Board 8 > transience's top 60 games - 2018 edition

(+) Yeah! (+)

I think I need to finish the list I started putting together 4 months ago. I was looking at the notes I made and at one point I laughed for like 15 seconds at something I had in there.
---

WHOOPS, missed this until now. Could have used the distraction this week!
---

This topic makes me feel like posting a list but it's barely changed in forever. I still love all the stuff I still did! Always cool to read through these though.
---

Yay, I worked on one of your favorite games. That feels neat.
---

Which game?
---

#50, Xenoblade Chronicles X!
---

Pretty cool, no doubt!
---

Zoop is great! I don't have a specific reason for liking it, but that's a fun little puzzle game!
---

why 60

there cant have been that many metroidvanias released since the last time you did this
---

here's some 'good vanias, or ones with metroidvania elements, that didn't make it!

hollow knight
castlevania: order of ecclesia
rex rocket
knytt
castlevania: aria of sorrow
shantae games
strider (2014)
aquaria
axiom verge
castlevania: symphony of the night
arkham asylum
iji
guacamelee
---

Im surprised that Ori is that high! I knew you liked it, but I had no idea it resonated so strongly with you, enough to be among the greats. I loved it, too, though not as much. Those boss escapes where youre running instead of fighting, with the music swelling and getting more intense, is one of the most unforgettable moments in the game. That is my jam. Not sure I would say it does Metroid better than Metroid, but I dont have a lot bad things to say about Ori.

I like Super Metroid way more than Zero Mission today. SM is an art form that once properly learned feels like butter in the hands. You lose it ever time you stop playing for a time, but once your muscle memory kicks back in halfway through, the ease of control and the heavy gravity in ZM just seems wrong. When you can get Samus doing exactly what you want within those crazy physics, its the best upgrade you ever get, so to speak. Best Metroid, for sure.

Xenogears is on the shortlist of unforgettable JRPGs. Ive waned on how strongly I feel from the glory days of playing it for the first time, but when you have sat in The Chair, it never truly leaves you. I am mildly distraught thinking about that battle system again, though!

I don't mind ZM being "heavier". it works great with the design. it's nice to have a precise game and a game that's all about experimention. ZM is already close enough to SM - some differences are good. ZM control is easy enough to get to where you want without jumping to the moon.
---

Yeah, dont get me wrong ZM is fun, its a good time, and I think it has its place, but there is a certainly sense of accomplishment, and subsequent enjoyment, from mastering SMs physics and controls over the course of the game that is wildly satisfying that ZM kind of lacks. It feels so good to be able to hit those Screw Attacks perfectly, or wall jump and sequence break through sheer controller manipulation. ZM has the ultra smooth, fluid control down to a science that makes the pacing zip from minute one, but SM just feels more substantial and interesting in the way it builds, the way it plays and what it offers each time. I guess this just a personal quirk of mine to make what most people might consider frustrating controls as some sort of meaningful, integral part of the experience.

Of course, I say this having not put nearly as much time or effort into ZM as SM. And I dont want to come off as lambasting it, because ZMs one of my favorite Metroid, too. Just my little take on one of the things I like about SM.

no I'm with you completely. the only thing I can add that you kinda can't is that, when you're running ZM, the act of nailing those sequences with those controls is that sense of accomplishment that you're saying it lacks. it's just two ways of getting to the same thing.

of course, if you can nail SM, that's on another level. but I'm a human.
---

Oh, for sure, I have no doubt ZM could be rewarding in its own sense, I just havent ever played it to that level. Either way, two great games that each offer a unique experience. What we do know is that theyre both better than the SOTN-inspired Castlevanias. Cha-Ching!

Also, I love the Shantae games. Good callout on those. Did you ever play Half-Genie Hero?

I would definitely like to hear about SMB2. I love the game, but generally it's the least favorite of the original four.

Why so close to SMW? And why do you prefer those two to SMB/SMB3?
---

I'll venture to guess that it's because SMB2 isn't really a platformer and therefore doesn't warrant direct comparison to those other 3.
---

Super Mario Brothers 2 has been game of the year for like 18 years guys
---

Mario 2 is just so delightfully weird. it's so not a pure platformer, with its weird dark world and finding the mushrooms and phanto and picking up objects and four different characters that play differently.

I guess let me say this - I like my platformers to have something weird about them. Mario World is amazing and an absolute model for the genre - but it's also kinda boring. Mario 3 the same, just slightly less interesting. your jumps are very perfect and measured. the levels are pretty conventional. I want my games to have miserably hard level design or a weird mechanic that makes them tick. I just need something.

my next best Mario game is lost levels, to give you an idea.
---

totally agree on platformers needing that extra oomph. for me shovel knight is the best platformer because there's just so many different movement options through equipment and stuff and even when you die, you're never sent too far back, and you deserved it anyway

it's the dark souls of platforming (sorry sorry I had to)
---

I'm real negative on Shovel Knight. I liked it a little when it came out but have really soured on it since. it's probably because I backed it and expected more. others seem to like it but blah. it's got mega man 9's biggest flaw but without any of the good.
---

wow, could you explain what you mean by "expected more"? I've never felt like I got more value out of a game than with shovel knight, honestly.
---

I thought Shovel Knight was great (as were the Plague Knight and Specter Knight expansions)
---

What do you consider those games' biggest flaw?

I like Shovel Knight pretty well. It's no Mega Man 9 but few platformers are.

Great top three! It's not what I have, of course, but those are three games I 100% respect anyone putting there - all master class at the things they do well.

Pokalicious posted...

I would definitely like to hear about SMB2. I love the game, but generally it's the least favorite of the original four.

You're right about it being the least favourite and this never fails to weird me out. I felt like back when the games were new, SMB2 vs SMB3 was a real debate among people I knew and SMB1 was the one that was further back of the trio. (Fun fact: in grade... 4 I wanna say, I polled my grade on SMB2 vs SMB3 as a math project. I don't even remember which game won now, just that it was very close and somewhat divided along gender lines) I think SMB1 now gets a fair bit of credit for being such a formative game, while SMB2 took a real hit in its popularity when people figured out it wasn't a "real Mario" (sadly).
---

I'd be curious about how Mario 2 would do in a contest

if our vote totals hadn't completely tanked anyway
---

I like Mario 2 a lot in theory, but in practice when I actually play a Mario game my go to is 3, then probably 1, then World, and then 2, so I rarely actually play it.
---

NeoElfboy posted...

What do you consider those games' biggest flaw?

Pitfall traps and instakills
---

While we're all sharing our SMB opinions, SMW is aesthetically and mechanically boring
---

SMW, while a great game, is the one I have the least fun playing.

My order of preference is:

SMB3 > SMB2 > SMB > SMB:LL > SMW
---

SMB3 is easily my favorite because of how varied and fun the power-ups are.
---

Kuribo's Shoe is the best powerup.
---

here's a take - kuribo's shoe is the inspiration for super mario odyssey
---

Just wanted to predictably comment that I'm really stoked you like Zelda 1 randomizer

The gospel of Z1R is something I want to spread far and wide

Ori was good fun. The beginning was slow, but man those escape sequences -- especially the first one -- were amazing. Like you said in my playthrough topic, gotta wonder how quickly its sequel will teach the grab-move. The AM2R-guy being on-board for it is amazing news too.

I'm surprised you have it at #4 though -- not that I have many issues with it or disagree with it being a top-tier Metroidvania, but it's maybe #4 of just games I played last year for me personally.

And smashing those four-legged rock-headed creatures in the stone traps was strangely satisfying.
---

Have you played Dustforce? You'll probably love it since you love N++. Easily, imo, the most challenging and best controling platformer there is.
---

Dustforce is great until it gets too hard in its final levels when they're unlocked, and I 100%'d SMB and TEiN so I think I'm allowed to say that. They're fucking hard!

Fine chill soundtrack though, and I like its simplicity in its secrets and exploration too.
---

I have Dustforce. I played it for.. let's look..17 minutes! It's one of those $2-3 games that I tried, didn't hook me and never went back to.
---

Yeah Dustforce is brutal during the final stretch. I love the ability to watch replays after finishing a level. Seeing how the top ranked players fly through each level and the cool strategies they use is awesome.
---

I hit 5 digits in strokes on desert golf last night :)
---

congrats!
---

transience posted...

congrats!

thanks! Surely I'm almost to the last hole!

heh
---

I have been jealous of desert golfing for years and I have just learned it is on android now and I am 50 holes in now
---

the journey is just beginning, my friend
---

Paratroopa1 posted...

Just wanted to predictably comment that I'm really stoked you like Zelda 1 randomizer

The gospel of Z1R is something I want to spread far and wide

Hey Para, let's get a group together to do a shared seed run of Z1R, and create a discord channel or something to talk about it. That would be great.
---

NFUN posted...

NeoElfboy posted...

What do you consider those games' biggest flaw?

Pitfall traps and instakills

The majority of platformers have those! Seems an odd thing to hate on. Unless you think they were specifically implemented worse in those games.
---

Epyo posted...

I have been jealous of desert golfing for years and I have just learned it is on android now and I am 50 holes in now

you have so many colors in store Kaxon posted...

Paratroopa1 posted...

Just wanted to predictably comment that I'm really stoked you like Zelda 1 randomizer

The gospel of Z1R is something I want to spread far and wide

Hey Para, let's get a group together to do a shared seed run of Z1R, and create a discord channel or something to talk about it. That would be great.

please ping me on b8 discord if you do this
---

I forget how many holes of Desert Golfing I completed before I uninstalled the game.
---

re: shovel knight - that game is all about forcing you to instant death. you almost never actually die from running out of life in that game. the magic makes bosses a piece of cake. but then it throws you into these death trap situations endlessly and that was really obnoxious.

it's been four years since I played it, but I wanted that game to be amazing and it's just not.
---

i've got some reading to do!
---

hey! I was playing N++ this week and saw you beat a lot of my scores. kudos! most people think my scores are untouchable but not you of course!
---