TPWW Forums - View Single Post - Rate the Game Wrap Up and Retrospective Special

**M-A-G** · 09-11-2022, 10:23 AM

My personal top ten, irrespective of their position and rating on the leaderboard. Also, not counting games not on the leaderboard:

1. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

My favorite game ever of all time, I don't care what anyone says. I never played anything like it before and I haven't played anything like it since. Well, unless you want to count the other games in the franchise. Some elements of the graphics and mechanics don't really hold up well but it's still a "trapped on an island" game if there ever was one for me. The story is told with near-expert skill and the voice acting is some of the best, even to this day. The world they created with Nosgoth and the lore to go along with it is so immersive and interesting. Twenty years or so after its release and its fanbase is still strong. I've actually been stumbling across retrospective videos on YouTube and it's a fascinating dive into just how much the game, and the whole franchise, has meant to its fans. I've been buying shirts and accessories relating to the series to help make up for the fact that stuff like that wasn't around when I was a teen. I absolutely would've worn this shit to school. Not to mention the music which I have on my phone and computer. I think I've praised it enough. Give a whirl if you can track it down. It's just good shit.

2. Silent Hill 3

The best Silent Hill game in my opinion. It's a tough choice between this one and the second game, and I absolutely understand if people pick it over this one. But this game got things back to where the series began. Tying the story to the original game was a fantastic twist and Heather is just a great protagonist. This was the first game to really scare the shit out of me in a visceral way, with the uneasy scenarios and unnerving music. By the time I was in the amusement park I flat out told my friend that I really didn't feel like playing anymore. There are just so many memorable moments in this game, from the mirror room to the carousel fight to the subway tracks panic moment. It would've been fine if the series had ended here but Team Silent had one more card to play before it really went all to hell.

3. Super Mario Bros. 3

I think covered all my thoughts in the first post. By the way, did you know there's a trick you can pull off to keep Bowser from breathing fire during the battle with him?

4. Silent Hill 2

If I had to put the original 4 games in order of preference, least favorite to best, it'd be the 4th, the first, this one, and then the third. This game refined everything from the first game. It really benefitted being on the Playstation 2. Like Super Mario Bros. 3, I think I said all that I needed to say about this one earlier. I wish developers would get it out of their heads that this is the game that needs to be copied or that this game "stands on its own" because that's the mentality that has caused later games to come out rather less than stellar, to say the least.

5. Doom

I fucking love me some old school Doom. If there wasn't a computer in my school that had this installed, it's most likely because I hadn't used it. Forget cracking the books or trying out for sports. There were demons that needed to be pumped full of lead! It always strikes me as fascinating that one of the most anti-Hell games out there was such a huge target for Christian evangelical lunatics. They should've been the game's biggest audience! Yes, there was Wolfenstein 3D and Marathon but this is where you could say the FPS genre really took off. It hits all the right pleasure buttons in your brain.

6. Donkey Kong Country 2

The original Donkey Kong Country was a such a hot piece of property when it dropped. It really helped in the Super Nintendo's battle against Sega's Genesis. I was pumped like hell when I found out that a sequel was on the way. In retrospect it seems like a no-brainer to follow up one of the best-selling Super Nintendo games of all time, but this was during the time that the Playstation and the Saturn had already dropped and Nintendo's reliance on the Super Nintendo to tide gamers over until the Nintendo 64 was a huge risk. As much as I love the original, the sequel just built on everything. The new environments looked great as it continued to push what the Super Nintendo was capable of. The music is playlist worthy. The challenge was upped but never unfair. More bonus rooms and secrets were just waiting to be found. It does what any good platformer should do.

7. Super Mario World

It's number one for a reason on our leaderboard. Sadly, Super Mario's Wacky Worlds never got the chance to shine and kick this game to the curb.

8. Mortal Kombat 2

While Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 claims the title of highest ranked Mortal Kombat game on the leaderboard, I prefer the second game over it. The leaps it made over the original weren't really matched by the third entry's leaps over the second. Mortal Kombat 2 is where we get a big chunk of the lore. We learn about Outworld and Shao Kahn. Some of the most popular characters were introduced here. Juggle combos were a huge part of the gameplay. The graphics looked sharper. More secrets were implemented. Kids in my class just ate this game up. It's not particularly fun to play solo but you can say that about any fighting game. This baby still holds up, in my opinion.

9. Mega Man 2

I debated whether or not this was my favorite Mega Man game. Mega Man 3 is pretty killer. Mega Man 9 was a fun nostalgic throwback. I'll always have a soft spot for the 4th game because it was the very first entry I played. But there's just something about the second game where everything comes together. It's missing all of the other things we take for granted from the other entries like sliding and Rush, but it's another example of near flawless platforming gameplay. From the soundtrack to the Metal Blade, you can't go wrong with this one...aside from that God awful box art.

10. Half-Life 2

The original Half-Life came along and slapped everything I knew about PC first-person shooter games out of my cranium. It took a much more cinematic approach to the genre and had A.I. behavior that was almost living and breathing. Of course, Valve just had to kick it up several notches for the sequel and I find it practically a complete masterpiece. The gravity gun and Ravenholme alone are worth the price of admission. Luckily, there's more to it than that, from the oppressive City 17 to Alyx as your companion to the Combine to the inevitable expansion packs. It does what any good sequel should do in expanding what you know about the world and characters established while keeping enough familiar elements to not completely overwhelm you. I really believe it's one of the best games ever made.

And that should do it for my top ten. Anyone else want to share?

09-11-2022, 10:23 AM	#22
M-A-G Higher. Further. Faster. Posts: 20,865	This post is sponsored by the Philips CD-i My personal top ten, irrespective of their position and rating on the leaderboard. Also, not counting games not on the leaderboard: 1. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver My favorite game ever of all time, I don't care what anyone says. I never played anything like it before and I haven't played anything like it since. Well, unless you want to count the other games in the franchise. Some elements of the graphics and mechanics don't really hold up well but it's still a "trapped on an island" game if there ever was one for me. The story is told with near-expert skill and the voice acting is some of the best, even to this day. The world they created with Nosgoth and the lore to go along with it is so immersive and interesting. Twenty years or so after its release and its fanbase is still strong. I've actually been stumbling across retrospective videos on YouTube and it's a fascinating dive into just how much the game, and the whole franchise, has meant to its fans. I've been buying shirts and accessories relating to the series to help make up for the fact that stuff like that wasn't around when I was a teen. I absolutely would've worn this shit to school. Not to mention the music which I have on my phone and computer. I think I've praised it enough. Give a whirl if you can track it down. It's just good shit. 2. Silent Hill 3 The best Silent Hill game in my opinion. It's a tough choice between this one and the second game, and I absolutely understand if people pick it over this one. But this game got things back to where the series began. Tying the story to the original game was a fantastic twist and Heather is just a great protagonist. This was the first game to really scare the shit out of me in a visceral way, with the uneasy scenarios and unnerving music. By the time I was in the amusement park I flat out told my friend that I really didn't feel like playing anymore. There are just so many memorable moments in this game, from the mirror room to the carousel fight to the subway tracks panic moment. It would've been fine if the series had ended here but Team Silent had one more card to play before it really went all to hell. 3. Super Mario Bros. 3 I think covered all my thoughts in the first post. By the way, did you know there's a trick you can pull off to keep Bowser from breathing fire during the battle with him? 4. Silent Hill 2 If I had to put the original 4 games in order of preference, least favorite to best, it'd be the 4th, the first, this one, and then the third. This game refined everything from the first game. It really benefitted being on the Playstation 2. Like Super Mario Bros. 3, I think I said all that I needed to say about this one earlier. I wish developers would get it out of their heads that this is the game that needs to be copied or that this game "stands on its own" because that's the mentality that has caused later games to come out rather less than stellar, to say the least. 5. Doom I fucking love me some old school Doom. If there wasn't a computer in my school that had this installed, it's most likely because I hadn't used it. Forget cracking the books or trying out for sports. There were demons that needed to be pumped full of lead! It always strikes me as fascinating that one of the most anti-Hell games out there was such a huge target for Christian evangelical lunatics. They should've been the game's biggest audience! Yes, there was Wolfenstein 3D and Marathon but this is where you could say the FPS genre really took off. It hits all the right pleasure buttons in your brain. 6. Donkey Kong Country 2 The original Donkey Kong Country was a such a hot piece of property when it dropped. It really helped in the Super Nintendo's battle against Sega's Genesis. I was pumped like hell when I found out that a sequel was on the way. In retrospect it seems like a no-brainer to follow up one of the best-selling Super Nintendo games of all time, but this was during the time that the Playstation and the Saturn had already dropped and Nintendo's reliance on the Super Nintendo to tide gamers over until the Nintendo 64 was a huge risk. As much as I love the original, the sequel just built on everything. The new environments looked great as it continued to push what the Super Nintendo was capable of. The music is playlist worthy. The challenge was upped but never unfair. More bonus rooms and secrets were just waiting to be found. It does what any good platformer should do. 7. Super Mario World It's number one for a reason on our leaderboard. Sadly, Super Mario's Wacky Worlds never got the chance to shine and kick this game to the curb. 8. Mortal Kombat 2 While Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 claims the title of highest ranked Mortal Kombat game on the leaderboard, I prefer the second game over it. The leaps it made over the original weren't really matched by the third entry's leaps over the second. Mortal Kombat 2 is where we get a big chunk of the lore. We learn about Outworld and Shao Kahn. Some of the most popular characters were introduced here. Juggle combos were a huge part of the gameplay. The graphics looked sharper. More secrets were implemented. Kids in my class just ate this game up. It's not particularly fun to play solo but you can say that about any fighting game. This baby still holds up, in my opinion. 9. Mega Man 2 I debated whether or not this was my favorite Mega Man game. Mega Man 3 is pretty killer. Mega Man 9 was a fun nostalgic throwback. I'll always have a soft spot for the 4th game because it was the very first entry I played. But there's just something about the second game where everything comes together. It's missing all of the other things we take for granted from the other entries like sliding and Rush, but it's another example of near flawless platforming gameplay. From the soundtrack to the Metal Blade, you can't go wrong with this one...aside from that God awful box art. 10. Half-Life 2 The original Half-Life came along and slapped everything I knew about PC first-person shooter games out of my cranium. It took a much more cinematic approach to the genre and had A.I. behavior that was almost living and breathing. Of course, Valve just had to kick it up several notches for the sequel and I find it practically a complete masterpiece. The gravity gun and Ravenholme alone are worth the price of admission. Luckily, there's more to it than that, from the oppressive City 17 to Alyx as your companion to the Combine to the inevitable expansion packs. It does what any good sequel should do in expanding what you know about the world and characters established while keeping enough familiar elements to not completely overwhelm you. I really believe it's one of the best games ever made. And that should do it for my top ten. Anyone else want to share?