Greatest Video Game Draft 2011 (1 Viewer)

[SlaX]

I'm surprised no one picked Bust-A-Move for puzzle. I used to see old dudes play that at the arcade.

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.

Methinks bust-a-move isn't what youthinks it is.

I believe they call the game Phlinx or Battle Phlinx in Club Pogo. I've been playing it there a lot lately. I think I had it on my list, but I don't like it more than Peggle.

 

[jwb]

rpg rankings

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)...

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.

just let me whine! lol

and I've played BG2, but not FO2.. I don't like the Western RPGs, not enough story

but then again, I'm good with the idea of "visual novels" and have even "played" a few...

heh heh - whine away, sir But really, you played BG2, and truly think Chrono is better? I almost don't see how that's possible. And I really liked Chrono. But to each their own - your opinion is as valid as mine

I do understand the like of a deeper story - it's one reason I buy/play certain JRPG's now (like Lost Odyssey, which I enjoyed a lot.)

Yea, we shoulda had 2 RPG categories.

 

[SlaX]

Yea, we shoulda had 2 RPG categories.

Don't encourage him

 

[jwb]

Yea, we shoulda had 2 RPG categories.

Don't encourage him

heh heh - well, it's too late now, of course. But the games that didn't get picked are numerous. Just on the Western side: Daggerfall, Morrowind, Fallout, Icewind Dale, Eye of the Beholder, Neverwinter Nights, Arcanum, Vampire Bloodlines... and that's just the good ones.

 

[larry_boy_44]

Yea, we shoulda had 2 RPG categories.

Don't encourage him

heh heh - well, it's too late now, of course. But the games that didn't get picked are numerous. Just on the Western side: Daggerfall, Morrowind, Fallout, Icewind Dale, Eye of the Beholder, Neverwinter Nights, Arcanum, Vampire Bloodlines... and that's just the good ones.

plus on the JRPGs there are tons just with the ultima and dragon quest series, plus if I weren't here we'd have maybe had 3 Square RPGs drafted....plus there's all the Pokemon's and Monster Hunters and others...

 

[BlueDredSo]

I knew I should've picked Vice City over San Andreas. I even liked VC better than SA...Still pretty happy with the rankings so far though. Baldur's Gate 2

 

[biggamer3]

damn, thought i had a possible one slot with GTA 3

Glad i got my two blockbuster Mario's to raise my sad score some

 

[Bogart]

Real quick rankings for the Third Generation Category.

I will have a write up later in the week.

1 point - Jackal

2 points - Final Fantasy

3 points - Duck Tales

4 points - RBI Baseball

5 points - Duck Hunt

6 points - Castlevania III

7 points - Sid Meier's Pirates!

8 points - Contra

9 points - Mega Man II

10 points - Tecmo Super Bowl

11 points - Phantasy Star

12 points - Metroid

13 points - Super Mario Bros

Sorry I can't get the write-up done tonight, but will have it soon. Overall this was a really tough category to judge. I would put RBI Baseball really high up on my list of great games I spent WAY too much time playing, and yet it barely ranks on this list.

 

[Sea Ropes]

Fifth Generation (1993-2001)

Let me first say that it's gonna be tough recalling my experiences with some of these game cuz they go back so many years. More so than even the fighting category because good fighting games had a lot of replay value, but most of these games I didn't play through multiple times. This was definitely a very rich generation dominated by the PS1 and the PC.

Having said that, here we go!

1. Vagrant Story - PS1 (24.08) - This game dropping to the 24th round confirms that it is probably one of the most underrated games ever. Wikipedia says "In May 2000, Vagrant Story became the fifth best-selling PlayStation title. 100,000 units were sold in the first 20 days of the game's release", but I never hear VS mentioned by even avid gamers. The cinematics of this game were incredible w/ comic book style cut scenes. I spent so much time on the weapon crafting system trying to make the best possible swords, but it was totally worth it.

2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - PS1 (7.09) - I can't argue with this pick. It was one of the deepest 2D side-scrolling action games at the time. It had RPG elements with power ups that granted access to different parts of the castle, and great music.

3. Resident Evil - PS1 (22.10) - The one thing that I remember about the early days of this series is collecting tons of items out of boxes and the green/red herbs. I used to get so confused running around buildings trying to find some random item then a zombie would jump out and I'd drop my controller and scream like beotch.

4. Black & White - PC (23.08) - Man, my buddies and I used to love anything made by Peter Molyneux and couldn't wait to get this game. We, of course, had to be evil gods and terrorized the world. Unfortunately, I didn't have internet for a while after graduating college so I didn't get to try all the online synching features.

5. Medal of Honor - PS1 (17.01) - This FPS was like playing a movie. The sound and music were top notch. I recently read that Steven Spielberg helped produce this.

6. Deus Ex - PC (11.02) - I played Deus Ex years after it was released so I wasn't as blown away by the innovative mix of gameplay elements as others were when it first came out. I like to think of Deus Ex as Oblivion's grand uncle.

7. Final Fantasy IX - PS1 (15.10) - I thought this FF was too easy. But one redeeming quality is that the main protagonist wasn't an androgynous emo mute guy like so many others in this series. I liked Vivi the most out of a cast of very likable characters, but overall IX felt very cartoonish.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - N64 (25.13) - I played so many Zeldas that they begin to blend together, although I'm pretty sure I never finished Majora's Mask.

9. Panzer Dragoon II - Saturn (11.11) - For whatever reason, games just seem so much cooler and dramatic when narrated in Japanese. I really like rail shooters, even though they get repetitive and strain my eyes. Sometimes giving up a little control in exchange for mindless shooting is good. I think this genre is pretty much extinct, we still see it implemented on occasion in games like Grand Theft Auto but for the most part rail shooters died along with the arcade business.

10. Cool Boarders 2 - PS1 (18.09) - Man, I was hooked on Cool Boarders for a long time. A girl lent it to me back in the day, and despite me never having snowboarded in real life, I was addicted to the crazy tricks and big air. I checked out some youtube clips... oof, I used to think the graphics were awesome.

11. Perfect Dark - N64 (11.07) - Is it me, or does Perfect Dark feel like a futuristic GoldenEye? Just about everyone I knew passed on purchasing the N64, but those who did own the N64 had GoldenEye and Mario 64. I think Perfect Dark's developers would have liked players to use the sneaky gadgets and tactics more, but it was just easier to run & gun.

12. Crash Team Racing - PS1 (24.02) - I don't think I ever bought into Crash being the unofficial PS mascot so I didn't play the Crash platformer/racing games. Sorry.

13. Dr. Mario 64 - N64 (10.11) - I never played Dr. Mario on N64, but liked it a lot on GameBoy. I feel this was a reach at round 10.

 

[Sea Ropes]

I knew I should've picked Vice City over San Andreas. I even liked VC better than SA...Still pretty happy with the rankings so far though. Baldur's Gate 2

I think Officer Tenpenny and Lance Vance would have been excellent picks for villains.

 

[Sea Ropes]

I loved Chrono Cross's magic system. I know I'm weird.

 

[jwb]

page 2 bump.

C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

 

[pollardsvision]

page 2 bump.C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

Still here. I'm on pins and needles to see if I can accomplish my mission of finishing dead last. I dodged a bullet when "boxing" was no longer considered to be "fighting", so I was able to sink a potential big score in Tyson. Picking the mediocre versions of solid franchises (Sonic and Need for Speed) in the name of going for the originals will help the cause.I masterfully punted the Sports category by putting my likely 3rd worst scoring Sports game (Pro Wresting) up for the category.Putting MW2 up for a category with a judge who dislikes COD games should surely put a nail in my coffin.I've got a few more bullets to dodge (Uncharted 2, MGS4, Dune II, and Doom), but I think I can find a way to finish dead last.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

page 2 bump.C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

Still here. I'm on pins and needles to see if I can accomplish my mission of finishing dead last. I dodged a bullet when "boxing" was no longer considered to be "fighting", so I was able to sink a potential big score in Tyson. Picking the mediocre versions of solid franchises (Sonic and Need for Speed) in the name of going for the originals will help the cause.I masterfully punted the Sports category by putting my likely 3rd worst scoring Sports game (Pro Wresting) up for the category.Putting MW2 up for a category with a judge who dislikes COD games should surely put a nail in my coffin.I've got a few more bullets to dodge (Uncharted 2, MGS4, Dune II, and Doom), but I think I can find a way to finish dead last.

I dunno, I've already got two last places with Dr. Mario and Swashbuckler!

 

[AcerFC]

Ill try to update this as my class takes a test.

Lots of late night stuff

 

[pollardsvision]

I'm a little upset with myself that I forgot to draft World Class Track Meet (NES). Quite an influential game, really, and tons of fun at the time. I liked it even better than Duck Hunt.

 

[AcerFC]

Updated Thru 5th gen

 

[pollardsvision]

Updated Thru 5th gen

Slax is on fire right now.

 

[biggamer3]

page 2 bump.C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

yeah not sure where many of the drafters have gone since draft.JWB you are a wonder to read reviews of, i swear it's more fun then the draft to read the judges comments and stuff

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Great write-ups by jwb. I'm not familiar with many of the RPGs, but the arcade reviews were right on the money, except I would have rated Centipede a little lower.

 

[AcerFC]

page 2 bump.C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

yeah not sure where many of the drafters have gone since draft.JWB you are a wonder to read reviews of, i swear it's more fun then the draft to read the judges comments and stuff

Kingdom Hearts was screwed. Actually no idea, its the only RPG I have played so I picked it

 

[SlaX]

page 2 bump.C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

I'm still listening. At first, I thought Majora's Mask got hosed, but then I looked at what games were above it and thought it was probably placed in the right spot. I loved the time limit, Groundhog Day-ish approach they took with it.

 

[Mario Kart]

RPG's - The Bottom Five

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).

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.

Totally robbed on Ultima III. One of the most grondbreaking games in its time and was cut short. Dragon Warrior was a single player, no party system at all. Ultima III had a party and even the NES version came out before Dragon Warrior.

 

[tommy300]

Beat'm up Final Fight for arcade/Sega CD was money.

Just watched a video, does anyone remember Ninja Warriors in the arcade, the screen was a super widescreen like 3 screens long. That game was pretty tight.

 

[biggamer3]

After all the work Madshot put into this where has he gone?

 

[Sea Ropes]

Beat'm up Final Fight for arcade/Sega CD was money.Just watched a video, does anyone remember Ninja Warriors in the arcade, the screen was a super widescreen like 3 screens long. That game was pretty tight.

Final Fight 2 would have been my pick for the Beat'em up category.Was the Ninja Warrior the one with the first person ninja star throwing?

 

[Sea Ropes]

Here's my free agent roster:

Arcade(1) - Operation Wolf

Arcade(2) – Afterburn

Third Generation (1983-1990) – Shatterhand (NES)

Fourth Generation (1987-1995) - Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)

Fifth Generation (1993-2001) – Brave Fencer: Musashi (PS1)

Sixth Generation (1998-2009) – Soul Caliber 4 (PC)

Seventh Generation (2005-Present) – Killzone 2 (PS3)

FPS/TPS – House of the Dead (Arcade)

Sports - NBA Street series

Strategy/RTS – Farmville

Racing – Motorstorm (PS3)

Puzzle - Bust-A-Move (Arcade)

Fighter - UFC Undisputed 2010 (PS3)

Action/Adventure - Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PC)

Platformer - Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)

Hack and Slash/Beat 'em Up - Final Fight 2 (Arcade)

Role Playing – Chrono Cross (PS1)

Suspense/Horror - Fear Effect (PS1)

Best Multiplayer – Guitar Hero 1 (PS2)

Best Story - Max Payne 2 (PC)

Best Main Character(1) – Carl Johnson (CJ)

Best Main Character(2) – Yoshi

Best Villain(1) – Lance Vance

Best Villain(2) – Officer Tenpenny

Worst Game – Barbie (NES)

Flex Video Game(1) – Smackdown! Vs. Raw series

Flex Video Game(2) – Dungeon Keeper (PC)

The only 2 games I haven't played are Barbie and Farmville (cuz I know I'd get addicted and fired from my job).

 

[Yo Mama]

Fifth Generation (1993-2001) 1. Vagrant Story - PS1 (24.08) - This game dropping to the 24th round confirms that it is probably one of the most underrated games ever. Wikipedia says "In May 2000, Vagrant Story became the fifth best-selling PlayStation title. 100,000 units were sold in the first 20 days of the game's release", but I never hear VS mentioned by even avid gamers. The cinematics of this game were incredible w/ comic book style cut scenes. I spent so much time on the weapon crafting system trying to make the best possible swords, but it was totally worth it.

Woohoo - SOD (so far)!I had to search a few times to make sure it was still available that late. Thanks for the rankings, everyone.

 

[BlueDredSo]

page 2 bump.C'mon guys - what'd you all do - draft and run?

I'm still listening. At first, I thought Majora's Mask got hosed, but then I looked at what games were above it and thought it was probably placed in the right spot. I loved the time limit, Groundhog Day-ish approach they took with it.

It was a pretty late pick, so I'm alright with it, and you're right about the other games above it. Duck Tales was admittedly not a great pick, but I loved that game and played it over and over even when I had already beat it a few times. Looking at the rest of my team I have no idea where I'm going to finish. I don't even think I really care, nor should anyone, you picked what you like - it's not like we can rate their performances for next year's season or anything. The judgement write-ups are what make this draft awesome. Unbelievable work so far guys . Really makes me miss videogames. I have no idea when's the last time I played one. Has me thinking about finishing up Borderlands, starting Fallout 3 over again, and maybe mix in some Guitar Hero & Rock Band

 

[Yo Mama]

This draft was great. No big hangups or delays, lots of good commentary on picks, great writeup on rankings.

To celebrate, I'm busting out the NES to play with the kids (6 and 8) this weekend. Just from the top of the box, I see the following:

Super Mario Bros 3

Mega Man 2

Legend of Zelda

Tecmo Bowl (the original, not Super)

Castlevania

Contra

I think I'm more psyched than the kids (although they're excited too).

 

[SlaX]

Here's my free agent roster:Best Multiplayer – Guitar Hero 1 (PS2)

Guitar Hero 1 didn't have multiplayer.

 

[BlueDredSo]

Just a thought...has anyone ever purchased one of those consoles that plays Sega Genesis, NES and SNES? Something like this Wondering if any of them are good or if they're all pieces of crap. It'd be really cool to be able to play all these games on one machine, and you can buy the games ridiculously cheap. I'm not into ROM or emulator thing because I don't want to clog up space on my comptuer and it doesn't seem genuine.

This one looks pretty awesome.

 

[wazoo11]

Here's my free agent roster:Best Multiplayer – Guitar Hero 1 (PS2)

Guitar Hero 1 didn't have multiplayer.

Yep.

 

[Sea Ropes]

Fifth Generation (1993-2001) 1. Vagrant Story - PS1 (24.08) - This game dropping to the 24th round confirms that it is probably one of the most underrated games ever. Wikipedia says "In May 2000, Vagrant Story became the fifth best-selling PlayStation title. 100,000 units were sold in the first 20 days of the game's release", but I never hear VS mentioned by even avid gamers. The cinematics of this game were incredible w/ comic book style cut scenes. I spent so much time on the weapon crafting system trying to make the best possible swords, but it was totally worth it.

Woohoo - SOD (so far)!I had to search a few times to make sure it was still available that late. Thanks for the rankings, everyone.

I'm gonna pop this into my PS3 this weekend and see if the backward compatability thing works.

 

[SlaX]

Here's my free agent roster:Best Multiplayer – Guitar Hero 1 (PS2)

Guitar Hero 1 didn't have multiplayer.

Yep.

Sorry, I'm referring to co-op.

 

[BlueDredSo]

Flex Video Game(2) – Dungeon Keeper (PC)

Awesome game. I tried to install it on my Windows XP a little while ago, but I think it's too ancient

 

[wazoo11]

I am sucking.

 

[larry_boy_44]

so I'm playing through Final Fantasy IV again... I forgot how many characters die in this game...

I mean, the game opens with the main character (Cecil) just massacring a city to steal a crystal. Then he questions the king he was serving and is sent to "deliver a package" that ends up destroying an entire city and kills all but one person in the city... Then another city is destroyed as the hero's get to it (and the daughter/girlfriend of some of the main characters die in the city (note: daughter of one main character/girlfriend of a different main character)...

later on the twins (two characters you get) turn themselves to stone to save you (killing them as you can't undo the spell). Tellah dies casting Meteo on Golbez (and failing to kill him)... Yang dies saving the dwarf armies (and you eventually) from the army of canons in the Tower of Babil...

I'm like 50ish percent through the game and they've destroyed 3 cities murdering the occupants, killed 4 main characters, and implied that a fifth died (only to have her miraculously come back)... And I'm pretty sure one or two more die before the end...

ETA: as I was speaking a fifth main character actually dies as Cid (Cecil's g/f's father (the g/f is also a main character) jumps in the hole to the underworld with a bomb and blows it up so nothing can get back down again... killing himself...

 

[jwb]

My non-drafted list

Arcade(1) - Tron

Arcade(2) – Gorf

Third Generation (1983-1990) – Eye of the Beholder (PC)

Fourth Generation (1987-1995) - Shining Force (Genesis)

Fifth Generation (1993-2001) – Heroes of Might and Magic III (PC)

Sixth Generation (1998-2009) – Thief 2, the Metal Age (PC)

Seventh Generation (2005-Present) – Demon's Souls (PS3)

FPS/TPS – Blood (PC)

Sports - All Pro Football 2k8

Strategy/RTS – Myth 2: Soulblighter

Racing – Burnout 2 (XBox)

Puzzle - Crazy Machines (PC)

Fighter - Fight Night (XBox 360)

Action/Adventure - Wet (XBox 360)

Platformer - Never play em...

Hack and Slash/Beat 'em Up - Sacred (PC)

Role Playing – Fallout (PC)

Suspense/Horror - Sanitarium (PC)

Best Multiplayer – Doom II (PC)

Best Story - Phantasmagoria (PC)

Best Main Character(1) – Garret (Thief series)

Best Main Character(2) – The Nameless One (Planescape Torment)

Best Villain(1) – Irenicus (Baldur's Gate 2)

Best Villain(2) – Soulblighter (Myth series)

Worst Game – Extreme Paint Brawl (PC)

Flex Video Game(1) – Daggerfall (PC)

Flex Video Game(2) – Master of Magic (PC)

 

[BlueDredSo]

Platformer - Never play em...

Whaaaaaaat??? Maybe not the greatest of games, but among the most fun. You're saying you play Action/Adventure and Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'Em Up but no Platformers? That's just crazy talk.

 

[SlaX]

Platformer - Never play em...

Whaaaaaaat??? Maybe not the greatest of games, but among the most fun. You're saying you play Action/Adventure and Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'Em Up but no Platformers? That's just crazy talk.

Yeah, I don't believe that. Surely he's played some platformers. Perhaps he doesn't realize they're platformers, but I bet he's played some. Castlevania series? Mega Man series? Ninja Gaiden? the original Prince of Persia? Gosh, there's an endless list of platformers from the NES and SNES era alone.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Platformer - Never play em...

Whaaaaaaat??? Maybe not the greatest of games, but among the most fun. You're saying you play Action/Adventure and Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'Em Up but no Platformers? That's just crazy talk.

Yeah, I don't believe that. Surely he's played some platformers. Perhaps he doesn't realize they're platformers, but I bet he's played some. Castlevania series? Mega Man series? Ninja Gaiden? the original Prince of Persia? Gosh, there's an endless list of platformers from the NES and SNES era alone.

Never played any of those. That's why I was all set to take the Apple II's version of Lode Runner.

 

[SlaX]

Platformer - Never play em...

Whaaaaaaat??? Maybe not the greatest of games, but among the most fun. You're saying you play Action/Adventure and Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'Em Up but no Platformers? That's just crazy talk.

Yeah, I don't believe that. Surely he's played some platformers. Perhaps he doesn't realize they're platformers, but I bet he's played some. Castlevania series? Mega Man series? Ninja Gaiden? the original Prince of Persia? Gosh, there's an endless list of platformers from the NES and SNES era alone.

Never played any of those. That's why I was all set to take the Apple II's version of Lode Runner.

The original Mario Bros? Donkey Kong Jr?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Platformer - Never play em...

Whaaaaaaat??? Maybe not the greatest of games, but among the most fun. You're saying you play Action/Adventure and Hack 'n Slash/Beat 'Em Up but no Platformers? That's just crazy talk.

Yeah, I don't believe that. Surely he's played some platformers. Perhaps he doesn't realize they're platformers, but I bet he's played some. Castlevania series? Mega Man series? Ninja Gaiden? the original Prince of Persia? Gosh, there's an endless list of platformers from the NES and SNES era alone.

Never played any of those. That's why I was all set to take the Apple II's version of Lode Runner.

The original Mario Bros? Donkey Kong Jr?

Hated 'em.

 

[Frostillicus]

The original Mario Bros? Donkey Kong Jr?

Hated 'em.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The original Mario Bros? Donkey Kong Jr?

Hated 'em.

 

[Sea Ropes]

My non-drafted list

Sixth Generation (1998-2009) – Thief 2, the Metal Age (PC)

Nice. I spent a lot of time sneaking around in the dark waiting to shoot guys in the head.

 

[SlaX]

The original Mario Bros? Donkey Kong Jr?

Hated 'em.

Not even Adventure Island, Kung Fu Master , or Metal Storm (well I can see how you'd miss out on Metal Storm; it wasn't as popular).

 

[BroadwayG]

It was a hard decision, but if I was Ricky, I'd want Yo Mama to be Mr. Stratton.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

The original Mario Bros? Donkey Kong Jr?

Hated 'em.

Not even Adventure Island, Kung Fu Master , or Metal Storm (well I can see how you'd miss out on Metal Storm; it wasn't as popular).