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Must-Have Games: The OCR List


sephfire
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I assume you mean Skies of Arcadia?

Whoops. Just fixed that now.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: YES

Fun gameplay along with a story that really brings you back to the OoT.

P.N.03: NO

Sluggish gameplay with little no variation. Doesn't look all that great and felt uninspired.

Shin Megami Tensei III (aka Nocturne): YES

Well presented with a fresh twist on the genre. Inclusion of a certain character is kind of lame...but it ends up being just fine in the end.

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Twilight Princess is being voted on?

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - YES! Intricate dungeons, new story, you get to be a WOLF, classic gameplay, OoT reminiscent style, great characterization, massive world. This is a masterpiece. It's not perfect, but it's fantastic. Definitely a must have.

I'll have a Metroid Prime 2 vote to add soon, I'm playing through it this weekend. Currently undecided.

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Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Console: Gamecube

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Meta Score: 9.6 (15 reviews)

I give it a HELL YES!!!

The game is the topping of the cake in terms of graphics and gameplay. While Winwaker was massively dissapointing due to the long travels overseas, the greedy bastard Tingle and the dissapointing short 4(!) dungeons, not to mention the annoying hunt for the triforce shards (where you needed a crapload of money that you didn't have), this game was actually the holy grail of the Zelda Series again.

I bought this game on it's releasedate in Germany, played it 3 days in a row, all in all 55hours, only used a gameguide once because I was stuck and collected 3-5 hearpieces along the way. But else this game draws you deep into the story, you're treated with awesome cutscenes, a very interesting battle system, 8+ long dungeons, an epic battle in the end (IMO as epic as Ocarina of Time) - I really enjoyed the game, even though it rather was a bit of a "strange spinoff" than a Zelda that we used to know (I missed the fairy accompany), but boy this game was awesome, also in terms of storyline.

The only negative things in my opinion were that you didn't have an ocarina anymore, and that some parts where you're the wolf are a bit meh, one or two minigames were just annoying to beat, but overall the dark athmosphere and the graphics really were impressive, and it's in my opinion a MUST HAVE title for the Gamecube. A pity that Nintendo never recreated Ocarina of Time in those graphics, I'd buy it at once.

In terms of Gamecube vs. Wii Version. All over the globe (especially in Europe), Nintendo was like "the Wii version will be released first", and therefore they spread the image that the game was made for the Wii in the first place. This seriously ticked of the Cube fans because it was planned to be an exclusive title for this engine. Unfortunately the game was released too late for the Cube, else it would have revived that console for one final time. The game itself was "made" for th Cube, so the Wii meme was a bit stupid, especially the people all saying "graphics sucks, soundtrack sucks, no voice over, etc". The main difference between the Wii and the Gamecube Version (aside from the controls, which are not bad on the Wii in terms of aiming with the bow, though a bit iffy) is that the screen was simply mirrored. Link holds his sword in the left hand on the Cube, and on the Wii on the right. The maps and people were also mirrored. So if you played either version first and think "ah, let's do a speedrun on the other console" - big mistake. ;)

This game is definitely a must have in my opinion.

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edit:

Or to clarify further, if you think both games deserve must-have status, vote YES to both. You don't have to choose between them. However, if you believe one is a must-have, and the other just wasn't good enough to be a must-have, vote accordingly. Sometimes one game is just plain better. I was mostly reminding people of this so they knew they didn't HAVE to choose between sequels and remakes (like Skies of Arcadia and such).

Heh, I had that impression in that even when we were covering series, finding the best of the best within that series was acceptable. But if we aren't splitting hairs down to microns here, then I reverse my vote on Jak II to a YES. (It really does improve upon many aspects of gameplay, and despite the fact that Jak III wails on it, the game series wouldn't be complete without it)

Back to the votes:

Metroid Prime 2 - YES

I have a little more unique perspective on the games because when I played the series, I played them out of order, and at that time I thought the first one was boring. After a while though, there were some clear differences, and even though I do agree with the rest of the guys in that MP1 was better, MP2 still has more than enough life for anyone who wouldn't mind repeats. (or like me, just wanted more Samus ^_^ ) Sure, the agenda starts out the exact same way and killing Ing is nowhere near as fun as wasting pirates, but the worlds are just as impressive in their scope, the puzzles are on the same level, the music rocks, there was some difficulty in areas, and overall, it's just Metroid trying something a little different for a change.

Dragon Quest 8 - YES

If there's anything this game proves, generic can be just as fun as innovative. This game does nothing new, but does it so freakin' well that you could care less. Awesome music (there's a pathetic amount of tracks in this game, but 99% of them are excellent), solid gameplay, massive overworld exploration, and enough side quests to keep you busy for a while.

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Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess: YES

Even though I think the Wii version is far superior, The are pretty much the same game and it is getting a yes from me. I loved all most every aspect of this game. The gameplay (though better on the Wii) is rock solid. The graphics, sound, environents, story, and the immersion of the game are all great. Pretty much the only thing I didn't like about the game was that it wasway to easy for my tastes. I am glad they decided to delay this game, because the end result was superb. Any Zelda fan or anyone who has a gamecube needs to play this game at least once.

Capcom vs SNK 2: Hell YES!

This is by far my second favorite 2D fighter of all time. Gameplay doesn't get much more rock solid or as deep as this. Anyone can have fun playing this game in my opinion. There are so many characters and play styles to choose from that there has got to be something someone will like. My noob cousins just love using Ken with an A-groove and start button mashing most of the match. The presentation and graphics may be sub-standard, but the gameplay is awsome and thats what counts. Great game overall.

Agian, there is Dreamcast version of Capcom vs SNK 2 and many would argue that the DC is the best version.

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Sorry for another missed day. Here's another double-round to make up for it.

******************************************************************************

***ROUND FIFTEEN***

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: NIS America

Developer: Nippon Ichi Soft.

Meta Score: 8.4

Metal Slug Anthology

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: SNK Playmore

Developer: SNK Playmore

Meta Score: 8.2

Beatmania IIDX 9th Style

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Meta Score: (not available)

Tekken 5

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Namco

Developer: Namco

Meta Score: 8.8

Border Down

Console: Dreamcast

Publisher: G.Rev

Developer: G.Rev

Meta Score: 6.5

Enclave

Console: Xbox

Publisher: Conspiracy Entertainment

Developer: Starbreeze

Meta Score: 6.6

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance

Console: Xbox

Publisher: Konami

Developer: KCEJ

Meta Score: 8.7

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Console: Gamecube

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: HAL Labs

Meta Score: 9.2

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Console: Nintendo DS

Publisher: D3

Developer: 1st Playable Prod.

Meta Score: 8.1

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth

Console: PSP

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Tri-Ace

Meta Score: 8.0

***ROUND SIXTEEN***

Marvel vs. Capcom

Console: Dreamcast

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Meta Score: 8.9

Shenmue

Console: Dreamcast

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega-AM2

Meta Score: 8.9

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: KCET

Meta Score: 7.8

Guitar Hero 2

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: RedOctane

Developer: Harmonix Music

Meta Score: 9.2

Silent Hill 4: The Room

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: KCET

Meta Score: 7.6

Beatmania IIDX 10th Style

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Meta Score: (not available)

Zone of Enders

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: KCEJ

Meta Score: 7.7

Genma Onimusha

Console: Xbox

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Meta Score: 8.1

OutRun2

Console: Xbox

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Sumo Digital

Meta Score: 8.1

Pac-Man vs.

Console: Gamecube

Publisher: Namco

Developer: Nintendo

Meta Score: 8.0

******************************************************************************

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories -- YES

Though not much different from the first game, they ironed out the kinks and added even more polish. The story is fun, the gameplay is addicting and the trademark "let's-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously" humor as great as ever. I've clocked way too many hours into this game.

Super Smash Bros. Melee -- YES

Retains everything great from the original and doubles the content. What's not to like?

Puzzle Quest -- YES

Well I'll be darned, they found a way to make Bejeweled interesting. It's amazing how much depth RPG elements add to the casual game. The artwork is intermediate at best and the DS version of the game take a big hit in the graphics department, but you don't really need visuals for this thing.

Guitar Hero 2 -- YES

It may not have the song lineup of the first game, but who really cares? It's still awesome, and now the Hammer-on/Pull-off system actually works. And it's a darn good thing, because the difficulty is definitely up. Great, great game.

Silent Hill 4: The Room -- NO

Poor voice acting and clumsy controls totally ruin this experience. I don't even know if it actually provided any decent scares. I couldn't stand playing it for longer than a couple hours.

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Super Smash Bros. Melee - YES! A one-of-a-kind fighting game (sure there are a couple others that are similar, but they aren't nearly as good) that is easy to pick up and contains nostalgic characters from Nintendo's past, this game is certainly worth being on anyone's shelf. Also, I hardly know of anyone who dislikes it.

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Tekken 5: Hell YES!

Tekken 5 isn't my most favorite game of all time for nothing. This game has everything a good fighting game, and any video game for that matter, needs. The graphics are amazing for a PS2 game. I lost count of how many times I read a review that said they couldn't believe they were playing a PS2 game. The sound is top notch and the music is the best I have heard in the series since Tekken 3. The presentation is top of the line. Finally, the gameplay is the best and deepest the series has ever had. In my opinion, there are very few games that have the level of deepness that Tekken 5 has. Each character has a unique moveset and properties which give the game tons of variety. The inclusion of air grapples, newparries, the crush system, new wall mechanics, new animations and better hit detection just make the gameplay even deeper than it ever was. This game also has tons of replay value. It will take you some time to completely learn one character and it will take longer to learn the whole cast of 30+ characters. There so many different modes to choose from including story which is very interesting to play. Devil Within (a small side-story action game included in Tekken 5) isn't anything special or amazing but it is alright and pretty fun to play. It will take a good while to unlock all the tons of custmizations avialable for the characters in the game. Tekken 5 also includes an Arcade history mode that lets you play Arcade Perfect verions of Tekken, Tekken 2, and Tekken 3. These games could have easly sold as a collection because they are still fun and exciting to play today. Yes this game is over the top, unrealistic, and very combo friendly but that doesn't make it a bad game by any means. That is just the style of gameplay Tekken brings to the genre, which is something unique and different. It might be for everybody but it is still solid and fun. Anybody who likes Fighters or even just own a PS2 need to play this game seriously at least once. This game is great and I can't explain just how fun it is.

Super Smash Bros.Melee: YES!!!!

Any real nintendo fan should play this game. Their is absolutely no reason not to. This game is the definition of EPIC. All most all of your favorite nintendo stars duking it out in one single game, whats not to like. This game is just packed to the max with nintendo nostalgia. For that alone this game warrants a must play. However this game contains much more than just nostalgia, this game as a fun, easy to use, tough to master, very deep and unique fighting system. Anyone can pick up this game and have tons of fun. The gameplay is so simple that a 3 year old kid could easily play it. However, under that easy and simplistic control scheme, is a very deep and sophisticated fighting system. The characters are very unique and some many different poperties, it just gives you a very wide scope of techniques to learn and use effectively. This game is awsome and should be a must a play for any nintendo fan and gamecube owner.

Marvel vs Capcom: Yes

Just as long as the game being discussed is the Dreamcast version of Marvel vs Capcom, its getting a yes from me. MvC was the start of fun series of crossovers from capcom. For any Marvel and Capcom fan, this game was like a dream come true. The fighting system is unique, very over the top, deep and most of all fun. The characters, while few, were unique and fun to play. Spider-man vs Ryu, what more do I need to say. This game is also much more balanced than its sequel. Great game that any 2D fighting fan should try.

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Huh. Looks like I have a bit of catching up to do...

Forza Motorsport (XBox)- Microsoft's answer to the Gran Turismo series. While not as loaded in terms of cars and tracks, this is still a great racing simulator. Very nice physics, great graphics, good tunes, the ability to add your own soundtrack, a large selection of cars (including Ferrari), a good number of tracks... this is a great game. If you likely "arcade-y" racers, this won't be your thing. But if you like to be able to tweak the holy hell out of your car, step on up and take part. YES.

Giga Wing 2 (Dreamcast)- Take the basic gameplay of the first game, add in polygonal everything, a ominous synth orchestral soundtrack, plenty of pilots to choose from (each with their own ending and alternate version), a good scoring system, and some nasty bullet-hell gameplay, and you've got GW2. This one's several steps above the original in my opinion, as it takes what worked in the first game, and adds to them nicely. YES.

Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram (Dreamcast)- I'm probably going to get blasted for this, but... NO. I tried to enjoy this game... I really did. I own the first one on the Saturn, and had fun with it. But the Dreamcast sequel was just... missing something. The gameplay was basically there, but there was something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. It's not a bad game, but it just doesn't reach the "must have" plateau.

Metal Slug Anthology (PS2)- Where the PSP version had nasty load times, and the Wii version had the somewhat awkward Wii-mote set up, the PS2 version came out as the version to get. There are short load times between mission segmants (generally 1-3 seconds), but being able to use a digital controller makes playing these old graphical masterpieces so much better. The entire series is filled with great 2D art, blood pumping "war" music, humorous touches, splatters of gore, and an infamous announcer that makes the whole thing complete ("Rowcket Lowncher"). With all seven 2D entries in the series on this one disc (including the newest one, MS-6), it's filled with lots of challenging gameplay, and it'll keep you and a friend busy for a long time. YES.

Border Down (Dreamcast)- Made by G-Rev, this is a great horizontal shmup. Cool tunes, smooth and nice graphics, interesting gameplay mechanics (the whole green/yellow/red path thing), multiple endings, different routes through each level depending on how challenged you wanna be... it's a quality shmup from start to finish, and a feather in the DC's cap. Shame it never came to the US though. A YES for sure.

Enclave (XBox)- A little known 3D action game, this little thing was a pleasant surprise. Graphically, it was very pretty for its time. Lots of detail and some pretty cool character designs. Being able to choose more than one type of character to play through the game as was welcome, and the different types of missions kept it from being a typical medieval hack 'n slash. It's also got quite a challenge to it, so it'll take some work to beat it. It's a fun game, that if given a chance, will grow on you as you delve deeper into it.

It's not a shining beacon for its genre, but it is well made, and worth a Borderline YES to me.

Marvel vs. Capcom (Dreamcast)- The third entry in Capcom's "vs" series, is a pretty good one. While it lacks the cool roster of the first two games and the fourth one, it still pack a lot of frantic chaotic fight action into it. As expected, the graphics are good, the music is odd, but alright, the animation is nice, and there's a healthy roster to choose from. The problem is, for me at least, the roster didn't have as many interesting characters. This game feels like it's filled with more "second stringers" than main stars. So for me, it comes in last in the series. But even so, it's still worth a Borderline YES.

Note: Avoid the PS1 version of this game. Besides loosing rediculous amounts of animation, it also lost the tag team option because of the PS1's limited RAM. It's not nearly as good as the DC rev.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)- The first Castlevania to do 3D well, and the one that begins the entire series' time line. The graphics aren't bad, but not great, the music is wonderful, the level designs are bland, and there's not much platforming. However, it does have interesting characters, some decent voice acting, cool bosses, and a much better take on the classic whipping action than either of the N64 games. It's not the 3D answer to "Symphony", but it's a fun game. A Borderline YES for me.

Genma Onimusha (XBox)- Take the original game on the PS1, add new areas and a tougher difficulty, tweak the gameplay a bit with new monsters and soul battling, keep the great soundtrack and cinemas, and you've got this game. It plays a bit like Resident Evil in feudal Japan, but its story, settings and demonic hordes help it to stand apart from its inspiration. It's a case of a good game being made better, and a sold YES.

OutRun 2 (XBox)- Take the classic gameplay of the original game, beef it up with gorgeous graphics and a healthy selection of cars, add new mini games to enable players to get said cars, and here you go. It's even got the original OutRun tucked away in it. This sequel doesn't mess around with the formula too much, but it does add little touches to spice things up a bit more than the simple turn/turn/brake setup of the original (namely, power sliding). A good game, a solid sequel, and a YES.

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Beatmania IIDX 9th Style: YES

See my reasoning for 8th Style.

Super Smash Brothers Melee: YES

Tight controls. Gameplay eliminates any chances for button mashing to be effective. I could keep going, but I'd be wasting my breath.

Marvel Vs. Capcom: YES

Not exactly the best fighter out there, but it's loads of fun with a multitude of fun characters. On the downside, there are just as many (probably more if you really look at it) poor characters in the game that are just there to fill up slots.

Guitar Hero II: YES

Great rhythm game. Finally has a hammer-on/pull-off system that works and improves your play. Songs are good enough for me in this version. Most of it is newer than that you'd find in GH1.

Beatmania IIDX 10th Style: YES

I keep my reasons.

OutRun2: YES

Tight gameplay. Improved graphics. Slick style. I like.

Grandia II: YES

Fun gameplay you expect from a Grandia game along with a story I found enjoyable. Good characters in here. Good variety which was missed in Grandia III.

Amplitude: YES

Solid gameplay. Decent song selection. Rock on.

Beatmania IIDX 7th Style: YES

Same ol' same ol'

God Of War: YES

Over the top action with a crazy twist on the Greek mythological realm.

Animal Crossing: YES

One of the greatest time sinks known to man if you have friends who you can play with. Works best with other family members or with roommates.

Elite Beat Agents: YES

Clever and funny animation/story along with a good sense of difficulty. Never gets too hard for the rhythm game gurus, but it does deliver. Songs are a bit iffy depending on your taste and the fact that your hand is opaque can take some getting used to.

Lumines: YES

Fun and addictive gameplay. Puzzle mode is a lot of fun and just the standard game mode is also fun as well. Good way to spend your free time.

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This may have been defined before...

But when we say must-have, how literally should we take that?

Do we mean that it's a good game that's probably worth your time to play?

Or that it's a game that you MUST HAVE... in other words, you can't really call yourself a gamer unless you've played this game.

By the second defintion, there are several must have games I have not beaten:

Super Mario Bros 2 & 3

Super Mario 64

Super Smash Bros series

Streets of Rage series

Street Fighter series

Mortal Kombat series

All of Final Fantasies I - VI, Tactics, VIII, X-2

Any Castlevania other than SotN or LoI

Halo series

Doom series

Quake series

Now I don't like fighting or FPS games, which explains why a good number of the games up there fall into those categories. I also don't like sports or racing games, but there are exceptions in all four categories. Point being, I'm thinking we might want to up the criteria for a game being "must have."

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This may have been defined before...

But when we say must-have, how literally should we take that?

Do we mean that it's a good game that's probably worth your time to play?

Or that it's a game that you MUST HAVE... in other words, you can't really call yourself a gamer unless you've played this game.

It's really a mixture of the two. Games that you feel are quality representations of their respective genres, and ones that you think everyone should experience because you believe them to be fun and worth their time to at least try out. Not really "the best of the best", because then you'd be comparing every platformer, fighter, racer, shooter, to every other game in their genre, and that'll result in a lot of quality titles being lost by whittling it down so much. As an example of this...

Someone telling people to play Ultimate Doom, while leaving out Doom 2, Half-Life, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Quake and other well made FPS games, because they find UD to be the best FPS made.

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Seventeen good times await you.

******************************************************************************

***ROUND SEVENTEEN***

Virtua Fighter 4

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega-AM2

Meta Score: 9.1

Halo 2

Console: Xbox

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Bungie Software

Meta Score: 9.5

Jump Superstars

Console: Nintendo DS

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Ganbarion

Meta Score: (not available)

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

Console: PSP

Publisher: SCEA

Developer: Sony Bend

Meta Score: 8.7

Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Meta Score: 8.4

Okami

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Clover Studio

Meta Score: 9.3

Rayman Revolution

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Meta Score: 8.5

Zone of Enders: The 2nd Runner

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: KCEJ

Meta Score: 8.2

Beatmania IIDX 11: IIDX Red

Console: Playstation 2

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Meta Score: (not available)

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes

Console: Gamecube

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Silicon Knights

Meta Score: (not available)

******************************************************************************

I'll vote tomorrow.

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Halo 2 (XBox)- The much praised (and often dividing) sequel to the first XBox hit. It offered a broader story, more mission and settings variations, good music, a cliff hangar ending, some interesting twists as you play through, better graphics, and an overall great gaming experience. While some bag on it and it's ending, it doesn't lessen what many reviews have stated... that it's a great game. YES.

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***ROUND FOURTEEN***

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: No

When i think of some of the designs in this game, i cream my pants. The characters, enviroments, dungeons. And finally, lot's of (big) city's just like in Zelda 2!

But wait, the gameplay....sucks. No, it doesn't suck. It just doesn't set itself apart from other Zelda games. Controls were thesame as previous entries, and the pointing with the Wii-mote doesn't add THAT much to the game. And again, you have to switch between worlds/forms. I was sick of that, back in 1993! That guy from Gamespot gave it a 8.8, and almost got lynched. I think he was actually pretty generous...

Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millenium 2001: Yes

I already wrote something about this earlier, for the x-box version, so i'll keep it short. Excellent 2-d fighter with a big and loveable cast. Hip music, great visuals.

***ROUND FIFTEEN***

Super Smash Bros. Melee: Yes

Does anybody actually need to say anything about this game? The most beloved game from the Gamecube, and still stands strong as a game, for professionals and newbies. All your favorites, and some more lesser known characters are in.

It's to bad that Smash Brothers Brawl will kick it's ass.

***ROUND SIXTEEN***

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence: Yes

One of my favorite Castlevania's ever, and a highly underrated game. People think it's bad because it's only "go in room, kill monsters, go in room, kill monsters". Which is essentially true, but those people fail to see the beauty.

It's the music. The music is FAN-TAS-TIC. Due to the music, you'll forget that the gameplay is so flat, because you'll enjoy it alot more. The music fits perfectly to every enviroment: the Ghostly Theatre, the Garden Forgotten by Time, Anti-Souls Mystery Lab: all different sounds that are wonderfully composed. Masterful.

The gameplay is SOLID. It's a bit hard, but it can be masterd with a little bit devotion. The different combo's you can dish out are awesome, and the game has a lot of sideways and "hidden" area's that ARE interesting enough to come back, because you need the things you find in hidden area's, to unlock other hidden area's. The voice acting, is a bit "meh", but it suffices. The graphics are a bit "meh" aswell, but the animation of the characters is superb.

I think i'll play this game again when i get the chance, i miss it :P.

***ROUND SEVENTEEN***

Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening: YES!!

Oh my, where do i begin? Alright, first of all, it's a throwback to all the fighters we had back in the early 90's. One dude stands up to other things and kicks their asses. Where part one laid down the path, the second screwed us over. The third was the comeback, and badder then ever. 6 Different styles, that ACTUALLY differ, instead of providing minimal change in gameplay. The game itself is hard, and especially in the beginning, but after some devotion, you can get the moves, and the timing about the bad guys down. When you have, it'll give you a BIG rush when kicking their asses and seeing the rank strike "Stylish".

The story is a bit second rate, but it get's things along nicely. The bond that Dante and his twin Vergil have is cool to see, and the fights in the cut-scenes are breath taking. And speaking of cut-scenes. Did i mention that Dante is funny?

Fucking epic game.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes: Yes

(I have never played the original, so bear with me).

I was eager to see what the fuss was about Metal Gear Solid, and people weren't wrong. The story is GREAT, and although the cut-scenes were long, and sometimes unnessacry, it really helps the game. The gameplay is some getting used to, but it's exciting.

Ryuhei Kitamura is my hero. The cut-scenes are awesome!

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The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - YES

There's something to be said for making a good game design and then improving it without radically changing it. You don't HAVE to have radical change to still make an excellent game, and this is a perfect example of that. The dungeon design was excellent and the graphics were fantastic for gamecube and even pretty good by wii standards. The wolf mechanic was a welcome addition, and the boss fights and characters (particularly Midna) were refreshing and just plain fun.

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Round 15

Puzzle Quest: No. I bought the game and originally liked it a lot. Bejewelled was a fun game, and while the premise of winning fights through flipping gems is a bit wacky, it was fun. Until you start to lose. A lot. Now I'm not a bad player at puzzle games; if nothing else, you can take your time to find the perfect move. I just found that many of the monsters were stacked heavily and had powers I had no good counter for, plus they always seemed to pull off ridiculous combos that depended on the right gems dropping onto the board from above. Sure, I got those occasionally as a player, but with nowhere near the frequency that the CPU did. I found it tedious to have the same fights over and over again, and lose every time despite doing the right thing. And when you get to the points where opponents manage to do 40+ damage in a single hit and you have about 120 HP plus they have more than you, losing is pretty much guaranteed. Also, the puzzles to learn the spells are frustrating, since the longer ones were near impossible to complete. It was really easy to get into a position where all the moves were in one of the top quarters of the board and the pieces on the rest of the board were effectively unmoveable unless you managed to get your requirement for a color and clear all gems of that color off the board automatically.

In short: this game is a great concept but amounts to an exercise in frustration.

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It's really a mixture of the two. Games that you feel are quality representations of their respective genres, and ones that you think everyone should experience because you believe them to be fun and worth their time to at least try out. Not really "the best of the best", because then you'd be comparing every platformer, fighter, racer, shooter, to every other game in their genre, and that'll result in a lot of quality titles being lost by whittling it down so much. As an example of this...

Someone telling people to play Ultimate Doom, while leaving out Doom 2, Half-Life, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Quake and other well made FPS games, because they find UD to be the best FPS made.

Fair enough. But then should we really call them Must Have? I know everyone hates a literalist, but I am always looking for new games to consider, and when I saw Must Have it brought certain connotations to my head. Maybe they should just be called OCR-sponsored game list or something like that.

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Virtua Fighter 4: Yes

I personally don't like playing Virtua Fighter games. I tend to like more over-the-top fighters like Tekken and Guilty Gear. Virtua Fighter just seems more like a simulation to me. However, the contributions Virtua Fighter has made to the fighting genre are undeniable and can't be ignored. Virtua Fighter 4 in this case made quite a few. It had some revoultionary graphics at the time, The fighting system was more refined than it ever has been, and it was the first fighter to successfully include character customizations and ranking. Almost every fighter since has tried to include some level of customization to their characters, usually at least a color edit mode. Many also try to include some type of ranking system. The production quality of this game is top notch as well. Good game that anyone should try.

Halo 2: No

Its not a bad but I just don't it is "Must Have" status for the same reasons I think Halo isn't. Just read a couple of pages back and you'll find out why. But to some it up, weak story, slow paced gameplay, nothing special for a FPS, and average if not somewhat dull single player.

Jump Superstars: Yes

This game is really fun. Its the closest you'll get to having a portable super smash bros. However it still has its own uniqueness to it that still makes it worth a try even if you feel don't need to play another SSB style game. Basically this game is Shonen Jump's version of Smash Bros. but instead it is a cross over of Shonen Jump manga characters. They have characters from pretty much any Shonen Jump series you can think of. Dragonball, Naruto, One Peice, YuYu Hakasho and etc. Its a really fun and unique gameplay experience for the DS. Anyone with a DS who likes manga and anime should try this game. The only downside is that it is an import and there isn't much english in the game.

Okami: Hell YES!

In my opinion, Okami is the best single player game on the PS2 and nothing even comes close to matching the expeirence this game delivers. There are so many reasons why this game is great and I honestly have trouble summing it all up. Heres what I can tell right off the bat.

This game is amazingly beautiful. The graphics are unique and extremely artistic. It really does look your playing a watercolor painting. The sound is very atmospheric and engaging and the music is just plain awsome. The story is incredibly deep and engaging. There are so many twists and back stories in the central story that it really never seems to get dull. The gameplay is top notch for an action adventure game and the celestial brush mechanic offers something new to the genre which makes gameplay, especially combat, much more fun and deep. The environments are huge, beautiful and very well designed. This game willl keep you busy for a while. I would say it will take about 20 hours to complete the game without doing any side missions or minigames. When you include those, it well take about 35 hours. And if like to explore a lot like me, then it will take you close to 50 hours. A couple of things change the second time you play the game.

This game is a great addition to the PS2 library that anybody should try. I highly recommend this game to any PS2 owner.

Metal Gear Solid Twin Snakes: Yes

I really don't like playing Metal Gear games. I hate the whole stealth and hiding part of the game. However, I got to admit that Metal Gear Solid was a really good game. This remake is pretty good too. It has everything that made the first game had plus more. The improved graphics and new gameplay mechanics that became staples for the metal gear series are reason enough to play this game. Its good and I think fans of Metal Gear and stealth games should try it. Not my cup of tea but not a bad game either.

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There's something to be said for making a good game design and then improving it without radically changing it. You don't HAVE to have radical change to still make an excellent game

You're forgetting that Twilight Princess uses techniques that are almost a decade old.

If it had dated graphics, but killer gameplay, that would be different. Sorta like King of Fighters. But this game has dated gameplay and music, but pretty graphics. That alone isn't enough.

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Not that it'll need my vote, but Okami is VERY YES.

I havent been voting cause most of the games don't mean that much to me one way or the other. But Okami has forced me to vote.

Oh, and also almost as very yes for Smash Bros Melee.

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