#56 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Game: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: Adventure



Yep: the sailing is too long and boring, the Tingle quest near the end is annoying and it does feel like there are a few dungeons missing (Greatfish Island anyone?) but this is still as charming and clever as any other Zelda game. The dull sailing is counterbalanced by the excitement of finding a new island and some of the dungeons and bosses (including the ending) are ingenious. It's also the best looking of all the Zelda games, I've never understood why people keep wanting realistic-looking games when they could have games that look like this.

#57 - Donkey Kong 64

Game: Donkey Kong 64
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Platformer



There is an awful lot of collecting in this game, each of the 5 Kongs has their own colour items for everything and there is an awful lot of each to find so I think it sets some kind of obsessive collecting record and I suspect I wouldn't like it half as much if I went back and played it today. At the time though, I absolutely loved it, playing as Donkey and Diddy in 3D was amazing to me and it is a fun game with some well-designed levels. I love the addition of Lanky Kong but don't understand why Dixie and Kiddy had to be replaced by Tiny and Chunky (Chunky is ok but Tiny? Ugh). I also really liked the DK rap and was surprised to find out that most people didn't. No sense of humour...

#58 - Okami

Game: Okami
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Adventure



Okami is just about the closest I've seen a videogame come to art, every screenshot looks like a painting thanks to the overlayed "parchment" effect (removed on Wii for some reason) and the animation is poetry in motion. I especially love the effect of the flowers that spring up behind Amateratsu with every step she takes and the design of the other animal gods. It's also a very good adventure game with plenty to see and do and some really great side-quests (in particular feeding the animals comes to mind).

#59 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

Game: Mario Kart Double Dash!!
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: Racing



I really liked the double character idea from this, and the expanded character roster that came with it, regardless of what anyone else thought. I also especially liked the return to character specific items. The real reason I have fond memories of this though is because it was released while I was in college which meant it ended up getting played at Gamessoc a lot which was great fun, even when a certain someone still won after giving us all a lap headstart and playing with his feet...

#60 - Grand Theft Auto 3

Game: Grand Theft Auto 3
System: Playstion 2
Genre: Action



I've completely gone off GTA now but back when I first played this I thought it was great. It seemed so realistic and going on a killing spree, crashing your car or getting a 6 star wanted level were still novelties. It was even fun just to sit and listen to some of the radio stations. GTA3 was my favourite but I'd almost include Vice City and San Andreas with this because they were also pretty good (though San Andreas may have been a bit too big for it's own good).

#61 - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
System: Nintendo Wii
Genre: Adventure



Maybe part of why I liked Twilight Princess so much was because it was my first Wii game so I got a huge kick out of using the Nunchuk and Wiimote but it is also a very good game. Midna is a brilliantly cheeky sidekick, playing as Wolf Link is pretty cool and the Lord of the Ringsy graphics make a refreshing change from the (equally) great graphics of Wind Waker. The dungeons are very clever, highlights being Snowpoint Temple for being designed as a mansion gone bad, the Temple of Time with the clever statue puzzle and the Stallord boss from the Arbiter's Grounds fought entirely using the brilliant new Spinner item.

#62 - Shadow of the Colossus

Game: Shadow of the Colossus
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Action



Words like "breathtaking", "jawdropping", "incredible" and "stunning" are often bandied about without really meaning anything but their use to describe Shadow of the Colossus is totally justified. The "David vs Goliath" battles with the 16 massive Colossi are some of the most exciting moments I've ever had in my game-playing life. It also manages to be quite an emotional and morally troubling game despite the almost complete lack of dialogue. I definitely need to replay this now that I have a bigger tv.

#63 - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Game: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Puzzle



Phoenix Wright makes me laugh like no other game can and it's also makes me feel really clever when I figure out the puzzles myself. The great thing about the first one was that I had no idea what to expect and had never played anything like it so it completely blew me away. People complain about the graphics but I love the character animation and it's got some great music too. Someday I hope to end up in a real-life situation where I get to legitimately shout "Objection!"

#64 - Eternal Darkness

It is with great sadness that I must announce that I've decided to stop updating my Top 100 Games. Updating the blog daily takes precious time out of my day that I just don't have to spare, between working full-time and spending time with the people in my life, not to mention playing more games and finding new favourites to add to my Top 100. I know I've only reached entry number 64 in the list but someday I hope to share the rest of the list with you some other way. Until then, thanks for reading and keep playing games!



Game: Eternal Darkness
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: Horror



This isn't. Really. Happening.

#65 - Tales of Symphonia

Game: Tales of Symphonia
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: RPG



In Tales of Symphonia, Lloyd goes from humble beginnings to saving two worlds and in the process ends up getting exiled from his home village, assembling a party of oddballs, falling in love with a girl with a mysterious secret, being betrayed by a close friend, finding long-lost family members, fighting countless random battles, visiting elemental shrines, exploring a massive world map on numerous vehicles and occasionally saying "...". While it may be guilty of almost every RPG cliche in the book it's also a brilliant demonstration of how all those elements can work together to make a brilliant game and a reminder of why they're overused cliches in the first place.

#66 - Super Smash Bros Melee

Game: Super Smash Bros Melee
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: Beat Em' Up


Sure, Brawl has more characters, stages, songs, trophies, as well as collectible stickers and a more involved story mode but Melee is the true origin of the Smash Bros nostalgia-fest as we know it. I remember being so excited when this was coming out and I wasn't disappointed.

#67 - Metroid Zero Mission

Game: Metroid Zero Mission
System: Game Boy Advance
Genre: Platformer



Metroid Zero Mission is a brilliant remake of Metroid for the NES, not that there's anything wrong with the original but this updates it to make it much more palatable to modern gaming tastes. One of the best and worst parts is the bit at the end where you take control of Zero Suit Samus for the first time. It's good because it makes you feel so vulnerable playing without your suit and the whole section makes for an exciting finale but it bugs me because it's the origin of Zero Suit Samus. Her existence is just gratuitous in my opinion and has done a lot to cheapen Samus's character and remove a lot of her mystery. Catching a glimpse of her face at the end of each game will never again be the thrill it once was (yes face, I'd rather not see her strip down to her underwear thank). Having said all that, the touching ending of this game is one of her characters finest moments so I guess it's not so bad.

#68 - Timesplitters 2

Game: Timesplitters 2
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: First Person Shooter


What I love about Timesplitters 2 is that it seems it's main goal is to be as fun and silly as possible. With it's cartoonish graphics, time travelling story mode and abundance of monkeys, zombies and robots in multiplayer you would have to try really hard to not like it. I'm not such a big fan of FPS games in general and it's rare I'll even try one let alone like it, so the inclusion of TS2 in this list says a lot about it.

#69 - Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Game: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Platformer



Castlevania Portrait of Ruin is a lot of peoples least favourite Castlevania game from the recent generations but I quite enjoyed it. I liked having the castle broken up into bite-sized chunks, it helped reduce the number of occurences of that "where the hell am I and where do I go next" feeling. It probably also helped that it's one of the easiest Castlevania games in recent times, since I've never been that good at them (although to be fair I did finish Super Castlevania IV and it's rock hard). It's also the only Castlevania where I went out of my way to unlock 100% of the map and do all the sidequests along the way, even the boss-rush coliseum type-thing. Ultimately it seems unfair to single out Portrait of Ruin though because I have enjoyed most of the DS and GBA Castlevanias (expect Circle of the Moon - too difficult in an annoying way).

#70 - Pokémon Pinball Ruby and Sapphire

Game: Pokémon Pinball Ruby and Sapphire
System: Gameboy Advance
Genre: Pinball


I'm not a big fan of pinball but I'll happily make an exception for this. What I really like about it is that instead of going for high scores you can focus on catching the Pokemon and all 386 (roughly, at the time) are available to be caught. The thrill of not knowing which Pokemon is going to pop up next, or the excitement of getting the chance to evolve a new Pokemon, helped keep me hooked on this when I would have been long bored of a regular Pinball game. Gotta Catch 'Em All indeed!

#71 - Shadow Hearts

Game: Shadow Hearts
System: Playstation 2
Genre: RPG


The main thing I love about Shadow Hearts is how utterly crazy it is. It's a comedy horror rpg set in a monster-infested version of the real world during World War 2. Instead of starting in a pleasant forest village (which later burns down/exiles you), you start in a village full of cannibals. Party members include an American spy who can magically summon grenades using her mobile phone (in the 1940s), a vampire and a London street urchin. Yuri, the main character, spends half the game being pursued by his fox-masked dead father, occasionally visiting the graveyard in his soul to unlock further monster transformations. And this is all just a warm-up for the total insanity of the sequel, Shadow Hearts:Covenant.

Shadow Hearts also benefits from a decent story (and love story), a wicked sense of humour and a great battle system thanks to the timed button presses of the Judgement Ring.

#72 - Luigi's Mansion

Game: Luigi's Mansion
System: Gamecube
Genre: Puzzle



Mariooooooooo!?

I really love Luigi, his nervous, bumbling personality is a refreshing change from Mario's heroism and he can be quite hilarious as a result. Luigi's Mansion is the perfect starring role for him, being set in a spooky, ghost-filled mansion. It was one of the first GC games I ever played so I remember being very impressed with the graphics at the time. It's short but doesn't wear out it's welcome as a result and it's full of neat little touches, the best being Luigi humming along with the brilliant Luigi's Mansion theme as he wander the halls of the mansion. I definitely have to replay it sometime.

#73 - Warioware Twisted

Game: Warioware Twisted
System: Gameboy Advance
Genre: Mini-game compilation


It's shocking that this has never been released over here because it is absolutely brilliant. The motion control cartridge is genius and leads to some really clever mini-games controlled simply by tilting the GBA. Being Warioware it's also hilarious, whether you're helping a crazy eyed school girl bump into the boy of her dreams or blasting bugs with your feline gun-arm in "Mewtroid", you can't help but laugh. There is nothing else quite like this.

#74 - Sonic the Hedgehog

Game: Sonic the Hedgehog
System: Sega Master Sysem
Genre: Platformer



The first game I ever owned, Sonic 1 came inbuilt into the Master System we won in a Kit Kat competition. That was a real life changing moment! It might not be as good as it's big brother on the Mega Drive but it's packed full of nostalgia for me and has some neat original zones of it's own like the Jungle Zone. I remember being so proud when I finally finished it because I'd found it quite difficult and it was the first game I ever finished. The Bridge Zone music is an absolute classic. (Don't forget to run left at the start for an extra life!)

#75 - We Love Katamari

Game: We Love Katamari
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Roll-em-up


We Love Katamari was my first Katamari experience and it is really such a joyful game. The King of All Cosmos is hilariously weird and over-the-top, the soundtrack is bizarre and brilliant and the gameplay is so satisying as you build larger and larger Katamaris by rolling up everything in sight. It's quite amusing when you roll up screaming people as they flee and later becomes breathtaking when you progress from rolling up pennies to rolling up mountains over the course of the same level.

#76 - Mischief Makers

Game: Mischief Makers
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Platformer



Mischief Makers was a brilliantly bizarre platformer with beautiful 2D graphics, an epic soundtrack and very challenging gameplay. You played as an Ultra-Intergalactic-Cybot G (basically a robot maid) named Marina who has to rescue her creator, Professor Theo, after he is kidnapped on a visit to the planet Clancer, a world where everything has "gyroid" face. The gameplay involved shaking everything in sight ("Shake shake!") to collect gems and beat enemies, but occasionally went completing off the wall with mad boss battles or an entire section where you take part in the local sports day. It's one of those games I think I could replay over and over without ever getting bored.

"Heeeeelp Me Marinaaaa!"

#77 - SSX Tricky

Game: SSX Tricky
System: Nintendo Gamecube
Genre: Sports



We got SSX Tricky as a Christmas present from Alan and although it wasn't a game I'd ever considered getting beforehand, I ended up being very pleasantly surprised by it. Pulling off tricks and getting high scores in each of the levels became very addictive and the whole thing was just so much fun. Great music too and the trick-focused Tokyo level was especially good. I'm not such a fan of the later SSX games but I'll always think very fondly of Tricky.

#78 - Metroid Fusion

Game: Metroid Fusion
System: Gameboy Advance
Genre: Platformer/Shooter


The first Metroid game I played since II on the original Gameboy, this is the one that really ignited my love for all things Metroid. The usual solitary atmosphere was ruined a little by Adam, Samus' talking computer, but that was more than made up for by the scary encounters with the super powerful Samus clone, the SA-X. I quite like the Fusion Suit too!

#79 - Singstar

Game: Singstar
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Music

I never thought I would enjoy singing so much, and like everyone I started out very hesitantly when I first played Singstar, but once I got into it I loved it (although I was often criticised for singing too quietly). It pretty much defines my final year in college and brings back many happy memories.

#80 - Trauma Centre Under The Knife

Game: Trauma Centre Under The Knife
System: Nintendo DS
Genre: Puzzle?



I should hate Trauma Centre, it drove me crazy when I played it by being so damned difficult. It starts hard and just gets harder and harder but that's what I love about it too. It's so intense and exciting and when you pull off a tough-as-nails operation you feel great. It also reminds me of Italy since that's where I was when I played it.

#81 - Gitaroo Man

Game: Gitaroo Man
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Rhythm Action

I love every song in this game, it's mad as a sack of badgers and it has some really touching moments as well. I will never tire of replaying it.

#82 - Pokémon Stadium

Game: Pokémon Stadium
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: RPG


When this first came out I was amazed to see 3D models of my very own Pokémon up on the big screen thanks to the transfer pak. What I remember about it now are the mini-games (Clefairy!), the great remixes of the music from the Gameboy games, the triple "Dodrio" speed Gameboy emulator and the incredibly tough "final battle" with Mewtwo. It was an excellent companion to the Gameboy Pokémon games.

#83 - Wii Sports

Game: Wii Sports
System: Wii (No..)
Genre: Sports (...kidding)


I never thought I'd see the day when both of my parents would come in to the room and beg to play games with us, but that's exactly what happened the Christmas before last thanks to Wii Bowling.

#84 - Kuru Kuru Kururin

Game: Kuru Kuru Kururin
System: Gameboy Advance
Genre: Puzzle

I made such a mistake when I sold this game, it was only after that I realised I liked it a lot more than I thought. The idea of guiding a constantly rotating stick through a curving maze where you can't touch the walls was such a clever idea and it was very satisfying to fly at top speed through a level without taking a hit once you knew what you were doing. I was very disappointed when the Gamecube sequel wasn't released over here but I'm just glad I got to play this little gem at all.

#85 - Jak and Daxter

Game: Jak and Daxter
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Platformer


What I love about Jak and Daxter, apart from the beautiful, seamless world, is the simplicity. Simple tasks, simple rewards; not that it's not tricky in places but there are none of the guns or GTA-style missions that made the later ones a bit over-complicated and annoying. I've never lived up to the nickname Rage more than when I played Jak II...

#86 - Super Monkey Ball

Game: Super Monkey Ball
System: Gamecube
Genre: Puzzle/Party

The very first Gamcube game I ever played, it always reminds me of excitedly carrying our newly purchased Gamecube home on the bus after being the only person waiting on Henry Street for HMV to open it's doors. The series gradually went downhill afterwards but this one was the purest and best and in some ways, the hardest. It's also notable for Monkey Target, the best of all the mini-games especially when you tried to land on the tiny yellow targets. It was also one of the main games played at Games Soc in my 2nd year of college.

#87 - Dynamite Headdy

Game: Dynamite Headdy
System: Mega Drive
Genre: Platformer


Dynamite Headdy is incredibly difficult, so dificult in fact that when we first rented it I couldn't even get past the first level! I recently got it on VC and managed to clear it this time and it's one of the most bizarre games I've ever played. Out all the strange moments my particular favourite is Babyface - a giant floating baby head which turns into a boy, teenager, middle-aged man then elderly man as you damage him then eventually dies of old age before you can defeat him yourself. It also makes very good use of classical music during certain bosses. ("You got a secret bonus point")

#88 - Final Fantasy X-2

Game: Final Fantasy X-2
System: Playstation 2
Genre: RPG


A lot of people seem to hate FFX-2 but I liked it. I liked the music, I liked the battles, I liked the dress-sphere job system, I liked the mission-based gameplay , I liked having an open world map right from the start, I liked Paine, I liked the ending and most of all I liked the general silliness and sense of fun the whole thing had. I do agree it went a bit overboard sometimes and it would never have worked as a main numbered Final Fantasy but it is a game I enjoyed immensely and that's what I play games for after all.

#89 - Vandal Hearts

Game: Vandal Hearts
System: Playstation
Genre: Strategy RPG


The very first strategy rpg I ever played, a genre which went on to become one of my favourites. My memory of this game is very fuzzy (apart from the massive sprays of blood that flew out of the characters when they died) but I do remember that I enjoyed every minute of it. I borrowed it off someone in Gamessoc in college and Anto and I spent one Christmas playing a team game together. We also provided the characters with their own voices as we played, the one I'll never forget being poor, heavily armoured Dolan who for some reason we decided was forever searching for his missing keys on the battlefield..

#90 - Psychonauts

Game: Psychonauts
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Platformer



A surreal platformer set in the subconscious minds of the inhabitants of a psychic summer camp. It's one of the funniest, best written games I've ever played. The Milkman Conspiracy (a twisted version of suburbia set in the mind of a paranoid milkman) and Lungfishopolis (where you rampage godzilla-style through a tiny city full of fish) were particular highlights.

#91 - Dark Chronicle

Game: Dark Chronicle
System: Playstation 2
Genre: RPG



This game is a randomly-generated dungeon explorer with a round of mini-golf or a spot of fishing on each floor, plus a sidequest which involves taking photographs of everyday objects which you can then use to create wacky inventions. It's bright and colourful with cheery background music and a clever weapon synthesis system. Naturally, I love it. (It always makes me think of ABBA because of a cd we got around the same time!)

#92 - Suikoden IV

Game: Suikoden IV
System: Playstation 2
Genre: RPG


Ok, so I admit it. This game was a real disappointment and barely deserves to be called a Suikoden game. It has a bog-standard plot with almost no connection to the running timeline of the other Suikoden games, bland Stars of Destiny which none of the usual background info to flesh them out, horribly basic battles with a crazy restriction of only 4 characters instead of the usual 6 and an awful world map with broken controls; but.. it is still a Suikoden game and so I still love it.
Collecting the Stars of Destiny is as fun as ever and I loved the "castle" ship, not very traditional but very atmospheric, it had a charm all of it's own. The idea of the Suikoden castle being mobile is very cool. There also some great characters among all those forgettable faces: Lino En Kuldes, Elenor Silverburg and Reinbach, not to mention the return of Ted from Suikoden 1. The ship-to-ship battles and 1-on-1 duels were as excting as ever and the music was great as always.
So I may be biased but when the worst game in a series still makes my Top 100 you know it's doing something right.

#93 - Lylat Wars

Game: Lylat Wars
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Shooter


I finished Lylat Wars countless time and earned every medal in the year it was first released thanks to Alan's generosity but it's only now that it's on the Virtual Console that I actually own my own copy. It is the high point of the Starfox team's career which has been on a downward slide ever since Star Fox Adventures. It's a memorable game for so many reasons: Slippy's constant bumbling (he needs rescuing about 5 seconds into the game), much unintentional hilarity ("Andross won't have his way with me"), loads of classic quotes ("Do a barrel roll!"), exciting gameplay (Sector Z's missile barrage) , varied levels (Landmaster) while still keeping a focus on the Arwing sections and epic music (take your pick). What I wouldn't give for a new Starfox game that was even half as good as this..

#94 - Spacestation Silicon Valley

Game: Spacestation Silicon Valley
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Platformer


Spacestation Silicon Valley was a hidden gem of a platformer for the N64. You played as a micro-chip on an abandoned space station that could insert itself into larger robot animals to control them. Every animal had different strengths, weakness and abilities and each level made very clever use of these abilities, often seeing you trading up to take over the most powerful animal in each area. The game was pure fun, from trying out all the different animals to little touches like being able to stop the background music by destroying all of the speakers in the current level.

#95 - Streets of Rage

Game: Streets of Rage
System: Mega Drive
Genre: Beat 'Em Up

Not only is it responsible for giving me my nickname, Streets of Rage is also one of the first games I ever owned, as part of a compilation on the Mega Drive. It's especially good in multiplayer where co-operation quickly turns into competition with an accidental punch in the back of the head or the sudden appearance of a bizarrely nourishing turkey.

#96 - Silent Hill 2

Game: Silent Hill 2
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Horror


Admittedly I never actually played this game, I just watched Anto play it, but it still succeeded in scaring the crap out of me. It's dark and disturbing with some very memorable scenes and characters, including Pyramid Head, one of the most brutal and frightening enemies I've ever seen in a game.

#97 -Beyond Good & Evil

Game: Beyond Good & Evil
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Adventure


Beyond Good & Evil was great game with varied gameplay and high production values but what really makes it special was the plot which was far deeper than anything I'd seen in this kind of game before. It dealt with conspiracy, rebellion and human experiments and culminated in a horrifying cliffhanger which was made all the more crushing by the announcement that the planned sequel had been cancelled and we'd never find out what happened next. Happily that decision has since been reversed and Beyond Good and Evil 2 is on the way!

#98 - Suikoden Tactics

Game: Suikoden Tactics
System: Playstation 2
Genre: Strategy RPG


I was always bound to like this because it has Suikoden in the title but this spin-off from Suikoden IV turned out to be a surprisingly good game in it's own right. It made very clever use of the combine attacks that feature in every Suikoden game and the cel-shaded graphics were particularly nice. I'd love to see that style used again in a "regular" Suikoden game.

#99 - Parappa The Rapper

Game: Parappa The Rapper
System: Playstation 1
Genre: Rhythm Action


The first rhythm action game I ever played but thanks to how much I loved it, not the last. Every song is brilliant and the 2D art style was very original for the time. "Kick, Punch, it's all in the mind"

#100 - Mario Tennis

Game: Mario Tennis
System: Nintendo 64
Genre: Sports

The first tennis game I ever played and by far the best (Mario Power Tennis was ruined by gimmicks). This game introduced us to Waluigi and had some great music and exciting gameplay.