Top 10 Favorite Gaming Attract Sequences

Mostly referred to as game intros, attract sequences can easily provide a strong initial impression upon a video game when they are well crafted, which normally involves infusing great music on top of iconic, meaningful moments from the games themselves. They normally can be viewed before or after a game's title screen but bear in mind that they occur before you start playing the game so the following will not include the introduction cinematic movies that show up at the beginning of a game after you hit the start button or whatever command input that is necessary to start a game proper. Also, as another criteria, the games listed must be a part of my Game Library. The list below is my top 10 favorite gaming attract sequences of all time and I do remember actually just sitting in front of the screen, watching them over and over again before I even play the games themselves. [Last Update: 12/12/2011]

---10---

Spawn: In the Demon's Hand (2000)

Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd.

Platform: Sega Dreamcast

Noteworthy Moments:
1) Spawn on top of a cross with his epic flowing cape blowing wildly in the air.
2) Spawn stepping on The Clown's head like it's nothing but a dirty toilet rug.


---9---
Gran Turismo 3: A Spec (2001)
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Platform: PlayStation 2



Noteworthy Moments:
1) That one red Suzuki sports car with its front wheels off the ground before slamming back down and it is all happening in sync with the music.
2) Realizing that 90% of the sequence was captured using the in-game graphics.

Top 10 Favorite Albums

I am taking a bit of a detour here from the usual gaming discussion to share with you another side of me with my top 10 favorite albums. Though not as prevalent as video games nor films, music does have a significance in my life. I do have a very rigid routine when listening to music: I would normally listen to an album as a whole (unless when I am playing Audiosurf or Beat Hazard) and I would only be listening to the music as I sit comfortably on my chair or lie down on the futon while doing nothing else. I would soak myself up in the aural atmosphere entirely, singing along to the lyrics most of the times being the amateur singer that I am. I don't use my music collection to replace the default background music while playing video games. Because of my focus in video gaming, I will admit that I do not induct albums all that frequently into my database of music and there has not been anything new that excite me too much in the music industry. This list will only include the albums that I actually own and to ensure variety, an artist can occupy only one slot out of the 10: If I don't do that, this list will only be filled with albums by Loreena McKennitt and Tori Amos. [Latest Update: 07-08-2011]

---10---

Bif Naked (1996)

Artist: Bif Naked

Bif Naked's self-titled debut album is better than all of her other albums combined. Though she currently has found herself lost in mainstream glamor and glitter, the original Bif was packed full of deep emotional angst and raw anger that translated beautifully through her no-nonsense delivery. The faster songs like "Everything" and "Succulent" are fun and catchy but it's in the slower songs that you can truly appreciate her. "Tell on Me" is a shockingly dirty account of a violent rape from a really vengeful but frustratingly helpless victim and "My Whole Life" is a sad look at life's regrets before its end. Add a pseudo-lesbian attitude to the mix through bits and pieces of sexually ambiguous lyrics and you get yourself one intriguing and memorable album.

---9---

Paint the Sky with Stars (1997)

Artist: Enya

I am sure that Enya fans would agree with me when I say this: We love Enya but there is always a huge risk when buying her albums because they are filled with a lot of fillers between the truly extraordinary pieces. This is the reason why Paint the Sky with Stars is so good because it only contains her best works. Since Enya's most profound works were composed pre-1997, this is the only place where you need to be if you are interested in her. Enya is all about grace and elegance and her "New Age" songs are mostly soothing but sometimes they can get a tiny bit adventurous. The two new songs added into the mix here, the spirited "Only If" as well as painstakingly controlled "Paint the Sky with Stars" are instant classic. I own all of Enya's albums all the way up to Amarantine and I always go back to this compilation because everything just flows so beautifully together here. Best track in the album? "Caribbean Blue" of course!

Doppelganger Games

With the recent announcement of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 for the PlayStation 3, I was reminded again that life as a poly-gamist can get a bit tricky at times. When a great game is available on just one console at a particular time, of course I would buy it for that console that it is available for at that moment. I bought Ninja Gaiden 2 soon after its release last year and now, the PlayStation 3 version that was never even hinted at before - the cover even has that fake "Only on X-Box 360" stamp on it - will contain new weapons, additional bosses, more playable characters, and an online co-op! The only reprieve I can get from this is that I was distracted from finishing the game in the first place so now I can wait for Sigma 2 before I play the game again but then, what was the reason for me to own the game on the X-Box 360 in the first place?

Of course, doppelganger games such as this one don't limit themselves to cross-platform boundaries and can take many mutated forms. Here are 10 of the more prominent ones that have victimized me (mostly my wallet) with their existence. For each of these listed items, I asked myself this question - was it really worth it?

1) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Purchase History
Personal Computer Version - 03/22/2006
X-Box 360 Version - 05/05/2006

Even with a game as great as Oblivion, one copy of it is better than two. I bought the PC version for obvious reasons: the graphics are much superior than what the 360 can ever hope to conjure up but I was a bit too rash with the decision because the game just couldn't run smoothly with all the graphical settings set to max and I am just one of those people who want to play it with the maximum settings if those settings are available in the option menu. I settled with playing the game at 720p and half of the bells and whistles enabled until the hard drive on my computer crashed - not because of the game of course. At that time, I was completely addicted to Oblivion so because I just couldn't wait for my PC to be rebuilt - I decided it was a good time to upgrade - so I picked up the 360 version. I played the 360 version for a while before my PC was ready and of course playing the game on the PC again made me forget the 360 version. Perhaps the funniest thing about this particular case is when the PlayStation 3 version came out in 2007, there was strange compulsion that almost made me buy the game again on that platform!

Worth it? No. I should have been more patient and just stick with the PC version. I mean, buying the 360 is more of a downgrade and really brought nothing substantial to the whole experience.

2) Dead or Alive 2 and Beyond


Purchase History
Dead of Alive 2 (Dreamcast) - 10/02/2000
Dead or Alive 3 (X-Box) - 11/15/2001
Dead or Alive Ultimate (X-Box) - 2004
Dead or Alive 4 (X-Box 360) - 12/30/2005

Ever since the original Dead or Alive on the SegaSaturn and the PlayStation, the series has really gone downhill. This is the main reason why: It's pretty much the same game over and over again despite the addition of new characters. Still, the main offender here involves laziness on Tecmo's part: The characters pretty much look the same as they did on the previous entries. Yeah, yeah so the polygon count is higher - like anyone can really tell - and the details on the outfit are more defined but how come they all have the same, exact blow-up doll look to them throughout all these years? And new outfits don't necessarily mean new patterns on the same costumes that the characters wear - we want to see actual new outfits! Remember the huge amount of unlockable costumes in the first game? Tecmo even has the audacity to make the number of available looks smaller with each entry in the series. The character design changes per installment for both the Virtual Fighter and the Soul Calibur series - that is why I don't consider those as doppelgangers.

Worth it? No. These games are fun but the fun doesn't last very long and they get old very quickly because I feel like I have played the games many times before. This reminds me of Street Fighter IV and its over-dependence on classic (as in old and decrepit) characters to carry the bulk of the action but I will save that for my full review of the game.

3) Dragon Ball Z Budokai Whatevers

Purchase History
*****Deep Breath*****
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PlayStation 2) - 12/30/2002
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 (PlayStation 2) - 12/09/2003
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 Limited Edition (PlayStation 2) - 2004
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (PlayStation 2) - 10/21/2005
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai (PSP) - 2006
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (PlayStation 2) - 11/17/2006
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (PlayStation 2) - 12/19/2007
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit (X-Box 360) - 11/26/2008

Let it be said again that I am not a Dragon Ball Z nerd - never dream of wanting to have the very phallic, crazily erected hair because I always thought that the characters have them to compensate for something else - but I do like the idea of a Dragon Ball Z game ever since the split-screen extravaganza on the Super NES. If you look at the purchase history above, you can see that the series was updated every year but I must say that the series does get better with each entry, thus making me want to get them when they were individually released. Still, looking at that long list, anyone can see that the developer and publisher of the series are pretty much just milking their customers dry. Their greed becomes more apparent when the series suddenly jump to the PSP and the 360 and for these platforms, all the innovations that come from each entry of the series were thrown out the window and you are left with the basic game from the first Budokai so that they can start the whole entire milking process all over again. Yes, it's very sickening.

Worth it? No. I love the ultimate product - Tenkaichi 3 - but the road to get there was a bit too long and then after all that love and support, I got slapped in the face by the release of the much inferior Burst Limit.

4) Dynasty/Samurai Warriors Series


Purchase History
*****Another Really Long List*****
Dynasty Warriors 4 (PlayStation 2) - 08/03/2003
Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends (PlayStation 2 ) - 2004
Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires (PlayStation 2) - 04/13/2005
Dynasty Warriors 5 (PlayStation 2) - 04/06/2005
Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires (X-Box 360) - 03/31/2006
Dynasty Warriors 6 (X-Box 360) - 05/05/2008
Samurai Warriors (PlayStation 2) - 2004
Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends (PlayStation 2) - 2004
Samurai Warriors 2 (X-Box 360) - 09/22/2006

This particular series has a special place in my heart because I do enjoy them all but I have to face the ultimate truth: they all are pretty much the same freaking game. With each new entry, you get slight improvements to the experience - in the case of the Empires rehashes, almost a different kind of genre. Still, you are basically clobbering one opponent after another until your kill counter reaches the high heavens... in every single one of these games! Also, the series was stuck with a terrible graphics engine until Dynasty Warrior 6 hit the market. I included the Samurai Warriors series into the mix because though the cast of characters may be different, the gameplay remains exactly the same!

Worth it? Yes. I love this series too much. I really did enjoy every single of of these games but if I ask myself now which one would I prefer to play? My answer would be the three on the 360 because they are the most polished compared to the rest. But would I play the others in the series again? Absolutely. Just not that frequently.

5) Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen! Series

Purchase History
Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen! - 05/12/2003
Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen! 2 - 03/17/2004
Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen! 3 - 12/21/2004
Naruto: Gekito Ninja Taisen! 4 - 05/12/2006

These imported beauties for the Nintendo GameCube did eventually make it as a domestic release that successfully mimic the doppelganger nature of the original Japanese release! This fighting game series rationalize the releases of the sequels by adding additional characters a little bit at a time. Granted, the developer was doing this to match the games with the progression the anime show - when new characters were finally revealed in the anime, they were then added into the game. Though new modes are added in the later releases, the character and background graphics are seriously recycled. There are little changes to the presentation as well. The game would have benefited from the ability to purchase and download additional characters from an online service such as X-Box Live or PlayStation Network but then again, I think the games would still have been released the way that they did because money talks.

Worth it? No. Owning number 4 pretty much makes owning the earlier releases meaningless because there is no way I would play the other three - except for the Random Game of the Day feature - because the fourth one has everything that those games have plus more.

6) Persona 3

Purchase History
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 - 08/17/2007
Shine Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES - 04/24/2008

I have made mention of my frustration in regards to this particular PlayStation 2 duo in the 2008 Yearly Gaming Analysis. The FES disc pretty much has the entire Persona 3 game that is nicely tweaked compared to the original plus an additional mode with an additional storyline. What hurts so much here is that the domestic release of Persona 3 was actually after FES was already released in Japan, so Atlus actually planned to force the game's fans to eventually have two of the same game in their homes. This may be the biggest case of doppelganger games of them all because of how popular the Persona series is to a lot of serious, hardcore gamers.

Worth it? Yes. Unfortunately that is. Not getting the FES disc means that you haven't played the entire Persona 3 experience while avoiding the purchase of Persona 3 in the first place could have been a silly move if FES was never released. I still cannot forgive Atlus for misleading their legions of loyal customers and if they make one more of such a dirty move in the future, rest assured that company is going to close down faster than the typical lifespan of a X-Box 360 before getting the red ring of death.

7) Resident Evil 4

Purchase History
Nintendo GameCube Version - 04/14/2005
PlayStation 2 Version - 10/28/2005
Nintendo Wii Version - 06/20/2007

Usually, when you see that "Only For" exclusivity print on cover of a game released for a Nintendo console, it usually signifies the truth. Unless you are money-hungry Capcom because not even a year after they released the game on the GameCube, they already have the PlayStation 2 version out with 16:9 progressive scan support and additional contents, kicking all the owners of the first release straight in the shin. Though graphically inferior, the game still looks pretty darn good and after the disappointment of playing the GC version using the zoom option on my TV because it was in letterbox mode, it was strangely a much better experience overall and the visual clarity definitely helps. I did notice the little things that are missing from the PS2 version though when it comes to graphics complexity so when the Wii version came out, I thought it would be a great idea to own it because it has an optional point and shoot control scheme, the original release's superior graphics, plus the true widescreen/progressive scan and the additional contents from the PS2 port.

Worth it? No. Who would have known that the ultimate version would eventually be released on the Wii but the good thing about it is that it was really cheap. Still, I really don't like Capcom's strategy when it comes to the PS2 release because with the very small time frame of exclusivity between the first two versions, it was apparent that Capcom was playing a dangerous game with multi-console owners. They really didn't have to lie and say that that the game was exclusive for the GC. I doubt that it would hurt the sale of the game on either platform if they release them both simultaneously. We all know that there are a lot of people out there who only stick to one console or another so there are a lot of money to be had even if Capcom chose integrity instead of treachery.

8) Sega Genesis Collection Variants

Purchase History
Sega Smash Pack Volume 1 (Dreamcast) - 04/27/2001
Sega Genesis Collection (PlayStation 2 ) - 11/19/2006
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (PlayStation 3 ) - 03/20/2009

I am not sure whether I should call these releases brilliant or sadistic because as a person who used to own the Genesis system, I wouldn't be able to fight the temptation of owning compilations of the classic games for that console... Even if that means that each release would feature almost the same collection of games plus one or more games that were not featured before and are not available to be purchased anywhere else. Besides the three "Genesis" themed collections listed here, I also own a couple of those "Sonic" themed collection, making the Sonic games featured in these collections ultimately redundant. Instead of releasing fresh games that have never seen the light of day after the Genesis era, we get to see these games showing their faces repeatedly across the three collections: Shinobi III, the Golden Axe series, Kid Chameleon, the Phantasy Star series, the Vectorman series, Columns, Comix Zone, the Street of Rage series, Altered Beast, and the Ecco series. It's like they can't find other games that we are dying to play again... like Herzog Zwei, Zero Wing, Valis, Contra: Hard Corps, Rocket Knight Adventures, and the list goes on and on. They really don't have to stick with Sega games because some of the true innovations during those beautiful 16-bit years come from third party developers!

Worth it? No. If this article was written before the Wii's arrival, then my answer would have been a yes because it's hard to find these games again without going through the eBay hassle. With the Wii's Virtual Console, I can just pick and choose whichever classic game I want to add into my collection without the risk of redundancy even if that means I have to wait forever for the great games to actually be released in that format. Nintendo really needs to get those great Genesis titles available on the Wii Shop Channel constantly.

9) Post-NES Ninja Gaiden

Purchase History
Ninja Gaiden (X-Box) - 03/04/2004
Ninja Gaiden Black (X-Box) - 09/24/2005
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PlayStation 3) - 07/06/2007

Ninja Gaiden is still one of the most brutally satisfying action game of all time but how many times can we see the same game over and over again? History is repeating itself too, for me at least, with the sequel as I have explained in this article's opening paragraph. The additional contents found in Black made it a must buy for fans of the game but it could have easily been presented as an optional paid download on X-Box Live. When Sigma came out, I couldn't help but get the game because I do adore the series a lot and I appreciate the efforts done in improving the overall look of the game, bumping the resolution to 1080p while reworking some of the textures and polygons. The thing is though, the original on the X-Box looks glorious enough that Sigma only looks a little better compared to it. The addition of an additional character wasn't a huge attraction for me though because Rachel is just not that interesting. Now Ayane and Momiji in Sigma 2, well that's a completely different story.

Worth it? Yes. Sigma is the ultimate version compared to the other two and looking back at Black, at least it was sold at a lower price even though the distribution method was questionable. For a game as legendary as the 3D Ninja Gaiden, it's an honor to own each copy of its iterations. Sigma's release is forgivable because of its timing... I wish I could say the same thing about the upcoming Sigma 2.

10) Winning Eleven Series

Purchase History
World Soccer Winning Eleven 6 International (PlayStation 2) - 03/18/2003
World Soccer Winning Eleven 7 (PlayStation 2) - 02/29/2004
World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International (X-Box) - 02/06/2005
World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 (PlayStation 2) - 02/08/2006

Soccer is the only other form of sports that I can tolerate alongside tennis and golf and the Winning Eleven series is the best soccer games ever made. The FIFA series has always been really stiff compared to the level of polish found here. Now for the honest truth: I never really noticed any real improvement with the release of each sequel other than the differences in overall presentation and minor graphical improvements. I think I must have fallen under a spell or something when I bought these games because as much as I like soccer, I am not a big fan of it. I mean, I don't even think Beckham is that great - he just happens to be a good soccer player who also happens to be very good looking thus the marketable popularity. I mean, after saying stuff like that, people should know that I don't take soccer all that seriously. I must have had some extra cash to burn and there were no other good games out at the time when I purchased number 7, 8, and 9.

Worth it? No. I only really need one of them and any one of them would do. I did realize this after that last one, though it took me four years but better late than never. Several newer games from the series did emerge on the 360/PS3 over the last two years but they didn't even make it onto my Purchase List because I know I already have enough Winning Elevens to last me a lifetime. [Edit: 04/04/2009 - What do you know? I actually own Winning Eleven Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 for the X-Box 360 that was purchased on 02/09/2007! The Winning Eleven print was so small that I missed it while writing this piece.]

10 Failed Games for Dating Purposes

Some people are very lucky to find a significant other who actually plays video game with them. The thoughts on this vary within the community: I have heard some gamers expressed that they rather not be stuck spending that much time with their lovers while others dream and fantasize about the understanding boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse who is as obsessive about the hobby as they are. Unfortunately, I fall into the latter category.

Video games can be about love too.

My other half is totally not a gamer but that doesn't mean that I should give up on the idea, right? The following are some of the games that I have tried to use to convince my lover to get into gaming. Some experienced a slight degree of success while others failed miserably. The descriptions below are exaggerated for humor's sake but you'll get the picture. Feel free to try these at home knowing that the results may vary.

1) Culdcept Saga (X-Box 360)

The Pitch: "You like Monopoly, don't you? Everybody does. You know, instead of worrying about who gets to do the clean up duty to put everything back into the box at the end of the game, we can just play this instead! What? You don't like magic cards? Of course I will teach you how to play it. Just having you sit next to me is magical, you know (+10 smooth-talk points)."

The Response: "Wow, are those pictures of naked people on the cards? The game can last 2-3 hours per sitting? Who has time for that? You, apparently as if you don't spend enough of your free time with me. Ewww, random electronic die rolls - that means the computer can cheat. Are you trying to say that you like cheating on me?"

I would gladly pay 100G to evolve my lover into a gamer.

Success Rate: 0% - My lover hasn't even touch it once but wants to try it in the future. I'm crossing my fingers.

2) Dead Space (X-Box 360)

The Pitch: "Honey, I think this is the scariest game I have ever played... Like ever! I am a bit spooked out here, I need you to cuddle up next to me (+1000 smooth-talk points). I don't know about that next corner, why don't you take this controller and make Isaac move past that point. We'll switch back and forth if that's okay with you?"

The Response: "Wow... I didn't know you are such a coward (-2500 to previous smooth-talk points)." *JUMP*SHRIEK* "What the heck was that? Aim for the head! The head! What? I thought they were zombies? Why are you laughing at me? You think this is funny? You want to know what's really funny? If you get scared so easily, why do you buy scary games anyway?"

I understand your loneliness, Isaac.

Success Rate: 10% - Horror movies = Good times with your lover. Horror games = Awkward moments that you may never recover from.

3) Ikaruga (X-Box 360)

The Pitch: "You know this is one of my favorite games of all time right? I bet you don't know that this game can be played with 2 players. The game gets easier and easier the more you play it. I am not good when it comes to the 2-player mode but having someone like you with me, who is committed in both mind and spirit (+50 smooth-talk points), we can conquer this game and be the best Ikaruga couple ever!"

The Response: "It's bad enough that you force me to watch your high score replays, now you want me to play the game too? This game is stupid: Why do I have to worry about the colors of the enemy ships? I just want to shoot them down."

It's too complex for the general public, so I don't know what I was thinking.

Success Rate: 5% - My lover would hesitantly sit down and watch the replays of my proudest Ikaruga moments, but that's pretty much it.

4) Master of Illusion (Nintendo DS)

The Pitch: "Video games are not just about sitting in front of the TV screen and pushing buttons on the controller. Look at this game. It's a tutorial program that teaches you how to do magic tricks while using the actual handheld as a prop. Let me show you a couple of magic tricks."

The Response: "Uh. No."

I should have known that this can only be used to amaze friends but not a lover.
Nintendo knew this and specifically printed that on the box.

Success Rate: 0% - My lover was totally disinterested with the whole concept and gave me a hard time following my instructions to make the tricks work so none of them did. A total disaster.

5) SingStar (PlayStation 3)

The Pitch: "I would love to duet some of these songs with you. You can't sing? Don't be silly, if you can talk, you can sing. It's true! Try it. Let's browse these songs they have for sale to see if you fancy any of them (+500 smooth-talk points). It's fun to sing: just look at all these videos of people acting silly in front of their PlayStation Eye camera. What are you doing to my camera? No, it's not recording us right now, only later when you are actually singing."

The Response: "You know I can't sing. I don't even sing in the shower. I don't listen to the lyrics, just the beat of the songs so I have never been into singing. You do know that just because the computer is giving you a high score for singing that song it doesn't mean that you can sing right?"

The joy of karaoke is not something that can be taught.

Success Rate: 0.01% - I was able to make my lover sing just once over the past several years during one of the karaoke parties held at my place. It took a lot of begging and convincing though but it did happen so I can finally die happy.

6) Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

The Pitch: "Look at all the pretty colors! Isn't this game bright and beautiful? Alright, all you have to do is sit really close to me (+100 smooth-talk points) and point the Wiimote at them stars you see on the screen. You can even help me kill enemies by shooting the stars we collect together (+5 smooth-talk points) at them. Now change position."

The Response: "How come Mario is not wearing a space suit? He should have died in the vacuum of space. The gravity in this game is all whacked. I tried to kill myself so that I can hand you back the main controller but I can't fall off the edge... This game has a short attention span - one moment you are here, the next you are somewhere else. It reminds me of someone I know."

Lies! All lies! Why are you lying to me? Mama-mia!

Success Rate: 20% - My lover did sit with next me to waggle the Wiimote around several times while I was playing the game early last year.

7) Time Crisis 4 (PlayStation 3)

The Pitch: "This game is so easy to play. All you have to do is point and shoot. Well, you have to duck to reload and press a button to switch weapons but those things will become second nature to you the more you play the game. Are you ready? Let me help you calibrate that gun (+10 smooth-talk points)."

The Response: "Uhm, I don't think this gun is working. I am shooting one way and it's hitting something else on the screen... And how come you are using a regular controller and not a gun? Why is the screen so small and get split up like that? How do I turn? How do I change weapons? Oh I'm dead already?"

It's easier to dodge a bullet than getting my lover to play video games!

Success Rate: 1% - Though my lover seemed to enjoy the one time we played this game together, I have asked many times afterwards for another playthrough and I kept getting the cold shoulder.

8) Wii Fit (Nintendo Wii)

The Pitch: "You know what they say about starting a workout regiment: It is harder for one to skip the routine if one is doing it with a partner. Look, you get to use your Mii in the game and the scale tells us what your BMI is so that we don't have to focus on the actual weight loss. I am sure you will enjoy seeing me do the hula-hoops (+15 smooth-talk points) and then we can take a shower together after we are finished with the game (+150 smooth-talk points). You really need to play this game (-500 smooth-talk points)."

The Response: "Are you saying I have weight problems? BMI my butt, how come the Wii is making my Mii look fat? Don't touch me while I do this stupid hula-hoop thing. How come you have to keep messing with the menu before I can start an activity, can't you just string them all together? Why can't we just go to the gym? I have to play this game every day?"

I'm surprised that even the mass-marketing allure of Wii Fit just utterly failed.

Success Rate: 5% - Throughout the entire time I was using this stupid thing, my lover only joined me twice. I also came to an early realization that Wii Fit was not fit enough to be in my schedule so I really didn't care when my lover started skipping it after day 2.

9) Wii Sports (Nintendo Wii)

The Pitch: "These games are made for non-gamers so you have to try it! They even have this game at nursing homes and the elderly populace just absolutely adore it (-1200 smooth-talk points). Remember the Wii commercials? I am sure you can recall that everyone in those commercials were smiling while they were playing this game, it's that good! I know we have talked about playing tennis together... Well now we can do it because you get to swing the Wiimote like the real thing!"

The Response: "The commercials were silly. This game is silly. Let's try golf. Oh I won? Let's try bowling next. Strike! Haha, you are terrible at this, are you sure you are a gamer? Ssssssstrike! Loser! And I used to think that you are really good with your video games?"

It's never about who wins or who loses.
I just want you to play video games with me darn it.

Success Rate: 50% - My lover really likes Bowling but the non-stop trash talking was actually a bit irritating. Maybe this is the reason why some people don't like to play video games with their lovers? I get a "Yes" half the time I asked my lover to play Wii Sports with me. I haven't played this in a while so maybe I'll ask again on Valentine's Day~!

10) World of Warcraft (PC)

The Pitch: "Baby, I know a lot of couples who play this game together. As a matter of fact, a lot of people actually found their soul mates while playing this game. It's like another world outside of our own. You get to create your own character and interact with people from around the world. Since I have a maxed-level character, I can help you level up (+1 smooth-talk point). It will be sweet to traverse this virtual world together (+50 smooth-talk points). It's like a date in a more modern sense!"

The Response: "If you want a date, let's go out and do something in the real world. Okay, I have been here all day and you have been glued to that computer screen ever since you woke up this morning. Have you even taken a shower yet?"

Dating and raiding at the same time = wipe?

Success Rate: 0% - My lover absolutely loathes this game because for a while, it pretty much took over my life. In a way, I am thankful that we both didn't end up playing this together because if that was the case, I would probably still be playing it now and I would be having a tough time keeping up with my console games. There are people who actually cheat on their significant others while playing this game - true story - so I am glad I didn't have to deal with that either.

Top 10 Best Video Game Cover Art

Sometimes, the best of games have the worst cover art as you can see with my number 1 greatest game of all time, Xenogears: I hate it when they lazily crammed up the precious space with the main characters' faces. The opposite can easily happen as well where a nice cover art misleads you into thinking that the game may not be half bad. As the saying goes, you cannot judge a book by its cover. You can however judge the cover on its own merit. A good cover art can further elevate the whole feel of a game and makes it more special in its physical representation. Game developers need to understand that those who are serious about gaming are also very meticulous about how the games are presented and packaged until everything is fully distributed via digital download, which is probably going to happen with the arrivals of the next generation of gaming consoles. [Last Update: 06/13/2011]

---10---
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (2006)
Platform: PlayStation Portable
Developer: tri-Ace Inc.

This remake not only added sparkling new CG cinemas into the game, it also updated the artwork on the game case with thrilling results. Nothing says "a somber, depressing game" better than a crying Lenneth. If a Valkyrie is broken down to tears by this game, you know the same could happen to you!

---9---

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon (2011)

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Vicious Cycle Software, Inc.

At first glance, this cover art is very perplexing. For a brief moment, I thought that a soldier is moving around inside a spherical transportation device away from the horde of nasty creatures shown in the background. Then, I realized the actual horror - and brilliance - of it all. What originally looked like a floating sphere is actually a armored helmet... It's a human head! More disturbing is the fact that it got decapitated and punctured through by one of the giant spider's sharp, spiny hind leg. The fact that the head is being paraded in front of a fellow soldier as shown by the reflection on the visor makes everything even more brutal and menacing. Does this mean that thse creatures know the art of scare tactics in war?

---8---
Power Stone (1999)

Platform: Dreamcast

Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd.

What separates this one from the usual character-medley mess is its high energy and fun perspective. With the stylized world map beneath them, the fighters rushed upwards to get the power-infused shining stone. Notice the little detail of Jack, the one-eyed mummy, holding a knife in his right hand as if he is ready to off Fokker, the guy in red. Yes, that is the character's real name.

---7---
Dead Rising (2006)
Platform: X-Box 360
Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd.

Capcom not only managed to show chaos and utter madness on the game's cover, they were also able to put some gory blood spurts there in the process. Ballsy... and gross. They could have put anything in the main character Frank West's hands... A chainsaw, a shotgun, a sword... Instead, they gave him an old flat screen VCR/DVD/TV combo to smash the zombies with. So basically, Frank is killing two birds with one stone. Instant classic!

---6---
Radiant Silvergun (1998)
Platform: SegaSaturn
Developer: Treasure

For being action-packed as it is, Treasure chose to focus on the spiritual content of the game on its cover: Two Silverguns traveling side by side across an evening sky. Those who have finished the game understand the cover art's reference to the two pilots' flight towards space to launch their desperate and final attack to save the world. 40% of the cover space is blackened where the game's title rests, foreshadowing the game's tragic tone. Bleak, artistic, and impactful.

---5---
Suikoden V (2006)
Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Konami Corporation

Those who are obsessed with trying to fit a lot of supposedly cool characters onto the cover of a game need to learn a lesson from this one. Instead of pasting stiff pictures of the game's characters, notice how the 4 in the middle are donning some kick-butt poses, especially the cool-looking hot aunt Sialeeds right underneath the game's title. It looks as if she is ready to do that opening high kick from The Matrix! Looking closely at the other characters inside the nicely patterned frame, it is apparent that they each have a certain expression on their faces. Just looking at the cover art makes me want to play the game again!

---4---
Nintendogs (2006)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo

Okay, Nintendo is playing dirty here. Real dirty. They selected the cutest of puppies, no matter which version of the game you buy, and slapped it on the game's cover with a soft photography that focused on the puppy's face. The whole thing not only looks irresistibly cute but lavishly domestic. Nintendo was aiming for the ultimate "awww" factor and they succeeded.

---3---
Katamari Damacy (2003)
Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Namco Ltd.

To show off the weird nature of the game, Namco's minimalist approach proved to be quite genius. Is the cover funny? No, just like the game itself, it's not funny. Just odd... Like the game. You see two cows grazing lazily in the fields and there is something sinister in the background in the form of a ball composed of different objects from big buildings to large animals. Is this thing dangerous? If so... Why is there a rainbow over it making it look like something divine. What will happen to the two cows? Absurdly odd yet uniquely mesmerizing.

---2---
Mario Party 8 (2007)
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Hudson Soft./Nintendo

Almost all of the Mario Party games have great looking covers. This 8th entry definitely has the best one compared to the others in the series. What is great about this one is the amount of loving treatments the Nintendo characters are given on it. They all look great and extremely happy to be in each other's company amidst the colorful environment around them and the celebratory confetti falling from the sky. Even though things look very busy, the Nintendo stars still retain their unique personalities. Look at Mario leading the crowd towards infinite fun while Luigi attempts to follow along. Look at Peach and Daisy running next to each other in pure unadulterated joy. Hey, why is Wario carrying all those gold coins? Love it.

---1---
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (2003)
Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Tecmo, Inc.

Resident Evil 4 may be the better game but the picture of Leon holding a pistol can never, ever invoke the same morbid fear as the two creepy Japanese girls seen here. As if the long hair over their faces are not disturbing enough, notice that these two are wearing traditional Japanese kimonos and are tied to each other by the waist. What are the hundreds of candles doing behind them? Are they in the middle of a ceremony? What kind of ceremony? How come none of them look happy to be there? Powerful imagery for an equally powerful horror game.

Top 10 Regretable Game Purchases

Just because I am very selective about my games, it does not mean that I am immune from picking up terrible ones. In fact, I wish that my library consists of only the gaming greats but if that was really the case, I probably would not have a lot of games in my collection at all. The following are the games that I regretted ever purchasing them. These were the moments when my passion got the best of me. I do keep these games in the hope that they would serve a higher entertainment purpose somewhere along my journey. Though painful, this list will be updated if I encounter worse offenders in the future. [Latest Update: 03-25-2008]

---10---
Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1999)
Platform: Dreamcast
Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd. Genre: Fighting

Until recently, Capcom has been known to milk its successful fighting games to the very last drop. For the most part, the sequels they developed are always better than their predecessors. Then came MvC, the second sequel that is also a new direction for Capcom's clever and energetic cross-over fighting series. That first game, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, was a revelation - who would ever thought that the two factions would ever meet in such a fashion. It was dreamy, surreal, and frenetic. When Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter arrived, the whole thing was still kind of fresh... With the arrival of MvC, I was expecting a major overhaul but it ended up being a major step backward because I have seen it all before and there were just several new characters introduced. I should have waited for its eventual sequel. Still, one can never be sure of when the milking process would end and I would have missed out on the amazing MvC2 since I would be waiting for MvC3 or 4 or 5...

---9---
Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution (2003)
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Developer: Sonic Team Genre: Card/Strategy

When Phantasy Star Online was first released on the Dreamcast, I was a true believer of the game. It was a great instanced massively-multiplayer game that also happened to be free! Then Sega got greedy and started charging a monthly subsription fee with Episode II. I played that on the X-Box for several months. Episode III was supposed to revolutionize the series and the Nintendo GameCube by (a) changing the direction of the series and (b) make the 'Cube's online friendly. The (a) reason turned out to be a bit suspect but I like the prospect of (b). I played the single player mode and waited until more online games arrive on the console before I would pick up the broadband adaptor for it. That day never arrived: the game's lack of success as well as Nintendo's diminishing interest of venturing into the online era left this game's true potential completely unexplored.

---8---
Yoshi Touch & Go (2005)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Score Attack/Platform

The back of the case describe this game as follows: "With countless perils waiting in the air and on the land, it'll take a golden touch to lead Yoshi through his latest and greatest adventure!" I expected this to be stage driven in its structure but actually there is technically just one stage in the game and your goal is the stay alive as long as you can before your total score is tallied. You don't get to control the lovable Yoshi... Instead, you use the stylus to clear the obstacles that lie before him. There is that refined Nintendo gameplay here in the form of its accurate touch screen mechanics but what is certain is that this is not even close to being Yoshi's greatest adventure. Being on the earlier DS titles, this game serves more as a tech demo, as if Nintendo was trying to test their audience with this release. This could have been so much more.

---7---

18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker (2000)

Platform: Dreamcast

Developer: Sega/CRI

Genre: Racing

I love arcade racing games and when this was announced, I thought it was Sega's Outrun reinvented. It has all the same elements that were similar to that Sega classic like the misguided take on the all-American sensibility, the stage to stage racing, the thrilling action... What you have instead is an extremely cheesy game -even to Sega's standard- complete with some terrible voice actings from the announcer and your trucker rivals and nothing much happening as you race. The goal of the game is to travel from the East Coast all the way to the other end of the West Coast. The stages are inventive and they capture the key elements of each of the real life areas they are trying to mimic though I don't see why you have to race through a terrible tornado in Dallas. The game's problem is that you cannot choose your route and it is all very llinear. Though that may be a necessity in the real world for these truckers, Sega should have known that they were already bending reality since you get to smash into cars and your opponents at high speed in the game so why not make it crazier by adding the ability to visit all the different states? At least Sega did learn some lessons from this awful tragedy when they released the excellent Outrun 2006. Sometimes, a crazy idea only belongs to an already existing crazy license.

---6---
Last Bronx (1997)
Platform: SegaSaturn
Developer: Sega
Genre: Fighting

With the success of Virtual Fighter and Fighting Vipers, Sega just couldn't contain themselves from developing LB and a big fan of both of those games, I jumped on it as soon as it was released on the console. Infusing the punk sensibility found in FV into a mainstream cast of characters, the game's most distinguishing feature is the weapon-based fighting. Each character is equipped with their own unique weapon like sais, sticks, nunchucks and the likes. The fighting is repetitive and the characters are just not very attractive. The game feels like a lazier, less polished version of Namco's great Soul Edge that was released before it. Tekken or VF? The latter is superior. SE or LB? Namco wins that round.

---5---

Lumines Plus (2007)
Platform: PlayStation 2

Developer: Q Entertainment Inc.

Genre: Music/Puzzle

The problem sometimes of being a completist is the desire to pursue something with such a conviction that I fail to see the logic of the situation. I love Lumines, it is a simple fact. I owned the two Lumines titles on the PlayStation Portable and the X-Box Live version of it on the X-Box 360. Then, I actually picked up this highly inferior version of the game for some odd reason. I was hoping that the version would include more exclusives but it didn't. The game looked worse on the big screen because it was a straight port of the PSP version. This wouldn't be a problem if I was a collector first before a gamer but I am the other way around. What was I thinking?

---4---
Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament (2004)
Platform: PlayStation 2
Developer: Digital Fiction
Genre: Fighting

When the name Yu Yu Hakusho comes up, the first thing I think of is the delicious import only 4-player fighting game made by Treasure on the Genesis. Maybe that was how I was able to convince myself to pick up this trash. I also thought that the publisher, Atari, Inc., had released the first two Dragon Ball Z: Budokai games at that time so this game couldn't be that bad. What I ended up with was a slow and stiff fighting game that was quite unplayable. The game is button mashing all the way and it is hard to connect your limited special moves against your ever moving opponents. It is a shame really since the cell shaded graphics are not bad at all and all the characters look the way they do in the anime.

---3---

Resident Evil: Director's Cut (1997)

Platform: PlayStation

Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd.

Genre: Survival Horror

Actually, this is not a bad game at all. You get new remixes to the gameplay and additonal features not found in the original that made it worth revisiting. The reason why this made it to the list was because of its grandiose lie about the game featuring uncut and uncensored cinematics that were heavily altered on the first release. The same censored cinemas unfortunately were attached to the game and how an error this fatal made it through quality check is beyond human comprehension. Capcom tried to appeal to the angry masses by offering free downloads of the footages from their website. Pitiful. They should have paid for their mistakes with blood... or money!

---2---
Sonic Adventure (1998)
Platform: Dreamcast
Developer: Sonic Team
Genre: Adventure

The fact that there was no original Sonic platform game on the SegaSaturn made this one so irresistable to ignore when it was released. Goodness, who wouldn't want to play Sonic after his last adventure? We will definitely get more platforming goodness even though it's presented in full 3D, right? Dead wrong! Sonic Team's obvious Mario-envy had turned our lovable platforming hero into a free-roaming hedgehog! They were probably thinking... If Mario can do it... So can Sonic! The one thing that they failed to understand is Sonic is about speed... It's about rushing from point A to point B, then defeating Eggman/Robotnik in his unique and crazy contraptions. In Adventure, you get to walk around, a Sonic blasphemy, in the hubs searching for the next action stages where you can really experience the sense of speed you have been craving. But then what is this? You have to play other slow characters while you are on it too? Sonic Team, stick to the old formula and you will see Sonic rise from the ashes on the next generation consoles. Well, I think Sonic Team may as well be closed down since the last Nintendo DS Sonic game aptly named Sonic Rush Adventure went into that whole "exploration" territory again and the recent sequel to Nights was a complete disaster.

---1---

Nights: Journey of Dreams (2008)

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Sonic Team

Genre: Score Attack/Adventure

Speak of the devil... Here we have the sequel to one of my top 10 greatest games, Nights: Into Dreams... Early gameplay footages cleverly hid the evil intent and the nasty infection in Sonic Team's rotting heart by only showing mostly the flying sections of the game. The many fans would eventually find out that even JoD was cursed by the exploration elements recently found in the next generation Sonic games. I braved the game critics as well as the terrible tales and picked up this game with the conviction that Sonic Team must have already came to their senses by then but oh it was all just wishful thinking. It is so repulsive that Sonic Team had the nerve to include stages where you don't even get to play Nights but the kids instead! In the original game, the kids' free roaming element is optional and is just there for those score crazy fools like myself to take advantage of it. How ballsy and yet they missed the target yet again. Nights is about fast action, free flight, chains, beating your previous score, and time management: we don't have to be forced-fed with long-winded cinematics and boring hubs to fully get the meaning of the game. Adding salt into injury, the game also features a tutorial level - disgusting. Why spend money on producing an instruction manual with the game at all and allow a gameplay this simple to be over-explained in-game? Also, they added a racing element to some of the stages where you have to chase a number of enemies to clear the stage. What the heck? Can't we just enjoy Nights the way it was originally meant to be played? Even the brilliant boss battles failed to save this one from being an extreme failure and an utter disappointment.

---10 Dishonorable Mentions---

Bleach: Shattered Blade (2007) - Nintendo Wii
Online Chess Kingdoms (2006) - PlayStation Portable
Def Jam Icon (2007) - X-Box 360
Capcom Fighting Evolution (2004) - X-Box
Madden 07 (2006) - PlayStation 3
Star Fox: Assault (2005) - Nintendo GameCube

Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006) - Nintendo DS
State of Emergency (2002) - PlayStation 2
G-Police (1997) - PlayStation
Fighting Vipers 2 (2001) - Dreamcast

Top 10 Greatest Games of All Time

"Video Games", as many call it, is a progressive, abstract, and interactive kind of art. It is interesting to see where this experience is going to lead us in the future. These thoughts brought me to examine my video game experiences thus far. It's been expansive, eye opening, and entertaining to say the least. Has it always been about the graphics or the gameplay? A combination of both maybe? Perhaps it is deeper than those two factors, an antithesis, a self-referentiality? I asked myself, what would be the ten greatest games I have ever played? This list will be updated as I encounter worthy titles through my continuing video gaming journey... [Latest Update: 05/03/2015]

---10---
IKARUGA (2002)
Developer: Treasure
Platform: Dreamcast/Personal Computer/X-Box 360
Induction Dates: 2002 (DC) - 04/09/2008 (X360) - 02/18/2014 (PC)

Director Hiroshi Iuchi has crafted many masterpieces - don't be surprised if another one of his creations pops up later on this list - and Ikaruga deserves a spot as one of the best shooters ever. The game focuses on one simple gameplay mechanic - the ship's ability to switch colors between black and white where it is only susceptible to destruction when it comes in contact with the opposite colored enemy shots. The game is designed around this concept as it is expanded and stretched from all the different angles and corners of the imagination. Some of the later stages require the player to enter a state of total gaming nirvana to survive unscathed between the dual-polarity patterns. Story-wise (omitted from the U.S. Gamecube version), the game explored the notion of freedom and sacrifice with such heart-wrenching gusto that it is promised to shock you during its fatal ending. Hiroshi Iuchi also showed his musical creativity with a harrowing orchestral soundtrack he beautifully composed for the game that never lets up from start to finish. This will be a worthy repurchase when it comes to X-Box Live just for the fact that you don't have to rotate your screen to get the game to run in its full resolution! [Note 04/09/2008: It was a worthy repurchase!]

---9---
CULDCEPT SAGA (2008)
Developer: Omiya Soft
Platform: X-Box 360
Induction Date: 02/15/2008

Culdept Saga is a deep magic card battle game that is further elevated by its clever usage of a Monopoly-ish board game setup. There are so many beautiful cards to collect and they are randomly awarded after the end of each match based on their rarity. The combination of both strategy from customizing a deck filled with limited amount of cards to bring to battle combined with luck from the draw of cards at the beginning of each round as well as sheer experimentation guarantees a highly involving experience every time the game is played. There is no ultimate strategy when it comes to deck management and after seeing the high variation of card combinations while playing the story mode, playing the game online revealed some deviously clever deck builds from some of the more experienced players. If you have to own one Culdcept, Saga is the definitive version to pick up but why limit the fun when you can also pick up the U.S. PlayStation 2 release?

---8---
SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS (2005)
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation 2
Induction Date: 10/20/2005

Here we have a game that is going to be remembered for trying to achieve something new, bold, as well as different and succeeded in its overall delivery. It starts off with a simple set up - the hero is trying to revive his dead damsel and the only way he can cheat death is to take her to a ancient, magical land and kill off 16 colossi that inhabit the area. They must individually be located within the vast landscape - without any loading time between travels! The game is a marvelous accomplishment both in its uncompromising, artistic direction and technical wizardry. I can still remember the sense of awe and amazement I felt when I first saw the first colossus with its majestic, overwhelming presence and the flock of birds flying above its head. The battles are epic yet the story is minimalist in its approach and ambiguous in its moral, creating a mystical, mysterious tone to the experience. It is ironic how the soundtrack changes into an adventurous tone when you're able to stab a colossus' weak spot but then its death is greeted with somber and regret.

---7---
ETERNAL DARKNESS: SANITY'S REQUIEM (2002)
Developer: Silicon Knights
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Induction Date: 06/25/2002

The fact that it is the first fully matured psychological horror fest for a Nintendo console should place it on any top ten lists. Of course, this masterpiece is more than a showcase of disgusting gore and disturbing concepts. Through some truly clever writing and artsy execution, the game is a story of the manipulation of humanity by the ancient Gods. Spanning across multiple locations and timelines, we see the lives and deaths of those unfortunate enough to cross the paths of these beings. Dramatic in its scope, the story unfolds with shocking discoveries and revelations, further exemplifying the desperation of humanity despite its valiant martyrdoms. To further heighten the feeling of dread throughout the game, a "sanity system" was implemented into the gameplay. When the sanity meter of the player drops, unexplainable and creepy things begin to happen on the screen, guaranteed to disturb and startle anyone because they are so visually inventive and deceptive.

---6---
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK (2000)
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 64
Induction Date: 2000

No top 10 list would be complete without a game from the talented people at Nintendo. Though many would disagree, Majora's Mask is better than Ocarina of Time because of its ability to manipulate the contents of the original into a whole new different creature. Sporting a much more mature storyline involving the end of the world where a menacing moon is on a collision course for Hyrule, Majora's Mask gains the benefit of perverse nostalgia for its self-references to the previous game. The game's structure involves Link having to repeatedly travel back in time and relive the 3 last days leading towards the catastrophe. All of Hyrule's inhabitants go about their separate lives progressively over the timeline and figuring out their secrets and patterns becomes part of the solution to the epic mystery. Adding to the tense and brooding atmosphere, Link discovers different masks that he can wear that transform him into different creatures. For that final touch of classic Nintendo moment, each transformation is preceded with Link screaming in horrific agony as his physical being is altered - interesting.

---5---

NIGHTS: INTO DREAMS... (1996)
Developer: Sonic Team
Platform: Personal Computer/SegaSaturn
Induction Date: 12/17/2012 (PC) - 08/18/1996 (SS)

Before they committed the sins against humanity with the recent 3D offerings of the Sonic Adventure series and the sequel to this classic, Sonic Team used to know how to create masterpieces. The original Nights is their grand opus, featuring addictive rail-based "free" flying gameplay mechanics, Freudian sensibility, mesmerizing "Cybersound" technology that remixes soundtracks with every play, a mini "pet" game where dream dwellers can be uniquely altered through clever gameplay tweaks, and some of the most unique boss battles in gaming history. Oh, it also contains a theme song that actually doesn't suck! The focus of the game is to find the best ways to manipulate the time spent as "Nights" on each section of the dream stages and collect as many orbs as possible to beat previous score performances. The boss battles are also timed to fit the overall theme. Nights was bundled with the first analogue controller, which is still one of the best controllers ever made, and the first console game ever to utilize such technology. I remember playing this one constantly over a period of two years.

---4---
VALKYRIE PROFILE (2000)
Developer: Enix
Platform: PlayStation
Induction Date: 08/31/2000

Valkyrie Profile is memorable for containing the saddest, most bleakly depressing story ever told in a video game. Throughout the game, I sometimes wonder if such an extreme was necessary to evoke the desired connection to the adventure. The player takes the role of Lenneth, a Valkyrie sent down to earth to recruit souls of brave warriors to be sent to Valhalla in preparation for the battle of the Gods while trying the figure out the mystery of her own existence. The only catch is, these warriors have to die first and yes, they all died some terribly tragic deaths. The player gets to experience lengthy introductions to each of the many, many characters that can be recruited and learn about their lives' desires and struggles, and the detailed ongoing leading towards their lurid fate - no one deserves to die the deaths prescribed here. In addition to the mature, challenging storyline, the mix of platforming elements, strategy, and elimination of random battles further pushed the final product forward as one of the most polished games ever made. The opening scenario itself had scarred me for life - I am still very perturbed that it got a "T" rating.

---3---
HEROES OF THE STORM (2015)
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: Personal Computer
Induction Date: 02/19/2015

It may have taken Blizzard too long of a time to officially enter the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre but the wait has been worth it. Instead of a mere mimic to the original Dota formula, which in itself was a mod of their own Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Blizzard has meticulously designed Heroes of the Storm with original elements to make it THE ultimate of all past and future MOBAs. There may not be that many champions in the game yet but even at this time but what's there are varied and some are well known characters taken from Blizzy's game franchises. But what has truly made this the best MOBA to date is its modernization of character leveling and progression. You don't have to worry about "buying items" from a store to illogically attach to your heroes (boots on serpentine heroes?) and instead, you choose talents on the fly. Then, there are also the varied maps, each with their own objectives and themes. I plan to play this for a very long time and I can only see continued greatness as the game receives even more heroes and maps.

---2---
RADIANT SILVERGUN (1998)
Developer: Treasure
Platform: SegaSaturn /X-Box 360
Induction Date: 07/26/2002 (SS) - 09/14/2011 (X360)

Utilizing what seems to be the maxed-out power of the SegaSaturn that Sega themselves could never dream of, director Hiroshi Iuchi created the most brilliant, technical, thought-provoking, and beautiful space shooter that is light years ahead of its competition even to this date. The core of the game is its emphasis in mastering 6 available weapons the ship is equipped with to successfully navigate through the game's genuinely ingenious enemy patterns and events. The game is constructed around boss battles after boss battles. Each boss is amazingly complex and the battle with "Penta" is easily the most epic boss battle in the history of the genre not only due to its nostalgic storyline revelation but also due to the artistic direction of having the entire screen rotating 360-degrees over a devastated landscape and somber-looking grey skies as it showers the player's ship mercilessly with bullets. The sound effects are beefy and the background music screams out with brilliant, organic tension. To complete the experience, a philosophical storyline that involves the desperation of family and friendship, humanity's ignorance, and one ultimate time travel. It starts out rather comedic but it gets pitch black and apocalyptical as the story unfolds. Radiant Silvergun is a pure masterpiece to be treasured forever. [Note: 09/14/2011 - The X-Box 360 re-release is the best version of the game. No need to find the original SegaSaturn version anymore.]

---1---
XENOGEARS (1998)
Developer: Squaresoft
Platform: PlayStation
Induction Date: 1998

Because of the linearity of its design, here's a video game that uses the basic RPG gameplay progression and changes it into an extreme art. The human/robot turn based battle mechanic is fun but what drives this one into the number one slot is its perfectly directed presentation and high philosophy. The narrative follows the story of a conflicted man named Fei as he delves deeper and deeper into his past as the world around him collapses into the devastation of an escalating war. The game in itself is a long ride, clocking way into the 80+ hours, and it is packed with story details that could easily make those unprepared for the journey lost in its heavy literary references that are biblical, Freudian, and philosophical in nature. The story explores what it means to be human and the flaws in our "design" as we keep repeating our past tragedies. It explores the notion of reincarnation by genes passed through previous generations and the prevalence of memory. It dwells into the secrets behind human's obsessions with religions and the origin of such programming. It's very, very deep stuff that can easily offend those with a closed mind - It's a miracle that it made it to the United States against all odds. Xenogears is art in its highest form and it is tragic that the sequels - the Xenosaga series - are just pale in comparison.

---10 Honorable Mentions---
Banjo-Kazooie (1998) - Nintendo 64
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (2003) - PlayStation 2
Gunstar Heroes (1993) - Multi-platform
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) - Multi-platform
Silent Hill 2 - PlayStation 2
Sonic & Knuckles - Multi-platform
Suikoden III (2002) - PlayStation 2
Super Mario Galaxy (2007) - Nintendo Wii
Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) - Nintendo GameCube
Thunder Force V (1997) - SegaSaturn