Well, I've been meaning to start one of these for a while, and just finally got around to conforming and falling into the trend.  Today I tried typing the first 5, and had it erased 4 times, so if there are errors, it's because I got frustrated and didn't really look for them.  I hope you enjoy the first of my top 30 games, please comment!

30. WarioWare inc Mega Microgame$

This game is crazy.  When it first came out, I had never seen anything like it before.  Of course, everyone has seen mini-game collections before, but never anything done quite like Warioware.  For the uninformed, Warioware essentially throws dozens upon dozens of "Microgames" at you, which are little 5 second minigames, which give you a single keyword, such as "JUMP!" or "CATCH!".   You then use these 5 seconds to determine what the objective is, and to accomplish it, before being immediatly tossed into the next microgame.  Something great about this game is the unlockables, which are mostly more fleshed out version of the microgames, for example, a microgame which might have you jump a rope 3 times becomes a minigame where you jump rope for as long as possible.  The minigames are as addictive if not moreso than the microgames themselves.  My only real complaint about Warioware is how tedious it is to unlock the last couple of items.  In order to unlock them, you have to set a high score on every single one of the microgames, which there are about 200 of.  In order to set a high score on one, you have to play it about 15 times in a row.  You have to do this for EVERY...SINGLE...MICROGAME... This isn't even hard, it's just boring as hell, and this is the only reason the game is only 30 on my list.

29. Mario Kart 64

The reason why I put this game on my list is a little interesting, it's not really the game so much as the memories that are associated with playing it.  Every time I would go to a friends house when I was younger, we would always end up playing Mario Kart 64 at some point, mainly in the battle mode.  On the opposite end of the spectrum this (along with Harvest Moon 64) is one of the only games my sister would EVER play.  But she didn't just play this game, she got addicted to it.   This was (and still is) one of the only video games she would ever play with me.  She liked this game so much, that when she went to college, she stole my N64 and this game so she could take it with her to her dorm room.  That's not to say I don't enjoy this game, I really do, but the memories are what put it on the list.

28. Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color

This might be a somewhat obscure choice, so for the uninitiated, I will explain the basics of the game.  In the universe within Magic Pengel, humans co-exist with doodles.  Humans also create doodles, and use them to compete in a vicious bloodsport, which pits doodle against doodle, forcing them to fight against their will until one is left standing, and one is dragged lifeless and bloody away from the arena.  Yes, this game is a testament to the dangers of playing god and constructing artificial life.  Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.  Anyways, the reason this game is on my list is because it's the first game I ever played that let me be truly creative, in this case with the doodles.  You make all the doodles from scratch in this game, and the system for drawing them is easy enough that even somebody who can't draw for shit (like me) can make something that vaguely resembles what they had in their head.

27. Donkey Kong 64

So their finally here! Performing for you! If you know the words you can join in too!

And oh did I know all the words by the end of this game.  This game is an epic platformer, which took me about 70 hours to complete 100% (keep in mind this is before I used the internet to help me in games)  the fact that I even had the willpower to finish this game back then is example enough of how good this game is.  Every character you play as in this game brings something new to the table, with each one having specific skills that are helpful in different situations, the DK rap will teach you all about that.  Also, this game had decent multiplayer, which played a lot like a first person shooter.  It's a little sad, but I probably played this version of an FPS more than I played Goldeneye on the N64.  The only reason DK64 is this far back is it's vast amount of tedious collecting required to finish the game.

26. Yakuza

Ah, yes.  The tragic tale of Kazuma Kiryu is a great one.  The story in this game is cinematic and epic.  Both Yakuza and Yakuza 2 are wonderful games, but I had to give the edge to the first game for the sole reason of it having such an epic storyline.  This game really puts you in the middle of the Japanese Triads, and you play as Kazuma Kiryu, framed for the murder of the head of his clan, and sent to prison for 3 years.  This game is often unfairly compared to GTA due to it's similar gangster-nature, but really they are quite different.  For starters, Yakuza is strictly melee combat, and the combat feels fantastic.  You have all sorts of moves and environmental based attacks at your disposal, and beating up more enemies lets you upgrade in an RPG-like system.   Apart from that, the game also has many fun sidequests and minigames, such as going to a hostess bar, or helping people on the street.  All in all, this game is epic in scale, and is overlooked by many.





Well, that concludes the first part of my top 30 games.  The next 5 will come when I damn well feel like it.  Probably soon.  Maybe tomorrow.  I was going to include honorable mentions here, but I'm so frustrated with how long this took, to type, that I'll just put a bunch in the next installment.  See you soon!