Post what they are here, as well as an explanation for each if you're up for it. 1. Mega Man X This game absolutely revolutionized the platformer genre with controls even more fluid than Mario and a good plot, for it's time, anyway. I still get feels when I see Zero saving X and when Zero dies. 2. Shadow Hearts This is one of the most underrated, underhyped RPGs of all time. It has a setting in WWI with dark fantasy elements. I enjoy media set in WWI and WWII because so many new technologies, like tanks, machine guns and the like, were being tested on battlefields. Dark fantasy's great because it shows how the existence of magic wouldn't be entirely wondrous. Character development was honestly kinda fucked, but it's still good. 3. Super Mario World Much like Mega Man X, this game revolutionized the platformer genre, though it was much more fast-paced than the former. It also helped promote my favorite console, the SNES. 4. Command and Conquer: Red Alert This is something of a speculative fiction game and something of a sci-fi game. Einstein goes back in time and eliminates Hitler. As cliche as this sounds, it's handled extremely well. With no check to the Soviet Union's power, Stalin begins seizing large swaths of land in Africa and Europe. The remaining European nations band together and wage a desperate gorilla war on the advancing Soviets. 5. Final Fantasy IX This game had an absolutely amazing plot of people from different walks of life coming together to oppose a common antagonist, as all Final Fantasies tend to. It returned to the roots of the series and had a simple, yet surprisingly deep, ability system. Junctioning in FF8 was a pain in the ass.
This is interesting. I won't be posting my list just yet, but I'll take a peek at Shadow Hearts. Regarding Red Alert, it's nice to mention that it's an RTS, and a classic one at that. The game's path, however, has almost gone off to a sort of humorous game with its extended jokes, from both Westwood and EA - so that's an interesting pickup. As for FF8, which I never played but I'm highly familiar with the game, why was the junctioning system so bad? I always saw it as a adding a much greater depth to the stat system, regarding magic and the GF elements, and pioneered a new leveling system of a sort which wasn't locked in to a linear "ur lvel iz higher, u wins" deal. Unless you're talking about the organization of junctioning.
It was silly in sort of a Dr. Strangelove way. It had a silly theme, certainly, but it was treated as though it were serious. It worked surprisingly well. Until EA fucked it up, that is, like they've done with so many other franchises. I find it rather complicated and hard to get into. To be honest, I haven't gotten that far into the game. I'd probably change my tune if I played more.
I can probably pick out games of different genres, because picking the top 5 of all time is just impossible. RPG - Tales of Symphonia I played this game at the perfect time. After getting used to playing traditional jrpgs like FF, Symphonia blew my mind with its battle system and great story. I usually compare any other jrpg to ToS, and I try my best to play every Tales game I can. Shooter - Perfect Dark It had everything you could want in a shooter and let me be forever alone with bots. Adventure - Wind Waker People give me weird looks for saying Wind Waker was my favorite Zelda. Strategy - Brood War As bad as I was at it, SC Brood War was loads of fun. (Secretly, my favorite strategy game is actually Sengoku Rance)
Top five games, huh? 1. Final Fantasy Tactics. I loved the Tactics Ogre/Ogre Battle series, and I'm a sucker for medieval political intrigue. The plot was rock solid, way too advanced for my 14 year old mind, and I'm a little disappointed more games don't just create there lore and invest in it like the Ivalician series. 2. Earthbound. When I first bought this game I had no clue what I was in for. Even though the graphics were pretty potato for the SNES, the experience as a whole was probably the best time I've ever had with a turn based RPG. 3. Doom 2. Many an edgy teenage weekend was blown playing Doom 2 via LAN with my other edgy teenage friends. It was the game back then, and it still holds up today, especially with .WADs. 4. Dragon Quest 7. The only game I ever felt I should have paid more for. It's insanely criminally long and getting lost or confused in the game was very, very easy. 5. Yoshi's Story. Accidently put my Starfox 64 cart in the blockbuster return box. Forced to like it.
