Top 20 Personal Favorite Games of all time

Yes, it's time for a HUGE list! These are my top 20 games of all time! Now remember, these games are based on the impact they had on me, or how impressive they are. Now if you're complaining as to why Metal Gear Solid, Duck Tales, or Halo is then let me tell you: I haven't played MGS because it's an M rated game (in case you haven't caught on, I hate M rated games....most of the time), I am not 30 years old and own an NES with a working copy of Duck Tales, and I don't have an Xbox or Xbox 360. Thank you for listening. Also there will be ties. Now, the rules.

1. No 2 games from the same franchise. (Ties are accepted however)

2. Very few M rated games.

3. No Xbox or Xbox 360 games

4. I haven't played every game in existence so don't get mad if you don't see one of your favorite games on here. 

Now let's begin!

20. MLB Power Pros and MLB Power Pros 2008 (Wii, PS2)

MLB Power Pros and MLBPP 2008 boxart

OK, yeah this game isn't the greatest, but you will be surprised how fun and addicting this baseball simulation is. It has a cool art style, fun modes (ESPECIALLY Success Mode. That mode is just pure FUN on both games), loads of customizable options, and a surprisingly fun Season Mode. The only downside? There's no online mode sadly. (Lucky Japanese got MLB Power Pros 2009 that had online mode...) Don't let that turn you away from this fantastic baseball sim though. It's worth every penny and is one of the most fun I've had in any game ever.

19. Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong 64 boxart

I wish I had played this game growing up....not the case. But I've played it now and I gotta say this is a great platformer. Unfortunately, this game isn't on the Virtual Console just like some games should COUGHCOUGHMOTHERCOUGHCOUGH. The games is still great fun even today nevertheless and I'm glad I got to play it. The only problem with the game is that there is soooo much stuff to collect. (Which I actually like cause I love collecting things)

18. Mario and Luigi Bowser's Inside Story (DS)

M&L Bowser's Inside Story boxart

One of my favorite RPG's ever. I love the Mario and Luigi series. I liked Superstar Saga and Partners in Time a lot too but this one tops both of its predecessors. It has a lengthy main story mode and although there is no online mode or anything that adds to the replay value, the game is fun all the way through and can be fairly challenging. That's what I like in an RPG.

17. Batman Arkham City (PS3, 360, PC, Wii U)

Batman Arkham City logo

This is one of the best action adventure games ever. It is thrilling to the very end. It plays great. has amazing graphics, has a great story, and is overall very enjoyable. Sometimes I can get confused on where I'm going because Gotham City is such a huge place, but thankfully there's a map. I definitely recommend this game if you have a PS3 or 360. (Or I guess PC)

16. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)

Kingdom Hearts 2 boxart

This is a great live action RPG. Superb graphics, spot on controls, very well done cutscenes and animations, and a good story. The main game is fairly long and will keep you entertained. Some minor issues I have with the game is that the camera can sometimes be an annoyance and some areas of the game can be excruciatingly difficult. But aside from that, it's a fantastic game.

15. Limbo (PS3, 360, PC)

Limbo logo

Limbo is a creepy platforming puzzle game. Creepily beautiful. It has breathtaking graphics, very clever and well thought out puzzles, and is fun. And even though the game is fairly short, you will probably want to replay it to get all the acheivments/trophies in it.

14. Banjo Kazooie (N64)

Banjo Kazooie boxart

Whaaaaaat? Why isn't Super Mario 64 in this spot? Simple. Banjo Kazooie is better. This is one of the best platforming games ever. And it's great fun. It, like Donkey Kong 64, belongs on the Virtual Console. But alas, it is not. It has great graphics, good controls, cool moves, outstanding soundtrack, and great levels (except for Rusty Bucket Bay....D:).

13. Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube)

Luigi's Mansion title screen

This was one of my favorite games when I was younger, and it's still great today. It's very short, but you'll want to play it again. And actually, you can play the entire game again on New Game Plus mode which is a little harder, but overall the game is fairly easy. It's FUN though. And very addicting.

12. Doom I (PC, PS1, various other consoles)

Doom logo

Remember, I said "most" M rated games. And this game redefined first person shooters and made them popular. It truly is a classic. Even though the graphics look outdated (and graphics aren't everything in a game ya know) the game is still outstanding. What I find awesome about this game is that it has an ONLINE MODE. Okay, you don't need to hear anymore. I think you understand the greatness of the game.

11. Sonic Adventure 2 |Battle| (Dreamcast, Gamecube)

Sonic adventure 2 boxart 

Chao Garden. That's all I have to say. Oh and also great story, great graphics, good voice acting, fun levels, and lots of replay ability.

10. Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)

Super Mario Sunshine boxart

One of the best games on the Gamecube. It's a great platforming game, what can I say? Great graphics, fun levels, really good music, long story mode, and is very replayable. It's my favorite 3D Mario game.

9. Paper Mario 1 (N64) and Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door (Gamecube)

Paper Mario (N64) boxart

Paper Mario TTYD boxart

These are some of my favorite RPG's ever. They have very good graphics, good stories, funny dialogue, and are both overall fun. Personally, I prefer the N64 one a little over the Gamecube one, but I still love them both.

8. Pikmin 2 (Gamecube)

Pikmin 2 boxart

Yes I'm one of the lucky people to have played Pikmin 2. This elusive title is EXTREMELY hard to find. But it is worth it. This is my favorite Gamecube game. You need to have a lot of patience though, which os something I have plenty of. Oh and I also have the strategy guide HA! (LOL)

7. Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire (Game Boy Advance)

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire boxarts

I don't get it. Why do people hate these games again? Run it by me. These are my favorite Pokemon games and one of my favorite RPGs of all time. Did I miss something? These are awesome games! 

6. Ratchet and Clank Going Commando (PS2) and Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction (PS3)

Ratchet and Clank Going Commando boxart

Ratchet and Clank ToD boxart

I love both of these games. They're one of my favorite action adventure games ever. They both have incredible graphics, good voice acting, good controls, fun levels, great and challenging boss fights (some are a little TOO challenging though...), and good stories. Insomniac is one of my favorite developers and they don't disappoint here.

5. Cave Story [Cave Story 3D] (PC, 3DS, Wii, DSi, multiple more systems)

Cave Story title screen

One of the best platforming games EVER! This game is so much fun. It's a very long game too, which I also like. I had heard about this game but for some reason I never got it until the 3DS remake came out. This game is worth every penny no matter what system you get it on. The music is.....incredible. My favorite tracks being Running Hell, Sand Zone, the Intro Theme, and Grasstown (Bushlands). 

Oh and Balrog is awesome.

4. Portal 2 (PS3, 360, PC)

Portal 2 logo

Portal 2 is hands down the best puzzle game ever. It bests its predecessor in every way, shape, and form and stands tall as one of Valve's greatest moments. Amazing graphics, great controls, fun online mode, good co-op, and is downright fun. The story mode is VERY good. 

Oh and Wheatley is awesome.

3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3, 360, PC)

Skyrim logo

The best live action RPG ever. The game is just breathtaking at how massive it is. The game can easily be over a hundred hours long and the amount of sidequests mount up to about a year's worth of game. This game is an amazing experience and I couldn't recommend it enough.

2. StarCraft (PC....and N64....)

Stacraft logo

StarCraft is the very definition of fun and addicting. This game is just....wow. It has a very fun single player mode....but....the online mode in it (remember this game was made is 1993 O_O) IS AWESOME! You can play a match with a random person or make your own level and upload it. This game is SOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN. Excuse me, I'm going to go play it.

NUMBER 1: Spyro the Dragon

Spyro the Dragon boxart

I can see your faces now. Now you're probably wondering why. Let me explan. This game was my first video game ever. But that's not it. I have more reason. The game is very fun, has great graphics for the PS1, amazing music, outstanding platforming, and collecting gems in the game is addicting. But, you wouldn't believe me if I told you that I like Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage and Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon more than this game. Well I do. But without this game, I would never have played video games and I owe this game and Insomniac a ton of credit. 

Thank you for reading! See you next time!

Top 10 Games of 2011

Hello everyone! I hope you've had a happy new year because it's 2012 now! I have decided that every year I will post a top 10 games of 20**.  So these are the games that stuck out the most from other games and I had the most fun playing, and still play. Furthermore this is just my opinion so don't bash me because this is not official. Let me explain the rules:

1. No 2 games from the same franchise

2. I will not be judging many 'M' rated games like Call of Duty, Halo, or Gears of War. Mainly 'E' 'E10+' and 'T' games. 

3. I will not be judging ANY exclusive Xbox 360 games. Mainly because I don't HAVE an Xbox 360. I will be judging Wii, DS, 3DS and PS3 games only.

10th place: Sonic Generations (PS3, 360, 3DS)

Sonic Generations logo

Sega finally listened to everyone's complaints and made a fun Sonic game worth playing. And even though the Online Mode is shallow and the game is fairly short, the game still has great music, graphics, levels, and boss battles. There are even loads of...ahem...."sidequests" that you can do to extend the time of the game. This makes Sonic Generations one of the best Sonic games in a long time.

9th place: Cave Story 3D (3DS)

Cave Story 3D NA boxart.

OK, technically this is a remake of the 2004 freeware game made by Pixel, but this is my first time playing the game, so it still counts. And this game.....is awesome. It has a very lengthy main quest (which you can choose to play in regular Story Mode with the updated graphics and sprites or Classic Mode which has redone graphics but the same sprites. I chose Classic my first time through) but once you're done you can play it again in the other mode you didn't play the first time. Then you can play it AGAIN as the supporting character Curly Brace. Definitely a lot of replay value. It helps that the game is very fun too.

8th place: Marvel vs Capcom 3 (Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3) (PS3, 360, Vita)

UMvC3 logo

This is definitely one of the best fighters of 2011. It has great graphics, audio, character selection, and online modes. Even though the controls can be a bit tough to learn, once you catch on, it's fun. It's a lot of fun.

7th place: Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)

Super Mario 3D Land US boxart

While I didn't think the Super Mario Galaxy games were as good as people say, this game is definitely better than them. The solid controls (uh....after a while), great graphics (for the 3DS), good level design, and the return of the Leaf power up from Super Mario Bros 3. One of the problems I have with this game is that it reuses SOOOOO much from the Galaxy games. The graphics are nearly similar, some of the music is directly ripped from the Galaxy games, and there are some reused sprites and material. Also the second problem I have is that the boss battles are uninspired. It's just a....smaller boy Bowser and a smaller girl Bowser. And they're both reused many, many, many times. The last problem I have is that the main game is too short and easy. (The post game is slightly more difficult)

6th place: Pokemon Black and White (DS)

Pokemon Black and White's logos. 

Personally, these games are my second favorite entries in the Pokemon series (first being Ruby and Sapphire). But anyways, did you ever get tired of trying to sift through the old Pokemon to try and catch all of the newer ones? Well Black and White fixes that problem by getting rid of all Pokemon outside of its own. (You can get a few of the old ones after you finish the game and you can transfer your Pokemon from Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, SoulSilver, or HeartGold  though). This Pokemon game also has a great online mode feauturing: random battles (THANK YOU! FINALLY!), being able to trade with random people LIVE, having an updated Global Trade Station, and much more. And even though some of the new Pokemon are uninspired and lazily done, the whole game is great fun. And an amazing RPG.

5th place: Rayman Origins (PS3, 360, Wii, 3DS, Vita)

Rayman Origins PS3 boxart

This is definitely THE best platforming game of 2011 (yes it's better than Super Mario 3D Land) and one of the best games of the year (that I've played). It has beautiful graphics, great level design, catchy music, funny characters, and is challenging. Also, it's on every single major platform out there, so go get it!

4th place: Batman Arkham City

Batman Arkham City logo

This is one of the most thrilling action adventure games of 2011 and the best game to ever feature Batman. The game has amazing graphics, good story, awesome voice acting, simple and easy to use controls, great gadgets and weapons, and is very well done. It's not the most fun game of 2011 but it's one of the best games overall.

3rd place: Portal 2 (PS3, 360, PC)

Portal 2 logo

This is the best puzzle game I've played in my life. It is a truly elite game. However, the thing keeping it from being any higher is that after a while there's not too much to do. But Valve is coming out with a DLC pack soon that will add the ability to create your own test chambers which will be awesome and extend the replay value. But this game is great. It has great graphics, spot on controls, smart a clever puzzles, witty dialogue, amazing voice acting, awesome online modes, and is overall very fun. I couldn't recommend this game enough.

2nd place: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)

Uncharted 3 US boxart

This game truly is outstanding. The graphics are the best of any game in 2011, the multiplayer is excellent, the story mode is great, the voice acting is great, and so is the audio. Heck, I could care less about Gears of War's multiplayer, I want Uncharted 3's. And who wants to say the PS3 sucks in terms of graphics? Huh? Huh? Anyone? Xbox fanboys? No? I didn't think so. The story mode isn't the greatest but the multiplayer and co-op more than make up for it.

1st place: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3, 360, PC)

Skyrim logo

This game truly is a masterpiece. If there was any game in 2011 that deserves a perfect score, it's Skyrim. The world of Skyrim is fun to explore, the controls are great, the graphics are great (uh, when viewed from far away), the story is great, the powers you get are fun to use, the magic you get is very fun, and the game can last you months if not years. However, this game suffers from a few issues that I wish weren't there, but they are. First, the graphics. Sure they look beautiful far away, but close up? No. Also, the game has many glitches. HOWEVER, the game has been updated numerous times which fixed many of the glitches. And Bethesda Studios is sending out patch 1.4 in a little bit that will fix MANY issues with the game, so the glitches can be forgiven now. But even with these troubles, Skyrim still manages to impress me, the gaming community, and the world. This is a game that cannot be missed and I urge you to buy the game if you have not done so already. I think that the game is barely deserving of an 'M' rating from the ESRB. To me, that's just one of the reasons why the ESRB sucks. 

Thank you for reading! See you next time!

Honorable mentions:

LittleBigPlanet 2 (PS3)

Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword (Wii)

Ratchet and Clank All 4 One (PS3)

I really wanted to put these games in, but....I don't know. Just consider these games part of the list because I love these 4 games. 

My 2011 awards:

Best PS3 Game: Uncharted 3 

Runner Up: LittleBigPlanet 2

Best Wii Game: Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword

Runner Up:  Fortune Street

Best 3DS game: Cave Story 3D

Runner Up: Mario Kart 7

Best Platformer 2011: Rayman Origins

Runner Up: Super Mario 3D Land

Best Puzzle Game 2011: Portal 2

Runner Up: Limbo (PS3)

Best Action Adventure Game 2011: Uncharted 3

Runner Up: Batman Arkham City

Best Racer 2011: Mario Kart 7

Runner Up: Does Sonic and Sega All Stars Racng count? I haven't played any racers for a while

Best Fighter 2011: Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3

Runner Up: Soul Caliber 4

Best Shooter 2011: Haven't played a shooter in 2011

Best RPG 2011: Skyrim

Runner Up: Pokemon Black and White

Best Story 2011: Batman Arkham City

Runner Up: Uncharted 3

Best Graphics 2011: Uncharted 3

Runner Up: LittleBigPlanet 2

Best Online 2011 (PS3, Wii, and 3DS ONLY): LittleBigPlanet 2

Runner Up: Uncharted 3

Best Voice Acting 2011: Batman Arkham City

Runner Up: Portal 2

Most Clever Game 2011: Portal 2

Runner Up: Rayman Origins

Best Downloadable Game: Castle Crashers (OK, I know it technically came out in 2010, but this game is so awesome that is still deserves this spot. Plus I didn't get to play it until 2011, so there you go)

Runner Up: Sonic CD (the remake on PSN and Xbox Live)

Most Disappointing Game 2011: Ratchet and Clank All 4 One (the game was good, but it was really disappointing)

Runner Up: There were no other games that disappointed me

Best Revival 2011: Rayman Origins 

Runner Up: Sonic Generations

Best Remake 2011: Cave Story 3D

Runner Up: Sonic CD (PSN, Xbox Live)

Most Disappointing Thing 2011 (lol): Swapnote (this app on the 3DS was sooooo disappointing. I thought it would be like Pictochat with online....well it is Pictochat, except you can't text chat, it's not live, it's not as cool overall, is glitchier, and isn't fun to use.)

Runner Up: 2011 Wii games

Amazing Console Reviews: Wii

6.75/10
"OK"

The Wii, shown with its controller.

Ah....the Wii. Some like it, some don't. I say, let's look at what's good....and bad in order to decide. I've had the Wii for a while now, and I do enjoy it sometimes. But there are just some things about it I can't help but hate. Let's take a look.

Let's start this off with some positive things about the Wii. For one, there are very good exclusive games for it.  Not too many, but just enough to keep it distinguishable. Secondly, the Virtual Console has some great old Nintendo games on it but unfortunately there are some games that seem like no brainers to put in but they're not. (cough cough Earthbound cough cough). And the final good thing about the Wii....is the backwards compatibility with one of my favorite game systems of all time, the Gamecube and displays them in slightly higher definition! (Unfortunately, along with that, there is a saving bug that (rarely) happens when you play 'Cube games on the Wii).

Super Mario Galaxy's graphics.

Now let's talk about the bad things, and boooooy is there a lot of that here. First let's talk about the low resolution graphics. Sure, sometimes it's not that bad (Super Mario Galaxy 1&2, Sonic Colors) but it's still unacceptable in this age of gaming. (It only goes up to 480p while PS3 and 360 owners get to bask in the 1080p goodness). 

Okay, I know everyone talks about this next part but it's just UN....ACC....EPTABLE!

Nintendo Sucky Connection logo.

The Wii's online network, while it is free, is AWFUL. Good they don't charge cause it's not worth anything! The best online game (in my opinion and IGN's) is Mario Kart Wii. And even that game's online is just....decent. Thank you Nintendo, but I would much rather play on PSN, which is also free but is actually really good, has very little to no lag, and has no sudden disconnections even though my Internet is good.

The PS3 can hold up to 320 Gigabytes and has an internal hard drive.....SWEET! The amazing Wii can hold up to....521 Megabytes.......uh......and has no internal hard drive......lovely. 

Next, I think the Wii misses out on all of the awesome games that PS3 and 360 owners get. (Batman Arkham City, Skyrim, Portal 2, Marvel vs Capcom 3, Sonic Generations, need I go on?). And it seems to get some of the worse games. Speaking of which....

The Wii has....terrible.....third party.....SUPPORT!!!! Almost nobody wants to make a game for the Wii because of the low resolution graphics, awful online network, and not enough data on the system to store everything. 

After all of my bickering, you'd think the Wii is a bad system right? Well not totally. It's a good system for kids, but when you get old enough to play some of the more mature games, the Wii may get old. In fact, I think the Wii is a bit dated. It definitely had a "wow" factor back when it came out, but not so much anymore. Overall, its not a good system, not a terrible system. I don't recommend it, yet I do. I guess it boils down to this: if you have a kid ages 5-12 then this may be the system for them. If you are a Nintendo fan, get this system. That's about all I can say.

Final Score: 6.75/10 "Okay"

See you next time!

Amazing Reviews: Sonic Generations (PS3, 360, 3DS)

8.5/10

"Great"

Sonic Generations Logo

Hey, remember when Sega made nothing but terrible Sonic games? Haha, that was a goooood time. Well, those times are over thanks to Sonic's most recent outings such as Sonic Colors and this game. If you're a Sonic fan, old or new, you'll love this game because not only are there 3D stages, but now there are also 2D classic Sonic stages. 

"Beautiful environments and smooth animations"

Graphics: Beautiful environments and smooth animations. Unfortunately, the frame rate may go down sometimes.

Controls: I wish I could say they were perfect. Controlling Sonic in a 3D environment is.....better than Sonic Colors....but still is a little wonky to control. Controlling Sonic in a 2D environment is also better than Colors, but still can be hard to get used to.

Fun Factor: The game is surprisingly addicting and the speed in the game can get really fast. Even though the game is short, there are plenty of.....ahem....."sidequests" you can do.

Online Mode: Unfortunately, PS3 and 360 owners only get Leaderboards. 3DS owners get worse graphics, worse controls, laggy online, less stages, no DLC, don't get the original Sonic the Hedgehog as an unlockable, and no leaderboards. Gee, I wonder which version is better. But, 3DS owners do get online races which are pretty laggy unfortunately, but not too too bad. Also Sega was smart with making the console prices 49.99.

Replay Value: Moderate

Recommended Age: 6+: Some stages can be pretty difficult for younger kids.

Final Score: 8.5/10 "Great"

Recomendation Rating: 4/5 Stars

See you next time....

              

Amazing Reviews: Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube)

Luigi's Mansion Title Screen

If there was one game I played constantly when I was younger, that game is Luigi's Mansion. My childhood is filled with fond memories with this game, but does it still hold up after 10 years? Let's find out.

Luigi's Mansion was a launch title for the Gamecube. It was basically showcasing the Gamecube's capabilities.  So, realistically, it would be a short game. And it is. But it's still enjoyable. And you WILL want to play it again.

Concept: The main objective of the game is to find Luigi's brother Mario, who went missing in a mansion filled with ghosts. After a bit, Luigi gains the help of Professor E. Gadd (haha) and the professor give Luigi the Poltergeist 3000 , which is a vacuum that you can use to suck up the ghosts. Then your journey begins in the mansion.

The Poltergeist 3000. Professor E. Gadd is in the lower right corner.

Graphics: When this game first came out, the graphics made me go "WOW!" and they still do look pretty good today. I love the little dust effect while you're walking. They seem to have put a lot of effort into the areas themselves, but the character models could have used a little more work. Overall though, graphics are great.

Controls: The controls work very well.....when you get used to them. Not too big of an issue though.

Fun Factor: The game is very addicting. Too bad it's so short. However, when you beat the game, you can play again in Challenge Mode, where the ghosts have more HP but your Poltergeist 3000 has 1.5 times the sucking power. I like this addition , it adds to the replay ability.

Online Mode: There is no online. Remember, this is a Gamecube game.

Music: You basically hear 1 song through the entire game. It's very catchy though. 

Replay Value: Moderately High

Recommended Age: 7+: Nothing bad about this game but some sections can be difficult for younger kids.

Final Score: 9/10 "Awesome"

Fun Fact:

I am SO glad the game is the way it is. It was originally going to be like this:

You see that gauge at the bottom? That's your vacuum power. If it runs out, you can't use it. I think it would've automatically refilled, but it would have been a SERIOUS annoyance. 

Also, the WORST PART. See that clock? That's your time. You had to beat the game in under 24 hours. That's no fun. D:

Amazing Reviews: Portal 2 (PS3, 360, PC)

Portal 2 logo

I haven't played the original PC classic, Portal. But now, I really wish I had. This is the second game I played on the PS3, and is also one of the best games out there right now.

Concept: This game is a first person puzzle game. You have a portal gun to solve these puzzles. The way you use it is by shooting a portal on a portal surface with R1 or L1 (PS3) then shoot a portal somewhere else using the opposite portal. Then you can walk through one portal and out the next. The puzzles ARE challenging. But I managed to get past the entire story mode without using a walkthrough.

Graphics: The graphics are spectacular. Up close, some textures look a bit muddy, but other than that the visuals are great. 

"The graphics are spectacular"

Controls: The controls are virtually perfect. No complaints in this department.

Fun Factor: Solving puzzles in this game is so satisfying and fun. It's just.....whenever you solve a puzzle you get this feeling of...accomplishment. Truly a great feeling. The online mode is also very addicting and fun.

Online Mode: This game supports 2 player co-op. When you find a partner (which either takes incredibly short or very long) you'll be in a hub world where you can choose which set of levels you would like to tackle first. The game also supports voice chat which makes communicating with your partner easy and efficient. If you want to play with your online buddy, just send an invite. Quick, Easy, Fun.

Replay Value: High

Recommended Age: 12+ - The word "damn" and "hell" can be heard infrequently in the dialogue. 

Final Score: 10/10 "Outstanding"

See you tomorrow!