Top 25 Video Games Lists! v. CableX's "Worse Than My Top25 VG Music" (pg. 62)

[Bolsters]

I loved the first Prime, but for some reason I couldn't get into the second one much at all. I never bothered with the third as a result.

[Sacul]

Ah, Dino Crisis 2 was the very first survival horror game i've ever played, even before any Resident Evil. Good memories of getting bonus points by passing the areas without letting the Dinos hurt your character.

Yes! Those suckers are tough to kill before they approach you - unless you had the rocket-laucher .

On a side note, I guess I can see why you may love the first Prime more, but honestly, I can't remember a single level of it, with th e exception of the first one and the final boss. I guess that's what you have when you play it in an emulator. At low FPS . But played Echoes entirely on the Wii - will never regret spending entire afternoons exploring every single corner.

[ReaperKK]

Two games I have never played. I've heard a lot about Metroid but never played any of the games.

[OpenYourEyes311]

I can't say enough about Metroid Prime 1. One of my favorites. MP2 felt like "more of the same with an alternate universe so there's MORE!" Which is fine. The gameplay was just as good as the first. I just don't like "alternate universe" games... having to go through the same places twice feels like a chore for me (also a reason why I rank Link to the Past low on my Zelda list). And for MP3, the fact that they did away with Gamecube controls completely turned me off. I mean, I can plug in a Gamecube controller into my Wii, but you don't give that to me as an option? Ridiculous. Didn't help that I hated the Wii controls. Never got very far in that game and it makes me sad.

But again, I will never discourage anyone from checking out at least MP1. Not sure I've ever heard of anyone disliking that game.

[Sacul]

I guess I prefer the Wiimote to point and shoot rather than an analogue stick - that's why I recommend getting the Trilogy edition. I think that it only add more to the already ridiculous immersion.

[Sacul]

Honorable mention


27
Mega Man Legends
1998

As a kid, I remember going to the local game store to look for PSOne games. I really didn't know most of them, so I decided what to buy based on the cover. And one day, before leaving with my hands empty, I found it. It was a strange cover, but it had the "Mega Man" title on big letter - I had heard a bit of the series, so I gave it a try.

That's when the love started.

The first Mega Man game to make the jump to 3D was but a spin-ff from the main series. Whereas the other games were platformers, this was an action-adventure title with an impressive story and worldbuilding behind.

Set thousands of years after the X series, the world is more ocean than land, and a special group called Diggers, explore abandoned ruins to retrieve the Refractors - huge gems that provide with an incredible amount of energy. However, the main goal of every Digger (and pirate) is to find the Mother Lode, an item of supposed infinite power that can fill the need for energy in one swoop.

The protagonist of the game is Mega Man Volnutt, a Digger living in a ship (called Flutter). He lives there alongside Roll Caskett, his Spotter who repairs and builds his weapons, and guides MegaMan through the ruins, giving tips or warning him about unexpected dangers. And with Barrel Caskett, Roll's grandfather, and Data, a mysterious monkey that talks in gibberish only Mega Man himself can understand.

The game's antagonists are pirates known as the Bonnes who want to steal Kattelox's secret treasure in order to become rich (as they think it can be the Mother Lode). They consist of Teisel Bonne, the leader of the group, his sibling Tron Bonne, who builds most of their robots used in their elaborate schemes (and develops feelings for Mega Man), and the youngest brother, Bon Bonne, who can only say one word ("Babu!"). The Bonnes are accompanied by forty Servbots, robots under the care of Tron, who lover her as a mother, despite her cruelty.

Mega Man has his classic Buster Gun -which can be improved, changing colors the more powerful it is- that, unlike other Mega Men, is not able to use a charge shot, and instead, utilizes rapid fire. And he can have Special Weapons on his other hand! Like a missile launcher, a gatling gun, or even a Vacuum Cleaner, to colect money fast.

Although the game was in English, and I didn't understand a single thing, I had a blast with it. Defeating the pirates, improving your weapons, killing Reaverbots on the ruins, and defeating the pirates again - I was addicted to it. It wasn't the best game ever, but it won my heart with its strong personality and creative spirit. Since then, I've replayed it endless times on the PSOne, on a N64 emulator, on the PS2 (using retro-compatibility) and on a PSOne emulator. Some time latter I found The Misadventures of Tron Bonne on the net, downloaded it, burn it, and loved it - it even made this list.

And then, I found the sequel.

[Sacul]

No love for the blue boy?  Final double update.

5
BioShock 2
2010

After beating the amazing BioShock, I was eager to play the sequel. Although well-received, it didn't earn as much praise as the previous and Infinite, so I was a bit worried about the quality. And because Ken Levine wasn't directly involved in the project... Let's just say my expectations weren't so high.

The sophomore title on the BioShock trilogy takes place 8 years after the original game, Big Daddy series Alpha (the first generation), called subject Delta, awakens after almost a decade. His last memories are of a gang that kidnaps his Little Sister. But the city is now under control of Sofia Lamb, an old Andrew Ryan political enemy. And she fears what would happen if Delta finds who he's looking for...

As part of the design of the first series of Big Daddies, he can both hold a weapon and use plasmids, but is considerably weaker than the future generations. Exploring Rapture's endless secrets, while killing splicers and robots, and discovering what has happened since the ending of the previous game, is as fun as ever. Because the protagonist is a Big Daddy, he can attempt to defeat another who is escorting Little Sisters. Should he succeed, he can then choose to either harvest or adopt the Little Sister. While adopted, she can lead Delta to corpses from whom she can extract more ADAM. While doing this, he must defend her from splicer attacks and other foes. Once the Little Sister has collected enough ADAM, Delta can then return her to an escape vent, where he must choose to either rescue or harvest the Little Sister. Rescuing her gives the player a modest amount of ADAM but also the possibility of beneficial gifts later; harvesting her yields a large ADAM boost. ADAM can then be spent at Gatherer's Garden machines throughout Rapture to buy new plasmids, gene tonics, slots, or health/eve upgrades.

Once Delta has either rescued or harvested each of the Little Sisters on the level, he will be attacked by a Big Sister. The Big Sister's agility and resourcefulness will prove to be a tough foe, one who will make Delta waste most of his ammo, and lose almost all his life bar.

But what I loved most about this game is that it gets better until the very end. The last quarter is one of the most amazing, intense experiences I've ever had, not just on games nor on other mediums - but on my fucking life. Once you understand all the plot, the story behind the Little Sisters and the Big Daddies, and what has happened to the one Delta looks for, your heart won't react with indifference - if so, I can only think you have no soul at all.

Although pretty much everybody would agree the BioShock trilogy is brilliant almost flawless, that "almost" is always in reference to this game. And that saddens me, for I believe that Bioshock 2 takes the base of an already breathtaking title, and has the balls to improve it. Yes, it might take some time till you get to the best, but I can extremely assure you is worth millions times.

I recently bought it on Steam (originally played from an old, Games for Windows copy), which *finally* includes the Minerva's Den DLC, which I've been told is among the best expansions released for any game. Ever. And after that, Burial at Sea.

4
Resident Evil 4
2005

This is probably the most replayed, reinstalled, and modded game I have. I mean - I can't even begin to explain how many times I beat it, let alone added countless mods to improve its graphics or all the times I replayed it on PS2, Wii and PC. It's insane. There was a time during which I was totally addicted to this title. It lasted around a year or so, but it got me hooked into the Resident Evil series (REmake made this list). I've recovered, but looking there are both new HD editions for those games, those parts of my past are yelling to return.

But how is that one of the best games of history (show me an all-time top 100 made after 2005 that doesn't feature it) it's also a controversial, almost spin-off title of a cult series? Sure, the purists were pissed off with the new focus on action. And honestly, it lack lots of horror elements. But is it a bad game per se? Fucking Jesus in hell, no.

Lion S. Kennedy, protagonist of Resident Evil 2, returns some years later to the scene as an agent for the government. The president's daughter has been kidnapped, and it's held somewhere in Spain. Once there, he realizes something has happened to the villagers, and there's a mysterious religious cult who controls them...

What follows is a journey full of surprises and twists, with infected enemies, and even some monsters. And lots of action and explosions - Michael Bay should make a movie if it. You meet new characters, some which return from Leon's past, either to help you rescue Ashley or to take her back. The weapons, the medicinal herbs, the occasional monsters, the not-so-difficult puzzles, and the guy with the chainsaw - there's a lot of fun assured.

[Outcrier]

No love for the blue boy?  Final double update.

I only played the sequel, Megaman Legends 2, which i really liked.

Sure, the purists were pissed off with the new focus on action. And honestly, it lack lots of horror elements. But is it a bad game per se? Fucking Jesus in hell, no.

So much this. In fact, like i said when RE4 appeared in my top 25 (ranked 4th), i think it transcends the series, being a better standalone game than every RE before it (even with all the changes).

[Cable]

I am mixed about RE4. I agree fully Sacul, the game was killer. It's subtle modifications to combat made for a great game. At the same time, the crap yourself horror elements are almost completely void IMO, which made RE1-3 so great. However, I feel that the environment is still eerie, and story is probably and more in depth than RE1-3. I feel that if RE4 had obscured camera angles like the first 3, the game would probably be as scary.

[Outcrier]

At the same time, the crap yourself horror elements are almost completely void IMO, which made RE1-3 so great.

It is less scary and difficult? Yeah, but i don't think that makes the game less good.

[Sacul]

No love for the blue boy?  Final double update.

I only played the sequel, Megaman Legends 2, which i really liked.

Give the Misadventures of Tron Bone a chance - it features the Bonne Familiy and the servbots in lots of ridiculous missions, like stealing animals from farms, digging into ruins, and robbing banks. And if you're curious, play the first Legends game.

At the same time, the crap yourself horror elements are almost completely void IMO, which made RE1-3 so great.

It is less scary and difficult? Yeah, but i don't think that makes the game less good.

I think what makes it so odd it's that, despite being really different from the first games, it's also an amazing standalone title, while being a just "mediocre" Resident Evil.

[Cable]

At the same time, the crap yourself horror elements are almost completely void IMO, which made RE1-3 so great.

It is less scary and difficult? Yeah, but i don't think that makes the game less good.

I think what makes it so odd it's that, despite being really different from the first games, it's also an amazing standalone title, while being a just "mediocre" Resident Evil.

Perfectly said!

I haven't played anything after 4, but from what I gathered, it was trying and failing to be like 4 or something. The only thing the game really shares IMO is the concept of changing individuals, and the characters. And even the possession of people is a lot different than RE1-3.

It's like a band maybe with distinct eras. And maybe the 2nd era is better than the 1st, but the 1st is what made them and is the original signature.

[Outcrier]

I think what makes it so odd it's that, despite being really different from the first games, it's also an amazing standalone title, while being a just "mediocre" Resident Evil.

Yep. I hate when people say the game is mediocre because it's different from RE1-3. Ok, RE4 may be a "mediocre" Resident Evil, but it is a fantastic game on his own (which i think only REmake comes close of being as good).

[Phoenix87x]

Loved and was obsessed with RE1

really enjoyed the RE2, but didn't play it all that much

barely played RE3

Really, really enjoyed RE4. Shook up the whole formula and really dug it.

[Cable]

^ Coming in for the RE3 defend. If I did a list, it would be on it. However, I understand why it's meh. Same story and setting as 2, and basically started the offshoot sequels of RE in my opinion. No real new ground tread, especially compared to the great RE4.

However, while scarier games exist, and maybe even singular moments, there is one word for that; Nemesis. The seemingly unpredictable nature of his attacks if you didn't drop him twice per forced encounter made it terrifying. Open a door, music starts and here he comes full speed. And having enough ammo, powerful weapons, and health, if I recall, was always a concern especially early game. I think I refused to play the game normally once I beat it, cuz I had access to the mini-game where I could get unlimited weapons and lay waste to him.

But yeah, it's meh overall in comparison. 

[Sacul]

I'm actually surprised no one noticed BioShock 2 on the last update . But anyways. now time for the last 3 games, and the final honorable mention. I warn you though - these are here not because I think they're the best games ever created, but for they've given me the most joy. You could say they're on the top just for pure nostalgia, and you wouldn't be wrong.

3
Pokemon Emerald Version
2005

300 hours. That's the estimated time I have spent playing and replaying the 3rd Pokemon Gen, be it on my pc, android smartphone, or even a chinese mp5 with an emulator included . That's roughly 12 and a half days dammit. And most of that time was spent during holidays... Where has time gone?

You control a Pokémon trainer, whose general goal is to explore the Hoenn region and conquer the eight Pokémon gyms in order to challenge the Elite Four and its champion. Emerald keeps Pokémon that debuted in Ruby and Sapphire while incorporating some from Pokémon Gold and Silver in the after-game, that were not featured in Ruby and Sapphire. It has the same plot of R&S, except it incorporates the Pokémon Rayquaza into the story and introduces the Battle Frontier, a tournament in which you can participate after the game's credits.

The gameplay is largely the same as it was in Ruby and Sapphire. You can encounter wild Pokémon by walking into grass (dah), surfing on your Pokémon, walking through caves, and other means, as well as fight other trainers' Pokémon.  Certain battles allow for two-on-two combat; certain moves were designed to support partners while other moves are capable of attacking two or more Pokémon. Unlike Ruby and Sapphire which had you fight two specific trainers, Emerald allowed for you to have a 2-on-2 battle with two trainers both of whom you could usually battle separately. Every Pokémon has an ability that often aides in battle, such as abilities that make a Pokémon more powerful if they are near death.

Aside from the traditional battle and overworld style, your Pokémon are able to participate in Pokémon Contests where they can try and win in four different categories: "Cool", "Beauty", "Cute", "Smart", and "Tough" competitions. You are given a device early on called the PokéNav, which allows you to view the world map, check the Pokémon's contest stats, and make and receive phone calls with trainers you have met with whom you can chat or plan a battle. This replaces a function called "Trainer's Eyes", which allows to register certain trainers and see when they are in the mood to battle. This also allows you to rebattle Gym Leaders, an ability not found in previous Pokémon games. Emerald includes several other new features and changes. It includes animations of Pokémon in-battle (not present in R&S) and an area called the Battle Frontier. It is an expansion of the Battle Tower found in previous games.

A man whom you encounter several times throughout the game will eventually allow you to access the Battle Frontier after beating the Pokémon League Champion. The Battle Frontier features the aforementioned Battle Tower in addition to six new areas. Completing these areas awards you with "Battle Points" which can be spent on prizes to use in and out of battle. But beating each of these won't be an easy task. Most of the Pokemon that appear around here are of high levels, sometimes near 90 or 100. Just reaching to the "leader" of each area is a titanic task, which requires an excellent-trained team. But defeating the leaders is a whole other story - some of them even have legendaries among their own team! At level 100 of course. Should you win, you'll be granted with a silver medal, meaning that you have to complete the challenge *again* in order to get the gold one. And it will be even harder the second time.

But I never did it. I'm actually replaying FireRed, but I might just quit it and try to finally tackle this Battle Frontier. Only if I could find an old gamesave...

[Randaran]

Ah, Emerald. I lost my GameBoy Advance, so I cannot check, but I am fairly certain that I have over 200 hours clocked into that game.

If I had to pick a favorite Pokemon game, it would be Platinum, Black/White, or ORAS. I know that Gen IV is generally not liked nearly as much as the first 3, but it is one of my favorites. It has some of my favorite Pokemon designs (though that can be said about every generation), the region was much more memorable than Hoenn, and Platinum expanded on the original duo in a manner not seen in any other "third" entry. B/W actually has a somewhat compelling story, and the fact that only new pokemon appeared until postgame created an impression similar to when I played Pokemon for the first time. ORAS beautifully expands on RS, and the postgame Delta Episode is easily the best story in a Pokemon title. I still like Gen III quite a bit, but I feel that it has been bested by every generation that followed.

[ariich]

I noticed Bioshock 2, but wasn't sure I had much to add as we'd already talked about it a bit in the regular video games thread. It's an excellent game though.

Never played a Pokemon game.

[Sacul]

Never played a Pokemon game.

you kidding me

If I had to pick a favorite Pokemon game, it would be Platinum, Black/White, or ORAS. I know that Gen IV is generally not liked nearly as much as the first 3, but it is one of my favorites. It has some of my favorite Pokemon designs (though that can be said about every generation), the region was much more memorable than Hoenn, and Platinum expanded on the original duo in a manner not seen in any other "third" entry. B/W actually has a somewhat compelling story, and the fact that only new pokemon appeared until postgame created an impression similar to when I played Pokemon for the first time.

Cool, I've been meaning to check gen IV for a time, should I go with Platinum, then?

[Randaran]

Cool, I've been meaning to check gen IV for a time, should I go with Platinum, then?

If you are choosing between Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, go with Platinum. I have not played the Gen II remakes, so I cannot comment on them.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Bioshock 2, I didn't finish, but I'm surprised to see it this high.

Resident Evil 4 is awesome, has great gameplay.

And never really got into Pokemon

[Sacul]

If you are choosing between Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, go with Platinum. I have not played the Gen II remakes, so I cannot comment on them.

Haven't played those remakes too - will do some day, since I never got into the original GBC titles. Will give Platinum a go then, thanks!

Bioshock 2, I didn't finish, but I'm surprised to see it this high.

GO AND FINISH IT

Resident Evil 4 is awesome, has great gameplay.

And never really got into Pokemon

you've misspent your childhood

[Onno]

Emerald was fantastic. I played that one till death.

I think design-wise, the Pokemon got a lot worse in Gen IV and V. Then again, the physical/special split was a fantastic idea and Gen VI has better design (and fewer new legendaries, which is good).

Still, I prefer to play hacks of the Gen I-V games over the originals once I've played the originals once. Why? Because 1) I don't like the way you have to endlessly grind in order to play online multiplayer; 2) The story is great to play but too easy and 3) I want to be able to have any Pokemon I want.

[Chino]

Pokemon Silver is the best them.

[Cool Chris]

I have likewise never played a Pokemon game, or anything Pokemon-related. It was just something me and my friends never got in to. I can't recall any of my friends having any Pokemon games when we traded or when I was at their house.

[Sacul]

We're close! This are getting really tough since I have such deep feelings towards them. So sorry for some rambling.

2
Super Mario 64
1996

This... this was the very first video game I played.

I remember quite clearly that, a few weeks after my brother was born, my parents bought me a N64 with 5 games. You've seen the other four (SS: VE, MP64, PS, and MK64) on this list somewhere, and they're here for a reason. They were the only I played on the console for 3-4 years. Even if I didn't beat them, I explored every level, corner, and map. There was no place left unexplored.

But this title was... on another level. Very few times have I seen something made with such love and pure passion for games - Super Mario 64 is a love letter to all that makes videogames great. Just imagine how different 3D games would be like hadn't it introduced a dynamic camera system, and an open gameplay which let you explore every map as you may, with multiple stars to be discovered in no particular order. Nintendo and Miyamoto basically changed the fucking game industry. Again.

"Wait... you said 'stars'? Yes. Bowser has captured the princess (surprise!), and invaded the castle and imprisoned her and her servants within it using the power of the castle's 120 Power Stars. Many of it's paintings are portals to other worlds, in which Bowser's minions keep watch over the stars. Mario must explore the castle for these portals to enter new worlds and recover the stars. As he gains access to more rooms as he recovers more Power Stars, he eventually traverses three different obstacle courses, each leading to its own battle with Bowser. Defeating him the first two times earns Mario a key for opening another level of the castle. If you've played any main Mario game since Sunshine, you'll notice they follow the same formula, which includes a boss at the end of each level.

SM64 impacted me so much that I replayed it countless times with an emulator. Because I had no memories of beating it (despite what my father says), I decided it was time to put it an end. It was a fucking journey, hours upon hours after primary school trying to get all the possible stars from each map. Didn't get them all, but managed to reach the final Bowser battle. Should I say, it's the ultimate final boss fight I've ever played. The epic and dramatic organ music, Bowser's attack, the small platform where the fight was taking place, standing in the middle of nothing. His movements and attacks seem erratic at first, but then you figure a pattern, and find a way to damage it. But then, he's pissed off, and fucking destroys part of the platform so it now looks like a star. And the scene after beating him... For a kid, all of that was the very definition of "epic".

Finally, I'd like to comment on how brilliant both the design and the OST are. Just think a bit on how many maps, scenarios, and levels are, and how rich each one is, full of details. There's always something to do, not a single moment where the player feels bored or disoriented. And Mario's movements were so easy to learn, and tough to master. But when you did it, you were unstoppable. Some levels were even a bit different depending on which star you were trying to get. Foe example, in the Whomp's Fortress level, there's a huge enemy at the top of the floating world, when you get the first star. But after that, there's a tower instead. And platforms. And missiles. Oh, and that detail on the dude on the cloud following Mario everywhere, when you enter the mirror room .

And then there is Koji Kondo. It took me several years to finally appreciate the complete dimension of his work on this game. The man has a special ability to write unique musical ideas and play with them in a way they don't get boring. I once read an interview with him, where he stated that because most players will hear the same tunes over and over, he did the same while writing them, to be sure they didn't begin to get annoying after an hour. But here was a song that still is deep in my heart, Dire, Dire Docks. That soft synths melody, in endless repetition... it brings me peace and tears of nostalgia at the same time. I regret not learning it on the piano.

Well, that was a bit long, but I have such a deep love for this game. I mean, this was made with such care, that I can't help feeling proud of a team of humans developing and releasing that back in 1996. The amount of work on this is just insane. But in the end, Super Mario 64 is about love. Love to videogames, love to challenges, love to art. Such a legendary game, that will be seen as one of the definitive pinnacles of the industry for the years to come.

[BlobVanDam]

A landmark game that created the template for the later N64 collectathon platformers that continued to improve on the formula, and for Mario's first foray into 3D it was very good.
But upon replaying the game recently, it hasn't held up great imo. The player movement has some serious issues, and the camera can be a pain at critical moments. Platforming has inherently never worked particularly well in 3D, especially compared to the 2D Mario titles that had already perfected that action platformer style, and Mario's sometimes unpredictable movement didn't help. And even for the N64 the graphics look dated. There's some great music (the first level music is as classic as any other), but a lot of it is recycled from the earlier Mario games, so it ought to be good!

Not to hate on the game, as I have still enjoyed it enough to fully complete it a couple of times, and it can still be a lot of fun. The DS re-release made some great improvements, but unfortunately didn't fix some of the fundamental flaws, and even added one or two more movement issues.

[ariich]

First game you ever played? You young'un!

[BlobVanDam]

Makes you feel old, huh? The first game I ever played was Alex Kidd in Miracle World when I was about 4.

[masterthes]

First game I can recall playing was Pacman on my uncle's Atari. I feel ancient lol

[sneakyblueberry]

Makes you feel old, huh? The first game I ever played was Alex Kidd in Miracle World when I was about 4.

Almost 20 years later and I still can't clock the freaking thing.  It's so controller-destroyingly hard, I have no fucking clue how kids in the 80's managed to do it all without saves, I do not have the patience for that kind of carry on. 

[BlobVanDam]

Makes you feel old, huh? The first game I ever played was Alex Kidd in Miracle World when I was about 4.

Almost 20 years later and I still can't clock the freaking thing.  It's so controller-destroyingly hard, I have no fucking clue how kids in the 80's managed to do it all without saves, I do not have the patience for that kind of carry on. 

Kids back then were hardcore. None of this sissy checkpoint save your game garbage! Back then games would unforgivingly kill you and make you learn the hard way, just like real life!

I finished it as a kid, but I played it many times to finish it, and someone had to tell me how to decode the stone for the ending so I didn't get raped by ghosts.

[sneakyblueberry]

Makes you feel old, huh? The first game I ever played was Alex Kidd in Miracle World when I was about 4.

Almost 20 years later and I still can't clock the freaking thing.  It's so controller-destroyingly hard, I have no fucking clue how kids in the 80's managed to do it all without saves, I do not have the patience for that kind of carry on. 

Kids back then were hardcore. None of this sissy checkpoint save your game garbage! Back then games would unforgivingly kill you and make you learn the hard way, just like real life!

I finished it as a kid, but I played it many times to finish it, and someone had to tell me how to decode the stone for the ending so I didn't get raped by ghosts.

Lol, touche.  I have no idea what stone you're talking about because - much like me in the bedroom - I just can't finish it.

First game I can recall playing was Pacman on my uncle's Atari. I feel ancient lol

Ooh, I remember playing one of these.  First game I ever played I think either Gain Ground or Sonic 2 on Mega CD, woop.  Classics.

[Lucien]

Ah, Dire, Dire Docks. Probably my favorite of that OST as well. If any of you guys listened to the first movement of my symphony, you would hear a similar chord progression, in the same key. Needless to say, with the melody I had come up with a while, I was inspired by that song to complete the movement.

Oh, and Super Mario 64 is pretty cool. 

[Randaran]

SM64 is certianly a classic, but I would not put it anywhere near the top of a list of my favorite games. The controls are not that great (I feel that Sunshine has the best controls of any 3D Mario game), there is a lot of redundancy in the objectives (climb to the top of the mountain, climb to the top of the mountain and grab the monkey, climb to the top of the mountain and hit a switch, climb near the top of the mountain and enter the secret slide, you get the idea), and I am not that fond of a good portion of the levels. It is actually at its best in the Bowser levels due to the heightened focus on platforming, but even those stages do not come close to matching the 'secret' stages in Sunshine, let alone most of Galaxy 2 or the top 25% of Galaxy 1. I understand that several of these issues are due to limitations of the N64 hardware, so I wonder what this game could have been were it made on a more powerful system.

I do agree that the music is great, and that it is a very important title in the history of gaming, but I feel that the game is highly overrated.