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VW's Top 1000 Games

Started by The Boston Crab, February 08, 2010, 05:51:21 PM

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#1000: Cannon Fodder



Genre: Strategy/Shoot-em-up
Format: Amiga/ST/Pretty much everything
Developer: Sensible Software
Year: 1993

Following Megalomania and Sensi Soccer (both of which might well appear later in this list), Sensible Software had the idea for a Gauntlet clone using their now trademark zoomed-out perspective. It evolved into an incredibly addictive and infuriating tactical shoot-em-up with more character and personality than almost anything I can recall.

As missions progressed from 'shoot everyone you can find' through to 'destroy and rescue', the gameplay grew in scope. Vehicles and new weapons were introduced as the tight level design grew in complexity. At its heart, it was a puzzle game: economical use of grenades, precise placement of troops, sequential slaughter. After each successful mission, your available troops swelled in number...and you needed them. Much was made of the controversy surrounding the game. The irony of the incredibly catchy theme tune 'War! Never been so much fun!' was obviously too subtle for most moaners. If they'd only played the game, they'd have realised it was no glorification. When you'd built 'Jops' up to 115 kills and he got hit by a stray bullet just moments before you completed an insanely tough mission, you truly understood the futility and despairing injustice of war, probably even more than people who've really been in a war.

The mouse controls were extremely intuitive, splitting and directing troops, firing bazookas and jumping off ramps were all done with a couple of clicks. Occasionally things got a bit fiddly in tight areas, the skidoo was an especially clumsy cunt, flipping and exploding on a whim, spoiling your best-laid plans but for the most part, the controls were as tight as the level design. In this respect, it's one of the best games I've ever played. Why then does it also rank as one of the most infuriating? Quite simply, it was unpredictable. The enemies, environments, buildings and weapons never behaved in the same way twice. This meant that your gradual improvements in tactics and co-ordination were quite never guaranteed to work. You might blow up the final hut only to see the roof fall from the sky and wipe out your team. You might work out the pixel-perfect spot to keep a couple of dudes safe for later. A knobhead wastes them from a previously-unseen angle and you've got to start again. Whether or not this is a strength or weakness of the game, it's hard to say...It was certainly a challenge, though.

It's the kind of game that doesn't need an update or remake. It was always about the gameplay, developing tactics, acquiring the co-ordination needed to put them into effect and praying that it all worked out as you hoped. The graphics work perfectly today and the music is still fantastic. If you missed out first time, it's as good as anything I can recommend.

---

You get the idea...Who's up for #999?

Shoulders?-Stomach!

#1
999? Okay!

Number Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine (999): Theme Hospital

Genre: Strategy
Format: PC and inevitably PsOne
Developer: Bullfrog
Year: 1997


With a light synth soundtrack akin to Julie's Theme from Assault On Precinct 13 and the general ambience noise of hospital work, the tone and mood of the game was always well balanced. Following on from Theme Park was never going to be easy, and reviews at the time reflected that- but Theme Hospital in many ways had the last laugh. It is still being sold in budget ranges brand new, even today. This was partly to do with the software being fully compatible with Windows and not descending into a hyperreal mess when confronted with a modern computer.

The game followed a more structural level-based route which offered differently flavoured challenges as you progressed. They could be to do with the management of the hospitals finances, the resources (often having to build facilities in time to pre-empt outbreaks) and even the occasional emergency rush. The game itself was reasonably simple and fun- following a key rule of all good strategy games- giving the player enough time to judge and assess- but not enough to dawdle or micro-manage to perfection, unrealistically.

Humour has always been a vital ingredient in the strategy genre- even po-faced war games have a dry wit if you scratch under the surface- and the humour and the general universal appeal of this game- truly universal- in taking into account the needs of both the casual and universal gamer, rather than making some Wii-style bag of shit that 5-50 year olds can play and calling that 'universal'- makes it not only one of the finest strategy games, but one of the finest games ever made.

Rollercoaster Tycoon and The Sims both drew heavily from the format and the sheer ease with which the game plays- even today- is an absolute delight.


Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

998. Spider-Man 2


Movie licences are notorious among gamers for being little more than lazy cash-ins but there are some that manage to buck the trend; Goldeneye did it. The Chronicles of Riddick was said to be significantly better than the film it accompanied, and Spider-man 2 did it also.

At first sight there might not appear to be much going for it. Even by the standards of the time, the graphics are crude. The missions quickly become repetitive (if I ever hear another child wailing about balloons, I'll kick them in the brain). Despite the hero's powers, fighting is something of a chore, and Tobey McGuire gives a vocal performance that could literally have been phoned in.

However, all that pales into insignificance once you take to the skies and start webslinging. The game goes for the sandbox approach that is so fashionable these days but, unlike some games which use it as a cynical marketing gimmick, the open world is at the very heart of what makes Spider-Man 2 so good. Spidey is the perfect sandbox character. Every journey across the map is a hit of purest gameplay, as you run, leap, crawl and swing with exhilarating speed and grace through the canyon like streets of Manhattan, from the ground to the sky. Doctor Octopus may be the nominal bad guy, but the real adversaries are gravity and momentum, conspiring to bring your aerial acrobatics to a halt.

With great power comes great fun.

Cerys

997 - Net Yaroze Mah Jongg



Addictive like you wouldn't believe.  The only way to escape the compulsion is through playing it until the disc dies.  Altogether now, zhwink ... bingbong!


#996: THRUST

Genre: Gravity maze shooter
Format: BBC Micro / Acorn Electron
Publisher: Superior Software
Year: 1986
Developer: Jeremy Smith



An old BBC Micro computer game whose gameplay holds up without recourse to rose-tinted spectacles. You have to pilot down into narrow caves, fighting the effect of gravity as you go, in order to tether a pod and exit back into space. Enemies shoot as you try so, but you have a shield and cannon you can use to defeat these wall-clinging aliens.

Later levels become harder as the gravity gets reversed, and the cave walls become invisible!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJpRdAQhBp0

Detective John Kimble

This is, as Hugh Abbott said, exactly the sort of thing we should be doing.

#996:  Floor 13



Year:  1992
Genre:  Strategy
Format:  PC, Amiga, Atari ST
Developed by:  David J. Eastman
Published by:  Virgin Interactive


(I did a write-up for this game for a list I did on another forum, so forgive me if this is long and sounds a bit weird in parts.)

A couple of entries ago, Hitman: Blood Money made an appearance – and it's always good to play as an assassin, slowly and methodically making your way towards a subject before removing them from the planet.  But – what about a game where you play as the man who sets the contracts?  Not many of those around, eh?  Welcome to the world of Floor 13, a true underdog – not very well remembered, but an undisputed classic on both PC and Amiga. 

Floor 13 places you in the shoes of a man who's just been assigned to a role in the British Government – D.G of the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries.  It doesn't sound too exciting, does it?  In fact, it sounds like a political graveyard – and indeed, it is.  The careers, and indeed the bodies, of many people are buried here...people who opposed the government.  The Department is a front – what you're actually in control of is a secret police.  Your job is to keep the government popular, and suppressing disagreeable and/or opposing views, by any means necessary.  This ranges from simple smear tactics, to burglary, to torture, to ordering and carrying out assassinations and explosive assaults.  A firm hand could find themselves rewarded at the end of it – but a weak-minded individual may end up joining the other bodies interred in this particular cemetery. 

The main thing I like about Floor 13 is that it doesn't go over-the-top.  If you order assassinations willy-nilly, for example, then you will fail – guaranteed.  The emphasis is on "secret" as opposed to "police" – situations need to be dealt with using finesse, tact, discretion and soundness.  If you've ever watched the BBC sitcom Yes, Minister, then you may find this game to be rather like a Civil Service simulator, putting you in the role of Sir Humphrey Appleby – only you're handling something a lot more sinister than parliamentary questions, blue forms and administrative affairs.  You'll also probably get a lot out of this if you enjoy other high-quality, more serious British political dramas like G.B.H and House of Cards

Situations need to be dealt with as quietly as possible.  If you order someone's death, for example, and the attempt fails – in fact, even if it succeeds, then questions will be asked.  Suspicions could be laid at the Government's doorstep, and that will only result in a sharp decrease in the popularity ratings.  While it's very tempting to don the black gloves and start running your own personal Stasi on steroids, crushing all that dare say a single word out of turn about her majesty's government, it's just not done, old boy.  This is a democracy, and we are British - it wouldn't be cricket.  On the other hand, simply discrediting someone's views from a lofty position can do far more damage than sticking a knife in them.  It all depends on what's best for the current situation.

Still, Floor 13 makes life difficult – a situation gradually unfurls, and more details become available every day.  If you don't do anything, something will go wrong.  Floor 13 has you contemplating your every move, constantly wondering what the best move is, even playing the situation back in your head after you've finished playing, thinking about what you could have done differently.  It really has you walking the political tightrope – the skilled player will have the ability to change horses in mid-stream, will be a model of unimpeachable integrity and devotion to duty, and above all – he will be SOUND.  There's more to the game than I'm letting on – but some stones are best left unturned.  If you play the game, you'll find a fair few surprises waiting in the wings.

Floor 13 is still very much out there, if you choose to look for it.  There's really no reason to wait – this game is phenomenal.  If you've ever hankered for a game that delves into the dark side of politics, a different approach from the usual strategic affairs...then Floor 13 really should be the sort of game you should look into. 

TotalNightmare

#995 - Conker's Bad Fur Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o6whHaEmZ8

Sigh - i just wrote a really long and good review and sum up of this game and JUST before i pressed POST, the power in the house fritzed out and my computer went off... BOLLOCKS.

I will try to summon up the mojo to attempt a proper write up later, but for now, i would like to place Conker's Bad Fur Day game on this list.
I am very fond of this game, and like all great games it is littered with memorable moments - infact, almost too many, from pissing on fire imps, attacking a robot's bollocks with a frying pan, singing poo, big breasted sunflowers, horny naughty northern cogs, Saving Private Ryan violence, Matrix style Slo-Fu, zombie movie spoofs, slaughtering villages, angry bulls, Alien face offs, scouse dung beetles, nazi teddy bears, prehistoric disco raves, baby dinosaur sacrifice, drunken woodland sqirrels, terminator haystacks, red neck farming instruments and more movie references than is healthy... Oh and a Giant with a tiny willy.
Nintendo didnt have a clue what to do with it and it almost seemed designed to make the people at Rare laugh more than anything else. If we liked it too, then that was also good.
For me, this is the last thing of note Rare ever did. A celebration and yet a piss take of the very genre that Rare mastered.
Its rewarding, fun, memorable, infantile, smart, over done and literally throws everything bar the kitchen sink in it.
For me, this isa great example of a 'classic' game. Sure, it has its flaws (and sometimes very fucking annoying ones - lava chase, im talking to you!) but the fact that i still go back to it once in a while and soak it up again, 10 years on, must count for something, because i largely fucking hate console games! (Im a hand held man - ooh err missus!)
The Xbox version was prettier but that was it -also, its multiplayer was shite. Halo with teddy bears.. not as good as you'd think!

I'd love this to appear on the DS... never going to happen...never going to happen...

Sigh


#993: WWF SUPERSTARS

Genre: Pro-wrestling beat 'em up
Format: Coin-op Arcade
Publisher: Technos Japan Corp
Year: 1989
Developer: Technos Japan Corp



A wonderfully cartoonish beat 'em up mirroring the cartoonish antics of iconic pro wrestlers at their peak. The WWF Superstars arcade game arrived at the peak of Vince McMahon's organisation's peak of popularity. Though the gameplay isn't the deepest, it does the simple things well, and the professional wrestling moves are satisfying to execute.

There are 6 playable wrestlers on offer: Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, Honky Tonk Man, Big Boss Man, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. The challenge on offer is a series of tag team matches, culminating with a chance to defeat the champions "Mega Bucks", consisting of Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKunG-sQugg

"YOU'VE WON! GO FOR THE NEXT BOUT!"

#992: SWIV

Genre: Vertical scrolling 2D shoot 'em up
Format: Amiga / Atari ST / Archimedes / C64 / and more
Publisher: The Sales Curve
Year: 1991
Developer: Random Access



SWIV, aka. Special Weapons Interdiction Vehicle, is a vertical shoot 'em up originating on the Commodore Amiga series of home computers. It was ported to many contemporary systems, and quite impressively so onto the C64, albeit without the unique continuous loading feature found on 16- and 32-bit versions.

I normally don't go for shoot 'em up games, but SWIV had a manageable difficulty, a nice 'realistic' graphical environment, and kick-arse title screen music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8XhFu3L4Sk



#991: THE PUNISHER

Genre: Third person 3D shoot 'em up
Format: PlayStation 2 / Xbox
Publisher: THQ
Year: 2005
Developer: Volition



I'm a videogame sadist. I positively enjoy torturing passers-by in GTA4, and kneecapping my CPU teammates in Rainbow Six. The bloodier and more immoral, the better. It makes me feel like a BIG MAN, don't you know.

With that in mind, I present: The Punisher. It is a third person shooter released in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox.

You play Frank Castle (the titular Marvel comic book anti-hero), and you're out to, uhh, PUNISH people by shooting them to pieces in a dual firearm-wielding stylee. The third person action is smooth with interesting levels and ahead of most of its contemporaries, but what really distinguishes The Punisher from other games are the "interrogation" set pieces.

These "interrogations" boil down to you kicking individuals through high-rise windows, feeding them into woodchippers, slamming heavy piano lids on their heads, drowning them in dirty toilet bowls, and drilling their eyeballs in workshop presses, amongst other gruesome scenarios. Well, they make me chuckle anyway!

(Unfortunately, the game received a black & white blur censor filter over these animations shortly before the game's release. Booooo.)

Oh, and the actor from the mid '00s Punisher film, Thomas Jane, recorded the dialogue for Frank in the game too. Lots of grim dry quips that can only be giggled at, such as his declaration to random in-game drug addicts: "You're a user and a loser."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4YuQvWo7ng


rudi

Whenever I try to dload Floor 13 it just dumps a zip file on me that opens into an array of files n shit. Am I lacking an emulator? I really don't understand emulators. :-(

Wilbur

Quote from: rudi on February 09, 2010, 11:22:49 AM
Whenever I try to dload Floor 13 it just dumps a zip file on me that opens into an array of files n shit. Am I lacking an emulator? I really don't understand emulators. :-(

I think you just unzip 'em and run the executeable (from memory)

rudi

Quote from: Wilbur on February 09, 2010, 11:34:38 AM
I think you just unzip 'em

Done that; I'm not stupid.

Quoteand run the executeable (from memory)

The what? Forgive me: I'm a bit stupid.

Jemble Fred

I think it's a PC thing. Which is why the filename .exe is always a source of great misery. It may as well say "runs on unicorn spit".

madhair60

#990: Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Genre: Platformer
Format: Sega Master System
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1990
Developer: Sega





6 levels of platforming bliss.  Far superior to the scattershot Mega Drive version, packed with hidden secrets and memorable set-pieces.  Easy to play and beat, but always rewarding to go through again.

Platforming has rarely been better.

Cerys

#989 Blagger



You can get killed by a marauding toilet.  Bliss.

ozziechef

Trashman

Genre: Dustbin Simulator
Format: ZX Spectrum
Developer: New Generation Software
Year: 1984



You are a binman, you must empty the bins of the street whilst avoiding dogs. The ultimate dustbin man experience.

Still Not George

#987 Mike Tyson's Punch Out

Genre: Dwarf-on-Giant Violence Simulator
Format: NES
Developer: Nintendo IRD
Year: 1987



Playing this on my Uncle George's NES back in the dawn of time was probably my first experience of a game which was in some way emotive. In particular I remember the music became intense when you got knocked down, and the usual button-mashing to get up commenced. Also the opponents were comically oversized, leading to a reverse foreshortening effect which made your character look approximately 2 feet tall.

Of course, I played it on an emulator recently and it was shit.

Just a note to anyone who might believe this is a countdown: you are thick.

Also, [Add Tag]: Gamers' one-line 'reviews' rebuff attention deficit criticism.

Cerys

It isn't attention deficiency, it's being busy.  There's a subtle difference.

Sorry, I forgot that 'busy' even existed...

Still Not George

Quote from: The Boston Crab on February 09, 2010, 01:21:09 PM
Just a note to anyone who might believe this is a countdown: you are thick.
It was the satires, innit.

edit: Foiled you, Neil!

jutl

#986 Chaos The Battle of Wizards by Julian Gollop

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4y3mDk-870

I probably sank more time into this than any other game. The idea was simple and ripped off (I think) from one of those ultra-expensive Avalon Hill board games. In a turn-based struggle 2-8 wizards fought to the death. Each wizard could cast one spell and move three spaces a turn. Spells could summon monsters, create environmental hazards, buff your wizard or directly attack other creatures or wizards. You had a finite number of spells and when they were all cast you were on your own. It was a little more complex than this, however. Each spell was associated with either Law or Chaos, and the environment as a whole had a Law (or Chaos) level. Casting a Chaos spell successfully tipped the balance slightly towards Chaos, and made Chaos spells easier to cast. You could also choose to make your creatures illusory, which would mean they would always be successfully summoned but could always be destroyed by any other wizard 'Disbelieving' them (illusory creatures looked exactly like normal ones). These few simple mechanics created a game of surprising depth, and it's still the first thing I dig out when I get a new device capable of running a Spectrum emulator (which is just about everything including the hoover these days).

edit to add: video features 8 computer-controlled wizards and is sped up 6x

jaydee81

Quote from: jutl on February 09, 2010, 01:36:58 PM
#986 Chaos The Battle of Wizards by Julian Gollop
Each spell was associated with either Law or Chaos, and the environment as a whole had a Law (or Chaos) level. Casting a Chaos spell successfully tipped the balance slightly towards Chaos, and made Chaos spells easier to cast. You could also choose to make your creatures illusory, which would mean they would always be successfully summoned but could always be destroyed by any other wizard 'Disbelieving' them (illusory creatures looked exactly like normal ones).

I remember having this on the Spectrum and never understanding it. This post similarly melted my mind.

niat

Quote from: Garfield And Friends on February 08, 2010, 10:53:22 PM
#996: THRUST

Genre: Gravity maze shooter
Format: BBC Micro / Acorn Electron
Publisher: Superior Software
Year: 1986
Developer: Jeremy Smith



An old BBC Micro computer game whose gameplay holds up without recourse to rose-tinted spectacles. You have to pilot down into narrow caves, fighting the effect of gravity as you go, in order to tether a pod and exit back into space. Enemies shoot as you try so, but you have a shield and cannon you can use to defeat these wall-clinging aliens.

Later levels become harder as the gravity gets reversed, and the cave walls become invisible!

You beat me to it, this is my favourite game of all time. The physics of the gravity and momentum are fantastic, and the gameplay stands the test of time. I was never much good once the gravity was reversed, but I replayed the levels up to that point until I could control that little ship with pixel-perfect accuracy.

The BBC version seems to lack the awesome Rob Hubbard music of the Commodore 64 game, which I present to you here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQkf_H8zejU&feature=related

Detective John Kimble

Quote from: rudi on February 09, 2010, 11:22:49 AM
Whenever I try to dload Floor 13 it just dumps a zip file on me that opens into an array of files n shit. Am I lacking an emulator? I really don't understand emulators. :-(

For old PC games, you often need a program called DOSbox.  Unfortunately, DOSbox can be hard to work for anyone who isn't familiar with working in MS-DOS back in the day, so what you really need is a frontend that makes it like any normal program.  I use D-Fend Reloaded myself.  If you click on "Add..." it has a wizard you can use - in most cases, all you need to do is just add the program file and be done with it.

If you don't want to screw around with that though, you can always try this (taken from another thread):  Right click on FLOOR13.EXE, click "Properties", go to the Compatibility tab, tick "Run this program in compatibility mode for", and then choose Windows 95 from the menu.  Works for me in fullscreen without having to use DOSbox, although I'm using XP.

This doesn't always work, but I'm pretty sure I've done it myself for Floor 13.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: jutl on February 09, 2010, 01:36:58 PM
#986 Chaos The Battle of Wizards by Julian Gollop
....Each wizard could cast one spell and move three spaces a turn.
Absolutely great shout - but wizards only moved one space by default.

eluc55

Just want to echo how utterly brilliant Conker's Bad Fur Day was. I'll add one of my own selections later.

jutl

Quote from: Ignatius_S on February 09, 2010, 02:59:50 PM
Absolutely great shout - but wizards only moved one space by default.

Oh yeah - I was thinking of Shadow Form...

Kishi the Bad Lampshade

I have a feeling Floor 13 was one of the first games I ever played, but a) I was far too young to grasp the complex concepts and b) I didn't even get to the complex concepts because the game bloody crashed about two minutes in. Waah.