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Here are my top 10 games, presented in reverse order for maximum obnoxiousness:
10. Mega Man XThis is my favorite game in one of my three favorite game series. To me, it's the pinnacle of the 2D action genre. It takes everything that made the NES Mega Man games great and adds new wrinkles to the formula to make it a smoother and faster experience. Like with the other Mega Man games, you can choose the order of levels to tackle, which makes it fun to replay because you can play the game differently each time. This, coupled with how quickly the game can be completed is why I replay this game fairly often.
9. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin SnakesMetal Gear Solid is the game that made me believe that elaborate video game stories can be told effectively. Previously, I thought stories in games were tedious and got in the way of the actual game. It's impossible to do the story justice by summarizing it, so I'll describe what I like about it. It's delightfully long-winded, absurd, sincere, self-aware and experimental. I really like every game in the series, but chose the original because it has the most memorable characters and bosses.
The Twin Snakes is actually a controversial remake of the PS1 original that many people dislike because it features over-the-top cutscenes that the original didn't have. It also introduces an optional first-person aiming feature that some feel breaks the balance of the game. I don't really want to get into the specifics of these arguments, but I prefer Twin Snakes because it has a smoother difficulty curve - the original is a lot harder than you might think.
8. Super Mario Bros. 3Mario is my favorite video game series. In its 30+ year history, I've never been disappointed with any of the mainline releases. I can't really say that for any other series. If this was a top 25 list, I would probably have 6 Mario games in it
. There's a [meaningless] ongoing debate in the nerd community about which 2D Mario game is better: Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros. 3. Both are amazing games, but they're pretty different. Super Mario World is an exploration game while SMB3 is a pure platformer. Super Mario World is the first game I ever played, but these days I find myself playing SMB3 more because of its simplicity and level variety. It introduced a ton of concepts and characters that we take for granted now like overworld maps and Boo (!).
7. Persona 4 GoldenThis was the last game that really made me say "wow." I don't normally like RPGs, but this game transcends the genre. Rather than taking place in a fantasy setting with orcs and elves or space, it takes place in a modern small Japanese town. Your high school-aged character moves into the town and stays with a single father and his young daughter. The game has a Twin Peaks-style narrative - a murder mystery unfolds as your character forges relationships with the various quirky characters in the town. While you undergo typical JRPG-style battles, you also live the life of a high school student. This means you get to hang out with your schoolmates, join school clubs and partake in part-time jobs.
The characters are memorable and become people you really care about by the end of the game. The game is schedule-based where you have to pick and choose what to do everyday, so it's possible (and very likely) that you won't be able to learn about each character as much as you would like. What I like about this system is that the relationships you forge with characters outside of battle affect the battles. For example, if I hang out with Character X a certain amount of times, he/she will take a killing blow for me in battle. These touches give you a greater sense of attachment to the characters. I also like that the game deals with concepts that aren't often touched upon in games. Rather than being yet another male power fantasy story, the game deals with friendship and personal insecurities like jealousy, aging and sexual identity (though this aspect could have been handled better).
The ending of the game was bittersweet for me, because I was sad to leave these characters behind. I've already gone on long enough on this game, but it's an amazing game from start to finish with a killer soundtrack that I listened to even months after beating the game. It's a shame that this particular version is trapped on the PS Vita, because more people need to play this game.
6. League of LegendsI never would have expected to like this kind of game. I was basically forced to play this by my friends, and I didn't even know what I was doing for the first month or so. Once I got past the initial learning barrier, I was (and am) hooked. There's a ton of depth to the game, and I usually learn something new each time I play it. It's the ultimate competitive team game, and gives me the same kind of satisfaction as I would playing a sport. The game even got me to follow the competitive scene, which I don't do for any other game.
5. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestA lot of people talk about the original Donkey Kong Country, but I think 2 is way better. It has good level variety, a fair difficulty curve that ramps up until the very end and has amazing, AMAZING music. It's the game that got me into video game music. It has a surprisingly bittersweet soundtrack that contrasts with the cutesy animal 2D platforming in a fantastic way. The two playable characters complement each other very well. Diddy is a nimble character who can attack enemies quickly while Dixie is a slower character with slow attack speed, but can float through difficult platforming parts with her helicopter jump. It's a game I replay at least once a year, and it's great to play with friends in the same room.
Side note: a couple months ago I met the composer of the soundtrack at a gaming convention and totally freaked out. It was like I met Taylor Swift or something
. He signed my copy!
4. Pokemon Red & BlueI was at the perfect age when the Pokemon craze hit the US in 1998. Seemingly out of nowhere, an accessible yet deep RPG hit the aging Game Boy platform and became the topic of discussion at every school playground for years. To me, the Pokemon world has the same appeal as the Harry Potter world (which I was also reading around that time). It's a world not unlike ours, but with a twist. As with Harry Potter, Pokemon invites a lot of speculation:
are there regular animals in this world? What do Pokemon eat? In hindsight, it's amazing that an 8-bit black-and-white Game Boy game could spark the imagination in this way.
Admittedly, the original Pokemon games have some dated mechanics that you'd have to overlook to really be able to appreciate them. The series has improved mechanically with each major release, so if you go back and play the original games, you'll definitely be in for a surprise. However, the world in Pokemon Red and Blue remains my favorite, so I think a remake would do these games a lot of favors. They did remake the games on GBA with Fire Red and Leaf Green, but those came out over a decade ago and could have been a little better.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Released shortly after Ocarina of Time, which was already considered one of the greatest games ever made by many at the time, Majora's Mask was a somewhat controversial followup. Whereas Ocarina of Time was an epic, save-the-world hero's tale, Majora's Mask told a more intimate story where Link is tasked with saving a town from being crushed by the falling moon in 3 days. The 3 day time limit was an immediate turnoff for some, as it goes against the common ethos of previous Zelda games that reward patience. However, this time limit allows for more dense storytelling. Because there are only 3 days to keep track of, the developers were able to design specific schedules for NPCs where certain events trigger at different times on different days. Link is able to play a song to time travel back to the first day, so you'll be familiar with everyone's schedule by the time you're finished with the game.
My favorite sidequest in the game involves doing a series of tasks throughout the three days to reunite a separated couple minutes before the moon crashes into the town. It's a bittersweet moment because you're reuniting two lovers for naught - because you have to time travel back to the beginning right afterwards anyway, thus separating them again. Overall, it's a darker Zelda game with a sympathetic villain that is a great change of pace from the traditional Zelda formula. There's a fantastic remake of this game on the 3DS that I would recommend to anyone.
2. Super Mario 64Super Mario 64's release probably marked the single biggest technological and design leap in gaming history. While there were several 3D games prior to its release, it standardized the way most 3D games work today with its camera system. If you don't believe me, watch this footage from E3 1996 where people laugh in amazement as Mario runs around in a freaking circle.
To this day, I don't think I've ever played a game whose character is more fun to control. The freedom of control and movement you have with Mario is unparalleled, even compared to subsequent Mario games. All you need to do is watch a Mario 64 speedrun to see how you can use Mario's moveset and turn the game into a fast-paced parkour experience. Still as fun to play now as it was back in 1996.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeIt's difficult to talk about this game because it's been discussed to death on the internet for many years. It's an amazing game from start to finish, and is the quintessential hero's journey tale. It has the best dungeons in the series and has memorable characters who change over the course of the game as you travel forward in time. As with Majora's Mask, there's a remake of this game on 3DS that everyone should own. Even my sister who doesn't play games loves this game!