411 Top 5 Games Edition 07.28.06: Week 1

Posted by Steve McHugh on 07.28.2006

Top 5 Best Games Ever

Hi and welcome to the first in a weekly Top 5 Column. Each we'll look at a different top 5 and since this is the first one we're going to start with the biggest.

Our Top 5 Best Games Ever…


Steve McHugh

5. Kotor (Xbox)
Bioware made me do something I had never thought possible. They made me care about Star Wars again. This is an epic game with tons to see and do including being a Sith and just going around being really evil. Your appearance even changes over time according to whether you're good or bad. And I don't mind admitting that the first time I fought with dual light sabers I was grinning like an idiot. An awesome game.

4. Streets of Rage 2 (Megadrive)
The greatest fighting game of all time. 4 characters, beautiful animation, bone crunching special moves and a fantastic soundtrack made this a joy to play. I played through the game with every character and every difficulty level and then did the same in 2 player mode. Just wonderful.

3. Halo 2 (Xbox)
The best console FPS ever. I know people complained about the single player version of the game but they're wrong as it's still fantastic. It improves on the original masterpiece whilst still retaining everything about it I loved. Beautiful graphics, fantastic controls and a great story this game pretty much has everything. And completing it on legendary difficulty gave me a warm glow like feeling.

2. Half Life (PC)
The PC game I've played more then any other and a game which changed a genre. Half life was a revolution, intelligent AI, a gripping story and wonderful to play this is epic in every way.

1. Shining Force 2 (Megadrive)
All of the Shining Force games are great (except Neo) but Shining Force 2 is head and shoulder above the rest. This game kept me happy for months. I would play it through and then do it again and again with different team members and try to find the secret characters or more items. Everything about this game is wonderful, graphics, sound, gameplay the epic story nothing is below excellent and no matter how many times I've played this game I can always play it again.


Honorable mentions:

1. Res 4 (Cube) – The best Resi game ever and just fun and scary from beginning to end.
2. Grim Fandango (PC) – Funny, sad and just fantastic. If you play it you will love it.
3. Planescape Torment (PC) – A talking insult spewing skull called Morte. Bioware are geniuses.
4. Shining the Holy Ark (SAT) – A great game and something I spent long hours playing through as a teenager.


Joshua Richey

5. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - (N64)
4. Goldeneye - (N64)
3. Super Mario - (N64)
2. Final Fantasy VII - (PS)
1. Metal Gear Solid - (PS)

5. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - (N64)
In my youth, I would rarely play the Zelda franchise. It wasn't that I disliked it as much as I was always captivated by something else. But, when Ocarina of Time was released for the Nintendo 64, one couldn't help but to immerse themselves within the Zelda universe. The game included an age-old story, great graphics, and brilliant gameplay.

4. Golden eye - (N64)
Rare Studios really hit a home run with this game. So much so, that to this day we are still waiting for a FPS to bear that same reaction among gamers. This game completely revolutionized the state of First-Person-Shooters, and Video-Games, alike. Its greatness was the talk of classroom discussion. It was all the buzz in Video Game magazines. Hell, to this day - it is still being discussed within the gaming community. This game was the Halo, before Halo ever began development.

3. Super Mario 64
The game that brought us all into the next-gen of video games. People went from playing Yoshi's Island on the Super Nintendo, to playing this. It was the sole reason to purchase the Nintendo 64 at first, and to this day, you can still have fun with it while playing. This game set the standard for what a plat former should be.

2. Final Fantasy VII - (PS)
I hate RPG's. But despite that fact, I was infatuated with Sony's Final Fantasy VII. While it was still an RPG, it had a great cast of well designed and well written characters. The levels design was nothing short of startling. And, oh the story; the story was so deep that it extracted every emotion that you had within you, at some point.

1. Metal Gear Solid - (PS)
Masterpiece: this word is synonymous with the Metal Gear Solid series; but never was it more deserving of such a term, than with the release of Metal Gear Solid. Here was a game that asked for you to use stealth instead of might. Who would have guessed that a premise like that would work? You have weapons, but don't use them. There are guards to kill, but don't kill them. A risky approach; but a risky approach that worked. Every character in Metal Gear Solid was deep, well designed, and likeable. The graphics and level design - still stack up compared to the games of modern day. Add in a story that would make for a great Hollywood blockbuster, and you have the greatest game of all time.

Honourable Mentions -
Halo - (X-Box)
Resident Evil 2 - (PS)
Half-Life - (PC)
Zombie ate my Neighbors - (SNES)


Andrew Mellick

1.)Metal Gear Solid- This game really introduced the world to stealth action gaming. The gameplay was fun and engaging, the story sucked you in and the character development really made you feel for these people in their situations. This game owned me for a very long time.

2.)Castlevania:Symphony of the Night- A 2D classic. This game is very well done artistically it's a beautiful game. The castle is expansive with a wide variety of areas to explore. A true masterpiece...and Alucard kicks ass.

3.)Halo 2- I was pretty jacked when this came out. It didn't disappoint. It had everything from the first game, but better, with new more vibrant worlds, better weapons, and cool actions (i.e. taking a vehicle from you enemy) all that plus one hell of a cliff-hanger makes Halo 2 a must for anybody with an Xbox.

4.)Resident Evil 4- I had been reading about this game since the beginning. I even remember talking about it with my friend we were saying how cool it would be if they could actually pull it of, but we didn't think they could...well they did. This game's got everything freaky characters, kickass weapons, disturbing places to explore, and a hot (possibly jailbait) damsel in distress. It totally revamped RE. Even Leon grew on me after a while.

5.)Devil May Cry- This was going to be the next RE but they made a new game around it, good call. Dante is a sword-welding ass-kicking half human, half Demon SOB. The action in this game is fast paced and frenetic. Again killer enemies, a solid difficulty level, and an awesome story make this a top 5 for yours truly.

Honourable Mention:
MGS3: Snake Eater-After a strange adventure in MGS2 Konami gets it together with this jungle battle. A great story and the addition of cameo and the need to hunt and kill your own food are a great addition to the game.

Super Mario World- The best game bundled with a system ever. Over 90 levels, fun addictive gameplay, humor, it's classic Mario.



Vincent Chiucchi

Honourable Mentions: Pokemon (Blue/Silver/Leaf Green), Metal Gear Solid 3, Mario Kart series, Mega Man Anniversary Collection, Viewtiful Joe

5. Tetris Attack (SNES) - Tetris is seen as one of the best puzzle games ever. This, however, is even better. It's simplistic in nature yet complex enough when trying to do chains and combos to screw with your opponent. The single player modes are okay, but it's even better when playing against a human player. A great moment is when you've got tons of cement blocks stacked against you with seemingly no hope, then you put three blocks together and start pulling off chain after chain that slows the game down and puts you back into the lead. Fun times.

4. Jump Superstars (DS) - A quick explanation for those not into Japanese anime or manga. This game is based on the manga publication "Shonen Jump", which features many different series including some popular anime series like Dragonball and Naruto. The game combines over 20 different series and plays almost like Super Smash Brothers. The fact that it finally gives anime/manga fans a crossover fighting game is why I'm really into this game. That, and because it uses a unique deck system involving the touch screen. A sequel has been announced and I definitely look forward to that.

3. Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) - Two words: "Crossover Battles". Crossover Battles is something we all talk/debate/dream about. The basic formula of "A popular character in this franchise" vs. "A just as popular character in that franchise" is what people always love to see. Just like Jump Superstars, Super Smash Bros. Melee simply took that formula and gave us one of the most addictive fighting/party games of all time. The N64 version was great and the Gamecube version improved everything. Now it's only a matter time when Brawl comes out and we get our first non-Nintendo character to play as.

2. Star Fox 64 (N64) - Why do I like this game? It's in full 3D! You get to shoot at stuff! There's multiple paths to take! Multiplayer is awesome! It introduced the rumble pack! Seriously, this game was one of the best N64 titles and I'd still play it to this day and have the same amount of fun I had when I first played it. I only wished that the Gamecube version of Star Fox could've been more like its N64 counterpart.

1. Bubble Bobble (NES) - That's right. This isn't some Triple-A/billion-seller title like Metal Gear or Super Mario. Why is this obscure NES game number 1 on my list? Simply because it's just a damn fun game. Its simplistic puzzle action makes this an immediate pick up and play while providing a decent challenge. There's no deep plot to follow, there's no super-realistic graphics or CD-Burning worthy songs. It's just a fun and easy game to play that I can always enjoy whether I want to play for a few minutes or an hour.


Tim O'Sullivan



5 - Tiger Woods Golf 2004 (PS2)

I love sports games, and this narrowly edges out 'Brian Lara Cricket 2005', 'NBA Live 2004' and 'Virtua Tennis 2' for the fifth spot. However, the Tiger games were essential purchases for me each autumn, until I realized that they hardly changed each year. This was the peak of the series for me, and once they released this version they had nowhere else to go really. As with all sports games, the multiplayer mode is just killer.

4 - Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Mega Drive)

One of my fondest Christmas memories was getting the Mega Drive and Sonic in the early nineties. It was a superb game that first made me aware of the beauty of a games console. Controversially, along with my top three picks it's really the only game I genuinely enjoy playing single player. After you play sports, fighting and racing games against your mates with a few beers, I find it tough enjoying single player again. It's a bit like sex I guess. Why play single player, if you have the option of multiplayer?

3 - Championship Manager 99/00 (PC)

For the sake of my university degree, I haven't played this game in ages, but damn this was addictive shit in its prime. It probably still is now, I'm just not letting myself find out. For football nuts like myself, this was compulsive gaming. It was also the game that discovered Jvier Saviola. He banged in a truck load for my Millwall during that game. The 99/2000 version was the peak for me.

2 - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)

all three PS2 versions would be in the top five if not for my insistence to mix it up. The trilogy is pure money, and the sequel was the peak I think. 'San Andreas' was just too fucking detailed, despite still oozing awesomeness. Again, since I've gotten older it's pretty much the only game I enjoy playing single player, and that speaks volumes for how good this game is.

1 - Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (PS2)

Non-football fans will hate this shout, but everyone that owns it will understand where I'm coming from. There are still minor flaws (being in-line is apparently offside according to Konami) but that adds to the real-life drama and bullshit calls you get from real football games. Anything can happen from game to game, and unlike the 'FIFA' series there is no sweet spot so it's much more of a leveler than those games, for which a long-time player would know what positions to get into and bury it ten times out of ten. Don't get me wrong, long time players of this will have a dramatic advantage over newbie's, but as in real-life football it only takes your players to be off form and a freak opposition goal to lose. I could go on for another thousand words. I won't. Just two more: IT'S SUPERB.


Sean Garmer

Honourable Mentions: Kingdom Hearts Series, Soul Caliber series, Final Fantasy X, and WWE No Mercy.


5. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Dreamcast)- I never played the first one and when I played this in the arcade I always had fun. So when I found out it was getting released on a home console I went nuts. This game is so much fun and you can play with three different characters on one team. It was one of the best crossover series ever. Even the moves were simple enough to where you could be playing a friend that knew nothing of how to play the game and still get a challenge. The best part was that it was your favorites from Marvel and Capcom all together in one game. This game was later released for the PS2 and XBOX. If I ever find a copy of this game somewhere I'll buy it on the spot. That's how much I miss playing this game.

4. Star Fox (N64)- The fact that Nintendo is still trying to find a way to get the same formula from this game into its other Star Fox games is enough to prove why this game was a blast to play. Sure the game wasn't that long but it provided you with thrilling air battles and various branching off points in the story. For some reason, every-time I need to waste some time I find myself playing this game. It's one of those games that you can enjoy no matter how old you are because it is not that hard to play and can also be completed in one sitting. I always take my hat off to Nintendo for making this game so memorable because the name Star Fox was a big deal after this.

3. Final Fantasy VII (PS)- This is the game that got me into the whole Final Fantasy Series. Except for one that I will explain later, I seriously used to hate RPG's before I played this game, but for some reason when I played FF 7 I forgot about that because the game was so damn intriguing. I know this is one of those old clichés but it rings true for this game. "This is one of the greatest stories ever told" seriously this game had so many twists and turns that I went from happy to downright sad in just a couple of minutes. The characters were written so well that there is no way you couldn't get attached to them. All the battling fit in perfectly to run you through the incredible story. The memorable music from Uematsu provided the perfect background music for every situation. I can play the game to this day and still feel those same emotions I felt back then. It is one of the best RPG's ever made. If you don't want to take it from me, why do you think Square made a follow up movie to it? It sure wasn't because they had nothing else better to do.

2. Super Mario World (SNES)- The game has 96 freaking levels that's ridiculous. This wasn't a graphical marvel but this game had enough to keep you playing for a long time. I don't know how many times I've used this game to waste a little time when I have nothing to do. To this day when I'm around people that don't play games a lot they always ask to play the Super Mario game. What can I say this game is attractive I guess. This is guaranteed fun whether you play it for two hours or twenty. Not to mention you pull up a friend for multiplayer and you could be playing even longer than you ever expected.

1. Chrono Trigger (SNES)- I borrowed this from a friend one time and after I played it for a few hours he had to comeback to my house to take it away from me. I later bought the PS version so I could own a copy. This may have had a great story and wonderful catchy music but the thing that kept me playing was the battles. Chrono was a cool character and being able to use his sword to kick ass kept me in it. I may be wrong about this, but I think this was the first game to introduce double and triple techs, where you could use two or even all three of the members of your party to attack your opponents. Not to mention the 13 different endings that could make you want to play the game tons of time just to get them all. The New Game + was also a cool thing. The story being about time travel really helped take away that idea that this was an RPG for me. At the time I wasn't too fond of them like I explained earlier, so I thought it was really cool to go to all those different worlds and meet someone new to join my party. I love this game a lot and it is my favorite game of all time because it was the first game that really expanded my horizons as a gamer. It let me enjoy those fantasy elements that you don't get with sports or fighting games. It also developed inside me a small love for RPG's that was later broken wide open with FF 7. Now a lot of the games I play are RPG's and it all leads back to this game. That provided me with emotion, fun, and awesome battles.



Armando Rodriguez

Horrible mentions: Pokemon Red/Blue, Phantasy Star series, Master of Orion II, Golden Eye 007, Perfect Dark, Civilization IV.


5. Baseball Mogul 2007 (PC)

I am a huge fan of text-based management games and Mogul is the best. It can be as deep as Out of the Park Baseball or as quick and easy as the previous Mogul games. The best of both worlds.

4. Super Mario 64

When this game came out, there was nothing like it. Graphics, excellent gameplay, everything was awesome and it still is.

3. Elder scrolls IV: Oblivion

Nothing beats the sheer epic size of this game and the fact that you can do anything you please and still be entertained.

2. Halo: Combat Evolved

Halomania ran wild at my house once this came out for the PC. Yes, maybe part 2 is better, but I don't have that! The single player story is awesome and nothing beats killer multiplayer action online.

1. Shining Force series

I have never played part 3, but all the 16 bit games and the GBA remake where killers. I don't know if it is the great cast of characters, the usually great story or the awesome turn-based gameplay, but I can play this game dozens of times and still comeback for more. Just for the record, I beat the first one 25 times, the second one 23 times, the Sega CD games 12 times and the GBA remake 6 times. And I still play it every once in a while.



JP Prag


Honourable Mentions: Paper Mario (n64), Castlevania (NES), Excite Bike (NES), Pitfall (Atari), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis), Space Quest 4 (PC), King's Quest 3 (PC), Solitaire (PC), Epic Pinball (PC), NHL '93 (Genesis) and Pong (Arcade)

(5) Space Quest 2 (PC) - This was the first PC games I ever played, and it kept me enthralled for hours. The story is good as Buck Rogers you are bumbling janitor who, through a series of misadventures, ends up saving the galaxy. The game requires brains, reflexes, timing, patience, and questing skills, which makes it one of my favorites to this day.

(4) Tetris [Original 2-Player] (NES) - No puzzle game can ever come close to Tetris. The premise is so simple: get shapes to fit in a space and make a straight line. But the continually quickening levels and small mistakes leading into huge setbacks makes it so you can play this game at any time in life and still not master it. I picked this version in particular because it was the original Russian version for the NES that actually had a two-player mode (before a re-release) and is rare to find. I've seen an NES console go for $250 on eBay. The graphics and music in this version were top notch, everything that Tetris was always about... crushing Americans under a Communist vision.

(3) King's Quest 5 (PC) - When we talk about leaps and bounds in computer gaming, this is the one that set the bar. KQ5 jumped to VGA graphics from its predecessor, dropped the text based questing with point-and-click, and gigantically jumped the number of places to visit and the time to play. And it did all this with not only not sacrificing the overall story, but by making it one of the most compelling games in history.

(2) Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) - More than the game itself was the excitement leading up to it. People my age will remember the movie the Wizard, where we got our first glimpse of the game. Much like the protagonist of the movie, we too did not know what to expect. And there was no disappointment when it finally came out (though I got an early Japanese version where I didn't understand what anyone was saying). SMB3 set the side-scrolling franchise, and especially Mario, on a path that could not be topped. Look no further than New Super Mario Bros. DS for proof.

(1) Chrono Trigger (SNES) - When I first saw the request for this list, there was one game that undoable went to the top of my list, and that was Chrono Trigger. This is the ONLY game that I have beaten and replayed from the beginning... TWICE! The storyline is amazing, every action has a consequence, the side quests are great, and you really do decide how, when, and why the game ends. Just writing about it now makes me want to play it again. Everything an RPG and a game in general should be is wrapped up in Chrono Trigger, a game so good it could never be repeated.


Michael Joyeux

Honourable Mentions:
Super Mario Kart 64 (N64)
Def Jam: Fight for New York (XBox) (I agonized over leaving this out...)
Aladdin (Mega Drive)
Slap and Tickle (c64)
Age of Empires (PC)

1.Championship Manager (PC)
This game has simply eaten up days of my life, my longest session was over 24 hours in one sitting on 97/98 and the 00/01 version with my Boro side clocked up several weeks of play and was well into the year 2020 when my save game file corrupted. Basically this game puts you in the position as the manager of a football team, you don't build the stadium, decide on sponsors or change the kit color. You just buy and sell the players, train them and play matches. The beauty is the simplistic nature. Simply amazing.

2.Halo (XBox)
I always sit down to read Edge Magazine in the toilet, when I sat down in my confined little toilet at university I had no idea that I was going to read about a game which would be as good as this. Prior to this, only two other games had been ever given a perfect ten by Edge; Mario 64 and Gran Turismo. Helo was the third, the review purposely left out so much, but offered so little. I knew then I had to own an X Box. When my housemate finally bought one, I bought a pad for it, so we could do Multiplayer Halo, we played through the game in co-op on the first day and then literally spent a week in our pants playing Halo Multiplayer, leaving the kitchen only to shower, sleep and get the pizza from the delivery boy. Halo is just fucking awesome.

3.Golden Eye (N64)
I spent over two years playing this game with my friends, we played speed runs, multiplayer and god knows how many other variations. This game could be played so many ways in single player, full on or in the shadows, so much depth and so much to do. A great game...

4.Marvel vs Capcom 2 (DC)
Where else can you fight Spiderman against Ryu? That alone was good enough for me, I've clocked up over a hundred hours playing this game over the years, my arcade stick is pounded to hell and it's never left my Dreamcast... God what a game.

5.Civ 2 (PC)
Just one more hour...

Shit. It's 4am.

I'll just establish this city.

Bollocks it's 8am, time for work...

..."Hi Boss, I'm ill. I can't come in to work today..."




Well there you go; the 411 Games writer's top 5 games. If you disagree or there's something we left out that you feel shouldn't have been then feel free to let me know.

Next week we'll be looking at the Top 5 Superhero games ever.