Dodie's Top Ten Games (so far)
Okay, here's my list for top ten games, and also the reasons why you should play them (if you haven't already!).
10.) Tetris
This title has been through many remakes, and is the only game that I know to truly stand the test of time. What do I mean by this? Well, you can ask any person, young or old, if they had ever heard of Tetris. Your most likely answer would be yes. It has a simple, yet addictive, concept. Blocks fall from the top screen and you as the player must move and line them up in order to create solid lines on the bottom screen (did I really need to explain that, lol). Also, the tetris theme is pretty darn catchy, I must say.
9.) Illusion of Gaia
This is an SNES classic from my early days as a gamer. You play as Will, a young man who live in South Cape with his aunt and uncle. Will leads a pretty average life, until one day he comes home to discover a princess in his house. His life isn't the same after that, and thus begins Will's incredible journery. Oh, did I mention his weapon of choice? A flute. Yep, it's a flute. You get other powers as well, like the ability to transform into Freedan and Shadow, but for the most part, you are beating up baddies with a flute.
8.) Earthbound (Mother 2)
Another game from my SNES days. I do love this game so much. It has a pretty simple theme. Alien is trying to take over (destroy?) the world, and it's up to Ness to stop it. But in these games, it's usually the journey (not the destination) that makes it enjoyable. I love the quirky humor of the game in general and the innocence of youth that the heroes portray. I really hope that Nintendo decides to release Mother 3 stateside.
7.) Yoshi's Island
A game so nice that I bought it twice! Yep, the SNES version and the gameboy version. I love the artstyle in the game, which looks like a third-grader got out his crayons and decided to make a bunch of hills and clouds (a talented third-grader, but still a third-grader). You play as Yoshi (of many different colors, if I may add) and it's your job to reunite the Mario brothers and take them to thier parents. Oh, I forgot to mention that Mario is a baby, and he rides on Yoshi's back. There are times where baby Mario gets powered up and you get to play as him, but for the most part, you play as Yoshi.
6.) Final Fantasy VII
Say want you want about Final Fantasy VII, but I still put it on my list because it introduced me to the series. Also, for the time of it's release it was a very excellent game. It's cyber-punk setting is a break-away from the earlier versions, and the magic (materia) system was a great addition. It was simple, yet involving at the same time. The supporting characters were pretty great. I love Rufus Shinra and the Turks. I like them ten-times more than some of the main characters. I can't talk about FFVII without mentioning Sephiroth. I don't care if his motivations are about as clear as mud. He could want to be king of the paper-clips for all I care, I still really enjoy him as a character. He has a sympathetic backstory and a great character design. I actually am more fond of Amano's version than I am of Nomura's though.
5.) Kingdom Hearts
I actually consider this game a "guilty pleasure" of mine. I mean, you are a 14-year old kid, who teams up with Donald and Goofy (of Disney fame), and you are looking for your friends. Along the way, you do help a lot of people and you fight off some heartless, but basically, all Sora wants to do is find Riku and Kairi and head back home. What sold me on the game, was the actual gameplay. It plays kind of like a stylized Zelda game. You slash away at enemies with your Keyblade. Yes, you are merely button-mashing, but the stylization makes it pretty worthwhile. Also, Sephiroth makes an appearance. (Fangirl squeal in 3...2...1...) SQUEEEAAALLLLLL!!!
4.) Shadow of the Colossus
I really, really love this game. It didn't make the top three however, because the story is too short. I think I beat it in 10 hours. It's possible to extend the gameplay by trying to find all the fruit, lizard tails, and beating the colossi in a time-limit challenge, but I was never good enough to do the time challenge, and those damn lizards are QUICK. I guess I should talk about the gameplay and story. You play as Wander, and with your trusty steed, Agro, you are trying to bring your dead girlfriend, Mono, back to life. You head to a sacred land and make a deal with Dormin, who tells you to defeat the 16 colossi who roam the sacred land. This, he/she tells you, will bring Mono back to life. So begins the journey of epic porportions, as you ride across the sacred land to defeat the 16 colossi. If you haven't played this game yet, and want to, be prepared for the most shocking ending I have seen in a long time.
3.) Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Ah, I still remember the trailer to this game like it was just yesterday. My brothers and I got so pumped about this game, and we put our money together to purchase it. I think that's the only time that we all ever agreed to do anything together. I could go on forever about why I like this game, but I'll just focus on one aspect: Z-targeting. What a great addition to gameplay! I think that OOT was the first game to introduce this concept, and it has been repeated in various other games as well, even outside the Zelda franchise. I don't think I need to discuss story and characters, so I won't.
2.) Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars
What do you get when you cross the legend that is Mario and the awesomeness that is Squaresoft? You get Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars, of course! This game had a great story, great locations, great gameplay, and of course, great characters. This was the game that introduced me to Squaresoft. What I really love about this game is the overall story. You play as Mario. Bowser has just kidnapped the Princess (for the umpteenth time) and you have to save her. But, what REALLY happens is far more involving than I can get into right now. I can't talk about Super Mario RPG without saying something about the music. The music in the game is awesome! Yoko Shimomura really did an excellent job, and Koji Kando and Nobuo Uematsu did some tracks as well.
1.) Okami
Anyone surprised by my number one? Yeah, didn't think so. I cannot stop praising this game. The artstyle? Amazing. Storyline? Epic. Soundtrack? Wonderful. Characters? Endearing. Just an amazing game, that unfortunately didn't recieve the amount of recognition it deserves. You can read more about it here:
http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/ge...ml#post1212191
Well, there's my list. I hope you enjoyed reading it, because I enjoyed writing it!
HOLD IT!!!!
Honorable Mention:
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
I love this game, so why didn't it make the top ten? Because it's the only one in the series that I played, and I didn't feel right to put it in without knowing the whole story of Big Boss and Solid Snake. But I will leave some comments about it. MGS 3 is a great game, with involving story, very good gameplay (which borders on humorous when you mess with the enemy soldiers), and rich detail that is very good for the PS2. Oh, and Major Ocelot is pretty dreamy. Drawback? I'm not a history buff, and this game goes through a lot of detailed history.
Re: Your Top Ten List (Descriptive!)
Wow. A lot of people here have really good tastes.
10
Resident Evil 4
Third Person Shooter/Survival Horror
Gamecube/PC/PS2
This was actually the first horror game I've played, so by no means am I a horror expert. When I say it was the scariest game I've ever played, judge that statement by the same token. :)
My friend just brought it to school one day after I'd told him I wasn't interested. He brought it so I'd feel obligated to take it home, and I did. It was just incredibly fun. A really solid length of close to 30 hours. Genuinely scary scenes and some small, roleplaylike aspects that I liked heaps. Brilliant game, so brilliant that I swallowed my pride and told my friend how much so.
9
Empire: Total War
Real Time/Turn Based Strategy Game
PC
It really is just the pynnical of history, and strategy. The game is set during the 18th century which is where the major European powers were focusing on colonising newly discovered lands and building Empires.
It's really hard to describe why this game is so great, given there are so many strategy games based on history, that try to emulate the same thing. It really is the best of it's kind though, in my opinion.
8
Dragon Quest VIII
Roleplaying game
PS2
Dragon Quest is another game I was cynical about trying. I found the artstyle interesting, but whilst I'd been sick, my brother had been playing it non-stop and hogging the TV. The game happens to have a repetitive soundtrack, and with that combined, I just grew embittered towards it.
A year later, I gave it a go, and I really really liked it. The world of Dragon Quest VIII is so magical. Though cheesy, the voice acting was made up almost entirely of European accents, and it was really welcome. The game had a really retro, Japanese feel, something that was absent from Final Fantasy XII, a game I had played recently before it.
7
Fallout 3
Roleplaying Game
PC/Xbox 360/PS3
I actually made a short post about this game in it's respective thread here, but it really is a remarkable game. Even though there are games of the same genre and design with more content, the content of Fallout 3 is unrivalled. Every quest takes you on an adventure where you completely forget the backline plot of the actual game.
The world, or rather the city of Washington is such a real place to be in. Everything is believeable? There aren't many games that can say that.
6
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Real-Time Strategy
PC
I remember when I played this game first, it was on a real bad 256RAM pc and it lagged badly. Needless to say, I gave up really quickly and forgot about it for 2 years. After those 2 years, with a new, superior PC, I ran it, and it fast became one of my favourite games ever.
The story is really suprisingly good for a RTS. Sure, they focus on gameplay more than anything, but whoever was behind the story, made a really good one. The world is likeable, hence the eventual release of World of Warcraft. Whilst it does borrow a lot from Lord of the Rings, it does enough to make it it's own.
Then of course there is D.O.T.A. Hehe.
5
Fire Emblem VII: The Blazing Sword
Role Playing Game/Turn Based Strategy
GBA
I've only ever played this game as a Emulator and Rom, which really is a testament to it's greatness, seeing as it is so high on my all time list. I bet you're probably cynical of the fact that I don't own a favourite game, which is fair I guess. I never bought a gameboy advance, partly because I don't like Nintendo games normally, but this one really is just something else.
It's addictive, with ridiculous amounts of replability value. It's story is there, and its intellectually challenging like all games should be. Its easy to play the game without strategy, but aiming to go through the entire game without a single character death is something I thoroughly enjoy doing. The music, gameplay, story and even the loveable anime-style graphics are a winner.
4
Final Fantasy XII
Roleplaying Game
PS2
Some people don't like this game, and I honestly understand why. I do. Some people dislike it for the wrong reasons, like that it's battle system is boring, or that it's too easy. This is such a cop out. A made up reason to strengthen someone's claim for not liking the game.
The real reason, and a legitimate reason, is that most people think the story isn't there, and look that's fair. The story has issues. I think it is there. I think it has potential, but its untapped. There aren't enough cutscenes and it's conveyed through weak central characters.
I still enjoyed the game so much, more than so many of the other Final Fantasy titles I'd grown up on. For what it does, it is simply perfect. Some of the supporting characters, like the Judges, Larsa, Reddas, Vossler, Al Cid and Cid, are just some of the best characters in the series.
3
Final Fantasy IX
Roleplaying Game
PSX
I really enjoy the fact that this is Hironibu Sakaguchi's favourite game, and Nobuo Uematsu's favourite soundtrack. It really is everything a Final Fantasy game, nay an RPG, should be.
It's retro, but fresh. Strangery enough, my favourite part of this game is simply it's levelling system, or I guess its gameplay as a whole. Normally I connect through Final Fantasy games foremost through their story, which is complimented by sound gameplay, but it was the other way around for this.
It just ran so smoothly and gave the player so many choices. It's a fickle thing, but after Final Fantasy VIII and VII, it felt so good to be able to equip so many items and accessories to a single character. It felt nice having 8 characters instead of 6. It felt nice having classes instead of Junctioned abilities.
It's just a credit to the JRPG industry and is likely to maintain that No.3 spot for a long time.
2
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Stealth Action Adventure/3rd Person Shooter
PS3
God I love this game. It is actually my most completed game ever. I must have finished it and replayed it twenty times at least, on all difficulties. I bought the walkthrough after owning the game for a year, just so I could milk it all that much more.
I remember when I was flicking through a magazine and I saw a 'Top 10 Saddest gaming moments' with a Snake Eater moment at No.3. It really made my day. It made my day moreso when I saw Snake Eater at No.8 in an IGN Top 100. The game is flipping superb. There is nothing like it. It's so realistic, but so bizzarre and supernatural at the same time. It really is special, as is Snake.
1
Final Fantasy VII
Roleplaying Game
PC/PSX
I know it's awfully predictable, but it has to be said. Sometimes I wish I could just say that it wasn't, because I myself tend to raise an eyebrow to someone who declares VII as their favourite. But it really just is. It coined everything for me. I started on it, and because of it, I was able to finish every major titled and be so enlightened as a gamer.
The game really needs no explanation. The spin offs, movies and prequels are rubbish and are unneeded. All you need is this game, which is a relic in time. It really gave me some of the best months in my life. I was only 7 when I played it with my brother. I went on to finally win it by myself when I was 12. Twas a joyous moment.
Cheers for read. :)
Re: Your Top Ten List (Descriptive!)
OK I'm the new guy so this might give you an insight on my "gaming personality"
10.Megaman X-4- This game stands out to me because of it fun playstyle. It was the first X series Megaman game I had ever played and I loved it so i played the rest. Definitely a must play for any Megaman fan.
9.Metroid Prime- Long had I awaited an FPS Metroid game just to see if they would ruin the series with it. Gladly they did not. The game was challenging with puzzles and combat and equipment usage as in every other metroid game but this was 3-D and FPS. I have always been a Metroid fan since the Metroid and Metroid 2 on NES. I still remember the cheat code for the original (Justin Bailey).
8.Ocarina of Time- This was hands down the best N64 Zelda game made. Such a beautiful game and great story. Not quite as cartoony as the newer one (exception: Twilight Princess). The 3-D perspective and new characters like the Zora are awesome. The temples are challenging and not horrendously hard. The gameplay was funand there was no BS time limit like in Majora's Mask.
7.Zelda Link to the Past- If you have ever played a Zelda game this is a must. The game is classic. Just .... just play it if you haven't and you'll love it. I cant really think of why I like it so much I just do.
6. Darksiders- This game is like a dark Zelda game. I love it! You play one of the 4 Horseman of the Apocalypse (War) and have to destroy a Demon conveniently named the Destroyer. Along the way you battle Angels and Demons but where are the people? Well the angels and demons killed them already.Bad time to be a human I guess. Anyway you go through several dungeons in a certain order that corresponds to the equipment you collect at each "temple". You cant reach the next til you get the items from the current or previous one. But anyway that's why i like it.
5. Battlefield 2- I have logged hundreds of hours playing this addictive shooter. Early on I had to make sure I left my computer off so that I would be less inclined to start my PoS computer and play this game. It started out i wanted to unlock everything. Well I did then came SF. Yay more stuff. Then Armored Fury and Euroforce boosters along with new weapons and vehicles and maps. Until my wife decided to show what was wrong with it. She downloaded the game then got some hacks and pwned me baaad. I play it every once in a while still but no where near as much.
4.Final Fantasy 9- This game was a welcome relief from FF8 (which, to me sucked some unmentionable things belonging to other unmentionable things that you might find in a really dark ally in a really bad neighborhood) It was fun to play and the characters had a tendency to make me chuckle. I like the idea of learning your abilities from your equipment and keeping them when you change your stuff (once mastered of course). It was beautifully done and didn't leave me thinking about shooting myself in the foot to make sure I'm not drooling from boredom like 8 did.
3.Castlevania Symphony of the Night- Possibly one of the last great sidescrollers, this is just one of those games I absolutely love. It was challenging up to a point but once you get the best sword in the game (Kisegrim I think) it gets a little too easy. I went through that holy gave barefisted once just to see if i could do it. That was a challenge. Took me 2 hours to kill Dracula like that.
2.Final Fantasy 7- I liked this game before i found out how popular it was. The intricate story is what made it for me. I have done every single thing that can be done in the game to include obtaining 3 sets of Master Materia. It is also compelling(yet insanely frustrating the first time) to see a party member die and not come back. My buddies always say "What?! Run outta Pheonix Downs?" But oh well. The materia system is also awesome.
1. Chrono Trigger-I love the story, i mean come on....time travel, magic, dinosaurs, robots. The games charactors all relate to me in some way. Luca is the nerd who likes to build a take things apart. Magus is a little emo but he has a goal. etc. The combat style was excellent. No transition scenes the characters just kinda jump in place and your hud comes up and away you go. Multiple endings makes for replay value. The "Tech" system was great and combine those with your teamates made it that much better. I could go on for a long time about how much i love this game but i will cut it short.