Year One!!!
In honor of SSX’s Deadly Descents’ potential, and in spite of its delay today, I’m going to keep it on my list of most anticipated games of 2011. After all, it’s only a month into 2012… If you have a problem with that, please feel free to imagine an image of L.A. Noire instead.
#20 - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Few franchises maintain greatness in the way Nintendo has cultivated its stars to. There are hiccups; Mario has his Sunshine and Metroid its Other-M, yet Zelda has managed the transition from 2D to 3D remaining relevant throughout. If someone were to ask me where a great place to start gaming would be, I would effortlessly say, “Zelda.” Even from its humble beginnings, I see this series as the most important in all of gaming. It’s seriously hard to play a game without recognizing influences from one of the series’ entries.
Twilight Princes represents the pinnacle of what Zelda has always been trying to be, but manages to forge its own identity with the wolf transformation mechanic. All of the trappings of a Zelda title are present. It’s many dungeons are unique but familiar. The combat is simple yet nuanced. Characters return from previous games to fulfill different roles. Hyrule is constantly changing with us, but it always feels familiar. In short, Twilight Princess is most of the best parts of previous Zeldas rolled into one great game.
#19 - Castle Crashers
Child services may argue that I spent too many Friday nights in my youth at the bowling alley arcade while my mom and stepfather drank away their week. I would argue that The Simpsons, X-Men, Captain America and The Avengers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade machines would have missed me. Although these memories are some of my best as a child gamer, brawlers and I had to go separate ways through my adolescence. Thankfully, that all changed when Castle Crashers came to XBLA. I’ve since spent numerous evenings in with my friends leveling up our respective characters (My Red Knight’s at 99. Cower before me! Not really. Please, stop…)
Castle Crashers brings back the fun, excitement, and camaraderie that great classic arcade beat ’em ups should offer. Not only that, but it also lengthened the gameplay of these oft short games and brings the whole formula to a modern era with RPG elements and loot. This game exudes a silent personality that knows it’s at its best when filling the screen with absurdity: cute bear enemies smeared with blood, pooping wildlife, or any of the giant bosses. By arcade standards, I’ve more than gotten my money’s worth from the $15.00 I spent. Castle Crashers is the best brawler I’ve ever played.
#18 - Advance Wars
My love for strategy games is very specific: they must be Starcraft or Advance Wars. I’ve tried Halo Wars, Fire Emblem, and other real-time or turned-based strategy games, but none of them get the job done quite like Advance Wars. Yes, that means Starcraft, too. For me, it’s almost the perfect portable game. It works on long trips or short lines, the strategy isn’t soul-crushing, and the gameplay is simple to come to grips with. If only it didn’t try to have a story.
Even in that respect, it’s lean, but makes coming back to an Advance Wars game after a months-long break difficult, like an RPG. The first entry in the series is simple, delivering everything I love about the series without all the hassle of unnecessary side-missions, multiple commanders, or err… bizarre art. The feeling of completing a campaign having outwitted the enemy (and, in many cases, the level design) with a crushing victory is as satisfying as the games art style. It’s strategy in its purest form: thoughtful, intense, and hopefully, rewarding.
#17 - Portal
Fall 2007 was brimming with potential. Halo 3 threatened to overshadow the release calendar, but Bioshock proved my shortsightedness before September 25th even came. And then there was Portal. The three hours I spent with Portal in my first playthrough were a clinic on great game design, storytelling, and enjoyment. At that point I had played much of Valve’s prior catalogue, but never had I encountered this amount of cleverness in small doses revealed at such a pace.
The pacing blows my mind; as the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device’s capabilities are revealed, GLaDOS becomes more sinister until you’re finally left to fend for yourself against her with only the device to aid you. As I frenetically shot myself out of harm’s way, I actually felt as though I was entering some secret area. I was wary of turrets and other minions, but never felt incapable of dealing with the perils ahead of me. It’s a testament to Portal’s blend of subdued story and tight gameplay. It’s utterly seamless.
#16 - Super Mario 64
My first hour of this game was spent in utter confusion. I explored the grounds entirely twice over and the room that housed the first world’s painting several times, but once I realized the paintings lead to levels, everything clicked. Like, “Oh… It’s Mario, I know him. And he’s in 3D. Gotcha!” Nintendo had made the transition that easy. Level after level, world after world, I scoured the main floor until I reached Bowser and hurled him thrice from the battleground. And then I realized (from my extensive search through the grounds, I wasn’t even a third of the way through the game.
In true, glorious Nintendo misdirection, I was elated to have dozens more levels to fly, wall-kick, and ground-pound through. From hat-thieving animals to hidden loch monsters, there was enough variation and imagination to keep the cartridge in my console long into the next generation. Most believe Mario is in his element while two-dimensional, but I will never forget how exhilarating it felt flying in a 3D space with the Wing Cap for the first time. Bringing consoles into a new dimension was a scary, daring thing, and if anyone could make the transition, it was Mario. He did it stylishly, and without sacrificing fun.
Tomorrow: A game that was taken off today’s list at the last minute, an untouched genre, and a couple games with worthwhile collectibles *gasp*!
Press X to JAYSON! 