Board 8 > Herein lies a list of 20 video games that may or may not be the best ever! Pt. 2

(+) Yeah! (+)

KujikawaRising posted...

Also, haven't played Earthbound. Need to fix that. BAD. Right?

With the caveat that EarthBound is a mid-90s RPG, and everything that comes with that. Its not a totally smooth experience today, but if you have the patience to deal with a more, hmm, leisurely experience, you should be fine.

transcience posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588301-earthbound/reviews/101516

a true aitch emm turnabout

These will never stop being a feast for the eyes.

Unfortunately, EarthBound yet again decides to opt for the archaic style of Dragon Quest for the gameplay. Everything is done inside of menus, which includes talking, accessing items and equipment, and checking out things (chests, dressers, objects, etc.). Once again, when there are RPGs out there on the system that are making actual advancements for the genre, EarthBound insists on sticking to the old style this includes the battle system.

Not only does this so accurately reflect the times, I feel like this could have been yanked out of EGM or GamePro, haha.

There must have been lowered expectations back then, because I think my write ups now can be kind of uninteresting and garbage sometimes, but holy cow, theyre art compared to these reviews!

so here are the writeups that aren't in the topic in GMUN's archive. forgive me for not including potential italics; i saved this in notepad.

13 | Pokmon Red / Blue (GB)

Is this a curveball? It might be a curveball.

Even List Historians may struggle to find proper record of Pokmon ever being a player on one of my lists, haha! See, when I put this list together over the past couple of weeks, I weighed certain criteriaones that would make this feel more representative of my gaming history and time, without being skewed toward recency.

There was a time, a placelong before the glorious Internet and GameFAQs Contests were a twinkle in my eyewhere Pokmon rivaled Mario and Zelda for my curiosity, my investment and my love. Can you believe it? Some would say no!

Pokmon R/B were formative experiences for me. I was the perfect age group to be swept into Pokmon hype, to be caught up in the zeitgeist and phenomenon. And boy, let me tell you, I was in deep. I had the games, the cards, I watched the anime every morning before school. I was your average kid in the late 90s!

The impressive part for me is just how long Pokmon lasted. It wasnt a flash in the pan, I played Red and Blue for years after their original release. I would beat the game, erase my save file (because there is only one, damn you Game Freak), and restart the whole process again with a different starter. Its to such an extent that, despite not having played the games since 2002-3, I am intimately familiar with places llike, say, Saffron City, or Cerulean City, or that Mewtwo was hiding out in a cave near the beginning for no real reason, or that a Gym Leader named Koga with the poison Pokmon, who also doubled as a ninja.

Why is this information necessary to retain? Who knows! But, here we aremy brain has held onto it as strongly as any other significant memory from childhood, haha.

What separates Red and Blue from any other Pokmon release, aside from nostalgia, is that theyre simple, addictive games with incredible execution. Someone may correct me by saying bubbling under the surface there are complex stats to pick apart, but its the most extraneous and unnecessary its ever been in the first games! It keeps things basic and you go on your way collecting all the Pokmon you can, battling trainers and getting those sweet Gym Badges from every dunce who rolls with one type of Pokmon, haha.

Theres no lengthy introduction, endless dialogue and story sequences, no petting or grooming for better stats, no doubles matches or double types that mess with the foundation of the rock-paper-scissor setup. The charm and simplicity of the original is what makes them so long lasting, so cherished. I can have stepped away for 15 years, and still be able to jump right back into those games and know what Im doing.

I get it, I understand. The series has to evolve, longtime fans love getting into the minutia of character growth, optimal party setups for competitive play, all that stuff. It just isnt for me! The newer games (X/Y, Sun/Moon) I have tried to play, but just cannot seem to get invested in any real sense. I couldnt even get halfway through Sun/Moon!

I need Kanto, I need Pallet Town, I need a rival that will tell me Smell ya later. The world can move on, but those 150 little Pocket Monsters will have a home in my heart no matter how much I try to push them away, haha. Its a classic RPG, and one that introduced in a real way to the fun of the genre. Gotta give the credit where its due.
---

12 | Dragon Quest VII (3DS)

Dragon Quest may be a surprise to some, and others may have already been waiting for the first, of at least a few, to make an appearance. Did anyone expect DQVII, that is the question!?

Probably not!

But, you know, Dragon Quest VII checks a box for me that is unique to the series, it has a standout quality that was made for me. Sure, its not a wild departure, its absurd length aside, but how it chooses to present its narrative, and how that ties into its world, puzzle and exploration mechanics, is wonderful to behold. I almost want to compare it to those moments in Chrono Trigger where you have to use the past/future of an area, like Truce, to solve a puzzle, or retrieve an item, that was affected by your past actions. Dragon Quest VII is that taken to its ultimate conclusion. Sprinkle in slice of life storylines involving random, seemingly inconsequential characters, for good measure, and youre screaming my name.

Did you know that I adore stories that are simultaneously about nothing and everything? Still Walking is my favorite movie of all-time. I would guess maybe two people know what that isicon I figure does, for sure. The best writing in a video game, I believe, is tucked away as a collectible in an obscure Xbox 360 RPG (Lost Odyssey) that covers topics like courage, dreams, family, cowardice, fear, hope and happiness.

DQVIIs vignettes are just thatepisodic tales about random townsfolk, scientists, war heroes, farmers, whatever it may be. Your goal is to restore the world (Fragments of the Forgotten Past) by figuring out the land masses of the world have disappeared, and learn about each ones history and people. Its fascinating, its charming, and I think it amounts to be one of the most engaging ways of worldbuilding every thought up in a game.

Everything else here is classic Dragon Questa rudimentary job system, skills learned through leveling up, slimes and chimaeras, a classic good vs. evil storyline. DQ is comfort food. Its predictable, it doesnt rock the boat too much mechanically, and its simple and easy to jump into. I like them because of that, theyre relaxing games I can enjoy no matter the time or place. This isnt a backhanded compliment either, because Dragon Quest is my favorite RPG series!

The only downside to DQVII is that because it is stupidly long, the pacing and feeling of tension and excitement can wane quickly. There is often no real sense of urgency to move the overarching plot forward, there is build up as you progress that youre getting ever so closer to the big bad guy. For me, thats not what the game is about. I look forward to that next island, that next town, where I will need to make two people understand that their relationship isnt broken, it just needed proper communication. Or that maybe we can flip the switch on a towns future destruction, if only we convince a young man to not be so afraid he does irreversible damage with his choices.

I get all that, plus the worlds most enjoyable turn-based battle system, and that level up tune? Forget itmake it a 200 hour RPG. Im game!
---

11 | Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

So, lets talk about the most recently released game on this list. Thats rightif you were expecting Breath of the Wild, Im sorry to say it didnt make the cut. I purposefully kept Odyssey out of the top 10, because it is so new and fresh; there hasnt been enough time for it to simmer. This is the antithesis of thought into a typical LIST, but I thought wed make some headway, haha. That said, there is no way I could leave it off completely, and pass up the opportunity to talk about what an incredible entry it is into the Mario franchise.

Mario Odyssey is an absolute pleasure of an experience, and without a doubt one of the most mechanically engaging and fun 3D video games I have ever played. It is a true successor to what made Mario 64 such a joy 20 years agothe fun in running, jumping and playing, regardless of what objective youre trying to complete is.

You know what I love the most? Cappy!

When it comes to 3D games, I actually dont like power ups that much! The cat suit in Mario 3D World was kind of the worst thing in the world for me, haha. It wasnt like the Raccoon Suit in Mario 3, where you could just get it or not; the Cat Suit is actually ingrained deeply in 3D World, so its unavoidableyoure going to need it frequently.

Cappy, on the other hand, is always with you, always there to be an extension of your toolset. Its the power up I want. I want that extra bit of distance in my jump, I want to be able to mess around with advanced tricks to get places I shouldnt go, or just to see if I can make a big leap that I shouldnt normally be able to do. Thats the real joy of Mario Odyssey. It isnt in the collection of Moons as much as it is, again, running, jumping and playing. Messing around in the playground obstacle course of each world.

Can I leap from the starting point of New Donk City, without using the electric line?

(The answer is that YES you absolutely can, which is awesome, haha.)

That brings me to another pointtravel! Odysseys theme of traveling the world, visiting different locations, acuqiring little trinkets and stickers to decorate your ship with, complete with a travel brochure about the place youre heading toward is adorable. That speaks to so much about who I am as a person, so seeing the Mario universe explored in a way outside of just the Mushroom Kingdom was great. It brought back that sense of wild creativity and imagination.

There is an entire kingdom about cooking.

I could go on and on about all the things in Odyssey that I love. I didnt even talk about the incredible 2D segments that are a callback to Mario 1, the incredible platforming set piece in New Donk City that might be the best homage to a characters roots ever conceived, haha. Also, Paulineforget Rosalina, she needs to be maki t the rounds in spinoffs.

By all rights, Super Mario Odyssey should settle as a top 5 video game for me, but it needs to go through that period of time, of distance, and the chance to firmly solidify itself as a classic. So, in the meantime, it can be #11. Not to shabby, I guess!

Go on, jump, man! Youre a superstar!
---

10 | Attack of the Friday Monsters: A Tokyo Tale! (3DS)

Have you ever been nostalgic for a place and time you didnt grow up in? A time before you were born, in a place far away from your humble beginnings? That is exactly the feeling I felt playing Attack of the Friday Monsters.

For the unaware, its set in a rural town outside of Tokyo, Japan in the 1970s. A time of monster movies, Ultraman and imagination. The moment I turned this one on, I knew I was in for a game made for me, my interests, my sensibilities.. Its a charming, episodic story about childhood, friendship and family. Dragon Quest VII was only the beginning.

This was one part of the Guild series by Level-5. I dont know if anyone remembers those, haha, but each game was made by a somewhat prolific Japanese game designer. You guys might recall Crimson Shroud by Matsuno? It was that era of eShop! They were basically indie games based around singular, simple concepts.

The Friday Monsters concept was card collecting and battlint. Normally, this would be a death sentence for my interestI HATE card mini games, haha, they are terriblebut when its a glorified take on rock-paper-scissors with Monsters? I can mostly deal with it.

The real appeal of Friday Monsters is the story. Its told through the eyes of Sohta, growing up in a small town in his parents struggling dry cleaning business, trying to uncover the secrets of why the monsters attack the place he calls him every Friday. The story builds through little episodic chapters, finally climaxing on that fateful Friday when the monsters finally attack. In between is a lovely narration by a woman, in a way thats recalling the events of a summer past.

Attack of the Friday Monsters isnt a big, meaningful experience. Its charming to a fault, it only lasts about 3 hours, and it doesnt really have any sort of grand message. For some reason, it just clicked with me, wrapped me into its world for those 3 hours and made me feel warm and nostalgic the entire time. The blue skies, a train cutting through the outskirts of town in the distance and the deafening silence of a cicada filled summer. I guess theres more I relate to than I thought, hahathat sounds like any typical day in my hometown.

I have always had a super soft spot for this game for years. It feels timeless to me, and I always feel comfortable recommending it to anyone looking for a nice little experience. I would still tell anyone to jump on the 3DS eShop and spend the $8 it goes for. If this intro piques your curiosity enough, you cant go wrong!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP0TcAnHftc" data-time="
---

Well, icon, someone did use Google Docs! It just wasnt me, haha.

pfft google docs is so post-millennial. notepad all the way!
---

heroicmario posted...

KujikawaRising posted...

Also, haven't played Earthbound. Need to fix that. BAD. Right?

With the caveat that EarthBound is a mid-90s RPG, and everything that comes with that. Its not a totally smooth experience today, but if you have the patience to deal with a more, hmm, leisurely experience, you should be fine.

I feel like if you didn't play Earthbound back when it came out or you didn't grow up playing really old RPGs, this game will not be for you. I couldn't stand the game when I tried to play it several years ago.
---

Man, DKC was my least favorite of the trilogy.

I feel like DKC2 and 3 have so many interesting levels and mechanics that going back and playing the first one just seems dull by comparison.
---

DKC3 was the beginning of Rare's obsession with collectibles, so I'll always hold that against it. Plus, Kiddy and Ellie are terrible. Other than that, pretty fun game.
---

LeonhartFour posted...

DKC3 was the beginning of Rare's obsession with collectibles, so I'll always hold that against it. Plus, Kiddy and Ellie are terrible. Other than that, pretty fun game.

DKC2 was the one to introduce Kremkoins and DK Coins though. It did them well, to be sure, but Id call that the beginning of that.
---

Two collectibles is not an obsession. Hero Coins are also the greatest collectible ever invented.
---

DKC3 collecting was fine except they that those fuckers tied it into achieving the true ending with no workaround like DKC2.
---

Two collectibles can absolutely be the BEGINNING of one, particularly since it was also the first time they required a full set of collectibles to get to the true final boss and ending.
---

if we're going to nitpick over word choice then sure whatever

you know what I mean when I say that

DKC3 had too many collectibles and then they ratcheted it up to eleven with their N64 offerings
---

you don't need to 100% dk64 or banjo to get the true endings, do you?
---

beats me, I couldn't bring myself to finish either of those games
---

Reminder because it's not in the Lost Old Games Site: Play A Hat in Time. You won't regret it.
---

4 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

I think my most fond memories of LTTP arent even those from childhood, but rather, about 10 or so years ago when The Mana Sword and I decided to compete in dungeon speedruns.

Thats rightspeedrunning ONLY the dungeons!

We went back and forth shaving seconds off each others times until we had it down to a science. Im pretty sure we were at a point where it was the same time as a WR speedrun at the time, or at least close!

Thats one of the beautiful things about LTTP. There is such a flow and rhythm to how you move about in the world, how you control Link and how the dungeons are designed thats enjoyable on endless repeat. I know that first dungeon like the back of my hand, and its still the best first dungeon in the series!

LTTP doesnt waste any timeit starts fast and only gets faster. Youre in a constant flux of exploration and discovery, whether its out in the world or inside the dungeons. Im always making mental notes to come back here later, or what might be over hereUH OH, these guys hurt, wrong, other way! Haha. People give BOTW a lot of credit for opening up the series back up to that exploration and discovery, and it certainly did just that, but before the 3D Zelda games started to become more and more structured, there was LTTP giving you plenty of that without being totally directionless.

And you know what? A Link to the Past kicked my ass as a kid, haha. Does anyone remember that first transition from the Light World to Dark? That STILL messes me up, if Im not careful! ALttP pulls no punches, and it might have been the last Zelda to be that way. In games like Zelda, there is something to be said about having something stand up to you, enough to make an encounter scary, or to make getting an upgrade feel meaningful and worthwhile. LTTP balances that back and forth of making you feel inadequate, and then making you feel strong, like your efforts paid dividends when you the Master Sword, or found that upgraded tunic. Theres a good sense of progression at work under the surface.

Ive said it about other games in the top 10 a lot, but LTTP is a timeless game. Im not sure well ever be so far removed from its release that well consider it obsolete, or too dated for its own good. It was the originator, the start of so many staples that are in place even today, and even when they try to remake it, to put a new spin on its design (Link Between Worlds), theres still a special sauce at play that makes it untouchable.

This is getting ridiculous haha
---

LeonhartFour posted...

DKC3 was the beginning of Rare's obsession with collectibles, so I'll always hold that against it. Plus, Kiddy and Ellie are terrible. Other than that, pretty fun game.

Oof, yeah, all of this is true. DKC3 is when collectibles went spiraling out of control, and the introduction of those Bear characters and Kiddy was just the worst. I remember halfway through DKC3, I stopped and went back to DKC2. It felt like something about it was off.

I'm not a huge LttP fan. I mean, I'm not a big Zelda fan in general, but LttP was probably the one I liked the least of the ones I played.
---

1. Link Between Worlds
---

LttP too low
---

What did you not like about LTTP? Im guessing since you didnt like it, you never played LBW? Youd probably take to that more.

It's not like anything was bad about it necessarily. I just didn't enjoy it that much.
---

LBW has kind of taken away some of the shine from LttP for me, which I already had behind the GameBoy Zeldas. Still, it's an annual game for me.
---

LttP randomizer so good
---

th3l3fty posted...

LttP randomizer so good

this is a point in its favour
---

I can understand that! I have played games like that, too, where there was nothing outwardly offensive about it, but I just didnt like what it doing.

iiicon posted...

LBW has kind of taken away some of the shine from LttP for me, which I already had behind the GameBoy Zeldas. Still, it's an annual game for me.

Im actually not a big fan of the Oracles, or Four Swords. Im a little mixed about Links Awakening, but I know everyone adores it. Its the layout of the controls in those games that doesnt totally mesh with me. I would love to see a remake of LA.

Everyone is obsessed with these randomizers. What do they do, exactly? Just mix the dungeons up?

heroicmario posted...

Im actually not a big fan of the Oracles, or Four Swords. Im a little mixed about Links Awakening, but I know everyone adores it. Its the layout of the controls in those games that doesnt totally mesh with me. I would love to see a remake of LA.

Majora's Mask > Breath of the Wild > Link's Awakening > OoA/OoS > Link's Between Worlds > LttP is where I'm at these days.
---

Nelson_Mandela posted...

DKC3 collecting was fine except they that those fuckers tied it into achieving the true ending with no workaround like DKC2.

JonThePenguin posted...

Two collectibles can absolutely be the BEGINNING of one, particularly since it was also the first time they required a full set of collectibles to get to the true final boss and ending.

Wait, you didn't need to get everything to get the true ending in DKC2? I thought you did.
---

LttP randomizer's most basic mode shuffles all the non-dungeon items in the game - rupees, arrows, bombs, heart pieces/containers, swords, etc. - and which dungeons are crystals/pendants

there are also modes that randomize what entrances are, add keys to the randomized pool, randomize enemies/bosses, but those are of varying enjoyability

basically it makes the game a different puzzle every time
---

You do need every Kremcoin to finish the Lost World.

The Hero Coins only exist so you can shove it in Cranky's face that Diddy is a better hero than Mario, Link, and Yoshi.
---

I liked what you said about the sound design in earthbound

Little things like that definitely matter. I'm playing Horizon and its one-woman-wail menu music started to grate after a while. But I'm a big fan of the menu sound effects in recent Pokemon games. Satisfying.
---

Hmm. Now that were practically top 3, theres more wiggle room for some other rankings. I guess this is technically a list spoiler!

1 | Link to the Past
2 | The Wind Waker
3 | Breath of the Wild
4 | Link Between Worlds
5 | Legend of Zelda

I should sit down and play Links Awakening again.

The Zelda randomizer sounds interesting, but Im almost such a stickler for games presented how they are that I dont know if I would really like that, haha. Whenever I replay a game, I like the comfort of knowing without having totally memorized everything. A general sense of what to do, without the particulars. I dont think mods like that have ever been super appealing to me, haha. Sounds like it would be cool to mess around with, at least!

Hero Coins and The Lost World are both mildly triggering phrases. Oh, the climb to that podium.

XIII_rocks posted...

I liked what you said about the sound design in earthbound

Little things like that definitely matter. I'm playing Horizon and its one-woman-wail menu music started to grate after a while. But I'm a big fan of the menu sound effects in recent Pokemon games. Satisfying.

Im glad someone else liked that as much as I did! Sound effects nowadays are so standard you dont even recognize them most of the time, unless theyre just outwardly bad.

I have a thing about pages and how text looks in books, too. You know those old library books? The ones with the brittle pages and almost bleeding text? I cannot read a book like that and enjoy myself, haha. I like the crisp, clean feel and look. The sound design of books.

Oh, speaking of which, Secret of Mana might have the worst text in a video game, my word.

man you think that's wonky

the Zelda 1 randomizer changes all the caves and dungeon shapes, and the Zelda 2 randomizer has a random overworld
---

man, we had a conversation last year where we both came to the conclusion that zelda 1 randomizer is the ideal way to play that game
---

you should probably watch the GDQ randomizer race. I feel like you'd have your eyes opened in a way you weren't expecting. in a good way.
---

CT is a top 10 for me too.

I think I dont love the randomizer races because I feel like I cant just jump in for 10 minutes as well as I could if it was normal gameplay, and I just dont get more time than that.
---

just smashed bubble man

i am atrocious at the game, i don't think i dodged a single bubble

but i beat him with like 1 hp left
---

Random overworld sounds like a damn nightmare, haha. Zelda 2s overworld is already confusing enough without mixing everything up!

Im up for watching a randomizer race. There are things Ive learned about with some of these old games that have left me speechless. I bet it would be fun to watch, and just be continually upset at things not being where they should be!

(Did you know Mario 64 has 1.5 A presses for Star completion? Let me tell you, I have gone down that rabbit hole.)

iiicon posted...

man, we had a conversation last year where we both came to the conclusion that zelda 1 randomizer is the ideal way to play that game

Maybe its just hearing it in relation to LTTP that gives me pause. With Zelda 1, I dont have bush locations memorized, so throwing that stuff into a blender wouldnt phase me as much. Im not against it, just that I know when it comes to mods/fangames I tend to show some restraint against the original.

This is the GDQ Randomized Lttp run that transience mentioned earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gMK7bVmcic" data-time="
---

VintageGin posted...

Nelson_Mandela posted...

DKC3 collecting was fine except they that those fuckers tied it into achieving the true ending with no workaround like DKC2.

JonThePenguin posted...

Two collectibles can absolutely be the BEGINNING of one, particularly since it was also the first time they required a full set of collectibles to get to the true final boss and ending.

Wait, you didn't need to get everything to get the true ending in DKC2? I thought you did.

You need the kremkoins which you can activate with an in-game code. DKC3 makes you collect every single god damn one of them.
---

yeah you can technically cheat the game to get all the Kremcoins
---

Can't you also cheat for the Bonus Coins in DKC3?
---

Team Rocket Elite posted...

Can't you also cheat for the Bonus Coins in DKC3?

Not without a game genie (which breaks the game on certain carts!)
---