Lurker > davidponte

LOLIAmAnAlt posted...

NHL 17 was kind of terrible
Which is a shame becasue they were so good a few years ago

I enjoyed it overall, but something about it made it feel not as good as NHL 16, gameplay wise.

I do a bunch of GM mode but 90% of my time is spent in Ultimate Team, and I also didn't like the changes they made there with the collections and sets, so I fell off way faster this year. I'm not even sure if I'm going to but NHL 18, and NHL is the one franchise I've purchased yearly for as long as I an remember.
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greengravy294 posted...

davidponte posted...

$60 on Amazon right now.

thats nuts, amazon US has it for like 42 dollars <_<

That ends up being pretty close to $60 Canadian anyway!

FE: Awakening and Bravely Default are my two white whale 3DS games. Ever since I bought a 3DS a year ago, I've been looking for them in stores whenever I get a chance because they've hovered around $60 online (Bravely Default is $70 right now), but until today I could never find either of them.
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I can also rotate into the lobby, if you'd like.
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Simply Rich

It has a ring to it, and pretty soon, it'll have some Tag Team Gold accompanying it.

I beat Tom two weeks ago, clean, and Sultan has more than proven himself against Boko on two occasions now. After a brutal attack, however, at 90% I was unable to repeat that win on last week's Ruin.

Rest assured, though, because I'm 100%, ready to go, and as hot as ever heading into Pandemonium after a big win against Maniac.

Enjoy the belts while you can,Tom and Boko, because in less than 48 hours from now, it'll be Sultan and David coming out on top, wearing the Tag Team Titles, and proving that we are, in fact, the Tag Team to beat in a THRIVING Tag Division.

Sometimes when two top singles competitors come together it doesn't translate to success as a Tag Team, but that is clearly not the case here.

Bring on the GOLD.
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set 5
+3 StifledSilence
+2 SovietOmega
+1 Great_Paul

set 6
+3 profDEADPOOL
+2 Pokewars
+1 SeabassDebeste
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trdl23 posted...

Save it to the wiki!

I might do that. I have all the write-ups saved on my computer but it'd be nice to have them somewhere that will always be accessible.

Thanks for following along!
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I'll likely put it in under sports at some point, but for now I'm still regularly playing it so I'll wait a little while.
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I'd be down to play some a little later on, won't be able to get on the mic though, don't want to risk waking up the house at 2 am.

I know they haven't fixed the lobby stuff yet, but it'd be cool if we could get a few of us in there.
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Here are the final rankings:

1. Final Fantasy VII (PSX)
2. Final Fantasy X (PS2)
3. Super Mario World (SNES)

4. Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
5. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)
6. Mass Effect 2 (PS3)
7. Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)
8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4)
9. Jak II (PS2)
10. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (PSX)

11. Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
12. Batman: Arkham Knight (PS4)
13. Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
14. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
15. Resident Evil 5 (PS3)
16. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
17. The Legend of Dragoon (PSX)
18. Digimon World (PSX)
19. Gran Turismo 2 (PSX)
20. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (PSX)
21. Digimon World 3 (PSX)
22. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
23. Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3)
24. Star Wars: Battlefront II (PS2)
25. Need for Speed: Underground (PS2)

26. God of War III (PS3)
27. Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
28. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)
29. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
30. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (PS2)
31. Pokémon Gold (GBC)
32. Def Jam: Fight for NY (PS2)
33. Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2)
34. The Simpsons: Hit & Run (PS2)
35. Spyro: Year of the Dragon (PSX)
36. Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories (PSX)
37. Beyond Good & Evil (PS2)
38. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
39. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
40. Super Star Wars (SNES)
41. Shining Force (GEN) (Sega Smash Pack 2 - Comix Zone, Kid Chameleon, Sonic 2)
42. Dark Cloud (PS2)
43. Crash Bash (PSX)
44. La Pucelle: Tactics (PS2)
45. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS3)
46. The Last of Us (PS3)
47. Call of Duty: Black Ops (PS3)
48. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (GEN)
49. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PS3)

50. Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus (DS)
51. Borderlands (PS3)
52. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (PS2)
53. Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP)
54. 007: Nightfire (PS2)
55. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS3)
56. Scarface: The World Is Yours (PS2)
57. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2)
58. Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Gregar (GBA)
59. Hotline Miami (PS3)
60. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
61. Roller Coaster Tycoon (PC)
62. Tales from the Borderlands (PS4)
63. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PS2)
64. L.A. Noire (PS3)
65. Far Cry 3 (PS3)
66. The Walking Dead (PS3)
67. Super Mario Galaxy (WII)
68. Rocket League (PS4)
69. Super Mario Bros. (NES)
70. Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (PSX)
71. Counter-Strike 1.6 (PC)
72. WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 (PS2)
73. Red Dead Redemption (PS3)
74. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PS4)

75. Sonic the Hedgehog (GEN)
76. Burnout Paradise (PS3)
77. Borderlands 2 (PS3)
78. WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain (PS2)
79. Fallout 4 (PS4)
80. Grand Theft Auto V (PS3)
81. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (PS3)
82. Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PSX)
83. Streets of Rage 2 (GEN)
84. Sleeping Dogs (PS3)
85. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX: Tag Force (PSP)
86. Mega Man Legends (PSX)
87. Mario Kart DS (DS)
88. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
89. Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
90. Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
91. Assassin's Creed II (PS3)
92. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (PS4)
93. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP)
94. Wario Land 3 (GBC)
95. Rogue Legacy (PS4)
96. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (PS3)
97. Saints Row: The Third (PS3)
98. World of Final Fantasy (PS4)
99. Far Cry 4 (PS4)
100. Pokemon Omega Ruby (3DS)


I'll likely bump this topic for a few more days before letting it purge.
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Mobilezoid posted...

Those were some good write-ups! It really goes to show how true favorites are such personal things, too.

It's the reason why I can't fault anyone's opinions when it comes to games. There are some good and bad games on my list, but more often than not, they're there because of the experiences surrounding them, and I'm sure others have different experiences for different games.

Mobilezoid posted...

A lot of my early gaming memories were watching my older brother play games, so I knew an awful lot about SM despite never really playing it myself. I remember finally going through it for real in my teens and it was magical. I knew most of the secrets but I didn't have the muscle memory of actually playing it myself so I still got lost and had to figure it out as if it was the first time.

This definitely parallels what I went through with FFVII, and it's almost indescribable how magical it ends up being when you get to go through something you thought you knew so much about and already have memories of for the first time. It's something that has definitely stuck with me since I got to experience it a year ago.

Mobilezoid posted...

Anyway, I've rambled enough. It was a good ranking and I had a lot of fun following along! I'm sad I didn't know more games but seeing all those console exclusives made me wonder if this was how people felt seeing all the obscure Steam junk I had in my ranking topic. Thanks for taking the time to do this!

It's interesting how different people's gaming history can be. For me, many of the Playstation platformers and the characters from them are iconic, and instantly recognizable. It's kind of odd to think that they don't have the same effect on others, since they've been a big part of my gaming life, but going through your ranking and seeing a whole bunch of games that were foreign to me did help put it into perspective.
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The first few weeks after Mean Streets were the most fun I've ever had with the game. I reached Rank 3, which I've yet to beat, and generally enjoyed my time with the game.

It's weird, because I was playing the same decks I'm playing now, and facing the same decks I face now, but it just felt better, likely because it was new. It's why I'm really looking forward to right after the next expansion hits, even if we get similar decks at the top.

Playing with new cards is fun.
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I've been slacking on this because I've been taking my time with Mafia 3, and playing a whole bunch of Disc Jam.

I was debating whether I should put Disc Jam in under the sports category, but like most sports games, there's no way to "beat" it, so I'm unsure how to judge when it would qualify. I have gotten all of the achievements in it, though, so maybe that means something.
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Update: They took my sports games, and I managed to get $60 for the 4 because NHL 17 was worth almost $30.

I noticed a copy of Fire Emblem: Awakening on the shelf for $30 and hopped on it because I haven't been able to find it anywhere and it's over $60 on Amazon right now.

Also got XCOM 2 with it.
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pjbasis posted...

Wow that's a pretty strange relationship with a game, but cool too. I wish I could relive my favorite games in a way like that.

Everything surrounding my relationship with FFVII has been pretty strange, which is why almost every moment of it has stuck with me for this long!
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And there it is! As I mentioned a couple days ago, those last 3 write-ups ended up turning into long stories that involved a lot of reminiscing, which is why I think they'll be enjoyable to read even if you haven't played the game, or don't like the game.

I'll reply to any comments and post a final ranking in a few hours, as I'm just about to head out of the house, but before I do that, I'd like to thank everyone who stuck around and commented, or even just read through the list!

Comments are fun, but as someone who doesn't always comment when I read through these kinds of topics, it still feels good to know that people are out there reading it.

Also, huge thanks to @Robazoid, whose previous topics were the reason I came up with the idea for this list. Not only that, but you made an effort to comment on the write-ups almost every day, which I know was tough because of how different our gaming tastes are. You definitely didn't have to do that, but I'm glad that you did, so thanks!
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I've got a confession: for nearly 15 years, I've touted this game as the greatest ever to friends, strangers, and people online. The first time I completed this game (or even Disc 1), was when it released on the PS4 in early 2016. I would defend this game like crazy, though, and honestly, I feel like I've always been qualified, because I can bet that even in not playing it all, I knew more about it than most.

It was actually for this same reason that for a little while, I had FFX as the #1 game on my list. I had these fond memories of FFVII from my childhood, and I knew everything about the game like the back of my hand, but maybe it was all nostalgia? After my PS3 remaster playthrough of FFX, I firmly believed it was the greatest game of all-time. I mean, I already knew everything about FFVII, and surely playing through it wouldn't change my mind, but I was wrong. Even though I knew every boss, every enemy, every character, it didn't compare to actually going through it all. My 2016 run of this game on the PS4 was the greatest gaming experience I've ever had, because I got to experience all those things I had read about and had seen in videos, and reading through a walkthrough couldn't compare to the real thing. Everyone wishes that they could experience their favourite game for the first time again. I got to do that, in 2016, with a game that I had already been cherishing for 15 years. I don't think anything will ever compare to it.

But, hey, this game is great for a lot of reasons! One of the best soundtracks ever. Sometimes I'll watch someone on Twitch play it at night so I can hear the music before I fall asleep. The story? Iconic, emotional, confusing, even. Cloud is my favourite video game character of all-time. Sephiroth is easily the best villain of all-time. The whole cast is great. I could go on and on but I think this is a good place to stop, and a great way to end this list.

I'm obsessed with Final Fantasy VII, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
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1. Final Fantasy VII (PSX)

This is likely the least surprising placement for a game on this list. Based on my other write-ups, and the fact that I've constantly used this game as the benchmark that I've compared everything else to, it wouldn't be hard to guess that FFVII would come out on top. If I mentioned every fond memory I have of this game, I'd ramble on long enough that no one would really read it all (which is probably already the case after the last two write-ups), so I'll limit myself to two of my early, potentially interesting memories.

I remember the moment I bought this game. It isn't particularly exciting, but I can't tell you when, where, or how I've come to own most of my games, let alone one that I first played nearly 15 years ago. I went to the Toys 'R' Us near my house (which is the same Toys 'R' Us I now go to with my sister), and my dad told me that I could pick out a game that was $19.99. FFVII had already been out awhile at this point, because I specifically remember it being the Greatest Hits version of the game. Anyway, I picked out this and another game that I can't remember, and couldn't decide which to choose, so I looked at the back of the case, and the quote at the top said "...quite possibly the greatest game ever made." Maybe it was destiny at that point, and maybe I've had that quote in the back of my mind ever since that moment and have used it to confirm my bias. Regardless, I'd like to think that Gamefan Magazine played an integral part of getting this game to this spot.

In classic me fashion, I was bad at the game and only really got as far as halfway through Disc 1 in my first attempts at playing it. It didn't really matter though, and it might be weird, but I can remember thinking that this was the greatest game ever made since the first time I ever played it. A few years later, I got my first computer, my first taste of the internet, and a printer. I discovered a website named GameFAQS very early on, and immediately checked out the FFVII section. I found this really cool walkthrough, but I wanted to be able to use it at all times, so I decided to print it. Before printing, I realized that it would come out to 64 pages, knew there was no chance that was going to happen, and so, resigned, I figured I'd ask my mom anyway. Despite being incredibly young, she wasn't very tech savvy, or I'd like to think she wasn't, because I otherwise can't describe why she immediately said yes when I asked her. So I sat at the printer, and printed out a 64 page walkthrough for Final Fantasy 7.

I think I spent more time reading the walkthrough than playing the game at the time. Like I said, I wasn't particularly good at the game, and my runs usually petered out around Nibelheim. Some kids read books as a kid, but I read the FFVII walkthrough, front to back, more than once. It's like a story to me, I was obsessed with this game that at this point I hadn't even played for very long. I knew the entire plot, every boss, all the secret locations, and none of it came from playing the game. I took that walkthrough with me everywhere.

Write-up continues in the next post
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2. Final Fantasy X (PS2)

Most of the games on this list are accompanied by some fond memory, but all 3 of the final games to be ranked evoke extremely vivid memories and emotions stemming from experiences surrounding them. All 3 of these final games are highly regarded, and you'd have to not be a fan of gaming at all to not know what they're about. So, in saying all that, what I was trying to get at is that rather than explain how I love the music, story, characters, and battle system of this game (I'm still going to end up talking about them), I feel like recalling some stories about both this, and the #1 game, will help explain why I enjoy them as much as I do.

FFVII was my introduction to the series, and I loved it. I was young enough when I first played it that I didn't really factor in the "7" part of the title and what that meant, so after my initial time with it, I moved on. I specifically remember going over to my dad's place a couple years later, and he had gotten me this "Final Fantasy X" game, and it was at that moment that it clicked and I understood what it was, and what those numbers meant. Before starting it, I knew that I'd likely be in for something great based on FFVII, and it took about 6 seconds of hearing To Zanarkand before I knew that I had begun something extraordinary.

I feel like as I've grown as a gamer, this game has grown with me, and as I get older, I get better at it. Today, it's easy to research a game and optimize your first playthrough so that you're getting the best equipment, aren't missing anything, and are prepared for what a game throws at you, but that was never the case back in the day, so my first run of this game ended to Seymour Flux on Gagazet. I moved on, and came back a couple years later, not determined to beat it, but just to experience it all again. My second run of this game ended to Seymour Flux on Gagazet, so really, I hadn't learned anything. I feel like I could write a novel about my time with this game, so I'll fast forward and briefly mention that I lost another run a couple years later to Overdrive Sin, and it wasn't until the PS3 remaster that I buckled down, beat the game, fully completed the Monster Arena, got all the Celestial Weapons, etc. I even bought this game again on the PS4 without any intention of really playing it. I just want to know that the option is there.

I'm not sure what exactly that previous paragraph accomplishes in this write-up, but I think it partly shows how vivid my time with this game is to me, even after countless years and countless playthroughs. The scenes and story points that blew me away the first time still blow me away today. I'd likely still get emotional at the end of the game even though I've seen it before. This game just feels that powerful to me.

Okay, I'm going to try to not ramble, so I'll briefly mention that the soundtrack to this game is extraordinary, and that the story isn't far behind. The characters are iconic, and other than FFVII, nothing beats this cast. The battle system is what I wish every JRPG was. ATB is a great way to modernize the basic turned-based combat of the older games.

Final Fantasy X is good.
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3. Super Mario World (SNES)

It's been awhile since we've seen Mario on this list, but this game is far and away the greatest Mario game of all-time, and frankly, will always be. I'm extremely nostalgic towards this game, but even without the rose-tinted glasses, this game is still an all-time classic.

I've thrown around the phrase "I've played this game my whole life" more than a few times over the course of these rankings, but if I thought that one game truly fit that description, it'd be this one. I feel like I remember every instance of myself completing this game over the course of the over 15 years I've been playing it. I'm struggling to remember what I had for Lunch a couple days ago, but ask me where I was every time I've beaten Super Mario World, and I'd have a story to tell you. The Super Nintendo, along with the Sega Genesis, were my introduction to gaming, and SMW is a part of some of my very first gaming memories. It's also a part of my recent gaming memories, as I completed a 96 exit run in January. When I think about the future, it's a memory that I'd like to pass on to my kids, and hope it can be one of their first gaming memories as well.

Why is this game so good? Honestly, I'm not sure where to begin, and what I can even really say that anyone hasn't heard before or experienced themselves? I mean, it's Super Mario World. At the age of 22, I'm on the younger side of B8, but I'm sure a lot of people here have similarly fond memories of this game and their childhood. I played this game before any of the NES Mario's, so I don't even have the "wow" factor that one would get having been around for the transition from 8 to 16 bit Mario. All I can really say is that this game is still the epitome of platforming to me. It's incredibly simple, but hard enough to master that even today I find myself getting better every time I play it.

The music is great, both the overworld and individual level designs are clever and varied, Yoshi is a fun character, and above all else, it's just fun to play. Some of the secret exits are difficult, yet mind blowing when you actually find them. At the age of 4 or 5, it wasn't hard to stumble upon the Star World and then the Special World, but it wasn't until 5 or 6 years later that I came across the Top Secret Area, and it took me even longer to find all 96 exits by myself. For a long time, this game had a new experience in store for me every time I played it. My girlfriend doesn't even play video games, and even she's a casual fan of this game. She's never heard of those aforementioned secret areas, and when I showed them to her for the first time, it was like 10 year old me all over again.

That last bit doesn't really have anything to do with my specific experience with this game, but when I think about all the time I've spent with Super Mario World in my life, and all the great memories it's brought me, to have it still provide a new experience to someone else just makes me feel good.
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Robazoid posted...

davidponte posted...

I'm still kind of pissed about Mass Effect 3 and how it ended.

To this day I'm kind of glad I never ended up playing ME3. You rank ME2 a lot higher in your top 100 than I do in mine but at least we both agree it's a great game! Reading your write-up made me want to replay it

I was hoping that we'd get some sort of remaster of the trilogy before Andromeda released so that I'd get a chance to go through it all again!
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Yeah, I've seen some people who've said that they were told no when they brought in a bunch of sports games, which is why I'm trying to get in early.

It's kind of dumb, though, because they specifically say "all" games, and they should have seen this coming.
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I didn't even notice the mistake until I looked back at my post.
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KCF0107 posted...

And you neglect to mention the vastly superior Sky Collection!

It totally slipped my mind, but that too!
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This is for Canadians only, and I have no real confirmation on this other than what the internet has told me, although multiple people on Reddit have claimed to call their local store and had it confirmed.

This probably doesn't apply to many people, but if you're like me and have a bunch of sports games collecting dust on your shelves, it might be worth checking out.

I'm going to bring in the last two years worth of Madden and NHL games tomorrow and see if I can come out with a nice $40 in credit.

EDIT: This tweet confirms it:

https://twitter.com/EBGamesCanada/status/841435057487261700
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If you want to experience some of the classic Sony platformers, the Jak Collection and Ratchet & Clank Collection collect all of the PS2 versions of those series.
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+3 scarletspeed7
+2 trdl23
+1 TheRock1525


+3 The Raven 2 (ZeroSignal620)
+2 Drakeryn (Gatarix)
+1 mnkboy907
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Top 3 tomorrow!
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4. Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)

I love the lore in this series, as well as the origins and motives of its original characters. It's why I think Birth By Sleep is a great game, and it's part of the reason why I think Kingdom Hearts 2 is the best game in the series, and one of the best games of all-time.

The first game will always have the nostalgia factor going for it, but if I look past that, I can easily say that Kingdom Hearts 2 is better in almost every way. The combat is still there, still great, and the addition of different limit forms added another aspect of strategy to it. My one gripe with the combat in this game, however, is how magic and MP were handled. In the first game, you had multiple MP bars, with spells costing anywhere between 1-5 bars of MP. The second game gave you one singular bar, and a Cure spell cost your entire bar of MP. Magic also felt weaker in general in the second game, and with so many new moves to use, it came to the point where I only really used MP for curative or defensive reasons.

Other than that, though, everything about this game is better, and great. The series came into its own here, and the original characters and story were brought to the forefront, and were the main focus, whereas the Disney characters and worlds seemed like the vessel that brought you to your next story point. The Disney stuff is great for the nostalgia, but I was always interested in seeing and fighting the next Organization XIII member, or learning about their history, and I'm glad that the game went in a direction that facilitated my curiosity.

Speaking of Organization XIII, as cheesy as "We want to collect hearts" is as a motive, I think there is something really interesting about the design of the characters, what it means to be a Nobody, and how they eventually would end up fitting into the grander story. Kingdom Hearts is a complicated series with a lot of spin-offs, and games like Chain of Memories and Birth By Sleep, which delved deeper into the Organization and its history, gave me a greater appreciation of this game on subsequent playthroughs. Before BBS, I also had a lot of fun trying to figure out the Organization members' real names as kid.

This series is great, and probably my favourite behind Final Fantasy. As I've said before, I've never outright disliked a Kingdom Hearts game, but Kingdom Hearts 2 has always been the peak for me. New combat systems, characters, and ways to play are cool, but at the end of the day I want to play as Sora, Donald, and Goofy. I've been waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 for a long time, and I'm hoping it contains even some of the magic that this game has.
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5. Resident Evil 4 (GCN)

This game is the perfect example of what I've always wanted from Resident Evil. In the RE5 write-up, I mentioned how I preferred the move away from horror in the series. I dislike horror, but I recognize that this series was built on horror, and Resident Evil 4, being the beginning of this transition away from the genre, felt like the perfect blend of horror elements the series is famous for and grand action sequences that it later became associated with.

I've bought this game a couple of times now. I originally owned it on the Gamecube, then got it for the Playstation 2, and when it got released on the PS3 I bought it again there. It's only a matter of time before I buy the PS4 remaster, because every time this game becomes available, I think to myself, "Yeah, I could go for some RE4".

I've done everything there is to do in this game. Multiple playthroughs, ultimate weapons, different costumes. I feel like I've experienced all that this game has to offer, and yet I continue to go back to it, not to see something new, but rather for the chance to do it all again.

Oddly enough, this game doesn't really contain any of the things that I've spoke endlessly about that I value in video games. The story and characters are generally cheesy, which is expected, and something I've grown to love about the series, but neither of them are anything special. it's just fun to play, and there's nothing really more to say about that. The shooting feels good, there's a bunch of variation in enemy design, and nothing is quite as satisfying as shooting a head off.

Every game in my top 10 comes with an explanation of why specifically I think it's great, or a bunch of nostalgia and stories about my experience with it, but Resident Evil 4 doesn't really have either of those. It's just a perfect game that I've loved to play over and over, and will continue to go back to.
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6. Mass Effect 2 (PS3)

The lone Mass Effect game on this list comes in at #6. I knew very little about the series before this game, considering it was an Xbox exclusive. I still haven't ever played the original game, but I heard good things about the series around the time this came out on the PS3, so I decided to pick it up and give it a shot.

So what is Mass Effect? Well, it's a sci-fi epic action RPG, with elements of an open-world, a million different side quests and activities to do, and a great story. As many of the previous 94 write-ups have told you over and over, I like when games contain elements of these. As the previous two write-ups will tell you, when a game has many or all of these elements, and does them well, it can end up being one of my favourite games ever. Mass Effect 2 contains everything I love and have always loved about video games, and delivers them all in a polished package.

I've mentioned how I can forgive lackluster gameplay or story when the other is phenomenal, but Mass Effect 2 delivers what might be the best of both worlds. Cover shooters can be great, but this is so much more than that. The RPG elements of both the combat and character progression system helps, but beyond all that, the shooting feels good, the enemies are interesting, and the level designs are great. Combined, you get an experience that few games outside of the series can come close to.

Shepard isn't the most complex character, but that's because he is the embodiment of the player, and having real choice and real options on how you want to play was a lot of fun. The supporting cast here is fantastic. Everyone has different motives, personalities, and attributes, and finding a way to balance those and keep everyone happy was just as interesting as the combat sequences. I never even played the first game, and yet over the course of my 50 hours with this game, I grew attached to these characters. After every mission, I'd do a lap around the Normandy and talk to every member of my crew, just to see what they were thinking. I won't lie, I researched the optimal party construction before one of the final missions in order to ensure that everyone would survive, because I couldn't handle anyone not surviving the mission.

I'll end with the story, which was fantastic. Space politics was fun, and it always felt like there was a real, looming threat throughout the game with the Reapers. Shepard's story is a great one, and I'm still kind of pissed about Mass Effect 3 and how it ended. The DLC was awesome as well, nearly rivaling that of The Witcher 3. Shout outs to Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker for giving me a reason to stay in that world for a little longer.
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29, and that's honestly more than I thought it would be.

I have a generally bad taste in movies, and don't watch many of them.
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So, I just finished the final 3 write-ups, and all 3 of them ended up turning into mini-stories about the games and my experiences with them, rather than me really talking about their mechanics and gameplay. When I set out to write about the games on this list, I wanted to inject some of my personal experiences into the write-ups, and while some had more of it than others, I think the final 3 write-ups illustrate what I was trying to get at with that.

They're all pretty long (around 700 words each), but I think they'll be some great reads and I'm excited to post them on Wednesday. I know it can be tough, or boring, for everyone to read about something they don't really have much interest in, especially when it comes to games, but if you're only going to read through 3 write-ups on the list, those are the 3 that I would recommend.

Some of the earlier write-ups felt forced, but I think my natural writing style was able to come out in the top 10, and especially the top 3.

I'm not really sure what the point of this post was, so I'll just say that it's an excuse to bump this topic!
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I meant I'm the wannabe, but we can go with what Wigs said
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SugarFlakes posted...

FFXII has always been one of my favorite FFs and KH (especially KH2) are some of my favs as well. I'm looking forward to the FFXIIHD and KH3.

Kingdom Hearts 3 has been my most anticipated game for a long time!
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Tag!
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CPU/Solio
Dp/Wigs
david
Sultan
Stifled/Shad
Luster
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ninkendo posted...

Steiner posted...

SHINE GET 64 (ninkendo) vs. davidponte

I gifted this man a copy of WWE 2K16 14 months ago and now it is time for me to collect on my generosity

As a wannabe Ace of games I know when I've met my match.
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DpObliVion posted...

Sorry, I had very important things to say regarding my upcoming opponent.

It's only fitting that the (current) UCA Champion would get the final post!
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Mobilezoid posted...

I really need to play The Witcher games someday but they look like such a huge time commitment and there are so many other games I want to play too. Maybe next year!

I usually try to avoid getting into a series at any point other than the beginning, but I was essentially forced to with The Witcher 3 because of my lack of a gaming PC, and it ended up being fine! Every recommendation I've seen has said that it's worth checking out all three of the games, but 3 is easily the best in the series and I don't think you'd be missing anything by just starting there. It'd definitely be a slightly smaller time commitment.


Mobilezoid posted...

I also read the Dark Cloud 2 write-up just to see if you raved about the same things my brother always did. I hope I have a chance to play that someday as well.

I feel like I could go on and on about that game, but my write-up was already full of me just throwing out a bunch of the great things about it. Did I end up touching on some of the stuff your brother enjoyed?
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Discussion topic closed in the middle of me writing my promo.

No matter, as Tom and Boko will hear the message. For now, I'm ready for another test, and a chance to head into Pandemonium as hot as ever.
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Set 1
+3 GTM
+2 PrinceKaro
+1 GuessMyUserName

Set 2
+3 Robazoid
+2 foolmo
+1 Paratroopa1
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profDEADPOOL posted...

The standalone Gwent beta is pretty good also

I seen some of it and it looks interesting! I managed to get a Beta key but then couldn't get it to launch on my computer for some reason.

The fan on my laptop died out on me a little while ago as well, and so I've been avoiding gaming on it to prevent it from overheating. When I do get it fixed, Gwent is one of the first things I plan on taking a look at.
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Oh s***
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Some of these top 10 write-ups are going to be pretty long. I've yet to complete the write-up for #2 or #1, but The Witcher 3 seems like it's going to be the high point when it comes to word count.

Tomorrow is going to be 6-4, and then the top 3 will be posted on Wednesday!
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7. Dark Cloud 2 (PS2)

We seen the first game earlier on in the list, and Dark Cloud 2 is better in essentially every way. This game is really only a sequel in name, as the story, characters, and world itself are not shared between games. What Dark Cloud 2 does take from the first game is the same overall structure of dungeon crawling and world building, and not only does it improve on both of those things, but it also adds about a hundred other things to do as well.

Seriously, there is so much to do in this game, it's kind of insane. You still have your dungeons and world building through georama, and your different weapon types and durability and thirst issues in the dungeons. Fishing also makes it return in this game, with added depth. On top of that, you have Spheda, which is essentially golf, playable on every level, and fishing competitions where you can race those fish you've been catching. You can also feed and breed fish as well for those competitions. Oh, and you can invent and then make different items, ranging from clothing and weapons, to food and upgrade items. How do you invent things, you ask? That would be through the photography system, which involves taking pictures of literally everything in the game, from clocks and benches, to people and enemies. There's also a monster catching and upgrading system crammed in there as well.

That felt like one long run-on sentence, but I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what this game has to offer. In many of my playthroughs, I'd use my previous knowledge of playing and spend hours photographing every single item in the world. I've been playing this game since I was a kid, and while I've technically only completed it one time, I've had several playthroughs exceed forty to fifty hours in playtime, purely because of all the things this game offers you. It feels like there's a dozen systems being thrown at you at once, and I can't get enough of it.

And, above all that, you have a solid story and some great gameplay progression. To summarize briefly, you have the ability to travel to the future and back again, which ends up being a key factor in the overall plot. With the aforementioned world building, when you make changes in the past through building, you significantly alter the future. As a kid, I had a lot of fun attempting to optimally build the past in order to get a 100% completion rating in the future. It was just another thing in a game of a million things, and they were all great.

They're still great too, by the way. My only actual completion of this game came last year when it was re-released on the PS4, and it held up as great as ever.
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8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4)

I had no idea how much I would end up enjoying this game when I started playing it. As a console and primarily Sony only gamer, I hadn't even heard of this series before the marketing for this game, and after doing some research and finding out that it was an open-world RPG set in a fantasy world, I decided to pick it up around launch, and wow, I can't believe I could have passed this game over.

This is the first game on the list that I would truly give a 10/10 to, and it deserves it. There is so much good in this game, and very little, if any, bad. Sure, it might've been buggy at certain times, but those were all fixed in various patches. I guess the one thing that I wouldn't consider to be excellent is the soundtrack. I think it's good, and there are a few great songs in this game, but the point I'm trying to make here is that everything else is 10/10.

I'll start with the world. This game contains the best world I've ever seen. There is so much going on in the space, it feels so alive, and not empty at all. The people and monsters you meet on the roads and forests are interesting, the small villages are lively and feel lived in, and the bigger towns and cities feel crowded, and busy. I never felt alone, regardless of where I was in this world, and that's a good thing.

I could go on and on about the story and the characters. Geralt is great, as is the entire idea surrounding what Witchers are. For the first time in a game, I didn't feel like I was the most important person in the world. Things are happening in this world, and Geralt is just living in it, doing his job. Political turmoil and wars are happening, and while Geralt does get dragged into it at certain points, he otherwise only cares about his end goal. Geralt never starts a sidequest just for the sake of it, like in every other game ever. You want to find this person, or for this demon to be killed? Fine, Geralt will oblige, if you pay him. I know that when it comes down to it, many of the quests in this game do end up being your generic sidequest, but this game manages to make them feel different, feel meaningful.

This is already the longest write-up so far, and I've yet to even mention the combat. There are still a few things I want to say, so in an effort to not write pages about this game, all I'll say is that I found the combat the right kind of difficult. It felt extremely satisfying learning the best way to defeat certain enemies and approaching each fight with a strategy.

I actually felt overwhelmed many times throughout this game, and I loved it. I didn't reach Skellige for the first time until I was over 50 hours into this game, because I wanted to do every sidequest and go to every single question mark on the map, and I did. I got lost in this game's world, and I wish I could do it again for the first time.

I would need a whole other write-up to explain why the DLC in this game is so great, so I'll just end it here by saying that Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are the best DLC I've ever played.

P.S. Gwent is great.
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10. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! (PSX)

It's been about 5 years since the last time I played this game, and in thinking about what I wanted to write about when it came to Spyro 2, I was instantly hit with nostalgia unlike any other game on this list up to this point. I remembered how great Mr. Moneybags, Ripto, and all of the other characters were. How fun it was to collect every gem in every level, and to then find and unlock the secret levels in every world. And more than anything, I especially remembered the ice hockey mini-game in the Colossus level. That hockey area might be one of my favourite mini-gameS of all-time.

Nostalgia is all well and good, but Spyro 2 is more than that. Yeah, I did play this a whole bunch as a kid, and other than one other game on this list, there is nothing on the original Playstation that compared to it then. It all holds up, though. I've played this game my whole life. If I still had my PS3 in my possession, I'd finish this write-up and play some more of it. I get defensive about Spyro because of this game. Every bad game he was a part of, and however terrible he looks in Skylanders doesn't matter to me, because Spyro 2 is one of the best games of all-time.

Why is it the tenth best game of all-time? I mentioned most of what I liked about the series in my Spyro 3 write-up. The second game is just as great when it comes to the gameplay and level design, but it's all much more memorable to me with Ripto's Rage. I think the characters are much better, and I forgot how great the soundtrack was until I just spent too much time on Youtube reliving it all. Besides all that, this was my first Spyro game, and one of the first games I owned and spent a lot of time with on the original Playstation.

9. Jak II (PS2)

Jak and Daxter is a great game, with some great characters and humour. You know what else is great? Guns. This might as well be part of a different series altogether, because other than those aforementioned characters and humour, almost nothing about this game is similar to the first. Even Jak himself becomes a much different (better) character.

What this series essentially became was a mixture of the best parts of the original Jak game and the Ratchet & Clank series. You still had that tight, fun platforming, but now you could do that while being faced with more menacing enemies, and guns, of course. Ratchet & Clank no doubt does weapons better, but the guns here were also pretty cool. I particularly enjoyed how there were only four guns and ammo types, with each additional firing type treated as an upgrade to those existing guns.

The story and setting here is great too. The dark, grungy city atmosphere was a complete 180 from the original, but it fit the tone of the story well. It's actually for that same reason that I didn't really enjoy Jak III. The tone and city in the second game perfectly fit what the game and series were going for, and the big desert and different towns in the third game felt comparatively empty.

Being older, and having played the game multiple times since I was a kid, the plot twist near the end can be seen a mile away, but at the time, I was genuinely shocked at everything that was happening and how the story eventually all fell into place. I still think this game has a great story today, though.

You know what else this game has? An open-world setting, mission based gameplay, and a driving system. We already know how I feel about those.
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trdl23 posted...

KH1 and 2 really are some of the best games of all time.

http://i.imgur.com/unWN3Ns.gif

This is great btw
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Maniac
david
Sultan
Solio/gravy
DP
Emerald
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Seinfeld
Breaking Bad
Parks and Recreation


Entourage is 10/10 for me and I've never laughed harder than while watching The League, but I recognize that they're both objectively nowhere close to perfect.
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