Top 25 Games Of All Time (15-11)
Each Wednesday I'll be counting down my favorite 25 titles from throughout the 30 years I've been playing video games. The rankings are more personal than objective - it's not just how well-made, fun, or groundbreaking they were at the time, but also how much nostalgia they inspire for me personally.
Previous entries:
Honorable Mention
Games 25-21
Games 20-16
Top 25 Games Of All Time:
Games 15 through 11
15. California Games (Commodore 64) - 1987
This was the first real party game that I played on a home console, and it showed me just how fun it could be to play with a group of friends.
You and your friends could pick a "sponsor" for your athlete like Ocean Pacific or Santa Cruz, then compete in a series of events like half-pipe skateboarding, surfing, and frisbee. Gameplay was simple but immersive - a great formula for a fun party game - and the colorful presentation was inviting to new players. Sure it was simplistic, but that only inspired us to add our own personal touches in how we played, and invent imaginary signature moves like "The Totally Tubular" or "The Santa Cruz Missile."
As a young teenager in the 1980s, nothing could beat a summer night with a couple of friends, a Dominos pizza, and a copy of California Games.
14. WWF Smackdown (Playstation) - 2000
Let's face it, pro wrestling is basically theater meets video game in real life, particularly when it comes to the WWE, and this was the first video game to really capture that.
It was the first with all of the personality and bigger-than-life feel of the WWE, from the broadcast style to the perfectly captured finishing moves - even the entrances were thrilling. And it happened to be released at the height of "sports entertainment's" popularity, when characters like The Rock and Triple H were still young up-and-comers.
Its neverending season mode let you vie for the belt, win it, and defend it as long as you wanted; and unlike future games in the series, it allowed your imagination to fill in the gaps instead of forcing you down a linear path with overwritten plotlines.
13. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox) - Aug. 2002
Sure, it helps that I was a fan of the show, and this game perfectly replicates the feel and style of its early seasons. But that aside, it's simply one of the best action games I've ever played, seamlessly mixing addictive hand-to-hand and weapon-based combat with Tomb Raider-style exploration. Best of all, it comes wrapped in the TV series' trademark wit and tongue-in-cheek humor.
Presented as a "lost episode" from season 3 of the show, it features voice acting from all of the major actors as well as its spinoff, "Angel," minus Sarah Michelle Gellar (and, honestly, the Buffy voice actor who appears in the game is an upgrade in some ways). Zombie, vampire, and hellhound smackdowns are broken up by scenes in which you can trade hilarious Buffy-style dialogue with the other members of the gang.
Combat is innovative and evolving, allowing you to smash apart a chair and use its leg to stake a vampire, or snatch up a shovel and spin it helicopter-style to decapitate a zombie. That's mixed with some light puzzle-solving and platforming.
On top of that, a secret code allowed you to play through the story mode with up to three friends, who could take control of the enemies in each scene and try to kill the slayer. Few gaming moments come close to the time I used a pole to shishkebab three friend-controled vampires and dust them all at once as Buffy rattled off a one-liner like "Oops! Did I do that?"
Gamespot's Ryan MacDonald has an excellent and comprehensive video review of the game here. The game is backwards compatible, so you can play it on an Xbox 360.
12. Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs (Genesis) - 1991
These days sports gamers take things like accurate player performance and true-to-life rosters for granted. But it all started here.
When Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs was released (originally in 1989 for PCs), the idea of playing as Michael Jordan was still a dream. Not only did this game let you do that, it let you use a Jordan signature dunk as well as signature moves from other NBA players. Some were convincing; others were hilariously overpowered. The Phoenix Suns' Tom Chambers could not only consistently score from anywhere on the court, his signature move was a dunk from the 3-point line. My friends and I quickly banned each other from using him in multiplayer games.
It only included the playoff and all-star teams, but its arcade/sim gameplay, recognizable players, and broadcast-style touches like a halftime show with highlights from other games made this a glimpse of the future of EA Sports.
11. NFL 2K (Dreamcast) - Nov. 1999
One Saturday in late November of 1999, I walked into a local Electronics Boutique. I glanced up and saw that the Patriots and Colts were playing on a TV over the counter. I watched a minute or two then walked over and told the clerk that I didn't know there was a game on today. He said "It's a video game." I left the store with a Dreamcast and a copy of NFL 2K.
In a football game world that was dominated at the time by old-school Madden, it was a total revolution. It featured true broadcast-style presentation with convincing motion-captured animations, groundbreaking graphics, and a very entertaining and convincing commentary team.
The series would continue to break new ground by going online the following year, allowing you to play football against other Dreamcast players over the internet.
The 2K series survived the death of the Dreamcast, and within five years it would become a serious threat to the Madden series on multiple consoles, initiating a price war that led both series to sell for under $40... so Madden publisher Electronic Arts bought the exclusive NFL license, eliminated their competition, and again raised the price of Madden.
It's unfortunate for gamers everywhere that two of the top 25 all-time sports game franchises: NFL 2K and MVP Baseball were killed off by league exclusivity deals, and replaced by competing franchises (Madden and MLB 2K respectively) that were not as good.
Coming next Wednesday:
The Top 25 - Games 10 through 6
Previous entries:
Honorable Mention
Games 25-21
Games 20-16
Top 25 Games Of All Time:
Games 15 through 11
15. California Games (Commodore 64) - 1987
This was the first real party game that I played on a home console, and it showed me just how fun it could be to play with a group of friends.
You and your friends could pick a "sponsor" for your athlete like Ocean Pacific or Santa Cruz, then compete in a series of events like half-pipe skateboarding, surfing, and frisbee. Gameplay was simple but immersive - a great formula for a fun party game - and the colorful presentation was inviting to new players. Sure it was simplistic, but that only inspired us to add our own personal touches in how we played, and invent imaginary signature moves like "The Totally Tubular" or "The Santa Cruz Missile."
As a young teenager in the 1980s, nothing could beat a summer night with a couple of friends, a Dominos pizza, and a copy of California Games.
14. WWF Smackdown (Playstation) - 2000
Let's face it, pro wrestling is basically theater meets video game in real life, particularly when it comes to the WWE, and this was the first video game to really capture that.
It was the first with all of the personality and bigger-than-life feel of the WWE, from the broadcast style to the perfectly captured finishing moves - even the entrances were thrilling. And it happened to be released at the height of "sports entertainment's" popularity, when characters like The Rock and Triple H were still young up-and-comers.
Its neverending season mode let you vie for the belt, win it, and defend it as long as you wanted; and unlike future games in the series, it allowed your imagination to fill in the gaps instead of forcing you down a linear path with overwritten plotlines.
13. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox) - Aug. 2002
Sure, it helps that I was a fan of the show, and this game perfectly replicates the feel and style of its early seasons. But that aside, it's simply one of the best action games I've ever played, seamlessly mixing addictive hand-to-hand and weapon-based combat with Tomb Raider-style exploration. Best of all, it comes wrapped in the TV series' trademark wit and tongue-in-cheek humor.
Presented as a "lost episode" from season 3 of the show, it features voice acting from all of the major actors as well as its spinoff, "Angel," minus Sarah Michelle Gellar (and, honestly, the Buffy voice actor who appears in the game is an upgrade in some ways). Zombie, vampire, and hellhound smackdowns are broken up by scenes in which you can trade hilarious Buffy-style dialogue with the other members of the gang.
Combat is innovative and evolving, allowing you to smash apart a chair and use its leg to stake a vampire, or snatch up a shovel and spin it helicopter-style to decapitate a zombie. That's mixed with some light puzzle-solving and platforming.
On top of that, a secret code allowed you to play through the story mode with up to three friends, who could take control of the enemies in each scene and try to kill the slayer. Few gaming moments come close to the time I used a pole to shishkebab three friend-controled vampires and dust them all at once as Buffy rattled off a one-liner like "Oops! Did I do that?"
Gamespot's Ryan MacDonald has an excellent and comprehensive video review of the game here. The game is backwards compatible, so you can play it on an Xbox 360.
12. Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs (Genesis) - 1991
These days sports gamers take things like accurate player performance and true-to-life rosters for granted. But it all started here.
When Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs was released (originally in 1989 for PCs), the idea of playing as Michael Jordan was still a dream. Not only did this game let you do that, it let you use a Jordan signature dunk as well as signature moves from other NBA players. Some were convincing; others were hilariously overpowered. The Phoenix Suns' Tom Chambers could not only consistently score from anywhere on the court, his signature move was a dunk from the 3-point line. My friends and I quickly banned each other from using him in multiplayer games.
It only included the playoff and all-star teams, but its arcade/sim gameplay, recognizable players, and broadcast-style touches like a halftime show with highlights from other games made this a glimpse of the future of EA Sports.
11. NFL 2K (Dreamcast) - Nov. 1999
One Saturday in late November of 1999, I walked into a local Electronics Boutique. I glanced up and saw that the Patriots and Colts were playing on a TV over the counter. I watched a minute or two then walked over and told the clerk that I didn't know there was a game on today. He said "It's a video game." I left the store with a Dreamcast and a copy of NFL 2K.
In a football game world that was dominated at the time by old-school Madden, it was a total revolution. It featured true broadcast-style presentation with convincing motion-captured animations, groundbreaking graphics, and a very entertaining and convincing commentary team.
The series would continue to break new ground by going online the following year, allowing you to play football against other Dreamcast players over the internet.
The 2K series survived the death of the Dreamcast, and within five years it would become a serious threat to the Madden series on multiple consoles, initiating a price war that led both series to sell for under $40... so Madden publisher Electronic Arts bought the exclusive NFL license, eliminated their competition, and again raised the price of Madden.
It's unfortunate for gamers everywhere that two of the top 25 all-time sports game franchises: NFL 2K and MVP Baseball were killed off by league exclusivity deals, and replaced by competing franchises (Madden and MLB 2K respectively) that were not as good.
Coming next Wednesday:
The Top 25 - Games 10 through 6
posted by Brad at
6:42 AM
1 Comments:
Busting on Madden? Say it isn't so!
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