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Kevin's Top Video Games: 5-1
By Kevin - 05.31.03
Preface: Represented below are what I consider to be the greatest console games of all time. Upon a cursory glance of the list, one will immediately recognize that they are all "quest" oriented games. While this may seem lopsided at first (and of course, it is lopsided,) there is a reason: any game that promotes character development to the level of the below games is certainly deeper and more advanced then other sorts of games, special effects excluded. A new game such as Ratchet and Clank looks great and sounds like a dream, but no one will spend upwards of 80 hours on it. I have had the opportunity to play through and beat each of the following games several times, and feel that I am on pretty intimate terms with them. I have played them enough to know where all the great items are, how powerful I should be at certain points, and even what pieces of dialogue to skip. I would say that I have read some great books in my time, works of literature that span the ages. Well, for most of those great works, I have read them once and haven't touched them since. To me, these games rival those great books in terms of entertainment value, and when put into the world of video gamedom, are the Citizen Kanes of the field. Without further ado, the best games of all time.
5. Final Fantasy VI (III America)
1994 - Super Nintendo
The game opens with a nearly post-apocalyptic scene of humans in gigantic pieces of armor, standing on a snowy, detailed mountain top. They survey a semi-industrial town, and lament over having to investigate what they call an Esper. The mode-7 graphics kick in and one of the greatest plots of our time kicks it into 5th gear. Already you know that this will be an amazing experience: the level of detail found in the terrain, buildings and rocks is artistically sound in every way, and you haven't even seen a battle yet. You continue with this first quest, and in the meantime are acquainted with the fact that the story deals with the struggles of a repressed people against a repressing empire, that the supernatural abounds, and that strange Moogles await the weary in complex caves. This will be a trip.
Final Fantasy III (as it is known stateside) is a deep game. The cast of characters is about as loaded as an MTV Rock & Jock roster, and houses such heavy weights as an amnesiac natural magic user, a wild boy who hunts and learns on a veldt (appropriately called "The Veldt,") and a mysterious ninja who can throw just about anything. Where the heroes of Final Fantasy II had fixed roles, predetermined abilities and a fairly consistent roster, Final Fantasy III makes a nice compromise between this static solidity and the options of Final Fantasy Vj. Some character had better tendencies toward physical prowess or magic, but everyone could learn every spell by equipping Espers. Granted, not everyone had Sabin's Blitzes or Edgar's tools, but it was possible to make your favorite characters into powerhouses pretty easily. In the final assault on Kefka, you will be using 12 characters, so it helps to have lots of buff and built fighters.
There are some "typicalities" involved with the game, but are endearing. There are love trysts between Celes, Terra and most of the male characters; the brotherly bickering and reconciliation betwixt Sabin and Edgar; the "horrible pasts" of Locke, Shadow and others; the list goes on. However, there are some entirely innovative interactions that make the plot fun despite familiarity. Not many moments from Super Nintendo games can be described as cinematic, but the Opera scene comes about as close as possible. It is not only interactive, but fun: many "modern" games miss the fact that games are meant to be played and not watched, as 50 min of continuous plot is, more often then not, tenuous. Folks, if moving images are all that are wanted, there are thousands of movies to quell the need, most with actual humans! FFIII's more plot-oriented portions make sure and maintain enough playability to keep it a game.
As far as villainy is concerned, not many match this Kefka. No, not Kafka as the Dashboard Confessional-listening ego-centric teen-aged hipsters would have you believe, but instead a whole new sort. There really is nothing Kafkaesque about Kefka: he is entirely direct in his methods of evil, always willing to say and show just what horrible things he has in store for innocent people everywhere. While he does try and be deceptive, his methods are usually see-through and his motives obvious. He is an honest, American villain, just the way we like 'em. Thanks Japan!
Great is an adjective that can be applied to nearly every aspect of this game. From the great story to the great Invisibility/X-Zone trick (which kills nearly anything instantly,) there are multiple levels of greatness. Luckily preserved in Final Fantasy Anthology for the PSX, lets hope and pray that this one is eventually ported to Game Boy Advance for our mobile pleasure!
4. Secret of Mana
1993 - Super Nintendo
The best of the true multiplayer RPGs for the Super Nintendo, probably the best Action/RPG of all time, and certainly one of the most colorful games for any system, Secret of Mana is a goldmine. If there was a reason to get the SNES multi-tap, it was for this and not Super Bomberman (although that was a good game in its own right.)
As the sequel to Seiken Densetsu (Final Fantasy Adventure in the U.S.,) this game orients itself with the quest to save that mythic force known as Mana and stave off the evil that has engulfed the world. The hero finds the forbidden, rusty, and conveniently placed Mana Sword, and is soon kicked out of Potos Village, banished until he can rid the world of evil. Soon enough, you are joined by a Girl who wants nothing more then to save her lover Dyluck, and a Sprite, which is a small Elf/Dwarf hybrid with amnesia and a bad attitude. You attempt to protect the sacred mana seeds, gain magical powers from the guardians, and re-forge your weapons with the help of Watts, all while figuring out who the real villain is. Like any good RPG, there is an evil empire, a hilariously stupid group (herein called the Scorpion Army,) and one huge-ass boss (the Mana Beast.) It will take a while, but you will get there by God.
Many folks prefer the style of adventure provided by the Zelda series over the traditional RPG, as one has more control and can win battles based on manual dexterity rather then just plan stats. SoM provides the best of both worlds, as characters not only develop as the game progresses, but some skill in battle is necessary in order to overcome the difficult parts. As a rule of thumb, I always control the hero, never the other two, and focus most of my development on him. He is stronger, and can take on most of the game by himself (with the occasional magic interlude on the part of the others.) In fact, this is a pretty easy game, but don't let it fool you- there are ample places to get screwed. Getting stuck in random spots on the map, combined with horribly lucky critical hits on the parts of some monsters can make for frustration.
This is a huge game, with all sorts of developmental depth. The diversity of monsters, spells, items and locales is amazing, as is the soundtrack. For Bokista and myself, a yearly ritual has emerged: every time we go to the beach at Delaware, we make it a point to beat the game. Last year it took a scant 4 days, and we managed to be better off level-wise then the time previous. Also, we found an ever rare 9th orb (it is only possible to get the absolute strongest weapons by randomly finding orbs after slaying some of the games' later monsters,) making it probably the "best" I've ever done. Like all of the greats, this one is totally revisit-able and lends well to continual exploration.
3. Chrono Trigger
1995 - Super Nintendo
I think that this game is in everyone's top five, and justly so: it is the technologically peak of RPGs for the Super Nintendo, as well as the greatest video game narrative of the cartridge era. Imagine, if you will, my excitement upon seeing previews for this game in Nintendo Power, or the fact that I would not even go visit my friend who owned it (a scant two weeks before me,) for fear of him ruining the story. To me, this was the most well-hyped game to actually deserve hype in recent times. This has more levels of amazing-ness then Bubble Bobble has levels (which, for those who know, is a lot of levels): brilliantly colorful graphics, a sublime score, more depth then the Serpent Trench and more replay value then a hacked cabinet of Galaga.
Plot, you ask? Certainly. Lavos, a gigantic cosmic entity, is destined to destroy the world in 1999. Through all manner of time travel and magic, Chrono and his allies weed their way through the past, present, and future in hopes of keeping the plant afloat. Wrenches are thrown into the proverbial framework at every turn, but luckily, perseverance and level gaining more then pay off.
Why is this game so high? The "New Game Plus" feature is truly groundbreaking. Oftentimes, it isn't fun to start an RPG over again since you then revert to having weak characters. Yet in Chrono Trigger, once you have completed the game once, you can start over with all of your old equipment and at the same levels, and have another go. Not only does this fit into the concept of the circular, repeatable story, it also makes subsequent plays a breeze. None of this is in vain, since there are several endings to the game that can only be unlocked by playing the game through and deciding to beat it at different points. In addition to that grand feature, this game introduced a plethora of mini-games into platform RPGs, a device that has seen extensive use in the Playstation-era Final Fantasy games. There is a carnival with several playable games that are available from the get-go, but beyond that, there is an extremely cool Jet Bike racing game that not only functions in the storyline, but also can be replayed in the future. Subtleties make the game great as well. Seeing the development of the world from era to era is of interest, as is the fact that you can let some chests "charge," such that they will provide better items in later times.
Chrono is perhaps the coolest hero in a console RPG. Stoic and reserved, he lets his hair and his katana do most of the talking. Magus gives him a run for his money, and aptly fills the "sorta evil/sorta good" slot that many RPGs have since adopted. He begins the game as an asshole who tries to kill you, but soon learns that he will have to work for you in order to get anywhere. Parties are limited to 3 at a time, but this isn't really a problem, since characters can eventually learn how to do amazing 3 person combos. Everyone gets some sort of skills that they can use on their own, but when combined with others, some truly deadly attacks can rear their ugly heads.
At the very least, this game houses some of the most nicely rendered locales, ranging from the haunting Cathedral to the hallowed halls of Zeal. Eye candy, mind candy, ear candy and time-draining candy: this game is sweet.
2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
1997 - Sony Playstation
2-D platformers have been around for over 20 years, but the genre was perfected in 1997 with the release of this title. CSOTN is not only the best 2-D game for the Playstation, but also the best of the Castlevania series (which itself is the best non-RPG series, I'd argue, of all time,) and the most fun game to contain a vampire. If you enjoy playing games that are more graceful then ballet dancers and cheaper besides, you'll love it.
Well, Dracula is back. Richter Belmont thought that he had defeated him, but this was not the case. Alucard, Drac's son (and Dracula spelled backward,) is strangely compelled to enter a mysterious castle, which is soon found to be the property of the considered-dead Count. He must then figure out why the place is back, who the other weird occupants are, and whether or not he can save the day. Thankfully, he can. Alucard is the ultimate weapon of mass destruction: part Vampire, good with any weapon, able to use magic, and willing to kick ass, he is everything that the Belmonts, cool as they could be, never were. Add to that the fact that you have Familiars at your disposal, as well as the services of a freaky librarian, and you can quickly figure out that the odds are in your favor. Not to write the game off as a cake-walk, but there are all manner of cool gadgets that exist mainly to allow you to dominate.
Rather then break things into levels like the previous entries of the series, CSOTN remains as open-minded as St. John's University. The game to which it is most often compared is Super Metroid, so it should become pretty clear that the only boundaries that come up can be soon surmounted when new items are found. This is very close to an RPG in many ways, since in addition to free exploration, you accumulate wealth and earn experience points, gaining higher skills as you increase in level.
While the plot is at times only loosely important, it can break into the realm of brilliant. One of the most horrifying moments that I've ever experienced in a game comes when you enter what looks like a diseased Save Beacon: the screen dissolves, and you are transported to what appears to be the scene of your mother's death. As a reward for her having copulated with Dracula, your mother is being burned in front of you as a witch: truly disturbing stuff. However, this too proves to be but an illusion, and you then uncover your real enemy, a Succubus. And to think, this is all contained in but one save point!
The game has impeccable play-control, music that is worthy of release on its own, and some HILARIOUS voice acting. I cannot emphasis enough the brilliance that is this game, since it remains the absolute pinnacle of Playstation ingenuity. It is an adventure in the truest sense of the word.
1. Earthbound
1995 - Super Nintendo
Earthbound (Mother 2 in Japan,) is the greatest game of all time. It has the most fun "ambiance" of any game, as you are adventuring in the modern world- it is an RPG of ATM machines, hamburgers and cars, as opposed to treasure chests, leg of turkey and horses. When examining video games as an art form, Earthbound rates significantly higher then any other game: it has a knack for self-referentiation, is aware of video games as a medium (and comments upon them,) incorporates ideas for all sorts of religions, and is even reflexive enough to make fun of itself. I'd venture that it is the funniest game of all time, not only containing conventional, real world humor, but becoming deep enough to create a plethora of in-jokes. Simply put, I will spend no more time praising this game. In fact, I'll let you in a little secret! This game, since it is my favorite, will be the subject of a HUGE game shrine. I will write until my fingers bleed, as a means of convincing you that this game is worth every last once of your free time. If I fail in this, I shall retire to a cave live the life of a recluse from now until eternity. Summary: Earthbound = Best Game Ever.
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