Top 10 Favorite Games

In order to showcase my great taste in games, and to allow you, the reader, the opportunity to learn a bit more about me, I have decided to compile a list of my top 10 favorite games. This list is entirely subjective and does not indicate what I think are the best games ever made. These are simply the games with which I have the most vivid memories playing, games that I have enjoyed the most (though it can be argued that a lot of these games are some of the best games ever made…). That’s enough of that. On to the List!

In no particular order, my 10 favorite games:

10. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Ah yes, Ocarina of Time. A great game in almost every respect. Gamespot gave it a perfect 10/10. OoT is a game I remember playing late into the night when I was about 10 years old. I have quite a tumultuous history with this game, though. During my initial play through my N64 was stolen. I got all the way to the last temple, and then the game and the N64 were both stolen! But perhaps that is why I have such strong memories of OoT. Considering this was my first foray into the Zelda Universe, it was not a bad impression at all.

9. Final Fantasy VIII (PSX)

Final Fantasy VIII would probably be at number one on this list if it were in any order. The first RPG that I ever played, this game was simply awe-inspiring to my 12 year old self. From its combat system (which I could barely make an attempt at fathoming its complexity at the time) to its story and great characters (which I also couldn’t truly appreciate) this game was the total package for me. I remember back in those days I used to rent many different games, and I enjoyed FFVIII so much that I simply kept renting it week after week until, 4 weeks after I initially rented it, the clerk told me that I couldn’t rent it for another week and that I had spent enough money to buy it. I eventually found it in some sort of bargain bin for $20 and purchased it for myself. Some may say that FFVII is the best Final Fantasy ever created, but I would respectfully disagree with them, simply because I have such a deep connection with FFVIII.

8. Final Fantasy X (PS2)

Yes, another Final Fantasy game, and it’s not FFVII either… What can I say about FFX other than it was a great game that I enjoyed immensely. It’s another one of those games that I played when I was 12 or 13. Yet again I didn’t fully comprehend the leveling up system (the “Sphere Grid”) until a good ways into the game. (Man, I must have been retarded then, or something… At least it seems that way.) So I played about a quarter of the game without leveling up my characters. Good times. And then I realized other people were actually doing that on purpose. Something they called a No Sphere Grid Challenge. I actually failed a Social Studies project because of this game… But I regret nothing!

7. Halo (Xbox/Xbox 360)

You may notice that I’m including franchises as well as individual games in this list. That’s either because I haven’t played every game in a franchise, or because I have, but didn’t enjoy them all. Anyway… Halo is one of those games that I feel I must mention. A great FPS with a good story, awesome multiplayer, and one of the most recognized characters in video game history. I’ve played all of the Halo games multiple times and, for the most part, enjoyed each of them. They all have their quirks but they’re all great games. Halo 1 had its repetitive environments, Halo 2 had that horrible cliffhanger ending (Legendary Campaign is also the Devil’s spawn… impossible!), and Halo 3 has a multiplayer that I’m less than satisfied with. I enjoy these games so much that I actually decided to marathon all three in a row with a friend of mine. Check out his blog on Gamespot for more info on that.

6. Metal Gear Solid (PS1/PS2/Ps3)

I actually thought about including MGS 1 and MGS 2 as two seperate entries in this list, but then decided against it. I have distinct memories of playing through both games, but I figured I wouldn’t cheat like that. I was first introduced to MGS when one of my older brothers bought it for his Playstation. I remember watching him playing that game and just wishing that he would let me play. So a couple years later when I found it, I immediately bought it and played the hell out of it. By this time I was actually old enough to understand some 0f the story (maybe it helped that I saw my brother beat it once before I actually played it)!

MGS 2 was the first game I owned for my Playstation 2. I unwrapped both on Christmas morning. What I failed to find under my Christmas tree that morning was a memory card for my shiny new PS2, so I was left to only play through a limited part of the game, because of the inevitability of eventually having to shut the game off without saving. I was sufficiently old enough to start comprehending most video game stories these days, but the finer details of MGS 2’s plot still allude me to this day. I have a theory that Hideo Kojima himself doesn’t even know what the game’s about.

MGS 3 I wasn’t so impressed with, so I won’t talk about it. However, I wait with gleeful anticipation for MGS 4 (bought a PS3 specifically for it).

5. Grand Theft Auto 3-4 (PS2/X360/PS3)

Grand Theft Auto 3 was actually the second game that I bought for my PS2 (bought it rather than a memory card, actually). Although I did own GTA 2 and had played some of GTA 1, I really don’t have many good memories of those games, so that’s why I’ve included GTA 3-4, and when I say “3-4″ I mean Vice City and San Andreas also. I first played GTA 3 when I was about 13 years old, which, now that I think about it, could possibly have been a bit young, but, contrary to what some people may lead you to believe, I turned out to be a well adjusted person. GTA 3 was simply one of the best games that I had ever played. With its staggering amount of freedom, and the open world that it presented before me, I could do anything I wanted to. There was no predefined mission to mission type gameplay. I was free to do what I wanted to do. Even though I may have been a bit young to understand all of the jokes, I’ve been indoctrinated into the style of gameplay that GTA has to offer, and I’ve bought everyone since.

4. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

This game was actually released the year I was born, so I can’t really tell you a nostalgic story about spending my youth playing Super Mario Bros. and its many iterations. However, my brothers did, indeed, own an NES, and I vaguely remember playing some type of Mario game with them (I actually remember Mario Paint pretty vividly, but that was on the SNES). But I didn’t let the fact that I grew up with, at the earliest, the SNES, stop me from enjoying some Mario. About 4 years ago, I bought a used NES (and a shitload of crappy games) from an acquaintance of mine. Included among the games I purchased were the original Super Mario Bros., the original Zelda, Zelda II, and about 3 copies of SMB 3 (I’ve no idea why there were so many copies). Super Mario Bros. 3 is a classic game that just so happens to be one of my favorite Mario games. When I bought this game, I sat down with my older brother and he waxed nostalgic as we beat the entire thing in one sitting. Good times indeed.

3. Portal (X360/PS3/PC)

Portal is the only individual game on this list that has come out during the current iteration of consoles. Having completed this game, I see no reason not to include it on my list. The wonderful mind-boggling puzzles and great (read: hilarious) dialog make this one of the best games I’ve ever played. I don’t think that it’s too short either. It’s the perfect length for a puzzle game, the only reason we think it’s too short is because it’s so good. Portal is a game that everyone should experience at least once, and if, for some reason, you find yourself unable to obtain a copy of this wonderful game, at least go play the Flash version.

2. Star Wars Galaxies (PC)

So far, this list has consisted of AAA titles that have received critical acclaim from almost everyone, but now I bring you a game which I enjoy for purely subjective reasons. Mind you, I am talking about the SWG that existed prior to SOE destroying it. I’ve played a few MMOs in my day, but this seems to be the only one that I look back on fondly. Perhaps it’s my somewhat anti-social nature that keeps me from actually playing with other players, combined with the lack of actual gamer friends, that keeps me from enjoying MMOs the way that they should be enjoyed. I was actually introduced to SWG by a couple of friends. I eventually outgrew my simple group of friends, joined a guild, and actually made some friends within the game. I have fond memories of raiding neighboring Rebel cities on my nice AOL dial-up connection. I probably would have continued playing and enjoying the game (at least until SOE killed it) had it not been for that connection. Updates and patches started to require days worth of downloading and I just couldn’t keep up.

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)

Super Smash Bros. Melee is a game that I spent a whole summer playing. I skipped the last day of school in order to play this game. If only I had had a few other competent players to play with, I may have spent much more time with the game. I remember trying to download or stream videos of other “professional” players playing. I looked up tips and tricks to improve my game. I probably was never very good at it since I could only play with computer opponents, but I still spent quite a bit of time with this game.

Honorable Mentions:

StargateWars(Browser Based)

StargateWars is a browser-based MMORPG set in the Stargate universe. I played it for about two years from basically the day that it was released. It was a fun little game for awhile, but definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.

Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube)

I bought ToS on a whim. I think I actually thought that it was a different game when I bought it…, but it ended up being a great game. One of my favorite RPGs actually. But I got stuck at a part in it and stopped playing and never picked it up again. Still haven’t finished it…

Perfect Dark (N64/X360)

Perfect Dark is another game that I enjoyed as a kid. It really was a great game. I would force my brothers to play against me in the multiplayer, and I would just destroy them. I played through Perfect Dark Zero at a friend;s house and I didn’t think that it did justice to the Perfect Dark name, and I don’t have too many fond memories of Joanna Dark, so this gets an honorable mention.

Well, there you have it. Agree? Disagree? Just plain hate me? Sound off in the comments.

~ by Perihelion779 on May 7, 2008.