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Hello everyone, I’m back at the blogging game. To help reintroduce myself, I will give you a glimpse into my top 10 favorite video games. It is important to point out that this is a personal list, and doesn’t reflect the overall quality of each game listed. When I write a review, I try to keep my personal tastes separate from the review score, so the order on this list may not be consistent with the scores I give on this site. Many review scores I give aim to show an impression I think most players, (or at least the target audience) may have of the game in question. In this case, this list is full of personal tastes, but I will do my best to show why I like each game.
Incidentally, at some points in this list, I will mention multiple, very similar games in a given series. These games are roughly the same quality, and it is hard to choose one over the other based on their similarities. As such, this list will feature more than 10 games overall, but will still have 10 places in the list. There will also be some honorable mentions after the full list is complete.
#10-Octopath Traveler:
Well, here begins the trend of placing RPGs on this list. I am fascinated by turn based battles, and the opportunity to devise clever strategies when playing games in this genre. Octopath Traveler has the nice twist of choosing one character to be the main character, and even features some role playing elements when interacting with NPCs. The game features a lot of great feedback in terms of statuses on the playing field, plus the boost and guard breaking game mechanics makes you feel clever and powerful while playing. Granted, the game’s true ending is oddly hidden plus is underwhelming in comparison to the rest of the game’s story, but for the vast majority of the ride, this game is well worth it.
#9-Dragon Quest XI:
Dragon Quest XI is truly something special. I am an avid reader, so I love clever and humorous writing in games. This entry in the Dragon Quest series is also among the easiest to approach too, plus there are a lot of cool gameplay features, including some quality-of-life features that make the game less of a chore. If you prefer some of the simpler RPGs, this game may be for you.
#8-Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door:
Here’s the only game on this list that I currently don’t own. When I first owned this game, I loved the writing. Plus, there were plenty of gameplay enhancements from its predecessor, making for a good time all around. Again, humor was one of this game’s major selling points. There are a few flaws in this game though, including some needlessly tedious moments, but the rest of the game makes up for it. It has been a while since I last played this game, so my opinion may change if I get the chance to replay it. Hopefully, I can find a copy and review it on this site at some point.
#7-Megaman X and Megaman X2:
Here’s my first double entry in this list. Both games play very similarly to each other, and are graphically almost identical. The first game was a great game to learn how to become good at video games, and is one of those games that teaches you how to play without a text heavy tutorial. The second game, in my opinion, was a smoother experience for players who already know how to play. Megaman X2 was a game that I used to play through daily, just for the fun of it. Megaman X3 was good too, but I can now see that the game’s flaws, particularly its difficulty level were enough to keep it off of this list.
#6-Splatoon and Splatoon 2:
Another double entry. It is hard to say which is better, but both are my go-to online games that feature action-based gameplay. Splatoon 2 has some nice upgrades, but the player base seems to be way more aggressive, which limits my fun when I encounter such players. On the other hand, it is a lot of fun just to make a mess with the paint you shoot in this game, and I think it is revolutionary to not have to kill other players and still be able to win. Like any online game, your fun will vary based on the kind of players you encounter, as well as how quickly you adjust to the game. I wonder how Splatoon 3 will hold up?
#5-Golden Sun and Golden Sun: the Lost Age:
Yet another double entry on this list. These games have perhaps some of the most balanced battle mechanics I’ve seen in an RPG series. Most actions have a use throughout both games. Both games are also gorgeous considering the Game Boy Advance’s limitations. The Djinn system is also quite unique, and leads to a lot of possibilities for gameplay styles to flourish for each player. These games share a spot due to being very similar to each other. Golden Sun is great, and The Lost Age features more of the same sort of content as the previous game. Now if only the series could get a revival (and possibly a big revision of the third game), I would be incredibly happy.
#4-The Pokemon series:
This entry is essentially an entire series. It is also the game that helped me appreciate RPGs in the first place. There’s something satisfying about collecting hundreds of playable characters, and battling and trading them with others. The gameplay mechanics haven’t changed too drastically between games, so it is incredibly hard to pick one game as the best in the series. It also doesn’t help that when I’m playing the latest version of this game, it feels like the best one yet. This may be due to subtle upgrades and refinements between editions. Ultimately, there are few bad Pokémon games in the main series, just ones that didn’t feel as good in retrospect. In some cases, some games in the series seem bad just because they are way too familiar to others in this series. That’s one way to be consistent, I suppose.
#3-Undertale:
Here’s the only indie game I have here. This game was perhaps the only game that gave me the full range of emotions while playing, a true rarity in video games. What is remarkable in this game was how many of your actions have good or bad consequences. Also neat was how you don’t have to kill any character to progress. You could do so if you wanted to, but it will alter the game dramatically. There’s humor too, so that helped to endear me to this game. I hope the developer goes on to make some truly incredible games in the future!
#2-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild:
Okay, this game may be the best designed game out there. There’s so much attention to detail, that people are still discovering things about this game to this day, and it has been about 4 years! It truly is amazing how the game seems to have fewer actions than previous games in the Legend of Zelda series, but the many ways you can use these actions leads to countless interactions that the game seems endless. The game is beautiful too, enough so that I played without using a horse to get around. I wonder if the upcoming sequel will outdo it? So, what game could possibly out do this game in my eyes? Well…
#1-Earthbound:
Okay, I know, this game is far from perfect. This is my favorite for reasons that have nothing to do with good game design. This game is the main reason I warned my readers that the scoring of any game on this site may not be consistent with the order on this list. Earthbound is my favorite game due more to aesthetic reasons. The style and humor greatly resonate with me, and the game is so unique in this regard that it is number one in my heart, despite its faults. Yeah, the inventory system, and a few awkward puzzles could kill this game for quite a few people, but each time I play it, I might notice a weird joke that I could’ve read but not understand the first several times and end up bursting with laughter on my most recent playthrough. Despite not being unique gameplay-wise, this game shines for its writing and characterization, and I love it for that. With that being said, keep this paragraph in mind when you hear about a person’s tastes in anything subjective. Their preferences might not be fully rational, but that’s okay, as it means a lot to the person for reasons completely their own.
-Honorable mentions:
Now in no particular order, here’s the (roughly) 10 or so games that didn’t make it on this list. This should be a reminder of how hard it is to write one of these in the first place, especially after playing hundreds of games:
- Dragon Quest IX
This game has a ton of content, and even multiplayer co-op. The online is no longer functional, but it is a surprisingly good game once you get into the meat of it.
- Chrono Trigger
This game has some good writing too, and features time travel (one of the few that does it right). There are some balance issues here, but not enough to limit one’s enjoyment of the game.
- Advance Wars: Dual Strike
A fantastic tactical game, with lots of content. It takes a while to master, and you can play against friends on one system too. I wonder if it will be rereleased after Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp comes out?
- Super Mario Bros. 3
Another game I played from start to finish daily at one point in my life. Once you know this game well, it can be fun to breeze through it!
- Tetris (series)
If any game is perfectly designed, Tetris is one of the few that could be. Highly addictive, but lacks some variety of gameplay.
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses
This game features a lot of twists in the gameplay formula, that match the theming of the game. Also has about 3 or 4 different story paths worth exploring.
- Super Metroid/ Metroid Zero Mission
Both are the pinnacle of the 2D Metroid series. I personally played Zero Mission daily, to try and get a shorter time, but Super Metroid sets the tone for the rest of the series, and is worth a mention.
- Kirby Super Star/ Kirby: Planet Robobot
Both Kirby games have similar gameplay and structure, and are a good way to get hooked on the series. Be warned, not all Kirby games play like this, and both are peak Kirby. You might be disappointed if you play other Kirby games after these two.
And that wraps up my Top 10 favorite games. I hope this gives you an idea of my tastes in gaming. What are some of your favorites, and why? Are there any games you played that you love, but might give a somewhat lower score than another game? Let me know in the comments below! If you enjoyed this list, then hit that like button and share on social media. To keep up with That’s All Games, you may subscribe via Email or WordPress. Until next time, have fun gaming!
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