I've already done my Top 10 Original Xbox and Top 10 N64 games of all time, now I thought I'd do my Top 10 Xbox 360 games of all time. Again, if a few games were part of a series, I'm counting them as one entry, so this one was a bit tougher due to having fewer options.
(Dis?) Honorable Mention: Lost: Via Domus
It's received mostly negative reviews, but I had to mention it. This game does give you the same mysterious island feel that the show does, at least to me. I love exploring the hatch and other various places from the show. But there are plenty of downsides to this game. Some of the voice acting is terrible. Generally, if the actor from the show wasn't used, it was glaringly obvious it was someone different. Also, avoiding the smoke monster was annoying and difficult. And there wasn't much payoff at the end.
Honorable mention: Dead Rising
I was never able to beat this game due to its difficulty. But I did enjoy the zombie aspect to it. It just got so frustratingly difficult to keep track of people who were with me at the time and not have them die. I don't remember how far I got on my furthest playthrough. Maybe halfway? I enjoyed watching others play this more than playing it myself.
10. L.A. Noire
I somehow have only played this game through once. It's such a great game. It is made by Rockstar, after all. It's got a great story, and I love the 1940s elements they incorporated into it. I definitely want to give this another playthough someday.
9. Crackdown (1+2)
The reason I got Crackdown was that I did a playtest of some games for Microsoft, and the way they paid you then was a free game of your choice from their library. One of the games I chose was Crackdown, and I got into it. I got the sequel, Crackdown 2, the same way. I haven't played them much since my first playthroughs, which is why it's low on this list, but perhaps someday. I loved the way your character upgraded and you could see them getting bigger and faster. I also loved collecting orbs around the city.
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince
It's funny, these games had the best graphics, but they didn't have the charm of the first few HP games. The explorable castle and its surroundings were absolutely awesome, but both games just lack what made the first few so special to us. I have beaten each multiple times, while also completing most side-quests and collectibles. Whenever I reread the series, I usually do a playthrough of the games, including these. They'll always hold a special place with me.
7. Read Dead Redemption (+ Undead Nightmare)
God, Red Dead is such a great game. Hard to beat a Western with a GTA engine. The story is top-notch and one of my favorites of all time, and there is just so much to do in game, from hunting to playing poker to just exploring. I also have played the Undead Nightmare, beating it, but that's about it. I definitely want to come back to the original someday, and maybe once I do, I'll give RDR 2 another shot, since I still have yet to play that fully through.
6. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (+ II)
Being a huge fan of Star Wars video games, of course, I own and played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. I love controlling the Force with Starkiller with such ease, tossing around Stormtroopers like rag dolls. It's got a great story to go along with it, as well, although I don't think it's canon (anymore). I personally prefer Star Wars: Jedi nowadays, but TFU will always hold fond memories for me.
5. Madden NFL series (07-10, 12, 25, 17)
This one is a bit odd since I skipped a few, but I did get into Madden after they were the only makers of NFL video games. I had no choice (but I wish I did). This generally is considered the tail end of Madden's peak. I invested a lot of hours into these games, and for most (if not all) of these games I did a franchise that went at least a few years into the future (usually as the Seahawks). I will always hold ESPN NFL 2K5 in higher regard than any of these, but some of the earlier ones had some great soundtracks. I think Madden NFL 07 would be my top favorite, because not only did it have the best soundtrack, but it featured a Seahawk on the cover for the first time in Shaun Alexander.
4. College Hoops 2K6
Yep, a college basketball game this high. I love this game. First off, Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery are superb as announcers. They really give the game its college basketball feel. I played through over a decade of Gonzaga basketball, until one day I, unfortunately, overrode the save with something else and I lost that team forever. That was not a good day. I have played it sparingly since then, and it's not hard to get back into.
3. Gears of War (1-3)
To me, there's no grittier shooter game than Gears of War. I love how brutal and gory this game is. The story is very good as well; easy to get into. I have to play through the three games I own every few years. Some moments in this series are etched into my memory forever: The final boss in Gears 1, the first time seeing a berserker, doing Cole Train's backstory, using the Hammer of Dawn for the first time, and Dom's death in 3. So many great moments.
2. Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5
What is not to like? These are like GTA Vice City and San Andreas but with better graphics, story, and immersion. I put a ton of hours into these games, mostly just goofing around, but also playing the story missions. I definitely prefer 5, as you can pick one of three playable characters to play as. I even got my girlfriend into it a bit, but she only ever goofs off when she plays.
1. Halo 3, ODST, Reach (And 4, kind of)
The first two Halo's were high on my OG Xbox list, so these had to be high as well. If I had to rank these from favorite to least favorite, it would be 3, Reach, ODST, and 4. Reach was surprisingly good and had a great story. But the top dawg is 3. I invested so many hours into it in its heyday, especially online playing and ranking up. I played this with my friends as well, one of the few games we got into together. It was a lot of fun, and I look back on those times fondly. I wish I could go back to those times.
Showing posts with label Xbox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xbox. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
My Top 10 Xbox 360 Games of All Time
Monday, June 12, 2023
My Top 10 Original Xbox Games
I want to do a series where I rank the Top 10 games on each console I own or have played, mainly the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo 64, and maybe a PC or Xbox One. I have played video games since I was a little lad, and I have developed some favorites over the years.
First up, is the original Xbox. I have put so many hours into my Xbox. I still have the same one my family got in 2001, although I did replace the disc drive a few years ago since it got to a point where it wouldn't open on its own anymore. Anyway, I'm going to rank my Top 10 Original Xbox games. These are my opinion, and are mostly based on how much I enjoyed playing each game and how many hours I put into each. Also, if there are multiple games from the same franchise, I will consider that as a single entry. Here are my Top 10!
Honorable Mention: The Lord of the Rings (The Two Towers and Return of the King)
I had to technically include an 11th with The Lord of the Rings here. I've never been the biggest fan of button mashers, which made this a bit difficult for me as a kid. But eventually, I did get the hang of it enough to put in plenty of hours. I loved playing battles from the films, most notably Helm's Deep. They even had a few battles not seen in the films. And I enjoyed the special features from the films they added for completing certain levels. I would definitely consider going back to this someday.
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The Harry Potter franchise had a total of four games from the films (plus Quidditch World Cup) come out on the original Xbox, but the only one I really played on the Xbox was Chamber of Secrets. It's still to this day one of my favorite Harry Potter video games. I've beaten it several times. The high amount of loading screens sucks, and dueling in the game is somewhat broken, but it's still enjoyable. I especially love the open-world aspect and flying around Hogwarts and exchanging beans for items at Fred and George's shop.
9. Grand Theft Auto Series (III, Vice City, and San Andreas)
I have still not played GTA III much, but I put in plenty of hours into Vice City and San Andreas soon after I got them. I remember when the games first came out on Playstation and hearing about how violent and bad for kids they were. It just made me want to play it that much more. When III and Vice City finally came to Xbox, I had to get my hands on them. I have not played them much in the years since, because the newer GTA's have made these look old and obsolete, but perhaps someday.
8. Star Wars: Obi-Wan
As a huge Star Wars fan, I've played my fair share of Star Wars video games, including Star Wars: Obi-Wan. This was one of the first games my family got for the Xbox. I remember struggling in the game at first, but once I got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing. I've only beaten the game two times (or so), but I thoroughly enjoyed it each time. I thought the combat elements and gameplay were better than what critics said.
7. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (And Ghost Recon Island Thunder)
Ghost Recon became my favorite military-style FPS growing up. I would play this over Call of Duty or anything else. I loved having two teams and telling the other what to do. I loved being the sniper and picking guys off from a distance. The "expansion" Island Thunder was just as good, albeit a bit shorter. I distinctly remember saving myself into a corner a few times. That's when you save your game a split second before you die. There was nothing I could do about it. And that resulted in me having to restart the level. Anyway, I definitely want to give Ghost Recon another playthrough someday. Also, I never played the sequel Ghost Recon 2. I saw my dad play it and realized it was too different from the original.
6. MLB 2K5
This might be my favorite baseball video game of all time. I love the ESPN presentation and having Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as announcers. The gameplay is solid and just about difficult enough. I especially love constructing teams (trading players, signing and releasing players). Sometimes I would construct a team and sim them for years to see if I could ever win a championship.
5. Star Wars: Battlefront (and Battlefront II)
The original Battlefront games are maybe one of my favorite third-person shooters ever. I love playing in basically every battle from the films and as either side AND as any unit on that side. It still holds up well to this day. I did play the remake, but it doesn't compare well to the simplicity of the original. I loved playing as a Jedi or Sith in the second one, especially the "All Jedi/Sith" mode set on Mos Eisley.
4. NBA Inside Drive 2003
This is, without a doubt, my favorite basketball video game of all time. I have played through dozens of entire seasons where I created a team of players from scratch. The player progression system in this game is one of my favorites of all time, where players earn points for doing well in games, and you can spend those points on certain attributes to make them better. The created players all kind of look robotic, but there are plenty of customization options. Plus, the gameplay is superb and I can't knock it.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (and KOTOR II: The Sith Lords)
I have beaten the first game close to a dozen times, each of which takes me 20-24 hours to do. So, do the math. I've beaten the sequel close to half as many times. It's just one of those games with immense replay value, because of all the different choices you can make. Of course, the customization options make you want to play as someone completely different each time. And the story... don't even get me started! How has no one adapted this into a film or series yet? The sequel's gameplay might even be a step up, although I think the story lacks. I just put so many hours into these games, and they might still to this day be my favorite Star Wars video games of all time.
2. Halo: Combat Evolved (And Halo 2)
I'd wager this would be on and likely near the top of most people's favorite original Xbox games. How could it not be? When you think of OG Xbox, you think of Halo. I don't know if I've put the absolute most hours into the first two games (I put in a ton to the third, though), but I have to say my enjoyment each time I play through the campaign hardly ever wavers. There was simply nothing like playing through the campaign of either of these games in the early 2000s.
1. ESPN NFL 2K5
My favorite sports video game ever. It's just perfect. The ESPN presentation, the gameplay, the roster-building, and the customization options, are all that make ESPN NFL 2K5 my favorite Xbox game ever. The announcers they used could maybe be better, but they are still super solid. There's a reason people keep modding this game and adding the current day's rosters to it. Because it's that good! And it was $20 at release! Imagine what 2K sports could have accomplished if they were allowed to compete with EA/Madden to make NFL video games. Imagine what we could have now, instead of the garbage EA churns out every year. Such a shame. Anyway, I still replay this game almost every year during football season because it's simply that much fun. I love it.
Well, those were my top 10 original Xbox games of all time. I may soon do a Top 10 for 360 and/or Nintendo 64.
Monday, April 13, 2020
Fortnite Stereotypes
I'm a huge fan of Dude Perfect's "Stereotypes" series, so I thought it would be cool to describe some Fortnite gamer stereotypes. These are obviously exaggerated, just like the ones Dude Perfect does. Some of these, I will admit to being at one time or another. And I will say after each one if I ever am that stereotype when playing Fortnite. And hey, maybe Dude Perfect (or someone else) could make this into a video one day. Here are the Fortnite stereotypes:
The Hardcore sweat: A player that is button-mashing like crazy, spamming 90's and just has to kill as many people as possible. Shows him killing everyone he can, even people that are emoting or trying to get away. And of course, sweat is pouring down his face the whole time.
Is this ever me? No. One, I'm not skilled enough, and two, even if I was skilled enough, I think it's just kinda sad IMO.
The Architect: All they do during games is build things. They show a player having built the Taj Mahal or something similar. Or a player that's constantly in Creative mode making new maps.
Is this ever me? Rarely. I'm not hugely creative. When I first got into Fortnite I built a few things in the now-defunct Playground mode.
The Mobile Player: Someone who gets made fun of for playing on mobile. They explain how they don't own a good enough PC or current console. They constantly struggle with building and aiming.
Is this ever me? I have played Fortnite on mobile, but only to accomplish challenges that require two players (i.e. revive a friend in a match). But I relate to the gamers that don't own a PC or new enough console, as that used to be me.
The dancer: All they do during a match is dance and emote. They get into a squads game and their teammates get frustrated with them. This person also encourages others to emote with them.
Is this ever me? Only if I'm bored in a match and waiting for something to happen.
Moneybags: Someone who buys all the skins and everything else in the item shop. They get asked when they're ever going to use a certain skin, and they just reply "I dunno, I just like having it."
Is this ever me? I've probably bought more skins than I need, but I really do limit myself. I only have 50-some skins, mostly from the Battle Passes I've purchased.
The Rage Monster: If you watch Dude Perfect's stereotypes, you knew this was coming. This is someone that rages at the end of every match. They throw their controller (perhaps into the TV). Or if they're on a PC, they smash their keyboard against the wall, throw their monitor, and chuck their PC out a window.
Is this ever me? Yes, and more often than I'd care to admit. Although I don't damage my possessions... much.
The AFK but somehow ends up winning: The player that is away from their game for most of the match, but at the end they finally pay attention and they win.
Is this ever me? Sometimes I'll start a game, hide, and get something done like chores. I have won one or two of those types of games, so yes, this can be me.
The person who always dies early: They go for a chest at the same time as someone else but can never get the gun. Perhaps someone asks them why they don't land somewhere less crowded. They just respond saying, "Nah, man, you gotta land in those hot zones. That's where it's at."
Is this ever me? I try to avoid those kinds of places, so not really. But on occasion I will die early, regardless.
The Challenge Completer: Players who just play to accomplish challenges. It shows someone going to ridiculous lengths to complete a challenge, perhaps ignoring their squad.
Is this ever me? Yes, quite often. As I usually play solo and don't really care if I win or not, I often go for the challenge even if it hurts my chances of winning.
The Camper: Shows a player who camps in a bush the entire match. They get asked, "How is that even fun?" And they just respond, "Well, I always get top 10, do you?"
Is this ever me? Yes, but really only when I go off to do chores or other tasks.
The Sneak: They sneak around like some kind of stealthy secret agent. When they see another player they instantly hide until they can no longer see them.
Is this ever me? Yes, fairly often. Part of the fun to Fortnite (IMO) is being sneaky. I get a bit of a thrill when I'm able to sneak past or hide and some other player doesn't notice me.
The Hardcore sweat: A player that is button-mashing like crazy, spamming 90's and just has to kill as many people as possible. Shows him killing everyone he can, even people that are emoting or trying to get away. And of course, sweat is pouring down his face the whole time.
Is this ever me? No. One, I'm not skilled enough, and two, even if I was skilled enough, I think it's just kinda sad IMO.
The Architect: All they do during games is build things. They show a player having built the Taj Mahal or something similar. Or a player that's constantly in Creative mode making new maps.
Is this ever me? Rarely. I'm not hugely creative. When I first got into Fortnite I built a few things in the now-defunct Playground mode.
The Mobile Player: Someone who gets made fun of for playing on mobile. They explain how they don't own a good enough PC or current console. They constantly struggle with building and aiming.
Is this ever me? I have played Fortnite on mobile, but only to accomplish challenges that require two players (i.e. revive a friend in a match). But I relate to the gamers that don't own a PC or new enough console, as that used to be me.
The dancer: All they do during a match is dance and emote. They get into a squads game and their teammates get frustrated with them. This person also encourages others to emote with them.
Is this ever me? Only if I'm bored in a match and waiting for something to happen.
Moneybags: Someone who buys all the skins and everything else in the item shop. They get asked when they're ever going to use a certain skin, and they just reply "I dunno, I just like having it."
Is this ever me? I've probably bought more skins than I need, but I really do limit myself. I only have 50-some skins, mostly from the Battle Passes I've purchased.
The Rage Monster: If you watch Dude Perfect's stereotypes, you knew this was coming. This is someone that rages at the end of every match. They throw their controller (perhaps into the TV). Or if they're on a PC, they smash their keyboard against the wall, throw their monitor, and chuck their PC out a window.
Is this ever me? Yes, and more often than I'd care to admit. Although I don't damage my possessions... much.
The AFK but somehow ends up winning: The player that is away from their game for most of the match, but at the end they finally pay attention and they win.
Is this ever me? Sometimes I'll start a game, hide, and get something done like chores. I have won one or two of those types of games, so yes, this can be me.
The person who always dies early: They go for a chest at the same time as someone else but can never get the gun. Perhaps someone asks them why they don't land somewhere less crowded. They just respond saying, "Nah, man, you gotta land in those hot zones. That's where it's at."
Is this ever me? I try to avoid those kinds of places, so not really. But on occasion I will die early, regardless.
The Challenge Completer: Players who just play to accomplish challenges. It shows someone going to ridiculous lengths to complete a challenge, perhaps ignoring their squad.
Is this ever me? Yes, quite often. As I usually play solo and don't really care if I win or not, I often go for the challenge even if it hurts my chances of winning.
The Camper: Shows a player who camps in a bush the entire match. They get asked, "How is that even fun?" And they just respond, "Well, I always get top 10, do you?"
Is this ever me? Yes, but really only when I go off to do chores or other tasks.
The Sneak: They sneak around like some kind of stealthy secret agent. When they see another player they instantly hide until they can no longer see them.
Is this ever me? Yes, fairly often. Part of the fun to Fortnite (IMO) is being sneaky. I get a bit of a thrill when I'm able to sneak past or hide and some other player doesn't notice me.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Fortnite Appreciation Post
A free to play game that works on virtually every video game console, including PC. Who would've though that would exist? Not me. But it does, and it is called Fortnite, made by Epic Games. The regular Fortnite Battle Royale games pit 100 players against each other in a fight to the end to see which player or players can outlast all the rest.
I got into Fornite around the late summer of 2018. Now Fortnite has what they call "Seasons". Just like with the rest of the world, Fornite has four seasons per year that change about the same time ours do. Each season has a different theme, and introduces a significant change in the map. I got into Fortnite in the middle of Season 5, playing it on the Xbox One.
The map stays the same for each game, but will get updated every few weeks, and especially with each new season. This way, players can get accustomed to the map, knowing where best to find loot, hide, and how to navigate it quickly. Also what's cool is the map is filled with named locations that have alliterative titles, such as "Tilted Towers" and "Dusty Divot" and "Junk Junction". And with each game there is what's called a "storm". The storm will start out as a circle that takes up somewhere around 1/3 of the map, but then get smaller and smaller until there are no players left. If you are outside of the circle in the storm, you take health damage. Navigating to get inside the circle is something players must do to succeed.
As for me as a player, well to put it nicely, I am not the best. I have won squad games (being carried). And just last season (Season 7), I got my first solo victory. It was a huge accomplishment, and for the longest time I felt like I was never going to get a solo victory. It took me over 300 games to get it. I now have two solo victories, getting another one fairly recently. The most kills I've ever gotten in a solo game is 4, to my recollection, which was also my second victory. And the most kills I've gotten in any game was a Team Rumble, 9. So yes, I'm not too good at Fortnite, but I am totally fine with that.
There are mainly two strategies you can take with Fortnite. One, you can be aggressive, attack everyone you come across, and try to get as many kills as possible. The other one is being sneaky and relying on stealth, hoping those skills will progress you as far as you can before you are forced to engage other players. I am in the second group. Not since my high school days playing Halo have I been somewhat decent at killing other human players, I will admit. But, with experience I have become very good at being sneaky and avoiding other players. I'm not ashamed to play this way; it gives me satisfaction to know I progressed further in the game and have a better placement in the game than a lot of the more aggressive players.
My favorite thing to do in the game is completing weekly and daily goals. These goals can range anywhere from landing at a certain location, to getting a kill with a certain type of weapon, to doing a dance in a certain spot. Accomplishing these goals unlocks items in the Battle Pass, which includes skins (outfits), emotes, loading screens, and more.
So I don't think I'll ever be a great Fortnite player, but I'm ok with that. There are millions of kids and young adults around the world who spend WAY more time on the game with me and do better than me. I just don't think I'll ever devote THAT much time to the game. It's just a game and a way for me to relieve stress, which I'll admit sometimes it has the opposite effect.
I got into Fornite around the late summer of 2018. Now Fortnite has what they call "Seasons". Just like with the rest of the world, Fornite has four seasons per year that change about the same time ours do. Each season has a different theme, and introduces a significant change in the map. I got into Fortnite in the middle of Season 5, playing it on the Xbox One.
The map stays the same for each game, but will get updated every few weeks, and especially with each new season. This way, players can get accustomed to the map, knowing where best to find loot, hide, and how to navigate it quickly. Also what's cool is the map is filled with named locations that have alliterative titles, such as "Tilted Towers" and "Dusty Divot" and "Junk Junction". And with each game there is what's called a "storm". The storm will start out as a circle that takes up somewhere around 1/3 of the map, but then get smaller and smaller until there are no players left. If you are outside of the circle in the storm, you take health damage. Navigating to get inside the circle is something players must do to succeed.
As for me as a player, well to put it nicely, I am not the best. I have won squad games (being carried). And just last season (Season 7), I got my first solo victory. It was a huge accomplishment, and for the longest time I felt like I was never going to get a solo victory. It took me over 300 games to get it. I now have two solo victories, getting another one fairly recently. The most kills I've ever gotten in a solo game is 4, to my recollection, which was also my second victory. And the most kills I've gotten in any game was a Team Rumble, 9. So yes, I'm not too good at Fortnite, but I am totally fine with that.
There are mainly two strategies you can take with Fortnite. One, you can be aggressive, attack everyone you come across, and try to get as many kills as possible. The other one is being sneaky and relying on stealth, hoping those skills will progress you as far as you can before you are forced to engage other players. I am in the second group. Not since my high school days playing Halo have I been somewhat decent at killing other human players, I will admit. But, with experience I have become very good at being sneaky and avoiding other players. I'm not ashamed to play this way; it gives me satisfaction to know I progressed further in the game and have a better placement in the game than a lot of the more aggressive players.
My favorite thing to do in the game is completing weekly and daily goals. These goals can range anywhere from landing at a certain location, to getting a kill with a certain type of weapon, to doing a dance in a certain spot. Accomplishing these goals unlocks items in the Battle Pass, which includes skins (outfits), emotes, loading screens, and more.
So I don't think I'll ever be a great Fortnite player, but I'm ok with that. There are millions of kids and young adults around the world who spend WAY more time on the game with me and do better than me. I just don't think I'll ever devote THAT much time to the game. It's just a game and a way for me to relieve stress, which I'll admit sometimes it has the opposite effect.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
My List and Review of all of the Video Games I have owned
The following are all games I have owned for the following consoles: N64 and
Xbox. I share a quick thought on my
experience with the game and give it a rating out of 10 (in parenthesis). The rating reflects how much I enjoyed the
game (with only a slight influence on the quality of the game) over my lifetime
of playing it. I will add more consoles
as time goes on, including Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PC, Gameboy, and PSP. Finally, each game that is bolded is a game I feel I
beat/completed to its fullest playing ability.
If it was a sports game, then I played a full season with a team in
franchise/season mode. Without further
ado, the games from the first console I ever owned, the N64.
N64:
1. Super Mario 64 (10) - One of the launch titles for the N64 and one most consider to be one of the N64's best. I wasn't able to get all 120 stars until a few years ago, but this game, despite being 17 years old now, is still really fun to play.
2. Pilotwings 64 (6) - I don't think I ever really fully enjoyed Pilot Wings. There's a lot of monotonous soaring and gliding involved. The challenges were certainly challenging enough. I've played this so little recently that my memories of this game are becoming few and far between. Might have to play it again someday.
3. Wave Race 64 (8) - My friends were more into this game than I was growing up, but I still enjoyed it. I wish there would have been more race courses and more racers. Nintendo should come out with a Wave Race Wii (although that's a tongue twister).
4. Star Fox 64 (8) - When I first played this as a young child, it scared me. I also never was able to fully beat it. This game was too difficult for me. But I sure had fun in the multiplayer with my sister and friends. Update: I played this game recently and beat it, twice. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to beat it on the hard path, but I took the easy and semi-hard paths.
5. Mario Kart 64 (10) - This is a game I still play a lot today (See my girlfriend and I play it below) and despite only 8 characters and 16 tracks, it still is so much fun. This will forever be my favorite version of Mario Kart.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (7) - This game would get a 10 from me if it was about the game's quality, but it's not. I was never able to get into this game as a kid. I never became a fan of the Legend of Zelda series. Someday I will put forth actual effort. I did play this as a kid, but always got stuck at the same part.
7. Mario Party (9) - The first Mario Party is hands down my favorite. As a kid, the game I'd always suggest to play with others was Mario Party, and for good reason: It's a fantastic multiplayer game. It's even a serviceable single player one as well. The reason it is a 9 and not a 10 is because of the control stick spinning mini-games which caused several blisters on my hand as a kid (and caused me to ruin a pair of baseball gloves I had).
8. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (6) - This was the game I was most afraid of as a kid. Perhaps my parents shouldn't have gotten it, given its Mature rating. I often just watched my dad play. But it had its moments. I especially enjoyed using cheats to get all ammo. Some of the guns you were supposed to get later in the game were AWESOME.
9. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (5) - I never really played the single player version of this, something rare for me. I mostly played this with my dad and sister in multiplayer mode. I loved the Cerebral Bore, which caused an opponent's head to explode. But other than multiplayer, this game held little for me.
10. Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate (3) - Again, a game in which I never really took advantage of single player mode. Just played multiplayer... with my sister. I never wanted to play this, but my sister sure did.
11. NFL Quarterback Club '98 (6) - Boy football games in the 90's sucked. I tried playing it recently and oh my word. I got some use out of it. The one thing this game holds is the ability to look and see past players and see how good (or bad) they were.
12. NFL Quarterback Club '99 (7) - I played this game slightly more as it was newer. I really liked Mike Patrick and Randy Cross as announcers. But again, football games have come a long way since then.
13. Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. (10) - This might be my favorite baseball game ever. Sure, the graphics are awful now, but the controls are ridiculously easy and this was when the Mariners were good. The game also has a heavy favoritism towards the Mariners, having been made BY Nintendo, which I don't have any problem with, obviously.
14. Goldeneye 64 (9) - Considered one of the best N64 games. The part I had the most fun with was multiplayer, playing it with my friends and family. I can't give this game a 10 because it was too difficult for me at times (I was stuck on the "Control" mission for the longest time). I did eventually beat the game on Agent mode, but never got to the Aztec level. Oh well, maybe someday.
15. NBA Hangtime (9) - An arcade game turned into an N64 game, and it worked. To this day I love seeing players from the 90's like Dennis Rodman, Shawn Kemp, Dikembe Mutombo, and Scottie Pippen. I just wish players like Michael Jordan and Shaq could have been in it. I give it only a 9 because it's pretty much the same thing over and over and it does get tiring after a while.
16. NBA Live '99 (5) - Again, sports games have come a long way since the 90's. I never really enjoyed this game, as I enjoyed NBA Hangtime more. But finally being able to beat Michael Jordan 1 on 1 was one of my biggest video game achievements as a kid.
17. Pokemon Stadium (9) - This was, as far as I remember, the first video game I purchased with my own money. Bought it at K-Mart of all places, and it cost around 70 dollars(!) at the time. However, I did get my use out of it, playing my Red, Blue, and Yellow versions of Pokemon on there and of course, the mini games. Just can't give it a 10 because I just felt like the game was missing one thing--and the battles aren't as impressive as I thought they'd be.
18. Pokemon Stadium 2 (8) - The follow up to Pokemon Stadium was almost as good, as many sequels are. The mini games were again good, but it was hard to figure out the mystery gift thing and in the classroom, having to answer certain questions and do certain battles was very tough--too tough for a 12 year old kid.
19. Hey You, Pikachu! (2) - I give this my lowest rating because it just downright sucks as a game. It's got an interesting mechanic where you tell Pikachu what to do, but that only worked some of the time, and the gameplay got rather boring real fast. There's no real ultimate goal or quest in this game. I think I (or my parents--can't remember) paid close to 100 bucks for the entire package of this game--what a rip-off.
20. Bomberman 64 (7) - Ah, Bomberman. This was another one of the games I got more multiplayer use out of. Laying bombs and then kicking them at your friends? So much fun. The single player missions were a bit too difficult for me, but I did eventually beat it after much determination. I can't say I really enjoyed this game. Part of the reason I played it was because it was one of only a few games I had at the time.
21. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (7) - This is one of those games that takes a while to get the hang of. But when you do, it gets really fun. It sucks having to do a lot just to unlock 1 or 2 courses in the game (You only start out with 1), but the level designs were great for skateboarding. And I did once pull off the 900. Never really beat it and unlocked all the levels though.
22. Mario Tennis (8) - One of my favorite Mario games as a kid. But there's only so much you can do with a tennis game. It's basically just hitting the ball back and forth. I liked the wide selection of characters, but on the harder difficulties, it would just take FOREVER to beat them. Oh well, I still enjoyed it.
23. Super Smash Bros. (9) - A game I put a lot of time and effort in, especially in beating the "Break the Target" and "Board the Platform" games for each character. Sure, the Smash Bros. series has come a long way, but the original will always be my favorite.
24. Pokemon Puzzle League (7) - Even when I'm into Pokemon, not really into playing this game too much. However, when I was into this game, I was good and enjoyed it immensely. Some of the harder levels... wow. How can they expect a kid, or anyone, to beat them?
25. Diddy Kong Racing (6) - For whatever reason, I always preferred Mario Kart over this, more than likely because I liked the characters more. However, this game did have fun mechanics and came out with multiple vehicles before the Mario Kart franchise did. It sure has been a while since I played this.
26. Pokemon Snap (8) - For a game where all you do is take pictures, it's surprisingly fun. They unlock levels and the ability to throw food or pester balls at the perfect pace. They were only able to include about half of the original 151 Pokemon, probably due to the size capacities of the N64 games. Some of the shots I got were not too far off from being close to world records. I would've loved to have seen another Pokemon Snap game, perhaps for the Wii, but would it work with motion control? Hard to say.
27. Star Wars Episode I: Racer (4) - I recently got this game at a bargain store, and I haven't played it much yet. It was surprisingly tough, even for an adult. I will give this another go someday, perhaps after watching Episode I again.
Xbox:
1. NFL Fever 2002 (8) - I really liked the NFL Fever franchise. I really wish they had been able to continue it, but unfortunately EA Sports won the sole rights to NFL players and their likenesses. At the time, I really thought other games were better than Madden. This one was no exception. The players weren't really scaled right, but I had a lot of fun creating players (usually based on kids I went to school with) and of course, playing with the Seahawks.
2. Star Wars Obi-Wan (8) - Pretty much Star Wars Episode I with some before and during battles. You play as a young jedi Obi-Wan (duh) and you play in certain battles such as rescuing the Queen in Naboo and fighting against Darth Maul. This would have to be one of my favorite third person Star Wars games ever. The controls are a bit hard to figure out at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad. The graphics, however, do not hold up well today.
3. NBA Inside Drive 2002 (6) - Didn't really play this game much, as I've played its successor much more over the years. The only thing it has better than the 2003 version is the intro.
4. NBA Inside Drive 2003 (9) - To this day I still play this game. For some reason, I can't get into any other basketball game. I love the antics of Kevin Colabro, Marcus Johnson, and Kenny Smith as announcers. Plus, creating players and getting them experience and making them better is really fun and easy to do in this game.
5. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (7) - I've always found this game too difficult for me. First time I played it, I got stuck a few levels in. A year ago or so, I played it again and got a lot farther, but still couldn't beat the game. Maybe after a while I'll try a third time to beat the game. Fun to play for sure, but a bit too difficult for me.
6. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (9) - What's not to like? The Campaign mode is fun, but the actual gameplay is awesome and simple enough. I've beaten the campaign mode at least 10 times, each time still as fun as the last. Multiplayer was fun while it lasted, too. I wish the campaign was longer, but it has good replay value. One thing I don't like: Some of the Dossier missions are downright impossible--recon on elite, firefight on elite using only a demolitions guy... I mean... wow.
7. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Island Thunder (8) - Had all the same, great features the original Ghost Recon had. The campaign wasn't as long or enjoyable, but still fun. I think there were some bugs in this game. But the thing that hurt this game was that it was basically just an expansion to Ghost Recon, but it was marketed as its own game.
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8) - Good continuation in the Harry Potter video game series. Too many load screens bogged the game down a bit, but nothing beat free roam around the castle on a broomstick, being able to collect an infinite number of beans and trading them for prizes from Fred and George. I think I've only beaten the game twice, so it's hard to give it anything higher than an 8.
9. Halo (10) - Arguably the best original Xbox game. When you think Xbox, you think Halo. This game kicked ass and its only fault was lack of multiplayer, which was implemented in its sequel. I don't think I'll ever like a first person shooter series more than Halo. It was a huge part of my adolescence.
10. Halo 2 (10) - This game had a lot of hype and it certainly lived up to it. The story mode wasn't as compelling but multiplayer was everything I expected and all the new features and weapons were amazing. Energy sword FTW. I still enjoy playing out the campaign every few years. I even owned the PC version and played it on my PC as well.
11. Grand Theft Auto III (6) - This game came packaged with GTA Vice City when they were first released for the Xbox (see below), and I preferred Vice City, so I never really got into this version. Maybe someday? All I can say is I probably haven't put forth even 10 hours into this game in my life.
12. Grand Theft Auto Vice City (8) - Played this quite a bit once GTA came out on the Xbox console. I don't think I fully completed all of the missions, but I came close. Fond memories of this game.
13. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (9) - I don't think I spent as much time on this as GTA Vice City, but I enjoyed it more and most every gamer of GTA would agree it's one of the strongest in the series. The map is larger, you do more exciting missions, and it's just a better quality game. I'll definitely play this some more in the future. The graphics don't hold up that well, however.
14. Midtown Madness 3 (8) - For some reason, we got rid of this game and I no longer own it or can play it. But one time we did own it and it was a lot of fun. I remember playing the first Midtown Madness games on the PC many years ago, and this game for the Xbox was just as good. Good selection of vehicles. Just been a while.
15. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (10) - This is in competition with Halo and Halo 2 as the Xbox game I have spent the most time on. I really have no complaints about this game. The story is so compelling it could (and should) be made into a movie. To this day I still play it and I may never grow old of it. I have purchased and played the mobile version of this, and may just play it there in the future out of convenience.
16. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (8) - This game actually improved slightly in gameplay and mechanics, but fell way short in story and characters. I still love playing it and have beaten it many times as well, but I always feel dissatisfied when I finish it. Like someone who just finished their plate of food and is still hungry. The game was obviously rushed out, which it shouldn't have been. People have been petitioning long and hard for a KOTOR III, but that may never come.
17. Star Wars Battlefront (8) - I was thrilled about this idea of a game: Being a stormtrooper, Wookie, or even Trade Federation droid and fighting in some of the most famous battles in Star Wars. It worked pretty well, but was almost too simple of a game.
18. Star Wars Battlefront II (8) - This game had improvements from its predecessor in graphics and gameplay, but I can't say I enjoyed it more. Loved being able to play as famous Jedi, but flying in planes was way too tough and some of the game types still don't make sense to me.
19. All-Star Baseball 2004 (7) - Not my favorite baseball game ever, but it had its perks. Creating your own team was fun, and the actual gameplay was pretty good, and the graphics were good, especially for its time. Thom Brennaman and Steve Lyons weren't the best choice as commentators, though. However, I loved the feature of exploring the unused ballparks they had in the game. I would listen to the voiceover guy talk about the ballparks and that was entertaining enough by itself.
20. Major League Baseball 2K5 (9) - Up there as one of my favorite sports games... ever. I've played multiple 162-game seasons on this game (usually as the Mariners, of course), and the display and graphics still hold up pretty well to this day. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as announcers? Perfect choices. Also, you can't beat the ESPN presentation for this game.
21. Bicycle Casino (6) - Enjoyable when I feel the urge to gamble and play casino games, which is rare, however. But I could spend hours playing Texas Hold 'Em in this game. It's just very basic with nothing really that stands out. I never had enough patience to build up a lot of money in this game.
22. NHL Hitz Pro (6) - The only hockey game I've ever owned, really. And I did enjoy it, for the most part. It was too easy to score goals, and upping the difficulty only allowed the computer to score a ton of goals. What happened to low-scoring contests? Then again, this was made by Midway, who also made NFL Blitz. I liked creating the Seattle expansion franchise most of all.
23. Medal of Honor Frontline (7) - Another game we've gotten rid of but I remember owning, Medal of Honor Frontline had a more war-like feel than any Call of Duty game I've played. Very good difficulty. Graphics kind of lacked and some tasks seemed weird, but I enjoyed it. I recently re-bought this game and tried playing it, but it was surprisingly difficult. I'll try again someday.
24. Destroy All Humans (5) - Played this a bit when we first got it, and it was fun, but it has very little replay value and doesn't hold up well today. I've thought about giving this game another shot someday.
25. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (8) - Definitely enjoyable with cut scenes from the movie. I don't like the controls too much, basically making it a button-mashing game, but it holds up well today.
26. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (8) - Difficult, but fun and even longer than Two Towers. I like all the characters you can play from. Whenever I finish watching the Lord of the Rings movies, I have to play the games.
27. Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open (5) - I had to look this game up because not only did we get rid of it, but I couldn't remember the title. Found it, and one of the few things I remember was being able to race a Dodge Durango, which was the family car at the time. This game was fun, but it didn't give me too many reasons to go back and play it, which is probably why we got rid of it.
28. ESPN NFL 2K5 (10) - Somehow, I forgot this game and I had to put this up a month after my original blog post! This might be my favorite NFL video game of all time, and I forgot it. The ESPN format is brilliant, with Chris Berman and his half- and post-game shows. The announcers could be better (Who are Dan Stevens and Peter O'Keefe?) But this game, to this day, stands up well even to the current Madden. Imagine if EA hadn't won the monopoly to the NFL, how much this series of football games might have advanced. And the best part about this game? Even at release: It was just $19.99. Yeah.
29. NASCAR Heat 2002 (8) - This is the only NASCAR game I've ever owned, but I sure enjoyed it. Yes, it's just taking a bunch of left turns, but navigating past cars was fun enough. I most had fun causing havoc and causing other drivers to spin out and crash. I did an entire season and won, which I think counts for beating the game.
30. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (7) - I have beaten the game once, but it was not that enjoyable. It's a lot of button mashing just like The Lord of the Rings games. But the alternate ending where Anakin kills Obi-Wan is almost worth the price of the game, if you can get that far.
Now there are a few games me or my family owned that I either spent little to no time playing, but I will list them nonetheless:
31. 007: Agent Under Fire: I expected this to be near as good or better than Goldeneye. I was wrong.
32. America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
33. Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup: Boring after a short while
34. Half-Life 2
35. NCAA Football 2005
36. The Sims 2: There's a reason it was made for the PC primarily
37. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
38. Tetris Worlds
39. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
40. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
41. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike
Xbox 360:
1. Backbreaker (5) - This game was fun to do the Gauntlet or whatever it was called, where you have 100 levels to evade or juke past defenders all the while staying inside certain boundaries. It's animations were excellent, although the gameplay was limited.
2. The Bigs (3) - I just couldn't get into this game and don't know why I got it. I guess it's fun to see the players all jacked up and cranking home runs at ease.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (7) - I mainly got this game to play online with one of my friends, which I only did for a little bit. I like the Call of Duty games, just never been a big fan of them.
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (8) - I beat this game because the storyline in the Modern Warfare games is my favorite of any CoD series. I didn't play much online, however.
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (8) - I think I beat this game twice. It's a heck of a lot of fun. I did play a bit online, probably the most of any CoD game I've ever played.
6. College Hoops 2K6 (10) - This is the only College Basketball game I've ever owned because nothing for me will top this. I got over a decade in to the franchise mode with the Gonzaga basketball team before I accidentally overrode its save with something else 😠Boy that was not a good day. The fact that you could edit any incoming players and make them better made it easy to keep on playing.
7. Crackdown (8) - I remember I got this game for free after doing a play test study for Microsoft way back when. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it, but I certainly did. It was fun increasing your guy's attributes and leaping tall buildings in a single bound.
8. Crackdown 2 (9) - They improved Crackdown even more with its sequel. I don't remember either game a ton, but I certainly want to replay them someday.
9. Dead Island (6) - I've played this zombie game a bit. I wanted a zombie game to play a few years ago, one a bit more realistic than the one below. But it was only okay. I did not get very far at all.
10. Dead Rising (7) - Boy was this game tough. I loved the story, which is what gave me motivation to keep trying. I always thought they should have made this into a movie. But I just couldn't get past certain parts. When you just couldn't avoid getting attacked by a zombie over and over, that was very annoying.
11. Game of Thrones (4) - I got this game shortly after getting into the TV series, and I just can't stay focused to play it. The better game is the Telltale Games version.
12. Gears of War (9) - This would probably be 2nd to Halo as my favorite shooter franchise of all time. Playing as Marcus Fenix and battling the Locust horde just is so much fun. I love the story too, and think it would make an interesting movie or TV series.
13. Gears of War 2 (8) - I give this a slightly lower rating, but it's still a great game. It's often forgotten, being sandwiched between the first and third (which some consider to be the best).
14. Gears of War 3 (10) - What a great game. The part that will always stand out to me is when Dom sacrifices himself to save Marcus and the rest, set to an instrumental of "Mad World". I legit cried my first time playing through that part. I will forever argue it's one of the saddest moments in video game history.
15. Grand Theft Auto IV (9) - Boy I loved playing as Nico in beautiful NYC. The story of course, was really good. My favorite mission was the bank robbery. I also loved doing different challenges after beating the story mission. I didn't get to 100% completion, maybe close to 80%.
16. Grand Theft Auto V (10) - Rockstar Games hit it out of the park with this one. Three playable characters this time, all uniquely different. The story was again top-notch and there's so much replay value in this.
17. Halo 3 (10) - What more can you say? Halo 3 is considered to be peak Halo. The online experience, for once, was the highlight for me. They introduced Forge which allowed players to create and share their own maps, which even I did a bit. There was the Arby N the Chief series, which mainly related to this game. I remember checking my stats online at Bungie.net constantly. Good times.
18. Halo Reach (9) - This was an interesting game, to have a prequel to Halo. I certainly enjoyed it, and I felt like it had the perfect difficulty. I played it online a little bit, but not like Halo 3. I loved the ending where your Spartan character fought to the bitter end at the Fall of Reach.
19. Halo 3: ODST (8) - Probably one of the weakest in the Halo series, but still a very solid game. I thought it was cool playing as a soldier and not a spartan, for a change. It definitely got tough in parts, but doable.
20. Halo 4 (8) - This was enjoyable and fun, but it just doesn't feel like Halo for some reason. This was after Bungie sold the game to 343 Industries, so that has something to do with it. I don't think I ever played it online.
21. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (9) - One of my favorite Harry Potter games ever. It has the most open-world aspect to it of any HP game at that point. I enjoyed finding all the hidden crests and even playing games with other students.
22. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (8) - A very similar game to OotP, but for some reason, I just didn't enjoy the game quite as much. Odd, because I enjoyed the book version more. I definitely want to give this game another try some day because it's hard to remember what it's like.
23. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (7) - I think this game did away with the majority of the open world element, and in my opinion, lacked a bit as a result. It's not the gamemakers fault, as the story didn't have the students in school. Again with HBP, hard to remember, will have to play again someday.
24. LA Noire (10) - One of Rockstar's best. They sure captured the 1940's Los Angeles so well. Trying to figure out if people were telling the truth was equally challenging and fun to do. This game definitely deserves a replay, and I will have to do that soon.
25. Lost: Via Domus (7) - I think this game gets a bad rap. Yes it's short, simple, and slightly contradicts the show, but it's still enjoyable. I hated avoiding the smoke monster; it's repetitive, annoying, and there's way too much of it. Also, some of the voice actors were nothing like their TV show counterparts, mainly Charlie, Sawyer, and Locke. But it was so cool being in the hatch and exploring it.
N64:
1. Super Mario 64 (10) - One of the launch titles for the N64 and one most consider to be one of the N64's best. I wasn't able to get all 120 stars until a few years ago, but this game, despite being 17 years old now, is still really fun to play.
2. Pilotwings 64 (6) - I don't think I ever really fully enjoyed Pilot Wings. There's a lot of monotonous soaring and gliding involved. The challenges were certainly challenging enough. I've played this so little recently that my memories of this game are becoming few and far between. Might have to play it again someday.
3. Wave Race 64 (8) - My friends were more into this game than I was growing up, but I still enjoyed it. I wish there would have been more race courses and more racers. Nintendo should come out with a Wave Race Wii (although that's a tongue twister).
4. Star Fox 64 (8) - When I first played this as a young child, it scared me. I also never was able to fully beat it. This game was too difficult for me. But I sure had fun in the multiplayer with my sister and friends. Update: I played this game recently and beat it, twice. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to beat it on the hard path, but I took the easy and semi-hard paths.
5. Mario Kart 64 (10) - This is a game I still play a lot today (See my girlfriend and I play it below) and despite only 8 characters and 16 tracks, it still is so much fun. This will forever be my favorite version of Mario Kart.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (7) - This game would get a 10 from me if it was about the game's quality, but it's not. I was never able to get into this game as a kid. I never became a fan of the Legend of Zelda series. Someday I will put forth actual effort. I did play this as a kid, but always got stuck at the same part.
7. Mario Party (9) - The first Mario Party is hands down my favorite. As a kid, the game I'd always suggest to play with others was Mario Party, and for good reason: It's a fantastic multiplayer game. It's even a serviceable single player one as well. The reason it is a 9 and not a 10 is because of the control stick spinning mini-games which caused several blisters on my hand as a kid (and caused me to ruin a pair of baseball gloves I had).
8. Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (6) - This was the game I was most afraid of as a kid. Perhaps my parents shouldn't have gotten it, given its Mature rating. I often just watched my dad play. But it had its moments. I especially enjoyed using cheats to get all ammo. Some of the guns you were supposed to get later in the game were AWESOME.
9. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil (5) - I never really played the single player version of this, something rare for me. I mostly played this with my dad and sister in multiplayer mode. I loved the Cerebral Bore, which caused an opponent's head to explode. But other than multiplayer, this game held little for me.
10. Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate (3) - Again, a game in which I never really took advantage of single player mode. Just played multiplayer... with my sister. I never wanted to play this, but my sister sure did.
11. NFL Quarterback Club '98 (6) - Boy football games in the 90's sucked. I tried playing it recently and oh my word. I got some use out of it. The one thing this game holds is the ability to look and see past players and see how good (or bad) they were.
12. NFL Quarterback Club '99 (7) - I played this game slightly more as it was newer. I really liked Mike Patrick and Randy Cross as announcers. But again, football games have come a long way since then.
13. Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey Jr. (10) - This might be my favorite baseball game ever. Sure, the graphics are awful now, but the controls are ridiculously easy and this was when the Mariners were good. The game also has a heavy favoritism towards the Mariners, having been made BY Nintendo, which I don't have any problem with, obviously.
14. Goldeneye 64 (9) - Considered one of the best N64 games. The part I had the most fun with was multiplayer, playing it with my friends and family. I can't give this game a 10 because it was too difficult for me at times (I was stuck on the "Control" mission for the longest time). I did eventually beat the game on Agent mode, but never got to the Aztec level. Oh well, maybe someday.
15. NBA Hangtime (9) - An arcade game turned into an N64 game, and it worked. To this day I love seeing players from the 90's like Dennis Rodman, Shawn Kemp, Dikembe Mutombo, and Scottie Pippen. I just wish players like Michael Jordan and Shaq could have been in it. I give it only a 9 because it's pretty much the same thing over and over and it does get tiring after a while.
16. NBA Live '99 (5) - Again, sports games have come a long way since the 90's. I never really enjoyed this game, as I enjoyed NBA Hangtime more. But finally being able to beat Michael Jordan 1 on 1 was one of my biggest video game achievements as a kid.
17. Pokemon Stadium (9) - This was, as far as I remember, the first video game I purchased with my own money. Bought it at K-Mart of all places, and it cost around 70 dollars(!) at the time. However, I did get my use out of it, playing my Red, Blue, and Yellow versions of Pokemon on there and of course, the mini games. Just can't give it a 10 because I just felt like the game was missing one thing--and the battles aren't as impressive as I thought they'd be.
18. Pokemon Stadium 2 (8) - The follow up to Pokemon Stadium was almost as good, as many sequels are. The mini games were again good, but it was hard to figure out the mystery gift thing and in the classroom, having to answer certain questions and do certain battles was very tough--too tough for a 12 year old kid.
19. Hey You, Pikachu! (2) - I give this my lowest rating because it just downright sucks as a game. It's got an interesting mechanic where you tell Pikachu what to do, but that only worked some of the time, and the gameplay got rather boring real fast. There's no real ultimate goal or quest in this game. I think I (or my parents--can't remember) paid close to 100 bucks for the entire package of this game--what a rip-off.
20. Bomberman 64 (7) - Ah, Bomberman. This was another one of the games I got more multiplayer use out of. Laying bombs and then kicking them at your friends? So much fun. The single player missions were a bit too difficult for me, but I did eventually beat it after much determination. I can't say I really enjoyed this game. Part of the reason I played it was because it was one of only a few games I had at the time.
21. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (7) - This is one of those games that takes a while to get the hang of. But when you do, it gets really fun. It sucks having to do a lot just to unlock 1 or 2 courses in the game (You only start out with 1), but the level designs were great for skateboarding. And I did once pull off the 900. Never really beat it and unlocked all the levels though.
22. Mario Tennis (8) - One of my favorite Mario games as a kid. But there's only so much you can do with a tennis game. It's basically just hitting the ball back and forth. I liked the wide selection of characters, but on the harder difficulties, it would just take FOREVER to beat them. Oh well, I still enjoyed it.
23. Super Smash Bros. (9) - A game I put a lot of time and effort in, especially in beating the "Break the Target" and "Board the Platform" games for each character. Sure, the Smash Bros. series has come a long way, but the original will always be my favorite.
24. Pokemon Puzzle League (7) - Even when I'm into Pokemon, not really into playing this game too much. However, when I was into this game, I was good and enjoyed it immensely. Some of the harder levels... wow. How can they expect a kid, or anyone, to beat them?
25. Diddy Kong Racing (6) - For whatever reason, I always preferred Mario Kart over this, more than likely because I liked the characters more. However, this game did have fun mechanics and came out with multiple vehicles before the Mario Kart franchise did. It sure has been a while since I played this.
26. Pokemon Snap (8) - For a game where all you do is take pictures, it's surprisingly fun. They unlock levels and the ability to throw food or pester balls at the perfect pace. They were only able to include about half of the original 151 Pokemon, probably due to the size capacities of the N64 games. Some of the shots I got were not too far off from being close to world records. I would've loved to have seen another Pokemon Snap game, perhaps for the Wii, but would it work with motion control? Hard to say.
27. Star Wars Episode I: Racer (4) - I recently got this game at a bargain store, and I haven't played it much yet. It was surprisingly tough, even for an adult. I will give this another go someday, perhaps after watching Episode I again.
Xbox:
1. NFL Fever 2002 (8) - I really liked the NFL Fever franchise. I really wish they had been able to continue it, but unfortunately EA Sports won the sole rights to NFL players and their likenesses. At the time, I really thought other games were better than Madden. This one was no exception. The players weren't really scaled right, but I had a lot of fun creating players (usually based on kids I went to school with) and of course, playing with the Seahawks.
2. Star Wars Obi-Wan (8) - Pretty much Star Wars Episode I with some before and during battles. You play as a young jedi Obi-Wan (duh) and you play in certain battles such as rescuing the Queen in Naboo and fighting against Darth Maul. This would have to be one of my favorite third person Star Wars games ever. The controls are a bit hard to figure out at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad. The graphics, however, do not hold up well today.
3. NBA Inside Drive 2002 (6) - Didn't really play this game much, as I've played its successor much more over the years. The only thing it has better than the 2003 version is the intro.
4. NBA Inside Drive 2003 (9) - To this day I still play this game. For some reason, I can't get into any other basketball game. I love the antics of Kevin Colabro, Marcus Johnson, and Kenny Smith as announcers. Plus, creating players and getting them experience and making them better is really fun and easy to do in this game.
5. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (7) - I've always found this game too difficult for me. First time I played it, I got stuck a few levels in. A year ago or so, I played it again and got a lot farther, but still couldn't beat the game. Maybe after a while I'll try a third time to beat the game. Fun to play for sure, but a bit too difficult for me.
6. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (9) - What's not to like? The Campaign mode is fun, but the actual gameplay is awesome and simple enough. I've beaten the campaign mode at least 10 times, each time still as fun as the last. Multiplayer was fun while it lasted, too. I wish the campaign was longer, but it has good replay value. One thing I don't like: Some of the Dossier missions are downright impossible--recon on elite, firefight on elite using only a demolitions guy... I mean... wow.
7. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Island Thunder (8) - Had all the same, great features the original Ghost Recon had. The campaign wasn't as long or enjoyable, but still fun. I think there were some bugs in this game. But the thing that hurt this game was that it was basically just an expansion to Ghost Recon, but it was marketed as its own game.
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8) - Good continuation in the Harry Potter video game series. Too many load screens bogged the game down a bit, but nothing beat free roam around the castle on a broomstick, being able to collect an infinite number of beans and trading them for prizes from Fred and George. I think I've only beaten the game twice, so it's hard to give it anything higher than an 8.
9. Halo (10) - Arguably the best original Xbox game. When you think Xbox, you think Halo. This game kicked ass and its only fault was lack of multiplayer, which was implemented in its sequel. I don't think I'll ever like a first person shooter series more than Halo. It was a huge part of my adolescence.
10. Halo 2 (10) - This game had a lot of hype and it certainly lived up to it. The story mode wasn't as compelling but multiplayer was everything I expected and all the new features and weapons were amazing. Energy sword FTW. I still enjoy playing out the campaign every few years. I even owned the PC version and played it on my PC as well.
11. Grand Theft Auto III (6) - This game came packaged with GTA Vice City when they were first released for the Xbox (see below), and I preferred Vice City, so I never really got into this version. Maybe someday? All I can say is I probably haven't put forth even 10 hours into this game in my life.
12. Grand Theft Auto Vice City (8) - Played this quite a bit once GTA came out on the Xbox console. I don't think I fully completed all of the missions, but I came close. Fond memories of this game.
13. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (9) - I don't think I spent as much time on this as GTA Vice City, but I enjoyed it more and most every gamer of GTA would agree it's one of the strongest in the series. The map is larger, you do more exciting missions, and it's just a better quality game. I'll definitely play this some more in the future. The graphics don't hold up that well, however.
14. Midtown Madness 3 (8) - For some reason, we got rid of this game and I no longer own it or can play it. But one time we did own it and it was a lot of fun. I remember playing the first Midtown Madness games on the PC many years ago, and this game for the Xbox was just as good. Good selection of vehicles. Just been a while.
15. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (10) - This is in competition with Halo and Halo 2 as the Xbox game I have spent the most time on. I really have no complaints about this game. The story is so compelling it could (and should) be made into a movie. To this day I still play it and I may never grow old of it. I have purchased and played the mobile version of this, and may just play it there in the future out of convenience.
16. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (8) - This game actually improved slightly in gameplay and mechanics, but fell way short in story and characters. I still love playing it and have beaten it many times as well, but I always feel dissatisfied when I finish it. Like someone who just finished their plate of food and is still hungry. The game was obviously rushed out, which it shouldn't have been. People have been petitioning long and hard for a KOTOR III, but that may never come.
17. Star Wars Battlefront (8) - I was thrilled about this idea of a game: Being a stormtrooper, Wookie, or even Trade Federation droid and fighting in some of the most famous battles in Star Wars. It worked pretty well, but was almost too simple of a game.
18. Star Wars Battlefront II (8) - This game had improvements from its predecessor in graphics and gameplay, but I can't say I enjoyed it more. Loved being able to play as famous Jedi, but flying in planes was way too tough and some of the game types still don't make sense to me.
19. All-Star Baseball 2004 (7) - Not my favorite baseball game ever, but it had its perks. Creating your own team was fun, and the actual gameplay was pretty good, and the graphics were good, especially for its time. Thom Brennaman and Steve Lyons weren't the best choice as commentators, though. However, I loved the feature of exploring the unused ballparks they had in the game. I would listen to the voiceover guy talk about the ballparks and that was entertaining enough by itself.
20. Major League Baseball 2K5 (9) - Up there as one of my favorite sports games... ever. I've played multiple 162-game seasons on this game (usually as the Mariners, of course), and the display and graphics still hold up pretty well to this day. Jon Miller and Joe Morgan as announcers? Perfect choices. Also, you can't beat the ESPN presentation for this game.
21. Bicycle Casino (6) - Enjoyable when I feel the urge to gamble and play casino games, which is rare, however. But I could spend hours playing Texas Hold 'Em in this game. It's just very basic with nothing really that stands out. I never had enough patience to build up a lot of money in this game.
22. NHL Hitz Pro (6) - The only hockey game I've ever owned, really. And I did enjoy it, for the most part. It was too easy to score goals, and upping the difficulty only allowed the computer to score a ton of goals. What happened to low-scoring contests? Then again, this was made by Midway, who also made NFL Blitz. I liked creating the Seattle expansion franchise most of all.
23. Medal of Honor Frontline (7) - Another game we've gotten rid of but I remember owning, Medal of Honor Frontline had a more war-like feel than any Call of Duty game I've played. Very good difficulty. Graphics kind of lacked and some tasks seemed weird, but I enjoyed it. I recently re-bought this game and tried playing it, but it was surprisingly difficult. I'll try again someday.
24. Destroy All Humans (5) - Played this a bit when we first got it, and it was fun, but it has very little replay value and doesn't hold up well today. I've thought about giving this game another shot someday.
25. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (8) - Definitely enjoyable with cut scenes from the movie. I don't like the controls too much, basically making it a button-mashing game, but it holds up well today.
26. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (8) - Difficult, but fun and even longer than Two Towers. I like all the characters you can play from. Whenever I finish watching the Lord of the Rings movies, I have to play the games.
27. Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open (5) - I had to look this game up because not only did we get rid of it, but I couldn't remember the title. Found it, and one of the few things I remember was being able to race a Dodge Durango, which was the family car at the time. This game was fun, but it didn't give me too many reasons to go back and play it, which is probably why we got rid of it.
28. ESPN NFL 2K5 (10) - Somehow, I forgot this game and I had to put this up a month after my original blog post! This might be my favorite NFL video game of all time, and I forgot it. The ESPN format is brilliant, with Chris Berman and his half- and post-game shows. The announcers could be better (Who are Dan Stevens and Peter O'Keefe?) But this game, to this day, stands up well even to the current Madden. Imagine if EA hadn't won the monopoly to the NFL, how much this series of football games might have advanced. And the best part about this game? Even at release: It was just $19.99. Yeah.
29. NASCAR Heat 2002 (8) - This is the only NASCAR game I've ever owned, but I sure enjoyed it. Yes, it's just taking a bunch of left turns, but navigating past cars was fun enough. I most had fun causing havoc and causing other drivers to spin out and crash. I did an entire season and won, which I think counts for beating the game.
30. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (7) - I have beaten the game once, but it was not that enjoyable. It's a lot of button mashing just like The Lord of the Rings games. But the alternate ending where Anakin kills Obi-Wan is almost worth the price of the game, if you can get that far.
Now there are a few games me or my family owned that I either spent little to no time playing, but I will list them nonetheless:
31. 007: Agent Under Fire: I expected this to be near as good or better than Goldeneye. I was wrong.
32. America's Army: Rise of a Soldier
33. Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup: Boring after a short while
34. Half-Life 2
35. NCAA Football 2005
36. The Sims 2: There's a reason it was made for the PC primarily
37. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
38. Tetris Worlds
39. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
40. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2
41. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike
Xbox 360:
1. Backbreaker (5) - This game was fun to do the Gauntlet or whatever it was called, where you have 100 levels to evade or juke past defenders all the while staying inside certain boundaries. It's animations were excellent, although the gameplay was limited.
2. The Bigs (3) - I just couldn't get into this game and don't know why I got it. I guess it's fun to see the players all jacked up and cranking home runs at ease.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (7) - I mainly got this game to play online with one of my friends, which I only did for a little bit. I like the Call of Duty games, just never been a big fan of them.
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (8) - I beat this game because the storyline in the Modern Warfare games is my favorite of any CoD series. I didn't play much online, however.
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (8) - I think I beat this game twice. It's a heck of a lot of fun. I did play a bit online, probably the most of any CoD game I've ever played.
6. College Hoops 2K6 (10) - This is the only College Basketball game I've ever owned because nothing for me will top this. I got over a decade in to the franchise mode with the Gonzaga basketball team before I accidentally overrode its save with something else 😠Boy that was not a good day. The fact that you could edit any incoming players and make them better made it easy to keep on playing.
7. Crackdown (8) - I remember I got this game for free after doing a play test study for Microsoft way back when. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it, but I certainly did. It was fun increasing your guy's attributes and leaping tall buildings in a single bound.
8. Crackdown 2 (9) - They improved Crackdown even more with its sequel. I don't remember either game a ton, but I certainly want to replay them someday.
9. Dead Island (6) - I've played this zombie game a bit. I wanted a zombie game to play a few years ago, one a bit more realistic than the one below. But it was only okay. I did not get very far at all.
10. Dead Rising (7) - Boy was this game tough. I loved the story, which is what gave me motivation to keep trying. I always thought they should have made this into a movie. But I just couldn't get past certain parts. When you just couldn't avoid getting attacked by a zombie over and over, that was very annoying.
11. Game of Thrones (4) - I got this game shortly after getting into the TV series, and I just can't stay focused to play it. The better game is the Telltale Games version.
12. Gears of War (9) - This would probably be 2nd to Halo as my favorite shooter franchise of all time. Playing as Marcus Fenix and battling the Locust horde just is so much fun. I love the story too, and think it would make an interesting movie or TV series.
13. Gears of War 2 (8) - I give this a slightly lower rating, but it's still a great game. It's often forgotten, being sandwiched between the first and third (which some consider to be the best).
14. Gears of War 3 (10) - What a great game. The part that will always stand out to me is when Dom sacrifices himself to save Marcus and the rest, set to an instrumental of "Mad World". I legit cried my first time playing through that part. I will forever argue it's one of the saddest moments in video game history.
15. Grand Theft Auto IV (9) - Boy I loved playing as Nico in beautiful NYC. The story of course, was really good. My favorite mission was the bank robbery. I also loved doing different challenges after beating the story mission. I didn't get to 100% completion, maybe close to 80%.
16. Grand Theft Auto V (10) - Rockstar Games hit it out of the park with this one. Three playable characters this time, all uniquely different. The story was again top-notch and there's so much replay value in this.
17. Halo 3 (10) - What more can you say? Halo 3 is considered to be peak Halo. The online experience, for once, was the highlight for me. They introduced Forge which allowed players to create and share their own maps, which even I did a bit. There was the Arby N the Chief series, which mainly related to this game. I remember checking my stats online at Bungie.net constantly. Good times.
18. Halo Reach (9) - This was an interesting game, to have a prequel to Halo. I certainly enjoyed it, and I felt like it had the perfect difficulty. I played it online a little bit, but not like Halo 3. I loved the ending where your Spartan character fought to the bitter end at the Fall of Reach.
19. Halo 3: ODST (8) - Probably one of the weakest in the Halo series, but still a very solid game. I thought it was cool playing as a soldier and not a spartan, for a change. It definitely got tough in parts, but doable.
20. Halo 4 (8) - This was enjoyable and fun, but it just doesn't feel like Halo for some reason. This was after Bungie sold the game to 343 Industries, so that has something to do with it. I don't think I ever played it online.
21. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (9) - One of my favorite Harry Potter games ever. It has the most open-world aspect to it of any HP game at that point. I enjoyed finding all the hidden crests and even playing games with other students.
22. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (8) - A very similar game to OotP, but for some reason, I just didn't enjoy the game quite as much. Odd, because I enjoyed the book version more. I definitely want to give this game another try some day because it's hard to remember what it's like.
23. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (7) - I think this game did away with the majority of the open world element, and in my opinion, lacked a bit as a result. It's not the gamemakers fault, as the story didn't have the students in school. Again with HBP, hard to remember, will have to play again someday.
24. LA Noire (10) - One of Rockstar's best. They sure captured the 1940's Los Angeles so well. Trying to figure out if people were telling the truth was equally challenging and fun to do. This game definitely deserves a replay, and I will have to do that soon.
25. Lost: Via Domus (7) - I think this game gets a bad rap. Yes it's short, simple, and slightly contradicts the show, but it's still enjoyable. I hated avoiding the smoke monster; it's repetitive, annoying, and there's way too much of it. Also, some of the voice actors were nothing like their TV show counterparts, mainly Charlie, Sawyer, and Locke. But it was so cool being in the hatch and exploring it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)