Steve Tasker
Footballguy
Any experience with playing on a Mac?charvik said:
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Greatest Video Game Draft 2011 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter madshot31
- Start date
charvik
Footballguy
no, none, but from what I read online it's the exact same game, and the updates are done independently of the game engine, so that shouldn't be an issue either.
biggamer3
Footballguy
good rankings, seems very fair and agree that Tyson was absolutely put in the wrong category. Had he been in Beatem up he it would have gotten highest scoreSea Ropes said:Fighter Rankings
1. Super Street Fighter IV - Xbox 360 - I'm playing the PS3 version right now. Huge cast of characters. Bonus stages. A less cheap Seth. It's the Street Fighter to end all Street Fighters, although I still enjoy Alpha 3.
2. SoulCalibur - Dreamcast (4.01) ) - I remember playing the original SoulEdge at the arcade and using the nunchucks guy to knock the CPU off the raft. When the Dreamcast version came out, I tried the same spinning nunchuck move against my dorm-mates; it didn't work. The weapon added a fresh element to a formulaic genre.
3. Mortal Kombat II - SNES (3.05) - Damn, I loved MK2. The Friendships still crack me up. I played the hell out of my copy.
4. Street Fighter II - Arcade (2.07) - The game that spawned a gazillion clones. My first experience was with Blanka at the mall arcade. I fought some dude who used Chun-Li. He knew all her moves, and I could only electrocute and bite her face, but I still won.
5. King Of Fighters '95 - Arcade (18.03) - I remember playing this on a little Neo-Geo machine (sitting on a mini stool) in a Asian shopping center. Not much originality here, but I liked the flashy moves and slick graphics.
6. Killer Instinct - Arcade (26.10) - Very cool game with ridiculous combos and groundbreaking graphics. I first saw this game at a theme park. Tons of nerds were crowded around it and one guy busted out a 15 hit combo with the wolf.
7. Dead or Alive 2 - Dreamcast (16.12) - This one had more of the breast physics right?I don't think I ever played the male characters. God bless that Japanese foreign exchange student for bringing his DC with him to school.
8. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii (11.10) - Sorry, but tried to like this game/series. I played the single player campaign and found it somewhat more entertaining than the multi-player brawl.
9. Tekken 3 - PS1 (7.06) - I never really got into the Tekken fighting system. I was so used to the SFII joystick movements that the Tekken button combos felt unnatural to me. Plus, there was almost no jumping.
10. Mike Tyson Punch-Out - NES (3.01) - I could never beat Super Macho Man. Oh, how he would taunt me with his nipples. The *******.
But I'm not sure this really qualifies as a fighting game. It would have ranked waaay higher in another category.
11. Virtua Fighter - Arcade (10.06) - Man, this one brings back memories. The blocky 3D polygons, and I think the idea of "ring out" originated here.
12.Super Smash Brothers: Melee - Gamecube (10.02) - My buddy used to whoop my ### at this. Maybe that's why I dislike the game. But there are huge tourneys dedicated to this game and the N64 game.
13. Swashbuckler - Apple II (27.03) -
SlaX
Footballguy
I'm not familiar with the game, but Football Manager 2011 is Mac and PC compatible on Steam, through SteamPlay.
Insein
Footballguy
Puzzle Rankings
Note: With all my rankings, I look at the final list of games without regard to who has picked them for impartiality.
Let’s start of with the definition of a puzzle game.
"Puzzle games focus on logical and conceptual challenges, although occasionally the games add time-pressure or other action-elements. Although many action games and adventure games involve puzzles such as obtaining inaccessible objects, a true puzzle game focuses on puzzle solving as the primary gameplay activity. Games usually involve shapes, colors, or symbols, and the player must directly or indirectly manipulate them into a specific pattern."
With this in mind, I chose 5 categories to judge a puzzle game on.
Ease to Pickup: How quickly can the user pickup the game and grasp the basic premise of what needs to be done.
Challenge: How difficult is it to master and beat the required gameplay.
Innovation: How much did this game change the way things were done before it.
Addiction: How long can you play the game without realizing you don't know what day it is.
Main Category: Is this a true puzzle game by category.
All categories are based on a scale of 1-10 (10 being outstanding and 1 being god awful) except for the "Main Category." That is based on a 1-3 scale. 3 is a full fledged puzzle game, 2 is only one step from a full fledged puzzle game and 1 is for not directly a puzzle game.
So with those criteria, here are the results.
13 Ico - PS2 (18.07)
Score: 4-7-7-4-1=23
Ico is a fantastic game. It generates a wonderful range of emotions much like a movie or an RPG. However, it is not a puzzle game. It has as much to do with puzzle solving as Resident Evil, Zelda or many other action adventures. This is a terrible choice to put it in this category. Best story or 6th generation would have been more appropriate. Unfortunately its here and therefore it suffers.
12 Q Bert - Arcade (10.09)
Score: 7-6-6-6-1=26
This is another game that suffers from its competition in this category. It was an immensely popular arcade game but as far as puzzle games go, it doesn’t really hold water to the heavyweights. Getting chased by a snake named Coily doesn’t exactly feel like you’re solving a puzzle.
11Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (26.08)
Score: 5-7-7-5-2=26
This was an interesting title. I admit that I have never played it so it’s probably why it’s so low on this list. Looking at the synopsis and seeing the gameplay, I can see how this would be a decent game to play. With elements of action/adventure, RPG and puzzles involved, it makes for a unique, story driven game. It does lack an ability to jump in and get to the puzzle action like many of the classics and the puzzles asked to be solved are simple logic equations similar to Brain Age. At least that’s what I saw for the videos I viewed. Could be higher in the future but it’s not a classic puzzle game.
10 Lode Runner - Xbox 360 (23.12)
Score: 6-8-6-6-2=28
The original was a cross between and arcade style platformer where you work to capture the gold pieces by manipulating the map to get around the bad guys and escaping after the last piece. It was a simplistic idea but brought about a revolutionary idea; Player created maps. The new one is an upgrade with better graphics but keeps the same, basic gameplay. Pretty decent puzzle/platform hybrid. Choosing the upgrade takes it down a notch on innovation but still a solid game to play. Just didn’t come out higher than others.
9 Limbo - Xbox 360 (15.08)
Score: 6-7-7-6-2=28
Viewing this game made me see a new trend in puzzle/platformers that I like. We’re seeing a shift to a more artistic style of game. A good looking game that takes a little bit to get what you’re doing but once you’re going you feel compelled to continue. I never played it before the judging but it seems like a solid game. It didn’t work out any higher though.
8 Braid - Xbox 360 (12.11)
Score: 7-8-7-7-1=30
Another puzzle hybrid that captures a combination of platforming, RPG and a unique time element that adds to the replay-ability. It contains a beautiful, yet sad story combined with a wonderful musical score that adds something not often seen in puzzle games. It probably isn’t something for the common gamer though.
7 Angry Birds - IPod (12.12)
Score: 10-7-4-8-3=32
It’s silly. It has a ridiculous concept. And yet it’s addictive as all hell. Simple to grasp and yet difficult to master, Angry Birds took a proven concept of physics based games from many of the mini games found on the internet and polished it to a fun product. It’s not the first of its kind but it is one of the best.
6 Minesweeper - PC (8.03)
Score: 10-7-7-7-3=34
Many, many hours spent killing time in this logic minefield (literal minefield). You can find this game free on any windows platform from Windows 98 on. It’s so simplistic to start but trying to fully sweep an expert puzzle could take hours of mind numbing logic bombs. Who would have thought that a free game thrown in with hearts could be such pure genius.
5 Peggle - PC (23.09)
Score: 8-9-8-7-3=35
Now this is a cool concept. How could you take a casino slot machine game, pachinko, and turn it into an effective puzzle? It makes no sense. Yet they do it. They add unique elements that create quite the challenge. They attack the problem with physics. They add effective bonuses that feed the player an assistance that isn’t a gimme. Peggle is a bizarre idea for a puzzle that just works.
4 Tetris Attack - SNES (23.01)
Score: 10-8-7-9-3=37
Aside from dropping objects in a specific area in the middle of the screen, this game bears little resemblance to the original Tetris. That doesn’t take away from what it does bring though. It adds an element not seen in most puzzlers; Two player versus mode! Addictive battles that can be played for hours on end helped to make Tetris Attack the #4 puzzle game on my list.
3 Bejeweled 2 - PC (7.10)
Score: 10-7-9-8-3=37
Awesome, awesome gameplay! Play as little or as long as you can manage to. This game is beyond addictive right down to the little explosions that give you a rush of endorphins as they explode. Wait they don’t? Well they do for me. I bought this as a simple time-killer on the XBLA and it has given me hours of enjoyment. Bejeweled 2 is one of the few modern puzzlers that I would consider almost perfect.
2 Portal - Xbox 360 (5.04)
Score: 8-9-10-8-2=37
How could a throw in with one of the greatest games of all time nearly steal the show? When the package is Orange Box and the throw in is Portal, that’s how, Never before have we seen such flawless physics combine with such diabolical logic traps to give an incredible experience. Along with that, we’ve never truly had an arch nemesis as sarcastic and evil as GLaDOS in our puzzling escapades. That ##### promised cake and toys with us the entire time. Like a cross between Hal9000 and a female Steven Colbert, GLaDOS is merely using you as an experiment to amuse herself. She often discourages your efforts or derides your enthusiasm. The minor details throughout such as the writing on the walls by the previous experiments makes for a sadistic good comedy mixed in with a revolutionary puzzle game. One of the best ever made.
1 Tetris - Game Boy (1.13)
Score: 10-8-10-8-3=39
Was there ever a more powerful game created that captured the human mind in the age old battle of incessant tetrominoes and a clear canvas of free land? No there wasn’t. Just thinking about the idea is ridiculous. Never has a game been more played. Never has a game been more ported or copied. Never have we seen an addiction like Tetris in the gaming world. A game that was so unlike anything that ever came before it that we still see people buy it over and over on every new gaming medium nearly 40 years after its creation. A puzzle game that has been declared in the top 10 of nearly every major gaming outfits top 100 lists of all time. This was a masterpiece of puzzlers. The Game Boy version was the ultimate catalyst in spreading this virus to the masses. The simplistic, yet addictive crack that was Tetris can be played forever with no falloff from the level of enjoyment you would feel.
Note: With all my rankings, I look at the final list of games without regard to who has picked them for impartiality.
Let’s start of with the definition of a puzzle game.
"Puzzle games focus on logical and conceptual challenges, although occasionally the games add time-pressure or other action-elements. Although many action games and adventure games involve puzzles such as obtaining inaccessible objects, a true puzzle game focuses on puzzle solving as the primary gameplay activity. Games usually involve shapes, colors, or symbols, and the player must directly or indirectly manipulate them into a specific pattern."
With this in mind, I chose 5 categories to judge a puzzle game on.
Ease to Pickup: How quickly can the user pickup the game and grasp the basic premise of what needs to be done.
Challenge: How difficult is it to master and beat the required gameplay.
Innovation: How much did this game change the way things were done before it.
Addiction: How long can you play the game without realizing you don't know what day it is.
Main Category: Is this a true puzzle game by category.
All categories are based on a scale of 1-10 (10 being outstanding and 1 being god awful) except for the "Main Category." That is based on a 1-3 scale. 3 is a full fledged puzzle game, 2 is only one step from a full fledged puzzle game and 1 is for not directly a puzzle game.
So with those criteria, here are the results.
13 Ico - PS2 (18.07)
Score: 4-7-7-4-1=23
Ico is a fantastic game. It generates a wonderful range of emotions much like a movie or an RPG. However, it is not a puzzle game. It has as much to do with puzzle solving as Resident Evil, Zelda or many other action adventures. This is a terrible choice to put it in this category. Best story or 6th generation would have been more appropriate. Unfortunately its here and therefore it suffers.
12 Q Bert - Arcade (10.09)
Score: 7-6-6-6-1=26
This is another game that suffers from its competition in this category. It was an immensely popular arcade game but as far as puzzle games go, it doesn’t really hold water to the heavyweights. Getting chased by a snake named Coily doesn’t exactly feel like you’re solving a puzzle.
11Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (26.08)
Score: 5-7-7-5-2=26
This was an interesting title. I admit that I have never played it so it’s probably why it’s so low on this list. Looking at the synopsis and seeing the gameplay, I can see how this would be a decent game to play. With elements of action/adventure, RPG and puzzles involved, it makes for a unique, story driven game. It does lack an ability to jump in and get to the puzzle action like many of the classics and the puzzles asked to be solved are simple logic equations similar to Brain Age. At least that’s what I saw for the videos I viewed. Could be higher in the future but it’s not a classic puzzle game.
10 Lode Runner - Xbox 360 (23.12)
Score: 6-8-6-6-2=28
The original was a cross between and arcade style platformer where you work to capture the gold pieces by manipulating the map to get around the bad guys and escaping after the last piece. It was a simplistic idea but brought about a revolutionary idea; Player created maps. The new one is an upgrade with better graphics but keeps the same, basic gameplay. Pretty decent puzzle/platform hybrid. Choosing the upgrade takes it down a notch on innovation but still a solid game to play. Just didn’t come out higher than others.
9 Limbo - Xbox 360 (15.08)
Score: 6-7-7-6-2=28
Viewing this game made me see a new trend in puzzle/platformers that I like. We’re seeing a shift to a more artistic style of game. A good looking game that takes a little bit to get what you’re doing but once you’re going you feel compelled to continue. I never played it before the judging but it seems like a solid game. It didn’t work out any higher though.
8 Braid - Xbox 360 (12.11)
Score: 7-8-7-7-1=30
Another puzzle hybrid that captures a combination of platforming, RPG and a unique time element that adds to the replay-ability. It contains a beautiful, yet sad story combined with a wonderful musical score that adds something not often seen in puzzle games. It probably isn’t something for the common gamer though.
7 Angry Birds - IPod (12.12)
Score: 10-7-4-8-3=32
It’s silly. It has a ridiculous concept. And yet it’s addictive as all hell. Simple to grasp and yet difficult to master, Angry Birds took a proven concept of physics based games from many of the mini games found on the internet and polished it to a fun product. It’s not the first of its kind but it is one of the best.
6 Minesweeper - PC (8.03)
Score: 10-7-7-7-3=34
Many, many hours spent killing time in this logic minefield (literal minefield). You can find this game free on any windows platform from Windows 98 on. It’s so simplistic to start but trying to fully sweep an expert puzzle could take hours of mind numbing logic bombs. Who would have thought that a free game thrown in with hearts could be such pure genius.
5 Peggle - PC (23.09)
Score: 8-9-8-7-3=35
Now this is a cool concept. How could you take a casino slot machine game, pachinko, and turn it into an effective puzzle? It makes no sense. Yet they do it. They add unique elements that create quite the challenge. They attack the problem with physics. They add effective bonuses that feed the player an assistance that isn’t a gimme. Peggle is a bizarre idea for a puzzle that just works.
4 Tetris Attack - SNES (23.01)
Score: 10-8-7-9-3=37
Aside from dropping objects in a specific area in the middle of the screen, this game bears little resemblance to the original Tetris. That doesn’t take away from what it does bring though. It adds an element not seen in most puzzlers; Two player versus mode! Addictive battles that can be played for hours on end helped to make Tetris Attack the #4 puzzle game on my list.
3 Bejeweled 2 - PC (7.10)
Score: 10-7-9-8-3=37
Awesome, awesome gameplay! Play as little or as long as you can manage to. This game is beyond addictive right down to the little explosions that give you a rush of endorphins as they explode. Wait they don’t? Well they do for me. I bought this as a simple time-killer on the XBLA and it has given me hours of enjoyment. Bejeweled 2 is one of the few modern puzzlers that I would consider almost perfect.
2 Portal - Xbox 360 (5.04)
Score: 8-9-10-8-2=37
How could a throw in with one of the greatest games of all time nearly steal the show? When the package is Orange Box and the throw in is Portal, that’s how, Never before have we seen such flawless physics combine with such diabolical logic traps to give an incredible experience. Along with that, we’ve never truly had an arch nemesis as sarcastic and evil as GLaDOS in our puzzling escapades. That ##### promised cake and toys with us the entire time. Like a cross between Hal9000 and a female Steven Colbert, GLaDOS is merely using you as an experiment to amuse herself. She often discourages your efforts or derides your enthusiasm. The minor details throughout such as the writing on the walls by the previous experiments makes for a sadistic good comedy mixed in with a revolutionary puzzle game. One of the best ever made.
1 Tetris - Game Boy (1.13)
Score: 10-8-10-8-3=39
Was there ever a more powerful game created that captured the human mind in the age old battle of incessant tetrominoes and a clear canvas of free land? No there wasn’t. Just thinking about the idea is ridiculous. Never has a game been more played. Never has a game been more ported or copied. Never have we seen an addiction like Tetris in the gaming world. A game that was so unlike anything that ever came before it that we still see people buy it over and over on every new gaming medium nearly 40 years after its creation. A puzzle game that has been declared in the top 10 of nearly every major gaming outfits top 100 lists of all time. This was a masterpiece of puzzlers. The Game Boy version was the ultimate catalyst in spreading this virus to the masses. The simplistic, yet addictive crack that was Tetris can be played forever with no falloff from the level of enjoyment you would feel.
biggamer3
Footballguy
wow this is some sick judging we are seeing.Awesome job with the breakdown of how you got to each position and really making it as thought out as humanly possible. Good stuff here!
jwb
Footballguy
Nicely done - love your rankings.
Insein
Footballguy
I appreciate it guys.
Got this done while the wife rests. Been a long 2 days.
BlueDredSo
Footballguy
So far so good on the rankings. Very well thought out explanations. So far I've got #1 Puzzle, #2 Arcade, #2 Fighter -
Still a little peeved at the Arkanoid ranking, but looking at all the other games it was at the right place. Everything ranked above it is understandable. I'll take 40 pts. on 4 games so far.
Still a little peeved at the Arkanoid ranking, but looking at all the other games it was at the right place. Everything ranked above it is understandable. I'll take 40 pts. on 4 games so far.
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bmarks6161
Footballguy
awesome job on the rankings fellas!
pollardsvision
Footballguy
I certainly screwed the pooch on Tyson's placement, but I doubt Beatem Up would've faired much better. I think it should've been in 3rd Gen or Sports, but I think it fits better as a Fighter than a Beat'em Up. A tradtional Beat'em Up is generally side-scrolling, pummeling multiple enemies along the way. Newer ones may have more open environments, but the principles are largely the same.Fighter Rankings
1. Super Street Fighter IV - Xbox 360 - I'm playing the PS3 version right now. Huge cast of characters. Bonus stages. A less cheap Seth. It's the Street Fighter to end all Street Fighters, although I still enjoy Alpha 3.
2. SoulCalibur - Dreamcast (4.01) ) - I remember playing the original SoulEdge at the arcade and using the nunchucks guy to knock the CPU off the raft. When the Dreamcast version came out, I tried the same spinning nunchuck move against my dorm-mates; it didn't work. The weapon added a fresh element to a formulaic genre.
3. Mortal Kombat II - SNES (3.05) - Damn, I loved MK2. The Friendships still crack me up. I played the hell out of my copy.
4. Street Fighter II - Arcade (2.07) - The game that spawned a gazillion clones. My first experience was with Blanka at the mall arcade. I fought some dude who used Chun-Li. He knew all her moves, and I could only electrocute and bite her face, but I still won.
5. King Of Fighters '95 - Arcade (18.03) - I remember playing this on a little Neo-Geo machine (sitting on a mini stool) in a Asian shopping center. Not much originality here, but I liked the flashy moves and slick graphics.
6. Killer Instinct - Arcade (26.10) - Very cool game with ridiculous combos and groundbreaking graphics. I first saw this game at a theme park. Tons of nerds were crowded around it and one guy busted out a 15 hit combo with the wolf.
7. Dead or Alive 2 - Dreamcast (16.12) - This one had more of the breast physics right?I don't think I ever played the male characters. God bless that Japanese foreign exchange student for bringing his DC with him to school.
8. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii (11.10) - Sorry, but tried to like this game/series. I played the single player campaign and found it somewhat more entertaining than the multi-player brawl.
9. Tekken 3 - PS1 (7.06) - I never really got into the Tekken fighting system. I was so used to the SFII joystick movements that the Tekken button combos felt unnatural to me. Plus, there was almost no jumping.
10. Mike Tyson Punch-Out - NES (3.01) - I could never beat Super Macho Man. Oh, how he would taunt me with his nipples. The *******.
But I'm not sure this really qualifies as a fighting game. It would have ranked waaay higher in another category.
11. Virtua Fighter - Arcade (10.06) - Man, this one brings back memories. The blocky 3D polygons, and I think the idea of "ring out" originated here.
12.Super Smash Brothers: Melee - Gamecube (10.02) - My buddy used to whoop my ### at this. Maybe that's why I dislike the game. But there are huge tourneys dedicated to this game and the N64 game.
13. Swashbuckler - Apple II (27.03) - :X
A Figher is usually characterized by close combat, against one enemy at a time, in a very enclosed area (you know, sort of like a boxing match), where the goal is almost always to beat that single opponent and move on to the next level, in which another single opponent awaits. It almost always involves heavy use of defense maneuvers, too. If it was the exact same game, except with a side view and the use of the feet, it'd be the prototypical Fighter game.
Come to think of it, I'm officially claiming that Tyson got hosed.
The smarter move would've been to put it in 3rd Gen or Sports, but that was a heavy penalty for a game that nearly matches the exact definition of a Fighter game.
Wikipedia ("List of Fighting Games" page) lists Tyson as a "Sports-based Fighting Game", a sub-genre of the Fighting genre
"Sports-based fighting games are titles that fall firmly within the definitions of both the Fighting game and Sports game genre, such as boxing and wrestling video games. As such, they are usually put in their own separate sub-genres. Often the fighting is far more realistic than in traditional fighting games (though the amount of realism can greatly vary), and many feature real-world franchises or fighters."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fighting_games
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jwb
Footballguy
As someone's who done a ton of these drafts both as drafter and judge, yea, taking that low rank blows, even if it was your last pick/etc. That's because we all tend to take stuff we like. So you kind of hope the judge will see the brilliance that you see in the game/movie/song/whatever we're drafting.I do try to be fair with rankings, and try to be as objective as possible and see the good in every pick. But in the end, someone's gotta take that 1 (2, 3 etc). You were indeed a sport about it.One thing I have noticed in these drafts is in many categories, those top spots are pretty predictable, as are the bottom. I suppose you could have hoped for, say, a 5 from Arkanoid (and on a different day, it may have snagged that 5 - those bottom few are pretty interchangable), but certainly you could not have expected more than that, given what else was on the list. But your other one did really well (and you should snag nice points from me in at least one other of my categoriesSo far so good on the rankings. Very well thought out explanations. So far I've got #1 Puzzle, #2 Arcade, #2 Fighter -
Mario Kart
Footballguy
Terrible rankings here. Melee is much better and should be much higher overall.Sea Ropes said:
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larry_boy_44
Footballguy
Melee does some things better, but I think Brawl is better overall...either way, though, they both got robbed here...
rikishiboy
Footballguy
Very happy with the rankings done so far. They have been well thought out and explained. I am actually doing better than I would of thought...thanks,guys.
I don't think Mike Tyson's Punch out would of scored much higher in beat em up. However, it would rank high in sports.
I think Dance Dance Revolution is well placed in Flex.
I like that Minesweeper got me a middle of the pack ranking. My original plan was get Myst for this category.
I don't think Mike Tyson's Punch out would of scored much higher in beat em up. However, it would rank high in sports.
I think Dance Dance Revolution is well placed in Flex.
I like that Minesweeper got me a middle of the pack ranking. My original plan was get Myst for this category.
pollardsvision
Footballguy
Also, if "boxing" is no longer considered "fighting", I'd ask that Street Fighter games be downgraded for the use of "Balrog", who would not exist if not for Mike Tyson, as the character is a complete rip-off of his likeness.
In Japanese versions, they skip the facade and just call "Balrog" by the name "Mike Bison".
I'm also curious when we'll see a movie come out called "The Fighter" that's based off a 70 lb. female Chinese martial arts expert.
In Japanese versions, they skip the facade and just call "Balrog" by the name "Mike Bison".
I'm also curious when we'll see a movie come out called "The Fighter" that's based off a 70 lb. female Chinese martial arts expert.
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pollardsvision
Footballguy
It's a Half-Life 2 collection. It's got 5 games in one. HL2, Portal, Team Fortress 2 and HL2: Ep. 1 &2. http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDet...roduct_id=60798
It can be really hard to find for the PS3. I had it awhile back and ended up selling it b/c I didn't have time to play. Wish I wouldn't have.
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Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
It took a lot of skill to play this game. Knowing when to go in for the kill or when to parry or dodge...Sea Ropes said:Fighter Rankings
13. Swashbuckler - Apple II (27.03) -
Okay, not really. It was about the only fighter game I've ever played and it was more of a nostalgia pick.
AcerFC
Footballguy
pollardsvision
Footballguy
Thanks Acer
biggamer3
Footballguy
biggamer3
Footballguy
biggamer3
Footballguy
Mario Kart
Footballguy
The only thing good so far about the judging is that they all like the game of golf.
larry_boy_44
Footballguy
WOO HOO!!fifth place and no Square or Mario games have been ranked yet!
(ok, well Donkey Kong was ranked, but still...)
BlueDredSo
Footballguy
You can delete the other 2 you know...biggamer3 said:
Time Kibitzer
Footballguy
That's why you are currently ranked so high. Prepare for a freefalllarry_boy_44 said:
jwb
Footballguy
RPG Rankings: Introduction.
As I posted earlier, I'm an older gamer. I played DnD in the late 70's / early 80's, so I know my RPG stuff. I played the first RPG's on computer (well, technically, adventure on the atari 2600, but let's not count that). But when the NES came out, being 18 or 19, I was way more into other things than Mushroom jumping mario. And then, when I returned to gaming, it was on a PC. So truthfully, I didn't really get into a lot of the JRPG's. To me, those really aren’t RPG's in the classic sense - they are more like an interactive story. You really can't make any decisions; go where you want, etc. To me, that's not a true RPG.
So even though I played everything on the list at one point or another (some way after they came out), my list will favor PC / western RPG's somewhat, because I feel that's more representative of what an RPG should be. Does this mean I punish JRPG's? No - the giants get their due (as they were rather good). But all else being equal, give me a game where you can choose your companions, choose your path, choose your response, choose to be evil, etc. THAT'S "role playing".
As I posted earlier, I'm an older gamer. I played DnD in the late 70's / early 80's, so I know my RPG stuff. I played the first RPG's on computer (well, technically, adventure on the atari 2600, but let's not count that). But when the NES came out, being 18 or 19, I was way more into other things than Mushroom jumping mario. And then, when I returned to gaming, it was on a PC. So truthfully, I didn't really get into a lot of the JRPG's. To me, those really aren’t RPG's in the classic sense - they are more like an interactive story. You really can't make any decisions; go where you want, etc. To me, that's not a true RPG.
So even though I played everything on the list at one point or another (some way after they came out), my list will favor PC / western RPG's somewhat, because I feel that's more representative of what an RPG should be. Does this mean I punish JRPG's? No - the giants get their due (as they were rather good). But all else being equal, give me a game where you can choose your companions, choose your path, choose your response, choose to be evil, etc. THAT'S "role playing".
jwb
Footballguy
RPG's - The Bottom Five
1 Point
Kingdom Hearts – it has role playing elements, and it was fun for a bit, but there’s nothing I’d consider “great” here.
2 Points
Ultima III Exodus – You picked the NES Version, which, sadly, is what I have to judge here. By the time this hit the NES, it wasn’t anything great. The apple version was groundbreaking, but this a 4 y/o port isn’t (don't fret though - the Apple version wasn;t getting more than a 5, as much better came out later).
3 Points
Secret of Mana – It’s ok, and it’s even memorable in a way. But it doesn’t beat out anything above it.
4 Points
Fable – I really, really wanted to like this game. The advertising for it screamed “this will be a great RPG”. And it wasn’t – it’s like a waiter saying “let me bring our best wine… courtesy of Bartles and James.” Still, it was some mindless fun for awhile.
5 Points
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness – some will say this isn’t a role playing game. And it might not be in the classic sense, but it’s enough of one to stay off the bottom. I dunno – I liked it.
1 Point
Kingdom Hearts – it has role playing elements, and it was fun for a bit, but there’s nothing I’d consider “great” here.
2 Points
Ultima III Exodus – You picked the NES Version, which, sadly, is what I have to judge here. By the time this hit the NES, it wasn’t anything great. The apple version was groundbreaking, but this a 4 y/o port isn’t (don't fret though - the Apple version wasn;t getting more than a 5, as much better came out later).
3 Points
Secret of Mana – It’s ok, and it’s even memorable in a way. But it doesn’t beat out anything above it.
4 Points
Fable – I really, really wanted to like this game. The advertising for it screamed “this will be a great RPG”. And it wasn’t – it’s like a waiter saying “let me bring our best wine… courtesy of Bartles and James.” Still, it was some mindless fun for awhile.
5 Points
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness – some will say this isn’t a role playing game. And it might not be in the classic sense, but it’s enough of one to stay off the bottom. I dunno – I liked it.
jwb
Footballguy
RPG's - The Middle Five (all fine games here.)
6 Points
Lost Odyssey – I really liked this game. Basically what all JRPG’s should strive for (even the obligatory kids weren’t overly annoying six year olds… what the heck is up with the ***’s obsession with little kids? It’s disturbing.)
7 Points
Dragon Warrior/Quest III - NES – Groundbreaking game in party formation/etc. I want to rank it higher, but the heavyweights above it prevent me from doing so.
8 Points
Knights of the Old Republic -– I loves me some KOTOR. But it’s no shame being ranked behind the next five.
9 Points
Chrono Trigger –- Awesome, groundbreaking game. I loved it, and it's a must play for any RPG enthusiast. I didn't play it until years after it came out, and I still really liked it.
10 Points
Final Fantasy 7 –- The best game of an exceptional series. I’m not the biggest fan of most JRPG's, but the giants (like FF) are extremely well done. Set a new bar for storytelling.
6 Points
Lost Odyssey – I really liked this game. Basically what all JRPG’s should strive for (even the obligatory kids weren’t overly annoying six year olds… what the heck is up with the ***’s obsession with little kids? It’s disturbing.)
7 Points
Dragon Warrior/Quest III - NES – Groundbreaking game in party formation/etc. I want to rank it higher, but the heavyweights above it prevent me from doing so.
8 Points
Knights of the Old Republic -– I loves me some KOTOR. But it’s no shame being ranked behind the next five.
9 Points
Chrono Trigger –- Awesome, groundbreaking game. I loved it, and it's a must play for any RPG enthusiast. I didn't play it until years after it came out, and I still really liked it.
10 Points
Final Fantasy 7 –- The best game of an exceptional series. I’m not the biggest fan of most JRPG's, but the giants (like FF) are extremely well done. Set a new bar for storytelling.
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jwb
Footballguy
RPG's - The Top 3 (The Best of All Time)
11 Points
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion -–This game is fantastic. It takes everything that Bethesda has learned over previous incarnations and perfects them. I could have done without the enemies leveling with you, but that's really my only quibble. Play it any way you want - the game will let you.
12 Points
Fallout 2 –- I have a minor character in this game named after me, so how can I rank it lower? I LOVE the fallout series. This game offered an immense amount of choices, you could play it any way you wanted, the humor and storytelling were great, the combat rocked, etc etc. If you haven't played this, you missed out big time.
13 Points
Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn - In plain terms, the finest RPG ever made, by a mile. I remember playing this and reading the old rec.games.rpg newsgroup, and we were all astounded at how immensely good this game was. With party members that bantered, joked with, and fought with each other, hard choices to make, an exceptional villain, optional romances for both male and female PC's, and a million sidequests, this game set a standard for unique and fun replayability that has yet to be equaled. It's still on my computer, and still gets played.
11 Points
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion -–This game is fantastic. It takes everything that Bethesda has learned over previous incarnations and perfects them. I could have done without the enemies leveling with you, but that's really my only quibble. Play it any way you want - the game will let you.
12 Points
Fallout 2 –- I have a minor character in this game named after me, so how can I rank it lower? I LOVE the fallout series. This game offered an immense amount of choices, you could play it any way you wanted, the humor and storytelling were great, the combat rocked, etc etc. If you haven't played this, you missed out big time.
13 Points
Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn - In plain terms, the finest RPG ever made, by a mile. I remember playing this and reading the old rec.games.rpg newsgroup, and we were all astounded at how immensely good this game was. With party members that bantered, joked with, and fought with each other, hard choices to make, an exceptional villain, optional romances for both male and female PC's, and a million sidequests, this game set a standard for unique and fun replayability that has yet to be equaled. It's still on my computer, and still gets played.
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Insein
Footballguy
Sixth Generation Rankings
Note: With all my rankings, I look at the final list of games without regard to who has picked them for impartiality.
The sixth generation is one I am most familiar with. Sure I grew up with NES, Genesis, SNES etc but I was 18 when the 6th gen officially kicked off. Sixth gen to me begins with the release of the Dreamcast. I purchased this baby a month after launch and enjoyed some great titles like NFL2k, NBA2k, Unreal Tournament (with 56k online play through Seganet), Quake III, Jet Grind Radio and more. It was an awesome system that was poorly marketed like many other Sega systems. Next I got a PS2. I’ve played more hours on this system then any of my other systems current or in the past. This generation was also a renaissance for PC-gaming. So many good titles broke through and redefined not just graphics potential but establishing that gaming on the PC was not dead. GameCube was also an underrated system with the gems it produced. This generation was an excellent addition to the annals of Video Gaming Lore. So I wanted to make sure the rankings were not based solely on my personal opinion.
With this in mind, I chose 5 categories to judge the Sixth Generation.
Gameplay: How fun was the game to play? How easy was it to pickup and play? How revolutionary were the mechanics? Pretty standard video game category.
Graphics: It’s not everything but it does help to engross the gamer in the game. I compared the graphics to the other games of the generation.
Story: Another standard category. How well was the story setup and developed? Obviously some genres have an advantage at this over others.
Impact: How much did this game change the way things were done? What kind reception did it receive?
My Personal Rankings: This is how I would have ranked the games based on personal opinion alone. So it still plays a factor in the ranking but is not the ultimate decider.
All categories are based on a scale of 1-10 (10 being outstanding and 1 being god awful) except for the "My Personal Rankings." That is based on a 1-13 scale; 13 for 1st all the way down to 1 for 13th.
So with those criteria, here are the results.
13 Guitar Hero II – PS2 (6.07)
Score: 9-4-5-10-2=30
This was a game that helped shape a genre. Even more so than GH1, Guitar Hero II brought better songs and bigger venues. This was the one that brought the words “Guitar Hero” to the masses. It had innovative gameplay that created a fun and easy way to enjoy games for the common folk. To me, GH2 was not the game that got me into the genre though. I started with GH3 and Rock Band is what caught my imagination. That’s why GH2 ranks so low on my list here.
12 Jade Empire – XBOX (17.08)
Score: 7-8-9-4-3=31
It was a unique game that was completely overlooked when it came out. I only played it for a little bit at a friend’s house which is why it’s so far down on my personal rankings. What I did play seemed intriguing and the graphics for the time were on par with KOTOR. Gameplay was also very similar to KOTOR but with an ancient Chinese feel to it. From the few videos that I’ve seen, this game had an excellent setting and music. The gameplay was a little wonky in spots as many action RPGs tend to get. Overall it is a pretty cool game that got lost in the shuffle from the switch to Xbox360.
11 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - PS2 (25.03)
Score: 8-8-7-6-4=33
On its own, Sands of Time is not an overly impressive game. It has some pretty good gameplay and a decent story. It’s the unique time and acrobat elements that make this game stand out from the action adventure crowd of the early 2000’s. Running along walls and making leaps of faith to reach your goal add a challenge to the levels. The Dagger of Time gives you the ability to “do over” your screwed up jump. It’s a nice feature for a platformer. Jumping off a cliff you didn’t realize was there doesn’t have to end your life. You can rewind and try again. I played it but was not overwhelmed by the game. I’m sure others felt differently since there were many sequels and a movie that came from it.
10 Onimusha – PS2 (17.06)
Score: 7-8-7-5-6=33
Being a fan of games like Resident Evil and Tenchu (how did that NOT get drafted), this game made perfect sense for me to play. I liked the eerie atmosphere that was created. The music, the sounds and the beautiful settings give off a demonic feel to the game. The story is only so-so. It didn’t really capture me the way I thought it would. The gameplay could have been better as well. A lot of the enemies became generic after awhile. A good game but doesn’t make it higher because of these setbacks.
9 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – PS2 (16.01)
Score: 7-8-7-7-5=34
I remember being extremely excited to play this game. It was going to have all the added upgrades to GTA III with extras that were supposed to make it amazing. It was fun…at first. Then it got to be a hassle. Driving from city to city through the deserts proved to be more of a chore than a pleasure. Missions were becoming more of the same from the original. The story was nothing to write home about. It did add some elements I thought would be cool like the gang wars and guarding territory. This too had no payoff though. Then it introduced a feature I despised from GTA4; managing girlfriends. Keeping them happy by taking them on dates and giving them gifts is just as annoying in a game as it is in real life. The only difference is that you don’t get the payoff that you do from real life, i.e. sex. It is such a stupid, stupid element to add to an otherwise great game. It is a big pet peeve for me though.
8 The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker – GameCube (15.01)
Score: 8-7-8-5-7=35
Another game I was excited to play and yet let down when I did. I appreciate them trying something different. I figured I’d like the nautical theme at first but eventually it became a chore. Having to wave the wand to get the right wind just to get to an island became tiresome. On top of that, the cell shaded graphics turned me off because of the draw distance limitation. They say that they cut down on the draw distance for effect but I think it was just to save on precious memory. Either way, I didn’t like the blurry distance shots. The story was a good one for the Zelda universe. All the familiar puzzles and weapons were present as well as the memorable bosses but to me, this was a major disappointment. Twilight Princess was infinitely better for the GameCube and would have rated much higher for me.
7 Final Fantasy X – PS2 (21.10)
Score: 7-10-10-9-1=37
I like JRPG’s but this new generation just didn’t appeal to me. Final Fantasy X was the start of the emphasis more on CG than actual gameplay. Sure it tried to change up the battle system but it didn’t do enough IMO to differentiate it from the standard JRPG format. It’s on the bottom of my favs category but due to its other attributes, it climbs to 7th on the list.
6 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – PS2 (27.11)
Score: 7-7-8-7-8=37
A nice follow up to GTA3, It added a much larger area, new features like motorcycles and best of all, a much more animated main character voiced by Ray Liotta. They captured the 80’s era of excess very well in a beautiful recreation of Miami. It has the same drawbacks as the others. The missions get to be cookie cutter, the story takes long periods off and the gameplay gets bogged down with minor things like targeting but overall Vice City added a new feel to the proven strategy that was GTA3.
5 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – PS2 (13.04)
Score: 7-8-6-6-10=37
After the bizarre turn MGS2 took by teasing us with Snake and then throwing Raiden at us, MGS3 came back with the Big Boss himself. Naked snake takes us through the world of infiltration and camouflage but this time it’s the wilderness instead of high tech fortresses. I like that it takes the story to the past to see how Naked Snake aka Big Boss got his roots as the greatest soldier ever. The Cold War feel adds another nice touch to the tried and true gameplay. It brought our attention back to Metal Gear for the right reasons. A nice way to send off the PS2.
4 Half-Life – PC (7.02)
Score: 8-8-6-8-9=39
This to me would be #1 in the 5th gen. I don’t feel this falls into 6th gen based on my opinion that the 6th gen starts with the DC. With that said, this was an incredible PC game. The gameplay, the story, the twists and turns that come from this game were incredible in 1998. Valve threw down the gauntlet for all other games to try and match the level that they reached. You could say this was the game that started an empire. Valve has generated numerous sequels and spin offs. They’ve allowed their engine to be used to spawn some more of the greatest games ever (Counterstrike). They have even changed the way we get our games with Steam. This was all possible thanks to Half Life.
3 Grand Theft Auto III – PS2 (3.02)
Score: 7-7-6-10-11=41
I didn’t know what to expect from this game when it came out. I had heard of GTA before but never played the games. This was something completely different and it blew everybody away. I remember my friend telling me I had to come over to try this game he got. We ended up playing from about 4pm to 4am just switching when one person died or got busted. Most of the time we just went on a rampage while exploring the map. The absolutely giddy feeling of being able to do whatever you wanted was overwhelming. Sandbox gaming is what was born with GTA3. The ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want for as much as you wanted to.
2 Metroid Prime – GameCube (19.12)
Score: 9-9-7-9-12=48
When I first learned that Metroid was going to a First Person shooter, I had reservations. All the screenshots and videos on the internet could not convince me that they could pull it off. My god did they pull it off. The gameplay was flawless. It played just like a Metroid game. Finding your weapons, killing pirates, raiding interesting locations, it was the perfect game for the GameCube. What really makes it epic though is the engrossing environment. You feel like you are in the game. The HUD is through Samus’ eyes and simple things like condensation forming on her visor are beautiful touches that show the attention to detail the designers paid. The music and sound are wonderful. You feel like you are there and the wondrous soundtrack gives you an eerie, classic, sci-fi feel to it. You become engulfed in the Metroid universe. Never has a game taken me to its world as well as Metroid Prime has.
1 Half Life 2 – PC (2.05)
Score: 9-9-8-10-13=49
Just when everyone finally caught up to what Valve brought to the table with Half-Life, they change the whole dynamic again. Half-Life 2 set the bar way higher than people could have imagined. It took the story to stranger and cooler areas and introduced the single coolest weapon in the history of gaming; the gravity gun. Only the minds of Valve could create a weapon where any ordinary object could be deadly (or where you can toss enemies like rag dolls later in the game). Half Life 2 is what all other great PC games are compared to. “Well it’s groundbreaking but it’s no HL2.” “Well it is game of the year, but it’s no HL2.” This game set new levels for how physics and gameplay are to be seen for another decade to follow it (until they change everything again with HL3). This is the #1 game of the 6th generation and is definitely in the top 5 games of all time.
Note: With all my rankings, I look at the final list of games without regard to who has picked them for impartiality.
The sixth generation is one I am most familiar with. Sure I grew up with NES, Genesis, SNES etc but I was 18 when the 6th gen officially kicked off. Sixth gen to me begins with the release of the Dreamcast. I purchased this baby a month after launch and enjoyed some great titles like NFL2k, NBA2k, Unreal Tournament (with 56k online play through Seganet), Quake III, Jet Grind Radio and more. It was an awesome system that was poorly marketed like many other Sega systems. Next I got a PS2. I’ve played more hours on this system then any of my other systems current or in the past. This generation was also a renaissance for PC-gaming. So many good titles broke through and redefined not just graphics potential but establishing that gaming on the PC was not dead. GameCube was also an underrated system with the gems it produced. This generation was an excellent addition to the annals of Video Gaming Lore. So I wanted to make sure the rankings were not based solely on my personal opinion.
With this in mind, I chose 5 categories to judge the Sixth Generation.
Gameplay: How fun was the game to play? How easy was it to pickup and play? How revolutionary were the mechanics? Pretty standard video game category.
Graphics: It’s not everything but it does help to engross the gamer in the game. I compared the graphics to the other games of the generation.
Story: Another standard category. How well was the story setup and developed? Obviously some genres have an advantage at this over others.
Impact: How much did this game change the way things were done? What kind reception did it receive?
My Personal Rankings: This is how I would have ranked the games based on personal opinion alone. So it still plays a factor in the ranking but is not the ultimate decider.
All categories are based on a scale of 1-10 (10 being outstanding and 1 being god awful) except for the "My Personal Rankings." That is based on a 1-13 scale; 13 for 1st all the way down to 1 for 13th.
So with those criteria, here are the results.
13 Guitar Hero II – PS2 (6.07)
Score: 9-4-5-10-2=30
This was a game that helped shape a genre. Even more so than GH1, Guitar Hero II brought better songs and bigger venues. This was the one that brought the words “Guitar Hero” to the masses. It had innovative gameplay that created a fun and easy way to enjoy games for the common folk. To me, GH2 was not the game that got me into the genre though. I started with GH3 and Rock Band is what caught my imagination. That’s why GH2 ranks so low on my list here.
12 Jade Empire – XBOX (17.08)
Score: 7-8-9-4-3=31
It was a unique game that was completely overlooked when it came out. I only played it for a little bit at a friend’s house which is why it’s so far down on my personal rankings. What I did play seemed intriguing and the graphics for the time were on par with KOTOR. Gameplay was also very similar to KOTOR but with an ancient Chinese feel to it. From the few videos that I’ve seen, this game had an excellent setting and music. The gameplay was a little wonky in spots as many action RPGs tend to get. Overall it is a pretty cool game that got lost in the shuffle from the switch to Xbox360.
11 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - PS2 (25.03)
Score: 8-8-7-6-4=33
On its own, Sands of Time is not an overly impressive game. It has some pretty good gameplay and a decent story. It’s the unique time and acrobat elements that make this game stand out from the action adventure crowd of the early 2000’s. Running along walls and making leaps of faith to reach your goal add a challenge to the levels. The Dagger of Time gives you the ability to “do over” your screwed up jump. It’s a nice feature for a platformer. Jumping off a cliff you didn’t realize was there doesn’t have to end your life. You can rewind and try again. I played it but was not overwhelmed by the game. I’m sure others felt differently since there were many sequels and a movie that came from it.
10 Onimusha – PS2 (17.06)
Score: 7-8-7-5-6=33
Being a fan of games like Resident Evil and Tenchu (how did that NOT get drafted), this game made perfect sense for me to play. I liked the eerie atmosphere that was created. The music, the sounds and the beautiful settings give off a demonic feel to the game. The story is only so-so. It didn’t really capture me the way I thought it would. The gameplay could have been better as well. A lot of the enemies became generic after awhile. A good game but doesn’t make it higher because of these setbacks.
9 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – PS2 (16.01)
Score: 7-8-7-7-5=34
I remember being extremely excited to play this game. It was going to have all the added upgrades to GTA III with extras that were supposed to make it amazing. It was fun…at first. Then it got to be a hassle. Driving from city to city through the deserts proved to be more of a chore than a pleasure. Missions were becoming more of the same from the original. The story was nothing to write home about. It did add some elements I thought would be cool like the gang wars and guarding territory. This too had no payoff though. Then it introduced a feature I despised from GTA4; managing girlfriends. Keeping them happy by taking them on dates and giving them gifts is just as annoying in a game as it is in real life. The only difference is that you don’t get the payoff that you do from real life, i.e. sex. It is such a stupid, stupid element to add to an otherwise great game. It is a big pet peeve for me though.
8 The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker – GameCube (15.01)
Score: 8-7-8-5-7=35
Another game I was excited to play and yet let down when I did. I appreciate them trying something different. I figured I’d like the nautical theme at first but eventually it became a chore. Having to wave the wand to get the right wind just to get to an island became tiresome. On top of that, the cell shaded graphics turned me off because of the draw distance limitation. They say that they cut down on the draw distance for effect but I think it was just to save on precious memory. Either way, I didn’t like the blurry distance shots. The story was a good one for the Zelda universe. All the familiar puzzles and weapons were present as well as the memorable bosses but to me, this was a major disappointment. Twilight Princess was infinitely better for the GameCube and would have rated much higher for me.
7 Final Fantasy X – PS2 (21.10)
Score: 7-10-10-9-1=37
I like JRPG’s but this new generation just didn’t appeal to me. Final Fantasy X was the start of the emphasis more on CG than actual gameplay. Sure it tried to change up the battle system but it didn’t do enough IMO to differentiate it from the standard JRPG format. It’s on the bottom of my favs category but due to its other attributes, it climbs to 7th on the list.
6 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – PS2 (27.11)
Score: 7-7-8-7-8=37
A nice follow up to GTA3, It added a much larger area, new features like motorcycles and best of all, a much more animated main character voiced by Ray Liotta. They captured the 80’s era of excess very well in a beautiful recreation of Miami. It has the same drawbacks as the others. The missions get to be cookie cutter, the story takes long periods off and the gameplay gets bogged down with minor things like targeting but overall Vice City added a new feel to the proven strategy that was GTA3.
5 Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – PS2 (13.04)
Score: 7-8-6-6-10=37
After the bizarre turn MGS2 took by teasing us with Snake and then throwing Raiden at us, MGS3 came back with the Big Boss himself. Naked snake takes us through the world of infiltration and camouflage but this time it’s the wilderness instead of high tech fortresses. I like that it takes the story to the past to see how Naked Snake aka Big Boss got his roots as the greatest soldier ever. The Cold War feel adds another nice touch to the tried and true gameplay. It brought our attention back to Metal Gear for the right reasons. A nice way to send off the PS2.
4 Half-Life – PC (7.02)
Score: 8-8-6-8-9=39
This to me would be #1 in the 5th gen. I don’t feel this falls into 6th gen based on my opinion that the 6th gen starts with the DC. With that said, this was an incredible PC game. The gameplay, the story, the twists and turns that come from this game were incredible in 1998. Valve threw down the gauntlet for all other games to try and match the level that they reached. You could say this was the game that started an empire. Valve has generated numerous sequels and spin offs. They’ve allowed their engine to be used to spawn some more of the greatest games ever (Counterstrike). They have even changed the way we get our games with Steam. This was all possible thanks to Half Life.
3 Grand Theft Auto III – PS2 (3.02)
Score: 7-7-6-10-11=41
I didn’t know what to expect from this game when it came out. I had heard of GTA before but never played the games. This was something completely different and it blew everybody away. I remember my friend telling me I had to come over to try this game he got. We ended up playing from about 4pm to 4am just switching when one person died or got busted. Most of the time we just went on a rampage while exploring the map. The absolutely giddy feeling of being able to do whatever you wanted was overwhelming. Sandbox gaming is what was born with GTA3. The ability to do whatever you want, whenever you want for as much as you wanted to.
2 Metroid Prime – GameCube (19.12)
Score: 9-9-7-9-12=48
When I first learned that Metroid was going to a First Person shooter, I had reservations. All the screenshots and videos on the internet could not convince me that they could pull it off. My god did they pull it off. The gameplay was flawless. It played just like a Metroid game. Finding your weapons, killing pirates, raiding interesting locations, it was the perfect game for the GameCube. What really makes it epic though is the engrossing environment. You feel like you are in the game. The HUD is through Samus’ eyes and simple things like condensation forming on her visor are beautiful touches that show the attention to detail the designers paid. The music and sound are wonderful. You feel like you are there and the wondrous soundtrack gives you an eerie, classic, sci-fi feel to it. You become engulfed in the Metroid universe. Never has a game taken me to its world as well as Metroid Prime has.
1 Half Life 2 – PC (2.05)
Score: 9-9-8-10-13=49
Just when everyone finally caught up to what Valve brought to the table with Half-Life, they change the whole dynamic again. Half-Life 2 set the bar way higher than people could have imagined. It took the story to stranger and cooler areas and introduced the single coolest weapon in the history of gaming; the gravity gun. Only the minds of Valve could create a weapon where any ordinary object could be deadly (or where you can toss enemies like rag dolls later in the game). Half Life 2 is what all other great PC games are compared to. “Well it’s groundbreaking but it’s no HL2.” “Well it is game of the year, but it’s no HL2.” This game set new levels for how physics and gameplay are to be seen for another decade to follow it (until they change everything again with HL3). This is the #1 game of the 6th generation and is definitely in the top 5 games of all time.
larry_boy_44
Footballguy
yeah, I knew this was going to happen... In fact, I almost picked Morrowind or one of the other "Western RPGs" that I've played and moved Chrono Trigger out 'cuz I knew it was going to get "screwed" in these rankings...The thing is, that Chrono Trigger gets ranked higher than you ranked it here in rankings of "best console games" in general...just frustrating that our RPG rankings are skewed so heavily towards one form of RPG (i.e. Secret of Mana = Action RPG, Disgaia = Strategy RPG, very much RPGs, but yet they get dinged for not being "pure" enough and the JRPGs get knocked for not being "open" (read: Western) enough)...
SlaX
Footballguy
I agree and thought the exact thing when I saw it moved into the 6th generation. I was playing this when people were fawning over Goldeneye, ffs! Anyway. Keep up the great rankings guys. Love the writeups. They make mine look pitiful.
As per LoZ: Wind Waker. I liked the cell shaded graphics and think it gives it a more timeless look than Twilight Princess or even Ocarina of Time does. My biggest complaint was the time wasted with the sailing around. I would literally set my course, leave the room and make something to eat and come back in the room and still not be at my destination. The song to teleport around didn't help much either because it only gave you a few to choose from. If not for that, I'd almost rank it as good as OoT. IMO. But it's there, and it kills the game for me. Are we there yet?
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jwb
Footballguy
Oh c'mon - it's a top 5 game here. It's not like I gave it a 3 or something.Seriously, it's not a better RPG than BG2, FO2, or FF7. It's just not. You can make the argument that it could beat out Oblivion (I don't personally think so, but I could see it), but you're sounding like it should be a slam dunk #1, which it isn't.
Have you played BG2 or FO2?
Edit: I do think next time, we have two RPG categories: JRPG and Western. Then Chrono gets it's first or second.
There are enough good games in both to warrant it.
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Insein
Footballguy
Same here. I was down with the cellshading but the sailing killed me. I love sailing games like Pirates and Skies of Arcadia (anoher amazing oversight!) but they dont bore you to death while you travel. Give me something to do while I waste all this time. Definitely a downer to me. Either way though, I'd say Twilight Princess was superior all around.
Insein
Footballguy
Would not have rated well for me. There needed to be a musical game category. Games like Rock Band, DDR, Parappa et el get a bum rap when compared to greats in other categories. They excell at what they do but just don't stand up to the all timers. Next draft.
Insein
Footballguy
Guitar Hero in general sucks. Rock Band is superior in all ways.
wazoo11
Footballguy
Remind me who made rock band and gh 2? TIA
Insein
Footballguy
Yes but everyone evolves to make a better product once you get all your kinks out.
SlaX
Footballguy
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larry_boy_44
Footballguy
just let me whine! lol
Insein
Footballguy
Ah you are correct. Never played it despite my love for Bubble Bobble but it looks like it WOULD have done well in the puzzle category. I was thinking of an early version of DDR for some reason.
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