1: Phantasy Star 2
2: Rez
3: Star Ocean 2
4: Phantasy Star 1
5: Phantasy Star 4
6: Valkyrie Profile
7: Dragon Quest 5
8: Final Fantasy 5
9: The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
10: ESPGaluda
The Phantasy Star series are my absolute favorites because they were truly mindblowing at the time of release. I really loved Final Fantasy 1 so playing a similar game, with amazing 3D dungeons and PLANETARY TRAVEL was revolutionary for me. The glossy early 90's style anime designs, sophisticated stories for their time, challenging dungeons, sci-fi themes... all were so amazing.
Rez totally captivated me with its brilliant visuals and soundtrack. I of course absolutely love electronic dance music, so combining that with revolutionary visuals influenced by Kandinsky and the SEGA panache was like heaven.
Star Ocean 2 is another one of the greatest games I've ever played. The scope of the game was incredible - the number of items you can find or create with its robust crafting system... the multiple endings based on how you interact with your party members... optional dungeons, a huge cast of characters (some of them hidden), tons of content tucked away in all the little corners, a fast and furious combat engine that makes combat fun... This game sold me on tri-Ace, who, while they've had quite a few misses lately, can still make an amazing game if they tried.
Valkyrie Profile I loved for its unorthodox approach to progression, sprawling 2D sidescroller dungeons, and its timing-based battle system. The gloomy Norse setting was pretty cool, and pretty original, too.
Dragon Quest 5 is the pinnacle of the DQ series to me. The multi-generational heartfelt story combined with classic gameplay is a winner. Likewise, Final Fantasy 5 is my favorite in the FF series. Namely due to the interesting (yet still fairly balanced) job system and one of my favorite Nobuo soundtracks ever.
Link to the Past is my favorite Zelda. As a kid, the original Zelda was such an awesome experience that I fell in love with right away (it was one of the first games I ever played after SMB), but the SNES game takes what made Zelda 1 so great and improved on it a million times over. It established a formula that is still used 20 years later.
ESPGaluda, well I love shoot em ups, and this would have to be my favorite. The whole "kakusei" system of slowing down time is absolutely genius, making the game a bit more manageable to play for those who suck at bullet-hell. Steampunk setting, and great music round out the package.
2: Rez
3: Star Ocean 2
4: Phantasy Star 1
5: Phantasy Star 4
6: Valkyrie Profile
7: Dragon Quest 5
8: Final Fantasy 5
9: The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
10: ESPGaluda
The Phantasy Star series are my absolute favorites because they were truly mindblowing at the time of release. I really loved Final Fantasy 1 so playing a similar game, with amazing 3D dungeons and PLANETARY TRAVEL was revolutionary for me. The glossy early 90's style anime designs, sophisticated stories for their time, challenging dungeons, sci-fi themes... all were so amazing.
Rez totally captivated me with its brilliant visuals and soundtrack. I of course absolutely love electronic dance music, so combining that with revolutionary visuals influenced by Kandinsky and the SEGA panache was like heaven.
Star Ocean 2 is another one of the greatest games I've ever played. The scope of the game was incredible - the number of items you can find or create with its robust crafting system... the multiple endings based on how you interact with your party members... optional dungeons, a huge cast of characters (some of them hidden), tons of content tucked away in all the little corners, a fast and furious combat engine that makes combat fun... This game sold me on tri-Ace, who, while they've had quite a few misses lately, can still make an amazing game if they tried.
Valkyrie Profile I loved for its unorthodox approach to progression, sprawling 2D sidescroller dungeons, and its timing-based battle system. The gloomy Norse setting was pretty cool, and pretty original, too.
Dragon Quest 5 is the pinnacle of the DQ series to me. The multi-generational heartfelt story combined with classic gameplay is a winner. Likewise, Final Fantasy 5 is my favorite in the FF series. Namely due to the interesting (yet still fairly balanced) job system and one of my favorite Nobuo soundtracks ever.
Link to the Past is my favorite Zelda. As a kid, the original Zelda was such an awesome experience that I fell in love with right away (it was one of the first games I ever played after SMB), but the SNES game takes what made Zelda 1 so great and improved on it a million times over. It established a formula that is still used 20 years later.
ESPGaluda, well I love shoot em ups, and this would have to be my favorite. The whole "kakusei" system of slowing down time is absolutely genius, making the game a bit more manageable to play for those who suck at bullet-hell. Steampunk setting, and great music round out the package.