To celebrate our 10 year anniversary I think it's only fair that we do the exact same thing every video game magazine did whenever they reached a milestone... create a top 100 list. So that's what I'm going to do. I've spent the last couple weeks thinking this over and I have a list in front of me that I'm pretty happy with. No one else on earth will be happy with it, but as I always say, "fuck off it's my list and I don't give two shits what you think you little pissant." At least I think I say that.
Also, if you recall I did do a top 28 list a while back. However, that was 5 years ago and many great games have come out since, so even that top 28 has some changes in it. There's a few new games, a few games my opinions have changed on, and there was one really great one that I completely overlooked somehow when I made the list the first time. So rest assured there will be some very noticeable changes.
And it's going to go by fast. Since I've got that new job starting in just over a week, my free time may be reduced, so I'm going to try to get all 100 games posted within the next two weeks. I need to sharpen up my writing since this is a PR job so it's good practice. Writing about insurance benefits and filing medical claims is just like video games right?
100Sonic Adventure
99Kaboom
98Conquests of the Longbow
97Streets of Rage 2
96Lollipop Chainsaw
95Bloodborne
94 Crazy Taxi
93Bit.Trip.Beat
92Wii Ski & Snowboard
91RiverCity Ransom
90Dragon Quest Monsters
89Jones in the Fastlane
88Dark Cloud 2
87Professor Layton and the Curious Village
86MadWorld
85Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
84Torneko the Last Hope
83Crystal Castles
82Space Harrier
81Retro Game Challenge
80Final Fantasy VII
79Bulletstorm
78Rayman Legends
77Super Dodge Ball
76World of Goo
75The Magic of Scherazade
74Minecraft
73Fantasy Zone 2
72Golden Axe: Revege of Death Adder
71Final Fantasy Legend II
70Hotel Dusk
69Splatoon
68Pitfall
67Dragon Quest V
66SteamWorld Dig
65Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
64Order Up
63Hearthstone
62Monkey Island II: LeChuck's Revenge
61Bayonetta
60Galaga
59 Earthbound
58Super Mario Bros.
57Wii Sports Resort
56Pac-Man CE: DX
55Trauma Team
#90. Dragon Warrior Monsters
In 2000 Dragon Warrior fans in the West were feeling highly neglected. The 16 bit era had come and gone without a single new entry in the series despite a brief tease that DQ6 was going to be localized. And the PS1/N64 era was coming to a close without an entry as well, though there were rumors that DQ7 which was still being developed might make it over. All we had gotten since Dragon Warrior 4 on the NES were some gameboy color remakes of the first three games. As nice as those were, it wasn't much. And then, finally, the rains came and we got our hands on a DQ branded Pokemon clone... yay.
Turns out it actually was something to celebrate. Dragon Warrior Monsters was packed full of Dragon Warrior nostalgia. Lots of monsters from previous games, familiar music and graphics, and even old bosses from the series. What was even better though was this was an amazingly good game. It wasn't just a Pokemon clone. It was better. You weren't just catching monsters in the wild. Now you were breeding them and even stealing them away from other trainers. You also were fighting with three at a time which changed up how you went into battle and required completely different strategies. It even had a nice little story thrown in there, that kept things moving while still keeping the focus on the monster training. Even after its more refined sequels, there's something about how tightly focused the original is that still makes it my favorite in the series.
I was always interested We Skii, but didn't have a balance board...and I'm not sure the game was even released here.
So many games I never played. But I agree on the ones I have, rage 2 I see the best beat em up, crazy taxi is a blast. bloodborne is so good.
#89. Jones in the Fastlane
I originally dismissed the idea of Jones in the Fastlane. At the time I didn't care much for video game board games, and at the time that wasn't hard to defend. They were usually less interesting than their real-world counterparts and much more predictable. Go look at early versions of Monopoly on the PC to see what I'm talking about. The only reason I even got it was because some kids I babysat for got me a gift certificate to a local computer store and this was all I could afford with it. It turned out to be one of the best discounted games I ever played, and became a multi-player staple amongst my friends.
Jones almost plays like an RPG like Harvest Moon, but it just happens to be set on a game board. It's all about time management. Your player has so many hours in a week to work on achieving their set goals of happiness, money, education, and career before their turn ends. This entails going to work, buying luxury items, going to college, paying your rent, and even eating. Manage your time poorly and you'll fall behind the other players. Random events even occur to shake things up. If things are going too good, you might get mugged while leaving your job. You could also win the lottery and finally be able to afford more college fees. And because you can change which goals are a priority, you can actually play the game by focusing on different things each time. Best of all, the game was funny. It's filled with groan inducing puns, but just by sheer quantity of them, the game will eventually win you over. It might not be the best video game board game ever, but it's definitely up there.
Gagan needs to play this.
I didn't know Robio was one of those weird PC guys back in the day. Huh.
I've always been a console gamer first, but PC gaming was a big thing for me since I was a kid right through my early 20's. At least 10% of the games on this list are PC titles.
#88. Dark Cloud 2 (I thought I posted this a few days ago, but it seems to have disappeard. My original copy of it is gone so this will be on the short side)
This could be the Playstation 2's Legend of Zelda. The first time I read a review for Dark Cloud 2, the reviewer made a statement to this affect, comparing the the Dark Cloud series to the Legend of Zelda series. Upon playing it, it has absolutely nothing in common with any Zelda game, so the comparison still strikes me as an odd on. And really there's no need to compare the two, because Dark Cloud 2 stands high on its own merits. Its a solid action adventure game, with beautiful cell-shaded graphics, but what really makes it special is how it is packed with no shortage of things to do.
You might find battling through randomly generated dungeons, each with specific goals if you want to get bonus loot as you explore. If you're not interested in fighting, maybe you're taking pictures of and using ideas in those photos to create new inventions. Maybe you're developing a town or inviting people to live in it. Or maybe you're just killing time fishing or playing golf next to a volcano. Not every idea in the game will work or be fun for everyone, but Level-5 added so many activities in this game that you can very easily move onto something else if you get bored of one thing. It's definitely worth checking it all out though as everything you do just goes into enhancing your characters and that's important as this is one tough game. Despite it's charming presentation, it still has that old-school toughness in it, but it's a game that will test even skilled players.
#87. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Level 5 is back again on my list with the first game in a series that would go on to represent everything good and bad about them. Professor Layton and the Curious Village was a pretty bold game. It was a weird little mystery where the player doesn't actually solve the mystery. Instead you just walk around town progressing the story by solving little brain teasers that are found in the village or offered up by townspeople and even the main characters. And if you keep exploring, talking to people, and solving puzzles, eventually the story will progress to it's ending. It shouldn't work, and yet the game is offered up with such a warm and charming presentation it totally does.
First and foremost you have Professor Hershel Layton, a true gentleman if there ever was one. He's arguably the greatest original character created during the DS era. He's surrounded by a group of eccentric townspeople who are definitely odd, but never go too far over the top (with the exception of one Portuguese tourist). The score and art style are reminiscent of something out of a French comic book or Belleville-Rendezvous (The Triplets of Belleville). And while the player might be a little too passive in the story, it's still very good. Later stories in the series were way too ridiculous, but this one straddles the line of fantastic and yet believable. Most importantly, the brain teasers are extremely good (if you're into those sorts of things). Their presentation fits with the style of the game like a glove and most of the time they feel organic. It's very clear the creators loved every second of making this game and it shows. Sadly, Layton would become successful enough that Level-5 smelled cash and yearly installments of the series started getting churned out, each being worse than the previous. But the original still deserves to be placed on a pedestal and enjoyed.