In 2020 I reached a benchmark I had long wanted to reach. I beat my 500th game in my lifetime, and with that, I decided it was time to organize and make a list of my favorites. To commemorate and really feel satisfied with this idea I wanted to share my list with the world. So on my social platform of Kitsu, I decided to make a post one at a time about each and every game on my list. These are those posts migrated over here for you all to read. Once I make the Top Ten though, all of those posts will be wholly unique and curated for here.  I plan to update this list every year, but for now, until I reach the end of my countdown, please enjoy my current Top 100 Favorite Games of All Time! Any questions or concerns, let me know in the comments below, but as always thank you for reading my little gaming wanderers! Here’s to video games and my lifelong passion for them, shared with you all!

40: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Played on: N64
Year Released: 2000

Make the most of the time given to you. This is the basic mantra to what a playthrough of Majora’s Mask will feel like. As Link, you are given a 72 hour window(Around 54 minutes real time) to save the land of Termina and its denizens from an impending moon crashing into them all. It is a far darker, more thoughtful, and nuanced Zelda than we have ever seen, and to this day still hasn’t been matched in that regard. What sets this game truly apart though are two distinctive qualities. It’s thematic richness and the way it shakes up the Zelda formula without comprising it either. Together the harmony of the two makes for one of the most beloved games in all of gaming.

The main underlining theme of Majora’s Mask to me is Life through Death. The idea of exploring what the meaning of your life is, or is to be through the pressure of being aware you are in fact on borrowed time and could die tomorrow. In this case, there is a literal harbinger of doom looming above to cause this spark. Every single character and storyline in Majora’s Mask talks about the thin line between living and dying. Things such as progressing through grief or acceptance of failures without time to make up for them are all explored thoroughly. This is done through a mix of the main story and dozens of interwoven side quests that take place in conjunction of the 72 hour limit imposed on the player. To see everything and save everyone you must experience a groundhog day effect of reliving these 3 days over and over to learn their schedules, their lives, and how you can be the one who is the hero who saves them. It is a far more intimate and smaller-scale story that gives players a chance to become truly invested in the world’s characters and their inner turmoil. Majora’s Mask is deftly crafted on a microscale in the most interesting and thought-provoking ways.

The largest and most unique feature of this particular game is the Mask system. The bulk of your equipment is a mixture of traditional Zelda stuff like arrows and bombs and then you have masks. Most of the masks serve very specific functions to assist you in solving all the complex sidequests, and others completely change the game as a whole. The 3 major Transformation masks of the Deku, Goron, and Zora not only give you more insight into those races and their cultures as your get to know them wearing their masks, but they evolve Zelda in a way never done before. Each mask creates a brand new style of gameplay. The Deku is small and fast and can do a hover but lacks offensive options. The Goron is slow and heavy but can move through the air using a dangerously fast rolling attack through slopes and hills. The Zora lacks defense and strength but has swift speed and can soar through the water like second nature. This helps create dungeons that play in ways only these masks can provide, add to the lore of the world, and help add really fascinating variety to the normal gameplay loop.

I would say the time aspect of Majora is both its strongest and weakest component and here is why. While it creates a complex and layered narrative with jam-packed events throughout a smaller world, it also has a critical flaw that can come up often. A normal feature of this game is that time will reset and you will be set back to a time before most of what you did happened. Meaning most things outside key items/events aren’t saved by your actions til you save everyone. This requires the player to get quite familiar with the world and work through the cryptic direction on more than a few occasions. While this is part of the charm and overall fun of the game, there will most likely come a point in most people’s first playthroughs where they will get stumped. Either by a puzzle, and enemy or they might just run out of time because it took them a while to come to their conclusion. This will cause you to inevitably reset and lose most of your progress. While you will be quicker to get back to where you were, it still causes you to have to redo almost everything and remember every bit along the way. If this happens to happen in a dungeon-like it did to myself, you will find yourself at the boss, run out of time, and have to resolve the entire dungeon a second time. Only to find out I was a little low on hearts and couldn’t beat the boss properly and had to reset again to once again solve the dungeon a 3rd time. Still struggling by the time I got a handle I was out of time again and had to solve the dungeon a 4th time. This sort of design flaw only becomes apparent when the wall gets hit, and on subsequent playthroughs would nary be an issue most likely, but most folks are going to play a game once and always remember that first time. The repetition and redoing of events is the sole weakness and issue of this game that is otherwise successful in doing so many other incredible things on hardware that is vastly inferior to today’s standard yet no modern game has done this better.

All in all, I love Majora’s Mask, even despite my grievances with my time with the winding back of the clock because I just missed a sidequest or had to wait for 5-10 minutes for the next event in one. The game has incredible dungeon design supported by the skillfully implemented transformation masks, and despite the bosses being on the weaker side, they are vastly overshadowed by the dungeons they live in. That’s the thing with this game. It has some aging pains here and there but almost in every regard if you look at what surrounds those issues it gets buried under something far more impressive and better done. The emotive world and people of Majora’s world are some of the best in the history of Zelda, and no game has more interesting and varied gameplay as a whole. It’s a game where even when I criticize it, I still respect those choices because of how bold and well done they are. To do what they did on a 64 game in a year or so time and to make it so compact and full of intrigue is no small feat. This game is emotionally devastating at its core and I love that commitment to the vision it set out for. Versus Ocarina, that is an amazing adventure you would think of in a fantasy novel, Majora’s is the inverse. A game that wants you to understand the feelings and scars that hurt those who do terrible things sometimes. As Zangief once said, “Just because you are bad guy, doesn’t mean you are bad guy.”

 

39: Spider-Man

Played on: PS4
Year Released: 2018

The game that makes you feel like Spider-Man, or at least according to hundreds of reviewers who can’t see to describe their feelings better than that. Growing up, I often watched a ton of cartoons, especially on the weekends. Some of my favorites were the superhero based stuff we were lucky to have. And the Spider-Man television series was absolutely a defining one for me. Spidey has and most likely will always be my second favorite superhero, and it all started with that show. This caused me to be so excited by the two excellent live-action movies starring Toby Maguire. To see something like this on the screen after growing up with a revolving door of odd Batman movies was an absolute godsend. Really cool to boot, we got an actual competent tie-in games that recreated those stories yet expanded out with the comic universe to make a more realized and bigger Spider-Man world. The best of the bunch was Spider-Man 2, which almost made the tail end of this list, and from the first trailer of this game, I was completely hooked. The free-flowing movement, one of my favorite voice actors, and so much potential was waiting to be seized.

Literally, moments, after you start the game up and see the opening conversation you are zipping through Manhattan, and the game, lets you into an exciting and dangerous first mission. The most important part of any game featuring the webhead is the way it feels to swing through the city, and it is damn well perfected here. With so many speedy options and the ability to free-run off a surface in an instant, you never ever feel like you are limited by your character. You feel fast and powerful and like if you want to go somewhere, well nothing can get in your way. That mixed with combat inspired by the Arkham series but with complete Spider-Man-focused abilities and we get one of the most fun and exhilarating action titles in years. You can jump, toss a barrel as a group of guys, use your webs to zip to one flying, pound him into the ground, flip jump, jump kick to a thug by the wall, use the wall to springboard to the middle of the area, dodge a bullet and continue your assault all in a matter of seconds that feel like pure fluidity. The empowerment and speed this game gives is more true to what you would desire than any superhero game before it.

And you know, even though I’m not well-read on the comics, I was super endeared to this storyline too. An older Peter with a history ,who is just trying to get it all together. The classic everyman is here but with experience under his belt. Many fan favorites also get excellent characterization under supporting roles such as Mile Morales, Mary Jane, Aunt May, Norman Osbourne, and J . Jonah Jameson to name a few. All of them paint this version of Spidey’s canon as a place that is rich and full of life. As you zip around you might get in a call with MJ about meeting up while you are on your way to see Aunt may after fighting some thugs that Jonah is commenting on in his radio conspiracy show. Everything connects so fast and wonderfully to make a dense and packed game full of characters you enjoy, care about, and want to see what happens next. I had a massive expectation with this game and it met me head-on with success.

It’s far from perfect of course. While it nails the main core it needed to, the game does lack proper side content that isn’t just mostly more combat. A few Harry missions help save this a bit, but in general, most of the game is just more combat to serve in between your day-to-day web-slinging. I’d like to see more web-based puzzles or obstacles in the next game to help diversify the flow of the game outside the main stuff. Outside of that though, I really do just love this game. It’s one that hits all the notes. You will laugh, possibly cry, shout in excitement, and just feel like Spider-Man at the end of the day. And honestly, that’s a pretty damn good feeling to have.

38: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Played on: PS1
Year Released: 1997

I look at my ranking and almost feel wrong about it. One of the only games this high on the list that honestly could be even higher. Don’t ask me why it isn’t, just how my mood fell when composing the list. As I listen to the god-tier soundtrack of this game and remember my time exploring the complex interworking of Dracula’s castle all that fills me is pure hype. This game doubles down on the style that makes Castlevania so appealing and to me makes the series better than it ever was before. While I have a bone to pick with the unfair enemy placement in the original games, I think it mostly comes down to the stiff platforming action presented. When you compare it directly to the stylish fluidity and multiple options the MetroidVania styled games bring, it’s hard for me to not have more fun with the style introduced in SOTN.

That’s right, ladies and gents, one of the games that helped create that very sub-genre alongside Super Metroid! I feel this game has been praised to high hell for so much. The music, the snappy combat, the gorgeous pixel-art, the incredible bosses, the joy of exploration, so where do I begin? When I think of video games with a tight focus and design, this is what comes to mind. Everything you unlock, discover, and defeat all add to the sense of wonder and achievement and feed directly into the open style of the map. Secrets galore to uncover as you try to find your way to Dracula. As Alucard, you are cool as fucking ice, and the game makes you look and feel this way. From his afterimage, he creates by his very movement, to the accuracy with which you dispatch foes no matter the weapon you decide to equip. Alucard seems like someone who can handle anything before him and the game makes you feel this.

I think what is truly astounding is after about 6-7 hours you have bested everything before you, and you are on your way to the end of the experience. Similar in length and bang for buck content as Super Metroid in that regard. Then you discover that you’ve only played half the game and everything is literally flipped right before you. This completely changes everything you thought you knew about the map, and where to go next. More secrets, bosses, and the hidden story is waiting to be found as the game doubles in scope in a moment of gaming brilliance. Had I grown up with this game I truly feel it would rank somewhere towards the top of the whole list. It’s just that god damn buttery smooth good to play. My only really nitpicks are the RPG light systems don’t add much to the game, some of the abilities are a little harder to pull than they should be, and just like Metroid, I feel I want a bit more investment in this world. While I love the gothic settings and premise, and Alucard does get some really interesting development, the world itself isn’t anything I haven’t seen in traditional film depictions of Dracula. Which while fantastically fun to play through only engages so much at times. Either way I find this castle a perfect way to feel like you are in the clutches of the lord of vampires, so I guess it is a give and take.

SOTN is a game I don’t really have many grievances with. Hell, I would say it is one of the most fun games I’ve ever touched. And I would gladly go back to it in a heartbeat. To see something like this come out 20 years ago and feel this good to play reminds me so well that games of every era have astounding things to offer players who are willing to explore the medium more. A classic then, and a classic now, this game is truly legendary in quality. I have fewer complaints about it than most games on my list, and if I had a stronger attachment I wouldn’t even care about the ones present. Despite that, I can’t recommend this game enough to those who love the genre and those who love games that are truly defining excellence.

Oh yeah also, I love the shitty voice acting, it is so god damn funny.

 

37: Super Smash Bros. Melee

Played on: Gamecube
Year Released: 2001

Gaaaaah now this game brings me back. To a day before I ever had a way to discuss games other than directly in person. No internet, no comment threads, no videos on youtube telling people how to feel without them playing, just buying or getting a game and playing the damn thing. Smash Bros. Melee is an incredibly important game to me as a whole. I didn’t grow up with the original game, so I had no idea what Melee was when I asked to buy it from my mother. All I knew is I saw Mario, DK, Link, and Pikachu on it, and they all seemed to be….fighting one another? Could there actually be a game with all of them in it at the same time? Of course, the answer is yes, as this wasn’t the first time, but it was for me! Melee in particular has always held a special place to many Smash fans as well. I’m unsure if it is still considered the fan-favorite for competitive folks or not, but it surely was for a long long time. That isn’t why I love Melee or Smash though. Hell no, Melee is special because of the hundreds of hours I poured into it doing content for myself!

Like any normal kid, I started with classic mode and tried to work through all the different stuff little bit by little. Unlocking surprise characters I didn’t know would be in the game, and trying my best to defeat them to add them to my roster. Slowly expanding my cornucopia of Nintendo icons to do battle with. Many of them I recognized even though I hadn’t played their games like Samus and Kirby, and others I had no idea who they were such as Ness, Marth, or the Ice Climbers. Gathering trophies throughout normal smash play and classic/adventure mode slowly and steadily gave me a fascinating glimpse into so much gaming history I had no idea about. The game felt like a love letter to the company’s history and what came before even if you didn’t feel those games were impactful.

I’d say the mode outside of casual smash play I spent the most time on was Event Mode. While I spent countless hours shaving off time in my target smash, 100 Man Melee, and whatnot, Event Mode was the highlight place. These small but specific battle challenges you had to overcome with creativity, skill, and speed. Things such as defeat these 5 mini enemies in 15 seconds, or survive one minute from a certain onslaught. The 50 or so events unlocked one after another as I triumphed, and trying to tackle and actually win some of these events took me countless tries. World of Light did something similar in the most recent smash however with light RPG mechanics and a lot more homage to gaming history. In Melee it is pure gameplay and everything is possible from the get-go. The only thing stopping you is your own ability.

Melee was not only the game that made me fall in love with Smash but want to see so much more out of the world of Nintendo. Everything from the characters themselves to the music, to the trophies highlighting stuff I never knew of. Melee had hundreds and hundreds of references to gaming, felt so good to play, and cultivated my relationship with many other franchises in turn. Things like Fire Emblem, Game & Watch Gallery, and Metroid may have taken far longer to try out if not for Smash. Introducing my friend Connor to it also created a relationship we both share with the game together to this day. While I find Melee a little harder to go back to with the pace of play feeling so different, I do find it to be a timeless classic, and something I really adore with all my heart. I remember so much about it from that time and cherish those memories fondly. Even if I rarely play Melee anymore, nothing can take away its meaning to me and the way it shaped me as a gamer for the rest of my life.

36: God of War

Played on: PS4
Year Released: 2018

Family….well it can be kinda weird. After years of never doing so, I finally went on my first family vacation. The problem though? It was just me and my Dad, and well we never really saw eye to eye. It couldn’t be helped though, Mom recently passed away, and Dad said it was time to spread her ashes to the highest point in the land. I didn’t argue of course. Mom meant the world to me, and well I never got to go anywhere or do anything outside the house so getting to see the world was more exciting than anything I could imagine! Our trip started, well sort of, messy. Some crazy guy attacked Dad like crazy and we barely managed to sneak away from him. It’s interesting because, Dad always told me to keep my distance, because the world was so dangerous, which is why I use a bow, yet he went headlong into battle from up close. It didn’t make sense to me at the time. I was frustrated and wanted to help, and felt like Dad was treating me like a kid. Anytime I did my best to make him proud he would get absolutely furious at me. I couldn’t understand him at all, why was Dad so angry, and did he even actually care about Mom. I mean he never talked about her or anything. I didn’t know what to think.

As we explored the many realms my eyes opened to the world before me. A gorgeous world filled with so much color, and vibrancy, I never would have imagined all of this existed. Thanks to the help of Brok and Sindri we were always ready to go straight into battle, tweaking our gear here and there. It didn’t make a massive difference, but it was nice to feel prepared and have the options before us. I mostly just enjoyed going to see the brothers at their respective shops. While they seemed to be feuding with one another, I felt that one day they could make up and be happy. It made me realize that all the times I was fighting with my Dad on the trip, I never considered how he actually felt. He seemed so cold and stoic all the time, yet I think I was misjudging him. At one point I got really hurt and was out for a while. A little after that I got to understand a little more about Dad.

He came from a difficult past, and while it wasn’t all perfect he was a warrior of great skill and power. He fought the enemies so close now to protect me, not to make me feel like I was worthless or that his teachings were a contradiction. He felt this was his opportunity to make himself a better person. He had been holding so much in. It was clear to me, Dad was far more complex than I had ever seen before, and I started to gain a massive appreciation for all he was doing for me. He was just trying to be the best Dad possible. I started hearing him call me boy with less of a demeaning undertone and respect. We began to understand one another. While the world was supposed to be fret with hundreds of monsters, I only saw a handful here and there. While the variety was disappointing in comparison to my Dad’s stories and warnings, the ones we did fight we awfully vicious and unique from one another. It made me wonder if we continued going on future trips if I may see more of the terrifying beasts I did not before. I tell you what, after a few Valkyries your curiosity is satiated more than enough.

We finally were approaching the end of our journey. So many crazy things had happened. We got to see the World Snake, become friends with a talking head, and I almost died! It was absolutely crazy let me tell you. I felt so different from where we first started. I figured going to spread Mom’s ashes would be exhausting and boring. It ended up being so much more than that. While there were some hiccups here and there, and Dad definitely hyperbolized how dangerous and how many monsters there were, I can happily say it was worth it. It was the best vacation of my life. Sure it was my only one, but getting to know my Dad so well, and feeling like I grew up a little, well it was life-changing in a way. In the end, I just know who I am, and who Dad is more than ever. I may miss Mom like crazy, but I am not alone, and I am ready to see what life has in store for me next. Thanks, Dad, I mean it, for everything you do.

35: Fire Emblem Sacred Stones

Played on: GBA
Year Released: 2005

I have had two very different experiences with the 8th mainline installment of Fire Emblem. One of these was my initial playthrough. It was as classic as you get. You know the beats, play through the story, recruit a bunch of characters, gain a few waifus, see tons of flashy critical animations, save the day, be happy with it all. The second time was a curated co-op experience made by myself with my dear friend Connor. We struggled through obstacles, had to cooperate to succeed after many losses, and saved the day yet again. While both were quite impactful on their own, together they form possibly my fondest memories of the entire FE franchise. It’s something I would do again in a heartbeat.

On my first go-through of Fire Emblem Sacred Stones, the game was an absolute cakewalk. It is one of the easiest games in the franchise on the standard difficulty. I got to see all the secret missions, recruited and kept all the major characters alive, and beat the game without much issue. The story and characters definitely made up for the lack of challenge for me at the time though. Some of my all-time favorites like Joshua, L’arachel, and Innes really elevate this game to having one of the best casts in the entire catalog. And for a series where I unabashedly love like 80% of the playable characters anyways, I suppose it’s impressive to see certain casts stand out more than others. All in all I loved my first go, and Sacred Stones would have been far higher on my list of best in the series for me had I gotten a little pushback from the maps. Which is exactly when I got on my second run.

When I and Connor played Sacred Stones it was such a blast. We voiced our own characters and cooperatively decided on everything we did. I used an alternating pattern of debut in-game for characters to allocate who got which playable unit. Then we would always go halfway down the middle of each chapter of who got how many. In odd chapters, we would decide Eirika didn’t count, and in even, we would see what benefitted the army best. This was his first run-through, so I decided to make it more interesting we would play on hard mode. And we would also alternate character moves during each turn to make it feel even more strategy-based. This run was tough as nails. As we approached the midway point we noticed the difference in AI strength and how our playstyle was getting us in tough situations. By the end game, it was a true chess game of mastery of moves. We lost many units, including some of my favorites to use. I got to re-experience one of my favorite FE stories, but I also got pushed to my tactical limit on several occasions. I got what I missed the first time, and so much more with my buddy playing with me. I still chuckle to this day when I think of Ross & Moulder and their podcast. Classic times that can’t be made elsewhere in a game I already really enjoyed.

Sacred Stones is a game with two paths, and for me, I have that but through two actual playthroughs. As in the game you are meant to see a different perspective but gain appreciation all the same. This is precisely what I gathered from my time playing it. Two separate experiences that coexist together to make one of my favorite co-op times ever in my gaming life. I really love this game for what it has and what I got out of playing it in my own way. It’s one of the most beautiful things about this medium. Being able to create something unto yourself that isn’t possible elsewhere.

 

34: Zero’s Escape: 999

Played on: DS
Year Released: 2010

Sometimes simplicity is even more satisfying than the complexities that are infinitely possible. While I love Virtues Last Reward, especially for how clever it is through building a multiple layered story, the first game in the Zero’s Escape franchise will always be my favorite. A very straightforward adventure that turns into something much more by the end. It never loses focus though, and the player is never overwhelmed with ideas and theories that bridge the story to a place of pure science fiction like the latter titles. It suspends your disbelief but just enough to make you say a proper Crash Bandicoot…WOAH! I clearly remember discovering this game and how the first time through made me do just that.

I and my good friend Connor have always been the sort to not only enjoy major titles but always look for games that aren’t getting enough attention despite apparently being very good. As the advent of communication and technology has increased I have noticed this happens from more and more folks than ever with gaming on the rise. This makes me happy, but you know ten years ago we didn’t see it all that often. Good reviews, but no basis to check it out? Most people I know who gamed would therefore ignore it. A shame but most gamers stick to what immediately appeals and have to take leaps of faith to be willing to experiment to find something new. Connor had played 999 right before the end of the year, and when we did our yearly breakdown discussion of every single game we played that year and announcing our favorite of the year, 999 was his crown winner. I was shocked because I knew we were both curious but that is some mighty fine praise. He let me borrow his copy if I recall right and I soon after started my own journey.

Waking up in a room filled with water after a kidnapping, you escape this tough situation to find 8 other folks all trapped in a death game with you. Why is this, and what is this place? It seems to be a cruise liner and you are tasked with trying to escape before the 9 hours expires. A simple tension is broken up between segments of story-based conversations and puzzle rooms. Just like its later games 999 created a precedent of being a half and half experience. You will split your time between novel-like story bits with exposition and character-building versus point-and-click adventure escape rooms that give you little nuggets of dialogue and clues towards all the mysteries building before you. As with VLR, I won’t really go too much further in. I will just say the way the mystery eventually unfolds is something I was really taken with. Seeing the story through to the end through the multiple endings that build on one another to slowly chip away at the reason for why this entire game’s story is actually happening. It’s not a sadistic horror show or anything like that, but rather a game to help. What that means, well you gotta play to find out. Maybe then you will feel the powerful emotional climax brought forth by the classic game of sudoku.

 

33: Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Played on: PS3
Year Released: 2013

When the initial announcement occurred back in like 2011 or 2012 that we would be getting an RPG adventure with the support of Studio Ghibli, needless to say, I was in a daze. Possibly my favorite genre in gaming meets the glorious charm and aesthetic of the legendary anime production company? You don’t even need to tell me to sign up, I am there, and I am ready. For months this was the only game I had to play when it launched. I missed the cutoff date for the collectors in the USA so I imported the game from Europe all so I could get the incredible Wizard’s Edition. The main reason is that you get a fantastic hardback journal that details tons of things throughout the game. It’s not even really a strategy guide but a compilation of the useful things you would use in the menus plus far more information. With the companion and my game in tow, I was ready to sail forth and hopefully have my expectations met!

I think with the placement on this list, it is obvious how that turned out. The game did indeed whisk me away on an adventure I had so truly wanted. Young Oliver must travel between his world and the fantasy universe where the bulk of the narrative takes to achieve his goal, and save the people of both. Some from big-scale scary things and others from smaller stuff like their hearts. Ni No Kuni tackles themes of broken emotions within its grand fantasy romp. I would assume for some the game itself may lean on being too cliche in some ways, or even too direct with it all, but for me, it’s all the sort of warm satisfaction I adore. From start to end, I was fully invested in the characters, their stories, and all the people of the world. This is as close as you will get to a Ghibli film experience in video game form if you ask me. They even lent creative talent such as Joe Hisaishi for music, and others on their team for monster design and cutscene support. The game embodies the spirit and wonders you get from adventures such as Laputa, Spirited Away, or Nausicaa. The fantasy vibe filled with adventure, grandeur, and beautiful moments of solitude all so expertly done as a career by Miyazaki are attempted here, and if you ask me done successfully.

The battle system is also quite enjoyable as well. You get this mixture between something like the Tales Of franchise and let’s say Pokemon. You collect little creatures all throughout the land and add them to your party. Each member has at least one and you build a team of 3 monsters who battle in real-time in a circle-like grid. You also have your own magic and skills but they do the bulk of the interaction. You mix and match their actions you control and your character’s skills to take down foes and recruit more to your expanding army. While it sounds a little complicated it is pretty straightforward, and the game is only really challenging at the very start, and then becomes pretty easy once you the hang of it. While the game lacks much difficulty I think it really matters all that matter because you will be having fun going from place to place.

Ni No Kuni is essentially a game made for me. It brings forth all the charm and wonder of Studio Ghibli and the RPG genre. While it doesn’t exceed eithers top offerings, it finds a nice place in both as a memorable and worthwhile venture. Opening my companion guide and locating magic spells or hidden monsters always felt like I was really out there exploring a mystical land of secrets. I really love what this game gave to me. While I think it has a strong and fun battle system and the story is heartfelt throughout, it doesn’t manage to be the best in the entire department for the whole genre for me. That being said what I did get was a joyful experience that I would put on top of my list for things I wish I could do again for the first time. The precious colorful expression of the charming adventure of Oliver, Drippy, Esther, and Swaine is one I shall never forget as I happy smile soaring through the sky upon Tengri together with them.

32: Valkyria Chronicles

Played on: PS3
Year Released: 2008

And why wouldn’t he? Valkyria is easily one of the most underappreciated series I can think of in the world of RPGS. A brilliant combat system wrapped in a breathtaking art style that does nothing but flourish. Honestly, I almost put the 4th game on this list too, but it was just missing a few notable things for me. While it brings impressive innovations to the combat system and largely expands the side roster better than ever before it lacks something the original game did. The 4th game doesn’t have nearly as captivating of a main narrative nor main cast. And despite it being better in many other ways than it’s predecessor, they work beautifully here in their original form.

VC is set in a universe not too unlike our own. Think of an alternate history video game world with slightly different technology but similar tension during the period of our world wars. You play Welkin a man who survives an attack on his small hometown by using the old tank of his late father. Together with a rag-tag group of people in his surroundings, they defend their area from the onslaught through the incredible battle system that I will talk about in a moment. Valkyria is a game that has a prime focus. Small town person with a relatable dream wants to end a war that is tearing his country apart. His literal home taken from him in this war. Together with others who have their own desires, they fight against an empire seeking pure unification through force. Welkin literally wants what we all want, just happiness. He seeks to be a teacher, while others like Alicia want to own their own bakery. Dreams that seem small but hold so much significance when you want life to go back to the way it was. The well-crafted charm and down-to-earth nature of our cast builds a foundation of interest and empathy right away. You want to end this war to give all the people in this world of Gallia peace.

To do that you must use a squad you build yourself. You have your main tank, and several platoon members to choose from. With unique classes such as scouts, snipers, and engineers. Everyone has a crucial role so it’s up to you how to balance their strengths and weaknesses such as movement, damage, and even personality tics to use your very real feeling army to the best of your ability. Combat is run through a mixture of tactic strategy and real-time action. You alternate turns with the enemy by using a set number of moves to try and gain the upper hand on the battlefront. You can be aggressive and attack, play defense, or just scout around to find the best option in the current moment. Every move is critical and as you decide to move about whatever you do acts in real-time. So you mix between choosing people in a take turn fashion and moving them with a movement limit gauge in real-time watching out for mines, bullets or surprise ambushes all the same. You aim yourself, run yourself, and hide yourself. The idea is the action is thrust upon you when you choose for it to be. It creates a nice mixture of tension, strategy, and quick thinking when things go sour.

The mixture between the satisfying map design and gameplay loop always made Valkyria a joy to play. The missions all had a nice purpose to them, and often unique goals to achieve to keep the players on their toes from a strategic aspect. The plot is incredibly moving filled with all sorts of fascinating topics such as genocide, racism, and of course the toll of war on the human psyche. The games focus on telling a human story with people that felt ordinary being forced to deal with their circumstances is one of my favorites in the whole medium. Honestly, the game would be even higher if it had smoother tweaks and robust side cast options featured in the sequel. A few really nuts missions and some trial and error are the only super notable flaws for me that hold this game from being even higher. Despite that, I love what I got, and this is one of the very few games to ever move me to the point of tears, both through sadness and happiness. For me, that is something that will always carry a weight to me, and to this day it’s one of my shining examples of why it’s so exciting to try a game you know very little about because sometimes you find a priceless gem that forever impacts you as a whole.

31: NBA Live ’03

Played on: Gamecube
Year Released: 2002

We have made it mesdames et messieurs! The game every single one of you has been looking forward to since I began this list. When I talk to gamers of all ages, worldwide, they non stop asking me, where the hell is NBA 03 at bro? I have had to repeatedly and confidently assure them that in due time their patience would be rewarded. And at long last, the awaited fateful day has come before us. One and all please rejoice with me as I tell you about one of the most meaningful games of my childhood, and why it ranks above so many classic and stellar games.

Growing up, there were a few truths when it came to gaming for me. Everything was my brothers for the most part, and when we played together, I would be on the losing end. No matter how hard I tried, my skill could not exceed his, and the many games we played together, I was the one who was on the losing end. I grew up knowing this feeling, and it’s a large reason I don’t care about winning today. I’ve been raised on being happy with doing my best. Though we mostly only played fighters and sports games together, it was a regular bonding experience for me and my brother David. I was the kid brother who was there to make his gaming life more rewarding and enjoyable. I mean I just wanted to play, and despite wanting to win, I just couldn’t do it. By the time the GameCube came out though I finally could sneak a win in every once in a while on certain basketball games. The one me and him played the most? This one right here!

What made 03 such a timesink for us? I mean honestly because my brother wasn’t one to ask for games that often he mostly just got the yearly madden, MLB, and NBA games and not much else after a while. Yet, NBA 03 was the game of our childhoods. A robust and ridiculous character creator, tons of fun franchise and pick-up and play modes, and all the creativity of two young boys. The legendary Mr. Toe at 7Ft tall 11 ins versus the spry and quick Ziggy Peterson who was exactly 5 Ft tall. It was nonsense like this that made the game a joy. I could dunk with a tiny guy and he was dominating the court with a mammoth player. Everyone from Mr. Clean to human versions of Pikachu got made into a superstar and eventually we had a roster full of perfect players on all teams. We played full franchises with stacked teams all filled with unstoppable forces and would see who would win. I mean teams made of the best players of all time plus created characters with perfect stats just made fantasy play all the more fun. NBA 03 was a breeding ground for being creative, over the top, and me and my brother going head to head. Even though I barely beat him every still, few games define a more fun time with my brother. And hell I even got a few mouth-dropping buzzer-beaters at the end of it all. I will never forget the one-legged half-court shot from Rick Barry that swooshed right in right at time expired. Memories, nostalgia, and just all the fun in the world, it’s all reasons why games are so meaningful to me, and NBA 03 is a landmark through all my history. I miss playing games like this, but I will never forget them, that is for sure.

 

Any other gaming related posts you would like to see! Let me know in the comments below! I just might make the post just for you if you really inspire me to do so! I want to post content for you folks here, so let us work at that future together!  Until next time, stay same my little wanderers!