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Jimmy's Top Video Games: 5-1
By Jimmy - 05.31.03
5. Galaga
1982 - Arcade
The absolute pinnacle of arcade excellence. Cast as a maverick fighter pilot, you stand alone against hordes of ruthless aliens. You fly mission after suicidal mission, with no let up in sight.
On the surface, it's a simple shooter, but it's so much more. It's…GODDAMN, IT'S JUST FUN CAUSE IT IS. WHAT ELSE DO YOU PEOPLE WANT? I can't explain it. It's easy to learn, difficult to master, and addictive as anything. Plus, you get medals for each mission you complete. That takes the cake.
4. Final Fantasy VII
1997 - Sony Playstation
When I say "huge RPG", FFVII answers with a resounding "holla!" One of the most hyped RPGs in recent memory, it became a sort of gateway game for the genre, luring unsuspecting gamers into the über-geek realm of roleplaying.
The first hour or so is simply stunning. The starting city of Midgar is one of my favorite game settings, serving up a healthy dose of dystopian urban decay. Think Fifth Element meets Blade Runner. Other locations are equally engrossing, such as the impossibly hedonistic Gold Saucer and the secluded, charming city of Wutai.
Of course, setting is nothing without memorable characters and a plot that lets them shine. Who can forget Cloud's inner turmoil, or Barret's Mr. T attitude? A love story that actually responded to the player's whims was a nice touch, allowing the player to choose which leading lady he preferred: Aeris or Tifa. I always chose Aeris; I'm a sucker for the sweet ones. And let's not forget Sephiroth, who is one bad-ass son of a bitch. I wish all villains could be murderous superhuman lunatics armed with six-foot swords.
The plot is standard save-the-world RPG fare, but still manages to be deep. Hell, it's downright confusing at times, but I still love it. Thankfully, a liberal dose of mini-games keep the plot from overwhelming you, and can open the doors to some excellent weapons and spells.
3. Chrono Trigger
1996 - Super Nintendo
 Of course it's a solid RPG with an excellent story and a large cast of memorable characters. It's fun and well designed, but what makes it special? Well, time travel kind of sets it apart. Any game that lets you travel through time is okay by me. It requires you to think fourth-dimensionally, to borrow a phrase from Doc Brown. Sure, that field might be empty now, but what about 1000 years from now? What about 10,000 years in the past? The time element allows players to revisit old locations, seeing how they've changed throughout time and how seemingly innocuous actions can have massive consequences for the entire world. Through the mists of time, disparate story threads come together to form a truly awesome plot.
Okay, that's cool. What else? Replay value. I lost track of how many separate endings there are. Suffice to say, a shitload. Depending on when you take on the final boss and what characters you have in your party, you can unlock weird endings galore. Making your task easier is the "start +" system, which lets you start a new game with data from a previous one, allowing you to breeze through the game fairly quickly in your quest to hunt down the elusive ending sequences.
2. 2. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
1999 - Sony Playstation
Some may laugh it off as a simple re-release of an older Saturn game, but the Lunar special edition has a special place in my cold, twisted heart: a place reserved only for the cuddliest of puppies. I bought a Playstation solely for this game. It was well worth it.
The SSSC set went all out on packaging and extras. Inside the beautiful oversized box was a hardbound 100+ page instruction/art book, a cloth world map, and some other trinkets. Oh, and perhaps the greatest RPG I've ever played.
Assuming the role of Alex, you hike into the mountains outside you village on a mission to find some treasure. You return with a freaking huge diamond and a mission to harness the power of fur dragons to become the Dragomaster, a legendary hero destined to save the world. On the way you'll encounter characters, both loveable and super-loveable. There's Nall, your pet flying rat/monkey, along with your chubby, greedy pal Ramus. There's Jessica and Kyle, a sassy priestess and a chauvinistic swordsman. Nash, the annoying and arrogant mage. And Mia, the beautiful, soft-spoken… other mage. Topping it all off is Luna, the girl Alex has known since childhood and is destined to bang. Yes, she get's kidnapped, yes, you have to rescue her.
The game is beautifully stylized, relying on simple graphics to pull off a stunning effect. Locations like the floating magic city of Vale will suck you in, until you forsake any normal social life to play the game. Combat is not random, rather it takes place when you run into representations of enemies on the map. The actual battle system is innovative and fun, relying on distance and formation to create immersive fights.
Half the fun lies in the game's translation, which includes jokes about Wheaties, Star Wars, and IUDs. You gotta love that. Also, one game-long side-quest involves locating soft-pornish pictures of the games leading ladies. So if you're into bikini-clad cartoonish videogame chicks, go to town…you sick pervert.
The game also comes with a bonus disc which includes a "making of" documentary and a very special mini-game called "Lords of Lunar." Essentially, it's a revamped version of Warlords. Why does that sound familiar? Its number 11 on the list! Sweet!
1. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
2002 - Sony Playstation 2
A controversial choice. Some will say it's not that good. Other's will acknowledge its greatness, but contend that such a recent game doesn't deserve the top spot. Well, I say it does. I can say why in six simple words: the unity of pen and sword.
What does that mean? It's a phrase I've borrowed from the Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima. It means a total synthesis between action and idea, mental and physical. Vice City has an ambitious purpose: immerse the player in the criminal underworld of a 1980's beach city. The game provides the framework for this, but the actual immersion stems completely from the player, from the player's mind. Vice City lets the player transform his ideas into a reality within the game. The player feels as if he is actually in the city.
Let's put it another way. Thing of something you want your character to do. Chances are you can do it in the game. That's awesome. When I commune with my Vice City, I don't play a game, I experience phatness.
The storyline provided is deep and engrossing, and yet the game can be enjoyed without it. Celebs like Ray Liota provide excellent voice acting, and the music is simply amazing. Do yourself a favor and buy the boxed set soundtrack; you'll be treated to some of the greatest hits of the 80s. The graphics are gorgeous, and the whole game is just fun to look at. Hell, it's better looking than a lot of girls on my campus. (If you go to school with me, trust me, I'm not talking about you. I mean those other girls, you know the ones. Yeah, them.)
Looking back over my list, I think it's pretty clear I have a bit of a violent streak. Maybe that's why I love Vice City so much. Now if you'll excuse, I have to get back to playing; I'm busy sniping seagulls.
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