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Post by chibby on Mar 13, 2018 16:47:57 GMT -5
For a more surprising entry, I'm going to roll with Mario Tennis. Guys, I don't play much tennis in real life or in video game form. I'm awful at the former (seriously, the pros make it look easy, it's not!), and the latter doesn't interest me a whole lot despite me actually liking the sport. But Mario Tennis has just the right balance of arcade-style play and realism; the later entries added all the super shot junk that affects the flow of the game significantly. I had a house party where I invited everyone over that I knew had even a tertiary interest in Video Games (this was when I was in the MFA program, so writers, not gamers). We had a WIDE selection to choose from including Smash Bros games, Injustice, some iteration of WWII with Zombies, you get it. As a lark, someone mentioned Mario Tennis. We ended up staying on that for the next 4-5 hours. It's stupid fun.
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Post by anayo on Mar 13, 2018 17:11:03 GMT -5
I had a house party where I invited everyone over that I knew had even a tertiary interest in Video Games (this was when I was in the MFA program, so writers, not gamers). We had a WIDE selection to choose from including Smash Bros games, Injustice, some iteration of WWII with Zombies, you get it. As a lark, someone mentioned Mario Tennis. We ended up staying on that for the next 4-5 hours. It's stupid fun. When my brother was in college he borrowed my N64 to have a video game party. I think it involved Smash Bros and maybe Mario Kart. Apparently I could have attended, but he never told me when it was held, so I missed out. >
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Post by Xeogred on Mar 13, 2018 19:40:12 GMT -5
SNES: 1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 1. Super Metroid 3. Final Fantasy VI 4. Chrono Trigger 5. Donkey Kong Country
I'm crying as a type this!!!
A top 10 would be so much easier and probably more accurate. If I could only live with one system for the rest of my life it would be the SNES, swimming in gold. The last three choices can probably rotate merely depending on mood. I've already shared some critical thoughts on CT and FF6 around the board, possibly because I've replayed them so many times and eventually you might see some flaws or have nitpicks (though I still don't with LTTP or Super Metroid, hehe). It's basically some issues with pacing and certain parts in both games that kind of run into a wall, whereas I think Final Fantasy IV and Secret of Mana are more fun for their charming simplicity from start to finish, those are so highly replayable and nonstop fun. Seiken Densetsu 3 could easily be up there too, which I think has the greatest ARPG combat system of all time, it improves upon SoM's gameplay in all the right ways. And Final Fantasy V is the series' ATB combat to perfection with good consistent difficulty from start to finish. Super Mario RPG was my first RPG and still holds up amazingly well. Everything Square Soft cooked up on the SNES rules.
Platformer wise I wanted to throw DKC up there for some diversity, but Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island are pretty much invincible as well. Boiled down to the music and aesthetics though... DKC really takes me to another world. My memories of getting it for Christmas 1994 are so much more vivid than other video game memories as well. I absolutely love everything about it.
Mega Man X, Super Ghouls n' Ghosts, Super Castlevania IV, Contra III, etc... Capcom and Konami were of course on fire thesedays as well.
I bet you 99 Mario coins I'm forgetting some essentials that I'll remember tomorrow! But I have some great ideas for the hidden gems thread.
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N64: 1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 2. Super Mario 64 3. Perfect Dark 4. F-Zero X 5. Star Fox 64
A bit of a vanilla list, I'm a big fan of the N64 but it's one I don't go back to much aside from a few titles that have been ported. I think growing up in the 90's really defined this console as it was multiplayer monster, with WCW vs NWO Revenge, Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, Mario Kart 64, Smash Bros, Turok, Rush, just literally everything brought people together and was amazing. It seems more challenging to think of single player campaigns for a quantitative listing haha. There are some oddballs I can think of for the hidden gems thread, but I think in general these 5 hold up. In Perfect Dark's case I would go with the newer 360 XBLA port though.
Ocarina of Time is still my favorite 3D Zelda by a few miles and one I've beaten probably 10 times. Still have that gold cartridge and box all complete that I saved up one summers worth of lawn mowing allowance for. I'm excited to play the 3DS remake eventually but really, I still frequent the original (usually the GC or WiiVC ports) every few years and still love it. But I really should go for another run with the original gold cart or the early versions, that retain the blood and original music in some spots.
Super Mario 64 still holds up crazy well once you adjust to the single joystick. This game was mindblowing at the time. I still love most of the 3D Mario's, but 64's magic was something else.
Absolutely loved Goldeneye, but Perfect Dark had even better music and the sci-fi elements that I love so dearly, along with the classic multiplayer maps Temple and Complex from Goldeneye. It was the ultimate upgrade and I sunk tons of time into the campaign and multiplayer.
F-Zero X and Star Fox 64 were kind of the peaks of these two franchises for me. I still think F-Zero on the SNES is incredible with a godly score, but I love how X was a lot more intense and introduced the more aggressive spin attack to take people out. I wish it had more than one battle mode track. But otherwise, this game was insane and still looks amazing. Star Fox is the same situation, I loved the original and it's got amazing music too, but 64 really beefed things up with some new awesome gameplay mechanics, the tank or the free roaming stages, new iconic enemies like Star Wolf, and even more branching paths and various endings to discover. For a simple rail shooter, Star Fox 64 was loaded with content and kept me busy for a long time. I bet these two hold up really well.
A shoutout to the San Fransisco Rush series, I absolutely loved those games and wish we still got goofy over the top cartoony racing games like them. It was really bizarre how the levels were loaded with hidden keys or Mountain Dew cans, turning it into some weird hybrid racing adventure exploration game if you wanted to find the secets. Rush 2 and 2049 introduced the crazy stunt tracks and abilities.
The biggest question the N64 left me? WHERE WAS METROID!?
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Gamecube: 1. Metroid Prime 1-2 2. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 3. Resident Evil 4 / Resident Evil Remake 4. Super Monkey Ball 1-2 5. Phantasy Star Online Episode 1-2
I know that's a little sloppy but the Gamecube is my least favorite Nintendo console, I don't have much to say about it other than thankfully most of these have been ported elsewhere by now. Smash Bros Melee was excellent and still my favorite Smash, along with Soul Calibur 2 being my favorite fighter next to the Tekken series.
Metroid Prime IS mindblowing though and made up for the lack of Metroid on the N64. I was seriously skeptical about the series going first person at the time, but Retro Studios proved me wrong and it's one of my top favorites.
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Post by Ex on Mar 13, 2018 22:43:54 GMT -5
To hit on a few games I've seen mentioned... Castlevania Symphony of the Night This is an undeniable classic and pretty much a masterpiece. My only complaint would be it's a cakewalk. But it's a very very fun cake to walk upon. ˙ǝʞɐɔ uʍop-ǝpᴉsdn pooƃ ɐ uǝʌǝ s,ʇI Street Fighter Alpha 3My second favorite SF, right behind Super Street Fighter II Turbo. I agree that this is the best fighting game series of all time. I never get tired of it. Jumping FlashI only played through this for the first time last year. It aged better than I expected. Very fun 3D platformer that will induce vertigo. The Thousand-Year DoorI own this and every other Paper Mario game released thus far. Sadly out of the entire series I've only beaten Paper Mario on N64. If I live long enough someday I'll have all these beaten! I do like the series concepts. Valkyrie ProfileThis game is a work of art, very progressive and impressive. If only 30% of the game's content wasn't locked behind byzantine bullshit. Arc the Lad III've only beaten the first Arc the Lad. I recognize I need to get on this one. There's three SRPGs I really want to play through this year. Arc the Lad II, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and Valkyria Chronicles III. Ape EscapeI've only beaten the first Ape Escape, but I had a blast with it. This is a quality 3D platformer, I mean damn near Nintendo first party quality. Except it's a Sony jam. Very clever use of the dual analog controls. Mario TennisThis game bores me silly. Pretty much every tennis game I've ever played has bored me silly. Except for these: - Okay so my top 5 N64 games... I'm not a huge fan of the N64, so here comes boring picks: 1. Mario Kart 64 (spent obscene hours playing this during its day with friends) 2. Super Smash Bros. (I destroyed everybody with Link) 3. Star Fox 64 (excellent sequel to an excellent original) 4. F-Zero X (tons of 60fps fun, also my favorite racing series period) 5. Sin & Punishment (very original very exciting rail shooter, its sequel is my all time favorite Wii game) And for GameCube... yeah, not a huge GameCube fan either, but... 1. Lost Kingdoms / Lost Kingdoms II (I really can't decide which I like better of these two terribly underrated CCG dungeon crawlers) 2. F-Zero GX (god tier racer that will make sweat pour from your clenched-white knuckles) 3. P.N. 03 (what can I say, I'm a simple man) 4. Super Smash Bros. Melee (another SB that I spent way too much time on... but not as much as Brawl) 5. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (the only truly great 3D Zelda I've played... and I've played them all)
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Post by Sarge on Mar 13, 2018 23:16:35 GMT -5
The N64 is probably my least favorite Nintendo system, honestly. I gotta get in on some of this Gamecube action, though. It's a little tough for me to break down. For instance, I kinda hate giving a slot to Twilight Princess, even if it is the best 3D Zelda, since I played it on Wii. We'll see if I have room... Metroid Prime is god-tier. Mind-blowing stuff, from a game I was sure would be absolute junk. Man, I think I'm with you, Ex. Gamecube just ain't all that. Better than N64, a lot of solid titles, but very few games that I feel just absolutely killed it. Proceeding on anyway... Super Smash Bros. Melee might be the one I spent the most time with. Probably too much. Too bad Kirby got hit with the nerf bat. Baten Kaitos was a spectacular RPG. That combat system takes time to get used to, but I found the whole adventure very much worth playing. Just turn the voices off! Tales of Symphonia clashes with Baten Kaitos for my top RPG on the system. It and Abyss were my favorites of the Tales series. The game was criticized for its plot by some outlets at the time, but I enjoyed it. Oh, look, I think I can slot in Twilight Princess after all. Best 3D Zelda deserves a spot over the other games in my honorable mentions for sure. So... - Metroid Prime
- Twilight Princess
- Baten Kaitos
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Tales of Symphonia
Honorable mentions include: Paper Mario, Soul Calibur 2, Eternal Darkness, Viewtiful Joe, Skies of Arcadia, and Star Fox Adventures. I'm sure I've left out others that I enjoyed, but I feel that this was the generation where Nintendo fell off the wagon compared to their previous output. Lots of doubles and triples, not many home runs. They managed to recapture a lot of it on the Wii, though. Oh, wait, I forgot a lot of other solid multi-platform stuff. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is, err... timeless. So is Beyond Good & Evil. Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO is on the system, so that gets a vote from me, too. Also, it might not be multi-platform, but Luigi's Mansion is great fun but too short!
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Post by Xeogred on Mar 14, 2018 6:35:16 GMT -5
Sin & Punishment, PN 03, Baten Kaitos, and Skies of Arcadia are some I hope to hit up sometime!
I've never played the GC version of Twilight Princess either actually, but I went ahead and counted in there since it was the earliest system it was released on.
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Post by anayo on Mar 14, 2018 9:10:10 GMT -5
Gamecube - to this day I love the Gamecube more than PS2 and XBOX (although back then I was jealous of the other guys who owned XBOXes to play Halo 2 online even though I had a Gamecube as well as a PC back then). One reason is just nostalgia. Another is that PS2 and XBOX have gotten better contemporary backwards compatibility support and HD rereleases. Nintendo still hasn’t provided a way to buy digitally distributed Gamecube games, which is a shame, but it makes the GC a better “retro” system in my view.
1) Mario Kart Double Dash - My brother played this when it was new, but I only got into it a few years ago. My brother and I still play it. The replay value is endless and the wide-eyed cartoon facade belies a cutthroat, competitive game. There have been numerous sequels since this came out, but I prefer Double Dash above them all.
2) Metroid Prime - Purchased at Blockbuster in 2003 for $20, this was my first Metroid game ever. The graphics stunned me when I was used to N64 and still look nice today. The synth soundtrack is haunting, atmospheric, and catchy. The game design is fulfilling and well-tuned and the world details gleaned from scanning your surroundings show so much thoughtful creativity from the developers.
3) Super Smash Bros. Melee - I vividly remember seeing this for the first time at my cousin’s house. I couldn’t believe how tiny the Gamecube and its discs were. The visuals looked so smooth and detailed that when we hooked up the N64 and went back to Smash Bros 64, the harsh, origami-like polygons actually disgusted me a little. When I got a Gamecube of my own, my brother and I got this game and played it for hundreds of hours, destroying several Gamecube controllers in the process.
4) Zelda: Twilight Princess - I waited so long for this game to come out! I’ll never forget the 2004 E3 reveal that ended with Link twirling his sword and sheathing it like a badass. When I finally got the game it lived up to every ounce of anticipation leading up to it. The characters are endearing and the conclusion was poignant.
5) Resident Evil 4 - Top-tier graphics with art direction that still looks good after almost 15 years. Unrivaled, masterful pacing. Tension that will raise your heart rate and addictive game play well ahead of its time. This is one of my rare 10 out of 10’s.
Stuff I reeeaaallly really really wanted to put on the list but it wouldn’t fit:
Zelda Windwaker - Honestly I respect this more than Twilight Princess for it’s “thinking outside the box” art style that has aged 500 times better than most “realistic” games from the era. But I didn’t actually play this! My brother did. And I watched over his shoulder through most of the play through so all the good parts got spoiled for me. Also it appeared there was a frustrating fetch quest where you have to wander around unmarked islands looking for tri-force pieces. I’d never have the patience for that today, so Twilight Princess also wins for being refreshingly devoid of frustration or BS.
Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door - Again, my brother played this, not me. I just watched.
F-Zero GX - Super Smash Bros. kicked this game off the list. I really wanted it on there, though, cause this game really appealed to me back in 2004 and it still does. The graphics were “hey check out what my Gamecube can do” good. I miss this series and wish it would come back. Timesplitters 2 - This was basically my Halo 2. But this was a multiplatform game, and there’s too many good gamecube exclusives to let any multiplatform games on the list.
Soul Calibur 2 - I adored this as a teenager. The graphics are still beautiful after almost 15 years. But I prefer Tekken today.
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Post by Ex on Mar 14, 2018 9:37:14 GMT -5
I did enjoy Metroid Prime, but it's an 8/10 for me. I didn't find it as flawless as most though. Love the atmosphere and music for sure.
I hate Wind Waker. I'll save you all the rant and just say it's a pile of trash IMO.
Skies of Arcadia Legends is a masterpiece JRPG, I adored it. I didn't put it on my list because I was trying to go for exclusives. But yeah, SoAL's awesome and considerably improved from the already great Dreamcast original.
Double Dash is decent. I didn't like it more than 64, but it's way better than the Wii travesty.
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Post by Sarge on Mar 14, 2018 10:29:47 GMT -5
Skies is a game that really doesn't feel like it should be as good as it is. It doesn't do any one thing spectacularly. But then, it does pretty much everything at a good-to-great level. One of those "greater than the sum of its parts" situations. I thought it was a blast, and it gets better once you start getting Aika's hit-all moves so you can resolve combat more quickly. (That is one of my gripes, encounters can be a little draggy at times.)
F-Zero GX is great for sure, but daaaaang, it's hard. I know that's what eventually caused me to drop it. Maybe I should go back to it while my reflexes are intact...
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Post by Ex on Mar 14, 2018 11:30:13 GMT -5
With F-Zero GX, I managed first place in Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond and AX cups on Standard difficulty. That was enough for me. I didn't bother with the Captain Falcon story/campaign mode thing.
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