LogFAQs > #949315298

85. StarCraft II (PC, 2010-2015)


StarCraft II is another game, like Twilight Princess, that suffered under the weight of expectations. Unlike Twilight Princess, it also had the burden of being made by Blizzard. Despite this, the game, especially once the expansion packs were released, is pretty enjoyable. The plot is entirely over the top, but the missions are largely satisfying and the game's presentation is characteristically strong. The new units for each race are by and large interesting and contribute well to gameplay without throwing competitiveness off. The multiplayer is more or less StarCraft as you know it, just bigger and flashier than ever. I may never play this again - Blizzard's response to pro-democracy activism in Hong Kong was especially distasteful - but the StarCraft II experience was satisfying for more than long enough to earn a spot on this list.

84. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (Gamecube, 2004)

The debate over whether the PlayStation original or the Gamecube overhaul of Metal Gear Solid is better presumably rages on in some quarters. I had tried the original at a friend's place in '99, and it didn't do anything for me, but when we learned of The Twin Snakes, I found myself intrigued, in part because the game's graphical upgrade was so significant, but also because I'd played Metal Gear Solid 2 in the interim and rather enjoyed it (spoilers for the future of this list). That TTS controlled similarly to the game I had enjoyed undoubtedly increased my enjoyment of it. Ultimately, though, what does it is that the MGS series is an inherently cinematic experience, and I think the Twin Snakes so far exceeds the original in that way.

83. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade, 1989)


This might be a surprising choice, because it notably is not Turtles in Time. Truthfully, I've never even seen a Turtles in Time arcade machine, nor played it on SNES. This game was Konami's first TMNT effort, and it was later (less successfully) ported to NES. But as an arcade cabinet, it was and remains an absolute joy to play. Shredder kidnaps April, the turtles pursue. You pick your favorite turtle, or maybe the most useful (Leo and Don have better reach), and mow down the Foot, Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang, Baxter, and other various bosses across a number of vibrant, pizza-filled levels. It presents a moderate challenge, but doesn't eat your whole cup of quarters. It's just a classic, well-made beat-em up.

82. Guitar Hero II (PS2, 2006/XBOX 360 2007)


Guitar Hero I was a revelation, but Guitar Hero II was the peak of the series. It has a much better soundtrack, by far, featuring the series' first main setlist master recordings, courtesy of Primus and Jane's Addiction, and ridiculous bonus tracks like "Trogdor" and "Jordan." The plastic guitars were as finely tuned as they ever got, to the extent that the 360 Explorer controller remained the go-to instrument for competitive GH/RB players for years afterward. The mechanics and visuals of the games were refined to near perfection, especially by the time the 360 version came out. For me, it was the game that took my love of music and turned it into an at times fanatical and obsessive amount of gaming, and it was something that reliably brought me joy when other things didn't, a trend which continued with Harmonix's next several games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGDw2t9bI6U

81. Mario Party 2 (N64, 2000)


Much in the same way that I think of Civ IV when I think of Civ, when I think of Mario Party, I think of Mario Party 2. It is, I think, the most memorable and iconic of the series, with each character having a specific matching costume for each board's theme, and a collection of mini-games that reverberates through the entire rest of the series to date. Gone are the palm-blisterers from the first game, replaced with some of the series' most notable and favorite mini-games. There's only six playable characters, but you don't really need more than that, even if you're playing with four players (which you absolutely should be). I don't think the Mario Party series has come close to its platonic ideal yet, but if Nintendo wants to make a game that approaches the perfect Mario Party, this is the game they should crib from the most.

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The Thighmaster