Greatest Video Game Draft 2011 (1 Viewer)

[jwb]

ET and Double Dragon got hosed big time.

Yeah, I'm not liking this judging by some random personal criteria. I had hoped that judging would be done based on what is generally accepted.But whatever. There's no prizes...I don't think.

I agree to a point - For example, in RPG's I personally liked KOTOR waaaaaaay more than FF7 or Chrono Trigger. But I couldn't rank it before those two, just based on the general acceptance of those two JRPG's (they had to finish top 5). But my personal preference for Western RPG's did obviously influence my top 3.

 

[Steve Tasker]

PRELIMINARY SPORTS RANKINGS - up for discussion - my comments included

1. Madden 2004 - PS2 (5.06) - this is, IMO, the pinnacle of the Madden series. I was so glad someone picked this and not any of the other years; I was going to chastise them for not picking 2004. I owned every Madden game from 00 through 08 and a handful of the 90s games, and played most of the other years...and this is simply the best, bar none. I had this in my head as my #1 sports game of all-time before the draft.

2. NHL '94 - Genesis (2.10) - an all-time ####### classic. I had this game for the Genesis and loved it - Alex Mogilny (go Sabres!) was borderline unfair a la Bo Jackson in Tecmo Super Bowl. This remains to this day my favorite of the NHL series, slightly moreso than NHL 2007.

3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 - PS1 (6.09) - another classic. Still the pinnacle of the skateboarding video game world, although there's some other challengers (the Skate series, from what I've played, is quite good). It's also memorable for its soundtrack...ahead of its time.

4. NBA 2K11 - PS3 (2.05) - I hadn't played an NBA game since like NBA Live 06 or something, and this game brought it out of retirement for me. I've really enjoyed the few multiplayer games I've played with friends on this game.

5. ESPN NFL 2K5 - Xbox (2.12) - Although I never owned this, I played my fair share in college. It was a good game, but sadly, it just didn't hold up to Madden, IMO. I'll give it its' due as a solid game, but I played many, many hours of football video games when I was in college (I would've been a freshman for this and Madden 05), and Madden was simply better.

6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf '04 - PS2 (9.03) - spent plenty of time getting drunk in a friend's basement and playing this...very fun.

7. MLB '09 The Show - PS3 (26.06) - I preferred 08 to 09, but 09 was solid as well. Really a steal in the late rounds.

8. Double Dribble - Arcade (7.11) - this game pissed me off to no end as I found it extremely difficult when I was a kid. Looking back on it, though, I can respect it for what it was and recognize that it was a pretty good game for the day. Especially glad that the drafter took the arcade version.

9. Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven '11 - PS3 (13.10) - I wasn't sure exactly what year this was, so I looked it up in-thread and found this quote: "it might not have the Fifa license and the EA "flair", but PES/W11 is typically the better game of the two every year..." I'm not sure if the drafter has ever played the series, but you've gotta figure that I'm going to be extremely particular with the soccer picks here. There were a number of years when PES was the better series; I agree with that. However, based on what I've played, this just isn't the case anymore. PES used to get beaten soundly in sales by FIFA because FIFA had the licenses. PES was the more realistic game, and FIFA was more arcade-y. Over time, PES has moved towards Arcade-y gameplay whereas FIFA has refined itself into a more realistic soccer experience. This pick would've scored more points if it was PES 4 or a similar older title as opposed to the 2011 edition. FIFA is, IMO, the better series at the moment, and has been for at least the last few years.

10. MVP Baseball 2005 - PS2 (15.07) - Was fun, but I enjoyed more of the Triple Play series from the early 2000s or even MLB 98 or 99 from 989 Sports. I didn't buy a baseball game for a few years after this one (until the MLB The Show series later on)

11. Pro Wrestling - NES (4.13) - I've never played this game and I've never been much of a wrestling fan. I'll admit that it's tough to rank this one. This is where the crowd comes into play...do I have this ranked too low? Too high? It's hard to gauge the game's quality with Wikipedia and IGN...

12. Baseball Stars - NES (9.12) - I would've preferred RBI Baseball (which I drafted in the previous draft) or even Quattro Sports if we're talking NES titles. Personally, for most video game genres, I love the simple, old-school titles.....except for sports titles.

13. Wii Sports - Wii (13.13) - innovative as it's really the first game that someone plays for the Wii, and it was my first Wii game. Although I don't own a Wii, my college roommates did, and we played this often. Sadly, it just didn't hold up for me. It was a fun party gimmick, but I always tired of it after a half hour or so.

 

[pollardsvision]

Pro Wrestling is a bit of a cult classic. Very few played it, but those that did loved it. A low ranking was to be expected.

It's nice to see that you had the balls to make Wii Sports dead last. That game sucks.

 

[Insein]

Still working on the Villains and Suspense/Horror categories while juggling two babies. They will be coming in the next few days though.

 

[AcerFC]

Pro Wrestling is a bit of a cult classic. Very few played it, but those that did loved it. A low ranking was to be expected.It's nice to see that you had the balls to make Wii Sports dead last. That game sucks.

Was it Kin Korn Karn who had the Iron Claw When my parents bought me the system in 86, it was for a moving present. my dad bought two games (or one if Mario came bundled, dont remember) Mario and Pro WrestlingWhen we hooked it up we had painters come in and paint the whole house. Every day when they were done, they played Pro wrestling with me for an hourGood times

 

[Mario Kart]

12. Baseball Stars - NES (9.12) - I would've preferred RBI Baseball (which I drafted in the previous draft) or even Quattro Sports if we're talking NES titles. Personally, for most video game genres, I love the simple, old-school titles.....except for sports titles.

Before Madden and any kind of stat tracker sports game, there was Baseball Stars on the consoles. Not only was the game remarkable for its time but it was loads ahead of its time. This rating as the 12th best sports game out of these 13 is:

 

[SlaX]

Pro Wrestling is a bit of a cult classic. Very few played it, but those that did loved it. A low ranking was to be expected.It's nice to see that you had the balls to make Wii Sports dead last. That game sucks.

I never saw it as a cult classic, but it's the best wrestling game not named No Mercy. TBH, Pro Wrestling is the reason I got a Nintendo. I was a huge wrestling fan in the 80's and loved playing Mat Mania in the arcades. Pro Wrestling is the unofficial port of Mat Mania. I still recall the 6 games I got the first day I got the NES. Gyromite*, Duck Hunt* (*included), Super Mario Bros, Kung Fu, Excitebike, and Pro Wrestling. I think Pro Wrestling's placement is fine. I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

But is it better than any of the other games taken?

 

[AcerFC]

I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

But is it better than any of the other games taken?

I think itgoes just behind Tiger

 

[SlaX]

I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

But is it better than any of the other games taken?

I'm not going to argue with the rankings. They are your rankings. Since you were named judge, they should be considered law. But I think it's better than at least one of the other baseball games taken. However, I'm not a big fan of baseball games, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

But is it better than any of the other games taken?

I'm not going to argue with the rankings. They are your rankings. Since you were named judge, they should be considered law. But I think it's better than at least one of the other baseball games taken. However, I'm not a big fan of baseball games, so take it for what it's worth.

Well, they are preliminary rankings. Still, though, it only finished 2 spots behind MVP Baseball, which I assume you're referring to because I think you took MLB The Show.

 

[SlaX]

I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

But is it better than any of the other games taken?

I'm not going to argue with the rankings. They are your rankings. Since you were named judge, they should be considered law. But I think it's better than at least one of the other baseball games taken. However, I'm not a big fan of baseball games, so take it for what it's worth.

Well, they are preliminary rankings. Still, though, it only finished 2 spots behind MVP Baseball, which I assume you're referring to because I think you took MLB The Show.

I took NBA 2k11 in the 22nd round.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I also think Baseball Stars is better than RBI Baseball.

But is it better than any of the other games taken?

I'm not going to argue with the rankings. They are your rankings. Since you were named judge, they should be considered law. But I think it's better than at least one of the other baseball games taken. However, I'm not a big fan of baseball games, so take it for what it's worth.

Well, they are preliminary rankings. Still, though, it only finished 2 spots behind MVP Baseball, which I assume you're referring to because I think you took MLB The Show.

I took NBA 2k11 in the 22nd round.

Sorry...as you can tell, I didn't cheat by looking at who took which games (except for PES, which I had to look up). I knew you were waiting on a sports game until later on.

 

[SlaX]

I'm not going to argue with the rankings. They are your rankings. Since you were named judge, they should be considered law. But I think it's better than at least one of the other baseball games taken. However, I'm not a big fan of baseball games, so take it for what it's worth.

Well, they are preliminary rankings. Still, though, it only finished 2 spots behind MVP Baseball, which I assume you're referring to because I think you took MLB The Show.

I took NBA 2k11 in the 22nd round.

Sorry...as you can tell, I didn't cheat by looking at who took which games (except for PES, which I had to look up). I knew you were waiting on a sports game until later on.

No, that's ok that you didn't look. As you can see, I wasn't poking my nose into rankings just to help my own game, either.

 

[rikishiboy]

PRELIMINARY SPORTS RANKINGS - up for discussion - my comments included

1. Madden 2004 - PS2 (5.06) - this is, IMO, the pinnacle of the Madden series. I was so glad someone picked this and not any of the other years; I was going to chastise them for not picking 2004. I owned every Madden game from 00 through 08 and a handful of the 90s games, and played most of the other years...and this is simply the best, bar none. I had this in my head as my #1 sports game of all-time before the draft.

2. NHL '94 - Genesis (2.10) - an all-time ####### classic. I had this game for the Genesis and loved it - Alex Mogilny (go Sabres!) was borderline unfair a la Bo Jackson in Tecmo Super Bowl. This remains to this day my favorite of the NHL series, slightly moreso than NHL 2007.

3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 - PS1 (6.09) - another classic. Still the pinnacle of the skateboarding video game world, although there's some other challengers (the Skate series, from what I've played, is quite good). It's also memorable for its soundtrack...ahead of its time.

4. NBA 2K11 - PS3 (2.05) - I hadn't played an NBA game since like NBA Live 06 or something, and this game brought it out of retirement for me. I've really enjoyed the few multiplayer games I've played with friends on this game.

5. ESPN NFL 2K5 - Xbox (2.12) - Although I never owned this, I played my fair share in college. It was a good game, but sadly, it just didn't hold up to Madden, IMO. I'll give it its' due as a solid game, but I played many, many hours of football video games when I was in college (I would've been a freshman for this and Madden 05), and Madden was simply better.

6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf '04 - PS2 (9.03) - spent plenty of time getting drunk in a friend's basement and playing this...very fun.

7. MLB '09 The Show - PS3 (26.06) - I preferred 08 to 09, but 09 was solid as well. Really a steal in the late rounds.

8. Double Dribble - Arcade (7.11) - this game pissed me off to no end as I found it extremely difficult when I was a kid. Looking back on it, though, I can respect it for what it was and recognize that it was a pretty good game for the day. Especially glad that the drafter took the arcade version.

9. Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven '11 - PS3 (13.10) - I wasn't sure exactly what year this was, so I looked it up in-thread and found this quote: "it might not have the Fifa license and the EA "flair", but PES/W11 is typically the better game of the two every year..." I'm not sure if the drafter has ever played the series, but you've gotta figure that I'm going to be extremely particular with the soccer picks here. There were a number of years when PES was the better series; I agree with that. However, based on what I've played, this just isn't the case anymore. PES used to get beaten soundly in sales by FIFA because FIFA had the licenses. PES was the more realistic game, and FIFA was more arcade-y. Over time, PES has moved towards Arcade-y gameplay whereas FIFA has refined itself into a more realistic soccer experience. This pick would've scored more points if it was PES 4 or a similar older title as opposed to the 2011 edition. FIFA is, IMO, the better series at the moment, and has been for at least the last few years.

10. MVP Baseball 2005 - PS2 (15.07) - Was fun, but I enjoyed more of the Triple Play series from the early 2000s or even MLB 98 or 99 from 989 Sports. I didn't buy a baseball game for a few years after this one (until the MLB The Show series later on)

11. Pro Wrestling - NES (4.13) - I've never played this game and I've never been much of a wrestling fan. I'll admit that it's tough to rank this one. This is where the crowd comes into play...do I have this ranked too low? Too high? It's hard to gauge the game's quality with Wikipedia and IGN...

12. Baseball Stars - NES (9.12) - I would've preferred RBI Baseball (which I drafted in the previous draft) or even Quattro Sports if we're talking NES titles. Personally, for most video game genres, I love the simple, old-school titles.....except for sports titles.

13. Wii Sports - Wii (13.13) - innovative as it's really the first game that someone plays for the Wii, and it was my first Wii game. Although I don't own a Wii, my college roommates did, and we played this often. Sadly, it just didn't hold up for me. It was a fun party gimmick, but I always tired of it after a half hour or so.

Not too bad overall...here is how I would of ranked them

1. Madden--This is a football message board and a football game deserves #1

2. NHL 94-- I am not a hockey person, but this game is ranked #1 by almost all the sites

3. Tiger Woods--Simply came in and dominated the golf games

4. Tony Hawk--Again not a skater but this game is wildly respected.

5. Double Dribble--gotta give props to the basketball game that was bar none in its time

6. MVP baseball 2005-- I also liked TRiple Play more, but this was a good game

7. Baseball Stars--A classic

8. NBA 2k11--To be honest this series never really caught on with me.

9. Soccer--- If I was ranking it over here, it would be #1 and not even close.

10. MLB 09 the show--My son likes this, but I can't put it above the others

11. ESPN NFL 2k5--Not abad game, but I can't rank it any higher

12. Wii Sports--I agree fun but gimmicky and too limited.

13. Pro-Wrestling--Pro Wrestling is fun, but I just don't like considering it a sport.

note--Tecmo Super Bowl would of been my #1, if drafter had put it in sports.

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

PRELIMINARY SPORTS RANKINGS - up for discussion - my comments included

1. Madden 2004 - PS2 (5.06) - this is, IMO, the pinnacle of the Madden series. I was so glad someone picked this and not any of the other years; I was going to chastise them for not picking 2004. I owned every Madden game from 00 through 08 and a handful of the 90s games, and played most of the other years...and this is simply the best, bar none. I had this in my head as my #1 sports game of all-time before the draft.

2. NHL '94 - Genesis (2.10) - an all-time ####### classic. I had this game for the Genesis and loved it - Alex Mogilny (go Sabres!) was borderline unfair a la Bo Jackson in Tecmo Super Bowl. This remains to this day my favorite of the NHL series, slightly moreso than NHL 2007.

3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 - PS1 (6.09) - another classic. Still the pinnacle of the skateboarding video game world, although there's some other challengers (the Skate series, from what I've played, is quite good). It's also memorable for its soundtrack...ahead of its time.

4. NBA 2K11 - PS3 (2.05) - I hadn't played an NBA game since like NBA Live 06 or something, and this game brought it out of retirement for me. I've really enjoyed the few multiplayer games I've played with friends on this game.



5. ESPN NFL 2K5 - Xbox (2.12) - Although I never owned this, I played my fair share in college. It was a good game, but sadly, it just didn't hold up to Madden, IMO. I'll give it its' due as a solid game, but I played many, many hours of football video games when I was in college (I would've been a freshman for this and Madden 05), and Madden was simply better.

6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf '04 - PS2 (9.03) - spent plenty of time getting drunk in a friend's basement and playing this...very fun.

7. MLB '09 The Show - PS3 (26.06) - I preferred 08 to 09, but 09 was solid as well. Really a steal in the late rounds.

8. Double Dribble - Arcade (7.11) - this game pissed me off to no end as I found it extremely difficult when I was a kid. Looking back on it, though, I can respect it for what it was and recognize that it was a pretty good game for the day. Especially glad that the drafter took the arcade version.

9. Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven '11 - PS3 (13.10) - I wasn't sure exactly what year this was, so I looked it up in-thread and found this quote: "it might not have the Fifa license and the EA "flair", but PES/W11 is typically the better game of the two every year..." I'm not sure if the drafter has ever played the series, but you've gotta figure that I'm going to be extremely particular with the soccer picks here. There were a number of years when PES was the better series; I agree with that. However, based on what I've played, this just isn't the case anymore. PES used to get beaten soundly in sales by FIFA because FIFA had the licenses. PES was the more realistic game, and FIFA was more arcade-y. Over time, PES has moved towards Arcade-y gameplay whereas FIFA has refined itself into a more realistic soccer experience. This pick would've scored more points if it was PES 4 or a similar older title as opposed to the 2011 edition. FIFA is, IMO, the better series at the moment, and has been for at least the last few years.

10. MVP Baseball 2005 - PS2 (15.07) - Was fun, but I enjoyed more of the Triple Play series from the early 2000s or even MLB 98 or 99 from 989 Sports. I didn't buy a baseball game for a few years after this one (until the MLB The Show series later on)

11. Pro Wrestling - NES (4.13) - I've never played this game and I've never been much of a wrestling fan. I'll admit that it's tough to rank this one. This is where the crowd comes into play...do I have this ranked too low? Too high? It's hard to gauge the game's quality with Wikipedia and IGN...

12. Baseball Stars - NES (9.12) - I would've preferred RBI Baseball (which I drafted in the previous draft) or even Quattro Sports if we're talking NES titles. Personally, for most video game genres, I love the simple, old-school titles.....except for sports titles.

13. Wii Sports - Wii (13.13) - innovative as it's really the first game that someone plays for the Wii, and it was my first Wii game. Although I don't own a Wii, my college roommates did, and we played this often. Sadly, it just didn't hold up for me. It was a fun party gimmick, but I always tired of it after a half hour or so.

If they could remake that game with updated graphics, it would still be better then any Madden. I have played every Madden. I grew to hate it, however the 2010 version was the best version by far, and the only one with gameplay that rivaled 2k5. It was perfect. You could actually play defense. Sadly, 2011 is good, but they tweaked it for the losers and it's right back where it was with the 59-65 shootouts.

Obviously us 2k5 guys are the minority, and we get mocked by the Madden guys, probably rightfully so since we can't let it die.

 

[biggamer3]

U guys are completely nuts. 2K5 pawned any of the Maddens and is considered by many to be the greatest sports game ever.

2K11 didn't get one review over 9.0 i dont think, no way is it better then what 2k5 was, not a chance

 

[Steve Tasker]

U guys are completely nuts. 2K5 pawned any of the Maddens and is considered by many to be the greatest sports game ever.2K11 didn't get one review over 9.0 i dont think, no way is it better then what 2k5 was, not a chance

Well, unfortunately "many" aren't judging, and after having played many, many hours of both games, I felt Madden was the better one.

 

[SlaX]

U guys are completely nuts. 2K5 pawned any of the Maddens and is considered by many to be the greatest sports game ever.

2K11 didn't get one review over 9.0 i dont think, no way is it better then what 2k5 was, not a chance

Are you serious? Only 2 sports games have ever been nominated for game of the year outside of sports category and won. Madden '04 and NBA 2K11. IGN gave NBA 2K11 9.5, and rated it the best sports game of all-time.But yes, NFL 2k5 was better than Madden '05. Every publication around at the time ranked it that way and I still agree with it. I didn't play Madden '04 to say if that was any better. I'm sure it wasn't. But apparently, it did win Game of the Year for the VGAs in 2003.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Are you serious? Only 2 sports games have ever been nominated for game of the year outside of sports category and won. Madden '04 and NBA 2K11. IGN gave NBA 2K11 9.5, and rated it the best sports game of all-time.

Didn't know that...I feel a bit more vindicated in my rankings...

 

[Steve Tasker]

Consider those sports rankings final.

 

[Steve Tasker]

PLATFORMER - Preliminary Rankings

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES (1.04) - there really is no other choice here. Might be my favorite game of all-time...is there anyone who doesn't know exactly where to find all the whistles/doesn't love the Tanooki suit?

2. Super Mario Galaxy - Wii (13.05) - might be going off the grid here (it was a toss-up between this and Mario 64), but this is right up there with Mario 64 in terms of revolutionary-ness, IMO, as it really showcased what he Wii can do and where Nintendo hopes to go with the series. Even if you're not a Wii fanboy (and I am definitely not), I'm convinced that it is impossible to play this game for more than 5 minutes and not recognize the awesomeness. Incredible game.

3. Super Mario 64 - N64 (3.10) - revolutionized the Mario series and really helped to usher in the 3D era for the N64.

4. Banjo-Kazooie - N64 (10.07) - another game, similar to Mario 64, that really set the stage for what platformers could become in the 3D world. Although I never owned this one, the handful of times I played it combined with the overwhelmingly positive reviews and commercial success I think make it worthy of this spot.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog - Genesis (6.13) - of the big 4 original Sonic games (I don't recognize Sonic CD, as it wasn't a Genesis title), this is, sadly, my least favorite. Sonic 2 is probably a top 5 all-time game for me and may have ranked as high as #2 in this category; Sonic 1, while it set the tone for the rest of the series, just wasn't as fluid as Sonic 2 and beyond. The controls were blockier, graphics weren't as good, you couldn't spin dash, etc. Star Light Zone has one of my favorite songs in all of video games.

6. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped - PS1 (27.04) - Superbly well-done game, and IMO, a late-round steal. Better than Crash 1 (see below), although not quite as good as Crash 2...it was right up there with it. One of the first games that I really played that had a ton of replay value as I was always going back and trying to get the box gems, colored gems, and time trial relics, which were a nice addition. I must have played the "Midnight Run" stage like 500 times trying to get that platinum relic.

7. Kid Icarus - NES (18.02) - I'll give this one some credit for being somewhat of a cult classic. If we had done this draft 4 years ago, I don't think I'd have this rated as highly, but I've screwed around with it a bit on the Virtual Console and enjoyed it, even if it's supremely difficult (I Wanna Be The Guy, anyone?)

8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - NES (24.11) - I'm assuming this is supposed to be the SNES title?

9. Bionic Commando - NES (16.03) - good game, especially for the NES. Never owned this one. I was completely unaware that it was about Hitler. This is a game where I'm unsure of the rating - thoughts on if this should be higher?

10. New Super Mario Bros - Nintendo DS (18.05) - I think this ranking suffers from the fact that it's a DS game and that it's relatively new. I've played and beaten probably 10+ different Mario games on all different consoles (including the Game Boy), but I can't say that I've ever played this one. Appears to have exceptional reviews.

11. Crash Bandicoot - PS1 (14.09) - similar to Sonic 1, I felt that while this game set the scene for the rest of the series, the next 2 games greatly improved on the first. Crash 2 was actually my favorite of the 3, I was surprised to see that it didn't get drafted. This was easily the "defining" series of my PS1 days.

12. Super Mario Bros. 2 - NES (17.13) - I realize that this game changed up the Mario series and introduced Shy Guy's, Birdo, and the like, but it's just a little too big of a departure from the rest of the series to me. I believe someone commented that even if it's the worst of the Super Mario series, it's still a good game....and I agree with that. Unfortunately, all the games drafted here are good games.

13. Conker's Bad Fur Day - N64 (16.06) - another tough one to rank. Superb graphics (for the time), and received critical press, but just wasn't as pervasive as a number of the games above, including Banjo-Kazooie. In my experience, this wasn't a game that you went over to your friends' house to play.

In all, I was kinda disappointed that so many Mario games ended in this category, although they're certainly deserving. No Adventure Island, no Spyro....some real classics getting passed over. Spyro would've earned extremely high marks from me.

 

[SlaX]

PLATFORMER - Preliminary Rankings

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES (1.04) - there really is no other choice here. Might be my favorite game of all-time...is there anyone who doesn't know exactly where to find all the whistles/doesn't love the Tanooki suit?

2. Super Mario Galaxy - Wii (13.05) - might be going off the grid here (it was a toss-up between this and Mario 64), but this is right up there with Mario 64 in terms of revolutionary-ness, IMO, as it really showcased what he Wii can do and where Nintendo hopes to go with the series. Even if you're not a Wii fanboy (and I am definitely not), I'm convinced that it is impossible to play this game for more than 5 minutes and not recognize the awesomeness. Incredible game.

3. Super Mario 64 - N64 (3.10) - revolutionized the Mario series and really helped to usher in the 3D era for the N64.

4. Banjo-Kazooie - N64 (10.07) - another game, similar to Mario 64, that really set the stage for what platformers could become in the 3D world. Although I never owned this one, the handful of times I played it combined with the overwhelmingly positive reviews and commercial success I think make it worthy of this spot.

5. Sonic the Hedgehog - Genesis (6.13) - of the big 4 original Sonic games (I don't recognize Sonic CD, as it wasn't a Genesis title), this is, sadly, my least favorite. Sonic 2 is probably a top 5 all-time game for me and may have ranked as high as #2 in this category; Sonic 1, while it set the tone for the rest of the series, just wasn't as fluid as Sonic 2 and beyond. The controls were blockier, graphics weren't as good, you couldn't spin dash, etc. Star Light Zone has one of my favorite songs in all of video games.

6. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped - PS1 (27.04) - Superbly well-done game, and IMO, a late-round steal. Better than Crash 1 (see below), although not quite as good as Crash 2...it was right up there with it. One of the first games that I really played that had a ton of replay value as I was always going back and trying to get the box gems, colored gems, and time trial relics, which were a nice addition. I must have played the "Midnight Run" stage like 500 times trying to get that platinum relic.

7. Kid Icarus - NES (18.02) - I'll give this one some credit for being somewhat of a cult classic. If we had done this draft 4 years ago, I don't think I'd have this rated as highly, but I've screwed around with it a bit on the Virtual Console and enjoyed it, even if it's supremely difficult (I Wanna Be The Guy, anyone?)

8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - NES (24.11) - I'm assuming this is supposed to be the SNES title?

9. Bionic Commando - NES (16.03) - good game, especially for the NES. Never owned this one. I was completely unaware that it was about Hitler. This is a game where I'm unsure of the rating - thoughts on if this should be higher?

10. New Super Mario Bros - Nintendo DS (18.05) - I think this ranking suffers from the fact that it's a DS game and that it's relatively new. I've played and beaten probably 10+ different Mario games on all different consoles (including the Game Boy), but I can't say that I've ever played this one. Appears to have exceptional reviews.

11. Crash Bandicoot - PS1 (14.09) - similar to Sonic 1, I felt that while this game set the scene for the rest of the series, the next 2 games greatly improved on the first. Crash 2 was actually my favorite of the 3, I was surprised to see that it didn't get drafted. This was easily the "defining" series of my PS1 days.

12. Super Mario Bros. 2 - NES (17.13) - I realize that this game changed up the Mario series and introduced Shy Guy's, Birdo, and the like, but it's just a little too big of a departure from the rest of the series to me. I believe someone commented that even if it's the worst of the Super Mario series, it's still a good game....and I agree with that. Unfortunately, all the games drafted here are good games.

13. Conker's Bad Fur Day - N64 (16.06) - another tough one to rank. Superb graphics (for the time), and received critical press, but just wasn't as pervasive as a number of the games above, including Banjo-Kazooie. In my experience, this wasn't a game that you went over to your friends' house to play.

In all, I was kinda disappointed that so many Mario games ended in this category, although they're certainly deserving. No Adventure Island, no Spyro....some real classics getting passed over. Spyro would've earned extremely high marks from me.

I expected NSMB to get lost in the sea of Mario games here, so I expected the low ranking. I even thought about putting it in another category or drafting Adventure Island or a Rachet and Clank game. Hindsight, I guess I should have. I guess I was hoping NSMB's sales record would weigh more than it did (hey! it's new but it's still outsold Super Mario Bros 3! and is 2nd best selling console game of all-time!). Or maybe I just wanted a Mario game on my roster.... yeah, that's it.As far as a better game, I agree with Galaxy over 64, but when it comes to legacy and innovation, that will hurt it and you'll get arguments there. I can't argue with SMB3 at the top.

I might have put Bionic Commando above Yoshi's Island. What other platformer have you ever played that didn't allow you to jump? The mechanic of using your arm to get around was new and fresh and really hasn't been used outside of Bionic Commando, other than, I guess Spiderman.

Yes, Yoshi's Island is SNES.

editted my poor spelling

 

[hooter311]

Multiplayer Rankings

1 Point TMNT: Turtles In Time

Fun game, but outclassed in almost every category by other stuff drafted. You can't really sink a lifetime of replay into this like some of the others. In fact, it may be just as satisfying to play by yourself.

2 Points Ultima Online

As far as I know it was the first big online MMOG, but there are a lot of growing pains being the first. Cheaters have prospered for as long as its been around I believe.

3 Points Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Ok, so it may be addictive and fun, but is it actually quality? I have no idea. Kind of reminded me of some of the old elements of the gameboy Final Fantasy games, which I enjoyed a lot.

4 Points Everquest

So where exactly would you rank crack in a drug draft? I'm sure it's a blast unless it destroys your life. Hard to avoid some of the negative connotations associatied with this. If I did play it, I wouldn't never mention it in real life.

5 Points City of Heroes

Guess I've never even heard of this, but it sounds pretty cool. Receives praise for being one of, if not the, most flexible MMOG games in history. I know how much these games mean to the people who play them, but the most important part of a MMOG is still its accesibility to new players.

6 Points Gears of War 2

Don't play much for 3rd person shooters. Some glitches and a slight change in the whole experience from the original multiplayer gets it docked a point or two.

7 Points Total Annihilation

I'm not familiar with this at all, but I've seen it ranked over Starcraft on a lot of online lists when it comes to real time strategy games. Definitely has withstood the test of time.

8 Points Team Fortress 2

Personally, the cartoony feel didn't really catch on for me. Haven't played much of this one, but am very familiar with the original on PC. The class system is top notch.

9 Points Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare

I'm a Halo guy myself, I get absolutely tooled at this game. Not really a fan of the killstreak stuff, seemed to invite too much camping.

10 Points Halo 3

Personally, H3 was a step down from the Halo 2. They did some things with the lobby system to streamline it as well as eliminate the modding that plagued H2. The physics just didn't feel quite right and with less emphasis placed on the numbered ranking system, it just wasn't the same challenge.

11 Points Rock Band

When it comes to jamming out with your buddies its going to be pretty hard to top this. Probably the top party game available at this time. I have not and most likely never play a second of these games myself.

12 Points World of Warcraft

When it comes to Mass Multiplayer games, this is what seems to consume people the most and its surprising just how far the reach of this game stretches. I've done several double takes after hearing from people that it was one of their favorite hobbies.

13 Points Starcraft

Nobody really holds a candle to the Blizzard team when it comes to an online PC gaming experience. They have set the standard for years. This is the gold standard of Real Time Stragegy games. This generation's chess.

 

[hooter311]

Ok nerds, have at it. I'll have the 2nd set of rankings for FPS up later today. I tried my best to leave my personal bias at the door. I haven't played 1 second of any of the top 3 ranked games.

 

[jwb]

Nice - you did justice to a tough category (how do you seperate multiplayer for MMO?) At first glance, I thought Ultima Online was low, but really, taking the Halo's and COD's and RTS games into account, the only one I'd rank it above is Monster Hunter.

 

[jwb]

Best Story Rankings - Intro

This was a tough category to rank, and, seemingly, a tough one to draft, with most picks coming pretty late. There were some serious steals, and a lot of the top stuff drafted did not finish as high as the drafter probably would have liked.

This category is one that almost demands you be well-versed in multiple platforms / gaming history - sorry to say, there were some recent games picked that really don't belong. That latest console blockbuster might have a nice story if you've only played console blockbusters, but did you even try that little PC adventure game from 1998?

Also, the story is an all-encompassing thing. Sidekicks, villians, setting, etc - it all comes into play. But it's not just having a cool setting and good sidekicks - there's that certain, undefinable something that just makes one story memorable, and another pedestrian. As I ranked these, I continually asked myself "am I still plaing this even if the gameplay wasn't that good?" The top games answer that question with a "yes". Conversely, I also asked myself "am I still playing this even if the story / voice acting / etc was awful?" If I answered "yes", it didn't necessarily ding it, but it did make me look a little more objectively at the story itself, and not the game as a whole.

 

[jwb]

Best Story - The Bottom Five

1 point

Toejam and Earl

It’s odd, it’s cute, it’s clever, and I enjoyed it on my Genesis. But it doesn’t have what I would consider a great story.

2 Points

The Legend of Dragoon

For some of these games (like this one), I’m sure the story gripped some people. But I found it fairly average. Good, but not great.

3 Points

Beyond Good & Evil

Again, nothing here reaches out and says “great, great story”.

4 Points

Bully

I really liked this game, and think it’s a decent little story. But even though I’d personally like to rank it higher, there’s just not enough hook here.

5 Points

Red Dead Redemption

Really? RDR in best story? Ok, I guess… John Marston is a fine protagonist, but I just don’t see the gripping story here. Basic revenge tale, etc. I do love the setting – it did a great job of capturing that Old West feel. But everything above this one gets you more invested in the tale it’s telling.

 

[jwb]

Story Rankings - Middle of the pack

6 Points

Metal Gear Solid

Nice game, but not a good first round pick for this category. It’s a good story, but not a great one. The game is highly regarded for its stealth elements and the cinematic feel. But cinematics don’t make the story – every game above this one has a deeper, more involved story.

7 Points

Max Payne

Lost in the revolutionary gunplay was one of the better stories in a videogame. Yea, I liked the bullet-time, but it was Max’s character and story that kept you going.

8 Points

Shadow of Destiny

One of the best console adventure games ever. I played it on its Xbox port, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

9 Points

Mass Effect 2

I don’t know what to do with this one. It’s highly regarded, it’s developed a decent universe, the overall plot is going to take three games to tell, so it’s epic. The sidekick characters and the Illusive Man are all well done… all that said, I’m playing this game no matter what the story. I’m not sure I can say that about the games above this one. I could see someone who got into Videogames only in the last ten years ranking this #1, and it would be justifiable. This is a solid pick, and only my having played better in the 90's keeps it at 9 points.

10 Points

The Longest Journey

There was a time when adventure games were the games. But they kind of died out – essentially, they were all story, and no real gameplay. And most of the time, the story was pedestrian. But not here – The Longest Journey is regarded as one of the best adventure games ever made, and is one of the few I played multiple times. If you criticize this rank, you clearly have not played this game (by the way, I played every game on the list).

 

[Mario Kart]

I am doing awesome today. My games are the best but people are afraid to offend others. I get it.

 

[jwb]

Story Rankings - the best of the best

11 points

Final Fantasy VI/III

I’m not sure it was even the best FF (I liked FF7 better), but I played this well after it came out, and even though it was pretty outdated, I still enjoyed it immensely. That says something about the story. FF games simply tell great stories.

12 points

Planescape Torment

If you played it all the way through, you just know. No matter how you shaped it (and you could shape it considerably), the story of the nameless one is one you won’t soon forget. Add in the fantastic gameworld and characters (Morte is awesome), and you have a game that you’d be driven to finish even if you didn’t like RPG’s.

13 points

Grim Fandango

Whoever picked this knows their stuff. Taking place in probably one of the oddest settings ever for a game, and featuring a bevy of colorful characters, Manny’s story in the Land of the Dead is as close to art as I’ve seen a videogame get.

 

[AcerFC]

Im behind on the scoring. I will try to update it today but its the last day of the quarter so I am trying to get my grades done

 

[SlaX]

Story Rankings - the best of the best

13 points

Grim Fandango

Whoever picked this knows their stuff. Taking place in probably one of the oddest settings ever for a game, and featuring a bevy of colorful characters, Manny’s story in the Land of the Dead is as close to art as I’ve seen a videogame get.

Not only do I know it, I still have it installed on my computer. (please ignore the messy desktop)

 

[AcerFC]

Story Rankings - the best of the best

13 points

Grim Fandango

Whoever picked this knows their stuff. Taking place in probably one of the oddest settings ever for a game, and featuring a bevy of colorful characters, Manny’s story in the Land of the Dead is as close to art as I’ve seen a videogame get.

Not only do I know it, I still have it installed on my computer. (please ignore the messy desktop)

Did you take that picture. Great composition

 

[SlaX]

Story Rankings - the best of the best

13 points

Grim Fandango

Whoever picked this knows their stuff. Taking place in probably one of the oddest settings ever for a game, and featuring a bevy of colorful characters, Manny’s story in the Land of the Dead is as close to art as I’ve seen a videogame get.

Not only do I know it, I still have it installed on my computer. (please ignore the messy desktop)

Did you take that picture. Great composition

No. I wish I did. It's close to the last one my wife and I took of the sunrise on our honeymoon. Unfortunately, her camera's composition sucks and the picture came out terrible. But I found this wallpaper and it reminded me of the shot. It looks like it was taken from the exact spot we were, but I'm guessing this was probably a different beach.

 

[biggamer3]

I am getting lower scores then i thought but i cant complain with judges they seem to be doing a great job and taking their time with the writeups which is greatly appreciated

 

[BlueDredSo]

Geesh, my team has been tanking. I should've taken Adventure Island over SMB2. Thought Legend of Dragoon would fare a lot better. Made up for it though with WoW. I've read in a lot of places how good the story of Grim Fandango is. Considering downloading it or picking it up cheap.

 

[Worm]

@ Mario Kart in here

 

[jwb]

Geesh, my team has been tanking. I should've taken Adventure Island over SMB2. Thought Legend of Dragoon would fare a lot better. Made up for it though with WoW. I've read in a lot of places how good the story of Grim Fandango is. Considering downloading it or picking it up cheap.

There's really nothing wrong with the game - it's a solid game. From 2-13, they were all good games with at least a story that made me enjoy it. It's just when I think back on that one, there's nothing that really grabs me as overly memorable in a story sense (compared to the rest of the list)

 

[SlaX]

Geesh, my team has been tanking. I should've taken Adventure Island over SMB2. Thought Legend of Dragoon would fare a lot better. Made up for it though with WoW. I've read in a lot of places how good the story of Grim Fandango is. Considering downloading it or picking it up cheap.

Good luck finding it cheap. From what I hear, it's hard to find and sells higher than it did when it was new. I've thought about selling my copy, but I can't bring myself to do it. I even have the box and manual in near mint condition. I'm only going by what I've heard. I bought it when it was new, so I haven't tried looking for it myself.

 

[Mario Kart]

@ Mario Kart in here

This is a golf competition. I like golf.

 

[SlaX]

@ Mario Kart in here

Wow. I just tallied the scores for the first time. Here are the standings, in reverse order. mariokart - 72 ptswazoo - 79 ptsrikishiboy - 86 ptsbmarks - 88 ptslarryboy - 91 ptsbluedredso - 92 ptsAndy - 92 ptsAcer - 99 ptsPollardsvision - 103 ptsbiggamer - 106 ptsmadshot - 110 ptsyo mama - 115 ptsslax - 141 pts

 

[SlaX]

@ Mario Kart in here

This is a golf competition. I like golf.

In that case, you're at par and I'm shooting WAYYY over par. I need to stop hitting it into the water.

 

[Sea Ropes]

6 Points

Metal Gear Solid

Nice game, but not a good first round pick for this category. It’s a good story, but not a great one. The game is highly regarded for its stealth elements and the cinematic feel. But cinematics don’t make the story – every game above this one has a deeper, more involved story.

I've played this game and loved it. But for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what the heck it was about. All I remember is that the Russians stole a giant Metal Gear machine, and Snake has to kill people. That's about it.

 

[Insein]

Working on the Villains. When I find a time that the babies are sleeping, I can get the write ups done. This is a tough category to judge. Trying to find a fair way to include all the choices.

 

[Insein]

6 Points

Metal Gear Solid

Nice game, but not a good first round pick for this category. It’s a good story, but not a great one. The game is highly regarded for its stealth elements and the cinematic feel. But cinematics don’t make the story – every game above this one has a deeper, more involved story.

I've played this game and loved it. But for the life of me, I couldn't tell you what the heck it was about. All I remember is that the Russians stole a giant Metal Gear machine, and Snake has to kill people. That's about it.

Search "Metal Gear Awesome" and you'll get the jist of the story. Its pretty complicated but I still had fun playing it.

 

[SlaX]

Working on the Villains. When I find a time that the babies are sleeping, I can get the write ups done. This is a tough category to judge. Trying to find a fair way to include all the choices.

Remember, Clyde gets ranked lower than the other ghosts because he's a cross-dresser that moonlights as a girl named Sue.Or does he get ranked higher because that actually gives him backstory?

 

[biggamer3]

I thought Red Dead had the best storyline of any game i ever played. I played all the Metal Gears and a few Final Fantasy and could really care less for the story's but Red Dead's tale of redemption really brings you into the actual head of John Marston. Looks like i would have been better off using Red Dead for 7th gen game

 

[larry_boy_44]

Multiplayer Rankings

1 Point TMNT: Turtles In Time

Fun game, but outclassed in almost every category by other stuff drafted. You can't really sink a lifetime of replay into this like some of the others. In fact, it may be just as satisfying to play by yourself.

2 Points Ultima Online

As far as I know it was the first big online MMOG, but there are a lot of growing pains being the first. Cheaters have prospered for as long as its been around I believe.

3 Points Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Ok, so it may be addictive and fun, but is it actually quality? I have no idea. Kind of reminded me of some of the old elements of the gameboy Final Fantasy games, which I enjoyed a lot.

4 Points Everquest

So where exactly would you rank crack in a drug draft? I'm sure it's a blast unless it destroys your life. Hard to avoid some of the negative connotations associatied with this. If I did play it, I wouldn't never mention it in real life.

5 Points City of Heroes

Guess I've never even heard of this, but it sounds pretty cool. Receives praise for being one of, if not the, most flexible MMOG games in history. I know how much these games mean to the people who play them, but the most important part of a MMOG is still its accesibility to new players.

6 Points Gears of War 2

Don't play much for 3rd person shooters. Some glitches and a slight change in the whole experience from the original multiplayer gets it docked a point or two.

7 Points Total Annihilation

I'm not familiar with this at all, but I've seen it ranked over Starcraft on a lot of online lists when it comes to real time strategy games. Definitely has withstood the test of time.

8 Points Team Fortress 2

Personally, the cartoony feel didn't really catch on for me. Haven't played much of this one, but am very familiar with the original on PC. The class system is top notch.

9 Points Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare

I'm a Halo guy myself, I get absolutely tooled at this game. Not really a fan of the killstreak stuff, seemed to invite too much camping.

10 Points Halo 3

Personally, H3 was a step down from the Halo 2. They did some things with the lobby system to streamline it as well as eliminate the modding that plagued H2. The physics just didn't feel quite right and with less emphasis placed on the numbered ranking system, it just wasn't the same challenge.

11 Points Rock Band

When it comes to jamming out with your buddies its going to be pretty hard to top this. Probably the top party game available at this time. I have not and most likely never play a second of these games myself.

12 Points World of Warcraft

When it comes to Mass Multiplayer games, this is what seems to consume people the most and its surprising just how far the reach of this game stretches. I've done several double takes after hearing from people that it was one of their favorite hobbies.

13 Points Starcraft

Nobody really holds a candle to the Blizzard team when it comes to an online PC gaming experience. They have set the standard for years. This is the gold standard of Real Time Stragegy games. This generation's chess.

I don't understand this...You rip on Everquest and Ultima Online for things that also apply to WoW, but then ignore those negatives when it comes to WoW while applying the positives fo the genre to WoW and ignoring them for Ultima Online and Everquest...

it makes no sense...

 

[jwb]

I thought Red Dead had the best storyline of any game i ever played. I played all the Metal Gears and a few Final Fantasy and could really care less for the story's but Red Dead's tale of redemption really brings you into the actual head of John Marston. Looks like i would have been better off using Red Dead for 7th gen game

The thing is, the actual "story" there is pretty small. And it's not much of a redemption if you play the side missions as evil. Plus, there's a glaring lack of other memorable characters. Bonnie, for a brief second, was interesting, but then they just dropped her. That works against it.I thought the setting was top notch, though. It did capture that old west feel (as much as it could - I mean, none of us were actually there. ) If there was a "best setting" category, it's a top 3 game.