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

(+) Yeah! (+)

I figured I had some time to kill
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first vgm fever, now game ranking fever
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25.



I've lost an uncountable amount of time to this game. Every reasonable permutation of classes, solo games, hard mode hacks, fan-made redesigns, ports, remakes, you name it. My love for this game runs real deep. It's a little archaic but I grew up with it so those outdated flaws are just parts of the game's DNA. I can't complain that much about anything in this package.
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I have a fun surprise coming this evening
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24.



V is just a joy. Everything about it is infectious and happy. The characters are always smiling. The music is upbeat and dancy and amazing. Each level name oozes personality. The game goes out of its way to make a pretty damn challenging platformer as painless and charming as possible. Usually you get a game like Super Meat Boy or IWBTG and it just relishes in your pain. V? Nah. It's all like, "Hey. This is hard. But you can do it."

Also, the level design is just fantastic for what is essentially a one button platformer. They get so much damn mileage out of it. V is just a joy, not just to play but also to think back on. It's hard to feel bad when playing this gem.
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i went back to my parents' place over the holidays thinking "i'm going to start a new game this christmas! maybe AA6 or Undertale or something like that. it's gonna be great!"

i didn't do any of that, but i did play through VVVVVV for about the fourth time. what an absolute classic.

(also the music is ridiculously incredible, so much so that it almost made me into a chiptune fan. not quite though!)
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heck yeah. you should still play AA6 though!
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23.



Bleed 2 firmly builds on the shoulders of Bleed 1, but Bleed 1 left me wanting a whole lot more so that's not a bad thing. Bleed 2 adds an amazing parry skill that I didn't know I wanted but now feels absolutely essential to the core gameplay. It's also got better boss design. I don't think you can go more than 90 seconds without fighting a new boss here and almost all of them are fantastic. Bleed 2 basically takes Bleed 1 and renders it obsolete to the point that I considered not including Bleed 1 on the list (even though I think it's really great).

This game makes me feel amazing as I weave through enemies and avoid obstacles in bullet time. It's tough to play this for more than an hour at a time because you need to perform at such a high level and the game comes at you so fast. That pace, both the speed at which the game moves but also how rapidly it throws bosses at you, makes this game one of the most exhilarating that I've played.
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transience posted...

I see there are some copycats!

i've done this to you every time since like 2005! :P

but I did mine very different this time~
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it's cool! I didn't guess because I still know what those top games are for you
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I feel like out of games you and me might like more than the average population, nothing comes close to Bleed 1/2. Like I don't care about FF1 or VVVVVV but Bleed? Hell yeah. Never seen other people put it anywhere near a Top Anything list.
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you like 3d games a lot more than I do. I wouldn't be surprised if my next 60 appealed to you more than my top 60.
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22.



In case anyone doesn't know, AM2R literally stands for 'Another Metroid 2 Remake' and is a fangame. There are two main things to say about this game:

1. I hold the 2d Metroid series in the very highest regard. Two games from the series sit above this one (and I probably won't get to either one tonight). Metroid sits in my brain on a pedestal above every other action game. And yet, AM2R comes up with controls and conventions that are quite simply superior to some of the most hallowed games in history. There is never a moment where I go "oh, this is a fan game." It feels professional and belongs in the conversation with Super/Fusion/Zero Mission. To say that about a game that one guy made is the highest praise I can lavish on a game.

2. Every notable issue that I have with this game is caused by the structure enforced by Metroid 2. The game's level and boss designs are informed by a game that was constrained by being on the original game boy. If this game had a better base, it could be near the very top of this list.

The second half of AM2R is really, really good as it starts to branch out into original content. I'd love to see what this guy makes next -- but he joined Moon and is making Ori 2. Pretty sure that game is going to be all right.
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21.



I don't think I'm going to play this game ever again. There's a finality to The Walking Dead that makes me not want to ever see it through a second time. I don't want to make different choices or see the other content that the game could offer. What I did is gospel.

I don't even remember a lot of the story details at this point, what happens when, who some of the side characters even are, etc. The Walking Dead is all about the relationship between the two main characters and that relationship is a huge step above any other pair that I can think of offhand. I can vividly remember playing through the game's final scene and that feeling hasn't gone away five years later.
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transience posted...

25.



I've lost an uncountable amount of time to this game. Every reasonable permutation of classes, solo games, hard mode hacks, fan-made redesigns, ports, remakes, you name it. My love for this game runs real deep. It's a little archaic but I grew up with it so those outdated flaws are just parts of the game's DNA. I can't complain that much about anything in this package.

I have friends who give me a hard time for how often Ill play this game. My backlog is ridiculous, and yet I find myself playing this damn game too often. It isnt even my favorite FF (7>10>4>6>9>1>13>5>3>2>8 for me - havent done 12, 15 or the MMORPGs), but its such a quick dose of what I love and the gameplay has surprising variety depending on your opening party. The toughest playthroughs Ive done have been 4 black mages on NES and one white mage on PS1. I havent gotten to the point yet where I memorize the proper times to soft reset/hard reset the game for speed running purposes, and I sorta hope I never do. I wanna retain a certain level of casualness when I play.

Also, I boldfaced the one part because I completely agree with that. I sorta feel like Im cheating when I play a remake and saber (SABR) actually works.

Loving the list, by the way.
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oh, yeah, I hear you. the remakes were fun - I kinda wrote the book on FF1 Advance, at least on here - but they are also broken in a way I can't get behind. I had a ball seeing just how dumb they could get though.

I never got into any of the speed running stuff either, but I did experiment with a low level game once and got Fi/Fi/Fi/RM through the game on level 14.
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although I did like the PS1 version. I imported a Wonderswan Color for that version.
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I always thought the PSX version was basically a straight up port with some glitch correction and an FMV intro?
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of the WSC version, yeah. it came out like 2-3 years later though.
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I heard there was a list, and I had to come running! Too bad GameFAQs tried to restrain me for three days. I see we still have new user limits on the ol Board 8. Never forget your passwords, or e-mails, folks!

I want to give some more love to the Odyssey choice. You hit the nail on the head about the traversal, how it feels in your hands. I havent played a game so mechanically strong in such a long time. Its one of those games where running around in the world, for no real purpose or goal, can be a 10 satisfying minutes of fun that leave you in a special place. GOTY 2017, for sure.

Also, I have heard you talk about Bleed for years, but I still have no idea what it is. I associate it heavily to you. Not surprised to see made the list! Just generally, this is a well rounded, interesting top 60. Very you, but also refined. Portrait of Ruin can take a hike into whatever gutter saw it sired, though.

hey you made it!

here's Bleed (2):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUloJK7nw7g

you'll say 'oh yeah that's very you' and also 'oh man that's a better contra let me in'
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who is this imposter
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Oof, I see what you mean about the high skill play. You had my thoughts down pat, because it does remind me of a steroid injected Contra. The character movement seems real tight, which is nice, too. I might try if it was on something I owned.

The Mana Sword posted...

who is this imposter

My very best version yet lowercase and no space, for your viewing pleasure.

Bleed 1 is on Switch and PS4. Bleed 2.. I think is on PS4? I've seen the dev talking about a double pack for PS4 anyway.
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*blinks*
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Is it really? I guess I never noticed it on the eShop. Would you say Bleed 1 is worthwhile, or does Bleed 2 invalidate it completely? Well, I guess I only have access to the one right now, anyway, haha.

Leon! All my favorite people are still here, somewhere.

once a B8er always a B8er
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Bleed 1 is awesome. Bleed 2 invalidates it but if you haven't played it, it's not a thing at all. it's not like Bleed 1 has aged poorly. this isn't a Mega Man 1 -> 2 situation or anything.

the only downside is Bleed 1 is $15 on the eshop and like $1 on PC. dat switch tax
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Haha, yeah, I am intimately involved with the feeling of Switch Tax. We still havent reached that point where a sale means more than 35% off yet on the eShop. Having it in handheld mode would be the most ideal form of playing this, I think.

LeonhartFour posted...

once a B8er always a B8er

We just need an ol fashioned character contest to set this right.

20.



Persona 3's tone and pace pushes it over the top. I really like the Persona gameplay loop of social link -> fusion -> dungeon -> social link but 4 and 5 mix in a ton of story that just kind of meanders a lot of the time. Persona 3 keeps it light. A lot of people would counter that it just doesn't have a lot of story - which I am okay with!

But yeah, it's that dark tone that gets me. I like Persona 5's music a bunch but 3's is on another level, at least as far as being a tone setter. Persona 3 also ends really strong whereas 4 and 5 kind of botch it at the end.

There's also something to be said for being first. Persona 3 isn't copying the formula over with a new setting. Don't get me wrong, those games are also great, but you only get to be fresh once.
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Oh hey HM exists still
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HM?!
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Persona 3 is really all about that atmosphere. One of the best soundtracks in any game, too.
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19.



This game is so god damn good that they could only make it like 18 minutes long. The enemy placements are too good. Everything feels hand crafted. The light/dark mechanic feels so good when you get the levels down and start flipping back and forth instinctively. I suck bad at this game and need a bunch of continues to get past level 4 -- but it's good even if you're bad. I watch superplays of this game and just awe in its perfection. It feels like art when played that way.
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18.



Look, I have pretty much no idea what happens in this series. I couldn't explain the plot concisely if you asked me to. Xenosaga is very mockable, probably moreso in 2018 given how PS2 RPGs have aged.

But man, they go for it. Xenosaga 3 pays off the first two games well. It's like they started on disc 2 and just kept barreling downhill. (There's still plot dumps, of course. This is Xenosaga. But they go somewhere. You're getting questions answered instead of setting up more questions.)

The music and atmosphere here are really really strong and the gameplay is a lot of fun, which is notable because the first two games could reaaaaallllly drag. The plot may have a bunch of nonsense terminology but damn it feels cool while it's all happening. I wish they'd make an HD collection of these games so I could un-squish the visuals.
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heroicmario posted...

We just need an ol fashioned character contest to set this right.

Apparently we're getting one, and in summer, too! It's been a long time since we actually had a summer contest.

As far as Persona 3 goes, I love the atmosphere, but I honestly feel like the first 1/3 or so of the game is pretty slow. I don't really start enjoying it until around summer, but I am totally bought in by October. That last month might be the best stretch in any of the big three in the series though, other than maybe P4's biggest moment. It definitely finishes really strong.
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oh hey Xenosaga III is the opposite situation of Persona 3 for me

I love the first 90% but that last 10% really soured me on the entire series and I haven't wanted to touch it again since
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transience posted...

I wish they'd make an HD collection of these games so I could un-squish the visuals.

Two seconds of google says that there's an PS2 emulator patch that makes it HD, so hey.
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it's always surprised me how polarized you were on the last 10%. like I can see hating that game/series but if you can stomach that much nonsense I don't see why the end would be that much different.

I don't want to go deep on this cause we've done it a few times already - it's just surprising
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I think Persona 3 starts really well. The intro to the game is way better than P5's and especially P4's. It slows down for a bit afterwards but that first part really hooked me in.
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transience posted...

it's cool! I didn't guess because I still know what those top games are for you

there's only 2 games in my top 10 that were there when I was active on this board!!
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well Undertale is an obvious one too! did ff7 finally abandon? I figured Earthbound and Suikoden 2 have to still be up there.
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17.



I, um

well, here goes

I can play this stupid game forever. Absolutely forever. Desert Golfing is just a minimal little physics-y thing with very little to it, but there's something about its persistence and its restraint that just hooks me. I don't get it. I have put hundreds and hundreds of hours into this game. I have knocked the ball into tens of thousands of holes. I am one of the only people in the world to see this game's ending. THIS GAME HAS AN ENDING.

This is my second of three desert island games, and not because it's played in a desert. I just love dropping 10-15 minutes playing it. I wish I still could - you see, once you beat it, you can't restart. You've golfed all the way through the desert. That persistence lasts forever.
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My list is finished, clean list from this post https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/76239700?page=7

you're right that FF7 and Earthbound are still up there though, haha. Surprised you know my undertale love, that was definitely post-b8 for me!
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desert golf higher on your list than mine, unsurprisingly ~~
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oh man you're a zelda 1 randomizer-er too, huh? heck yeah. someday we should all play a seed together. not a race or anything because screw that.

your desert golf game is pretty legit. takes some investment to get as far as you have.
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transience posted...

it's always surprised me how polarized you were on the last 10%. like I can see hating that game/series but if you can stomach that much nonsense I don't see why the end would be that much different.

I don't want to go deep on this cause we've done it a few times already - it's just surprising

Yeah, that's mostly just a me thing. I don't really expect anyone else to share my feelings on it.

KamikazePotato posted...

I think Persona 3 starts really well. The intro to the game is way better than P5's and especially P4's. It slows down for a bit afterwards but that first part really hooked me in.

Yeah, the opening scene is pretty strong, but it's kind of dull once you finish the prologue up until right around when Aigis joins. I couldn't really tell you anything in that stretch that stands out to me other than Fuuka joining the party.
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16.



This game makes me miss my high school days and also I am so glad I am not in high school anymore. There's a wistfulness to Life is Strange that gives me a lot of feelings. Each chapter of this game was like unraveling a puzzle and there was always a bunch of strings that you could pull on in your spare time. You could play a chapter and then spend 2 months pondering everything, waiting to see what the hell just happened. That emotional investment has stuck with me. Every chapter ended with a knockout punch and I can still remember all of my thoughts as I went through it.

Life is Strange is a special narrative game. I don't think it nailed the ending, which is too bad, but that journey was really really strong.
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Life is Strange is another one of those games I have mixed feelings about. It didn't hook me the way it seemingly has hooked everyone else on B8 who's played it. I'm glad I played it because it's got some great stuff in there, but I'd never rank it on a favorites list.
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