So, here you go. A whole damn list of 100 games, plus Turok 2. And, just for good measure, all of the Top 10 lists I did in the inbetween. Each link should go right to the article I produced for each game, but I haven’t tested them all, yet. If you get one that doesn’t work, let me know!
Been a real treat, by the way, working my way through this. Glad its over, though.
Added April 14, 2017
The final Facebook note, updated and archived (the links now take you to the posts featured here, though its mostly unnecessary since you can just do a search for them, but whatever. This gives me the comments). This was a bitch to update and took FOR-EVER. Ah, well. If any of the links don’t work properly, let me know and I’ll fix them, post haste!
With this, I think I’m done archiving for the time being. There is plenty of other stuff I can add but the real bulk of my previous online presence is all here, now. Young Skyler is collected and, more or less, complete.
Started this process over a year ago, March of 2016. And now we’re here.
Time to kick back and do very little, I’d wager.
So, OK. That was a gag last time, but today you get the real deal, the real stink, the true grit (in theaters tomorrow). Today you get my all time favorite video game. And, many of you already guessed the hell out of it. And that’s OK. Surprises at this point would be stupid, especially if you’ve been paying, you know, attention at all. And so, to finally finish this damned list, I present to you (a month overdue) the #1 game.
Ever since this game came out, its been installed on my computer. And I’ve gone through a few computers, a few hard drives, a couple system wipes, and now have a laptop that was installed on it, day one. I have the damn thing in The Orange Box on two systems, plus I bought the game when it first came out on PC, back in ’04. I’ve paid for this game three times and, if they put out some other edition of it that will have Episode 3 included, chances are good that I’d pay for it again. Having said this, Half-Life 2 (and subsequent episodic content) is easily the best, most important, and – most importantly – favorite game from my history of playing games.
I could spend forever talking about the gameplay, have already spent forever discussing all the time and energy wasted waiting for the game to come out, building up the money, resources, and computer machine I’d use to play the damn game. I could tell you guys about doing homework in advance for a full week, hammering out papers, doing research, and getting things completed before a week so that I would have no distractions. Wearing a suit? Did it to play the game. Never slept? Did that to play the game. Ate a ton of shit, never showered, and didn’t go to work, class, see friends, or do anything. Half-Life 2 was all it was for me for hours, days, and – in the end – that whole week. To say the game didn’t take hold, immediately, would be a lie. It took hold almost a year or two prior to the game’s release.
i do love the facial animation by the way
I coerced everyone I know into trying to play this game at some point, have played through the game so many goddamned times that I know every nook and cranny of the game, every corner to be careful around, every in-game event to see, every easter egg, G-Man sighting, and ammo pickup. The Episodes, too, have been bested by me so many times – across two different freaking platforms. I’ve actually managed to send that gnome into the rocket to earn that stupid achievement (it was overly taxing). The impact this game has had on me is borderline ridiculous and the amount of devotion I have to the game is just as equally ridiculous. I love this game. I love it. I love this game. I love this game. And, you know what? I’ve loved every game that has been based upon this game’s engine (Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2, Counterstrike: Source, etc.).
The story is tight, the game play is fantastic, the gravity gun changed the way games were played (and so many games have stolen it), I love the characters, the animations, the lighting effects… I love everything about this game. Even after its all been over, I simply sit and wait for news on the next part of the series, the next Episode of the HL2 narrative, and the next chance to hang out with Gordon Freeman. The Half-Life franchise is one of those things that is stupid and dumb in my life, and the only game series I will blindly defend for no reason, other than to say that you’re dumb for not liking it. Bad mouth HL2 and I’ll come after you.
All in all, Half-Life 2 is my all time favorite game and was likely holding that ranking prior to the game’s release. I mean, let’s be honest, the anticipation of this game was only heightened by the constant delays, and when the game finally came out, it lived up to the hype, 100%. Very few games live up to the hype, even when they come out on time, and Half-Life 2 managed to pull it off without a hitch. Once it actually came out. College friends, family members, and girlfriends in my past can all name this game as such a big deal for me, many of them not knowing any of the other games on this list. My faith was rewarded, ten-fold, with this game, and because of that, I will continue to wait with great patience for the next game in the series to finally be revealed.
Classic Moment: In the game? I love taking down that helicopter on that hoverboat. It wasn’t that challenging, but the arena for the battle was huge, the fight was great enough, and the image of watching that thing blow up and crash (it could land on you, killing you in the process. The developers decided to steer away from epic boss battles because they thought it was unrealistic and that having things like that for pacing wasn’t really that big a deal in a narrative. But here was a boss battle that was awesome. The sound effects, the million bombs the thing drops, and more make it overly exciting. They recreate a chopper battle in Episode 2 which is also fun (tossing bombs back with the gravity gun is awesome) but it doesn’t even touch this game.
PS: Running around with DOG backing you up in any section of the game(s) is equally awesome, but having him take out that Strider in Episode 2 is bad ass.
Added April 14, 2017
Finally finished uploading the Games List from 2010. What a ride.
Played through HL2 and the first of the two Episodes in the fall of last year, 2016. They hold up. Surprisingly well, actually. Couldn’t bring myself to do Episode 2 due to that ending and the infinite rage, but, ah well.
If I did a list, these days, I don’t know where this would fall. High, for sure. But there have been so many damned contenders since then, namely Witcher 3 and Undertale. But HL2 will likely hold one of the most special places in my heart and in my history.
Love this game.
So, here we are at long last. Finally, A game that Knows Everything about quality gaming, is perfect to end the list on, and should never, under any circumstances be regarded as something other than the #1 game of all time. Yep, nothing untrue about this entry at all. Its not a joke, not at all. Nope. A joke? No. No. I would never do that (ps: http://the-listmaker.xanga.com/44389771/item/). So so, here we go.
When this game was finally released unto the world during the Christmas season of 1999, a young Skyler Bartels had no idea what was in store for him as he booted up his Nintendo 64, game cart in place, and prepared to enter the Lost Lands to help the Elders put an end to the Primagen before he could even start his mad quest for dominance over the world of man, dinosaur, and mantis people. A sequel to the first game, Turok 2 had everything a young lover of First-Person Shooters could want: violence, monsters, great guns, and – of course – a story to help make the game work, 100%.
It should be noted that the game features some of my favorite guns in history. Now, don’t let the fact that I mentioned none of these guns in the Top 10 Guns list fool you (seriously. Don’t even bring that up in the comments, making claims that this post isn’t legit. Really). See, Turok 2’s guns were so unique and interesting that it wouldn’t even have been fair to place one of them on that list. Aside from a standard pistol and shotgun, the game has the single greatest flame thrower in gaming history, and also allows you to pick up and equip the coolest damn gun; the cerebral bore… a gun that shoots a tiny dart that targets the brain of your victim, burrows in through the skull, and liquefies the contents of that monster’s skull in a projectile flash of pink matter. To say the thing is gross as hell would be doing it an injustice, because not only is it true, but you’re missing out on how damn cool it is, overall.
The game world you run around in is fascinating, too. The developers decided to make the maps HUGE AS HELL and, in doing so, they ran into a problem: the N64 had limited capabilities when it came to draw distances, meaning the game couldn’t process everything fast enough to maintain a fresh and smooth framerate. This problem was easily solved, though, by cramming every last corner of the game with either crippling darkness or crippling fog. Don’t let the fact that you couldn’t see shit deter your from praising this game, though; the darkness and fog only added to the game’s creepy atmosphere, making the nearly silent monsters that rape your backside that much more realistic and engaging to do combat with. Plus, being able to see monsters, figure out what path to take, how to solve puzzles, where health items are, where bottomless pits rest, or where the nearest wall is is overrated and only serves to make games with less fog easier.
enclosed spaces had less fog, but were filled with impossible bosses
The series is known for having difficult monsters to fight, but the second game took the prize in terms of giant boss battles that served up such a high curve that you had to try again and again. See, in these days, shooters were too easy, making the play time last only a dozen or so hours. But Turok 2 decided that, to get the most bang for your buck, you would need to struggle to learn every minute detail of a boss’ attack patterns to win. So, a boss like the pictured Flesh Mother (innovative in that you could blow pieces off of her, despite the fact that it was inconsequential as far as the fight was concerned) would require hours of training to beat, adding to the games total run time. This tactic was utilized in the game worlds, too, with its sparse-as-fuck save points, insanely powerful waves of baddies, and low quantity of health pickups. This meant that the game wasn’t easy at all, and we all know that the games we play are based on having such a difficult time that we can have more fun not playing the game!
But if there’s one thing this game mastered and utilized for maximum fun, it was the inane backtracking through levels that was required to obtain power ups, keys, special unlocks, and to – actually – even finish the damn game. No one wants to play a straightforward game, and – if you have to backtrack, its best to never be any stronger, really, then you were the last time you went through the area. Oh, and if you have to go through the entire level again, just to get to the one area with the power up you need in another level, all the better. Talk about a huge play time for a game! This game doubled its total number of required hours by simply making you trek through the game over and over again! Ingenious! Of further note, you could only get ammo for some guns in some levels, meaning that if you ran out of Cerebral Bores, you had to haul ass back to the level it came from, find that one corner of the world – in the darkness while avoiding mantis people with impossibly great eyesight, apparently – to get the ammo, then you need to start the other world over, again! Talk about getting the most out of a game!
All in all, Turok 2: Sees of Evil take the prize by being a game that keeps the player involved with epic gameplay based around the pure and simple mechanic of making the game impossible to win unless you have the patience of a saint, the skill of a professional game player, and the tolerance levels of Jesus Christ himself. This design really allowed for solid gold to shine through a sea of poop, leaving the gaming world forever changed. The sad part is, all games after this one in the franchise have simply stunk it up in comparison, leaving Turok 2 as the sole survivor in a series of mostly shit games. If you haven’t played through this masterpiece, get your ass to Mars and pick up your copy. If you have played it, or think I’m joking around with this whole review, well then. You’re right. See you tomorrow with the real #1.
Classic Moment: I loved the moment the Primagen shows up, the final boss of the game, and is immediately better at maneuvering in his battle area, has way too many powers, has insanely high levels of health, and is mostly a dick to fight. The masterstroke of this epic game is that the final boss, his motivations, and his quest make him the best villain in gaming history. And, you know, don’t let the fact that he wasn’t mentioned in my 10 Ten Villains list fool you (actually, don’t even mention it, you know… like the Cerebral Bore thing from before).
you got a bow and arrow. good god this game was awesome.
Added April 14, 2017
The first time I did a list (which was linked, but don’t click that, obviously) I put Superman 64 at the #1 spot as a joke (just stole seanbaby’s review: http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/nes/egm07.htm). So I wanted to do it again, but needed some bizarre game to reference that isn’t the worst, but absolutely doesn’t belong on a “Greatest” or “Favorite” list. Thus: Turok 2.
Final two games… Who could ever say if this has been the work I’ve put in? The hours I’ve wasted writing over 100 notes dedicated to these games and their impact on me? Who could say if it was worth it for you guys, the readers, the fans, to have stomached reading me talk about games, many of them that you likely didn’t even care about? At the end of the day, I guess it doesn’t really matter since, you know, its almost over (tomorrow oh my god!). Today’s game is a huge deal to be here, but I’ll let the entry speak for itself…
2: Final Fantasy VI (SNES/PS1) Developer: Squaresoft Year: 1994
In 2003 I gave FFVI the #58 slot on my top 100 list. I claimed that it was great but stunk in comparison to FFIX, FFVIII, and – of course – FFVII. I talked about not knowing the main character’s name, that I’d renamed her Faris from FFV. I basically said the game was good, the opera scene was Boss Hogg, and that it was pretty standard stuff. Now, to make this clear to you all: I’d only played a good chunk of the rerelease in Final Fantasy Anthology, which had slow loads, boring cinemas, and I also sucked so hard at playing Final Fantasy games that it never really struck me as all that great. Flash forward to 2008, me in my dorm room with GBA emulator on my PC, plowing through the game, unlocking every secret, getting every power, and having a ball. Since that moment in time, watching the epic ending to this game, watching TERRA (not Faris… stupid 2003-Skyler…) flying, finally free… since that moment I’ve come to one realization: Final Fantasy VI is – without a doubt – the greatest entry in the fantastic Final Fantasy franchise. And to those of you whom I’ve dissed for years, holding VII up as the top dog… I apologize with this very note.
The core gameplay is very simple RPG stuff… level raising and item/gil accumulation. You ride those big yellow Chocobos, you grind against monsters in dungeons, caves, and the like, and you learn new powers for your party. The fact that this shit is tight as hell for an SNES game would elevate it to the top 50 of the games, because despite the fact that its overly rudimentary (especially when you consider it against games today), its so well put together that the simplicity of it all is lost. No, the thing that makes this game so damn great isn’t because of the core mechanics, but rather because of the epicness of the plot, the perfectly developed characters and their interactions, and the feel of the world; alive, in need, and in danger.
also, gilgamesh shows up!
From the outset you’re thrust into the world with a cool-as-hell backstory. Its all the exposition you need to get rolling and from there its a journey to meet and get to know the HUGE-AS-FUCK cast of characters. Seriously, how many people can you have on your party, total? Its easily the record for this game and, while many games attempt to have a vast number of cast members, they usually end up fucking it up by having many of them be nothing more than novelty characters with no real development at all (Chrono Cross anyone?). While FFVI has a few of these characters (Mog, Wampa, etc.), tthey are in the minimum. What you have, consisting of 90% of the cast, is a group of fully fleshed-out people. Each one has tons of backstory to discover, a personal crisis to resolve, and interactions with each other to unravel. To say this cast is perfect is an understatement.
But here’s the real stink; at about the 4/5 mark, the game makes a dramatic change. See, Kefka – the game’s nasty bad guy – actually accomplishes his goal of “ending the world” so to speak. He fucks everyone up, kills mother loads of people, wrecks the world (literally), and drives Celes (the best character in the game) to near-suicide (actually, she can commit suicide if you play the game the right – or wrong – way). From there you have an option to gather up your troops, finish up loose ends in their lives, and take the fight to the clown, resulting in the best goddamned epic boss battle in the game (and, quite possibly, the series) – complete with epic showdown theme, Dancing Mad. It showcases what’s really great about this game, actually… the dire threat in the world. It takes center stage, not one character’s plight, not some gameplay mechanics, not the graphics (for how to screw this up, see: FFXIII). While games like IV, VII, and even IX have many of these elements, they never balanced them as perfectly as FFVI did. And, to that end, it stands as the greatest mix of elements the series has ever known.
All in all, Final Fantasy VI has done the impossible; it removed Final Fantasy VII from my top spot in terms of the franchise, and RPGs as a whole. I know that, could I talk to the Skyler from seven years ago, he’d scoff at me today for ranking this where I did, but that little idiot didn’t know the first thing about great games. This older, wiser idiot “does” (that is to say, I’ve simply matured). I’m hoping that the knowledge that FFVII was #1 and this game was #58 sparks some kind of conversation in the comments, or at least showcases how different my opinions have become in recent years. But the one thing I know it shows for a fact is how damn great this game is, after all these years.
Classic Moment: Pictured below is my favorite NPC in the game, Ultros… the tentacled jerk shows up periodically, is not affiliated with the main antagonists in any way, and is great comic relief. But, most important: he’s a damn tough fight every time you do battle with him. Because of this, he’s a treat to meet in a variety of ways. And then, after the world is busted up, he runs that tournament place in the wastelands (where you can fight Gilgamesh… pictured above). See, that’s the thing about this game. A throw-away character like Ultros is so developed as a side-character that its a treat to continue to see him, to know what he’s up to, and to be able to see him in another game (Disiddia, for example) is such a damn blast from the past… and he’s barely in the game’s epic 70+ hour length.
ULTROSSSSSSSS
Added April 14, 2017
I don’t think this would top FFVII anymore. I just don’t. It’s a shame, but there is simply no way. I love VI, but man… Man…
PS: Ultros showed up as a cameo in the FFXV prequel/side-story CG Movie, thing. It was awkward and hilarious.
Sorry, again, for the delay. I did really good with getting this updated daily up until the end. Oh well. This game is the reason I had to do some major moving around of the games on the list, actually, and its been moved a smidge here, at the end. Once again the greatest game for its console, the greatest game in its own franchise, game #3 pops up on the list for the first time in a high ranking spot for one good reason: its that damn great.
After finishing a rousing game of Half-Life 2, I decided to try my hand at relearning the controls for a Metal Gear Solid game. See, I’d borrowed MGS3 from my younger brother’s friend, Chris, and generally suck at playing them for the first few hours while I get a hang of how to move Snake around, again. The MGS series has very distinctive controls, so it was essential to master them again. Anyway, it was 11PM, I’d just finished HL2, and thought “few hours of this and then bed!” – but what really ended up happening was me and my younger brother, home alone, in front of my parent’s big screen TV for 14+ straight hours of intense game play, storyline progression, and stealth action in the mid-60’s. What we ended up experiencing was one of the greatest video games ever made.
I couldn’t tell you what specifically happened that left us sitting there for hours. A large chunk of it probably had to do with the fact that – during my Christmas break away from Drake University – we were without any parents for a number of days and had nothing else to do. With no responsibility and no one to tell us to go to bed, we just sat and played the damn game. But what really pulled us in? I mean, there was a ton of things that it could have been; for example, the characters this time around were really, really interesting (and I don’t mean interesting in the sense that Vamp from MGS2-MGS4 is interesting, but more like I actually was interested in them). The Cobra Unit – 3’s answer to FOXHOUND or Dead Cell – consisted of some of the coolest boss battles in the series (a statement of opinion), but they actually featured a group of individuals that were uniquely interesting and equally fun to not only battle, but learn about through conversation. Pair this with The Boss, Volgin, the reveal of young Ocelot, and – of course – Big Boss himself, Naked Snake, and you’ve got a great cast of assholes.
assholes like this guy, with his flame thrower
For my younger brother, it was probably these characters paired with the epic story and awesome presentation of both. The game took on a sort of James Bond feel (evidenced by the intro video and the title theme song, “Snake Eater” – both being blatant homages/ripoffs of classic 007 features) and paired it with the feel of the stealth from the first games (way back in the day on MSX2, that is) – jungles, military bases, and underground caverns replaced the industrial wastes of frozen Shadow Moses or the ultra clean Big Shell (MGS and MGS2, respectively), leaving Naked Snake alone with nothing but what he could collect to keep him alive. The setting aside, the storyline really took center stage, something the series needed to rejuvenate it after MGS2’s… questionable narrative decisions. Don’t get me wrong, I love Metal Gear Solid 2 (it was on the list!) but the story was so convoluted and tripping on itself; Snake Eater presented a “larger than life” story without sacrificing any sanity or sense-making… it simply told its story well.
For me, though, the biggest reason to keep playing the game into the wee hours of the night, the early hours of the day, and into the mid-afternoon of the next day was because of its immersion with new gameplay mechanics such as the introduction to CQC (close quarters combat) and the camo settings, allowing Snake to blend in with camouflage outfits and appropriately placed face paint. For whatever reason, this method of remaining hidden and sneaking throughout the game’s various locations really pulled me in with its inventive aspects. While I snuck around (snuck isn’t a word, I know) in the first two games, it really wasn’t necessary for most of the game (unless you just wanted to prove you could do it), you could just shoot everyone over and over again, continually cleaning out rooms as you go. But in MGS3 you had to sneak. While you could avoid all the other soldiers or take them out with CQC, it just wasn’t especially effective and it was overly time-consuming. And the new techniques made it easier to feel like a king of sneaking, making the game that much more fun to play.
All in all, Metal Gear Solid 3 hold this high place because it was damn near perfect. Featuring the series’ best narrative, the introduction to what Big Boss was going after in the first place, and showing us that – despite the fact that Solid Snake is the series’ primary hero an a total badass – Big Boss was the real shit, being a perfectly trained soldier. In their prime, Snake wouldn’t stand a chance against his father, who was just that damn good, in the end. While the last game in the series (MGS4 on PS3) is damn impressive, and the first games in the Solid series are equally fantastic, the third game for some reason takes the cake in terms of… well, everything. Presentation aside, simply sneaking is fun for the first time, and thats saying something.
Classic Moment: The Sorrow; so I played this game without stopping, without looking for a hint, without needing any help at all whatsoever. And then what happens? I can’t figure out the trick to beating The Sorrow. It wouldn’t have been such a big damn deal, but every time you failed to take him out (he’s a ghost, so you don’t really take him out, so to speak) you had to start this hella slow river crawl over again. So, I looked it up. In the end, it was one of the cheapest tricks in Metal Gear history (including switching controller ports on Psycho Mantis, no less) and the one moment of weakness I experienced in the game. (PS: this is a tie with the battle with The Boss at the end of the game which would be too many paragraphs to describe, in relation to the epic beauty of it all)
Added April 14, 2017
Heaven help me if they put all these games on the Switch. Just… just Jesus.
I love the hell out of this game, have only played it twice. I should probably get on a third run-through at some point.
TRON: Legacy took over, yesterday, in many ways, but the real reason I didn’t post was because I had to sit down – seriously – and evaluate whether or not I believed in the placement of these final four games. I had to convince myself that today’s game – #4 – was really going to go in the fourth slot or not. I had to stick to my convictions, though, remembering that its still #4 out of over 100 games that I’ve played in my life. And so, with great hesitation I present:
4: Final Fantasy VII (PS1/PC) Developer: SquaresoftYear: 1998
Sigh.
However many years ago it was, now, that I did this list, FFVII was #1 on the list. Without question. The game holds such a significant place in my life, in my heart, and in my mind. I don’t even know why. I really don’t. The game has so many issues – thing I’ve noticed over the years after having played through it over a dozen times, now – and it doesn’t hold up today at all. The game is easy as shit, you know, in comparison to any of the re-releases of older games and, really, easier than X or XII (but not XIII, that’s for sure), the graphics are blocky and crappy, and the midi soundtrack leaves a ton to want out of it. But, when all is said and done and the poop is wiped away from the game, what I’m left with is such an important game that I can’t remove it from my history, no matter how hard I (would never) try.
As mentioned previously on the list, FFVII was a random-chance game that I borrowed off my friends the Samsons. And on PC, since I don’t think any of us owned a Sony system at that point. I wasn’t into RPGs at all, period, and had never played one, so I don’t know why I checked this game out. But I sure as hell did. The feeling I got learning how to do any of the stuff I was learning to do washed over me in an instant, making me abandon the thrice-praised Jet Force Gemini in favor of FFVII’s cinematic adventure. I didn’t know how to level raise, I didn’t know how to equip new items or magic powers, and I didn’t know how to balance stats. I had to learn everything from the word go and, from what I’ve heard, this was the case for many gamers that started in the Playstation generation; having never played a Final Fantasy game (or likely an RPG) before, Final Fantasy VII quickly became the favored one, and the one to beat.
the translation, on the other hand, was easy to beat
I was one of those wusses that cried over Aeris’ death, but it was intensified because I knew she was gonna bite it (thanks, Samson clan! SPOILER ALERT!). As such, I used to her all the damn time in the hopes that she’d become a valued member of the team (protip: she really isn’t that great at all in the game after you get Cid and/or Vincent). My emotions were on a roller-coaster ride throughout the game from the moment she dropped into the water – rage filled me in my quest to destroy Sephiroth, Shinra, and the rest of those jerks, but at the same time I had such empathy for these characters, all of whom were suffering from woes of their own, outside of the direct conflict before them. Never before had I played a 60+ hour narrative, never had I gotten to know deep characters so well, and never had I cared about their adventures on a personal level. FFVII changed how I played games.
So, you know, its fair to really say that this game’s place in my heart is because of luck, timing, and good fortune smiling upon me; had I played any of the previous FF titles (IV or VI in particular) I probably would have had the same reaction, at least somewhat. But VII came when it did and opened up an entire genre of games that I never would have even been interested in, a franchise full of great titles that is ever-expanding and (maddeningly) just now reaching a high stink-point, and presented this game world that – while getting a bit over-the-top, now – continues to grow with each new piece of the “Compilation of FFVII” that is released. So, while its fair to say that thing about timing, it doesn’t change the fact that it altered the way I played games, looked at games, or – seriously – storytelling as a whole.
All in all, Final Fantasy VII changed my life as far as video games are concerned. In the days before it graced my life with its presence I was playing N64 games, crummy shooters on the PC, and the like (er, Half-Life wasn’t a crummy shooter, though). Every single RPG I’ve purchased since has been thanks to VII’s nearly perfect presentation, seamless battles, epic soundtrack (for the time. Orchestral versions of those songs are still kickass, however), and deeply interesting characters and magic (Materia!) system. Without FFVII I don’t know what kind of gamer I’d be, probably someone playing Call of Duty all the time instead of someone interested in stories. Thank God things went the way they did.
Classic Moment: I really do love this whole game, but if I had to squeeze one single moment or section from the game, I would have to say its the first time I stepped outside of Midgar and found an entire world to explore. Having spent hours upon hours sitting in that walled-off city, the world map (remember, my first world map ever) was a sight! Running across the plains, doing battle with wild beasts, avoiding the Midgar Zolom, and acquiring my very first Chocobo was just a magical experience. It really does pain me to place FFVII’s epicness down here at #4, but after all these years, its still sticking it out as one of the greatest games I’ve ever played and that’s something special.
Added April 14, 2017
Just got my Platinum trophy for the remaster on PS4, last year. It was the first time I’d beaten Ruby Weapon. It was a treat and an honor as I’d not beaten him once in oh so many years. My first experience with super bosses was this game and I’d finally toppled one that had eluded me that whole time.
This game will forever hold up for me, but will never be in the top two, again, likely. Even after the remake.
Here comes… here comes the bee-hive. And by that I mean the top 5 games on my top 100 games list. What a ride its been. I hope we all had a good time. I sure have. But, aside from that, I’ve had fun reliving some memories from my entire life. People belittle video games but they’ve always been there for me, through the entire time I’ve been alive. Moments in my life are punctuated by specific games, so, you know, they’re great markers for me, historically. Anyhow, space wasted. Let’s go.
5: Silent Hill 2 (PS2/Xbox)Developer: KonamiYear: 2001
Back in the day there was an electronics store in Hastings, NE called “On Cue” – it sold DVDs, CDs, video games, magazines, and just about everything you could think of at one time or another. It was the best goddamned store in the world in my opinion because, in the middle of nowhere, NE, there weren’t many options for out-there music and movie purchases; if Wal-Mart didn’t have it, no place did.
In this store I got my Playstation 2, my first copy of a PC magazine containing news about Half-Life 2, Metriod Prime, and the first Kingdom Hearts. It was where I picked up both Warcraft III and its expansion, Homeworld2, and Jedi Knight II. To say it was a huge portion of my teenage gaming life would be a rather large understatement. But one game that came from this location was more important than any other: Silent Hill 2.
I couldn’t say what it was about the game that made me want it so bad: despite the fact that the original has a place on my list, these days, back in ye olden times I didn’t really appreciate it as much as I could have (I would actually suggest that I love it, now, because of 2 and 3). But, lo and behold, I got the game and took it home. Now, it should be noted that in the final days of high school, my time away from the school building was spent watching Buffy on DVD, listening to music, and sleeping. Until the early hours of the morning, I simply wasted away into nothingness while the minutes flew by. So, during the hours of 9PM-3AM, I booted up Silent Hill 2 for the very first time. And I’ve never been able to work up the nerve to move through it a second time.
To say the game is scary is… well, putting it lightly. The game is balls ass horrifying. For me, the game is the creepiest, most mind-fuckingly surreal experience of my entire gaming life, and a franchise entry that will likely never be topped. My first encounters with the Legs-on-Legs (not their real name), the Pyramid Heads, and James’ own insufferable guilt and conscience will never be forgotten, in the long, twisted hours that I damaged my own psyche, just by playing the game. When all was said and done, I’d been granted access to one of the greatest narratives in the history of video games. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how complex, deep, and touching the game is, not to mention vile, quease-inducing, and gut-wrenchingly real.
how am i not myself?
Its dated as hell, now, and on subsequent attempts through the game I’ve never managed to get past the part where I know the Pyramid Head is going to just SHOW THE FUCK UP on the hospital roof (you can hear the sound of his blade dragging on the ground. I don’t wanna deal with that ass hole!), but the fact remains that the eerie, fog-coated town of Silent Hill has never had a better outing and likely never will. James’ story is so tragic and so dark (dark as living hell, actually) but that’s what makes the game what it is: an engaging storyline with a character we can initially connect with, right off the bat. It allows the story to take center stage, not the scares which, while ultimately what people talk about, are not the primary focus of the game.
All in all, Silent Hill 2 is an exemplary game for the PS2, the SH franchise, and story telling in games as a whole. My hope is that a PS3 high-def re-release will be announced… some day, so a new generation can experience this masterpiece of game-making. Give it a whirl, if you will; you’ll be scared shitless, that’s for damn sure. In the meantime, just remember: it’s all in your head. And to you, On Cue… may you rest in peace you magnificent bastard.
Classic Moment: Have to be escaping the hospital with Maria. You’re running with her down a twisty, turny series of tight alleyways only to have her fall behind. The AI won’t follow unless you’re close, and – since you can’t see for shit – you have no idea how far back she is so you have no choice but to turn the fuck around and go looking for he—OH MY JESUS SHIT PYRAMID HEAD RUNNING RIGHT THE FUCK FOR ME OH JESUS CHRIST HOLY FUCKING JESUS! OH MY GOD!
Added April 14, 2017
Someday I’ll manage to play through this a second time. How I got through it that first time is beyond me.
So, this is my final Top 10 list featured within the big 100. Starting tomorrow we enter into the top 5 games, but first I wanted to touch on something that I haven’t commented on, really… my favorite moments, personally, playing games throughout history. These ten (+ 1 Honorable Mention) events hold a place in my heart as being either significant or overly triumphant for reasons I’ll explain. So, have fun reading these!
Top 10 Personal Gamer Moments
10: Finally Beating the Hell Out of Xenosaga: Episode 1
*drool*
So I got the game right as it came out, way back when. I burned hours and days into that fucker. Then I was grounded from video games due to more time spent playing them then doing actual school work. Enter my brother, Pete, who played the ever living fuck out of the game, making it three times further than I did. In the final levels of the game, though, we crapped out. I don’t know if it was too difficult, if it was too boring, or what. But he stopped and, well, never picked it up again. All of that energy and love placed into the game and it was never finished.Fast forward a few years. I’m a Jr. in college and bored out of my gourd. What do I do? Get nostalgic after seeing one picture of KOS-MOS as someone’s banner on a forum post, and I’m right in the game. Not only do I beat it, but I collect the sequels and finish the stories, too. And, while completing the entire franchise in one burn-through is massively awesome enough, finally seeing the ending of the first game is what mattered the most. My hype levels for that game were so high, and fell to the wayside in favor of… who knows. To finally beat the game was noteworthy, for me, because it made that one less game I’ve started and never finished.
9: Beating the Shit Out of My Siblings at Games they were MUCH Better than me At
dbz: my brother mk64: my sister
Both my younger brother and my now deceased sister owned at these two games; Zak was king at DBZ and Sarah rocked the Mario Kart 64. I never stood a chance against either of them, usually, but here’s the thing: once I finally beat both of them at their own games, I retired… a la Bart Simpson retiring from that boxing game before Homer could beat him. It was luck in DBZ… for some reason I managed to whip the pants of Zak (I had practiced, but he had powers and abilities that made him harder to kill… cheating, technically) but once I finished him off, I quit playing.With Sarah, I must have just gotten so much better playing against her all those times. I don’t know how it happened, but through skill, determination – and possibly her letting me win (who knows) – I did it. Of course, I’d probably have gotten schooled again, but she had to go and pass away on us, leaving me the title holder. The saddest part is that I have not once played that awesome game since that victory. I’ll hold on to it for the rest of my life, though.
8: Beating the Fuck Out of Sephiroth
lvl 58 sword of compensation (yes, same joke that i used on zack)
I’m talking about Kingdom Hearts Sephiroth, here. He’s easily the hardest boss in the game, cheap as all hell, and has so much health that it takes about half an hour to actually beat him… if you aren’t getting hit, dying, or healing all the damn time. It got so maddening that I would eventually rise out of my seated position, standing in the middle of a room, stomping my feet, shouting swears… generally making an ass out of myself. After I finished him that first time, he’s been surprisingly easy ever since (probably because of all the power leveling I did by beating him over and over again) but my god did that first victory feel like a real goddamned accomplishment.
7: “Nintendo Days” or whatever we called them
i typed “1990” into google and keen was the first video game image that popped up
Wednesday and then the weekends. Those were the only days we could play video games back in yesteryear. It was a practice put into place so that we did our school work during the week (something that proved effective by the time that first Xenosaga game came out, huh?) and only played on that Wednesday night after our stuff was done. But, I mean, at that time all we had was an NES and Mario Bros., Spy vs Spy, World Games, etc. So it wasn’t like we were dying to see what happened next with those characters, struggling to get achievement points, or what have you.But for some reason, there was a chance I had – every now and again – to play on different days. I don’t know why these were presented to me, perhaps for good grades or something? But I could play on different days. OR! I could offer my free days to others. I did that from time to time, just to be nice. I don’t know why, but I was of the mindset that watching someone play was just as fun as playing myself. So, there you go: I wasn’t always a dick.
6: Shooting Teachers in the Face with Machine Guns After School
mr. cude was a bastard with turrets, i remember
This has bee mentioned by others – and myself, a bit – but after classes were out in high school, students and faculty alike would gather in the computer lab, boot up the machines, load up Team Fortress Classic, and away we’d go! It was just split teams, not students vs teachers or anything like that. We played every map, every class was covered, and everyone was a goddamned monster to each other, blasting each other away with abandon unseen in any other form of tolerated school violence.In a time in which people were made that Doom caused school shootings, we were there, every day, shooting our teachers while they shot at us, and each other. I assume we did it because it was fun, but they did it because it was the closest they’d get to strangling some of us. Who can say? In the end, I remember being blown away the first time I was invited to join, saw who I was to play with, and sat down to blow away my guidance councilor for the very first time.
5: Deathmatch at the Chloupek’s
not to be confused with the klopek’s from “the burbs” – staring tom hanks
There was a ton of thrill and adventure to be found over at the Chloupek household, once a weekend, every week. No time spent goofing off… it was time to immediately sit down and shoot each other every second we could in Goldeneye on N64. 1-on-1-on-1-on-1, for an unlimited number of hours every week. It was usually me, Steven Samson, the Chloupek brothers, and one Mr. Josh Helzer in a free-for-all to the death. Josh was infinitely better than the rest of us… primarily because, well, he just was. But the rest of us did what we could to keep up.I couldn’t tell you how many hours I ran around as Baron Samedi, strafing around Facility or Stacks, one-shot-killing every mother fucker that crossed my sights. I couldn’t tell you how many rulse we all had to come up with in order to make it agreeable for everyone. I couldn’t tell you how much laughing I did, playing with those guys, all the time. But I can tell you it was a blast.
4: 4AM? Time to Start Playing WoW
wow: when you never need to see your friends, lovers, or go to class
For some stupid reason my family and Justin would wake up at crazy ass hours to play World of Warcraft. I mean, sometimes it was so early that, by the time we’d finished, the days blurred together. Weekends were lost, days gone in the blink of an eye. I can’t tell you how many hours I put into the Bible Guys (we were all named after books of the bible), but it was intense. We never really got high leveled with those guys, never really got to the crazy parts of the game. But that’s not what those guys were for; they were for having fun family time.Scabbies, my human Pally… SHE was for leveling. Initially designed as a money maker for another team (meaning she just farmed and gained our guys extra cash), she eventually became my main, making it to the top levels of the game (pre-Cataclysm, mind you), seeing the things to see, etc. She was my true hero, in the end, being just a real motherfucker. After a nasty break-up, Scabbies was there for me. That is to say, after that relationship, I had Scabbies.
3: Jet Force What?
seriously… jet force what?
Jet Force Gemini was this game on Nintendo 64 by Rare. It was supposed to be this epic, great game that everyone could love. I rented it from Video Kingdom in Hastings, NE and popped it in my N64, played through the first level. The controls were great, the setup for the story was nice. But then I borrowed Final Fantasy VII from my friends my Samsons. From that moment on, I never even came close to touching that Jet Force whatsis ever again.I generally credit FF7 with giving me a rebirth into video gaming… I mean, in some ways, it started my giant drive into playing video games as more than just an irregular past time. But the real deal is that it was just well timed. What if I’d waited to play it? Jet Force Gemini is still revered as one of the greats from its generation, but I missed out entirely. It seemed like it would be great, but in the end, fell victim to being poorly timed. Alas, it was never played again.
2: Blazing through Metal Gear Solid 3 in One Sitting
“…when did the sun rise?”
I borrowed MGS3 from my younger brother’s friend Chris over an Xmas break during college. I’d just finished Half-Life 2 on my parents machine, it was around 11PM. I generally have a hard time getting the controls for a MGS game down right away, so I decided to boot it up and at least fuck around with the controls. What happened next was a whirlwind of sneaking, camo applying, stealth shit, and snapping necks. When it was all over, it was 1PM the following day and I’d beaten the entire, epic game in one sitting. With that, it cemented itself as the greatest MGS game (I’d played) and a true winner for only game I’ve finished in one sitting, the first time I’ve played it.If my younger brother hadn’t been there, I don’t think I could have done it, either. His presence is one of the things that made it what it was. He’s constantly present for great moments in my gaming history, or – at the very least – he’s someone who watches me play a lot of games. He helped me figure stuff out, failing – with me – to best The Sorrow my first time through (had to use GameFAQS). God bless, Zak. God bless.
1: Every Last Damn Moment of my Half-Life 2 Experience
jesus was it worth it all
As mentioned in my Half-Life post, my level of anticipation for the second Half-Life game was, is, and will likely forever be the highest in my gaming history. I did ridiculous things while I waited for that game, most of which were chronicled on my – at the time – Half-Life themed Xanga account. When the game finally came out, I had an early copy of the damn thing, since the street date had been broken by a store. Best Buy dropped the collector’s edition on shelves, so I picked mine up, wore my shirt with pride. I got to play Counter-Strike: Source early, got to marvel at the contents of the box, and install everything up to a point. Then I had to wait.
I’d decided to wear a suit for the event. I’d done all my homework in advance, turned everything in I could, and knew I wouldn’t be going to class, to sleep, or to see friends for a few days. Then… it was on. I never left my college dorm room, never even left from my seat. I couldn’t be bothered to move. The most important game of my life demanded my full attention, and that’s what it got. Even the expansions were played while girlfriends wanted to talk. Half-Life 2 is one of the most important games in my life for a reason, though: its so damn good, lived up to the hype, and… well, I’ll just quit talking about it, now.
Honorable Mention: Every Last Star
rolling rolling rolling
I don’t know why we did it, but my older brother and I decided – a few summers back – to blaze through Mario 64 and collect every star, in order, by taking turns from star to star. The end result was a mixed bag of fun, frustration, and quotable moments (hey, Pete: “It’s Chinatown!”) that saw us meeting Yoshi on top of the castle for the very first time. I would never trade that experience, my brother. My actual brother.
Sound off about your favorite personal moments in the comments below, yo!
Added April 13, 2017
I honestly don’t think there is anything I’d change from this list. Maybe WoW wouldn’t make the cut anymore and would be replaced with “Binding of Isaac” saving my life. Maybe. I don’t know for sure. Or that would be the Honorable Mention and getting those Stars with Pete would make the official list.
#6 shouldn’t come as much of a surprise for anyone paying any kind of attention. The game just had a massive replaying that I broadcast all over Facebook. So, you know, if you’ve been my friend this year, you’ve seen tons of images and status updates showcasing the following:
I’ve only played through this game three times. The third was just recently. I’ve tried to beat it a whole mess of times, but to no avail. Usually I only get as far as the first time travel adventure then give up. But each one of those times that I actually managed to conquer every part of the game was overly memorable.
The first time was when it came out on the PS1 as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles collection which had CT and FF4. I’d tried the game a few times via emulation, but not having an SNES, I had no other means – despite the awesomeness of the game, I just couldn’t get into it with a keyboard and mouse. But with a Playstation controller? I was set. I remember clear as day playing with Dante (which is what I’d named Crono, back in the days when I couldn’t just let someone have their real names… I’d named Squall “Scythe” in FF8, for example, and Cloud “Kane” i FF7). I remember taking to the skies and time in the Govna (what I’d named the Epoch for… reasons unknown), and I remember feverishly working my way to acquiring every ending the game had. I remember putting more hours into that run through than probably the game makers intended. And it was a blast. I got to know characters, learn about their world, and see sights unseen.
In the summer between my last year of high school and my first year of college, I decided to blaze through the game as quickly as possible, if for no other reason than to simply love the game again and revisit some old friends.
and old enemies
I got to the top of the mountains to fight Giga Gaia in one day, sitting and doing nothing but blasting the hell out of anything in my way. At the time, my parents never let me play games on the family “big screen” downstairs, but they were out of town, so the PS2 was hooked up and I – once again on FFC disc – blazed my way through. For nostalgia sake, I renamed Crono as Dante once more, had the Govna, and kept people updated about my progress (for no reason, really) on my old Xanga blog. It was a great way to pass through a few days of the summer, and to showcase my nerdiness for all to see (much like this very list, I might add).
Then, this year, I passed through the world of Chrono Trigger once more. This time I left Crono’s name alone (but did name Lucca “Leah” just to piss her off a touch). Also, Govna was named… well, Govna. I’ll never change that. This time I was able to show the world my progress through photographic evidence and the use of Facebook statuses and the like. Why? I don’t know. Like-minded people seemed to enjoy discussing various parts of the game, from the soundtrack to the various areas, boss fights and endings you can get. It was a treat to be able to share in a single-player experience with a good number of other human beings, via the world wide web… some of whom I’ve not met once. It was a good time (that was supposed to only last a weekend but ended up taking a lot more time… despite being a 40ish hour run through…) that was highlighted with common experiences, conversation, and new memories.
All in all, my three playthroughs of Chrono Trigger are enough to satiate me for the time being… they’ve all been a good number of years apart and I remember the events that happen in the game very well, despite the small number of times I’ve completed the game. To me, its a game that has a special place in my heart – not only because of how great it is, how fun the combat system is, how cool the characters are, or how nifty the plot and its various devices are – but because of how many hearts it holds that place in. Its constantly referred to as one of the greatest RPGs ever made, and has spawned no (DIRECT!) sequel. A game worth playing, a game worth owning, and a game worth loving. Through and through.
Classic Moment: For some reason I’ve always love the second trip through Ozzie’s fortress (although I guess its the first time, the first was through Magus’ lair…). Its all about the fight against Ozzie, Flea, and Slash. I don’t know why, but I love those three characters and their over-the-top antics. Flea… male or female, by the way? And what size are the Ozzie Pants? Can Robo fit in? Can Frog wear them without a belt? These are questions I need to know. Now!
Added April 13, 2017
I play through this game every six-ish years, for the most part. Just got through the DS version in late 2016, mixed in with a bunch of Zelda games, Super Metroid, and Earthbound. It is still a great game, though the additional content the DS throws at you is pretty weak, overall. It’s the best version of the game as it has all the added content but none of the PS1 slowdown.
Its a good thing.
In this review I mention a photo collection during my (at the time) most recent playthrough and that was on Facebook. I have the images, the captions, and the comments. I don’t know what I’ll do with them as of yet.
It seems fitting to have this game the day before the announcement of its second sequel. Its a big deal, this game, of that there can be little debate, and its influence and importance will be something we all talk about for years to come.
7: Mass Effect (XBox 360/PC) Developer: Bioware Year: 2007
I love the every living shit out of Mass Effect. The game is the primary reason I own an XBox 360 in the first place: my older brother wanted to get one and I convinced him to get the system specifically for this game. As a lover of KOTOR AM IS LOVE, I knew this game would be amazing, too. He got it, played it, loved it. I went to his place, played it, loved it. He then got L4D and I wanted to play it, too, so I got myself an XBox 360 as a result. So, in a way, the very existence of Mass Effect has brought me to this point in my life: a second renaissance of console gaming. See, prior to this, I played a PS2, but not religiously. I was sure my gaming days were over. Not after I touched this game.
Its easy to talk up how great Bioware’s gameplay mechanics are… I mean, the first Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins, and the second Mass Effect game are all on this list… that’s a majority of the game’s this company put out in the past seven years. That means they know how to make fun games. But the thing that really sets this game higher than any of the others – and really, above a ton of the recent games on this list, even – is character development and story-integration. These two facets of character writing are the key thing that links the player to the characters in their game, and while Bioware has done this kind of thing before, Mass Effect’s character generation is the best example of narrative-driven gameplay to feature a character you designed.
characters like this mother fucker
While I could spend all this time discussing why Mass Effect’s Shepard and the rest of the cast are great characters (note: both Shep and this game’s bad guy, Saren, were featured on my top 10 Protagonist and Antagonist lists, respectively), the real thing to talk about here – above all else – is why I rank this game higher than what some would call the superior sequel. And, while its true that the second game has the benefit of including the first and best “import your character” aspect going for it, one simple truth remains: Mass Effect 2 is a slightly prettier, but in-the-end streamlined version of the first game’s much more broad, realized scope.
The first Mass Effect seemed to take place in a living, breathing universe. While ME2 had its narrative more driven toward one thing, the first game set the entire system before you with a mystery to solve, pieces of the puzzle to pick up, and truths to be uncovered. It was vast and open and new. Yes, it had some flaws (vehicle sections just. don’t. work.) but even the elevator business in this game trumps the static load screens of the sequel. The only time you get to talk to your teammates in the second one is on the ship or during their quest, but in the first game you get that plus the running commentary and jokes and jabs they tell in the elevator. Its a great way to continue to get to know them while masking the awkward load times. So few games present you with a multitude of opportunities to get to know your party, and this game presented a few oddball moments that you wouldn’t expect to see.
All in all, the game is a master stroke of genius. Its true that the sequel improved upon some things, but the care and dedication put into this game is apparent immediately from the start. Its just made of “epic win” and that’s not something I say that often. Playing out like a fantastically long (and good) sci-fi movie, Mass Effect pulls the right punches – or more accurately, allows you to pull the right punches – without shortchanging on story, gameplay, or immersion into both. Few games have this ability, and even fewer developers know how to achieve it. Bioware’s final game in the Mass Effect trilogy is reportedly being announced tomorrow evening during the VGA’s, and with such heavy anticipation for the finale, we can all look back on the first game and remember just how goddamned good it was to take on Saren and Sovereign.
Classic Moment: I love the hell out of almost all of this game, but the classic moment for me is finding that coward hiding on the game’s first planet, Eden Prime. Its the first real moment – for me – that I had to seriously stop and think to myself: “how big of a dick am I?” in regards to my treatment of the coward and how to punish him. In a game full of these moments, its the first one to make you really start down a path, the first one to set your Shep in motion. While not the most exciting decision you have to make with him/her, it is the most important, because – likely – you’ll base the way you play on those early choices. From that moment on, you’ve got a road to follow.
ps: parts of this game are just beautiful
Added April 13, 2017
Come on, Bioware… Mass Effect Trilogy on the Switch. You want it, I want it. Let’s make it happen, baby. Charge me $70 for the games and all the DLC. Don’t update the first game. I don’t care. I want the gold.
GIVE.
ME.
THE GOLD.
skylerbartels 