30 | SimTower |
|
|
 | Once upon a time playing video games was something special. For 'the world' that period was probably a decade or two earlier, but for me, that period was early to mid 90s. This was an important game for me due to how replay-able and addicting it was. When this game was on and dinner was ready downstairs, we used to turn the volume up high, so we could hear the sounds of the money rolling in each game-morning while we were eating. It's not only about nostalgia though. The concept of this game, to build a tower with various rooms and functions to make money and earn stars, is simple yet timeless. While it seems a bit boring to focus on just one building instead of a whole city for example, it actually has all the micromanagement one can expect from a city-building game. The tagline "The vertical Empire" was aptly chosen. |
29 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past |
|
|
 | One of the most important games, if not the most important game in my life is A Link to the Past. This is the game that made me a Nintendo fan, a Zelda fan, and a gamer. I've told the story plenty of times already; my aunt played plenty of games, and when I came down into the living room of her house after having played Duck Hunt upstairs with my cousin, and she mentions she had something to show me and thought I'd like it. She was most definitely right, because the intro with the rain, the moody atmosphere and the motionless guards all around was the most epic thing I had ever seen and is forever etched into my mind. Obviously this game is also, just insanely good. From the world to the characters to the level-design to the elaborate backstory and it's timeless art direction and music; this is among the best the 4th Gen could offer. It's no wonder why this game became the blueprint or everything in the series to come. |
28 | Soulcalibur |
|
|
 | The best fighting game ever made. There's more good fighting games, but all just about miss the list. Not Soulcalibur, that one easily makes it. This was the game that made my family forget about the PlayStation 2. As the rest of the world ditched the Dreamcast, we stood fast. Though, not really because of a deeper belief. Of course, the graphics of this game was, when it came out, it's biggest asset. Actually, the game still looks very good. Bit the gameplay was also excellent, with fluent control and easy to learn yet effective combos it is a lot of fun to play. Unique is the focus on weaponry of various styles that make for varied matches. It is a lot of fun to play this multiplayer, but it also has a very good single player mode where you complete objectives in battles to unlock all kinds of stuff. The sequel, on GameCube among others, expanded on this by including a world map on which missions can be be played in a non-linear fashion. |
27 | Super Mario Galaxy |
|
|
 | A flagship Nintendo title, made by what is maybe the best development team the gaming world has to offer, because for all intends and purposes this game is perfect. Liking this game really only comes down to personal enjoyment in the genre. Luckily, I like this genre. In general anyway, not everything in the genre is included in this list, and Mario Galaxy I certainly one of the highest at that. The game is impressive all around, but perhaps the most impressive aspect, even if Nintendo probably doesn't really want one to focus on it, are the graphics. This is a Wii game, but in spite of that it can measure up to games on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Stylistically there's even a big case to be made that is the best looking 7th Gen game. The game was a return to form after a period of what many fans regard as a period of less inspired games in Nintendo's history. Nintendo began a new streak of excellence however and the sequel continued this, however the first Mario Galaxy stands out due to the structure of the hub world and the secrets that can be found there, specifically the touching story of Rosalina and Luma. |
26 | Call of Duty |
|
|
 | The Second World War has always interested me. I like to listen to the stories of my grandfather for example. I try to be as objective possible when reading about what happened,, or while watching movies about the subject. My grandfather, even though he lost his home and father in a bombing, does that as well. Maybe because the bombing was actually an Allied one. Nevertheless, Call of Duty is fairly educational in that regard. Many missions of its single player campaign are based on real-life operations and events. Obviously told from the Allied perspective, and you should recognise that those missions come with a creative licence, but fairly educational nonetheless. At least, it inspires to look up the real events. Next to the campaign, there's also a great multiplayer mode. Because it's peer-to-peer like all old multiplayer games, it is actually still active today. Call of Duty 2 is of equally high quality, and also features a great campaign and active multiplayer mode. You could regard this entry as one for both games, however, to pick only one, the novelty of an original wins. |
