Hippo Is Teh 67's Top Ten Games

These are Hippo's Top Ten Games ranked for Ed Bellis's What Would You Do.

Top 10 Games
It may seem generic, but I'm going to do my Top 10 Games. Why? I haven't done it in a while. In the last few months, I've dug up some absolute gems, most of which don't get much attention. Over the last, oh, week and a half, I spent around 35 hours in total writing a paper for my society class investigating whether or not video games could be classed as art. It really got me to thinking, you know. While you're looking for all these examples, you go back and recall some of the best games ever played. There's this semi-emotional feeling of beautiful nostalgia that rushes through me, and I ended up spending about an hour at one point sitting in front of my games, admiring my collection and remembering each title. So, here goes with the top ten... This'll be rough.

10. Final Fantasy VIII (Playstation)

Well, let's start with the lowest entry on the list. Final Fantasy VIII was like the bastard child of the Final Fantasy franchise. Well VII was still getting high grades, plenty of attention, etc., FF8 is announced. Fans get excited, thinking it'll be just like FF7! Well... Herein lies the problem. Fans were expecting another Final Fantasy VII, but what they got instead was something, new, something different, and, keeping in true FF fashion, unlike any entries before it. To me, FF8 tried to focus on emotion, and while it didn't fail at its goal, it tended to drag on at times, lacking any real excitement. Don't get me wrong, this game was so well put together that most of those boring moments became unnoticeable in light of the amazing parts. The graphics were amazing for its time, and still look pretty to this day. The battle system was probably on of the funner ones of all the Final Fantasies, but it was held back by a meticulous junctioning system that got way too complicated. Final Fantasy VIII marked the end of the "ZOMG" Final Fantasies. I only hope Final Fantasy 13 brings the glory back to a once-great franchise.

9. Mega Man Legends 2 (Playstation)

Similar to FF8, the Legends series was unfairly frowned upon by alot of people. Being touted as the next generation of Mega Man, it alienated a large chunk of the 8- and 16-bit fanbase. However, Legends is my favourite Mega Man series (X not being far behind), and Legends 2 is my favourite of them. For those of you that haven't played the series, Legends was the a 3D adventure/shooter as opposed to the old platformers. It incorporated an anime sort of style that actually worked really well. The plot was really good (like, really good), the characters were amazing, the gameplay was mind-blowingly fun, the atmosphere was deep and mature (shockingly), the bosses are some of the best ever... I could go on. The only thing keeping this game from being perfect is the piss-poor voice acting. I mean... It's bad. Like... BAD. Note to Capcom: Make Legends 3. Every Mega Man game made since 2000 (save the Zero games) have been steaming piles of ****. Legends 2 left at a huge cliffhanger, so if you release one more Mega Man game that isn't MML3, I'll be mad. >: O

8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)

Just about everybody loves this game. And really, that's not shocking. The game is pretty much perfect. The story's good, the gameplay is AMAZING, the atmosphere is beautiful, the bosses are wow... There's really not much to say about OoT that people don't already know. This game (and every game from this point on) is perfect, in my opinion.

7. Einhander (Playstation)

Einhander. Jesus ****ing Christ, Einhander. This is THE best shooter ever made. It isn't even close. The music is completely unique, which is good, because the whole game has a really strange tone to it. Props to Kenichiro Fukui on making my favourite OST of all time. That aside, let's get to the gameplay. Einhander is revolutionary, in the sense that is uses collectable ammunition as opposed to powerups. Every weapon (aside from the built-in machine gun) uses ammo - once that's out, the weapon is abandoned. Where this game really excels is the bosses and mini-bosses. They're so brilliantly designed, and so much fun to go up against. It's hard to explain why though, you'd have to play it to understand. Get this part too - Einhander has a plot. A good one too, though not really mentioned at all. The plot is more assumed based on the (amazing) atmosphere than anything. Note to Square (Not Enix - you losers ruined an otherwise good company): Make Einhander 2. No one cares about Final Fantasy VII Part 2 Chapter 3 Act 2. Einhander was a beautiful game and it deserves a sequel. Also, WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS CHRONO 3?!

6. Resident Evil (Gamecube)

Oh sweet Jesus. *starts frothing at the mouth* I've never been a big fan of zombie media, but this game is so utterly dark and beautiful it even makes being eaten alive seem like art. First thing I'd like to mention: I want that house. Seriously. It's got so many secrets, so many nooks and crannies, and I don't know what the style is exactly, but I love it. The Spencer Mansion is my dream home. That aside, REmake is truly astounding. There's so many secrets hidden in that house - all the cover-ups, the secret experiments, all the notes left by past residents... And then there's Lisa Trevor. I don't know why, but that chunk of the game is my favourite. Pretty much every bit of the game, start to finish is just... Unexplainably awesome. The gameplay isn't what makes this game so good - it's the sheer ambiance of it all. Note to Capcom (2): REmake and Resident Evil CODE: Veronica were exactly how Resident Evil games SHOULD be. The over-the-shoulder thing is fun, I'll admit. And I did like RE4. But you need to go back to the old formula, even if just for a spin-off.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (Nintendo 64)

Okay, this game is amazing. Why? It takes every mature, dark element from OoT and makes a game out of it. Basically, impending doom faces the world of Termina. If you don't master time, Clock Town becomes a giant pancake. This game has everything that made OoT good and then some, though admittedly, I liked the different civilizations in OoT better than MM. I'm going to come right out and say it though - MM is a better game than OoT. The dungeons are better (save the stupid water temple), the enemies are better, the quests are better, the bosses are ZOMG (so, about the same)... Plus there's Stone Tower. My god, Stone Tower. O_O!!!!! Note to Nintendo: Why do Zelda games suck now?

4. Final Fantasy Tactics (Playstation)

Griiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind. Now that that's out of the way, let's get into how awesome this game is. Despite the severe difficulty at the beginning of the game (O_____________O), the gameplay is probably one of the funnest things I've ever played. The job class system in FFT is the best of any SRPG ever made, the plot takes a while to arise (but GOD is it GOOD), the characters are well-designed, the game is just pretty... This one's really hard to explain. You may have noticed by now, but I base whether I like a game or not depending on A) the vibe I get from it and B) how fun it is to play, though I find more fun in strategy than in button mashing and/or shooting. Note to Square-Enix: Please, throw FFT: Advance into the fiery pits of hell. PLEASE.

3. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga (Playstation 2)

Why is it that Shin Megami Tensei is the only franchise that does turn-based RPGs right anymore? At this point, I'm getting really bored of writing these things, so... Yeah. DDS did alot of old things and improved on them, this is one of the only games where I actually enjoy level grinding, which says alot as to how fun it is. The plot is mind-blowingly good, the characters are all completely unique, and my god... Are the bosses ever fun! The presentation in this game is top-tier - fantastic voice acting, brilliant cinematic quality, and I mean... Wow. This game is an epic and, although rare, I highly suggest picking it up if you ever see it.

2. Silent Hill 2 (Playstation 2)

Dark, mature, atmospheric. SH2 is the ideal Silent Hill, and by far the best in the series. Sure, the combat isn't God Of War button mashing (which is probably for the best anyway >_>), it's definitely not for an action junkie. Like Resident Evil, SH2 is so atmospheric that it's beautiful. The presentation is fantastic. The VA is a little spotty at times, but this game is so drenched in emotion, psychology and macabre it makes up for it ten-fold. Also, Pyramid Head. Note to Konami: Why was Team Silent disbanded? Why is SH5 in the hands of a bunch of twenty-somethings whose great works include titles like "The Incredibles"? The future isn't bright for this dark franchise...

1. Final Fantasy VII (Playstation)

Note to Square/Square-Enix: Please stop with the FF7 bastardizations. I really wouldn't mind a remake, but I'd prefer you focus on making new greats - the last amazing Square game was Chrono Cross, but in all honesty, I'm impressed by FF13 so far.
 * braces for impact* Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever made. There's no contest. It is the epitome of perfection, and it's really sad to see how Square-Enix has basically dropped its collective pants and **** on this masterpiece with all this sequel/prequel/spin-off garbage. FF7 literally makes me smile when I think about it. It's just... Beautiful. The story is amazing, the presentation is to-die-for, the gameplay is the PERFECT RPG system... This game doesn't have a flaw. Maybe it just fits my personal tastes properly, I don't know. I'm not a rabid fanboy that will flip out on anyone that disses FF7 - really, that's your opinion, and even if you like mindless stuff like GTA or Tales Of..., I have to respect it. Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever made. Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever made. Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever made.

Now... These results could be a little flawed. I haven't gotten very far in SMT: Nocturne or Persona 3, so I can't make a solid judgment on either one. I've got a good feeling they'll both make my top 10 list, I just didn't find it fair to include them when I've barely made a dent. Now, please don't send a lynch mob after me if you don't like the games I like, or don't agree with anything I had to say. I'm sorta... Proud... Of my games, you know? There's so much beauty in the gaming world, and these are some of the better examples. So Bellis, this passable?