LogFAQs > #949645764

62. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS, 2013)

After two gimmicky DS Zeldas that used extensive touchscreen controls and novel settings, Nintendo went with a far more traditional route with the first new 3DS Zelda game, returning to the Hyrule of A Link to the Past. ALBW's overworld is a near-perfect copy of A Link to the Past, though the game's items, dungeons, gimmicks, and story are vastly different. Most interestingly, you have the option to rent any of a large chunk of major items at any point: boomerang, bow, fire rod, etc., for a handful of rupees (you can also purchase 'em later on for a large chunk of change). It's a gimmick that works pretty well, though it's especially buoyed by a game design that largely lets you go wherever you feel like going next. A relatively open-world Zelda with modern design sensibilities is a very fun experience - I like heavily-gated-progression games (there's a reason why I have a boatload of Metroidvanias on the list) but I also really appreciate games that give the user lots of different options in their play experience.
On the other hand, the 2D-walls-Link gimmick is good, but rarely used in particularly exciting ways. There are some clever puzzles but it never stood out as a central part of the experience. It's probably the least compelling plot-point in the surprisingly deep and excellent story, which twists the ALttP Dark World as Lorule, an alternate-universe counterpart to Hyrule. Groan-inducing name aside, there are satisfying twists to what and who the people there appear to be.
ALBW is a lot like the previously-listed Pikmin 3 to me: it's a really satisfying sequel, really good to play through, but also did not speak to me in any exceptional way. Thus right around the cusp of the Top 50 seems the most appropriate place to put it. I ended up only going through this in 2018, and I could stand to replay it again; I could definitely see it bumping up some spots on re-reflection.

61. FIFA 98: Road to World Cup (PC, 1997)

This one's gonna be tinged with a whole lotta nostalgia, so buckle up. As a kid growing up, my two biggest interests were probably sports and geography. I used to be super into learning about countries of the world and flags and capitals and such - I was a big ol' nerd, to say the least. On the other hand? Wasn't really grabbed by video games at that point, or at least more standard fare such as Final Fantasy and Zelda. FIFA 98 was probably the most ambitious soccer game EA had put out at that point - its core conceit is that you can take the helm of literally any of the 200+ qualifying countries and try to qualify for (and win) the 1998 World Cup. To say the least, that's the thing that made my geography/sports brain explode with anticipation. But, was it good?
Well, clearly, yes. This dated-as-heck intro video featuring Blur's Song 2 blasting in your face over flashing country flags, ugly polygonal gameplay footage, and not-terrible 3D stadium renders is a testament to the kind of excitement this game brought me in the late-90s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN0fLiun-bY
The Road to World Cup mode is legit as hell; playing as tiny countries like Tahiti or San Marino was both challenging and engaging. Later FIFA games ended up porting the World Cup qualifying mode into its own game, but it's mixed in here with the "main" game, which also has 11 world leagues - the standard English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, etc., with a couple goofy ones like Malaysia (?) and a fake US league.
The team/player editor was pretty great too, there were a lot of uniform options and rad hairstyles to give your players. I remember making-over the not-real US league into one of my own and playing some seasons through that too. There was also a novelty indoor-soccer feature that made for ridiculous games.
The soccer itself is pretty good but arcadey - it's outpaced by later games but was absolutely good for its day and is still very playable. But the experience of the game itself - the soundtrack of Song 2 and a whole bunch of Crystal Method songs, the extensive amount of teams and game modes, and the novelty and quality of its World Cup 98 licensing - makes it my favorite and most nostalgically satisfying soccer video game experience ever. I couldn't not mention this rad game and its place among my favorite ever sports games on this list.

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