View: My top 50 Games #20-11

20) Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Boy, is it good to return to nice places, or what? Never could I have imagined a return as successful as this. Look at platformers that are trying to capture their youthful spirit, such as Sonic 4, or New Super Mario Brothers Wii. Yeah, they're certainly trying their best, and it's very nice. They get an A for effort. But have they really gotten it right? I'm talking about execution here, not conception. The answer to that question here, is no, I think. Sonic 4 isn't nearly as good as the old Sonic games. NSMBW also fails to make a proper comeback, even though it was pretty close. Then along comes DKCR. Did it go the distance? On principle, I still have to say no. But it does such a fantastic job, that it's almost too close to tell.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a fantastic platformer. The level design is crazy, creative, colorful, and clever. Each level has you doing something fun, and different. They all feel really great, and make the game completely addicting. This game also does well by tapping into nostalgia, but not relying on it completely. DKCR does new things, in addition to making you remember old things. All together, I would say that DKCR is tied for 2nd place, in my ranking of DKC games. It certainly surpassed the original DKC. Was it because of the mine cart level in the rolling egg? The first retread in that mystical jungle? That beautiful sunset level? Maybe its the unforgettable secret level, at the end of the game? I would say yes to all of these, and much more. Other game developers should look at this game, and see how to go back to the good old days in the right way.

19) Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Nintendo DS)
First, let me say that I love almost all Mario RPGs. However, only two are good enough to make this list. And the first one to step up is this little gem from the Nintendo DS. The third Mario & Luigi game is, in essence, endearing and entertaining. Sure, that can apply to almost any game on this list. But this is what comes to my mind when I remember this game. It refines the gameplay of the original M&L, thankfully ditching the “improvements” made in the sequel. That makes for tight, flexible, and enjoyable combat. Meanwhile, the writing is just as excellent as it always is. By the end of every cutscene, or text sequence, you'll be giggling with glee, or re-discovering just how much you love these characters.

Something that will always give this game the edge, in my mind, is the time when I first played it. I had this game during my second head surgery. While the recovery was relatively quick, it took me plenty of time to recuperate. I can think of no better way to do that, then to grab my armchair pillow, prop myself up on my bed, and spend a couple of hours with this game. It made the healing process that much easier. How can I feel sick, when I'm so happy watching Fawful, and his engrish antics? If nothing else, this game reminded me of just how awesome Bowser is. Of course, the entire game is awesome. Characters, story, setting, badge system, snacks, and all.

18) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Gamecube)
Welcome back, TLoZ! We missed you! If you thought I forgot about these games, don't worry, you'll be seeing my other entries in quick succession. And so, along comes Wind Waker. A wonderful adventure, to be sure. This game has great items to use, a nice amount of side-quests, and what is definitely the biggest overworld to explore. Yes, that sea! It's so friggen gigantic! Yet it's full of things to discover. There are entire islands, just waiting to be found. Then there's treasure to be gotten, seemingly lost at sea until it's collected. Or maybe there's a humongous Octo trying to smash you and your boat to pieces! Take that sucker out!

But it isn't any of that stuff that separates this game from all the other zeldas. Most of that is pretty average for a Zelda game, kind of expected. What this Zelda does for me, that is better than the rest, is making use of emotion. I have never felt more connected with Zelda characters than I did for the cast of Wind Waker. They're all just so dang likeable! Who doesn't love Tetra, and her headstrong attitude? Or what about Link's adorable little sister? I almost shed a tear when Link left home for the first time. Then there's that unforgettable sense of accomplishment/violent satisfaction that comes when you plunge the Master Sword deep into Ganondorf's head. When it comes to this game, it all comes together. If any complaints must be made, they probably focus on the less than stellar temples to explore, the tedious and unnecessary quest for the Triforce pieces, or the general lack of traditional Zelda staples (like an actual Hyrule field). But besides a few details, Wind Waker is a loveable masterpiece of adventure.

17) Borderlands (Xbox 360)
There's something about Borderlands that's almost primal in its appeal. I think it goes back to the early days of the human race. Part of our nature is to hunt, search for, and scavenge. Before we were large/organized enough to make vast civilizations, complete with easily accessible resources, we had to work. In order to eat, or enjoy shelter, we had to find it. That might mean killing something, and maybe bringing along a friend to help. In essence, every human being is looking for loot, in some way or fashion.

Along comes Borderlands. The main focus in this first person shooter with RPG traits is getting loot. This means better guns, grenades, shields, or a number of other things. The quest for better upgrades can go on for pretty much forever. This wouldn't be so great, unless it was also fun. Fortunately for us, and Gearbox Studios, it is totally fun. Killing monsters and robbers with friends, leveling up your skills, combined with constantly looking for better weapons and upgrades makes for incredibly addictive gameplay. The fact that I've put dozens and dozens of hours into the game is amazing enough. I've gotten great weapons, seen every single rock on Pandora, and reached the final level cap with my soldier. What I can't understand, is that I still want to keep playing! I almost don't believe it. How did this game get so awesome and memorable? It's probably Claptrap's fault...Anyways, some problems worth mentioning include the unfocused story, repetitive nature of the game, and the difficulty in getting any upgrades worth using. These aren't a deal breaker, by any means. Hopefully they will be dealt with in a sequel. If and when that game comes, I'll probably disappear for good, and you'll know why.

16) Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (Gamecube)
The blue blur is speeding back onto my list, and this time, he's brought along his best 3-D game. SA2:B is a spectacular collection of speedy gameplay, memorable stages, and disputably good music. First, let's be clear, there's a lot of reasons why this game shouldn't be on my list. It's not here because of the shooting, or treasure hunting stages. Both of those things are terribly slow, have annoying controls, and make bad changes to characters that were unneeded in the first place (like for Tails and Knuckles). It also isn't here for the kart racing, or the chao raising. The former was an okay diversion. The latter was horribly addictive, I must admit. Nevertheless, virtual pet-babies have nothing to do with Sonic, and should never be in a Sonic game ever again. I'm also going to confess that I enjoyed the story of the game at first, but have come to notice just how silly and flawed it really is.

Here are the reasons this game is on the list. The first reason is because of Sonic's and Shadow's speed stages. They were fun back in the day, and they're still fun now. They're fast, they have acceptable controls, and almost all of the levels are cool, creative, and quite memorable. If every 3-D Sonic game from here on out would just go back to these kind of stages, Sonic would not be the failure he is today. The second reason this game is here is because of its significance in my life. That is to say, it re-introduced Sonic into my life, and cemented his place in my mind as one of my favorite gaming franchises of all time. Is there a lot of problems with this game? You betcha. In this case, however, the good outweighs the bad. While the first Sonic Adventure was pretty good in its own way, it will never get any better than the sequel.

15) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Gamecube)
Here it is, folks. We've come to the second Mario RPG on my list. It also happens to be the best Mario RPG, or any RPG, period. Move over Mass Effect and Fallout! The king is in town, and he's better than you! Hahaha, this game is simply fantastic. If I was going to explain everything great about this game, we'd be here all day. Me typing, you reading, an endless collection of words, not good. The first compliment towards this game I'll make is in regards to the setting. Rogueport, and the lands that surround it, are just too awesome. The main city is surprisingly dark and menacing for a Mario game. You won't find baby stars, or bunny rabbits here. Maybe a thief, or a mob boss, but no cutesy. You've also got other cool places to go, like Glitzville, The Great Tree, The moon (yes, that moon), or a nice train ride filled with Sherlock penguins and blobs.

The gameplay focuses on turn-based combat, and evolving that combat with badges. The whole experience is completely solid. Your attacks center on jumping and hammer smashes, with each attack require skilled button presses. You can set your badges to help one or the other, or to support both. No matter what choice you make, it all feels great. Every battle is always easy to follow, plan, and fun, while the interactivity from the buttons keeps it from being boring. This goes for little enemies, all the way to big bosses. As expected, the writing in this RPG is great, all around. It's hilarious, captivating, and so very unique. I'll never forget about the Yoshi I personally named, TEC, the computer who loved Princess Peach, Sir Grodus and his laugh (buh huh huh), or the curse that accidentally helps Mario all the time. If I had to find something wrong with the game, it would be difficult to do. However, I think that a couple of chapters in this game are a little boring, and the secrets are a little too hard to find without a guide. No matter. TTYD is about as perfect as an RPG can get. I've played it 2 times so far, and it probably won't be my last time.

14) Bioshock (Xbox 360)
In my mind, this game is to video games as a Beethoven song is to music. In other words, it's a classical masterpiece! There is so much to like about this game! Characters, gameplay, controls, setting, story, writing, atmosphere...aah! Where do I begin? I suppose I'll mention the fact that this game has one of the best intros ever made for a video game. A plane crashes in the middle of the ocean. It's just crazy, seeing it sink beneath the water, disappearing into the black, murky depths. Then you get to the little island that just so happens to be close by, and you step into the bathysphere (funny ball submarine thing). As you travel deep into the ocean, you first catch sight of something breathtaking: the underwater city of Rapture. When I first saw that, all I could say was, “Woooooooooow......” It was simply mesmerizing. Truly fantastic. And the game hadn't even started, yet!

Bioshock is compelling from beginning to end. Who doesn't love being a super-powered guy that keeps an armory's worth of weapons with him at all times? They're all such good weapons too! You get an electric shotgun, crossbow with trip wires, and my favorite, the chemical thrower. This gun accomplishes something amazing; it manages to be 3 times as good as a regular flamethrower. You mean, I can shoot fire (napalm), ice, and pure electricity, and all with the same gun?! Yes, yes, yes!!! Then the story, the unforgettable story! Andrew Ryan, the little sisters, “would you kindly,” Atlas (or is it Fontaine), my goodness! I can't help but devote a couple sentences to Sander Cohen, and the events that surround him. What an interesting and frightening impression he creates. You might say that can apply for the entire game. But I mean that in a good way.

Now, is all this somehow ignoring the fact that Bioshock 2 is also a great game? No way. But I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Bioshock 2 is a better game; Bioshock is a better experience. Can't wait for Infinite!

13) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)
You just can't keep a good hedgehog down. As the most nostalgic Sonic game I know, Sonic 2 had to make it on the list. It remains a classic example of good, simple, platforming fun. To this day the game is still frozen in my mind and easily memorable. While the first game tried to convince the player that Sonic was fast, it wasn't until the sequel that we could believe it. This game is plenty fast. Heck, it goes so quick, at one point, Sonic is able to outrun the camera itself. Should we blame the old Sega Genesis for having a faulty camera? Or is Sonic just that good?

Something this game does right is having good music. Almost every stage has something great going on in the background. Emerald Hill makes for a great beginning tune, Metropolis Zone puts you right in the middle of a technological city filled with traps, Sky Chase gives you wings (suck it Red Bull), Hill Top Zone makes you feel like you're on top of the world, and so forth (all mentally speaking). A different, but equally good part of this game is the special stages. They're tense, exciting, and really feel like an accomplishment, once you beat them. I definitely enjoy playing every stage, finding plenty of secrets, all while blazing through as fast as possible. The game is pretty long, too, which allows for more variety in levels. Fortunately, there was one more Sonic game that manages to top Sonic 2 in every way. But I've gotta give Sonic 2 respect for, if nothing else, nostalgic memories.

12) Contra 3: The Alien Wars (SNES)
Probably the manliest game on my list, Contra 3 is a fistful of alien shooting awesomeness. It grabs you by the throat, and demands that you play by the rules, down to the very last detail. Then it curb-stomps you. If you've ever played it, or any Contra, you'd know just how balls-to-the-wall difficult it is. This might be a bad thing, if Contra 3 wasn't a tight, exciting, and fun game to blast through. If you stay on your toes, ducking and weaving through every bullet, crazy attack, and deadly hazard, all while plowing your way through hundreds of nightmarish monsters along the way, you'll come out with a chest filled with hair, a beard on your chin, and one of the best video game victories you'll ever feel. No kidding, beating this game on hard (the only difficulty setting, as far as I'm concerned) was one of the best feelings I've ever gotten from beating a video game.

There are so many thrilling and unbelievable action sequences in this game. Just thinking about it pumps up my adrenaline! There's the part where you're hanging on a seemingly endless ladder, trying to avoid a killer robot and his missiles. Only the moon and your gun are around to keep you company. Later on, you come up to a room filled with skeleton robots, trying to gun you down. Just when you think they're bad enough, a giant skeleton robot bursts in, trying to torch your rear with fire! Don't forget, he also throws bombs at you. If that wasn't manly enough, how about the section where you're way up in the sky, trying to take down a blimp. And the only way you can stay alive is if you jump from one flying missile to the next, only hanging by one arm! It's friggen crazy! While I love and have beaten almost every single Contra, no other sequel or prequel can match the fun and excitement of Contra 3. Let's attack aggressively! (The next game on my list, I mean.)

11) The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64)
Now we can talk about one of the strangest, darkest, most unusual of the Zelda games. And by talk, I mean you reading what I'm typing now. Majora's Mask does a lot of different things, as far as classic 3-D Zelda games go. Instead of stopping Ganon from world domination (of course) like normal, Link is doing his best to stop the end of the world as he knows it (and he doesn't feel fine). Yet, by doing so many different things, MM is very easy to remember. Transforming with different masks was great, exploring a new world was engrossing, working in the confines of 3 repeating days was stressful, yet exciting, side-quests were plentiful, and incredibly deep/varied. It all worked out very well.

As mentioned, this game has a dark, and depressing story. But that isn't bad. In fact, it makes the story very easy to connect with, and so great to follow along with. Absolving the sins of past heroes, reuniting broken families, and bringing rest to the dead is a haunting melancholy that isn't easy to forget. Throughout this game, you are treated to fantastic, somber music. The Stone Temple, the Oath to Order, Woodfall Temple (complete with chanting), it all works together to create an atmospheric environment that sticks with you forever. This game even goes so far as to reward all that collecting by giving you the Fierce Deity Mask. And what a great, game-breaking reward that is! Link never looked so bad-ace. A couple of stains on this fine white table cloth of a game (what, you don't like my analogies? Screw you) include the temple designs, which were too long, confusing, and obtuse. Another problem were some of the controls for some transformations (it is way too hard to steer Goron Link correctly). These aren't horrible problems. Majora's Mask is still amazing, engrossing, and an over-all stellar game. But those problems and a few more keep it from being my favorite Zelda game of all time.

So, you've seen the rest. Now prepare yourself for the best! Coming up is my top 10 favorite games of all time! The games that I consider to be better than all of the previous 40 games I've been writing about. What are they? Stay tuned. (At least you don't have to worry about commercials, lol!)