Just like the 5 dollar footlong, my list is still going strong. Hey, maybe I could get Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Jared to sing the theme song for my list. Oh wait, my list doesn't have a theme song...oh well.
69. Mike Tyson's Punchout (Nintendo, NES)
A lot of people forget that before he was biting ears and getting hideous tattoos on his face, Tyson was the baddest man on the planet. He was a great fighter (well, he had a great record) and this is a great game. You guide little mac on his quest for the world heavyweight championship. You fight a variety of different (and strange) opponents leading up to the final test, a one on one battle with Iron Mike. Punchout's arcade style boxing experience is as addictive as it is fun.
photo courtesy of punchoutcheats.com
68. Mortal Kombat 2 (Midway, SNES)
Speaking of arcades, few cabinets had as much presence in 90's arcades as MK 2. The sequel to one of the most violent games of all time, MK 2 upped the ante with more characters, more moves, and more brutality. Of course, the A.I. was improved too. No longer was it possible to simply throw Sub Zero's ice ball over and over again. The computer opponents were a real challenge. Still the game is at its best when playing against a buddy.
photo courtesy of xboxking.com
67. Beyond Good and Evil (Ubisoft, PS2/Gamecube)
Highly touted by casual fans and hardcore gamers alike, BGE is considered a cult classic. It's easy to see why as the game is full of challenging puzzles and awesome action. Of course, the game's true lore is its environment. It does such an excellent job of making the player feel like they are actually in an alternate world. Unlike a lot of "cult" games, BGE is extremely polished. The graphics are outstanding and the control is spot on. This is one of the newer games on the list, so pick it up if you can. It's a must play.
photo courtesy of justadventure.com
66. Donkey Kong Country (Rare, SNES)
Donkey Kong had already established himself as a household name when DKC was released. The arcade sensation got a face lift, a new friend, a few expansive levels, and an awesome game. DKC starts players out slow, but its later levels are some of the most challenging in gaming. It's real challenge too, not "hard because the controls are awkward and stupid" challenge that plague so many games today. It lacks a little variety, but that was true of most side scrollers. That doesn't make DKC any less awesome.
photo courtesy of photobucket.com
65. Silent Hill 3 (Konami, PS2)
The third entry in the Silent Hill series takes the cake as its best. The story picks up 17 years after the events of the 1st game. You control Heather, the daughter of Silent Hill 1 protagonist Harry. Against her will, Heather is sucked back into the twisted world of the town of Silent Hill. It is up to the player to guide her through all sorts of disturbing locales crawling with horrible fiends. SH 3 continues the excellent story of the first game and answers a lot of questions that had been posed. I could spoil the story for you...but I won't The soundtrack is great too.
photo courtesy of videogamecritic.com
64. Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant (Midway, PS2)
A great sequel to a great game that flew under the radar, SH2 is an excellent RPG. A direct sequel to the first game, you play as a young man named Yuri who is mourning the death of his girlfriend Alice. After his home is raided by German soldiers, Yuri has a curse put on his soul. The story really is about a young man's struggle with his inner demons. Of course, Yuri has the ability to transform into those disturbing demons of his. I really liked the fact that this game was set in the real world during a real historical event (Europe, 1915 during World War I). SH2 isn't exactly historically accurate, but it is an awesome, underrated RPG.
photo courtesy of gametour.com
63. Star Wars Shadows of the Empire (LucasArts, N64)
Shadows of the Empire was one of the first games released for the Nintendo 64 at the end of 1996. Set between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," Shadows puts you in the shoes of Dash Rendar, a mercenary hired by the rebel alliance. You travel through huge levels battling all sorts of imperial forces along the way. Perhaps the weirdest thing about this game...no Darth Vader. Your enemy is the evil Prince Xizor, an Imperial sympathizer. Nonetheless, Shadows is a classic.
photo courtesy of juegomania.com
62. Amplitude (Harmonix, PS2)
This rhythm game by Harmonix is actually a sequel to the cult hit frequency. Your goal is to turn on tracks by timing button presses perfectly. Much easier said than done. Amplitude contains blistering tracks from musical genres ranging from House and Techno to Nu Metal (sorry Slipknot, you're not a metal band). The graphics are bright and trippy, and hard to ignore. Of course, the best players will stay strong and focus on the task at hand. I almost forgot, this game was the basis for some other franchise. What was that called again? You know, the one with the guitar... ah, I'll never think of it.
photo courtesy of spectaclerock.com
61. Kirby’s Adventure (HAL, NES)
Kirby floats onto the list with this awesome entry. Seven bright, colorful, and fun levels challenge everyone's favorite powder puff in his quest to stop King Dedede. The levels are excellently designed and Kirby can suck up all sorts of enemies to take their powers. It's tough to call this a platformer, since Kirby doesn't really jump so much as he floats. However, it is a great side scrolling action game...one I still play to this day.
photo courtesy of retrojunk.com
60. Super Mario Bros 3 (Nintendo, NES)
I am sure a lot of fanboys will hate me for putting this game this low. It is widely considered in the top 20 of all time and for good reason. SMB 3 blows its predecessors out of the water. The graphics are outstanding for the NES. The level design is awesome. The game is a great challenge, especially the final two areas. Do I think it's a bit overrated? Sure. But it is still outstanding, and should be experienced by everyone.
photo courtesy of Vox.com
69. Mike Tyson's Punchout (Nintendo, NES)
A lot of people forget that before he was biting ears and getting hideous tattoos on his face, Tyson was the baddest man on the planet. He was a great fighter (well, he had a great record) and this is a great game. You guide little mac on his quest for the world heavyweight championship. You fight a variety of different (and strange) opponents leading up to the final test, a one on one battle with Iron Mike. Punchout's arcade style boxing experience is as addictive as it is fun.
photo courtesy of punchoutcheats.com
68. Mortal Kombat 2 (Midway, SNES)
Speaking of arcades, few cabinets had as much presence in 90's arcades as MK 2. The sequel to one of the most violent games of all time, MK 2 upped the ante with more characters, more moves, and more brutality. Of course, the A.I. was improved too. No longer was it possible to simply throw Sub Zero's ice ball over and over again. The computer opponents were a real challenge. Still the game is at its best when playing against a buddy.
photo courtesy of xboxking.com
67. Beyond Good and Evil (Ubisoft, PS2/Gamecube)
Highly touted by casual fans and hardcore gamers alike, BGE is considered a cult classic. It's easy to see why as the game is full of challenging puzzles and awesome action. Of course, the game's true lore is its environment. It does such an excellent job of making the player feel like they are actually in an alternate world. Unlike a lot of "cult" games, BGE is extremely polished. The graphics are outstanding and the control is spot on. This is one of the newer games on the list, so pick it up if you can. It's a must play.
photo courtesy of justadventure.com
66. Donkey Kong Country (Rare, SNES)
Donkey Kong had already established himself as a household name when DKC was released. The arcade sensation got a face lift, a new friend, a few expansive levels, and an awesome game. DKC starts players out slow, but its later levels are some of the most challenging in gaming. It's real challenge too, not "hard because the controls are awkward and stupid" challenge that plague so many games today. It lacks a little variety, but that was true of most side scrollers. That doesn't make DKC any less awesome.
photo courtesy of photobucket.com
65. Silent Hill 3 (Konami, PS2)
The third entry in the Silent Hill series takes the cake as its best. The story picks up 17 years after the events of the 1st game. You control Heather, the daughter of Silent Hill 1 protagonist Harry. Against her will, Heather is sucked back into the twisted world of the town of Silent Hill. It is up to the player to guide her through all sorts of disturbing locales crawling with horrible fiends. SH 3 continues the excellent story of the first game and answers a lot of questions that had been posed. I could spoil the story for you...but I won't The soundtrack is great too.
photo courtesy of videogamecritic.com
64. Shadow Hearts 2: Covenant (Midway, PS2)
A great sequel to a great game that flew under the radar, SH2 is an excellent RPG. A direct sequel to the first game, you play as a young man named Yuri who is mourning the death of his girlfriend Alice. After his home is raided by German soldiers, Yuri has a curse put on his soul. The story really is about a young man's struggle with his inner demons. Of course, Yuri has the ability to transform into those disturbing demons of his. I really liked the fact that this game was set in the real world during a real historical event (Europe, 1915 during World War I). SH2 isn't exactly historically accurate, but it is an awesome, underrated RPG.
photo courtesy of gametour.com
63. Star Wars Shadows of the Empire (LucasArts, N64)
Shadows of the Empire was one of the first games released for the Nintendo 64 at the end of 1996. Set between "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi," Shadows puts you in the shoes of Dash Rendar, a mercenary hired by the rebel alliance. You travel through huge levels battling all sorts of imperial forces along the way. Perhaps the weirdest thing about this game...no Darth Vader. Your enemy is the evil Prince Xizor, an Imperial sympathizer. Nonetheless, Shadows is a classic.
photo courtesy of juegomania.com
62. Amplitude (Harmonix, PS2)
This rhythm game by Harmonix is actually a sequel to the cult hit frequency. Your goal is to turn on tracks by timing button presses perfectly. Much easier said than done. Amplitude contains blistering tracks from musical genres ranging from House and Techno to Nu Metal (sorry Slipknot, you're not a metal band). The graphics are bright and trippy, and hard to ignore. Of course, the best players will stay strong and focus on the task at hand. I almost forgot, this game was the basis for some other franchise. What was that called again? You know, the one with the guitar... ah, I'll never think of it.
photo courtesy of spectaclerock.com
61. Kirby’s Adventure (HAL, NES)
Kirby floats onto the list with this awesome entry. Seven bright, colorful, and fun levels challenge everyone's favorite powder puff in his quest to stop King Dedede. The levels are excellently designed and Kirby can suck up all sorts of enemies to take their powers. It's tough to call this a platformer, since Kirby doesn't really jump so much as he floats. However, it is a great side scrolling action game...one I still play to this day.
photo courtesy of retrojunk.com
60. Super Mario Bros 3 (Nintendo, NES)
I am sure a lot of fanboys will hate me for putting this game this low. It is widely considered in the top 20 of all time and for good reason. SMB 3 blows its predecessors out of the water. The graphics are outstanding for the NES. The level design is awesome. The game is a great challenge, especially the final two areas. Do I think it's a bit overrated? Sure. But it is still outstanding, and should be experienced by everyone.
photo courtesy of Vox.com
Comments
Post a Comment