411 Games Top 5 12.10.09: Week 41 - Top Game Sidekicks

Posted by Todd Vote on 12.10.2009

This week the games staff chimes in with our favorite sidekicks from gaming history. You know the ones that sometimes make it possible for you to get to the next area? Everyone from Luigi to Tails is here. Come on in.

Another week of the Top 5, and another week full of great comments from the readers. The PS2 is a machine I am not afraid to say is probably the best system of all time. I loved my PS2. Obviously a lot of you felt as passionate about it as I we do. Let's see what you thought. Though I am a little surprised. I thought the comments from the PS2 column would easily eclipse those from the N64 column... So that opens a new question... Which is better? The N64, or the PS2?


Comment Time with Toddo!

Where's the love for Katamari Damacy?
Posted By: Guest#5809 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 03:15 AM

As long as I am the moderator of the Top 5, Katamari Dumbassy will get even less love than RPG's get. What is the point of rolling around a ball of junk? What is the appeal? Anybody?

I used to think the same thing about you always having Killer Instinct on your lists but if that's your favorite then keep on including it. No matter what arguments anybody is going to make you'd probably never convince me that there are two greater games than MGS4 and Halo 3. Great lists this week. It's embarrassing for me but I've had a PS2 since Christmas of '01 and about half of the games you all listed I've never played. I would like however to see some recommendations as to which game I should buy. Shadow of the Colossus is still at my local K-Mart for 20 bucks and I got a $20 coupon that I can use for the God of War Collection at Best Buy, meaning I can have it for the same price as Shadow. So which should I get?

My List:

1.MGS3
2.Tekken 5
3.SD HCTP
4.HSG4
5.Fire Pro(Mike Awesome's character name in the game is my username here.)

As for why there were comments than usual, since only three of you wrote your lists, we readers figured we'd pick up the slack.:) And considering this is a top 5 PS2 games column, it wouldn't surprise me if there ended up being 100 or more comments.

I know it's your guys opinions and I really can't stand rpg's but how does Persona 3/4 get so much love? I've never played the games but I've sat down and watched my bro play it cause it's supposedly so badass but come on! I saw a forty minute cut scene last time and it was f'n boring. Those are games I have absolute no desire to ever play but I guess some people just love crap lol!
Posted By: The Genocide (Guest) on December 02, 2009 at 11:55 PM

Honestly, for my money I would go with the God of War Collection first. Shadow of the Colossus, while looking really great, and having a great story to tell, just bored me to tears. The other writers, and a lot of the readers will disagree with my feelings on Shadow of the Colossus, but for my money, two God of War games is always better than one Shadow of the Colossus. And if your theory on the abundance of comments last week is true, then my hat is off to our readers. And another RPG hater comes out of the wood work... Genocide, you're my hero.

I can't believe you confuse me with him. We all have a place in our hearts for favorite games. Games that make you smile, and the music that fuels them. Target Terror has the best sound effects of any game I've ever played. PING PING PING CLANG BOOOM
Posted By: NOTsalms (Guest) on November 26, 2009 at 09:42 AM "

Wait that seriously wasn't me. Who else has joined my cult of Target Terror?
Posted By: The Salms (Registered) on December 03, 2009 at 01:03 AM

I apologize to NOTsalms for thinking that you two were one in the same... But really, who could blame me for thinking that way. I've never seen anybody verbally felate TT like Mark does... Apparently there are now two of them... Beware internet... Beware.

I own many of the games on this list but none really stand out as WOW this is the best game ever but this is my top fav 5 - Ready to rumble r2,Tekken5 Freekstyle, Fire Pro wrestling returns and Smackdown HCTP! BUYTHEMALL!!!
Posted By: ya broke homie (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 06:18 AM

Your inclusion of Ready 2 Rumble r2 only further serves to prove my constant point of "our favorites are not always going to be your favorites". While I thought R2R was fun, it would never make my list of favorite games... Except maybe a boxing list.

Nice lists... interesting choices too, though some are just obvious and need to be included. I prefer the original GTA3 to San Andreas or Vice City, just because the nameless protagonist easily allowed you to put yourself in the role (and that game was more about random carnage than the other games... the main reason to buy a GTA game IMHO).

Here's my list:
5- Freedom Fighters
4- Dark Cloud
3- Kingdom Hearts
2- Way of the Samurai
1- Final Fantasy X

I should note that I had a major break up midway through the PS2 hardware generation & my ex took the PS2, meaning I never got to play either God of War or Shadow of the Colossus. I did play MGS3 and didn't care for it (MGS2 would have been #1 if they had kept going with Snake instead of that whiney pansy who redeems himself in 4...)
Posted By: McObvious (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 06:25 AM

She took your PS2? Oh the humanity... That's not cool ladies... not cool at all.

Dude, comon, seriously this Killer Instinct stuff has got to go.
Posted By: cap (Guest) on November 26, 2009 at 02:25 AM

Alright, you win. There will be no Killer Instinct in this weeks column. :) Killer instinct is one of my favorite games, how can I not included it where applicable? It'd be like telling you guys not to include MGS on every list. If it's your favorite, use it.
-----------------------
Dammit, MGS is my favorite game. But come on you can't compare the two. One is regarded as one of the best games of all time and the other is well....not.
Posted By: cap (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 03:03 PM

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder my friend. I think if you look around the net, I am not the only one who has a love affair with KI. Check it out sometime. There is a lot of love out there for this franchise. Look at the way Rare teases KI3 whenever possible... You think they would bother doing that with say... the Perfect Dark franchise? No. People love KI, and I am one of them. Am I blind enough to say it is one of the best games ever created? No, but being the best game ever is not a requirement for a game to become one of my favorites. Just like I'm sure there are people who would disagree with your assessment that MGS is regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. Some will dispute, it's just the way of things.

What about the classic Western, GUN, that game was awesome. No denying that. A little short, but awesome.
Posted By: Bear (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 03:23 PM

I wouldn't have included Gun. It was a decent game, but your comment did remind me of one that I am now kicking myself for forgetting... Red Dead Revolver. Red Dead Revolver was twice the game Gun was in my opinion.

Lists!

#5: the Shadow Hearts franchise. now a lot of people are scratching their heads going "huh" but Shadow Hearts in an amazingly impressive game with a great story and with the exception of the 3rd entry of the franchise it is probably the best RPG series of the PS2 generation. I couldn't pick between Shadows Hearts 1 &2, and the suckiness of the 3rd series brought the game down so It cracks the list in the 5th spot.

#4: Way of the Samurai 2. With WotS being on my top 5 list of Open World games you knew it was going to appear on this list, I loved the fact that you could alter the story in the way you wished. I love this franchise because it is sadly overlooked just like some others on my top 5.

#3: the Yakuza 2. Oh how I love this series, now this epitomized everything people look for in a series, Drama, action, betrayal. Great, brutal fights and as good as the first game was and yes it was damn good, the 2nd improved upon it all. I own both Yakuza 1 & 2 and I still play them to this day, so sad that most of the games on my list could be a tremendous hit if they were not overlooked due to hot air.

#2: Final Fantasy X: no your eyes are not mistaken FFX is the second best game on the PS2. but let's talk about what made Final Fantasy 10 great, it was the fact for the first time ever we had voice acting in the Final Fantasy franchise and how amazing it was too, you could hear the changes in emotion and how you could really hear what a person was enduring, what they were feeling, whether it was fear, joy, or even love, you could hear the change in emotion which really added to the power of a scene.

#1: Okami - now as with some of the games I've listed Okami was a great game that was overlooked because it wasn't hyped up the way it should and damn well could of been. it is a sadly underutilized series mainly because the developers put no effort to promoting the game. I believe this game even out does over hyped franchises....what a "Solid" statement, hint hint, this game is lengthy and at times frustratingly confusing so don't expect to just burn through it like people in line to trade in MGS-- I mean um.... Halo 3 when they realized the hype was just that, hype for an overrated game, how Snake-ish.
~John Bateman

Thanks John, and congrats on the birth of your niece... Being an uncle is great. You get all the fun, and don't have to change any shitty diapers unless you choose to.

1. mgs 3
2. kingdom hearts series
3. smackdown shut your mouth or hctp
4. god of wars
5. Hot shots golf!
Posted By: KillaSham (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 12:42 AM

grand theft mario LMAO!
5. smackdown here comes the pain
4. killzone
3. guitar hero
2. god of war
1. san andreas
Posted By: perry (the blacko rican) (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 02:45 AM

5) MGS 2
4) Final Fantasy X
3) Growlanser Generations
2) God of War 1 or 2
1) MGS 3
Posted By: David (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 03:26 AM

1. Final Fantasy X-The first RPG I played since Chrono Trigger and the one that rekindled my love of the genre.
2. Kingdom Hearts-The bend of FF and Disney had me skeptic when it was announced but it blew away my expectations.
3. Fire Pro Wrestling Returns-So much time playing this game with friends on the multitap...MANY BUYS!!
4. Shadow of the Colossus-Ico's style I was fond of but I never really got into it, this however I got the demo disc and didn't regret a damn thing buying it.
5. Zone of the Enders-The game I bought a PS2 for first at launch time and it had nothing to do with the MSG2 demo included (that I didn't play btw)
Posted By: Guest#7168 (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 04:28 AM

H.M. All Star Pro Wrestling 3 (JPN only)
H.M. Disgaea 1
5. Persona 4
4. Final Fantasy X
3. Shadow of the Colossus
2. GTA: Vice City
1. Metal Gear Solid 3
Posted By: Shio (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 05:49 AM

god there are soooo many but I will try to limit it to a top 5.

5. Soul Calibur 3: One of if not the best fighter on the system, the bonus modes on this one is what sets it apart.
4. Resident Evil 4: this was my personal introduction to the series and man did it leave an impression. bosses were awesome and the cut scenes/story was great.
3. Here Comes the Pain: Best wrestling game ever made and yes that includes No Mercy, wanna fight about it?
2. Shadow of Rome: anyone else remember this little title? Its often overlooked and forgotten but its one of my favorite games of all time but being able to compete in the gladiator matches was amazing, nothing and I mean nothing is more satisfying than lopping off arms, heads and torso's with a giant sword/meat cleaver thing. the action in this game was incredible.
1. Def Jam Fight for New York: this is my favorite game of all time for any system and the only game I have completely mastered. during my prime in college I went on a 153 game win streak against all my friends, I was untouchable. I finally lost but quickly rebounded for another 20 straight wins before literally everyone else refused to play out of sheer frustration. its the only game I think I could have competed nationally on.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:34 AM

5)hot shots golf
4)Smackdown: shut your mouth
3)madden 04
2)NBA street 2
1)NCAA football 06...the greatest sports game of all time
Posted By: yes (Guest) on December 03, 2009 at 10:06 AM

Interesting to see that you prefer Shut Your Mouth to HCTP Yes. I'd love an email explaining your preference of SYM over HCTP


This column is approved by Christina Hendricks


Well here we are back for another edition of the 411 Games Top 5. This week, for some reason we are without much writer participation again. I'm going to go ahead and blame it on Mark coming in last week and just wrecking egos where ever he turned. What this means for you guys is more videos and filler crap. But either way, small group or not, the show must go on. Without further ado, the 411 Games staff brings you our Top 5 sidekick type characters from gaming history. Sit back and enjoy everybody.

Leading us off this week is the always game Lee Price. Be sure to check out Lee's regular column every week Retronomicon. This week Lee tackles Space Harrier

Lee PriceHONORABLE MENTIONS

Epona in the Zelda series - I used to love riding around on Epona. However I don't love it so much now that Aggro exists. Still a great sidekick though.


Luigi vs. Tails

5.Tails in the Sonic series - I hate Tails, I really do. That being said there's no denying the little sod's importance to the Sonic story these days, plus he's appearance in Sonic 2 enabled multi-player. That doesn't take away from the fact that the idiot would make any attempt it could to ruin your chances in the bonus stages mind, but Tails gets in for sheer importance to a game series.

4.The Companion Cube - It never talked or walked or did anything really, but any gamer who got their hands on Portal knows that the Companion Cube is awesome. This little guy was instrumental in you making your way through the hellish "training" exercise that GLaDOS had you running. It was almost a shame that you couldn't keep it all the way to the end.

3.The Dog in Fable 2 - God help me I liked the little guy. He found treasure for me and was always willing to be completely useless in combat and get itself injured. Reminds me of my dog to be honest. I felt he added a little more emotional content to the game without being too intrusive, though I don't think Molyneux quite hit the emotional heights he was aiming for with the dog's implementation.


Agro-vation!!

2.Aggro in Shadow of the Colossus - Now this is the way to do an animal sidekick. Aggro was an instrumental part of the game and was completely loyal to you. That makes certain events later on much more emotionally impactful, but it helps that Aggro was a joy to ride as well. Epona would be at this part of the list of not for Aggro.

1.Alyx from Half Life 2 - Now this is a sidekick done right. An ass kicking tom boy who kinda half flirts with Gordon throughout the whole game. Plus she has her own massive robotic dog. How many sidekicks can say they have a sidekick? Alyx gets the nod because her AI enables her to be a pretty damned useful sidekick most of the time too. Something that lead weights like Ashley from Resident Evil 4 never managed because of their inherent amount of suck. Alyx is just as likely to join you in the ass kicking though.

Next up this week is Adam Larck. Adams most recent contributions include a look at the DLC for Boarderlands. Check it out when you have a chance.

Adam LarckHONORABLE MENTIONS

Alyx Vance - Her great personality and actual help in assisting were great to see in the game.


CUBE

5.Companion Cube - It may not have said anything and may have only been there for one level, but it was still a great sidekick. Helping you through various tasks just to get incinerated in the end without a complaint shows a great friend. I hope in makes another appearance someday.

4.Daxter - Jak's companion was truly the main voice in the game. His personality really made the series for me. Not only that, but he even got his own spinoff game on the PSP. Daxter was the main star of the series it seemed like.

3.Tails - Before all of these other characters came into the Sonic universe it was just Sonic and Tails. The two-tailed fox assisted Sonic with a plane, and even carried him around from time to time. It's just too bad he got pushed to the side for all these other sidekicks in the series.


Yoshi Tournament?

2.Yoshi - The little green dinosaur was a great asset to Mario. Whether it was carrying him around or allowing him to use Yoshi as a springboard, Yoshi was willing to die for the cause. He's still dying for the cause today on the Wii just as content as ever to do so.

1.Luigi - The lesser brother from the series, Luigi didn't mind taking the smaller roles. While Mario saved the princess or stopped Bowser, Luigi was content getting ghosts out of mansions. Luigi has always been fine with letting Mario take all of the glory, which really exemplifies what a sidekick is supposed to do.

Todd Vote

5.Luigi - Sidekick in the loosest sense of the term. Luigi has never really been an assistant to Mario, but more following the same path as Mario. He is kind of a sidekick, but more like a partner in crime.

4.Tails - Tails would come in handy when you needed to get to hard to reach areas.


Jack and Shadow in action

3.Shadow - Jack Slade's dog from Dead to Rights. Shadow had the ability to run up on your enemies and steal their weapons. He would then bring them back to you for personal use. Alternately, players would take control of Shadow to get to the places that Jack was not able to travel to.

2.Yoshi - Now we are talkin sidekicks. Yoshi was a very handy addition to Super Mario World. Aside from all the good things Yoshi was able to do for Mario, he even basically offered a free hit to Mario. Grab a Yoshi and save your life!!


Kick the Deadite

1.Sam - Ashley J. Williams sidekick from Evil Dead Regeneration. Not only was this little deadite handy in tight situations, but the ability to kick the little bastard offered plenty of humor. Imagine you have a big fan in your way and the switch is on the other side. Just kick the little deadite over top of it. Kick Sam at your enemies and watch him tear them down. Sam is easily the best sidekick in video games for me. he offers help, humor, and a way to release anger if you ever happened to get frustrated by the game. The funny part is the answer to all three things is just to kick him.


Bonus Video:

Top 5 best and worst sidekicks?


Join my squad:
My Brutes. It's a fun website where you can create a brute to fight every day. Check it out, become a pupil of Lord Smashimus, click here to create your own brute to take into battle.

I guess that puts a wrap on another short week. I'm hoping participation will pick back up after the holidays. If not, I may be looking for a reader or two to become a regular contributor. Any interest in that from you guys? let me know in the comments section and it is something I will keep in mind. You would be obligated to get me a top 5 each week. Anyway, enjoy your weekend. If you are in the mid-west like myself, good luck shoveling out of this one. We'll see you back here in seven.