TOP 80
80. LEGEND OF ZELDA: The
Wind Waker (Nintendo,
System: Nintendo GameCube
Zelda comes to a new generation of players and not only that but we also get
another great quest that takes a lot of commitment to complete. With that
being said, don't forget that this game may look cute but this is also a Zelda
game too so those crazy puzzles are rampart here and the Wind Waker is not
a very good game for the casual player. All other players who like deep adventure
games should buy this new Zelda without hesitation.
79. POKEMON: RED OR BLUE (Nintendo/Game freak, 1998)
System: Nintendo Game boy
You can say all you want about the Pokemon franchise but there is no
denying that training and finding 150 different pocket monsters was a great
idea for a Role Playing Game. Each creature has their own abilities and they
can even gain experience by fighting other monsters whether they are on the
loose or whether they are with a trainer. The amount of depth in the Pokemon
titles is impressive especially if you consider these titles were targeted
to a younger audience.
78. METAL SLUG 2nd
System: Neo Geo Pocket Color
Another great NGPC game with lots to do and lots to see (not to mention
shoot). What makes this different then the first game is that now you have
the option to pick from either a man or women this time and each character
as a different set of weapons and story lines. This is the only platform shooter
that dares challenges Contra's legacy and it has already beaten the
Playstation Contras and that includes that over hyped PS2 game as well.
77. PROJECT GOTHAM RACING
(Bizarre Creations, November 15, 2001)
System: Microsoft Xbox
This racing game adds something new to the tired old trend, instead of racing
for the best times you race for something called Kudos points which grades
you on your the skill of power slides. Project Gotham Racing is a very interesting
racing game with some very realistic graphics!
76. WWE RAW 2 (THQ/Anchor, September 2003)
System: Microsoft Xbox
Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, Stacy Keibler, and many other join the cast of
the new and vastly improved Xbox Raw where you and your friends can battle
it out in a cool new Season game that let's you do whatever it takes to get
to the top of the WWE. You can even use your own Music that's from your Xbox
in a very innovative move. WWE Raw 2 is a great buy for video game wrestling
freaks.
75. EARTHWORM JIM
(Interplay, 1994)
System: Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis
The only game that dared to rival the well hyped Donkey Kong Country
in the fall of 1994. This game may seem very unusual at first (you're a worm
in a space suit) but this Earthworm Jim game also has incredible comic-like
artwork in each level plus there is also a lot of funny material as well.
I love fighting the Lawyers in the 'What the Heck' world. Earthworm Jim is
a must have for anyone looking for a creative adventure!
74. MS. PAC MAN Maze Madness (Namco/Mass Media, November 2000)
System: Sony Playstation/Nintendo 64/Sega Dreamcast
"Whoa! This game surprisingly rocks!" Ms. Pac Man, the original
queen of video games, makes her big return in this 3D puzzle/adventure style
game plus if that wasn't enough this game also has the original Ms. Pac Man
1982 arcade game too, which is perfect for all the people looking one of the
true legends from the past. It’s Ms. Pac Man's mission now to
search though several levels to find four crystals and rescue a stolen
princess. What makes this game so accessible is that you just have to use the
Cross Pad throughout the whole game and the other buttons are hardly touched,
making for an easy to get into experience. Ms. Pac Man Maze Madness is a real
winner for players of all ages.
73. BANJO KAZOOIE (Nintendo/Rare, July 1998)
System: Nintendo 64
Rare asks the question: can bears fly? They sure can fly in this wacky
follow up to Nintendo's famous Super Mario 64. Although Nintendo wouldn't
release a sequel to Mario 64, Rare was more then happy to create something
very similar. Here is one of the better 3D adventure games for the N64 and
it comes packed with some amazing graphics and fun tag team tactics. Banjo
Kazooie is a great 128 Meg game that Super Mario 64 fans are going to love!
72. DONKEY KONG COUNTRY
(Nintendo/Rare, November 1994)
System: Super Nintendo
It's the long awaited return of Donkey Kong after nearly a decade of nearly
nothing. This awesome 32 meg update to the arcade classic uses computer
rendered graphics and looks better than most 32-bit 3DO and 64-bit Atari Jaguar
games. DKC plays similar to Nintendo's earlier Super Mario World but with more
linear levels and much nicer graphics of course.
71. CASTLEVANIA: Legacy
Of Darkness (Konami, December 1999)
System: Nintendo 64
I love to play the N64 CastleVanias and this game is actually in
my N64 top ten! Although this CastleVania is a lot like the older one, Legacy
of Darkness has a all new storyline, 4 playable characters, plus there are
even more secrets to unlock this time then before. CastleVania LOD even lets
you play as Reinhardt and Carrie so it’s like your getting the first
CastleVania 64 for free and that alone really increases the replay value.
"CastleVania LOD is an even deeper action game and a great choice for
adventure seekers who have an N64!"
TOP 70
70. DIDDY KONG RACING (Nintendo/Rare, December 1997)
System: Nintendo 64
Although this may look like another Mario Kart 64 type of game this game
features a cool new quest mode with different vehicles, a few secrets, and
it even has hidden characters. DKR may have overly cute graphics but you should
still give it a chance despite that plus this game marked the debut of the
popular Rare character's Banjo and Conker. Diddy Kong Racing not only
has a lot variety but the game also is also quite challenging.
69. CASTLEVANIA III Dracula's Curse (Komami, 1990)
System: Nintendo Entertainment System
Part III here plays a lot like the original Castlevania instead of the second
NES game, but this features 4 different playable characters (including Alucard,
Dracula's own son from CastleVania Symphony of the Night) and 17 huge
levels to explore. Learn new abilities, fight new monsters, and take your
own path to make your way to Dracula’s lair. CastleVania III DC is a
great 3 Meg game with a lot of choices in the game play department.
68. STAR SOLDIER: Vanishing Earth (Electro Brain/Hudson, December 1998)
System: Nintendo 64
I just had to include a Star Soldier game in my Top 101 here. This
is a classic 2D shooter update of the classic NES game where the score matters.
I love the 2 and 5 minute modes in this game and the combo system was very
unique as well. Star Soldier Vanishing Earth is a very addictive shooter that
keeps me coming back for more.
67. SERECT OF MANA
(Square, Summer 1993)
System: Super Nintendo
Here's an underrated game! Secret of Mana was quietly released by
SquareSoft in the third year of the SNES and the North American market was
still a little unsure about RPG's at that moment so it didn't get a lot of
attention over here, unfortunately. Those that missed it missed a killer
action/RPG. I could not stop playing it till I see every new land, hear every rich
sound track, got every 8 charging strikes, and learn the secret of mana. This
is a very addictive quest and it's just a blast to play!
66. GUNSTAR HEROES (Sega/Treasure,
1994)
System: Sega Genesis
This cult favourite plays similar to Konami's Contra, but only better!
The team of Red and Blue (all the character here are named after colours)
must not only save their peaceful planet of Gunstar 9 from an aggressive invasion
but they also have to stop the resurrection of Golden Silver, a powerful super
weapon. What makes this action game so special is that you can combine weapons
to make a new gun type, just match two together for near endless possibilities.
If your guns don't work then you can just use your fist for close range fights
which only adds to the madness. Gunstar Heroes is a wild game!
65. TETRISPHERE (Nintendo/H2O, September 1997)
System: Nintendo 64
Even if you manage to complete all the levels in this puzzle game then you
could always go for the high score again giving Tetrisphere a lot of replay
value then most N64 games out there. Some people may be disappointed by the
fact that this game plays nothing like the original Tetris and that you can't
even play the original game at all but Tetrisphere is so great on its own
that you don't even need the older game here. This game is truly the Tetris
of the future!
64. SONIC CD (Sega, 1993)
System: Sega Genesis CD
Here is another cool Sonic game that only appeared on the Sega CD. Not only
is there 7 long levels to master but now there's also some time travelling
involved too to add some extra depth to the aging Sonic engine. Sonic CD is
a fully loaded game complete with fun new time trial modes and lots of secrets!
The game is a must own for Sega CD gamers out there.
63. ZELDA: Link's Awakening DX (Nintendo, 1995)
System: Nintendo Game boy/Game boy Color
Zelda comes to the old Game boy and surprisingly it's another great
edition to the series. This game takes place while Link was sailing on
the high seas but things went horribly wrong when a big storm hits and he
washes ashore to an uncharted island. The goal is simple; help Link escape
a strange island with a strange familiar look. Link's Awakening has a lot
of borrowed features from all the past Zelda’s before it plus it also
has a lot of other cameos too.
62. TEKKEN 3 (Namco,
1998)
System: Sony Playstation
Tekken 3 takes place 20 years after the second tournament and sees the return
of the original favourites Paul, Nina, Yoshimitsa, Lei and the 6 new fighters;
Forest Law (the son of Marshall Law), Eddy Gordy, Hwonang, Xiayou a young
Chinese chick with a new style of Kung Fu, Jin (Jun's and Kazuya'a son), and a
new King under the tiger mask. Tekken 3 is still a cool 2 player game as always
and now there are more fighting styles than ever before to make an excellent
game.
61. PANZER DRAGOON
ORTA (Sega/Smile bit, January 16, 2003)
System: Microsoft Xbox
What I like most about Panzer Dragoon Orta here is that the game is a fusion
of the furious arcade action of the first two Panzer Dragoon games and the
RPG cult favourite Panzer Dragoon Saga. There is also enough story
text here to fill a novel, you get some wicked fantasy graphics, great sounds,
and super crazy arcade action that people are just bound to love. Panzer Dragoon
Orta can be finished quickly but there is still so much to do in the game
like fighting for the high score and Pandora's Box mini games, the replay
is definitely there! PDO is an awesome experience!
Next TOP 60-41