precise as in Street Fighter 2 when you play like this, but the laughs from unintended results and the fun in temporary alliances make up for it.


NES:
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1988/1990) - An excellent all around package with a compelling world, great controls and great variety while also having more depth than its prequels. It's a large game that is also filled to the brim with neat stuff, especially for a 1988 NES game.

Mega Man 2 (NES, 1988) - I could also put MM3 here but I feel this game is more important and a bit better paced. MM2 was ahead of the pack in terms of the boss design, has great flow, mostly well thought out abilities, and aesthetically it's basically timeless from around this point on.

Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1985) - While a bit dated compared to the previous two I still can't really put any other similar game in this spot.

DuckTales 2 (NES, 1993) - This MV-lite style sequel is better in every way besides the music, which still is pretty solid. Better controls, fun abilities and good progression curve, interesting levels and decent bosses.

Metal Storm (NES, 1991) - A creative and cool mech action game with an overall fair challenge.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES, 1991) - Another sort of underrated sequel that improves on most important things while also featuring pretty impressive variety for the platform and genre.

Solomon's Key (NES, 1986) - While a bit rough in some ways, it's a very creative early game with some surprising depth and pretty much every level is satsifying to solve and execute.

RC Pro-Am II (NES, 1992) - Nice update with a rare 4-player feature, tight controls and good sense of speed. Well coded too.

Adventures of Lolo 2 (NES, 1990) - Think Zelda but with good puzzles. Very similar to Lolo 1 but there's a bit more to this one.

Crystalis/God Slayer (Rebalanced Hack)(NES, 1990/2012) - Cheating a bit here but at the same time the others also take save states into account. A better version of Ys where you can ride a dolphin while fighting stuff, and the music is sick & dope.


SMS:
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II (SMS, 1989) - My fave 8-bit game after SMB 3 and still one of the best MV/Platform Adventure games if we include later versions and fan remakes. Excellent presentation, the forms are distinct and fun to use, great pacing, and cool secrets like being able to switch or create platforms anywhere. There's even some non-linearity in the dungeon order if one so prefers. This is also where the whole "beginning of the game ties into the prequel" trope comes from afaik.

Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (SMS, 1993) - Similar to Quackshot or DT2 this is one of those MV-lite games with a hub map where you gain tools and abilities to progress and explore further into previous levels to upgrade your char. This is a nice showcase title along with games like Aladdin as the visuals are near early 16-bit quality. Controls are great, level design is pretty inventive with some decent puzzles here and there and it's quite varied too. I just wish it was a level or two longer and had a hard mode.

Power Strike II (SMS, 1993) - See my article contribution at racketboy: www.racketboy.com/retro/the-best-undiscovered-sega-master-system-games-hidden-gems

Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SMS, 1986) - This takes hacks/mods into account however it's still a top 10 game without them. AK1 was a really ambitious game for its time with an inventory system, shops, dungeon levels with switch puzzles, optional side quests and unique quirks like how you remove the ghost enemies via blocks. It's disappointing how even Sega fans in the US dismiss this one as a SMB clone when there's a lot more to it. The one thing that doesn't hold up, janken, isn't even that prominent in the game.

Bubble Bobble/Final Bubble Bobble (SMS, 1988) - A great port with all the important mechanics intact, new power ups and hidden rooms, new bosses and 100 new levels replacing super mode. It does play better in SP though.

Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (SMS, 1987) - A very impressive earlier game which fleshes out the FZ1 formula a bit with teleporters leading to sub areas of levels, new equipment and hidden items and shops. I also like how shops are stationary and there's a life bar for your ship. Like the above game it's deceptively cute as it is quite a tough and frantic game.

​R-Type (SMS, 1988) - A very nice port by Compile which includes a hidden extra level. I honestly prefer the FM OST here to the harsh arcade one overall. Best way to play it back then besides the PCE ver.

Ninja Gaiden (SMS, 1992) - The best 8-bit NG game gameplay-wise, with great controls based on NG 3, a mostly fair challenge and the same fast and intense action of the others. Music and story are a bit lacking on the other hand, and some later bosses aren't as visually interesting but the story isn't really worse than in NG 2-3.

Zillion (SMS, 1987) - Basically my Metroid back then. See my article contribution: www.racketboy.com/retro/the-best-undiscovered-sega-master-system-games-hidden-gems

Sonic the Hedgehog (SMS, 1991) - I was considering putting Golvellius here but I do think this holds up a little better in the end due to the latter's grinding and overly basic sidescrolling parts. Now, while this doesn't replicate the smooth and advanced physics of the MD game and the bonus levels are a bit meh, it's a very good game in its own right. Great overall level design which is all different (and with some tilesets being completely different), good sense of speed for the system, and great OST by Yuzo Koshiro. On that note it recently received an FM OST mod which is really solid as well.


SNES:
Super Metroid (SNES, 1994)
This is the one that made me love the Metroid games after being more ambivalent about them previously, thanks to various quality of life improvements, improved and evolved controls (8-way aiming! Toggleable equipment! Wall jumps!), a great map system but also all the other things fleshing out the experience in a more subtle and refined way like the environmental storytelling focus and sense of place. Plus the unnecessary but cool things like power bomb healing.
World design and atmosphere are top tier here with a memorable intro, distinct areas that are rewarding to explore, solid visuals that don't distract from the gameplay, interesting touches like the foreshadowing of Maridia, great overall pacing, creatures that seem more like they live in the world rather than being placed there to wait for and fight the player as well as neutral and friendly ones.
There are also some well done sci-fi horror elements in the boss introductions, the crashed ship, the intro leading up to the player being attacked on the planet, and a good sense of vulnerability and solitude throughout most of it with the former being contrasted by the near god form attained in the finale in a cool way.

Player movement (once you have all the upgrades and know advanced techniques), while there have been minor improvements for later games in an action game sense, is still rather flexible and satisfying, and gels perfectly with the aforemenetioned sci-fi horror aspect. You are in a super suit that grants you amazing abilities like space jump and shinesparking but this is not earth, gravity and friction are not the same and you are not the most adapted to this environment - the enemies are, as shown in their greater mobility. I've seen complaints about the wall jump but I think they did it just right considering the sequence breaking opporunities it provides; you feel like a champ when you start mastering it and breaking the intended path through the game. With it, bomb jumping, and (the unintended but easy to pull off and less glitchy than an out of bounds trick) mock ball you can make the game pretty much fully non-linear, and if you need more replay value there are various well made hacks and randomizer hacks to check out.
Super Metroid is still my fave game in the platform adventure/metroidvania genre, and an all-time classic.

Other SNES faves:
Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario World
Super Bomberman 5
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Donkey Kong Country
Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
Star Fox/Star Wing
Super Aleste

HM: Pocky & Rocky, Super Puyo Puyo 2, Chrono Trigger, Mega Man X2, Ganbare Goemon 2/Go for it! Goemon 2, Secret of Evermore (w/ balance mod), Super Bomberman 3, Rock ‘n Roll Racing, Front Mission: Gun Hazard, Super Castlevania IV, Hamelin no Violin Hiki, etc.

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2020 11:55:28 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Generally I prefer tier lists, and using subcategories like year, genre or platform since there are so many games that I'd rate around the same but depending on my mood I'll pick one over the other on different days.

This is where I am now, with no disrespect to the thread since I do enjoy reading people's different preferences. I have just played so much now that I'm not able to represent my tastes well with such a broad scope. 

Nice write ups though - especially the one for Super Metroid. I have fixed your SNES honourable mentions out of the goodness of my heart:


HM: Pocky & Rocky, Super Puyo Puyo 2, Mega Man X2, Ganbare Goemon 2/Go for it! Goemon 2, Secret of Evermore (w/ balance mod), Super Bomberman 3, Rock ‘n Roll Racing, Front Mission: Gun Hazard, Super Castlevania IV, Hamelin no Violin Hiki, etc.


Oh, and you mentioned R-Type for the MS, which I'd kind of forgotten about. It did make me think though, are all versions of R-Type good? I remember even enjoying the Gameboy Colour version and being pretty impressed.

[ommadawnyawn2]

Thanks! I'm not sure what you did regarding the SNES honourable mentions though, remove Chrono Trigger? haha. I'm not big on older JRPGs but that's still one of the better ones.

So there's a ton of ports of R-Type and I haven't played most of them, but I can vouch for the PCE and SMS versions. C64 and Amiga versions also seem good. This video gives a brief overview of each one:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b92idpWmYlk

[🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀]

Thanks for the responses, people. It's fine to write a lot, excelsior, they're your very favorites after all. I could probably write a book on Splatoon 2 alone.

Nov 28, 2020 11:55:28 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Epic post by excelsior! I had made some recent system top 10s in a racketboy thread so I'll post those and add a little write-up for one of the SNES games. Generally I prefer tier lists, and using subcategories like year, genre or platform since there are so many games that I'd rate around the same but depending on my mood I'll pick one over the other on different days.

Obviously doing a ranking isn't very scientific, and there were a couple that I switched out at the last moment. But it doesn't have to be perfect. The reason why I created the thread was because it's interesting to see what happens if you're forced to really think about your favorites. Doing a tier list or making a list for each category kind of defeats the purpose IMO because you won't really have to narrow things down and so it makes each selected game less meaningful. Like, you've already mentioned more games than me and yet you've restricted yourself to only 4 platforms. I could probably pick 10 great games for nearly any platform I own, but then it would more turn into a list of games I merely really like instead of truly a list of the games most imporant to me. Everyone has a couple of games that just mean more to them than most others.

Honestly, I would be really curious to see what you'd come up with if you would make a simple ranked listing of just your favorites, no platform restrictions or anything.

[ommadawnyawn2]

Sure that's a fair point and I didn't mean to start a discussion about the format, was just expressing my preference there.

I do still have a ranked "GOAT" list that I edit like twice a year, though since there are a bunch of games I'd rate about the same it's very long by now, and the vast majority of the games on it don't have write-ups. So since I had these more recent platform-specific ones ready to post I went with that, but I did try (and failed) to find a couple of older comments I had made about overall faves elsewhere.

Out of the ones I had listed before, these would probably still be in a general top 30-40 list:
Super Metroid (SNES, 1994)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1988/SNES, 1993)
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, 1995)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II (SMS, 1989)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD, 1992) or Sonic Classic Heroes (MD)(romhack)
Rocket Knight Adventures (MD)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, 1991)
Bomberman '94/Mega Bomberman (PCE, 1993/MD, 1994) or Super Bomberman 5 (SNES)
Langrisser II (MD, 1994)
Thunder Force IV (MD, 1992/SAT, 1996)
Donkey Kong Country (SNES) or DKC 2 (SNES)
Mega Man 2 (NES, 1988) or Mega Man 3 (NES, 1990/PS1, )
Terranigma (SNES, 1995)
Power Strike II (SMS)
Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament '96 (MD)
Contra: Hard Corps (MD)(JP ver.)
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES)
Pocky & Rocky (SNES)
Panorama Cotton (MD)

Out of the ones I hadn't listed yet, probably these:
Starcraft (PC, 1998) w/ Starcraft: Brood War (PC)(Expansion)
Mother 3 (GBA, 2006)
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB, 1993)
StarCraft II w/ Expansions (PC, 2010)
Baldur's Gate (PC) & Tales of the Sword Coast (PC)(Expansion)
Fallout 2 (PC)
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PC, 2018)
Metroid Fusion (GBA)
Heroes of Might and Magic III (PC)
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB)
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (MD) or Sonic Mania (MD)
Seirei Senshi Spriggan (PCE CD, 1991)
Unreal Tournament (PC, 1999)
The Typing of the Dead (ARC, 1999/DC/PC, 2000)
Saturn Bomberman (SAT)
Star Fox 64 (N64)
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (PC)
Starsiege: Tribes (PC)
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (PC, 1995) & Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal (PC)(Expansion)
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War & Expansions (PC)
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (PC)
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! (GBA, 2003)
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (SAT, 1996)
SimCity 2000 (PC)
Elite Beat Agents (NDS)
Fantasy Zone II DX (ARC/3DS)
Gran Turismo (PS1) or Gran Turismo 2 (PS1)
Soul Blade/Soul Edge (PS1, 1996) or SoulCalibur (DC)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (w/ mods)(SMS, 1986)
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC) & Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (PC)
Dungeon Keeper (PC)

[chronotigger65]

In no particular order....

Startropics 1 and 2
Chrono Trigger-my #1
Illusion of Gaia
Mega Man 5-the NES one not the Game Boy one
Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Axelay
The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
Silent Hill
Tetris Attack
Final Fantasy 6
Bulletstorm
Alien vs. Predator-from Arcades
The Lost Crown A Ghost Hunting Adventure

[Deleted]

Nov 30, 2020 7:19:30 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Thanks! I'm not sure what you did regarding the SNES honourable mentions though, remove Chrono Trigger? haha. I'm not big on older JRPGs but that's still one of the better ones.

So there's a ton of ports of R-Type and I haven't played most of them, but I can vouch for the PCE and SMS versions. C64 and Amiga versions also seem good. This video gives a brief overview of each one:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b92idpWmYlk

Yes, I removed Chrono Trigger, because I do dislike the game a fair bit. I am just being playful though, of course it's your list, and should be based on your experiences.

That was a really nicely done video on R-Type, and I see there are more similar ones on the account so I've subbed, thanks. According to his opinion the answer to my question is there are a couple of bad ones - for the Amstrad and Atari ST. We picked up the ST over the Amiga back in the day, and bad ports seem to be fairly common, so that didn't surprise me. I was pretty impressed with the look of the Speccy conversion though, which was my first system. The PCE Complete CD is my go to version, and I must admit, I am always let down on others when I don't hear 'R-R-R-R-Type' in the background.

🧀Son of Suzy Creamcheese🧀 - whilst I wouldn't expect you to write a book on it (I would be the one who actually read it - haha), perhaps you could go into a bit more of what aspects of Splatoon 2 you like, since it is your favourite. e.g. Why do you prefer it over 1, do you enjoy single player or multiplayer the most? What are your mode preferences? 

[ommadawnyawn2]

Hey I'm listening if you have a rant about it. Might wanna do it in another thread though.

That guy used to run the segagagadomain site about Sega Saturn if I'm not mistaken, it's a good channel. I don't think I've ever seen an ST or Spectrum irl to be honest, was a little before my time but I did play the Amiga a bunch (as well as a little bit of C64) at a relative's house. That was the biggest one over here in Sweden besides IBM PC, which took over after Doom.

[Deleted]

Dec 1, 2020 4:43:10 GMT -5 ommadawnyawn2 said:

Hey I'm listening if you have a rant about it. Might wanna do it in another thread though.

That guy used to run the segagagadomain site about Sega Saturn if I'm not mistaken, it's a good channel. I don't think I've ever seen an ST or Spectrum irl to be honest, was a little before my time but I did play the Amiga a bunch (as well as a little bit of C64) at a relative's house. That was the biggest one over here in Sweden besides IBM PC, which took over after Doom.

Ah, the Spetrum was before my time also (I am really not all that old), came out before I was born. My Dad used to develop for it on the side and I was the youngest born so had access to some older systems. I don't remember the Commodore 64 at all from when I was young, and didn't hear of it until the internet age, so I guess it didn't enjoy much success here.

But you're right, I am getting off topic a little. As far as these old home computers go I don't think we had the best games and so I don't consider them when thinking about my all time favourites.