If you have been reading along with this challenge it should come as no surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is my favorite game of all time. While I think that Breathe of the Wild is the Zelda game I would recommend most, that’s largely due to the open world elements that really wasn’t important or possible in the 90’s. Ocarina of Time was my “Favorite Classic Game.” Instead, I’ll list my top ten games of all time.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Resident Evil 4
Mass Effect 2
Bioshock
The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild
Star Wars: KOTOR
GTA: 4
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Batman: Arkham City
That marks the end of my 30 Day Video Game Challenge. Thank you for your support.
Most Nintendo console are largely platforms their top tier games. They definitely not for second or third party games, especially not AAA one’s. Eternal Darkness is a game from the Silicon Knights, released in 2002. It wasn’t a commercial hit and Silicon Knights evetually went out of business. The game was a third-person action adventure game. You generally fought monster and solved puzzles. What set Eternal Darkness apart from other survivor horror games was the “insanity meter.”
When the is spotted by an enemy their green bar decreases. As the bar becomes lower the gaming environment changes. These effects are random and reflect the players distorted grip on reality. The camera angle can change, weird noises, bleeding walls, enter rooms only to find out that you never left the previous one. Your character may even appear to have die suddenly. I was concerned that this aspect of the game would get old and I would like it. However, the gameplay along with the interesting story kept me invested in completing the game.
The games story skip’s throughout time, from 26 BC to 2000 AD. You can play as 12 different characters. Multiple paths can be taken, with difficulty changing with each path. Unfortunately, Eternal Darkness sold poorly, despite the fact that it received high reviews. It was ranked 96th on IGN “best video game of all time on all systems.” The sequel to Eternal Darkness, entitled Shadow of the Eternals was planned but never could get the funding necessary. I’m still hoping it does.
This is the easiest day of the challenge so far. Nintendo is by far my favorite game developer. Nintendo is THE most storied game developer. I will make an argument that it is the most influential gaming develop ever. Nintendo was founded all the way back in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi. Originally a hanafuda playing card company, Nintendo became a video game company in the 1970’s. What makes Nintendo so great is that they always focus on quality and fun as the most important aspects of gaming.
The legendary Mario
Many gamers have complained that Nintendo continues to produces games with simple stories and cartoon graphics, instead of more realistic and serious content. Nintendo wanted to build a reputation for having family friendly games. This wasn’t always well received by gamers. Violent games like Mortal Kombat were censored, removing blood and altering finishing moves. However, many of the games Nintendo produced were well made. This dedication to quality has to be the hallmark of Nintendo.
The 64 contoller
Nintendo also has been an innovator in the gaming industry. The many buttons featured on the face of a typical controller can be traced back to Nintendo in some way. The NES controller largely set the industry standard. The Nintendo 64 for example was the first home console to introduce four controller ports, so families could play together split-screen. They also brought the analog to home controllers and introduced 3D gameplay to gaming with Mario 64. Nintendo also dominated the handheld gaming market, with the Gameboy, Gameboy Color and now the Switch.
Smash Bros. Ultimate
Many have credited Nintendo with saving the video game industry itself in the 80’s with the NES. The most important aspect of Nintendo is of course the games. Mario. Legend of Zelda. Pokemon. Metroid. Donkey Kong. These are some of most influential and profitable video game ip’s ever. Collectively, Nintendo has sold over 700 million consoles and over a billion games. Most of the games I play are Nintendo games and their consistent quality is unmatched. Nintendo is a pioneer in the industry, whether it’s mobile gaming (Gameboy), multiplayer (64), VR gaming (Virtual Boy), motion gaming (Wii) or home to mobile (Switch). They take risks and keep gamers guessing.
Many gamers who hand the privilege of playing Metal Gear Solid and maybe some that haven’t, the boss battle with Psycho Mantis one of the most epic. However, before the fight with him, he “displays” his psychic powers. If you have a controller with the rumble ability, he will activate this feature. He can also make players believe that there’s a problem with their television, by turning the screen to black. I was borrowing Metal Gear from my friend and he deliberately didn’t tell me about this part. I actually though something was wrong with this game and turned it off. LOL.
Furthermore, he “reads” the memory card of the gamer. Particularly, games like “Azure Dreams, Suikoden, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Vandal Hearts.” The breaking of the “fourth wall” was what made this such a shocking moment. Finally, when first attempting to defeat Psycho Mantis the player has to plug the game controller into another port, otherwise, you’ll fail to land a hit on him. The scene where Psycho Mantis shows off his powers is one of the most creative scenes in gaming and most epic.
Voice acting is something that I tend to undervalue in gaming. It’s a passive aspect of the gaming experience. However, most games now feature voice acting. It’s difficult for me to determine exactly what makes voice acting good. Obviously, if the character is funny then you gonna appreciated the voice acting more. But is that voice acting? It more of a scrip thing than a voice thing right? Then again the voice actor has to deliver the lines well so the joke lands. I’ll choose my top 3:
1. Bayonetta/Hellena Taylor
This might be in part due to her British accent but Helena Taylor’s performance as the Umbra Witch, Bayonetta is great. Bayonetta can be seen as dry or cold, but she has wit and is clever. When fighting she often engages in playful banter. She likes to use sexual innuendo to tease her enemies.
2. Kratos/Christopher Judge
Anyone that’s played the God of War series know the voice of Kratos is iconic. Kratos is a stoic character that can be called uptight or self serious. He also has anger problems. As the result of his difficult life due to the Gods he can also be sad or even depressed. Come to think about it I don’t think we’ve seen him smile or laugh. His voice actor for the latest God of War game is Christopher Judge. The original voice actor (TC Carson) wasn’t particularly happy about Sony’s change, unsurprisingly. Regardless, Judge does a great job portraying the God.
3. The Joker/Mark Hamill
This ones pretty obvious, but Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker fame) as the Joker is probably one of the best and most well known video game voice actor. Like Kratos, the Jokers voice is iconic. I can’t really describe his voice but it’s distinct. Most importantly, Hamill gets the sinister Joker laugh perfectly. The Joker often changes his voice in subtle or unsettling ways. It’s a spectacular performance.
So far this year there has been so many good game that I haven’t been able to catch up on the games I bought. I haven’t finished Red Dead Redemption 2, I started Anthem and got to level 30, before beginning Division 2 that I’m currently playing. So the game that I plan on playing is either Sekiro Shadows Die Twice or Devil May Cry 5. Of the two I think I would like DMC5 more.
While I hear that Sekiro is the challenging, I heard better things about DMC5. Unlike, Sekiro which is a new IP, DMC5 has been the anticipated for years. I found the combat in the demo to be difficult to grasp, I hope that more time with the game will change that. However, I try not to play new games until I beat my current one. DMC5 is next on the list.
I couldn’t figure out what exactly makes a game classic. According to Wikipedia, classic means ” an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class.” That kinda clears it up but not really. So I decided that I will limit the time frame to at LEAST a game that was released 20 years ago.
I think this has to go to The Legend of Zelda:Ocarina of Time. I’ve noticed that I’ve picked the Zelda series A LOT during this challenge I just can’t help it. Zelda is just such as magnificent series. Ocarina of Time is among the best in the series. The game was the fifth in the series and the first to have 3D graphics. The switch from 2D to 3D had a profound effect on gameplay. The graphics were obviously an upgrade, as the cutscenes and the size and detail of the world.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is often considered to be one of the greatest games of all time. In 2012, Rockstar Game’s Vice President, Dan Houser stated that if “Anyone who makes 3-D games who says they’ve not borrowed something from Mario or Zelda [on the Nintendo 64] is lying.” It’s nearly impossible for me to think out a game that had more impact and was enjoyable 20 years ago than Ocarina of Time.
Wind Waker was the tenth game in the Zelda series. Published on the GameCube in 2002, the game is set on a series of islands. Link attempts to save his sister from Ganon. He sails the seas on his talking boat King of Red Lions. The game incorporated a way to manipulate the wind, that was controlled by a conductor’s baton. The original concept for the game was a more “realistic” style. Nintendo showed a brief clip of Link fighting Ganondorf during Space World, a video game trade show. This video was well received.
The Zelda Space World Video
The Nintendo team wasn’t happy with the style of this game. Designer Yoshiki Haruhana created a cartoonish young link. Instead of the traditional 3D graphics, the next Zelda game was going to be cell shaded. In 2001, Nintendo presented the new look to an audience during Space World. Many fans, myself included, were very disappointed that the next Zelda game wouldn’t be realistic. Some critics even called it “Celda”. However, as is the case with almost all Nintendo games it was a breath of fresh air.
Wii U Wind Waker trailer
The games visuals were stunning. It truly felt like you playing a cartoon. With many critics comparing the game to the animation of Disney and Hayao Miyazaki movies. The art style of the game made it unique. Of course the game was more than the visually pleasing. It had amazing gameplay, responsive control system, a great story and puzzles. A game that was once considered to be divisive, became a classic. The game was then later re-released in high definition. According to Keza MacDonald, The Wind Waker HD was “near-universally hailed as a masterpiece.”
The previous Ninja Gaiden game frustrated me. It was a difficult game for me. However, the challenge of defeating the game felt earned. Playing stages over and over again was annoying sometimes (the checkpoints helped), but mastering the game mechanics was worth it. Apparently, this difficulty was too much for other players. The next game in the series, Ninja Gaiden 3, was suppose to fix this.
It fixed it too well.
They over-corrected. Making the game far too easy. You can get through it largely with the basic controls. All the deep combat is removed. The game is more fun to watch than play. Other games have taken up the difficulty mantle, like the Dark Soul series. I was anticipating another complex Ninja Gaiden game and got the opposite.
The Metal Gear Solid series is one of the most storied series in video games. The series is a stealth action game created by Hideo Kojima. In the series you take the role of a Special Forces Operative that has been sent into battle to face off against a superweapon called “Metal Gear.” The series pioneered the stealth genre. One aspect of the series that has always set Metal Gear Solid apart is the lengthy cinematic cutscenes. The storyline covers politics, warfare, science and other themes.
Metal Gear Solid Remake
The Metal Gear series often utilizes “magical realism” combining a modern world with a supernatural one. For example, the character of Vamp is considered to be a vampire. His thrust for blood was developed when he was a child, when ” lost his family in a church bombing. In order to survive, Vamp fed on the blood of his family until his imminent rescue.” The series can have some ridiculous elements to it but I think it’s part of the charm.
Of the many entries in this series I think the best story was Metal Gear Solid. Published in 1998, it received a a metascore of 94/100 and sold over 6 million copies. Whether this is actually the best Metal Gear story I don’t know. However, it was my first game in the series. I remember that it changed my understanding of what a gaming story could be. The complex story was amazing and felt like I was playing a role in a movie. Engaging, dramatic and highly entertaining, the Metal Gear series has the best story.
