VW's Top 1000 Games

[Paaaaul]

Chaos was awesome.

I joined a Firebird club when I was young, and they closed it almost immediately and sent me a copy of Chaos as a sorry. I still play it these days.
Do any modern games give you the same buzz that finding a Turmoil spell in a Magic Wood could? (A:No)

It had a sequel of sorts called Lords Of Chaos which was more like 75% Rebelstar combined with 25% Chaos, and was less fun.

Julian Gollop was the king.

[Garfield And Friends]

#985: SHINOBI

Genre: 2D shooting platformer
Format: Coin-op Arcade / C64 / Master System / and more
Publisher: Sega
Year: 1987
Developer: Sega



I've not got much time for its sequels, but the first Shinobi is excellent. You move rightwards, shooting shuriken throwing stars at enemies, and can avoid enemy projectiles by jumping into and out of an alternate 2D plane within the same screen.

The music is very good, the ninja's moving eyes on the title screen are spooky, and the pseudo-3D bonus stages where you throw shuriken stars at oncoming jumping ninjas is stressful, but in a good way.

Joe is a silly name for a ninja master. Good game, good game!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f8nonuK0RA

[ThickAndCreamy]

# 984 Mashed: Fully Loaded


Genre: Top down racing with guns.
Format: Playstation 2 / Xbox
Developer: Empire Interactive
Year: 2005

There's something utterly missing from today's modern games and consoles, offline multiplayer fun. There's something perfect about being able to play inane games for hours on end with friends, desperate to beat them continuously. That's why Mashed: Fully loaded deserves your attention.

It's a sequel to the original game, albeit with more guns and tracks. The aim of the game is simply to race round tracks and destroy your opponents. Each round lasts anything from 5 seconds to 2 minutes typically, buzzing around tracks trying to push / hit / blow up your opponents using all manner of obstacles and weapons.

It's like crack cocaine frankly, you play it for hours, forever trying to win so you can ram the joy down your friends throats as you beat them going backwards blowing them up with drum bombs or by blinding them. It's solely designed to play with friends really, if you crash, you can airstrike your friends to annoy them even more. The simplicity is wonderful, it's easy to play and immediate to learn and within ten minutes of playing you can pretty much understand the entire game.

It's a game to never play alone, always with others. Something to share, shout about and cherish, like a wonderful nostalgic memory. Just personally, I've played it inebriated so many times that I've almost lost count. It's just designed to create a party atmosphere. It even has a specially devised "mashed cam" cheat, which is self explanatory, a blurry, distorted and constantly changing camera designed to replicate the feeling of being on a drugs binge.

Go to ebay and buy this game now. It's always less than £5 second hand and it will guarantee you hours of fun if you have any friends. Just type in the unlock everything cheat (I still know it off by heart), forget the single player exists and gorge away at the multiplayer. It's a world of simple pleasures which can last forever. I've been playing it every year since 2005.

Just listen to these Germans laugh.. THIS COULD BE YOU!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4asjuW9Mw6o

[Garfield And Friends]

#983: SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

Genre: 3D platformer
Format: PlayStation 2
Publisher: Sony
Year: 2005
Developer: Team Ico



Some of the best music ever. Fantastically designed giant opponents. The goal of Shadow of the Colossus is to kill 16 gigantic enemies, almost invariably by sticking your sword into their glowing weakspots (oooof!). The trick is to discover the particular method of dispatching each enemy; locating their weak spots; and hanging onto their hairy backs while trying to plunge a blade into their heads. Prior to each battle, you've first got to find the buggers, which involves traversing a big rural landscape on a horse named by a hooligan.

The older I get, the more I prefer short (a few hours) games, rather than 20+ hour epics (which still seem the norm these days). Pleasingly, SotC is shorter than most modern titles (even shorter on replay). Suits me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjCNBaSkr8s

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

While my dislike of that game is quite possibly verging into an irrationally disproportionate level, I still really can't see what the big fuss is about it. Aesthetically it's mostly excellent, but as a game it's just so crushingly dull. Ico was far superior.

[Garfield And Friends]

#982: ALTER EGO

Genre: Text-based role playing simulator
Format: C64 / Apple 2 / MSDOS / and more
Publisher: Activision
Year: 1986
Developer: Peter J. Favaro



Alter Ego is an engrossing text-based role-playing game firmly set in reality, long before The Sims arrived on the scene and long before the term RPG meant spikey-haired giant-sword-wielding turn-based emo tossery.

You start the game by answering some personality profile questions, then progress through the seven ages of man, from childhood to adulthood and onto old age. Live safe or live wild. There's a broad range of interesting scenarios and choices your created alter ego character can participate in, and the game does a great job of tracking your decisions and applying consequences to your actions.

The game was released in two versions, one female, one male. Equally fab.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgEMDvuWf7A

[Lee Van Cleef]

# 981: The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall



IMO the finest RPG of all time, and far superior to its successors.  Whilst it's graphically very dated, at this point, the sheer size of the game when it was released was something else.  Starting with a choice in character creation methods which I found quite fun, and the starting cave that you had to fight your way out of, it opened into a massive world with so many sprawling questlines that you could get lost in it for hours without realising the time was gone.  The rich central storyline was immersive, but you could completely forgo that and go your own way in this personal world, and go on to fame and riches whilst skitting from town to town and taking in the range of choices available to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_MY0ihuJZc

Ahhh, the intro sequence!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niU1bRqxrIU

[Jemble Fred]

I've been unsure what Dizzy game to pick – in a Top 1000, you'd need several of them anyway. But perhaps the most obvious one would be 'Fantastic Adventures', seeing as it reached the biggest audience across consoles. Then I thought I'd go for Fantasy World Dizzy, because that's the one that really ignited my love for the easily-imposed-upon egg, that's where the Oliver Twins really got the franchise nailed down, introducing the Yolkfolk etc. I've completed it so many times, the whole map is imprinted on my brain.

But I know that one of the things people complain about with Dizzy is the aggravating platform elements – the monsters, bats, rats and so on which get in the way of the puzzling. So I'm going to nominate...

980: Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk



So great it didn't even get a number, but stands alone. It's just so tightly put together, very little fucking around with monster-dodging, just screen after screen of secret-packed story, new characters, and bizarre problems to solve. Funny dialogue, too.

Back in those early days my brother worked on Crash magazine so I was lucky enough to play all the Dizzy games at different stages, early preview builds, broken and dodgy, but always fascinating. But I think POTYF was the first one I came to as a completed game.

I still maintain that the Dizzy/Seymour/Slightly Magic school of platform/puzzler is the greatest form of gameplaying – by which I suppose I mean it's my favourite – and it's a style of game that's long, long, long dead now. Unless you own a PC and can play fan-made games.


A wooden door, clump of leaves, box of matches and a jug of water – HOW WILL I ESCAPE THIS PRISON???

Admittedly, collecting all the cherries at the end was a pain in the arse, and the character of Daisy was a great promotion for misogyny. But I know where they all are anyway – I can generally remember the solution to any Dizzy puzzle from all the old classic games, I'm that dull.

So yes, I mentioned Dizzy.

[Lookalike Mark Chapman]

I played a Dizzy game once. Years ago, couldn't even tell you the name. I was probably 8 or 9. It was on the PC. I remember going upstairs to get some items, maybe going to a basement for a few things, but then there was a pool of crocodiles that was too wide to jump over, and we kept dying on it, and so we stopped playing. Now if you could tell me what the game was, where I can play it online, and how to get past those fucking crocodiles, it would end a semi-lifelong frustration.

I'd love to contribute something more worthy to this thread, but I can't really talk about games I love (or music, or films, or people, etc.) in any sort of meaningfully eloquent way. I wouldn't do them justice. Sorry.

[Jemble Fred]

I played a Dizzy game once. Years ago, couldn't even tell you the name. I was probably 8 or 9. It was on the PC. I remember going upstairs to get some items, maybe going to a basement for a few things, but then there was a pool of crocodiles that was too wide to jump over, and we kept dying on it, and so we stopped playing. Now if you could tell me what the game was, where I can play it online, and how to get past those fucking crocodiles, it would end a semi-lifelong frustration.

There's only one crocodile in Dizzy lore, and he's right at the start of Fantasy World, just after you get past the rat. You need to get the rope from a few screens West (or, hang on, I think it's by Denzil up in the castle), and drop it on his nose after he's done one of his three-bite movements. He'll still wriggle a bit, which means you'll have to be careful down to the pixel when you use him as a stepping stone, but he will stop biting.

Oh, and don't drink the scotch right by the crocodile, it's no fun controlling Dizzy when he's pissed.

[Lookalike Mark Chapman]

Well it sounds plausible. Guess I wasn't that logical a child. Come on then, how can I play the fucker now?

[Jemble Fred]

Here's an online version: http://play.80snostalgia.com/index.php?module=PostWrap&page=spectrum/fantasyworlddizzy.html

But you'd do better to get an emulator that allows you to save progress. If the crocodile beat you, the dragon will make you gnaw all your skin off!

[biggytitbo]

I'm waiting until we get into the top 50 or top 10, I'm not putting any of my favorite games in the 900s for fuck sake!

[The Boston Crab]

I'm still giggling. Only you could get away with that, biggy.

[Jemble Fred]

It's not like the last load of songs in the Top 1000 music thread were the best... most of the best tracks were in the first few hundreds, when enthusiasm was still rampant.

[jaydee81]

I'm still giggling. Only you could get away with that, biggy.

Its exactly the same joke as his tag below.

[The Boston Crab]

That's why I said...oh, it doesn't matter.

If anyone seriously thinks this is a countdown, you should look at Oscillations once in a while.

If anyone attempts to make a joke about a countdown, you should look at yourself in the mirror for five minutes first.

[biggytitbo]

Oh well I don't go in oscillations so I don't know your crazy rules!

In future years archeologists might see this thread and think Head Over Heels is the 979th best game of all time, which wouldn't do.

[jaydee81]

That's why I said...oh, it doesn't matter.

Oh I see. Sorry.

[kittens]

Well, now I know it's not a countdown, I suppose I'll do this..

#979: Little Big Adventure 2

Genre: Action-Adventure
Format: PC
Publisher: EA
Year: 1997
Developer: Adeline Software International



Cor, well. LBA2 is still one of my favourite games after all these years. It was the first game I played properly and made me really realise what gaming can be. It's got everything: a race of elephant people, alien invasion, magic, dragons, exploding penguins, you name it. Everywhere you visit has been so wonderfully imagined, like the once beautiful alien planet Zeelich, now covered in a layer of thick, monster-infested gas. A full history and religion can be learnt of, giving a great amount of background information which really adds to the game. It's got brilliant characters (I still introduce myself at parties as 'Jonny Rocket' to this day), and fantastic cinematic clips. Playing never gets boring or tedious, as the game always gives you new challenges and problems to get around. Having replayed it numerous times, I reckon that it still stands up very well today.

Also, according to Wikipedia, the AI in the game was 'particularly groundbreaking' for the time. So there you go.

I don't know how graphically advanced (if at all) it was for it's day, but when I first got it, it really bloody impressed me with that side of things too.

Oh god, and the puzzles! 'The Dome of the Slate' is probably still the hardest time I've ever had in any game. The feeling after completing that was just fantastic.

Oh, and, FUCKING HELL the music!! This game has perhaps the best soundtrack of any game I've ever played. And that reeeeally adds to it. The voice acting is also fantastic.

This game had such a big effect on my childhood and me as a person. I  can honestly say I wouldn't be who I am today if I hadn't played this game. Well, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but it has been an important part of my life this far. My advice to you if you haven't played it is to download it right away. It's just.. wow.

So, yeah, here's the clip from the start of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hy6Kb_MAdo

The cover:


And a couple of screenshots:

[falafel]

I used to particularly enjoy the oddly sexual grunts and drunken staggering he would perform when you switched Twinsen into his Fighting stance.

"Nngh" - "Euurgh"

Yeah, that was a lovely game.

[kittens]

I used to particularly enjoy the oddly sexual grunts and drunken staggering he would perform when you switched Twinsen into his Fighting stance.

"Nngh" - "Euurgh"

if you pressed ctrl + X behind the cow, IT LOOKS LIKE HE HAS SEX WITH IT.

It also gives you a life if you do it, so that must have been a purposeful addition to the game.
Always struck me as a bit weird that that was included.

[Muggins]

Totally agree with all this LBA2 lovin'.  In fact, whenever I'm thinking about making top ten lists of video games LBA2 is always the first to spring to mind.  And the thing is that I'm never 100% sure why I love it so much.  It seemed to create such a perfect world to explore- I think the voice acting had something to do with it- the way you could hear people in the distance and wander over.  The characters were great and interesting.  The gameplay though was pretty frustrating though, with it's isometric viewpoint making you feel like you're playing a beefed up version of Head over Heels.  I've always tried to find other games which come close to the warmth I felt in exploring LBA2 but i've yet to find anything close enough.  Not even Zelda or Psychonaughts.  I have got Beyond Good and Evil (also made by french people?) which I thought might do it, but I've still yet to get into it.

Surely if someone was clever they could release LBA2 with updated graphics and a slightly better gameplay mechanic- using all the original voices- and they'd have game of the year right there.

[Geraint]

#982: ALTER EGO

I've never managed to get the originals running properly, but here http://www.playalterego.com/ is what I assume to be a faithful web-based conversion, it's a compulsive fucker.

[hpmons]

I've never managed to get the originals running properly, but here http://www.playalterego.com/ is what I assume to be a faithful web-based conversion, it's a compulsive fucker.

Heh, that's great, I need to ruthlessly rip it off.

Not a very wise choice. How do you expect to motivate Grandma to spoil you if you are not willing to make your mom look foolish in front of her by persisting to act like a little brat? Would you like to give in now or make everyone even angrier with you?

[rudi]

Christ it goes on for ever.............

[kittens]

i just played that for about 2 and a half hours straight before just giving up. couldn't even save it because i don't have a google email account. fun while it lasted though.

[Mr_Simnock]

#978: PANORAMA COTTON

Genre:      Shoot em up (Rail shooter for the pedantic)
Format:     Mega Drive (others exist but it this specific version)
Publisher:   Sunsoft
Year:        1994
Developer: Success

I love this game for many reasons not just the game play. I don't play my mega drive games much anymore since I packed them all away in the loft, I can't be arsed to get the MD out and I cant find the power supply for the Mega-Jet. This is arguably the finest game to hit the Mega Drive. The graphics are incredible for the MD, every hardware trick is used as well as others I didn't think the machine was capable of. Soundtrack is both fantastic and again technically beyond just about every other MD game with many, many tracks. Although it looks like it a Mega CD game it was all packed into a 20 Megabit cartridge (one of the biggest made). Predominately a pseudo 3D shooter it also has some ( literally) side scrolling lvls to unique for any MD shooter. I don't think any more could be squeezed out of the Mega Drive architecture. Despite only having 5 lvls each is absolutely MASSIVE. Its also become very rare and collectible. I managed to pick my copy up for about £100. You could send away for a special mug with Panorama Cotton decals on, on rare occasions these will come with the game on eBay but expect to £150+ or more for them. I am hanging on to my copy, it will only go up in value.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jcx_O6yAYQ&feature=related

[biggytitbo]

#977 Pushover
Format: Amiga
Year: 1992

Fantastic, but largely forgotten puzzle game, a mixture of domino rally and Lemmings, you have to position dominos throughout platformed levels of rapidly escalating complexity in order to knockover the striped end domino and open the door to the next level. Like all the best puzzle games, the concept is simplicity itself but the realization is fiendishly difficult.

There was also a contrived tie in with Colin Quaver, the cheesy snack obsessed cartoon dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEDmBD1BaYY&feature=related
And there's a remake of the game here! http://ishisoft.com/archives/126 Well worth playing.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

#976 Hard Drivin'

By far the greatest driving game and quite possibly the best overall game is the arcade version of Hard Drivin'.

Careful now, it's not for the driving faint of heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIig2-4pHtQ

I saw one of these sit down machines in an old amusement centre a few years ago and I was tempted to offer the guy money for it. Only for the hassle involved in moving it did I resist. The whole machine probably weighs a tonne. It comes with realistic 3D graphics (see cow) and both a stunt course and a race course. I'm told the American military used it to train their troops. It's the kind of game kids nowadays would say Chuck Norris plays. Although that doesn't really do it justice because in this game even heavy vehicles do loop the loops.