Alex’s Top 100 Videogame Countdown- Day Nine

Thought I’d forgotten about this, didn’t you? DIDN’T YOU?!!

20. Bioshock (2007)

XBOX 360
One of the greatest stories put to a video game, Bioshock is also one of the most refreshing and exciting first person shooters out there. It’s also kind of scary. Splicers are scary. What makes the game really is its setting- an underwater city circa 1960, based on literature by Aldos Huxley and Ayn Rand. The Big Daddy is also one of the most frightening bosses ever, and the Little Sisters are thoroughly disturbing. The plasmids and gene tonics really make the game, and are what set it apart from other shooters.

Can’t wait for the sequel, which puts you in the shoes of the first Big Daddy ever made. Unfortunately the game was just pushed back to January 31st, 2010. Industry analysts theorize that most of the publishers who pushed their tentpole games back, did so due to fear of Halo 3: ODST and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which are set to hit stores September 22nd and November 10th, respectively. Frankly, I’m not all that interested in ODST- it looks like a glorified expansion pack for Halo 3 with a $59.99 price tag. Modern Warfare 2… well… that’s another story.

19. SimCity 2000 (1996)

MAC
Ahh, SimCity… so educational, yet… so addictive. I know you’re supposed to build a glorious metropolis, fill it with wonders and expand it to immense bounds… but all I ever wanted to do was press the “Disaster” button. Who didn’t love seeing their city get trashed by a volcano, tornado, or alien invasion?

18. Mass Effect (2007)

XBOX 360
Like Bioshock, Mass Effect is an impeccable blend of story and gameplay. While heavily influenced by other science fiction, ME still felt fresh and original, mostly due to the many alien races, and the attention to detail that was put into each one. There’s the warrior-like Turians, the scientific Asari, the brutish Krogan… the list goes on.

If you ever wanted to simulate traveling across space and exploring new worlds, all while saving the universe from hungry giant robots (no joke), then this is the game for you. And me. I was never a huge fan of RPGs (notice the lack of Final Fantasy on this list), but I found this blend of RPG and third-person shooter to be amazing. The customization of your character was also neat. And to top it all off there’s a sex scene with some mild nudity. Like so many 360 titles on this list, I’m more excited for the sequel. That’s the (usually) great thing about videogames- unlike movies, the sequels are usually better. Sometimes though, they still fall flat (lookin’ at you Resident Evil 5).

17. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)

XBOX

I’m more familiar with Halo 3, but maybe it’s the wimpy ending that made me put the original on this list instead. Or maybe it’s because I’m most nostalgic for this game. It reminds me of Alfred Planco. Back in sophomore / junior year… hangin’ out in his stuffy room… doin’ stuff… and playing Halo. But there’s more to it than just nostalgia. There’s the game that probably saved the console FPS. Halo reinvented the genre, and set the standard for all future games within the genre. Why potentially racist, Xbox Live-obsessed Southern geeks think it has “a great story” is beyond me… but to each his own, I guess.

16. Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II (2001)

GAMECUBE
This is the game that swung my vote for the Gamecube over the Xbox back in 2001. I was intrigued by Oddworld: Munch’s Odysee, and for some reason my dad wanted me to get an Xbox for Christmas instead of the Gamecube, but when I saw this Star Wars flight sim, I just knew I had to have it. Why? Because it looked, sounded and felt exactly like the movies. Exactly. The Death Star level in particular- flying down the trench just like Luke Skywalker… well… that’s a thrill for any 14 year-old geek.

15. Rock Band (2007)

XBOX 360
The end-all for rhythm games. Sure, Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero, Rock Band: The Beatles, and LEGO Rock Band (WTF?!!!) are all coming out this fall / winter, but after I played this I knew I’d never need to buy another rhythm game again. Or play one… the truth is, I’m kind of sick of the genre. I haven’t played the game in quite some time, but that doesn’t mean it’s not awesome. And I know someday, I’ll have a drunk friend over and we’ll break out the plastic guitars and drums (more likely mike if we’re drunk; Rock Band can double as the cheap bastard’s version of Karaoke), and button-mash our way through “Gimme Shelter.” It’s funny how antiquated Rock Band seems a mere TWO YEARS LATER. But back in the olden days of 2007, it was incredibly innovative. It kicked Guitar Hero in the nutsack, and continues to. The coolest part was the ability to download songs. I’ve got a ton, including six Nine Inch Nails songs. That’s how I roll.

14. Super Mario World (1990)

SNES
The god of the 2D platformer. I don’t really know how much I can say about this game besides that it’s awesome. While Mario 64 is better, this still feels like the epitome of the Mario style. Once Mario went into three dimensions, he lost a little something. I think he always worked best as a 2D character. I miss the way he got little when he lost a life, and big when he ate a mushroom. Ahh, memories…

13. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee (1997)

PLAYSTATION
I know I said Super Mario World was the god of the 2D platformers, but Oddworld is a million times cooler. For one thing, it’s about aliens. For another, it’s not really a platformer at all. There’s no item collection, no lives, no time limit, and no enemies you can kill with your bare hands. It’s much more stealth-oriented. You’re an escaped slave from a meat packing industry, trying to evade evil machine-gun toting slugs with robotic legs, while rescuing your people and creating a new society in the wilderness. Some of the greatest art direction I’ve ever seen, it heavily influenced my drawings and stories as a kid. It was both violent, and hilarious- always a good mix.

12. Civilization III (2001)

PC
I’ve heard that Civilization IV is superior, but, well… I haven’t played it. In fact, with the exception of the next gen console installment for the 360, Civilization Revolution, this is the only Civ game I’ve ever played. Which is okay, cause they’re all basically the same. And they’re totally rad. The title speaks for itself: you build a frakkin’ civilization. Which is a lot of fun, and generally, excruciatingly difficult. Goddamn French and their goddamn culture… always converting my cities… you bastards!! Anyway, I’m addicted to these games, and even though they probably don’t, they make me feel like they’re making me smarter.

11. Gears of War (2006)

XBOX 360
I would say I can hear millions of Halo fans crying blasphemy, if I had a million fans to begin with. But I’m sure there are many of you who think this is bullshit (Deschamps, I know you’re one of them). And you know what? Fuck you guys. Gears may not be the impeccably streamlined masterpiece of modern day video game controls that Halo is, but it’s way cooler. And even though the story is beyond retarded, the art direction is a million times better. Halo looks like every other space movie / game out there. They even have a crotchety, cigar-smoking black colonel like the guy in Aliens!!




And as flawed as it was (I can’t even count how many times I’ve pressed the A button, intending to evade an attack, and instead snapped onto a wall), the cover system was bitchin’, and really innovative. Modern Warfare is the most realistic first-person war experience out there. But Gears of War, despite involving a plot featuring monsters called “the Locust” attacking humanity from underground, is the most realistic third person experience. It just feels like real war. Because real war is all about cover and strategic advancement. And that’s what this game is about.

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~ by TheHil on August 9, 2009.