Well, got the urge to do this, so here's my 20 favorite games of all time. There's absolutely nostalgia at play here, and definite bias. My number 1 game may not be the best actual game of all time, it's the one that made the most impact.
Showing 1-10 of 20 items
As a teenager, Lunar was just one of those games that clicked with me from the word go. From the cheesy opening theme to the villain reveal you see coming from a mile, this game is filled to the brim with cheesy anime and I love it. The boat song still pops into my head from time to time.
Mario 3 vs World was a tough call. Sure they could both be on here, but that's no fun. Where World opens the levels and maps up, Mario 3 remains a super tight collection of some of the best level design in gaming. Also some of the worst, I concur. Mario 3 rewarded your exploration, and challenged you as you neared the end. I'll always remember world 6 being a fucker and I loved it, while World never really pushed me. Even the secret levels weren't that bad.
Surprising no-one, A Link to the Past remains a classic game that stands the test of time. Loved it as a kid, love it today.
There's an age-old debate between Mega Mans 2 and 3, and having played it first I fall right into the 3 category. There's not much more I can say about Mega Man 3. Whichever is your favorite, the classic NES titles are still fantastic.
Spelunky is an easy choice for this list. When you achieve something in Spelunky, you feel it. Your progression is inherently tied to how much you're willing to learn from your mistakes. While there are shortcuts to unlock, the true progression of Spelunky is in your own head and the capability to pull it off. Coupled with rock-solid gameplay, and this is easily one of my favorite games ever.
Earthbound is a trip of a game, and for 10 year old me, it was perfect. It had some of the coolest music a SNES could produce, still some of the best writing in video games, and a nonsensical story that goes places.
Not many games were an active part of nearly half my life. WoW is one of those. There's not much to say about such a classic game, especially one that just has so many memories attached to it. Haven't regularly played in a while, but all it would take is one person asking me to make an alt with them and I'd be right back in. Such a great experience.
Majora's Mask may be one of the first games that got its hooks deep into me so I couldn't stop until it was 100% done. Learning how the world ticked over those 3 days was incredibly engrossing for me, and I love the dark atmosphere that seeps into every corner of the game. I'll absolutely concede that it plays badly sometimes and hasn't aged well in looks, but I'll never forget my time in Termina.
I wouldn't blame anyone for liking the original more, Advance is just where I fell in love with tactics games. I also remember spending many fall nights cuddled up with my GBAsp fighting battle after battle.
A charming puzzle game that takes the groundhog day mechanic like Majora's Mask and sets it in an exotic casino. While I'm a sucker for that type of gameplay loop where you learn the routines and stories of npcs through exploration, the story of moving on and facing your own penances will stick with me for a very long time.