Board 8 > Epyo's Top 100 Games of All Time (with write-ups)

(+) Yeah! (+)

This is a very fun list so far

wallmasterz posted...

Got all 180 emblems in SA2B for GameCube back in the day. Fun times

Jeez that's impressive, my siblings spent forever on it and didn't even get halfway.

--------------------

#83 Day of the Tentacle

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/6/9/AABIPnAADiKh.jpg

I've played a fair share of point-and-click adventure games from the 80s/90s/00s, and this is my favorite by far.

Yeah, figuring out what to do, is still mostly using every item in your inventory, on every screen, until something works... HOWEVER the solution is either inherently funny, has a hilarious animation, or, has a memorable voice line from a nearby character, about what you just did.

The voice-acted dialogue is my favorite in probably any video game. Each character's voice is a lovable absurd charicature, burned into my memory. There are some dumb voice lines that still pop into my mind once a month ("what was your wife's name again? sandy. oh, yeah.").

It's vaguely Bill & Ted as a cartoon game: a time-travel comedy plot, with slacker teens begrudgingly saving the world. But it's all in one location, which improves the time-travel puzzles, by using the video game puzzle trope of "change it in the past, to change it in the future".

BEST LEVEL: The "Past" is my favorite, pranking on the founding fathers as they try to write the declaration or whatever.

OOH and we're on page 2 so here's a recap:

100-Winigolf
99-Fall Guys
98-Desktop Tower Defense
97-Desert Golfing
96-Riven
95-Minesweeper
94-Unpacking
93-Doom 3
92-Golf Peaks
91-Hydro Thunder
90-Zelda: A Link to the Past
89-Dusk
88-Trials Evolution
87-Yoku's Island Express
86-Darwinia
85-Wii Sports Resort
84-Sonic Adventure 2
83-Day of the Tentacle

Denji posted...

This is a very fun list so far

Aww thanks!

Treasure hunting stages in SA2 are diet Mario 64.

LinkMarioSamus posted...

Treasure hunting stages in SA2 are diet Mario 64.

Whaaaaaaaaaa but the randomization! That's the best part!!

--------------------------

#82 Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/8/8/AABIPnAADiPg.jpg

I loved how in Zelda Breath of the Wild, there was the encyclopedia of animal species, and you could take camera pics of each species to fill out the book... This is an entire game about that exact mechanic!!! Which is AWESOME.

In addition it's extremely cute. You're a little 5 year old kid, so all the adults are super nice to you. Meanwhile there's a corporation trying to build a big building on a wetland, and you're trying to convince everybody to stop them.

I came for the satisfying catch-em-all-style photography, I stayed for the endearing feel-good underdog story.

Also, extremely soothing sound effects and atmosphere. The Witness vibes, but better.

BEST LEVEL: The early stuff with the Dolphin is probably my favorite part. I planned to just check the game out, but that part was adorable and hooked me.

I kind of meant for that to be a complement of a sort? They're diet in so far as not being as fleshed out due to not being the whole game.

I agree with this being a great list so far. A ton of heat unexpected choices so far instead of just the usual Zelda/FF/Mario etc that typically dominates

Interesting to see Day of the Tentacle on a top list, especially over Grim Fandango which I thought was much better.

Johnbobb posted...

I agree with this being a great list so far. A ton of heat unexpected choices so far instead of just the usual Zelda/FF/Mario etc that typically dominates

damn where were you when I posted my top 50 with none of those games

I didn't play Grim Fandango :c (or the Monkey Islands!) Maybe you're right and it's better!

LinkMarioSamus posted...

I kind of meant for that to be a complement of a sort? They're diet in so far as not being as fleshed out due to not being the whole game.

LOL yeah after I walked away I thought, wait, I only drink diet soda, why did I think that was a bad thing.

But yeah they do remind me of Mario 64 now that you mention it, being open playgrounds and all.

They should make a Mario 64 randomizer that hides stars in unusual places, and provides clues somehow. I bet that already exists.

-----------

#81 Pac-Man: Arrangement (Arcade Version)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/0/3/AABIPnAADiUb.jpg

Pac-Man (in general) plays perfectly, and I expect it always will. I'm never not in the mood for some Pac-Man. It's just too fun to dodge ghosts and eat pellets. I don't even need the power pellet part of the game, that part is just icing on the cake (but it is very good icing though!).

As much as I think speedrunning is super cool and the ultimate test of human skill, I find mastery of Pac-Man just as awe-inspiring. Speed is cool, but the tactics of managing those ghosts perfectly is fascinating, to me.

My Game Pac of choice is "Pac-Man: Arrangement". I think the main innovation in it is fantastic: there is a 5th nerdy ghost, and the other ghosts can eat him! ...And if they do, they *level up* into stronger taller versions of themselves, with abilities. For example, if the red ghost levels up, he gets a long-range dash attack! So you really wanna eat that 5th ghost whenever you see him!

In addition, Pac-Man Arrangement looks cool as hell, it's got this colorful top-down art style I've never seen before (love the occasional stairs), and after 20 unique levels, it ends with a decent boss fight! I've never made it that far without using a Continue though.

BEST LEVEL: Level 3-2 is a hedge maze (cool) with a ton of dash panels (fun) and very few walls (easy!). (4-3 and 4-4 are the coolest looking levels though, inside a temple.)

#80 Ristar (Sega Genesis Version)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/1/7/4/AABIPnAADiXG.jpg

This game is "what if sonic 3's game structure, but with better gameplay?? Also maybe the best music on the genesis???"

I think this has the best "platformer gameplay" of the 16-bit era. It turns out, you can make levels much more interesting, if you just add an "interact" button--in this case, the fun Grab mechanic (i.e. SMB2 USA). Grab enemies, grab hooks and fling yourself off of them, grab and carry keys, grab monkey bars, ladders, pulleys, whatever. Opens the design space, but doesn't overcomplicate or slow things down, like Yoshi's Island's egg throwing kinda does.

Also, like a good sonic game, the levels have multiple paths through them, and have secrets to look for, for replayability. The secret bonus stages, are super fun short "speedrun stages", 100% worth finding and playing (unlike any Sonic special stage ever).

(Also this is gonna sound weird, but the intermission cutscene+music, when you travel between zones? Ridiculously satisfying. Ristar players know what I'm talking about.)

BEST LEVEL: Zone 5 Act 1, basically ice cap zone. Good mainly because the boss is a snowball fight against your rival--how cute is that!!!!! All the act 1 bosses in this game are really good, they're less like bosses and more like unexpected little challenges.

Great list so far!
Don't know half of the games on it, but that makes it all the more interesting.

Well here's one you know!

# 79 Stardew Valley

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/0/2/AABIPnAADicO.jpg

I am NOT a fan of the harvest moon genre, and, i HATE games with a lot of dialog.

But Stardew has so much *heart*, you HAVE to love it. I think I have a giant soft spot for games made by extremely small teams, especially one-person teams. You can just FEEL the developer's passion, for what they love about video games. It warms my heart.

In hindsight, I don't even know if I actually *like* most of the individual parts of this game. But it's how they come together as a whole, that makes it. However, I DO like the community center checklists, those are crucially great.

BEST ACTIVITY: Best fishing in any game, by 1000 miles, for me. Put it in WoW please. If this game was just a fishing-themed game, I might have liked it even more.

No fishing for me, thanks. Playing Helicopter/Flappy Bird without seeing the terrain ahead (and getting carpal tunnel if you're clicking for any length of time) is a pass.

#78 Forager

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/9/0/AABIPnAADigu.jpg

This is like Stardew Valley, but with all the heart taken out. No heart, barely any story, barely any dialog. (So...way more up my alley!)

Instead, it's all about systems, and upgrades. Non-stop. So many upgrades your brain can't even keep up. "I can mine these rocks HOW FAST NOW?? OH IM GONNA BE RICH!" That happens every 5 minutes.

And then a minute later, they introduce another gameplay system, and you're like, WTF this is in the game too?? Sweet!!! You can't even believe how many little systems are in the game. Are they good? Who cares, you don't even have time to think about whether they're good, they just handed you another one.

I've always wanted to get into the Factorio genre, but I don't have the energy, after my day job. But, Forager gives me a fraction of that genre's satisfaction, for a fraction of the effort.

BEST LEVEL: Uhhhhhh I dunno there's a spooky biome that's pretty cute I guess. Gravestones instead of rocks, kinda funny.

Funny story, I had Super Mario Galaxy 2 up next, but I just couldn't find enough good things to say about it, besides the graphical style. And I couldn't find a level good enough to be a favorite...so I'm just removing it from the list, lol!!

I thought it was one of my all time favorites...but maybe I want to like it, more than I actually do...

It's ok though, there's a game I'm putting back in my top 10, that I originally disqualified entirely, because you can't play it anymore. I'll just remove that rule.

-----------

#77 Splatoon

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/4/AABIPnAADij6.jpg

The single player actually reminds me a lot of the creativity of Mario Galaxy 1+2...but maybe better. 3D Mario's abilities, just aren't as satisfying as Splatoons's (Mario Galaxy bee suit sux tbh). And the fun squid movement and the ink guns let you interact with the levels in smooth wacky ways.

And then Turf War (the main online mode) is genius game design, IMO. The area control is fun itself of course, but in addition, I love that gaining turf is the main way to build your "ult"--as opposed to games like Overwatch, where winning fights gets you Ults, so win you more fights, etc, leading to steamroll matches.

Steamroll rounds are IMO one of the biggest problems with online matchmade games, but it really doesn't feel like a big issue in Splatoon--especially since it always feels like you can gain just enough turf in the last 10 seconds to win. Also best of all: the matches are like 3 minutes long. Can't be mad with 3 minute matches.

If the netcode wasn't horrible, this might be in my top 20.

I have Splatoon 1 instead of 2 here, only because I spent more time with 1. Maybe 2 is better. I should really play that 2 DLC.

BEST LEVEL: The turf war maps are all quite good!! I think I will go with Moray Towers (see picture), I have fond memories of it, and it's an extremely unique map design, for online shooters. Iconic, even.

Tag

#76 Duck Game

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/2/6/AABIPnAADiw6.jpg

Some say that a game is a series of interesting decisions, and that's true. But that person forgot about the quack button.

I'm 100% serious. I don't really need depth, I don't need complexity, I don't need innovation. All of those are nice, but what I actually *need* is a button that quacks. I need buttons that feel good every time I hit them. That is the purpose of video games. Buttons that feel good.

I've only played this game by having 1-on-1 fights with a friend, but every time we play, I laugh so hard I cry. Every time we kill each other, it just gets funnier and funnier.

One of the best thing that happens constantly is when you both die simultaneously!! So classic. Better yet, when you both trap each other in Nets simultaneously, and are mashing buttons to escape first. More games need to encourage silly outcomes like this.

BEST LEVEL: Tiny platform, net guns only. As soon as that level appears on the screen, my eyes light up.

(Warning: Take this ranking with a grain of salt, because I played this game ONLY with friends and family, which is always a blast, even with a bad game.)

Denji posted...

This is a very fun list so far

This! You've got a real eclectic mix of stuff. I've only played about 8 of the games you've listed, but they're all good and things you don't usually see on lists like this. And now I have plenty of new games on my radar :)

I haven't played the original Hydro Thunder but I played Hurricane recently as it was free, it's a very fun time. Viking gods, dinosaurs, aliens, what's not to love? And I'm terrible at Pac-Man but Arrangement is my fav of that series, the extra ghost gimmick is good, the aesthetic is neat and most importantly the infinite continues mean I can actually see past the first few stages >_>

Epyo posted...

. All of those are nice, but what I actually *need* is a button that quacks.

Sounds like you'd like Stray

I'd also highly recommend Ultimate Chicken Horse for that local competitive multiplayer madness

Epyo posted...

BEST LEVEL: The turf war maps are all quite good!! I think I will go with Moray Towers (see picture), I have fond memories of it, and it's an extremely unique map design, for online shooters. Iconic, even.

FUCK MORAY TOWERS

andylt posted...

I haven't played the original Hydro Thunder but I played Hurricane recently as it was free, it's a very fun time. Viking gods, dinosaurs, aliens, what's not to love?

Omg I totally forgot :Hurricane existed, I didn't have the right console when it came out. I need to go back and play that.

(And yeah why is Pac Man Arrangement so unheard of...)

Johnbobb posted...

I'd also highly recommend Ultimate Chicken Horse for that local competitive multiplayer madness

YES the friend I played Duck Game with, at that time, we were also playing the heck out of Ultimate Chicken Horse, Lethal League, Wii Sports Resort Table Tennis, and ummmmm maybe a game or 2 later in the list.

Arti posted...

FUCK MORAY TOWERS

LOL. I blame the dumb thing they did where they only had 2 maps in the rotation, and only switched to 2 new maps every, like, 4 hours, or whatever.

#75 Super Mario Maker

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/1/1/AABIPnAADizz.jpg

I think designing video game levels, is the most brain-stimulating activity that exists. I reckon, the only reason I'm not a complete idiot today, is all the time I spent as a kid, making crappy levels in Doom, Bugworld, Chu Chu Rocket, and other games I can't remember.

And turns out, Mario is the perfect venue for level design practice, the interactions between components is just begging for experimentation and creativity.

The biggest innovation here is how it shuffles your levels to people, via the "100 Mario Challenge" mode, and you'll find out if they liked it. That feedback loop is how you actually get good at something! In any other game, finding people to play your level is a huge struggle.

It's too bad actually playing the 100 Mario Challenge is kinda torture. You kinda have to go in with an open mind. Don't expect to have fun. Just enjoy getting inside the gaming mind of some psycho stranger out there.

Also, ESPORTS!!!! Those Mario Blind Relay Races at recent GDQs are my favorite esports events I've ever seen, and the SGDQ 2022 ones were my favorite GDQ segments I've ever seen!!

BEST THEME: I really like the SMB1 + ghost house theme. For the novelty of course, but also the atmosphere is great, silly spooky, and it goes well with SMB1's more careful gameplay style. (Runner up, SMB1 + airship)

#74 San Francisco Rush 2049 (Dreamcast Version)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/9/4/AABIPnAADi1G.jpg

The local deathmatch is the main reason this makes the list, I love it so much. I think the key thing, is the weapon balance and weapon placement. Some of the weapons are absurdly powerful (e.g. the one-hit-kill homing missles). BUT they have a small clip (e.g. 3 shots), then someone else can grab it where it spawns.

So the meta is to *camp* the strongest weapon to keep control of it. But then players can avoid the area, or bring a good counter--like a defensive powerup, or, the worst weapon, a melee Rammer, is often a good counter--it blocks most strong attacks.

Or if you just get skilled with some of the weaker weapons, you can just rely on those...depending on the map.

There's also a "Stunt" mode and a "Racing" mode. They're really fun played as intended, but the best thing about 'em is is how huge and exploration-friendly the maps are, and how fun it is find the devilishly placed collectibles in them, which take some dexterity to get.

BEST LEVEL: The Stunt stage called "Disco", in the screenshot above. Just a giant techno skatepark, but for cars. It was on a demo disc, and we played it so much we just HAD to get the game.

(Warning: Take this ranking with a grain of salt, because I played this game with friends and family in 4 PLAYER MODE, which is always a blast, even with a bad game.)

and ANOTHER RACING GAME!

#73 F-Zero GX

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/3/9/AABIPnAADi_L.jpg

I can't believe anyone gives a crap about other single player racing games, when F-Zero GX exists.

Maybe I am just a sucker for fast games with high framerates. But WOW what an experience F-Zero GX is, I just played through it this year and it's still a blast.

OK, what else besides the thrilling visuals and super tight controls...

The story mode is really creative and cool! 10 interesting specially-designed courses with some neat story exposition for each one. Not sure why more racing games don't have this. (As everyone knows, it's a little too hard... That's kinda cool too though.)

BEST LEVEL: "Phantom Road: Slim-Line Slits" is super exciting and chaotic, it's so narrow that you're basically bouncing off walls non-stop. And the rainbowiness of it looks cool. (Not to be confused with story mode's Phantom Road track, which sux).

------------------

ALSO here is my complete ranking of the tracks!!

Favorites
Phantom Road: Slim-Line Slits
Outer Space: Meteor Stream (high speed, insanely cool looking)
Lightning: Half Pipe (great concept, looks cool, has thrilling lack of walls but not TOO dangerous)
Aeropolis: Screw Drive (omg you can pretty much hold down the booster button)

Awesome
Lightning: Loop Cross (looks very cool, love all the extremely smooth curves)
Green Plant: Spiral (a wacky unpredictable adventure, love the god rays)
Lightning: Thunder Road (a wacky adventure but maybe too easy)
Sand Ocean: Lateral Shift (great concept, exciting, maybe a little too dangerous)
Port Town: Aero Dive (not sure why I like it so much)

Good
Casino Palace: Split Oval (lots of floor boosties!!)
Fire Field: Undulation (hilarious concept)
Mute City: Serial Gaps (extremely exciting grand prix finale, so hard to win)
Big Blue: Ordeal (pretty exciting grand prix finale, good adventure)
Aeropolis: Dragon Slope (wacky adventure, but has some boring parts)
Port Town: Cylinder Wave (too much memorization of floor boosts, but a pretty good wacky adventure)

It's OK
Fire Field: Cylinder Knot (too much memorization of floor boosts)
Port Town: Long Pipe (good ideas, but kinda repetitive)
Mute City: Twist Road (nice and simple, but maybe too simple)
Big Blue: Drift Highway (nice and simple, but maybe too simple)
Aeropolis: Multiplex (can't remember it very well even after playing it twice)
Sand Ocean: Surface Slide (kinda too long, kinda dull)

Don't Like It That Much
Cosmo Terminal: Trident (so long, so narrow, and basically no walls ever, which means I can't go fast)
Mute City: Sonic Oval (too simple, also it's not in a grand prix)
Green Plant: Mobius Ring (too simple AND a little too long to be so simple)
Casino Palace: Double Branches (SO LONG, and I hate the narrow part with no walls)
Green Plant: Intersection (so long, so repetitive, needs more floor boosts)

F-Zero GX is my 4th favorite game of all-time, and wow our track preferences couldn't be much more different. My favorite track is Multiplex and my least favorite is Slim-Line Slits.

Are you sure you have the right phantom road?? 'Cause I agree the story mode one is the worst!

But yeah Multiplex is so many people's favorite course, I dunno why I don't get it... I do like the right angle U turns in it, I will say, after watching a video to remember it.

------------------

Last racing game for a while!!

#72 Trackmania (2020 Version)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/9/3/AABIPnAADjBl.jpg

High skill-ceiling online multiplayer game, BUT ALSO extremely chill casual friendly game. Sounds too good to be true!

If you don't know how it works, you're on a server with like 40 other people, on a wacky race course (probly user-created), and you have 6 minutes to clock the best time you can. You can instantly reset and try again whenver you want, but at the end of the 6 minutes, whoever has the best time wins.

For me, it's all about the chilling with random people in chat, trying to get as high on the scoreboard as I can (I never come in 1st, basically), judging the map (it's an endless stream of user-created maps), and listening to the server's built-in tunes along with everyone else.

You're not *really* competing, you're pushing each other to do better! In fact if someone sets a pretty-high-score on the server, people congratulate them. You don't see that in many games!!

Scoreboard chasing reminds me of old online shooters, when people didn't take winning so seriously, you just looked at your own score and did a little better every game.

BEST LEVEL: Star Wars Metallica, duh.

Finally a castlevania game...

#71 Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/3/3/AABIPnAADjCN.jpg

What's special about it, is how little it holds your hand, with the map and exploration. The map is *packed* with locked doors, side paths, dead ends, and general confusion. If you were someone who was disappointed in Metroid Dread's habit of locking off parts of the map to help you, well, this game is the opposite--you'll constantly be walking 20 mins in the wrong direction.

There's also a confusing mid-game surprise mechanic with the castle, that I quite like, although most people don't (I like how it fits with the story). But confusion IS something I'm looking for in a metroidvania, and this game has it.

Part of what makes getting lost not painful here (IMO), is the TWO dash buttons (L and R), making travelling fast and satisfying. More games need this.

I really enjoy the atmosphere of the game--it's as gothic as the series gets, even more than SotN, and I actually really like the ominous soundtrack, although I wouldn't listen to most of it on my own. The story, is not great, but it IS unsettlingly creepy in a way I like.

BEST SONG: "Offense and Defense", probably in my top 10 castlevania tracks (uhhh well let's say top 10%, stiff competition).

#70 Resident Evil: VIIIage

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/8/2/AABIPnAADjN6.jpg

Let's face it: we love goofy spooky stuff. Genuinely spooky stuff, ehh, is hit-or-miss, depending on the person. But goofy spooky? We all love it!!! It's part of why I love Castlevania, too.

And I reckon RE8 is the modern peak of goofy spooky. It's downright ECLECTIC! The game's charming characters cover the goofy spooky spectrum: we've got the sexy vampire family, the crazy doll, the mutated fish monster, we've got wolf people, werewolves, zombies, bug women, gargoyles, tall women, everyone's here! And they're perfect. The named villains are all incredibly lovable.

But let's also appreciate, RE8 has a lot of lovable pure GOOFINESS, without any spook involved. The duke? The ball physics puzzles?? Ethan's crappy dialogue??? "Why does everyone keep dying on me??????"

BEST LEVEL: The Beneviento house, which impressively manages to be genuinely scary, but you can't help but grin after it's over. After finishing the game I watched at least 4 streamers play through this part, just so I could enjoy it again.

#69 World of Goo

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/5/6/AABIPnAADjPE.jpg

This is a masterpiece of a bridge constructor game, that was a big hit when "indie games" first started being a popular term.

I guess the main twist over other bridge constructor games, is that you're building LIVE. Each piece you add might suddenly cause a collapse! So the fun part is, adding a piece, seeing everything start to buckle, then adding several more pieces quickly to save it.

Also, each level is a very unexpected scenario. They always introduce some wild new piece, obstacles, hazards, objectives, in fact, all of the above *simultaneously*. It's that indie game trick of "oh you thought you were playing this, but you're actually playing this, now."

Last of all it's an extremely polished game, with perhaps the most mass-appeal of any game I've ever played. I really think any non-gamer would enjoy and adore this game.

BEST LEVEL: Ivy Towers, in the above screenshot, in which you learn to crawl vertically.

Epyo posted...

#69 World of Goo

Sounds about right

wallmasterz posted...

Sounds about right

I hate that that made me laugh

Epyo posted...

BEST LEVEL: The Beneviento house

https://youtu.be/4uQjE3A2RQA?t=293

it's been 15 months since that dunkey video??? feels like yesterday

wallmasterz posted...

Sounds about right

lol

--------------------------------------------------

3 kinda boring picks coming up:

#68 Metroid Zero Mission

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/1/4/AABIPnAADjRi.jpg

Remakes are AWESOME. What's cooler than making a new game? Re-imagining an old game, making it 50 times better, without losing the fundamental soul of the original game and its world. I genuinely would not mind if 50% of all video games were remakes. (NOT remasters or HD upgrades, that's not good enough!)

Zero Mission is proof of the value of the Remake.

Because, Metroid 1 is a fascinating game, it has incredible POTENTIAL. I love the music and atmosphere, and I love its contributions to the metroidvania genre--it's just missing key metroidvania features like a map and lots of powerups... and as a result, Metroid 1 sucks. It's unplayable, today, IMO.

Metroid 1 is ONLY potential.

But through the magic of REMAKEs, Zero Mission lets us see the full potential of the once great Metroid 1! It captures that music and atmosphere, but makes it outstandingly playable. It's now an un-hateable video game, in the most un-hateable genre.

BEST LEVEL: Crateria! So cool to have a new area in Metroid 1.

One of the best Metroids.

FUCK YEAH Village and FUCK YEAH Beneviento. Looks like you caught yourself a big one!

If you like deep dives this is an excellent video on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf_DtmSYtlM&t=2330s

Heck yeah I'll watch that. I've definitely watched some other stuff by that guy.

-------------------------------------------------

#67 Metroid Fusion

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/1/5/AABIPnAADjcf.jpg

Turns out, for metroidvanias, "atmosphere" might be even more important than "exploration", because this game's spooky abandoned spaceship has one of the best atmospheres of any metroidvania.

It sounds stupid to add dialogue to a Metroid game, but it ends up serving a useful purpose here: your AI computer tells you way more flavor about each area of the ship, context that makes the exploring more fun... Also it keeps trying to scare you!

It keeps telling you stuff like, "oh god let's never go to this area of the ship...aw crap you have to go in there actually, now, my bad" and "oh that thing you saw, that's a boss, and there's no way you can beat it right now," and "who the HECK gave you permission to explore over there, we did NOT want you to see that really cool stuff you IDIOT!!"

You really never know what's coming next. Even the final 2 bosses are basically jump scares, and BOOM time to fight. I find this game spookier and scarier than Dread by every metric.

(Also, is this the "best looking" Metroid game?? I think it might be!! Look at that tile-work!)

BEST LEVEL: When the power goes out during a normal elevator ride, leading to a big detour. It's a great example of how the game constantly goes "off script" and takes you somewhere you didn't expect.

#66 Halo

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/0/5/AABIPnAADjfd.jpg

It's hard for me to enjoy single player first person shooters when I could just be playing Doom games instead, but these 3 things make it worth re-playing every few years:

1. Grenades. They're like, 75% of the fun of the combat, and having an entire trigger dedicated to them, inherently helps you remember this. Every time you throw a grenade it feels good, the enemies yelling and running, the explosion, and hopefully, the screaming Elite. Not much better in video games than landing a sticky grenade on an elite!

2. The two-slot inventory. I'm surprised more games don't use this, it works so well. What if Breath of the Wild used this strategy, for your main weapons? I think I'd enjoy finding a good sword *even more*, because I know I don't need to hoard it.

3. Enemy infighting. The late game gets especially rad, as there are these big battlefields of flood vs. covenant, giving you a lot of options on how to get through.

BEST LEVEL: Hmm, gotta be level 4, Silent Cartographer, an all-time great single player FPS mission. Storm an island, infiltrate its facility, escape. Also, warthog. (Runner up to level 2 of course, another all-time great.)

This is not quite the last tower defense game on the list:

#65 Defense Grid: The Awakening

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/8/9/AABIPnAADjgx.jpg

There really isn't an obvious big innovation here--Defense Grid is just a really well-executed tower defense game.

It's a surprisingly dry, math-feeling game, partially thanks to a mechanic where every few seconds, you earn Interest from unspent money. So there's an advantage to NOT building towers, just because you CAN.

Levels are huge, complicated 3d structures, and the tower-building spots feel random and very inconveniently placed, so that it's hard to really decide which spots to build upon. Eyeballing the line-of-sight becomes a creative part of the fun.

It also *sometimes* does the Desktop Tower Defense (#98) thing I love, where you build the maze yourself...but not completely freely! Instead, usually there are many built-in paths, and you'll want to strategically block off some of the paths, as best you can, to make a pseudo-maze.

BEST LEVEL: Uhhhh it's been a long time...the only level I *vividly* remember is one that is a HUGE 3d multi-layer spiral, like a helix. It mighta been in one of the DLCs. This is one of the very few video games I actually played the DLCs for.

Was not expecting to see Defense Grid here.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/2/9/AAUC3iAADji9.png

Oh heeeeeeeelllll yeah!!! That's about 3x as much as I played, and I felt like I played a lot!

Would you be able to pick a "best level"? I found it pretty much impossible... I tried to scrub through some longplays, and I recalled each level being fairly interesting, but none of 'em stuck out as being the best. I just went with the one I usually visualize when I remember the game. (Although it might not exist.)

------------------------------

#64 A Short Hike

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/7/6/AABIPnAADjp8.jpg

I think of this game as Breath of the Wild, but 90 minutes long. You explore, find ways to upgrade your stamina meter, until you're able to climb to the top of the mountain...and then it ends!! =]

This is a top 10 best-looking game on the list for me, but I could see others not liking it. Visually, it's like if Wind Waker was on PSX. It's magnificently colorful and cel-shadey, but intentionally low resolution, so the pixels dance nicely.

There's some impressive camera magic going on. It's a game about gliding, in 3d, so you wouldn't expect the game's Isometric camera. I mean, this island is totally covered in cliffs and mountains! But the camera elegantly rotates and tilts and zooms out perfectly, no matter where you explore.

It sounds silly to talk about the camera here, but that IS what makes the game unique. It really is a game-changer for exploration, because if you could see far, it would be too easy to see where you wanna go next. Instead, you stumble upon things, which is more fun.

They should make another Brave Fencer Musashi (PSX). That also had a good 3d top-down look among mountainous areas.

BEST SIDEQUEST: Running races against that runner guy!

#63 Minecraft

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/6/4/3/AABIPnAADjsj.jpg

I don't actually like *playing* minecraft much at all, it's still too sandboxy, not goal-oriented enough. Also I don't like the hunger/stamina design, those were bad additions.

But there are two big reasons I still extremely adore it:

1.I'm a huge fan of procedural generation, and I'd say Minecraft has the #1 "best" proc gen of any game. The blocks give the terrain extra character and detail, making it *more* interesting than real life terrain. I adore the subalgorithms like caves and ravines.

2. I love watching minecraft. From 2013-2016, basically all I did in my free time was watch youtube minecraft. It just does not get old, especially considering the variety of mods, adventure maps, and various multiplayer activities, etc. I *really* enjoyed watching people play coop adventure maps, I'd watch the same let's plays over and over. Still do!!

BEST ALGORITHM: I love those abandoned mines, with the wood and the cave spiders. They look perfectly like mines, and they interact really well with caves and ravines--sometimes the mines even form bridges across a ravine!!!

Epyo posted...

This is a top 10 best-looking game on the list for me

Ew, no. The graphics are the one off-putting thing about ASH.

LOL I guess I like pixels more than most people!

azuarc posted...

No fishing for me, thanks. Playing Helicopter/Flappy Bird without seeing the terrain ahead (and getting carpal tunnel if you're clicking for any length of time) is a pass.

WAIT, are you one of the players who thought you had to spam click the button? 'Cause you can actually hold it down! I remember a lot of people getting tripped up by that, if I remember correctly!

Snake5555555555 posted...

FUCK YEAH Village and FUCK YEAH Beneviento. Looks like you caught yourself a big one!

If you like deep dives this is an excellent video on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf_DtmSYtlM&t=2330s

That was fun! He noticed good details I never saw in any of my watchings of this part. Most interesting thing was about, how some of the music was actually stretched out baby crying.

-----------------------------------------

There are zero more metroid missions on the list, after this one!

#62 Metroid Prime

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/9/1/AABIPnAADju3.jpg

One of the best feelings in video games, is being alone, exploring some interesting deserted place.

Each zone of Metroid Prime has it's own "flavor" of exploration--the lore-translating of the chozo ruins; the spooky feeling when the power goes out in the phendrana labs; the chill lo-fi vibes of tallon overworld; infiltrating enemy territory in the phazon mines; clumsily stumbling your way through the sideways submerged ship. So flavorful!

The most special thing Metroid Prime does to help make you feel like you're in the world, is all the audio/visual stuff with Samus's suit, like the Visor UI, heat/x-ray visor, like the raindrops/fog in the visor, the noisy jump and double jump, etc. They're all just *cool*.

The combat controls are pretty horrible, but that actually ALSO makes you feel like you're in a weird space suit. So it's good!!

BEST LEVEL: The power outage part of Phendrana. Dang, I guess I'm a sucker for power outages, since I picked the same part for Metroid Fusion.

Epyo posted...

WAIT, are you one of the players who thought you had to spam click the button? 'Cause you can actually hold it down! I remember a lot of people getting tripped up by that, if I remember correctly!

If you hold it down, it rises to the top. You need to keep it hovering in the middle, so you have to on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off the button constantly. Which is exactly how those old one-button altitude control games work.

Oh, yeah, I guess you do tap a lot while hovering. FINE! I will fish BY MYSELF

-----------------------------

#61 Doom Eternal

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/9/9/AABIPnAADjyH.jpg

The great: It might actually be the best looking 3d game on this entire list. It all blows my mind: the environments, the skyboxes, the models, the shooting...insane.

The good: I love the push-forward aspect of the combat, the enemy/weapon balance, and all the abilities having their purpose for resetting ammo/health/cooldowns. It pushes the action shooter genre in an excellent direction. We need way more games like this!!!

The bad: The combat kinda...feels like work. Not much creativity on the player's part, just cycling through the abilities/weapons.

The very bad: The platforming serves no purpose in my opinion. Doesn't synergize with the rest of the game.

The ugly: The story is utter nonsense. I hate it. Big downgrade from Doom 2016.

The very ugly: The marauder. Genuinely game ruining, IMO. Just because it's unlike the other monsters, doesn't mean it's good.

BEST LEVEL: "Mars Core", the one where you get inside the BFG 10k. The level design's gameplay just felt much better than the rest of the game. And, LOVE the part where you're launching from island to island, in space, with gigantic half-destroyed Mars in the background. Masterpiece of a level.

#60 Lords of Thunder (Turbografx CD Version)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/0/8/AABIPnAADj28.jpg

It's my favorite shmup! I LOVE the idea of the shmup genre...but I find myself bouncing off basically every game. For example, IMO there's usually too big of a punishment for getting hit, for my taste. Or not being allowed to touch walls, eww.

But here you have a pretty big health bar!!! And you get to choose what order you play the levels, so you don't have to keep re-playing level 1, to practice level 2! Genius fundamental design choices in this game.

Furthermore, the levels are *spectacular*, you're going into and out of ruins, caves, castles, buildings, the sky, volcanoes, waterfalls, everything. And the gameplay feels surprisingly different in each level too.

And the music is SIIIIICK metal, like nonstop wailing metal guitar solos.

There's some good strategic depth thanks to the Shop system, which you visit in between levels, too. Also you have a sick melee attack.

BEST LEVEL: Cielom, a level with mountains, and floating castles, at sunset. It's the most intense level, enemies stream in from all sides of the screen; AND, there are these homing fireballs that turn on a dime, so you have to play while kiting them!!!

OK, it was REALLY weird feeling, opening up a Longplay of this on YouTube, and trying to press print screen at the right time, to get a decent screenshot for this thread

#59 Pokemon Snap

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/6/8/AABIPnAADj5c.jpg

First, the picture taking part of the game is a wonderful idea, and executed very well.

There's a subtle design trick, that really multiplies the depth of the picture taking game: on each "run" through a stage, you can only choose ONE picture, per pokemon type, to show Professor Oak. So, your understanding of what makes a high-scoring picture, matters arguably just as much, as Oak's score! Brilliant.

But there's an entire separate game they don't warn you about: searching for secrets. It's half the game. Using items to trigger secret events, secret pokemon activities, secret pokemon, secret paths, and unlocking more levels. Secrets and experimentation are two of the best things in games!

And one of my favorite game mechanics/tropes rears its head: that's right, looking for silhouettes, hidden in the terrain of the game itself.

(Warning: Take this ranking with a grain of salt, because I played this game with friends and family, which is always a blast, even with a bad game.)

BEST LEVEL: Beach. Can't beat surfing pikachu.

Hiding a boring blizzard game pick at the bottom of page 2 so nobody sees it

#58 Diablo 3

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/4/2/AABIPnAADj6m.jpg

I want to like the Diablo-ARPG genre...however, I don't LOVE the action (standing still to attack sucks!!!) and I don't love the RPG mechanics here either (being able to swap your spec anytime, is kinda lame--no permanent choices...).

BUT ANYWAY Diablo 3's Act 1 has some of my all-time favorite atmosphere of any game. Very outdoor Castlevania, but more fleshed out. Those Tristram chords, the beat-down town on its last stand against hordes of undead spooks and ghosts, the massive mysterious castle on a cliffside... So good.

In addition, the special effects on your abilities in this game, have insanely good JUICE to them. All-time great satifying buttons. My favorite is the wizard's "Arcane Orb", a gigantic slow moving orb, that explodes on impact, blowing up half your screen. I pretty much play the game just for this spell.

Does Diablo 3 actually fully work as a video game? I don't really think so. Dat atmosphere and juice tho!!!

BEST LEVEL: Early Act 3 when you're up on the battlements (screenshot). So cool looking, and chaotic like a fantasy medieval warzone, like Helm's Deep. The rest of Act 3 doesn't quite live up though.