I'm a big fan of these top lists, what can I say? I was inspired to make this list after watching one done by a guy I subscribe to on YouTube named RetroGamer3 (His list can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiCHwL2dVOs)
I'm going to try to keep this one as short and sweet as possible because I don't feel like typing novels today. Instead, I'll link to videos of it! :P
Here we go...
10. Ryukotsuki - Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (Chapter 11: The Legend of Fuma DLC)
This boss is extremely tough (as all bosses are) if you're not using the overpowered Somanways or Yasucards. With a fantastic boss track, a bit of bullet hell, and some personality to go along with the challenge, this one is always a fun one for me. After running through the chapter hundreds of times, that's saying something.
9. Dark Falz (Final Form) - Phantasy Star Universe
Nothing quite says "HOLY CRUD, BOSS!" like a giant serpent that shoots god lasers and nuclear meteors! This boss remained tough even after maxing my character out to lv. 180, and was one of the only bosses that truly still left the fear in my heart when fighting them after thousands of hours of playtime.
8. Ganon - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Many may be puzzled why I'd pick this Ganon fight over others, but this is simply the one I've got the most nostalgia for, and I think it's pretty bad ass how he teleports around.
7. Bald Bull - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
When you face this guy for the first time, you're feeling a good about yourself, then go "WTF THIS GUY IS HUGE!" Then you meet his Bull Charge....
6. The Great Mighty Poo - Conker's Bad Fur Day
Name me another boss in history that sings you a song as you fight it? Let alone one this hilarious. Such a memorable little turd...
5. The Four Kings - Dark Souls
Clip taken from my very own playthrough uploaded to YouTube (check out the rest of the run here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA1AA1414BAAD0502&feature=view_all) I have many stories and memories linked to this boss fight, but I've talked about the game ad naseum already. I made it look like a bit of a cakewalk in this video, but TRUST ME IT ISN'T!
4. The Black Car - Ridge Racer
Gee, thanks Namco. No wonder you publish Dark Souls. You've been pulling "dick" moves yourself for a long time. This was one scary as hell "boss fight", but when you managed to actually overcome this guy and win, you were on top of the world... and you got his car. :D
3. Lavos - Chrono Trigger
This was the only video I could find that had the entire ending that didn't disable embed. Truly one of the most epic boss battles of all time. By the time you get to this point, you're stricken with emotion and ready to kick some ass.... or get yours kicked. I know I did SEVERAL times. Once you do it, though... BOOM you're on top of the world.
2. Mike Tyson - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Come on, you thought I'd put on Bald Bull and not Iron Mike? I remember sitting there, controller in hand, unable to contain my excitement to take down the final guy, Mike Tyson... and getting knocked out in ONE hit. I BEAT DID HIM THOUGH! WOOOOOOO! A shame that a lot of people probably only remember the crappy Mr. Dream version.
1. OTHER PLAYERS - The Souls Game Series
"What?" You're asking yourself. How can another player be a boss fight? Well, in the Souls game series (Dark Souls, Demon's Souls), this is a reality... and a scary one! Imagine playing a game, and at complete random (or at the worst possible moment), someone enters your world with the intent of only killing YOU. This person is as able bodied and of as quickness of mind as you are, or moreso... and your only option is to duel them to the death or pussy out and pull your ethernet cable/quit to dashboard or XMB. Fortunetly, if you're of quick reflexes and a bit lucky, you can sprint your way to the boss door and send them back to their own world. Every time I get invaded or invade another player, it gets my blood pumping like no other thing in game history.
You may say to yourself "Well, that's not a REAL boss fight", but even then, one of the Arch-Demon boss battles in Demon's Souls requires you to face off against another live human as your boss fight. NOW THAT IS INSANE!
BTW, I could watch montages like the one above all night.
Already posted this for my friends on twitter, but figured I'd make a hard copy in a blog for linking purposes.
This list is based on my PERSONAL favorite games, not necessarily the games that "defined the generation" or were the most influential. These are however the ones that I had the most fun with, and I will look back on with the fondest of memories when the generation comes to a close. Yes, the generation is not entirely over yet, but 'ey, I like to have a little fun reminiscing either way. So here we have, my top 10 favorite games of the generation in order (#1 = favorite).
10. Dead Island
What can be said about this game. It's an open world, co-op, first person, zombie survival rpg. Quite the mouthful. This game gets extremely high marks from me for being something fairly fresh in the sea of zombie games that are on the market these days. Being mostly focused on melee weapons and what insidious mods you can install on them is perhaps the biggest differentiation of all. Yeah, there are guns as well, but those are few and far between until late game, and ammo is extremely scarce (think classic resident evil.) It becomes very addicting to climb up your skill tree, and sometimes a bit stressful to decide which skills to take and which are not worth investing your limited skill points into as you cannot max everything. Loot is here in droves as well, much in the fashion of Diablo or Borderlands, and the aforementioned mods make everything better (electrical bullets anyone?) The game, even after several patches, is still bogged down by a number of technical issues, but above all these issues, the game remains fun, and keeps you coming back despite all its caveats. Try it out with your friends.
9. Burnout Paradise
I'm not the largest fan of driving games, but it seems like once per generation one comes along and sucks me in to the extreme. This time the game to crack me was one that broke the mold of sitting in menus for several minutes before each race by just tossing you into an ever flowing open sandbox world where all of your interactions are done on the fly, and even with your friends online. In Burnout Paradise, you can literally waste hours just driving aimlessly with your friends online and not get anything accomplished other than some insane flips and a have a barrel of laughs. That's not all there is to do in Paradise City, however, as there are hundreds of challenges to complete. Whether it be performing drifts and near-misses, or going through loop-de-loops, the game will always keep you on your toes with something more extraordinary than the other. Want something a little more fulfilling? Criterion has littered the game world with crashes, smashes, and jumps to test your skills for months or years to come. Oh, and there are a ton of cars too.
8. Left 4 Dead 2
Another Zombie game? Yep. However, the fun with this game bears very little to me on the fact that you're fighting zombies, rather than the high octane survival that you must endure with your friends. Barely scraping by hordes of enemies and yelling "SAFE HOUSE!" with relief as soon as it is spotted is a rush that very few games, if any, can match. The original game was fun, but the second game bumps everything up to insanity by doubling the special infected enemies, increasing the weapon count by an obscene amount, and just making better, longer, and more fun campaigns. This is not just a "map pack". I've played through the campaigns more times than I can count, and I'm sure I will continue to do so over the years until Valve potentially breaks their curse of number 3.
7. Fallout 3
Yet again a game that takes an interesting twist on a genre that has already been established. Yes, we've seen games much list this in the elder scrolls series, but never a game in this setting or time period... or with guns. The fact that the game takes place in a post apocalyptic rag-time era is a refreshing, and the result is something that becomes infectious and you want to keep exploring every bit of the environment you come across because it is so interesting. The star of the game, however, is the excellent VATS combat system. You get to freeze time, aim at specific body parts, queue up your attacks, and watch them take place in a cinematic slow-mo camera angle. Head explosions never looked so good. This is a game you can get lost in for several dozens of hours, and you most likely will not have ever scratched the surface of all the game has to offer. The DLC is fantastic as well.
6. Halo: Reach
Halo... again? Why yes, and the best one to date, my friend. The campaign is the most interesting it's ever been, and even better when you share it with a group of your friends. One of my best experiences in my time with the game was when 3 of my friends and I played through the entirety of the campaign on legendary with all skulls on (minus the goofy ones like no HUD.) The adversarial multiplayer now has a new layer of addiction on top of it with persistent "XP" gains and plenty of armor pieces to unlock to make your spartan look unique to how you like them. The core gameplay is fantastic too, with the most balanced weaponry and best on disc map selection the series has seen since Halo 2. The addition of the controversial armor modules shake things up a bit, but I find them a refreshing change of pace to a series that has been with us for over a decade. I'm looking forward to Halo 4, but it has some large shoes to fill top this one.
5. Minecraft
It doesn't look like much, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it (I know I used to.) It comes with the prerequisite that you like to create things, however (or you know other creative people that don't mind you pillaging their worlds.) The game has a very rigid cubist look that may turn of the hardcore elitists, but it's the addicting nature of "Mine, Build, Survive" that keeps you coming back for months or even years. I've spent many a night "just mining a bit more (material X)" so I can finish perhaps only just a PART of my overarching current design plan. The thrill of digging deeper into the unknown to find precious metals and stones and escaping for your life is an experience that you can not soon forget. Oh, and when you make cool stuff like a SKY HOUSE MADE OUT OF GLASS with it's only entrance being a waterfall that you need to swim up, and it's only exit being a sky dive into the ocean... the sense of accomplishment with this one is high.
4. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
Castlevania has always been one of my favorite gaming franchises, so a game that puts all of its characters into a multiplayer setting with an almost MMO level of addictiveness is an interesting proposal. Admittedly, the coolest stuff is in the optional pay downloadable content, and buying it will run a hefty price-tag, but that doesn't lessen the quality of what is present, nor does it downplay just how much fun it is to grind to the all-coveted god-tier of equipment. After spending hundreds of hours, I have still not acquired all items, or maxed out even one character to its full potential. Crazy? Yes. Off-putting? Perhaps. However, if you have a soft spot for classic games in your heart, especially the Castlevania series, this is definitely one you should at least try out. At the very worst, you'll get to hear the outstanding trademark soundtrack in all of it's remastered glory.
3. Grand Theft Auto IV
The series long known for it's over the top violence and ridiculous nature returned this generation, but with a more serious and realistic over-tone. Some dismissed this game because it "took away the fun of GTA", however I felt that they went in a direction that was far more appealing to me. Hey, the characters are still over the top, and you're still a guy that asks no questions before he goes and offs half a dozen dudes for some guy he met 5 seconds ago, so not a lot has change on that front, but really appeals to me is the story. The story is one of the most powerful and impacting ones I've ever experienced in my over two decades of gaming experience. By the time you see the credit roll, you're left with a feeling that won't soon leave you, and you still have two full-fledged games released as DLC waiting for you in tow. We cannot forget the online multiplayer, however, where you'll undoubtedly be wasting dozens of hours from your life unless you don't have a soul. You and up to 15 others can take Liberty City by storm any way you seem fit, and boy is it a blast. This game still sees play in my gaming rotation, and I feel it will stay that way until Rockstar's next installment is in my hands.
2. Battlefield 3
Having almost no experience with this series in its PC heydays, I was unaware at just how much to expect when it hit my console for the first time. The pre-release beta left me with a horrible taste in my mouth, which almost made me skip this game entirely. Thankfully, I'm smart enough to know that such things are generally poor representations of a final product, and Youtube videos convinced me to pick this puppy up this January. What you get in this package is something different than "the other guys". You don't get that game where everyone is out for themselves, lone wolfing the enemy team with their cheap tactics, raining air support down on your already hurting backside. Instead what you get here is a game where your team and you must actually cooperate if you plan on having any shot at surviving and winning. Not only are you urged to attack and defend with your squads effectively, but you are handed a slew of tools to help make things easier for you and your team. You can revive people back from the dead with your defibrillator (if you react quick enough), you can lay down med packs, ammo packs, spawn beacons, and a number of other things. With tons of developer support and downloadable content on the way, I for one will be playing this game well into next year and be eagerly awaiting the recently announced Battlefield 4.
1. Dark Souls
One of the most hardcore games released this generation (only overshadowed by its predecessor, Demon's Souls.) Am I just copping out picking this game because I want to look like I have skill? Absolutely not. What is present in Dark Souls is a masterfully created world that DARES you to make it to the end. That's not all however, as it also dares EVERYONE ELSE ON THE INTERNET to stop you. The ability to traverse into others peoples games at any time (as friend or foe) makes this game unique, and a wicked twist on everything you know. But it isn't all about your conventional methods of online play, you can also leave messages on the ground. I've found most of these to be helpful, but it can be fun to try to trick other people in such ways as placing a "JUMP HERE" message at the end of a cliff leading to their death. Not only the interactions make this game phenomenal though, it's the pure accomplishment you get as you reach farther and farther to the game's ultimate end-goal. It can be oh-so sweet to finally complete an area you've been chipping away at the entire night, especially when your bloodstain containing thousands of souls is at stake every time you make a mistake and meet your demise. Staying alive has never been so crucial in gaming as it has been in the Souls series, and it gives you that boost of adrenaline and courage you need to head straight into danger and meet your mark. The game isn't over either when you see the credit roll, as you can keep going "New Game+" style after it's all said and done, with higher stakes and higher rewards. You'll want to keep coming back time and time again to try out new characters and improve your skills. With a new downloadable chapter on the way later this year, this game has a lot to keep you coming back for. I know I'll be claiming my stake in Lordran for years to come.
There you have it.
Any surprises? A few for me when making my list, as I had to cut games out that were VERY hard to eliminate. Let's see your lists!
I've been recording and uploading a playthrough of Dark Souls over on YouTube for the past week (with commentary), and I'd just like to ask you guys check it out and give me some feedback (or just enjoy).
Hey guys, just incase you didn't know, I still post video blogs on my YouTube page. So please be kind and subscribe to my page http://www.youtube.com/mcavenged !! the user "eightbitwarrior" on youtube is NOT me. Someone took it :(
Anywho, here's my new one about my newest game purchase:
I've been pretty into music this year, so I figured I would do at least a top 5. I'm into rock and metal, and don't listen to much else, so expect this list to be pretty on dimensional genre-wise! It was actually quite tough for me to nail this list down. That said, here are my picks for favorite albums released this year:
5. Mushroomhead - Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children
Just when I had all but forgotten about the band I used to be quite into, they release an album out of nowhere, and I almost didn't even know about it! The album is very much different than past albums, offering a unique and interesting twist to their iconic sound. The track Holes in the Void is definitely my favorite on the album because it feels very dark yet meaningful. The album won't help or hurt the band's public popularity, but it is definitely an important album for the band's career.
4. Disturbed - Asylum
What? Yeah, I'm pretty surprised at this album making an appearance on my list, too, since I'm not a Disturbed fan whatsoever. I've found it difficult in the past to take this band seriously, due to the singer's antics on most of the tracks, but upon a bit of de-brainwashing in that reguard and listening through this album, I became hooked. There are a wealth of very catchy tracks, both musically and vocally. My favorite on the album is Another Way To Die, but there is plenty to love throughout the entire album.
3. Slash - Slash
This one came out of left field for me. I'm not nor have I ever been a fan of gun 'n roses, so a Slash album was completely off my radar. Fortunately, Slash's collaboration with Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M. Shadows got my attention, and peaked my interest in the rest of the album. This album is a very cool and eclectic mix of every aspect of classic rock and metal, and will get you bobbing your head and tapping your feet to vocalists from bands you would never even consider to listen to otherwise. Kid Rock anyone?
2. Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
There's no secret about my love affair with this band over the past year, and their latest album is exciting and very unique compared to the band's past work. There are perhaps a few too many light songs than my liking, but overall there is a special quality to most of the tracks on the album. Being my current favorite band, I'm perhaps a bit biased, but according to just my recorded iTunes play counts, I've listened to the track "Nightmare" alone 147 times. Very important album to the band and one of my favorites for sure.
1. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
Oh, hello there album of the year! I've been a casual Linkin Park fan since their inception, but band aside, never has a complete album experience had a mark on me like this one. From beginning to end, the album plays masterfully between ambient and dialog tracks to emotion riddled song after emotion riddled song. There's a song on the album called Robot Boy that I feel would be a crime of humanity if it didn't appear in a movie or trailer at some point in time. My absolute favorite track on the album, however, is Waiting For The End. I get chills every time I listen to it and it just gets me so amped up and engaged whenever it plays. Do yourself a favor and check the album out, even if you aren't a Linkin Park fan, as it is truly a unique and transcending experience in music.
As a bonus, my top 10 songs of the year:
10. Sevendust - Splinter 9. Mushroomhead - Holes In The Void 8. Avenged Sevenfold - Lost It All 7. Linkin Park - The Catalyst 6. Avenged Sevenfold - Buried Alive 5. Slash - Promise (Featuring Chris Cornell) 4. Slash - Ghost (Featuring Ian Astbury) 3. Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare 2. Linkin Park - Waiting For The End 1. Slash - Nothing To Say (Featuring M. Shadows)
Special Mention:
Soundgarden - Telephantasm
While this is only a "greatest hits" type album for the band (minus the one previously unreleased track, Black Rain), it has had some of the most playtime (if not the most of any entire album) of the year for me. I've always been a fan of Chris Cornell's music endeavors, and this is his him in his prime. Favorite tracks include Birth Ritual, Spoonman, and Rusty Cage. Unfortunate omission: Holy Water from their Badmotorfinger album. That is one of my favorite Soundgarden tracks for sure, and it would nice to have it in this package along with everything else.
That's it! Bring on 2011--you have your work cut out for you, music industry! 5 Comments
Picked a terrible time to do this top ten week. I've been quite out of games now for a little while and coming up with this list is not clicking in my head. I think of about 3 games and I'm like "umm???". I'll do it later, sorry guys. :/
Here's a list of games that should be made, according to me. Sorry this one came out a day late, but yesterday was my birthday, and I couldn't predict not getting the time to do it. So anyway, here's the list!
10. Another Square Mario RPG Game
I remember I rented the original game back in the day, and cracked out on it until I completed it, it was that good. Since then, Nintendo has partnered with other companies and such, and tried to revive this franchise in the form of Mario & Luigi, but the results have not been the same at all. This game has a specific quality and feeling to it that I believe only the minds at Square could put into it. The time is right, Nintendo and Square, make it happen. Bring me Super Mario RPG 2.
9. Metal Gear Solid 5
Metal Gear Solid 4 seemingly wrapped-up the entire MGS story line, but with the crazy mind of Kojima, I'm positive he could eek out at least one more Metal Gear Solid game. Every time a new one comes out, he says it's his last one, but it never is. I'd love another one with the absolutely amazing cinematics from 4 please.
8. Psychonauts 2
With one of the most original ideas for a game and many untapped possibilities, this is a no brainer for a sequel (especially with how the game ended). Due to the game's poor sales and Tim Schafer's struggle with publishers in general, a sequel doesn't look like it's going to come... probably ever. Oh well...
7. A Crysis game with online co-op
There's no good reason why I can't choke-slam korean soldiers through buildings with a friend, is there? Crysis 2 is on the horizon, and I'm hoping to hear them announce online co-op at E3. One of my favorite game series of all time.
6. A NEW Punch-Out game
You're probably looking at this and saying out loud "But Mike, they DID make a new one, it's for the Wii." No, they didn't. That's a remake with all the same fighters and a couple throw-away new ones for a nostalgic charge. I want a FULL-ON new game with all new boxers, perhaps slightly mixed up game mechanics, and dare I ask for... HI-DEF GRAPHICS??
5. Another Classic DOOM game
DOOM and DOOM 2 were both absolutely excellent games, both for their times and still to this day. However, when id decided to follow it up with DOOM 3, they changed the formula and slowed things down. It's an ok game in its own right, but I miss the way it used to be. Mass killing, interesting scenery, puzzles, amazing music, and that sense of "OH MY GOD, HOW AM I GOING TO DEFEAT ALL OF THIS?" DOOM 4 has been announced, and I can only hope that they went back to their roots.
4. Battletoads 3
One of my absolute favorite games of all time just because of how unique and creative it is, coupled with its legendary difficulty. Yes, there was a Super Nintendo sequel, but that was what... more than 15 years ago? The demand by the fans is there. I don't care if its the hardest game I ever played in my life, I want it. BRING IT!
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii 2
Probably the most likely game on my list, but dammit, I want another one. The original Wii game showed me that Nintendo is still seriously good at making 2d platformers. They've worried me with how easy they made both Yoshi's Island 2 and New Super Mario Bros. for the DS, but they came back with a vengeance and scored big points with me. Just so that again and I will be happy as all hell.
2. More Retro 8 and 16-bit games!
Imagine if we could get brand new, original retro games just like Super Metroid? Sure, there's Shadow Complex, but I don't mean it THAT literally. Just... new games that stand up to the ones of old that blew our socks off in our childhoods. There's just something about the way those games look and feel that is unparalleled. Hell, if they were to announce that they were going to revive the NES or the SNES and start selling cartridges for them again, and developers were going to work on new games.. I would be the biggest fanboy in the world of that.
1. A Virtual Reality Role-Playing Game
No, not that stupid shit.
I've said for years I would love a game that you could go into, in virtual reality, and basically do whatever you want like you could in real life, talk to whoever, just let your innermost thoughts run wild in a world that is capable of accomodating it. No, I'm not talking about Fable or Oblivion or anything like that, I'm talking deeper than that. Basically a real-life simulator that doesn't feel at all like a video game. Maybe Natal can be a step in the right direction. Seeing stuff like the Milo demo at least E3 was a big step in the right direction, and actually gave me chills. Perhaps this one isn't as far fetched afterall? Hope not!
Tomorrow things wrap-up with my favorite games of all time. 2 Comments
I know this list is missing one or two characters I really liked, but I can't put my finger on them for the life of me. Oh well, must not be too memorable then. The ten:
10. Doom Guy (Doom Series)
Looking at this guy's face all throughout early doom games was one of the coolest parts of the whole experience. What a ruthless son of a bitch. With a lack of a better picture for this post, here's the cover art for the original doom, because it's awesome:
Dude, look at all those demons!
9. Laia Martinez (Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus)
Out of the large cast of characters in the actually pretty good storyline in this game, my favorite would have to be the cute on the surface, tough, smart-ass Laia. She's not afraid to tell you off or fight for what she believes in. I'd say she'd be my type, if she wasn't a cat lady.
Hey, what are you looking at?
8. Brucie Kibbutz (Grand Theft Auto IV)
This guy is a total, crazy nutjob. He's hopped up on 'roids and will punch your face off, and is absolutely fuckin' hilarious.
Alpha, baby!
7. Frog (Chrono Trigger)
Frog, or Glenn as he was known in his human form, was one of the most memorable characters in video game history for me, along with his amazing theme in the game. A noble, big hearted companion with more hop then ribbit.
He's a marshmallow.
6. Albert Wesker (Resident Evil 5)
When capcom brought Wesker into RE5 as the main villian, they were certainly out to make him as badass as possible. He kicks all sorts of ass, what else can I say? Yeah, I know the picture of him isn't from RE5, but that's the best I can get from Giant Bomb's database, so deal with it, K!
Catch me if you.... wait no, you can't.
5. Samus Aran (Metroid Series)
I wish I had even an ounce of this girl's skill. Anti-gravity jumping, flying spaceships, and rolling around like marble madness on the fly... woot!
Don't piss her off, K?
4. Old Snake (Metal Gear Solid 4)
You've got a rapidly aging old man, that has the balls to chain-smoke. He's got nothing to lose I guess, though, eh? He may have to keep juiced up to kill his pain, but this is a man that can be counted on more than any other soldier. He has lived through everything...
He'll also sell you unidentifiable drinks. That's where the real money is, you know.
3. Prophet aka Laurence Barnes (Crysis Series)
Let's get one thing straight: Nobody on the front-lines in this game is a push-over. But out of them all, Prophet is without a doubt the most badass.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD: How about surviving getting abducted by aliens and living through a nuclear explosion?
Never said he was good at taking pictures though.
2. Niko Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV)
Easily one of the most genuine personalities in all of gaming. His character and story were very believable, he had a lot of feelings, a lot of heart, and throughout the whole game you just felt like you WERE this character. You felt bad for every bad thing that happened, and felt triumphant when you finally gave people what was coming to them.
One more move and you aren't going to the fun fair!
1. Bayonetta (Bayonetta)
Some may think I'm copping out here, but I really do think this character is fantastic. She has a smart-ass yet sexy attitude, she kicks all sorts of ass... and I wouldn't throw her outta bed either. I'm just sayin'..
It's not Sarah Palin.
Tomorrow it's my top ten games I think should be made. See you then. 3 Comments
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