Thanks Ernie for actually talking about you top favorite games. I feel no reason to read a person's list if I can't at least see why they enjoy their games... though all your top 5 games do seem to have a common theme. lol (If someone recreated this thread but explained that each poster should explain their list, I would lock this this thread and let the other one live on in an instant)
I never had a chance to play Sim City 4, and it's such a shame it doesn't work with Windows 7. I've always wanted to play it. That was long in the past. As for Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 being ranked higher than 3, I actually have to agree. (seriously, these rhymes are unintentional) There's just something about RT2 that's more appealing than 3.
I'll create a list of the top 5 games I enjoy the most. The list is subject to change, because it's honestly hard to place these games in any specific order. Heck, it's hard to even think of 5 games since I've played so many great in my life.
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5. [b]Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - Between Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, I had a hard time picking which one should go in the number 5 spot. Both are wonderful games and if I had to rate them, they would have identical scores. In the end, I had to pick Order of Ecclesia. Although both games have plenty of objects to collect, Dawn of Sorrow requires way too much farming. In Dawn of Sorrow, you have a chance of collecting an enemy's soul when it dies, but it can take up to 30 minutes of killing the same enemy over and over just to get it's soul! To add insult to injury, the soul's abilities will often power up when you collect multiples of them, and some of those souls are even used to upgrade your weapons! If Dawn of Sorrow was more lenient with their drop rates, the game would have been far more enjoyable than it already is.
Order of Ecclesia sends you out to hunt down a man who wishes to revive the evil Count Dracula. On your journy, you pick up glyphs. Some glyphs must be found, others must be obsorbed as an enemy cast's a spell, and other glyphs only appear after you kill a particular enemy. There are only a few glyphs dropped by enemies, and though some of the glyphs can be a pain to get, their drop rates fair far better than some of the souls you collect in Dawn of Sorrow.
Although there is quite a bit of exploration in Order of Ecclesia, it differs from most recent Castlevania games by sending you to a bunch of smaller areas instead of one large one. The game is far more linear, where you'll find yourself walking simple 'left to right' type of paths. This may or may not be a welcome change of pace for Castlevania fans. Personally, I enjoyed the simplicity. Some of the glyphs aren't too interesting, and some glyphs are completely broken, making the game quite a bit easier (and the final boss fight impossible to lose), but it is still an incredibly difficult game, especially your first time through and when you play hard mode (from level 1).
I haven't bought Castlevania Portrait of Ruin yet, but if you plan on buying a Castlevania DS game, you can't go wrong. Both Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia are great games, and both are fun in their own ways. Even though Dawn of Sorrow didn't make the list, it can be more fun than Order of Ecclesia at times.
4. Chrono Trigger - I never played the original Chrono Trigger for the Super Nintendo, I played the DS port. The DS port of the game is supposed to be fairly identical, with only a few minor changes and some additional content. They also included a few new items and quests, but they're only accessible after you beat the final boss, which allows you to have a more "genuine" experience up to that point.
Chrono Trigger is amazing. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, is often regarded as the best video game ever, but really, Ocarina of Time should be sharing the spotlight with Chrono Trigger - that's how amazing Chrono trigger is!
Chrono Tigger offers a combat system that was unique at the time. Combat played like any other RPG, but it played out in real time. If you set you controller down during a battle and leave to get a drink, you'll come back to find your characters dead (this can be turned off, at least in the DS version). There is a great variety of attacks and other abilities, and the menus are easy to navigate. There are side quests in the game that will allow you to obtain better weapons and armor, but unlike many RPG's these quests aren't cryptic, which makes the game far less overwhelming. In fact, I believe Chrono Trigger is easy to enjoy because it found a great balance between depth and player friendliness.
If you own a DS, or a 3DS, go online and BUY THIS GAME. It's amazing - simply amazing.
3. Banjo-Kazooie - I'll admit, part of the reason why I love Banjo-Kazooie so much is the nostalgia factor. But, don't get me wrong, it's still an amazing game. Even though I believe everyone should give this game a shot, I can only strongly recommend the game to people who enjoy platformers, or grew up with the Nintendo 64.
There's really not a lot I can say about the game. It's your typical platformer, only polished to a shine. It focuses heavily on collecting items, but unlike many collect-a-thons, it's actually fun trying to collect everything! I can't explain why, but it is. The graphics for its time are beautiful, especially compared to other great N64 hits such as Super Mario World 64. Then, there's the music. The music is just aw inspiring.
Banjo-Kazooie was released at a time when Rare were The Beatles in the video game world. Rare created a number of amazing games, including a sequel to Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie. Banjo-Tooie, like Banjo-Kazooie, is absolutely amazing. In most ways, it's the superior games. My only problem with Banjo-Tooie is that it can become a little overwhelming at times. It's still a great game, and superior to Banjo-Kazooie in almost every way, but there's just something about Banjo-Kazooie and it's (compared to Tooie) simplicity.
2. Metroid Zero Mission - Had I only played this game once or even twice, this game would have never made this list. But I find myself playing Metroid Zero Mission over, and over, again. Sure, the game has great replay value (more on that later), but I find myself playing through the game the same way over, and over, and over again, and it never gets old - even if I am unlocking the same reward every time!
Metroid Zero Mission is a remake, or a "re-imagining" of the original Metroid game for the NES. The graphics are beautiful, the sounds are very good (admittedly, not the best, but it works perfectly none the less), and the gameplay is smooth, responsive, and just a blast.
There are a number of different rewards you can unlock depending on how you beat the game, each reward is a picture of Samus. The reward you unlock depends on the difficulty you beat the game on, the percentage of items you collected, and the time it took to beat the game. There are 8 endings. I enjoy playing through the game on normal, collecting %100 of the items, the most.
Some people prefer Metroid Fusion, but I honestly don't understand why. It's a fun game, definitely worth playing, but I beat it once and I couldn't care less to beat it again anytime soon.
1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - I know, how cliche? I picked the game that's already recognized as the best game of all time by a great deal of many different people. But there's a reason why this game has such legendary status. It truly is amazing! The only game that deserves to share the spotlight with this game is, as I said earlier, Chrono Trigger.
LoZ OoT has impressive graphics for the Nintendo 64. Admittedly, they aren't the best, as much of the scenery tends to feel "flat", but the game still manages to come off as beautiful and makes the art work. The gameplay is very solid, and uses a nontraditional targeting system. The puzzles are fun, as well as the boss fights. The world just engulfs you and it's fun to collect and use all the different items you come across along your journey.
Anyway, those are my top 5 games (that I can think of). That turned into a lot more typing than I had planned, so I'll not worry about honorable mentions.
