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HM. Resident Evil

(PS1) Capcom [1996]

Back when people were still fully in awe at the wave of 3D graphics sweeping over gaming, Capcom released this little number. It had voice acting, pre-rendered cutscenes, advanced graphical effects, the works. In addition to all these things, it was many people's (myself included) first exposure to the "survival horror" genre. While games existed before Resident Evil which were like it, it's usually credited for giving the genre its biggest boom of exposure. Back in 1996, I was only 8 years old. I played it around when it came out and it scared the bajeesus out of me.

Although the controls are awkward, the inventory management is a pain and the hokey voice acting occasionally subtracted a bit from the experience (though retroactively added a lot of humor), it was still amazing to play and the first time I'd been genuinely terrified playing a video game (okay, that's a lie, Shadowgate was, but this was the second). The remake of the game managed to prove despite the obvious aging that the general concept was still a great one, as well. Although the remake is very obviously a superior game, I'd like to credit both of them for their accomplishments. They really made a big step toward video games being taken more seriously.

Moment

The beginning of this game is probably the most tense I've ever been playing a video game in my entire life. As an adult, I can go back to the game and breeze through it without flinching. As a child, however, it made me afraid there was an secret mansion (I lived in a very hilly area) somewhere nearby, where zombies might have recently got loose. This particular scene happens right at the beginning of the game and gave me nightmares for weeks.


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58. Doom II

(PC) iD Software [1994]

You know, as much as I love Doom, I love the sequel more. While the original was definitely the more historically important game that did a lot more for gaming, the sequel was just so much more fun for me. You can argue as much as you want that Doom did more with what it had and deserves more credit for coming first - that it left a greater impression on anyone who bothered playing it first - but that doesn't change the most important factor for me, which is that I just enjoyed Doom II more.

It made some obvious improvements over its predecessor by adding in a new weapon and quite a few new enemies. While the graphics were almost identical, and the way the game played didn't really have any core changes to it, these minor additions managed to make it so much more impressive. The super shotgun added a surprisingly large amount of strategy on how to handle situations with tough enemies when you were low on ammo for your better weapons, and the new enemies made for so many new, exciting situations. Just these few additions left room for such a great deal of variety to be added to a very solid core that it just added up to a much more engaging experience.

Many of the new levels were larger and more interestingly designed than the ones from the original, as well. While they lacked the impressive consistency that the original Doom had (some of them were admittedly pretty weakly made), the better levels were good enough to blow the socks off of some of the coolest levels you had seen before this. The added challenge and variety, although rather basic improvements, really managed to forge the superior playing experience for me. I'll always love Doom, but I'll always love Doom II more.

Weapon
The super shotgun is arguably my favorite thing about Doom II. As previously mentioned, it added some more strategy to the game, but the really important thing about it is that it was just straight-up badass. A good shotgun makes you feel powerful, and the super shotgun has honestly yet to be surpassed by any other in gun in gaming, to me. The reload animation is smooth and pretty, the sound effect is loud and forceful and the damage done is significant. It's everything you want in a weapon, and it's an awesome room-clearer.


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57. Gradius III

(SNES) Konami [1991]

Gradius, truly a classic series! While it only happens to get two games worth of loving on this list, it's definitely one of the best series I've played in terms of consistency. Many of the Gradius games and spin-offs might not quite make this list of my favorites, but most of them are worthy of praise for their high quality and for contributing to one of the most influential shmup series of all time.

Gradius III for the SNES (not to be confused with its arcade version, which I find to be a bit too unforgiving and not as well designed) is one of my favorite games out there for being, in my opinion, the most stellar example of what it means to be "Gradius." The levels have seriously excellent design, the mechanics are as good as it gets and the music sports that vibrant, unique feel that only the Gradius games tend to have.

While there is one other game in the series I consider better, Gradius III is definitely the first I would recommend to people getting into the series or shmups, in general. Everything about the game is so well done that I feel it's one of the best examples of the genre out there and one of the most accessible for newer players to give a try to. Heck, if you haven't played a Gradius game, you're just not a true fan of classic gaming. It's as much a staple as Castlevania, Mario or Mega Man.

Secret

So, once you've unlocked the secret code for Gradius III to play the hidden, toughest "arcade" difficulty and beaten it, you get this message: "I'M GIVE UP YOUR APPELLATION'S TECHNICAL MONKEY." This bizarre, engrishy form of congratulations is something often fondly spoken about by Gradius fans and has a really silly ring to it. It's probably the most memorable part of the game to me thanks both in part to its ridiculousness and the fact I got it after completing the arcade difficulty without losing a single life - a feat I'm rather proud of.


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56. Halo: Reach

(360) Bungie Studios [2010]

Before Halo Reach's release, I briefly partook in the beta and found myself utterly disgusted by some of the things they were doing to the competitive aspect of the game. Blooming reticules for the skill-intensive weapons? Equipment loadouts you select before spawning? This was beginning to sound like as much casual pandering as Modern Warfare 2. After only playing a couple of games, I decided to hang it up and quit playing. I told myself I wasn't going to buy it when it came out, and was instead going to wait until was cheap.

The hype of it being the last Halo game made by Bungie got to me, however, and I ended up not only pre-ordering a copy, but pre-ordering the most expensive edition of the game. As soon as it got here, I jumped right in and discovered much, much more than what I was expecting. Everything about the game managed to exceed the previous entry in the series and then some. Even the single-player campaign was more robust, especially with a segment that played like it was straight out of a Wing Commander game.

Although there will still changes that I disliked, what's more important to the multiplayer was the balancing it received aside from those. The assault rifle was rarely made the starting weapon, the pistol was powered up enough to compete with the assult rifle, melee attacks were toned down a bit and the DMR was better than any of them in the hands of a skilled player. This made it play more like Halo traditionally was meant to be played, with every player given an equally powerful, skill-intensive starting weapon (and making them fight for control of better areas and power weapons).

It still has some balancing issues keeping it under the refinement of the competitive nature found in either the first or second game, but given its diverse amount of incredible features as well as the best netcode Halo had ever seen, it proved to be an incredibly fun online multiplayer experience. The new ranking system also provides good incentive to come back to the game by rewarding players who complete full games and daily/weekly challenges with credits for cosmetic upgrades. My biggest problem is that the maps aren't very good, but we'll hopefully see that rectified with the DLC and forging experts.

Game Mode

My favorite part of Halo: Reach is the new game mode it introduced called "Invasion." It's a gametype that pits Spartans versus Elites, with one team trying to force their way through the other's base. While some Invasion games are as short as 8 minutes, others can last up to 24 minutes with each side getting incrementally more powerful with better weapons and vehicles at their disposal. While it's admittedly a somewhat unbalanced mode, it's honestly my favorite thing about the game. It's just too much fun.


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55. Jackal

(NES) Konami [1988]

Konami seriously ruled the NES, and Jackal is one of the big reasons why. While the arcade game was nothing to write home about, the home console version, much like both of the Contra games for the NES, truly managed to exceed its original. Few times are home console ports actually as good as their arcade counterparts, and even fewer times are those ports even better than the originals. I don't know what magic Konami had working on their NES games, but they were truly masters of developing great games for that console.

When I was younger, I played Jackal for the first time at my Uncle's house, back when he was still into gaming. It was probably my favorite game that he owned and I didn't, and I really took to it, quickly. Like most great Konami games from that area, it was challenging, but easy to jump right into. I played it both with and without him and had a great deal of fun, and he eventually happened to give me the game. I've kept that copy to this day, and I still remember the time he warned me about a building ordinarily meant to give you a power-up instead having a tank roll out of it - what a neat trick that was, and I felt so cool knowing about it in advance.

There's really nothing deep or profound about Jackal, even for an NES game. Not a single thing is wrong with that, however... There's something really satisfying about a game that nails simplicity as well as Jackal does. For the most part, you just get in your jeep, drive around and blow crap up. Do you really need anything more than that? There's really no other game out there quite like Jackal (although there are quite a few with passing similarities), and I can't figure out why, because it rules.

Boss

That hidden tank I mentioned just briefly ago was a pretty good moment where I got "punked," as a kid, but the final boss one-up's that jerk by a mile. After getting through the game's most difficult stage, you begin fighting what you believe to be the final boss - a gigantic building armed to the teeth with dozens of tanks showing up as back-up. Right when you blow that building up, you think it's over for a few seconds, then a tremendous and very difficult tank pops up just to ruin your day. Hope you saved your extra lives, because this S.O.B. isn't going to make beating the game easy for you.


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54. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

(GBA) Konami [2003]

As big a fan of the Castlevania series that I am, it's been a pretty big gap in the list since the last Castlevania game, eh? Circle of the Moon was the first GBA game trying to copy what made Symphony of the Night so good. While it was a pretty noble effort, it only ended up being a pretty good game, rather than anything more than that. Some of the mechanics were a bit poor, and it just didn't have that level of refinement that SotN did. Harmony of Dissonance, ont he other hand, came after CotM and copied SotN just a bit too much. While I thought it was a great game, it was a bit too derivative.

Aria of Sorrow, the final of the three GBA Castlevanias, finally managed to get things just right. Rather than poorly copying what made SotN great or copying it a little too closely, it took just the right amount of inspiration, while also building upon that greatness with plenty of new material and an interesting new setting. A fresh new cast was an introduced with a pretty exciting storyline and it was a real significant moment in the Castlevania franchise.

It introduced the soul system, simplified traveling the map, added weapon forging and included a lot of generally innovative strides for the series. It also really pushed the GBA much further than the two previous titles did, giving us some of the most appealing graphics the little bugger ever produced. It was really just about everything that SotN fans had been looking forward to in a new Castlevania game, since, well, SotN. In my opinion, the refinement of the formula proved Aria of Sorrow to be the much better game than Symphony of the Night and proved that the developers truly, finally understood what made the exploratory Castlevania games fun and addictive.

Character

Julius Belmont! The first and only cowboy-esque Belmont also just so happens to be one of my favorite members from his impressive lineage. While he doesn't happen to be the protagonist of the game, he plays a pretty important role in the story and the events that led up to it. He's got an awesome design and was popular enough to receive his own mode in the game where you actually get to play as him, which was nearly as fun as the main game.


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53. Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (Thunder Force IV)

(Genesis) Technosoft [1992]

The last Genesis game on this list dips just slightly below the halfway margin. My newfound appreciation for the console did end up adding some more titles to the list, but of all the ones I played, this one impressed me the most. The Thunder Force series is pretty solid all-around, but I felt that that IV had the strongest overall compisition by a wide margin. It doesn't have the soundtrack of V or the accessibility of III, but its difficulty is the most enticing, its graphics the most impressive, its length the greatest and its design the best.

For them to have packed a game this meaty onto a single Genesis cartridge all the way back in 1992 is absolutely nothing short of astounding. It's easily one of the best-looking and sounding games on the console, even when competing it against the most big budgeted releases toward the end of the console's life cycle. It holds up very well today as a serious accomplishment in terms of 2D gaming. No matter how many years pass by, this game will still have a strong aesthetic feel to it and the music will still be great. It's really timeless.

Its incredibly solid level design and great game mechanics perfectly compliment the effort put into the looks and sounds, too. It's really a complete package. The only thing Thunder Force IV lacks when put up against the more memorable shmup series (such as Gradius or R-Type) is that its looks aren't entirely distinctive. As polished as the game is, many Thunder Force stages look as though they could arguably belong to any game, while you can look at an R-Type or Gradius stage and generally tell what game it came from rather quickly.

Despite the slightly "generic" feel, though, the game has more than enough elbow grease put into it to make it one of the most genuinely enjoyable and well-designed shmups that I've ever played. From beginning to end, the game is one hell of a ride that really tests some of your core shooter skills, and it never falters from its high quality.

Boss

Man, if there's one thing that I think I've made obvious so far on this list, I think it's that I've got the hots for awesome final bosses. While the actual boss isn't that difficult to beat, provided you've gotten past his last major lackey with your weapons intact, he's incredibly cool to fight. His size is tremendous and the music that plays while fighting him is really awesome. Once you finally take him down, it's very satisfying - he's a great way to end the game.


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HM. Mischief Makers

(N64) Treasure [1997]

I've never considered myself the biggest fan of Treasure, really (yes, that means that since last time, I haven't had a turn-around, you're still not going to find Ikaruga or Gunstar Heroes on this list!). A lot of their titles have an interesting charm or quirkiness to them, but I often feel like the games either end up relying a little bit too much on Treasure's particular brand of strangeness to stay afloat or just aren't all I feel they're cracked up to be. Mischief Makers is a Treasure game that happens to break that mold for me.

The bizarre humor and strange mechanics collide really well with the game's style and form a unique, memorable experience that I enjoyed greatly in Middle School and still enjoy just as much today. While there are plenty of action-platformers out there, Mischief Makers really stands in a category of its own. It sets itself apart in many ways, and really comes across more unique than most other 2D games from the time period.

The difficulty in the game is particularly well-designed, too - it's accessible enough to any novice out there, but getting the highest rankings require utter perfection and tons of practice. It's as hard or as easy as you'll allow it to be. Playing it the easy way is going to gip you out of the full ending, though, which definitely upset me when I was younger. I just wasn't good enough to quite make the cut. By the time I had finally gotten near unlocking all of the true ending, the friend I had borrowed the game from wanted it back. I've since gone back and finished it, of course!

Character

Marina Liteyears, the Ultra-Intergalactic-Cybot G! Part of what gave this game so much charm was the cute protagonist. She has a fanservicey air to her - being a green-haired, maid-esque robot - but it's done in a tasteful enough way that I feel uncomfortable describing her as a "fanservice" character. She's a really tough gal with a strong sense of justice and a kind heart. That's not exactly the most original personality ever, but her design is unique enough and her personality strong enough to make her a standout part of the game to me and many other fans.


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52. Wild ARMS 2

(PS1) Media.Vision [2000]

There's something that's just innately charming to me about mixing science-fiction with a wild-west setting. Normally, western settings tend to bore me a bit, but when you throw patches of high-technology and out-of-this-world themes in, things become so much more interesting than either setting on its own. Wild ARMS is a series that's quite renown for its mixture of the two themes, and there's no doubt that my attraction to it has to do with that.

While I've also played the first and third games, the second one easily takes the cake for me in terms of which I consider to be the best of them. I found the first game a little too dull and the third game a little too silly, but the second manages to keep just the right air of seriousness without making the game's atmosphere feel stale. Although it suffers from a somewhat notoriously lackluster localization, the job is still done well enough to convey most of what the story was meant to get across.

The puzzles in the game are what helps set it apart from other jRPGs. You're able to control each member of your party outside of combat, and as the game progresses, they each get new tools capable of helping you solve more advanced puzzles. This makes each new dungeon feel fresh and exciting beyond just having new monsters for the random battles and a boss fight or two. The combat system isn't necessarily anything to write home about, but it's solid enough to not weigh down the game's excellent atmosphere and fun dungeons.

Wild ARMS 2 also features the most interesting cast of any Wild ARMS game, and is really what makes it one of my favorite games. They all have great visual designs, colorful backgrounds and unique personalities. Although the localization slightly impedes how well-written they are, they're still all great characters you feel a strong attachment to.

Moment

Wild ARMS 2 was a game that happened to be split up onto two discs. The first disc ends leaving you on a pretty severe cliffhanger, so as soon as you finish it, you save the game and pop the next disc in to see what happens. Before resuming the actual game, however, you're treated to an animated cutscene. Although the first disc had its own awesome opening, the one on the second disc is really just that much better - the music is great, the animation is excellent and the overall mood conveyed is very invigorating. It gets you quite excited to resume your adventure and is worth watching every time you load the game.


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51. Wolfenstein

(360) Raven Software [2009]

I wasn't too impressed with Return to Castle Wolfenstein, so despite being a fan of Wolfenstein 3D from a very young age, I didn't get very excited when this "next-gen" sequel was announced. After it had been out a few months, however, I decided, on a whim, to download and try out the game's demo. In the short time it took me to finish the demo, I was already dead set on having to purchase the game. The demo really blew my expectations out of the water, and I was absolutely certain I was going to love the full product.

I found a pretty cheap copy on eBay, bought it and waited for it to arrive, then played it to completion, lickity-split. I liked it so much that despite encountering a bug that caused my save file to corrupt shortly before the end of the game, I restarted and finished it immediately. It was one of the most solid FPS's I had played in years, and I was absolutely astounded that I had not heard of its high quality before impulse buying it after the demo.

It takes elements of modern FPS (such as regenerating health, upgradable weapons, iron-sight aiming, etc.) and combines them with some of my favorite elements of older FPS (carrying your entire arsenal at once, a kitschy atmosphere, tougher enemies, crazy guns) in such a great way. You still have the slightly realistic, visceral feeling of something like Call of Duty, but you also get the ridiculously fun, outlandish feel of something like the old Doom games.

No time in the game is spent being politically correct, and Nazis are unsympathetic, tyrannical bad guys experimenting in the dark arts, while you're this tough, charming American there to bust some skulls and help out the German resistance. It's clear-cut "good guys versus bad guys," which is something I found out I've been missing from older games for a long time. You honestly just kick some ass through pretty much every bit of the game, just like how God intended. *spits out some chewing tobacco*

Weapon

Out of all the cool guns this game had (if they weren't awesome when you picked them up, they sure as hell were when they had been upgraded), the Tesla Gun is easily my favorite among them. Holding down the fire button makes a little generator in the gun start spinning, then holding it down long enough makes electric bolts fly out and connect to any enemy in the immediate area, often creating several bolts at once. Enemies affected long enough pop and sizzle as their life is snuffed out (flying back if they're shocked sufficiently), then their corpses sometimes continue animating for a few seconds before they go limp. It's a sinister weapon, but man, it's darn fun.


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50. Contra: Shattered Soldier

(PS2) Konami [2002]

After having to deal with two insufferable pieces of garbage during the PS1 era, Contra fans were finally treated to another traditional Contra game when the PS2 rolled itself around. Featuring 2D sidescrolling levels we were all familiar with, Shattered Soldier was a return to form that many eagerly anticipated, and the game was generally pretty well-received among fans for its high level of challenge and bringing the Contra name back up to its old standards. I wasn't actually fan until relatively recently, though.

The difficulty level proved to initially be too high for me, and the overall gritty tone applied to the series wasn't something I found myself liking all that much. Having come back to it in the last couple years and really played the hell out of it, though, I've found myself appreciating both of those aspects of the game a great deal. The difficulty level is much like R-Type's in that it requires you to memorize a bit before you can truly ace it, and the gritty overtone is something I now welcome, given it was a nice change for the series.

Although the game only gives you three weapons (technically six, given each of the default three have charge attacks that perform quite uniquely from each other), this helps to add to the game's extremely strong design by keeping the mechanics simple enough to achieve a high level of balance. Sure, you can't get the spread gun and tear your way through the game anymore, but the slower pacing combined with the multiple weapons allows the game to have quite a variety of interesting encounters and spectacular boss fights without the expense of it being "too easy" or "too unfair."

Shattered Soldier is definitely a tough game, but it's among the fairest Contra games in terms of its difficulty. When you lose, it's your fault, and you know it - and this is perhaps why the game burned me so hard when I was younger, I just couldn't handle it. Playing it now, though, I can appreciate its extremely well-designed stages and difficulty. It's also a beautiful game that still stands against the tides of time, with some of the best artistic direction the Contra series have ever seen and one of its best soundtracks.

Level

The highlight of this game, for me, is easily the second level. The music is astounding (the bit that plays while you're fighting against the train is wonderful), the action is furious and the actual design is pure Contra. From the opening bit against the battleship that turns into an airship, to the end boss paying homage to the train boss from Contra: Hard Corps, the level is almost utter gaming perfection.


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49. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

(PS3) Naughty Dog [2007]

Hearing that this game was like Tomb Raider, I had absolutely zero interest in it to begin with. Being urged still to play the demo despite that, I continued to find my interest in the game to be next-to-nothing. Generally, when I watch a video or two for a game, I've got a pretty accurate idea of whether or not I'm going to like it. When I play the demo, I'm almost certain I know how much I'm going to enjoy it. Uncharted is just one of those games that was determined to eventually prove me wrong.

A friend offered to give me the game, and I'm quite glad that he did. After playing it for just an hour or two, I had already become attached to the characters, intrigued by the plot and charmed by the fast-paced combat and well-designed platforming. The demo had painted the game as a poor man's Gears of War with some Tomb Raider-esque platforming by putting you haphazardly into the game without any sort of good introduction, then ending as quickly as it had started.

Playing the actual game, I discovered that the third-person shooting mechanics were genuinely unique from Gears of War and played at an entirely different pacing. Enemies were smarter and would frequently flank you, and single headshots were enough to kill most enemies, making the game force you to act quickly or get quickly overwhelmed. Getting headshots while moving from one safe spot to the next made the game fun, exciting and skill-intensive, whereas Gears feels much more plodding and based on patience. Being sick of most cover shooters, Uncharted was a huge breath of fresh air in how it worked.

In addition to the game's solid shooting mechanics, it also had beautiful scenery to accomodate tight platforming, a very interesting, Indiana Jones-esque story and an extremely likable cast of characters. It was rich in nearly every facet and as interesting an interactive movie as it was a fantastic video game. It's honestly like Tomb Raider only in theme, not in execution, and stands strong on its own without comparing it to inferior games you've played before.

Character

Although Nathan Drake is truly one of my favorite characters to ever be in a video game, his partner, Victor "Goddamn" Sullivan, was so darn funny I couldn't help but have him as the game's highlight. He's a bit of a typical womanizer, but his charm and sense of humor go a long way in setting him apart from trashy, stereotypical characters of a similar build. Uncharted, in general, is a very well-written game, and the writing quality that went into each of the characters, Sully especially, is just superb.


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48. Halo: Combat Evolved

(Xbox) Bungie Studios [2001]

Good ol' Halo: CE, what a fine game you are. Although, back when the Xbox first came out, I was one of the many people out there decrying Microsoft for stepping into the home console gaming business. Microsoft has always had a reputation as being money-hungry, overly corporate bastards, which made my (and thousands of othters') concerns about them stepping into the home gaming console business pretty valid. Things had been fine up until now, why change things and have them barge onto the scene?

One of my friends got an Xbox anyway, though, and ended up picking up Halo for it. He'd constantly talk about how great it was, and I refused to believe him. That is, of course, until I decided to actually play the game for myself. Being a fan of games like Goldeneye, at the time, Halo was something that instantly enamoured me from the moment I began to play it. From the elegant controls to the stunning graphics, my cold heart toward this giant black brick of a gaming console began to melt away pretty quickly.

Halo's co-operative campaign (2-player story mode on a console FPS was something pretty big for me, at the time) managed to impress me greatly. The sci-fi story was very appealing, in addition to the variety of weapons and enemies you fought all across it. Although it was a tad repetitive, it controlled so smoothly and played so elegantly that I loved every minute of it I played on every difficulty, with or without friends. It had a rich universe that really came to life when you dug into it, and was more visceral than any other console FPS of its time.

While I would have loved Halo for its single-player, alone, the multiplayer was the real draw for me. It had a "medium" pacing to it, setting it apart from the fast-paced fragfests like Unreal or Quake, and and slow-paced, tactical shooters like the Tom Clancy games. It also had a powerful starting weapon with other weapons on each map, making confrontations forced and unavoidable, which prevented "camping." I could go on forever about how great Halo's mechanics were, but let's just leave it at having been a total blast to play any time I sat down with it, both with friends and strangers.

Map

My favorite multiplayer map in the game was Hang 'em High, and if you asked me why, I really don't think I could properly tell you. Something about the aesthetic, size and shape and weapon/power-up placement on the map all just sat well with me, and it ended up being one of my most played maps because of it.


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47. Mega Man Legends

(PS1) Capcom [1998]

I was as into Mega Man as I had ever been when Mega Man Legends (Mega Man Neo, at the time) was announced, and despite the fact it looked almost nothing like any other Mega Man game out there, I was still very, very interested in it. In my more child-like mind, I equated the phrase "Mega Man" with "good," and "knew" that no matter how different it was, it was still going to be fun. Similar intuitions have since led me to disaster, especially with other Mega Man games, but Legends, itself, certainly didn't disappoint.

Although I initially went into it wondering when it was going to start becoming relevant to the other Mega Man games, those thoughts eventually dissipated as my appreciation for its new, unique flavor quickly built up. Unlike the other games in the series, Legends wasn't a sidescrolling action-platformer, but rather a 3D game focusing more on exploration and an all new type of combat. Although the art style was vaguely similar, it was all its own game in its own universe apart from anything else.

The dungeon exploration, charming characters and colorful universe quickly hooked me, and I was playing it long stretches for days until I finally managed to beat it. While there's not a great deal of challenge to the game, it more than makes up for that with all the upgrades they are to find and buy, as well as all of the sidequests there are to do. There's a truly robust amount of content to the game, despite having a somewhat short main story, and it kept me coming back for more until I had done everything. While, today, I'm a bit of a completionist, this really spoke volumes to my more easily distracted, younger self.

Mega Man Legends was one of a decent number of games for the PS1 that had a very strong spirit to it, not weighed down by the coming onslaught of gritty realism taking over the mainstream. The world was vibrantly painted with bright colors and equally colorful characters, and it's something that you really just don't see anymore in games - which explains its cult fanbase and lasting appeal many years after launch.

Despite coming out in a time when 3D graphics were very rough around the edges and voice acting was a thing new to gaming, Legends still manages to stand out, even today, as a perfect example of outstanding aesthetic design and quality voice work in a video game. Its gameplay has also yet to truly be properly replicated by any other series, making it unique and appealing for reasons beyond its charm over a decade after its release.

Character

My favorite part about Mega Man Legends was its anti-hero, Tron Bonne. She served as an antagonist for most of the game, and despite the fact that she was harassing innocent people, she had this strong charm to her that made her undeniably likable. Like any antagonist that gets too likable, she ends up helping the hero before the end of the story and showing some more compassionate, sympathetic colors, but she's still one tough cookie.

Tron's bossy, vivacious personality and mix of heroic and villainous qualities made her a memorable character. In fact, she was popular enough to receive her own game, a major part in the sequel and tons of references in future games developed by Capcom. She's a fan favorite for numerous reasons, and, I'll mention it once again, my favorite game character.


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HM. Okami

(PS2) Capcom [2006]

I hate to start an entry on a game I enjoyed so much with some negativity, but I feel the urge to immediately get off my chest that even though I adored Okami, it tried to do too darn much. Dragging on for 60+ hours if you're one to bother with doing all the subquests (and at least 2/3rds of that if you don't), it felt nearly like three games put in one. There were three distinct "arcs" to the game I felt could have just as easily been three full games should they have chosen to focus on each arc with a litle more dedication. The game being overly ambitious is honestly what drug it down.

Despite being weighed down from having tried too hard, however, it was still great, and worthy of at least a mention on this list if not a numbered part of it. The game's strong aesthetic quality never wore thin over the game's tremendous length, neither did its great music, imaginative plot, interesting dialogue (annoying chirp sounds used to convey that dialogue set aside, of course) or fun brush-techniques.

It never really sagged to any lows, either. It was consistently good from start to finish and the only thing making the end feel a bit weaker than the start was the fact that I'd been worn down a little too much. It should go without saying that appearing on here makes it one of my favorite games, but I feel like it could have been a bit better. Despite Clover's departure from Capcom, I've had high hopes that Okamiden had learned from Okami and will be a game of the same level of competence (spoilers: it was bad).

Boss

Despite the fact you're forced to fight this boss three friggin times during the game, the first time you fought him was just too cool! Seriously, alcohol as a weapon? It was both tongue-in-cheek and badass at the same time, and it proved to be a very memorable fight. It was a tough vie between Issun as a highlight character or Orochi as a highlight boss, but I ended up opting for this on the grounds that, despite the fact it was really repetitive the two latter times, it can't belittle the initial surprise of how cool it was the first time.


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46. Metal Gear Solid

(PS1) Konami [1998]

Metal Gear Solid is -the- game that made the Playstation what it is today. While I still have personal favorites from the PS1 ranked higher on this list, MGS was the definitive PS1 experience and a real product of its time. From its high-quality voice acting, to its gorgeous graphical quality and then to its deep and interesting plot, it really set the bar high for everyone else and began serious evolution within the medium.

At the young age I played the game, it really managed to draw me completely in. I played for hours upon hours, easily completing the game well over a dozen times and doing everything there possibly was to do, aside from a couple of hidden pictures of developers you could find with the digital camera. By the time I had stopped playing, I was able to recite every line from the game while playing it without looking at the subtitles.

In retrospect, a lot of MGS's quality is derived from the time it came out, but it still holds up surprisingly well, today. Its Gamecube remake fails to truly recapture its charm, despite updating the graphics and voice acting, proving the substance there was in the original game pushing its restraints to the limit. Sure, the old character models nod their heads to show speaking rather than actually having mouths to open, but it does nothing to degrade the experience.

The significance that Metal Gear Solid held to the gaming community and the evolution of gaming is almost indisputable, and it definitely helped shape my taste as a young gamer. I laughed and cried like I would at any great movie, and I was involved with the game in a way that a movie could never allow. It was a defining moment, for me, in deciding what my favorite entertainment medium was.

Music

Segments of this song are played throughout the game, including during the opening, but it's finally played in full when you complete the game. I've never known what the song is actually about (although I'm fairly certain it is sung in Irish), but it's always struck an emotional chord with me.


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45. Shadowrun

(360) FASA Interactive [2007]

Alright, first things first, I don't care about the old pen & paper Shadowrun or the old video games even one bit. I'm well aware this game may offend a lot of old fans of that series by doing it no justice, but in addition to not being a fan of the series, I think it's unfair to dismiss this game solely on account of it using a name it doesn't deserve. I'll sympathize with the injustice it does, but that's no reason to dismiss its quality.

Shadowrun is the finest competitive multiplayer FPS I have ever had the pleasure to play. While the game may lack in content and not boast impressive graphics, it's so painstakingly well-balanced that it provides an absolutely excellent competitive experience. What makes its balance so impressive is that the game has so many ways to play it. There are four races to play as, as well as around a dozen different weapons and abilities.

The variety invites you to believe there are only a few "correct" ways to play the game, but it couldn't be further from the truth. There are dozens of different builds that work incredibly well, and finding your favorite way to play is a fun and exciting experience. In the hundreds of hours I've played the game, I've come across many skilled players, but never have I seen someone using a combination of race, weapons and abilities in such a way that I would feel made the game unfair to the other players.

The game is skill-intensive, excruciatingly well-balanced and full of depth. Although it wasn't supported very well beyond release and didn't receive any DLC, it stands as the strongest "core" there's ever been to a competitive FPS. Add that to the fact that it's still got a decent, surprisingly friendly community, and there's no reason that a fan of the competitive FPS scene should have missed out on this one.

Ability

One of the abilities that makes this game so amazing is the one to resurrect a fallen teammate. While it locks up some of your mana pool (for lack of a more relatable term), it allows you to bring a dead teammate back to life. However, his life is now tied to yours, making him die shortly after you do if no one else can resurrect him or cast a tree of life near him. Given that rounds are won by eliminating all other players or capturing an item, an extra hand on your team can really shift the balance in your favor.


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44. R-Type: Delta

(PS1) Irem [1999]

Back when the PS1 came out, 3D graphics were all the rage, and even traditional series like R-Type couldn't resist the temptation to make a game in 3D. Several 3D shmups were released around this time, many of them (such as Thunder Force V, Einhander, G-Darius and RayStorm) were quite good, but their graphics betrayed their gameplay and sometimes made them into a bit of a confusing mess. Bullets would more easily, indistinguishably mesh into the background, clunky shrapnel would spread when something exploded, the camera would often take a confusing angle, enemies would move from the foreground to the background with their actual hitbox being hard to understand...

I can't say that R-Type Delta was exempt to some of these flaws, as outsanding as it is. Early 3D had this way of just not working entirely well with a 2D plane, and some of these flaws did hit Delta a bit. It's not at all that Delta is a bad-looking game - for its time, its 3D was superb - it's just that a 2D game happens to play better when the visuals more easily compliment the playing field. At first, the difficult-to-discern hitboxes and enemies moving in and out of the plane you were interacting with made me think that Delta wasn't really that great a game.

The more I played Delta, though, the more I began to truly appreciate how fantastic the mechanics were. Everything began to become more and more familiar as I continued to play it. I eventually surpassed the learning curve, coming over that difficult hump to land one of the smoothest-playing shooters out there. Most of the R-Type games have superb design, but R-Type Delta's, after coming over its slightly confusing visuals, easily has the best among them.

In addition to being the most mechanically superior R-Type, it also happens to have some of the best music and strongest atmosphere you'll see in the series. Some of my favorite shmups invite the player to have a slight role-playing experience with their game, and the R-Type series does an excellent job of making you feel like the last hope for humanity's survival against a true evil. R-Type's oppressive atmosphere really brings out some of the true feelings in a shooter, to me, which are overcoming insurmountable odds to prove your integrity. Metaphorically representing a shooter's intense challenge with an atmosphere as crushing as R-Type's is something I very strongly admire.


Level

Easily one of the most chilling stages in any video game I have ever played. The music track played in it is absolutely excellent and probably my favorite piece of VG music, period. It's hard to explain what makes it so great, so just watch the video - or, better yet, play the game.


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43. Wild Guns

(SNES) Natsume [1995]

As mentioned in Wild ARMS 2's entry, I'm a pretty big fan of Sci-Fi Westerns. And, again, it's the setting for this game that adds so much of its charm, for me. To quote the Happy Video Gamer Nerd, "What's cooler than cowboys and Indians? Cowboys and robots, that's what!" The simple pleasure of playing as a rugged cowboy mercenary (Named Clint, likely after Clint Eastwood) or dainty-on-the-outside, badass-on-the-inside southern belle (Named Annie, likely after Annie Oakley), gunning down huge robots is something that's just hard to match.

The game is presented in a fixed third-person view, with your character only able to move left and right, like Cabal or Blood Brothers. Each level is broken up into several screens you stay on until the timer counts down, defending yourself against hordes of enemies until you can reach the final screen, where the boss waits. In addition to having double jumping and rolling to get out of a tight spot, you can shoot enemy bullets before they reach you. Doing so fills up a meter for a special attack that makes you invincible, rewarding you for playing the game dangerously and making it exciting for people who have mastered the game to come back to.

Wild Guns may be short, but its small size is utterly packed to the brim with nonstop entertainment. Far ahead of its time, every stage in Wild Guns is bursting with detailed, destructable environments. Windows shatter, tables explode, signs go crooked, etc. A battlefield will go from looking entirely pleasant to an utter mess once you've made your way through, blasting away each enemy that's showed up.

Everything controls well and each boss fight is an awesome, unique experience. The music is among the best the SNES has to offer (and sounds distinctly of the system), and the game simply just has an indomitably strong spirit. Even spending an hour or two on it is hard to forget with how remarkably well its components have been polished. Sure, it's a bit easy, but you don't necessarily need to be challenged to just have a great time.

Music

Aw, man, this boss theme totally rocks! As I said, Wild Guns' soundtrack is very distinctly "SNES," and this is easily the most exemplary song of the lot. It's fast, frantic and gets you darn in the mood for a good boss fight, which the game definitely has no shortage of.


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42. Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright - Trials and Tribulations

(DS) Capcom [2007]

It's not that I'm not a fan of the premise of slower, more thoughtful games... It's just that they tend to bore me or be wrought with mechanics that exist as frustrating fluff to pace the game's writing. For example, I loved Monkey Island's characters and humor, but, as a game, I hated it. Everything felt like a bloody chore. Rather than feel rewarded by clever solutions to puzzles, I simply lamented knowing that another tedious, trial-and-error puzzle was awaiting me next.

Ace Attorney is a series that completely threw my expectations about these types of adventure games out the window. It had the charming characters and writing, but the puzzles also had logical, clever conclusions. The pacing for the game was also excellent, rarely letting a difficult spot overstay its welcome and keeping a steady flow of new characters, plot revelations and witty banter.

This particular installment in the series was easily one of the most intriguing. It takes a darker tone than its two predecessors, but still manages to retain the lighthearted charm you've come to adore from the series. You feel more concerned for the characters than you ever have before, and at several points in the plot you're as concerned for their lives as you would be a friend or loved one who had just run into some trouble.

It's a truly gripping game that's hard to put down, and it's a stunning end to the trilogy of games starring Phoenix Wright as their protagonist. The last few moments of the game managed to easily move me to tears. I'll admit that I cry easily at things I find emotionally touching, but it's hard to dismiss the game's powerful climax.

Character

The character that happens to stand out the most to me in Trials and Tribulations is very easily Godot. He's one hell of a sarcastic bastard with an addiction to coffee unparalleled by any other human being, fictional or not. The Ace Attorney series is widely lauded for its strong characters, and Godot is honestly among the strongest. He's got more charisma and panache than nearly any other game character out there.


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41. God Hand

(PS2) Clover Studio (Capcom) [2006]

I genuinely wonder if there will ever be another game where it's as fun to just pummel the hell out of someone as it is in this one. God Hand is one of those games that you play to really feel like a badass and know you worked for your victories. It's definitely a challenging game, there's no doubt about that, but, more importantly, it's fair and it's rewarding. It retains an old-school spirit that the button-mashing brawlers of today (like God of War) have largely forgotten.

God Hand's mechanics are one of its strongest points, as it allows for a ridiculous amount of customization, but firmly keeps you inside the game's boundaries and prevents you from breaking it. While there are definitely better options to customize the protagonist as you advance the game, adding a little RPG-esque depth, there's no way to make it so you can just outright abuse things and remove the difficulty from the game. The game's balance is truly incredible considering the amount of variety you have in how you can choose to handle things.

Although the scenery in the game can become repetitive (and the baddies can repeat certain lines far too often), there's never a dull moment with the amazing boss battles and number of different enemies there are to fight. Mechanically, the game is just about everything you could ever want out of a solid brawler. Tough, but fair. Customizable, but balanced.

In addition to playing extraordinarily well, God Hand also has a startlingly funny sense of humor as well as a stellar cast of characters. It wouldn't have been nearly the cult hit it is considered today without its many outrageous moments or without characters like Gene and Olivia. It's full of self-parody and and carries itself with a great attitude, which not only makes you laugh out loud but also remember it fondly long after having played it.

Music

My favorite part of God Hand, and, honestly, the part that sums up the game most succinctly, is the song played during the credits. I thankfully got into God Hand long before it became some 4chan meme, meaning that when I managed to get to the credits, I honestly had no idea what to expect. This song is an instant reminder of all the fun I had playing the game and what made it so unique and enjoyable, and I'm glad that it was new to me when I had beaten the game.


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HM. X-Men Origins: Wolverine: Uncaged Edition

(360) Raven Software [2009]

Ha! You know, with how much of a good time I had with this game, I couldn't make this list without talking at least a little about it. Even though it may just be at an honorable mention position, it's no less worthy than the rest of this list for consideration of an impulse buy and a several hour romp. Sure, it copies God of War a bit, but it copies the good parts and leaves the bad ones in the dust. God of War is a fun game for its violence, but its marred down by being a boring button masher.

What makes Origins so fun is that it has loads of gratuitous violence and many, many ways to tear your enemies apart (as opposed to repeating the same combo a million times then hoping this new enemy has a quick-time event kill). For the first time in an X-Men game, Wolverine also actually feels like Wolverine. The game is a bit on the easy side, but it adds to making you feel as though Wolverine is this indestructible badass that you simply guide along his path of delicious carnage. Tearing someone asunder never gets old and despite being repetitive, the game throws enough variety at you to keep you entertained.

It's not the most original or most well put together game I've ever played, but it ranks highly up there among those I've had the most delight with. The entertainment is certainly a bit shallow, but there's nothing wrong with hitting that end of the pool once in a while. Games don't necessarily need depth to be enjoyable, and this one certainly doesn't.

Boss

Ever watched the old X-Men cartoon and see Wolverine tearing a Sentinel up, and go "Wow, that looks awesome!" Imagine that, now imagine it only ten times cooler, and you're in control of Wolverine while this is going on. In case it isn't obvious by now, I really like a good sense of scale in a boss fight. The bigger they are, the more awesome they are to wreck the shit out of. The fight with the sentinel in this game does not disappoint.

For many of us, here, games are not just a simple hobby. They are more than just escapist entertainment we indulge ourselves in from time to time, but rather a significant part of our life. Many here have, from early childhood into adulthood, spent time with the "video game," years of our lives easy to categorize into periods of which consoles were out and what we were playing, much like how our parents remember their lives by the music they were listening to, what movies were out and what was happening with their favorite sports team.

Our connection to games varies between each and every one of us, and no two of us enjoy a game in the exact same way that another does. This list I am presenting is a personal recollection of my favorite games, including some of my most cherished memories and experiences with my development alongside this hobby of mine I've never been able to let go of. I've been enamoured with video games ever since I have had the capacity to remember, and they've always been what I go back to when reduced to nothing else.

I'm not trying to place the value of games objectively above the value of anything a person deems important to themselves, but they are what I value. This list is a testament to my love for the video game hobby, one that I hope that others can relate to. It is deeply subjective, but that is the nature of all entertainment, but to be up to one's own perspective. It is in relating our perspective to others that we really grow as people, though, and those who game are, in at least the most vaguely related way, "my type of people."

I wrote this list for a number of reasons, but mostly because I want my admiration for gaming to be shared with other people, and for them to feel their own admiration swell up within themselves. I want people to feel inspired to share their own experiences and compare and contrast them to mine, then go on to further their own understanding of their taste. Knowing what one likes and dislikes is a core component of one's identity, and what better way to exercise your understanding of yourself than to analyze your more personal interests?

I make these lists of my favorite games because I want to look into myself and feel as though I can firmly understand what I like, but also because I want others to do the same. I want to inspire deeper interest in the hobby through sharing my own experiences, and I want more people to strengthen their own identity and tastes in the same way. My taste in entertainment is a significant part of my identity, and I feel like it tells a lot about who I am. Taste is a defining part of everyone, and understanding your taste is understanding yourself.

What you like should be something no one can rob from you, as it is part of who you are. When I fiercely debate with people over these subjective matters, I don't want to prove myself right so much as I want to prove to myself I know how I feel. Debate over taste makes me feel alive and makes me develop, and I respect anyone with a similar passion. I hope this list can inspire others to feel more confident about themselves and better understand their own tastes by seeing my passion laid bare.

Sure, it's an arrogant hope, and maybe a pretentious reason for writing so much, but I really poured my heart and soul into writing this, and I hope my sincerity and intensity for how I feel about the hobby is felt throughout it. If not games, then anything. Passion is what I want people to have for what they love, and I really hope that my writing has been, if nothing else, passionate.

I think my inspiration for writing and updating this list comes a lot from Rob Strangman's encouragment, enthusiasm and a top 100 list of his own that he posted on the OPCFG years back. For some reason, his drive for expressing his love for games really ratcheted up the drive for me to express my own, and I hope my list can inspire in at least one person the same kind of spark he helped ignite in me for helping understand my love of the hobby. While he's chosen to stay a virtual caveman and I've still maintained my faith in the upcoming developments of the industry, I feel like his dedication is an inspiration everyone should have.

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This might be the last time I do a list like this for a while, and this one took an immense toll on me to finish, especially given its tremendous length. Like my previous "top game list" iterations, I tried to write it in a way where you can either read it from start to finish, or just zoom in on your favorites and read those. How you read it is entirely up to you, but I really sincerely hope no one zooms in on number placement and then makes a big deal about how x is above/below y. My tastes, like all people's, shift and change over time, so this list will never, ever be definite.

I started this list before 2011 began, and because of that, I decided to include only games I had played from 2010 and before to be on the list. There are several entries I'd like to add, but if I got into doing that, I might never finish reorganizing and writing this damned thing. There are also 15 "honorable mentions" added in, this time, spaced out at certain intervals to provide "flavor" reading. They all count as un-numbered on the list, meaning they would end up somewhere below the 100 line should I have numbered them out. They're marked by a red "HM," so they're easy to pick out.

Included with this iteration, unlike the previous ones, is the addition of a "highlight" for a game that will reveal one of my favorite "things" about it (be it a song, level, boss, character, etc.). While each "main" entry is almost entirely spoiler free, the highlights will often contain bits of spoilers and are more for people who have already experienced the game to indulge in. To people who read the last top 100 I did, yes, this is all new writing. Anyway, without further blabbing, enjoy the list!

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100. Garou: Mark of the Wolves

(Arcade) SNK [1999]

So... First things first, this is the only fighting game to make a numbered an entry onto this list. It's not that I hate fighters, it's just that I'm not generally particularly fond of them. They're very basic, but very competitive - leaving relatively little enjoyment when playing by yourself, but demanding an insane amount of time and dedication if you're looking to truly become competitive. While I can be a pretty competitive kinda gal, but fighting games tend to sometimes bring out the worst in people, and I either take them too seriously or just plain suck.

Garou, however, despite being in a genre I don't frequently appreciate, is one of my favorite games for quite a few reasons. Most special moves are reasonably easy to pull off, so my inexperience doesn't frequently get in the way, and the game is very gorgeous and filled to the brim with style and interesting characters. The music fits the scene very well and the stages are detailed in such a way that they make you feel like part of the action. I still lose all the time against better players, but it's one fighting game I actually played enough to get a slight bit above the average fan.

Character

The first of many pirate girls on this list, we have B. Jenet. Garou: Mark of the Wolves has an incredibly strong cast, and she's really the star of it. She's got an adoring crew, a kind, but bossy attitude and a ridiculously difficult to pull off finisher sure to beat the crap out of anyone daring enough to stand up against her. She's also one of my favorite characters to play as (right behind Hokutomaru, or as my friends say, "Strider Jr."), so I'm not just picking her because I think she's got an awesome 'tude.


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99. Fable III

(360) Lionhead Studios [2010]

Typically, I tend to prefer science-fiction to "ye olde fantasy." The medieval era has never been something incredibly appealing to me and I've always preferred things like space stations and aliens to dungeons and dragons. That's not to say that the medieval era is entirely unappealing to me, however. The idea of being the Queen of an era like that is very appealing, given that the known world is much smaller, making it easier for your actions to feel like they have a real effect to them.

That effect is amply felt in Fable III, a game where you begin life as a younger princess or prince escaping from and subsequently rebelling against your corrupt, older brother, who is now king. You start from the bottom and work your way up, making promises to powerful allies who will support you in your rebellion and proving yourself to them to gain their trust. The game displays an incredible charm to the world (both aesthetically and through its people and culture) as you crusade, giving you the feeling you're truly this hero in a fantasy world.

As you eventually overturn your corrupt brother, you're faced with a powerful threat, and are now forced to scramble as quickly as you can to gather the money to prepare for it. You feel the weight of being a ruler, and may sometimes need to break promises to good friends to generate the income required to save your people. It may make you hated (and, hey, maybe you wanted to be a corrupt, evil ruler, anyway), but their lives are more important than your popularity, right?

Fable III is much like its two prequels in that it's an amazingly charming and fun game, but unfortunately lacks in many important departments. It sort-of rushes to the end just as things get the most interesting, and lacks a satisfying climax. It's still truly an excellent game and a joy to play, but shaking the sense of disappointment off, like with its prequels, proves to be a challenging task. I still love the game, but the fact it failed to reach what I believe could have been its true potential keeps it from earning a higher spot on this list.

Character

While I absolutely despise being an evil character in games, myself, I sometimes taken a fancy to villains who just love what they're doing. Reaver is such utter scum that it's almost delighful, and the joy he takes in being so amoral is thoroughly amusing. Stephen Fry clearly enjoys the work he does with the character, which gives Reaver that added layer of self-indulgent depth that makes him the lovable rapscallion he is.


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98. Halo 2

(Xbox) Bungie Studios [2004]

Often considered the black sheep of the Halo trilogy despite its overwhelming success, Halo 2 suffered a somewhat rough history. The story has it that not long after the impressive E3 trailer, Bungie essentially had to start the entire game over from scratch and the time between that start-over and the actual release of the game was only around a single year. The game clearly suffered for it, being the glitchiest and least complete feeling of the main games. It was rather rough around the edges, and some purist fans (myself included) were a bit disappointed with the multiplayer being less professionally competitive and making a few sacrifices to the more casual crowd.

Despite that, however, Halo 2 is still an excellent game. It's not the best FPS I've ever played and there are certainly games I've played with better multiplayer or single-player experiences that aren't on this list, but the fact it had online play and both a competent campaign and multiplayer really made it deserve its rank among my favorites. The glitches you could find in multiplayer were surprisingly rare and added a very strange appeal to many of the players to find and share them all. I've made friends I still have today thanks to playing this game when it was released and I lamented the day the online was shut down.

Like many MMORPG players, I developed a certain attachment to Halo 2. I played it enough for it to have actually been a decent "part" of my life for a year or two (and less so for a few years after) and a few of my friends still talk about the game in a "good old days" sense. It will certainly be missed, and it gave me experiences I'm likely to still fondly reminisce upon for years to come.

Character

While the campaign's story went in a very unintended and occasionally sloppily executed direction that seemed to somewhat ignore the expectations people had built up from playing the first game, it introduced a new playable character, The Arbiter, that gave perspective from the other side of the war. While I initially (strongly) disliked this character, he really grew on me and ended up being one my favorite elements of the Halo universe.


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97. Mega Man X4

(PS1) Capcom [1997]

The first in a long list of Mega Man games to grace this list is the first entry in the X series to have gotten a proper treatment on a (then) next-gen system. It also happens to unfortunately be the last of the great X games, not counting the PSP remake of the first. X4 took a pretty drastic shift from the previous entries in the series, not only adding a new playable character that made it play like an almost entirely different game (well, you could sorta play as him before this, but it was a lot different and very situational), but also changing the pacing, level design and aesthetic.

They were all mostly welcome changes, however. Despite my strong affinity for the previous entries, another game just like them would have felt a bit overkill. The anime cutscenes greatly added to the atmosphere, and for the first time, the game actually had a solid and interesting story. I played it for hours and hours with both characters, beating it with both of them numerous times and practically memorizing everything there is to know. It seemed that after an innovative title like this one, and the success of the previous games, that the X series had nowhere to go but up. Sadly, however, it instead sharply dropped off and never quite regained with the release of the next game in the series.

Boss

There's nothing like a good final boss to really get your nerves going, and Sigma's iteration as the final boss in X4 probably disappointed no one. He's got four forms, a relatively high difficulty the first time you fight him and a presentation strong enough to impress any fan of the series. His sinister laugh and taunts really add to the fight, as well. He's just a badass, fun battle.


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96. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

(PS1) Konami [1997]

About five or so years ago, the only Castlevania game I had ever played was the first N64 installment. I unsurprisingly wasn't very impressed and assumed the rest of the series must have been just as mediocre. Years later, a friend convinces me to give Symphony of the Night a spin, and I'm pretty quickly absorbed completely into it. I had played the Metroid games before, but never another game that was like them and added so many different RPG elements and a macabre atmosphere, to boot.

In hindsight, Symphony may be one of the weaker of the RPG-esque Castlevania games in terms of game design (especially with the only thing making the inverted castle tolerable being a few amazing-looking boss fights and the fact that making the latter half of the game challenging requires imposing a lot of superficial challenges on yourself), but it's hard to match its quality in music, atmosphere and originality. The sheer amount of work on the sprites done for the game was absolutely astounding and it was unfortunately not a promise of more to come... So many of the games after it in the series recycle so much that it's embarrassing.

Boss

Okay, we all know the "real" highlight of Symphony of the Night will always be its opening sequence, but to keep myself from being cliche and memetic, I'd rather mention this boss, here. He's a gigantic rotting corpse suspended by hooks that you stumble upon without remotely expecting it. While the game has many great bosses (a favorite of mine being Legion), this one really made my jaw drop. I'm a pretty huge fan of violence and gore in games, and it was a real treat to see one this disgusting/awesome.


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95. F-Zero X

(N64) Nintendo [1998]

F-Zero is a racing game series that even the most stalwart critics of racing games seem to find themselves enjoying... Probably because it plays unlike nearly any other racing game out there. I've never been able to understand the appeal of realistic racing, much like I've never been able to understand the appeal of cars. For me, they simply exist to get you from one place to the other. I cannot fathom people's obsessions with them and I also cannot fathom why, when playing something that lets you escape from reality as much as a video game, you'd play something as boring and realistic as car racing.

F-Zero remedies my boredom by having crazy, space-ship cars piloted by kitschy, sci-fi comic characters going at insane speeds across completely ridiculous tracks with awesome music playing. Really, really awesome music. F-Zero X, in particular, features the most awesome soundtrack among the F-Zero series and is one of the biggest reasons it's on this list. It also features the hokiest atmosphere among the bunch, like a 70's sci-fi comic, and was the first of the games I'd played to introduce the really cool risk-and-reward boost system. It's just a blast to play for a number of reasons.

Music

Here's a sample of some of the great music from the game! I've not played it in a while, so I can't recall exactly which track is my favorite, but Mute City is always a good choice.


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HM. Singularity

(360) Raven Software [2010]

Raven has never quite been the most original company ever. Many of their titles "borrow" certain elements from other games, and are often panned for that. In every instance I've observed, however, they've definitely improved their own games from borrowing certain elements, and their products come off considerably more as homages than they do derivative dreck. After having purchased Wolfenstein and X-Men Origins: Wolverine used and for low prices, I felt like I owed it to Raven Software to pick up their next big game brand new. So I did... And I most certainly was not disappointed.

Singularity borrows from a lot of great games, and, in my opinion, manages to exceed several of them. Nothing is outright stolen, but things like Half-Life 2's pacing and Bioshock's atmosphere are emulated to a certain degree. For every "stolen" idea, however, there's an original one to compliment it. Raven doesn't use its inspirations as a crutch, but rather a way of evolving their games to a more perfect level. In the end, Singularity ended up having been one of the most satisfyingly paced and atmospheric shooters I'd ever played. Sure, it was a bit easy, but when you can still really "get into" a new FPS after having been desensitized by so many other "epic" experiences, it really speaks highly of the game.

Boss

While Singularity may have been a bit lacking in the number of boss fights, it most certainly wasn't lacking in the quality of them. Near the middle of the game, a train you're on is stopped on the tracks of a bridge freshly wrecked by an absolutely tremendous creature that had been stalking you earlier in the game. You've got to kill the big bastard to move on, and the sheer sense of scale and terror they instill in you during this boss fight is very impressive.


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94. The Misadventures of Tron Bonne

(PS1) Capcom [2000]

While technically not a "Mega Man" game, considering that it's the spin-off of a Mega Man series that is itself a spin-off, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne has all the heart and soul put into it that you'd see devoted to the best of the Mega Man games. I'm not going to lie, it's certainly a fanservice game, but considering that it's a fanservice game to one of my favorite series of all time (and my favorite character of all time), I can't help but love it.

It's a bit of an oddball game in that it takes several different genres, boils them down to their basics and then adds a unique brand of seasoning to serve it all on one plate. While each of the parts of the game aren't quite good enough to stand on their own, the amount of variety they introduce into one single game makes for an addictive and interesting experience that ends up being more than the sum of its parts. That said, despite the fact the game does have a lot of variety, it never quite feels as though each of the parts received the full treatment that they could have. While lots of effort was put into the characters and aesthetic design, less time was put into making the game quite as robust as it could have been.

The Misadventures of Tron Bonne may be rough around the edges, but the designer's love for what they were doing never stops being prevalent. The story and character interactions are adorable, and they're all centered around a character with enough personality to truly deserve this little spin-off. While it certainly isn't for everyone, The Misadventure of Tron Bonne is a must-play for those of you out there who found themselves charmed by the Mega Man Legends universe.

Level

The last level! Tron Bonne ends up captured by the game's antagonist and is forced to call upon the help of her faithful servbots to get herself out of being imprisoned and back into the fray. Having them come to her rescue is something I found rather heartwarming. Rather than just escaping, though, you thwart the antagonist's scheme and really end up playing the part of the hero - something Tron, who usually jumps from villain to anti-hero, often finds herself roped into doing.


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93. Super Mario Bros. 3

(NES) Nintendo [1990]

I may be a frequent critic of Nintendo, but my disdain with who they are today certainly doesn't carry over to who they were, yesterday. Often considered one of the best games of all time, I feel Super Mario Bros. 3 certainly deserves a spot on this list. The love that went into this game is abundant, and it stands, even in my opinion, as one of the most creative games ever to be developed. The power-ups are incredibly clever and the worlds and levels have more variety than nearly anything else you'll find on the NES.

I'm sure everyone remembers their first trip to giant world and the first time they had a friend tell them about the hidden whistles. Heck, some of us out there probably watched "The Wizard" (as bad as it was) before playing the game and got all aboard the hype train. It's a significant part of gaming history and my childhood, and definitely one of my most cherished games for nostalgic reasons. I may not gush about Nintendo often today, but ask me how cool I thought they were when I was younger and you'd be getting an earful.

It's not higher on this list for a few reasons, though. Despite my nostalgic bias for a few games, I'm still able to weigh them with my current taste. Super Mario Bros. 3 is a bit too easy, and a bit too simple. It's still great and I still cherish it, don't get me wrong for a second... I'm just trying to assert that there are a lot of reasons why I have so many games placed ahead of this one.

Level

World 3, level 5. While the level design in this one is rather dull and it's really nothing exceptional by itself, it's one of the most memorable stages of the game to many people thanks to the popular Kuribo's (Goomba's) Shoe power-up! You exclusively get to use this item for this level and this level only, making it a real stand-out of the game. It's a pretty bizarre, funny item, and I still remember the excitement I had as a child when I figured out you could actually ride around in one.


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92. Metroid 2: The Return of Samus

(GB) Nintendo [1991]

Few games really captured my imagination when I was younger like Metroid 2 did... It made me actually feel as though I was exploring this vast, alien world. While it may be a rudimentary game by today's standards, it was really something very impressive back in the day, and I still feel it holds up well in its atmosphere and mechanics. I remember playing it for hours and hours on end, inching forward each time I sat down with it until I finally finished the game at an embarrassing 21 hours worth of exploration (and that doesn't even count the times I played and forgot to save or had the batteries run out).

Filled to the brim with secrets and pushing the Game Boy to its limits, it was a really technically amazing feat, and was just as great to play as it was to look at. The music, particularly the title screen's, still manages to impress me today and send a bit of a chill down my spine. Few modern games put such emphasis on atmosphere, and it's kinda sad to see elements I adored from Metroid II so absent in game design, these days. When a little old Game Boy game has more atmosphere than a blockbuster open-world game like Oblivion, something is very wrong.

Developers today are afraid to make a game rely on the user's imagination to bring it to life, and really end up suffering a bit because of that. It's okay to be vague and not tell a grand story, just have the game ride on the ambience. While I generally prefer more directed experiences, it'd be nice to see more games like Metroid II in today's world, where exploration is rarely important and games tend to either be on-rails or dump you into a generic sandbox.

Ending

To anyone who went into Metroid 2 and finished it without first playing Super Metroid, they were very likely surprised by the ending, like I was. One last baby Metroid remains after you kill the Queen, and it happens to develop a sort of motherly bond with Samus. For being on such dated hardware, it's still a touching scene, today.


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91. Portal

(PC) Valve [2007]

Short, sweet, and lots of fun... We have Portal! As if a game where you can spontaneously create portals to travel through and solve puzzles with didn't sound fun enough, already, Portal is also one of the most humorous games I've ever happened to play.In addition to its silly, slightly morbid sense of humor, the game also has a unique charm that really captivated the gaming world. While jokes like "the cake is a lie" are definitely overused now, it doesn't discount the fact it was pretty darn funny the first time.

Portal's length is often criticized as one of its weaknesses, but I tend to view it more as a strength. Being a shorter game allows you to appreciate what there was a lot more, and it honestly managed to make a very memorable experience out of a game that contains relatively little content. Stretching it out longer would have subtracted from the game, if you ask me, and I like it for what it was. Portal doesn't really deserve any credit for its depth, but, sometimes, you can do without that.

Music

Everyone has probably heard this song thousands of times by now, for some people to the point where it invokes a feeling of rage the second they hear someone recite the lyrics, but the first time I heard it, it was amazing. The game's sense of humor was great and this was some serious icing on the cake for having beaten it. Get it? Cake? ...Don't kill me.


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90. Super C

(NES) Konami [1990]

Yeah! Here we have the first Contra game I'm going to be talking about. Super C is a bit of a weird beast, as it's even less like its arcade counterpart than the original Contra was. It adds in several entirely new levels and bosses, making it a lot beefier, but also keeps the original Contra's tighter controls and aesthetic appearance. It replaced Contra's "shooting gallery" type stages with overhead shooting stages, too. While I've got a big soft spot for the shooting gallery levels in the original, these overhead stages are a great replacement that keep the game well-paced and fresh for its time.

New, useful weapons were added and the overall graphical quality of the game was superior to its predecessor. The level designs never quite reached the quality of the first NES game, but they did manage to come close enough to heftily satisfy. It also stands as a really interesting feat in that it's one of Konami's NES games that managed to actually be better than its arcade counterpart. There are two more on this list - keep your eyes peeled.

Boss

Although the boss of the level in the video was a lot more awesome in the arcade version (he was actually the last boss in the arcade version, too), he's still pretty darn cool, here... I really like that you get faked out by thinking you've beaten him, only to have an entirely new boss pops out right out of where the old one was.


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89. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

(SNES) Rareware [1995]

I feel like the Donkey Kong Country series is often the brunt of a lot of unfair hate. It tends to symbolize the downfall of beautiful 2D animation in video games and hail the uprising of 3D rendering to a lot of people. Many even use it as a scapegoat for why games made that jump to 3D so quickly. But, seriously, come on, the jump was inevitable. That, and despite looking clearly aged, I still feel as though the game has a strong visual charm to it. The designs were original and inspired enough that even though they're dated and a bit silly looking, they're still great to me.

The second game, in particular, has the strongest platforming of the series, the moodiest atmosphere and the best musical score. It's also got good level design, tons of variety and likable characters. I don't quite understand the (largely retroactive) hate applied to it, and it's still a series that I happen to find myself rather fond of. I'm generally not a fan of games as simple as this one, but I suppose that DKC2 tickles a sweet spot.

Music

When I said it had the best musical score, I wasn't kidding... Just listen to this song. Stickerbrush Symphony is one of my all time favorite gaming tunes. The soundtrack to DKC2 was incredibly ambient and added such a great deal to the game. It's hard, even as a hater, to discredit the quality of the sound in this game. I could listen to this song all day. And have. Several times.


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HM. Earth Defense Force 2017

(360) Sandlot [2007]

You know, the word "kitsch" really isn't all so bad. There's a bizarre allure when cheesy acting and low budgets collide that is usually reserved for B-movies, but has also managed to translate extraordinary well to Earth Defense Force 2017. Despite it having been a budget game released at a low price, I've had more fun with this than the majority of full retail games I've ever played. It's not on this list only because it's good for its price, it's on here because it's darn good, period.

The objective of the game is generally just to run around ridiculously tremendous battlefields and blow the living hell out of giant bugs and robots - and, really, do you need anything else? It has some of the most addictive co-operative play that I've ever bothered with and some of the most replay value I've ever gotten out of any game, period. I played for hours and hours and never got bored... Its basic appeal just never tired out for me, and all the collectible guns made sure that "grinding" never got too tedious.

Level

While Singularity's mid-boss gave you a great sense of scale (i.e. you being tiny and going up against a big scary monster), you've got that same feeling the entire time you play EDF. The last boss, in particular, makes you feel like one little person going up against the entire world. It's good to feel like a hero in the face of insurmountable odds, and as kitschy as EDF is, the goofy story does get you worked up and into the game. By the end of the last level, you really feel like you've accomplished something.


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88. Shadow Complex

(XBLA) Chair Entertainment [2009]

Coming out of left field and having caught me off-guard, we have Shadow Complex. Whenever I hear something is inspired by Super Metroid, certain expectations are made, but given I didn't know much else about it, I wasn't expecting such a great game to come and blindside me. It certainly doesn't manage to exceed Super Metroid in quality, but it comes surprisingly close to getting near the same level given how much inspiration it takes. Yeah, Zero Mission was pretty good, but even though it's not at all part of the series, Shadow Complex is the best "Metroid" game since 1994.

It interestingly combined modern-day third-person cover shooting mechanics with old-school 2D exploration in such a way that both of them worked with each other, rather than against. From what little I knew about it before trying it, I wasn't expecting such a perfect blend of two very different things. After just a few minutes of playing the game, the mechanics stopped feeling alien and quickly became natural, as if it was somehow the way Metroid-esque games were meant to evolve all along.

Shadow Complex is really such a weird combination of ambition and homage... At the same time that it is derivative of many elements of a great game like Super Metroid, it's original enough to stand on its own as a fantastic game. The most surprising thing about it, though, is likely that it's "only" a $15 downloadable title. Along with games like Bionic Commando: Rearmed, it really sets the bar high for budget gaming and makes a fan of old-school gaming like myself much more comfortable with where the industry the going.

Character

Jason Fleming may be a poor man's Nathan Drake, but Nolan North really managed to give this guy a lot of character. He's always got a wisecrack or two up his sleeve and manages to simultaneously play your average joe and a badass infiltrator out to save his girlfriend. It's a weird combination, but North's voice acting talent really lends so much that it feels natural. I'd like to see him try a role as Spider-Man...


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87. R-Type

(Arcade) Irem [1987]

R-Type and I have an interesting history. Again referring back to my younger days, I one day found "R-Types" (a PS1 compilation of the first two games) lying in a bargain bin and decided to purchase it. While I don't necessarily think I'd say that I hated R-Type from playing the original at that age, it frustrated me to no end. Levels were asininely difficult, checkpoints were few and far-between, the mechanics were unforgiving, I was unfamiliar and inexperienced with the genre, etc.

Despite all my frustration with the game and how much I felt I hated it, I still felt compelled to play it beyond just the inclination to justify my purchase. After hundreds (if not thousands) of deaths and frustration nearly enough to bring me to tears, I gave up. But in that time I spent with the game, a seed or two of addiction had been planted. I didn't hate it enough to want to sell it, and it stayed in my collection.

Fast forward to about five-ish years ago, and I start getting back into old-school games with a serious drive to improve myself and start finishing them. I wanted to be able to brag about my skill at something and feel proud of what I'd done, and I wanted to prove to myself I could be dedicated enough to trump something widely regarded as challenging. Shmups were an obvious choice of genre for me and R-Type was one of the titles I most quickly found myself returning to (although I first really got back into R-Type 3 before returning to the original).

I slowly overcame the game and eventually beat it, going back to it only about a year and a half ago to finish it without even dying a single time. While there were quite a few shmups before it, it's easily become one of the most iconic games in shooter history, likely only just behind the Gradius series in terms of its importance. It's so solid and well-designed that it's difficult to not truly appreciate it after taking some serious investment into the shmup genre, and I'm very glad I came back to it and learned to love it.

Level

A first level should always leave a positive impression, and the fact that Dobkeratops (the level boss) and the R-Type opening stage music are some of the most memorable things about the long-lasting series should definitely speak volumes about how successful its first level was in leaving an impact on people. It's copied in many knock-offs and is easily one of the most recognizable stages in any video game, ever.


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86. Mega Man 8

(PS1) Capcom [1997]

Despite never generally being outright despised, Mega Man 8 is often considered one of the many black sheep of the Mega Man family for going in a different direction than the rest of the games. Few people seem to consider it a "decent" game, and opinions usually range from "bad" and below to "good" and above - few seem to just say that its' "okay." Considering it earned a spot here on this list of mine, I don't think it would be too hazardous to take an educated guess at where it lies with me.

Although Mega Man 8 certainly took many liberties with the classic series and shook things up a bit - making it slower-paced, having stages focused more on gimmicks, going to its Astro Boy inspired roots - I liked just about everything it did. The visuals and story rang strongly with me, given that I consider myself a fan of Astro Boy and its android-story ilk, and I enjoyed the change in mechanics quite a bit, especially so after having been disappointed with Mega Man 7.

If I had to use one word to describe the game, it would be "charming." There's a really quaint, simple nature to the game that I like a lot. I understand some of the discontent directed at it for screwing around with a concept that was already working just fine and for maybe being a bit "boring" compared to the other games, but it's a marked improvement after the previous numbered entry and one of my personal favorite games. I don't think it's perfect, but I think when seen in the proper light, it truly shines.

Level

Man, I've got a soft spot for shmup stages in games they don't necessarily belong in! About half of this level is spent horizontally scrolling on Rush in mid-air, and I just love it. The boss is super rad, too. While difficulty isn't really present, it's a still a seriously fun time.


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85. Gley Lancer

(MD) NCS [1992]

I've seen many websites and assorted fans of the Mega Drive/Genesis proclaim tjat Gley Lancer's often praised high quality is only perceived as such because it's a relatively obscure shmup that was never ported to the US. To some degree, I'm sure that does indeed account for the more glowing reviews you'll hear of it. To some very small degree, that is. Gley Lancer is a damned solid game and one of the best shooters I've ever had the good fortune to find myself playing.

Although its levels are a bit boring in their design, that's really the only significant point of criticism I have to leverage against the game. The soundtrack is phenomenal, the graphics are terrific and the overall gameplay and unique shooting mechanics are superb. Being able to shoot in any cardinal direction with such convenience adds a layer of depth and tension to the game that you just don't get with other shooters. So many surfaces or areas in even the best horizontal shooters can feel unused because your weapons can't get to them... not in Gley Lancer.

Quite a few shooters on the Genesis had tried to make you able to shoot in multiple directions (like Hellfire), but they ended up being a little clumsy on the idea and made it too difficult to really change on the fly. Gley Lancer perfects the idea by adding gunpods you can position while also taking some more basic inspiration from the excellent Thunder Force series. Learning from others' mistakes and successes as well as pushing forward to innovative new mechanics makes Gley Lancer one of the strongest shooters I've ever played.

Character

I've still not gotten around to playing this game proper with the translation patch and getting in on the story, but I'm familiar enough from what I've read online to know that Lucia here is a darned cool gal. How many families do you see strong enough where the daughter will put her life and reputation on the line just to find their missing father? Not enough. She's got a heart of gold and not a hint of fanservicey sexual overtones, which is enough to earn my respect.


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84. Halo 3

(360) Bungie Studios [2007]

While Halo 2 was a decline in the quality of professionally competitive multiplayer for the Halo community, Halo 3 pretty much put it in a coffin. The game went through several new revisions to appeal to the casual market, making less room for the skill gap between a casual and professional player to be exercized. Professional teams were no longer in obvious skill tiers, random teams would win tournaments - it was all pretty discouraging and a bit sad.

That said, not all was lost. In losing that competitive edge its former two titles had, it did make a few strong improvements. Goofy, fun custom games were now easier to create and put together than ever before, the netcode was improved and we were given a (albeit crude) multiplayer map editor. These bits of freedom improved the game in drastic ways for fans of stuff like the "Zombies" gametype from the Halo 2. I may have spent considerably less time playing matchmaking and getting better at the game, but I spent ridiculous amounts of time on the more "trivial" aspects of the game.

The campaign this time around was also an improvement over 2's. Although you lost the interesting perspective gained from playing as the Arbiter on his own missions, the game was much more focused and well-directed (not to mention complete). The online 4-player co-op also proved to be a great way to spend some time. All-in-all, while I'm more than aware of the game's flaws, I spent too much time playing this game and enjoying that time spent to really deny it being one of my favorites.

Map

Sandbox was a map introduced very late in Halo 3's lifespan and honestly felt like something that should have come packed with the game. It was the only "true" map really built around the game's mode allowing you to forge your own map out of pre-existing ones (Foundry was a joke). It may have come late, but it was certainly appreciated, nonetheless. I spent hours alone while forging my own maps and just as many together with friends playing the custom maps we'd created.


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83. Half-Life

(PC) Valve [1998]

Half-Life, without a doubt, was the most visually stunning FPS game up to its release date. It also had one of the best stories and some of the best and most innovative methods of storytelling. While it followed the (now) oft-criticized "silent protagonist" structure, it was one of the first times for many to experience a story told entirely in real-time... It's been forgotten how impressive it was that the opening sequence to the game actually let you move around. The way the game flowed changed the face of FPS gaming forever, and if it's not one of the best games of all time, it's very certainly one of the most historically important.

My first experience with the game wasn't much unlike most other people's who played it during its time of release - I slowly and clumsily made my way through, eagerly inspecting every corner of each new area with a sense of excitement. Everything about the game was top notch, and it still holds up remarkably well today not only as a landmark, but as an excellent game to spend several hours replaying. There's a very high-quality, fanmade remake that has been in the works for quite some time that I'm really looking forward to, as well.

I love science fiction and I love it even more when it's thought-provoking, immersive and interactive, and Half-Life really tickled all those points for me. Its impact on the genre is still easily felt today and hasn't become any less playable since the day it was released. Most fully 3D FPS tried to experiment a little bit back then, but their innovations are broken or poorly implemented with hindsight... Half-Life still stands strong.

Moment

You know, it's hard to pick a proper moment from Half-Life to highlight, but as insignificant as this part may have seemed to others, the bit where you first find yourself on the cliffside really gave me a genuine since of vertigo. The fact I was experiencing that in a video game, something where it's generally easy to divorce yourself from reality and human fears, managed to impress me quite a bit. I'll fly over pits in Mario without thinking twice about their danger, but this cliffside in Half-Life really gave me the heebie-jeebies.


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HM. Metal Slug

(Neo Geo) Nazca [1996]

Metal Slug is a series I hold very dear to me, and the first installment was not-too-surprisingly my first experience I ever had with it. Our local mall had a Pocket Change arcade in it that I would often stay in while mom watered the plants around the mall (which was her job at the time). I'd gawk at a lot of the games in there, the game I watched that had the most profound impact on what I find aesthetically pleasing in a game has easily got to be Metal Slug. The sprite art is, to quote a friend speaking of another Nazca game, "decadent." The people making the game loved what they were doing and it is reflected through the incredibly high-quality work on it.

It so happens I'm a pretty big fan of run 'n gun shooters, too, so it's no surprise that I regard this game as highly as I do. The controls are tight and responsive, the vehicle mechanic is well-implemented, and the game oozes with so much style and personality it's hard not to be amazed by it. I barely tried the actual game machine back when I was young, but the attract mode, by itself, left an impression on me I've never forgotten and probably never will forget. It's a bit rough around the edges and a little unbalanced, though, which is why it only made the cut to being an honorable mention despite my strong affinity for it.

Level

You're truly not playing a Metal Slug game when the last level is anything short of completely amazing. While the difficulty here explodes violently through the roof, it's so awesome and gets you so excited I can't help but it consider it one of the best levels I've ever played.


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82. Yakuza 2

(PS2) Amusement Vision (Sega) [2008]

I've never been a big fan of the GTA series, nor have I ever been a fan of traditional beat 'em ups. The game was marketed and suggested to fans of that series and that genre, so I never really found myself particularly interested. Not too long after the release of Yakuza 2 and after having been told that God Hand fans often appreciate it, though, I decided to give the first game a shot and found myself quickly addicted.

While Yakuza may have been a great game, its sequel is an excellent one. The combat is fast, brutal and deep, the story is one you can't put down, the boss fights are brilliant and the characters are all very well developed. For the type of game that it happens to be, it offers about everything you could conceivably want, as well as loads of bonus content for those of you out there OCD enough to want a billion things to do in a game (personally, I skipped all that stuff and still adored the game, but the fact it's there is pretty cool!)

I've still not forced myself to sit down and play my copy of Yakuza 3 just yet, but I'm glad that the series is apparently catching on in the US, well enough that we even got Yakuza 4. It may not be getting quite the recognition a series of its quality deserves, but the fact it is getting attention over here is great. It would be a crime to let the sequels go unpublished in the United States.

Level

Okay, okay. The game has other, better highlights, including the effin' spectacular ending fights and sequences, but I don't really want to spoil the game for those who haven't played it. This part of the game is still rather memorable, though, as it's so awkward and hilarious that it's pretty darn hard to forget. I could explain it, but... Just watch the video.

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81. Bangai-O

(DC) Treasure [2000]

The only Treasure-developed game to reach a numbered entry on this list is Bangai-O! While it may be just as quirky as other Treasure games and does end up relying on a silly gimmick just as much (if not much more than) as they do, I really, really, really like this game's particular silly gimmick. Your tiny robot flies around giant levels, and whenever you press the right button, your robot will launch a gigantic amount of missiles - the exact amount is directly proportionate to how much danger you're currently in.

It may sound stupid, it may actually be stupid, but watching your little guy release like a bajillion freaking enormous missiles is very bizarrely satisfying. It also emphasizes a really neat risk-and-reward system... The closer that you find yourself to danger, the more of a chance you have of demolishing your opponent quickly and racking up tons of bonus points. Wait a split-second too long, though, and you're toast.

You can play it safe and win most of the easier levels, but if you want to truly perform well at the game, you've got to live life on the edge. Throughout the game's dozens of levels, the simple risk-and-reward mechanic never gets old and never stops feeling rewarding. You just find yourself craving more missiles, bigger explosions and a higher difficulty - cravings that are quickly satisfied and built up again as you progress toward the end.

You can call my appreciation of the game shallow, but I like wreaking havoc and I like feeling like I deserved it. Bangai-O makes you feel like a badass, and if it's wrong to love a game because of that then lock me up and throw away the key. One of my only regrets about the game is that the title wasn't more literally translated. It would have been way cooler for it to have been called "Explosive, Invincible Bangaioh." It's a shame its sequels really failed to live up to its quality.

Localization

In addition to featuring some of the most bizarre gameplay out there for (what I guess you'd call) a shmup, it also has one of the weirdest translations ever. I mean, the dialogue in the original was meant to be funny and ridiculous, but it's ten times moreso when sloppily translated into engrish. It adds a unique charm to the game and is generally a point of praise by any English-speaking fan.

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80. R-Type 3: The Third Lightning

(SNES) Irem [1994]

Everyone who truly gets into shmups has to find themselves going through a trial by fire before finding themselves with the basic skills to excel at the genre. People aren't born with shooter skills, they develop them with age and practice, meaning that the games were still crazy hard to every big fan at some point in their lives. R-Type 3 was probably the most standout game in breaking me in... And man, at the time, it was very, very hard.

..But also very fun and a great learning experience. While R-Type 3 kicked my ass over and over again, with every death I found myself improving. In the time I'd beaten this game alone I evolved significantly from an Average Jane at the game, who dismissed shmups for being too hard to enjoy, and into a more refined, cultured gamer who truly appreciated the mechanics and unique difficulty they bring to the gaming table.

R-Type 3 isn't the best game in the R-Type series or necessarily one of the best shmups ever, but it is a very good one and I've got some particularly fond memories of it pushing me to improve myself. It's got a solid soundtrack, well-designed (except the lava tunnel *shivers*), unique levels and great mechanics (the Force never gets old!). It's an excellent starting point for a fledgling shooter fan wanting to be quickly broken in.

Music

A great opening level tune will totally get you pumped you for the rest of the game, and this one certainly does. Unfortunately, it gets you so stoked that you expect every song after this one to be as awesome, and you end up finding yourself a bit disappointed. It's a great remix of the original R-Type opening level, but it's so much better than the majority of the rest of the soundtrack it embarrasses the other songs.

NO.

Dust: An Elysian Tail, The Dishwasher, Bastion, Super Meat Boy, etc., etc. There are a ton of fucking great Indie games out over here, either finished or in development <:/ You want to talk about people being obsessed with "cutesy" stuff, how about moe infecting nearly every Goddamn thing from Japan?

Man, that cutscene was cool I wish these had actually made it into the game. Mega Man Soccer seriously wasn't a bad game, although it could have been better.

Huh. It looks like they actually call him "Protoman" in the credits, but I thought they called him "Blues" in the game?

He called it a "kid's hobby" to make light of how pedantic and condescending you can come off to be over your interest.

Do not get me wrong for a second, I think this forum would lose something significant without you. You contribute a great deal, I learn a lot from you and I admire your dedication. But you could definitely do some work on how you speak to people. When this many people mention you've got a problem with coming off as rude/snobbish/condescending, you might indeed have a problem with it. THE SECRET IRC CABAL is in pretty unanimous agreement with this. I'm not saying you should change who you are or anything, but your phrasing could use a little work.

For example, in your first post, you could have acknowledged it was neat that someone else made a thread when you felt having posted them before got you ignored. It's little things like that. You instead (regardless of intention) came across as upset you didn't get noticed and were there "first." Anyway, just saying!