'Duck Hunt' is very likely to be the first game I ever played, though the Videopac game 'Gunfighter' or 'Super Mario Bros.', which was on the same Nintendo cartridge, are also very possible. Sadly, there's no way to know. The game is a classic anyway though, and me remembering playing it so clearly, is testament to it being the game that introduced me to Nintendo, even if I didn't know what it was exactly.

I played it, and the Black Box 'Soccer' game, regularly with my cousin on the Nintendo Entertainment System of my aunt, first at her house, later at my grandmother's when my aunt replaced the NES with the SNES. She was an avid gamer at the time and like every gamer that ever played this game, we all grew to despise the dog. It's funny, how that dog is today probably one of the most referenced and recognizable gaming characters ever created.

I loved the light-gun in every way from how it looked, the sound it made when pulling the trigger to the sound the television made when shooting those ducks. As probably known by everyone, the game has two modes; the Duck Hunt mode and the Clay Pigeon mode where you shoot clay pigeons instead of 'real' ducks. We played the real duck mode, almost always, and it remains, though simple, as one of my best memories in my gaming life.

Alright, not as easy as #48, but still, should be doable;

#47
At one point, you must think like the Imperial Bucketheads, but also follow his lead, and do as he says.

Another clue then. A serial killer with a smile on his face.

#47: DmC: Devil May Cry

Everyone knows the controversy surrounding this title. Sadly, it was enough for many to pass on this brillant title. Whether you like the changes to Dante or not (I like both versions), the most important thing here is there the game plays like a charm. The combat system is very fluid and brought on gradually allowing you to get used to all its subtleties step by step. The game keeps the irrevent tone of previous installment and presents a entertaining story (with the occasional lame corny joke).

I'm going to start doing some posts. First, a few games that didn't quite make my Top 50. And why they failed.

• Etrian Odyssey IV - Thanks for recommending this series Rol! This game almost made the cut, but the class system takes too long to develop. Seven initial classes is not enough for a party of five with subclasses.
• Final Fantasy - Early versions were buggy and cumbersome, while newer versions lost some of their difficulty as the Magic system changed.
• Final Fantasy 6 - I feel the cast is a bit too large for its own good, sacrificing focus on the more important party members.
• I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream - I'm still playing it, but this will probably get onto the list next year.
• Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - Sailing is great, as is the story. And that art style! But compared to Ocarina of Time, it falls short in terms of dungeons and bosses. In terms of sidequests and deep world, Majora's Mask comes ahead.
• Minecraft - Too much messing around, not enough "game."
• Oregon Trail - Has actually aged pretty well.
• Rollercoaster Tycoon - Needed free play in addition to the scenarios.
• Super Mario 64 - Not all of the 15 major levels were exactly top tier. Too Much Water.

50. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

The story is one of the better in the Mario series. It's not a "great" story, but does capture the spirit of the Mario series, has plenty of memorable characters, provides plenty of fun scenarios, and Fawful. Bowser makes a great transition to the M&L series, making a great counterpart to the already solid Bros gameplay. The graphics and music are lovely. We also got some great boss fights, including Kaiju Bowser fights. The "Bros in Body" gimmick is good in battles. The game's main flaw would be its slow opening, but the last 85% or so is delightful.

49. Mega Man X

I don't like the classic Mega Man games very much. I can appreciate the level design and solid gameplay, but there are too many cheap moments, subpar special weapons, awkward vertical moments, and silly bosses. Top Man existed in one of the more beloved games. Mega Man X suceeds by retaining the best qualities of the NES games, but gives the player far more mobility with the added wall jumping and dashing on continuous stages. The hidden upgrades for Health and armor give good reasons to revisit levels with new powers. And the bosses and powers are consistently enjoyable and useful respectively. Oh, and the music is amazing. REALLY amazing. My favorites are the themes for the Intro stage, Zero, Spark Mandrill's stage, Storm Eagle's stage, Armored Armadillo's stage, Sigma Stage 1, and Dr Light.

48. Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill 2 is pretty widely lauded already, so a few scattered thoughts.

First, you know that trend in recent horror games where the player is absolutely unable to defend themself? The focus is almost entirely on running and/or hiding. It's not a bad approach, but I feel Silent Hill 2 does things better by giving you very limited combat capabilities. You can't simply give up when seen by an enemy and/or cornered, you still have the option of using your stick to clumsily beat off the monster. Giving the player hope makes the eventual despair greater.

Hearing the radio's static was weird. On one hand, there was the horror of the unseen monster, but there was also a sense of relief. You spend so much time with just you, James, and the town of Silent Hill in an awkward silence that a monster breaks the tension as much as anything. You fear even the weaker ones, but also welcome the brief relief from the overwhelming lonliness.

James is the rare Great protagonist for this sort of horror. First, he is not an idiot. Too many characters in horror either act like utter dunces or show a complete lack of genre savviness. James is smart enough to know that he is in some fucked up shit and is likely to suffer a horrid fate. It's just that he's willing to accept that. Because he knows that there's nothing outside of the town worth running away to. And you can feel that in his voice, how he moves, how he acts around others.

You know Pyramid Head? I don't think it's a single monster. Not only do you run into two of them eventually, but you just encounter them very often considering how slowly they move if there weren't at least a few of them. And they only stop popping up after they kill themselves. They are slow, deliberate, powerful, and inevitable, but then they choose to stop. You never get to resolve your "conflict" with them. You just move on. Ah. Well played game.

Wow. Such Doge. Much Spooky. So Scheming. Very Silly.

#48 is Persona 3 Portable

#47 is Final Fantasy X?

Oh that might be it.

The most epic of typos. We seem to have come full circle.

Hint for # 47:

The first RPG of a great trilogy, launched in 2001