The Idea
This is not a best games of all time list.
In fact some of these games actually have many issues. This is in fact a list
of the best most pure experiences available
in gaming today. No two of these games will be the similar. Each will be the
absolute best gaming can offer, with no duplicates or wasted time.
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.
I will announce the games
in order, and deliver them every day this week. Five games will be announced
every day, continuing now with Part 3.
Games to Play Before You Die
#15-11
#15. Super Mario Bros 3 –
NES
This one is just
easy. Everyone needs to play Mario before they die, because it’s Mario. He is a
man who deserves your respect. Mario is the not only the father of gaming, he
managed to single handedly save the industry in the 80's.
Viewed from the
outside Mario makes no sense. You are a plumber, who's princess girlfriend just
got kidnapped by a giant dinosaur. You then fight your way through an army of
evil mushrooms and turtles using your flying raccoon powers, which you earn by
eating brown fallen leaves. It is almost as crazy as it is fun. 25 years later,
the newest Mario games have hardly changed, yet this formula is still working
as great as ever.
So if you are going
to play a Mario game, you might as well play the best one. Considering that
Mario's name is attached to just about everything that comes out of Nintendo,
this can be a hard. But I assure you, as every video game fan will attest; Super
Mario Bros 3 is the best one hands down.
What You're Missing: You turn into a flying raccoon
by ingesting fallen leaves. You gain the incredible swimming power of a man in
a frog suit by collecting green frogs. You learn to throw fire by eating
sunflowers. And when you put on a shoe...you become a god.
Honorable Mention: Mario Bros. Arcade
#14. Resident Evil 4 –
Gamecube/PS2/PS3/360/Wii
Have you managed to
watch those horrible excuses for 'Resident Evil Movies' and survive with your
eyes intact? Those are not remotely Resident Evil. The true story is so
intricate, it now spans almost 30 games (including remakes) and asks that you
know a history going back over 16 years.
Resident Evil 4 is
the pinnacle of the Resident Evil series. You play as Leon, a fan favorite, as
he tries to save the President's daughter from a group of terrorists. At first
the game has no noticeable ties to the series, but that soon changes.
The key to this
games success was the zombies who were still slow, yet very smart, and thus
terrifying. Enemies keep the player constantly on edge, building the suspense
and dread.
It also includes
some of the series best boss fights to date. Honestly, to spoil any of them
would be a disservice. However, no one will ever be the same after facing ‘It’
in the suspended Labyrinth.
Think I am bluffing;
give the game a try as it is currently available for download on both major
consoles. You will change your mind the second you find yourself facing a room
of frozen Regenerators, good luck with that.
What You're Missing: The best survival horror game
ever made. Period. If you have never played a game, but love horror movies,
this is the game to start with plain and simple.
Honorable Mention: Silent Hill 2
#13. Rockband –
PS2/PS3/360/Wii
Standing in a room
with six of your closest friends, you choose Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody”. You
begin to sing, while two of your party guests sing backup vocals and harmonies.
The other four are jamming on the drums, bass, guitar, and piano. In the
background you have the Rock Band fog machine and concert lights on full blast.
Of course you have 'no fail mode' turned on to prevent anyone from getting
embarrassed by losing. You are about to have the most fun you will all week.
After your practice
run of Queen, you all decide to play a full concert, but you feel like the 70+
songs on the disc are not enough. Lucky for you there are now 5,782 songs
available for purchase from the Rock Band Digital Store. Don’t worry about
collecting them all though, to do that would cost well over $11,000.
A rare few are
chosen to be gods of rock and roll, especially in today's music world. But in
the world of Rock Band, even you can be the next Jimmy Page. You need only pick
up a plastic guitar.
What You're Missing: The most fun party game ever
made. That is, as long as you are willing to cough up the extra money for the
songs you want.
Honorable Mention: Dance Dance Revolution
#12. Uncharted 2 - PS3
Boom. That is about
as on the nail a review as any for Uncharted 2. Otherwise known as the game
that never pauses, Uncharted puts you behind the reigns of a never ending
action movie.
Without stopping to
take a breath you are thrown from one moment to the next. Nathan Drake will be
dueling a helicopter along city rooftops, and before you know it you are in a
firefight as the building you are in collapses sideways. Or you are dodging
bullets atop a train as you fight to keep your balance, only to then rapidly
climb the train after it goes over a cliff.
On the rare
occasion the game does slow down, you are met with stunning tropical vistas and
deeply detailed ruins. Among these ruins will be puzzles, not unlike Indiana
Jones would solve. These serve as great breaks between the sometimes
overwhelming action.
But the above reasons
are not why the game must be experienced. Uncharted boasts the best graphics to
grace a console to date. There isn’t even a valid argument to be made otherwise.
You just need to see it, and be blown away.
What You're Missing: Did you hate Indiana Jones 4?
Did National Treasure 2 just not do it for you? I assure you the
cinematography, acting, puzzles, and story are all better in this, than any 'relic hunting' movie of the last
decade.
Honorable Mention: Gears of War 2
#11. Psychonauts –
PS2/Xbox/PC/Mac/PSN
More people need to
play Psychonauts. It is one of the greatest games of all time, and is currently
surviving on the fringes of gaming by a small group of die-hard fans.
Any game which
requires you to enter the mind of a giant mutant lung fish named Linda is
worthy of anyone’s time. Poor Linda has gone crazy, and you need to set his mind
straight by living out a remake of Godzilla inside his head. You are Godzilla.
The story behind
Psychonauts is straight forward. You play a psychic boy scout who discovers his
fellow scouts are getting their brains stolen. You set out on a quest to
recover them by solving puzzles and setting things right inside the brains of
dozens of cleverly designed characters.
One level in
particular stays in every fan’s memories. Midway through the game, you enter
the mind of a security guard. His mind is home to an abnormal suburban town
bent and twisted like an M.C. Escher painting. You are then tasked by a group
of spies with discovering the hidden location of “The Milkman”.
Who is the milkman
you ask? Well that is the real question isn’t it?
What You're Missing: If Tim Burton teamed up with the
minds at Laika, got some flat out hilarious writers, and decided to make a
video game. This would be that game.
Honorable Mention: Ratchet and Clank
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