My Top 100 Video Games

Video games have always been a passion of mine. I was a game journalist for 8 years, from 1999 to 2007. Then I went on to make a few WWE video games at THQ. I’ve owned a lot of consoles and literally thousands of games. Back in November of 2009, I compiled a Top 100 Games list.

Years later, I still play games constantly and keep up with the industry. I’ve always had it in the back of my mind to do another list. After all, the PS3/360 generation was one of the best, and the current gen is no slouch either. To spice things up a bit, I decided to lift my rule only allowing one title per franchise. But I still need to have played a lot of any game that makes my list, which means there are some so-called shoo-ins that I couldn’t add.

Comment with your own Top 10, or harass me about something you feel deserved a spot. Or get mad at me for starting with number 100 instead of number 1. I will happily (and respectfully) engage. And maybe let me know if you’d like to see me put some capacity of it into a video.

If you enjoy my writing and want to see more, please consider one of my three published offerings on Amazon.

Note: I scoured the Internet for these screenshots. The majority came from MobyGames.com, a great resources for information on any and all video games.

100. Dig Dug

1983, TI-99/4a by Namco
Previous Rank: 67
Let’s start out my list with an obscure port of a classic. Like most in its era, Dig Dug levels featured a single screen. But you were free to explore every inch of that screen, provided you could pop the baddies before they killed you. The cat-and-mouse gameplay is very satisfying with both sides having vulnerabilities. I played this a ton on my TI computer as a kid, chasing the Guinness Book high score.

My Little Brother Plays More M-Rated Games Than I Do

I was born in 1978 in a little town called Ironwood. With a population of about 6,000, it’s situated on the border of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan – which, while still considered Michigan, doesn’t actually touch the main landmass.

Ironwood is a rustic, quaint town white as the winter snow. Seriously, the closest thing they have to “foreigners” is Polish-Americans. It’s a good-ol’-boy place with lots of bars, pickup trucks, and deer hunters. I moved away quickly, and have been blessed to live in many large cities and meet many types of people.

“Downtown” Ironwood

Some 22 years later, another boy was born in Ironwood. We’ll call him “Jay.” Not only did we come from the same 6000-person city, but we came from the same man. Jay is my younger half-brother.

I texted with Jay today, the first time we’d communicated not in-person. He told me he was playing Xbox 360. I asked for his gamertag, since last time we talked it was a complicated sequence of 1s and Xs and I never did get it down right. His current one is much easier, and I sent him a friend request.

Then I looked at what he plays. Nine of the last 10 games he’s played were M-rated. The ESRB – the non-profit, self-regulatory body that assigns ratings for video games – defines those games as “Content [that] is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.”

What Jay plays at 12

Jay is 12. He’s a smart kid, but still 12. I’m not so old that I don’t remember when I was 12. I bought NWA’s “Niggaz4Life” on cassette, and memorized every word before my mom would eventually steal it from me and keep it for six years. It was the year my friends and I strolled up to the box office and got tickets for Boyz N The Hood despite it being rated R.

Watching and hearing content is one thing; you’re an observer. Video games are different, because you are interacting and in some ways controlling the action. It is your finger that fires the gun, or kicks the downed bystander. And most adults and I’d even guess the majority of teens can handle it.

What I played at 12

At 12, I borrowed my mom’s friend’s copy of Super Mario 3. I saved up for Sonic The Hedgehog 1. About the most violent game I played was Road Rash, which entails punching opponents in cross-country motorcycle races. Mortal Kombat wouldn’t be ripping out spines on my Genesis bloody for another 3 years.

Not all M-rated games are created equal. Dark Souls, for example, is a dark and mythological action game. Sure, you dismember already-dead demons, but that’s about as objectionable as it gets. When I saw that on Jay’s Xbox activity, I smiled; it’s a great game. The fact that he conquered it shows his gaming prowess.

Then there’s Modern Warfare 2, Rainbow Six Vegas, Grand Theft Auto IV, and the newly released Grand Theft Auto V. Again, I’d consider all of those great games (though I’m less than 2 hours into GTAV), but the difference is I’m an adult. I can handle the very adult themes and the violence and the humanity. I think of “No Russian,” the famous mission in Modern Warfare 2 where you’re undercover with a group who shoots up an airport full of civilians. Could Jay handle that? Could he realize the context of it? The fact that I’m asking means maybe he shouldn’t be playing all those (and Battlefield, Black Ops 2, etc.). And this isn’t even accounting for the annoyance many gamers feel when they get capped by obnoxious, high-voiced preteens in multiplayer. I hope my brother isn’t one of those.

Meanwhile, a look at my recent Xbox activity – which, to be honest, has been overtaken by the less-loud PS3 – shows that 4 of the last 5 games I’ve played have been rated Teen or lower: Castle Crashers, Rock Band 3, Doritos Crash Course 2 and Robotron. Only Duke Nukem Forever is M-rated (and a $5 purchase at Gamefly long ago so don’t judge). I’m 35 and playing less mature stuff than this kid! Heck, overall I’ve played more Animal Crossing and an iPad Picross clone (iPACROSS) than anything else the last few months!

Jay’s parents are divorced. Our dad has the same cassette boom box since 1990 and never owned a DVD or CD player. He describes people as “colored” when he’s on his best behavior. That is to see, he’s not very worldly or tech-savvy. Jay’s mom has another child and a new husband who’s a couple years older than me at most, so I’m going to guess Jay’s gaming activity is not closely monitored.

The ESRB ratings are a good thing, and content descriptors tell you just what you may see/experience in each game. But you need employees that are educated; you need parents that care. As Ironwood only has a K-Mart and Walmart, I don’t have faith in them. Of course, his mom could have just bought Jay a game from Amazon and never seen the ratings. Or she could have been lectured by a studious employee at a brick-and-mortar and shrugged her shoulders.

Here’s something to ponder: The only time Jay has seen Middle Eastern people is while shooting them in the head in Call of Duty.

I think I’ll leave it at that.

— Justin Leeper (@StillManFights)

Super Mario 3D Land’s Lost Levels are Included

I bought a 3DS right around the price drop – late enough to get the better price, but soon enough to qualify for the bad-ass Ambassador Program. Since then, I’ve beaten several games on the handheld: Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones, Mario’s Picross, Legend of Zelda, Zelda 2: Adventure of Link, Metroid Fusion… As you may notice, those are all virtual console (or Ambassador) games. Before this week, I had only beaten one 3DS exclusive: The awesome puzzle game Pushmo (in my opinion, the sequel Crashmo – which I broke my no-game-buying ban to pick up – is not nearly as good).

Honestly, I’ve barely touched any of the physical game cards I own. Super Mario Land 3D (buy here) is the only one I’d spent more than a couple hours on. And I really like it. I admittedly haven’t been drawn in by any of the 3D Mario games – sacrilege I know – but this one is a great blend of 2D and 3D with bite-size levels perfect for a portable. Even still, it sat unplayed for over a year.

I recently went back to it, only to find that I was already on World 7. Though it had been long enough that I was pretty rusty – especially since the button config doesn’t match old Marios – I was still able to get through the rest of the game in maybe an hour, to see Bowser defeated and Peach saved once again (spoiler? Yeah right).

Mario Land 3D is definitely built to cater to less-experienced players. It does this thing where, if you die repeatedly on a level, it gives you a pity white tanooki suit that is even immune to attacks. Die more still, and you’ll get the beloved P-Wing from Mario 3. While I see how these could be helpful, I was a little miffed. Sure, I could decide not to use them, but it’s very tempting. I didn’t touch that P-Wing, though; that’s cheating! It’s not as bad as Ninja Gaiden asking to bump you down to Ninja Dog difficulty, but it’s still demeaning.

I felt like I saw everything the game had to offer, which was not unsubstantial even though I only logged 5 hours and 11 minutes by the time the credits rolled. The level design is very creative, not just utilizing the 3D as more than a simple gimmick, but also having fun with Mario tropes throughout the series. I did not get all the Yoshi coins, which show up 3 per level. You need some to unlock nonessential worlds and even some boss sections, but I always had more than enough on hand.

The game alludes to “special” stages post-completion, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to bother. A look at howlongtobeat, however, showed that my 5:11 completion time is an hour below the average, even for just completing the main story. I’m usually a very slow, methodical player. And if you look at those who beat the main game plus did more, there seems to be 4 1/2 hours of extra content. So I decided to check it out.

I’m quite glad I did. Gone is the babying of gifted items and other hand-holding aspects. The all-new special stages – there are at least 40 of them – are more difficult, more clever, and just plain more special than the original levels. For example, there are levels when you have a very short time limit, and have to grab clock power-ups to avoid timing out. It’s almost like that first 5 hours and 11 minutes was a tutorial.

Now, I’m getting my ass handed to me in part because I’m still a little rusty and also because I’m drawn to Yoshi coins. Falling to my death is the norm, and I’m down about 20 lives after getting through the first baker’s dozen of special stages (that just means I have a stockpile of 75 now instead of 95). Sure, I’ve uttered some swears – or alternates to swears like “fut nuckers,” which I literally actually said – but I’m having more fun. Perhaps I just like the challenge after the lack of it for the first Act.

It reminds me of the original Super Mario Bros. That game presented a modest challenge, in part because it was something we’d never played before. When I say “we,” I mean those of us old enough to have been kids when the NES came out and either had one or had a friend with one. I initially fit in the latter category, so my friend Daniel and I would join Bobby in his basement every day after school to play Mario. We’d slowly but surely get further every time; of course, there was no saving, so we’d have to start from 1-1 each day. It wasn’t until we found the 3-1 infinite life loop that we were able to triumph.

A few years later, Super Mario 2 came out. While I love that game to this day, it was not the actual sequel to Mario 1. That was a game that we wouldn’t see here in the US until Super Mario All-Stars for SNES, under the title “The Lost Levels.” It was essentially Super Mario 1 part II, only much harder. Stereotype says Japanese gamers are more hardcore than us, so they got it and we didn’t.

But in the case of Super Mario 3D Land, its “Lost Levels” are included right along with the regular game! The Reddit nation would probably call that move Good Guy Nintendo. I just call it more time with an old friend, and I don’t mean Daniel and Bobby.

— Justin Leeper (@StillManFights)

Bioshock Infinite: $44.99 at Amazon

Bioshock was a game I should have loved, but maybe tackled at the wrong time. I got a little pissed at it, and didn’t complete it. I know there’s a big “thing” about it, and I’ve fortunately avoided any spoilers. I fully intend to go back to it.

Even still, if I was not in the clutches of a self-imposed game-buying ban, I might have pre-ordered Bioshock Infinite. Barring that, once the amazing reviews came rolling in, I would have bought/played the game with the quickness. This is easily game-of-the-year material, after all.

Barring that, I at least would have jumped on this amazing deal like Mario crushing a Goomba in World 1-1: Bioshock Infinite is currently on sale at Amazon for $44.99, both Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. One of my missions is to post deals I would love to take advantage of but can’t, so you may live vicariously through me. Enjoy.

Genre Awards – Fighting Games

Game journalism is full of lists: the best games of the year; the best games on a system; the best games of all time. It’s all been done. I decided to look back and pick the best games in particular genres (action, FPS, extreme sports, etc.). I have put together about 27 genres, and awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze metals to what I think are the best in the category. You are free to disagree – and you likely will. Everyone’s experience and list of games-played is different.
Fighting games are the first genre, because it’s the first one I started thinking about. These usually entail two combatants squaring off one-on-one in an epic battle to empty your opponent’s life bar, and then maybe eat their body and spit out the bones. I’ve always been fascinated by fighting games. They always had great graphics – only needing to put two characters onscreen. They had detailed controls with lots of moves to discover. They have a bit of a cathartic quality, though I’ve never found them anywhere near real martial arts.
I recall playing Street Fighter II: Championship Edition at an arcade during the Wisconsin State Fair. People were huddled around. When I got my chance to play, I chose sumo master E. Honda and basically spammed his hundred-hand slap move repeatedly. I picked up Street Fighter II along with my SNES, and spent countless hours becoming proficient with each person. My girlfriend and I would play Mortal Kombat II on that same SNES, cheat sheet in front of us, to witness all the Fatality moves. The Wisconsin State Fair is also where I later saw Tekken 2, with its realistic moves and beautiful polygonal characters. It spurred me to buy a PlayStation, though Tekken 2 wouldn’t come out for it for several months. Oddly, none of those games I just mentioned made the cut. So, without further ado, here are the 3 Best Fighting Games!

BRONZE: Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001, Nintendo, GameCube)
This is not your typical fighting game. First off, it features cutesy characters known for platforming and kart-racing. Secondly, it’s not one-on-one. It’s a free-for-all of famous faces, all trying to toss each other into the abyss. The 25 characters – Mario, Link, Samus, Kirby, Pikachu – each bring their unique personality, though the gameplay is super simple to grasp. This means anyone who’s held a controller can join in on the highly customizable multiplayer and not feel in over their head.
Or, if you’re fighting solo, there’s an extremely varied Adventure mode which always keeps you guessing – thus avoiding the repetitiveness that plagues many fighting games. The extensive stat-tracking will show just how much you played, along with your win/loss record and hit percentages. Another bonus are the little “titles” you’re given after fights, to denote special performances (which I stole for WWE SVR 2009‘s Season mode). Its Wii sequel may have includes some improvements, but Melee hits a sweet spot of advances and nostalgia that make it the best of the series, one of the best GameCube games, and the Bronze winner for the Fighting-Game category. Also, it had a gumball machine with like a million Nintendo-themed trophies in it.

SILVER: Soulcalibur (1999, Namco, Dreamcast)
Starting with Soul Edge (Soul Blade on PlayStation) in 1996, this series was easy to pawn off as Tekken with weapons. After all, both came from Namco. Soulcalibur blew away its muse – and every other fighting game – when it launched with Sega’s Dreamcast. Never before had we seen such beauty and smoothness in a 3D fighting game. I could sit there and watch the characters do their specific katas forever. Maxi was my guy, being a big nunchuk fan. Voldo was dope, too, with his S&M outfits and trident daggers. But whomever you choose, you get both fantasy and realistic moves that were approachable for button-mashers, but deep enough to reward patient players. Mission Mode opened up a variety of tasks and valuable rewards. Maybe you were the man in Arcade Mode, but could you win when poisoned? What if the opponent is invisible – only their weapon showing? What about if you can only cause damage when your opponent is off the ground?
I kind of lost track of the Soulcalibur series over the years. I don’t even own the fifth iteration. Like many fighting franchises, it seemed to only make miniscule advancements from version to version. And I’ve learned that I tend to not play enough of fighting and racing games to get my money’s worth. Evidence: I own the latest Mortal Kombat and it’s still sealed on my shelf. But I digress. Onto…

GOLD: Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1999, Capcom, PlayStation)
Street Fighter is the grand-daddy of fighting games, and Alpha 3 is by far its best showing. Alpha was originally a kind of prequel to Street Fighter II, with the characters being younger and using a slightly softer art style. But Alpha 3 throws basically everything from every previous game into it, along with a ton of new material. I’m talking over 35 characters, three “isms” that alter your playing style, the ability to take on multiple opponents onscreen at once… The list goes on.
Reading the above entries, you can tell I’m a big fan of unique single-player modes. Of course SFA3 has that. World Tour mode gives you new challenges and twists (vs. 2 Sagats?!), all the while awarding you experience and boosts like air guard or resisting dizziness. The boosts really allow you to tailor your character to your play style, and basically ensure everyone’s character – even if outwardly the same – turns out differently. I loved World Tour mode. I’m pretty sure I played all the way through it with a half-dozen fighters – including of course the aforementioned E. Honda.
I also adored Survival mode. Because the game allowed you to fight multiple adversaries at once, these were simply insane and intense. There’s a huge beat-my-score dynamic, which would have been that much better had online leaderboards been around at the time. Oh well. Maybe we’ll see an HD remake of it for download? It’s worth noting I’ve played just about every other port of the game – Dreamcast, PSP, GBA – and they were all well done. Of course, the PSP’s d-pad will give you one hell of a thumb callus. But after causing so much damage to computer enemies, it’s a small price to pay. Street Fighter Alpha 3 is easily my pick for Best Fighting Game. A winner is you!

I Played 110 Games This Year (A List)

I like to track things in my life: weights lifted, events experienced, and just about everything related to my video game collection. Last year, I added a listing of every game I played that year. Of course, I made one again this year. On the off chance someone cares, I’m publishing the list, along with (exactly) 8 words on each one. Enjoy, and have a happy and safe New Year!

1. Mega Man 2 (NES) – An NES fave played for music video footage
2. Super Paper Mario (WII) – Played last in ’07, came back to beat
3. Mario Kart Wii – Another lost relic I dusted off and replayed
4. Def Jam Rapstar (360) – I was ranked #5 on “Can’t Truss It”
5. 1000 Heroz (iPhone) – I literally played this iPhone platformer every day
6. Bastion (360) – I like indie games that you can download
7. Batman: Arkham City (360) – Not quite Asylum, but darn good. Excellent story
8. Binding of Isaac (PC) – I’m a naked baby, armed only with tears.
9. Dead Space HD (iPad) – High hopes for my first iPad exclusive. Nope
10. Dungeon Raid (iPhone) – My favorite match-3 game ever. Still a go-to

11. Flight Control HD (iPad) – Another iPad exclusive I didn’t play too much
12. Jetpack Joyride (iOS) – Played on both iPhone, iPad for great fun
13. Kirby Epic Yarn (Wii) – Still haven’t beaten this adorable platform game yet
14. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA) – Thanks, 3DS Ambassador program, for this 22 minutes!
15. Portal 2 (PS3) – If only Kate would finish co-op with me
16. Puzzle Agent (iPhone) – It’s Professor Layton meets Fargo. I beat it
17. Skyrim (360) – On 02.06.12, my epic 280 hour quest ended
18. Super Mario Land 3D (3DS) – Deserves more than the 5 hours I’ve played
19. Uncharted 3 (PS3) – You ever beat a game out of spite?
20. WELDER (iOS) – I like word games; just not this one

21. Angry Birds: Space HD (iPad) – This definitely rikindled my love of Finnish fowl
22. Aces Cribbage (iPad) – I like cribbage. Got a problem with that?
23. Bioshock (PC) – Crapped out on 360, gave PC a try
24. bit.trip Complete (Wii) – Man, was I NOT into this game collection!
25. Chu Chu Rocket (iPhone) – Ended up really liking this Dreamcast puzzle game
26. Don’t Run With A Plasma Sword (iOS) – Another “runner” style game. Okay but not memorable
27. Dungeon Village (iOS) – Kairosoft makes awesome titles, including this one here
28. Fairway Solitaire (iPad) – Of course golf and solitaire would mix, silly
29. GP Story (iPhone) – More Kairosoft. I like cars that go vroom
30. Homefront (360) – Only military console FPS I played in 2012

31. Journey (PS3) – Beautiful. Innovative. Short. Kind of like my wife.
32. Infinity Blade 2 (iOS) – I decided I don’t like Infinity Blade much
33. Mahjong Towers Touch (iPad) – Shanghai. Nabisco World. I dig these tile pushers
34. Mass Effect: Infiltrator (iPad) – Liked this way better than Dead Space iPad
35. Metroid Fusion (3DS) – Loved on GBA, played again on Ambassador Program
36. Pac-Chomp! (iOS) – A fun twist on Tetris Attack style puzzlers
37. Persona 3 FES (PS2) – First Persona I played since original on PSone
38. Rock Band Blitz (360) – Harmonix relives the majesty of my beloved Amplitude
39. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (3DS) – Mario Land 1 didn’t really feel like Mario
40. Swordigo (iOS) – Played a couple minutes; only remember it’s ugly

41. Jamestown (PC) – I love shmups. This one isn’t crazy difficult
42. Temple Run (iOS) – I recall LeBron James loves it. I’m ambivalent
43. NFL Flick Quarterback (iPad) – Cool concept to get behind the QB’s helmet
44. Portal (PC) – Loved it on console and tried on Steam
45. Real Racing 2 HD (iPad) – There’s a theme here, with meh iPad games
46. Rock Band Reloaded (iPhone) – Rock Band is pretty decent on iPhone, too
47. Catherine (PS3) – Sexy, mature game about climbing towers in briefs
48. Katawa Shoujo (PC) – Visual novel about dating handicapped schoolgirls. It’s true
49. Russian Dancing Men (iOS) – Rhythm game which features the infectious “Amazing Horse”
50. Contra Rebirth (Wii) – Sure, I’ll try a cheap, easier Contra game

51. Pushmo (3DS) – Probably my favorite 3DS game. Haven’t bought sequel.
52. Wooords (iOS) – Make many words with colorful fridge magnet letters
53. Rayman Origins (PS3) – Beautiful and intuitive. Only played a short while
54. Antrim Escape 3 (iOS) – One of those “escape the room” puzzle games
55. Bugdom 2 (iOS) – A very poor knockoff of Banjo Kazooie type
56. Falling Fred (iOS) – You fall. As Fred. Until you kill him
57. Mario Kart 7 (3DS) – This formula has yet to get old yo
58. Mole Cart (iOS) – Let’s rip off Mario Kart cuz we’re China!
59. Starfox 64 3D (3DS) – Sadly, I have only played a couple minutes
60. League of Evil (iOS) – Fun Meat Boy style platformer on iPhone/iPad

61. Mass Effect 3 (360) – Ended with a wimper, but what a series!
62. NBA 2K12 (360) – Love me some Visual Concepts hoops, says I
63. Dark Souls (PS3) – Games don’t get much better than this one
64. Epic Mickey (Wii) – Kinda disappointed by the filler in this one
65. Parasite Eve (PSP) – Didn’t play on PSone, but it’s darn good
66. Final Fantasy VII (PSP) – I still have yet to beat this classic
67. Mega Mall Story (iPhone) – Another fine Kairosoft effort. Build your mall, y’all
68. 10000000 (iPad) – Puzzle and RPG join with hip retro graphics
69. Batman: Arkham City Lockdown (iPad) – Infinity Blade knockoff. I’m burnt on Infinity Blade
70. Dynamite Jack (iOS) – Overhead stealth. Gotta go back to this one

71. Lollipop Chainsaw (360) – Not as endeering as it should have been
72. Pizza vs. Skeleton (iOS) – Roll over bony bastards as a large pizza
73. Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones (GBA) – No game was played more on my 3DS
74. Bad Piggies HD (iPad) – Creating suicide machines didn’t do much for me
75. He-Man: The Most Powerful Man in the Universe (iOS) – Dripping nostalgia, trace elements of fun. It’s okay
76. The Room (iPad) – Solve your way through a giant safe. Maybe
77. Twist Pilot (iOS) – Console dev superstars: Don’t phone in iOS games
78. Driver: San Francisco (PS3) – Very creative driving game with some design issues
79. Puzzle Craft (iPhone) – Close to a Facebook game, I completed anyway
80. Terraria (PC) – Sorry, but video games need more than digging

81. Dishonored (360) – The muse for this entire blog. Hells yeah
82. Spelunky (PC) – Instead of buying on XBLA, free PC download
83. Punch Quest (iOS) – Really like this runner with a brawler soul
84. Street Fighter X Tekken (iPad) – Not a bad fighter for being on iPad
85. Quantum Conundrum (360) – Gal behind Portal does something Disney-esque. Still playing
86. The Walking Dead (PC) – Yes, I bought this on Steam’s Black Friday
87. Sonic Generations (360) – Mixes 2D and 3D Sonic, and mostly succeeds
88. Asura’s Wrath (PS3) – This dude is pissed! It’s like we’re twins
89. Quiet, Please! (360) – Endearing little indie adventure game on Xbox 360
90. Rayman: Jungle Run (iOS) – Pretty, playable and perfectly suited for portable pleasure

91. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (360) – Jumped off wagon with this, but so good!
92. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (iOS) – Freaking Vice City! The whole game! On iOS!
93. Extinction Squad (iOS) – Like those old Nintendo LCD games, but funny
94. Super Mole Escape (iOS) – Like Doodle Jump, but in reverse. Make sense?
95. Robot Wants Kitty (iPhone) – Metroidvania game where a robot wants the kitty
96. Waking Mars (iPad) – Intriguing, attractive game. A bit bland so far.
97. Angry Birds Star Wars HD (iPad) – 2 played out properties, but still really fun
98. Party Wave (iOS) – Surfing game by the dude behind Final Fantasy
99. Fast Fast Laser Laser (360) – Indie game blending Bomberman with guns and swords
100. NBA 2K13 (iPad) – Don’t own it on console, just iOS. Decent

101. Karoshi (iPhone) – This platformer/puzzler’s goal is to kill yourself
102. Slydris (iOS) – Tetris or Lumines, but without needing to hurry
103. Tiger Woods 2012 (iPad) – Robust golf game to take with you anywhere
104. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (iPhone) – Oh FPS and iPhone. You shouldn’t be together
105. The Curse (iOS) – Variety of puzzles and a creepy villain’s taunting
106. Penny Arcade: Rain-Slick Precipice 3 (iPad) – Impressive old-school RPG that I’m definitely hooked on
107. Beat Sneak Bandit (iPad) – Rhythm based sneaking is a pretty neat concept
108. Sonic Jump (iPhone) – Elevates the Doodle Jump genre immensely. Free now
109. Wordament (iPhone) – Boggle with a leaderboard and Xbox achievement tie-in
110. Mutant Mudds (iPhone) – The 3DS action/platformer is now smaller and cheaper

What, me jealous?

Maybe my no-buying vow has colored my impression of new releases. Perhaps it’s a self-defense mechanism to keep me from being too envious. But really, there hasn’t been a new release this month that has really left me wanting. Assassin’s Creed III apparently takes out all the assassinating. Super Mario Wii U has a cool overworld, but I didn’t *love* New Super Mario Wii nor have I completed either Mario Galaxy. Halo 4 is even a mixed bag in terms of reviews – many knocking its campaign as samey with a Tron overlay. FarCry 2 pissed me off far too much for me to have any interest in FarCry 3, and the talk of its story elements being shock for shock’s sake isn’t going to turn me around. mind you, all these games are getting at least an 80 Metacritic score.

I’m on the last stage of Fire Emblem 2. It’s kicked my ass a couple times, to the point where I consulted GameFaqs. They keep talking about these magic spells that I’ve never seen much less have access to, so it may be tough for me to come out victorious.

I’m also struggling a bit with Persona 3, which I’m waiting to take a big step in the excitement department. Currently, my character is in the week before high-school finals, so my cohorts keep jumping ship and all I can really do is go to the library to study. That’s as exciting as it sounds. At least the soundtrack is dope.

I started Driver: San Francisco a while back, and it’s been fun. It’s a with-Kate game. I worried that she’d bore of the open world and race/stunt challenges, but she’s enjoyed it. I think the strange-and-intriguing story helps, as does the San Francisco setting – a city of which she’s very fond. Sticking with the car theme, we played a little Mario Kart Wii. I spent the time to unlock a few extra cups, but there are still 8 tracks we can’t yet access.

Everyone enjoy your Black Friday buying. Amazon, Steam, and even Capcom’s own store have already posted some great deals. Just remember to buy stuff for other people, and make sure to actually play the things you buy at some point.

Going Indie

Indie games are really thriving in this industry. You had your Braid, your LiMBO, your Journey. They’re a stark departure from the Maddens, Call of Duties, or even Marios that dominate the sales charts. But we need that variance, that uniqueness.

If something is quirky or artistic, I tend to seek it out. I couldn’t have loved Katamari Damacy more, with its crazy ball-of-crap-rolling-over-everything gameplay and awesomely Japanese music. I played and completed all 3 indie games listed above. So it with heavy heart that I see The Unfinished Swan released on PlayStation Network this week. Its art style alone is worth the $15 or whatever they’re charging. I hear it’s short, but so is your favorite movie (unless you get down with that long-yet-unsatisfying LoTR trilogy). I really want it. But I will have to wait a year or so.

So instead, I played another indie game. The Binding of Isaac isn’t quite the artistic feat, nor does it blow you away with its unique gameplay. What it does have, however, is quirk as far as the eye can see. It plays like the dungeons in the first Legend of Zelda, but with a more Robotron shooting scheme. Instead of bullets or blades, you use the tears of a naked, freaked-out child as your weapon. You’re fighting your way out of a dungeon where you were cast by your uber-religious mother. Fucked up, right? Also, awesome. It was done by one of the Super Meat Boy guys, as a slapdash, make-a-buck proposition. He had no idea it would become such a cult hit. This is only my second time playing it, after getting it in one of the numerous indie game bundles that litter the internet.

Also, I just beat the hell out of Dungeon Village, a game that I’ve been plugging away at on my iPhone for months. It’s by Kairosoft, who made the beloved Game Dev Story. Including GDS, I’ve completed 4 Kairosoft games – including Mega Mall Story and GP Story. Dungeon Village has a bit more gameplay, as you send adventurers on quests and outfit them with armor and weapons. I ended my “15-year” cycle long ago, but ended up maxing out everyone’s level with the most advanced character class. Now I can put it away, and probably play more Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones.