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OCR 'Must-Have Games' List: -Part TWO-


sephfire
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********** Round 1 ***********

Mario Kart Super Circuit: No

A fun game, with some awesome graphics for it's time. The songs are pretty good, real MK style, but the quality could have certainly been better. Especially when it's compared to a game like Golden Sun.

Sadly, it felt unbalanced, the driving felt more like gliding, and compared to what other iterations in the MK franchise came up with, this one just falls short.

Just one? You sure how to pick the lists! XD

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Banjo-Kazooie - Yes! It's a fun and quirky game that really fits the "all ages" demographic. The gameplay was solid and innovative. Definitely a must-have.

Ogre Battle 64 - Yes. The story was involving, the gameplay was simple yet the strategy intense. It looked good. It felt good. It was great.

Mega Man X4 - YES. The last good game of a once-great series. The option to pick Zero as your main character was new and refreshing. He also handled solidly even though you quickly realized it was like putting the game on a harder setting instead of playing a completely new game. The story was actually done well for both main characters.

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Megaman X4: YES

Ranks as one of the best megaman X games ever made. Though I prefer the SNES counterparts. Everything else after it in the series, with only one exception, is crap, no matter how much megaman fanboys want them not to suck.

Legend of Mana: NO

As an RPG and as a sequel to one of the best action rpg's out there, it fell flat on most aspects. I'd take any of the games before it any day.

As for all the other games, they were good but not enough for a must have status. Others have sequels that were much better (system shock, commander keen..) And some others I haven't played, like planetscape.

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We aren't voting on FF7 yet.

Anyways

Banjo Kazooie: Yes An excellent platformer that I wish I still had. I don't remember the ending very well anymore, except for the odd game show like thing you play with the witch. Awesome game though and quite challenging.

Commander Keen I: No Although it really is a fun game, I don't see it as being a must-have game. I tended to like Duke Nukem better for platformers.

Also, is that System Shock 1 or 2 you have up there for voting? I don't remember seeing 1 up for nomination.

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Hopefully more people will find something to vote on this round. :<

********* Round Two: *********

Diddy Kong Racing

Console: Nintendo 64

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Rare Ltd.

Released: Nov 24, 1997

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

Console: Nintendo 64

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: LucasArts

Released: Nov 17, 1998

Castlevania Chronicles

Console: Playstation

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Konami

Released: Oct 8, 2001

Ridge Racer

Console: Playstation

Publisher: Namco

Developer: Namco

Released: Sept 9, 1995

Battle Garegga *

Console: Saturn

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Eighting/Raizing

Released: 1996

NiGHTS Into Dreams

Console: Saturn

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sonic Team

Released: Aug 31, 1996

Civilization IV

Console: PC

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: Firaxis Games

Released: Oct 25, 2005

Eve Online

Console: PC

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Developer: CCP

Released: May 6, 2003

Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter

Console: PC

Publisher: Sierra Entertainment

Developer: Sierra Entertainment

Released: 1991

Advance Wars

Console: GBA

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Intelligent Systems

Released: Sept 9, 2001

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

Diddy Kong Racing -- NO (borderline)

Don't get me wrong, it was a fun game. The free-driving "lobby" to drive around between races was pretty fun and it's funny seeing rough draft versions of RARE's characters who later turned out to be quite different (Conker and Banjo, in particular). The racing was fun too. The standard battle mode was a bit lackluster, although the egg retrieval levels could get frantically fun with 4 people. It was a fun game, just not quite at Must-Have status. It didn't help that Mario Kart 64 was the closest game to compare it to.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron -- undecided

Still deciding on this one. Will vote later.

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********* Round Two: *********

Diddy Kong Racing definitive YES

Shame on you seph, SHAME ON YOU. This games obliterates mario kart in every respect. The drivers were more balanced, The weapons although not as colorful were all more usable, the zip system really shined, and not to mention you could pick between 3 types of vehicles. Also the difficulty was much higher than in mario kart. One of the most memorable moments I have in n64 gaming was going a whole afternoon agains wizpig trying to beat him on the most difficult setting, and also winnning agains the ghost clock.

This is a game for people who enjoy persevering and mastering their games, and also for those who want to have a great time with friends. Totally a must have in my list.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron - Borderline YES

Before this game I didn't think that Starfox 64 could be bested by other franchise but Rogue Squadron had great graphics, amazing sound and interesting and entertaining missions. Although I'd rate the GC's Rogue Squadron higher, and a true must have, this one is no less than an excellent game.

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Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: Yes.

Tough call. It should be picked up by ANY Star Wars fan out there, but must-have? The missions are cool, diverse and exciting (chase that, protect this, disable another). The graphics are pretty nice (the expansion pack takes care of A LOT of problems; framerate, draw distance, textures). And the story that was told was interesting.

However, the missions aren't always clear, and they are quite mindless most of the time. (Shoot shoot shoot).

However, all in all, it makes for a great game. Dare i say it? The force is strong with....ah, never mind.

Advance Wars: YEAH

Oh man, how addictive was THIS game? Simply put together, but o so deep when played. Some missions suffer too much from trial and error mistakes, but the game is satisfying to the very end.

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Round Two - FIGHT!!

Diddy Kong Racing N64 - No(borderline)

In my life, I have noticed that there are (at least) two types of hardcore video game players. One of them is the kind who buys a few games and plays the crap out of all of them, despite numerous flaws, and finds all the secrets and unlocks all extras. The second type of player tries to experience every single great game, but then never or rarely plays the game again, even sometimes trading the game in. I believe that the reason for this list is to assist the second type of gamer who feels he or she may have missed some gems in the past. Those hardcore gamers who belong to the second category will not like Diddy Kong Racing.

The game is very challenging if you let it grow on you, but most collector-type gamers will not see the point and will give up, because after all, Killer 7 and numerous other great games are still sitting on the shelf unplayed, and the gamer has to see how great they are too so they can check them off their mental list.

I'm sorry for being long-winded in such an inappropriate venue, but Diddy Kong Racing is either loved or hated, and before spending time/money on it, decide what time of gamer your are beforehand.

Advance Wars GBA - YES

I think the first one is worth owning and the DS version is worth owning, but feel free to skip the second one, "Black Hole Rising," unless you love the others. This game does a very good job of introducing new, interesting challenges to the player without relying too much on the same general tactics to win, which is the hardest task for turn-based strategy games.

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Diddy Kong Racing

NO -- Enjoyable, but not a must-have. The exploration/adventure elements are somewhat creative, but the basic racing action is inferior to Mario Kart 64 -- the control is just too clunky. (And no, the multiple vehicles don't make up for this -- you can choose a clunky go-kart, a clunky hovercraft, or a clunky airplane. Whereas in Mario Kart you get a go-kart that handles quite fluidly. Why would you want anything else?)

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Castlevania Chronicles- A long overdue port of the little seen outside Japan X68000 Sharp game, Akumajō Dracula. It plays like the older games in the series, but looks like a 16-bit entry (because the X68000 Sharp was a 16-bit computer). The graphics are quite nice, and when you play in the original mode, you can select from three different setups for the original game's midi soundtrack (which is quite good). Cool bosses and stages, good control, and a solid challenge with a much better sense of difficulty balance over the original game. It's a hidden gem in the Castlevania family tree, and shouldn't be passed up. YES.

Ridge Racer- I've been a fan of the RR series. Rage Racer quite fun, with a good sense of speed and nice PS1 graphics for the time, but the series as a whole was just never all that engrossing. Nice graphics and such for the most part, but the gameplay's never been to my liking. The way it handles sliding through turns just doesn't feel as intuitive as titles like Sega Rally and Daytona USA, and the game is painfully low in its track count.

It's not a horrid game by any means, but its parts just don't add up to making it a 'must have' title. NO.

Battle Garegga *- Shmups. Japan loves them, but most US companies couldn't care less about them. However, this import Saturn title isn't one that US gamers should pretend doesn't exist. Made by the well known companies 8ing/Raizing, Battle Garegga is best described as a "manic" shmup. Lots of bullets (but not "Bullet Hell" levels), falling medals to be collected for score, power-ups that fall off the screen... it's a hectic game to play through... but what a game it is.

Very nice graphics, good tunes, a rank system that keeps the game from ever being a walk through, multiple planes to choose from (including hidden ones), and a nice graphical style that's done using more realistic colors (not bright day-glo ones like many other shmups use).

If you like shmups, and you're fond of vertical shmups especially, this game is a must. YES.

NiGHTS Into Dreams- Overshadowed by Mario 64, and ignored by a lot of gamers at first, this game is a short, but oh so sweet masterpiece of gaming. A great graphical style and sense of flight, good music, an almost surreal story, fun yet challenging boss battles... it's no wonder this game has since appeared on many "top" lists. The goals and controls are so simple, but they're done so well. This is a game that's not easy to give a real impression of, as it's something that needs to be played to be truly appreciated.

A YES without a doubt.

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Ok just to make this even more difficult

Diddy Kong Racing

YES (borderline)

Sir Chadly has got valid points for voting against this game and pretty much hit the nail on the head. But as this competition is for a must-have game not just a love/hate thing we can't really base it's rating on what type of gamer you are. Diddy-Kong racing's steering was a bit more annoying than that of MK 64, but at least it was different with adventure mode, hovercraft, plane etc. And let's face it, can your N64 collection really be complete without DiddyKong racing. It was fun and annoying at times, but it was a game that grows on you and to have a version spawned for the DS has to say something about how people must have this game..

And for an easier vote:

Advance Wars

YES

As far as strategy games go, this one is right up there. Gameplay is similar to that of Fire Emblem except its got tanks!!!11! Tanks are fun. Great characters, story was fun and can even be enjoyed by those that usually dislike the strategy genre. The beginning of a great series. Oh, and you can't forget the AWESOME MUSIC.

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Diddy Kong Racing- YES

Better than MK64, for truth- you all know it. Weapons that rely not on luck, but skill. A single player mode that has some semblance of progress. Planes. A totally awesome Dave Wise soundtrack.

I'd recommend Chadly's second 'hardcore' gamer to play less, appreciate more. Should something like Fallout 2 not be recognised because some people bite off more than they can chew?

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For some reason I completely missed this thread this time around, well up until know that is.

I haven't played any of the games up until know so I can't vote on them.

Here is a few of late nominees though. I just posted some I don't remeber seeing already.

PC:

Rise of Nations

Age of Mythology

Quake 3 Arena

Half-life

Unreal Tournament 2004

N64:

Zelda Majora's Mask

PS:

Crash, Crash 2, Crash Warped

Tekken 3

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Diddy Kong Racing - YES The racers are actually balanced differently in this one. Bumper(the badger) has great handling, though I tend to like the rooster guy for racing for his speed and acceleration(until I got TT) The upgradeable weapons/boosts/assists are cool and the levels are quite varied. Plus one of the number one reasons is "NO CHEAP COME FROM BEHIND CPU'S/SUPER ATTACKS".

Rogue Squadron - Borderline YES Fun game but you don't tend to replay it too often, unless you're messing around (Using the Y-Wing to bomb Coruscant, then wonder who these people that run up to the nearby hill are.) or going for medals. Though I actually liked this one better than Rogue Leader.

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N64 - Conker's Bad Fur Day. YES (Can I still vote for this?)

It was a totally revolutionary game. Solid, varied gameplay - Shooting, platforming, flying, puzzle - it has it all.

Awesome humor, especially in Conker's smart-ass dialog "Isn't it a little bit early in the morning to be talking about gothic architecture?"

It also has a sweet third person shooter 4-player mode with a variety of weapons and modes (capture the flag, death match)

Good cut-scenes, graphics, animation too. It's a great game almost completely based off of humor and it works - that's extremely rare for a game. It definitely deserves a place in the list.

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i am bored, so here, have some nominations:

PC

Wing Commander (1990)

Crystal Caves (1991)

Commander Keen in Goodbye Galaxy! (1991)

Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure (1992)

X-COM: UFO Defense (1993)

Rise of the Triad (1994)

Cyberia (1994)

Crusader: No Remorse (1995)

Big Red Racing (1995)

Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995)

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries (1996)

Quake (1996)

Interstate '76 (1997)

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997)

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (1997)

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (1998)

SNES

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

Gradius III

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nominating tales games, mainly:

Tales of Symphonia

Tales of Destiny

Also, nominating my favorite game of all time, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals.'

EDIT: Ooops, didn't notice that we are taking it back, yet not too back, if you get what I mean. Scratch lufia 2 and tales of symphonia since the cube already had it's turn and we aren't on the snes yet.

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I'm beginning to realize how few games I actually played back in the day. Shame on me.

************ Round Three: ************

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Console: N64

Publisher: Rare Ltd.

Developer: Rare Ltd.

Release: Mar 4, 2001

Wave Race 64

Console: N64

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Release: Nov 1, 1996

Colony Wars

Console: Playstation

Publisher: Psygnosis

Developer: SCEE

Release: Oct 31, 1997

The Legend of Dragoon

Console: Playstation

Publisher: SCEA

Developer: SCEI

Release: Jun 11, 2000

Darius Gaiden

Console: Saturn

Publisher: Acclaim

Developer: Taito Corporation

Release: 1996

Shining Force III

Console: Saturn

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Camelot Co. Ltd.

Release: May 31, 1998

Age of Empires

Console: PC

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Ensemble Studios

Release: Oct 26, 1997

Call of Duty

Console: PC

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Infinity Ward

Release: Oct 29, 2003

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Console: PC

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Softworks

Release: May 2, 2002

Fire Emblem

Console: GBA

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Intelligent Systems

Release: Nov 3, 2003

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

My vote:

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -- YES

Having played the Xbox port and seen the PC version, I feel qualified to vote on this. All the great open-world gameplay we love Elder Scrolls for plus patches and mods? Sign me up. The world may be a bit more drab then Oblivion's, but it's still huge. Great, great game.

Also, I'll be keeping the vote progress updated at the top of the main post, so keep an eye out.

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