Top 10: Anglerbe's Favorite Video Games

Here it is; ten of my all time favorite video games. As mentioned by Anglerte in his post, due to being limited to ten games, I must leave many other great games out. That being said, here are my top 10 favorite games of all time:

10. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 1 & 3 (PS1, Gamecube)

Between these two, I couldn't decide exactly which I prefer. They are both very good stealth action shooters which, unlike most modern shooters, actually require use of strategy and tactics, as apposed to just running and gunning through a wall of enemies. Both of these games feature great tactical gameplay, music, equipment, etc. Another of the games' more notable strong points is the fairly easy to use team-controlling system, allowing you to get your squad to respond quickly to threats. And to top it all off, both of them have a great classic feel to them.



9. Mario Kart DS (DS)

I've always taken a great liking to the Mario Kart series as a whole. With Mario Kart, Nintendo successfully combines the awesomeness of the need for speed with iconic characters, making for a very great series. The system of picking up items with which you may torment your opponents is one of the most popular features of the game, and it's a great twist on the standard racing game formula. Of course, it can have it's downsides depending on the perspective; no one wants to be in first place when a blue shell flies. The Nintendo DS version in particular includes many of the best maps from the entire series, as well as some of the best game modes, such as the balloon-popping mode. This mode even makes great use of the DS's hardware(namely, the microphone). If you've managed to slip through your gaming career without playing any of these games, fix this issue ASAP.



8. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Wii)

Much of what I said about the Mario Kart series and the racing genre applies to the Super Smash Bros series and the fighting genre, that being combining fan-favorite Nintendo characters (and even non-Nintendo characters) with a great genre. Again, Nintendo puts a twist on the genre by eliminating health meters and replacing them with deadly holes and gaps in the enviroment, as well as by throwing countless usable items into the mix. In Brawl, the addition of the Smash Ball really gives the player incentive to experiment with different characters, and to collect whatever items come your way. Of course, each character is very different as is, so this is really an enhancement to an already good system.



7. Carnivores Series (PC, PSN, iOS)

The hunting genre may not be one of the more popular ones, but it serves as proof that popularity doesn't necessarily prove all that much when it comes to gaming. The Carnivores series brought this genre to a whole new level with the prospect of dinosaur hunting. This adds a great level of thrill to the experience, as most of what you hunt hunts you in return. The first 3 games in this series feature vast environments (at least, for their time), a fair selection of equipment, good AI, and, of course, a good selection of dinosaurs. Each of these dinosaurs bears different statistics, and they each respond differently to your presence and actions. These games well deserved the ports to PSN, and iOS which they recently recieved. Finally, the fourth game in the sereies, Carnivores City Scape, is a fairly good first person shooter intertwined with the backstory of the other games, and is one of my all time favorite shooters as well.



6. Luigi's Mansion (Gamecube)

Though it strays greatly from the direction of your average Mario game, Luigi's Mansion is without a doubt a fantastic game in the series. Luigi must track down his missing brother (obviously, Mario) within a haunted mansion which he recently won in a contest. Several oddities are brought to light fairly quickly: Luigi never entered any contests, the mansion didn't exist until three days ago, and, oddest of all, the mansion is full of escaped ghouls and ghosts which recently escaped from Pr. E. Gad's "special" paintings. Combining ghost vacuuming combat, great exploring gameplay, and all kinds of eerie twists, this game is definitely worth checking out- or, if you own it already, dusting off and playing again. And, though it may seem too good to be true, this game is receiving a sequel for the 3DS in the near future.



5. Uncharted 2 & 3 (PS3)

Bearing jaw-dropping visuals, fantastic stories, and cinematic adventuring gameplay, the Uncharted series has easily made itself one of the most popular franchises on the PS3. With a modern Indiana Jones feel, Nathan Drake is always kept on his toes with plenty of puzzles to solve, thugs to shoot, and vaults to raid. While the campaigns of all of the games are beyond great, Naughty Dog has implemented an impressive multiplayer experience into the mix, with all the features you would expect from a modern hardcore online multiplayer game. Both the single and multi player modes feature tons of weapons, treasures, and cool bonuses, including the increasingly popular "Doughnut" skins. Overall, these games alone are reason enough to buy a PS3.



4. Warhawk (PS3)

Another PS3 exclusive, this online-only multiplayer third person action/war game is a definite classic. Being online only, this game has a very heavy focus on both multiplayer cooperation and competition. This includes customization options, many competitive game modes, medals, badges, ribbons, clans, and much more. This game also features very great gameplay, reminiscent of Star Wars Battlefront in several ways. Plenty of guns, vehicles, spawn points, bases, etc. provide great variation to the gameplay, and each part of the game requires much practice in order to master it. One of this games strongest points, however, is it's extremely easy to use control scheme, making combat at least easy to pick up. And, although it seems inspired by Star Wars in many ways, this game has a very original feel to it, as well as a very classic feel.



3. Resident Evil REmake (Gamecube, Wii)

This is it, the game that defined an entire genre. The original one did this, anyway. With the full scale remake released on the Gamecube and ported to the Wii, Capcom rather re-defined the genre. Resident Evil combines all the great things you may find in video games (variation, puzzle solving, combat, story and plot, music, etc.) with a suspenseful, often thrilling atmosphere. Each of the two playable characters has different advantages and disadvantages, and each has a slightly different story, giving the game replay value and variation. Regardless of difference, each of these stories is complex, consisting of a number of different characters, be they traitors, allies, or flat out enemies. And obviously, this game is full of twisted creatures and experimental subjects just lurking in the dark. The classic system of having limited saves only adds to the challenge, making Resident Evil pose quite a challenge, whether or not you choose the hardest difficulty. Yet again, this is a must-have-played game.



2. Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter 3 (PC)

Possibly the first game I ever played, this game certainly won't collect too much dust before I come back to it again. Just as Resident Evil defines the Survival Horror genre, this game defines the Hunting genre, providing a great array of firearms, calls, lures, scents, hunting locations, and, of course, quarry. Featuring a fantastic and very well fitting sound track, good animal tracking system, and realistic scarcity of animals, modern game developers could certainly learn a thing or two by checking this game out, as could modern game players. If your a fan of hunting games, this one is a definite must have for your collection.



1. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time (N64, Gamecube)

The Zelda series is without a doubt one of my favorite series of all time. Period. Furthermore, Ocarina of Time specifically is THE best game ever created. Period again. This game captured everything that was so great about the 2D games (puzzle solving, adventuring, sword combat, story telling, etc.) and created a game with very well rounded edges. And the time traveling mechanic adds a good layer of complexity to an already great formula. Of course, it's more than just the edges that count. The melee combat. The vast array of collectible items. The countless side quests. The infinite replayability. All of this, and much more, is packed into this game, making it a very near perfect experience which takes you from forests to mountains to lake beds to castles to who knows where else. Regardless, and though I've said it many times before in this post, you MUST own this game. And play it. And cherish it. Period yet again.



Well, there they are. I hope that you've found this list both entertaining and helpful, and that you check out some of these if you haven't yet played them. Later.