Top (and bottom) 5 Gamecube Games

I am loyal to Nintendo.  I think they put forth great efforts to make great games and great experience for gamers.  So it pains me to say this:

The Gamecube was aweful.  Honestly, only 1 game was exceptional and that’s not good.  You name it, they screwed it up.

They took the best controller on the market (N64) and took away the underneath trigger but didn’t give it dual analog.  Mistake (sports games were aweful).  They used mini-DVD sized discs instead of full sized.  Mistake.  And they ventured off the beaten path with their biggest franchises.  Often, this was a mistake.

I was soooo disappointed with my first batch of games that I was extremely hestitant to try out new games.  Unfortunately for me, the best games on the Gamecube were new or games I hadn’t played before.  So my list will NOT look like mainstream Gamecube lists because I didn’t play the great games.  My apologies to the following games I didn’t play: Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, Super Smash Bros Melee, Pikmin, Animal Crossing,and Pikmin.

This is why I feel I was a classic consumer case for the Gamecube: loyal fan who couldn’t get past too many disappointments.  It also has lead me to create a top and bottom 5 list.  So keep reading for my bottom 5 games

1: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

Ok, this goes against everything I just said.  But this is the exception.  Zelda took a huge risk by going to this new graphic style.  I enjoyed it enough, although it was really weird.  What WAS awesome was the gameplay.  I felt completely in control of Link at all times.  The dungeons were great, the side quests were interesting and the plot was pretty cool.  The end fight with Gannon was top notch, one of the best.  Traveling by boat sucked a bit, but in the end I completely enjoyed this experience.

2. Super Monkey Ball 2

I bought this game thinking it might be a good party multiplayer game.  Turns out it is one of the best overall games I’ve owned.  1 player story mode was challenging and strangely addictive.  Monkey racing was also fun by myself or with friends.  But the rest of the multiplayer was near perfect.  Pick a game and I had friends who wanted to play.  Monkey Fight, Monkey Target, Monkey Shot were all great party games and worth the price of admission.  Put them all together and you have a surprisingly quality game.  This is also the only game I’ve ever lost.  Whoever “borrowed” my copy I want it back!

3. Mario Kart Double Dash

I loved Mario Kart 64.  So again, this game was a disappointment.  The graphics weren’t much better and the play control was actually a little worse.  The double-kart feature was neat, but I rarely found anyone who wanted to play co-operative kart racing.  Either they were so bad they never wanted to steer or they were good enough to want to challenge me head to head.  Also, I'm not sure what this game contributed to the Mario Kart franchise except maybe a few good courses.  In the end, it was a fun game which is good enough to make this list.

 

4. Super Mario Sunshine

Point of reference: this game wouldn’t make my top 5 Mario games.  That’s how bad this system was.  I had problems with the whole water-cleaning-the-island bit, it didn’t help the game flow all that well (I felt like a janitor).  But this game’s biggest problem was Mario 64.  This game in no way improved the franchise.  Sure the worlds were still beautiful and some of the action was unique, but I never felt like I was playing something special.  The best contribution this game made was its gift to the Mario Kart world.  And for that we salute you.

5. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader

I bought this one with my system, so it has a little nostalgia to it.  Looking back this game had everything I wanted.  It was a Star Wars game, and I am a huge fan.  The play control was actually pretty good.  It wasn’t Star Fox 64, but it was still a lot of fun.  The downfall is the same of all space fighter games: it’s repetitive.  But that’s ok, I enjoyed the game for what it was for and sometimes that’s all I can ask for.

My Bottom 5 games:

1. James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire

We all know that Golden Eye was the N64 standard.  And after the success of Perfect Dark I really had high hopes for the new Bond game.  Big enough hopes that I bought it with the system.

Utter failure.

This game didn’t improve on either of the aforementioned N64 games.  The 1 player was forgettable minus the car levels (which is not what I bought the game for).  The multiplayer was terribly bland and was barely recognizable compared to Golden Eye.  The game play was just lousy, which I think is partially because of the new controller.  In a world of Halo and Star Wars Battlefront this game was a complete waste of time.

2. FIFA World Cup 2002

“Hey, I’m a soccer fan and it’s the World Cup time.  I think I’ll buy a soccer game.  I assume that since the World Cup is the best tournament in the world that the game will be the best soccer experience.”

WRONG!

This was an arcade game.  It was meant to keep people interested in a soccer game that wouldn’t normally care.  Really hard shots had flames behind them.  Fast players had smoke behind them.  It was devoid of any actual soccer strategy and I learned nothing about the sport itself.  Opportunity wasted.

3. MVP Baseball 2004 (aka the lefty glitch)

Albert Pujols was on the cover.   I had to get this game, especially because I hadn’t owned a baseball game since the SNES.  I bought it, went home and looked up the new rosters online.

EGADS!  There was a glitch in the game that made it near impossible for left handed batters to hit homeruns.  Think about that!!  Jim Edmonds would go a whole season with 1 or 2 homeruns!  HE HIT 40 THAT YEAR!  What a ridiculous problem to deal with!

4. Mario Party 6

Mario Party 4 would actually be number 6 on my best games list (sad but true).  So when Mario Party 6 came out I thought I would try it out, since I still assumed that newer games improved on the old.  Fooled again! They changed everything that worked, most notably the game board.  The mini games were still fun, but when they barely counted towards the end result who really cares?

5. FIFA 2004

In truth, this is the game that helped me become a soccer fanatic.  The game play was good, they had all the players and teams and I spent most of my time falling in love with Arsenal.

But besides the gameplay, the actual mechanics were lousy.  No matter how much money your team spent during the season, it was all replaced next season.  Then, when you bought the best players in the world THEY NEVER GOT WORSE!  Players improved each season, but nobody got worse because of age or ability.  Let’s just say with a regenerating budget and stagnant talent pool I had a pretty sweet team by the end.

So there you have it!  Feel free to comment or disagree on my Top 5, bottom 5 or assessment of the Gamecube in general.

Top 10 PS1 games (Guest Blogger)

So I am ashamed to admit that I only played 3 or 4 games on the PS1. Mostly because my sister owned the system at home and I was too cheap to buy games in college. But I didn't want to leave the system out because I REALLY enjoyed the games I did play. So here to guest blog for me is my sister Maureen. I approve of her rankings, and I will add my own thoughts in parentheses at the end of each summary.



1. Final Fantasy VII

Anyone who doesn't think this game deserves first place probably didn't play it when it first came out and has since been jaded by the hype. It was the first game I ever played with cinemagraphic cut scenes, which was like, unheard of at the time, and also incredibly awesome. This is all without even taking into consideration the mind blowing plot (it blew my mind at least three times, for the record), the memorable characters and music, and the best magic/equipment system of all time: materia. If you didn't like materia, you don't have a soul. Period. (For me, this is the game that made Video Games an art form, not just a hobby. Probably my favorite game ever. Plus it had a dude with a gun for a hand. Sweet!)



2. Chrono Cross

If you didn't play Chrono Trigger, then you missed out. If you didn't play Chrono Cross, then I will cut you. 45 possible playable characters? Multiple endings? New game +? Are you serious? This game kicked so much butt I didn't know what to do with myself. As a sequel, I thought it was going more down the Final Fantasy road in that it didn't really have much to do with Chrono Trigger, but -- well, not to spoil anything, but it totally does. And it is awesome. (I did not play this game, but I watched my roommate play it a lot. I would like to get to this game in my lifetime. I anticipate having lots of free time when my kids go to college....)



3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

This was the first Castlevania game I really played, mostly because I sucked at all other previous versions. It opens by giving you a taste of Alucard's best equipment and abilities, and then Death pulls a totally jerk move and steals your powers. So not cool. You basically spend the game exploring this gigantic castle and building up equipment and abilities, and if you can get past the side-scrolling 2D style, it's a worthy investment. It even has multiple endings! PS, here's a protip that took me 22 years to figure out: ALUCARD IS DRACLUA BACKWARDS. (I played Castlevania 1...it was really hard! The last Castlevania game I ever played.....)

4: Metal Gear Solid

Would you rather sneak around on your belly and hide in boxes than take on a room full of terrorists? Then this game is for you. It's pretty much the first and only series of "stealth action" video games I've ever played, but even if there were more, it would still probably be the best. It introduced voice acting in video games to me, and although Mei Ling's voice made me want to go on a shooting spree more than once, it was still great. The protagonist Snake is still popular enough to be included in games like Super Smash Bros., which is a freaking Nintendo game. Yeah, it's that good. (Note: Castlevania also had voice acting, but I didn't play that until I was 20 or so. Also, it sucked. The words "HAVE AT YOU!" were actually said.)(My note: I suck at stealth games. I am more of a "guns blazin'" gamer. I would make a terrible soldier in real life.)

5: Tekken 3

I'm not gonna lie: I call this the Street Fighter of the Playstation. Is it as good as Street Fighter II? Debatable. Is it still really freaking good? Yes. Completely worthy of having friends over to have epic tournaments. It's still a fan favorite online, too -- I believe you can download an emulator and battle with like, kids in Tokyo, if you're feeling particularly like getting your butt kicked. Definitely the best fighter game on the system. (How did I never play this game? Oh yeah, I sucked at fighter games and always conveniently convinced friends to play NFL 2k1 instead.)

6. Final Fantasy VIII

A lot of people take issue with the junction system in this, but you know what? Those people probably didn't read the tutorial, because it wasn't really that hard. Junctioning systems aside, this game tried to live up to FF7 in plot twists, and possibly went a little overboard. Time-traveling sorceresses and endless paradoxes? Eesh. Luckily, it made up for it with a love story that didn't end tragically in death, and also a gun-toting redhead in a cowboy hat. Other highlights include the Ragnarok, one of my favorite airships of all time, going into freakin' space, and traveling back in time to play as your dad. Yeah, you read that right. It was cool. (I am ashamed I didn't play this one either. Again, when you don't own the system in college, its hard to convince your buddies to let you play a 40 hour RPG on their system)

7. Final Fantasy IX

This game was basically a big bundle of references and tips of the hat to all its predecessors, but it still managed to keep its own plot interesting without being trite. I still take issue with the fact that the main character's limit break turns him pink and naked, but no game is perfect, I suppose. Because this game was a big homage to all the others, it had all the stuff I enjoyed: going to the moon, performing in a play/opera, and an older brother who wears a thong. ...Wait. Not that last one. That was still weird. (I liked this game, although the big drama moment was a haircut. For the record I would not and should not ever wear a thong)

8. Resident Evil 2

Worst voice acting of all time? Yes. First game that legitimately scared the crap out of me? Yes. This game had me so scared of zombies that I had to ask my friend to stand outside the door while I went to the bathroom after the first time I played it. It offered you a choice between two characters, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, and also gave you the chance to play the same scenario from the other character's point of view after you completed it. Lickers still scare the crap out of me. (I have also never played a survival/horror game. Honestly, I blame it on all the Mario Kart, Mario Golf, Perfect Dark, Madden and NCAA Football I have played in my life. I wished I hadn't played so much sports.)

9. Tomb Raider

Girls enjoyed having a female main character to kick butt with. Boys enjoyed the view. Duel-pistol wielding Lara Croft was pretty but deadly, and it was awesome to watch her backflip her way through a dungeon while shooting bears. Overall, the game had a good balance of general butt-kicking vs puzzles and stealth. Oddly enough, one of the things I enjoyed most was the various ways in which Lara could die. Falling, drowning, electrocution -- the whole game was a deathtrap. And I liked it. (....I saw the movie? Sounds like I would have liked this game, but I feared the repercussions of the "Lara factor" from both girls and guys alike.)

10. Dance Dance Revolution: Konamix

You know the crazy people on the DDR machines at the bowling alley and movie theatres? Yeah, there was a home version, too. The DDR mat was flimsy and I frequently had to adjust mid-song, but I still enjoyed it. DDR continues to be a unique experience that only jerkwads like Dave and Busters try to recreate. Also the only game I know to measure difficulty in feet. Also good for exercise! (I like this game, even though I am below average at it. It got gamers to say "Tonight, I just wanna dance!")

Nintendo 64: Top 10 Games

If the SNES defined my dorm days of college, the N64 defined those college days (and beyond) after the dorms. This system had amazing solo-games and equally awesome multi-player games. Also, the N64 features the best games for many franchises (Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart) although the Wii might change all that. Still, the N64 was a great system that surpassed both predecessors and those that followed.



1: Mario 64

I vividly remember the first time I played this game. It changed gaming for me. The 3D worlds you explored were so vast, varying and just fun to hop around. Oh, and the play control of Mario is possibly the best of any game I've ever played. I really felt I was in control of Mario and could make him jump in ways even I didn't think possible. Add on the crazy puzzles of each world and you have a winner. I beat this game, and collected tons of star, although that fire world still intimidates me.



2. Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Considered by most the best game on the N64, maybe ever. I consider it of the highest quality, I just enjoyed Mario 64 more. This game made adventuring easy and battling fun. It took it up a notch so to speak. It is hard to find any faults in this game. I guess my problem is I never got past the Shadow Temple. Not because it was hard....my game got erased while I was in the Temple. Twice. I have never gotten the nerve to go back either. My loss.



3. Perfect Dark

This is the best multi-player game ever, period. (and I will punch you in the teeth if you start talking about GoldenEye) First, this game was a top notch First Person Shooter, much like 007. But the Co-op function was amazing, and it really helped having your buddies play with you (even if you shot your friend and the President with the sniper in the dark.....) Next, the multi-player had the absolute most options ever seen, and it hasn't been outdone since. You want to play every man for themself? Check. How about 2 players versus 20 Sims just to see who can mow the most sims down? Check. Then there were the challenges!!! I get excited thinking about how awesome it was to develop a strategy, assign roles and complete each challenge to various difficulties! Why oh why hasn't there been another game even close to these options???

4. Mario Kart 64
Dominant play control and great multi-player options made this a winner. You just never got tired of playing this game with friends. It also marked the advent of most of the items in the game you have seen in the Cube, DS and Wii versions. Classic.

5. GoldenEye: 007
Probably the most famous FPS this side of Halo. It was revolutionary for a home console to play 4 of your friends in such epic combats. The only place you would ever hear the phrase: "Stop shooting me, I don't have a weapon!" "Well, then don't slap me in the neck!"

6. Mario Golf
The best golf game if you just want to have fun. I have a special place for this game in my heart because I became dominant at this game. I was a superb putter and rarely ever missed inside of 30 feet. I lost maybe a handful of matches, so of course I love this game!

7. Zelda: Majora's Mask
This game gets tons of points for just being different. The premise of the game was that the moon was going to crash into the Earth and Link had 3 days to save it. If by the 3rd day you couldn't get it done, you just put on your mask and start again at day one. Each time you would learn a little more and figure out what to do next. A little bit like the movie Groundhog's Day, really.

8. Star Fox 64
A great space shooter, this took the game play of Star Fox and the graphics of the 64 and made such a great game. Add on the multi-player dog fight and this game had a lot to offer.

9. Mario Tennis
Strangely, my favorite tennis game of all-time. Great gameplay allowed most anyone to pick up and play. I believe I am undefeated in singles play still to this day.

10. Pokemon Snap
Again, props for creativity. In this game you were placed on a track and given the challenge of taking the best pictures of the passing Pokemon while you threw crap at them to make them do crazy stuff. It had great charm, and getting that perfect picture was so rewarding. Plus....come on, Pokemon are just fun, especially when they say their names. Bulbusaur. Psy....Psy.....geodude.

Lacking entries: Sports
If the N64 had a fault, it was the lack of quality for the sports games. I don't know if it was the new joystick or what but developers just couldn't make a sports game worth playing, leading most gamers to the PS1 for sports games. (and RPG's)

Again, please comment about the games I missed or just don't like as much as you! (Notable games I just didn't play include Smash Bros and Conker: Bad Fur Day.)

Let's a go!

What do I want for my birthday? Some quality time with Mario Kart Wii. Why? Because, like many of us, I love Mario Kart.



This song is amazing for so many reasons. Mostly because it sounds like it could be used in as the background music for one of JD's "In the end" moments on Scrubs. But did anyone else notice that Peach is cheating on Mario with Toad? No wonder she keeps getting captured by Bowser! She feels trapped in her relationship with Mario and sees no other way out!

Top 10 Super NES games.

My memory tells me the SNES came out in the fall of 1991. I can't recall too much hype surrounding it, most people were still satisfied with Super Mario Bros 3. But the SNES stands out with a great depth of quality that put other 16 bit systems on the brink of failure. And (as you will see) it was a fantatastic system for RPG lovers like me. This system has a special place in my heart for being the system I played in the dorm room at college.

1. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: If the NES Zelda introduced the concept of world map/dungeon adventure games, A Link to the Past perfected it (in 2-D at least). First, this game was bigger with more ground to cover and more items which lead to more puzzles. Next, this game actually had a running plot complete with the light world/ dark world that this game is famous for. This game sunk its hooks in you, and before you knew it you were battling Ganon. I believe I beat this game as a kid and again in college.



2. Super Mario World: It was hard to imagine how Nintendo was gonna follow up the smash hit that was Super Mario 3. The answer: Yoshi. Yoshi saved my butt more than a few times with his enemy eating, fire spitting apetite for destruction! Also, this game had great depth by adding alternate routes to many levels giving you more than one path for Mario to follow. I completely beat this game.

3. Final Fantasy II: Most of the gaming world will say FF3 is the superior game. But FF2 has a special place in my heart. Games like Zelda and FF1 said they had a plot, but they pailed in comparison to Final Fantasy II. The betrayals, the sacrifices and the plot twists were captivating. So it is a little cheesy that you have to travel to the moon, but hey big games have to do big things. I also really enjoy that you have to play with the characters the plot gives you (no switching out party members) This added a challenge that made me a better RPG player for years to come. If I could only play 1 RPG on Nintendo, this would probably be it. I believe I beat this twice as a kid and twice in college.

4. Final Fantasy III: After declaring my love for FF2, I would like to state how big of a BEAST this game is and how groundbreaking it was. Female lead? Check. (Samus doesn't count, you didn't know she was a lady.) Bad guys betraying bad guys? Check. Opera scene? Check. Whole world collapsing? Check. I think the strength of this game is recollecting all your party members after the world destruction. This game allowed you to really tailor you characters abilities to their strengths.

Sadly, I never beat this game. I got to the final level....and my game was erased. (I think my sister did that one.) I then got all the way back again! And it was erased again. (accident I believe). I then got to the world destruction again and it erased again, this time because the game was getting old. So I never beat this game. Maybe if I had I would rank it higher.

5. Chrono Trigger: So this is one of the most under-appreciated games of all time. The fact that it is number 5 probably shows I under-appreciate it too. This game spans something like 6 eras of history to help defeat the same enemy. That in itself is pretty dang awesome. The other strength of this game is you could develop combo moves if you used characters enough with each other. Instead of single attacks you could use double (or even triple) attacks on enemies. If you've never played an RPG, that just sounded nerdy. But if you do love RPG's, that just sounded amazing. I, er....never beat this game either. I got to the last level and never got around to it. I think the N64 came out and I just forgot about it. Again, under-appreciated.

6. Secret of Mana: My last RPG entry is actually part Zelda part Chrono Trigger. 3 main characters roam an overworld much like Zelda. But each character has spells and abilities that grow as you gain expereince like all RPG's. This new approach was awesome, but the best part was your buddies could control the other characters. So instead of just playing this one by yourself you had a multi-player RPG! The plot was great, except I think your father turned out to be a tree. Oh well, still awesome. I beat this as a kid, in college and almost beat with my sister a couple summers ago. I also watched my roomate Robert beat this game one finals week. (Who needs to study?)

7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: This might be the most annoying game to be in the room with, but it was a blast to play. This story takes place when Mario is a baby and Yoshi has to take care of him through dangerous levels (for some reason, I think Bowser was kidnapping him again) Your goal was to make it through the level without losing Mario. If he fell off your back, Mario would cry (FOR 20 SECONDS!) until you reached him again. Despite that, the gameplay was really fun including the awesome egg-throwing mechanics. This game also introduced the checklist of things to collect to pass a level 100%. I beat this game once through the plot, then beat it 100% with the help of my buddy Robert. Again, who needs to study!

8. Street Fighter 2: I am terrible at fighter games. Aweful. But this game was too much fun not to play. 15 years later I could probably still recite the controller combos for most of the moves. The gameplay was quick, the characters were memorable, and the battles were epic. HADOUKEN!

9. Tecmo Super Bowl III: Although Madden had games on the Super NES, it was Tecmo Bowl that was my favorite sports games. It took simple/arcade gameplay and added real-life NFL teams and players and threw in recording stats. This game had it all, to the point where Robert and I played an entire season together. He was the Packers, I was the Bills. We met in the Super Bowl which we played at 3:25pm one Friday afternoon. I think I won 24-21 on an interception at the goalline that would have given Robert the victory. If that isn't a memorable video game moment, I don't know what is.

10. Super Tetris:I know that Tetris is on every system, but this is the one we had. If there was ever an argument or decision, we played Tetris over it. Who took out the trash? Loser. Will you put away the meat from the grocery store? I'll play you in Tetris for it. Plus, this game is just so easy to pick up it is a great party game. "This one is for the meat!"

Game I was so dominant at I got kicked out: Super BomberMan. This was a great 4 player game where each person starts in a corner and tries to blow each other up. The only problem was I was amazing. People wouldn't play with me amazing. So I said I would play with the controller upside down. I still won. Finally they said go play something in our room so we can win for once. I am good at alot of games, but this is probably the game I dominate the best. I wish it was Madden or Smash Bro or Halo, but alas it is Super Bomber Man.

My Top 10 Old-school Nintendo games

The Virtual Console on the Wii has sparked an interest in all those old-school games of Nintendo systems of the past. And since I have fond memories of all those games I thought I would rank them just to create conversation.

A little background. My family purchased the NES in 1986, when I was six years old. It came with R.O.B and Gyromite, which means we had to buy Duck Hunt and Super Mario Brothers on our own. My parents were clearly the better players in the beginning, but by the time the NES was getting phased out in 1991 I was beating pretty much every game I owned. (which is no small feat since these games were incredibly tough).

So here are the top ten NES games according to my own nostalgia.

1. The Legend of Zelda: In the days well before online walkthroughs this game captured the imagination of all Nintendo fans. A giant map. 9 Dungeons. Bosses. New weapons and items. And when you finally thwarted Ganon...SECOND QUEST!!! This game caused friends to compare notes, otherwise you would never complete the game. Conversations like: "Did you try burning the third bush over?" "Try using arrows instead of your sword." "Yeah I beat level 7, and I even drew a map!"

My confession is that although I beat the first quest, I got stuck on Death Mountain of the second quest cause I could never find the master key on level 8. Bastards.

2. Super Mario Brothers 3:This game created video game hype. Between getting publicity in movies and retailers charging over $70 for the game everyone wanted this game. It didn't disappoint with 8 levels of creative platforming, flying and even the rare Tanooki Suit. Without a save feature this game posed a great challenge until the world discovered you could warp using the "Zelda Whistle." And yes, I beat this game.

3. Final Fantasy(1): I know, how can it be a Final Fantasy if they made 11 more? (think of it as the Ultimate Fantasy but with alliteration) Although Dragon Warrior was an important RPG series, Final Fantasy defined what RPG's would be in the future. What stands out from this game? IT IS THE FREAKING HARDEST GAME OF MY LIFE!!! Leveling up: tedious and deadly. Dungeons: Grueling and deadly. Bosses: Mean and deadly. Let's put it this way, if you died you couldn't be revived at a save point(if you didn't have a spell). We had to drag your dead, worthless body through battlefields to a freaking TOWN to get you revived. Imagine that your White Mage takes a hard knock deep in a dungeon....if I would have been older I would have cussed this game out. Alot. Still, thoroughly enjoyable and I challenge every RPG fan to give it a go. And Yes, I beat this game. (Chaos had nothing on me!)

4. Mike Tyson's Punch Out:Before Tyson became a punch line, he was the most feared boxer both in real life and in video games. The lead up to Tyson is alot of fun. Each of the colorful characters you face has a tell, once you figure it out you can win the bout. Except with Tyson. His tell was a split second, and if he hit you he knocked you down. Thanks for playing, see you later. It was so stressful playing Tyson I would have to do it alone so I could concentrate.

And yes, I beat Tyson. Twice. Once by decision as an 8-year-old. Once by TKO when I was 18 at the challenge of my buddies. (Robert, Pat and David were my witnesses). In the world of video gaming I still hold beating Tyson and beating Chaos as two of the greatest feats.

5. Super Mario Bros.: The platformer that changed gaming. This game is so good I could pick it up now and still enjoy the challenge of it. Do I wants to use 2 warps and go straight to world 8, or do I want to slow play it and enjoy all the other levels. Yes I beat this game, but the Hammer Bros are still jerks.

6. TMNT II the Arcade Game: This was such a good game, we would actually go to arcades to play it. When it came to the NES.....Oh buddy. Good times. First, this was like the best cartoon series of its day. I mean seriously, who wasn't a Ninja Turtle for Halloween at least once? (I was Leonardo) Besides that, this was an awesome side scrolling fighter, with nice levels and competent bosses. The challenge of the game was just surviving, which I did. (Cause I beat this one too.)

7. Metroid: One part platformer, one part adventure. 35 parts freaky Sci-fi. This game was long and challenging. There is nothing worse than reaching your destination only to realize you need the freeze ray or wave beam or something crazy like that. And the actual Metroids.....totally unnecessary to make that many of them that difficult. I remember getting to Mother Brain, and I don't imagine myself giving up so close to the end, so I imagine I beat this one too (although I have no specific memory of it.....)

8. Mega Man 2: This is the only game on my list I didn't own. But I had friends that did, friends I visited often. Again, with no save feature this game was hard. Getting through 8 bosses just to get to the end levels was quite and accomplishment.....one that I didn't do. But still, stealing bosses weaponry and using them on other bosses? That's like an American dream of sorts.

9. RBI Baseball: I know there were tons of great (and not so great) baseball games on the NES, but this one stands out. This game was easy to pick-up and easy to enjoy with a friend. So what that the infielders couldn't make a throw across the diamond without it bouncing. Who cares? All I know is pick the Cardinals and steal some bases. You can't beat this game, but I was always second best to my base running maniac of a cousin John, who is still a jerk for all those defeats.

10. Gradius: Ok, clearly this and RBI baseball aren't the greatest games of all time. But they were really fun for me. This is a side-scrolling space shooting that included lots of power ups. The levels were very cool, even if the boss at the end was...well the same each time. But it was so addicting my extended family would fight over who got to play next (Until the 8 year-olds became the best, then the adults quit.) I know I beat this one, cause I think we took a picture!

Worst Game I owned: 10 Yard Fight. This game is an abomination to all things considered gaming. I wanted a football game, what I got was what the Japanese thought was football. Here is how the game worked. Snap to the quarterback who has a running back on each side who mimics your every move. You can either a) lateral it to a RB b) run upfield c) or throw it to the one receiver streaking downfield. If you passed and even one defender was in the line of flight, he intercepted it. (ridiculous) If you got a safety, they gave the wrong team the points (ridiculous) If you were kicking a field goal you could run all the way to your own end zone, kick it, and it would fly most slowly through the uprights (flubber?) A mistake of a purchase, I made up for it by buying Zelda next go around. And yes, I beat this game.

I hope this starts some discussion. If not, at least you know that I am awesome at video games.

Craptastic.

Review: The Simpsons Game
Score: 4.0
Scale 10 - everyone should own this. 1- Don't even rent it.

The Simpsons have had quite a history in video games, stemming from their debut on the NES all the way to today. As a rule of thumb, I only buy games that have the writing staff and voice actors of the Simpsons doing all the work. Well, The Simpsons game had all of this, so I was ready to play. Let's just say the Simpsons staff help up their end of the bargain.

This game is hilarious. The plot is ridiculous: The Simpsons discover they aren't living in real life but in a video game, giving them super powers they didn't know they had. The real gem of this game is the level design. In this game you will see: The French retreating over and over again, Sonic and Mario powering video games, Homer in an eating contest, Marge destroying violent video games, Moe as an Elf, Lisa saving the trees and God playing DDR. I'm telling you, I was constantly laughing while playing the game. Which wasn't very helpful because.....

THE GAME-PLAY SUCKED!!!!!!!! I cannot emphasize that enough. This was the hardest game I played (based on controls) in 15 years. Some puzzles were challenging. But most of the time I was pissed because I couldn't make a simple jump. This happened all the time. Levels that were supposed to take 15 minutes took 45 minutes. It was ridiculous.

My recommendation: If you are a Simpsons collector you should buy this game. Otherwise just rent it or borrow it from someone who has beaten it (like me). Instead, I recommend Simpsons: Hit and Run (for the PS2, XBOX I think). This game is hilarious as well, but it plays really well and is a lot of fun.

I rock harder than Slash. I got the proof.

REVIEW: Guitar Hero III - 9.0

(1 - 10 scale
1 - don't even rent it
10 - Everyone will enjoy this)

I love the guitar. I play it. I can sing more guitar parts than lyrics to my favorite songs. I also have played Guitar Hero 1 and 2 and thouroughly enjoyed the experience. Guitar Hero III has many changes but still gives meaning to the phrase "You Rock."

If Guitar Hero 2 was the "break out hit" then GH3 is the high budgeted and highly anticipated follow up. It was given a facelift as different producers tried to give the presentation a new feel without changing the gameplay. I will say they did a great job. The "story" behind the career mode was a nice addition, as was the new venues.

The other major addition was the battle mode where you can go head to head with Tom Morrelo, Slash or just a buddy. It is a fun addition, but if you never use this feature the game is still awesome.

The best feature for me was the new songs. Great variety of new and old ranging from 1970 to 2006. I personally enjoyed the inclusion of Pearl Jam, Metallica and Smashing Pumpkins. Long overdue in my mind.

The only detraction for me is you have to unlock songs in co-op one by one, unlike the previous games. So I can't just go straight to "One" by Metallica with a friend. Still, a minor complaint in the grand-scheme of things. I beat the game on medium and I found it challenging enough to think twice before playing on hard.

For all those who think I play too many video games, here is someone playing through fire and flames on expert. Simply stunning.