Not Dave's Top Ten Favorite Video Games

These are Not Dave's Top Ten Favorite Video Games ranked for Ed Bellis's What Would You Do.

Top 10 Favorite Video Games
Well, here comes the list of my current ten favorite games. These games are from a variety of time periods and developers, and they have all provided me with a lot of challenge, skill-improvement, and, most of all, fun. Here they are, my ten favorite games:

10. Viewtiful Joe

Viewtiful Joe is probably the game on this top ten that I've played the least since I don't have a Gamecube here, but when I did play through it, it amazed me. Perfect combat makes for incredible gameplay on top of great looking graphics, and I love the classic 2D beat-em-up style. The bosses are fun, it provides a challenge, and it just a fantastic game all-around. My favorite Gamecube game.

9. Deus Ex

I'm a big fan of the FPS genre, but I don't have a good enough computer to handle anything past Half-Life and Deus Ex, the latter being my current ninth favorite game. I've spent a lot of time sniping guards from hundreds of feet away, picking locks, hacking networks, and overall just enjoying this fantastic game. It has a pretty deep story, but its upgrades, gameplay, and customization are what make it so appealing to me.

8. Final Fantasy V I find it pretty shocking that this game didn't make it to North America before the release of Final Fantasy Anthology, as I find it outdoes its predecessor at pretty much everything (although FFIV is a pretty respectable game). I'm a real sucker for job systems, and have enjoyed countless hours of Final Fantasy V. While it wasn't the game that originally brought me to GameFAQs, it's certainly what kept me here thanks to the "Solo Straight Character Challenge". I was really intrigued by the idea of going through with only one character set as the same job for the entire game, and completed this challenge with every job class except for Berserker, with which I made it to the final boss. I also completed the lowest level game possible, and am still not tired of the game. It has since been ported to the Game Boy Advance, and I highly recommend giving that version a whirl for all the extras it houses.

7. Guardian Legend

Part Zelda-style adventure, part overhead shooter, The Guardian Legend is my current favorite NES game. It's a massive game for its time, and in it you traverse through the land, shooting up enemies and finding upgrades. The 'dungeons' are actually top-down shooting corridors, so this game effectively combines two of my favorite genres. It's long, can be difficult, and is a great deal of fun.

6. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

I was really busy through my first year of university, and I rarely got time to play DoS - it took me all eight months to beat it. Every time I picked it up, I enjoyed the brief time that I got to play it and it took Aria's spot as my favorite Castlevania title. A great continuation of the Soma Cruz story, this game has a load of replayability, and it will take quite some time to collect everything.

5. Contra 4

Contra 4 is my most recently purchased game, and I have never been more pleasantly surprised by a game that only cost $20. The latest Contra title I had played was Legacy of War, and after that, my expectations were not high at all. Contra 4 blew me away. The levels are awesome, they used the dual screens in a great way, and the addition of challenge mode was a fantastic idea. In it, you can unlock the original Contra and Super C, as if this game needed any more greatness. I still can't beat it in one continue on hard mode, but I plan to get that good some day.

4. Ikaruga

What can I say about Ikaruga that doesn't include the word 'masterpiece'? This game is incredible. Gorgeous graphics, interesting bosses, and a large amount of difficulty. I wish I could say I was the master of this game and can beat it without dying, but that is far from the case. That doesn't stop me from having fun with it, though. Switching polarity and performing chains adds a lot of strategy and quick reflexes, and I recommend this game to anyone who likes a good challenge.

3. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike

I like everything about Third Strike, from the characters to the balance to great gameplay. This is my favorite fighting game by a large margin, and it is also a really difficult one to master. I consider myself pretty good with Dudley, but I'd definitely get my ass handed to me by the hardcore fighting game types.

2. Worms Armageddon

This is just such an entertaining game. As you probably know by now, I love a challenging game. Worms provides a lot of challenge, and causes you to strategize and think creatively. The deathmatches are ridiculously hard - on the last one, you have two worms against 15 of the CPU's toughest recruits. The 38 missions are highly varied and challenging scenarios. Also, crowding around a computer or playing over the Internet with a friend is a great experience. Listening to your friend scream obscenities after you drown his last worm by perfectly aiming a Super Sheep at him is always a treat.

1. Super Mario World

I'm not sure if this was the first game I ever played, but it was the first that really stuck with me. There is not a single level I dislike - I've been playing the game for 16 years and have never grown tired of it. I consider SMW a flawless 2D platformer which none other that I've played can touch. The control is perfect, the yoshis and capes are cool, and as with a lot of games, speed running adds a whole new game of challenge, strategy, and fun. I play through this game several times a year, sometimes completing all 96 exits and sometimes just tearing through as fast as I can, but I'm always having fun with it.

Well, that's basically it. I don't really have much to conclude, so I might as well mention some notable snubs, which include Seiken Densetsu 3, Donkey Kong Country 2, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, among others. I doubt anyone besides Ed will even read this list 'cause there are gonna be around 70 in here, but it didn't take very long to write or anything so it's all good.