Board 8 > Leonhart Ranks 100 Games with Writeups!

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LeonhartFour
02/08/20 9:40:13 PM
#351:


#58. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots


Its difficult to remember now, but the hype machine leading up to Metal Gear Solid 4 was unreal. Everyone was utterly confused by the reveal trailer that showed Solid Snake as an old man, but it still looked pretty cool. Then came E3 2006, which featured both the first full MGS4 trailer as well as the Snake reveal for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The board exploded that day in a way I dont think Ive ever seen for a non-contest related thing before or since. We just dont get hyped for stuff in that way anymore. Maybe its because were older, or maybe its because both MGS4 and Brawl are looked on as disappointments, so people dont get their hopes up to the same level. Either way, 2006-2008 was a magical time to be a Metal Gear and Smash Bros. fan. Since then? Smash Ultimate might be the zenith of the series, but Metal Gear is basically dead and buried. Its crazy to think about.

Now if you had asked me to make this list back in 2008 right after beating Metal Gear Solid 4 for the first time, it would have easily been in the top ten, maybe even top five. I immediately started a replay and beat it again. When youre in the middle of it, its easy to get sucked in by the glorious fanservice, the fun gameplay, the plot bombs, and the abundant cutscenes. Its when you step away from the game and take a more analytical approach that the flaws become more apparent. The cutscene-to-gameplay ratio is a bit imbalanced, especially the deeper into the game you go. The first couple of chapters had a good balance, but once Kojima starts hitting you with the big revelations in chapter 3, that goes out the window. While they make for good boss fights, the B&B Corps arent good villains. Ive still never been able to figure out if Kojima was just trolling the fanbase or he thought it was what we really wanted when Drebin calls and gives you a long story about each member after you beat them. Some of the answers to the big mysteries arent very satisfying, especially when nanomachines is the explanation over and over again. I dont think Kojima ever really planned to give clear answers to some of these things until the fanbase started clamoring for them.

But like I said, in the moment, Metal Gear Solid 4 is good. The gameplay is really fun when you actually have access to it. The Octocamo system is really clever and fun to mess around with. Its cool to see how many different ways Snake can hide in plain sight from enemies. The combat is much smoother than any of the previous MGS games, and there are a lot of fun boss fights as a result. The last boss might be my favorite fight in the entire series, and its a perfect tribute to the series as a whole. As an aside, I've got to say that Liquid Ocelot might be my favorite single game villain performance ever. Patric Zimmerman is masterful playing him here, and I didn't even miss Cam Clarke by the time I was done with the game.

Metal Gear Solid 4s fanservice is so good. I know people talk a lot about Chapter 4 in that regard, and for good reason, but as a Metal Gear Solid 3 fan (list spoilers), I loved Chapter 3 as well. The ending goes off the rails at times, but for the most part, I still thought it was cool. Even if youre not a fan of the ending, it could have been worse! If youve never looked up Kojimas original ending idea (that the development team had to force him not to go with), check it out and youll be fine with what we got instead! Also, I will say that while I do miss having Solid Snake around in the series, I do appreciate that Kojima kept his word that this would be his swan song. It would have undone some of the specialness of Metal Gear Solid 4 had he brought him back for a sequel. Plus, it meant we got more Big Boss, and Im cool with that, too!

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LeonhartFour
02/09/20 3:45:59 AM
#352:


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LinkMarioSamus
02/09/20 7:05:45 AM
#353:


I remember liking MGS4 a lot while playing it but in hindsight some of the plot revelations regarding previous games rub me the wrong way. Also reminiscent in hindsight of the problems with the Star Wars sequel trilogy to me a little.

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LordoftheMorons
02/09/20 7:10:23 AM
#354:


One of these days I'll get back to MGS4

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Nelson_Mandela
02/09/20 9:57:26 AM
#355:


MGS4 was the game that I selected to get me back into gaming after a nearly 10 year hiatus. It weirdly played perfectly into my emotions by relying as heavily on nostalgia as it does.

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Mac Arrowny
02/09/20 10:05:34 AM
#356:


The codec conversations are the worst thing about MGS4. They don't have any of the joy that the conversations in MGS1-3 did.

MMX2 so good. It's a bit on the easy side, but that's okay. I played it a lot when I was younger. Awesome replay value.

I just wish AAI2 had better pacing. I feel like every single case in the game is too long, including the first.

Incidentally, regarding something from earlier in the topic: it looks like GTA5 on PS4 has sold ~19 million copies, which would make that the top-selling PS4 game I think (unless RDR2 or Minecraft are ahead).
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Leonhart4
02/09/20 10:19:01 AM
#357:


Oh yeah, MGS4's Codec is so bad I didn't even think to mention it. Otacon has some really good conversations, but it just needed more variety.

And yeah, AAI2 is too long sometimes. E2-2 is where I feel it the most because I'm just not a fan of that case.

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LinkMarioSamus
02/09/20 10:25:37 AM
#358:


To be fair I think the idea is that Snake and Otacon are kind of in it for themselves for the most part - you know he whole Philanthropy thing. Probably the reason why MGS2 didn't center on Snake lol.

I think I prefer 2 to 4 but I'd have to replay 4 to make sure.

Also the reason we don't get hyped up for games anymore is because we get hyped up for movies instead!

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Leonhart4
02/09/20 12:42:27 PM
#359:


We don't get hyped up for movies the way we got hyped up for MGS4 and Brawl either.

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LeonhartFour
02/09/20 2:30:31 PM
#360:


#57. Nier: Automata


Its like Nier, but with a budget! Seriously though, Automata manages to improve on most of the gameplay deficiencies of the original. I didnt think the combat in the first game was bad, per se, but it just got repetitive and you didnt have a lot of enemy variety. Automata still has too many filler sidequests that arent very fun, but at least you can ignore the ones you dont like. Its a major improvement graphically as well, obviously, but I also think it has the same issue of the world feeling very small. You end up revisiting the same handful of locations over and over again. I get that it makes sense in context for Niers world to be small, but a few more places to see wouldve been nice.

But the important thing is that Automata retains all the strengths of the original Nier. If you enjoyed the first game, I find it hard to imagine you wouldnt like this one. The soundtrack is one of the biggest strengths of the first Nier, and its still a strength here. It has a small but likable cast, and you get invested in what happens to them as they unravel the mysteries of the world around them. You have a plot that seems fairly straightforward on your first run through the game, but it really begins to shine as you peel back the layers while unlocking the other endings. There are two things you can count on with a Yoko Taro story: Its going to be dark, and its going to be crazy. Route C is when Automata starts getting crazy, and it doesnt waste any time, hitting you hard with some unexpected twists almost immediately. I imagine some of the big moments hit you differently depending on whether you played the original Nier first because there were a few story beats I saw coming because I had the benefit of knowing the first games plot. Either way, if you enjoy games with shocking twists aplenty, then Automata is right up your alley.

I really like the main theme that Automata attempts to explore. Most of the characters you encounter are non-organic androids who have been crafted to look like humans and behave the way they think humans should, so the game spends a lot of time exploring what it means to be alive and what it means to be human, in a sense. The story often takes a philosophical approach that really makes you think. Also, Ive gotta give major props to how well done the ending is. The presentation is excellent and might be the most memorable part of the game for me. It has interactive elements to it, and the game allows you to ask for assistance in clearing it. Well, I tried to be stubborn and clear it all by myself. Its theoretically possible (Ive seen a YouTube video of someone doing it), but its incredibly difficult. I feel like I got pretty far before I finally relented and let the game help, and I honestly dont regret it. It was amazing the way the game brought all of it together.

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Nelson_Mandela
02/09/20 2:35:55 PM
#361:


Leonhart4 posted...
We don't get hyped up for movies the way we got hyped up for MGS4 and Brawl either.
I can vouch that Brawl was the most insanely hyped and fun I've ever this board for the release of any piece of media ever

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Kamekguy
02/09/20 2:43:59 PM
#362:


I always feel like the strength of Nier and Automata is how you can go as deep as you'd like into the themes of the game. If you're just there for the action, you can bail at Ending A and have not as satisfying a time, but at least reflect on it fondly or come back later. But every additional ending and sidequest builds upon the main thesis of the game or ties back into its themes somehow before culminating in the "final" ending. For someone far too obsessed with seeing ALL of the content in the game, the smaller scope of the world combined with the thematic payoff was WAY stronger than a variety in sidequest objectives, no matter how repetitive; gotta work to get rewards y'know?

Have been lurking, but really enjoying the rankings nonetheless! Seeing everything as basically a natural progression of your interests and how individual elements of games get highlighted and expanded upon is really cool.

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xp1337
02/09/20 4:46:19 PM
#363:


Nier Automata is so good. I feel like I've written about it a few times in other lists so sorry you're getting this discount version. Route C is a masterpiece, 9S's character arc is incredible, the OST is incredible. Devola and Popola are incredible. You even get a Drakengard 3 shoutout!

goty 2017 except not because 2017 was the most ridiculous year in gaming but it should be a goty so let's just give it some other year.

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LordoftheMorons
02/09/20 4:51:09 PM
#364:


Automata is great.

The one flaw I think it has (which I dont really mind) is Route B being pretty repetitive. I mostly think this is a problem because it will cause some people to stop the game there when its not over yet at all and routes C-E are the best parts.

The true ending was also fantastic. Ive always wondered if the very first people to beat the game actually had to go through the bullet hell sequence without help or if the developers seeded it with fake people for assistance!

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LeonhartFour
02/09/20 5:43:28 PM
#365:


#56. Chrono Trigger


Ive said this about Chrono Trigger many times. I dont think it does any one thing better than any other game ever has, but it just does everything well. It feels like there are very few flaws to pick at, and the ones that do exist are pretty minor. I know its such a nebulous term we use to describe a certain feeling that we cant quite explain, but Chrono Trigger is just full of charm. Akira Toriyamas distinctive art style provides some memorable character designs, and the world is so colorful and vibrant. It has an upper tier soundtrack that sets the mood for each scene and location so well.

One of my favorite things about Chrono Trigger is, of course, the plot that revolves around time traveling! Its so cool seeing how your actions in one time period impact events in the others, even with little things. It even goes so far as to determine what type of ending you get. Chrono Trigger has multiple endings depending on what you have and havent done at the time you choose to fight the last boss (which you can do at almost any time in a New Game+ file). My favorite time period is 12,000 B.C. because thats where you learn a lot of the games lore. Plus, the game takes a more serious tone here, and a lot of the major plot events revolve around it.

The battle system is pretty straightforward, but the presentation is outstanding. Transitions from the field to battle are practically seamless, and its cool to see the characters moving around the battlefield, even if it doesnt actually impact the fighting itself. The most fun thing about Chrono Triggers battle system is the ability for multiple characters to combine moves and perform a tech. You can perform Double Techs and Triple Techs, depending on which characters you have in your party and what skills they already have. My party of choice in the game is Crono/Frog/Ayla because I love me some X-Strike, Falcon Hit, and Slurp Kiss. Regardless, one of the nice things about Chrono Trigger is that pretty much every party combination is viable and has some cool techs at their disposal, so you can roll with whatever you like best. Its hard to find a game that just looks and feels as smooth as this one does.

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Anagram
02/09/20 5:49:53 PM
#366:


It's still weird to me how MGS4 and MGSV just made no attempt at fun codec conversations outside of the hamburgers thing in V.

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LeonhartFour
02/09/20 5:51:25 PM
#367:


Anagram posted...
It's still weird to me how MGS4 and MGSV just made no attempt at fun codec conversations outside of the hamburgers thing in V.

And that wasn't even a Codec thing! That was a tape. Codec might as well not even exist in MGSV. MGS4 at least has memorable stuff, especially in Chapter 4 as Snake and Otacon revel in the nostalgia. Well, mostly Otacon, but still...!

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xp1337
02/09/20 6:24:50 PM
#368:


12000 BC is definitely the best CT era. Music, characters, story, everything.

Chrono Trigger is an all-time classic and did so many cool little things that I don't know if it was the first but heck you don't always even see these days. NG+, the boss music changing for Queen Zeal in Black Omen to Magus's Theme if he's in the party, the changes in scenes or boss battles - sometimes with major consequences - depending on party composition.

Excellent game that was ahead of its time in so many ways and holds up even now.

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Leonhart4
02/09/20 6:28:34 PM
#369:


Yeah, there are so many cool little touches that CT implemented that we sort of take for granted now but were so rare back then, if not completely unheard of.

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SeabassDebeste
02/09/20 6:48:54 PM
#370:


CT is def one of my all time faves. love the cast, the battle system, the soundtrack, the storyline... my only qualm with it is that i've always kinda struggled with knowing what to do for the endgame sidequests.
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Nelson_Mandela
02/09/20 7:02:01 PM
#371:


CT 53 spots too low

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Mac Arrowny
02/09/20 7:45:03 PM
#372:


SeabassDebeste posted...
CT is def one of my all time faves. love the cast, the battle system, the soundtrack, the storyline... my only qualm with it is that i've always kinda struggled with knowing what to do for the endgame sidequests.


I found the sidequests easy enough to figure out as 9 year old.
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Leonhart4
02/09/20 8:01:01 PM
#373:


SeabassDebeste posted...
CT is def one of my all time faves. love the cast, the battle system, the soundtrack, the storyline... my only qualm with it is that i've always kinda struggled with knowing what to do for the endgame sidequests.

I mean, I've never had an issue with using a guide for sidequests, especially on replays. I do think CT is fairly intuitive though.

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Kamekguy
02/09/20 8:04:59 PM
#374:


I've always felt that Chrono Trigger is weird in that normal encounters kinda just felt like time wasters to grind up TP in a majority of circumstances; most bosses pre-Black Omen are set up so that whatever sexy new Party Member you got will probably roll them, but there's at least still a level of engagement there and the spectacle is top-notch. Most of CT's strength as an RPG relies on the Ocean Palace and beyond, and it just feels so odd that it's such a late bloomer of an RPG in that sense, but the presentation is so top-notch and the pacing so brisk it rarely feels like it. Definitely one I appreciated more on replay than on first playthrough.

Absolutely ahead of its time, though. You can still feel the effect the game has on party composition and the general attitude toward grinding in JRPG's today.

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 12:24:35 AM
#375:


#55. Last Window: The Secret of Cape West


Man, am I glad I bought this game before it became more expensive and difficult to find! This will probably be one of the lesser played games on this list since it never got an official American release, but thankfully, the Nintendo DS is region-free, so you can import from Europe and play it no problem. I really liked Hotel Dusk (the predecessor of this game), so Im glad there was a way to play this game because its even better! The first game focused more on what happened to the old partner of Kyle Hyde (the protagonist) on the police force, so you didnt really get to learn a lot about Kyle himself. Last Window deals with an event from Kyles childhood about his father. I found the overarching mystery here to be much more compelling than the one in Hotel Dusk.

If youve never played either game, theyre basically point and click adventures in the style of Ace Attorney, where you investigate various locations, gather clues, and grill characters for information by asking the right questions. Its a bit contrived that all the people related to the mystery at hand happen to be staying in the same hotel/apartment complex at the same time, but eh, Ill let it slide. The game does occasionally give you puzzles to solve, too, and some of them can be frustrating. There are a couple that make use of Nintendo DS features, like one where you have to close the lid most of the way, but not all of the way (since that would put the game into rest mode) in order to solve one, which seems really unintuitive. You also have to make sure you have the right items for the right task, since you can pick up items to carry with you. However, there are times when you need to make sure you dont have certain items on you because if a particular character catches you with it, it can lead to a game over. There are a lot more opportunities to get a nonstandard game over in Last Window than in Hotel Dusk, too, so you have to be extra careful.

As for the characters, Kyle Hyde is a fantastic protagonist because hes a hardboiled detective with plenty of snark to spare who isnt afraid to ask the hard-hitting questions, but deep down, he does have a caring side that he occasionally allows other people to see. A few of the important characters from Hotel Dusk return alongside Kyle as well, but I think I prefer Last Windows exclusive cast over the first games as a whole. I also really like the art style because it fits the retro vibe of the game and its unique. It just adds to the overall mood of the game. If youre a fan of point and click style mystery games, then you should give Hotel Dusk and Last Window (if youre lucky enough to find it at an affordable price, that is) a shot. Theyre really well-made games that deserve more publicity and praise.

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LordoftheMorons
02/10/20 6:01:11 AM
#376:


Oh jeeze that is stupidly expensive

I kinda want to play it, but not for a hundred bucks

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SeabassDebeste
02/10/20 7:45:55 AM
#377:


thought i'd love HD but i just absolutely could not get into it. i don't remember if i didn't know what to do or what but i got less than an hour in or something
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cyko
02/10/20 8:07:42 AM
#378:


Kyle Hyde is a criminally underrated character. He and Professor Layton have been my two most wanted Smash Bros characters for a long time.

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AxemRedRanger
02/10/20 9:11:11 AM
#379:


Last Window isnt that expensive, just be prepared to potentially pay new game-ish prices for a used but complete-in-box game and wait for a reasonable listing on eBay, shouldnt even take very long. Nobody actually pays the currently-listed amazon prices for rare-ish out of print games anyways, its just nobody ever buys from the weirdos who list them that stupidly high so the latter stick around forever.

source: bought and played last window a few months ago, was good. Not on my top 100 but I wasnt super into Hotel Dusk either.

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 9:47:09 AM
#380:


cyko posted...
Kyle Hyde is a criminally underrated character. He and Professor Layton have been my two most wanted Smash Bros characters for a long time.

I love Kyle but there's no way he'd get into Smash. I don't even know what you'd do with him or how to keep his vintage look from the games!

AxemRedRanger posted...
Last Window isnt that expensive, just be prepared to potentially pay new game-ish prices for a used but complete-in-box game and wait for a reasonable listing on eBay, shouldnt even take very long. Nobody actually pays the currently-listed amazon prices for rare-ish out of print games anyways, its just nobody ever buys from the weirdos who list them that stupidly high so the latter stick around forever.

source: bought and played last window a few months ago, was good. Not on my top 100 but I wasnt super into Hotel Dusk either.

I mean, yeah, it's doable. You just gotta be willing to be patient, keep an eye out, and wait it out.

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Moonroof
02/10/20 11:36:22 AM
#381:


I cant get over how terrible these games are. Last a Window? Never even heard of it.
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NFUN
02/10/20 11:40:29 AM
#382:


Moonroof posted...
I cant get over how terrible these games are. Last a Window? Never even heard of it.
so how do you know it's terrible

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 11:41:24 AM
#383:


I can't get over how terrible of a user you are. I'll save you the trouble of feeling the need to come in here with your feeble trolling attempts by blocking you. Congrats on joining Tsunami as the only other user on my ignore list and understand this means that you are truly unreadable. You will not be missed.

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 11:59:17 AM
#384:


#54. ESPN Extreme Games


This is probably the game this high up on my list that will raise the most eyebrows! Im not sure very many people on Board 8 have played this one. It was one of the earliest Playstation 1 games, and I still have the huge case it came in. My best friend and I poured countless hours into this game in the early days of the console and even beyond. Whenever he came over to visit, Extreme Games was almost always played at least once. Its not like either one of us even cared about the real X Games (because we didnt), but this game isnt a reflection of the real thing anyway!

Extreme Games isnt a game where youre doing tricks and whatnot on a closed course for a specific competition to score the most points. Its a straight up racing game where the racecourses are through the streets of various cities, from San Francisco and Lake Tahoe to South America and Italy. The competitors are a mix of cyclists, skateboarders, rollerbladers, and luge boarders. I always thought the bike was the best option because you can run over certain obstacles and not get knocked over like all the other types. I never really used the luge unless I just wanted a challenge because its so easy to get stuck in a situation where you have no forward momentum and have to go backwards to get going again. And yes, you read that right! There are obstacles all over the racecourse, from barrels and tires to literal animals that you can run over and kill (as demonstrated in the picture above)! There are even course-specific obstacles, like the tram cars in San Francisco. You can even punch and kick the other racers if youre next to them! There are also various gates littered throughout the course, and if you can get through all of them, you can go to a bonus level. There are even shortcuts and secret paths.

The fun thing about playing this game is that my best friend and I were terrible at this game at first. We would regularly finish last or pretty close. There are cutscenes after every race where Suzy Kolber (yes, the actual ESPN anchor) would praise you if you won or absolutely crush you if you lost. She motivated us to get better so we could shove it in her face once we got good and refused to accept her praise once she started changing her tune about us. If you werent with us at the beginning, you dont deserve to be with us at the end! Video games are weird sometimes, man. They evoke strange reactions out of you even though you know they arent real. Just watch these cutscenes and see what I mean for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCYLw7bsIng

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Nelson_Mandela
02/10/20 12:06:03 PM
#385:


Haha well that sure is a pick! Kind of reminds me of how Jet Moto was for me--an early PSX game that isn't objectively that good but just overflowing with nostalgia and countless hours when you didn't have much else to play.

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 12:09:05 PM
#386:


hey now Extreme Games was solid!

2Xtreme and 3Xtreme were not very good though

also they had to cut out the Suzy Kolber cutscenes after the ESPN licensing expired and they renamed the Greatest Hits version 1Xtreme to link it to the other two which is a shame

to this day I still remember her complete dismissiveness as she called me a scrub

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Nelson_Mandela
02/10/20 12:18:35 PM
#387:


Oh this is 1Xtreme? I've played this series then

I remember playing 2Xtreme on the "Interactive CD" a ton in like 1997

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Leonhart4
02/10/20 12:22:39 PM
#388:


Yeah, I meant to mention that for the sake of clarity but I forgot. It's not exactly the same version I played, but yeah.

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RPGlord95
02/10/20 12:24:38 PM
#389:


Skitchin'

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Zylothewolf
02/10/20 2:58:53 PM
#390:


I had a demo version of this game. I dont know how many times Ive played through what I assume is the least challenging stage.

But it looks like a game that I should let it be a great memory and not give it a try today.

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Leonhart4
02/10/20 3:15:57 PM
#391:


Well, if you can't get the original version, I wouldn't bother.

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Dr_Football
02/10/20 4:32:01 PM
#392:


Pretty sure I had 3Xtreme for the short period of time I had a PS1.

all I remember having is that, Rampage World Tour, and one of the Triple Play games

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 5:57:33 PM
#393:


#53. Brave Fencer Musashi


Oh hey, its the game that came with the Final Fantasy VIII demo! Seriously, the only reason I got this game to begin with was so I could have that demo, which I played so many times that I honestly kind of dread the SeeD exam during my replays of FFVIII (since thats what the demo covered). I just got tired of playing that part over time. Anyway, after a while, I did eventually decide to give Brave Fencer Musashi a shot since I already had it. Might as well see if its any good! Im pretty sure this was the game that sold me on the idea that every Square game was basically must-play during that stretch from 1997 to 2001. I even played friggin Ehrgeiz just so I could play as all the Final Fantasy VII characters in it! Unlike Ehrgeiz, this game is actually good though!

Brave Fencer Musashi is probably the first game I played that had extensive voice acting. They even managed to get some pretty big names, headlined by Steve Blum, Kirk Thornton, and Wendee Lee. I appreciate the lighter tone of this game and the fact that it never takes itself too seriously. Most of the characters and locations are food-related puns. As Musashi, your home base is Grillin Village in the Allucaneet Kingdom, as you seek to protect Princess Fillet from the evil Thirstquencher Empire, led by Fuhrer Flatski and Colonel Capricciola. Other characters include twin sisters Bubbles and Gingerelle, Steward Ribson, and Butler Livers. I could go on and on, but you get the idea! I enjoy me some good puns, and it makes it easier to have fun with the world and the characters in it.

The gameplay is pretty fun, too. Musashi has two swords, Fusion and Lumina. Fusion is a smaller katana that you use to absorb enemies and acquire skills from them. Its more like Kirby than Mega Man in that you dont get to keep the powers permanently. You can only have one at a time, and if you want a different power, you have to give up the one you have. The game is pretty good about putting enemies in the right place if you need their powers to clear an obstacle or something of that nature. Lumina is a larger broadsword that gets powered up as you unlock elemental scrolls, so youll eventually learn earth powers, fire powers, and so on. The dungeons and bosses in the game are very good, especially toward the end. However, the one I didnt like was the Steamwood tree where you have to turn off all the valves before it explodes from too much pressure, and the game makes you do it on two separate occasions! Why?!

Speaking of why, if youre a fan of this game and you havent played Samurai Legend Musashi, just dont. That might be one of the biggest disappointments in my gaming life. It just doesnt have any of the magic or charm of the original, and the voice acting is so very bad. The person playing Musashi is clearly a woman trying to sound like a boy. I just wanted to put that out there just so I could vent about how utterly disappointed I was by the sequel.

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 5:58:17 PM
#394:


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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 10:49:20 PM
#395:


Hmmm...I'd like to finish this list by my birthday. I think as long as I do 2 per day (and occasionally 3), I should be able to manage it.

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LeonhartFour
02/10/20 10:53:57 PM
#396:


Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that this was my favorite song in Undertale in the context of the game.

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

It's used so well.

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Leonhart4
02/11/20 4:49:08 PM
#397:


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LeonhartFour
02/11/20 6:50:20 PM
#398:


#52. Mortal Kombat II


I have a weird relationship with the Mortal Kombat series. I havent physically played a game since Mortal Kombat 4, but Ive actually kept up with the lore for the most part the whole way. Like I said before, fighting game lore tends to be pretty fascinating for me, but I wasnt willing to put up with playing bad games to get it. However, even though the series started getting good again with Mortal Kombat 9, I still havent played any of the most recent ones. Ive just watched their story modes on YouTube. If you enjoy a crazy plot, then Id recommend Mortal Kombat 9 because thats one of the craziest fighting game stories Ive ever seen that still managed to be good.

Anyway, the first Mortal Kombat was one of the original controversial video games because of all the blood and the Fatalities. I dont know that it was actually that good of a game, although it certainly looked cool and it was a neat homage to Bloodsport (the best Jean Claude Van Damme movie, for the record). Mortal Kombat II felt like an upgrade in almost every way. The fighting mechanics are better, the graphics are really good for the time (the characters and especially the backgrounds look fantastic), and the expanded roster introduced some fan favorites that are still around today, like Kitana, Mileena, Smoke, and Jax. Ive always been a Sub-Zero guy throughout the series, but MK2 has a lot of fun characters. They expanded on the number of Fatalities each character could perform, as well as adding silly things like Friendships, Animalities, and Babalities. Mortal Kombat II had so many secrets and Easter Eggs, and a large part of the fun was trying to unlock and access them all. This is also where the story started to get crazy (like finding out that the Sub-Zero in MK2 is the younger brother of the MK1 version, who ended up being killed by Scorpion) and you learned that anyone could die.

Also, I remember the arcade mode in Mortal Kombat II being hard, especially toward the end. The difficulty slowly scales as you progress, and it culminates in back to back fights against Kintaro and Shao Kahn, who almost always destroyed me. Kintaro was crazy, and in the rare event I managed to get past him, I usually got bodied by Shao Kahn. I havent played MK2 in forever, so Im not sure if it was just hard for me as a kid and wasnt really that tough, but I dont recall having anywhere near this amount of trouble with Goro/Shang Tsung in MK1 or Motaro/Shao Kahn in MK3 (Motaro in particular was super easy to cheese because he couldnt handle any kind of jump kick). Maybe MK2s final bosses really are that much harder!

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LeonhartFour
02/11/20 7:12:17 PM
#399:


also I should mention that I was responsible for getting Mortal Kombat II into the 2009 Games Contest because it was my Add/Remove topic that gained the traction needed to get it in over Super Street Fighter II Turbo

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Nelson_Mandela
02/11/20 7:33:28 PM
#400:


Leon were you a Genesis --> PSX kid? Because our tastes and gaming idiosyncrasies are heavily overlapping

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"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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