Put simply, no one can write an effective, inarguable, or accurate top twenty list of video games; the same game that inspires and moves one person may be irrelevant to another. That being said, these are probably the twenty best games I've ever played. Look for the top ten in an update later this week.
20. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind
Waker - For the second time in this series, Nintendo opted to completely redesign the way that players interact with the world of
Hyrule; of course much has already been said regarding the inventive and controversial graphical style, but this iteration also takes place among a collection of islands, rather than the immensely scaled plains and valleys of
Hyrule proper. The result is an intriguing and less linear experience.
19. The Legend of Zelda - The original that introduced players to quests of immense scope and helped to transform the way gamers
strategically approached the world; persistence, careful planning, and methodical exploration replaced quick-draw reflexes and ushered in a new era of gaming.
18.
GoldenEye 007 - The first FPS that allowed for multiple play styles, rewarding both the precise and stealthy veteran of the genre and the impulsive
gung-ho warrior. It's also notable for redesigning level objectives based on difficulty, sometimes forcing gamers to completely reconsider their approach.
17.
Tetris - The ultimate Trojan horse, with respect to the originator of that term. Likely anyone who owns a phone, a computer, or a television hasn't heard of this game. It single-
handedly ingratiated the original Game Boy into millions of homes across the world and
inarguably helped keep Nintendo afloat during the lean mid-to-late 1990's. Suited for bus rides, competitive co-op play, marathon sessions, and basically anywhere at anytime.
16. Final Fantasy VIII -
FFVIII, unlike most other entries in the series, doesn't assemble it's constituent parts into a complete whole. It combines an adult visual style with remarkably advanced graphics from its time; the same
orchestrally complex and inventive score as gamers are accustomed to from the series; easily some of the most challenging and creative
sidequests ever encountered in any game; and a flat and uninteresting storyline that juggles flashbacks, romance, and intrigue to ill effect. To say nothing of the sometimes tedious Draw system,
FFVIII is the black sheep of the family, but still well worth playing.
15. Metal Gear Solid - Again
reimagining the ways that players interact with the world around them,
MGS insisted on the stealth approach wherein one carefully conserves resources, avoids combat, and moves as quickly as possible to achieve objective; this approach is, of course, consistent with how one would act in reality.
MGS challenges gamers to think outside their homes on the reality of war, the lengths to which one will go for country and revenge, and, ultimately, the instability of the world in which we live.
14.
Chrono Trigger - One of the highest regarded
JRPGs ever created, CT raised the bar immensely with its detailed and breathtaking graphics, soaring musical themes from a variety of
timelines, and inventive implementation of combination attacks that compound magic and physical strikes that ever since, hasn't been matched. One of the most magnificent compositions ever to come out of then-
SquareSoft.
13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - The most effective update and
reimagining of a series into 3D ever seen.
OoT brings the series's famously sophisticated level design and integration of dungeon and
overworld into a more complex, more beautiful, and more engrossing world than many gamers had ever seen before. More adult in its themes and sill minimalist in its storytelling,
OoT allows for an experience unlike any other.
12. Mega Man 2 - MM2 features one of
the best soundtracks ever made, which is still
heavily and frequently remixed by fans. It also perfected the formula for Mega Man games:
unique levels with merciless difficulty and creative
powerups. It simply challenges gamers with unique bosses and
devilish enemies and levels that require quick reactions, judicious platforming, and many, many rehearsals.
11. Super Mario Brothers 3 - Perfecting the level design formula that slowly allows gamers to practice the mechanics necessary for success,
SMB3 simply compounds the difficulty, number of levels, and techniques to master with more suits, more enemies, and various paths to success by allowing the player to essentially pick and choose their path through the world.
It's been a long, long, long week. Every single day this week, I've gotten up early for some reason or another, from taking a client to a outpatient class for the first time, to arriving early to carpool to a meeting downtown, to a training regarding dissociative disorders in children, the pillow and I haven't spent many hours together this week.
Aside from sleeplessness, though, life has been pretty good for the most part. The actual mechanics and responsibilities of work have been great; my clients seem to be thriving in their various ways and the great project of cataloging clients receiving service for the past
seven years is progressing slowly, but steadily.
School is also slowing grinding to a conclusion. Over the next two weeks, I still somehow have three papers totaling twenty-four pages, but it shouldn't be a problem to get them done.
Black
Sigil, sadly, seems to be garbage. I can't really classify this as
shovelware as it's been in development in one form or another for nearly a decade. It's a
glitchy, slow-paced, poorly written, joyless mess of a game. I can't wait to finish it.
Chavonne and I just came back from a wonderful, but
gastrointestinally torturous evening at Don Pablo's. It's wonderful to still be able to talk about so much so easily after so many years together. We're so lucky.
This summer it Pittsburgh has been unlike any I've ever experienced anywhere. The heat has been relatively mild and even in a three-story home where I spend an average of two-to-three hours a night in my game room
in a broiling attic, it's reasonably comfortable. It's this season specifically I left Texas to escape; indeed, it's hard to feel nostalgic towards a place where you spent your first (and last) 114-degree summer afternoon.
Despite the mild weather, however, I still haven't managed to get out of the house and do anything social nearly as much as I'd like.
Chavonne and I have taken an occasional walk through the gorgeous
Frick Park trails and made more than a few forays into our local theatres to see "Up," "Star Trek," and "Bruno" there's still an immense amount of cultural activities we've not taken any part in.
Although I'm greatly enjoying "
Phantasy Star," part of being an adult is being able to balance the time spent in work, play, and enrichment. Because school is only a
tantalizing three weeks away from conclusion,
now's the time to see a ballgame, go swimming, visit a museum, and so on.
All my life, I've struggled making connections with people; partially, this was because I was sheltered against my will by my overprotective parent, but soon enough, I enjoyed exploring my imagination supplemented through books and video games. I'm twenty-five years old now and my life is 1/4 finished. It's time to bust myself out of my anti-social rut and try new things.
After a long absence, I've decided to get back to blogging under a new title and with a new and even more positive attitude. All my life long, I've been a fairly positive person but I think that my life is so under control and positive that my current perspective eclipses all the sunshine and happiness I've felt before; like candlelight to sunlight, it simply cannot be compared.
I've been thinking a lot about my work life lately, appropriate since it comprises by far the largest proportion of my waking time. I've made enormous strides as of late in both my
interactions with my clients, my overall capacities to complete the work placed before me and (I hope) my presence and standing within the community. From my work with my clients and in advocating with on their behalf, I've come to genuinely care about doing a good job as a case manager.
The position that I work asks a number of
responsibilities from building maintenance to, apparently, tech support; but it boils down to ensuring that I myself am able to stay connected to and apprised of changing resources that clients may need to access and developing a
relationship with clients wherein we
cooperatively work to solve problems they are facing as well as establish patterns and decisions to make a better life for themselves.
When I first accepted this job, I was excited about the opportunity to make a difference for people, but I didn't much know how. Now, I've been able to network resources, navigate
labyrinthine bureaucracies, and generally get things done. I don't say it enough, but I'm fairly proud of myself.
Chavonne and I are getting along wonderfully. We're so supportive and gently challenging of one another and genuinely enjoy spending time together that the conflicts we have seem to be from external forces; we're an axis of love, as it were.
Our house is a creaky dream; it needs and deserves a good deal more TLC than it's gotten from me (especially our back yard), but I'm in love with it and with being a homeowner.
School is progressing well, despite the enormous drain on our time and mental energy at the end of the day. It's a sobering and difficult prospect that
Chavonne and I won't be able to spend, say, Tuesday evenings together until
2012 at the earliest, but for the opportunity to improving our earning potential and better afford our house and (gulp) student loans, it's well worth the text messages and love notes scrawled on bulletin boards.
Even gaming is going well! One my new year's resolutions was to master twenty-five games, roughly 10% of my overall collection and I'm 40% towards that goal to date! I'm currently playing the
RPG classic
Phantasy Star; as a wide-eyed gamer who owned Nintendo systems exclusively, I missed out on this so-far brutal and punishing game, so I'm making up for lost time.
You might say that most people resolve to, you know, lose weight or learn piano or something like that. I'm also resolving to read more, lose thirty-three pounds, take up a new hobby, and spend more time with my heart. Halfway into 2009, things could not be going better.
