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

[Raziellink]

Conker’s Bad Fur Day: No

Man, how i loved this game. Untill i figured out the game doesn't help you out by not giving you any direction, a lousy framerate, and bizarre bosses.

I loved the humor, but you never know what to do unless you try everything (i.e. the gameplay was horrible).

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind: No

I was so glad i only spend €7 on this game (Game of the Year edition, including the two add-ons).

No sense of direction (from the first second of the game!). I know that this is supposed to be like this, but a little guidance would've been nice. The fighting is terrible, and the skills can be confusing.

Maybe it was just me, and should give this game another chance. But i really, REALLY hated the game for what it was trying to accomplish.

[DuskyFerret]

I think you mean a great instalment to a good series.

I guess I stand corrected. But for good reason. One, we live in Australia and we are lucky to even get Fire Emblem, and two, that game (Nintendo Wars) was released before I was if you catch my drift.

On to voting:

Conkers Bad Fur Day

HELL YEA

This game was badass on all levels. Probably the best thing about it is the surprising transition for Conker ( I mean seriously, did you see him in Diddy Kong Racing, not exactly the most badass guy in my opinion). Count that as another good reason for DK racing to be yes, for first introducing us to Conker, (unless Fireman Joe can point out to me a game that featured him before it).

Age of Empires

YES

Easily a must have. Even with less features than its sequels, it's a classic and is really enjoyable. Good strategy game, great environments and actually a greater challenge than the rest of the series.

Fire Emblem

YES (SHOE IN)

Does this game even need a reason? K, lemme think...um great characters, great story, great gameplay, great replay value, great RPG elements, great fun, great series and highly addictive. Did I mention it's great?

[Moseph]

Wave Race 64

NO -- Impressive water for a first-gen N64 game, and a good game overall, but just not special enough to be a must-have.

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

YES -- The only way this could conceivably not be a YES is if there was a one-game-per-series rule and Oblivion was chosen instead of it. Huge, open-ended game world, lots of stuff to do, tons of user mods, etc, etc.

Fire Emblem

YES -- Simply the best turn-based strategy game on GBA. Highly recommended.

Seeing Wave Race up for voting reminds me of my favorite racing game ever...

ADDITIONAL NOMINATION

N64 -- Beetle Adventure Racing

[SirChadlyOC]

Round Three: ***

Conker’s Bad Fur Day - N64: YES

This is probably the only adult game on N64, so that definitely adds to its value. Some of the multiplayer games were really good and pretty unique, such as capture the flag. The game is also really funny. Not my favorite game of all time, but worth owning for sure.

Wave Race 64 - N64: NO

Fun game and all, but it's not really any different from the 1080 series or many other similar "Race+Tricks" games. It's worth playing, but it doesn't have much replay value that demands a purchase, and it certainly doesn't offer any amazing new or unique gameplay.

The Legend of Dragoon - PS1: YES(borderline)

I've actually never gotten to the third disc, but I'm glad I own it. I found the battle system to be very fresh. It's kind of like the fighting in Super Mario RPG because timing of hiting the button affects damage. My main complaints are found in every PS1 RPG: long loading times that break up the flow of the game, etc. However, anyone who loves all of the best PS1 RPGs should own this game.

Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken ("Blazing Sword") - GBA: YES

This is, by far, my favorite video game series. Instead of listing all the reasons to own this game, I'm going to reason why someone might not like this game.

There is a lot of dialog and story, so if reading bores you and you just want to kill enemies and blow stuff up, you'll hate this game. If you couldn't care less about the characters and personality of your troops, you'll be bored with the conversations and development, which is thorough and avoids cliches.

If one of your characters die, they are gone for good. There's no extra lives, Life spells, or phoenix down. If you want them to live, you have to restart the level. Some people find this gameplay to be way too hard and frustrating, but I think it's what makes the game so perfectly good.

If I could add only one game to the list of must-owns, It'd be Fire Emblem (7).

[Moseph]

Conkers Bad Fur Day

HELL YEA

This game was badass on all levels. Probably the best thing about it is the surprising transition for Conker ( I mean seriously, did you see him in Diddy Kong Racing, not exactly the most badass guy in my opinion). Count that as another good reason for DK racing to be yes, for first introducing us to Conker, (unless Fireman Joe can point out to me a game that featured him before it).

It was post- Diddy Kong Racing -- and also a Game Boy Color game -- but Conker's Pocket Tales is another game to check out if you want to see just how much Rare changed the character for BFD.

[Sir_NutS]

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

Conker’s Bad Fur Day - YES

Although I agree in part with the complaints about this game, I have to tell that few games come close to this one in parody and humor levels. Can't even think of anything outside old sierra adventure games that are this fun and this hilarious, games aren't just like that anymore.

CBFD never holds back, and gives you a wacky story filled with dark comedy and parody, awesome graphics, great audio and good and varied gameplay. Whoever owns a N64 NEEDS this game, absolutely.

Wave Race 64 borderline YES

Yes, the technology was impressive, however I don't feel it has that competitive feeling that other racers get so well. But wave race was a first in many aspects and it's still fun.

The Legend of Dragoon - NO

Sorry, back then, yeah it was good, does it stands the test of time, or does everyone needs to play this? nah. Many others RPGs have better stories and battle systems, before and after this game. If you like dragoons though, this is your game, but only if.

Age of Empires - NO

If it's just AoE 1, then no. It suffered many problems and was somewhat limited. however, AoE 2 deserves to be in everyone's computer, ALL THE TIME. It's the pinaccle of the series and it's hard to find a game in the genre that feels more fun, and right. However, for part 1, no.

[sephfire]

The success of Commander Keen as a shareware game led to the creation of id Software, who, at the timed, called themselves Ideas From the Deep.

That alone puts it among the must-haves.

Conkers Bad Fur Day

HELL YEA

Probably the best thing about it is the surprising transition for Conker ( I mean seriously, did you see him in Diddy Kong Racing, not exactly the most badass guy in my opinion). Count that as another good reason for DK racing to be yes, for first introducing us to Conker, (unless Fireman Joe can point out to me a game that featured him before it).

Just an FYI for the future, but I don't think either of these reasons really qualify a game for must-have status. Just because a mediocre game: a). introduces a good character or . was created by a developer who became great later doesn't make that mediocre game any better on its own.

You gave other good reasons to vote YES on the games, so I'm certainly not throwing the votes out. Just wanted to say.

[sephfire]

Conker’s Bad Fur Day - YES

Although I agree in part with the complaints about this game, I have to tell that few games come close to this one in parody and humor levels. Can't even think of anything outside old sierra adventure games that are this fun and this hilarious, games aren't just like that anymore.

At least Tim schafer is still with us.

[suzumebachi]

Call of Duty - YES

Call of Duty is easily one of the best WW2 shooters out there (the only one that rivals it IMO is the original Battlefield 1942), and essentially one of the best FPSes outside of the Quake, Doom, and Half-Life franchises. The single player campaign was fantastic, and the multiplayer was fun as hell also.

[sephfire]

******** Round Four: *********

Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes

Console: N64

Publisher: 3DO

Developer: 3DO

Release: Sept 30, 1999

Crash Bandicoot

Console: Playstation

Publisher: SCEA

Developer: Naughty Dog

Release: Aug 31, 1996

Silent Hill

Console: Playstation

Publisher: Konami

Developer: KCET

Release: Jan 31, 1999

Dragon Force

Console: Saturn

Publisher: Working Designs

Developer: Sega

Release: Nov 30, 1996

Sonic 3D Blast

Console: Saturn

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Traveller’s Tales

Release: Nov 30, 1996

Command & Conquer

Console: PC

Publisher: Virgin Interactive

Developer: Westwood Studios

Release: Aug 31, 1995

Half-Life

Console: PC

Publisher: Sierra Entertainment

Developer: Valve Software

Release: Oct 31, 1998

Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri

Console: PC

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Firaxis Games

Release: Jan 31, 1999

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

Console: PC

Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Release: 1994

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Console: GBA

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: SquareSoft

Release: Sept 8, 2003

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

My votes:

Army Men: Sarge's Heroes -- NO

I'll admit to having a lot of fun with this game in multiplayer. I hadn't experienced shooters where you could actually hide in your environment and launch surprise attacks and snipe people from afar. Beyond that, though, it was nothing particularly special.

Half-Life -- YES

The first entry in a brilliant franchise. The original may be a bit overshadowed graphically by the eye candy we have available today, but the game still stands as one of the greatest shooters out there.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance -- YES

At first, it's hard not to be disappointed by FFTA's story, especially after the (poorly translated) epic FF Tactics gave us. But after you got over that, the great gameplay was still there to be enjoyed, plus some new features. Races and new jobs gave us more to experiment with. It may not be the perfect FFTactics sequel, but it's still addicting and well worth your money.

[Penfold]

Round 3

Wow, I only played one of these games so far (Wave Race 64 is on my VC download list, but it's gonna be on hold for a while longer still). Anyway...

Fire Emblem

I began playing this series starting with the Gamecube entry, Path of Radiance, and loved the experience so much I was compelled go back and purchase the GBA games as well (looking back on it, probably a bad choice while still trying graduate from college ) . Anyway, what I have to say about this Fire Emblem pertains to both in the series on GBA I played. The story is decent enough (nothing terribly special, IMO, but not so bad either), but the absolutely addictive(not to mention rewarding) gameplay is the big reason to get into this game. The presentation also makes this a winner I think, especially with such dynamic and brilliant battle animations. Not until I played this game did I realized why fans disliked the battle animations from Path of Radiance: while beautifully rendered, they were so stiff compared to the GBA games. At any rate, it is a real challenge to beat this game, all the while not losing a character. Especially to enthusiasts of the strategy genre, I would highly recommend this game.

YES

[suzumebachi]

Silent Hill - YES

Easily one of the best horror/adventure games ever. I'll never forget the first time I went into the nightmareish school and got accosted by one of those deformed kids.

Half-Life - YES

One of the best FPS games of all time. Singleplayer was freaking great. Multiplayer was badass. Plus some of the best mods for any game ever were made for Half-Life.

I'd vote for WarCraft, but IMO, while WarCraft was a good game, WarCraft II completely blew it out of the water. Has WarCraft II been nominated yet? If not, I nominate WarCraft II.

[Cecilff2]

Wow that was a quick day transition

Voting round 3

Wave Race 64 - No While it was a nice racer, it never really held anything over MK64 or DKR. Not a must have title.

Age of Empires - No A decent enough RTS, but AoE2 surpassed it in almost every way.

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - YES Not only is the game great by itself, but it can be modified into almost anything else you want. It was the most unique RPG I had ever seen. Surpassing Oblivion in my opinion so far, though I'm sure there will be some mods that'll bring it up to Morrowinds level of awesomeness eventually.

Round 4 stuff

Half Life - Yes The shooter that got almost everything right, though those barneys caused me plenty of trouble(STOP GETTING YOURSELVES KILLED). Nice story that let you find out all you needed to know on your own.

Alpha Centauri - Yes Of the Civ games I've played, this one has always been my favorite. Taking out the remaining peacekeeper forces with a planet buster(which you convince the other factions that its not an atrocity) is always a nice ending for them. A nice vision of colonizing a sentient planet if I ever saw one.

[Penfold]

Round 4

2 I played this time around...

Command and Conquer

Been a fan of the series (and the genre) since this came out. Simply put, it was amazing when I played it for the first time. I set up a home network so my brother and I could play against each other, eventually my dad began playing it too. Lost countless hours to this iteration alone. Now, it's a tough choice for me which way to vote. It was a great game for its time, but Red Alert and Red Alert 2 improved upon the formula dramatically. I'm gonna have to give it...

NO [borderline]

Half Life

I know like everyone else loved this game, but after playing it about 3 years ago (for the first time, mind you) I've gotta say I don't share this sentiment. I can understand that the narrative means of the game was a first, but that doesn't outweight that the game itself felt very vanilla FPS as I played. The absolute dealbreaker for me was the platforming elements they placed in the game: after play Metroid Prime, I realized just how poorly executed jumping/platforming in most first-person games (Half Life especially) was. I can't personally recommend this game, but that's just one man's opinion (I know a lot of people who loved the game). Much as I hate to say it...

NO

EDIT: a couple more nominations:

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2

Chrono Trigger (Playstation port)

[Sir_NutS]

******** Round Four: *********

Crash Bandicoot YES

Crash might be overdone now but his first adventure was a game to remember, and established a semi-mascot for the playstation at the time. The game mechanics were well done, dare I say, at nintendo level balanced. I think that every playstation owner should have this game.

Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri YES

Everything Sid Meier's touches becomes gold. The guy alywas has had pretty good ideas and alpha centauri was and still is one of the best 4x games to be found. The graphics are still good and it stands the test of time really well. Although awkward at first and with a bit of steep learning curve (but hey, which 4x game doesn't have a steep learning curve), once you get the basics, it's a blast. Definitive yes and it's a game everyone should give a try at least once and then find themselves addicted a few hours later.

[Neo Samus]

Ok never done this before but here goes.

Wave Race Yes: One of the most impressive titles ever for the N64. To this day there have been many copycats but nothing can compare to how fulid WR64. From the graphics (I still say wow to them), to the amazing control, to the overall fun factor. I can still play this game of hours a day and never get bored. A must have for an N64 or Wii owner.

Army Men Sarges Heroes No I agree with Sephfire. I found myslef very boerd playing AM: SH. Everything about the game was very bland and the control was very unresponsive.

[Penfold]

Quick, slightly off-topic question. Megaman Legends is nominated in this thread for Playstation, but does anyone know if that was also available for the 64?

[Neo Samus]

Quick, slightly off-topic question. Megaman Legends is nominated in this thread for Playstation, but does anyone know if that was also available for the 64?

Yes. I believe it was Mega Man 64.

[Penfold]

Yes. I believe it was Mega Man 64.

Cool, thanks!

[dsx100]

Age of Empires: No

This game is awsome I think anybody who has enjoyed the Age of Empire's series should play this game. It isn't however a "must-have game". It introduced a few cool new things to the genre like building Wonders but it did little else to make it a "must own RTS" let alone a "must-own game". Its sequels and spin-offs are much better and more worth your time.

Crash Bandicoot: Yes

One of the very first 3D platformers ever made and definately one of the more unique ones. Crash started a legacy of great games on the PSone (The series took a crap when Naughty Dog abandoned it in my opinion). Its cool unique art style, gameplay, and pretty fun boss fights make this game a must play in my opinion. Very simple game but very fun and challenging in the later levels. A very good and enjoyable game all around.

Half-life: Yes

Many people have said that this game was the closest thing you could get to a revolution in the FPS genre and I can honestly say I agree. Half-life's in game method of story telling was unique, revoultionary, and ingenious at the time. It really helped out the immersion factor of the game. The AI was also very advanced for the time and in my opinion still is. The pacing of the game was done very well. It wasn't linear and yet you didn't find yourself needlessly backtracking all the time. The weapons where very unique as well. Great PC game that anybody should give a shot.

Warcraft Orcs and Humans: No

I don't know why but I personally thought this game was a very boring RTS. It was a good RTS but not very fun to play in my opinion. Its sequels are way better and much more fun to play. Maybe thats why its hard to recommend as a "must-have game". If you want to play a Warcraft game, Warcraft II and III are your best bets.

Command and Conquer: Yes

Command and Conquer was an awsome RTS for the time to say the least. It was intense, face-paced, challenging, and story driven. C&C actually made you feel like you where fighting for a purpose. This game helped popularize the RTS genre and it still remains one of the most fun ones to play. Multiplayer was a blast, and it was pretty easy to setup. The live action cut-scenes were pretty cool and pretty original. C&C had a pretty big tech tree for the time as well. I personally liked the music of the game as well. C&C is a great RTS and a great game all around that anybody should try out.

[The Coop]

Conker’s Bad Fur Day (N64)- The game that shocked a lot of parents. This was to the N64, what MKII was to the SNES... a game that showed the big N was willing to give the gamers what they wanted, even if the big N wasn't thrilled with the idea.

Conker's foul mouth, sexual innuendo-laced world, and giant singing piles of shit, was about as un-Nintendo as it got at the time. But this game didn't just rely on potty humor. It backed it up with very nice graphics, good music, and for the most, solid gameplay. It's a game that really does have more to it than just what's on the surface, and I feel it's a game that any N64 owner should at the very least try. YES.

Colony Wars (PS1)- You know, Psygnosis has a strange knack for getting systems they work on to look better than they should. CW is at heart, an arcade-ish space shooter. You fly, you shoot, you get better weapons, and so on. For the PS1 at the time, the graphics were amazing, as was the music. There was even a pretty good story to go along with as the game advanced. The missions weren't as varied as they could have been, and the graphics had a glitch or two, but it's a fine example of free roaming space blasting that a PS1 owner should play... and a good start to a great PS1-only franchise. Borderline YES.

Darius Gaiden (Saturn)- The Darius franchise is known for it's odd (but good) music, multi-screen cabinets, and huge mechanical sea life. When Taito decided to bring the series into the single screen world, they did so with a bang.

Some of the best designs for this series bosses reside in this entry. Detailed, serious firepower, multiple parts to destroy, and just damn cool looking to boot. The music is strange, but it's done well and still catchy. The levels are plentiful and varied, with all sorts of visual depth and effects that the Saturn wasn't supposed to be able to do (namely, transparencies). There's plenty of risk rewards to be earned, which adds replay value, along with the fact that there are 28 levels to lay through. The power up system is more forgiving than past entries, and the added gameplay elements add a bit more depth to the typical shmup routine.

If you own a Saturn, get this game. Period. YES.

Shining Force III (Saturn)- The last entry in the form that the Shining seires was best known for, but what an entry it is. Very nice 3D graphics, good music, a big story, lots of charcaters to play with, and the challenging turn-based strategy gaming that made the series as popular as it was. The only real downside, is that you never get to see how it ends. This game is part one of three, but we never got the other two in The States. This was disappointing to say the least, but what's there is still undoubtedly worth playing through.

Borderline YES.

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC)- You know, I enjoy playing through "Arena", and "Oblivion" was a blast. But this one... this game just doesn't do anything for me. The graphics are good for the day, and the music is pretty nice too. But the gameplay is just so broken. You can't hit anything... at all. You're character starts so weak and under powered, that even fighting the simplest of creatures is an exercise in frustration. You swing like a little girl who's just flailing her arms about, and manage to avoid any objects around you. Add to this, that it takes forever to walk anywhere, and that you get no help in finding out where you're supposed to go next, and you're left with an ambitious game that falls flat on its face. I know there are mods and such that fix these issues, but this review isn't about mods. It's about the core game. And to me, that core game is busted.

NO.

Dragon Force (Saturn)- Take a group of warriors, hundreds of troops for them to command, simplify the battle engine, and what do you get? A challenging, but fun strategy RPG that's a bit different than the rest. Graphically, it's gorgeous. Musically, it's quite nice. The difficulty level progresses well, and the game has a well balanced feel. But it's the gameplay that makes this game such fun.

You move troops around on the overworld map, and an areal side map where the troops and their generals do battle. You can capture generals and try to make then join your cause, you can give awards to generals so they can command more troops, and you can watch as scores of troops clash in battle. Despite all you can do, the actions are kept simple so that the game can play quicker than your average Strategy RPG. Add in the replay value that comes from having a good number of different characters to play through the game as, and you've got a must-have for the Saturn.

It's a bit different for this type of game, but it sure is fun. YES.

Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn)- Okay. I'm probably going to be alone on this one, but I thoroughly enjoyed this game. No, it's not the Sonic we all grew up with, but it's a fun game nonetheless.

The 3/4 view changes things up a lot, but you can still run and jump like in the older games. The boss battles still have the classic feel to them as well. Rescuing the little birds gives each level goal that resides beyond simply "get through fast", and this gives the franchise's well known gameplay a twist. The graphics on the Genesis version were good, but on the Saturn, they're very good. The music too benefits from the Saturn, as it sounds quite nice. It's got a good challenge to it as well... partly from the perspective change, but mostly from the level layouts and boss battles.

In short, while it may not be the pinnacle of the Sonic line up, it is a game that's fun to play. Borderline YES.

Command & Conquer (PC)- The game that may not have started the RTS genre, but it did help solidify the format that the genre would forever reuse.

C&C is a game that gave you a rare chance back in the day... to play as good or evil. You could either fight the Brotherhood of NOD as GDI, or you could try and take over the world by following the NOD leader, Kane. Both sides carry with them more than a dozen missions that grow in difficulty and scope, and both sides have their own special troops, bases and vehicles. Regardless of which side you choose, you're treated to detailed maps and characters, while some very good music plays in the background. The missions usually focus on killing everything that's not your team, but you do get the occasional change of pace (like controlling a lone soldier for the entire mission). Speaking of which, the controls are kept simple, allowing you to command one soldier, or many troops, with a quick swipe of the mouse. This is good considering how stupidly hard the later missions get, when quick thinking will be needed.

Lots of fun to be had with this one. YES

Half-Life (PC)- Ah, the game that would eventually lead to the most over-hyped sequel on PC.

For it's time, Half-Life was a break-through title. Top notch graphics, an engrossing story, and good voice acting helped to pull you through the quickly changing world of Gordon Freeman. Large and varied levels gave you a good challenge as you tried to make it to the next point, or ran from the beasties that had suddenly ganged up on you. The controls are typical for the genre, but they're done well, and the weapons you get later on are fun to use.

In short, a good example of a late-90s classic. YES.

[DuskyFerret]

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

YES

Ok, this one hits very close to home. I can remember getting this one in Summer many years ago and having not previously played a FF game involving jobs, this game to me was amazing. Yes, while the story may be a bit lacking, the game is fun and highly addictive. It's quite a long game with lots of different stuff to do and always keeps you entertained. The way the party is assembled is very innovative and chances are you will never have the same party twice. The large array of jobs leaves for great combos to be made and the graphics aren't too bad for the GBA either.

Army Men Sarge's Heroes

Fine, I concede. You can scrap this from the list. It's probably not a must-have but it's still fun. Levels remind me of some of the Toy Story games and that's why it sits so high in my books. But that's just me. NO

[Moseph]

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

YES -- The story may be meh, but it could have no story and still be a good game. The combat system combines all of the strong points of Fire Emblem -style strategy games and traditional RPGs, creating something as good as or better than either. The number of different character-types you can put together gives the game a very customized feel. Also, good graphics and music for a GBA game.

[BardicKnowledge]

Civ IV: YES

It's amazing in all respects -- a game my fiancee can play and enjoy, a tour of music and world history, and with the expansions, I can even raise my own colonies! Badass.

[BardicKnowledge]

Morrowind: YES (a real big one)

Holy cow. This game caused me to fail my first semester of college, no joke. Never before had I spent time just wandering around in a video game enviroment (picking flowers and mushrooms, no less!) In any case, this massive game is still better in some respects than Oblivion, and did more for artistic setting in games than generations of previous games. Hooray, Morrowind!

Call of Duty: YES

A shooter that made you feel real emotional connections to characters and situations, had a good plot, and had great play mechancis to boot? The yes vote.