After a long hiatus, I leave you with a very important message.
These past two months have seen amazing changes in me. Honestly. I don't know where they are coming from, whether it is through some divine intervention from god, from my longing of high quality women (and not getting them) or my old age, I feel like many doors have been opened for me and many demons have been fought away (gone but possibly not forever...who knows).
If you are beginning to wonder what changes I have made, lets begin with a few concrete and simple, if not shocking, ones. After 15 long years of being a regular gamer, I no longer have a desire for video games. Like a drug addict who's been sniffing cocaine on a weekly basis for most of his life, I have quit almost completely. And by almost meaning the only gaming I do is the occasional rockband or guitar hero session with friends. And even those are becoming rarer as time goes. Anybody who knows me knows I've spent days of my life on video games and engulfed myself in a reality which doesnt exist, to shield myself from the reality that I live in. I hide myself from the real world through gaming and something triggered in my mind 2 months ago that made it suddenly very unappealing to spend another minute drowning my sowers in pixelated endeavors. It was never a conscious decision. I just didn't touch my games for about a month and when I tried to come back to them, I couldn't. I fell out of love.
The next change that has occurred in me is the consistency and drive I have towards lifting weights. I work intensely now 5 days a week and eat right. Junk food and fast food are almost a thing of the past and the few times I do decide to indulge myself, I get noticeably ill. My body isn't used to it anymore. It's craving good healthy food. And that is when I know that these changes are not superficial. They are real, they are THERE, they are obvious to anyone around me, and they are making their presence felt. Again, it was never a conscious decision. I didn't choose to quit tasty but unhealthy foods just to join the league of liberal fanatics who feel that eating anything that isn't organic is a blow to the earth. It just sort of happened as a result of quitting the video games and putting extra time into bodybuilding. It really is synergistic.
The last change happens to be the most powerful but also the most subtle. After years of longing for things I can't have and years of validating myself through others feelings towards me, I stopped caring. I'll say what I want, when I want, to whom I want, and I'll speak the truth at all times. I will no longer hold myself back. This doesn't mean that I'm going to go around and insult everyone around me. This means that if a girl is being a bitch to me, I'm not going to hold my head down and walk away with my tail between my legs. This means I will call her out on it and move on. If a girl interrupts me when I'm speaking, I will not let her talk. And if a girl tries to play with my emotions with her little mind games, I won't let her. The most important thing in life is not money but social relationships. That's why men rate themselves on how many women they've slept with. It's all a social ladder game and the higher you are, the more accomplished in life you are (haha right). Whatever happened to just being a smart, funny, value-giving guy that makes this world a better place by living without merit, without ego, and without judging others? Why does everybody feel its so important to try to oneup everyone?
I will NOT let you steal value from me by demeaning me in any way. And I will NOT feel sorry for myself for not sleeping with hundreds of girls or by getting rejected for the hundredth time today. That's one person's opinion and doesn't mean any more to me than the bums off the street.
I'm just going to live my life enjoying myself, enjoying others, giving value to those that deserve it and taking everything for what it is. The urgency is just not there anymore. I don't know why these changes happened, its all very subtle and hard to explain. And it could be gone at a moment's whim but only time will tell. I'm not saying I'm suddenly confident, high self esteem, and a complete pimp. Quite the contrary. I'm just saying that I'm experiencing changes that might possibly lead to better things down the line. I don't know why these changes occurred. But I do have an idea and those that are closest to me might know why. For that, I have nothing to give but my utmost thanks.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Top 20 best games ever!
My good friend and fellow gamer Gev made a list of the top 12 best games ever. Well I can't just limit myself to just 12 or even 20, but a list ain't a list unless there is a cap. So without further ado, here are the best games ever as seen through my eyes.
15. Perfect Dark (N64)
Goldeneye set the standard for first person shooters but Perfect Dark took that formula and ran with it. Bigger, better looking, and more epic than its legendary predecessor, N64 owners around the world thanked god that Rare was a second party to Nintendo after playing this game. You control Joanna Dark, a secret agent who must sneak her way to the find the truth of whats really going on between the alien race and the world. Throughout the adventure you will encounter interesting characters and take control of some of the most recognizable weapons ever. Till this day, the Farsight is considered either the greatest weapon ever conceived or the cheapest (depending on which side of the barrel you're on). What made this game great was its multiplayer. Though laggy, there was nothing better than throwing a turret machine gun in an unseen corner of the room and watch as your kill count rises at the expense of your friend's lives. Rare released a sequel but it did not garner the type of respect that the original did. Many consider Perfect Dark and Goldeneye to be the magnum opus of shooters.
Playtime: 15 hour single player, 100+ hours in multiplayer
Playthroughs: twice
Famous for: being Rare's last great game
also play: Goldeneye, Call of Duty 4
Many of my peers felt that God of War II was too puzzle-heavy relative to the original but I disagree with the naysayers. God of War II took an almost perfect formula and somehow made it even better. The gore is as over the top as ever and every set piece is equally as epic. The game is twice as long as its predecessor but still feels like the quickest 12 hours ever. Kratos has got the be the most despicable protagonist in the a video game but you feel sympathy for a man who was tricked into slavery and torture for the rest of his life. The mythological setting and awe-inspiring soundtrack combined with the gorgeous graphics and smooth animation gives the player a sense of great satisfaction. In other words, there's no denying that what you see before you as you work your way through the game is nothing less than masterful. The developers took the correct route with this sequel; why fix something that isn't broken? And perhaps most telling of all, is that God of War III was one of my main reasons for dropping $400 on a PS3. Yeah, its that good.
Playtime: 12 hours
Playthroughs: once
Famous for: perfecting the GoW formula
also play: Heavenly Sword, God of War 1
This game is a lot more revolutionary than most think. Just play it today and you'll see so many similarities between Deus Ex and many of today's classics. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, two great games, borrow heavily from Deus Ex. The branching conversation lines and the moral decisions that play out are two things that were first perfected in Deus Ex. This game let the player really decide how they wanted to do things. The goals remained the same; break into the building. But how would you do that? Would you hack into the mainframe and disable the security? Would you bust the door open and shoot your way in? Or better yet, would you sneak you way to the top of the building, unlock the roof hatch, and get in that way? The game is played in first person shooter mode but it's hardly a shooter. The RPG elements allow you to customize your character depending on your preference. Are you a hacker? Then increase the computer science skills. Are you a fighter? Then improve aiming and firearms skills. The game is dark throughout and the excellent pacing of the story translates to well-paced gameplay. Amazing.
Playtime: 30-45 hours
Playthroughs: twice because of its many branching paths
Famous for: allowing the player to make the moral decisions
also play: Mass Effect, Star Wars: Old Republic, Fallout 3
12. Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
Not much to say here. Zelda games are self-explanatory and great by default. The light and dark world mechanic was well done and this particular Zelda has the greatest dungeon designs of the series. The music is still some of the best heard and is memorable years after its release. What made this game great was its variety. There are at least 10 different dungeons all with very different environments and enemies. Sandstorms, forests, swamps, mountains, waterfalls...are all here. And perhaps most impressive is that everything can be accessed. If you can see it, you can explore it. The game is vast and a technical achievement. Nothing less from Miyamoto.
Playtime: 50 hours
playthroughs: once
Famous for: light and dark world, introducing many mainstay weapons and enemies, redefining the Zelda formula after the tragedy that was Zelda II for the nes
also play: Beyond Good and Evil, Okami
11. Super Metroid (SNES)
Possibly the most atmospheric and innovative game on the SNES. Every decade has a handful of genre-busting, revolutionary titles that completely create a new style of gameplay. Super Metroid is one of them. Any game that has the player thrown into a huge nonlinear world without any powerups or direction should bow down to this game for doing it first. You play as Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who is sent to the planet Zebes to investigate some abnormal radio activity. The many sections of the world are connected by doors and elevators but many of them are blocked until a certain powerup is acquired. This created a euphoric sense of adventure as the character is extremely driven to find all the powerups to see what is behind that door. It becomes almost an obsession as you pass the same blocked door over and over, wondering what in the hell can be behind it. Once you find that powerup, you rush as fast as you can to this door and open it, only to find that there's not just an item there but a whole new section of the planet is revealed to you. The bosses are sometimes so huge that they fill up more than half the screen. The graphics are also some of the best seen on the SNES. Lush environments filled to the brim with exotic creatures and foliage is just the tip of the iceberg in this legendary game.
Playtime: took me about 8 hours but can be completed in 30 mins if speed running
Playthroughs: twice but the world was explored for fun after beating the game
Famous for: creating the nonlinear, 2D, character powerup driven gameplay
also play: new generation Castlevania titles
9. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2)
Playtime: 76 hours
The first game to have scripted sequences told in real time as opposed to using cut scenes. This little dynamic made the game way more involving because everything is seen through Gordon Freeman's eyes. Half-life was an amazing game because it was one big level, a giant set piece you can explore called Black Mesa. Just when you thought you saw everything, something new and exciting is thrown out you. The last level is weak but the rest of the game was so good, it garnered 50 game of the year awards and not to mention a classic multiplayer online shooter.
playthroughs: two or three times
playtime: around 8 hours
Famous for: scripted events told in real time to move story, the crowbar weapon
also play: Half-Life 2
The best PC RPG ever made. The engine is based of Dungeon's and Dragons and the view takes some getting used to (isometric view, 3D models, 2D backgrounds) but if there ever was a game with as much content as this one, I have yet to see it. I literally spent a good 100+ hours on the second chapter ALONE because there was such a plethora of side quests to accomplish. Each playable character has a life and story to them and I mean this in the most elaborate sense. One character had a 5 hour sequence to them alone, where you must liberate her castle from an evil warlord who took it over. After that, you must defend the castle from rival factions, raise money (you can increase taxes but this will piss off your city) play judge to people who have disagreements (and decide to execute them if you wish...hey you're king) and all sorts of crazy things. The characters are lovable, the side quests are enormous, the dungeons are beautifully designed, and the game just feels EPIC. Hundreds of spells, dialogue, romance plotlines, different classes, tons of enemies, hatred among your party, etc. I can go on and on about this wonderful game. Hell, I'm not even a dungeons and dragons fan at all and never even played Baldur's Gate I but none of that mattered. This game reminds you why we even play games.
playtime: 150+ hours
playthroughs: never finished
Famous for: being Bethesda Software's masterpiece before going bankrupt, critically acclaimed as being the best Dungeons and Dragon's themed game ever
also play: Star Wars: KOTOR, Mass Effect
Resident Evil is another awesome series made by the geniuses at Capcom. After the masterpiece that was Resident Evil 2, the formula began to get stale. RE3 and Code Veronica were good in their own right but Capcom started getting greedy by making cheap knockoffs of this license. After porting Code Veronica to the gamecube and remaking Resident Evil 1, fans grew tiresome of the clunky controls and item fetching. Capcom began making the new resident evil for the ps2 but the formula didn't quite work. That game ended up being Devil May Cry, another wonderful series. However, a new team was setup to move the Resident Evil series in a new direction and that is when this legendary title was born. Four years in the making and it shows, the whole concept of survival horror was given an uplift. The controls were revamped to a behind the shoulder, above the waist view and fans were pleased. The main problem that plagued the series was fixed and all that remained was retaining the classic gameplay. But Capcom made it even better. No more item fetching this time. The action was the forefront of this game and boy was it amazing. Zombies were smarter, faster, stronger, and worked in groups. The cutscenes also introduced twitch gameplay and failed attempts resulting in Leon Kennedy dying in some horrific but wonderful ways. To top it off, the game was lengthy at 20 hours.
playtime: 20 hours
playthroughs: about twice or so
Famous for: changing the whole Resident Evil concept for the better, the chainsaw enemy and death sequence
also play: Dead Space, Silent Hill games
Self-explanatory. Shocked it didn't make my top 3? There really isn't much to say about the Zelda series or this particular game that hasn't been beaten to death the last decade. We all love it, Zelda rocks, and deserves a spot on every top 10 list.
Playtime: 30-45 hours
Playthroughs: twice but went back to replay sequences
Famous for: first 3D Zelda, Z-targeting
also play: Fable
I love 2D fighters and this game is the epitome of them all. Basically perfecting the hitbox mechanic found in fighters, this game took it one step further and brought it down to the PIXEL. Thats right folks, if you throw out an attack and the pixels found in your animation dont quite reach the enemy, the enemy can retaliate and attack you back. Its a brilliant concept. However, the parrying system makes it even deeper. The enemy can "parry" any attack you throw by pressing forward or down prior to getting hit. The parry has a quicker recovery and has no block stun, meaning you can essentially punish a small quick attack with a strong attack. The game is very hard to play and is indeed for the hardcore crowd only. But its definitely for me and the competitive nature in me is in full swing when I play this. The strategy is extremely deep and battles are akin to chess matches. One simple mistake means death.
playtime: over 70 hours I'd say and still going
Famous for: the parry system, the incredible japanese players
also play: Guilty Gear, Capcom vs Snk
The best Final Fantasy game and one of the greatest RPGs ever crafted. The game did everything right: two huge worlds to explore, a sprawling epic lasting at least 60 hours, and more characters than you'd know what to do with. Every character had a unique story, background and set of moves that tied in nicely with the story of the game. Who can ever forget Sabin or his brother. Or the lone ninja with a heart of gold. The many cut scenes in the game gave life and urgency to the characters and by the end, you geniunely cared how it all would end. In my opinion, FF6 (or FF3 as it was originally called in the US) is the first major epic game in video game industry and it gave life to the games you see today. The music and graphics are also some of the best seen in a video game and the sheer amount of stuff to see and do is mind boggling. Kefka is also a villian with some texture to him. Unlike other generic antagonists, he is fleshed out as a character and the twisted things he does really makes him the first villian you love to hate. Who can forget his laugh? But all things aside, this is a timeless classic and deserving to be on every list.
Also play: any FF game
A beast of a game. The swan song of the legendary snes and a blending of talent never before seen or seen again. Hailed as being the greatest RPG ever, it is truly greater than the sum of its parts, which is ridiculous considering that each aspect of this game is nearly perfect. Chrono Trigger was developed by a group that Square called the "Dream Team", consisting of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuhiko Aoki, and composer Nobuo Uematsu—known for their works on the Final Fantasy series—and Yuuji Horii and artist Akira Toriyama, freelance designers for Enix's Dragon Quest series. Toriyama is the designer of the popular Dragon Ball Z series and it shows here. His style is unique and lovable and shines in this type of game. How good is the music? Let's just say that even more than ten years after its release, I still listen to the soundtrack in my car. The story is simple. Chrono Trigger begins with the Millennial Fair, where Crono had been waiting so eagerly for it to start. He wakes up late and coincidentally bumps into a royal princess whom he agrees to take around. and view Lucca's exhibition -a new teleportation device. Marle volunteers as the first guinea pig to the untested device, but disappears through a strange portal a reaction occurs between the pendant she was wearing round her neck and with the teleportation machine. Crono asks to be sent through the machine to find her, and discovers he has traveled back 400 years in time. The story is brilliant simply because of the opportunities it presents. This way, you can travel back in time to any era and the designers spared no punches in this regard. You will go forward in time, to a post apocalyptical world everything is destroyed. Here you will meet a lovable robot who will join you in your quest to stop Lavos, the demon responsible for the earth's destruction. You can travel to the location where Lavos is just minutes away from unleashing his wrath. Want to see some dinosaurs? Go for it. You don't like dinosaurs you say? You're more of a Dungeons and Dragons player? Thats what 400BC is for. Just make sure you plead not guilty when the parliament decides to execute you for kidnapping the queen. The battle system is perfected here. No more will you take a few steps and be taken to a seperate screen to fight repetitive battle after repetitive battle. Here, you can actually see the enemy prior to engaging them and it is of your own free will if you choose to fight or avoid them altogether. You can put up to three of your party members in at one time against the enemies and this allows you to do amazing two or three member attacks at the cost of SP. You want more? How about the dozen endings? Or the dozens of bosses, side quests, or secret weapons you can find? Just truly remarkable and lets remember people...this was released towards the end of the SNES' life cycle. That means that no system after it, not the playstation, N64, gamecube, PS2, Wii, Xbox, Ps3, 360, or PC for that matter, has seen such a complete and polished game. One of my friends recently said "Im going to play Chrono Trigger in December every year for the rest of my life". Point, set, match. The greatest game of all time is Chrono Trigger and its not even close.
20. Super Mario World (SNES)
Anybody who doesn't have this game in their list falls into one of these three categories: 1) they were a genesis owner and don't know what ROMs are 2) They played it and couldn't appreciate the beauty of this game due to whatever reason 3) you played it, loved it back in the day, and just plain forgot about this gem. Super Mario World had a massive world to explore and young minds everywhere were absolutely glued to their screens trying to uncover every level and secret. A legendary item and absolute staple of this game (as evidenced by the cover above) was the yellow cape. Nothing beats flying through an entire level, not a care in the world, as the monsters below you look up in awe. But what made this game great was its variety of levels. You had forests, caves, water worlds, dungeons, clouds, and some truly kickass sound effects. BOING!!!
Playtime: 100+ hours
Playthroughs: continuous for years
famous for: introducing Yoshi, being the first SNES Mario game
also play: Super Mario 3, Rayman 2
Playtime: 100+ hours
Playthroughs: continuous for years
famous for: introducing Yoshi, being the first SNES Mario game
also play: Super Mario 3, Rayman 2
19. Max Payne 2 (PC, PS2)
With a troubled protagonist, a comicbook setting, bullet-time effects, and gangsters around every corner, Max Payne 2 set the stage for possibly the greatest mobster themed game ever. The gunplay remained fresh and fun as you fought your way through dark building after dark building, searching for your femme fatale and hunting down those who did you wrong. The story is great; ultimately, what drives Max Payne is finding his family's murderer and you'll enjoy every blood soaked minute. Never before have bullet-time effects played such a huge role in a game because it is almost impossible to dodge everything that is thrown at you without it. At a short 6 or so hours, it is not as epic as the rest but quality over quantity comes to mind here.
Playtime: 6-8 hours
Playthroughs: once
Famous for: mastering the bullet-time effects and for having a shitty movie (though that was th original)
also play: Stranglehold, Hitman
Playthroughs: once
Famous for: mastering the bullet-time effects and for having a shitty movie (though that was th original)
also play: Stranglehold, Hitman
18. Super Smash Bros. (N64)
I had to give a nod to the game that I played almost constantly from 1999-2001, easily pouring in 200 hours. I won't waste your time explaining the logistics of this game because you already know. Though Melee is the better game, Smash Bros. will forever remain the king of innovation in the fighting genre forever. It's fun, its simple, and it kicks ass. 'Nuff said.
Playtime: 200+ hours
famous for: being the first violent Mario themed game
also play: Super Smash Bros: Melee/Brawl, Powerstone
famous for: being the first violent Mario themed game
also play: Super Smash Bros: Melee/Brawl, Powerstone
17. Winback (N64, PS2)
Not expecting this one were you? Many felt this game was a ripoff of Metal Gear Soild but let me tell you, I've played those two games tirelessly and they cannot be compared. Winback has less stealth, less cinematics, and more interactive gameplay. From the getgo you are thrown into the heat of battle, having to maneavuer your way to a box. From here it is imperative that the terrorist that is 50 feet away doesn't see you. So you press the R1 button, the character sneakily peaks his head out and aims his laser at the terrorist. You aim at his head and pull the trigger. The guy dies. This little scheme is done over and over and is always satisfying. The story is great too. The objective is to find the rogue agent who is picking off your comrades one by one. The game has more than 30 levels and you'll be dodging lasers, machine guns, ninjas, and all sorts of crazy shit. I haven't played this in a while but till this day it remains the only game I've played through three times. Just remember to get the hell out of there if you plant a C4.
Playtime: 10-15 hours
Playthroughs: 3 times
Famous for: being a sleeper hit
also play: Syphon Filter, Metal Gear Solid
Famous for: being a sleeper hit
also play: Syphon Filter, Metal Gear Solid
16. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES (Ps2)
This weekend was crazy. I fused 5 different demons to create a demi-god called Beelzebub, who I later used to defeat the stronger enemies who tried to kill me. I spit game on a girl in an MMORPG, who I later found out to be my history teacher. I made love to my dorm mate and maxed out that social link, allowing me to fuse Alilat, a powerful demon. I was visited by the grim reaper as I fought my way through dungeon after dungeon but was able to defeat him using Odin, the norse god of lightning and the aformentioned Beelzebub. But enough about my weekend to Cabo San Lucas. Shin Megami Tensei is a master video game producer and his latest entry into this occult themed opus is no exception. The world is similar to this one with one minor difference...at midnight, everybody but your special swat team turns into coffins and a huge tower erupts from your school. Hundreds of shadows (generic looking blobs which take you to the classic RPG turn based fighting screen) lurk within. It is your job to go to school during the day and explore this tower at night. Therefore, the game boasts two styles: a sims like section where you must interactive with different people in school, which later allows you to fuse stronger demons in the dungeon aspect of the game. The dungeon plays more like Diablo and tends to get repetitive. What stands out for me is the amazing characters. The great story and voice acting helps you connect to these characters and you truly care what happens to them. Well, after spending more than 80 hours on this game, I better feel that way! By the way, FES is the re-release of this game and boasts more social links, demons, and a bonus psuedo sequel chapter that tacks on another 30 hours of gameplay. Geez, for $30 you'd think they'd tone it down.
Playtime: 110+ hours
playthroughs: once is enough but to see everything, two playthroughs is required (I don't have 200 hours to waste anymore though)
Famous for: its dual gameplay mechanic
also play: any Shin Megami Tensei title, Dragon Quest 8
playthroughs: once is enough but to see everything, two playthroughs is required (I don't have 200 hours to waste anymore though)
Famous for: its dual gameplay mechanic
also play: any Shin Megami Tensei title, Dragon Quest 8
15. Perfect Dark (N64)
Goldeneye set the standard for first person shooters but Perfect Dark took that formula and ran with it. Bigger, better looking, and more epic than its legendary predecessor, N64 owners around the world thanked god that Rare was a second party to Nintendo after playing this game. You control Joanna Dark, a secret agent who must sneak her way to the find the truth of whats really going on between the alien race and the world. Throughout the adventure you will encounter interesting characters and take control of some of the most recognizable weapons ever. Till this day, the Farsight is considered either the greatest weapon ever conceived or the cheapest (depending on which side of the barrel you're on). What made this game great was its multiplayer. Though laggy, there was nothing better than throwing a turret machine gun in an unseen corner of the room and watch as your kill count rises at the expense of your friend's lives. Rare released a sequel but it did not garner the type of respect that the original did. Many consider Perfect Dark and Goldeneye to be the magnum opus of shooters.
Playtime: 15 hour single player, 100+ hours in multiplayer
Playthroughs: twice
Famous for: being Rare's last great game
also play: Goldeneye, Call of Duty 4
14. God of War II (PS2)
Many of my peers felt that God of War II was too puzzle-heavy relative to the original but I disagree with the naysayers. God of War II took an almost perfect formula and somehow made it even better. The gore is as over the top as ever and every set piece is equally as epic. The game is twice as long as its predecessor but still feels like the quickest 12 hours ever. Kratos has got the be the most despicable protagonist in the a video game but you feel sympathy for a man who was tricked into slavery and torture for the rest of his life. The mythological setting and awe-inspiring soundtrack combined with the gorgeous graphics and smooth animation gives the player a sense of great satisfaction. In other words, there's no denying that what you see before you as you work your way through the game is nothing less than masterful. The developers took the correct route with this sequel; why fix something that isn't broken? And perhaps most telling of all, is that God of War III was one of my main reasons for dropping $400 on a PS3. Yeah, its that good.
Playtime: 12 hours
Playthroughs: once
Famous for: perfecting the GoW formula
also play: Heavenly Sword, God of War 1
13. Deux Ex (PC)
This game is a lot more revolutionary than most think. Just play it today and you'll see so many similarities between Deus Ex and many of today's classics. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect, two great games, borrow heavily from Deus Ex. The branching conversation lines and the moral decisions that play out are two things that were first perfected in Deus Ex. This game let the player really decide how they wanted to do things. The goals remained the same; break into the building. But how would you do that? Would you hack into the mainframe and disable the security? Would you bust the door open and shoot your way in? Or better yet, would you sneak you way to the top of the building, unlock the roof hatch, and get in that way? The game is played in first person shooter mode but it's hardly a shooter. The RPG elements allow you to customize your character depending on your preference. Are you a hacker? Then increase the computer science skills. Are you a fighter? Then improve aiming and firearms skills. The game is dark throughout and the excellent pacing of the story translates to well-paced gameplay. Amazing.
Playtime: 30-45 hours
Playthroughs: twice because of its many branching paths
Famous for: allowing the player to make the moral decisions
also play: Mass Effect, Star Wars: Old Republic, Fallout 3
12. Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
Not much to say here. Zelda games are self-explanatory and great by default. The light and dark world mechanic was well done and this particular Zelda has the greatest dungeon designs of the series. The music is still some of the best heard and is memorable years after its release. What made this game great was its variety. There are at least 10 different dungeons all with very different environments and enemies. Sandstorms, forests, swamps, mountains, waterfalls...are all here. And perhaps most impressive is that everything can be accessed. If you can see it, you can explore it. The game is vast and a technical achievement. Nothing less from Miyamoto.
Playtime: 50 hours
playthroughs: once
Famous for: light and dark world, introducing many mainstay weapons and enemies, redefining the Zelda formula after the tragedy that was Zelda II for the nes
also play: Beyond Good and Evil, Okami
11. Super Metroid (SNES)
Possibly the most atmospheric and innovative game on the SNES. Every decade has a handful of genre-busting, revolutionary titles that completely create a new style of gameplay. Super Metroid is one of them. Any game that has the player thrown into a huge nonlinear world without any powerups or direction should bow down to this game for doing it first. You play as Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who is sent to the planet Zebes to investigate some abnormal radio activity. The many sections of the world are connected by doors and elevators but many of them are blocked until a certain powerup is acquired. This created a euphoric sense of adventure as the character is extremely driven to find all the powerups to see what is behind that door. It becomes almost an obsession as you pass the same blocked door over and over, wondering what in the hell can be behind it. Once you find that powerup, you rush as fast as you can to this door and open it, only to find that there's not just an item there but a whole new section of the planet is revealed to you. The bosses are sometimes so huge that they fill up more than half the screen. The graphics are also some of the best seen on the SNES. Lush environments filled to the brim with exotic creatures and foliage is just the tip of the iceberg in this legendary game.
Playtime: took me about 8 hours but can be completed in 30 mins if speed running
Playthroughs: twice but the world was explored for fun after beating the game
Famous for: creating the nonlinear, 2D, character powerup driven gameplay
also play: new generation Castlevania titles
10. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS, Sega Saturn)
I'm a huge Castlevania fan and Symphony of the Night is the grandaddy of the series. After making many side scrolling games where each level is independent from the other, Konami decided to surprise everyone with this iteration. The gameplay is patterned after the game above, Super Metroid. It maintains the essence of the genre (exploring, restricted areas, powerups, many subsections of one huge world) but feels like a Castlevania game. Alucard has everything stripped from him by Death only a few minutes into the game and its your job to explore Dracula's vast castle in hopes of becoming strong enough to save your friends Maria and Richter and rid the world of Dracula once more. You'll explore gingantic set pieces and battle it out with some interesting bosses (is a giant ball made up of human corpses weird enough for you?) What makes this a masterpiece as opposed to just a great game is its grandious soundtrack. Consistently appearing in top 10 lists for video game soundtracks (along with Shadow of the Colossus) and often topping them is little testiment to its greatness. Mozart would be proud. This is the first game in the series that switched to the Super Metroid-esque style of gameplay but added one important element: every enemy gives you experience which will raise HP and SP points. And after you beat the castle and fight Dracula, there's a surprise...Ultimately, critics and gamers alike gave it high praise and Konami has released half a dozen more games in this style. But none reach the greatness that is Symphony of the Night.
Playtime: 30 hours
Playthroughs: completed once, played through many times
Famous for: everyone thought the game was over after the castle was explored and dracula was defeated. BUT konami made the brilliant decision to add an entirely new castle by taking the original and inverting it. This made the game twice as long and twice as brilliant. Also, its soundtrack is considered one of the best ever.
also play: Metroid
9. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2)
My favorite RPG. Where RPGs today are probably 40% cutscene/talking and 60% gameplay, Nocturne is closer to 97% gameplay and 3% cutscene. Not to say that 3% isn't a lot...3% of a 75 hour game means 2 hours 15 minutes of cutsenes (longer than most movies). The story is typical MegaTen; the world is about to be destroyed by Satan and it is your job to get stronger and recruit a demon army to take him down. The post armageddon contemporary japanese setting is interesting and makes for some fun environments to explore. The game is hard and long but manages to keep things fresh due to the constantly changing demons, worlds, skills, and secrets. There is a fair amount of grinding in this game but the battles are fun and meaningful. You are determined to get 5000 more exp to find out what exactly Tempest Slash does. This game is also very rare and my copy sold for around $80 on ebay.
Playtime: 76 hours
Playthroughs: the game has no replayability. Once is enough.
Famous for: being rare. Having mature themes but being an RPG.
Famous for: being rare. Having mature themes but being an RPG.
also play: any Shin Megami Tensei game
Playtime: 18 hours
Playthroughs: once
Famous for: twist ending
also play: Winback, Syphon Filter
7. Half-Life (PC)
8. Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)
Hideo Kojima's take on the video game is very unique. You either love the long, winded cut scenes or hate them. Personally, I enjoy them quite a deal because I see them for what they are: interactive movies. That's right. The gameplay takes a backseat in these games. However, MGS3 has the best ratio of gameplay to cutscene out of the rest of the games in the series. The graphics are the best on the ps2 and the setting is just beautiful; the jungles of Africa. The game is epic in scope and a technical marvel. After recently completing MGS4, I decided that MGS3 was superior simply because it told a better story and the characters were just more badass. As much as I loved Old Snake, young Big Boss was cooler. Solid Snake, love him or hate him.
Playtime: 18 hours
Playthroughs: once
Famous for: twist ending
also play: Winback, Syphon Filter
7. Half-Life (PC)
The first game to have scripted sequences told in real time as opposed to using cut scenes. This little dynamic made the game way more involving because everything is seen through Gordon Freeman's eyes. Half-life was an amazing game because it was one big level, a giant set piece you can explore called Black Mesa. Just when you thought you saw everything, something new and exciting is thrown out you. The last level is weak but the rest of the game was so good, it garnered 50 game of the year awards and not to mention a classic multiplayer online shooter.
playthroughs: two or three times
playtime: around 8 hours
Famous for: scripted events told in real time to move story, the crowbar weapon
also play: Half-Life 2
6. Baldur's Gate II (PC)
The best PC RPG ever made. The engine is based of Dungeon's and Dragons and the view takes some getting used to (isometric view, 3D models, 2D backgrounds) but if there ever was a game with as much content as this one, I have yet to see it. I literally spent a good 100+ hours on the second chapter ALONE because there was such a plethora of side quests to accomplish. Each playable character has a life and story to them and I mean this in the most elaborate sense. One character had a 5 hour sequence to them alone, where you must liberate her castle from an evil warlord who took it over. After that, you must defend the castle from rival factions, raise money (you can increase taxes but this will piss off your city) play judge to people who have disagreements (and decide to execute them if you wish...hey you're king) and all sorts of crazy things. The characters are lovable, the side quests are enormous, the dungeons are beautifully designed, and the game just feels EPIC. Hundreds of spells, dialogue, romance plotlines, different classes, tons of enemies, hatred among your party, etc. I can go on and on about this wonderful game. Hell, I'm not even a dungeons and dragons fan at all and never even played Baldur's Gate I but none of that mattered. This game reminds you why we even play games.
playtime: 150+ hours
playthroughs: never finished
Famous for: being Bethesda Software's masterpiece before going bankrupt, critically acclaimed as being the best Dungeons and Dragon's themed game ever
also play: Star Wars: KOTOR, Mass Effect
5. Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube, PS2, PC)
Resident Evil is another awesome series made by the geniuses at Capcom. After the masterpiece that was Resident Evil 2, the formula began to get stale. RE3 and Code Veronica were good in their own right but Capcom started getting greedy by making cheap knockoffs of this license. After porting Code Veronica to the gamecube and remaking Resident Evil 1, fans grew tiresome of the clunky controls and item fetching. Capcom began making the new resident evil for the ps2 but the formula didn't quite work. That game ended up being Devil May Cry, another wonderful series. However, a new team was setup to move the Resident Evil series in a new direction and that is when this legendary title was born. Four years in the making and it shows, the whole concept of survival horror was given an uplift. The controls were revamped to a behind the shoulder, above the waist view and fans were pleased. The main problem that plagued the series was fixed and all that remained was retaining the classic gameplay. But Capcom made it even better. No more item fetching this time. The action was the forefront of this game and boy was it amazing. Zombies were smarter, faster, stronger, and worked in groups. The cutscenes also introduced twitch gameplay and failed attempts resulting in Leon Kennedy dying in some horrific but wonderful ways. To top it off, the game was lengthy at 20 hours.
playtime: 20 hours
playthroughs: about twice or so
Famous for: changing the whole Resident Evil concept for the better, the chainsaw enemy and death sequence
also play: Dead Space, Silent Hill games
4. Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Self-explanatory. Shocked it didn't make my top 3? There really isn't much to say about the Zelda series or this particular game that hasn't been beaten to death the last decade. We all love it, Zelda rocks, and deserves a spot on every top 10 list.
Playtime: 30-45 hours
Playthroughs: twice but went back to replay sequences
Famous for: first 3D Zelda, Z-targeting
also play: Fable
3. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike (Ps2, Xbox, arcade)
I love 2D fighters and this game is the epitome of them all. Basically perfecting the hitbox mechanic found in fighters, this game took it one step further and brought it down to the PIXEL. Thats right folks, if you throw out an attack and the pixels found in your animation dont quite reach the enemy, the enemy can retaliate and attack you back. Its a brilliant concept. However, the parrying system makes it even deeper. The enemy can "parry" any attack you throw by pressing forward or down prior to getting hit. The parry has a quicker recovery and has no block stun, meaning you can essentially punish a small quick attack with a strong attack. The game is very hard to play and is indeed for the hardcore crowd only. But its definitely for me and the competitive nature in me is in full swing when I play this. The strategy is extremely deep and battles are akin to chess matches. One simple mistake means death.
playtime: over 70 hours I'd say and still going
Famous for: the parry system, the incredible japanese players
also play: Guilty Gear, Capcom vs Snk
2. Final Fantasy VI (SNES, DS, PS)
The best Final Fantasy game and one of the greatest RPGs ever crafted. The game did everything right: two huge worlds to explore, a sprawling epic lasting at least 60 hours, and more characters than you'd know what to do with. Every character had a unique story, background and set of moves that tied in nicely with the story of the game. Who can ever forget Sabin or his brother. Or the lone ninja with a heart of gold. The many cut scenes in the game gave life and urgency to the characters and by the end, you geniunely cared how it all would end. In my opinion, FF6 (or FF3 as it was originally called in the US) is the first major epic game in video game industry and it gave life to the games you see today. The music and graphics are also some of the best seen in a video game and the sheer amount of stuff to see and do is mind boggling. Kefka is also a villian with some texture to him. Unlike other generic antagonists, he is fleshed out as a character and the twisted things he does really makes him the first villian you love to hate. Who can forget his laugh? But all things aside, this is a timeless classic and deserving to be on every list.
playtime: at least 60 hours
playthroughs: once because its so epicFamous for: the main villian Kefka, the last 2D Final Fantasy game and seen as being the best in the seriesAlso play: any FF game
1. Chrono Trigger
A beast of a game. The swan song of the legendary snes and a blending of talent never before seen or seen again. Hailed as being the greatest RPG ever, it is truly greater than the sum of its parts, which is ridiculous considering that each aspect of this game is nearly perfect. Chrono Trigger was developed by a group that Square called the "Dream Team", consisting of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuhiko Aoki, and composer Nobuo Uematsu—known for their works on the Final Fantasy series—and Yuuji Horii and artist Akira Toriyama, freelance designers for Enix's Dragon Quest series. Toriyama is the designer of the popular Dragon Ball Z series and it shows here. His style is unique and lovable and shines in this type of game. How good is the music? Let's just say that even more than ten years after its release, I still listen to the soundtrack in my car. The story is simple. Chrono Trigger begins with the Millennial Fair, where Crono had been waiting so eagerly for it to start. He wakes up late and coincidentally bumps into a royal princess whom he agrees to take around. and view Lucca's exhibition -a new teleportation device. Marle volunteers as the first guinea pig to the untested device, but disappears through a strange portal a reaction occurs between the pendant she was wearing round her neck and with the teleportation machine. Crono asks to be sent through the machine to find her, and discovers he has traveled back 400 years in time. The story is brilliant simply because of the opportunities it presents. This way, you can travel back in time to any era and the designers spared no punches in this regard. You will go forward in time, to a post apocalyptical world everything is destroyed. Here you will meet a lovable robot who will join you in your quest to stop Lavos, the demon responsible for the earth's destruction. You can travel to the location where Lavos is just minutes away from unleashing his wrath. Want to see some dinosaurs? Go for it. You don't like dinosaurs you say? You're more of a Dungeons and Dragons player? Thats what 400BC is for. Just make sure you plead not guilty when the parliament decides to execute you for kidnapping the queen. The battle system is perfected here. No more will you take a few steps and be taken to a seperate screen to fight repetitive battle after repetitive battle. Here, you can actually see the enemy prior to engaging them and it is of your own free will if you choose to fight or avoid them altogether. You can put up to three of your party members in at one time against the enemies and this allows you to do amazing two or three member attacks at the cost of SP. You want more? How about the dozen endings? Or the dozens of bosses, side quests, or secret weapons you can find? Just truly remarkable and lets remember people...this was released towards the end of the SNES' life cycle. That means that no system after it, not the playstation, N64, gamecube, PS2, Wii, Xbox, Ps3, 360, or PC for that matter, has seen such a complete and polished game. One of my friends recently said "Im going to play Chrono Trigger in December every year for the rest of my life". Point, set, match. The greatest game of all time is Chrono Trigger and its not even close.
Playtime: 30 hours
Playthroughs: I keep coming back to it time and time againFamous for: the "Dream Team" developers, Crono is a silent protagonist, Frog, everything
And thats it. Phew, I think I'm gonna give these long posts a rest for a while.
Monday, October 27, 2008
picking up women and posers
If you know me, you might know that I am very interested in the art of picking up women. I am not very good, in fact my skills are pretty much non-existent as of now. However, I do have a lot of respect for men that are good at it. Sarging.com is a forum where pickup artists (henceforth referred to only as PUAs) and average frustrated chumps (AFCs) can post their thoughts and experiences. The main PUA that would post there, who has almost 800 posts to his credit, called himself charming. Everyone had a certain level of respect and admiration for him because he claims to have found the secret to attracting women. His field reports always ended up with him sleeping with the woman that he chose as his target. But his latest field report had to be the best one yet. A japanese model, named Jessica Michibata, was his target. He went up to her, spoke to her, spit some mad game, and eventually ended up going to her apartment and...you know. The girl, whom he so graciously provided a picture of, was easily a 10. I felt myself getting jealous. This has got to be too good to be true.
And it was. I found the picture he claimed he took of her on another blog site such as this one, written almost a year ago. What a shame. He was swiftly banned. I guess you can't be as good with women as some claim to be. It's impossible....or is it?
I WILL get there. And it won't be some distorted reality. I will write out a list of things that need to be accomplished by me ASAP before I can begin my journey. To be continued...
And it was. I found the picture he claimed he took of her on another blog site such as this one, written almost a year ago. What a shame. He was swiftly banned. I guess you can't be as good with women as some claim to be. It's impossible....or is it?
I WILL get there. And it won't be some distorted reality. I will write out a list of things that need to be accomplished by me ASAP before I can begin my journey. To be continued...
Monday, October 13, 2008
1st Blog....fuck CSUN
Today will be my first blog. I will use this as a medium to communicate myself to the world....and rant non-stop about things that piss me off. A friend of my just recently started a blog account so I thought it would be a great idea to copy him.
Today was a mess. Brushfires had freeways all clogged up and going at 1mph (yes, literally 1 mph was the speed recorded on sigalert.com) I don't understand how these fires get started but they are annoying as shit when they do. And interestingly enough, its always just close enough to my school in northridge to have the president let everyone know that classes are canceled for the remainder of the day. Peice of shit....but wait, shouldn't I be happy? Did I mention that they always let everyone "know" by using a sign in front of the school instead of a notice on the website or a prompt over the phone? As a commuter, I have to drive all the way up there to see the sign and drive all the way back, which took me an hour to do because:
1) the 134, 118, and the 5 are all clogged like the piping of some bathroom after Pavarotti just took a shit (RIP)
2) the 101 and 405 south are also heavy with traffic (I took these freeways coming back)
3) people don't know how to drive....and yeah that was me playing guitar in the car
All I ended up doing was walking to my class knowing it was canceled, then walking to the bookstore to pick up a book...but they didn't have it. Of course they didnt have the one book I need. Its only logical to assume that a fucking BOOKSTORE doesn't have BOOKS.
Today was a mess. Brushfires had freeways all clogged up and going at 1mph (yes, literally 1 mph was the speed recorded on sigalert.com) I don't understand how these fires get started but they are annoying as shit when they do. And interestingly enough, its always just close enough to my school in northridge to have the president let everyone know that classes are canceled for the remainder of the day. Peice of shit....but wait, shouldn't I be happy? Did I mention that they always let everyone "know" by using a sign in front of the school instead of a notice on the website or a prompt over the phone? As a commuter, I have to drive all the way up there to see the sign and drive all the way back, which took me an hour to do because:
1) the 134, 118, and the 5 are all clogged like the piping of some bathroom after Pavarotti just took a shit (RIP)
2) the 101 and 405 south are also heavy with traffic (I took these freeways coming back)
3) people don't know how to drive....and yeah that was me playing guitar in the car
All I ended up doing was walking to my class knowing it was canceled, then walking to the bookstore to pick up a book...but they didn't have it. Of course they didnt have the one book I need. Its only logical to assume that a fucking BOOKSTORE doesn't have BOOKS.
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