I was watching the colossal cult classic ‘Head’ starring the Monkees on Turner Classic Movies the other night, and found myself getting in one of my typical mega-funks over the current state of what passes for culture nowadays. Around the time ‘Head’ was made, the Monkees popularity had nosedived over the fact that they didn’t play their own instruments and the revelation that they’d essentially been a concept borne from the noggin of director Bob Rafelson in order to cash in on some that rock’n’roll action that the kids seemed to be digging so well.

Despite their pre-fabricated origins, the Monkees were pretty damned great. They were charming, bright, funny, and they could sing their asses off. They became an instant smash with TV audiences and sold millions of records. Funny thing was, they became dissatisfied with being forced to record other people’s songs and the cartoonish image that Rafelson and the network machinery had carefully constructed for them. Ultimately they rebelled against these constraints, and things began to fall apart. When it was finally leaked to the public that they were in fact merely a concept and not a ‘real band’ their fate was sealed.

As a response to all of this, they made ‘Head’; an abstract, trippy commentary on the nature of conceptual reality and their struggle to be taken seriously as real artists while fighting to break free of their scripted identities. Written by Bob Rafelson and a then unknown Jack Nicholson, ‘Head’ is filled with amazing music and strange surrealistic vignettes which utilized war imagery as metaphor for the crass commercialism of the day while cleverly busting through the 4^th wall time and again – nearly a decade before Woody Allen was praised for it in ‘Annie Hall’. It’s a fantastic film, and it was the final nail in their coffin.

Unfortunately, they wound up totally alienating their core TV audience, and failed to pick up any of the ‘artsier’ crowd they were hoping to convert.

All I could think about while watching ‘Head’ was how something like it could never happen today. Could you imagine some pre-fabricated tweeny-bopper ‘band’ like One Direction rebelling against the constraints of their machinery and releasing a subversive art-house movie in order to smash their well-constructed and lucrative image to smithereens in the hope that they’d be taken seriously as artists? Sure, you often see transitioning tartlets like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez sex it up  in order to garner an older audience, but that’s about sex…not art.

Thing is, craven machinations are something to be celebrated nowadays. No one gives a rat’s ass whether or not One Direction knows how to play their instruments, or whether they write or even sing their songs. Their meticulously crafted image is taken at face value and their commercial success is lauded. Try making a nasty remark about them – or any well-known celebrity of their ilk – on Twitter and the most likely response you’d receive from their fans would be something along the lines of, “You’re just a hater because they’re so popular and they sell so many albums, and you’re just a big fat loser and you’ll never be as rich and fabulous as they are.”

Pretty much guarantee you’ll never hear anything about art.

This leads to the question, “Where has the art gone in our art?”

Sad to say it’s nowhere to be found. Today’s starry-eyed tweeners aspire to become scripted. They dream to someday become unreal. They’d sell their souls to sell their souls.

Fortunately for me however, there’s more than enough art in the archives to keep me fortified until I croak. As long as there are stations like Turner Classic Movies for fogies like me, the sad state of what passes for culture nowadays will have absolutely no effect on me. I’ll just hunker down in my societal fallout shelter, with my vinyl records, old movies and a bottle of scotch, and keep the faintest glimmer of hope curling and dancing in the recesses of my mind that perhaps someday the paradigm will shift once again, and free will might once again rule the world.

According to a new TMZ report, Justin Bieber’s inability to keep his bodily fluids to himself may land him in some hot loogie. After a recent tantrum in which the pop idol got so cranky that he spit up at his neighbor’s suggestion that he refrain from speeding in a cul-de-sac, the L.A County Sherrif’s Dept. will now most likely recommend that criminal battery charges be filed against the dyspeptic, droopy drawer-d, dipwad.

Reportedly, the 19-going-on-three-year-old took his Ferrari for a spin around the neighborhood at over 100mph and when his irate neighbor dared to step toe on Bieber’s property to complain, the wink-y, lip licking warbler cried out, “Get the f*ck out of here, I’m going to f***ing kill you!” and then promptly expectorated on the poor man.

Officially, no recommendation has been made yet, as the investigation is not finished, however, sources are spilling that Bieber’s salivary escapade is part of a larger picture that has emerged in the past few months concerning the singer’s all-around douche-tastic behavior, and the Sherriff sincerely feels he needs to be spanked repeatedly with a ladle of medium to heavy weight until he promises to be a good boy.

Now, I’m not even going to comment on the fact that I’m decidedly perplexed that this nozzle de douche’s popularity amongst the teenage throngs continues to rage on unabated, because…well…I’m not the target audience – I know this ok! In fact I haven’t been for decades…hell I don’t think I’ve ever been. So, although I personally believe that the white noise that this dim-witted drip blarrts out of his rectum is the auditory equivalent to contemplating the cobwebs in the corners of your ceiling at 3:47 am whilst battling a severe case of cholera induced constipation, I will relent that perhaps to some pea-brained, know-nothing tweener, his music – such as it is – might come off as pleasingly peppy. So no, I’m not going to comment on his talent – or lack thereof.

I will say this though…

…PULL UP YOUR GODDAMNED PANTS NUMB-NUTZ!!

Between this nimrod’s perpetually pained facial expressions and those MC hammer genie slacks he’s got bunched around his ankles 24/7, he looks like he’s in a constant state of strenuous defecation. Seriously… how can he not realize how utterly ridiculous he looks?

Give it up already you pompadour-ed putz!

Oh yeah… and stop spitting, it’s a dirty habit.

Show: Homeland
Season: 2
Episode: 1,“The Smile”
Grade: A-
By: Willard, 1 October 2012

SPOILERS AHEAD

After nine long months, Showtime’s runaway hit and Emmy juggernaut Homeland is finally back. After emerging last fall as one of television’s best new dramas, expectations from fans of the series are higher than ever, and the first chapter of it’s sophomore season doesn’t disappoint. The tension is racheted up bigtime, courtesy of show creator and former “24″ head honcho Alex Gansa. Things get jittery literally seconds into the episode, when we learn Israel has bombed multiple Nuclear reactors in Iran, sparking protests around the Middle East, including one at the American Embassy in Beirut. Right off the bat, they’re hitting dangerous close to home(land).

When we last left our disgraced heroine Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), she had been abruptly fired from her job as a counterterrorism agent with the CIA, and was electively undergoing electroshock therapy to treat her bipolar condition (a fairly incovenient malady, considering her career and National Security clearance level).

Season two opens six months down the road, and it appears that Carrie has put her all-encompassing professional and personal obsession with former POW, new Congressman, AND current terrorist Sergeant Nicholas Brody entirely behind her. As a result of her EST treatments, Carrie no longer “remembers Issa” (a key plot point in season one) and is now happily teaching an English as a second language course at a local Community College and enjoying gardening.

Sergeant Brody (Damien Lewis) has also been quite busy, as he’s now a Congressman and his name is even being floated as a potential VP candidate in the upcoming Presidential election. Mrs. Brody (the pixie-ish Morena Baccarin) is practically orgasmic over the news, and has obviously embraced her husband’s skyrocketing political career since expressing a decidedly bitchy attitude about the whole damn thing late last season. Their appropriately sullen teenage daughter Dana, (Morgan Saylor) is visibly less-than-impressed. One episode in, and it’s already crystal clear that Dana and her “Sumpin’s up wit Pop” vibe will be playing a big part of the proceedings moving forward. Brody’s close relationship with Dana makes her suspicions a little more potent than your average pain-in-the-ass teenager. She is her father’s weakness, and is quickly becoming a liability – on a multitude of levels.

Meanwhile, at the CIA – The shit is already, albeit unsurprisingly, going down. Carrie’s former mentor and father figure Saul Berenson (Mandy Patankin) and his incredible beard are no longer pushing pencils at Langley. He’s actually doing real “spy stuff”! After switching vehicles 007 style during a mild car chase,  he meets with a female “asset” in Beirut that claims to have information about an impending terrorist attack on America. The catch? She needs to speak to Carrie, who as it turns out, recruited her. Hmmm, imagine that.  While this little subplot of convenience does strain the credibility factor a little, it’s certainly more plausible than Brody’s meteoric and improbable rise from POW hero to Congressman in just a few short months.

Anxiety scrawled over his clammy, sweat-beaded brow – Lewis continues his dense, ambiguous portrayal of an impossibly conflicted man. His rise as the great American hero for a post 9/11 America at home has given him more power, but ironically, he’s now under more scrutiny than ever from his terrorist handlers and Bin Laden-esque boss, Abu Nazir – who is pressuring Brody to make something happen. They want action and as a result,  Brody is being backed into a corner he won’t be able to talk himself out of. The Congressman’s Stockholm Syndrome is ebbing fast, and Nazir knows it.

Predictably, the CIA asks Carrie to travel to Beirut to speak with the asset. After an on-the-job visit from a former underling, a hat-in-hand plea from Daddy Saul, plus a house call from her former boss and chocolate lover David Estes, she agrees to go – much to her protective family’s consternation. You knew she would. She had to. She just doesn’t want us to get hit again!

Brody’s increasingly comfortable world comes crashing down when an Al Qaeda-esque operative masquerading as a friendly journalist (cue NBC’s “intense” background music) invades his private office, and delivers the newly-minted Congressman a vague, yet threatening ultimatum. Across town, as if on cue, Daughter Brody interrupts what looks like a prep school young Republicans meeting, and reveals to an entire congregation of politically-connected snot-nosed Quaker youth, her father – (the Congressman! In case you forgot) is indeed a converted Muslim. Doh!!

MEANWHILE……..Carrie is just trying to get back to gettin’ her CIA groove on, but despite a seven dollar box of Ms. Clairol and some opaque contact lenses – she mad. It’s cool, though.. SHE JUST DOESN’T WANT US TO GET HIT AGAIN!

Back at the Brody cell, Dana’s douchehole classmate totally sold her out and Jessica finds out Nick has converted to Islam. This also sets off recent memories of cray-cray Carrie in the front yard, telling.. No, SCREAMING to 2/3rds of the Brody family he was a terrorist, and claimed he was out to kill the Vice President and half a dozen other Government officials. The seed has been planted. Awwwwww, shit! This is probably going to affect Nick’s status as a “floated potential VP candidate”, but we won’t be sure until next Sunday.

Later in Langleyville, Brody almost tips his hand in a brief, but tense sitdown with Director Estes. Estes is then summoned before a journalist, who (Duh-Duh Duhhhhhhhhh!) is Brody’s terrorist handler. Is Estes in on this shizznit? We don’t know, but he is toally down with getting some Arab tail. Either way, she can make Mr. Sexual Necktie Chocolate squirm.

Carrie has hit the streets of Beirut, and is being tailed by a baddie – No worries, though… She ducks into the local Burkas-R-Us, changes her head dress and pistol-whips the evil bastard.

What makes Homeland such a tight, incredibly crucial drama about terrorism, is that it is extraordinarily realistic – there are no Kiefer Sutherlands or Bruce Willises climbing skyscrapers or Federal Office buildings bursting at the seams with Jihadist spies.. That’s what makes it great. What is is truth? We don’t know. What happened to Brody’s suicide video? There was obviously a CIA mole last season, whats up with that? What kind of name is “Morena Baccarin”, anyway?  Will we get to see her breasts next week?

Remember Issa.

20. Unchartered 2: Among Thieves (2009) Platform: PS3 The Unchartered series, starring Nathan Drake (ancestor of Sir Francis Drake) has become the signature series for the PS3.  Its unbelievable graphics and innovative design schemes are peerless.  Basically, it’s a reset of the classic title, “Tomb Raider” with a male protagonist, which, to my mind, is a great thing since that series has majorly gone downhill in the last decade or so…   The debut Unchartered: Drake’s Fortune centered mainly in the jungle.  It was gorgeous and had an interesting story, but it did suffer slightly from a few minor gameplay mechanic issues (namely the annoying axis controlling of the grenades).  The second title, Among Thieves, released incredibly less than two years later, not only took care of any technical issues, but also took the graphics five steps forward, the design TEN steps forward and the story, backgrounds and character development TWENTY steps forwards.  In every way, this game is far superior to the first.  It’s just a completely blow away game.  Not giving away too much of the plot, this game will take you from the jungles of Borneo to the snowy mountains of Tibet on an incredible quest for a magical place… all the while fighting against forces led by one of the most despicable villains you will ever encounter in a game.. The AI is incredible; the enemies act intelligently, and the characters you will be fighting WITH don’t get in your way and act on their own realistically making it feel like you’re on a real journey imbued with a sense of purpose… The runaway train scene alone (in which you jump from car to car all the while fighting maniacal soldiers) is worth the price of admission… add to this a full online Multi-player mode and you have one of the best deals in the gaming world.

19. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) Platform: Amiga, Apple II, Atari, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, FM Towns, MSX, NEC PC-9801, NES, Sega Master System This title was the fourth in the series of Ultima computer role-playing games. It is the first in the “Age of Enlightenment” trilogy, shifting the series from the hack and slash, dungeon crawl gameplay of its “Age of Darkness” predecessors towards an ethically-nuanced, story-driven approach.  In other words, it’s the first game that in which your own sense of values effects how the story plays out, making it the great grandfather of all the games that use the Light/Dark mechanic.  It is different among RPGs in that the game’s story does not center on asking a player to overcome a tangible ultimate evil.  After the defeat of each of the members of the triad of evil in the previous three Ultima games, the world of Sosaria underwent some radical changes in geography: three quarters of the world disappeared, continents rose and sunk, new cities were built to replace the ones that were lost. Eventually the world, now unified in Lord British’s rule, was renamed Britannia. Lord British felt the people lacked purpose after their great struggles against the triad were over, and he was concerned with their spiritual well-being in this unfamiliar new age of relative peace, so he proclaimed the Quest of the Avatar: He needed someone to step forth and become the shining example for others to follow.  The object of the game is to focus on the main character’s development in virtuous life, and become a spiritual leader and an example to the people of the world of Britannia. The game follows the protagonist’s struggle to understand and exercise the Eight Virtues. After proving his or her understanding in each of the virtues, locating several artifacts and finally descending into the dungeon called the Stygian Abyss to gain access to the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom, the protagonist becomes an Avatar.  Conversely, actions in the game could remove a character’s gained virtues, distancing them from the construction of truth, love, courage and the greater axiom of infinity — all required to complete the game. Though Avatarhood is not exclusive to one chosen person, the hero remains the only known Avatar throughout the later games, and as time passes he is increasingly regarded as a myth.  I loved this game beyond comprehension… The first time I played it was on the Apple II… It’s use of the Mockingboard Card (an add on that enhanced the Apple’s sound) was amazing providing an terrific medieval soundtrack ranging from lilting madrigal tunes to rousing battle music.  It was a lengthy quest and full of secret areas and interesting plot twists.  I also played it on the NES and it was just as enjoyable. It was the first game I no of that had Non-Playing Characters or NPCs that you could converse with that would proide you with clues for your journey… as well as characters that would join you on your quest.  It was just an amazing influential game.. one of the greatest ever.

18. Virtua Tennis (1999) Platform: Dreamcast Simply the greatest tennis video game ever made.  Its gameplay mechanics were unbelievably fluid, whether you smashed, lobbed, volleyed or served.  The use of the then new “rumble pack” felt really satisfying when you hit the ball.  The graphics were top notch and the AI was challenging and made for some great games.  No tennis game has even touched it before or since.  Its weird how few tennis games are made these days, and when they come out they are always disappointing.  You wold think they would just use THIS game as the blueprint, but they don’t.  This title was the culmination of what was started by the first video game, Pong.  You really felt as if you were playing a game of tennis.  You had your choice of courts; grass, clay, hard court etc.. and played against real player, taking your character all the way to the top in an immersive and fun tournament.

17. Galaga (1981) Platform: Arcade game Galaga is my favorite arcade of all time… Basically an upgrade of the game Galaxian,  its objective was to score as many points as possible by destroying insect-like enemies. The player controls a fighter spaceship that can move left and right along the bottom of the playfield. Enemies fly in groups into a formation near the top of the screen, then begin flying down toward the player, firing bombs at and attempting to collide with the fighter. Occasionally, a “boss Galaga” attempts to capture the player’s fighter using a tractor beam – if successful, the fighter joins the formation and must be freed by the player (using another ship and costing him a life), enabling him to control two ships simultaneously. If the boss is destroyed while still in formation with a captured fighter, the fighter will disappear after leaving formation and then will appear again on the next level attached to another boss Galaga. If the fighter is shot by the player, it is destroyed and does not return. The game is over when the player’s last ship is destroyed or captured.  Galaga introduces a number of new features over its predecessor, Galaxian. Among these are an explosion sound that occurs when the player loses a life, the ability to fire more than one bullet at a time, a count of the player’s “hit/miss ratio” at the end of the game, and a bonus “Challenging Stage” that occurs at level three, and from then onwards every four levels, in which a series of enemies fly onto and out of the screen in set patterns without firing at the player.  This was the arcade game I played the most.. It’s as enjoyable to play today as it was decades ago.

16. MLB: The Show ’09 (2009) Platform: PS3 This Sony exclusive is not only the greatest baseball game available at present, but the greatest baseball game of all time.  Baseball (very much like tennis) for some reason has been a tough nut to crack video game-wise with only a handful of titles ever getting it right.  For some reason they always include one or two things to focus on an in doing so lose the overall.  With The Show, they finally brought it all together in one amazing series.  The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is easy to learn and fluid (taking a page from the MVP series) and the games are challenging.  I don’t know why but almost every game made today is completely unrealistic in the amount of home runs you hit and the AI is practically non-existent.  There seems to be more of a focus on presentation than the actual game itself.  Ironically, the presentation is never good either.  Anyway, as I said, THIS title has it all.. It’s the only reason I bought the PS3.. I’m glad now that I did, because the system does offer its share of tremendous titles (though not nearly as consistently as the XBOX 360 does).  If you’re a fan of baseball, then all you need is this game, with a rich franchise mode and tons of extras like vintage unis, and stadiums, this game will last you years… However, you may want to hold out for another couple of weeks for the latest installment MLB: The Show ’10, which promises to be even BETTER, with more crowd reactions and the inclusion of the Home Run Derby!  PLAY BALL!!

15. Sim Ciy 2000 (1993) Platform: Mac OS, DOS, Amiga, Various, SNES, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, N64, GBA, PSN Next up is the landmark game created by programmer/designer wunderkind Will Wright.  The unexpected and enduring success of its debut, SimCity, motivated the development of its extraordinary sequel SimCity 2000, by far the best of all the Sims..  It  was a major extension of the original concept; first off, the view was now dimetric instead of overhead, and now land could have different elevations, and underground layers were introduced for water pipes and subways.  New types of facilities introduced included prisons, schools, libraries, museums, marinas, zoos, hospitals and arcologies. Players could now build roads, bus depots, railway tracks, subways, train depots and zone land for seaports and airports. There are a total of nine varieties of power plants in SimCity 2000, including coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind turbines, hydroelectric dams (which can only be placed on waterfall tiles) and the futuristic fusion power and satellite microwave plant. Most types of power plants have a limited life span and must be rebuilt periodically.  Players could also build highways to neighboring cities to increase trade and the population. The budget and finance controls were also much more elaborate—tax rates could be set individually for residential, commercial and industrial zones. Enacting city ordinances and connecting to neighboring cities became possible. The budget controls were very important in running the city effectively. Another new addition in SimCity 2000 was the query tool. Using the query tool on tiles reveals information such as structure name and type, altitude, and land value. Certain tiles also displayed additional information; power plants, for example, display the percentage of power being consumed when queried, and querying roads displays the amount of traffic on that tile. Graphics were added for buildings under construction in the residential, commercial, and industrial zones, as well as darkened buildings depicting abandoned buildings as a result of urban decay. News came in the form of several pre-written newspaper articles with variable names that could either be called up immediately or could be subscribed to on a yearly basis. The newspaper option provided many humorous stories as well as relevant ones, such as new technology, warnings about aging power plant, recent disasters and opinion polls (highlighting city problems). SimCity 2000 is the only game in the entire series to have this feature (besides the discontinued children’s version, SimTown), though newer versions have a news ticker. The newspapers had random titles (Times, Post, Herald, etc.), and prices based on the simulated year. Certain newspapers have a special monthly humor advice column by “Miss Sim”. Some headlines have no purpose whatsoever in the game, such as “Bald Radio Found” or “Frog Convention”. Though there is no “true” victory sequence in SimCity 2000, the “exodus” is a close parallel. An “exodus” occurs during the year 2051 or later, when 250 or more Launch Arcologies are constructed; the following January each one “takes off” into space so that their inhabitants can form new civilizations on distant worlds (although the visual representation of the scene consists of the Arcologies exploding in a manner similar to bulldozed buildings, one by one). This reduces the city’s population to those who are not living in the Launch Arcologies, but it also opens wide areas for redevelopment and returns their construction cost to the city treasury. This is related to the event in SimEarth where all cities are moved into rocket-propelled domes that then leave to “find new worlds” (leaving no sapient life behind). On top of all this, the game also included several playable “scenarios”, in which the player must deal with a disaster (in most, but not all scenarios) and rebuild the city to meet a set of victory conditions. These were based in versions of real-life cities, and some were based on real events such as the 1991 Oakland firestorm, the 1989 Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, South Carolina, or dealing with the 1970s economic recession in Flint, Michigan—but also included more fanciful ones such as a “monster” destroying Hollywood in 2001. More scenarios added with the SCURK included a nuclear meltdown in Manhattan.   Completely immersive, addictive and soothing (I love the music on this) this is one of the al time greatest classics.

14. Tomb Raider 2 (1997) Platform: PlayStation, Windows 95, Macintosh Tomb Raider, released in 1996, starring the most kick ass heroine the gaming world’s ever seen in Lara Croft, became an instant sensation.  For a while there, she became the face of the system.  The first title was a terrific adventure that mainly centered in tombs searching for treasure and fighting a variety of foes from gun men to dinosaurs!  It was a classic… Its sequel however, was a masterpiece and by far the greatest in the series, which has sadly gone down hill with every game since, to the point that its just a shell of what it once was.  The story of Tomb Raider II concerns the mythical Dagger of Xian, a weapon which according to the game was used by an Emperor of China to command his army. By plunging the Dagger into its owner’s heart, the weapon has the power to turn its bearer into a dragon. A flashback reveals that the last battle which was fought with the Dagger ended in defeat when the warrior monks of Tibet succeeded in removing the knife from the Emperor’s heart. The Dagger was then returned to its resting place within the Great Wall and locked up for centuries. The game opens in the present time near the remains of the Great Wall, where Lara Croft is investigating the truth behind the legend of the Dagger. The fantastic journey takes everywhere from Tibet to Italy to England.  More weapons and vehicles were added to the game as well… She does it all in this game, swims, powers a motor boat through the canals of Venice… drives a snow scooter on and on.. this is simply one of the best, if not the best action/adventure game of its kind.

13. Donkey Kong Country (1994) Platform: SNES Donkey Kong Country was an incredible side scrolling addition to the Mario world, instead of Mario, however, it starred his original nemesis Donkey Kong, in 39 level adventure to recover his stash of bananas which had been stolen by the Kremlings. Each level is uniquely themed and consists of varying tasks such as swimming, riding in mine carts, launching out of barrel cannons, or swinging from vine to vine.  Players lose a life if they get hit by any enemy or fall off the screen. When the player has lost all their lives, the game is over. However, the player can gain additional lives by collecting items scattered throughout the levels, including bananas; golden letters that spell out K–O–N–G; extra life balloons; and golden animal tokens that lead to bonus levels.  There are also many secret passages that can lead to bonus games where the player can earn additional lives or other items. Players control one of two characters: Donkey Kong or his nephew Diddy. The player can switch between characters if they are both on the screen. Donkey Kong is the larger and stronger of the two, and can defeat enemies more easily. Diddy Kong is faster and more agile, and can take out multiple enemies at once.  In several levels players can gain assistance from various animals, who are found by breaking open crates. These helpers include Rambi the Rhino, Expresso the Ostrich, Enguarde the Swordfish, Winky the Frog, and Squawks the Parrot. Each animal can be found in an appropriately themed level: for example, Enguarde can only be found underwater, and Squawks will be found in caves.  Some animals can also give players access to bonus games. The game can be played solo or by two players. In two–player mode there are two types of play: “Contest” and “Team”. In Contest mode players take turns playing each level as quickly as possible; the object is to complete the most levels in the fastest time. In Team mode, both players instead play together, with one player controlling Donkey Kong and the other controlling Diddy. According to the game’s instruction manual, this is a good way for inexperienced players to play alongside more experienced players.  The graphics in DKC were nothing short of revolutionary at the time in that it was one of the first games for a mainstream home video game console to use pre-rendered 3D graphics. It was a giant leap forward.  What I loved about this game was all the secret areas.  It made you want to discover every last one… and I did..

12. Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) Platform: SNES Zelda: A Link to the past was the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series and a major step forward.  Its plot focuses on Link as he travels on a journey to save Hyrule, defeat Ganon and rescue the seven descendants of the Sages. It uses a top-down perspective similar to that of debut, but added mechanics and concepts to the series that have become commonplace, including multi-level dungeons and new equipment (such as the hookshot and the Pegasus Boots), as well as establishing the concept of an alternate, parallel (and sometimes far more dangerous) world.  A Link to the Past is the first appearance of what would subsequently become a major Zelda trademark: the existence of two parallel worlds between which the player travels. The first, called the Light World, is the ordinary Hyrule where Link grew up with his uncle. The second is what was once the Sacred Realm, but became the Dark World when Ganon acquired the Triforce. The Dark World is a corrupted version of Hyrule; the water is a dark, unpleasant green colour, the grass is dead, skulls replace rocks and pots, and trees have faces. People change forms in the Dark World based on their nature; without an item to prevent it (in this case, the Moon Pearl), Link turns into a pink rabbit. Each location in the Light World corresponds to a similar location in the Dark World, usually with a similar physical structure but an opposite nature (e.g. a desert in the Light World corresponds to a swamp in the Dark World, a peaceful village in the Light World corresponds to a dilapidated town of thieves in the Dark World). Link can travel from the Dark World to the Light World at almost any outside location by using a magic mirror (and back again from the same location using the portal left where he reappears in the Light World). There are also hidden warp locations throughout the Light World. This enables puzzles that exploit structural differences between the Light and Dark Worlds.  This is the game that really cemented the name Zelda as one of the premier franchises of all time.

11. Final Fantasy VII (1997) Platforms: Playstation The seventh (and BEST) installment in the Final Fantasy series was a groundbreaking title. Among other achievements, this game is the first in the series to use 3D computer graphics, featuring fully rendered characters on pre-rendered backgrounds. Set in a dystopian world, Final Fantasy VII’s story centers on mercenary Cloud Strife who joins with several others to stop the megacorporation Shinra, which is draining the life of the planet to use as an energy source. As the story progresses, the situation escalates and Cloud and his allies face Sephiroth, the game’s main antagonist.  Noted for its graphics, gameplay, music and story, FF VII is acknowledged as one of the greatest and most influential games of all time.  It was the first game I know that was HUGELY anticipated.  There was a line around the block when I first picked this up.  Like previous installments of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy VII consists of three modes: an overworld map, field maps, and a battle screen. The overworld map is a 3D model, featuring a scaled-down version of the game’s fictional world which the player navigates to travel between the game’s locations. As with preceding games in the series, the world map can be traversed by foot, on chocobos, airship, or submarine. On field maps, characters are directed across realistically scaled environments, consisting of 2D pre-rendered backgrounds which represent locations such as towns or forests. The battle screen is a 3D representation of an area, such as a building’s interior or an open grassland, in which the player commands the characters in battles against CPU-controlled enemies.While characters are super deformed on maps, the character models are more realistic and normal-scaled in combat.Final Fantasy VII is the first game in the series to have character models with fully-rendered polygons, rather than 2D sprites.  Initially, the player is restricted to exploring the city of Midgar, but as the game progresses, the entire world becomes accessible to the player. Progression through the game’s storyline is largely developed by way of scripted sequences, although pre-rendered cinematic cut scenes sometimes also advance the story.  The story was at the time, one of the most immersive and intricate that I’d ever experienced.  It set the bar for all RPGs that came after it.  None of its sequels or prequels have bettered it.  It stands on its own above most RPGs in history.  This was a mammoth game.

10. Shadowrun (1993) Platform: SNES Shadowrun was RPG influenced by the early 90s “cyberpunk” craze, adapted from the pen and paper RPG Shadowrun by FASA and one of the greatest most underrated games EVER made.  I can’t believe when I mention this game, practically noone knows what I’m talking about.  It was so interesting and detailed and just plain well done, it’s crazy so many people missed out on it.  Plotwise, you take on the role of Jake Armitage, a courier who is shot and nearly killed in the streets of Seattle in the year 2050 by a hit squad. He wakes up in a morgue with amnesia.  The remainder of the game follows Jake as he attempts to uncover his own identity, the identity of the mysterious figure who wants him dead, and then attempts to complete his mission.  Wow.. what a premise.. solid, cinematic, full of atmosphere and pulled off without a hitch. As an action RPG video game, Shadowrun combines both the statistical factor in the tabletop game with real-time gameplay. For example, the player controls Jake, moves him around using the controller, and when attacked, must use guns or magic commands to respond. Some battles within the game require sharp reflexes. This is further complicated by the fact that the Seattle in the game is a tough city – practically every screen contains at least one hidden assassin who, from random locations, opens fire on Jake; the player must immediately find the source of the attack and respond or risk death. At the same time, Jake builds up “karma” from killing enemies. Karma can then be allocated by the player into different attributes, skills, and magical powers.  As the title of the game implies, Jake is described as a “shadowrunner,” a mercenary character common within the Shadowrun RPG. Moreover, in the game, Jake is able to hire other shadowrunners as henchmen, though it is possible for the player to win the game without hiring a single shadowrunner.  In interacting with non-player characters, Shadowrun uses an unusual system. Whenever Jake hears a new and unusual term, this word is highlighted, then added to a sort of database of terms he can use. From that point on, when speaking with NPCs, Jake is able to ask them about this new word; only in this manner can a player progress with the game. The game also includes an unusual way of entering into cyberspace, known as the Matrix (SOUND FAMILIAR?  Btw, this game predates the first Matrix movie by 6 years). Using a cyberdeck, Jake is able to hack into computers to retrieve information, as well as gain more money, which in the game is nuyen (noo-yen). During such scenes, the gameplay becomes two-dimensional while an icon of Jake moves through cyberspace, fights intrusion programs, and retrieves data. As in the original RPG (and cyberpunk literature in general), if the player dies in cyberspace, he dies in real life as well.

9. Tetris (1984 released 1989 in N. America) Platform: Numerous What can one say about Tetris?  It’s been copied a billion times over, but there is only one Tetris.  This most famous of all puzzle video games was originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pazhitnov. It was created on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow. He derived its name from the Greek numerical prefix “tetra- (all of the game’s pieces, known as Tetrominoes, contain four segments) and tennis, Pajitnov’s favorite sport. The Tetris game is a popular use of tetrominoes, the four element special case of polyominoes. Polyominoes have been used in popular puzzles since at least 1907, and the name is given by the mathematician Solomon W. Golomb in 1953. However, even the enumeration of pentominoes is dated to antiquity. Tetris (or one of its many variants) is available for nearly every video game console and computer operating system, as well as on devices such as graphing calculators, mobile phones, portable media players, PDAs, Network music players and even as an Easter egg on non-media products like oscilloscopes.  While versions of Tetris were sold for a range of 1980s home computer platforms, it was the hugely successful handheld version for the Game Boy launched in 1989 that established the reputation of the game as one of the most popular ever. My personal favorite version was on the SNES… I mustve logged in hundreds of hours on that game, talk about replayability.  Electronic Gaming Monthly’s 100th issue had Tetris in first place as “Greatest Game of All Time”. In 2007, Tetris came in second place in IGN’s “100 Greatest Video Games of All Time”.  It has sold more than 70 million copies and in January of this year, it was announced that Tetris has sold more than 100 million copies for cell phones alone since 2005.

8. Banjo Kazooie (1998) Platform: Nintendo 64 and Xbox Live Arcade Set in the fictional location of Spiral Mountain where a bear named Banjo and his faithful bird companion Kazooie.   This game is the greatest platformer of all time.  What made it so?  The sheer brilliance of its design.  It’s composed of nine non-linear 3D worlds in which the player must gather jigsaw pieces, or “Jiggys”, to progress. Banjo and Kazooie are aided by Bottles, who teaches them new abilities, and Mumbo, who uses magical powers to transform them into other creatures, such as a termite, pumpkin or crocodile.  The player progresses in the game by finding Jiggys, Musical Notes and Mumbo Tokens. Jiggys open doors to new worlds by collecting enough to complete the corresponding jigsaw puzzle. There are ten in each world; nine must be found through exploration or the completion of challenges and puzzles, and one is granted by finding all five Jinjos on each world. Musical Notes open note doors that allow Banjo and Kazooie to progress further into Gruntilda’s lair. There are 100 notes in each world, and 900 total in the game. Mumbo Tokens grant the player magical transformations at Mumbo’s hut when the player collects a sufficient amount; there are a total of 115 tokens throughout the game.  Besides these primary items, the player can also collect items which are used in performing certain moves. Bottles must teach Banjo and Kazooie the move before the item can be used. Items include blue eggs, red feathers and gold feathers. Blue eggs are fired as projectiles or ejected from Kazooie’s rear, and fire in a straight line or bounce slowly until they either hit an enemy, or break on their own; red feathers are used in flight and flying attacks; and gold feathers are for the most powerful attack, Wonderwing, which uses Kazooie’s wings to make her and Banjo invincible and can kill almost any enemy, or at least protect the bear and bird. Rarer, temporary items can be found which have specialised use in puzzle-solving, namely wading boots, which enable the crossing of hazardous terrain, and turbo trainers, which grant extra running speed, often as part of a race or a time-based puzzle. Other items include extra lives and honeycomb energy, which respectively increase the player’s lives and health, and extra honeycomb pieces, which give the player a permanent increase of one honeycomb of health for every six collected.  The game uses Gruntilda the witch’s (and your nemesis) Lair as an overworld in which the player progresses. Individual levels are accessed through Gruntilda’s Lair by collecting enough musical notes to open various doors. Levels in Banjo Kazooie contain a diverse selection of challenges and special items. Mumbo’s skull is found in Mumbo’s Mountain, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a giant termite; Bubblegloop Swamp, featuring a transformation of Banjo into an alligator; Freezeezy Peak, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a walrus; Mad Monster Mansion, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a pumpkin; and Click Clock Wood, featuring a transformation of Banjo into a bumblebee.  These worlds are gorgeously created and challenging making it an absolute pleasure to play.  This is the pinnacle of the platformer.  I know a lot of people were crazy about Mario 64, but THIS is game that defined the genre for me.  A sequel on the N64 , Banjo Tooie was released a couple of years later which was excellent as well and an Xbox 360 game was promised for years… Finally Banjo Kazoiie Nuts and Bolts came out, which was a bitter disappointment, having nothing at all to do with the original concept.  Hopefully they get it right someday and a TRUE next-gen sequel will be made

7. Resident Evil 4 (2005) Platform: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Wii, iPhone OS, Mobile phones, Zeebo The greatest of the Resident Evil series, the greatest survival-horror game and one of the greatest games of all time.. period, RE 4 was a masterpiece in every way.  Originally intended to be a Game Cube exclusive (The GC sported the best graphics of any version… it’s the one I played it on as well) it was announced right before the release that PS2 would be putting it out as well.  The design and sheer beauty of the graphics are top of the line and set the standard for all games to follow.  They still remain among the greatest.  The player controls Leon S. Kennedy from a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective during a mission to rescue the daughter of the President of the United States, Ashley Graham. The gameplay focuses on action and shootouts involving crowds of enemies in large open areas. The camera is focused behind Leon, and it zooms in for an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon. The addition of a laser sight adds a new depth to the aiming, allowing the player to aim in various directions and easily change their placement at any time. Bullets now affect the enemies specifically where they are shot: shots to the feet can cause enemies to stumble, while shots to the arms can cause them to drop their weapons.  Another new aspect of Resident Evil 4 is the inclusion of context-sensitive controls. Based on the situation, the player can interact with aspects of their environment: kicking down a ladder, jumping out of a window, or dodging an enemy attack. There are also dynamic cut scenes, in which the player must press buttons indicated on-screen to execute actions such as dodging a falling boulder or wrestling an enemy to stay alive. These are often incorporated into the game’s many boss battles, where the player must avoid one-hit kill attacks. The Wii version expanded on this concept slightly by including a quick Wii Remote shake as a possible context sensitive action.  Capcom added new content made specifically for the PlayStation 2, which was later incorporated into the PC and Wii releases. The largest addition is Separate Ways, a minigame which revolves around Ada Wong’s involvement in Resident Evil 4 and her connection to Albert Wesker, a former member of STARS, who is now attempting to revive Umbrella. Ada’s Report, a five-part documentary, analyzes Ada’s relationship with Wesker and his role in the plot. Other unlockable content in all versions included The Mercenaries minigame, new costumes for Leon and Ashley, new unlockable weapons and a Movie Browser.  Just an incredible game .

6. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Platform: Nintendo 64 Next up if the King of Zeldas; the amazing Ocarina of Time.  So much has been said already about this title that to add to it would seem redundant but I’ll press on anyway.  OoT has been ranked numero uno on countless “best of” lists and there is a reason for it.  When it first came out it blew people away with its numerous side quests, gorgeous graphics, and the huge expansive overworld “Hyrule Field”.  Nuts and bolts-wise, Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure game with role-playing and puzzle elements. The player controls Link from a third-person perspective, in a three-dimensional space. He primarily fights with a sword and shield; he can also use projectile weapons, bombs, and magic spells. The control scheme introduced techniques such as context-sensitive actions and a targeting system called “Z-targeting”. In combat, Z-targeting allows the player to have Link focus and latch onto an enemy or other objects. When using this technique, the camera follows the target and Link constantly faces it. Projectile attacks are automatically directed at the target and do not require manual aiming. Context-sensitive actions allow multiple tasks to be assigned to one button, simplifying the control scheme. The on-screen display shows what will happen when the button is pushed and changes depending on what the character is doing. For example, the same button that causes Link to push a box if he is standing next to it will have him climb on the box if the analog stick is pushed toward it. Much of the game is spent in battle, but some parts require the use of stealth. Exploration is another important aspect of gameplay; the player may notice inaccessible areas and return later to find them explorable after obtaining a new item. My favorite part of the game was the inclusion of Epona the Horse that you acquire in the game… It was the first game I’ve ever seen that really got horse riding down perfectly…

5. Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004) Platform: Xbox The best of all Star Wars games by far, KOTOR 1 & 2 captured the magic of this greatest of all sci fi franchises as no title before did.  One of the reasons is because unlike the rest, these were RPGs instead action adventures.  The character development went beyond anything accomplished prior to it.  It was also the first game that introduced the Light/Dark component in which the decisions you made during the game put you on the path of a Jedi or the evil Sith.  This game’s system is based on Wizards of the Coast’s Star Wars Roleplaying Game, which is based on the d20 role-playing game system derived from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. Combat is round-based; time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack and react simultaneously. However, the number of actions a combatant may perform each round is limited. While each round’s duration is a fixed short interval of real time, the player can configure the combat system to pause at specific events or at the end of each round. The Light/Dark alignment system tracks actions and speech—from simple word choices to major plot decisions—to determine whether the player’s character aligns with the light or dark side of the Force. Generosity and altruism lead to the light side, while selfish or violent actions will lead the player’s character to the dark side, which will alter the character’s appearance, turning their eyes yellow and their skin pale. Non-combat interaction with other characters in the game world is based upon a dialogue menu system. Following each statement, the player can select from a list of menu responses. The dialogue varies based on the gender and skills of the main character.  To me, KOTOR and its sequel are equally as good and therefore they stand together as one.  Finally this year, hopefully, the promised Massive multi Player Online version of KOTOR will be released and the throngs of fans of this game will finally be satisfied.

4. Deadline (1982) Platform: Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS A wealthy industrialist, Mr. Marshall Robner, locked himself in the upstairs library of his New England colonial estate one night and committed suicide by taking a lethal overdose of anti-depressants. Or did he?  You are the Chief of Detectives. You’ve been asked by Robner’s attorney to make a thorough investigation of the case, simply to “quash the suspicions which are inevitable” when a moneyed man dies a sudden and unnatural death. The Medical Examiner found nothing unusual, and interviews with family members and family associates are consistent with the idea that Robner committed suicide. Everything fits neatly — maybe too neatly. You smell foul play, and you have 12 hours to crack the case. If you arrest someone, you’d better have the three traditional ingredients to an ironclad case for the prosecution: the accused must have had a motive, a method, and ample opportunity to commit the crime. There are many possible endings to this case, and the one you reach is determined by your actions and by the deductions you draw from the evidence you gather. But one ending fits the facts better than any other, and you will know it when you reach it.  Thus is the premise for the greatest of the text adventures and, in my opinion, one of the all time greatest games ever… the masterpiece Deadline.  This was one of the most challenging games I’ve ever played and the most interesting.  Stunningly well-written, there was no need for graphics whatsoever.  The original version, however, came with super deluxe packaging, consisting of a full dossier, the pills in question, all sorts of documents and files that were not just there for show, but aided you in the case.  You really felt as if you were investigating this “suicide”… The fact that you had a time limit, meant that you could easily fail. The characters that you questioned and interacted with all had full fledged personalities.  It was simply amazing and has not been bettered… The best detective mystery game ever made… period.

3.  Mass Effect 2 (2010) Platform: Xbox 360 This sequel of the aforementioned Mass Effect betters the original by leaps and bounds in every way, graphics, story, playability, mechanics… everything.  I was stunned playing this lengthy and immersive delight.  I couldn’t believe how great it was.  The opening sequence alone was a jaw dropper (I won’t divulge it to those who haven’t played it yet) and worth the price of admission.  The characters in this game are the best I’ve ever seen and you can choose to play a part in the lives of each and every one of them.  Not only are their stories realistic, but they are also voiced wonderfully as well… by big name actors, e.g., Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man.  What I can’t get over about this game is how EVERY scene is different from the smallest side quest (of which there are tons) to the biggest mission, each background is detailed lovingly and unique to the task at hand, which makes it a priority to finish every single one of them.  From beginning to end this massive scif fi adventure captures your imagination.  I can’t wait for the third and final(?) installment.  This is the “Empire Strikes Back” of video games

2. Chronotrigger (1995) Platform: SNES Chrono Trigger takes place in an original world similar to Earth, with eras such as the prehistoric age, where early humans and dinosaurs share the earth; the Middle Ages, complete with knights and magic; and the post-apocalyptic future, where humans and sentient robots struggle to survive. The characters frequently travel through time to obtain allies, gather equipment, and learn information to help them in their quest.  Besides the main character Crono, there are 7 other playable characters that range from a magician to a chivalrous Frog.This adventure is vast and immersive like no other RPG that exists.  It’s just the greatest game of its kind, the greatest SNES game and the best game of its generation.  Chronotrigger is perfect in every way.  Its all about the story and the journey it take you on.  An excellent sequel was made for the PS2, Chrono Cross.. but it wasn’t in the same league as the original.  If ever a game needed a next gen sequel this one does.

1. Fallout 3 (2008) Platform: Xbox360, PS3 Greatest game ever.This is a game that takes you from birth to adulthood… A game that was so good that its fans forced the game makers REMOVE the ending so that you could remain playing… The greatest RPG/Adventure of all… You are the saviour of the wasteland, going on adventure after adventure in post apocalyptic ruins… you create your destiny.  Tons of side quests, downloadable content that takes you from a swamp to an alien ship, hundreds of non-playing characters, brilliant voice work, genius art design, insane amount of weapons and ammo.. and that amazing soundtrack of creepy old jazz records played on the radio by the grizzled old DJ Three Dog…On and on and on.. its just the best that ever has been up to now.Fallout 3 will never end chillllllllldren. All this makes it the number ONE greatest video game of all time.

100-81  |  80-61  |  60-41  |  40-21

40. Mass Effect (2007) Platform: Xbox 360 Mass Effect is a fantastic sci fi adventure/RPG that places you in the role of elite human soldier; Commander Shepard, set out to explore the Galaxy on a starship, the SSV Normandy.  There are a ton of things to do besides the main story… subquests, exploration etc… some better than others.  The main plot is stellar, pitting you against sentient machines eventually leading you to the final baddie.. You can play either as a renegade (tough guy) or a paragon (saintly hero) or somewhere in between.  The choices you make in your conversations and actions effect the outcome of the game providing for numerous possibilities. The mix between RPG elements and action is well-balanced and the areas of the main story and main side quests are incredibl designed, but the lesser missions do become repetitive looking.  The exploration of the planets was a great idea but the vehicle you use, a kind of tank is generally cumbersome and annoying to use.   The mediocre bits are fare outshined by the thrilling bits, however, making this an amazing debut franchise and an instant classic.  Downloadable content providing extra missions were available after the release.  This has been envisioned as a trilogy from the beginning and the sequel was just released this year…

39. Castle Wolfenstein (1981) Platform: Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS, Atari 400/800 Castle Wolfenstein was a slow-paced stealth game set in World War II. The game’s main objective is to traverse the levels of a castle taken over by Nazis, to find the secret war plans and escape alive. Progressively higher military ranks are earned upon each successful escape with the war plans, and the game becomes correspondingly more difficult as each higher rank is achieved. There are 8 ranks, beginning with Private, culminating at the rank of Field Marshall.  The game is played from a top-down perspective, though the characters are seen upright like in a side-scroller. The player traverses the levels by sneaking past guards, impersonating Nazi soldiers and sometimes even killing opponents. One of the main drawing points for fans was its unprecedented use of digitized voices. German words shouted by the guards, such as “Halt!” (stop!) and “Kommen Sie!” (come, you!) were frequent. Though hard to understand, the voices added to the game’s atmosphere and made Castle Wolfenstein stand out from other games released at the time.  With an emphasis on trying to avoid detection for as long as possible, Castle Wolfenstein and its sequel are considered by gamers to be prototypical stealth-based games—the first in a genre that wouldn’t gain popularity until the late 1990s. There was a great tension to this game.. .it was difficult but totally compelling and satisfying the more progress you achieved.  I never came close to finishing it but I played it a lot.  Definitely ahead of its time and influential.

38. Super Buster Bros. (1992) Platform: SNES Super Buster Bros. was a highly addictive game and one that I played over and over.  Something about this game was incredibly pleasant and satisfying.  The levels sported gorgeous backgrounds the graphics were bright and enjoyable to see. The main object of the game was very simple yet perfect…  use your gun to pop bubbles that bounce around your screen. That’s it.  The only wrinkle is, when a player pops a bubble, it splits into two smaller bubbles. This happens repeatedly, but eventually, the bubbles get so small that they pop when shot. Occasionally, monsters will walk or fly on to the screen, these can be seen as a help or harm to the player. When the player touches a monster, they die, but monsters can pop bubbles. On top of this, there are several powerups that can be found throughout the game. These are found by either popping certain bubbles, shooting boxes, or shooting certain spots in the level that are not marked. The powerups do different things (gun upgrades, ability to stop or slow time, dynamite, protective shields) which add further depth to the gameplay.  This is what great videogaming is all about, simplicity, playability and fun.

37. Tron (1982) Platform: Arcade game Tron was a coin-operated arcade video game manufactured and distributed by Bally Midway in 1982. It was based on the Walt Disney Productions motion picture Tron released in the same year. Events from this science fiction film were the inspirations for four subgames of which the game consists. It features some characters and equipment known from the film, eg the Light Cycles, battle tanks, the Input/Output Tower. The game earned more than the film’s initial release.  Something about the graphics, the cabinet (specially designed as movie tie-in featuring two blacklights and fluorescent lines painted on, resembling the blue, red etc. circuit lines from the film Tron which, in a darkened room, glowed), controller (which kind of looked like a helicopter control)  and evocative music (from the movie) really made this game special and a favorite among gamers, making it somewhat of a “cult” masterpiece.  Xbox 360 Live made this game available recently and its still fun to play.

36. Ridge Racer (1995) Platform: PS1 Originally an arcade game, it was the Playstation version that was the classic and first and best racer of the console and, in my opinion, the best racer of all time.  Extremely innovative for its time, RR introduced minor car sim elements intertwined with the gameplay. The player could choose from the options of Course Select, Transmission, Car Select, Sound Select, Start, and Options. Course Select allowed the player to choose a course, each of varying difficulty, and choose between the two modes of a Race (against 11 other cars) and Time Trial (against one other car).  The game consists of 4 race course modes. They are the “Beginner”, “Mid-Level”, “High-Level” and “Time Trial” (on the screen will show “T.T” instead). The “Beginner” and the “Mid-Level” would be racing on the same circuit. However, the Beginner mode only had 2 laps and there were no night racing. On the Mid-Level mode, the cars would be faster. The race would run 3 laps instead of 2 and there would be night racing in the middle. Once the player advanced to “High-Level” and “Time Trial”, the circuit would be longer as a technical section was added with more sharp and difficult curves. The “Beginner”, “Mid-Level” and the “High-Level” would be a 12 cars battle but the “Time Trial” would be the battle of 2 cars only.After the players won all the race modes, extra game (extra courses) would be given. The player would be racing on the same tracks but in reverse directions. The extra tracks lack one checkpoint and therefore the player is at a much higher risk of running out of time, making the game extremely difficult.  What I really loved about this game was that I got really good at it, and it was the only racer before or since that I ever got REALLY good at.  Something about the physics I really liked.. It wasn’t too arcadey and it wasn’t to simulationsy.. it was just right.  Many sequels were made, but none were as great as the debut which became one of the first signature titles of the Playstation.

35. Contra (1988) Platform: NES Contra was a run and gun action game by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. The NES home version was the classic.  In the game, the player controls one of two armed military commandos named Bill and Lance who are sent on a mission to neutralize a terrorist organization called Red Falcon that is secretly planning an alien invasion on Earth.   You’re equipped with a rifle with an unlimited amount of ammunition (which I loved). The player can also jump, move and fire in eight directions, as well as move or jump simultaneously while firing. A single hit from any enemy, bullet, or other hazard will instantly kill the player character , and also discard the current weapon from the player’s disposal, making it one of the most infuriatingly frustrating but also addictive games ever. There are a total of four weapons the player can retrieve from flying weapon capsules or pill-box sensors: a Machine Gun, a Laser Gun, a Fire Gun, and a Spread Gun. There also two additional supplemental power-ups: a Rapid Fire power-up which increases the player’s firing speed, as well as a Barrier that will grant the player temporary invincibility for a few seconds. There are a total of 8 areas in the game and 2 types of stages. In addition to the standard side view stages, Contra also features stages in which the player character is seen from behind and must move towards the background in order to proceed. Each of these “3D maze” stages are set inside the corridor of an enemy base in which the player must fight through the base’s defenses in order to reach the core of the base. During the 3D maze stages, the upper screen will display a map of the base along with a time limit. Each maze stage is followed by a “3D fixed” stage set at the core of the base where the player must destroy a series of flashing sensors to expose an even larger sensor and destroy it. The single player was great but my favorite was the two-player cooperative mode where both players occupy the same screen and must coordinate their actions. Great game to play with a friend.

34. Asteroids (1979) Platform: Arcade game One of the most famous games ever, it was conceived by Lyle Rains and programmed and designed by Ed Logg. It was a hit in the United States and became Atari’s best selling game of all time.  Atari had been in the process of releasing another vector game, Lunar Lander, but demand for Asteroids was so high they stopped further production of Lunar Lander so they could begin building Asteroids. The first 200 Asteroids machines were sent out in Lunar Lander cabinets. Asteroids was so popular that video arcade owners sometimes had to install larger boxes to hold the amount of quarters that were spent by players. It is also the first game to use Atari’s “QuadraScan” vector-refresh system.] A full-color version known as “Color-QuadraScan” was later developed for games such as Space Duel and Tempest. The objective of Asteroids is to score as many points as possible by destroying asteroids and flying saucers. The player controls a triangular-shaped ship that can rotate left and right, fire shots straight forward, and thrust forward. As the ship moves, momentum is not conserved — the ship eventually comes to a stop again when not thrusting. The player can also send their ship into hyperspace, causing it to disappear and reappear in a random location on the screen (with the risk of self-destructing or appearing on top of an asteroid).  Each stage starts with a few asteroids drifting in random directions on the screen. Objects wrap around screen edges — for instance, an asteroid that drifts off the top edge of the screen reappears at the bottom and continues moving in the same direction. As the player shoots asteroids, they break into smaller asteroids that frequently move faster and are more difficult to hit. Smaller asteroids also score higher points. Periodically, a flying saucer appears on one side of the screen and moves across to the other before disappearing again. The saucers are of two kinds: Large saucers fire in random directions, while small saucers aim at the player’s ship.  The minimalist soundtrack features a memorable deep-toned electronic “heartbeat”, which quickens as the asteroid density is reduced by the player’s fire. Once the screen has been cleared of all asteroids and flying saucers, a new set of large asteroids appears. The number of asteroids increases each round up to a maximum of twelve. The game is over when the player has lost all of his/her lives.  A huge classic in all respects.

33. Space Invaders – The Atari 2600 version(1980) Platform: Atari 2600 Initially released as an Arcade game in 1978 which became one of the biggest selling most popular games of all time,  Space Invaders is a two-dimensional fixed shooter game in which the player controls a laser cannon by moving it horizontally across the bottom of the screen and firing at descending aliens. The aim is to defeat five rows of eleven aliens—some versions feature different numbers—that move horizontally back and forth across the screen as they advance towards the bottom of the screen. The player defeats an alien, and earns points, by shooting it with the laser cannon. As more aliens are defeated, the aliens’ movement and the game’s music both speed up. Defeating the aliens brings another wave that is more difficult; a cycle which can continue indefinitely.The aliens attempt to destroy the cannon by firing at it while they approach the bottom of the screen. If they reach the bottom, the alien invasion is successful and the game ends. A special “mystery ship” will occasionally move across the top of the screen and award bonus points if destroyed. The laser cannon is partially protected by several stationary defense bunkers—the number varies by version—that are gradually destroyed by projectiles from the aliens and player. I always found the arcade version was too hard and annoying.  The Atari 2600 version, however, was a masterpiece, adding a million different modes to it and was infinitely more enjoyable and easier to play.  I could play one game forever on it.  My first real experience with video games and one of my favorites period.

32. Elevator Action (1983) Platform: Arcade Game One of my favorite arcade games of all time, the player assumes the role of a spy who infiltrates a building filled with elevators. He must collect secret documents from the building and traverse the 30 levels of the building using an increasingly complex series of elevators. The player is pursued by enemy agents who appear from behind closed doors. The player must outwit them via force or evasion. Successful completion of a level involves collecting all the secret documents and traversing the building from top to bottom. In the lower floors of the building, the elevator systems are so complex that some puzzle-solving skills are needed.  The graphics are extremely simple but pleasant to look at. I used to play this game at the local diner over and over and over again.  Something about it was just so compelling to me.  It had a great compelling vibe and overall premise.  It was also extremely challenging making it really satisfying when progressed though the game.

31. The Zork Trilogy Platform: Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS, etc.. West of HouseYou are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.There is a small mailbox here.… and thus begins one of the greatest trilogies in the history of gaming.Published by Infocom, the king of the text adventures, Zork placed you in the role of an adventurer in a magical universe, where in you hunted treasure, venturing into a dangerous land in search of wealth and adventure. Because each part of the ZORK saga is a completely independent story, you can explore them in any order. However, since ZORK I is the least difficult, it is usually the best place to begin.  My favorite of the bunch was Zork II, which was the most interesting story wise for me.  However, I can’t really single out any of them.  It should be taken as one grand vision.  They were all so well written and full of ambience.  These games were the embodiment of the hero’s journey and they accomplished it all with NO GRAPHICS AT ALL.  A classic among classics.

30. Soul Calibur (1999) Platform: Dreamcast Originally released in the arcade, Soul Calibur was not as popular as Namco would have liked or expected. Luckily for the Namco, when Soul Calibur was picked up for the amazing Dreamcast, it became a HUGE smash hit almost overnight, instantly endearing itself to millions of people with its drop dead gorgeous graphic, of which no one had ever seen the likes of on a home console before, and innovative gameplay.  Previous 3D fighters only limited movement along the third axis, with sidesteps and rolls providing useful but unsustained lateral movement. In Soul Calibur, simply holding down a joystick direction causes the character to run in that direction. This gives the player a sense of freedom and deepens the strategy of the game. Soul Calibur also improved gameplay with “forgiving buffering.” Buffering is executing the input for one move before the player’s character has finished recovering from their previous move. It is important for executing quick strings of moves. Other games such as Tekken and Virtua Fighter have relatively strict buffering requirements, meaning expert timing is required to pull off many combinations, while Soulcalibur’s relatively lenient buffering lets players focus more on the game and less on the controls. Finally, the “Guard Impact” offensive blocking maneuver shown in Soul Edge was given a deeper range of techniques (allowing players to push back or redirect attacks past themselves as well as swatting away an opponent’s weapon to stun them).  All technical achievements aside, this game was FUN…  especially when playing a friend (the computer was always a bit easy for me).  The tons of different moves, the graphics which are STILL among the best, the feel makes this the greatest fighting game of its kind.

29. Hot Shots Golf 2 (2000) Platform: PS2 The Hot Shots Golf series, to my mind, was the best golf experience in videogame history. Sporting bright, lush graphics, you played as one of many cartoony characters (unlocking more as you go) through a bunch of great courses in different seasons.  What I love about this game is that the goofy characters really belie the great and satisfying gameplay.  There are a variety of modes including Tournament, Training, Stroke Play, Match Play, and a Miniature Golf course. The game featured several characters; those not available from the start had to be unlocked for play by defeating them. A player could earn experience points for his character for winning tournaments and hitting a variety of shots. These points were used to open new courses. The game featured six different courses and a free moving game camera. Apart from all that, it’s just a solid gaming experience. Something you can pick up and play anytime.  It’s not realistic, but it is in a way.  The sound effects are soothing and pleasant.  Hot Shots 2 is definitely the best in the bunch and one of my favorite titles for the PS2.

28. Ms. Pac Man (1981) Platform: Arcade Game Ms. Pac-Man was an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licenser Namco as an official title. This game introduces a female protagonist, new maze designs and several minor gameplay changes over the original game.  These changes added up to a far more enjoyable experience.  It’s ever so slightly easier than the original Pac Man, the sound effects are easier on the ear, it’s not dependent on patterns, meaning the ghost move randomly, and the colors are varied making it less monotonous, plus its got those cute cut scenes every so often, making you want to get further to see what happens next.  It’s STILL fun to play..  I’ve got it on a bunch of different systems, including a cool toy that looks the original that plugs directly into your tv that looks exactly like the original.  CLASSIC.

27. Lode runner (1983) Platform: Apple II, VIC-20, Commodore 64, DOS, ZX Spectrum, Atari XL/XE, SG-1000, XBLA, Windows, iPod, Macintosh, Virtual Console, PlayStation Network, BBC Micro, Atari Jaguar, PlayStation, NES, SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis Lode Runner was a 1983 platform game, first published by Brøderbund. It is one of the first games to include a level editor (which was EASY to use), a feature that allows players to create their own levels for the game.  That was the cool gimmick of the game and was fun as hell to design your own board, but the game itself was amazingly fun to play.  The player controls a stick figure who must collect all the gold in a level while avoiding guards who try to catch the player. After collecting all the gold, the player must travel to the top of the screen to reach the next level. There are 150 (!!) levels in the game which progressively challenge players’ problem-solving abilities or reaction times. Levels feature a multi-story, brick platform motif, with ladders and suspended hand-to-hand bars that offer multiple ways to travel throughout. The player can dig holes into floors to temporarily trap guards and may safely walk atop trapped guards. Over time, floors dug into will regenerate, filling in these holes. A trapped guard who cannot escape a hole before it fills is consumed, immediately respawning in a random location at the top of the level. Floors may also contain trap doors, through which the player and guards will fall, and bedrock, through which the player cannot dig. Notably, the player can only dig a hole to the sides, and not directly underneath himself. This poses an important strategy: when digging through a wall that’s n blocks high, the player must first dig a gap that’s at least n wide to be able to dig through it, as the number of spaces will shrink with one each layer, and the player needs at least one free adjacent space to be able to dig. The player starts with five lives; each level completion awards an extra life. Should a guard catch the player, one life is lost and the current level restarts. The player’s character can fall from arbitrary heights without injury but cannot jump, and players can trap themselves in pits from which the only escape is to abort the level, costing a life, and begin again.  LOVED this game.

26. Super Bros. Mario 3 (1988) Platform: NES Next up is yet another Mario game, and in my opinion, is the best one of the bunch. Built on the gameplay of previous Mario games by introducing new power-ups that augment character abilities, it established conventions that were carried over to future games in the series. The game shares similar gameplay mechanics with previous titles in the series—Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Super Mario Bros. 2—but introduces several new elements. In addition to the running and jumping moves found in past games, the player can fly and float with the aid of special items, slide down slopes, and execute new types of jumps. Super Mario Bros. 3 is set after the events of previous games. Mario and Luigi embark on a mission on behalf of Princess Toadstool to stop Bowser and his children (called “Koopalings”) from terrorizing the kings of seven regions in the Mushroom World; the Koopalings stole the kings’ magic wands and transformed them into animals. Each region serves as a game world that is divided into stage levels, and an eighth region is included as the final world, Bowser’s Kingdom. The eight worlds feature distinct visual themes; for example, the second world, “Desert Hill”, contains sand-covered levels with pyramids, while the levels in the fourth world, “Giant Land”, are populated with obstacles and enemies four times as large as other worlds.  Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced several suits to alter the character’s abilities. For example, Mario can use the “Frog Suit” to swim more easily in water, but will move more slowly on land.  The player navigates through the game via two game screens: an overworld map and a level playfield (pictured left). The overworld map displays an overhead representation of the current world and has several paths leading from the world’s entrance to a castle. Paths connect to action panels, fortresses and other map icons, and allow players to take different routes to reach the world’s goal. Moving the on-screen character to an action panel or fortress will allow access to that level’s playfield, a linear stage populated with obstacles and enemies. The majority of the game takes place in these levels, with the player traversing the stage by running, jumping, and dodging or defeating enemies.  On top of that, Super Mario Bros. 3 includes a multiplayer option which allows two players to cooperatively play the game by taking turns at navigating the overworld map and accessing stage levels; the first player controls Mario, while the other controls Luigi. Through this mode, players can also access a special minigame, a remake of the original Mario Bros. arcade game.

25. Street Fighter 2 (1991) Platform: Arcade, Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, TurboGrafx-16, Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, PC, 3DO, Master System, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Mobile Phone, Xbox 360 (XBLA), Virtual Console (Wii) Street Fighter II  was the sequel to the Street Fighter franchise of competitive fighting games, originally released as coin-operated arcade games.  It improved upon the many concepts introduced in the first game, including the use of command-based special moves and a six-button configuration, while offering players a selection of multiple playable characters, each with their own unique fighting style and special moves.  The phrase “button masher” began with this title.  It’s generally credited for starting the fighting game boom during the 1990s and its success led to the production of a series of updated versions, each offering additional features and characters over previous versions, as well as several home versions. Some of the home versions of the Street Fighter II games have sold millions of copies, with the SNES port of the first Street Fighter II being Capcom’s best-selling consumer game of all time, which I always thought was the best version of this game.  Gamewise, Street Fighter II follows several of the conventions and rules already established by its original 1987 predecessor. The player engages opponents in one-on-one close quarter combat in a series of best-two-out-of-three matches. The objective of each round is to deplete the opponent’s vitality before the timer runs out. If both opponents knock each other out at the same time or the timer runs out with both fighters having an equal amount of vitality left, then a “double KO” or “draw game” is declared and additional rounds will be played until sudden death. In the first Street Fighter II, a match could last up to ten rounds if there was no clear winner; this was reduced to four rounds in Champion Edition and onward. If there is no clear winner by the end of the final round, then either the computer-controlled opponent will win by default in a single-player match or both fighters will lose in a 2-player match.

24. Castlevania (1986) Platform: NES Castlevania is one of the great gothic games of all time. The first game with a “horror” theme, it is an out an out classic that has spawned numerous sequels that have spanned over numerous consoles from the NES to the Xbox 360.  The very first title, Castlevania, released in 1986 by Konami, was a platform game in which the player takes the role of Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan, a family of vampire hunters. He travels to Dracula’s demonic castle, Castlevania, and fights his way through, eventually destroying Dracula himself. Belmont’s main weapon is the Vampire Killer whip, while the secondary weapons are powered by Hearts, found by whipping candles. Common secondary weapons include a dagger, holy water or an axe.  To me it’s the first and the best of the series.  Easy to play, great game mechanics, compelling with a terrific ambience that kept you playing, this game was a real breakthrough and way ahead of its time, preceding the whole “Twilight” thing by decades.

23. Punch Out (1984) Platform: Arcade Game There have been a million different versions of this game ported to numerous consoles but the original aracade game stands above all of them in my opinion.  It’s the only game I ever completed every stage on an arcade machine.  I ought to have, I played it a million times.  In the game, the player assumes the role of a green-haired boxer, known by three initials the player chooses when the game begins. During matches, the player’s boxer is viewed from behind as a wireframe (so the opponents can be seen). The player must time his punches, dodges and blocks in order to defeat the opposing boxer. Hints are given as to the opponents next move by subtle eye changes (the white of the eyes turn from white to yellow), but the player must ultimately predict what moves the opponent will make and react appropriately. Once the player defeats the last opponent, the opponents repeat. On each successive round the opponents are harder and quicker. The player only has one round to land a KO. Technically, there is no TKO element for multiple knockdowns, but the “3 knockdown rule” is utilized nonetheless; no boxer ever gets up from his third knockdown. Additionally, a win by decision is not possible; an automatic loss occurs if time runs out. In the event the player loses, the computer controlled victor will taunt the player and the corner man for the player will try to entice the player to play again (“Come on, stand up and fight!”) via the game’s distinctive digitized speech. Players are only allowed one continue per play through.  The game is a modified upright, and was unusual in that it requires two monitors, one atop the other, for the game’s display. The top monitor is used to display statistics while the bottom one is the main game display.  A large button on the console is pressed to deliver an uppercut or right hook, though the blow can be delivered only if a certain number of normal punches are landed on the opponent, so that the “KO” indicator on the display reads full. When the indicator reads full, it flashes and the corner man’s digitized speech encourages the player to either “Put him away!”, or “Knock him out! All that aside, this game is really about the terrific character you fight… Bald Bull, Mr. Sandman and the wimpy Glass Joe etc.. They were all so well drawn in that inimitable cartoony style, making it infinitely playable.  One of my all time favorites.

22. Skies of Arcadia (2000) Platform: Dreamcast Skies of Arcadia is one of my favorite RPGs of all time and the best on the Dreamcast system.  Sporting the first “rumble pack” action I’ve ever experienced (one of Dreamcast’s many innovations.. the original was a separate attachment for your controller) it really immersed the player in the game making you feel the action as never before.  A good portion of the game is spent in dungeons that are comprised of a network of pathways with treasure chests, puzzles, and ubiquitous monsters. Completing the dungeons is usually a matter of exploring each of the possible pathways presented to the player until the correct one is found. Treasure chests are commonplace and contain some of the most powerful items in the game. Throughout the dungeon gameplay the player meets compulsory random encounters. If the entire player party is defeated, progress is reset to the beginning of the dungeon. Travel between the numerous dungeons is accomplished by piloting an airship through the overworld, a three dimensional sky with massive floating rocks forming islands and continents. Some islands are completely uninhabited, while others are filled with sprawling towns and cities. Apart from landing on these islands you would participate in ship battles, pirate style while on route.  THIS is what really set this game apart from any RPG I’ve ever played before or since.  I can’t understand why a sequel to this amazing game was never made.  The concept was so unique and special.

21. Rock n Roll Racing (1993) Platform: SNES Rock n Roll Racing was a battle-racing video game developed by Silicon & Synapse (now known as Blizzard Entertainment) and published by Interplay for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. The background music consists of instrumental versions of several heavy metal and rock n’ roll songs, hence the game’s title and while Ridge Racer is my favorite straight ahead car racer.  RnR Racing is my favorite racing game… PERIOD.   The game pits four racers against each other, with up to two of them being player-controlled and the rest being AI opponents. Each race consists of four laps around tracks viewed from an isometric perspective, which enables players to discern the presence of frequent sloping sections spread throughout the game’s various tracks. In addition to navigating the turns, racers must also maneuver hills and dips without falling or jumping over the guard rail at the track’s edge.  While it is a racing game, there is heavy emphasis on attacking competitor’s vehicles; since the cars always reappear with full health just a few seconds after blowing up, the only “harm” done is falling behind in the race. Players are rewarded with a monetary “attack bonus” each time they provide the finishing blow against another car using their projectile weapons (and a similar “lapping bonus” when they gain a full one-lap lead on an opponent during the race). In accordance with the continual destruction and restoration of the racing vehicles, the tracks are littered with mines and health power-ups, as well as money power-ups. Other hazards include oil slicks, snow drifts, and lava, depending on the planet hosting the race. Players are updated on the race by commentator “Loudmouth Larry” (Larry “Supermouth” Huffman), who makes comments like “The stage is set, the green flag drops!” (or “Let the carnage begin!”), and “Rip: is about to blow!” in an enthusiastic tone at appropriate moments during the race. Between races, players can spend the money they’ve earned on more advanced equipment for their vehicle (engines, tires, shocks, and shielding) or on increasing their capacity for the frontal weapon (energy blasts or missiles), rear weapon (slip sauce or mines), and turbo boost (jump jets or nitro boosts), each of which can max out at seven. Despite their limited capacity, every vehicle will have its weapon and boost charges replenished at the completion of each lap in a race. Racers can also buy more advanced car models, and any upgrades already acquired are disregarded when purchasing a new vehicle.  This is by far the best multiplayer game of all time for me.  Me and my friends had such fun playing this game, it got really competitive.

100-81  |  80-61  |  60-41  |  20-1

60. Crime and Punishment (1984) Platforms: Commodore 64, Apple II Crime and Punishment was an excellent simulation game that put you in charge of reviewing numerous cases from first degree murder to petty larceny.  You were asked to hand down a decision based on: the details of the crime (which would include the murder weapon, relationship of victim/suspect, property loss or damage), Offender’s criminal record (prior arrests/convictions, juvenile court blotter, reputation), and my favorite; the pre-sentence report, which included the mental history of the suspect, the courtroom/prosecution details, employment history, the suspect’s upbringing and any other personal details.  After you sorted all that information out (all really well-written and believable material) you were asked to render your judgment.  This is when the twist comes in… YOUR judgment was then judged against the decision of an ACTUAL judge and you got to see how closely you matched against a professional.  Although the game was short on graphics, it was huge on replayability and tension making it one of the most fun simulation game experiences I’ve ever had.

59. Madden NFL 97 (1996) Platforms: PS1 While I’ve never been much of a football fan (baseball and basketball are my passions), I really got into this videogame.  I guess, cause it was the first major football game to be created in the 32-bit gaming era. For the time, the graphics were completely amazing and exciting and really gave us the first lifelike football play on a console.  This was also the first edition of Madden to implement the use of a salary cap when customizing team rosters, which added a greater depth. The further addition of a team of real free agents (as opposed to the prior blank slate used in Madden 96) which can be traded and added to other teams’ rosters made it a deeper more enriching experience than ever before. The thing is, I’m not an expert on the game, so I can only go by own personal take on things.  I choose this, ‘cause it was the first of its kind (in the modern gaming era) in a cherished franchise that continues to sell wildly, and the one that started it all deserves the nod.

58. Xenophobe (1987) Platforms: Arcade Xenophobe was a unique multiplayer arcade game.  The screen was split up into three horizontal sections, one for each player. This allowed the players to cooperate, but also allowed them to wander around freely, a feature not found on most cooperative multiplayer games and made for an exciting explorative feel. With most games that allowed multiple players at once, all players were bound by the edges of the screen (that is, all the players had to be in the same general area on the screen, so it could contain them all) with Xenophobe such restrictions didn’t apply, and because the game featured such high resolution for its time, the split screen didn’t detract from the game’s graphic appeal. The basic goal of each level was to defeat all the aliens before time runs out. Levels may contained more than one floor, and players used elevators (and sometimes holes in the floor) to move between floors to defeat all of the aliens. Players could also pick up more powerful weapons and other items to help in their eradication of the aliens. These hostile aliens (known as “Xenos”) came in different forms. Their eggs (similar to the eggs in Alien), could attach itself to the player and drain health. If wasn’t killed, it eventually matured into a “Roller”, tougher enemies, as they can ball themselves up and roll around while impervious to the players’ guns.  The coolest thing about the game, however, was the exploration involved. As players went through the various maps (Rocket ship, Moon Base, Space City, etc.), they encountered various items to be picked up  (human skulls, lab vials, fire extinguishers, etc.) for bonus points. Other items like grenades, knives, food were immediately useful to the players (food replenishes the players’ health) and still other items (disks, tools, codes, etc.) were useful in the right room. All this making it an extremely deep game, especially for the arcade.

57. Super Sprint (1986) Platforms: Arcade game Super Sprint was one of my favorite arcade games ever.  A fairly simple racing game with nice clean graphics, up to three players could drive simultaneously on a circuit against each other or against cars controlled by the computer. The circuits are viewed from above and always fit on the screen, so the game never scrolls. After three laps the winner advances to the next circuit. There were 8 circuits in total, but the game only ends if gamers can get to race 85 where the bonus Super Speedway circuit is played. As the player goes to higher levels, more and more obstacles appeared on the track, like oil puddles and tiny moving tornadoes. If the car touched them, the player lost control over the car for a short time while it is sliding and spinning. Driving into a wall with high speed or falling from one of the bridges destroyed the car, but a helicopter quickly appeared to replace it.  What I loved about it was that you could customize your car by collecting wrenches that lay on the track. The player could exchange three of them for improved traction, better acceleration or higher top speed, which made you feel like a real racer.  This was a great one to play with some buddies.

56. Wii Sports Resort (2009) Platforms: Nintendo Wii So far, I really haven’t been a big fan of the Wii console, the games I’ve seen really haven’t done it for me, call me an old-schooler, call me what you will.  However, I do love this game, mainly for the bowling and ping pong games.  Without a doubt, this game features the most fun and realistic versions of these two games, and makes for some serious competitive gaming against a friend or two. Set in a beach resort on an island called Wuhu Island, you get to choose to play from twelve different sports, some more fun than others.  Like the original Wii Sports, each game is played by holding the Wii Remote (and in some cases, the Nunchuk) in a manner similar to the actual sport being replicated. For example, in the Archery level, the player holds the Wii Remote vertically to hold the bow, and pulls back the Nunchuk to pull back the bow’s string. The new feature that Wii Sports Resort brings is Wii MotionPlus compatibility, which enables 1:1 control and allows the games to be played with greater accuracy. For example, in Wii Sports Tennis, the player’s shots were all determined by which direction the Wii Remote is swung like a racket. Wii Sports Resort offers a new variation, the aforementioned Table Tennis (ping pong), the player has greater control over adding spin to the ball by twisting the Wii Remote while swinging, thus making it extremely realistic.  Finally you don’t need to buy a huge cumbersome able to experience this much-beloved pastime!  Plus, I love how everyone is wearing these cheesy Hawaiian shirts… really gives you the feeling of being on a vacation… Great stuff.

55. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (1984) Platforms: Apple II, Macintosh, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST and the IBM PC. Ahh… at last we get to the fabulous INFOCOM text adventure…. One of the highlights of my youth! The text adventure, or interactive fiction game, sported NO graphics at all.  The pictures were entirely in your head.  It was basically a novel that you could interact with (hence the above-mentioned moniker) through a series of questions, actions and extremely challenging puzzle solving.  What the games lacked in graphics, however, they more than made up for in the gloriously detailed packaging and unbelievably well-written stories and parsers (parsers were the text recognition system, allowing the game to understand complex sentences that you would enter).  The first of these games I would like to single out (there might be others, you never know) was the maddening, hilarious and ultimately supremely satisfying Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  The game loosely mirrored a portion of the famous book and series’ (by Douglas Adams, who actually wrote this game) plot, beginning with the impending destruction of Arthur Dent’s house and subsequent demolition of the Earth by Vogons.  After being rescued from open space by the Heart of Gold and figuring out how to activate the Infinite Improbability Drive, the player was hurled through space and time, assuming the roles of Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox and Trillian at various intervals. (The question of the player character’s identity at any time can be answered by the WHO AM I command.) For the majority of the game, Arthur Dent is the main player character.  This game was HARD… with a capital H.  I remember being stuck on how to get the babel fish and having a huge conference with my geek friends on how to accomplish this task, we finally all figured it out.  It was that kind of experience.  Unbelievably engrossing and challenging.  Sadly, the game never got its promised sequel as Douglas Adams died shortly after this game was produced.

54. Super Tennis (1991) Platforms: SNES For the longest time, Super Tennis, by Nintendo, reigned in my mind as the greatest tennis experience in the history of gaming.  What made it great was the terrifically solid game play.  In tennis, which videogame-wise is just Pong, it’s all about the responsiveness of the controls, and this game had it in spades.  You could lob and smash and serve with accuracy.  The ball physics might not have been exactly realistic, but it’s absolutely unnecessary.  It provided me hours of entertainment, and it was just as fun playing against the computer or a friend.   The game itself featured three different modes, Singles mode, in which you can compete against a human or chosen computer opponent, Doubles mode, in which you and a human team-mate can face the cpu, or you can each pair with a CPU opponent, or even one player can pair with a CPU opponent to face two other computer opponents and, finally, Circuit mode, which featured a wide range of tours you could battle through, each tournament earning yourself ranking points, the ultimate aim being finishing numero UNO in the rankings. You got to choose from a variety of surfaces to play: Hard, Lawn or Clay, which added to the variety.  The graphics were vintage Nintendo, clean, colorful and inviting.  I especially loved the announcer with her clipped, British accent.

53. Resident Evil 1 Platforms: PS1 The game that started the “survival horror” craze, Resident Evil 1 is, in every sense of the word, a video game classic.  Expanding on the ground laid down by the Alone in the Dark series, Resident Evil upped the ante with a tension-filled atmosphere, compelling story and a huge array of terrifying mutated creatures that keep coming at you throughout the game.  The story is mainly set in a spooky mansion you cannot escape from.  Your character is a member of a special law enforcement task force who must uncover its mysteries ultimately escape alive.  Easy, right? Uh uh… it’s a constant struggle fraught with danger at every turn. Luckily, you have a few weapons you can choose from such as a combat knife, a handgun, or a shotgun to name a few, all of which require ammo that is in limited supply.  If you run out you must find more, and if you can’t find more, then you’re screwed.  You’re able to save your game on typewriters that are spread out through the area.  However, you need a typewriter ribbon to do so, and they are in short supply as well.  Your health can be restored with the help of  first-aid sprays or three types of healing herbs that can be mixed together in different combinations for different healing effects, and you guessed it, THESE are also in short supply.  This all add to the urgency and frenetic pace of the game.  The game’s graphics are moody and beautiful, consisting of 3D polygonal characters and objects superimposed over pre-rendered backdrops with pre-determined (or “fixed”) camera angles. Now for the only sore point of the game (and most of the Resident Evils, for that matter) the dreaded control system… Unlike most third-person action games, the player controls the character similarly to a remote control car or a first-person shooter by pushing the d-pad (or analog stick) left or right to rotate the character into one of the 360 possible angles and then move the character forward or backwards by the pushing the d-pad up or down.  This doesn’t add up to the most forgiving or easiest of experiences, but it also adds to the challenge.

52. Murder on the Zinderneuf (1983) Platforms: Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 400/800, PC (booter) Set in 1936, you play a detective traveling across the Atlantic aboard the world’s most luxurious dirigible, the Zinderneuf. A craft that is full of high-profile personalities from all walks of life. Suddenly, a murder takes place, and it is up to YOU to identify the culprit before the ship lands.  Sound good?  You can bet that it was.  This remarkable game, gave one the feeling of being in a classic Agatha Christie novel.  Given a choice of eight detectives to play, each with a distinct personality, you must search the rooms of the dirigible for possible clues, as well as interview passengers to identify the killer. You needed to carefully choose your method of questioning the suspects as well as choosing the right approach meant that a character would be more likely to offer useful clues. Once you were satisfied that you had the culprit in your grasp, you then had the option of accusing them directly, or waiting until enough clues are found to prove the hunch. If you were wrong, then the person you accused would not speak to you for the remainder of the game. A denial does not always mean the detective is wrong, only that more proof is required for the murderer to confess.  If it turned out you were correct, then the killer would explain the motives behind their crime, and you were given one of six ratings based on the effectiveness of their investigation: (from Super Sleuth to Feeble Flatfoot) The great thing about this game was you were presented with a different murderer and victim each time the game was played. This, combined with the depth of narrative detail in the stories and characters, made the MotZ one of the most replayable games you could get.

51. Super Mario World (1992) Platforms: SNES Starring the most recognizable character in the history of gaming, Super Mario World was the fourth in the Super Mario series and the inaugural game of the fantastic Super Nintendo console (it initially came packaged with it).  Once again, the plot involves Mario (or the constant red-headed stepchild Luigi) traversing different lands on a quest to rescue Princess Toadstool who has been kidnapped by ubiquitous Bowser.  It was a critical and commercial success, gaining a legacy and selling over 20 million copies worldwide.  Unlike previous Mario games, which take place in the Mushroom Kingdom and surrounding areas, Super Mario World takes place in a new place called “Dinosaur Land”. During the course of the game, you travel through the worlds fighting mini bosses along the way, until you finally meet Boweser and rescue the forever hapless Princess. Levels are accessed through a world map; there are nine worlds, each containing several levels, many of which have a second, secret exit. Once you finish one it unlocks a path on the map allowing you to move on to further levels. As usual, Mario must run, jump, swim, use warp pipes, collect coins (collecting 100 earns him an extra life), defeat enemies, navigate platforms, open doors and avoid other hazards to be successful. The abundant amount of secret levels makes this game infinitely re-playable. The most notable addition, however, of this classic, is the introduction of Yoshi, your adorable and sometimes maddening (he has a tendency to run away scared) dinosaur companion whom you can ride. Conveniently, Yoshi is also able to eat most enemies, which makes him extremely useful to you on your lengthy adventure.  What else can we say?  This was one for the ages.

50. Gruds in Space (1983) Platform: Apple ][ First off… BEST NAME EVER FOR A VIDEOGAME… Gruds in Space was a graphic adventure where you, as the pilot of the Earth vessel USAC 9400, were instructed to find fuel for the Earth warships that have exhausted their supply at the battlefront. You needed to find the fuel and bring it to the cargo ship on Pluto as you journeyed across the solar system solving difficult puzzles and battling alien invaders along the way, like the aforementioned Gruds who you meet on Saturn.  It’s a pretty standard graphic/text adventure, using conventional interactive fiction commands, like EXAMINE, USE and TAKE objects, SHOOT, etc.. Mostly I remember that you had to find these different colored orbs and at the end you collect a MILLION bucks as a reward.

49. Tapper AKA Root Beer Tapper (1983) Platform: Arcade Game One of my favorite, and most frustrating arcade games. The player must draw and serve drinks to the patrons (four bars in total)  as they slowly advance towards the player. If any customers reach the player’s end of the bar, they grab the player-as-bartender and toss him out the far end of the bar, costing the player a life. The player serves customers by filling a mug at one of the four taps. Once the mug is full, the player releases the tap which automatically slides the mug towards the advancing customer. Customers catch mugs that are slid towards them, as long as they are not already drinking a beer, or otherwise distracted. If a mug is not caught by a customer (whether the customer is already drinking or distracted, or if there is no customer), then it falls off the bar on the other end, resulting in a loss of a life for the player. If a customer does catch the mug, though, then he or she is pushed back some amount towards the opposite end of the screen. The goal is to push the customer completely off the screen, but if they are not then they will stay and consume their drink in place. When a customer finishes his drink, he slides the empty mug back towards the player, after which the customer resumes his advance on the player and so on and on… It was repetitive but annoyingly addictive.  There were two versions of this game.. one where you served beer and then they changed it to root beer so as not to be a bad influence on the kiddies I assume.

48. Pitfall (1982) Platform: Atari 2600 This was the best game specifically written for the Atari 2600, sporting the best graphics and the most interesting premise. You play as a character known as Harry through a maze-like jungle in an attempt to recover 32 treasures in a 20 minute period. Over the course of these 20 minutes, Pitfall Harry had to tackle dense forests, snakes, bats and insects.  Along the way, he must negotiate numerous hazards, including tar pits, quicksand, water holes, rolling logs, rattlesnakes, scorpions, walls, fire, bats, and crocodiles. Harry may jump over or otherwise avoid these obstacles by timing his climbing, running and ducking, and in certain places he can swing on a vine to avoid them.  A few sequels followed throughout the years some better than others, but none attained the heights of the original, which, graphically and conceptually was so head and shoulders above the rest of the Atari games and remained so through the life of the system.

47. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) Platform: PS2 Wow.. I can’t believe it’s already been 8 years since this game has come out.  The second installment of the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto series, to me this one had the best vibe and was overall the most focused and interesting.  This is because it was set in a specific time (the eighties), and they totally nailed the vibe of that goofy era. The story revolves around Mafia member Tommy Vercetti, who was recently released from prison. After being involved in a drug deal gone wrong, Tommy seeks out those responsible while building a criminal empire and seizing power from other criminal organizations in the city. The city is a ersion of Miami and it has that Miami Vice feeling down cold.. The story is great and the missions are challenging, but, frankly, the best part of the game was just driving around the mammoth environment listening to the radio stations playing that 80s music. Really cool game.

46. The Guitar Hero Series (2005-Present) Platform: the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii Some are better than others, but I can’t single out any specific title, so Im just gonna go with the whole massively successful series.  Basically, the game is a conceptual masterpiece. The idea to interactively “play along” with popular music, thus taking the air guitar to another level was a stroke of genius.  As a musician I fought against the idea for a few years, frustrated that millions of kids were mashing buttons on a controller and thinking that was playing music.  Then I broke down and bought it… and I was totally hooked.  Actually, as a musician the game came really easy for me and made it fun on a whole other level than the non-players experience.  I still say you should go out and learn an instrument, but I don’t hold a grudge anymore.  At least it engages kids and puts them in the ballpark of starting to be interested in it.  Plus it’s just a blast.  At this point after the millions of sequels it might be getting a little tired and a reset is in order, but the overall idea was a step forward in videogame making.. a classic in every respect.

45. Super Mario 2 (1988) Platform: NES Super Mario 2 was the most bizarre of all the Marios, with its strange turnip pulling and masked creatures.  This might be because it was not originally developed as a Mario game, but some strange Japanese game called Doki Doki Panic.  Either way, I loved it.  Besides the original, this was the only one I ever beat in one session. You could play as a few characters, including the Princess.. which is what I played, because it was the easiest character to beat the game with. Unlike most Mario games, no enemies in this game can be defeated by jumping on them. Instead, the player character must throw something at the enemy. Characters are able to pluck vegetables from the ground and throw them at opponents to defeat them . Other opponents can often be picked up and thrown as well, and several levels feature blocks marked with the word “POW”, which when picked up and thrown kills all the enemies on screen at impact. Each stage contains one or more hidden flasks of potion. When plucked and thrown, a potion creates a door to Sub-Space, an alternate world in which coins are collected instead of vegetables when plucked. The mushrooms used to increase the health meter can also be found here. The player automatically leaves Sub-Space after a short time. The coins collected are used in a slot machine mini-game played between stages. This mini-game is the chief means of obtaining additional lives in this installment of the Mario Bros. series.  In short, it stands out as a unique title in the Mario world and worthy of commendment.

44. The Orange box (2007) Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Windows The Orange Box is a video game compilation for Microsoft Windows, the Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 3.  It contains a whopping five games, all powered by Valve’s Source engine. Two of the games included, Half-Life 2 and its first stand-alone expansion, Episode One, were previously released as separate products. Three new games are also contained within the compilation: the second stand-alone expansion, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the puzzle game Portal, and Team Fortress 2, the multiplayer game sequel to the Quake modification, Team Fortress.   All this makes it the biggest bargain ever offered to the videogame buying public.  I have to admit, I came way late to the popular Half Life series, but upon playing it I can see what the hub bub was about.  It’s a fantastically designed game mixing in puzzle solving and action in a creepy 1984esque world all adding up to a wonderful immersive experience that stays with you.  It’s on the short side but that’s where all the extra games come in, Portal being a real winner in terms of design.

43. Arkanoid (1986) Platform: Arcade Game This arcade game was basically a reworking of the videogame pioneer game, Breakout, with a few extras.  It was those extras that made it one of my favourite games.  What were the extras? …well certain bricks now contained canisters that dropped down each one enhancing your power in some way.. one was a laser gun you could satisfyingly blast the bricks apart with (my favourite), another slowed things down, another stuck the ball to your paddle o you could aim, another made your paddle larger and so forth… Plus the bricks were now arranged in beautiful patterns some took more than one his to break through and after 33 agonizing levels there was a boss fight where you were pitted against this huge amorphous creature that looked exactly like he evil character at the end of the movie Tron..  The sound effects on this game always reminded me of a pinball machine.. something familiar and comfortable about it.  Those extras made all the difference..

42. Shadow Complex (2009) Platform: Xbox 360 Live When Shadow Complex came out last year, it was a surprise sensation.  For only 15 bucks you could download it and play through the Xbox 360 Live network and experience one of the greatest platforming games ever made. It’s presented in what they call 2.5D format; which means the game world is fully three-dimensional, but the player can only move in two dimensions, simulating the environment of a classic side-scroller. Enemies can, however, move in any direction, and auto-aim is utilized to allow the player to fire at nearby enemies or objects both inside and outside of the 2D plane. The player can use the right control stick to aim with a laser sight. Its gameplay is reminiscent of vintage games like Castlevania yet with gorgeous graphics and sound.  In short, it is a masterpiece. The game rewards the player with experience points as they complete objectives and defeat enemies. The player can gain up to fifty experience levels, each level boosting basic attributes of the character. These experience levels grant the player skills such as improved gunfire precision or damage resistance. Special rewards such as revealing the full map and unlimited special ammo are granted at specific levels. When the player starts a new game, they will lose all the weapons and items that they have acquired, but will keep the character’s experience level and any benefits they have already received from that experience. In addition to the main campaign, a number of challenge levels, called “Proving Grounds”, are available, generally requiring the player to make it to the exit of a room using a limited set of items and health. Players are ranked based on time of completion and any scoring objectives when they complete the level. Scores and other statistics from the main campaign and the training group are tracked via online leaderboards.  All this makes the value unbeatable… CANT WAIT FOR SHADOW COMPLEX 2!!!

41. MVP Baseball 2005 (2005) Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube I’m a HUGE baseball fan. And as any baseball fan will tell you, baseball games are tricky… They never seem to have EVERYTHING.. like other sports games do.  They always end up screwing something up that is critical, whether it be the gameplay or presentation or horrible statistics or graphics. This game, however, had it all and presented it fluidly, making it, up until very recently, the greatest baseball videogame ever.  End of story. It was the culmination of the Triple Play series by EA (a series up until then had its ups and downs) and this game was a masterpiece.  The gameplay, the graphics, the inclusion of three levels of minor league farm clubs. Two legends teams, 63 legendary players, 15 classic stadiums, five fantasy parks, and more than 100 retro uniforms to play in made this a joy to play. Add in the millions of modes (an exhibition mode, a manager’s mode, two different franchise modes, a scenario editor, and a handful of baseball-themed practice games)  and you had a game you could play for years… which I did, because no game compared to it.  It’s still amazing to this day.

100-1  |  80-61 |  40-21  | 20-1

80. Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (2007) Platform: Nintendo DS Hotel Dusk: Room 215 is a terrific film noir-esque game with a ton of atmosphere. It’s set in 1979, in a small, somewhat rundown hotel located in the southwestern United States near Los Angeles, California. You play Kyle Hyde, former member of the NYPD, and you’re looking for your old partner. As you delve further and further, speaking with the various hotel patrons and employees, you start to uncover vital information, unraveling the mystery of the hotel’s dark past, eventually leading you to what you’re after. The use of Nintendo DS’s features is ingenious and unique. You move around and interact with the environment using the DS’s touch screen and must solve a variety of puzzles using the handheld’s various features including the touch screen, microphone, and its closeable cover. The DS is held rotated 90 degrees from normal, like a book, with an option in the game to allow the player to switch which side the touchpad is on depending on which hand is dominant. Most of all this game is about your interaction with the numerous people you encounter. Your results in unearthing clues are strictly based in how you deal with them. The dialogue is realistic and immersive and reflects the moods and personalities of the characters. It’s extremely well written and makes for an engaging experience.

79. Choplifter (1982) Platforms: Apple II This game was was unique in the fact that while many games start off in the arcade and then are ported to home computers and consumer consoles, Choplifter was one of the few games (Lode Runner is another) to take the reverse route… It was such a hit on the Apple (a total “go to” game for the system), they actually turned it into an arcade game. Another Broberbund special, with terrific graphics and gameplay, the player assumed the role of a combat helicopter pilot on a mission to save hostages being held in POW camps in territory ruled by the evil Bungeling Empire. The player must collect the hostages and transport them safely to the nearby friendly base, all the while fighting off hostile tanks and other enemy combatants. Released only a year after the Iran hostage crisis the game’s creators have stated for the record that the “the tie-in with current events was something that never really crossed our minds until we published it”. It was this connection, however, that initially captured the imaginations of gamer.

78. Dragon’s Lair (1983) Platforms: Arcade Game Dragon’s Lair was an arcade game that ran on a laserdisc. Instead of the usual bitmapped sprites, this actually featured real animation created by former Disney animator Don Bluth. The enormous difference in graphics between this and all other arcade games created a sensation when it appeared, and was played so heavily that many machines often broke due to the strain of overuse. You play as the reluctant hero, Dirk the Daring, on a mission to rescue the Princess Daphne from the evil dragon Singe locked in a wizard’s castle. The screen shows animated scenes, and the player executes an action by selecting a direction or pressing the sword button with correct timing. It was this mechanic, however, the made it not exactly easiest game to play, Unlike other games, you moved the joystick left right up or down when you’d see a quick prompting flash. You needed lightning reflexes to be successful… When I was a kid I usually ended up dead in two seconds. Interestingly enough though, years later I found a place that had an old machine and for the hell of it dropped a coin in and for some reason the timing thing all suddenly clicked with me and I found that I was able to play almost all the way through it. It was a terrific experience finally getting to see how this movie played out. The animation was top notch and humorous, the comedy mostly stemming from not only the bizarre looking creatures and death scenes, but the fact that while Dirk was a skilled knight, he was also clumsy and cowardly, prone to shrieking and reacting in horror to the various dangers he encountered. A unique classic all the way.

77. Masquerade (1983) Platforms: Apple II Masquerade was a graphics/text adventure with terrific cartoony art, in which you play a detective looking for a notorious criminal called Mr. Topp. It was full of ambience and menace. The menace mostly came from how fucking HARD it was, rated as a Class 5 (Expert) adventure by the nerd powers that be, who proclaimed it, “one of the most difficult adventure games written for the Apple II, or any computer”. This is mainly due to the fact that the game can only be won by using items obtained and utilized in the ONE correct sequence, yet these items can be used (consumed) in multiple ways. Furthermore, an incorrect use of an item often opens up new locations, and the player is able to play on without ever knowing that the item has been used incorrectly (other than being frustrated later on!). In some cases, the game requires double actions (where the player has to perform the same action twice to fully solve a puzzle), which only compounds its difficulty. Got that? See? Even the EXPLANATION of why it was so difficult is difficult. You know how hard this game was? It was so hard that its publisher ran a contest in which anyone completing the game had the chance to win a $1000 prize. As a kid I always thought that there was a correlation between the name and the contest and the BOOK “Masquerade” by British author Kit Williams’, which concealed clues to the location of a jeweled golden hare, created and actually hidden somewhere in the British Isles by Williams himself. Interestingly, in doing research for this list I discovered that only 1500 copies of the game were ever sold, which is meaningful to me, cause Masquerade was one of the FEW games I actually bought (well my parent’s anyway) for the Apple, the rest were copied on floppy disks though our school’s geek underground.

76. Bioshock (2008) Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3 Set in an alternate history 1960, the game places you in the role of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the creepy underwater city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. A first person shooter technically, the game incorporates a lot of RPG and survival horror elements, which really sets it apart from the standard. The graphics and design are unbelievably gorgeous, giing it a unique kind of art deco horror feel. You use a combination of weapons and plasmids (genetic alterations), in order to complete objectives which, at various places in the game, can be found at these vending machines. If you’ve accumulated enough money, you can buy ammunition, health, and other additional equipment. Another cool thing about the game is he ability to create new weapons and items. These can be constructed from spare parts you find strewn around and assembled at “U-Invent” machines you run across. The story as it unravels to it’s surprise endings (there are three different ones depending on how you play the game) is extremely compelling, making it one of the best next-gen games out there… A much-anticipated sequel will be coming out sometime this year.

75. Combat (1977) Platforms: Atari 2600 Combat was an early and thoroughly entertaining video game for the classic Atari 2600 , the father of the modern gaming console. It was one of its nine launch titles for the system and was included in the box with the system. So it was the first gaming experience for everyone who owned an Atari. My brother and I used must’ve logged in hundreds of hours playing this thing. Variety was the name of the game in combat. It was this unbelievable variety (27 game modes!) that made this game one of the most replayable titles of the time… You could play as tanks, jet fighters, bi-planes in all sorts of different situations. In one game you could be invisible, another, you had bullets that bounced like ping pongs and in others you could control a squadron of planes flying through clouds stealthily deking out your opponent. I particularly liked the one that pitted your squadron against a GIANT bomber. This is definitely a Hall of Famer, game-wise.

74. Wild Arms (1997) Platforms: PS1 Wild ARMs was a terrific RPG with a cool American Wild West theme that also mixed in medieval Europe elements. It sported 2D graphics for during the normal gameplay, while the battle sequences were rendered in 3D. I loved this game… It was long and involved and maintained my interest all the way through. You play a young boy named Rudy who has the ability to operate powerful weapons called Ancient Relic Machines (ARMs), forbidden remnants of a lost age that resemble guns. Along with his companions Jack and Cecilia, the group must use their respective skills to navigate through the vast wastelands and dungeons of the country Filgaia and prevent an otherworldly threat from reviving their lost leader and destroying the world. Controlling a party of three really gave you a feeling of camaraderie as you progressed through a number of environments and battles solving puzzles along the way. One cool thing in it that I remember was about two-thirds of the way though the lengthy game, there is a false ending where you think you’ve won… Credits start rolling up and just when you begin to experience that wistful feeling you get after finishing a really good game, the credits stop and the game continues… FAKE OUT!! Great underrated classic for the PS1…

73. Super Star Wars Series (1992-94) Platforms: SNES Super Star Wars was an entertaining trilogy of games made specifically for the SNES that were based on the original three Star Wars films. The games’ story arcs and levels followed the plots of the movies pretty closely… Essentially a side scrolling platformer, you could play as Han, Luke or Chewbacca, who all had different abilities and weapons. Some cool stages interspersed throughout allowed you to race landspeeders or pilot an X-Wing fighter. The graphics were terrific and the gameplay mechanics was solid. It was really a tremendous and supremely satisfying and entertaining series… I can’t single out any one game in the series as superior, as they were all uniformly great. Another cool thing was, this being before the days of waiting a minimum of two years between games, the titles all came out within a year of each other and were greatly anticipated each time I can assure you. Anyway, the responsive controls and secret areas and collectables were highlights and for those reasons among others, made them the greatest Star Wars video games available for a good long time..

72. Beatles Rock band (2009) Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii The Beatles: Rock Band is the third major release in the Rock Band music video game series and, like other games in the series, it allows players to simulate the playing of rock music by using controllers shaped like musical instruments. But, unlike the others which were a mix of different popular artists, this is ALL BEATLES ALL THE TIME, the greatest band that ever was. Out of the box, the game contains 45 different, remastered, Beatle songs that span their relatively short, but HUGELY productive career. If you get sick of playing those, you can download extra songs through the game’s store as well… they plan to keep on releasing more in future… The graphics and designs are gorgeously executed and artistic, ranging from the grimy Cavern Club of Liverpool to Shea Stadium, the Studio and bursting with colour psychedelic scenes, it is truly a visual as well as sonic treat. The ability to perform your favourite Beatles songs is a delight to fans across the globe and provides a new way to experience their genius for the kids as well. It sold gazillions upon its release. I mean this is a no-brainer.

71. Archon: The Light and the Dark (1983) Platforms: Apple II, Commodore 64 Archon: The Light and the Dark was a computer game that took the game of Chess to a whole new level. The pieces, all having specific moves just like Chess, actually came to life and when threatening another piece began a battle sequence in which the victor gained control of the space. Generally (but not always) in combat, a stronger piece would defeat a weaker piece in either defending or capturing a square. It was also possible for the fight to result in a double-kill, in which both pieces are eliminated. This uncertainty adds a level of depth and complexity into the game that was incredible, since it was not always possible to predict if taking a square will be successful. I loved the variety of the different pieces in the game, as they all had different abilities in the combat phase. These include movement, lifespan, and weapon damage & attributes. The weapons varied by range, speed, rate-of-fire, and power. For example, the pawn (represented by knights on the ‘light’ side and goblins on the ‘dark’ side) attacked quickly, but had very little strength; its weapon, a sword or club, had limited reach and power. A dragon is considerably stronger and can attack from a distance, while a golem moves slowly and fires a slow but powerful boulder. These nuances were really innovative and made this one hell of a game to play with a friend. I keep waiting for a next-gen version of this (there have been PC versions)… That would be something

70. Championship Wrestling (1986) Platforms: Atari ST Championship Wrestling was an awesome game (with terrific graphics) to play with a bunch of people. My friend Steve had this on his Atari ST (one of the few people who had one that I knew… He also had a Commodore Amiga which NOONE had, needless to say, we all spent a lot of time over at his house). You could have up to seven friends battle it out for the World Wrestling Belt. After each player selects a wrestler, the computer would organize a single elimination tournament, pairing the wrestlers off in a series of one-on-one brawls to the finish. It was so much fun, it really had like a playoff atmosphere, the tension mounting as the bouts wore on. With eight wrestlers to choose from, and each of them capable of more than 25 wrestling moves, there was a tremendous amount of variety to the gameplay. On top of that, each wrestler was endowed with a custom move specific to them. The more complicated your moves during a match, the higher your score will be. All this aside, it was the wrestlers in this game were what really set it apart. Their different personalities were all hilarious and unique: from K.C. Colossus the bald bruiser to Colonel Rooski to my personal favorite Zantoclaw, which I always thought this would’ve made a great metal band name. This game was as fun as they get… Totally underrated gem.

69. Space Harrier (1986) Platforms: Arcade game, ported to numerous consoles most notably the Sega Genesis Space Harrier was a classic arcade shooter designed by SEGA’s legendary Yu Suzuki. It’s a game that pioneered a 3D perspective years before such a thing was really technically possible, and placed you in command of a flight-capable blonde-haired hero carrying an enormous bazooka. The “camera” was placed behind the hero’s back, and it was up to you to duck, dodge and weave him around the screen in all directions as he constantly raced into the screen, toward the horizon — and while wave after wave of enemies and environmental obstacles appeared to put a stop to his progress. What really made this game unique and special was the absolutely creepy vibe of the world you raced through on your jet pack/gun thingy…. The eerie Fantasy Zone. With its checkerboard ground and luminous colors, it was like being in some kind of strange dream and your foes were equally nightmarish. These opponents consisted of a one-eyed mammoth, floating heads that looked like they were imported from Easter Island and other various weirdos. An unlockable version of this game is available on the Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, which you can get for the PS3 and Xbox 360. A totally ahead of it’s time, innovative bit of strangeness all told.

68. Disney’s Magical Quest starring Mickey Mouse (1992) Platforms: SNES Speaking of underrated gems, this next title I NEVER see on anyone’s list and it was one of the most entertaining side scrolling platforms I’ve ever played. What really set it apart was the whimsical, almost unnerving atmosphere. You play as Mickey, on a mission to find your dog Pluto who has been kidnapped by the Evil Emperor Peter. The magic world you adventure through is filled with climbing plants and strange creatures, buzzing bees you can jump on, and helicopter-like tomatoes you can ride. Along your way you pick up items such as: coins, fruit (which will give you an extra life if you collect enough), and hearts (which raise your life). When you run out of lives you can continue, which puts you back at the beginning or the last check point you passed. Unfortunately there was no save feature on this so you had to play it all the way through… and it was a lengthy game. Besides its weird vibe, the other notable feature of the game was the ability to change your characters’ outfits, which all different special abilities attached to them. A magician outfit enabled you to shoot magic; a firefighter uniform allowed you to continually spray water; and a mountain-climbing gear that gives him a grappling hook that can attach to certain surfaces and objects. All in all a really cool “Magical” experience. So much so, that it spawned two equally entertaining sequels.

67. Crash Bandicoot (1996) Platforms: PS1 Crash Bandicoot is one of the great all-time platformers, and for a time, along with Lara Croft was one of the signature Sony Playstation characters. The game is played in a third-person perspective, with both side-scrolling and 3D racing levels. The graphics were colorful and top-notch for the time. What I really loved about it, was that it was not a cakewalk. It challenged you, for instance, if you lost all your lives, the game would end, which really added a sense of tension and urgency to it. The game controls were solid and responsive, with a number of moves at your disposal: running, jumping and the patented Bandicoot spin attack, which you could either dispose your enemies with or crack open the numerous wooden crates strewn around the levels, some containing Aku Aku masks, which protected you from a number of attacks depending on how many you collected. I particularly loved the non-platforming levels in this game, in which you ride a wild boar, narrowly avoiding dangerous spikes while continuously moving forward or outrunning a boulder (ala Indiana Jones), running towards the screen while dodging obstacles and jumping over pits. With twenty-five normal levels, as well as two secret levels and six boss battles, this game was quite a lengthy adventure. One of the most financially successful titles, many sequels were made, with varied results (ranging from great to awful). None, however, exceeded the original in terms of overall quality and fun.

66. Hat trick (1984) Platforms: Arcade Next up, was one of my favorite games to play in the arcade. For the time it had good clean, graphics of which I most remember the skate trails you left as you played and the Zamboni that appeared to clean the ice after games, which I always thought was a nice touch. It had a powerful simplicity to its game play. You only controlled one skater and a goalie, against another player or the machine. Mano a Mano so to speak, and the controls were unique in that your skater didn’t respond immediately as you moved the joystick, you had to build up momentum which made for a more realistic skating experience. You could bump into your opponent viciously to knock the puck away, which also added a fun competitive element to it, especially if you were playing with a friend. The contests could get really combative. Points were scored each time a player successfully hits the puck into the opponent’s goal, and man was it satisfying when you scored on him. The winner was the player who outscored their opponent in a game length of two minutes and if the score are tied after the clock has run down, a maximum of twenty seconds of overtime was played until one player scores to be declared the winner.

65. President Elect (1981) Platforms: Apple II, Commodore 64, IBM PC President Elect was one of the most unique and engaging games I’ve ever played. It gave the player the ability to play as various real historical, potential historical, or completely fictional Presidential candidates during the Presidential campaigns from 1960 to 1981 (although later versions included the 84 and 88 elections). You were given the option of playing a “Historical” or an “Ahistorical” scenario for each of the given years. Under the “Historical” option, the candidates, as well as economic and foreign policy conditions, and the status of the incumbent , were fixed. During an “Ahistorical” session, all those variables could be determined by the player (for example, the player could choose a 1980 race between an incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan , versus a Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy , in the midst of an unpopular war and an economic boom). Alternatively, you could create your very own fictional Presidential candidate, which you would put together through the selection of various political, personal, and geographic attributes (kind of like creating an RPG player character ). In addition, there was the option of selecting a “Ahistorical” set of candidates within the otherwise “Historical” conditions of the selected year. In other words, you had a lot of options at your fingertips. Not only did the game come with all the major candidates of the elections covered by the span of the game, but it also included a number of hypothetical candidates from across the time frame as well, such as Jerry Brown , George Romney , Gary Hart , and Howard Baker with all their attributes stored in the game’s memory. Plus, the game could be played with either two or three candidates and the computer could control any or all of the candidates (thus allowing for the possibility of a non-player, straight simulation of an electoral scenario), basically meaning the game could be played by one, two, or three players. It’s g ameplay revolved on the activity of dispersing PAPs (“Political Action Points”), which were approximately equivalent to campaign funds, in terms of their relationship to real life Presidential campaigning, as well as scheduling personal, campaign visits to various states. Additionally, at the end of each of the nine, week-long, post- Labor Day game turns, there was a potential debate phase. It was a totally realistic and tension-inducing experience. Again, this was another terrific game to play against someone else. As someone who always enjoyed American history and the political process (even as a kid), I especially loved this one… A gaming classic in every respect.

64. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003) Platform: Nintendo Gamecube It had been five years since a true sequel to the glorious Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time had been released, and Zelda fans were getting restless, to put it mildly. Around 2002, we started getting glimpses of what the new Zelda was supposed to look like… and MAN did it create a storm of controversy. Instead of the more realistic-looking next generation Link we had all been waiting for, we saw a completely cartoony and babyish looking Link with HUGE almond-shaped eyes, a large head and tiny body… This couldn’t BE!! Immediately, sides drew up, some loved the new direction calling it brilliant, most just fucking HATED it, and were disappointed beyond measure, hoping beyond hope that this was some kind of elaborate ruse set up by Nintendo and that the real Zelda will have amazing real life graphics. I must say that I fell into this bitter category. I was so disgusted by the direction they took that I didn’t get around to playing it for THREE years after it was released. Finally I picked up an already played copy and popped it in my dusty, seldom-used Gamecube, and you know what? I discovered it was a beautiful and ingenious game. Set on a group of islands in a vast explorable sea and you spend your time, traveling between different islands, traversing through dungeons and temples to looking for the pieces of the Triforce to defeat Ganondorf, as well as trying to find your little sister. It was far more emotional and expressive than all of its predecessors and really satisfying play and look at. The control scheme of The Wind Waker was largely unchanged from Ocarina of Time . This time around instead of an Ocarina you get a baton that you can wave in patterns that manipulate the wind’s direction. Additionally, wind is often needed to solve puzzles. The game is filled with the usual side quests a plenty, all sorts of dungeons and interesting twists and turns that make it a classic Zelda game. This was one title that I really felt wistful after completing it. Although it was a lengthy game it still felt short to me ‘cause I just didn’t want it to end… And those graphics that stirred so much controversy, it turned out that those gorgeous cartoony graphics were what made this one of the most endearing and unforgettable games I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience.

63. Barnstorming (1982) Platforms: Atari 2600 Activsion games were always among the best looking games on the Atari 2600… they were crisp and clean and always had a nice touch… the sunset sky on this game, is a perfect example of this. Essentially, Barnstorming a racing game, but instead of a car zipping through lanes against other cars, you fly a BIPLANE, through empty barns racing against the clock for the lowest possible time. This game is simplicity in itself… Your goal is to dodge geese, avoid windmills, and fly through a set number of barns in the shortest possible time. If you mess up and fail to fly through a barn, then an additional barn is added to the end of the course and you’ll have to fly through that. The number of barns you have to fly through differs depending on what game you pick with the game select switch: you’ve got 4 different choices. What makes this game so special is it’s just so zen … It had infinite re-playability because you HAD to beat your best time over and over again, so you would end up making these little adjustments in how you flew just to knock off a few milliseconds (after awhile you could memorize the courses). A lot of this incentive to get a good time had to do with the fact that if you’re really great, and able to meet or beat the Activision “Flying Aces” scores of 33.3 seconds on game 1, 51.0 seconds on game 2, and 54.0 seconds on game 3, you could take a picture of the screen and send it to Activision and they would send you back a FLYING ACES PATCH!! I actually did beat the score and got as far as taking the picture… but never got around to sending it in… I bet you they sell those patches on Ebay though…

62. Crazy Taxi Platforms: Dreamcast (2000) Originally released as an arcade game that sported only one level, Crazy Taxi was ported to the fantastic Dreamcast, and in a shifting paradigm, not only improved greatly on the original (adding tons of extra stuff to make it more fleshed out, such as an original level exclusive for the console, an expand original level design which spread out the landscape even further and the mini game filled Crazy Box Mode that teaches you how to properly perform crazy moves to use in the actual game), but also gave the title a larger, more rabid, audience than it ever had. Based in sunny coastal California locales, with steep hills and other strong similarities to San Francisco, you play as one of four insane cabbies whose main objective of the game is to pick up customers and take them to their chosen destination as fast as possible. Along the way, money can be earned by performing high flying stunts such as the “Crazy Through”—near-misses with other vehicles;—and “Crazy Drift”—extended, barely-controlled skidding, a large green arrow appears at the top of the screen always pointing in the right direction of your next destination, . You are basically rewarded for being as big a psycho driver as possible, provided you get your fare to their destination on time… The huge open-ended levels are gorgeous and sunny with an adrenaline pumping punk rock soundtrack adding to the fervor. I actually didn’t even care about actually picking anyone up, to me it was just a blast driving around the city, running over people, catching air and smashing into other cars… It was a terrific tension reducer. The sequel improved upon the mechanics and had smoother graphics but was pretty much a retread otherwise.

61. It Came from the Desert (1989) Platforms: Commodore Amiga Originally released for the Amiga , It Came From the Desert derived its inspiration from Hollywood . This game was undoubtedly inspired by dozens of 1950s drive in movies but most especially from the 1954 classic Them! (one of my favorite sci fi flicks of all time) It’s simply one of the most innovative, cinematic and engaging games I’ve ever played. Using fairly non-linear (one of the first games to use this tact) combination of dialogue boxes and several types of action scenes, you played the character, Greg Bradley, town geologist, out to discover the source of some very strange occurrences that have taken place after the witnessing of a falling meteor. The game is set in 1951 in a small and unknown desert-town in the U.S.A. named Lizard Breath, that is filled with quirky characters (that include, The Hell Cats; a group of bullies that drives in a fast car and are only out after trouble, The Neptune Hall; a cult/religion that can be found in the city that think their religion has some connections to do with the meteor crash, and a lascivious nurse who “thanks you” for saving her life) you interact with as you get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings… Your own character Bradley, is a prototypical “man of science” leading man of your classic B movie, armed with the ability to operate aircraft, heavy machinery and several types of firearms, and to suffer no injury worse than a flesh wound unless he’s committing a heroic sacrifice. Eventually you discover, the giant mutated ants hiding out in the desert and that’s where the real action begins. The graphics were blow-away great for the time, as they were rendered by the powerful Amiga and the spooky sound effects really heightened the movie experience. Add to that a bunch of interesting mini-games and you have an out an out classic, full of atmosphere that will stay with you forever.

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100. The Bilestoad (1982) Platform: Apple II One of the creepier games for the Apple II, The Bilestoad was a moody hack and slasher. Trapped on an island strewn with strange portals that enabled you to transport to different points in the arena, as well as other various objects, including yin/yang discs that you can stand on to accelerate your movement and strange “faces” that let you leave the level, you were locked in a battle with another knight with only an axe and a shield. The interesting things about this game were the top-view perspective and the bizarre musical soundtrack consisting of a ponderous, off-key re-working of Beethoven’s “Für Elise”. A lot of walking around is involved, which gave it a very zen feeling.

99. Amazon (1984) Platform: Apple II, Commodore 64 A graphical text adventure game by Michael Crichton. Yes, THE Michael Chrichton, author of “Jurassic Park”. You work for the NSRT (National Satellite Resource Technology), a top secret research firm. Waiting for a transmission from a team sent to the Amazon Rainforest, you realize the expedition has gone wrong, and it is your job to travel to the Amazon Rainforest and figure out what happened. This game was extremely well-written (it’s said to be a sequel to the novel Congo) and had a ton of ambience. I loved the character of the parrot, who becomes your sidekick during your adventures.

98. 7 Cities of Gold (1984) Platform: Apple II, Commodre 64 Seven Cities of Gold was a great exploration game that allowed you to assume the role of Christopher Columbus as he sets sail to discover the Americas. The game begins in April 1492 with your meeting with the Queen of Spain. You are commissioned four ships, 100 men, a years worth of food and 2,000 gold to outfit your expedition. After you assemble everything you take off for the new world. The cool thing about it was how the Americas begin completely blank and eventually fill up with all the major landmarks, rivers, etc… The interplay as you make contact with the natives was also a highlight

97. Jungle Hunt (1982) Platform: Arcade Game, eventually ported to numerous consoles One of my favourite arcade games as a kid, Jungle Hunt was side-scrolling arcade game that put you in the control of a pith helmeted, safari suit wearing jungle explorer out to rescue his girl from a tribe of hungry cannibals. In front of him are vines, he must swing from, a crocodile-infested river and falling rocks hurtling downhill at lightning speeds

96. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1997) Platform: Playstation 1 Blood Omen, the first in the Legacy of Kain series, was a terrific RPG/action game with a ton of atmosphere. It takes place in the land of Nemesis, where you play a character of who begins the game overwhelmed by soldiers and murdered. However, this is not the end of your story… You awake in an eerie crypt, transformed into a vampire. Possessing an intimidating appearance, you now keep strangers at a safe distance. On your journey to reverse the spell, you get to use spells that range from causing your enemy to implode, to more harmless and practical one that light up a room or transport you back to your crypt. There are also transformation spells that allow you morph you into a wolf or a bat.

95. Bruce Lee (1984) Platform: Apple II, Commodore 64 One of the best platformers for the Apple II, you get to play the late martial arts hero with the goal of reaching a wizard from an underground lair, defeat of whom can offer him untold wealth. In each area you must collect the many strategically-placed lanterns before exiting through the newly-revealed passageway. Some rooms also have escalator-type sections to run along, and the standard (although slightly illogical in this context) ladders.

94. Speed Devils (1999) Platform: Sega Dreamcast One of my favourite racers of all time, Speed Devils was one among a ton of terrific games for the greatest console of all time, Sega’s Dreamcast. Great vibe to this one. It wasn’t about straight ahead car races as much as atmosphere… You get to choose from these cool hot-rods and challenge your opponents for money… It had a 50’s drive in movie sort of feel to it. The coolest thing were the tracks, whereon you encountered such obstacles as a T-Rex and a tornado.

93. Earthworm Jim (1994) Platform: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) One of my favourite SNES games, Earthworm Jim was a terrific platformer with interesting touches, excellent graphics and a storyline that involved many colorful characters. The gameplay was off-beat and unique. Launching cows, using Jim’s head as a whip, and other bizarre twists add to the insanity. The player controls Jim at all times of the game. In the level sections, Jim can run, use his gun, swing on hooks, and get powerups for the blaster. The in-between levels called Andy Asteroids place Jim in a semi-3D race against the evil Psycrow. If Psycrow wins, then Jim must fight him in one-on-one combat in order to progress.

92. Moon Patrol (1982) Platform: Arcade Game, ported eventually to numerous other consoles This was a classic side scrolling arcade where you get to control a moon buggy, that travels over the lunar surface. While driving it, obstacles such as craters and mines must be avoided. You are also attacked by UFOs from above and tanks on the ground. Our local diner had this for years growing up.. I must’ve logged in hundreds of hours on that thing.

91. Dead Space (2008) Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 Released in late ’08, this was one of the best games of the year and a fantastic new ‘Survival Horror’ franchise, Dead Space places you on board a stricken interstellar mining ship named the USG Ishimura, where you battle an infestation of virus stricken humans who’ve been transformed into grotesque alien monsters called “Necromorphs”. It is a truly scary game with a great plot and terrific responsive controls. The graphics are gorgeous, gory and glorious.

90. Ultima III: Exodus (1983) Platforms: Apple II When I was a kid, I was a total gaming nerd (I guess I still am, in a way). Names like Bill Budge (Creator of the Pinball Cronstruction Set) and Will Wright (who later went on to create the Sims franchise) were almost on the level of a rock star. One of the great game designers of this era was a kid named Richard Garriot, better known as Lord British, the creator of the Ultima series. Without Ultima, Role Playing Games (or RPGs) would look a whole lot different. He literally invented many of the paradigms that exist today. Ultima III, with its 3-D dungeons (that were integrated into the plot and remained the same, allowing you to create your own maps, where as before dungeons were randomly generated) and ability to direct the actions of several characters in one battle party set the standard for the entire genre. It was a completely immersive experience and graphically, it was amazing for the time. In short, this is the father of the modern RPG. A really cool thing about this game was the final villain couldn’t just be killed. The gamer had to use clever puzzle-solving and by paying attention to the many clues given throughout the game. At the end of the game, players were instructed to “REPORT THY VICTORY!” to Origin (the game company). Those who did so received a certificate of completion autographed by Richard Garriott

89. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (2000) Platforms: PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Xbox One of the all time HUGEST video game franchises was the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series. It was a bona fide phenomenon when it first came out, a must have for any gamer. The second installment in the series was pound for pound the best by miles (in fact, every sequel after that one started to get worse and worse). Its mix of amazing graphics, open-ended gameplay, in which the player (playing as a professional skateboarder) completes a number of missions which result in cash reward plus the ability to skate on basically ANYTHING on the screen was totally innovative. When you add to that the seemingly endless amount of tricks and combinations of tricks you could pull off and the multiple levels (my favourite was the S-K-A-T-E level where you collect the letters in that word), and trying to find the hidden tape, this game was unbeatable in terms of replayability.

88. Hard Hat Mack (1983) Platforms: Apple II, Commodore 64 Hard Hat Mack was like the Pac Man of the Apple games. It was synonymous with the whole Apple II experience. Every nerd with a floppy disk had a copy. Created by the then fledging Electronic Arts company, it was basically a rehashing of the arcade game sensation, Donkey Kong (which had come out just the previous year), but with a little more gameplay variety and faster action. The gist of it is the player guides a construction worker (Hard Hat Mack) through an unfinished building, to accomplish a series of goals, making use of open paths, springboards, conveyor belts, and elevators and taking care not to run out of time. It was simple, the graphics were solid (especially for the Apple II) and infinitely playable.

87. Leaderboard Golf (1986) Platforms: Amiga, Atari ST Leaderboard Golf was at the time THE best golfing game available anywhere… It was so great, that it STILL holds up. For the time, its multi-coloured 3D graphics were second to none, the gameplay and physics were unbelievably great as well. It was as golfing masterpiece that set the standards for all other golf simulations for years to come. What I really loved about this game was its stillness. There was no music at all, just very quiet sound effects: the ball dropping in the hole, wind blowing through trees and the sound of a sweet drive. It was a totally calming experience that felt a lot like golf. Plus, it was a great game to play with a few friends. My friend Dave had this on his Atari ST and we’d all get together and play this frequently. It could get really competitive.

86. Drol (1983) Platforms: Apple II, Commodore 64 In Drol, the player controls a robot flying through a four story maze. The goal is to rescue people and cute animals while avoiding traps and enemies such as alien creatures, snakes, eagles, magnets and axes. Although there were only three levels in the game, it still had tremendous re-playability, because the levels got more and more difficult as you replayed through them, to the point where you needed hair-trigger timing to finish the stages. The gaming house, Broderbund published this one… I loved Broderbund games. First off, I just loved the name Broderbund, it was cool to pronounce, but aside from that, they had THE best graphics going on the Apple II. Their cartoony style and unique gameplay set them apart from every other company in a major way.

85. Disney’s Aladdin (1993) Platforms: Sega Genesis, Super NES, Sega Master System/Sega Game Gear, Game Boy and NES Disney’s Aladdin was a video game based on the 1992 animated feature of the same name. It was released on every major platform, and the interesting thing about it, was all five versions were completely different games made by different companies. The SNES ruled over all of them. Published by Capcom (creators of the Street Fighter series, and later Resident Evil), the graphics were colorful with silky smooth animations that were the state of the art at the time… It totally captured the look of the movie and put you in the experience. It’s basically a side scrolling platform that revolves around you jumping on enemies, as well as vaulting off stumps to reach otherwise inaccessible areasyou are also armed with apples to stun opponents. The storyline more or less follows the plot of its namesake, the Disney full-length animated motion picture, with Aladdin going from a street rat to a prince, who first woos, and then has to rescue, the Princess Jasmine. The level designs were beautiful. My favourite level included a surreal world where Genie—dressed in a tuxedo—serves as Aladdin’s guide. Great sound in this one as well.

84. Carnival (1980) Platforms: Arcade Game, later ported to various consoles Carnival was a fixed shooter style arcade game created by Sega in 1980. It has the distinction of being the first video game ever to include a bonus round (involving a white bear you must shoot multiple times and each time the bear is shot, it reared up for a second, then begins walking more quickly in the other direction… I always felt bad for that bear) It was basically a videogame version of a shooting gallery. The goal is to shoot at targets, while carefully avoiding running out of bullets. The targets (which included rabbits, ducks, owls, and other bonus items) scrolled across the screen, in rows that alternated from left-to-right and right-to-left. If the duck targets from the bottom row weren’t shot, they eventually came to life and began descending towards you at the bottom of the screen in a zig-zag pattern. If a duck reached the bottom of the screen without being shot first, it ate some of the player’s bullets. Objects also periodically appeared among the targets that gave the player extra bullets when shot. On top of all this, a spinning wheel with eight pipes sat above the rows of moving targets; all the pipes had to be shot before the round could end. I loved this game.. totally had that “carny” vibe.

83. NBA 2K (1999) Platforms: Dreamcast The debut title in the much loved NBA 2K series, which has subsequently become the standard of excellence for all basketball video games, this was a revolution when it came out. Originally a Dreamcast exclusive, it had the best graphics, player animations, gameplay and extras of any sports game ever produced before. It was literally mindblowing at the time. When you add to that the secret moves and tricks, the patented 2K camera angle and deep franchise mode, you come up with a sports classic; a winner on all fronts that STILL looks great and remains the first (and for all it’s innovations) the best in the franchise.

82. Parappa the Rapper (1996) Platforms: Playstation 1 Also known as “PaRappaRappa”, and “PaRappa the Rappa”, this was one of the first “rhythm video games” While the gameplay was simplistic (but ingenous), the game is most remembered for its unique 2-D “paper effect” graphic design, quirky soundtrack, and bizarre plot. The game is named after its protagonist, Parappa, a rapping dog, with the motto “I gotta believe!”. Totally ahead of its time for its day, PaRappa the Rapper is kind of similar (in spirit) to the classic 1980s game Simon, in which the player is required to repeat a sequence of sounds and buttons. In this instance, the game demands that the player not only get the sequence correct but also the timing of the sequence, in a call and response format. The game provides small portions of spoken vocals that are triggered when the appropriate buttons are pressed. Pressing the buttons in the correct order, with the correct timing, provides an intelligible imitation of the words spoken by the character; pressing the buttons in an incorrect order or with incorrect timing rewards the player with nothing more than unintelligible gibberish. There is a overall goal for each level that is integrated into the story, e.g., one of the levels involves in getting your driver’s license which you must rap for (for some odd reason). Anyway, it’s fucking great… a totally Japanese game experience.

81. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003) Platforms: PS2, Xbox and GameCube The first true next-generation sequel to the classic original game, the entire series was completely revitalised by Montreal’s Ubisoft with Sands of Time. Taking the franchise into the world of 3-D and doing it masterfully, the game still reflected the original platform game’s realistic movements of characters and ‘real-time’ effect of time limits to complete a level which made it a huge hit with new fans as well as old. The basic scheme of the game is to guide the Prince through a range of puzzles to he must work through, roaming the luxurious palace and its dungeons, as well as sword-fighting guards. The graphics were stunning and the level design was completely mind blowing… The main gameplay focus is on acrobatics and agility. Throughout much of the game, the player must attempt to traverse the environment by running across walls, ascending or descending chasms by jumping back and forth between walls, avoiding traps and so forth… and the twist is the inclusion of the Sands of Time, an hourglass that allows the Prince to literally control time. So if you screw up has the ability to “rewind” time and travel up to ten seconds into the past. But even with this “mulligan”, the game maintains its sense of urgency because you can run out of charges to make this hourglass work… In other words, you can still get killed.. which is necessary for any game. One more cool thing about this game is somewhere you can unlock the original 80s Prince of Persia game and play through it.. really cool.

80-61  |  60-41  |  40-21  |  20-1

Show: Revolution
Season: One
Episode Two, “Chained Heat”
Grade: C+

The writing continues to be the main weakness in this second instalment as, in typical JJ Abrams fashion, the characters act and react predictably and moronically.

Take this week’s early set up, obnoxious, main character Charlie, pulls a shit fit when her Uncle Miles is about to kill a bounty hunter (played by an extremely old looking C. Thomas Howell) who had tried to kill them.  She ends up guilting him out of it and, of course, C. Thomas ends up almost killing them again later.

I seriously don’t know how long the show can sustain the weight of such a hateful central character.  That’s what sunk shows like The Event, which had a way more intriguing premise than the stultifyingly dumb one of Revolution, i.e., all electricity inexplicably went dead so in less than 10 years the world becomes an anarchic mess controlled by a Militant Group that considers people who carry the American flag, rebels… uh yeah, ok.

How much is one supposed to suspend their beliefs?  I guess Abrams intends to stretch that question to its utmost limits.

Anyway, lemme make my way back to the actual episode, which this week was actually a scintilla better than the pilot.

The basic plot is Uncle Miles needs to find some woman (who you just know is gonna be an unrealistically hot babe) who is good at “blowing up stuff” in order to retrieve Charlie’s brother from the Monroe Militia.

After Charlie almost gets everyone dead (as mentioned above) Miles decides to continue on his own and meet his niece and her two protectors (who from now until the end of the season I will refer to as Google Guy and Brit Mom) in a couple of weeks in Indiana.  Selfish and insensitive as ever, the petulant teen decides to go after him and leaves her companions high and dry in the middle of nowhere.

This is actually proves to be the most effective scene in the episode and so far the series, as her friends discuss the electrical failure a bit more clearly.  Brit Mom reveals the reason she keeps a long dead iPhone with her is because somewhere in there contains the only pictures of her (assumingly dead) children, bringing up a surprisingly insightful point about today’s technology and just how tenuous it all is.  Google Guy reciprocates her candor with a revelation of his own as he fesses up to his being asked by Charlie’s father to bring the pendant flash drive thingy to a woman who would know what to do with it, thus leading him to the possibility that this black out is man made, and thusly, can be fixed.

Next we see the brother witness the killing a man who was in possession of guns (apparently a big no no).  One of the soldiers gets shot in the ensuing firefight and we see a surprising gentler side to his main captor (Giancarlo Esposito) who comforts the wounded soldier administering a fast acting poison to put him out of his misery.  This adds an interesting wrinkle to the plot… Is he a psychopath (as the brother calls him) or just a good man in a bad situation committed to the cause.

Charlie and Uncle Miles meanwhile do eventually meet up with the explosives expert they were looking for, who does, of course, turn out to be an unrealistically hot babe, in an elaborate fight scene wherein they retrieve a prized sniper rifle and Charlie bypasses her ethics and ends up killing two prison guards.  Explosives expert babe agrees to help them in return for their help in delivering the gun to a rebel base.

All this leads up to the final scene shocker that Charlie’s mother is indeed alive and being held captive by the President of the Monroe Militia.

So far, the series has the emotional content of a B level video game, but it is getting better… So we’ll see.

Band:

Reviewing albums can be a tiresome, wearying experience (see No Doubt review), however every once in a while you get a nice surprise and Billie Joe and the boys have delivered one in spades.

The last decade has probably been the most successful period for the band, what with the musical and the multi-platinum American Idiot album and all, which is ironic considering the music they were making was not particularly Green Day-sy, for lack of a better adjective. I always respected Armstrong’s decision to stretch himself out musically and politically, but it just never hit me on a gut level.

Thusly, I was reticent to hear what their latest offering sounded like, and I can say unequivocally that UNO! (the first of a TRIPLE album set to be released separately) is a true return to their Dookie form. From beginning to end they never let up with some of the purest, hard driving power pop that I’ve heard since.. well Dookie.

First and foremost, this is the best sounding album Green Day has released. Instead of going for any bells and whistles production-wise, they smartly spared it way down, leaving only the elements that made them great in the first place. Instrumentally, the band is on fire; the guitar cuts through like a straight razor, with Armstrong finally allowing himself to play a more than competent lead guitar throughout. Tré Cool, and Mike Dirnt have also stepped it up a notch putting in the best performance of their career. The rhythm section is everything that I ever wanted to hear from them but felt they never quite pulled off… Cool’s snare punches through every song with an energy that seems impossible for someone approaching 40, and Dirnt’s bass tone sounds renewed; looping and pulsing in perfect syncoptation with the kick.

Songwise, the album is packed front to back with tuneful, concise numbers with nary a dead spot… There are no fast forward songs here, from the blistering opener, ‘Nuclear Family’, that sports a killer solo and melodic middle eight to the uplifting ‘Carpe Diem’ to the romantic, Knacks-y “Sweet 16″ to the positively anthemic closer (and first single) “Oh Love”, which I didn’t even like when I first heard it, but in the context of the other songs it’s absolutely perfect.

All this makes Billie Joe Armstrong’s recent personal struggles even more sad and upsetting, and the humiliation they suffered by having their performance cut off and his subsequent breakdown over it all the more infuriating.

Here’s hoping he gets better soon, cause this is an album I’d love to see them take to the road.

A modern classic.