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Jimmy's Top Video Games: 25-21
By Jimmy - 02.12.03
25. Duck Hunt
1984 - NES
 Does it get any more pure? Duck Hunt had it all: varying levels of difficulty, two
modes of play, dogs, ducks... a gun. This game essentially launched the hunting game genre
(which is a dubious compliment, I suppose), while at the same time introducing people to
the arcade/light-gun shooter and the first-person shooter. This game pitted you against
the ultimate challenge, the soul of man. It continued as long as you had the ability and
desire to keep playing. It offered no rewards, only the satisfaction of testing yourself.
And if you sucked, that damn dog would always be there to laugh at you. I think the dog
symbolized the fact that sometimes even your trusting, helpful friends will turn against
you, and we must all stand alone. Very Herman Hesse. I've been playing this game for
thirteen years. Hell, last summer when I took a vacation down in South Carolina and i was
in the midst of girls, sun, sand, and booze, I pulled out Duck Hunt and blew some ducks away.
Even the Marines use it for training.
24. Sunset Riders
1993 - Arcade
 I'm not sure how many people have heard of this, but it was a side-scrolling cowboy
shooter arcade game. It may have been ported to a console at one point... I don't
remember, and I don't care enough to check. This game gets props for combining two of my favorite things: cowboys and fun.
I think the last time I played this was in the local pizza place back when I lived in
California. Good food, good games. Just last weekend I saw an old, broken machine
in Richmond. Honestly, I popped wood.
23. Revolution X
1994 - Arcade
Another arcade shooter that saw some limited port action, this game had you
fighting an oppressive New World Order with the power of MUSIC. First of
all, any game that lets you shoot CDs at cyborgs is okay in my book. Secondly,
this is the only game I know of that features Aerosmith. FUCKING AEROSMITH.
I can still hear Steven Tyler imploring me, "Don't give up!"
22. Battletoads
1991 - NES
 Battletoads was batshit insane hard, and I loved it. You could kill pretty much anything, including your teammate. This usually led to some heated arguments, to say the least. You could do everything: kill a robot and use its leg as a club, ride fire-breathing dragons, kick, punch, eat flies, pick up swords, repel down shafts, even ride a hoverbike. This is one of those games with a big emotional memory attached to it for me, because I can remember playing it with my older cousin when we were little tykes. Now he has a family and I'm a borderline alcoholic. Sunrise, sunset.
If anyone got past the hoverbike stage, let me know. You deserve a medal.
21. Street Fighter 2
1992 - Super Nintendo
 Some may prefer one of its myriad incarnations, but let's give credit where it's due.
Street Fighter 2 kicked off the series with a bang, and it remains hands-down one of
the greatest fighting games ever. EVER. Of course its reputation is somewhat tarnished
by the abysmal movie starring Jean-Claude van Damme and Raoul Julia, but I say hate
the sin, love the sinner. Hadoken, mother-fucker.
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