So, as most probably know, there's the Top 50 threads at the end of the year. I've described why my games in there are my favourites, so let me cop/paste the Top 3 with their descriptions here. Sure, they're a bit anecdotal, instead of giving points to gameplay mechanics or whatever nonsense. It's all about the feels.
|
3 |
Super Mario 64 |
|
|
 |
A big part of why the 5th Generation of video games was great is due to this game. You could consider it the ancestor of basically all the 3D games since. Sadly though, none really beat is since either. As a first attempt, Nintendo really knocked it out of the park. The game's concept is great; the castle hub-world that leads to plenty of open world sandbox levels through paintings scattered throughout the castle, where you will have to find a set of Power Stars needed to unlock the final level and the battle with Bowser. This is so accessible, imaginative and immersive. People like to complain about how the camera is supposed to be this archaic monstrosity, but the reality is, that it's easy to control, and works better than in plenty of new games. But like I said it does a lot of things better than newer games. For all intents and purposes, this is what a video game is meant to be in its purest form, it succeeds in every aspect. |
|
2 |
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic |
|
|
 |
During the 6th Generation of video games, I was in a rough spot. The previous generation was everything anyone could ever have dreamed of, but here now we were at a point where most of the ideas had dried up some years into the generation. I loved the SEGA Dreamcast, but it sadly died just about one-and-a-half year in. It had already killed my interest in a PlayStation 2, and Nintendo had dropped the ball by releasing less than enthusiastic entries in their most important series. So I turned to the PC. Or rather, I returned to the PC. There I found a renewed joy in video games. There was plenty to play, and most importantly plenty of new experiences. On PC, new entries to series and franchises I adored actually were worthy successors, and would grow to become some of my favourites. The biggest of all of those was in the Star Wars franchise, my old crush. Luckily, console gaming won me back in the 7th Generation just a few years later, and now a more healthy harmony exists. |
|
1 |
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
|
|
 |
One game has got to be the greatest of them all. The greatest game ever created. And surely it is Ocarina of Time. Even after many new games in and out of the Zelda series have released, none have topped it. This has been my favourite game from pretty much the moment it released. There were plenty of games that had an impact on me during my lifetime, and I mentioned them in my list; Rebel Assault II and it being an introduction to one of my favourite things ever. SimTower and it sparking my interest in builder games. A Link to the Past and it's rainy intro that is etched into my mind. Anno 1602 and it giving me endless multiplayer fun. The countless hours of the endlessly replay-able RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. Even my final memory of my family being together playing Mario Kart 64. Those things are all less important than the way Ocarina of Time impacted me. This game is so memorable, I can drum up every square centimetre of this game, and hum every song instantly. This game feels like it as specifically made for me personally. As if a description of me was right there next to the drawing board of the designers. As if mister Miyamoto said; "Let's make a game for S.Peelman". This game has everything I need in a game, and it is the only game I'd give a percent score, because that's what it is. |
