[ALL] SethMode's Top 50 Favorite Games of All Time

[SethMode]

#19

Secret of Mana​

Holy shit! It’s a game that actually made me consider buying one of these useless pieces of shit! One of the few potential 3 player co-op games for the SNES (the only one I can personally think of), Secret of Mana was a game-changer for me when I was a kid. What’s that? You combined the tight, action controls of a Zelda style game with the in-depth story, strategy and level building of a Japanese RPG? Oh, and it’s a co-op experience? I was on board from the minute I fired it up. Beautiful, colorful sprite based graphics, some awesome (at the time) usage of Mode 7 (FUCK YEAH!), a shitload of different weapons with different strategies for usage and amazing music all just served to further sweeten something I was already 100% in on. I played the absolute SHIT out of this game. Because of the three characters being drastically different (meaning, there are three main characters, no matter what, central to the story, and each serves their role: the boy as the warrior, the girl as the healer; and the sprite as the magic caster), and the 8 different weapon types (everything from spears to brass knuckles to whips and axes), it really allowed for some neat combinations and differences between playthroughs. I believe, in the end, I have beaten the game 5 times, and loved it each and every one. It’s my personal favorite in a series that had some real gems (just look to this list), and it’s one of the best games that Square has ever put out (and this is in an era where Square was pumping out amazing game after amazing game). If you haven’t played it, fucking get it and play it. If you have a buddy to join you, even better. You will not regret it.

Just Missed the Cut:
Star Wars: Dark Forces 2 – Jedi Knight

 

[Swarley]

StarCraft thanked just for the story. Lol.

 

[Swarley]

SETH, WHERE'D YOU GO?!?!

 

[killgod]

RIP Seth :ronaldo:

 

[SethMode]

I am still alive and still going to finish it, I am just on vacay and without the PC. I'll pick it up again when I get home on Sunday if my liver hasn't failed by then.

 

[Cornelius]

Too bad they never made Ray Lewis' Murderathon. I'm sure that'd be number one on your list.

 

[Swarley]

I am still alive and still going to finish it, I am just on vacay and without the PC. I'll pick it up again when I get home on Sunday if my liver hasn't failed by then.

 

[SethMode]

#18

Half-Life 2​

Half-Life 2 as a game, and Valve even to a degree as an offshoot, has become something of an interesting case study in a lot of ways. A highly anticipated game that came out to tremendous fanfare and promised many things down the line, provided fans with a truly breakthrough first person shooter, and perhaps more important, provided the industry with an engine that is still used to this day, 9 years later, and to fairly considerable success. However, with the good, comes some bad. Half-Life 2, as it was promised at least, has not been finished. Sure, we got a game with a beginning, middle and end. A game that was long for its genre and tremendously engaging. But that end was every bit as ambiguous and weird as the ending to the original, and in its wake we were promised episodic content that would continue and eventually wrap the new story up. Well, as I said, it’s been 9 years, and Half-Life 2: Episode 3 hasn’t been seen. The episodes leading up to it took a long time to come out, and perhaps most egregiously, the ending to Episode 2 was a cliffhanger that not only promised fantastic narrative to come, but did so at the expense of a character you came to adore. It’s the main reason why I feel many Half-Life fans have turned their back on the series. Well, now that that’s out of the way, let me just say this: who gives a fuck? It’s a testament to how amazing Half-Life 2 proper is that it finds its way onto top whatever lists constantly, and still arguably has a story with no conclusion. The game blends puzzle solving and combat seamlessly and really exemplifies the Valve design policy of “play don’t show”. It throws into this mix a now timeless weapon in the Gravity Gun, an end segment that has to be played to be believed that simply oozes overpowered nerdgasm, and characters that are well scripted, designed, acted and developed. It is, in my mind, one of the three best first person shooters ever made, and while I do hope someday to conclude the thrilling narrative that Valve has begun with it, I refuse to hold the lack of sequels or episodes against what is otherwise a fantastic game and a true achievement in engaging game design. I can’t imagine that there are people left that haven’t played it, but if you’re one of them, seriously, give it a shot. It’s great.

Just Missed the Cut:
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

 

[SethMode]

17

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars​

Take one part Square, a JRPG developer at the top of their game, one part iconic publisher/developer and character, mix thoroughly with an imaginative world that combines action platforming and strategy, and serve. Super Mario RPG (and its ludicrously long subtitle) is truly a pinnacle of the design and creativity that once overflowed at Square, and serves as an excellent entry to what would become a very well done, very colorful and genuinely funny action-ish RPG series. I love this game. Between the characters we knew (mostly just Mario, Bowser and the Princess) and the bevy of new characters created for the game, as well as the unique set and story, complete with a completely nontraditional Mario story, it’s all so well polished and precise and oozing with charm, it’s almost impossible to put down. On top of this, it is an excellent way to engage individuals that are not fans of the traditional JRPG combat style. In Super Mario RPG, timing is key. Sure, you still click attack to attack or magic to case magic, but tossed into the mix for this is a system which encourages you to learn when to combine your own button presses with the actions on the screen in order to maximize effectiveness. Even more important than offense is defense, where learning the tells of enemies and properly defending against them can be the swing between a decisive victory and being wiped out quickly. Add to this special moves, which require their own unique button combinations to effectively pull off, and it does a lot to pull you into the combat, where most JRPGs take the approach of strategic observance. It blends so well, I’m surprised it’s not more popular. The series that spawned from this game (the Paper Mario games, the handheld Mario RPGs) are really the only very popular games that I can think of that still utilize the feature, which I personally think is a damn shame. Anyway, everything else you would expect from a SNES era Square game is here: great music, great writing, great bosses and one fresh and unique challenge after another. It can be a little pricey now, like many SNES games in cartridge form, but if I’m not mistaken it’s also on the Virtual Console. Either way, it’s a delightful game that should really be given a shot by both JRPG enthusiasts, and even those that often balk at the genre.

Just Missed the Cut:
Age of Empires II: Age of Kings

 

[SethMode]

#16

Diablo 2​

*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*how is something so repetitive so much fun?
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*and this story is great
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*music is awesome too
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*this new sword is awesome
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclick*fuck me why won't you just die
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*holy shit it’s 4AM, wasn’t it just lunchtime
*clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick*

That, simply enough, pretty much sums up my first, I don’t know, week or two with Diablo 2. I really enjoyed the first Diablo for its time, but it wasn’t until the sequel where they got everything right (hell, some people would argue that Diablo 2 is still superior to Diablo 3). Truly unique character classes with vastly different skills and abilities, new locations that weren’t just dingy cathedrals or cave like underground, and a huge variety of enemies to mow through made Diablo 2 an obsession for more people than just myself. This personifies the “one more quest” or “one more room” mentality, and the next thing you knew, days were lost. Throw in some truly great co-operative multiplayer (I never got into the PvP), an genuinely engaging story this time around, and of course, all of the loot you could swing a Barbarian’s broad axe at, you have all the makings of not just a tremendous game for its time, but also one that still has a HUGE following today, 13 years after its release. 13 years! There are few games that have that kind of rabid fanbase that’s not only dedicated, but still fairly huge, and it’s just another feather in Diablo 2’s cap. It revolutionized an entire genre that many thought had very little, if any, depth to it. Just keep clicking.

Just Missed the Cut:
Contra 3: The Alien Wars

 

[SethMode]

#15

System Shock 2​

(Retroactively, I felt the need to include here that if you haven’t played this game, or Bioshock, you should steer clear until after the asterisk – you were warned. I'd say you're fine if you've played either, for reasons I go into.)

You awake in a strange place. One you have never been in before. You have amnesia. All around you are “infected” crew members, hunting you down and brutally assaulting you. A war is taking place between the surviving crew members and the leader of the infected and his seemingly never-ending supply of twisted former humans. You piece together what happened via audio logs, ghost images, and your constant ally, a woman on the other side of the communicator you have, who is determined to get you through this, take down the enemy, and free the ship from its presence. Oh, and then she betrays you and it turns out SHE’S the REAL enemy. Huh. Why do I feel like something so similar is so revered, despite having downplayed mechanics, an extremely similar story and the exact same epic plot twist. Well, maybe I’ll think of it by the end of this write up.* System Shock 2 is, without a doubt, one of the greatest first person shooters of all time. One of the earliest (and best) games to combine elements of everything from a stealth game to an RPG, and cram them into a well-told action game, it still remains the pinnacle of Irrational’s resume to this day, across the board. Legitimately scary in both surprisingly and eerie ways, with just the right amount of music and the definition of chilling voice acting, the game doubles as one of the best horror experiences I’ve played as well. It just does so much, and does so much of it right, it’s amazing to me that there are people that will never play it, despite how prevalent it has now become. Responsible today for a plethora of clones (some perhaps made by the same developer?), it will forever hold a fond place in my heart, despite dated graphics that can be hard to look at today (thank God again for dedicated PC gamers – some of the mods for this game are legitimately amazing). It’s an amazing piece of fiction, exciting and intriguing from top to bottom and manages to do so without sacrificing the difficulty level that video games used to have. This game will not hold your hand. You will fail if you do not manage your resources. You will die if you don’t learn when to fight, and when to flee. You will be tense, and there will be some reloads. And in the end, you will feel greatly rewarded when you take the bitch down. At the very least, if you can’t handle the graphics, get the game and get a fucking mod. It’s so, so worth it.

Just Missed the Cut:
Freedom Force

*So yeah, if you didn’t get it, I was talking about critical darling Bioshock. So, look; while I like Bioshock a lot, and find it to be a very entertaining and overall well made game, it’s a game that I had already played. In some ways, the IDENTICAL game, only dumbed down and infinitely shallower. It’s a good game, but in my personal opinion, it’s more of a rehash than something new. Great setting, great antagonist (Ryan), and an interesting if not kind of ham-fisted morality system (Big Daddies and Little Sisters), don’t make it the classic that the original was. At least, to me.

 

[Swarley]

17

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars​

This is a game I've been looking out for so I can play it when I get the Retron 5.

 

[SethMode]

This is a game I've been looking out for so I can play it when I get the Retron 5.

Some other really cool stuff about it is, if you really dig deep into it, the secret shit you can do is everywhere.

I say it's pricey for a cart, but really that's only because you can never be sure what you're getting as far as the save battery. The game is definitely worth the 30 some bucks or so I think it usually goes for (if you don't feel grimey about doing it though, I'd try an emulator out first, since you're pretty new to the JRPG style -- just to make sure you like it. It'd be a hell of a double whammy to drop 30 for both a drained save battery AND find you dislike the gameplay).

 

[SethMode]

#14

Super Mario Kart​

When I sat down and really struggled over how to compile this list, there were legitimate moments where I asked myself “Why the shit isn’t Super Mario Kart #1?” While it can’t stack up to the sheer volume of hours that other games have, I would guess that in terms of number of times it was popped in and played VASTLY exceeds anything else on this list. I loved this game. From the day I bought it with my own money, to the day I finally conquered the Special Cup 150cc, to just last week on vacation, when my 40 year old brother and I started playing Battle Mode and nearly ended in fisticuffs. This, to me, is a game that just oozes “video game” fun. Graphically and mechanically it holds up amazingly well for a game that is 21 years old, and the music and sound, like most great SNES games, are a blissful symphony accompanying a glorious walk down memory lane. Sure, the game is a dirty cheating whore, and sure, 150cc can lick swami balls, but damn if it doesn’t keep you coming back, over and over, for more and more and more. The tracks are amazing, and at times extremely complex for such an old racing game, and the weapons are still just as infuriating and satisfying (depending on the circumstances) now as they were then. Oh yeah, and Battle Mode. Oh, sweet, sweet Battle Mode. You insufferable, family destroying, friendship ending, cockmonster. Oh how I love you. Oh how I hate you. Oh how in disbelief I am that you’re a 1v1 cart based versus mode that is still somehow tons of fun today. I’ve heard it said that many consider their favorite Mario Kart to be the greatest Mario Kart. With the firm nostalgic hold that this game has over me, I can understand why that’s true. Similarly, I’ve never found myself really enjoying any of its follow ups, simply because they all just left me with the urge to go back and play the original. And so I have, and so I likely will continue to do.

Just Missed the Cut:
Mortal Kombat 2

 

[SethMode]

#13

Baldur’s Gate

I vaguely remember the release of this game. I know that I bought a copy, as I still have the ridiculously shitty, CD scratching sleeve that it came in (all 5 discs). However, the more vivid memory for me was how I felt after the first 3 or 4 hours, finding myself completely lost and often brutally maimed over, and over, and over again. You see, this was my first experience with Dungeon’s and Dragon’s and it’s fucking insane terminology and rule sets, but more importantly, it was my first experience with a take no prisoners, kick you in a dick, spit in your eye, and stab you in the neck difficult and truly open ended game. You’re literally dropped into a world with a few companions, all either level 1 or 2, and from there, you can go wherever you want. Want to just keep wandering the forest instead of heeding the advice of NPCs and sticking to the path? Go for it. It was nice knowing you. Want to ignore pretty much any inkling of the main plot in lieu of experiencing the truly daunting combat? Have at it, but you probably won’t last long. Baldur’s Gate is fucking hard. Well, perhaps that is unfair. Baldur’s Gate is an extremely well made, well told, well done CRPG that has a learning curve akin to something like Quantum Physics (at least, it felt like it did, to my 15 year old, non D&D playing self). It is rife with terminology that only those that dabbled in the works of Satan and waged imaginative wars on graph paper could possibly piece together. Anyway, at that 3 or 4 hour mark, I began to think that I had made a huge mistake, biting on this fantasy game that had come so highly recommended from PC magazines everywhere. I almost gave it up. Thankfully, I didn’t. It took time, and growing pains, but I eventually learned that rule set, and the game since has become one of my favorite games of all time, much less RPGs. It’s just so wonderfully dense in every way. A huge variety of weapons and armor. A great cast of controllable party members with their own alignments and baggage. A fantastically written story with twists and turns and genuine surprises, that milks every single pixel out of the now ancient engine. And the world. Dear lord, the world. Only to be outdone by themselves, Bioware fashioned a world in this game that was literally bursting at the seams with lore, backstory and history. It sucked you in, and didn’t let you go. And when it was over, all I could think was: “Man, I wonder what it would be like if I recruited [these guys] instead of [those], or was [this class] instead of [that].” The replayability is almost endless, thanks in most part to the aforementioned density. An Enhanced Edition is out that I’ve played some of, and it seems like quite a love letter to the amazing game that many feel started it all (someday Killgod, we’ll team up in that), but even without that, the vanilla game still stands on its own (in many ways I like it more now because of all of the glitches I remember). Even if you never play it, those of you that call Mass Effect, Dragon Age or KoTOR favorites, should pay homage to the game that helped put Bioware on the map.

Just Missed the Cut:
Neverwinter Nights 2

 

[SethMode]

So, I had kind of been neglecting this, in one part because work has spiked significantly for me and forced me to actually pay attention, in another because, predictably, interest has seemed to wane a bit. If it's still there after this one, I'll continue, otherwise, I'll just let the old girl down peacefully.

#12

Super Metroid​

In the pantheon of SNES games that basically helped to mold what types of video games I would continue to be interested in comes the legendary Super Metroid. Lauded by many as the greatest game ever, I remember playing this game and being blown away not just by its graphics, unique storytelling and amazing music, but the sheer volume of unexplained secrets. I didn’t know that a dash move existed until I let the demo video play, and even then, it took me a while to figure out how to do it. And wait, you can have Samus remove her suit and envelope herself in the blast from a power bomb to recover energy? What the what!? It tossed you into its world and you had to figure the rest out. Thankfully, while challenging, its near perfect design made certain that most deaths were your fault, and yours alone. Rife with memorable enemies, some of the best boss battles, both from a design and a gameplay standpoint, the game grabs you and gives very little reason to stop playing. Then, there is the ending. What a fucking ending. I remember being heartbroken at the turn of events, in a way that I just hadn’t really experienced in games up to that point. Look, there isn’t much to say that hasn’t been said by just about anyone that has played games. It’s a classic. It’s timeless. 30 years from now, people will still be rating it as one of their greatest game ever, and with good reason.

Just Missed the Cut:
Earthbound

 

[Swarley]

If it's still there after this one, I'll continue, otherwise, I'll just let the old girl down peacefully.

Swarley wants more!!!

 

[SethMode]

Swarley wants more!!!

Hah, I knew that you would still be interested. We'll see what happens. I knew that traffic was down here, and on top of that I realize this is just me telling what my favorite games are so who cares, but I sort of hoped for a little more discussion. It makes me worried for the top 10, which features equal parts well known by all games and quite a few super nerd PC games.

 

[jms493]

Super Metriod...can I play that on my 3ds? I should be able to right?

 

[calgaryballer]

Hah, I knew that you would still be interested. We'll see what happens. I knew that traffic was down here, and on top of that I realize this is just me telling what my favorite games are so who cares, but I sort of hoped for a little more discussion. It makes me worried for the top 10, which features equal parts well known by all games and quite a few super nerd PC games.

I have thoughts on all of your top 20 so far. Give me until tomorrow and I shall give feedback