Top five favourite games of all time, And WHY Options

[Dr Strum]

Simple. Post your top five favourite games of all time (Riviera is implied since you're here, so avoid listing it), and WHY they are your favorite games.

Mine (unordered):

• Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (GEN)
  I loved the first Sonic, and then this one came along and blew it away. Faster Sonic, larger, more diverse levels, bigger bosses and multiplayer. One of the earliest games I remember playing as well.
• Frequency (PS2)
  A music game, although Frequency is really indescribable. But any game that can put me into a trance with fast, rhythmic button mashing, beautiful visuals and great sound is a good game (and the multiplayer was insane).
• Advance Wars (GBA)
  My first Turn Based Stratey game, and probably one of the most balanced strategy games I've ever played. Great animation, likeable characters, some really difficult gameplay, and fun music makes for a game I keep playing, years after its release, and the release of the not-as-good sequels.
• Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons (GBC)
  Not my first Zelda, but the first one(s) I beat. I collected every ring, every weapon, every heartpiece and beat EVERY mini-game in Seasons and Ages. The bosses were fun, the puzzles were great (and many of the Ages puzzles involving lots of time travelling were downright maddening), and if you beat one game, you can link it up to the other to continue and get a different final boss. To COMPLETELY beat it, you had to play through each game four times (eg, eight times total). Hmm, maybe I oughta' go play through again...
• Feel the Magic: XY/XX (DS)
  A recent game, sure, but I spent months on this game. I beat normal mode the night I got it, but it took me a few months to finish hard mode, and I only finished hell mode a few weeks ago (more than a year after its release). Still haven't filled up all the games in Maniac... But, I can't wait for the sequel (coming out on Valentine's Day <3).

[MARIA IRL]

5.) Dragon Quest 3

One of the very first games I ever played was DQ/DW1 on the NES. It's simple, but I loved it, and the sequel was one of the first games I rented. Sadly, I didn't know any more in the series existed until I was an adult. I immediately emulated 3 (GBC version) and was glued to it almost permanently. Why's it asking me my gender? What I'm like as a person? Why does it deem me 'valiant' and 'romantic'? You can imagine my surprise when the game plot twists and drops me into Aelfgard and suddenly the gears in my head begin to turn. By the time the king is granting me the title of Loto, I'm in tears. I grew up to become to hero of my childhood and the hero that inspired the heroics of two of the first RPGs I ever played and loved. It was so simple, but at the same time, meant so much to me. I don't think it would have had the same impact on me had I played it at an earlier age, so I'm glad I had to wait. Thanks for making "lol oops it was prologue quest all along!" one of the best twists of my life. Little Atma really appreciates it.


4.) Soul Nomad

This is where Nippon Ichi really shined. I honestly never liked Disgaea much (Laharl is one of my least favorite characters in anything of all time), Makai Kingdom was pretty meh, I haven't played Phantom Brave yet (though I do own it), but this and La Pucelle were gorgeous games. This is where all the heart and soul (heehee) went, though Nomad did it better. They pulled in toi8 as an artist (I vastly prefer him to the other main NIS artist), the music was Tenpei's best, the multiple story paths all depressed the hell out of me (what have I done to you, my dear Trisha), and it was their most fun game to play all around. The only thing wrong with it was the dub. Only listen to it if you hate yourself. Pity all they get is cameos now while Disgaea gets 9348962134981 spinoffs and remakes while this is most likely to be their most easily forgotten game. What a fucking shame.


3.) Final Fantasy Tactics

FFTA and A2 can go right to hell. You had the perfect game. The best game that will ever be graced with the name of Final Fantasy. You remade it into an even more glorious game with one of the greatest scripts i have ever seen in my life. I don't want happy endings, I want justice, even if it's cruel and sad. I want war and questioning and dirty politics and foul religion. I want a goddamn role model (Agrias Oaks). You gave it all to me. You were the only game I skipped school and faked sick just to play, ever. And then you turned it into a trashed kiddie happy funtime crapland in your sequels. What the fuck happened to you? Fuck judges, all you need is faith (and brave).


2.) Valkyria Chronicles

This right here is why you buy a PS3. From the moment I saw the Famitsu scans of it being announced in Japan, I knew this would be the current gen console I'd get. Best $300 game I ever bought. Every character was insanely likable, the squad was amazingly well done, each recruit felt like an old friend, and it's one of the few games I prefer the dub to sub over. I normally don't play RPGs for the battle system, but all I have are compliments for this one. The music is stellar, too. A lot of good choked up moments and close fights made it a real winner. There is not a single part of this game that isn't perfect. War is hell, kids.


1.) Xenosaga Episode 3: Also Sprach Zarathustra

This is going to be a long one, so sit down and listen carefully. This honestly means a lot to me and I would appreciate it if nobody laughed at me for this. Just this once, let me have my peace.

I was going to cheat and just put all 3 on here, but the third one was what changed my life, so it gets put up here. I'm not using hyperbole; this game literally changed my life and made me a better person. I played the first one when I was about 17, got the second the very day it came out (fuck the haters 2 is a wonderful game), and 3 was with me the day it came out after I moved to Arizona. Over this course of time, I had gone from late teen to full grown adult. I had to grow up and accept responsibility, as did the characters. The ending blew me out of the water. Though the series was cut short, they still ended it marvelously. I have cried at video games. Big, heaping sobs. Mental breakdowns. Over good things, bad things, maybe just because it was over. By the time I was able to go at least an hour without sobbing afterwards, a day and a half had passed. I wasn't able to sleep at all. There was this impact inside me. When I was done, I had grown up.

I've since found my passion I had in school for studying religion, philosophy, science, literature, anything to further my understanding of the world, the universe, and humans. I am still enamored with it all to this day. I'm becoming wise. I'm becoming learned. All because of a video game.

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

I also can't see topping the fate of the time cycle of the history of the universe - OUR universe, not some made up one, as the greatest thing to fight over or protect. I always feel like crying again when I contemplate this and weigh it against myself in a real world context.

This all has taught me one thing and it is the only thing I will ever need to know in life: Humanity is awesome.

All this, from a video game. Until a game comes by that can top the personal impact this game had on me, if that's even humanly possible, as much as I do love other games, they ain't got shit on this.

Thank you, Xenosaga. Maybe tomorrow...


EDIT: Almost forgot! Honorable mentions go to FF6, FF9, La Pucelle, Suikoden 1/2/5, Yoshi's Island, Star Fox 64, and Okami.

This post has been edited by Atma: Jul 5 2010, 01:53 PM