Top 25 Video Games Lists v2.0: Cable's NES Nostalgia 15 & 2 (starts pg32)

[Sacul]

I played hit and run for the first time ever a few years ago and it was really fun. I expected it to be crap like most tv or movie based games but it really held my attention.

I've never played a metroid game sadly.

Indeed, there aren't many good games that are based on other media. Tried other The Simpsons games but weren't half as fun as this one.

There's the Metroid Prime Trilogy edition for Wii and Wii U if you have those consoles. I personally prefer them to the 2D games
Also sorry, been some rough, busy days, and I've been watching quite a bit of Mr Robot but I'll try be more productive:

19
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
2011



Found a cheap used copy of this one for PS3 and couldn't resists - I had heard many good things of this game. And they were true. Officially a prequel to the iconic Deus Ex (which I have yet to play), Human Revolution features very similar gameplay: for each mission you're offered several ways to approach them, like going full Rambo and making the game a FPS, or avoiding being noticed, acting like a ghost, which can make it a stealth game, or some middle ground. Love hacking and minigames? Although there are just a few required panels and computers you must hack, most are optional and worth trying due to the ammo, cash, and very peculiar information about the world of Deus Ex. It's essentially an "immersive simulator", because you can play the game the way you want and you're equally rewarded on any way. Plot will not win any awards, but it's a solid story about a man who got augmentations on most of his body to prevent death after an accident, and must rescue his lover and stop the opposite forces, while uncovering a deep conspiracy. What's interesting is that most of the game's population is against augmentations, and riots and unfriendly faces aren't uncommon. Despite being mostly straightforward, it's a game about choices and the dangers of them, ironically expressed by the iconic protagonist's phrase "I never asked for this". I personally found the ending to be exactly this, and surprisingly well-written and a bit philosophical without trying to be too deep. All in all, it's a hella lot of fun. Get the Director's Cut edition, has some fixes and graphical improvements, and bosses are more balanced than in the original game.


18
Hacknet
2015



HacknetOS is a mysterious OS in which a hacker named Bit had been working on for a certain company as consultant, that has the peculiarity of being impenetrable. But Bit is gone, since he hasn't logged into his system for 14 days, which activates a failsafe that sends pre-written emails to you, the player, asking for help. But first you'll need to get experience about the hacking world: mostly using a terminal, with real Linux commands, you'll have to connect to other computers and servers, bypass the security measures, like firewalls and proxies, and connect through a port and start looking for relevant data or files. Don't forget to delete the logs of your activity.

Most of the game consists on accepting contracts from several hacking organizations that offer their services for just causes, never for malign reasons - fighting to improve on the bad reputation hackers have is a common theme. Most missions are simple, like looking for a certain file, but there are more complex ones like changing the right information is a big database, or a very long one that involves deactivating someone's pacemaker because he and his family got his eutanasia rejected. It's a completely optional contract if your ethics don't agree with it, but if you give it a try, you'll spend hours reading technical documentation about the pacer, how to update its firmware, breaking into the manufacturer's servers, remotely connecting to the device, finding a way to overload it, etc.

Although it's not a very long game (5-6 hours to beat it), it's quite addictive and adrenaline-inducing - there's something to loading several programs to open the ports and cracking the passwords, using shells on other machines to overload a proxy, etc., all of it before the machine can trace you while some dope electronic music pushes you to go. It's quite an intense, wonderful experience (if ridden with some bugs) with a story that's better written than you'd expect, that will make you feel like a Hackerman. Recommended for fans of Uplink (this one doesn't delete your save if you die ) and hacking games.

[Cool Chris]

Bought Deus Ex: Human Revolution on a whim and a huge Steam sale. It's next on my list to play so nice to see a good write-up here.

[Crow]

i did not find uplink very enjoyable but hacknet was pretty good, yeah. still need to check out the DLC sometime but I liked the main game plenty

[jingle.boy]

Human Revolution made my Top 25 too.  Fantastic game.  I just started Mankind Divided a couple of weeks ago.  Took a bit of time to get re-adjusted to this style of game, but I'm mostly digging it so far.

[Stadler]

I have the Deux Ex games too, on deck.  I spent so much f$%^&%$ time on Oblivion, that I decided I had to clear out some older games first, and at least get into this DECADE for Pete's sake! 

[ReaperKK]

The only deus ex game I've played is the original but I own HR, great write up.

Hacknet sounds like something I'd love, I play uplink a bunch so I have to try this.

[Sacul]

Bought Deus Ex: Human Revolution on a whim and a huge Steam sale. It's next on my list to play so nice to see a good write-up here.

I have the Deux Ex games too, on deck.  I spent so much f$%^&%$ time on Oblivion, that I decided I had to clear out some older games first, and at least get into this DECADE for Pete's sake! 

The only deus ex game I've played is the original but I own HR, great write up.

Hacknet sounds like something I'd love, I play uplink a bunch so I have to try this.

You'll have a blast! 

Human Revolution made my Top 25 too.  Fantastic game.  I just started Mankind Divided a couple of weeks ago.  Took a bit of time to get re-adjusted to this style of game, but I'm mostly digging it so far.

I'll definitely get MD if I can find a good sale for it

i did not find uplink very enjoyable but hacknet was pretty good, yeah. still need to check out the DLC sometime but I liked the main game plenty

Oh yeah haven't tried the DLC either but looks so rad, will get it eventually.

17
The Beginner's Guide
2015



This game... can hardly be called a game, because it's more of an experience, and one curiously about making games. Yes, it's one of those infamous "walking simulators", this time made by Davey Wreden, the guy behind The Stanley Parable. What makes The Beginner's Guide shine is despite the lack of other mechanics, is due to most of the game revolving around exploring little games a friend of Davey created and shared with him long ago. It's a fascinating journey in which Wreden tries to interpret the meaning behind these very weird, abstract games made with the Source Engine. Because I believe it's a game better played knowing next to nothing about it, I'll just say that, despite being quite short (can be beaten in less than 3 hours), it's a powerful experience that touches on the topics of self-expression and connecting with others, the difficulties and the constant writer's blocks and crisis artists face often, sometimes even crippling their creativity.


16
Super Mario Galaxy
2007



It's a 3D Mario game except it's set in f*cking space. Really, just look at how wonderful this games looks and plays like. And sounds like - this time Koji Kondo teamed up with some little-known artists and both wrote a magnificent soundtrack, sometimes pure symphonic bliss (Dusty Garden Galaxy leaves me speechless), sometimes going a bit into a more playful, electronic vibe. While the main ones are easy enough to let anybody finish the game, the completionists will find some classic hardcore levels, sometimes involving getting a certain amount of coins before the time is over, sometimes it's beating your own shadow before it reaches the level's star. I don't really have much to say, it's just a magnificent game, with brilliant visual, sound, and level design. It's really worth getting a Wii just for this one and the sequel.

[ReaperKK]

Yes "The Beginners Guide"!!! It's a fantastic game (if you can even call it that). I remember grabbing some drinks and getting through it one night, I really hope he comes back and makes another game (story/walking simulator?)

Everyone raves about Super Mario Galaxy (even my GF who rarely plays anything). I have the wii set up to play it but never seem to get away from my PC to play it.

[Cable]

SMG was awesome. I don't understand the full appeal of Mario64, partly because it has control issues. I felt none of this in SMG.

[Crow]

The Beginner's Guide is great but a tad short for the price, again :V

Both galaxy games are quite good though ofc

[Sacul]

SMG was awesome. I don't understand the full appeal of Mario64, partly because it has control issues. I felt none of this in SMG.

I love it mostly for nostalgic reasons, was the first game I played and got obsessed with

The Beginner's Guide is great but a tad short for the price, again :V

That's why I got it on a sale for $4 :^)


Also sorry for the slacking, had some rough days again, so have a double update to compensate!

15
Transistor
2014



Red, a famous singer in a city called Cloudbank, is attacked by the Process, a robotic force commanded by a group called the Camerata. She manages to escape and comes into possession of the mysterious Transistor—the great sword-like weapon she was to be assassinated with. The Transistor is buried into the chest of a man, now slumped over and dead; though his consciousness and voice seem to have been absorbed into the Transistor itself along with Red's voice. The Camerata continue to track Red and the Transistor down with the Process, wanting the weapon for some yet-unknown cause. But enough Wiki, let's go to the gameplay.

Transistor is quite an interesting isometric action RPG that can also be played as tactical, turn-based one. You'll find many "functions" that give you special powers and attacks and that encourage you to combine them to get unique advantages, as you can only have a few at a time and some can be added as "enhancements" to others. You can play just on a fast-paced action mode, but you'll usually end up making use of the Turn() function that enables you to freeze the game and plan your attacks. There's limited energy for this though, and the powerful attacks consume a lot of it, thus a healthy combination of both ways of playing is ideal - it's a tough game, but quite a rewarding one if you take the time to practice.

The story, while not mindblowing, is delivered through the sword's short phrases and a few cinematic cutscenes. But my favorite aspect is how each song that plays on a boss, has lyrics not just directly related to the enemy, but they're written as if Red was singing to them. There are many cool details like these that just add up to the immersion. And the soundtrack is some lovely electronic music, sometimes leaning towards post-rock and trip-hop. The amazing art direction goes without saying by the way.

If you loved Bastion (or not), you should really play Transistor - made by the same team, it just feels more refined and superior in every sense to me. Maybe I'm just a sucker for cyberpunk.


14
Hexcells Plus
2014



Basically like Hexcells but way harder and with a new mechanic. Very, very tough puzzle game on the last levels but incredibly rewarding. I've already written about Hexcells so won't repeat myself - just get this one if you're into puzzle games.


13
OFF
2008



One of the most unique games I've played. It's basically just a game made with RPG Maker with a very unique style and story - you can see how Undertale took some inspiration from this. Besides enemy encounters there are some simple puzzles, though they're not easy to figure out at first glance. Soundtrack is some electro swing madness during battles, and some lovely ambient and trip-hop/techno tunes during the vast majority of the game. On this game you're commended a puppet, The Batter, and your mission is guide him to cleanse the lands from evil. Seems pretty simple but this game hold a deep, complex story despite its short length.

OFF it's a game of contrasts: the ultra minimalist level design against the very detailed, hand-drawn character sprites during battles; the absolute, calm certainty of our main character of his actions seem magical to the doubtful, stressed inhabitants of this strange world; and mostly the simplicity of the first levels in terms of plot and storytelling to the absolute mindfuckery of the final ones.

A very unique experience that everybody should play, mostly because it's free! Although it was originally written in French, it has since been translated to several languages, English included. Give it a try.


12
Fallout New Vegas
2010



Ok I'm cheating right here - I haven't finished this game. But I've spent too many hours, done most of the side-quests, and am pretty close to reaching the final missions, so I let it pass. New Vegas takes the base that Bethesda created for Fallout 3 and just expand on it with a more intricate plot, several more factions, and way more content (for a detailed explanation, here) - it's overall a stronger feeling of freedom, even if you'll end up fighting for Hoover Dam regardless of choice . I sadly bought the basic version for PS3 so haven't played any of the DLCs yet but I plan on buying them and finishing this title. There's not much to say, it's just an amazing title, perfect for fans of exploration and RPG elements like me.

[Phoenix87x]

New vegas is the awesome one. Not that I don't like 3 and 4, but new vegas is wildly imaginative and creative in its story telling and what you can do.

[ReaperKK]

I've never played Transistor but is that the same studio that made Bastion?

I've started New Vegas but haven't gotten very far. From what my friends tell me is that it's the best Fallout game.

[OpenYourEyes311]

SMG was awesome. I don't understand the full appeal of Mario64, partly because it has control issues. I felt none of this in SMG.

This is exactly how I feel. SMG was on my list and is, IMO, the best 3D Super Mario there is.

[Sacul]

I've never played Transistor but is that the same studio that made Bastion?

I've started New Vegas but haven't gotten very far. From what my friends tell me is that it's the best Fallout game.

It is!

It's my favorite of all I've played. Starts a little slow but when you get a bit further into it, it just grabs you strong.

[ariich]

Never got round to playing Transistor, but I liked Bastion a lot.

New Vegas is brilliant! I definitely found it more engaging than 3.

[ReaperKK]

I've never played Transistor but is that the same studio that made Bastion?

I've started New Vegas but haven't gotten very far. From what my friends tell me is that it's the best Fallout game.

It is!

It's my favorite of all I've played. Starts a little slow but when you get a bit further into it, it just grabs you strong.

I'll have to play it. I loved Bastion. I'm also curious about Pyre.

[Crow]

I found Transistor reeeeally boring myself. But ehh

Also are all three hexcells games gonna be on here? 

[Sacul]

Also are all three hexcells games gonna be on here? 

Nah just those two, haven't finished Infinite yet, too brutal 

11
Portal
2007

I've always been a little harsh against games featuring arbitrary puzzles that serve no other purpose than solving the puzzle - there's no narrative progression, no logical reason even. So a game literally about solving puzzles is what I prefer. And man, Portal does deliver. Amazing, clever puzzles and witty, sarcastic monologues by GLaDOS, the AI that's designed to make you solve the many tests. It's not particularly long, and it was mostly an experiment, but it went nuts - there's almost no nerd who hasn't heard the phrase "The Cake is a Lie" these days. Just play it, it's brilliant. And the sequel is even better!

10
World of Goo
2010



This was one of the first indie games I got into, like almost 10 years ago (holy shit). Don't remember how, I just kept seeing it pop up here and there and just had to play it. It's basically a bit of a logic game, not really a puzzle one, in which you have to use these little creatures called Goos and make solid structures with them and try get the most amount to the pipe that will send them to World of Goo Corporation - the faster you make it, and the less Goos you use, the higher the score for the level. The story kind of makes not much sense, it's about these creatures being awakened by this corporation, and used to make drinks and cosmetics. So the goal is to stop this company and find out of its secret plans. It's pretty goofy and cartoonish but it's a lot of fun. Just a lovely little game.

[Cool Chris]

Just finished Portal and about 2/3 the way through Portal 2. Great fun!

[Cable]

World of Goo hype! Nice Sacul! I played it on Wii, had no idea the story behind it for some reason.

[ReaperKK]

Portal and World of Goo are classics! I've wanted to replay Portal for sometime now.

[BlobVanDam]

I've played 40 minutes of Portal according to steam, but never got back to it. Didn't find it that interesting, and the voice is obnoxious. I don't think I've played World of Goo, but I enjoy other similar puzzle games.

[The Walrus]

Two games I had way back in the day and never played much of. Portal gave me motion sickness - the only game to date to do that to me, although Half-Life 2 gave me headaches for reasons I could never pinpoint - and World of Goo was fun as hell but I just never beat it. I think it's on Switch now so I may have to pick it up again, it was such a cool idea for a game!

[Sacul]

Glad to see fans of World of Goo 

9
Silent Hill 3
2003



This was very hard, choosing the position, for I feel both games are awesome in their own way and each one's strenghts make up for the other's weaknesses, so they're kinda balanced in a way. But today I'll give that extra edge to SH2. So, Silent Hill 3: for some reason, sequel to the first game on the series, although even saying that is a little spoiler, but common knowledge anyways. Story is, again, based on some weird cults that try reviving a god and Heather, the main character, is the key to it all.

Gameplay is similar to that of the previous two installments: puzzle solving, collecting key items, and fighting (or rather fleeing from) monsters to survive. Heather is equipped with a flashlight and radio; the flashlight is often the only source of light, and the radio emits static when an enemy is near.

So, to me, the weak aspects are the lame plot and all those cheesy monologues about God and such. What's great is the excellent graphics, that have aged very well for the most part, and the overall atmosphere and music, quite terrifying at times. It also has my favorite scene from the franchise, that one in which the room gets covered in dark blood. Great game, scary without having jumpscares at all. Wished more games followed that philosophy.



8
Silent Hill 2
2001



And yes, the most loved games in the franchise, and for good reasons: while the first SH game had this cheesy plot about a cult trying to awake a god or something like that, the second game took a very different direction, towards a more intimate, down-to-earth kind of plot, about a guy who receives a letter from his dead wife. In the letter, says she's waiting for him on their "special place", thus James travels there to see if she really is alive.

Now Silent Hill is no longer a demonic city but rather a surreal place of multiple meanings and symbolism - some think of it as a kind of purgatory. And this is shown by the enemies being direct representations of several aspects of James, mostly his horny side - María, his wife's doppelganger (who dresses provocatively), and the iconic Pyramid Head, both represent his sexual desires and urges. This can also be seen on the sexy nurses, and the leggy monsters. There are other characters, which we're not sure they are meant to be other people that just happen to be in the same purgatory as James but seeing different things, or are also parts of him but in human form.

Gameplay is the same as SH3, with the classics radio and torchlight, a couple of weapons, and little ammo. Music is the excellent combination of Dark Ambient, Trip-Hop, Industrial, and Alternative Rock that has made composer Akira Yamaoka so iconic to the series - he's also the sound designer, and even generated like 70 different footstep sounds for James, and had them slightly delayed do they'd put off the player, making them think they're being followed. Graphics haven't aged very well, the lack of decent lightning and shadows it's a little rough for modern gamers, and textures are of low resolution. And some puzzles don't make much sense and are kinda arbitrary at times. But the story is great, so that makes up for its flaws, just barely enough to prefer it to SH3.

It's one of the very few games I'd say are art, because all the meaning that it's being subtly told via level and enemy design, the careful attention to creating a unique, coherent atmosphere, and the excellent storytelling, just adds layers rarely seen in games.

[ReaperKK]

I've always wanted to play the silent hill games but I never gave them a chance because the camera view reminded me of Resident evil which I didn't care much for.

[Sacul]

The camera is not fixed tho, it's constantly moving, and the games have options to switch from tank controls to ones you prefer.

[Cable]

SH2 hype! I just a Pyramid Head shirt from SGDQ 2017. Love this game, and is indeed a piece of art across the board.

[ReaperKK]

The camera is not fixed tho, it's constantly moving, and the games have options to switch from tank controls to ones you prefer.

yea I realized that a little bit ago when watching some let's play's.

[Crow]

Wasn't a huge fan of world of goo when I played it but I really do not like physics puzzlers at all so ehh

[Sacul]

Sorry for the silence, been a little busy and also kind of forgot about this But hopefully this will be over soon.

7
The Cat Lady
2012



I don't know why I've played so many graphical adventure games if I don't even like the genre and think it features some really bad design: arbitrary, non-sensical puzzles; bland storytelling; point-and-click pixel hunting for random items; finding the key for a door (because it's the only way to put an obstacle it seems); etc. I'm not the only one, Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness) has also been very critical of these kind of games. So why the hell is there one of those games here, and so high on the list? Because it avoids pretty much all of those mistakes, and it's a unique game.

The game revolves around Susan Ashworth, a lonely, depressed woman in her 40s known on her building as The Cat Lady, who commits suicide by overdosing. But she wakes up in some weird land, where she meets a being that has cursed her with immortality. But, if she accepts an offer this being gives her, she would be granted something special, something she had always desired... The mission? Get rid of some psychotic people called "Parasites", who will try to befriend her but betrayal is their goal. She'll travel between the world of the living and the dead, tracking down and defeating these Parasites, but she's no hero - just doesn't have any other choice.

Gameplay is basically solving some very simple, but absolutely logical puzzles (the very few times I used a walkthrough felt dumb for not realizing the simple solutions), like using a rock to break a window and stealing a gun, or sometimes something more metaphorical. I love there's no point & click at all - yes, the game is side-scrolling and controlled only with keyboard. When an item is nearby and it's possible to interact with it, a little menu will pop to let you pick it up or interact with it. I was surprised by how mature and well-written the story is, with some strong surrealism mostly serving as metaphors, as well as by the quality of the voice acting. The art style is a beautiful collage of photographs and digital drawings and models, along with some handdrawn stuff. For the most part it works and gives it its charm, although at moments it can feel really forced (although that's kinda the point), playing strong with the uncanny valley. Music is pretty cool ambient along with some very atmospheric noise rock tracks, very enjoyable.

It's quite a visceral, brooding, and powerful game - quite a journey, if you ask me, and wonderfully put together. The Cat Lady has a couple of endings depending of your choices along the way, so chose carefully.


6
Mirror's Edge
2008



As with World of Good, I have no clue why I forgot to include this game on my previous - played the shit out of it many times. I'll keep this writeup simple: it's kind of a parkour game, in the sense your character has to run, jump, and climb through everything to reach your destination, or run from it. The story is about a woman whose parents were murdered as the result of some very strict government, and has become this edgy anti-system person. Now they're hunting her (and of her kind) down, and also blaming her sister for some murder? I don't remember a lot of the plot, but it didn't make much sense I guess - it's just crap. However, everything else is fantastic - level design, gameplay, graphics (looks like it could have been released today), the wonderful minimalism and clean aesthetic of a future society, and some dope techno music. Well, gameplay is not perfect - there are many instances in which you'll have to fight or jump around cops and it's tedious. And some levels are a bit obtuse on the design so the way through isn't really clear. But, all in all, it's a fucking blast and lots of fun. I guess I'll eventually play the sequel (reboot?), but reviews aren't positive so we'll see about it.

[Crow]

the cat lady is cool, i didn't think it lived up to my expectations but i still enjoyed it
mirror's edge is a game i should enjoy a lot more than i do but god. DAMN. is the combat just, awful & honestly ruins the game for me, take out the combat and just make it about the parkour and it'd be great but geez.

[ReaperKK]

I have mirrors edge but never played it. I've never heard of "The Cat Lady" but it looks interesting.

[Sacul]

Ok, time to finish this soon, 1 game per day, I'll try keep my schedule

5
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
2007



Yes I'll admit I'm a big Metroid fan, but honestly, while I find the 2D games pretty entertaining, they hold little replay value to me. Or maybe I'm just very attracted to the unique atmospheres and landscapes from the 3D ones, mostly the Prime Trilogy (even enjoyed Metroid: Other M!). Story is simple: Samus and her fellow bounty hunters are working for the Galactic Federation in a certain planetary system, when her doppelganger, Dark Samus, attacks and incapacitates them all with a mutagenic material called Phazon. After losing contact with the other hunter, Samus has to explore these planets to find what happened to them, while preventing the Phazon to spread and being slowly corrupted herself.

And this bring a unique mechanic - she can enter into Hyper Mode, consuming one of her energy tanks and gaining a temporal overdose of Phazon, making her beam way more powerful. But stay into this too long, and it will start corrupting her, making the Phazon levels go up. If they reach a limit, she dies. If you can hold it enough, her suit will automatically vent to prevent damage. The rest of the gameplay is classic Metroid: solve small puzzles, jump around and climb, discover new areas, go back to previous ones when you get a certain upgrade, shoot enemies, etc.

In my opinion, this all feels way more natural in first person and has aged way better than, say, Super Metroid. This is an epic, dark game, and a fantastic conclusion to the Trilogy, with even more refined gameplay and level design. Although I prefer Metroid Prime 2: Echoes a bit more, this is an excellent starting point for newcomers - don't worry about the plot, the games are barely connected with each other, just by a common enemy. If you have a Wii or Wii U, get the Trilogy Edition. You won't regret it.

[Cool Chris]

If you have a Wii or Wii U, get the Trilogy Edition. You won't regret it.

This, definitely, and yes I will have played all three Prime games twice through, and only done the 2D Metroid games once. I didn't care for the Phazon Hyper-mode thing, I thought it was actually the weakest part of the game. The only weak part, actually. I also prefer Prime 1 and 2, but not by a whole lot.