The Idea
So you're about to die. You have
lived your whole life to it's fullest, and completed every item on
your bucket list save for one. You have never played a video game.
All your years have come and gone, and you've always wanted to, but
you just never found the time to pick up a controller.
Well you are in luck, because
through extensive thought and product research (see: playing lots of
games) I have composed a list of the top 25 games to experience
before you die.
Assuming these are all you will
play, no two of these games will be the similar. Each will be the
absolute best gaming can offer, with no duplicates or wasted time.
This is not
a best games of all time list. Some of these games actually have many
issues. This is in fact a list of the best most pure experiences
available in gaming today.
In order to uphold this quality,
every game on the list will be required to stand up, and still be
good, based on today's standards. Unfortunately for fans, this
already eliminates some very important games such as Goldeneye
and Final Fantasy VII.
I will announce the games in order,
and deliver them every day this week. Five games will be announced
every day starting now with #25-21.
Games
to Play Before You Die
#25-21
#25. Wii
Sports - Wii
With the
invention of the Wii, Nintendo more than reinvented gaming, they
revolutionized it. Sure copy cats have improved upon the original
idea. The Xbox Kinect comes to mind as a much more authentic overall
motion control experience. However, not one game in history can claim
to have reached the mass audience that Wii Sports has, as it's
current sales have reached just under 80 million copies sold.
Before Wii
Sports the idea of a “Casual Gamer” meant 40+ year old men with
jobs and families. Now nearly 6 years into the Wii's lifespan,
millions of people who never expected to, find themselves casually
gaming every week. Mothers, fathers, and even grandparents are now
scheduling time to play games, because they finally can. Requiring
nothing but your own personal movement, and little to no skill,
anyone of any gender or age can just pick up a controller and play.
You owe it to
yourself to try Wii Sports. Unlike Farmville, this casual gaming
phenomenon is entirely worth it.
What You're
Missing: Watching
your grandpa (who still thinks games look like Pac Man) get obsessed
with achieving a perfect Wii Bowling score.
Honorable
Mention: Kinect
Fruit Ninja
#24. Star
Wars Battlefront 2 – PC/PS2/Xbox
There
are online multiplayer shooters, and then there is Star Wars
Battlefront 2. Where most shooters, even still today, limit gamers to
a measly sixteen player online experience. Battlefront gives you 64.
As if that wasn't already enough, it does so inside the Star Wars
Universe. Usually matches are all based around capturing re-spawn
points until the enemy is defeated, but even so, it never gets
repetitive.
If
somehow blasting your enemies as a crossbow wielding Wookie does get
old, which it won't. You could always hop in a ship and engage in the
full fledged galactic space battle happening right above you. You
only need hop in a ship.
Pilots,
Troopers, Droids, Bounty Hunters, and even Jedi and Sith are always a
just a click away. You will be required to slice up rebels as Darth
Vader, then moments later you will be flying in a Tie Fighter trying
to take over a Star Cruiser. This game has ADD, and is all the better
for it.
What You're
Missing: 64
player online, blaster filled, lightsaber dueling, giant spaceship
battling glory.
Honorable
Mention: Call
of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
#23. Tony
Hawk Pro Skater 2 HD – Original PS1, HD PS3/Xbox360
This
was a close one. Tony Hawk is arguable one of the greatest sports
games ever made, however it in no way holds up today. With games as
attractive as the more recent Skate series, Pro Skater 2 has not aged
well at all.
This
all changed recently. As of July 18th
on Xbox 360, and also August 28th
on PS3, Tony Hawk has released a completely recreated HD version of
Pro Skater on both Xbox Live and the PSN Network.
While
yes it is totally unrealistic in every possible way, no other sports
game minus maybe the SSX series requires an actual skill and practice
to master it's art. Yet somehow, being so difficult makes the
unrealistic move-set feel completely real. Why shouldn't
you be able to grind three consecutive staircase rails on only the
nose of your board? Even if this ends up completely copy pasted off
the original, and nothing is changed or added but the graphics, it is
an absolute must play.
What You're
Missing: The
thrill of landing a gravity defying chain of grinds up the side of a
building, onto a telephone line, and then landing a handstand on a
moving car.
Honorable
Mention: NFL
Blitz 2000
#22. Metal
Gear Solid - PS1
Metal
Gear Solid single-handedly taught millions of teenagers to follow the
ESRB rating system. Picture an 11 year old boy, so excited to finally
sneak a copy of Metal Gear Solid from an unsuspecting video game
clerk. He takes that game home and plays it all night. First the
story, full of political intrigue and betrayals, pulls him in. Then
the revolutionary stealth game play takes the forefront.
Finally
begin the ingenious bosses. Among them, is Psycho Mantis. Widely
remembered for breaking the 4th
wall, Psycho Mantis displayed his powers by commenting on the players
game saves, turning off your television, or even switching your
televisions input. Now 14 years later, that seems like nothing, but
at the time it was astonishing.
Personally,
I have never turned off a game so fast in my life. I did not even go
back to play it until after
I had played Metal Gear Solid 2 on the PS2 years later.
What You're
Missing: The best boss battle
that has ever been put into a video game. Usually I would say it is
arguable, but I just don't see how that is possible here.
Honorable
Mention: Eternal
Darkness
#21. Marvel
vs. Capcom 2 – Arcade Version
Since
it's release in 2003, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has managed to steal enough
quarters that most gamers could have just bought the game on consoles
twice over. Why then do players keep going back?
I
have attributed it simply to button mashing. MvC actually gives
players control of three separate characters a match instead of the
normal 1v1 match. So when button mashing, six characters total are
rushing onto screen from all sides unleashing devastating specials
left and right.
The
exact same visuals are there on the console versions, even on the
newly released Marvel vs. Capcom 3. However, that is not what makes
this an experience to have before you die. The true experience comes
from rapidly slamming your palm on the arcade table, while throwing
your quarters in at a nearly equal pace.
What You're
Missing: Somehow
losing $20 in quarters, even though you promised yourself you would
only spend that $5 bill. The change machine just sucked the rest
right out of your wallet.
Honorable
Mention: Super
Smash Bros. Melee
To
Be Continued:
#20-16
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