Top 30: Games #(5-1)

5) The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo Wii) Almost nothing in video games is as exciting as the event known as the “new Zelda game release.” That's just a great time, in general. But the surrounding events of this particular game was exceptionally sensational. Skyward Sword was gonna show us how sword-fighting with a Wiimote was done! Skyward Sword was going to reveal how Zelda's legend began. There were collectors editions. And an orchestra touring America that played the best Zelda songs. All in celebration of the 25th anniversary of one of the best franchises in gaming. There was so much hype! So much anticipation! Many expectations, as well. Fans wanted something new. But they wanted something that was related to Ocarina of Time, as well. They wanted music that was just as good as OoT's, but also sounded different. There had to be a spectacular story, and it needed Ganondorf and more Zelda. Or was it less Zelda, and Vaati instead of Ganondorf? Who knows. Fans can never make up their minds. But every fan could agree on one thing: They couldn't wait to play Skyward Sword. That's why it makes no sense to find out that nowadays, people either love Skyward Sword, or they despise it. (Then again, maybe it does make sense. We're talking about irrational fans, after all.) No matter. You can most certainly add me to the “love it” side.

Skyward Sword became one of my favorite games as soon as I beat it for the very first time. (Maybe earlier then that.) Almost everything about it is well-done. But I think I'd rather get the bad out of the way first, before the good. I would say that the motion-controls work well, for the most part. But what about them doesn't work? Believe it or not, the sword-fighting has several flaws. No matter how much Nintendo tried, they couldn't perfectly match up the player's movements to Link's swiping and slashing. The sword never quite moves in sync with the player. It isn't noticeable 3/4ths of the time. But there were many times I'd try to slash in one direction, only to swipe in another. Using the nun-chuck to shield bash also failed more times then I liked. It made it that much harder to avoid getting hit and killing enemies. Other control problems include flying, swimming, mine carts, the bug net, and some other things. There were additional flaws that had nothing to do with the controls, as well. For instance, the level design in these temples did not match the likes of OoT or Twilight Princess. That's not to say that Skyward Sword had bad dungeons. It didn't! They were lacking, that's all. Same goes for the music. One of the giant complaints I see all the time is for “padding” or things in the game that seem to make it go longer for no good reason. I will admit, there is a little truth to that. The sequence on the mountain to fetch the giant water jug is one example. Finally, there's too many notifications on tutorials, rupees, bugs, and other collectables. Let me play the game, Nintendo, and figure things out on my own!

Oh, that's right. I did play the game. And I loved it! For all of the things Skyward Sword gets wrong, it makes up for it, twice over. Let's talk about the story. Wow, was it good! It introduced several great and enjoyable characters. Zelda was an interesting female companion, instead of the simple damsel in distress. Groose started out as a bully, but learned to become a good friend instead. That guy is flippin' hilarious, lemme tell ya! Then the villains show up, and they have good, strong personalities. It's very easy to hate them, and love doing it. The places the story goes, and the plots it uncovers are creative, gripping, and enchanting. It's far and away the best story in a Zelda game. Although I ragged on the sword-fighting a second ago, let me be clear: Using the Wiimote as Link's sword is strongly enjoyable! It makes the game unique, and brings excitement and challenge to every single battle. But Link's sword wasn't the only good tool in his arsenal. Skyward Sword had absolutely fantastic items! The Beetle is one of the best ideas in any videogame of this entire gen. It was so much fun to just fly that thing around, and scout out the area. Add in the fact that you could drop bombs, cut apart far away things, and everything else, and it was a joy to use in almost any situation. Other stellar items include the bow, bombs, and the return of the glorious double clawshots. I completely approve of the way this game set up the events of every other Zelda game. It was done well. It may be cliche and cheesy, but I've gotta say that Skyward Sword is a magical game, and it is a legendary addition to this list.

4) Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360)
I love Batman. You love Batman. Everybody loves Batman! This tortured and vengeful little ragamuffin of the night is adored all over the world! And why wouldn't he be? Everything he stands for is everything gamers love. Beating up crooks. Using flashy gadgets. Solving problems with logic and intelligence. Getting around in sweet rides. Being desirable by beautiful women. Doing something without getting caught. Righting the wrongs of the world with your own gosh darn hands. Becoming a hero to everyone who knows you. Batman is awesome! He's perfect for video games! So it makes you wonder why he didn't show up in good games for years and years...until generation 7 came along. Rocksteady Studios took our little bat friend and crafted a game to remind us all of just how amazing Batman is. They showed us how amazing it is to BE BATMAN. Batman: Arkham Asylum was a great game that brought together everything we know and love about Batman, and combined it just right. The result was a fun, exciting, tense, clever, and enjoyable romp around the Asylum. The game didn't have many flaws, and has some unique benefits that haven't been in any Batman game before, or since.

And then Arkham City swung onto the scene and outdid Asylum in almost every single way. This game hits all of the same notes the first game played, only twice as loud as before. The combat is more brutal and versatile. The stealth works better, and allows for more maneuvers. The gadgets are more plentiful, useful, and entertaining. The world of the game is bigger, and holds more excitement and more secrets. We get to enjoy more appearances from the Batman baddies we know and love. These appearances aren't just a simple meet-and-greet either. No sir! They're one of a kind, and bring engaging moments that are a pleasure to play. Kevin Conroy as Batman, and Mark Hamill as the Joker both deliver stronger and more memorable performances. The Riddler trophies return, and are more numerous and tricky to collect then last time. Catwoman is a playable character (for some) and provides her own unique and enjoyable style of play. There's more stuff to do in this City in general, then there was in the Asylum. The story has higher stakes, more twists, and the strongest ending to any video game I've seen in quite some time. Again, and again this game exceeds expectations, and makes it look easy!

It's not always about having as many check-marks on the so-called improvement list as possible. Care and attention has to be put into every decision made for a game. Once again, Rocksteady understands this, and makes sure to implement this for the many parts of the game. Not just for big events, either. But the little moments, as well. From Batman's emotional and genuine visit at his parent's scene of death, to the frighting encounter with the Mad Hatter, up to the result of all of those discoveries of those faceless bodies, there is no part of this game that does not reward you for exploration and dedication. They even came up with a fantastic prize for finding every single Riddler trophy, solving all of his riddles, and saving all his captives. Not many games give a reward for that, nowadays. Usually they throw us some gamerscore and that's it. This was different. Much better, as well.

I can assure you that finding flaws in a game this good isn't easy. I suppose the music is easiest to single out. The soundtrack is well-produced, for sure. But like many other games of this generation, it's more about sounding like epic orchestra music, and less like a unique and memorable song in a game. Something like that can sound good in the background of whatever Batman is doing. But it won't stick around once the credits roll. Another nitpick would be the negative side of having so many villains in one game. All these faces take up so much time, that it takes away from the ones we want to see the most. Joker got the shaft, in a way. It makes sense, but it isn't ideal. The last thing to mention would be the difficulty in pin-pointing Riddler trophies. The map makes it simple to locate them, most of the time, but the biggest problem happens when the trophy happens to be above or below ground. It can be confusing. No matter. There is no flaw in this game that can take away all of the good things it does. You can bet this game will be remembered. You can bet it inspired thousands of new people to become bat maniacs. And you can bet I'll be returning to this masterpiece of a game once more.

3) Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Nintendo Wii)
12 years ago (or is it 13), Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was released for the Nintendo 64. This was Hal Labs' compromise with the world, on creating a new Kirby game in 3D. It didn't use all 3 dimensions for gameplay, but it looked like a 3D game, visually. And that was the best adventure fans could have with Kirby in 3D. Which was fine. I sincerely enjoyed the game. It's one of my top 50, actually. But once a couple years went by, fans couldn't help but hunger for another Kirby game that worked in the same way. So we waited...and waited...and waited some more. We had plenty of other fun Kirby games to occupy us in the mean time. Even a remake of the best Kirby game ever made. But nothing like Kirby 64 appeared on a home Nintendo console. No matter how much Hal promised us, or teased us with game footage that never came to be, we never got it. Instead, we got a new Kirby adventure on the Nintendo Wii called Kirby's Epic Yarn. Was it a bad game? No, far from it. But it walked away from what many fans look for in the Kirby franchise, all in the name of a random theme (yarn) that came and went. I liked the game, but I wanted a new, traditional console Kirby game more then anything. It seemed like it would never happen!

Then along came Kirby's Return to Dreamland. We've got another boomerang, folks! This brought everything back that fans cherished with Kirby. Copy Abilities are the most important part of a Kirby game. After their absence in the previous yarn game, they were back, and better then ever! Almost every fan favorite ability came back (including the almighty Fighter), but several new ones appeared, and they fit in perfectly with the others! The gameplay, in general went in line with everything past Kirby games used to do, and did it just as well. There were good secrets to uncover, nefarious bosses to beat down, and plenty of exciting moments. The Super Abilities made sure of that! Other parts of the game made the grade, as well. The story was small, but perfect by Kirby's standards. The multiplayer adds a lot to the over all game, while taking away little to nothing in the process. One of the game's most commendable features is the amount of replayability it presents. Beating the game is only half of the totally experience! You get to play the whole game with new bosses and more challenge. You get a boss rush mode that brings new surprises. And there's all of the ability time trials to keep you endlessly addicted to beating them in faster and better ways.

When you think about it, Kirby's Return to Dreamland is kind of a simple game, and it's kind of difficult to describe why it resonates so well with me. Compared to other games on my list, it doesn't have as many things going for it. There's not much voice acting. The writing barely exists. This wasn't the conclusion of an epic trilogy. I'm not sure if this game even managed to sell over a million copies. But I recognize this game as a true treasure for the people who love and enjoy Kirby the most. People like me. Gaming fans that have been with Nintendo from the very beginning. When you consider that other fans and I were waiting for a Kirby game like this for over 10 years...and then this game not only met expectations that developed from that patience...and then exceeded them?! That is truly astonishing. I can say for certain that this game was a dream come true for people who love Kirby and his games.

2) Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360)
This thing that I'm about to say may come as a surprise to you, my reader. But believe it or not, different gamers actually have different tastes in their gaming...Hold on a sec, I think I just heard the entire world take a gasp of shock and awe. Sounded like a hurricane...anyways, yep, it's true! People like different game consoles. They prefer different game genres. They even choose from different games in those genres! Strange, isn't it? I just don't understand why people don't all like the same games I do. Sometimes that makes me so mad! Hmph! Ok, sorry, I'll stop. The point I'm trying to make, is that it can be incredibly difficult to find a game that everyone likes to play together. In my experience, it almost never happens. I can count the amount of games me and my friends unanimously enjoy on one hand. With that information, imagine a game that goes so far to make that happen...for hundreds of hours. Hundreds of glorious, violent, hilarious, exhilarating, liberating, enervating, hula-hooping, loop-de-looping, tax-saving, diner rating, salivating, dodo-saving hours! What game am I talking about? What was in the title? Come on now! Everybody yell it out at the top of your lungs!

BORDERLANDS 2!!!!!!!!!!!

Yaaaay! Borderlands 2. Fun. Lots of it. Lots of fun. You could find fun in very large quantities in this game. And guess what? I did! I loved every part of this game, from conception to the rolling credits, and beyond. The wait for this game was electrifying! I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on this game. It's arrival was like getting a present from an angel. But the best part was when everyone else got this game. No, seriously. All of my friends got this game. Some of you are reading this. You know I'm right! That pretty much never happens. But this time, it did. And I'm so happy it did. Some of my best memories of 2012 come from the time we all spent together. Seriously, it was great stuff. And the reason we could all have such a good time with each other, is because of how many things this game got right.

I'm having a rough time making my praise of good games sound original. Once again, I'm gonna have to talk about amazing gameplay. The kind that allows for well over a hundred types of player choices, and it all works in a valid way. The writing, as you can tell, was full of quality, and full of comedy. If you're like me, you will hang on every word that every character says, just because you're waiting for the next punchline, or the next non-sequitur. A wait that almost always has a great pay-off. The story was well-done, and hit all the right notes. There is so much creativity in Borderlands 2! Some of the ideas included in the game I've never heard of before. The music, while not the best thing I've ever heard, fit the scene perfectly every time. If you compare this sequel to the first game, BL2 outdoes BL1 in every single way, while preserving everything good the first game did. We can even thank Gearbox for creating a better ending then BL1 had (not that it would be difficult to do that). I love the characters. I love the setting. Enemies, vehicles, the boat-loads of references, the loot and XP system, I could go on and on and on. Definitely one of the best games I've ever played........Butt Stallion.

1) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox 360)
Is it bad to get on the bandwagon, sometimes? Ever had those times when all of your friends are enjoying a book/movie/game/whatever, and you didn't really want to try it because you didn't think you'd enjoy it? I don't know about you, but sometimes, I just don't feel like doing what everyone else is doing. It feels like I'm just going along with peer pressure, instead of thinking for myself. You know what I mean? Eh, I don't know, maybe I sound like a hipster right now. But there were a few games from this gen that had me feeling that way. Skyrim was one of them. I saw people jumping for joy during the original trailer, parody videos on youtube, and all kinds of shenanigans. But I wasn't into it. I'm not a big “fantasy” guy, I'm more into sci-fi. Bow and arrows are kind of boring, to me. Besides, I had never played an Elder Scrolls game before, so I wasn't up to date on the lore, and I didn't know anything about the games whatsoever. It just didn't feel like my thing. Nevertheless, as time went on, my interest transformed. I went from mostly uninterested, during the trailers. I was slightly more curious when the game came out. I first began to want to play once my friends showed the game to me. Finally, by the time most of them had beat the game...I was broken. I went out, and got the game.

Boy, was I in for a treat.

Skyrim burst into my psyche like a dragon smashing through a rock wall! Probably a week after I started the game, I was already obsessed. I was spending hours researching character builds, story details, and finding the locations to the places with the best loot or the prettiest scenery. I did not expect the game to get such a strong grip on my life. I could play the game for like 3, 4, 5 hours a day like that! *snap* It was nothing. Gamer fatigue? What fatigue? I just wanted to keep playing, and playing. It was almost scary. I wanted to enjoy everything the game offered me. The main story was just a start. There was leveling to do, armor to craft, weapons to forge, dragons to slay, magic colleges to attend, items to collect, ancient daedra to consort with, etc, etc. As those of you who've already played the game can attest to, that isn't even scratching the surface! There's soooooooo much to do. The best part is, it's all fun! Varying degrees of fun, of course, but all of that can be enjoyed. Most of it jumbled together all at once. I spent over 180 hours playing my first file in Skyrim, playing nothing but the vanilla game (no DLC). It is both frightening and exhilarating to know that I haven't even done half of the things Skyrim has available. Nor have I yet purchased a single DLC, which add many hours of content on their own.

Obsession. Addiction. Compulsion. Engagement. These are Skyrim's greatest strengths. The game's charms are simple. You want to play, just because. You want to be in this world. You want to kill dragons. You want to throw fire balls at stuff. That's all there is to it! It can be more complicated then that, but it doesn't have to be. The simple things in this game are the best things in the game. Once again, let's note that like all good games, Skyrim gives players many different choices to decide from, and almost all of those choices are fun and valid decisions that bring an equal amount of fun benefits. Like being a warrior? Go all out! Don't want anyone to see you? Go full stealth. Do you want to be a better wizard then Gandalf the Grey? Grab that staff and start casting! Can't decide which choice is better? You don't have to, you can do them all! The world of Tamriel is your oyster, and you're free to conquer it as you see fit. You can be anyone you want, and go anywhere you want. That is true freedom, my good reader. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh...wait...it seems not even the proud and glorious Skyrim attains perfection. We all know about the glitches, so there's no reason to really go into detail on that. The writing isn't very strong in many areas, and one person is almost the same as the next. The weapons and armor you find begin to become worthless as you gain more power in the game. Especially once you can make your own. One of the worst faults I can talk about is the lack of variety the game presents, after a while. There are many times you'll need to go underground into tombs and catacombs. You'll solve the same puzzles, kill the same draugers, and pick up the same ancient nord armor again, and again, and again. Repetition is this game's biggest downfall. Of course, no game can escape that. Yet Skyrim suffers to much from same-y-ness. How many bandits did you kill with the exact same spell, who screamed using the exact same voice, and left behind the same fur armor to loot? Too many to count, I can tell you that much. I suppose you can't have such a large world as Skyrim, without running out of unique content to fill it. Still, let's not rag on the game too much for that. In such an expansive setting, we can still find many instances of special events and memorable people. Did you enjoy catching Gleda the Goat? Destroying Alduin? Strolling with a giant underground? Chatting with Paarthurnax? Eating with Ysgramor's Soup Spoon? Becoming a horse? Diving off of the Bard's Leap? Gazing into the night sky, mesmerized by the dazzling northern lights? I know I did. We all did. Skyrim is an incredible game. Special in every sense of the word. And, for once, it was a great reason to jump on the bandwagon.

Top 30: Games #(10-06)

10) Bastion (Xbox 360)
Generation 7 had a unique market of games that had rarely been seen before. In the past, almost every single game had to go on a console, cartridge, floppy disc, or a CD. There were almost no alternatives. That's the main way people could play the games developers made. Such a limitation required publishers, public approval, and created these “expectations” or “rules” that every single game had to follow. If games were too strange, or didn't fit the mold, those games wouldn't be make it to the public, plain and simple. This is what makes downloadable/independent games so unique, and often enjoyable. It's fantastic how those games really came into their own in gen 7. They're these small, quirky, fresh entries in a large and stagnant market. I can really appreciate the flavor they brought to the melting pot of gaming. Something like that deserves to be celebrated!

That goes double for Bastion. Despite my lack of knowledge about the game, prior to my purchase, word of mouth and a Deal of the Week sale encouraged me to buy it. Something I'm very glad I did. Bastion's gameplay was pretty good, involving some melee, some shooting, and some isometric exploration of a world that literally formed underneath your feet. The soundtrack is a joy to the ears, going on this smooth, blues-y, atmospheric trip. The thing that put this game into instant-classic status was the narration. A mysterious man with a voice as cool as a mountain stream provided all of the instruction and story in the game. His words described your every move, and reacted to them. Something like that could have gotten very annoying. But it was done so well here, that it never wore out its welcome. The narration made way for a subdued, yet excellent story; something that is several grades above most other game stories. Bastion is a delightful example of quality being more important to a game, rather then quantity.

9) Dishonored (Xbox 360)
One of the things I value most in video games is the amount of gameplay choices available to the player. The more choices available, and the amount of equally successful benefits to each choice possible, the better the game will be, as a whole. There are several games on this list that fall within that realm. And for good reason. I think the only time a linear game can be enjoyable, is if the one single experience it provides is very, very good. If that experience is only good, or worse, if that experience is bad, then that entire game could become a failure. There may be no saving grace. If, for example, you don't like how Uncharted plays, boom. That's it. It'll be a bad game in your mind, and there's nothing Uncharted can do about it. Because it only plays one way. I think good games avoid that by making every gameplay choice good (not just one choice, or the other). And the best games create new gameplay options you didn't even think were possible.

Dishonored exemplifies this in a multitude of different ways. Gameplay choices don't just offer a lot of practical freedom; they provide new ways of accomplishing goals. Let's take a blank scenario, to illustrate my point: Imagine there's a bad guy guarding a gate with something good behind it. In a typical game, you would shoot the guard, and open the gate with his key. Meanwhile, in the anything-but-typical Dishonored, you can: A) Shoot the guard, and open the gate with his key, B) Open the gate with the switch in the other room, and slit the guard's throat, C) Possess the guard, and make him open the gate by himself, D) Pause time, take the key, get that good thing, leave, and unpause time before anyone knows what happened, or you can do any other choice you can think of between A – Z. Then you can move on to choice AA, choice AB, and so on and so on. You wanna sneak? Go ahead and sneak, the game is made for that. You wanna be John Rambo in steampunk England? Go ahead, the game is made for that. You wanna dance with a dead guard then swim like a fish? Go ahead, the game is made for that. I love it, I love it, I love it! The only reason this isn't my favorite game of this gen is because of a couple things. For one, the story is average. For second, the music is forgettable. Besides some minor things...that's about it. Dishonored is an extraordinary game that had unprecedented levels of potential. Let's hope the upcoming sequel fully realizes it.

8) Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360)
Killing zombies. We certainly did a lot of that this gen, didn't we? Some games weren't designed for it, but did it anyways. Other games were made for it, but couldn't get it right. A paltry collection of games got it right in both ways. When I played the first Dead Rising's demo on Xbox 360 back in 2006, I was floored. The amount of zombies on one screen was never seen before. The graphics were twice as good as anything I had seen last gen, and the amount of ways you could kill zombies was instantly addictive. This was one of the things I first played that convinced me that generation 7 truly was a technological step up from generation 6, instead of being some superficial and disappointing small increase meant to price gouge gamers. Unfortunately, when the full game was released, I heard of too many problems. The game had a strict time limit, the survivors had terrible AI, the bosses used cheap tactics and were a chore to fight, and etc. I figured I had enough fun with the demo, and I could move on from the franchise to find better zombie games like Left 4 Dead. That was definitely NOT the case!

Dead Rising 2 stepped up to the plate, and knocked a zombie head out of the park. It took the bad parts of the first game, and improved them. And then it took the good parts from the first game, and made them even better. That  is something all good sequels should do! My favorite thing about this game is the combo weapons. You can take a huge amount of weapons and items, then stick them together with other weapons and items to create tons of different combo weapons! It was great, because you weren't sure what item you'd end up with. Take a bat, and nails, and then you get a spike bat. Sure, makes sense. But if you take a flashlight, and stick gems inside it, you get...a lightsaber? What?! That doesn't make sense! But who cares? IT'S AWESOME! Finding all the combo weapons added another part of the game to enjoy, in addition to the regular things, like zombie-killing, boss-stomping, and money-collecting. Oh, and Zombrex. Gotta find that Zombrex formula for the main character's daughter. You can't allow her to turn into a zombie, without sending yourself to gamer hell. At least the survivors had good AI this time around. Some of the combos were duds, but that's to be expected. The game also suffered from some cheap moments (coming from bosses of course), and a little too much repetition (despite the nature of the game). That doesn't stop this game from being a violent and enjoyable entry on my list.

7) Castle Crashers (Xbox 360)
Going back to what I said earlier about Bastion, Castle Crashers was unique, enjoyable, and only exists because the downloadable market is more flexible and open-minded then the physical market. Coming from those strange flash movie makers at Newgrounds, this game was a beat-em-up that gave characters magical abilities. This made the game fun in several different lengths of time. As soon as you play it, the game is gratifying thanks to the quick and snappy combat. As you continue further, the characters begin to level up and earn stronger magical abilities. Finally, beating the game more then once remains entertaining because of the different characters you can try, or the new ones you can unlock. Since each one has their own magical flavor, or other unique trait, the game has a lot of variety. Combine this with dozens of weapons, and cute/helpful animal buddies, and you are given a lot of options to have a good time with the game any way you see fit. The music was surprisingly catchy. The humor was amusing too. Play this with 4 friends, and you've got a great way to have fun together.

6) Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360)
Some games are more divisive then others. Maybe they stir up controversy, like the original Mass Effect. Maybe they have an ending people didn't like, as Fallout 3 did. Another problem that can put gamers on opposite sides of the fence is when game developers take a franchise that has a well-known and well-liked gameplay convention, and they change it into something else (either partially or completely). With the first two games in the Banjo Kazooie franchise, Rare made 3D collectathons. Something like Super Mario 64, but on steroids. They made fun characters travel in big worlds, and use many different skills and magical transformations to collect all sorts of doo-dads and trinkets. Rare gained many fans for this franchise because of its large world, playful characters, good music, and all of the ways the games allowed you to collect things. Flying, running, swimming, bouncing, exploring, detecting, traveling, racing, dodging, beating up bosses, and more. But then came the big switch. Rare was no long associated with Nintendo, but was now a part of Microsoft. And somehow, Banjo went along with the ride. After this, Rare had new ideas for Banjo. Once they implemented them into the game we now know as Nuts & Bolts, some fans got really angry. Probably half of the things they liked from the Banjo franchise was gone, and replaced with gameplay they didn't like as much. I can understand where they're coming from, but I am not one of those fans.

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts was the first game that I played in the franchise. And I really enjoyed myself. We're talking, like, well over a hundred hours. Was most of that time spent collecting Jiggies, saving friends, and stopping Grunty the Witch? No, believe it or not. Granted, I did all of that stuff as well, but most of my time was spent building. Then building, along with some building, a little fine-tuning, and building some more. I made dozens and dozens of crazy contraptions. Cars, planes, boats, hover crafts, helicopters, and a bajillion other kinds of vehicles. Plenty of fan-recreations as well. For instance, I worked on a Batmobile, The Black Pearl, The Blue Falcon, a working Pod-Racer from Star Wars, a Warthog from Halo, and even the house from Up. Once you collect all of the building parts in the main game, the creation possibilities are almost endless. I'll admit, I like Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie. There's nothing wrong with that kind of gameplay. But I prefer Nuts & Bolts. The time I spent playing it was more then the time it took me to get 100% completion in BK and BT...combined. I guess, in a way, this was my Minecraft. When I was a kid, I loved playing with Knex and Legos. I suppose this was the game version of that type of fun. And it really, really clicked with me. Something that allowed me to unleash that much creativity deserves a spot on my list.

So...are you ready? Look for the next list to see my 5 most-favorite games of generations 7!!!

Top 30: Games #(15-11)

15) Mega Man 9 (Xbox 360)
Let's talk about game boomerangs. Remember what I said about Contra? It's kind of the same thing here. After Mega Man 7, Capcom did several different things with Mega Man. They gave him one more Game Boy game, quite a few X games, and started his own techno-RPG series that apparently has a sizable following. (Whatever, I don't like them.) The thing is, regular ol' Mega Man didn't get anymore attention after his stinky Playstation game known as Mega Man 8. I guess Capcom didn't know how to make Mega Man great in 3D, or with better graphics, at the very least. So what did they decide to do? Quit. No, no, not that kind of quit. They didn't stop making Mega Man games altogether until March 2011. (Don't worry, I'm not bitter. NOT AT ALL!!! >_<.) My point is that Capcom stopped trying to make Mega Man something he's not, and put him in a stinkin' amazing new game that was quite old.

Mega Man 9 boomerang'd the Blue Bomber back to his glory days in the 8-bit world. It was the exact same scenario we've come to expect for Mega Man. The Evil Dr. Wily has 8 robot masters ready to destroy the world, and Mega Man has to fight them all, one by one! It was genius! To date, I have never seen a game developer make a new game with a franchise that perfectly mimics the old games. And I mean perfectly! The game allowed the player to add screen-flickering effects to the screen. Now that's some dedication for the NES crowd! The game itself was well made. The levels were well designed with a classic mentality. The controls were tight, the gameplay was fine-tuned, and the music matched the high standards of the NES originals. Mega Man 9 was a retro-return done right. Just think about it: No other game developer has ever taken their mascot, and given them a new game that was exactly like their classic games. Nobody does that. It was quite the revolutionary decision. Anyways, even though I'd say Mega Man 10 does it even better, Mega Man 9 gets to destroy List Man!

14) Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360)
I don't think Mass Effect 3's ending was that bad. No, seriously, I've seen worse. If that's all you can stand, you can walk outta that door right now...

Are...are you still there? May I continue this list free of your exaggerated hatred? Good. Mass Effect 3 ended one of the most epic trilogies ever conceived in gaming. Here, we had 3 games, all on one system. They all told this massive story about a universe with freakish magical powers, and ancient malevolent beings that would bring ultimate destruction upon all living beings. It happened. Players who participated in all 3 games actually witnessed that. It is a humongous accomplishment. It's never been done before. Or, at least, not so well. It comes right down to having the exact same main character you've molded and sculpted with your own hands over the course of 3 games' worth of decisions and events. After all the silly hub-bub over the multiplayer that wasn't supposed to be there, on-disc DLC that wasn't supposed to be there, and the most controversial video game ending ever witnessed, all I keep coming back to, is how much fun I had with this game, and how well done the characters and gameplay are. That's all that really matters.

Mass Effect 3 worked on a very grand scale. The story always kept the Reapers, and the worlds they set out to...reap...in focus. Any decision Shepard made, and any fight Shepard fought in, those things were always in the back of my mind. I had to stop them. I had to save everyone! But I didn't have to do it alone. My crazy-awesome crew from the last game was right there with me, ready to stare back into the face of ultimate destruction. Mordin, Garrus, Thane, Legion, Grunt, and even Ashley returned. The twists and turns they were involved in make up some of the best video game cutscenes I've ever seen. I almost cried at a part or two, and I never do that with games. I can't say every part of the story was that special, or even well done. But when this game got it right...wow. The improvements in the singleplayer gameplay were only magnified in the brand new co-op multiplayer. Just like Bioshock 2, this was a mode that didn't necessarily need to exist, but I'm very glad it does. I spent dozens of hours playing that. It may not be perfect, not even close; but Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic end to an unforgettable gaming trilogy.

13) Kirby Canvas Curse (Nintendo DS)
I remember this game coming during a time when the DS still had something to prove. Like most of us who got one that first year, I didn't know what the DS was going to do, for me. It was thanks to games like K:CC that I was able to figure out that I'd made a great decision. Canvas Curse took a simple concept (draw a line for ball Kirby to follow), and expanded on that in fun and smart ways. They kept his copy abilities intact, which is always the best idea for our little puffball. They added levels with good variety, and gratifying rewards for exploration. It also had great unlockable content, and good minigames to extend playtime. What makes K:CC one of the best Kirby spin-offs for me, is how it takes the Kirby formula we know and love, but isn't afraid to add some twists to the concoction. Then it makes sure not to go overboard, and stray too far way from the features we can't live without, and it finds a happy balance. (Something that Kirby's Epic Yarn failed to do, as far as I'm concerned.) Canvas Curse isn't my favorite Kirby game, and not even my favorite spin-off (that goes to Air Ride). But K:CC is a memorable testament to what the DS would come to be known for: good games that sometimes required a delicate touch.

12) Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Xbox 360)
Sigh..alright...before we go any further...we gotta address the elephant in the room. What, you mean you've never met this elephant? Allow me to explain. After I purchased the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and played it for 5 months, I woke up one day to a new announcement from Capcom. This news revealed that there would be an upgraded version of the fighting game I was enjoying...that would come out a mere 3 MONTHS LATER. This, effectively, rendered my $70 special edition of the game obsolete. The upgraded game would have new characters, new stages, new modes, and all of the players were going to migrate there, and leave my game in the dust. I wasn't disappointed...oh no...it was much worse then that. I was legitimately outraged. Like, in real life. Not just in internet terms. I felt supremely ripped-off, like I had never been before. It was horrible, to me. How could a game company rip me off so quickly, after my premium purchase? Did they lack that much value for me? Could they not appreciate the millions of fans who had been waiting, longing, and lining up for this long-dreamed-of-beauty? It seems that's the way it was. I couldn't stand it. I still can't. It's one of the reasons I will always hold a red-hot grudge against a faceless video game company. But enough about my petty feuds with something that doesn't know I exist...

Let's talk about this good fighting game. Oh, really, you didn't know I felt that way about the original MvC3? Yeah, I can see why you'd forget how I used to feel before...No, wait, focus! I definitely loved this game when it first came out. The controls were simplified from past games so I could finally put forth something resembling genuine effort. No longer did I appear to be a monkey smash rocks on the ground! Oh, no, now I had upgraded to the skills of a baby hitting a stick on the wall! WOOHOO! No, but seriously, the game was filled with interesting characters, many of whom we had long-waited for. (Go Deadpool!) The graphics were also very nice to look at, and the action was fascinating to watch (even though I couldn't get it to work in my favor most of the time). Despite the fact that the lack of modes and skimpy online mode disappointed, I was a big fan of the original game. So why is the despicable upgrade on my list, instead of the original? Because all of the things I liked about the original were kept, and other problems were fixed. They even added new characters and stages. All that was missing was Mega Man...poor...poor Mega Man.

11) Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360)
Did I mention that generation 7 was the longest generation in all of gaming? Because it was. As such, there was a unique opportunity for several game franchises to put all 3 of their trilogies on one machine. That usually doesn't happen, in case you were wondering. And so it went for the franchise known as Gears of War. After we played the optimistic outing in the first game, and the one-step-forward-one-step-back second game, we were able to experience the third. We checked out the trailers, we snacked on the beta, and we got our expectations up to a high level. When the hype and excitement for a game rises to such a height, it's quite easy to be disappointed. It's not hard to be crushed, honestly. Not a lot of games can put their money where their mouth is. But against the odds, Gears of War 3 not only met my expectations; it surpassed them and a half!

Gears of War 3 is the best third-person shooter I've ever played. I honestly do not have many complaints with this game, at all. For what it is, and what it does, it got most everything right. The gameplay was expanded, fine-tuned, and cranked to 11. The controls were satisfying, and rarely accused of getting me killed. I like all 4 main modes of gameplay. The campaign (with the always present and popular co-op), competitive multiplayer, the surprise hit known as Beast mode, and the return of the mode that spawned a a few dozen clones, Horde. Every one of these modes was commendable and satisfying. Horde mode had a compelling tower defense feature added in. Beast mode brought a sadistic flavor to the plate, as well as playable locust creatures. Competitive multiplayer was better and more addicting then ever. As for the campaign, it was a pretty good end to the main story. Nothing amazing, but nothing bad either. But there was one thing that Epic Games did better then everything else. One single moment that punched me right in the gut, and left me completely speechless in awe, sadness, and admiration. If you've played the game, you know what I'm talking about. You know what it means to us Gears fans. How it called back to the very first trailer of the very first game. That was a special moment. Something that stands out almost more then anything from this gen.

Top 30: Games#(20-16)

20) Sonic Generations (Xbox 360)
Sonic the Hedgehog...Has there ever been a fall from grace so famous? So harsh? So difficult to forget? Maybe. But you'll have a hard time coming up with another example. This little blue guy used to be the biggest icon, not just in gaming, but in general. He had commercials. TV shows. A slew of popular and profitable Genesis games. He even gained a reputation that was bigger then Mickey Mouse himself (go look it up, it's true). But just like the fall of Rome, Sonic tripped up. Sega released a slew of games that brought Sonic lower and lower. The descent wasn't over until Sonic was placed in what most people recognize as one of the worst games ever made. Talk about rock bottom, right? How could he come back from that? Will he ever? I can't answer that for everyone. As for myself? I say Sonic has fully redeemed himself. He's loop-de-looped over his past and sped on through!

He did that thanks to Sonic Generations. This game proved that Sega still cared about their little blue mascot. And they knew how to do justice to his 20 year legacy. The game focused on Sonic. 2 Sonics, to be exact. The classic Sonic we all know and love, and the modern Sonic who is the face of the franchise today. Using the game as a time-travel vehicle, we were taken through Sonic's entire history. There were levels dedicated to his glory days in the Green Hill Zone. Levels showing off his unusual twists and turns in games like Sonic Colors. Sega even made sure to look back at his worst moments by putting 2 game segments in settings of Sonic '06. And Sega made it all better. The good places were still good, and the bad places were changed into something better. Classic Sonic framed these levels through a nostalgic lens, and brought gameplay that we hadn't seen since the beginning. Modern Sonic threw everything into high gear, and maintained Sonic's name as the fastest thing alive. It was a well-made game. It was a worthy offering to the monster known as the Sonic fanbase. It was everything it should have been, and more. Sonic may not be out of the woods yet, but he's rolling around them at the speed of sound.

19) [Prototype] (Xbox 360)
Prototype isn't the most beautiful game on the Xbox 360. It isn't the longest. It isn't the best, nor the worst. It doesn't have the best story (far from it). The characters could be better then they turned out. Even the gameplay suffered from several flaws. Yet this game made it on my list. Why is that? Because it is the best super-powered open-ended game I've ever played. There are few games that allow you so much freedom, and so much supremacy at the same time. Alex Mercer, the main character, is an all-powerful force of nature. And once you've played enough of the game, you're allowed to unleash every aspect of that power. It's a regular power-fantasy on steroids! Who doesn't enjoy something that cathartic? People looking for a deeper experience, perhaps? There are other games that provide that. I'll respect Prototype for letting me become the ultimate biological weapon, and all the fun and chaos that brings. It is simple, demented fun. You get to karate-kick a helicopter out of the sky. What the heck else do you want?!

18) Portal 2 (Xbox 360)
There are those who say that Portal 2 is inferior to the first Portal. They say it went on too long, the puzzles weren't as good, or that the jokes weren't as funny. Other people say the first Portal isn't much of a game at all, compared to Portal 2. They claim that the first game is more of a demo, then anything. You know what I think?

Portal 2 is fantastic. The comedic timing and sense of whimsy are constantly maintained. New characters like Wheatley and Cave Johnson are some of the best examples of character writing from any videogame, ever. The story is a believable expansion on the world that Portal 1 set up. It has splendid events that unfold nicely, and plot twists that keep the player guessing, laughing, and maybe even crying. Even taking the cynics into account, I can't imagine that many people would hate on the co-op play. That is simply genius, and an absolutely perfect fit for a game like Portal. This game expanded in every way expected, and in unexpected ways as well. As far as I'm concerned, Valve can do no wrong when it comes to game development. And this game continues to demonstrate that.
What happens when I compare both games? I say Portal 1 and 2 are both great in different ways. Portal 2 is really, really amazing.

17) Plants vs. Zombies (Xbox 360)
The only example of a tower defense game you'll ever see on my list, Plants vs. Zombies is quite enjoyable. It's easy to pick up, but offers dozens of hours in content and strategy. After you learn the in-and-outs of the game, there is nothing better then heading over to endless mode. Choose your plant protectors, then dig in to fight the zombie invasion! By the time you've set up your frozen watermelon catapults, pumpkin-protected Wallnuts, and your corncob cannons, almost nothing can stop you. Not even the Gargantuar. Despite the minigames included with the main game, I can't say this game is the biggest, most engrossing experience you'll find in gaming. It isn't the most memorable, and it doesn't do anything revolutionary. But that doesn't matter. Plants vs. Zombies has earned its place in the sun, on my list.

16) Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360)
Like a lot of gamers from the early 90s, I've got good memories of the original Mortal Kombat. I couldn't really play them, myself, but I enjoyed watching them. After the first 2 games, this franchise mostly passed me by. I hadn't really heard about it, or payed attention to the few tidbits that came my way. I'm not sure why. But it didn't really matter, seeing as the franchise took a gigantic nose-dive in quality after the original trilogy. I got my feet wet with the ridiculous Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. But that was a small sign of what was to come.

Mortal Kombat, AKA MK9, is the best fighting game I've played in generation 7. I understand there is a certain stigma that comes along with that. “Oh, you don't really play fighting games. MK doesn't count. You have no skills. Bla bla elitism bla bla joy kill” Yeah, whatever guys. This game is just more fun. Deal with it! The character selection is stocked up well. And not with junk, most of the time. Many of the characters have their own pros and cons, and are all powerful in their own ways. Where other fighting games failed to provide an interesting story to accompany their fighting (which is something I am very disappointed about with Soul Calibur 4 and 5), MK provided. It's like a B movie you can play! The game comes with everything else games should have, as well. It's got plenty of different modes, online play, secrets, cheat codes, and a butt-load of unlockables. It gets everything right, and is a blast to play. I would question the controls, but I'm not sure if it's the game's fault I didn't complete that uppercut, or my own faults. (It's probably the game.) There's also the fact that every woman in this game is a puffed-up barbie doll in skimpy clothes. But besides those bust-ups, Mortal Kombat still earns a flawless Victory.

Top 30: Games #(25-21)

25) New Super Mario Bros. Wii
The concept of a new Super Mario Bros. game was mind-blowing in 2006. We hadn't seen a numbered entry in the mario franchise for many years. It was exciting, and full of promise. But when the game finally arrived on Nintendo DS, I personally found it...lacking. While the concept was really awesome, the gameplay just didn't live up to expectations. This changed what I began to expect for New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I heard what it was going to do, and I wasn't so impressed. That's when NSMBW caught me by surprise.

I believe this game is twice as good as the original DS game. The level design is improved, the power-ups offer more variety, Yoshi returns to carry Mario like in the old days, and the gameplay is tighter then ever. The biggest change-up was, of course, the multiplayer. Having 4 people on the screen at once should have made the game 4 times easier, right? Wrong. That situation was as much a curse as it was a blessing. When there are 3 different bodies on the same platform, it's very easy to push someone over. Mistakes like knocking someone into a pit, stealing a power-up, or falling behind the pack are very common, and occasionally frustrating. On the flip side, it's much easier to have back up to stomp on enemies, reach higher areas, and split up to find secrets. Taken as a whole, I would say that 4-player co-op is a very good addition to the Mario formula. All of those fun memories yelling at, and cheering for friends are what get this game on my list.


24) Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
Every time I come back to this game this is the first thought I have: “War...war never changes.” Thanks to Ron Perlman, I can never get that out of my head. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know anything about the Fallout franchise when I got this game as a gift on Christmas of 2009. I'm clueless about the first 2 games, or how much Fallout 3 apparently deviates from them. I can't say whether this game wasn't a “true” RPG, or how the writing might not be as good as F1 and F2. But, honestly, I couldn't care less. Fallout 3 was an unforgettable experience.

The journey from experience level 1 – 30 is a sustained learning experience. I wasn't the same Fallout 3 player at the end then who I was when I started. Heck, I wasn't the same gamer who I was when I started. My skills and abilities developed over the course of time I spent playing Fallout 3 from start to finish. Having all that time to travel across the nuclear wasteland will do that to a person! Most of that time was great. The writing is very well done, and has plenty of unique material. The collection of weapons is exhilarating, compelling, and allows for a nice balance between lethal, extraordinary, and hilarious. Finding companions was as great as traveling with them, and there was always plenty of fun things to do. The biggest sore-spot of the game is the subway section. My memory of them is jumbled, confused, lost, samey, boring, and almost painful. The game also suffers from a slight lack in compelling rewards for exploration. Regardless, Fallout 3 is a well-made game. (When it isn't glitching.)


23) Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Bioshock 1 is a better experience then Bioshock 2. And yet, Bioshock 2 is a better game then Bioshock 1. The story of Bioshock 2 isn't quite as good, or memorable. The characters don't stand out as much. Returning to Rapture obviously can not match the sense of wonder and excitement of the initial introduction in B1. And the concept of the main character being a Big Daddy takes away from that creature's previously unsettling and mysterious nature. It's not as scary if we get to know it first-hand, am I right?


No, not so much. Because being a Big Daddy is empowering as all get out! You get a giant drill, instead of a wrench. This is where the better game aspect comes in. Plasmids are improved, and offer more upgrades. The weapons work even better, and are more plentiful and varied. The hacking minigame was changed/minimized, which many people viewed as an improvement. The largest shock was finding out that the multiplayer mode (something perceived as tacky and unnecessary when first announced) was surprisingly deep and enjoyable. Customizable loadouts, new plasmids, and using Big Daddy suits against other splicers helped make this one of the most unique multiplayer modes of any FPS from this gen. It wasn't the most desired sequel ever conceived, but Bioshock 2 proved itself to be a worthy return to the fascinating world of Rapture.


22) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Something I want to document in this list is defining moments in gaming history, and just how many of them occurred during generation 7. Take Super Mario Galaxy, as an example. Ever since 2002, Nintendo fans had been going insane for a new 3D Mario game. That goes even longer if you count the people who did not enjoy Sunshine, and only liked Super Mario 64. It seems that Nintendo was well aware of this, and worked hard to provide a game that would not only satisfy fan expectations, but shatter them completely, bringing along a brand new generation of children gamers along for the ride.


Super Mario Galaxy was very special when it arrived. Mario controlled almost exactly like he did in 64, and he didn't have to deal with a water gun on his back. The level design is mostly incredible, overflowing with creativity, charm, thoughtfulness, and regular old fun. Using gravity as a game-changer was genius on Nintendo's part. It revolutionized the 3D Mario formula. Players had to wrap their minds around the tricky levels that had moving, mind-bending gravity switches. Running on walls and ceilings wasn't just an occasional situation; it happened constantly! Players had to use gravity itself to beat the game and save Princess Peach. This kind of thing never happened in games before (or was almost never seen). It was something truly new in every sense of the word. While I will say that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was able to better deliver on the concepts begun in the first game, Super Mario Galaxy is full of talent, challenge, and genuine spirit.


21) Wii Sports
Personally, I don't enjoy playing this game all that much. This is the barest of the bare bones when it comes to minigame collections. You got the 5 sporting events. Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing. I place bowling at the top, of course. That can still be mildly amusing with 4 people. When it comes to the controls, they're very simple now. That's obvious, though, since this is the first game made for the Wii. I can't criticize Wii Sports for when it was released. But it remains a factor none the less. I haven't played this game for a few years, and I don't exactly regret that.


So why's this game on the list? Impact. Wii Sports had an enormous impact upon the video game industry. Let's be clear, here. We know that motion controls were nothing new. They had been used on the PS2, the Sega Genesis, and even the first Nintendo console, with the Power Glove. Nevertheless, Wii Sports was the gateway to the modern day motion control craze. Kinect, Skyward Sword, The Move. Even the gyroscopes placed in the next generation of consoles. They can all attribute their use back to the Wii. And the Wii started with Wii Sports. That's something I recognize and respect.

Top 30: Games #(30-26)

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.

Top 30's Disclaimer

Before I reveal what my top 30 games are, let me clarify a few things. (Read the bold if you want a shortcut. But you might miss something important...)

Keep this in mind: this list does NOT necessarily go in order. For example, I do not necessarily consider random game #24 better than random game #16. On the other hand, my list is not totally random. To give you an idea on how it works, lets just say that games #1-5 are the favorites of my favorites. Then, all of the other games on my list come after that. I like games #6-30 for different reasons, and it isn't good to directly compare them to one another. Sort of like apples and oranges, you know? So yeah, first comes 1-5, then everything else. Got it?

Ok, now let me explain how I justify a game being on this list. For one thing, the game has to be objectively good. That's based on things we can all experience like graphics, sound, controls, amount of content, etc. For another thing, the game has to mean something to me. Each game must be subjectively good. It should relate to my past memories, and good experiences I've had.

Going along with the above, Let me explain something to you. Back in 2010, I made a list of 50 of my all-time favorite games. There were several games on that list that came from generation 7. Since I didn't want to write about those same games once again, I didn't put some games on this new list that totally deserve it. To be clear on this point, I will put a small list of games at the bottom of this disclaimer to demonstrate which games couldn't be put on this list.

This connects to a hidden purpose of this list: I'm going to use this list as a sort-of extension of my first list. It was impossible for me to put games like Skyrim on a list made in 2010. I can't do those sort of things, I'm not a Time Lord. Keep in mind that some of these games on my top 30 list deserve to be on my top 50 list! But I can't change what I wrote, so I'm putting it in here.

Also, as I explained in the announcement, no games from the Playstation 3 or the Playstation Portable will be on this list. I've owned both systems, and neither game had anything worthy of this list. I'm going to picture myself in 5 years. By then, I'm most likely going to forget every single game I played on a generation 7 Sony system. That's just how things turned out. Don't blame me, blame Sony. It's not my fault they dropped the ball this gen.

To go along with that, please remember that I couldn't put every game I ever liked on here. You're going to look at my list, and you're probably gonna think I'm missing something. Let me assure you, I gave this list a couple of days worth of thought. I even looked through complete lists of hundreds of games, just to make sure I didn't forget anything important. I did not miss any games. If a game is not on the list, I haven't played it, or it doesn't deserve to be on the list, in my opinion. Remember, this is a list of favorites, instead of a list of the “best” games ever. So, if you want to take my list personally, for some reason...umm...don't. It's my list, and this is how it's arranged. My choices nothing to do with you, just with me, and my preferences/tastes. However, if enough people start bringing up enough games, I'm sure I can create a list of honorable mentions at some point.

This list has games from Nintendo and games from the Xbox. I have racing games, fighting games, puzzle games, and a lot of platforming games (haha). There's tons of variety, and as little system-based bias as possible. There's no secret agenda, no hidden meanings, nothing. With that in mind, don't start calling me a fanboy of such and such. I didn't make a list based on fanboyism, just my unofficial and humble opinion.

Finally, this list will have some spoilers. In order to talk about these games properly, and what I love about them I need to talk about each and every part of the game. So yeah, spoiler alert, and what not. I'll try to keep them to a minimum.

And so, without further ado, please enjoy my list of My Top 30 favorite video games of generation 7!

Games that will not go on this list, but totally deserve it:

• Rock Band 3
  
• Halo 3
  
• Bioshock
  
• Borderlands
  
• Bowser's Inside Story
  
• Donkey Kong Country Returns
  
• Left 4 Dead 2
  
• Halo: Reach
  
• Mario Kart Wii
  
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
  
• Half Life 2 + Episode 1 + Episode 2
  
• Portal
  
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
  
• Mega Man 10
  
• Assassins Creed 2
  

These are the games I've already talked about in the past, and have nothing new to say about them.

Top 30: Announcement

The 7th generation of the video game world has been the longest game generation in history. It's time we talked about it, and the great games that came from it.

It began in America on November 21st, 2004, with the release of the Nintendo DS. Not to be outdone by Nintendo, Sony tried to find their handheld gaming success, and released the Playstation Portable. Sadly for Sony, nobody liked their handheld except for pirates. PSP definitely won't be on my list.

 As it continued, generation 7 saw the release of the Xbox 360. It promised to have bigger, better, high definition graphics, and higher dedication to online play and connections. The 360 had all of that, and a big problem with overheating. Then came the Nintendo Wii. This brought about the motion control revolution, and all the crud that tried to copy it.

But this gen had one more trick up it's sleeve! Sony was back, and ready to cash in on their glorious playstation 2 user base! On November 17, 2006, Sony released the Playstation 3 for 599 US DOLLARS. With a price that high, there's no way it's making it on my list either.

From 2007 and onwards, the consoles and handhelds have waged a bloody, arduous war, competing for consumer coinage and affection. At the time, nobody could see the end coming. How did Nintendo rise to the top, when the Gamecube had failed to do so in the previous gen? What happened to Sony? The Playstation 2 was the best-selling console of all time! And who could see Microsoft's rise into gaming success with the 360? I'm not sure anybody owned the first Xbox, except for Halo fans. What a change, now that almost everyone owns an Xbox 360 (and not just for Call of Duty).

Here we are, on the cusp of the 8th generation of gaming. It's 2012, and the 7th generation is finally coming to an end, a whopping 7 years later! The 3DS is here, and so is that other handheld. (I can't remember the name...oh well.) And now the Wii U is here to bring Nintendo up to speed with the...current gen...oh dear. I'm sure it will all work out, right?

Since we're at the end of a gaming era, I thought it would be the perfect time to look back on this generation of gaming, and find my absolute favorite games! I'll be listing 5 games per entry, and we'll keep going until we get to the top 5! Enjoy the ride, everyone! I know I will. Let's get to...  

JC's top 30 favorite video games of generation 7! 

(By the way, if you're curious to know about the rules, why I'm “missing” certain games from this list, or how I chose what games went on this list, please check out this list's disclaimer.)

View: Anime

Did you watch cartoons when you were a kid? I think the majority of us did. Nothing catches a kid's eye like bright colors, flashing lights, funny characters, topped off with a catchy theme song. For some of us, cartoons reflect a part of our childhood. If that rings true for your life, you probably saw cartoons of all kinds. Looney Toons. Kim Possible. Animaniacs. Batman. Dragon Ball Z.

The last example is what I want to talk about today. Yes, I'm talking about anime. That special kind of cartoon that could only come from our brothers and sisters from the far east. Japan has done their best to create hundreds of cartoon tv shows in order to capitalize on our bored and easily amused youth. And the anime industry has become very successful in the west as a result. At some point during the 80's and 90's, anime shows quietly swept into our televisions, computers, and minds. At this point, its a multi-million dollar juggernaut of an industry. We watch the tv shows, we buy the dvds, we draw the characters on our computers. It has become so popular, entire conventions are held in anime's honor, all across the united states. Anime is so powerful nowadays. Who would dare stand against it?

Me.

Yes, that's right. I don't like anime...Okay, that's not entirely honest. Out of the several dozen anime television shows I have sampled during the course of my life, I have found only a few golden nuggets of pleasurable entertainment amongst the brown sea of generic eastern incoherence. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before I talk about what does work for anime, I'm going to explain what does not work.

But before I do that, let me be clear. I'm not an anime expert. I'm not Japanese. I don't have a respectable grasp on Japanese culture. I can barely understand it at times. I also have a hunch that some of anime's failings are not to blame on the shows themselves. The nuances of the show, or the ideas behind them may be lost to me. Furthermore, I'm willing to guess that some of the shows I have watched have lost a touch of quality during the translation from the Japanese language into the English language. Therefore, you should probably take what I have to say with a grain of salt. I could be missing the point. Having said that, let's explore what ruins the anime experience for me.

1) Too much dialogue
I come across this in almost every anime I watch. A mere second of an anime show seems to contain about 5 times the amount of dialogue than its western cartoon cousins make use of. The main characters in shows seem to ramble on, and on. A typical scene in an anime consists of two or more characters in the show. The scene is held completely still, as the show's camera zooms in and out of the character's faces. As they talk, their actors are bouncing paragraph after paragraph of dialogue in between each other, no doubt using up an entire page of script.

And for what? To explain a character's motives. To explain details about the show. To describe an aspect of the show that can't be seen at the moment. It could really be about almost anything. Blah, blah-blah, blah-blah! All I know is, 10 minutes of the show can go by, and the plot can go absolutely nowhere. It's so worthless.

It's just talking. Too much talking. Most of the time, it isn't even funny dialogue, or thought provoking. There's no flow. It's just one statement after the other, or the protagonist/antagonist trying to one-up each other with their words, instead of doing some actual fighting.

All that dialogue brings the anime's flow down to a crawl. Nothing happens. We don't like the characters any better. It causes more damage to the show, instead of providing any sense of entertainment. And it's used for such meaningless purposes! For example, I just watched an episode of a show created in 2007. In it, the female protagonist is surrounded by hit-men in speedboats. In a flying rampage, she leaps from boat to boat, taking out all hands on deck with a grenade launcher and a machine gun. As is always the case with these shows, all of the bullets from the bad guys miss her, and she destroys them all without breaking a sweat. As she successfully returns to her own ship, the main character shouts the obvious “Wow, she just killed all those men with a grenade launcher!” No...really? Thanks captain obvious!

These shows keep talking at us for hours at a time. They're trying so hard to convince us that their characters are awesome! They are truly the best. They are the most skilled, the strongest, or the most filled with virtue. They have a dark and distressing past, but that's okay! They are going to put it aside to show us just how amazing they are. Alright, alright, we get it, guys! But next time, keep it simple. Show, don't tell. Your anime will be much faster paced, and your audience won't get caught up in a mess of words.

2) The story is too convoluted
Many shows do their best to develop a good story, and create a cast of characters to inhabit that story, so they can bring their experience to the audience. But sometimes, anime simply gets too confusing for its own good. The way I see it, an anime like this does its best to create such a compelling, unconventional tale, it will surpass the expectations of the audience, and encourage them to watch every detail in every episode. Nothing creates a more loyal fan that an intelligent story that keeps you guessing, right?

Unfortunately, that mindset often works against the anime. After a certain point, I simply get lost. I will have no idea what's going on, or what the characters are trying to say. Some examples that come to mind include shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, and Big O. It's like the characters are speaking a different language, even though I can clearly hear them speaking in English It's too much!

If you're trying to weave an engrossing story, break it down for us, okay? We can't keep up with all of those crazy codes, unconventional takes at morality, and political intrigue. Your philosophy is great, I'm sure. But don't pull down the entire show because you're trying to explain every last detail of it to me! Don't be so heavy-handed. Lay off a little. Try to keep the story grounded. That way, your audience can understand what's going on, and can get interested. Just make sure you don't send us a tidal wave of dialogue to try and explain everything. That makes it worse.

3) The show is not universally appealing
Cat girls. Tiny floating animals. Spunky schoolgirls in miniskirts. A man who sword-fights with his teeth. Exaggerated faces with angry bulging veins, a mouth that looks like a sideways 3, or characters that spontaneously shrink into shapes that resemble a cabbage patch kid. Do you have a clue what I'm talking about? No? Well neither do I!

Japan has a radically different culture. They have restaurants with a toilet-theme (complete with poo-shaped food). Giant robots are erected as park statues. One of their most popular singers is nothing but a holographic computer image, working with a computer program that creates an artificial singing voice. There are some things we may never understand about them.

So when we get a tv show from them, there are going to be thoughts, ideas, and actions that make sense to them, but not us. I get it, it happens. That's ok. Many anime shows have a broad range of appeal, and will not suffer from a Japan-ism here and there. My problem is when the entire show is created specifically with the Japanese demographic in mind, and yet somehow arrives to our shores.

For example, consider the anime called Lucky Star. It's about a group of Japanese high school girls, dealing with normal life issues. That doesn't seem so out of place, until you discover that the show's intended demographic is adult males. A very girly, cutesy, feminine show, made for adult men. The show's main appeal is its cute characters, and typical storyline. Can somebody tell me how this interests anyone who isn't a teenage girl? Yet somehow, it does. If you look at the intro of this show on youtube, it has over 3 million views.

You would think something like that would be impossible. But its not. I don't know how, but I do know this. I am an adult male, with normal adult interests. I like things that are shiny, fast, sexy, cool, intelligent, strong, inspiring, scary, or violent. I have absolutely no interest in seeing fake, cute little girls talking about normal girly things in obnoxiously high voices. And I can't imagine a normal adult male who would disagree with me on this. I can't see the appeal of these type of animes at all, and yet these can often prove to be the most popular animes of all. How can this be? Your guess is as good as mine.

Ok, that's fine. There are some things that interest Japan that just don't make sense here in the states. Alright. But if the show is geared towards such a specific audience, it doesn't belong here. At best, it will be unsuccessful here, and will fail to draw attention. At worst it creates a strange sub-culture of men and women that hug pillows with anime girls drawn on them, and dance anime cheerleader routines in public. If your show isn't fit for all audiences, don't try to market it for everyone. Keep it to yourself.

4) Filler
This isn't as much of an issue for anime shows that are good. But it makes the bad animes even worse. The term “filler” describes when a show has an episode or more that seems to serve no purpose for the story or the characters. Often, this type of episode is created because the anime is based upon a graphic novel called a “manga.” Sometimes, the anime is created at or near the same time of the manga. As the tv show works to translate the manga into something viewable, the manga is written in parallel. At a certain point, the anime has a chance of being finished sooner than the manga has a chance of being written. When that happens, the anime has to continue to make new episodes, while the story has yet to be continued.

Then along comes filler. These episodes are stalling for time, while still giving the audience something to view. Typically, these episodes range from acceptable quality to simply worthless. The main characters may talk for 17 minutes, and only fight during the last 5 minutes of the show. Nothing new will happen in the plot. Nothing new about the characters will be explained. It's a waste of the viewer's time, and a waste of effort from the Japanese animators. Either the anime should tell a complete story, or a new story all of its own, independent from outside sources.

/////////

These are just a few of the problems and cliches that are holding back many anime television programs today. But not all animes suffer from these aggravations. Just like many other forms of entertainment, I have found some good animes surrounded by all of the bad animes. I took a risk with this genre, and once in a while, I got something good from it.

If you're like me, and you can't stand most anime shows, here are a few examples that might change your mind (for mature audiences). Cowboy Bebop is what I'd recommend first. It's by far my favorite anime. Trigun is next. Fooly Cooly (aka FLCL) is a unique, short series. Death Note is a great mystery series, with a dash of the supernatural. Samurai Champloo is stylish and entertaining. Perhaps Hellsing, if you're into vampires that don't sparkle.

My last recommendation is actually a series of movies produced by a single anime studio. These films are all made at Studio Ghibli. Unlike the shows I recommended above, almost every one of these movies are fit for people of all ages. Some of the best films from Studio Ghibli include Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, and Spirited Away. All of the movies this studio makes are creative, imaginative, beautiful, and surreal. They will transport you to amazing places, and help you forget life's problems (if only for a little while). I haven't seen a movie from Studio Ghibli that I didn't like.

This brings us to the conclusion of this article. I guess what I've been trying to say is be wise with your entertainment choices. Anime is an entertainment giant. It's not going anywhere. You're likely to meet plenty of people who recommend that you watch as much of it as you possibly can. Well, I would warn you to be cautious. I'd say 75% of anime is crap, if not more. Keep an eye out for it. If you look hard enough, you just might find something you like. If you don't, that's okay...

- It is what it is.

View: Tetris

I just spoke to a friend of mine earlier today. He mentioned an interesting fact during our conversation, as is usually the case between us. He told me that Tetris has over 65 different versions of itself. That is more than any other electronic game/gaming franchise currently in existence. Nobody and/or nothing else can say the same. Not Mario, nor Pac-man. Bejeweled can't claim such success, and neither can Snake. Tomagotchi wishes it was this successful, along with Pokemon. Not even the grandfather of gaming, Pong, can say that it has over 65 different releases on almost every single piece of electronic media that has the ability to play games.

So I began to think about what Tetris means to me. Such a well-known video game phenomenon deserves some attention and introspection. I have played several different versions of the game during the the course of my gaming history, and I have a pretty good idea about what Tetris is, and what I think is so great about it. I'll work through this particular view by examining a few choice games of Tetris that made a difference in my life, beginning with the first game of Tetris that I ever came in contact with.

Like almost anything wonderful that I have been introduced to in my life, my introduction to Tetris came from my mother. She was an avid player of the original Nintendo Entertainment System as I was growing up. When I was still in diapers, she would spend her time playing Tetris on the NES when I was sleeping for the night. It was almost an addiction for her, you might say. Occasionally, she played it during the day. And when she did, it caught my attention, naturally.

I can't remember exactly when I started playing it, or how, but this was definitely the first version I saw. Going back to it now, it pretty basic. You get the basic game, a time attack version, and that's pretty much it. There was no 2-player mode, and only 3 different sets of music to play the game to. At the time, that was all that was needed. Nowadays, that might not work. I give this version credit, for introducing me the sensation that Tetris already was, and was to become.

The next time Tetris would re-enter my life would be in the game Tetris & Dr. Mario, on the Super Nintendo. As I understand it, this game has become quite rare nowadays, and is somewhat difficult to get a hold of. I can imagine why. This is a pretty special game. It comes with an upgraded version of the NES's Tetris, a graphically re-done version of Dr. Mario from the NES, and a brand new mode that pitted the player against both game modes in a row. That kind of stuff just isn't done in video games anymore, you know? I would explain why Dr. Mario is a great compliment to Tetris, but maybe I'll save that for another entry. All I can say about this particular game was that it was fun, the competition between players was better realized, and it was a nice double-pack of a game.

It's a good thing I had that game, because I wouldn't see a new version of Tetris in my life for quite some time. Fast forward to my pre-teen years. I grew up on the Nintendo side of things, so to speak. So I missed out on things like the Sega Saturn, and most of the original Playstation. As the Nintendo 64 did not get much of my attention for Tetris...it seemed I was out of luck for a while. As fate would have it (if you believe in that sort of thing), I would eventually get a Playstation near the end of the Playstation life-cycle. Because of that, I didn't play many games on the Playstation. Yet there was one I remember.

Tetris Plus for the Playstation did quite a few different things for me, and for Tetris. It came with classic mode, and vs. mode, as usual. However, this version had 2 differences. The first was puzzle mode. It involved protecting a professor trapped among the Tetris blocks, and getting him to the exit at the bottom of the screen. What really got me hooked on this particular version, though, was edit mode. Edit mode was a special feature that allowed the player to create their own Tetris levels, and try to solve them on their own. I made plenty of puzzles for others to try out. Of course, the only “play-tester” I had at the time was my mom, but I don't think she minded.

I wouldn't touch another Tetris for a couple of years. After a while, Tetris Worlds came along, which I played on the Nintendo Gamecube. I would say that this is probably the weirdest version of Tetris I've played, and certainly the most unique. Tetris Worlds brought along a throwaway, alien storyline, and 6 different variations of Tetris. Every time the player starts a game, a female voice would whisper “Go for a Tetris.” Some called it sexy, I just thought it sounded creepy. It wasn't something I wanted to hear alone, at night.

Even though there were 6 different variations of Tetris, only 2 of them made an impact upon me. The first was classic Tetris. The second was called Fusion Tetris. In this particular version, there was one small glowing square, called an atom block. Other small blocks would fall from the top, along with normal Tetris blocks. The goal was to connect the small blocks with the atom blocks, in order to create a fusion. What I loved most about this variation, was how those small blocks could literally fit into any possible hole. This is the only game to unseat the almighty “stick block” as the single best, most useful Tetris block. I enjoyed Tetris Worlds a bit, but it became just a footnote in my Tetris experience, once my next Tetris experience came to pass.

Tetris DS is the next Tetris game I played. This one was special. It currently holds the spot as my personal favorite game of Tetris ever created. Why, you might ask? Because it combines everything I could ever want from a Tetris game all into one. Then, it brings innovative new variations of Tetris that work better than the ones attempted in Tetris Worlds. On top of that, it adds a dosage of old-school Nintendo goodness, making the aesthetic pleasing and the soundtrack catchy/familiar. Let's not forget portability. One of the most important success factors for Tetris is portability. (If you disagree with me, ask gameboy/cellphone owners.) Add to that an easy to access, exciting multiplayer mode, and you have the perfect Tetris game, as well as the perfect puzzle game.

This particular game had many things going for it. I liked some of it, and didn't like the other parts. My less favorite parts included the more gimmick-y modes of play, such as Touch Tetris. Since this was a DS game, it had to have touch controls thrown in (naturally). Touch Tetris wasn't terrible, but controlling each piece individually with the touch screen proved to be inaccurate. Besides that, it added gravity to the blocks, which muddled everything together. Puzzle mode wasn't too hot, either.

Meanwhile, my favorite mode, besides classic, of course, was Catch Mode. Catch Mode was placed in an 8-bit Metroid setting. The goal was to rotate a 4x4 square of Tetris around, to catch falling Tetris blocks. If the player missed any Tetris blocks, they would fall to the bottom of the screen, and the player would lose health from the life bar. By catching Tetris blocks, the 4x4 block grew to become a 16x16 block. Once that happened the big block was set to explode. By catching falling Metroids and other blocks in the explosion, points would be added to the score, and health would be added to the life bar. I found this mode most innovating and entertaining out of any other mode of Tetris I've played (besides classic, of course).

Vs mode wasn't unique to this particular Tetris game. Other games had attempted it before, that's true. What made this particular vs. mode better, was the level of interaction between players. This vs. mode had items that players could use to help themselves, and hinder others. A star could enable the player to have constant “stick blocks” falling on their screen, or a banana could scramble the playing field of the opposite player. I think this type of back-and-forth mechanic in multiplayer helped foster the most fun and competition. Add to the fact that all that was needed for vs. mode was one game, and another DS, and players now had access to an easy and fun game of competitive Tetris. Simply ingenious.

I believe it ends here. The latest version of Tetris I played afterwords was a game called Tetris Splash, on the Xbox Arcade. This was nothing but a regular game of Tetris set in an aquarium backdrop, so it didn't make any kind of impression on me. In total, Tetris is a very classic series to me. It seems to be one of the only games capable of staying fun and addicting for years upon years of play. Indeed, Tetris is so special, it has the ability to cause “The Tetris Effect” in people, causing them to see Tetris blocks when they close their eyes, and go to sleep. That may sound scary to some, but it doesn't surprise me in the slightest. When you play that much Tetris, like I have, it gets to you, after a while. Not to worry. The fun to be had is totally worth it. And besides, when I play Tetris in my mind, I always win. That makes me smile. I'm sure we'll all be experiencing that fun Tetris effect for years and years to come.