My Favorite Video Games of All-Time

Super Dodgeball (NES) – My personal favorite NES game. I liked it so much I traded the 1st Zelda for it when I was 8 to none other than fellow Babeler, Greg Molyneux. A far simpler game in a more civilized day, where you sported a 5 player dodgeball team from your country of choice. From there you would just travel the globe competing in dodgeball matches, ‘til death. The key to world domination hinged upon your ability to throw the ball with such force at an opposing player that it would knock their socks off (literally), leaving your opponent departing to the sky in angelic fashion.

MLB 2K5 (XBox) – I have played a bunch of baseball games in my time (RBI Baseball, Triple Play, etc). This game stands sits alone at the top. It was a marriage of sweet graphics and spot on gameplay. As the batter, you have much more control swinging the bat than with previous baseball games; and as the pitcher, you can have pinpoint control with the nastiest pitch ‘you ever did see’. Play as an owner, franchise, or in a regular season; this game has it all.

James Bond: GoldenEye (N64) – The game that put console 1st person shooters on the map. This game vaporized hours of gaming with my friends, shooting one another stabbing each other, and full on destruction with a well placed proximity mine. As an easy to play difficult to master affair, GoldenEye became an instant pop-culture icon. Advanced weaponry with sophisticated controls and a multitude of hallmark characters, like Jaws and OddJob (who of course was the cheapest player to play with) added to the life-consuming glory. Devout completionists were rewarded with some sweet codes; like paintball mode and DK mode?

Contra (NES) – Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start. Oh, how those buttons bring back such nostalgic memories of my childhood with Contra. A great game for the simple fact you and your buddy had fun blowing stuff up and running through the jungle (over and over again) defeating any foe that stood in your path. With all odds against them, Mad Dog and Scorpion, were at war with the Red Falcon Organization where your goal was clear – total carnage. Caution: Beware of level 3 waterfalls.

Super Mario World (SNES) – A classic game where Yoshi, Mario’s pet dinosaur was first introduced to the franchise. Once again, Princess Peach had been kidnapped by Bowser and Mario, aided by Yoshi, ventured out to rescue her. This game offered a larger world (72 levels) than had ever been seen in any previous Mario game, only this time Mario was reveling in his 16-bit glory. This game also introduced the block switches that would prove most strategic throughout this game and has since become an integral feature in the Mario Universe. Once each switch was hit, all the blocks outlined in that respective color would fill in and by divine Nintendo intervention whenever you needed a cape or a fireball you would go hit the block and wa-la, the item popped out.

Halo 2 (XBox) – This game rocked on so many levels. Following the release of the original Halo, this sequel provided similar graphics, music, and a continuing storyline. However, the developers at Bungie focused on improving available weaponry and vehicles. Master Chief’s arsenal was now augmented with alien weaponry, and he could now operate vehicles in the air, making the game far superior to the original. With an important evolution in the story, Master Chief now had the help of the Arbiter (your antagonist from Halo 1) to doubly kick Covenant arse. Most importantly, this game really solidified Xbox Live’s place online, creating an entire Halo universe where people all around the world could compete with each other, and here prepubescent boys shout unnecessary names and noobs.

Road Rash (Sega Genesis) – In its day, the graphics for this game were outstanding, but what made this game stick out was the sheer ability to drive a motorcycle at death defying speeds. Of course skull bashing with bats and chains didn’t hurt either. The object was to win and win at all costs. If you placed then you would win money which you could use to buy better motorcycles. Only problem was that if the police caught you then you would be given a hefty fine and then you wouldn’t be able to afford that new Kawasaki. Make sure you don’t fall off your bike and get ‘BUSTED’ by Officer O’Rourke.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) – Welcome to the true world of Hyrule as envisioned by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Ocarina was innovative and groundbreaking, it implemented lock-on Z targeting, which has set the precedent for 3rd person action games ever since. Finally, players could freely roam Hyrule in 3 dimensions, doing the usual things, like killing off monsters, collecting items and performing side quests to gain heart pieces. Link featured some new twists to his arsenal, gamers wasted hours casting a line in the fishing hole (using the Rumble Pack feature), riding Epona, mastering time, and ultimately fighting evil as a child and an adult. Finally Zelda fans were given an explanation as to where Ganondorf came from (the Gerudo Tribe) and his nefarious rise to power. Ocarina added much needed depth to the Zelda story, enhancing the gamer’s experience and their ability to identify with the characters. It was a landscape littered with puzzles that left you scratching your head for hours and it featured massive temples that were some of the finest in video game history. Of course everyone remembers the futility of figuring out the damned Water Temple. Make sure you get the Lake Hylian eye drops to the Goron so he can make you a ‘true’ Bigoron sword.

Mario 64 (N64) – Finally 3D done right, which was made easier by the N64 rocking! Players were able to adjust the camera, execute wall kicks, and make any array of amazing jumps; including back flip jumps and long jumps. The 1-UPs were plentiful and the boards were not only expansive, but very challenging. Ah, the return of the switch blocks, only this time different caps (Wing Cap, Steel Cap, Vanish Cap) would help you in your mission to rescue Peach. Just remember to not let the darn monkey steal your hat, otherwise you could spend a decent amount of time chasing him down to get it back.

Ninja Gaiden (XBox) – Easily the best video game of all-time. Ninja Gaiden for the XBox had all the ingredients of a masterpiece; exceptional graphics and fluid fighting in an immersive 3D world. The cut scenes for this game were so amazing that I still can’t clean up the drool. You have the ability to hone your fighting skills on a multitude of weapons, ranging from the Katana blade to numchuku. The storyline was terrific as you guided Ryu Hyabusa’s quest to protect the Dragon Blade from the Fiends of the Vigoorian Empire. This game was one of the most challenging and tough games to ever hit a console system. The two hardest parts of the game were 1st when Ryu faced the ‘Greater Fiend Alma’ in the Cathedral, which served as the test to see how far you could go in the game, and 2nd the Military Supply Base, when Ryu had to take on tanks and a helicopter with explosive and AFDS Core arrows. If you could make it past Alma and then the Military Supply Base then you were golden in this game. Remember to use the block button and utilize the counter attacks that Ryu has, for these were the small things that really made you a great ninja.