In the first 50 on Hyper Magazine's 2018 list 'The 200 games you must play' I found out I hadn't played many of them at all. As we work out way through the next 50, I suspect that low number I've clicked into will become a reoccurring theme..
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| Hopefully this isn't on the list |
(This is part 2 of the list. If you want to start at the very beginning as we explore 200 on down, just click here.)
Games I have played are in green.
Games I haven't played are in red.
Games I'm not really sure I've played or not are in yellow.
51. WARCRAFT 2: TIDES OF DARKNESS - 'Work complete! Zug Zug!' Amazing that for a game that came out when I was 16 (for perspective I'm slightly over 40 now), I can still recall some of the amazing sound effects to this day. Or more to the point lines from the game, like the orc peon chopping away at trees when you ask him to and telling you when the job is done. That was half the fun of the game, clicking on a unit over and over again under you exhausted their vocal range and moved onto the next.
While I enjoyed number 2, for me Warcraft 3 was truly where it was at and was one of my biggest gaming highlights when I moved into the world of PCs. Surely that's still coming up on this list.
Isn't it? It has to be..
(14/200)
52. IL-2 STURMOVIK - I'll be honest here, I'm rubbish at Flight Sims. My history amounts to a few take offs (and crashes) and just two successfully completed missions in A-10 Attack and that's it, unless we count Sim Meir's Ace Patrol series which I enjoyed...but aside from also including planes, has little else in common with Sturmvoik. So we can safely tuck this one away in the 'not played yet, possibly won't' category..
53. PHANTASY STAR ONLINE - I mentioned in the first 50 my one and only foray into this particular world and it didn't go well. So I'm under no allusions that this will ever get crossed off my own 'have played' list.
54. THE STANLEY PARABLE - 'The Stanley Parable is a first person exploration game. You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley'
Well okay then, it turns out I have not played as Stanley...ever.
55. ZEN BOUND - Knowing nothing at all about this one I had to google it and it's....wrapping string/rope around various things? Not what I figured though with the name, I had visions of a beat em up where you have to defeat the forces of hell to get to heaven.
This is probably why I don't design video games for a living..
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| What is going on here? |
56. WE LOVE KATAMARI - We love calamari? Wait sorry, didn't have my glasses on. Now being a PS2 fan, I would have undoubtedly come across this title back in the day but judging a book (or in this case a game) by its cover I can honestly say I would have immediately glossed over the cut out cover and given this a wide berth. (Is anyone else getting a hilarious Parappa the Rapper vibe?) Having watched some gameplay seconds ago on Youtube...yeah sorry, it hasn't changed my mind. Like cars, comics, games, movies and books I have a type and calamari, sorry Katamari isn't one of them.
57. CAPCOM VS SNK 2 - I was dead certain I'd pumped in a handful of gold coins at the Jam Factory in South Yarra into this one back the day but a quick investigation tells me that's not the case. This came out in 2001 which means it missed my time in the 90's hanging out there with mates in the arcade and at Zone 3 Laser Tag. I remember using Wolverine a fair bit...who isn't in this game nor the first one. It turns out I've been reminiscing over Marvel vs Capcom and somehow missed this. Which considering how much I enjoyed both the Street Fighter games and the King of the Fighters series, I can't believe I haven't given it a go yet.
Is it on Mame?
58. NIER - Action RPG which was a spin off from a series I also wasn't aware of. Like overplayed songs on the radio, it's obviously someone's favorite somewhere.
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| How did you get here? |
59. NBA JAM - Somewhere in my collection of 90's video game magazines I had one with cheat codes for NBA Jam to unlock hidden characters at the arcade so suddenly Raiden from the Mortal Kombat series of games could play basketball up against Jordan. Amazing. Thanks to my brother Guy, I also ended up with a copy of this for the Xbox 360 so do I get two ticks here for playing two different versions? (Three if you count loading it up on Mame. (15/200)
60. IMPOSSIBLE MISSION - No, no, no, no, a thousand no's, this should not be on a list of games you must play because it's a turd. I bought it for the Sega Master System after rave reviews in a couple of gaming magazines at the time (probably Computer VS Video Games aka CVG) and realized within minutes I'd just pissed a whole heap of birthday money up a wall. Infuriatingly hard at parts and with the microfilm element to really pull my youthful hair out in frustration, it rarely got played and never got any better any time it was revisited. So yes I've played it (and owned it) but really wished I didn't. (16/200)
61. REALMS OF THE HAUNTING - Sounds like an 80's schlock budget horror movie they use as filler on tv channels at three in the morning. Is actually a late nineties shooter still available on Steam. According to one reviewer it oozes with atmosphere and charm but no, I still haven't played it..
62. SINS OF A SOLAR EMPIRE - Sounds familiar? Pictures on Google suggest I have played a few similar space sims but not this one. Still looks good though so may have to put on the 'try this when we have some time list.'
There are quite a few things on that list already though..
63. LUMINES - Puzzle game. Enough said.
64. POINT BLANK 2 - Wait 2? There was a second one? I remember pumping a lot of gold coins into the first one at various arcades and having to compensate for the slide hammering back with every shot as well as those tough tasks of the one shot one hit missions. God that was fun. But no, I never tripped across the second installment.
65. ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF - While I haven't played it, the closest I've come to anything Animal Crossing related was a brilliant Let's Play via SomethingAwful. And it was brilliant because it took this happy looking game and turned it into a story that was anything but.. Ahh here it is! (Warning: It gets dark!)
66. HER STORY - Is this the first detective game on the list? Short of searching for Carmen Santiago back in the day and L.A Noire, my foray into the genre is pretty limited but this one looks pretty good. A woman is interviewed seven times by the police. Search the video database and explore hundreds of authentic clips to discover her story in this groundbreaking and award winning narrative game. I will have to give this a spin one day.
67. THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND - I played Guitar Hero, I missed out on Rock Band. And even though I work and have worked in the radio industry for 20+ years now, I'm also admitting that I'm not much of a Beatles fan. Nothing against their work whatsoever as they certainly put out some great songs but I'm much more of a Doors and Hendrix guy. Why Rock Band never jumped on those trains (licensing issues probably) is beyond me.
68. BASTION - Wasn't he the hero in Never Ending Story? (No wait, that's 'Bastian') Bastion is an action RPG that I've seen plenty of but never mashed fist to keyboard with. Looks pretty though.
69. DOOM 2 - Oh yes. It started with Wolfenstein and worked its way up to this. (And a shout out to Duke Nukem while we're at it!) Not only have I played this, I've also watched the movie. Funnily enough I never tried the updated version with the torch. One day in lockdown maybe..
70. NO MAN'S SKY - Incredibly at the time of writing this game has now gone through 15 massive updates (roughly 3 a year) to get to the point where people are loving it to bits. This also bodes well for me eventually checking out this survival game as it'll be the best version of itself when I finally sit down and give it a spin.
It'll probably be revised another 5 times before that happens though..
71. BAYONETTA 2 - Never played the first one either so there's two hack and slash titles not on my play list..
72. OSU! TATAKAE! OUENDAN! - if I have to double check if I've spelt a game title correctly then it's highly likely I've never played it. And that's spot on with whatever this is.
73. PAPERS, PLEASE - I'd never heard of this one until it popped up in Hyper's list but there's a certain appeal to it purely on the description alone:
In Papers, Please, the player takes on the role of a border-crossing immigration officer in the fictional dystopian Eastern Bloc-like country of Arstotzka, which has been and continues to be at political hostilities with its neighboring countries. The game takes place at a migration checkpoint. As the immigration officer, the player must review each immigrant and return citizen's passports and other supporting paperwork against an ever-growing list of rules using a number of tools and guides, allowing in only those with the proper paperwork while rejecting those without all proper documents, and at times detaining those with falsified information, while also balancing personal finances.
Knowing me I'd probably block everyone who tried to get in and write a lengthy blog post about it too..
74. CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE - I was iffy on this at first (not playing the game, whether I had played the game or not) but thanks to a great brother in law, his PS3 and a download involving zombies, yes I have! On ya Trev, that's one more tick to the play list! (And it was a nice little demo of the PS3 which I hadn't tried until then.) (17/200)
75. SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 - Played the original way back in the NES days (blow on the cartridge to get it to work again!) and I reckon the last time I played a Mario game on when we had a Nintendo WII back in the day? However it wasn't this one.
76. CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT - One of the few games that not only have I played, but I've also managed to complete! The last time I did that with any game was...er...uh...the first Borderlands? And that goes back quite a while now.. (18/200)
77. SATURN BOMBERMAN - Bomberman yes (great game), but why this specific console version? I'm struggling to recall anyone who actually bought the Sega Saturn back in the day too. Dreamcast yes, my housemate had one and it was boot loads of fun, but the only time I ever saw a Saturn were the ones used in demo stations in Virgin Megastore back in the mid 90s. And I don't remember ever demoing this on it.
78. BUSHIDO BLADE - Confusion reared it's uh...confusing head again with this one as I momentarily confused this with Samurai Showdown. BB was never an arcade game and I missed it during my heady days of PSX ownership. The instant death one shots seems an interesting mechanic though.
79. THE WITNESS - Funnily enough when I googled this one, first hit was a link to a Youtube video entitled 'The Witness - a great game that you shouldn't play.' Okay then, I won't. Thanks Youtube!
80. THE DARKNESS - I have read the comic (in fact I think I still have a copy of it somewhere in the collection at home) but not played the game. Am I really missing out though?
81. VIRGINIA - It's a mystery disappearance game and not a song on Ian Mossy Moss's set list alongside 'Georgia.' According to one review it's video game's answer to Twin Peaks, which I also haven't seen. I do know things did not bode well for Laura Palmer though (it's bizarre all those strange things you remember all those decades on..)
82. SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 - I'm not much of a Mario fanatic (a shout out to my brother in law Jayson who certainly is and has the tattoos to prove it!) but I can agree, this one was brilliant and looked so good back in the days of the Super Nintendo along with racer F-Zero. Would definitely be worth many a replay too nowadays. (19/200)
83. MONUMENT VALLEY - Wait a sec, a phone game? Seriously? In the wonderful world of PC and console gaming, one of the 200 games you need to play in a pool of essentially over a million choices is only available on a phone? Look I enjoy my Samsung but I certainly wouldn't choose it over proper gaming devices available. A must play would be a game you'd buy the platform for and I'd never buy a mobile phone simply to play something exclusively on it.. (see also: Flappy Bird..)
84. GALAGA - Ahh so many amazing arcade memories, especially the tabletop versions. I can still remember the sound and how exciting it was when you rescued your ship and suddenly you had a twin shooter setup to play with.. (20/200)
85. STARDEW VALLEY - Cute farm simulator. Reminds me a bit of Sim Farm (only a bit, visually they're miles apart) and me trying not to kill all the tomatoes. Turns out I'm not a great farmer but I don't think I need a game to tell me that..
86. REX - 'I don't know anything about this one and I don't have the magazine handy. Google, help me out here won't you?' Turns out Google is just as confused as I am. It is the shooter ReX or some kind of dog adventure? Either way I haven't played it but I'll add in an update when I learn what's happening here.
87. IKARUGA - Bless you! No wait, it's a shoot em up. The last one of those I played was...er...1942 on Mame? Possibly?
88. HITMAN BLOOD MONEY - I played the first one and that's as far as I got. Strangely I have seen the movie based on the game twice and it certainly didn't get better the second time. (Although fancy dress parties for me are now a breeze with my shaved head thanks to this series, just dig out a suit and a bright red tie!)
89. RED DEAD REDEMPTION - Open world western. Look at me, I'm a grizzled cowboy! Sure I'll have a random duel in the street with you! Shoot at a rope to break the noose? Well okay then! My one regret is that I didn't play it enough during my 360 days. I still have it in the collection now (I think) but last check it wasn't compatible with the Xbox One yet? But I'm hanging onto it when/if that moment comes. (21/200)
Was the zombie addition any good though? I never tried it so let me know below!
90. BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL - A commercial failure that went on to rack up an impressive list of awards and is now considered one of the greatest video games of all time, in amongst such greats as Half Life 2 and Pac Man. That's one impressive feat considering that most retailers sold it at a hefty 80 percent discount. And here's me confusing it with Black and White and Afterlife. Clever me.
91. HALF LIFE 2 - A definite yes to the first and all it's head crabs, a possible to the second? I remember the hype of the series in all the magazines at the time and the customizations (like the famous Gary's mod) but until I get into the 2nd one, I wouldn't be able to tell if I've played it before or not. (And if that does happen, it'll get crossed off the list anyway so...)
92. METROID PRIME - Like the mention of the Saturn earlier, I don't know anyone who actually owned a Gamecube and therefore had this game. I certainly didn't..
93. METEOS - Not the US League of Legends player with the same name, this is a tile matching game from 2005 and possibly where Mr Meteos got his name from. As soon as I typed the words 'tile matching' that was it for me, it's incredibly unlikely I'll ever be investigating this one any further..
94. DIABLO 3 - Look it's good...but I prefer the second (and I'm doubtful I'm the only one in this boat.) Yes it doesn't look as good or as slick or as polished when you put them back to back but there was just...something back then that I feel is missing now. Or maybe it's the Xbox One version I own. Maybe it's better on PC and mods are now available to make it as good as the second?
Still, on it's own it still is a great game and has earned its place on this list. (22/200)
95. GEOMETRY WARS: RETRO EVOLVED - What started off as a mini game in Project Gotham Racing 2 earned a full game status in 2003. And in a completely expected theme, I haven't played either. (Or PGR 2 but have tried 4 which wasn't half bad,)
96. SPACE CHANNEL 5 - No not the floating TV service secretly run by the Dalek's in the Dr Who episode Bad Wolf (That was Space Station Satellite Five) this was a music video game for the Dreamcast originally and later the PS2. A music video game? My kids would probably enjoy this, me? I'll stick to Dr Who.
97. ASTEROIDS - Sure have, in many an arcade, old milk bar and fish and chip shop. It would either be this or Galaga really. (23/200)
98. WORMS ARMAGEDDON - I've played a few variations of the Worms lineup, most recently on a PS3. Unsure of this one along the journey though.
99. BURNOUT 3 - Yes to this one. The Burnout franchise is fantastic fun but given the choice, I would have picked Burnout Revenge over this one and purely for the 'Cause as much damage as humanly possible and rack up an incredible insurance bill before your car explodes' missions. My family had a hoot playing that mode over and over again. (24/200)
100. SINE MORA - Sounding more like a greyhound racing at Wagga during one of Shiggy's semi-successful dog tipping posts, this is actually a gorgeous looking shoot em up. And while the genre never really did it for me (unless you're playing co-op with someone) how could you go past this glowing review on the upgraded Sine More Ex on Steam?
With every breath in my hyperventilating lungs, I want this game to go ♥♥♥♥ itself.
I wonder what happened there to cause such eloquence?
So we're now halfway through Hyper's Must Play list and things still not looking crash hot with yours truly only managing to try a meagre 12% of what's on offer. Can we boost this paltry score with the next 50 must plays?
Coming up in the next post: Falling blocks, the greatest skating game known to man and Billy and Jimmy have to save their girlfriend from an angry gang!
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