My Favorite Games Of All Time
Because a top 5 just isn't enough for me. These are my absolute favorite games of all time, in no specific order. I tried to keep as many fighting games out as I could, since they would probably dominate a lot of this list.
89 Games
Ah Gitaroo Man...what ended up being one of my favorite things on Earth actually started as burning resentment and a desire to get revenge. This game was nigh unbeatable as a kid, specifically Stage 4, the one with the space shark. A lot of my 20s has been spent revisiting old games from my childhood, ones I wanted to check if they held up, and the ones I could never hope to beat as a kid. Gitaroo Man was at the tippy top of both lists. It would take me until I was 23 to actually get a copy, as it's a pretty damn rare game, and you'd be lucky to see it below $100. I could've always bought it online, but that felt like cheating, the game hunt was too fun to give up. Eventually, my girlfriend got me it, as a Christmas present. I finally got to sit down and satiate this vendetta I've had against this game for most of my life, and it didn't disappoint. I won't dance around it, it's hard as hell. The spikes in difficulty are jarring sometimes. But along the way, I didn't really notice, or care how hard it was. I was blasted by fond memories and familiar music. I found myself smiling to ear to ear, relearning about this super weird, super sentai-esque coming of age story about believing in yourself and being unafraid to follow your dreams, with some badass guitar solos thrown in there. This game is best played in one sitting, as it's only about 2 hours long, including retries. It's not just a weird and aggressively Japanese rhythm game, it's an experience, one that I didn't even know changed my life. The intro alone is enough to get emotions going for me. Oh, and it also features my second favorite box art of all time. When someone asks me what my favorite game of all time is, Gitaroo Man is always going to be one of the first games that comes to my mind.
I really have nothing to say about Gitaroo Man Lives, mostly because I'd just be repeating myself, but I love it so much it deserves to be listed twice. There's a few new things here and there, a trophy collection, a gallery with all the songs in the game, but I really prefer the Dualshock 2 rather than the PSPs little stick...thing. It'll cramp the holy hell out of your hands.
If I was really having my arm twisted, I could say Soul Calibur 2 was at least in my top 3 of favorite games ever made. It was hugely influential on my feelings toward fighting games, and practically introduced me to the genre, along with Tekken 4. I am sure I would have found my way to fighting games eventually, but I can without a doubt say that without Soul Calibur 2, I wouldn't have found my way to them so young. Fast arcadey gameplay, a roster of memorable characters, the mere existence of Nightmare...everything about this game is a perfect 10 to me personally.
My love for Bloodborne came to me as a surprise. My brother showed me this game and even bought me a copy, I had no idea it was a Souls game, or even what a Souls game entailed. Initially, I got stuck on Blood Starved Beast, (about 1/10th into the game) and dropped it for almost exactly a year. When I came back, it just sort of clicked. I blasted through it like I'd trained my whole life for it, I really dont know why, I didn't play any other Souls game in that year, it just made sense suddenly. Fast forward 6 more years and I've played it hundreds of hours, tens of playthrus, including the horrible level 4 run. I'm always looking for an excuse to come back to Yharnam.
Wind Waker to me was always one of those games you rent, or a friend brings over, but never really get to sit down and play all the way through. Being the youngest of 4, I didn't really decide what games were in the house, so we didn't own any Zelda games. It wouldn't be until the HD remaster I would finally get to play it all the way through, and I love it to this day. The sailing, the art style, the music, all of it comes together so wonderfully. It's easily my favorite Zelda game, no contest. That, and has my favorite Zelda song, Dragon Roost Island.
I've always been a sucker for the Elder Scrolls series. A giant magical fantasy world where you chuck fireballs and slay dragons from a first person perspective and just get to live in a vast world of exploration and adventure, sign me up. Oblivion, like many games on this list, was the one I have the most fond memories of. But upon playing Morrowind and a little too much Skyrim as an adult, I still confidently believe Oblivion is the best one. Its quirky characters and downright strange side quests are always a treat to come back to. The Dark Brotherhood murder mansion side quest is still so amazing it could really be its own game, and with Trouble in Terrorist Town existing, it almost is.
Modnation Racers is really sort of a hidden gem on the PS3. I don't even remember how I came to aquire it, it just showed up in my house one day. It's a charming little kart racer with some absurdly good character and kart customization, a bumpin' 90s era aesthetic and soundtrack, and probably some of the absolute worst load times in any PS3 game. But the feel of the racing and the boost gauge are really the stars of the show that make me love it so much. Drifting feels intuitive and easy to learn, but hard to really nail down exactly how to make the best possible turns. The boost gauge is amazing because of its utility. It isn't only used for boosting, you can actually create a shield that activates for a short time to block items. It's difficult to time, and every item in the game has different timing to block, but the ability to alleviate the dreaded Blue Shells of a kart racer with a little skill really makes a difference. It draws you into this balance of drifting to gain boost, and making the decision to either boost to gain distance and speed, or sitting on it to block items, all while darting around some of my favorite stages in a kart racing game.
One of the best fighting games ever made hands down. It has some of the most content, flair, love and care I've ever seen in a game. Capcom fighters are back, baby.
You know, after going back and revisiting this game recently, it's actually still very solid. I like how sarcastic Mike Thorton is, and how surprisingly decent the writing is. The gameplay is very standard for a stealth-action game, no new ground broken. The charm definitely comes from the characters, and the entire Moscow section being sick. It introduced me to my favorite 80's song ever, that fight still gets me amped.
I can vividly remember being more excited for this game than probably any game ever. I watched the trailers 100s of times, checked the mail for my order every day for weeks. It was also the first game I ever platinumed. My love for it has definitely slowly disappeared over time, but I still remember all the good times I had with the community and friends I played it with when it came out.
I don't even have a lot to say about Rhythm Heaven. It's just a really solid game, one of the best rhythm games ever in my opinion. The wrestler will never not be funny to me.
Mario 3D World was already a favorite of mine in its original 2013 release on the Wii U. Bowser's Fury however, really set the bar even higher. As a Bowser fan, it was a blessing, as it was really closer to what I always wanted for him. Normally he's mitigated to just being an end game boss, or a sub boss in one of the castles. Here, he's essentially a kaiju on a timer, constantly looming over you, always forcing the player to be aware of their surroundings and Bowsers current status. Using him to destroy blocks and other things is a super neat way to use that mechanic as well. Plus, he looks cool as hell.
House of the Dead is definitely my favorite rail shooter ever, specifically 2. Obviously the voice acting is part of it, but it's genuinely just an amazing game. I had 2 and 3 Returns for the Wii back in the day, and had some Nerf guns from the Nerf Wii game, whose dart launcher piece would detach and leave a slot for the Wiimote, making a little pistol attachment for the Wii. So essentially I was able to play House of the Dead with an actual light gun pistol rather than just the Wiimote, definitely making the experience better.
Road Rash is probably one of the dumber games on this list. It's a combat motorcycle racing game for the N64 with like 2 songs in the soundtrack by Sugar Ray, (though you'd never guess it was them from hearing it) that play on loop forever, and terrible graphics, even by N64 standards.The controls are jank and slippery, the draw distance causes the cars driving the opposite way to pop out of nowhere and instakill you. But despite all of that, this game is stupid fun. Whacking the other racers with a giant banana or taking out their back tire with your front tire feels so great. Best of all, waiting until there's a pole coming, and giving the enemy racers a gentle toe kick and watching them helplessly drift sideways and slam headfirst into the oncoming pole with a satisfying and off-puttingly loud crash.
Marvel Nemesis fucking sucks. It really sucks. But much like Road Rash 64, it's jankness makes for a super good time. The roster is hilariously unbalanced and the physics will kill you randomly more than the enemy does. What game can you be Venom and air juggle your enemies into a slowmo powerbomb only to have 95% health taken by a randomly exploding car though?
Though Wind Waker is my favorite Zelda, I would say critically, a Link Between Worlds is probably my opinion on the best Zelda. The painting mechanic and its applications is beyond genius. The level design that compliments that mechanic is even more so. I think my only complaint would be the item renting system. It felt like it simply served as a reason to need Rupees, and though I get why it's in the game for design purposes, it was really more of a chore than anything. Either way, I love this one.
VF5 was my first PS3 fighting game, I remember renting it several, several times from Blockbuster just to play some more Akira and Jacky. Fast forward some 15 years and here we are, still playing VF5. I don't think we needed anything more than a port, given that the graphics and animations of original 5 still hold up, but it was an awesome surprise to get a light remake. Still got those Sega blue skies on the beach stage. Not as prolific as Tekken maybe, but Virtua Fighter will always be one of the most important games ever made, and to this day, a cabinet sits in the Smithsonian.
I can't really speak to the exact quality of games like this. Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are polarizing, you really like them or you don't. But the song choice in Rock Band 2, and the times I've had with it in the past with friends are things I'll never forget.
I've been a fan of Yakuza games for a while now, but Judgement was sort of a surprise. Frankly anything I say about the story would be spoilers, given that it's a mystery thriller, but I was blown away by the characters and story. That isn't something I'll be saying a lot, as story usually takes a backseat for me, but I couldn't stop playing Judgement when I got into it. I wanted to know what happened next and try to figure out the mystery along with Takayuki Yagami, the main character. Who, by the way, is one of the most amazing and charismatic characters I've ever seen in a video game.
Everything I said about the first Judgement applies here too, but I think the actual gameplay is a lot better, and it was already good before. The combat, world map, and traveling are all improved quite a lot, a few little annoying things fixed. I thought it would be impossible for the story to be better than the first one, and though a case can be made for either, I personally loved Lost Judgement's story. It really stuck with me even more than original.
Sims has always been sort of a guilty pleasure for me. It is basically the opposite of everything I like in a game. There's no combat, nothing demanded of the player, and a lot of the game is just sitting around and waiting. But there's something about watching their funny little interactions and Sim language that just draws me in every time I boot it up, and there goes 20 more hours invested into this fake life I've created. It gets too immersive, I have to remind myself of my own life after an 8 hour session of Sim'n.
War of the Monsters is basically the kaiju brawler game that every other kaiju brawler is trying to mimic or spiritually success, and still fails to do. What begins as a simple brawler with giant monster tropes really opens up to a surprisingly deep game complete with parries, juggle combos, and a full arcade mode with bosses and animated CG endings per character. Tons of unlockables too. Characters, stages, and 4 costumes per character, some being completely new models. Togera, Kineticlops, and Ultra V for life.
My love for Godzilla began with this little Gamecube game. If War of the Monsters is the gold standard of kaiju brawlers, Godzilla is probably the silver. It may have the recognizable roster, a good one at that, but I don't think the gameplay or unlockables are as good. That being said, it's still a blast to duke it out with a friend.
Scott Pilgrim is my favorite book/comic, movie, and unsurprisingly, one of my favorite games. I don't really know why, or how, a licensed game would go on to be one of the greatest beat em ups ever made, but here we are. I bought it originally on the PS3, the version that vanished for 10 years. I was always thankful I had it all that time, but even more thankful it got a re-release and was let out of copyright hell so everyone can play it now. Bought the Limited Run ultimate edition the second I saw it. DONT BUY IT ON PS4. The PS4 port has a 95% crash rate on the stage 2 boss when playing co-op.
I never got to play Deadrising, as I didn't have an Xbox growing up, so I was eager to try it out when they released it on PS4. It's clunky as hell but there's just something so charming about it, with the Megaman foam Buster Cannon, and the gentle piano playing as zombies devour the nearby grandma. 2 really just improves a lot of the things that were already good in the original, but I'd stick either one here. Off the Record is the canon ending for Frank. I won't hear otherwise, 4 didn't happen.
What I believe is my most played game of the PS3/360/Wii generation. Countless hours spent on arcade mode, unlocking everything in the game, spilling 10,000 pints of blood per character. I love the story mode, the roster, the designs, everything. It's also home to one of the hardest fighting game challenges ever made, Challenge Tower 300. The Komplete Edition gives you the reward for completing the challenge, what is obviously the best thing in the game, that I won't spoil here. Everyone that owns this should still attempt the challenge though. If I did it then at least like...10 other people will also waste 8 hours trying.
For anyone who noticed my profile picture is Rock Howard, I don't know him originally from Garou, I know him from CVS2. It's essentially the dream roster for the late 90s and early 2000s, though it's probably more accurately described as Street Fighter vs KOF. The various different "grooves" and massive roster make this game feel infinitely playable, along with a color editor and secret bosses. Aside from all that, my favorite thing about it is probably all the unique and secret animations hidden between certain situations and matchups. If Terry beats a character, and throws his hat, and the next character on the other team is Ken, he will walk out and pick up Terry's hat and toss it onto his head with a smirk. That shit rules.
Spiderman is and has always been my favorite fictional character in..pretty much anything. Honestly Spiderman PS4 was just a dream come true. The day of its release I sat and binged all the Spiderman movies (the original 3) while playing Spiderman PS1 on another TV, just waiting for that 10pm release. I managed to beat it and finish the movies at almost the same time, just in time to go pick up the new Spiderman. I'm so relieved more than anything, that it wasn't a let down. I would consider it to be the best superhero game to this day. It nails everything about Peter and his personality better than anything outside of the comics. That, and the swinging is nothing short of godlike. (Insert required joke about really feeling like Spiderman or the exaggerated swag or some shit)
This has to go on here, just based on how much of it I've played. I think after beating it maybe 100 times over, I'm still sick of it, but I feel anything I have to say about the game as a whole has been said by a million people before. It's a fun, very replayabale beat em up with a fun roster and lots of unlockables. Red Knight main.
Another hidden gem and cult classic game from Capcom. It's an action RPG who's combat and job system still holds up amazingly well today. And no surprise there either. The combat designer is the same guy who designed the combat for such games as CVS2, Project Justice, DMC5, and the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. 3 of which are also on this list. Oh, and he's also designing the combat for the long awaited Dragon's Dogma 2. Finally. The story is weird, confusing, and full of a few twists that are honestly still pretty cool today. The theme song will always be my jam, fuck Dark Arisen for removing that. THE WIND IS PUSHING MEEEE
The best warriors/musou style game, in my opinion. Characters have a lot more mechanics and moves than normal warriors games. Because it's a Capcom game, they can have a little freedom with some things. There's a character that straight up has Akuma's Raging Demon as a move. Unfortunately this specific game is JP only, but there is a US release of 2 on PS3 known as "Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes"
A pioneer of horror games as we know it, but not commonly known in the US, seeing as it's always been JP only. There are widespread fan translation ROM's online, though. Clock Tower comes off as a little silly now, but parts of it are still genuinely foreboding and creepy. It was very ahead of its time, seeing as most "horror themed" games on SNES were things like Splatterhouse, or Super Castlevania. Clock Tower was one of the first actual horror games, and damn do I love it.
Playing N-Kitty's amazing theme/stage and watching as my friend's character won and suddenly pulled out a gun and started firing into the crowd is just something I'll never get to experience for the first time again, but it will stick with me until I die.
Bullworth and the super sarcastic realist Jimmy Hopkins are absolutely the stars of this game. The schoolyard allure of tripping students with marbles and disrespecting authorities is good enough on its own, but this game's story is actually pretty amazing. A story of redemption, a war between cliques, and a backstabbing scheming sociopath named Gary Smith, who ended up being one of my favorite antagonists ever.
My favorite KOF ever, easily. The only game Rock Howard is actually good in, and the sweet return of the mega difficult Rugal. Arcade endings, a selection of almost every KOF soundtrack, secret character intros, this game has it all.
I remember the very first time I sat down to play P5. I had never played a JRPG before, and really had no interest in them. I loved it instantly. The charming characters, incredible soundtrack, and very engaging combat was enough to pull me in and play for hundreds of hours. I own jackets, posters, statues, blankets..so much merchandise. Though I do not support having to pay full price for a next gen port AGAIN, I can't wait to play it again.
Monster Hunter World is the best game in the franchise in my opinion. I remember watching the very first reveal trailer for it and losing my mind upon seeing the Bone Great Sword for the first time. Finally, a Monster Hunter on something that isn't a handheld since the original. From the very first beta all the way to the last update, it was amazing to experience.
My introduction to the Monster Hunter franchise, which I would go on to play just about every installment of. So many fond memories of playing this game with my brothers, all sitting in a circle on our PSPs. Tigrex and that beautiful snowy mountain village will always stick with me.
My first Souls game, little did I know at the time. I remember renting this game from the Blockbuster across the street. I was into medieval stuff even then, so a badass knight on the cover was all the convincing I needed. I recall vividly being very confused as a kid playing it. Dying and being sent back to the very beginning of the vast level was practically unheard of at the time, as Dark Souls didn't exist yet. I thought maybe my game was broken or my save corrupted, anything like that. Obviously, that isn't the case now. It is my second favorite Souls game ever, I love the mixture of dark fantasy and Lovecraft influence. The remake is one of the most beautiful games ever made, amazing work on Bluepoint.
The other game that introduced me to fighting games, the first being Soulcalibur 2. I immediately loved Jin Kazama and his fighting style, along with that badass looking hoodie. Tekken 4 is definitely what most would consider the "low point" of the Tekken series. Its unique but ultimately unexciting soundtrack, strange elevation changes in stages, and huge change to Jin's moveset all rubbed fans the wrong way. Sadly following up on Tekken 3 was always an impossible task, and Tekken 4's attempt at shaking things up was its only real chance, even if it didn't exactly work out. Despite its glaring flaws, I still find myself having a good time with it.
Tekken Tag 2 is my second favorite Tekken for sure. Its ridiculous tag mechanics allow for some hilarious instakill combos and some of the coolest team-specific special moves ever. A bumping soundtrack and the largest roster in the franchise make for an even better game.
I won't lie, it's really the soundtrack for me. The Xrd soundtrack has a lot of personal weight, I listened to it a lot at one of a few difficult times of my life. I think I prefer the gameplay and some character designs in Strive, but I won't deny how much fun I had with Sign, Rev, and Rev 2. Very happy it's getting rollback.
For a long time, I considered Smash to be my favorite game of all time. It's hard not to still..but it feels almost like cheating. It has everything. A million modes, a thousand hours of music, THE dream roster. For $60 dollars, I don't think there's more bang for your buck that exists in the world. This game is just Videogames: The Video Game. An absolute anomaly and impossibility. It's just incredible it exists at all.
Probably my definition of a comfort game. I'll go back to Sunshine for the sparkly clear water and ukulele strummin anytime I'm feeling down, and it helps me every time.
The most forgotten of the Star Fox games. It's really got Sonic Syndrome. Nobody talks about it because it's not considered the best, or the absolute worst. Nintendo learned their lesson after Adventures. People wanted a damn Star Fox game, who knew. So that's what we got, mostly. I never hated the on-foot sections, I think they're fine. Assault is just a genuinely fun game, and I wish it got more recognition.
Hoo boy. Sonic Adventure. I'll keep it short, a lot of it is bad. Amy is bad, Big is boring (despite being a weirdly in depth fishing game inside this game), and Gamma is..Gamma. It just feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be. One minute you're playing an actual pinball machine, another you're gliding across the water as Super Sonic fighting a giant water dragon. Even with all its problems, I love it. Sonic Adventure is just stupid fun with a great damn soundtrack.
Alright, despite hating a lot of this game, like half of it, this game fucking rules. I really only like playing as Sonic and Shadow, but FUCK do I love it. It makes you wanna explode into a million tiny hedgehogs and invade a country. When I die, I hope I go to the Chao Garden.
Sega and racing games man, I don't know how they keep doing it. Gotta have one of the best OSTs ever in a racing game, along with some of the best tracks and controls in any of them too. AGES is probably the coolest racing game character ever, if you can call it that.
This is where it started, my love for Spiderman. I can't even count how many times I've replayed this stupid game. It has my favorite voice for Venom still, introduced me to Carnage, and terrified me as a child, with Monster-Ock. Why on earth was the end of this game so weirdly violent? Monster-Ock shows up out of nowhere and chases you through vents, and if he catches you, you get a small cutscene of him ripping Spiderman into pieces. The rest of the game is so tame and normal, it really catches you off guard the first time, especially as a kid. Insomniac said they would be interested in remaking Neversoft Spiderman, which...yes. Have at it. Fix how jank the web swinging is.
Skate 3 is really in here just because it's the best skateboarding game in my opinion, a genre I've always been a big fan of. Not even that THPS is bad or anything, I just like the way Skate feels better. Another I'd consider to be a comfort game.
Sort of hard to believe how long ago Shovel Knight came out, back when I was a sophomore in high school. I remember hearing about it in the hallways, people always praising how amazing it was. It just looked like your average indie platformer to me, but when I played it, I completely understood. It's something truly special, and I think the OST really brings a lot of it together. Didn't take long for me to be humming along to just about every theme.
This one just makes me sad more than anything. The future beyond Saints Row 2 was pretty bleak. 3 is fine, 4 is..ya know..and oh lord that reboot. It really lost touch with what made Saints Row good. It wasn't just dildo bats and a cast of multicultural superfriends. It was an actual story of a bunch of rivaling factions. And yeah, it was dumb as hell sometimes, but then you see your little friend Carlos getting fuckin dragged in the sand behind a truck until he isn't even recognizable anymore. Saints Row 2 was not afraid to stop all the comedy and get some serious shit. Something I wish was still carried on.
I wish this game did better financially. Punch Out is the kind of game that I can absolutely see why it'd be a niche sort of thing, but the reboot for Wii is just so good it's not even fair. I genuinely can't find anything negative to say about it. Like Tetris, its formula is so simple, to the point that it would be hard to imagine what could improve it. Wacky characters with their own versions of the main theme that gradually ramp up in difficulty, tons and tons of secrets, this game has it all.
I can't even say I'm enamored with the actual gameplay of Pokemon Snap, I just have such fond memories with it. Figuring out all the little secrets and hidden paths is genuinely still fun to this day, something I wish the new Pokemon Snap did a little better.
This is really more of a series insert, rather than one specific installment. If I had to pick, I probably like 2 the best. I was always curious about NMH. I had seen the cover several times at GameStop when I worked/shopped there, I thought the name and box art were cool, but I really just didn't use my Wii that much. It wouldn't be until I saw from a Nintendo Direct that 1 and 2 would be getting a port to the Switch, that I would decide to finally try it. Honestly, I wasn't sure how I felt about it in the opening moments. It didn't take long however, before it would pull me in and I would understand why it's such a cult classic. NMH is weird, like really damn weird. But slicing people with a beam katana before grabbing their legs and powerbombing them is just something you can't get anywhere else.
Metroidvanias are not always something I'll like. It's a genre I've really explored around a bit since playing Symphony of the Night, because I thought "maybe if I like this game, then I like the genre." But that wasn't the case, turns out like with everything else in gaming, I'm kinda picky. I was just coming off Super Metroid when Dread came out, so my expectations were pretty high. I have to say, Dread blew me out of the water. I was not prepared for how great it feels to fly around the map and how engaging avoiding the robot dudes, whatever their names are, would be. Turned out to be an easy game of the year for me.
I can't even say I've played Marvel 2 that long. Probably only a handful of times. It's really on here because it has great gameplay, an amazing roster, and I'm just happy it exists at all. I wish it got a better re-release than only a $600 arcade cabinet, but I'll take it.
Badass music and bosses, my favorite Maverick, Magma Dragoon, and the first time Zero would be playable in an X game. Is it any wonder why I love this one?
Alright I know this game is bad. It has unfair bullshit jumps where you can't even see what is ahead of you, sometimes it's a platform and sometimes it's spikes. Saving the little dudes from each level is annoying. It has what is easily the worst level in any X game, the fucking stupid junkyard stage with the instakill ceiling. But I can't help it, it introduced me to Megaman and the badassery that is Zero/Nightmare Zero. Anything Megaman that I love now, I have X6 to thank.
I actually played this a lot as a kid, but I knew it as Megaman 64. This is essentially that, but runs and looks better on the PS1. I really believe this is what I would consider the best looking game on the PS1, this and its sequel, Legends 2. It's a really charming and lighthearted adventure through a semi cel-shaded island town, and despite the camera controls, it's a blast.
Despite being a Nintendo franchise, Sega developed this one, and by the racing and stage intros alone, any fan can tell instantly. The director of the game has actually gone on record saying he doesn't know how he would improve the game if it were to get another installment, and I actually agree. The massive roster and 10/10 gallery mode is enough to sell me on it, but badass racing and incredible soundtrack make it one of the best racing games ever.
Definitely the black sheep of Kirby games, but anyone who's played it can probably agree it rules. The amount of content in the game is almost sort of weird. Several different game types and a challenge board that puts even Smash Bros to shame, you won't be running out of stuff to do anytime soon. City Trial is my personal favorite, running around flailing to get a good Star for a random event, just hoping for a piece of the Dragoon, it's addicting.
What I would consider to be my favorite shooter, a genre I really don't like too much. Halo has always been the shooter I prefer as a whole. I'm not too much into sci-fi in general, but I like the way it plays a lot. I know there were and still are some that don't like the fact that it pulls away from the Chief, but I think that's one of the biggest draws for me. I never loved the green machine personally, so getting to play my own custom Spartan in a story that I would argue is more engaging than any other Halo, was a great change of pace.
FFXV was my very first Final Fantasy, as I've never been very into turn based JRPGs. I found myself surprised by how invested I became with this bro boyband adventure across the countryside. A great combat system and lovable characters made me completely attached by the end, and man does it end on such a strong note. There are sections of the game that just..suck, for lack of a better word. The magitek base full of endless hallways is nothing less than awful and boring as hell, but otherwise I had no issues with the game.
Some of the best visuals, combat, and music in any RPG I've seen, practically ever. FF7 has always been in my life one way or another, being a landmark in gaming, it's sort of hard to avoid. Another game I was emotionally invested in pretty hard by the end, it made me check out all the other parts of FF7. At this point I've seen and played every bit of the Compilation of FF7, just to get a little more out of it. There are those that disagree with the fact that Remake is a sequel, not a direct remake, but I couldn't be more excited to see where they take the story.
I'll be frank, I have quite a lot of issues with this game as a whole. Anyone that has played the story of the original, you know my gripe with this one's plot. The audio balance is nothing short of hilarious, competing with the likes of Sonic Adventure 2 for being such a shitshow that some dialog is just completely unintelligible without subtitles. The minigames can range anywhere from pretty fun to downright maddening. It shares a similarity with Remake where some areas just go on a bit too long, and traversing some places is absolutely frustrating. But...even after all that, all those things that drag down the game...it left such a strong impression in my mind. The sheer amount of spectacle, the amount of grandiose moments that left my jaw on the floor, the amount of times I was beyond blown away by the dialog and scenery was just staggering. Remake set the characters up for success to be sure, and Rebirth really hammers it all home. I found myself very, very attached to (almost) every character, to the point where I was pretty disheartened when it was over. It absolutely nails the main cast and makes them more alive and real than they ever have been, and knowing that I've seen everything this game has to offer for them, and I can never get to experience those magical moments like Costa Del Sol, the Golden Saucer, and Cosmo Canyon for the first time again...it's honestly really fucking sad. As far as gameplay, it really goes without saying that the game is a massive improvement in the combat of the original, which was already great. Queen's Blood is unironically one of the most fun side-activities I've experienced in a game. All in all, Rebirth has a lot of things wrong with it, but I can be sure that I won't ever forget experiencing it for the first time, and I can't wait for part 3.
I'm still not a fan of turn based games, or the ATB system introduced into FF7 original, but not putting it on this list would be a disservice, considering how deeply invested I am with its story. It was amazing to see where all of what exists now came from when I played it, after FF7 Remake. I genuinely wish I got to grow up with it, but being the youngest of 4, I was at the mercy of what my older brothers liked. Anything story related I've said about Remake also applies here, I just want more of it.
Like Rock Band 2, it's really the song selection that defines how good one of these games are. Lots of hair metal in here, one of my favorite genres of music.
If you took the 90s and blended it up, poured it into some sort of a disc shaped mold, and slapped it in a PS2, this is probably what would boot up. Listening to The Offspring and Bad Religion while flying down San Francisco streets will never get old, it just makes you feel great.
Always been a DMC fan, cool as hell action games with some hokey rivalry between the red and blue guy. DMC5 takes that step from sorta silly to so awesome you wanna burst into flames and run naked into a Walmart listening to Virgil's theme. No other game makes you feel like a demon slaughtering badass quite like DMC5. I probably don't need to sing its praises more than everyone else already has, but it was a surefire sign Capcom was back in action.
I wish Custom Robo had more than only this release in the US. I wish it was more popular in general. Its such a weird little charming game. I love the soundtrack and amount of customization in here. The story mode is a lot more than just a distraction in a VS game, it's a blast to play through. Nothing beats the Deviant Art lookin portraits for the characters.
Considered to be the lesser of the 2 Banjo games, (yes. Only 2. There is not a 3rd.) I always liked Tooie more. I like the music, stages, abilities, almost everything more. The backtracking is definitely the thing that makes it hard to suggest over the original, I just have a personal bias to this one. Banjo is one of the best platformers ever made with an amazing charming cast blah blah blah, its all been said a thousand times by everyone who's ever played it, and I'm with em. Banjo rules.
FUCK I love this game. SHIT this game rules. DAMN do I want a re-release of some kind, any kind. Charm and nonsense spills out of this game like a thick, musty egg-like odor spills out of a Smash tournament. Of all the ones on my favorites list, I would want to see a port of this game more than anything. Paying upwards of $600 dollars for a physical copy is too much to ask. Just to really hammer it in though, my god is Project Justice charming. The tag supers and roster are absolutely incredible. Simple controls that are fun to master makes it easy to pick up for anybody, it feels amazing to play and perform some crazy shit.
One of the best games ever made, if you ask me. The best metroidvania or even just Castlevania, too. I make it a point to play it about every year around Halloween.
Iga, the director of Sympony of the Night, would leave Konami and go on to make his own company and spiritual successor, Bloodstained. I still think Symphony is better, but thats almost an unfair comparison, as I doubt any game in the genre will surpass it for me. It has really everything a Symphony fan would want. Tons of loot, fun exploration and combat, lots of extra modes and playable characters. Not to mention the myriad of references to Castlevania, including the absolutely busted and infamous Crisagrim from the original Symphony.
My favorite Resident Evil. A lot of it is a personal bias toward the old movie monsters of old. Vampires, Werewolves, and Creatures of the Black Lagoon. Theres always a very Resident Evil spin on it, usually bugs, but its close enough.
The beginning of Capcom's comeback. The first Resident Evil since 2 to focus on actual Horror, instead of horror/action. Here we are now in 2022, another installment and several remakes later, RE is a household name again.
My favorite racing game ever. No game will ever beat the aesthetics or drifting that Outrun 2 has. It makes you feel like you're on vacation, listening to Splash Wave on a glistening blue oceaned beach. If you haven't played this 2 player on an actual arcade machine, you're missing out.
What is still the best Street Fighter, and the best version of Ken, at least until SF6 showed up. The parry system rules, the soundtrack and art style rule, and surprisingly the online also rules.
This was a launch title for the PSP, the one that came packaged with mine. It has my favorite box art of all time, and what is still the best version of Darkstalkers 3. It was my very first non 3D fighting game, and introduced me to some of the characters that would go on to be among my favorites in fighting games. Jedah, Felicia, Dimitri, and Jon Talbain.
Power Stone is another lesser known incredible Dreamcast game I wish would come back in any way. I guess it was ported to the PSP in the collection, but me and about 17 other people bought that. A silly little top down brawler that has a surprising amount of depth in its simple mechanics, and a great game for parties.
There's something about the "island" theme that makes me love a game more than I usually would, and Bomberman Land is no exception. Walking around the amusement park island, playing mini-games with your buds, and trying to impress a girl (who really kinda sucks with some retrospect) was all the motivation my kid brain needed to play it every day. Upon playing it as an adult, it's no wonder I got stuck and never beat it. Toward the end of the game, the difficulty of some of the mini-games gets strangely high, at least for a kid. But with the relaxing Heart Zone music, rolling waves, and a variety of different games to play, it felt like a trip to the amusement park.
This game came out of goddamn nowhere. No leaks, no hints, nothing. Tango just announced and released it in the same day, and while the initial trailer had me rolling my eyes at the overused and Forspoken-esque dialouge, the gameplay interested me enough to try it. I was immediately smiling from ear to ear just looking at everything, how Chai snaps his fingers to the beat of every track, how the environment is bright and colorful, pulsing to the beat. Almost everything from top to bottom, is everything I would want in a game, stylistically speaking. I love the art style, the animation, the music, it's truly a sight to behold. While I have some grievances, namely the predictable and cliche story, and the lack of enemies in the early game, it instantly held a special place for me. It feels so much like a game not of this era, and I couldn't help but recognize the Gitaroo Man inspiration on some level. Safe to say this is a favorite of mine. If anyone wants to try this game...I honestly suggest playing with streamer mode on. The licensed music honestly distracts from the experience more than anything.
I cannot possibly do this game justice by describing it here. On the outside, it is definitely just another NES sports game. But on a couch with a bud, this is probably the most immediately intense and competitive game you'll ever play. After 1 or 2 games getting used to the controls, screaming and jumping up during pivotal moments will surely follow closely behind.
I don't like many sports games, due to the fact that most of them are sim games rather than arcade, but Blitz is as arcade as it gets. Very fast, responsive controls, and rewards quick thinking and aggressive play. It may not have the easy learning curve as much as Ice Hockey, but it's absolutely worth figuring out for the fun it provides you with after.
Totally and completely a hidden gem on PS1. For the era this was made, for being a non Street Fighter, Tekken, or VF game, it plays surprisingly well. What really sells the game is the over the top 90s presentation and hilarious self aware dialogue in the story mode. With a surprisingly solid soundtrack and a very strange but varied roster, I loved it immediately. I really wish there were such a thing as a Danzaiver figure..
Here's the deal, I don't even like original RE4, so it's not just me fanboying over something I already liked. This game is just legitimately incredible. I went in skeptical, but I'm happy to say it kept a smile on my face the entire time. Practically everything that made RE4 such a benchmark in gaming is improved tenfold here. It's easy to tell Capcom knew they had to top one of the most respected games ever made, and they honestly surpassed it far beyond what I would've imagined.
Simply what is in my opinion the best Tekken. The amount of passion that went into this installment is nothing short of incredible, the story mode is an absolute love letter to Tekken fans. It also has a shift in gameplay toward aggression that I love, and it doesn't hurt that Jin is more fun than he ever has been. This will be the Tekken I depend on for years to come.
I actually didn't put this game on my list for a while after I played it, but the more time went on, the more I kept thinking about it and how fondly I remember playing it. Like Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker, it might just become one of those annual playthroughs.
