My Top 20 Video Games

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 12 people | Log in to rate

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Why A Top 20 Old School Video Game List?

I have been meaning to put one together for a few years and now I have finally sat down and created my list. I will countdown from #20 to the best game I have ever played. However, there is something to keep in mind.

When I was in college, I swore off video games (not by choice). I knew if I spent too much time playing games, that I would never get school work done. Because of that and a couple of other events leading to down time for my favorite hobby of video game playing, I am a bit behind on the games played. That means this list is really based on old school games.


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What This Top 20 List Includes 

My Top 20 list excludes the following games:

Playstation 2

Playstation 3

Sony PSP

Xbox

Xbox 360

Nintendo Wii

Nintendo DS

Eventually, I will purchase these consoles and play many games on my "to play" list, but for now, those games are excluded from my Top 20.

I will update this list when I do get the opportunity to play the big blockbuster games.

Let me repeat, this list will not have Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3, God of War, Gears of War or Halo games. Basically this is a listing of old school games.

All game screenshots courtesy of IGN.com (except the screenshots for Link's Awakening DX and Super Mario All-Stars are from VGMuseum.com). Most screenshots are clickable for larger views.

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#20 

Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)

When you see this game, you think of it as another Super Mario 64 game with better graphics, and it pretty much was. The water backpack was a nifty idea, but I would have liked a couple of more "gimmick" backpacks to change the gameplay up a bit.

Super Mario Sunshine Various


For being a kid-friendly game, I thought it was quite challenging in some areas (there were a couple of bonus areas I could not beat). This is the only Mario game I could not finish 100%.

#19 

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GameCube)

Paper Mario is certainly not like traditional RPGs. The characters are paper thin and you fight characters with turn-based combat, but if you time your button presses correctly you can cause extra damage to your enemies.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Various


While I have not played the original Paper Mario game for the N64 (eventually I will download the Wii Virtual Console game), Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is certainly one of the best action role-playing games ever.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Trailer 

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#18 

Star Fox Adventures (GameCube)

Star Fox Adventures was originally intended for the N64 (was to be called Dinosaur Planet). Fox McCloud's fur effects obviously took advantage of the GameCube's graphical capabilities. I believe this was an underrated game for the GameCube. Star Fox Adventures felt a lot like The Legend of Zelda games (and that's a good thing).

Star Fox Adventures Various


The final boss fight was tough and entertaining. I am not a fan of the Star Fox flight games, but the occasional flight and sled racing stages in this adventure game were fun. I also like the use of a staff as the main weapon and getting away from traditional swords. I really wish Nintendo would make a sequel.

#17 

Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)

I remember being excited for this game collection when it was released. The fact that you could get four Mario games and have them updated with enhanced graphics and sound was an unbelievable bargain for its retail price. This collection included Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (released in Japan only at the time), Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario Bros 3.


Like the Game Genie (that device you plugged your old NES games into to get unlimited lives, power, new weapons, reach new levels, etc), this Super Mario collection breathed new life into those Mario Bros. classic games. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is quite challenging and even includes poison mushrooms that will shrink or kill you.

The Super Mario All-Stars Commercial 

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#16 

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GameBoy Color)

Link's Awakening was a game I purchased twice. The first game was released without color. Then, once the GameBoy Color portable was created, Link's Awakening DX was released which was colorized and included an additional dungeon that made good use of the new colors.


For a portable game, this was the best regardless of it being a Zelda game. I bought it twice because it was worth it (I purchased the original first, then the colorized version). I unfortunetly missed out on the Zelda Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons games (hopefully they will be re-released someday). Much like Super Mario Bros. All-Stars, maybe Nintendo should release a compiliation pack of The Legend of Zelda portable games.

#15 

Super Mario World (SNES)

I remember being jealous when my neighbor friend got a SNES and told me about Super Mario World. He told me you can see Mario's pocket. That was a big deal back then. Eventually I got to play my friend's SNES and it was incredible. My mom finally bought my brothers and I a SNES later on (and I still have it!).

Super Mario World [Virtual Console] Screenshot


Super Mario World is huge with plenty of levels (72 levels with 24 having alternate exits). The addition of the Yoshi character (green dinosaur) added a whole new level of gameplay and Mario has new moves like a spin jump and with the cape, he can fly. Yet another Mario masterpiece.

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#14 

Super Mario 64 (N64)

The reality is this game could have been a disaster trying to move a successful 2D game into an unknown territory of 3D. The result: basically every game developer bases their 3D platform games off of the design of Super Mario 64.

Super Mario 64 Screenshot


Mario was reinvented furthering his popularity growth. Bosses were bigger, the worlds were free to roam and collecting stars and different colored coins was the thing to do. The only downside to Super Mario 64 was the idea of having to play the same levels multiple times to accomplish all of the tasks (even 3D games released today still follow this thinking). Obviously 3D levels take longer to develop, however sometimes it takes playing through a level a few times to really appreciate it.

#13 

Street Fighter II: Turbo (SNES)

My brothers and I played this game a lot! We had several tornaments to see who could win with the four fighters we were stuck with (12 fighters total). Street Fighter overall suffered from too many annual updates with only minor changes, but back in the day, Street Fighter 2 was THE GAME.

Street Fighter II Turbo [Virtual Console] Various


It was in every arcade (back in the old days when there was such a thing). How influential was Street Fighter 2? Its success spurred EVERY game developer at the time to create at least one fighter game. Konami had Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tornament Fighters, Sega created Eternal Champions and Virtua Fighter, Midway of course had Mortal Kombat and even kid-friendly Nintendo came out with a fighting game (Super Smash Bros.) and was one of the few fighting games that actually enjoyed quite a bit of success.

Street Fighter II: Turbo Gameplay 

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#12 

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

Link's Awakening was the best portable game I had ever played until The Minish Cap. The Minish Cap is now the best portable game ever because it is a fully colorized game that looks so close like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap Various


Two downfalls for The Minish Cap are the short length of the game (only six dungeons) and the overuse of having to copy or create multiple Links to solve puzzles. Still, The Minish Cap has the usual Zelda sidequests and it is certainly a game not to be missed.

#11 

Metal Gear Solid (PS One)

A game that plays like a movie - who would have thought? Why isn't there a movie of this game? Metal Gear Solid is just cool - end of story! You get to sneak around spying on your enemies and take them out one-by-one as opposed to going in guns blazing. The game is a bit short and does have you backtracking through previous levels.

Metal Gear Solid Various


Metal Gear Solid's plot unravels like a mini-movie with a bit of humor, good voice-acting and interesting storyline with a couple of plot twists. I can't wait to get a Playstation 2 so I can play Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 (they are the first games on my list for the PS2).

#10 

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS One)

Clearly this is the fan favorite version of Castlevania. Its massive size (HUGE castle - when you think you're done, you realize you're not even close) with CD orchestral soundtrack just envelopes you into a mood fitting for this game. It has its challenging parts in the game, but not Contra hard, so you can really enjoy the game experience.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Various


Castlevania: Symphony of the Night proved that good 2D games can be a commercial success. Symphony of the Night employed some Metroid-like gameplay of backtracking through previous levels and obtaining new abilities. Gamers really liked that concept and was employed in various Castlevania GameBoy Advance and Nintendo DS games. Castlevania has explored the 3D route with games like Castlevania: Curse of Darkness and Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, but none of those games have been considered successful games.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Highlights 

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#9 

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube)

There was a big uproar over the visuals in the game. Nintendo utilized cel-shaded graphics that gave the game a cartoonish-look to it. Once I got playing the game, the visuals didn't bother me (it's more about the experience than the graphics). I personally prefer the Twilight Princess graphics over The Wind Waker visuals, but in the end it doesn't matter because it is still a Zelda game.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Various


The one thing that really bothered me was all the sailing. Sure it is a different style of gameplay, but for me it was difficult to look at a screen and say, yeah, I know where I am while looking at a screen full of water. The other land-based Zelda games you could look at a statue or a tree and know exactly where you are in the game. Wind Waker doesn't benefit from that without having to look at a map.

Wind Waker is still a heck of game. Explosions look cool with the cel-shaded graphics and there are new items to discover as well. Wind Waker is a really satisfying Zelda game when you look past the negatives. It's certainly the most unique Zelda game ever created and don't let the cartoonish visuals fool you - this is a real Zelda adventure (it is not a kiddy game).

#8 

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GameCube)

Like Super Mario 64, there was risk involved taking a beloved franchise such as Metroid into 3D. This move could have killed the franchise. Think about it, if the game developers messed-up the usage of the grappling hook in 3D, the Metroid Prime series could have been a disaster.

Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Various


Fortunately, the move to 3D, I thought, was the best move. It brought new life to the Metroid franchise. The 3D move produced atmospheric games with eerie music and scary moments (those space pirates and some bosses are quite frightening). I can't wait to get a Wii so I can play Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

The GameCube Metroid Prime games are long. It will take several hours to accomplish all tasks like scanning everything and collecting energy tanks and missles. Super Metroid, however, was a good game, but too short. I rented it one weekend and beat it easily before it was even due back.

#7 

Metroid Prime (GameCube)

I rank the original Metroid Prime game slightly better because it was the first. It was the first game to see Samus Aran's face reflection on her visior when you fired your weapon into a wall and her eyes would move to the direction you were pointing on your controller. It was also cool to see water roll off the visior when Samus emerges from water.

Metroid Prime Various


I personally like the menu select theme song (so sets the mood for this game - listen to it below). Rolling into the morph ball and moving around was so intuitive. The different visors and weapons of course help you along the way. Metroid Prime was an ambitious project and the game developers came through. The visuals were stunning and the moody music just fit together like it was suppose to be that way.

Of course the real appeal of any Metroid game is trying to find all the weapon upgrades, energy tanks and missles to power-up Samus Aran's suit to its max potential. Too bad the Nintendo 64 never got a Metroid game.

Metroid Prime Menu Select Theme Song 

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#6 

Chrono Cross (PS One)

This was the long awaited Chrono Trigger sequel. Other than the load times (Playstation One), this game was just as good as the first Chrono title. Since it was on CD, I actually enjoyed the cutscenes more in Chrono Cross than Chrono Trigger. Chrono Cross featured over 40 playable characters!

Chrono Cross Various


I love the fact there are no random battles in this game (which is why you don't see any Final Fantasy games on this list). It is so frustrating to walk a couple of steps and boom, you are in another long drawn-out fight (with load times no less on disc-based games).

Jumping back and forth between the parallel dimensions reminds me of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but it is done quite effectively in Chrono Cross. The beautiful landscapes and stunning musical score make this one of the best RPGs ever. You really couldn't ask for more from this game. Now, where is the next sequel, Square Enix?

Chrono Cross Opening Sequence 

Best Opening Sequence For ANY Video Game (Listen To That Musical Score)

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#5 

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)

You should be understanding by now that I am a HUGE The Legend of Zelda fan. I feel it is the only game worth paying full price for when it is first released. Majora's Mask would be rated higher if it wasn't for the time deadline gameplay.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora


One of the reasons I like the Zelda games is because I can take my time and explore at my leisure. Some of that freedom was taken away with this game. You have "3 days" (which is actually less than one hour of real time play) to accomplish certain tasks. But overall the whole time travel gameplay works well.

I wish Nintendo would produce more games like Majora's Mask. I like the fact that they used the same game engine (from Ocarina of Time) to produce another Zelda title. I don't care if they rebuild every Zelda game from scratch. I would like to see a new Zelda game every two or three years as opposed to the five year wait for Ocarina of Time. Hopefully Nintendo will use the Twilight Princess game engine to produce another Zelda Wii game.

#4 

Chrono Trigger (SNES / PS One)

Chrono Trigger was one of those huge blockbuster titles only available on the Super Nintendo. Again, no random battle in this game, just pure enjoyment. While it lacks the ultra cool CGI cutscenes of its sequel Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger will forever be in gamers hearts as the one RPG you can't live without experiencing.

Final Fantasy Chronicles Various


Chrono Trigger was released on The SNES first. Then was packaged with Final Fantasy IV as a Playstation port titled Final Fantasy Chronicles. If you didn't play either of those Chrono Trigger games, there is good news. Square Enix will release a remastered Nintendo DS Chrono Trigger for holiday 2008. The game will feature dual screen presentation, stylus controls, a new dungeon and wireless play.

Chrono Trigger was developed by THE Dream Team. Before Square and Enix merged together as one company, some of the talented people behind the Final Fantasy (Square) games and the Dragon Warrior (Enix) games combined their efforts to develop the epic Chrono Trigger game.

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#3 

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

This game was my favorite game of all time for a number years (about six and half years until at least game #2 on my Top 20 list was released). A Link to the Past was the second Zelda game I purchased twice. I had to sell my first copy because I needed the money.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past [Virtual Console] Screenshot


A Link to the Past is the best 2D game I have ever witnessed. Even by today's standards, the game is gorgeous. The memorable Zelda music tracks, the beautiful scenery, the jumping back and forth from the Light World and Dark World introduced gamers to a new experience. Of course today, you see a few games copy this Zelda gameplay feature of jumping between different dimensions (even Nintendo's own Metroid Prime 2: Echoes utilizes this technique). A Link to the Past was a really influential game.

I would have loved to have seen a Zelda sequel on the SNES, but The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening filled in quite nicely. I remember seeing this game at Kmart when it first came out. I looked at the back of the game box and bought it right then even though I never really played the first two The Legend of Zelda games on the NES. I have been in love the Zelda franchise ever since. Geez ... I wonder what the next two games will be.

#2 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Ocarina of Time was close to being #1. But this game obviously has shaped future Zelda games that have now gone 3D. Instead of traveling between worlds like A Link to the Past, you travel back and forth in time. As a result, young Link can only use certain weapons and vice versa for grown-up Link.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Various


The game was delayed several times, but it was well worth the wait. While the graphics aren't that sharp by today's standards, they were pretty cool back in the day. You could be on one side of Hyrule and look across the field and see Death Mountain in the far distance.

Riding horseback was first introduced into Ocarina of Time bringing a new element of gameplay like Mario being able to ride Yoshi. Since the N64 didn't display the sharpest graphics, I actually hope Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask both get a visual upgrade with a new Zelda compilation pack (kind of like what Super Mario All-Stars was to their original NES games). Ask any true gamer, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time will be in their Top 5.

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#1 

The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess (Wii / GameCube)

The #2 and #1 game came close to going either way, but Twilight Princess is MUCH LONGER and has better graphics. I waited so long for this game to be released. I tried buying it for the Nintendo Wii, but couldn't find a console, so I had to wait another month for it to be released on the GameCube. The wait was more than worth it.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Various

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Various


The overall beauty of this game (especially the long quest) is unbelievable. Creative boss battles are always a highlight of the Zelda games. Come on, Nintendo, let's release another sequel soon. I believe I logged 80 hours of gametime on Twilight Princess. I really did a lot of exploring.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Various

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Various


Twilight Princess was the first Zelda game available for a Nintendo system launch and certainly helped Nintendo to sell a lot of Nintendo Wiis. I suspect Twilight Princess will be my number one game for some time, at least until the next The Legend of Zelda game is produced.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Trailer 

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Underrated Games That Should Be Played 

The games listed below were close to making my Top 20 and there are a couple of really underrated games here that should be experienced.

Grandia (PS1)
Super Castlevania IV (SNES)
Actraiser (SNES)
Metroid Fusion (GBA)
Perfect Dark (N64)
Blast Corps (N64)
007 Everything or Nothing (GameCube)
F-Zero GX (GameCube)

F-Zero GX Various

Summary 

I know everyone has their opinion (please leave yours below in the What's Your Top 3 guestbook). But, like I said before, I am a huge The Legend of Zelda freak. The games are not just simple hack and slash titles. Inventive puzzles need to be solved before you can move on with your adventure (yes, you actually have to use your brain to play Zelda games).

I will update this list as I move onto the next-generation games. It will probably be awhile before I get to any Xbox games as I wait out for Microsoft to initiate some quality control for the Xbox 360 (it is estimated those consoles have a 20% failure rate - that is WAY TOO HIGH!).

I hope you enjoyed the list and got to remember some games from the past.

Video Game Links To Check Out 

1Up.com
The best source for video game news and reviews (EGM Magazine).
IGN.com
A source for video games, movies, TV, comic books, girls and more.

What Games Do You Consider To Be In Your Top 3? 

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