My 123 Favorite Video Games, Ranked
This is at an odd number because it's just every game I've ever played that I would consider 'a favorite' of mine with no upper limit ... and I guess that there are this many of them! I put a lot of thought into the rankings but this is going to be a living document - positions will shift as I replay them and (hopefully) many games will be added. All future updates will be noted in the comments as they happen.
I put a little bit about how I was introduced to each of these and my history with them in the notes. Please feel free to ignore all that if you don't feel like reading my LiveJournal - it's rambly and mostly unedited. Like everything else on this site, it's kind of more for me than anyone else.
The below is a list of games I consider "Unranked" - provisionally on the list but which need to be replayed to get a good idea of where I should put them. Hopefully I will get through these soon and resolve their placements!
UNRANKED:
- Chrono Cross (Square/PS1/1999)
- Crimson Shroud (Level-5/3DS/2012)
- Dark Souls III (FromSoftware/Multiplat/2016)
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom/NDS/2010)
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia (New World Computing/PC/1999)
- Pathologic (Ice-pick Lodge/PC/2005)
- Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (Level-5/NDS/2007)
- Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope/PC/2018)
- Shadow of Destiny (Konami/PS2/2001)
- Shadow Warrior (3D Realms/PC/1997)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo/NSW/2017)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Nintendo/GB/1993)
- Xenogears (Square/PS1/1998)
- Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Chunsoft/3DS/2012)
I put a little bit about how I was introduced to each of these and my history with them in the notes. Please feel free to ignore all that if you don't feel like reading my LiveJournal - it's rambly and mostly unedited. Like everything else on this site, it's kind of more for me than anyone else.
The below is a list of games I consider "Unranked" - provisionally on the list but which need to be replayed to get a good idea of where I should put them. Hopefully I will get through these soon and resolve their placements!
UNRANKED:
- Chrono Cross (Square/PS1/1999)
- Crimson Shroud (Level-5/3DS/2012)
- Dark Souls III (FromSoftware/Multiplat/2016)
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (Capcom/NDS/2010)
- Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia (New World Computing/PC/1999)
- Pathologic (Ice-pick Lodge/PC/2005)
- Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (Level-5/NDS/2007)
- Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope/PC/2018)
- Shadow of Destiny (Konami/PS2/2001)
- Shadow Warrior (3D Realms/PC/1997)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo/NSW/2017)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Nintendo/GB/1993)
- Xenogears (Square/PS1/1998)
- Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Chunsoft/3DS/2012)
123 Games
Extremely hyped for this when it came out in 1999. My good friend who loved Star Wars and video games had to literally ask me stop talking about it to him at school.
101
Played the shareware version of this at some point, but I'm not entirely sure when or where. Certainly stuck with me though.
102
My one PlayStation friend had this shit and the sequel in 1998 and I swear to God I was thinking about it until I finally bought my own copy in like 2010.
103
Another good Genesis friend pick - immediately went and picked it up for myself after playing it with them.
104
Actually no clue when I played this first. I remember only really digging in and going through it (and the sequel) in 2010, but I really think I had played it before that. But where?
105
My first non-PC gaming machine was a Game Boy, and for a couple years there, this was my killer app. It was the first Mario game I owned! Hard to say when exactly I got it, but early '90s, when it was new.
106
After absolutely mastering the original (much to the chagrin of the haters and the trolls amongst my friends who I easily surpassed), this was like a religious experience. I think I managed to get it early - this was in my street-date-break scamming days. I had a whole system going. I got GUITAR HERO III a whole week early, I was top ten in the worldwide leaderboards! But that game's not on this list, lol.
107
Another rec from my extremely smart and cool DEADLY PREMONITION, GOD HAND bestowing bro in the college days. Man, he turned me on to some real winners.
108
Played a little of this at a friend's house and it stuck with me until I cracked and bought the whole series (up to that point) in 2010.
109
Played it at the one SNES friend's house and always loved it.
110
My first and only GameCube title at launch. And what a launch title! Kept me going no problem until reinforcements arrived in the form of SMASH and LUIGI'S MANSION. The first in an amazing library, probably my best, pound-for-pound.
111
The Game Boy game, but it can stand in for any/all versions. Came with the machine, of course. The only video game I ever saw my mom play.
112
One of the major gaps in my carefully curated GameCube library. Only played at friends, but rectified that in 2010.
113
Knew this was right up my alley, slyly asked for it for Christmas from the GF and got it. Another one of those "I like watching you be smart games." Hey listen, baby, everybody wins.
114
Went on a huge PS3 used game buying spree at some point in like 2013 and got this for five bucks at a Pawn America. Made me fall in love with the old series all over again, having not played it since like grade school.
115
The last of the SCI engine Sierra games for me. This one I played alone - not with grandpa, not with the aunts - all me baby. (Didn't get very far.)
116
Loved this when it came out but the new edition actually kind of knocked it down a few pegs for me. One of those games that only gets less and less impressive the more you play it, unfortunately. But it's always fun to see other try it for the first time.
118
Big closet TRIALS guy, played em all. I was super pumped for this when it came out. Shit, now I want to play some TRIALS.
119
One of my biggest finds in my early emulation days in like 1999. Had no idea what I was doing because of the nihongo ... until it all clicked. Still playing every damn Picross game I can get my hands on to this day. And still humming the music from this.
120
Another friend's house Genesis classic. The wobbly leaning tower of Pisa stuck in my head for like 15 years until a revisit.
121
The only VR game I could really, really get into because all the big ones make me sick. :( Also, because I'm beyond-godlike at every rhythm game, I easily 100% and platted this.
122
Had to get it when all the hubbub was going down. Wasn't disappointed - lots of awesome hangouts with the gang trading off. Maybe the last game we ever did anything like that with.
123
10 Comments
LIST UPDATE 6/4/2023:
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Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (#106) replayed and rank confirmed
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Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (#106) replayed and rank confirmed
LIST UPDATE 6/10/2023:
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Katamari Damacy (#64) replayed and moved up to #61
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Katamari Damacy (#64) replayed and moved up to #61
LIST UPDATE 6/16/2023:
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We Love Katamari (#52) replayed and rank confirmed
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We Love Katamari (#52) replayed and rank confirmed
LIST UPDATE 8/11/2023:
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Pokemon Gold (unranked) replayed and removed
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Pokemon Gold (unranked) replayed and removed
LIST UPDATE 11/23/2023:
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The Case of the Golden Idol (#117) added
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The Case of the Golden Idol (#117) added
LIST UPDATE 12/10/2023:
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Super Mario Bros. (#88) and Super Mario World (#37) replayed and ranks confirmed
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Super Mario Bros. (#88) and Super Mario World (#37) replayed and ranks confirmed
I saw Deadly Premonition on this list and decided to give it a spin, despite its technical shortcomings, I found the game to be quite engaging, primarily due to the charming characters and the captivating dialogue between York and the town's population.
Quite the experience and glad I did
Quite the experience and glad I did
@Kawasaki0504 Awesome! Glad you liked it!
LIST UPDATE 03/25/2023:
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Heroes of Might & Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia added to unranked list
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Heroes of Might & Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia added to unranked list
DJSCheddar
11 months ago
And yeah I definitely dont want to discourage you because I would love to see yours, but for the record this has taken me actual years to finally do haha