Rangeor's Top 10 Games

[rangeor]

Before I begin Id like to note that if theres an epic game you think should be on my list that isnt, the reason is probably because I havent played it. Ive grown up almost entirely on Nintendo games, though I did get a few games for my PS2. However back in September I finally bought a PS3 and plan on trying all the awesome games I still need to play ;_; currently I plan on getting sometime in the future: Bioshock 1 & 2, Gran Turismo 5, Uncharted 2, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and a few others Im probably forgetting.

 

Now I may only have 10 video games in my list and 8 of them are Nintendo games, but that doesnt mean Im just putting games up there that were fun. There are specific qualities in games that appeal to me, and these are games that I think seriously give an incredible experience. I might not be able to think of all the reasons why I like these games, but there is not a single game on here that I dont think is exceptional and worthy of anyones consideration.

 

What I look for in video games might also differ from what most people on this board look for. I tend to look for a video game that delivers an intense experience. Gameplay is incredibly important, but thats actually not the deciding factor for most games on this list. Im one of those people that cant wait to see the lines separating books, movies, and video games disappear. I believe art, cinematics, storytelling, music, animation, voice acting (if applicable) are all near if not equally as important as gameplay. While games like Call of Duty and Minecraft are extremely addictive and fun to play (especially with friends), they dont deliver as well as these games on the overall experience. If you highly disagree with this and only play video games for the game aspect, you might not find many games on my list you can relate to.

So now Im going to begin with the list. Ive got 10 games and with each I will post one screenshot, and give a link to a gameplay video and a video of what I think some of the best music from the game is. Though Ill probably end up putting multiple songs up because Im indecisive :P So Ill start with # 10 and count down to #1 to increase the suspense! Scroll at a slow pace so you dont accidentally reveal the next number until youre ready!!

 

#10 Luigis Mansion (Gamecube - 2001)

Gameplay -

Music

, 2

 

So this game is really interesting. The premise is that as Luigi, you get a letter saying that you and Mario have apparently won a free mansion, and gives directions on how to get to it. Not being the sharpest tool in the shed, Luigi decides to check it out. He finds that the mansion is actually haunted and Marios already been lost inside it. So your sidekick in this game is Doctor E. Gadd, and he gives you a super vacuum cleaner to collect the ghosts with. Yeah, its a bit silly. And the game is a bit short, about 10 hours for a playthrough if youre slow. But those 10 hours are filled with gameplay, and there arent any gimmicks that extend the time (coughgrindingRPGscough). What makes it fun isnt necessarily the sucking up of ghosts; there are only about 15-20 common enemies and then about 15 unique bosses, and you get three power-ups for your vacuum cleaner (one spits fire). The fun is in the exploring of the mansion and the people that live in it. Each time you capture a boss, a portrait is made of it and put in your own little gallery. There you can also read a memorial plaque that explains their life and how they interacted with the other members of the house. But theres just so much to explore; there are 3 stories and a basement in addition to a backyard you can explore. If I had to complain about this game, it would be for the fact that it isnt very scary; the ghosts are very colorful and silly and all that. But this game was definitely scary enough when I was 9 ;_;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#9 Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Gameboy Advance, 2005)

Gameplay 1

Music - 1

 

So Im only on #9 and Im already making a hypocrite of myself XD The music, cinematics, and story in this game are all rather dull. I really only play this game for its addictive gameplay. Its a Tactical RPG, and uses a turn-based battle system. Its challenging because if you have a person die, theyre gone for good. Theyre never going to come back. So youve got to play carefully and make sure to keep stronger people out front to protect the weaker people. It actually is sort of like a fantasy version of Advance Wars, so if youre familiar with that then just imagine it with knights and wizards and cool stuff like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#8 Final Fantasy XIII (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2010)

Gameplay -

Music -

,

 

This game is very, VERY well done. It has so many things Ive been wanting in games for a while; 10+ minute cutscenes, vibrant environments that push the graphics to the limit, music done so professionally its ridiculous, voice actors better than those in cartoons Its all there. Except one thing. The story. The story is weird. They dont tell very much at all in the beginning, and thats the best way to go no doubt. You always should have some mystery in there. The problem is the story reveals itself very, very slowly. Youll be 20 hours into the game and still be thinking Ok, so what the hell is going on? Every time the reveal a bit of the story they reveal that theres a bit just as large if not larger you still havent figured out yet. This works in keeping you hooked, until it gets repetitive. And it does.

 

The characters? Oh god The main character, Lightning (or the chick with the pink hair), is actually pretty awesome even though for the first quarter of the game shes a complete [bleep]. Which is understandable, as youll find out later. Sahz, the one black guy in the game, is just a representation of how little Japan understands African Americans. The dude has a friggin bird in his afro :l Vanille, the other chick with pink hair, is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with Japanese culture. They push the cute factor so far it enters the kill-it-with-fire-this-is-not-normal factor. Youll probably hate her voice and personality within 30 minutes of seeing her. BUT GUESS WHAT YOUVE GOT AT LEAST ANOTHER 20 HOURS TO GO BUDDY LOL! The storys also extremely cheesy. However, I understand that this game was largely centered around a Japanese audience, and I expect that over there this game is probably one of the best theyve seen in years. So with the Japanese audience in mind all of the cheesiness and sappiness of the story makes sense, but that doesnt excuse it from anything.

 

Now, back to why this game is awesome. Watch the gameplay video, at least a little bit of it. This game is BEAUTIFUL. There was clearly a very large portion of the games scope devoted to the art department, because the animations and lighting and environments and characters and effects are all so goddamned awesome, I actually get entertainment out of watching people play this game. The camera swivels around during battle to make it cinematic yet still show you everything you need to see, which is awesome. I cant really think of anything else to describe how awesome this game looks, so just watch the video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#7 Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, 2007)

Gameplay

Music - 1, 2,

 

So this game is similar to Final Fantasy XIII in the sense that it far exceeded expectations in every element but storyline. The music is absolutely incredible. Every single song is a perfect space song and sets the mood extremely well. The arts also awesome. There are many different types of worlds in this game, each featuring a unique element of space art. The platforming is the best Ive seen in a Mario yet; the shifting gravity through hopping across different planets works extremely well and is probably why this game is so good. But the problem is the story. Now, most people say thats excusable because its a Mario game. They say you shouldnt expect a good story out of a Mario game, because theyre all about the platforming. I dont really like to excuse video games because its a tradition to leave a certain element out; if they leave something out, Im not going to ignore it. If this game had a better story it would probably be higher up on this list.

 

Some of you might be wondering why I havent put Super Mario Galaxy 2 instead. Simply put, that game is really just an add-on. The experience is much more streamlined and less impressive. The only thing the game has going for it that the original doesnt is that it has some of the best level design Ive ever seen in a video game. There are some VERY creative people theyve got over there at Nintendo. However almost all other aspects were either unchanged or rehashed or made worse, and I didnt like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#6 Pokemon: Heart Gold (Nintendo DS, 2010)

 

Im not going to bother much with this game. If you dont already like Pokemon, you wont like this game to be honest. Its a remake of what I think is the best Pokemon game to date, and it was a damn good remake. There wasnt anything they added that took away from the original experience; everything was simply done better. If you love Gold and Silver but havent tried this yet, you seriously need to. The nostalgia wave will be incredible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#5 Paper Mario (Nintendo 64, 2001; Gamecube, 2004)

Gameplay -

Music -

 

This game is probably very unexpected. Not many people have actually heard of it, let alone played it. Its pretty much a Mario RPG featuring a turn-based battle system, and its the best Mario game Ive ever played. The story is also the best story Ive ever seen in a Mario game. It isnt really that mature at all; its obviously designed for a younger crowd. But whats so great about it is that it actually follows a logical storyline; its not just OMG MARIO BOWSERS KIDNAPPED PEACH. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. You actually do have to recapture Peach from Bowser, but you actually have realistic motives this time. The games progression is great and the characters are believable. Its also a really funny game, and humor isnt something I see often in video games.

 

The battle system is REALLY fun. The numbers are simple and arent bloated like so many games like to do. You start off hitting 0s and 1s, and by the end of the game you MIGHT be hitting 10s or so. But thats it. Your HP maxes off at 50, not 50,000. Combat is difficult, but not too difficult. Grinding is only rarely necessary, something which I think this game did very well. Usually just flowing straight through the story will leave you a bit underleveled at bosses, but clever players will usually do just fine. The environments are awesome too. Cities are full of life, and your hub city is always really fun to run around in.

 

Some of you might have noticed that I put two consoles and dates in the title. Thats because the sequel to the game, Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door, came out for the Gamecube three years later, and it was just as good as the first. It wasnt any worse, and probably not much better; it simply stayed at the awesome level of excellence the first established. Everything I already said about the first also applies to the second. Thats why its so great! Unfortunately with the Wii the third Paper Mario game completely removed the turn-based battle system, which was a major factor of the game for me, so I hated it. Thankfully the new one coming out on the 3DS is going to have turn-based battling again :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#4 Metroid Prime (Gamecube, 2002)

Gameplay -

Music -

,

,

 

Now we exit the realm of games I dont think are incredible that everyone needs to check out, and enter the realm of games that I obsess about probably very unhealthily. This game is AWESOME. This game is responsible for my current love of gaming. I actually was gaming before this; my dad used to be a big Zelda fan and forced me to watch while he played Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask. I thought they were awesome, but never thought of playing them myself. However one day when I was ten, I was with my family renting a few movies from Blockbuster for the weekend. While I was strolling the aisles, this game caught the corner of my eye. I didnt know what it was about, why it was called Metroid, why the person from Super Smash Brothers was on the cover, but that the new armor they had was AWESOME. So I picked it up and looked on the back and was blown away at the screenshots and vague description they gave. The game was used and about $15, which was perfect because thats all I had. I bought the game, went home, and had my very first late-night gaming session. This game blew me away at every point; its atmosphere is INCREDIBLE, its music was awesome, and the overall mystic space planet exploration feeling just blew me away. This was also the game that helped me realize eight years later that game design might actually be a career path for me. Back when I was ten and played this game I fell so much in love that I started designing my own power-ups to add to Samuss arm cannon. Id design new environments to explore, new enemies to defeat. I pretty much nearly made an entirely new Metroid game at the age of ten.

 

So the first reason why this game owns: the atmosphere. Every environment seemed to be intricately planned out; every color, the specific saturation of certain shades, the different shapes of plants and other environmental things. Everything seemed to fit, and almost begged to be explored, and thats the second reason why this game owns. Exploration is pretty much all you do in this game. Youre thrown on this planet with almost no information. Whats known is that you crash landed here and that its a planet. There is also no dialogue whatsoever. The story is completely optional; you can scan nearly everything to find out its characteristics, its history ,etc. This alone is very fascinating, and Retro Studios did an amazing job at making everything fit so well, yet be completely optional. Games with vestigial stories usually dont tend to do so well unless they fit in a genre that usually doesnt have a story. But this game works. The sole reason youre here is to find out whats up with this planet. Youre an alien and youre invading this place, and its obvious the inhabitants dont want you here, but you dont have a choice but to move on. Eventually youll see Metroids and Space Pirates, but its mostly about the exploration.

 

The combat is extremely fun. Your main weapon is the power beam, and thats the little yellow ball that shoots out of Samuss arm cannon. As you progress through the game you get powerups like a wave beam, ice beam, plasma beam, flamethrower, missiles, etc. All of the main beams last forever, but you do have a limited supply of missiles. However everything is balanced very well and youll still have trouble on bosses, because they rely on your creativity and ability to think on your feet rather than having a lot of ammo on your best weapon.

 

Now, this game is in a trilogy. The second game was significantly harder; all weapons worth using had an extremely limited supply, and half of the game you would spend in the dark world, where your life would constantly drain. The developers said the goal was to make the player constantly worried about their life and ammo, and they certainly accomplished that, but I dont think thats very fun when youre trying to explore. The third game was actually very great; for a while I actually thought it was better than the original. But after going back and completing the original again, its definitely getting second place. They actually forced a story with dialogue in the third game, and while it wasnt terrible, it didnt really fit. Most other things worked very well though, and its an extremely solid game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 Silent Hill 2 (Playstation 2, 2001)

Gameplay 1

Music -

 

This game. Hooooooly [cabbage]. Ive played quite a bit of scary games, but this one takes the cake. I think Ill end up rambling for three hours if I just talk about this game so Ill break it up early starting now:

The scariness. Silent Hill games are known to be more about atmosphere and psychological terror, as opposed to the GET AWAY FROM ME YOU DEFORMED ZOMBIES I HAVE NO BULLETS WHY CA-@@@@@@@@@@!$!@F0IGMRL;GJASGJA SERIOUSLY WTF MAN WHERE DID YOU COME FROM THAT WAS SO RANDOM horror that you get from Resident Evil, and quite a few other horror games. Silent Hill focuses on how they can constantly make you concerned for your sanity, without taking away your only method of fighting monsters that are designed to be fought back against. The monsters are all horrifying and, what I like most, all have a story or specific symbolism. Some are more obvious and some less, but either way knowing that they have a reason for looking and acting the way they do is very fascinating to a person like me.

 

Where Silent Hill 2 excels in an area that the other Silent Hills dont, is the emotion. If you get mentally or emotionally involved in the stories of video games you play, this game will seriously mess with you. At the end, there wasnt a single character I actually liked; not even the protagonist. They are all in their own special ways extremely unsettling and unstable people, and its terrifying listening to them talk. One of the scariest parts is how real they all act. While the video game itself is a bit out of the ordinary, these peoples beliefs and actions might be very unorthodox compared to how people present themselves, but when you consider the possibility of the events in their life leading up to their current state, you realize how real their emotions are.

 

The music and art and atmosphere are all very interesting. The art is exactly what it should be: creepy, unsettling, making careful use of color and lighting. The music is rather unique, at least for video game music. Most of it consists of atmospheric loops, but there are some brilliant compositions in the game.

 

My only complaint with this game which I cannot ignore that puts it at its #3 spot is the fact that the combat isnt very good at all. It really isnt in any Silent Hill game, but if the combat was more interesting the game would have been more enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2 The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask (Nintendo 64, 2000)

Gameplay

Music - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

 

So this game used to be #1 in my list, but my opinion changed after writing 15 pages on these video games. That said, its a very close call. I just couldnt come up with enough reasons other than this game is too goddamn awesome. This IS the best Zelda there has ever been yet. I know all of this is subjective, but come on If you play Ocarina of Time then Majoras Mask, Majoras Mask will clearly be superior. This game reused a LOT of models from Ocarina of Time, so they could spend more time working on the atmosphere. After a few minutes into the game its clear that this is much darker than any other Zelda game has been. Its also easily the most emotional, and most character-driven.

 

When you start off youre sort of given an ultimatum: The moon is falling and will destroy the earth in 3 days if you dont stop it. And the games serious about this, too: youve got a large counter on the bottom-center of your screen that lets you know what day it is and what time it is. Time also flows significantly faster; one day is equivalent to about 45 minutes. There are songs you eventually find out that can slow down, speed up, and even rewind time, but this specific gameplay element usually proves to be too difficult for most people. Id be rich if I had a dollar for every, ffs stupid time thing is stupid, oot is so much better complaint Ive heard.

 

The other main gameplay diversion from Ocarina of Time is the mask system. There are over 20 different masks to collect throughout the game, each giving you a different power or ability. There are also 4 transforming masks, allowing you to become a Deku, a Goron, a Zora, and an awesome God-Link. Its really surprising how fun it can be to actually roll around as a Goron or swim in the huge ocean as a Zora. Masks also usually come with sidequests, the other big thing this game is known for. Because of the 3-day element, you can actually see how the inhabitants of the world change their schedules from day to day. This allows you to complete sidequests that even span all 3 days, requiring you to be at specific places at specific times. This really helps you immerse yourself into the world.

 

Another epic thing about this game is that when you complete an area, THAT AREA IS ACTUALLY PURIFIED AND MONSTERS ARE GONE. Ive seen in video games too much of thank you for defeating the demon! Now the land is saved! Only to walk outside and see a zombie staring at me. When you defeat the boss of one of the four main areas, the monsters are gone from there and the area actually changes drastically. Its a very nice incentive and actually shows you how your work is paying off.

 

The art is interesting. The graphics are the exact same as in Ocarina of Time, and they even still use brightly saturated colors. The difference is that these colors are much, much harsher. Whereas in Ocarina of Time you might have seen lots of bright greens and blues and yellows, in Majoras Mask youd see lots of bright oranges and purples and browns.

 

The overall atmosphere is much more mature than in any other Zelda game. Death is talked about often, but with a respect to it as well. Human emotion is always a prevalent ingredient in the story, and the overall moral is also hidden somewhat well. When youve played the game ten times, it seems kind of obvious, but it takes some thinking to find it and find where its supported in the game (hint: everywhere).

In summary: best/darkest/most mature Zelda game evar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#1 Tales of Symphonia (Gamecube, 2004)

Gameplay 1

Music - 1, 2,

, 4,

, 6

 

Fair warning: This game is a JRPG. If thats putting you off, dont worry; it usually puts me off too. I usually hate the unnecessarily naïve and romanticized and in some cases just plain stupid characters they put into JRPGs. But this one was done right, it was done so right. At the very core its a game about saving the world from its doom, but there is sooooooo much more inside of that. You have to deal with a corrupt church (from the very basic small town human priests to even the Gods and Angels in the heavens), deal with large and small governments, evil organizations, and morals. Lots of morals, and not the cheesy kind. There is so much in this game it actually spans TWO Gamecube discs, and unless you like to speed through, it should take you at the very least 30-40 hours to complete everything. I usually spend about 50-60 hours on each playthrough. I dont know how much it borrows from other JRPGs like Final Fantasy, but I dont care because its done so well.

 

The characters are all very realistic and likeable. Youll really feel sympathy for the characters, share their hatred, share their love. Its such an unforgettable journey I cant compare anything to this. Theres also a good amount of humor in it. I remember when I was about 12 telling my mom that, the storys so good that you could write a book about it. I still stand by that statement today, and believe that the writing was so superb that it wouldnt take much editing to convert this to book format.

 

The art is the only spot where this game is lacking even a little bit. All of the art is very creative, and its very obvious some of the best artists in the industry worked on the game. It just seems like the games budget wasnt big enough for them to get the technology necessary to make the graphics more realistic.

 

The combat is VERY fun. Its simple enough to the point where simply button-mashing and a bit of grinding will get you through the game without too much frustration, but its clever enough to offer enough customization to last you at least three playthroughs, allowing you to ultimately create complicated battle strategies that completely decimate your opponents. The way the combat works is you run around on the map in the navigation mode and if an enemy comes into contact with you, it initiates a battle. Then you enter the battle mode and annihilate, then youre back to the navigation mode.

Not much to say about the music other than its incredible; just listen to it yourself.

 

I know this list is long yet theres still so much I wish I could talk about these games. I just figured it would be best to cut a few off, since my descriptions are probably more than enough to give people a good idea of what the games are like :P So I hope Ive inspired a few of you to try some of these games out. If there are any games that any of you guys think I might be interested in judging by my list, then please tell me! Im always willing to try new games :D

[Shiny]

Just for your benefit, I want you to know that I haven't played a single game on this list!

 

But it was very well written.

[Demoli]

I really liked the little touch of adding links for gameplay and music for each game :thumbup:

 

Also, if you liked Paper Mario, you should try the Thousand Year door, it improves on so much....

[Danqazmlp]

I'm hugely on the fence on the OOT and Majoras mask debate. I loved aspects of both games, for example the feeling of exploration in OOT running through the central field. But I also loved, as you said, the cleansing in Majoras mask. It also felt much more original in its gameplay, adding so many new elements to the game.

[Alg]

About time someone mentioned Fire Emblem. The other GBA one (Just called Fire Emblem out of Japan) is more challenging and has a better story, though, so you may want to try that if Sacred Stones is too easy.

[Nom]

The Sacred Stones is pretty bleh compared to FE7. Being able to choose between classes when your units upgraded was cool, but the whole open map thing just made the game to damn easy and the story was rather uninteresting and hard to follow. If you haven't played FE7/Fire Emblem, Path of Radiance for GC and its sequel Radiant Dawn for Wii, do it now. They all kick the crap out of SS.

[rangeor]

@Demoli: Yup, already played it. See paragraph 3 of the Paper Mario section for my opinions :P

 

@Mask and Nom: FE7 was actually the first Fire Emblem game I played, and it was more challenging. However I really liked the addition of monsters and the class choosing in SS and thought it was overall more fun. I've only played through the Gamecube and Wii games once each; borrowed them from a friend. Wasn't too impressed by them for some reason.

[Guest Rob]

Paper Mario :D. I loved that game so much - but I hated the Nintendo Wii version, because (as you've said) the fight system. And, the only problem with the Majora's Mask is that the game is so short. I could probably beat it in a few hours, as opposed to the Ocarina of time. Still a great game, though.