by wess
This is a list made to outline my very favorite games ever. Obviously this is my personal list, and there's no attempt at objectivity whatsoever.
Also, these are ordered by release date, not by preference.
Showing 1-10 of 36 items
The writing, the characters, the atmosphere of the world, and the way the story unfolds are all way above normal video game standards in FF6. The epic journey that you embark on is paced well and is satisfying in its conclusion in a way that a lot of other games struggle with. Even though everything about this game is great, the cast of characters shines through as it’s strongest point, because every one of them is interesting and endearing in a unique way.
Mario RPG was my first experience with the genre, and seeing as how I claim RPGs as my favorite type of game, it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is in my list of top games. Even though it’s sort of silly and dumb, this game is charming in all the right ways. Mario RPG works in a typically complicated genre by being simple and excellent, while still containing enough content to keep players occupied for a good while. Also, any game where Bowser is playable is great in my book.
Mario 64 has the scope to match just about any other game of its time, and does it with essentially one character and practically no dialogue. Finding every star in Peach’s castle took you to strange and hostile worlds full of mountains, lakes, volcanoes, deserts, and always danger. The basic gameplay is simple and crisp, and the level design is still top notch compared to any game from any era. I’ve completed this game fully multiple times, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
If Goldeneye wasn’t the first FPS I ever played, it was certainly pretty close. That being said, I think the basic design of the game was so good that it didn’t matter whether the actual shooting was super refined, which by today’s standards it isn’t. The levels in Goldeneye were small enough and could be completed on multiple difficulties, so I ended up memorizing the whole game - the idea of varying your mission objectives based on difficulty is a design that I believe is severely underused in gaming.
FF7 has some of the highest points in gaming to me. From when you first leave Midgar, to Aeris’ death scene, to your ultimate triumph over Sephiroth, this game is all about memorable moments. In explosive and also subtle and complex ways, the plot of FF7 is one of the most interesting and memorable things I’ve experienced. With a tremendous sense of scope and complex interactions between the game’s characters, this is a game that is incredibly fun to experience the first time, and still carries enough weight below the surface to give returning players something great as well.
This is the only Castlevania game that I really ever got into, but I sure did get into it. Beating this game the first time was like an introduction, and I soon found myself playing through the entire game during a weekend, trying to explore every last inch of that castle. I really don’t know what it was specifically about this game in particular, but it grabbed me in a really powerful way, and I just wanted to find more secrets, gain more levels, and then do it all again.
With a compelling sci-fi setting and cast of characters, as well as a near limitless amount of entertainment to be found in the multiplayer, Starcraft is a real masterpiece of strategy games. The balance between the three very distinct races is a thing of beauty, and with the inclusion of the map creator and Battle.Net, there were really no boundaries.
Experiencing Pokemon for the first time is something I wish I could do again. The sense of excitement and discovery as you explore the world, finding strange creatures with different properties and abilities is just awesome. The concepts that drive Pokemon to greatness are simplistic, but still something you can’t find anywhere else, and of course it is executed extremely well.
I have so many things to say about Ocarina that it’s difficult to find a way to put it all together. It boasts a massive and detailed 3D world full of characters, monsters, hidden areas, items, puzzles, and minigames. The back and forth between the overworld and the game’s various dungeons is simply great, but allows the player the freedom to explore at every point, and the puzzles and level design are among the best out there.
While Star Wars to me is a lot about the Force and the Jedi, Rogue Squadron exists completely away from that, focusing on the starships and epic space battles of the Star Wars universe. Piloting the iconic ships from the movies across the galaxy in this game is extremely fun and challenging. I still don’t think I got gold medals on all the levels, but it sure wasn’t for lack of trying.