Post by Lýfelíëk Heroblãde on Aug 16, 2007 20:48:43 GMT -5
Alright, so let's face it- traffic around here has slowed to a crawl and it's pretty tough to get posts here anymore. With the recent activity as of late, I was discussing with Breathern my idea to make a "Featured Thread" once every week or two. This is what I hope to be the first of many that will give all of us something to read, really think about, and then respond to. You've read the topic, so what games that you've played(to completion or not) in retrospect deserve the coveted "10"? A game that is a perfect "10" almost always does one or more things better than similar software in it's genre. You'll hear me talking much about attention to detail, because that's usually what does it. Remember, the titles can be from any era or platform, but please be prepared to give a short synopsis about why you feel they earned the rating. OK, lemme get this party started:
I hope you guys have fun with this- hopefully we can keep the chatter going around here and remember the friendship and why we game with each other. I can't wait to hear your nominees!
- Quake(PC, id Software, 1996)- Quake revolutionized the FPS genre in 1996. I remember controlling a character in the first true 3D envionment for an FPS and it feeling oh-so fresh. Gone was the "auto-leveling" attack system from Doom- now you could kill(or be killed) from any angle. Online multiplayer was insane all of the improvements made from its predecessor. How could any of us have known this game would spawn(or be the inspiration for) so many games of it's type in the future?
- Super Mario 64(N64, Nintendo, 1996)- One of two launch games for the N64(the other was Pilotwings64), SM64 was revolutionary for it's time. Nintendo had basically taken the formula that worked so well in 2D sidescrollers and translated it perfectly into 3D. The worlds were vast and it almost seemed at times that there was TOO much to do. In 11 years, the game has appeared on the N64, Nintendo DS, plus the Wii's Virtual Console and has sold extremely well. I can't help but be reminded of Shawn and I trying to get the damned bunny outside the castle for hours on end...
- Final Fantasy VII(PlayStation, SquareSoft, 1997)- With a fully 3D battle system and beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds, FFVII hit PS's across North America in 1997. Gone were the unrealistic killing of various 2D sprites whilst dungeon-crawling. Aided by a great story(for the most part) and an unforgettable art style and characters, FFVII managed to suck in a grand total of over 9.5 people on the PS and PC to make it the best selling installment of the Final Fantasy series. The struggle between Cloud and Sephiroth is one that has definately lasted the test of time so far to this point(and quite well I might add). Personally, I think Square has never created a better upgrade system than Materia.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time(N64, Nintendo, 1998)- Arguably the greatest game of all time, LoZ:OoT finally brought the franchise in the third dimension- and damned well I might add. Somehow, it retained all of the classic charm that the original posessed, but added a narrative that would be cherished for years to come on three consecutive systems. Ocarina introduced "Z-Targeting" which has been copied or variated by many companies in the industry. One of my fondest memories was holding the first gold cartridge in my hands in 10 years...
- Resident Evil 4(Gamecube, Capcom, 2005)- With the Resident Evil franchise slowly becoming a bit mundane and formulaic, Capcom decided to take it in a whole new direction with the release of RE4 on the GCN(which was an exclusive for most of that year). No more third person view with fixed camera angles and prerendered backgrounds- it was time for full 3D and an over-the-shoulder cam that limited the player's view in such a way to scare the living crap out of you when you'd turn and have one of the 'Ganados' in your face. Complete with weapon upgrading and more fleshed out story mechanics, RE4 was poised to be THE best game in the series.
I hope you guys have fun with this- hopefully we can keep the chatter going around here and remember the friendship and why we game with each other. I can't wait to hear your nominees!