Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Repeating my question:
-
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GAF Games o' Gen 5 (PSX/N64/SAT and more) Voting Thread -Read the First Post!-
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
there is a marked difference in how this generation was arranged versus the one that followed. so many more games were exclusive to platforms at this time. the stuff that was multiplatform was usually with pc, and if it wasn't, it happened really early on like 1994-1996 before falling off, especially with the demise of the platforms that didn't last until the dreamcast like the jaguar, 3do, and amiga.
MiamiWesker
Member
1. Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask ; my favorite game of all time. Took the incredible gameplay of OoT and made it better with the most unique game mechanics of the series.
2. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time ; what will win number 1 obviously. Groundbreaking. Known as the greatest game ever made for a reason.
3. Metal Gear Solid ; became my favorite game when I first played, perfect blend of gameplay and story.
4. Resident Evil 2 ; better than the first in nearly ever way.
5. Final Fantasy VII ; the game that got me into RPGs
6. Final Fantasy VIII ; loved this game so much, warts and all.
7. Castlevania Symphony of the Night ; best CV ever.
8. Resident Evil ; the game that meant more to me than any other, showed me the future of gaming.
9. Super Mario 64 ; masterpiece
10. Xcom ; the finest turn based strategy game ever.
X. MEtal Gear Solid Ghost Babel
X. Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver
X. Silent Hill
X. Deus Ex
X. Half-life
X. Crash bandicoot 2
X. Gran Turismo
X. Tekken 3
X. Panzer Dragoon Saga
X. Resident Evil 3
X. Tomb Raider 2
2. Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time ; what will win number 1 obviously. Groundbreaking. Known as the greatest game ever made for a reason.
3. Metal Gear Solid ; became my favorite game when I first played, perfect blend of gameplay and story.
4. Resident Evil 2 ; better than the first in nearly ever way.
5. Final Fantasy VII ; the game that got me into RPGs
6. Final Fantasy VIII ; loved this game so much, warts and all.
7. Castlevania Symphony of the Night ; best CV ever.
8. Resident Evil ; the game that meant more to me than any other, showed me the future of gaming.
9. Super Mario 64 ; masterpiece
10. Xcom ; the finest turn based strategy game ever.
X. MEtal Gear Solid Ghost Babel
X. Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver
X. Silent Hill
X. Deus Ex
X. Half-life
X. Crash bandicoot 2
X. Gran Turismo
X. Tekken 3
X. Panzer Dragoon Saga
X. Resident Evil 3
X. Tomb Raider 2
1- Final Fantasy VII: One of the best games I've ever played, it still holds up pretty well on PC with a few texture mods.
2- Resident Evil.
3- Dino Crisis.
4- Ape Escape.
5- Metal Gear Solid
6- Crash Bandicoot 3.
7- Pokemon Gold/Silver.
8- Twisted Metal 2.
9- Gran Turismo 2.
10- Silent Hill.
Honorable mentions:
- Age of Empires 2.
- Resident Evil 2/3.
- Pokemon Red/Blue.
- Crash 1/2/Team Racing/Bash.
- Spyro 1/2/3
- Dino Crisis 2.
- Twisted Metal 1/3.
- Digimon World 1/3
- Final Fantasy VIII.
- Mario 64.
- Street Fighter Alpha 3.
- Fatal Fury.
- Tekken 3.
- Other JRPGs I must have forgotten.
2- Resident Evil.
3- Dino Crisis.
4- Ape Escape.
5- Metal Gear Solid
6- Crash Bandicoot 3.
7- Pokemon Gold/Silver.
8- Twisted Metal 2.
9- Gran Turismo 2.
10- Silent Hill.
Honorable mentions:
- Age of Empires 2.
- Resident Evil 2/3.
- Pokemon Red/Blue.
- Crash 1/2/Team Racing/Bash.
- Spyro 1/2/3
- Dino Crisis 2.
- Twisted Metal 1/3.
- Digimon World 1/3
- Final Fantasy VIII.
- Mario 64.
- Street Fighter Alpha 3.
- Fatal Fury.
- Tekken 3.
- Other JRPGs I must have forgotten.
did you mean silent hill 1?
Sorry, that was a brain fart on my part, only the first one released on PS1, so I fixed the list.
I might modify it later, if it's ok?
sure. just send me your original list and the updated one for comparison.
It will most likely remain the same, but I was confirming that I'll be able to change it just in case I remember something. Not sure about the order of the games yet though.
EDIT: I just rearranged them, the list is most likely final now.
i already added what was there. i will need the previous list for a comparison.
The previous one is quoted in your post.
it changed two times after that. it's okay - i was able to undo all of your votes and then add your new list.
Cool. Sorry if I made you do a lot of unnecessary work lol.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
1. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain ; To this date, no other game has had such a perfect mix of excellent writing and voice acting, engrossing lore and mature storytelling (not in the "gore and tits" sense either, but actually mature!) and amazing dark gothic atmosphere. Kain is still the best-written and best-voiced protagonist I've ever played and my all-time favourite, and the 2D Zelda-like gameplay holds up perfectly well. I loved playing with the vampiric abilities, exploring the world of Nosgoth for secrets, and even listening to the (audio only, this game has almost no written text) item descriptions. The soundtrack is also phenomenal. It's a shame this game was plagued by technical issues (loading times and framerate drops) and that it's often overshadowed by its sequel, because other than that it's truly a masterpiece and was insanely ahead of its time. Vae victis!
2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; Coincidentally, the other game topping my list also features a vampire protagonist with cool vampiric powers. I'm definitely drawn to the dark fantasy aesthetic and gothic castles, but it's not all there is to it. The unforgettable level design (including the genius of the inverted castle, which is even hidden by an in-game secret!), amazing art direction and music just contributed to a solid package. Some later Metroidvanias might have iterated and improved over the formula, but honestly, none of those have ever been as purely fun as SotN. It's always such a joy to replay even if it's rather lacking in challenge. Also, it has the greatest video game soundtrack of all time. It is known.
3. Final Fantasy Tactics ; The greatest Final Fantasy game ever made, this game had the whole package: art, soundtrack, compelling and intelligent story, deep gameplay with tons of customization options. My only experience with SRPGs before it was the Shining Force series and Vandal Hearts, so this game was daunting at first, but once I really started grasping its intricacies, I could not help but admire the brilliance of its mechanics. That this game never got a proper sequel beyond the childish and dumbed down GBA spin-offs is a travesty.
4. Panzer Dragoon Saga ; That game is a work of art. There was a time where "cinematic, story-driven, cut-scene heavy game" was NOT a red flag but a strong selling point for me, and that's because of Panzer Dragoon Saga. It is very cut scene heavy, and the Saturn CG looks a bit dated now, yet somehow the quality of those scenes remain timeless due to the excellent direction, voice acting and writing. But it's not just the story and lore and world-building that makes this game so good; the battle system and dragon customization and exploration were tons of fun. I would love to see a proper HD remake so I could explore towns like Zoah or other areas and fight the bizarre tech monstrosities in fully detailed high-res 3D one day. Not to mention, the rarity of this game means so few people actually played it, and that's a criminal shame.
5. Shining Force III ; The whole trilogy was brilliant, it's a shame the last two scenarios had to be imported. Keeping the fun, classic Shining Force gameplay but adding a few cool tweaks (such as weapon specializations, exploring side-tombs during battles, and a bit of rock-paper-scissors like in Fire Emblem but without centering the core gameplay around it) and adding in a more nuanced story with different and ultimately converging points of views was an ambitious project, and it paid off awesomely. Also, save transfers between games before it was cool! What I wouldn't give for an HD remake, fully localized, of the whole trilogy...
6. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ; A sequel to my all-time favourite? Yes please. I was disappointed that Kain was not the returning protagonist, or that Silicon Knights was not involved, at first. But the game itself ended up being quite amazing. Fully gone were the loading times, the game engine using streaming technology that was quite ahead of its time. The 3D architecture was gorgeous and Raziel's animation were fluid (he even had cloth physics on his cape!), making this one of the best-looking 3D games of that generation and one of the rare ones that still look pretty good today. Gameplay-wise, this also took inspirations from Zelda but the 3D ones, with semi-linear world structure and progress and tons of puzzles, and zero hand-holding. Quality writing and voice acting also returned from Blood Omen, thanks to Amy Hennig's talent and many of the original cast.
7. Wild ARMs ; Western fantasy sci-fi hybrid turn-based JRPG? Hell yes. I remember getting this for my 15th birthday, before FFVII came out, and I ended up enjoying it far more than I did FFVII later down the line. Great pacing the whole time, a really cool cast of heroes and villains, a fun (if a bit cliché) story that both follows and subverts many JRPG tropes, and a brilliant soundtrack inspired by Ennio Morricone's style made for a really fun and memorable game. And some of those puzzles were maddening (in a good way for the most part)!
8. Silent Hill ; I enjoyed the old-school Resident Evil games, but I never loved them the way I loved Silent Hill. It relied on its thick and oppressing atmosphere over jump scares for its horror, and something about the fucked up, rusty-chained, blood-stained, fog-shrouded nightmarish townscapes filled with grotesque almost-human-but-not-quite monstrosities will always define the "Silent Hill feel" to me. And damn those puzzles were good too. Possibly the first game I've ever decided to replay on Hard mode, and I replayed it so often I got all the endings (including the secret funny alien one!). I know SH2 is generally considered the better game, and it probably is objectively speaking, but my personal favourite was always the first one. And holy shit, that sewer sequence. Scariest sequence in gaming EVER? Fuuuuuck.
9. Suikoden II ; I rented Suikoden one day and didn't really care for it. But I decided to revisit it a few years later, and found myself appreciating it a lot more. When Suikoden II came out, I headed to the store and bought it immediately, not knowing it'd become a priceless rarity years later. And boy did it deliver. It was like the first game, but better in just about every single way. The first game might have had a more consistently solid OST, but that's about it, and even Suikoden II had a ridiculously good soundtrack too. I got immediately drawn into the story, the world and its myriad of colourful characters and secrets. When I think of the state of Konami today, it just depresses the hell out of me, considering how bloody strong they were during gen 5. We'll never see the likes of Suikoden II again and that makes me sad.
10. Guardian Heroes ; A beat-em-up with fighting game mechanics and RPG elements and multiple paths? Could such a thing really be true? Treasure was at their peak with this game. Fortunately this one DID get a HD port, on XBLA, unlike many other deserving Saturn classics. But I'd love to see a proper console sequel from Treasure one day.
Honourable mentions (some of which break my heart to list there instead of the top list, but 10 is so limiting...):
x. NiGHTS into Dreams...
x. Alundra
x. Breath of Fire III
x. Panzer Dragoon Zwei
x. Panzer Dragoon
x. Legend of Oasis
x. Shining the Holy Ark
x. Xenogears
x. Night Warriors
x. Resident Evil 2
x. Crash Bandicoot 2
x. Crash Bandicoot 3
x. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
x. Vandal Hearts
x. Skullmonkeys
x. Metal Gear Solid
x. Suikoden
x. Earthworm Jim 2
x. Wild ARMs 2
x. Final Fantasy VII
x. Rayman
x. Soul Blade
x. Powerslave/Exhumed
Still on my backlog so they didn't make the cut
: Breath of Fire IV and Vagrant Story
2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; Coincidentally, the other game topping my list also features a vampire protagonist with cool vampiric powers. I'm definitely drawn to the dark fantasy aesthetic and gothic castles, but it's not all there is to it. The unforgettable level design (including the genius of the inverted castle, which is even hidden by an in-game secret!), amazing art direction and music just contributed to a solid package. Some later Metroidvanias might have iterated and improved over the formula, but honestly, none of those have ever been as purely fun as SotN. It's always such a joy to replay even if it's rather lacking in challenge. Also, it has the greatest video game soundtrack of all time. It is known.
3. Final Fantasy Tactics ; The greatest Final Fantasy game ever made, this game had the whole package: art, soundtrack, compelling and intelligent story, deep gameplay with tons of customization options. My only experience with SRPGs before it was the Shining Force series and Vandal Hearts, so this game was daunting at first, but once I really started grasping its intricacies, I could not help but admire the brilliance of its mechanics. That this game never got a proper sequel beyond the childish and dumbed down GBA spin-offs is a travesty.
4. Panzer Dragoon Saga ; That game is a work of art. There was a time where "cinematic, story-driven, cut-scene heavy game" was NOT a red flag but a strong selling point for me, and that's because of Panzer Dragoon Saga. It is very cut scene heavy, and the Saturn CG looks a bit dated now, yet somehow the quality of those scenes remain timeless due to the excellent direction, voice acting and writing. But it's not just the story and lore and world-building that makes this game so good; the battle system and dragon customization and exploration were tons of fun. I would love to see a proper HD remake so I could explore towns like Zoah or other areas and fight the bizarre tech monstrosities in fully detailed high-res 3D one day. Not to mention, the rarity of this game means so few people actually played it, and that's a criminal shame.
5. Shining Force III ; The whole trilogy was brilliant, it's a shame the last two scenarios had to be imported. Keeping the fun, classic Shining Force gameplay but adding a few cool tweaks (such as weapon specializations, exploring side-tombs during battles, and a bit of rock-paper-scissors like in Fire Emblem but without centering the core gameplay around it) and adding in a more nuanced story with different and ultimately converging points of views was an ambitious project, and it paid off awesomely. Also, save transfers between games before it was cool! What I wouldn't give for an HD remake, fully localized, of the whole trilogy...
6. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ; A sequel to my all-time favourite? Yes please. I was disappointed that Kain was not the returning protagonist, or that Silicon Knights was not involved, at first. But the game itself ended up being quite amazing. Fully gone were the loading times, the game engine using streaming technology that was quite ahead of its time. The 3D architecture was gorgeous and Raziel's animation were fluid (he even had cloth physics on his cape!), making this one of the best-looking 3D games of that generation and one of the rare ones that still look pretty good today. Gameplay-wise, this also took inspirations from Zelda but the 3D ones, with semi-linear world structure and progress and tons of puzzles, and zero hand-holding. Quality writing and voice acting also returned from Blood Omen, thanks to Amy Hennig's talent and many of the original cast.
7. Wild ARMs ; Western fantasy sci-fi hybrid turn-based JRPG? Hell yes. I remember getting this for my 15th birthday, before FFVII came out, and I ended up enjoying it far more than I did FFVII later down the line. Great pacing the whole time, a really cool cast of heroes and villains, a fun (if a bit cliché) story that both follows and subverts many JRPG tropes, and a brilliant soundtrack inspired by Ennio Morricone's style made for a really fun and memorable game. And some of those puzzles were maddening (in a good way for the most part)!
8. Silent Hill ; I enjoyed the old-school Resident Evil games, but I never loved them the way I loved Silent Hill. It relied on its thick and oppressing atmosphere over jump scares for its horror, and something about the fucked up, rusty-chained, blood-stained, fog-shrouded nightmarish townscapes filled with grotesque almost-human-but-not-quite monstrosities will always define the "Silent Hill feel" to me. And damn those puzzles were good too. Possibly the first game I've ever decided to replay on Hard mode, and I replayed it so often I got all the endings (including the secret funny alien one!). I know SH2 is generally considered the better game, and it probably is objectively speaking, but my personal favourite was always the first one. And holy shit, that sewer sequence. Scariest sequence in gaming EVER? Fuuuuuck.
9. Suikoden II ; I rented Suikoden one day and didn't really care for it. But I decided to revisit it a few years later, and found myself appreciating it a lot more. When Suikoden II came out, I headed to the store and bought it immediately, not knowing it'd become a priceless rarity years later. And boy did it deliver. It was like the first game, but better in just about every single way. The first game might have had a more consistently solid OST, but that's about it, and even Suikoden II had a ridiculously good soundtrack too. I got immediately drawn into the story, the world and its myriad of colourful characters and secrets. When I think of the state of Konami today, it just depresses the hell out of me, considering how bloody strong they were during gen 5. We'll never see the likes of Suikoden II again and that makes me sad.
10. Guardian Heroes ; A beat-em-up with fighting game mechanics and RPG elements and multiple paths? Could such a thing really be true? Treasure was at their peak with this game. Fortunately this one DID get a HD port, on XBLA, unlike many other deserving Saturn classics. But I'd love to see a proper console sequel from Treasure one day.
Honourable mentions (some of which break my heart to list there instead of the top list, but 10 is so limiting...):
x. NiGHTS into Dreams...
x. Alundra
x. Breath of Fire III
x. Panzer Dragoon Zwei
x. Panzer Dragoon
x. Legend of Oasis
x. Shining the Holy Ark
x. Xenogears
x. Night Warriors
x. Resident Evil 2
x. Crash Bandicoot 2
x. Crash Bandicoot 3
x. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
x. Vandal Hearts
x. Skullmonkeys
x. Metal Gear Solid
x. Suikoden
x. Earthworm Jim 2
x. Wild ARMs 2
x. Final Fantasy VII
x. Rayman
x. Soul Blade
x. Powerslave/Exhumed
Still on my backlog so they didn't make the cut
: Breath of Fire IV and Vagrant Story
Bakkus
Member
There are lots of games from this generation i've yet to play, but here it goes:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; All Zelda games are the same? You've obviously never played this. Fantastic in every regard. Mood, setting, characters, the music. All accompanied by a interesting 3 day time limit which on paper sounds horrible for anyone familiar with time limits in other games, but here it is the core of what makes the game as special as it is. If i were to elaborate on that, i'd probably be writing for hours, but everyone who's played and liked the game, knows where i'm coming from. A truly unforgettable experience and a perfect way to follow up Ocarina of Time.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; It's everything Majora's Mask is except not as unique which is why it's below.
3. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; The perfect sequel. It fixes tons of flaws in the first game and adding numerous other stuff to fresh up the gameplay.
4. Diddy Kong Racing ; Now this is how you do a kart racer. Open world, fun characters, and the music, my god the music.
5. Super Mario 64 ; It might be blasphemous for some of you to have this behind Diddy Kong Racing, but that's my opinion. Anyways, the game that started it all when it comes to 3D platforming as it's known today. And bar some camera issues it still holds up perfectly.
6. Paper Mario ; Not as good as it's sequel for a number of reasons, but still really solid.
7. Klonoa Door to Phantomile ; Screw all you 2D games released today which claims to be 2.5D because you have 3D world graphics. This is an actual 2.5D game which you move in 2 dimensions, but overlaps with 3D elements such as level viewpoints changing and puzzels based on that. It's really hard to explain. You have to play it to see for yourself.
8. Pokemon Red/Blue ; While the batte mechanics don't hold up any longer and a million other things have been added and improved on in later games, you still can't leave this out. It's the game that started it all, a worldwide phenomenon everyone thought was a fad which would fade away in a few years. How wrong they were.
9. Mario Party 2 ; It kind of pains me to put this instead of the first Mario Party on this list due to me having only nostalgia for that game and not the sequel, but I have to admit the sequel barely edges it in quality. Gone are the control stick spinning minigames and...that's pretty much the only reason as to why it's better.
10. Lego Racers ; I won't be shocked if i'll be the only one to mention this game and it might speak for (as mentioned before) how many games released this gen i've yet to play, but this game was a ton of fun playing on PC when I was younger. It's really similar to Diddy Kong Racing but with a Lego touch.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; All Zelda games are the same? You've obviously never played this. Fantastic in every regard. Mood, setting, characters, the music. All accompanied by a interesting 3 day time limit which on paper sounds horrible for anyone familiar with time limits in other games, but here it is the core of what makes the game as special as it is. If i were to elaborate on that, i'd probably be writing for hours, but everyone who's played and liked the game, knows where i'm coming from. A truly unforgettable experience and a perfect way to follow up Ocarina of Time.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; It's everything Majora's Mask is except not as unique which is why it's below.
3. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; The perfect sequel. It fixes tons of flaws in the first game and adding numerous other stuff to fresh up the gameplay.
4. Diddy Kong Racing ; Now this is how you do a kart racer. Open world, fun characters, and the music, my god the music.
5. Super Mario 64 ; It might be blasphemous for some of you to have this behind Diddy Kong Racing, but that's my opinion. Anyways, the game that started it all when it comes to 3D platforming as it's known today. And bar some camera issues it still holds up perfectly.
6. Paper Mario ; Not as good as it's sequel for a number of reasons, but still really solid.
7. Klonoa Door to Phantomile ; Screw all you 2D games released today which claims to be 2.5D because you have 3D world graphics. This is an actual 2.5D game which you move in 2 dimensions, but overlaps with 3D elements such as level viewpoints changing and puzzels based on that. It's really hard to explain. You have to play it to see for yourself.
8. Pokemon Red/Blue ; While the batte mechanics don't hold up any longer and a million other things have been added and improved on in later games, you still can't leave this out. It's the game that started it all, a worldwide phenomenon everyone thought was a fad which would fade away in a few years. How wrong they were.
9. Mario Party 2 ; It kind of pains me to put this instead of the first Mario Party on this list due to me having only nostalgia for that game and not the sequel, but I have to admit the sequel barely edges it in quality. Gone are the control stick spinning minigames and...that's pretty much the only reason as to why it's better.
10. Lego Racers ; I won't be shocked if i'll be the only one to mention this game and it might speak for (as mentioned before) how many games released this gen i've yet to play, but this game was a ton of fun playing on PC when I was younger. It's really similar to Diddy Kong Racing but with a Lego touch.
Sure they are different games but one game is half of a game. But yeah if you don't count them as one I just have to make the tough decision which is better.
ages has time travel.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
So FFVII and OoT are not fighting for number one? Is neither in the top two or is just one missing?
Strange to see that posted here
.In top10, maybe, but the game is really nice... but it's challenging only if you're going after 100%-melons.Strange to see that posted here
On topic, it's awfully difficult to choose 10 :/
Canis lupus
Member
1. Metal Gear Solid ; first experience with cinematic gaming, memorable set of characters who were all voiced, great soundtrack, intriguing story full of mystery that wasn't too convoluted like the sequels, crazy boss fights, all presented with interesting dialogue/codec calls and amazing cutscenes. It's the first game where the cinematography is movie-like. There wasn't anything like this back then.
2. Final Fantasy VII
3. Crash Bandicoot 3
4. Panzer Dragoon Saga
5. WipEout 2097
6. Gran Turismo 2
7. Tekken 3
8. Colony Wars
9. Chrono Cross
10. Ape Escape
Quick top 10, might edit later.
2. Final Fantasy VII
3. Crash Bandicoot 3
4. Panzer Dragoon Saga
5. WipEout 2097
6. Gran Turismo 2
7. Tekken 3
8. Colony Wars
9. Chrono Cross
10. Ape Escape
Quick top 10, might edit later.
The way this is being done is that it won't be counted unless you post it when Ani looks at it first.
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
This was far harder to select just 10. My first selection was 30 titles that could very well all be in a top 10.
Kinoki's Top 10 Games o' Gen 5
Kinoki's Top 10 Games o' Gen 5
- Grim Fandango ; One of the few games I replay from time to time just to visit old friends. Tim Schafer's masterpiece has yet to be topped in the genre. It's clever, uses its art-style to enhance the limitations of the low poly count rather than detract from it. As timeless as they come. The jokes get me every time.
- Heroes of Might and Magic III ; I doubt my playtime in any game can match this game. Summers spent indoors, weekends lost, friendship lost and found at the whim of the tide of war and the ever returning to the level editor to craft the most daunting levels ever created. This game had everything. True classic.
- Super Mario 64 ; Perfection. Mario has never been better and since then has yet to be as great. Sure, the games after have all been good but never has the concept been as well realized as here. The follow-up with the down-right bad Sunshine made this gem of a game shine even brighter.
- Starcraft ; The RTS to define my childhood. Crafting maps, playing for countless hours, even modding and making a new campaign. Everything was good.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; The move from 2D from 3D was a huge detractor. I hated it when I first saw it. A Link to the Past was perfection. This was just disrespectful. It grew on me and after having beat it with both my cousins hanging on my every move I warmed up to it.
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; While every game on this list so far has been me with nostalgia Symphony of the Night is different. I enjoyed it and thought it was good back in the day like everybody else it wasn't until last year when I played through it again during a weekend I understood the brilliance of it. The level design and powers and progression is second-to-none. An awesome experience that has stood the test of time better than most games.
- Vagrant Story ; One of the most engaging RPGs there are. Visually beautiful even today. Matsuno knows how to build games for my tastes.
- Tekken 3 ; The best party game ever made. The countless hours lost to this instead of attending school. We had a PlayStation hooked up in the break room in school and it was always a queue.
- GoldenEye 007 ; The second best party game ever made. Playing splitscreen with three friends is one of the most engaging nultiplayer experiences to-date.
- Metal Gear Solid ; The game that won me over to PlayStation. Played it like 10 times back-to-back. Blew me away. Still does even though it aged badly.
Canis lupus
Member
Star Falcon
Member
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; How do you recapture the same sense of adventure and discovery in a sequel to a game that had already done it masterfully? By being a bigger and better version of your predecessor? No. By daring to break the mold in more ways than one. Majora's Mask represents, better than any other Zelda game, the potential of this legendary series. A series that shouldn't be afraid to subvert its traditions in reinventing itself. If there is any lesson to take away from Majora's Mask about the Zelda formula, it's that there need be no set formula.
3. Perfect Dark ; Few games of the 5th generation (or any generation since) are as jam-packed with content as Perfect Dark. The multiplayer's staggering customizability still rivals those of the best shooters ever. The single player featured more complex level design and more varied mission objectives than GoldenEye, making for a more interesting campaign. In addition to campaign co-op, Rare added an innovative counter-op mode in which one player controlled the enemies. And how many games were as polished? Almost every weapon in the game's unique arsenal had a secondary mode. You could shoot out almost every light in the game. You could disarm enemies through melee or by shooting their weapons out of their hands, but wait too long and they'd pick 'em up again, or they might pull out a sidearm. If you shot them in the arm, they'd writhe in pain; if you shot them in the leg, they'd limp around. We don't see that level of attention to detail in most modern shooters, and it's unfortunate that the Rare team that produced this game isn't around to help push the industry forward today, because, man, they were far ahead of their time with Perfect Dark.
4. GoldenEye 007 ; Sure, it's been rendered obsolete. I never want to play it again. But there are many reasons I did play it, and for hundreds and hundreds of hours. The endlessly fun multiplayer, obviously. The sandbox nature of the campaign's level design held together by its objective-driven mission design. Intelligent difficulty scaling and numerous unlockable cheats. An awesome soundtrack befitting the Bond name. And some of the most satisfying weapons in FPS history,most notably the Klobb. Actually, I kinda do want to play it again… Complex, anyone?
5. Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber ; Ogre Battle 64 is part of a subgenre pretty much unto itself and its SNES predecessor. That is, strategy RPGs with real-time unit movement and automated turn-based battles. OB64 puts you in the role of a commander in charge of raising an army of individualized units, but asks you to trust those units when they engage in battle since you aren't given direct control over them. It brilliantly captures that sense of amassing a large army while also maintaining the uniqueness and autonomy of each unit. Though some of its underlying systems are esoteric, the game's management mechanics are deep, challenging, and rewarding. It's the best SRPG I've ever played.
6. StarCraft: Brood War ; The RTS gold standard for innovation, depth, and balance. Blizzard raised the bar by expertly crafting three factions that all played differently yet were equally viable. The game featured a compelling narrative-driven campaign, backed by nearly unlimited map customization and a robust online multiplayer, giving it endless replayability.
7. Pokémon Gold/Silver ; I admit that I'm attributing much of the general Pokémania I was experiencing at the time to G/S, which elevates its status in my mind. It's impossible for me to isolate my feelings about G/S from the plethora of Pokémon media that existed around its release; I consumed all of it. But G/S was the center of it all. It did more than any other generation in the series to foster my love for Pokémon that continues to this day.
8. System Shock 2 ; It's interesting to see BioShock (a game I also love) get so much praise for its world-building, atmosphere, and narrative when its spiritual progenitor did it all two generations earlier. And did it with more complex gameplay due to the deeper RPG elements and character upkeep mechanics. It's a challenging and frightening experience. And
remains one of the most captivating villains in all of video games. “Your flesh is an insult to the perfection of the digital.”
9. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Sublime gameplay. Hangar. That's all I needed to play the hell out of this masterpiece.
10. SubSpace ; With thousands of hours played, I suppose I can't leave it off my list. SubSpace/Continuum is by far my most played game ever. It was one of the first MMO (non-role-playing) games, with addictive, impossible-to-master gameplay and an insanely passionate community, to which its servers owe their continued existence. I still log in from time to time to shoot stuff up.
My most painful cuts:
x. Quake ; Every aspect of Quake's design, from its murky visual presentation to the ambient Reznor soundtrack to the industrial weapon design, lends itself to the game's oppressive atmosphere and aesthetic. Perhaps the smoothest and most satisfying FPS mechanics I've ever played.
x. Half-Life ; Revolutionary in terms of narrative and immersion. It combined action, puzzle-solving, platforming, and storytelling in a contiguous world with diverse environments before Half-Life 2 did, except the original Half-Life did it with even better pacing.
x. Final Fantasy VII ; The consistently desperate tone of FFVII has lingered in my mind in a way that few games have ever stayed with me. Even its relatively upbeat moments hint at an underlying sadness, due largely to a masterful soundtrack. Despite its flaws, FFVII realized a world and gave it heart.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; How do you recapture the same sense of adventure and discovery in a sequel to a game that had already done it masterfully? By being a bigger and better version of your predecessor? No. By daring to break the mold in more ways than one. Majora's Mask represents, better than any other Zelda game, the potential of this legendary series. A series that shouldn't be afraid to subvert its traditions in reinventing itself. If there is any lesson to take away from Majora's Mask about the Zelda formula, it's that there need be no set formula.
3. Perfect Dark ; Few games of the 5th generation (or any generation since) are as jam-packed with content as Perfect Dark. The multiplayer's staggering customizability still rivals those of the best shooters ever. The single player featured more complex level design and more varied mission objectives than GoldenEye, making for a more interesting campaign. In addition to campaign co-op, Rare added an innovative counter-op mode in which one player controlled the enemies. And how many games were as polished? Almost every weapon in the game's unique arsenal had a secondary mode. You could shoot out almost every light in the game. You could disarm enemies through melee or by shooting their weapons out of their hands, but wait too long and they'd pick 'em up again, or they might pull out a sidearm. If you shot them in the arm, they'd writhe in pain; if you shot them in the leg, they'd limp around. We don't see that level of attention to detail in most modern shooters, and it's unfortunate that the Rare team that produced this game isn't around to help push the industry forward today, because, man, they were far ahead of their time with Perfect Dark.
4. GoldenEye 007 ; Sure, it's been rendered obsolete. I never want to play it again. But there are many reasons I did play it, and for hundreds and hundreds of hours. The endlessly fun multiplayer, obviously. The sandbox nature of the campaign's level design held together by its objective-driven mission design. Intelligent difficulty scaling and numerous unlockable cheats. An awesome soundtrack befitting the Bond name. And some of the most satisfying weapons in FPS history,
5. Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber ; Ogre Battle 64 is part of a subgenre pretty much unto itself and its SNES predecessor. That is, strategy RPGs with real-time unit movement and automated turn-based battles. OB64 puts you in the role of a commander in charge of raising an army of individualized units, but asks you to trust those units when they engage in battle since you aren't given direct control over them. It brilliantly captures that sense of amassing a large army while also maintaining the uniqueness and autonomy of each unit. Though some of its underlying systems are esoteric, the game's management mechanics are deep, challenging, and rewarding. It's the best SRPG I've ever played.
6. StarCraft: Brood War ; The RTS gold standard for innovation, depth, and balance. Blizzard raised the bar by expertly crafting three factions that all played differently yet were equally viable. The game featured a compelling narrative-driven campaign, backed by nearly unlimited map customization and a robust online multiplayer, giving it endless replayability.
7. Pokémon Gold/Silver ; I admit that I'm attributing much of the general Pokémania I was experiencing at the time to G/S, which elevates its status in my mind. It's impossible for me to isolate my feelings about G/S from the plethora of Pokémon media that existed around its release; I consumed all of it. But G/S was the center of it all. It did more than any other generation in the series to foster my love for Pokémon that continues to this day.
8. System Shock 2 ; It's interesting to see BioShock (a game I also love) get so much praise for its world-building, atmosphere, and narrative when its spiritual progenitor did it all two generations earlier. And did it with more complex gameplay due to the deeper RPG elements and character upkeep mechanics. It's a challenging and frightening experience. And
SHODAN
9. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Sublime gameplay. Hangar. That's all I needed to play the hell out of this masterpiece.
10. SubSpace ; With thousands of hours played, I suppose I can't leave it off my list. SubSpace/Continuum is by far my most played game ever. It was one of the first MMO (non-role-playing) games, with addictive, impossible-to-master gameplay and an insanely passionate community, to which its servers owe their continued existence. I still log in from time to time to shoot stuff up.
My most painful cuts:
x. Quake ; Every aspect of Quake's design, from its murky visual presentation to the ambient Reznor soundtrack to the industrial weapon design, lends itself to the game's oppressive atmosphere and aesthetic. Perhaps the smoothest and most satisfying FPS mechanics I've ever played.
x. Half-Life ; Revolutionary in terms of narrative and immersion. It combined action, puzzle-solving, platforming, and storytelling in a contiguous world with diverse environments before Half-Life 2 did, except the original Half-Life did it with even better pacing.
x. Final Fantasy VII ; The consistently desperate tone of FFVII has lingered in my mind in a way that few games have ever stayed with me. Even its relatively upbeat moments hint at an underlying sadness, due largely to a masterful soundtrack. Despite its flaws, FFVII realized a world and gave it heart.
This is the same game
why would the ambassador do such a thing
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Nah, I'm looking at it and first page ends on the 50th post.
oh, you're still using neogaf jr.
some people just don't know what they're missing
all this confusion would be gone if 100 ppp was the default option
JudgmentJay
Member
1. Final Fantasy IX; My 4th favorite GOAT and probably my most anticipated game of all time. I loved the return to the fantasy motif and found the story and characters very charming. Great soundtrack as well.
2. Final Fantasy Tactics; 5th favorite GOAT. Fun gameplay, amazing class/skill system, interesting plot, best soundtrack of all time.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; My favorite N64 game. Perfectly captured the classic Zelda feel and moved it into a 3D world.
4. Banjo-Kazooie; Pure platforming fun. Interesting levels, lots of collectibles, lighthearted humor, and a great OST.
5. Super Mario 64; The first game I played on the N64. While I like B-K more I think SM64 is the better platformer. Super tight controls that stand above all the rest even to this day.
6. Final Fantasy VII; My first RPG and my first game with a real story. I loved the turn-based combat (that I prevously thought I'd hate), the characters, and the materia system. FFVII was my gateway drug into the world of JRPGs.
7. Goldeneye 007; Countless hours of fun (and rage) with friends.
8. Mario Kart 64; See above.
9. Diablo; Top-tier atmosphere and fun frantic clicking action. I actually found the game too scary to play at first, but I got over it. I think Diablo is the first game in which I engaged in online multiplayer as well.
10. Starcraft; My first RTS. I was never very good but I loved playing the campaign and a bit of multiplayer with friends.
Honorable mentions:
x. Banjo-Tooie
x. Chrono Cross
x. Diddy Kong Racing
x. Half-Life
x. Radiant Silvergun
x. Resident Evil
x. Resident Evil 2
x. Resident Evil 3
x. Silent Hill
x. Starfox 64
2. Final Fantasy Tactics; 5th favorite GOAT. Fun gameplay, amazing class/skill system, interesting plot, best soundtrack of all time.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; My favorite N64 game. Perfectly captured the classic Zelda feel and moved it into a 3D world.
4. Banjo-Kazooie; Pure platforming fun. Interesting levels, lots of collectibles, lighthearted humor, and a great OST.
5. Super Mario 64; The first game I played on the N64. While I like B-K more I think SM64 is the better platformer. Super tight controls that stand above all the rest even to this day.
6. Final Fantasy VII; My first RPG and my first game with a real story. I loved the turn-based combat (that I prevously thought I'd hate), the characters, and the materia system. FFVII was my gateway drug into the world of JRPGs.
7. Goldeneye 007; Countless hours of fun (and rage) with friends.
8. Mario Kart 64; See above.
9. Diablo; Top-tier atmosphere and fun frantic clicking action. I actually found the game too scary to play at first, but I got over it. I think Diablo is the first game in which I engaged in online multiplayer as well.
10. Starcraft; My first RTS. I was never very good but I loved playing the campaign and a bit of multiplayer with friends.
Honorable mentions:
x. Banjo-Tooie
x. Chrono Cross
x. Diddy Kong Racing
x. Half-Life
x. Radiant Silvergun
x. Resident Evil
x. Resident Evil 2
x. Resident Evil 3
x. Silent Hill
x. Starfox 64
When I started making the list I though this would be hard one but turns out that I haven't actually played that many games from this gen. Shame really since it seems there are bunch of great titles I have missed after looking what other people have listed. Really interested to see what games are Gaf favorites.
1. Metal Gear Solid ; Fantastic gameplay, story and dialogue. Truly something that deserves to among the best games of all time.
2. Crash Team Racing ; First cart racer Ive played and still prefer the mechanics of this game over MK. Also Sewer Speedway.
3. Silent Hill ; Silent Hill manages to be one of the best horror games to this day and they even managed to make technical limitations one of the most iconic things of the series (fog covering the horrendous draw distances)
4. Liero ; Countless of hours put into this games local multiplayer and map editor. What a fantastic split screen game with bunch of options to make the gameplay exactly how you want.
5. The Legend of Zelda Oracle Ages ; This was a hard one since I didnt want to put both Oracle games in my list even if they both deserve the spot. Great games with good stories and mechanics.
6. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped ; How do you follow up to one of the best 3D platformers? By refining the gameplay and adding more abilities that are fun to use.
7. Wings ; Another great local multiplayer game that has been played many hours.
8. Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer ; Really good 3D platformer with good characters.
9. Resident Evil 2 ; Great survival horror game. Zapping system is one of the most unique things Ive seen and has never been done in other games(?).
10. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Great soundtrack, and great simple gameplay.
x. I Have no Mouth, and I Must Scream
x. Unreal Tournament
1. Metal Gear Solid ; Fantastic gameplay, story and dialogue. Truly something that deserves to among the best games of all time.
2. Crash Team Racing ; First cart racer Ive played and still prefer the mechanics of this game over MK. Also Sewer Speedway.
3. Silent Hill ; Silent Hill manages to be one of the best horror games to this day and they even managed to make technical limitations one of the most iconic things of the series (fog covering the horrendous draw distances)
4. Liero ; Countless of hours put into this games local multiplayer and map editor. What a fantastic split screen game with bunch of options to make the gameplay exactly how you want.
5. The Legend of Zelda Oracle Ages ; This was a hard one since I didnt want to put both Oracle games in my list even if they both deserve the spot. Great games with good stories and mechanics.
6. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped ; How do you follow up to one of the best 3D platformers? By refining the gameplay and adding more abilities that are fun to use.
7. Wings ; Another great local multiplayer game that has been played many hours.
8. Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer ; Really good 3D platformer with good characters.
9. Resident Evil 2 ; Great survival horror game. Zapping system is one of the most unique things Ive seen and has never been done in other games(?).
10. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Great soundtrack, and great simple gameplay.
x. I Have no Mouth, and I Must Scream
x. Unreal Tournament
I like posts being segmented by pages. If I could I would have 20 or 10 posts per page.
Hey Im Patrick
Member
1. Counter-strike; this game basically stole more than 500 hours of my life. This changed the whole competitive fps scene. Had a lot of good times and bad times with this game. It's my personal GOAT.
2. Grand Turismo 2; I love cars. The car count in this game was so much back in the day and it still even top most racing games today.
3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2; This game is even better than first one which was already awesome. This is one of the best two player split screen for me. So much fun!
2. Grand Turismo 2; I love cars. The car count in this game was so much back in the day and it still even top most racing games today.
3. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2; This game is even better than first one which was already awesome. This is one of the best two player split screen for me. So much fun!
CaviarMeths
Member
1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Mechanically, the game was beyond its time by years. It just felt so right to control Link, move Link, fight with him, solve puzzles. Atmosphere was great too. It wasn't even a horror game, but somehow sets like Forest Temple and Bottom of the Well were among the eeriest and most unsettling of the generation. And I think the dungeon design was superb, still among my favorite in the series. To this day, the game is still the blueprint for 3D action and adventure games. It's funny that Resident Evil and Tomb Raider both came out around the same time, but both of those series now owe more of their mechanics to Zelda than they do their own origins.
2. Final Fantasy IX ; A return to the much more interesting world of earlier Final Fantasy games, with Amano's brilliant art returning and... the absence of Nojima, FFIX was at the time the best celebration of the brand. The characters were all interesting, even the NPCs gave the game and its world so much life. It also featured what I still consider the best OST of the series.
3. Chrono Cross ; This is the first game I can remember getting super invested in before I ever played it. My older brother had a copy of some gaming magazine, I can't even remember what it was anymore, that had a couple dozen pages dedicated to CC, characters, bosses, small bits of story, etc. I was enthralled by the story and the world before I even played the game. And it didn't disappoint. No, it's not great as a direct sequel to Trigger, but it's still a great game that stands on its own. It's gorgeous, it has the best video game OST to date, and it has layers of story that take several playthroughs to truly appreciate.
4. Final Fantasy Tactics ; The creative team on this game, to this day, is still my personal "dream team." You had the old Quest staff plus masters from Squaresoft, Ito and Sakaguchi. The game is basically Tactics Ogre with a Final Fantasy skin, but everything fires on all cylinders to make one of the best SRPGs to date, story, gameplay, music, and beautiful art all coming together.
5. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; It's one of the most atmospheric games ever made. It's haunting, with brilliant storytelling and a wealth of content.
^ most boring top 5
6. Resident Evil 2
7. Super Mario 64
8. Starcraft
9. Age of Empires 2
10. Perfect Dark
Honorable Mentions/Difficult Cuts:
Metal Gear Solid
Silent Hill
Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Pokemon Gold/Silver
2. Final Fantasy IX ; A return to the much more interesting world of earlier Final Fantasy games, with Amano's brilliant art returning and... the absence of Nojima, FFIX was at the time the best celebration of the brand. The characters were all interesting, even the NPCs gave the game and its world so much life. It also featured what I still consider the best OST of the series.
3. Chrono Cross ; This is the first game I can remember getting super invested in before I ever played it. My older brother had a copy of some gaming magazine, I can't even remember what it was anymore, that had a couple dozen pages dedicated to CC, characters, bosses, small bits of story, etc. I was enthralled by the story and the world before I even played the game. And it didn't disappoint. No, it's not great as a direct sequel to Trigger, but it's still a great game that stands on its own. It's gorgeous, it has the best video game OST to date, and it has layers of story that take several playthroughs to truly appreciate.
4. Final Fantasy Tactics ; The creative team on this game, to this day, is still my personal "dream team." You had the old Quest staff plus masters from Squaresoft, Ito and Sakaguchi. The game is basically Tactics Ogre with a Final Fantasy skin, but everything fires on all cylinders to make one of the best SRPGs to date, story, gameplay, music, and beautiful art all coming together.
5. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; It's one of the most atmospheric games ever made. It's haunting, with brilliant storytelling and a wealth of content.
^ most boring top 5
6. Resident Evil 2
7. Super Mario 64
8. Starcraft
9. Age of Empires 2
10. Perfect Dark
Honorable Mentions/Difficult Cuts:
Metal Gear Solid
Silent Hill
Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Pokemon Gold/Silver
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; It did more than bring Zelda into 3D for me. It blew my goddamn mind as to what a game could be from that day fortn.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; Quirky, bohemian, dark... Its the goddamn Edward scisor hands of video games. Plus, the mask use was incredibly satisfying. No 3D Zelda like it to date.
3. Silent Hill ; An important and at the same time captivating game for it's bold use of psycological horror.
4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Incredibly streamlined sports title that took me by surprise. I mean I don't even particularly enjoy skateboarding, but this game had me hooked.
5. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ; Confession time. I thought the first original RE was hilarious rather than scary and RE2 had monster designs that were a bit too generic for my taste. RE3 finally struck to right mixture for me.
6. Gran Turismo 2
7. Starfox 64
8. Panzer Dragoon Zwei
9. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
10. Mario Kart 64
Honorable mentions:
X. Grim Fandango
X. StarWars: Rogue Squadron
X. StarWars: Battle for Naboo
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; Quirky, bohemian, dark... Its the goddamn Edward scisor hands of video games. Plus, the mask use was incredibly satisfying. No 3D Zelda like it to date.
3. Silent Hill ; An important and at the same time captivating game for it's bold use of psycological horror.
4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Incredibly streamlined sports title that took me by surprise. I mean I don't even particularly enjoy skateboarding, but this game had me hooked.
5. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ; Confession time. I thought the first original RE was hilarious rather than scary and RE2 had monster designs that were a bit too generic for my taste. RE3 finally struck to right mixture for me.
6. Gran Turismo 2
7. Starfox 64
8. Panzer Dragoon Zwei
9. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
10. Mario Kart 64
Honorable mentions:
X. Grim Fandango
X. StarWars: Rogue Squadron
X. StarWars: Battle for Naboo
Neff
Member
1. Super Mario 64 - Still probably the most seminal polygonal game ever made, and so early in 3D gaming's mainstream history. Super Mario 64's epochal genius applies both to its obscenely intricate and deep interaction with Mario, and also its deceptively simple level design, allowing Mario to think up endless ways of tackling his objectives. Not a shred of cart space is wasted, and not one of its ideas is less than meticulously designed and tested.
2. Resident Evil - Shinji Mikami's most famous (and imo best) game is a happy cocktail of events conspring to make history- Mikami's desire to make his mark, Capcom's desire to create a (for the time) big budget 3D console adventure, and a superbly talented team including the likes of Hideki Kamiya backing him up. It ushered in a era of imitators, some good, some not so good, and it's a brand which has been synonymous with success for almost 20 years. Still the finest Playstation title.
3. Resident Evil 2 - RE1 Planner Kamiya takes the reins at the insistence of Mikami, despite a famous false start with RE1.5, and delivers a faster, flashier, and possibly more iconic game than the original. Nothing was tampered with, it wasn't broke, and they didn't try to fix it, only striving to build on what the first game did so well. A masterpiece.
4. Final Fantasy VII - I didn't get to play this until 2001 or so. That was a rough wait, I can tell you. There's not much that needs to be said about Kitase's epic other than it wasn't merely the best possible game they could have made for the franchise. They realised that, with the marriage of Final Fantasy and Playstation's 3D/CD storage, they had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring audiences something uniquely mindblowing. They not only did that, but they went above and beyond to create the finest RPG of all time.
5. Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha - This game gets a lot of shit. To that, I say "Fuck that." I'll admit, I wasn't impressed by the screens in magazines, I like everybody else wanted Street Fighter III. 3D Street Fighter? That'll suck! But playing is believing. I recall an anecdote from Akira Nishitani aka NIN-NIN where he recounted having to beg passers by to play SFEX at a trade show since nobody showed interest, but once they did, they were hooked. Yes, it's imbalanced. Yes, it's cheap, Yes, it's kind of ugly. But god damn it's fun. Me and my fighting buddies spent years playing many fighters, night after night, but this was one of the greats among our little group. It holds a very special place in my heart. Also, it has the greatest game soundtrack ever, and no, I'm not joking.
6. Ridge Racer Revolution - I was tempted to substitute Ridge Racer here, because that moment in that dark import gaming hovel where I first saw a Japanese Playstation running Ridge Racer was love at first sight, and is forever etched on my mind as the point where I knew 2D gaming was about to give way to something incredible. And it's a really fucking good game, too. RRR though is a neat attempt to bring the Ridge Racer 2 experience to console (via link cable), and also offer something entirely new of its own. The impracticality of lugging a TV round to a friend's house for VS matches was ignored in favour of hours and hours of intense racing fun. It's still one of the best RR titles.
7. GoldenEye 007 - I was already in love with N64's controller, but the first time I pulled the under-the-handle-Z trigger and fired a few Walther PPK rounds into a Russian guard with the Rumble Pak fitted, I WAS JAMES FUCKING BOND. In (at that time) gaming's slickest, most immersive, most innovative FPS. It did so much that was new- the Virtua-Cop style lock-on, the shift during lock-on that allowed you to create your own Time-Crisis-esque cover from just about anything, the non-linear mission objectives, the incredibly well-replicated movie locales- and all of this before you get to the real meat of the game- the multiplayer. Absolutely a gaming legend and deservedly so.
8. The Legend of Zelda The Ocarina of Time - I'll admit, I was disappointed by this game at the time, and in a way I'll always lament what could and I believe should have been. Coming off the back of A Link to the Past is going to be tough for any game, but I expected OoT to put up the mother of all fights. And I don't think it does. It's well-designed, it has a great cast of characters, has just the right number of dungeons, and they're excellent. And don't get me wrong, what it does well, it does really well. But it's just that, based on LttP's Dark World/Light World geography-shuffling genius and sprawling, feature-packed overworld, Ocarina wasn't the game I wanted or expected. Hyrule Field is pitifully dull, and it's probably the only game of Nintendo's from that era which shows their decision to stick with cartridges in a poor light. But the good far outweighs the bad, and the good is more than good enough to earn it a place in my generation 5 top ten.
9. Tekken 3 - That Ridge Racer moment I outlined above? Tekken showed up a few months after in the same shop, and it was a similarly electrifying experience. Tekken 2 was the game I got with my first PSone, and it's probably the one I'm most fond/nostalgic about, but T3 is the one I've got to give the nod to for having the balls to distance itself from VF and do its own thing. And what a thing it does. Much faster pace, smoother inputs, combos, animation, depth, it's just slick, slick, slick. Fantastic game, and an engineering miracle that Namco was able to pull off what it did with the PSone hardware. Also, how did they manage to fit all of that on a disc?
10. Dino Crisis 2 - I really want to like Dino Crisis, and I've tried many times, but I just don't. I don't know why. I love Mikami, I love dinosaurs, I love creepy deserted corporate offices at night, with Mikami dinosaurs in them. But the game just doesn't gel for me. Dino Crisis 2 though? That's my shit. The prerendered graphics and wacky B-movie plot put me in a more comfortable and familiar RE-lite place, and the action, while simple, is addictive. That cash payout when you rack up a monster combo is a great feeling. It's pure entertainment, the kind Capcom used to be able to do in their sleep, and the kind of irreverent pulp nonsense I miss from them.
Honourable mention #1: Star Fox 64 - Legendary 3D shooter, and ridiculously addictive high score game
Honourable mention #2: Perfect Dark - In many ways better than GoldenEye, but the required Expansion Pak, the lack of Bond, and the plain fact that GoldenEye got there first, out of nowhere, leaves PD in second place.
2. Resident Evil - Shinji Mikami's most famous (and imo best) game is a happy cocktail of events conspring to make history- Mikami's desire to make his mark, Capcom's desire to create a (for the time) big budget 3D console adventure, and a superbly talented team including the likes of Hideki Kamiya backing him up. It ushered in a era of imitators, some good, some not so good, and it's a brand which has been synonymous with success for almost 20 years. Still the finest Playstation title.
3. Resident Evil 2 - RE1 Planner Kamiya takes the reins at the insistence of Mikami, despite a famous false start with RE1.5, and delivers a faster, flashier, and possibly more iconic game than the original. Nothing was tampered with, it wasn't broke, and they didn't try to fix it, only striving to build on what the first game did so well. A masterpiece.
4. Final Fantasy VII - I didn't get to play this until 2001 or so. That was a rough wait, I can tell you. There's not much that needs to be said about Kitase's epic other than it wasn't merely the best possible game they could have made for the franchise. They realised that, with the marriage of Final Fantasy and Playstation's 3D/CD storage, they had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring audiences something uniquely mindblowing. They not only did that, but they went above and beyond to create the finest RPG of all time.
5. Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha - This game gets a lot of shit. To that, I say "Fuck that." I'll admit, I wasn't impressed by the screens in magazines, I like everybody else wanted Street Fighter III. 3D Street Fighter? That'll suck! But playing is believing. I recall an anecdote from Akira Nishitani aka NIN-NIN where he recounted having to beg passers by to play SFEX at a trade show since nobody showed interest, but once they did, they were hooked. Yes, it's imbalanced. Yes, it's cheap, Yes, it's kind of ugly. But god damn it's fun. Me and my fighting buddies spent years playing many fighters, night after night, but this was one of the greats among our little group. It holds a very special place in my heart. Also, it has the greatest game soundtrack ever, and no, I'm not joking.
6. Ridge Racer Revolution - I was tempted to substitute Ridge Racer here, because that moment in that dark import gaming hovel where I first saw a Japanese Playstation running Ridge Racer was love at first sight, and is forever etched on my mind as the point where I knew 2D gaming was about to give way to something incredible. And it's a really fucking good game, too. RRR though is a neat attempt to bring the Ridge Racer 2 experience to console (via link cable), and also offer something entirely new of its own. The impracticality of lugging a TV round to a friend's house for VS matches was ignored in favour of hours and hours of intense racing fun. It's still one of the best RR titles.
7. GoldenEye 007 - I was already in love with N64's controller, but the first time I pulled the under-the-handle-Z trigger and fired a few Walther PPK rounds into a Russian guard with the Rumble Pak fitted, I WAS JAMES FUCKING BOND. In (at that time) gaming's slickest, most immersive, most innovative FPS. It did so much that was new- the Virtua-Cop style lock-on, the shift during lock-on that allowed you to create your own Time-Crisis-esque cover from just about anything, the non-linear mission objectives, the incredibly well-replicated movie locales- and all of this before you get to the real meat of the game- the multiplayer. Absolutely a gaming legend and deservedly so.
8. The Legend of Zelda The Ocarina of Time - I'll admit, I was disappointed by this game at the time, and in a way I'll always lament what could and I believe should have been. Coming off the back of A Link to the Past is going to be tough for any game, but I expected OoT to put up the mother of all fights. And I don't think it does. It's well-designed, it has a great cast of characters, has just the right number of dungeons, and they're excellent. And don't get me wrong, what it does well, it does really well. But it's just that, based on LttP's Dark World/Light World geography-shuffling genius and sprawling, feature-packed overworld, Ocarina wasn't the game I wanted or expected. Hyrule Field is pitifully dull, and it's probably the only game of Nintendo's from that era which shows their decision to stick with cartridges in a poor light. But the good far outweighs the bad, and the good is more than good enough to earn it a place in my generation 5 top ten.
9. Tekken 3 - That Ridge Racer moment I outlined above? Tekken showed up a few months after in the same shop, and it was a similarly electrifying experience. Tekken 2 was the game I got with my first PSone, and it's probably the one I'm most fond/nostalgic about, but T3 is the one I've got to give the nod to for having the balls to distance itself from VF and do its own thing. And what a thing it does. Much faster pace, smoother inputs, combos, animation, depth, it's just slick, slick, slick. Fantastic game, and an engineering miracle that Namco was able to pull off what it did with the PSone hardware. Also, how did they manage to fit all of that on a disc?
10. Dino Crisis 2 - I really want to like Dino Crisis, and I've tried many times, but I just don't. I don't know why. I love Mikami, I love dinosaurs, I love creepy deserted corporate offices at night, with Mikami dinosaurs in them. But the game just doesn't gel for me. Dino Crisis 2 though? That's my shit. The prerendered graphics and wacky B-movie plot put me in a more comfortable and familiar RE-lite place, and the action, while simple, is addictive. That cash payout when you rack up a monster combo is a great feeling. It's pure entertainment, the kind Capcom used to be able to do in their sleep, and the kind of irreverent pulp nonsense I miss from them.
Honourable mention #1: Star Fox 64 - Legendary 3D shooter, and ridiculously addictive high score game
Honourable mention #2: Perfect Dark - In many ways better than GoldenEye, but the required Expansion Pak, the lack of Bond, and the plain fact that GoldenEye got there first, out of nowhere, leaves PD in second place.
i think it's fine.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Probably because it felt like you were playing Resident Evil 1 again, but with dinosaurs.
Neff
Member
It's much more linear than RE is, and way more combat-intensive, but yeah, I enjoyed the similarities. I've always felt that it feels like the missing link between classic RE and RE4.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; What can I say about this masterpiece? I have never been as immersed in a game as I was while playing Majora's Mask. The 3-day cycle was such an ingenious system that really made you care about the fate of Termina and its inhabitants as you got to know them with each passing cycle. Definitely my favourite game of time.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; One of the most influential games of all time and rightfully so. Nothing came close to its scope at the time.
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; Impeccable level design, incredible soundtrack.
4. Pokemon Red/Blue ; Its flaws are evident today, but Gen 1 will always hold a special place in my heart.
5. Final Fantasy VII ; It's amazing how much emotion those blocky graphics could evoke. What a magical experience this game was.
6. Super Mario 64 ; The game that showed everyone how 3d movement should be like. A true revolution.
7. Suikoden 2 ; One of the most epic stories in gaming history, gripping from start to finish. Jowy is one of the best written characters I've ever seen.
8. Metal Gear Solid ; The first cinematic gaming experience coupled with great stealth gameplay and some of the greatest boss battles ever.
9. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; Revisiting Kanto felt so satisfying back in the day.
10. Final Fantasy IX ; Probably the most charming entry in the series.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; One of the most influential games of all time and rightfully so. Nothing came close to its scope at the time.
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; Impeccable level design, incredible soundtrack.
4. Pokemon Red/Blue ; Its flaws are evident today, but Gen 1 will always hold a special place in my heart.
5. Final Fantasy VII ; It's amazing how much emotion those blocky graphics could evoke. What a magical experience this game was.
6. Super Mario 64 ; The game that showed everyone how 3d movement should be like. A true revolution.
7. Suikoden 2 ; One of the most epic stories in gaming history, gripping from start to finish. Jowy is one of the best written characters I've ever seen.
8. Metal Gear Solid ; The first cinematic gaming experience coupled with great stealth gameplay and some of the greatest boss battles ever.
9. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; Revisiting Kanto felt so satisfying back in the day.
10. Final Fantasy IX ; Probably the most charming entry in the series.
Melchiah
Member
1. Silent Hill ; The beginning of the best horror game series. Truly an unnerving experience with an equally chilling soundtrack. The use of radio static as a signal for monsters nearby was ingenious. Fittingly cryptic puzzles (particularly the piano one), and the fate of Lisa is still fresh in my memory.
2. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ; The sprawling and intertwined world in ruins with its awe-inspiring locations and boss fights. Amazing atmosphere, epic story, and great voice actors.
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"The game was planned out while its engine was still being developed, creating challenges for the design staff. Partially based upon the proprietary one used in Crystal Dynamics' Gex 3, it showcased several revolutionary technical achievements, including real-time environment morphing, and data-streaming functionality which eliminated the loading pauses prevalent in games of that era, instead seamlessly streaming content from the CD."
3. Resident Evil 2 ; The best of the old school REs. Loved exploring the police station even more than the Spencer Mansion.
4. Final Fantasy VIII ; A big step forward from its predecessor with its more realistic visual style and futuristic elements. The Junction system was versatile, and Balamb Garden a memorable homebase. Still my favorite in the series.
5. WipEout 2097 ; Jaw-droppingly fast and gorgeous racing with stylish music, and visuals courtesy of The Designers Republic. In many ways it shaped the generation.
6. Tomb Raider ; A revolutionary 3D game. Exploring the environments, that felt vast at the time, was magical.
EDIT: Since PC games count as well...
7. Unreal Tournament ; Such a fun game to play in short bursts. The best things about it? Assault mode and Flak Cannon.
Man, I've missed a few games I really should have played by now: Majora's Mask, Soul Reaver, Tactics Ogre and a couple others. Weird thing is that I own all of them but can never get around to them it seems.
Also Majora's Mask is intimidating with that time limit. I don't know if it's as bad as I imagine but I have some issues with anxiety and don't want them to be too prevalent when I play games.
Also Majora's Mask is intimidating with that time limit. I don't know if it's as bad as I imagine but I have some issues with anxiety and don't want them to be too prevalent when I play games.
The 3DS iteration is much better in that regard if you have access to that at all. More user-friendly, less stressful. More accessible. I was a big fan of MM when it came out but I can't put it on my list here because I used a guide a ton for it as a kid, and I so strongly prefer the remaster.
Melchiah
Member
If you have a Dreamcast you might want try that one, as it's the best version of the game. I dunno how it's on PC, but the PS1 version hasn't aged that well when I played it on the PS3 a couple of years ago.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Kind of broken, tons of sound glitches and shitty controller support.
Melchiah
Member
Kind of broken, tons of sound glitches and shitty controller support.
Too bad. It would be great to be able to play it in a better form, and I don't have Dreamcast.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
I look forward to your list. As far as I know you were more PlayStation oriented then, right? Considering we have similar tastes, there might be a few games in your list I should check out
.I'm terribly sorry about this, I've been pretty busy with classes starting back and I completely forget this was a thing. Feel free to not count my vote, but I've edited my post on the first page.