30)
Contra 4 (Nintendo DS)
There was an odd period of time for Contra fans where
these games weren't making sense. After Contra 3, Konami had a hard
time putting the Contra formula in 3D. They tried different
perspectives, and different camera angles. But the games weren't as
fun anymore. It got to the point where they had Contra soldiers
swimming in space in their underwear...TIME OUT!
Konami allowed a cult-favorite developer called
WayForward to make the next Contra game. A decision that proved to be
absolutely fantastic! Just like a boomerang from the outback,
WayForward brought Contra back to its roots with Contra 4. This
glorious return had everything Contra fans could appreciate. Frantic
action! Giant aliens! The return of favorite characters!
Blisteringly-hard difficulty! And more! The game had 2 screen's worth
of action, and a special grappling hook that could switch players
from top-to-bottom, and back again. The rock-solid gameplay and
unique innovations made this one of the best Contra games ever made.
Some particular things I appreciated was the ability to collect 2 of
the same gun power-ups to make an upgraded version, as well as the
inclusion of the first 2 Contra games. The only things I didn't like
about Contra 4 was the small empty space between screens, since it
created a gap where sneaky enemy bullets could disappear and kill
you. As such, Contra 4 could not prove itself better than its older
siblings. But the way it referenced games from the past, and provided
classic gameplay fueled by fanservice blast Contra 4 into the first
spot on my list.
29)
Minecraft (PC)
Is
there much of a need to introduce this game? I don't think so.
Minecraft took over the gaming world in a way that was so hard to
believe. You mean to tell me that a game with no gameplay goals,
blocky graphics, poor physics, several glitches went on to sell over
a million copies...in
alpha?! Who
would have seen that coming? I didn't. You couldn't even tell that to
a person. They wouldn't believe you. That doesn't happen. Except it
did...with little ol' Minecraft. It got the internet talking! Nearly
everyone liked it! Yet I wasn't interested. That is, until me and my
friend made a deal. His half of the deal was buying and playing
Fallout 3 (something he had pointlessly resisted to do up until that
point). And my half...was to buy Minecraft.
I purchased my beta copy of Minecraft a little after the
first wave of hype had died down. I was happy to enjoy the knowledge
people had already discovered. My game experience was modest, yet
compelling...up to a point. To the disappointment of my friends and
family, the little Minecraft seed in my heart didn't grow very large.
(What? Yes, my friends AND family. You thought I was kidding when I
said everyone liked this game?) To be blunt: I thought Minecraft was
kind of boring. I still do. Without any in-game reason to build,
collect, discover, or explore, Minecraft seemed kind of dull to me.
What's the point of finding diamonds? Building a giant 8-bit statue
takes too long. Why grow bamboo? It didn't make sense to me. It
wasn't fun. I don't have a problem with people who love the freedom
and creativity that Minecraft provides. But it just doesn't work for
me. However, that won't stop me from putting it on this list. For the
impact the game made, and for its revolutionary features, Minecraft
is a memorable gem.
28)
Mariokart DS
Coming from a disappointing sequel from the Game Boy
Advance, the next Mariokart on a handheld console took a huge step
forward with this title on the Nintendo DS. The track design was fun.
There were more characters then ever, and they each came with 3 of
their own special cars to race in! There special missions, and many
character+car combos to discover. Best of all, multiplayer blew up on
steriods! Not only was there wireless local play, and tense balloon
battles. For the first time, Mariokart players could play with each
other all across the world, thanks to online play! This was a dream
come true for racers like me. Mariokart DS set the standard for the
next games to come. It may have been a little slow, and it did have a
problem with cheaters who used the snaking technique. But that
doesn't stop Mariokart DS from taking a place on my list.
27) Mass
Effect 2 (Xbox 360)
The first Mass Effect was a good effort from developer
Bioware at creating a brand new, fully-realized universe in space.
Yet it suffered from some rough gameplay, and time-consuming resource
management. But there was a call to the future. The game's loading
screens told us that we could take the character we had created and
used to beat the entire game, and transfer him/her to the
(apparently) inevitable sequel. This was a special kind of promise,
because very few games had ever done that before, if ever. Mass
Effect 2 delivered on that promise without a single problem. Such a
delivery would be appreciated by gamers for years to come.
Mass Effect 2 took the gameplay from ME1 and polished it
to a bright, satisfying, orange-colored gloss. Main character Shepard
didn't move like a wheelbarrow anymore, biotic powers had more
tangible, beneficial effects, and the clunky Mako was replaced with
the fast and sleek Hammerhead. Best of all, the story was absolutely
fantastic! We met new characters that were sensational, enduring and
completely loveable. Alongside fan favorites like Garrus and Tali, we
were introduced to Mordin, Grunt, Legion, and more. There were other
memorable side-characters as well, along with the Illusive Man, the
suave and intelligent man-behind-the-curtain. The game was long,
exciting, compelling, and very fun in general. The ending was a
special highlight of the game because of its high stakes, and
rewarding payoff. The biggest problem it had was the slow and boring
mining that was required for in-game resources. A problem that was
somewhat fixed with an update. Mass Effect 2 was everything a sequel
should be, and it made very few cuts to get there.
26) Super
Meat Boy (Xbox 360)
Did you ever eat some candy that hurt your tongue? You
would take a piece, eat it, and irritate a bump on your tongue over
and over. The pain came back over and over, but you didn't want to
stop because your candy was delicious. Eventually, you had to put
the wrapper down and take a break, because M&M's hurt my mouth!
Oh, wait, did I just say that out loud? What I meant to say was:
Super Meat Boy is made out of candy! No! Dang it! I'm trying to say
that this game was painful, but irresistible.
Meat Boy had great controls, and splendid level design.
Every stage had a simple goal to jump to, but made it frustratingly
difficult to reach. Some levels required dozens, or even hundreds of
retries to complete. This game invoked a rage inside me that was
worse then a bear with a trap on its butt! Yet I returned again and
again because I knew I could beat that level, and the next one, and
the next one...can you give me some M&Ms? I ate all of mine.
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