The worst part about making a list of your top games is that, inevitably, you'll forget something that you regret. You'll come back a day later, realize your mistake, and beat yourself up. In my case, I got down to the top 10 or so, realizing I had missed some games, but it was simply too late to add them back in. Not only that, but over time, things change. You replay titles, reminisce about your younger years, and things rearrange. All of these thigns happened while making my list, and in the many weeks since it has been completed. No list is perfect, and mine definitely isn't. Recently, I've been playing through all of my old games, and I've really wished I could redo my list. Here is a list of some of my favorite games I wish that I could go back and work in. Some were forgotten, and some were ruled out. Whatever the case, they're just further proof that there can never be a final "best games ever" list. Even with this addition, there are still games like Oracle of Ages, Sin & Punishment, Gunstar Heroes, Demon's Crest, Ikaruga.... well, you get the picture... that didn't make the list.
5. Bubble Bobble
Things get a whole lot harier as you progressYeah, some of you might laugh at this one. This is a game I simply forgot about over the years. It's one of those games I'd sit and play for hours on end when I was really young, and as I got older, shoved aside in favor of games that weren't about purple dinosaurs who shot bubbles out of their mouths. That concept isn't "cool" enough. I received this game as a gift in "Bubble Bobble also featuring Rainbow Islands" for the orignal Playstation. It was one of the first four games I had for the system, along with Crash Bandicoot, Breath of Fire III, and Mega Man X4. That was an interesting Christmas day, as the two games I tossed aside became my favorites as a seven year old. The best of the bunch was Bubble Bobble, a port of an old arcade game. My brother/dad and I would spend hours descending the games levels as Bub and Bob. It never got old. We were always trying to figure out what the letters were for, there was always a waterfall to spice thigns up, each new level was a joy to see, and we'd try to get just that much further. Bubble Bobble is a true classic, and I will love it forever.
4. Mega Man 9
I
3. Kirby's Super Star
Revenge of Meta Knight = INTENSEWhen I first got into gaming, Kirby was my #1. My two most played games in my late elementary years were Kirby's Dreamland, Pokemon, and Kirby's Super Star. Super Star is a gem, no doubt. It sends Kirby through a huge variety of games. The main attractions are the best the series has to offer. There's classic Kirby style action in Spring Breeze. The Great Cave offensive is a brilliant little non-linear game where you get to dig up lots of treasures. One of my favorites, the Revenge of Meta Knight, takes kirby through one of the most heart pounding, edge of your seat action games yet. In addition, there is gourmet racing, megaton punch, and many more diversions. There are years worth of gameplay packed into this one. One of my favorite things about it is the sheer amount of personality in the game. Words can't really express how much personality oozes from this game. It's mechanically tight, with great levels, and more charm than you could ever want. I really regret missing this, as Kirby was one of the biggest figures of my Childhood.
Death, my old friend.Another big regret is only mentioning two Castlevania games on my list, none of which were the awesome, straight forward, Belmont with whips originals. These games were fantastic, some of my favorites as a kid. When making my list, I concluded that two 'Vania games were enough, and I excluded the originals based on outdated mechanics. Playing through them again, I made a grave error. They're not outdated at all, they're all still a blast to play, very polished, and a whole lot of fun.
Castlevania II is the least of the three mentioned, if only because your objectives are unclear at times. It's still a ton of fun to explore, and a great game that paved the way for games like SotN, being a non-liner title. Dracul's Curse comes in second of these three, and is an absolutely amazing game, one of the best games on the NES. It amazes me how complete, how polished this games is. It really shines on the platform. Finally, Rondo of Blood, which I regrettably did not get to play until a few weeks ago. I've since played through four times, and the fun has not ceased. The game is packed with replay value, with two characters, tons of stages each with alternate paths, and tons of secrets. I <3 Castlevania
1. Strider 2
A giant flying robot dragon boss? AWESOME.Strider 2 is another game I got as a throwaway for Christmas, just like Bubble Bobble. There must have been a sale on Capcom games in 2000, because I got this along with Mega Man 8. I don't recall what else I got that Christmas, but Strider ended up being one of my favorite games as I entered my 11th year. Unfortunately, like Bubble Bobble, I forgot about it over time. Sometimes it's difficult to remember to show appreciation for games that nobody else has played, or even cares about. Strider 2 is an adrenaline rush. I had played the original Strider, a game that has never really been for me what it is to others. Strider 2 adressed my every complaint, being faster, bigger, and more intense (and with awesome music, not that horrid Genesis stuff). Strider 2 is short and sweet. You rip through five levels, each being unique and awesome. The game does everything right, with great combat and great platforming, something many games of this breed like to forget. Whether playing as Hiryu or Hien, there is much fun to be had. Every time I revisit this game, I experience a high that lasts at least a week. Strider 2 is just awesome, and I'm very disheartened right now that it slipped my mind when making my list. The game is very underrated, and really did deserve a spot on my top 30. Maybe in the future I'll make another. For now, I'm going to go beat up Grandmaster Meio again.
