Saturday, December 04, 2004
Transcendent Games
You are not going to believe this, but there appears to be a strong negative correlation between having a girlfriend around, and the amount of time I spend playing video games. Who would have thunk it! Now now, I am not saying that all gamers are simply losers without girlfriends. Ben Helms disproves that theory…he’s a loser with a girlfriend. Zing!
Ok I need to stop. Anyways one of the reasons I haven’t been playing as many video games recently is that I haven’t found a truly great game in quite some time. Usually I can find a great game every year to 18 months or so, one in which I can become totally obsessed with. These games infiltrate my life, to the point where I will start using phrases from the game in everyday life (Starcraft,) have dreams about said games (Quake 3), or refer to the characters within the games as actually real people (Super Smash Brothers.)
Total immersion in a game does not make said game great. Sometimes a group of friends can take a game to a new level of fun, the prime example being Wrestlemania 2000 with my group of friends, spawning several embarrassing alcohol related incidents that I will not recount out of shame, with the exception of reminding everyone that these incidents led to the discovery that Billy uses jockstraps for underwear. Sometimes you immerse yourself in a game because you are insanely bored and looking to kill time in your miserable life. Anyone who has ever become addicted to minesweeper or Snood can attest to this.
Sometimes though, total immersion happens simply because the games are fantastic. So here is my tribute to the ultimate Pantheon games. This is one man’s opinion, feel free to add, disagree, and discuss
NHL 94: Some will say 93 was better as it had Fighting and blood, however 94 had the one-timer, one of the most important innovations in sports video gaming ever. Of course, there were 4 or 5 moves that would be guaranteed to score goals every time. I have never been beaten at this game…although my brother claims to have once bested me. I may have willingly blocked this out of my memory, however, so in my consciousness, I am the champ.
Zelda 64: More sibling rivalry notes: My brother bought this game with his own money, and thus refused to let me beat it before he did, which was total garbage. I triumphed over him by beating it at my friends’ house unbeknownst to him. God I am the coolest. This game builds perfectly, has a cool fighting mode, cool storyline, awesome dungeons, and the greatest final stage of all time. Plus Adult Link is such a badass.
Final Fantasy VII: The best storyline of any game I have played, the best music, and by far the best video game villain. One of the highlights of my gaming life was beating this two days before moving to college, battling Safer Sepiroth about ten levels earlier than I should have. I remember saying to myself while playing “Holy Shit this is the greatest game of all time.” Was I right? It’s impossible to differentiate between games that have reached this level.
Starcraft: They televise games of this in Korea…and it came out 7 years ago which makes it ancient in video game lifespan. This game could give you satisfaction on so many levels, whether amassing a giant force to slaughter all competition, or simply outsmarting someone through good tactics. It tested many skills, from resource management, to speed of production, to proper strategic use of force.
Counterstrike: Ok so I was one of the last to jump on the Counterstrike bandwagon, but let’s face the facts, you cannot get sick of this game.
Super Smash Brothers Melee: A bunch of old school Nintendo characters and Pokemon fighting each other. Sounds incredible stupid doesn’t it? Well that’s where you’re wrong sonny. Somehow I just never got sick of this game, even if Marth has an unfair Smash attack and anyone who uses him should rot in hell. What is key to this game is that unlike traditional fighting games like Mortal Kombat, the amount of damage you take is not the final indicator of your survival. Add amazing items and levels, and you have the greatest fighting game of all time.
That’s it. 6 Transcendent games. The last two I eliminated were Knights of the Old Republic, which I can’t really say anything bad about and Madden 03, which I eliminated simply because the game had flaws…we just made it great. Now someone tell me a new game that has Transcendence potential so I can kill some of my newfound free time.
Ok I need to stop. Anyways one of the reasons I haven’t been playing as many video games recently is that I haven’t found a truly great game in quite some time. Usually I can find a great game every year to 18 months or so, one in which I can become totally obsessed with. These games infiltrate my life, to the point where I will start using phrases from the game in everyday life (Starcraft,) have dreams about said games (Quake 3), or refer to the characters within the games as actually real people (Super Smash Brothers.)
Total immersion in a game does not make said game great. Sometimes a group of friends can take a game to a new level of fun, the prime example being Wrestlemania 2000 with my group of friends, spawning several embarrassing alcohol related incidents that I will not recount out of shame, with the exception of reminding everyone that these incidents led to the discovery that Billy uses jockstraps for underwear. Sometimes you immerse yourself in a game because you are insanely bored and looking to kill time in your miserable life. Anyone who has ever become addicted to minesweeper or Snood can attest to this.
Sometimes though, total immersion happens simply because the games are fantastic. So here is my tribute to the ultimate Pantheon games. This is one man’s opinion, feel free to add, disagree, and discuss
NHL 94: Some will say 93 was better as it had Fighting and blood, however 94 had the one-timer, one of the most important innovations in sports video gaming ever. Of course, there were 4 or 5 moves that would be guaranteed to score goals every time. I have never been beaten at this game…although my brother claims to have once bested me. I may have willingly blocked this out of my memory, however, so in my consciousness, I am the champ.
Zelda 64: More sibling rivalry notes: My brother bought this game with his own money, and thus refused to let me beat it before he did, which was total garbage. I triumphed over him by beating it at my friends’ house unbeknownst to him. God I am the coolest. This game builds perfectly, has a cool fighting mode, cool storyline, awesome dungeons, and the greatest final stage of all time. Plus Adult Link is such a badass.
Final Fantasy VII: The best storyline of any game I have played, the best music, and by far the best video game villain. One of the highlights of my gaming life was beating this two days before moving to college, battling Safer Sepiroth about ten levels earlier than I should have. I remember saying to myself while playing “Holy Shit this is the greatest game of all time.” Was I right? It’s impossible to differentiate between games that have reached this level.
Starcraft: They televise games of this in Korea…and it came out 7 years ago which makes it ancient in video game lifespan. This game could give you satisfaction on so many levels, whether amassing a giant force to slaughter all competition, or simply outsmarting someone through good tactics. It tested many skills, from resource management, to speed of production, to proper strategic use of force.
Counterstrike: Ok so I was one of the last to jump on the Counterstrike bandwagon, but let’s face the facts, you cannot get sick of this game.
Super Smash Brothers Melee: A bunch of old school Nintendo characters and Pokemon fighting each other. Sounds incredible stupid doesn’t it? Well that’s where you’re wrong sonny. Somehow I just never got sick of this game, even if Marth has an unfair Smash attack and anyone who uses him should rot in hell. What is key to this game is that unlike traditional fighting games like Mortal Kombat, the amount of damage you take is not the final indicator of your survival. Add amazing items and levels, and you have the greatest fighting game of all time.
That’s it. 6 Transcendent games. The last two I eliminated were Knights of the Old Republic, which I can’t really say anything bad about and Madden 03, which I eliminated simply because the game had flaws…we just made it great. Now someone tell me a new game that has Transcendence potential so I can kill some of my newfound free time.
# posted by Marmaniac @ 11:43 PM 
Comments:
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Dammit, you stole my idea. I'd still put KOTOR on there, to me it was the best game of the last 2 years. don't worry I'll be posting my top games list soon enough... soon enough.
I have an unfair Smash attack? Maybe you need to do more practicing and less whining Link. By the way, tell Zelda to stop leaving shit at my apartment.
-Marth
-Marth
# posted by 
: 10:23 AM
: 10:23 AM
Marth, you think I still care about picking up tricks like Zelda? I've got more important things to be doing like annhilating evil. Maybe you should be focusing more on that and less on the groupie benefits of being a superhero. You are going soft Marth. Plus everyone knows that you are just using her as a "beard." Everyone knows there are only three letters that matter in your life R-O-Y.
-Link
-Link
# posted by : 6:07 PM
: 6:07 PM
Hey Link, is "evil" the new name you've given Mario's poop chute?
As for the 3 letters that matter, R-O-Y, you are correct, my brother Roy is very important to me. I guess that's just the way I was raised; family first. Maybe you should heed my words and give Tink a call. Oh you thought no one knew about him? Z talks in her sleep.
Or perhaps the three letters R-O-Y are referring to NFL Rookie Of the Year, Big Ben Roethlesberger.
-Marth
As for the 3 letters that matter, R-O-Y, you are correct, my brother Roy is very important to me. I guess that's just the way I was raised; family first. Maybe you should heed my words and give Tink a call. Oh you thought no one knew about him? Z talks in her sleep.
Or perhaps the three letters R-O-Y are referring to NFL Rookie Of the Year, Big Ben Roethlesberger.
-Marth
# posted by : 8:24 AM
: 8:24 AM
Well hold on a minute now. You've missed some key games, as well as an entire genre!
First of all you've missed the unreal tournament series. Fabulous. "The Face" can be played an infinite number of times, and with 2004 no man can ever get tired of hearing that he is "god like" and has made "L-L-LUDICROUS kills."
You mentioned counter-strike, but did you ever play the game that started it all? Half Life? The single player storyline was unbelievably intriguing.
If you've never played Diablo/DiabloII, you could definitely have a grand time with those (probably D1 is too old fashioned, bad graphics.. but DII is just right.)
Now.. you missed an entire genre: the MMORPGs!
World of Warcraft was just released a week ago. Blizzard has succeeded in making the most incredibly fantastic game known to man. Buy it, install it, and play it, and before you know it we can elect a new president.
First of all you've missed the unreal tournament series. Fabulous. "The Face" can be played an infinite number of times, and with 2004 no man can ever get tired of hearing that he is "god like" and has made "L-L-LUDICROUS kills."
You mentioned counter-strike, but did you ever play the game that started it all? Half Life? The single player storyline was unbelievably intriguing.
If you've never played Diablo/DiabloII, you could definitely have a grand time with those (probably D1 is too old fashioned, bad graphics.. but DII is just right.)
Now.. you missed an entire genre: the MMORPGs!
World of Warcraft was just released a week ago. Blizzard has succeeded in making the most incredibly fantastic game known to man. Buy it, install it, and play it, and before you know it we can elect a new president.
# posted by : 7:42 PM
: 7:42 PM
Street Fighter II: the single most important video game of my entire life.
NBA Jam: think back to how fun that game was...just think about it and savor the sensation.
Super Mario Bros.: I promise you, if you go and play that game right now, you will still like it...it transcends everything
Who is the Ben Helms character...he sounds like a good guy. I am a very hot girl and i think i love him
NBA Jam: think back to how fun that game was...just think about it and savor the sensation.
Super Mario Bros.: I promise you, if you go and play that game right now, you will still like it...it transcends everything
Who is the Ben Helms character...he sounds like a good guy. I am a very hot girl and i think i love him
# posted by : 6:38 PM
: 6:38 PM
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# posted by : 6:26 AM
: 6:26 AM << Home
