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Retrospective: HD Era Shooters – Worst First Person Shooters

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/18/2022
Posted in: Blogs, Mac, Microsoft Consoles, Nintendo Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 3, Sony Consoles, Wii, Xbox 360. Leave a comment

The seventh generation of consoles was really rough. While we did get some awesome games there were a ton of experiments as developers struggled with rising development costs and complicated hardware tech. With the rise of HD gaming, being games rendered in 720p or higher, there was also the struggle to evolve genres with this newfound hardware. First-person or third-person shooters struggled probably the most in this era as open-world games were evolved and, mostly, well done with games like Grand Theft Auto IV, The Elder Scrolls Oblivion, Skyrim, and Saints Row. Shooters were stuck in the past gameplay and design-wise. Corridor shooters with no story or interesting characters, and not to mention lacking an identity which helped make up for the lack of the latter. Your favorite shooters like Doom and Quake didn’t really have a good story or characters, but they had an identity that helped them stand apart from other shooters. The look, feel, weapons, and overall design were unique to that game. This just didn’t happen with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 shooters, and if it did, it was rare. We’re going to take a look at the worst and best shooters in this generation of consoles and why the genre stalled and didn’t really evolve much until the next generation cycle.

This will be a multi-part series due to the number of games. The next feature will talk about the best FPS games of this generation.

TimeShift

TimeShift had a lot of hype leading up to its release. It looked great and seemed to have this cool sci-fi setting with some unique and cool-looking weapons. It had a suit that could shift time and allow you to solve puzzles and work your way through enemies. In the end, the game was a bore-fest corridor shooter with a few open areas. It had some cool effects like the rain and good-looking textures, but it felt like a shooter from the early-2000s. The time-shifting abilities felt like filler and the puzzles were nothing but a joke. The game enemies repeated throughout the game and the weapons, while looking cool, felt like pop-guns with no real feel or impact. I remember renting this from BlockBuster when it was released for Xbox 360 and was just utterly bored. It was so forgettable that when I replayed it last week I didn’t remember a single thing except for the rain effects.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty

My god was this game just terrible. I rented this from BlockBuster upon release for Xbox 360 and it was supposed to be a cool World War II shooter with some sci-fi and history changes. With Nazi Germany winning the war you are a soldier stuck in the middle. Instead of having a great story and characters, the game just felt as generic as can be. The guns felt weak, the environments were ugly and boring, and the game had so many glitches and an insane amount of slowdown that it made it nearly unplayable. With the steep fall of WWII-based shooters that the industry was sick of, Turning Point needed something different and cool to make it as people were turning to realistic military shooters. The game was just so gray and ugly and didn’t have its own identity. It didn’t sell well and was panned by critics for good reason.

Legendary

Another shooter with a lot of potentials. This game brought you giant mythological creatures that were taking over a city! Yes! No more boring soldiers, but they just had to screw it up. Developed by the not-so-talented Spark Unlimited, Legendary had decent graphics and cool boss designs, but the shooting itself was awful. There was no feel to them or an identity to the game. Even the story was just barely passable and entertaining enough to push you through the game. This was by far one of the worst games of this generation period. It had a horrible slowdown, glitches, and just didn’t feel good to play at all. I rented this from BlockBuster for Xbox 360 upon release as well and I don’t even think I finished it. That’s how bad it was.

Shadowrun

Shadowrun was a highly anticipated FPS online-only multiplayer game set in the Shadowrun universe. Upon release, however, it was pretty much dead on arrival. The lack of content for the full-price tag pretty much killed the game and it felt like a generic last-generation shooter. There was nothing unique about this game nor did it feel like it was in the Shadowrun universe at all. It felt like a cheap cash grab as were the majority of multiplayer-only games that kicked off in this generation cycle. The servers have long since shut down, but if you really are curious you could play with bots or someone next to you.

Medal of Honor: Airborne

This was actually quite an impressive game before release. I remember being super excited about the demo. The game looked fantastic and actually next-gen. There were great lighting effects, good textures, and the guns felt okay…at first. Upon release, the game was literally just a single map with objectives thrown in it. It felt like a multiplayer setup and just didn’t belong as a single-player experience. The gimmick was that you could drop down anywhere in the map on a parachute, and it looked good doing it. Lots of gunfire below you, explosions, and the sound design were pretty good too. The weapons just didn’t feel right, they were poorly balanced, the difficulty was all over the place, and it didn’t run very well. This “open-ended level design” that EA toted was a joke. It was a lazy excuse to shoehorn multiplayer maps into a single-player experience.

Clive Barker’s Jericho

Jericho had so much potential and it’s one of those games I’m really mad that never turned out well. Clive Barker only did one other game and it was fantastic. Undying is a classic. Jericho was just so good leading up to release. The atmosphere, Clive’s classic monster style, and graphics looked great, and upon release, it was an utter disaster. Switching between numerous squad members was just too clunky and you want to talk about corridor shooters? This is more like a hallway shooter. The levels were too small to move around in for the number of enemies thrown at you and the number of squad members you had to manage and switch between. The game’s difficulty was all over the place, but it was nice to look at. The game bombed hard and didn’t sell really at all and Clive Barker has yet to embark on another video game adventure again.

Hellgate: London

Hellgate was a long-anticipated MMO for PC but was surrounded by controversy. You could play the game offline, but to access new content you had to pay a monthly fee. The game was just ugly, clunky, claustrophobic, and the RPG elements just weren’t implemented well. It felt low budget despite the coverage it got and just didn’t feel finished upon release. You can still play the game today as Hellgate Global is owned by a Korean-based publisher now. It was released on Steam in 2018, but almost no one plays.

BlackSite: Area 51

BlackSite was a game I was personally excited for as I thought it would be an awesome reboot of the 2005 Area 51 game which was fantastic. This game turned out to be just like the other games mentioned. Dull, boring, cookie-cutter, and with no identity. It looked ugly, had lots of glitches, and slow down, and there wasn’t a single redeeming quality to the game. The guns were dumb, the story and characters were pointless, and even the aliens were boring. How could you mess up an IP like this? I remember playing the demo on Xbox 360 before release and it was a decent demo as it showed the only interesting part of the entire game.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback

While not inherently awful, Payback brushes the line between mediocrity and bad, however. The game did have decent graphics and good gore effects. So good in fact that Australia banned the game. Besides all of that, the game was generic, boring, and the weapons felt like pop-guns. There was no character to the shooting, no feeling, no weight, no nothing. The game’s trial-and-error difficulty balancing was terrible as well and not even multiplayer could save this one. The series hasn’t had the best history and mostly lives in “bad game” territory.

Turok

Turok is another game that borderlines bad and awful. Being the second reboot of the franchise, this version barely resembles the amazing Nintendo 64 games. Instead, we get a boring and generic shooter through equally dull jungles and concrete buildings and even messes up dinosaur encounters. The story is bad, the characters and voice acting are bad, and there’s not much worth playing here unless you’re a die-hard Turok fan and want to see what the hoopla was all about. Don’t get me wrong, this was a highly anticipated game because of its positive history, but this wasn’t it man.

Haze

This was a game I skipped upon release due to the terrible reviews it got. I later played in 2020 and was highly disappointed. It had a lot of potentials. The few morsels of the decent story were when the game explored the effect of the Haze serum on soldiers and how they would hallucinate in battle. The use of the serum to overload you during gameplay was a neat idea, but the game looked dated even upon release and felt dated. The weapons were boring, the enemies repeated forever, and there were a lot of game-breaking glitches and slowdown. This game wasn’t even decent or barely passable, it was downright terrible and not worth your 6 hours.

Secret Service

Oh man, this game is laughable. I doubt it sold barely anything. Not only was it a budget shooter, but it felt like something from the early 2000s. It was ugly, boring, generic as can be (white dudes in suits and sunglasses generic) and there are zero reasons to even sniff in this game’s general direction. The idea of being a secret service agent was unique at the time as there aren’t any games that did that, but instead of an interesting story with well-written characters and maybe some unique gameplay with scripted events you just get a corridor shooter mowing down bland enemies with weightless guns.

Shellshock 2: Blood Trails

I had the honorable displeasure of finishing this game on PC years after release. While it did have a few good scenes that depicted PTSD from ‘Nam soldiers, it was just such a terrible game. All the classic signs are here: awful story and characters, stereotypes, boring and generic gunplay, guns that have no weight, ugly visuals, slowdown and glitches, and too linear. Rebellion isn’t that great of developers anyways given their pretty bad track record, but you think after how bad the first was they would tighten it up a bit. There are zero reasons to ever give this series a minute of your time other than sheer curiosity. There are much better military shooters in this era out there.

Section 8/Section 8: Prejudice

Can you tell the difference between these two? I sure can’t. Only release 2 years apart this is one of the most generic shooters ever made for the Xbox 360 and PC. It’s so boring and generic I can barely remember the game I played years ago on PC without looking it up. Everything is gray, ugly, and the weapons feel weightless and boring to use. I do remember the game has awful difficulty spikes and was a chore to play through. The multiplayer didn’t redeem the series either and the PS3 version of the first game wound up being canceled due to poor sales. The studio had such faith in the sequel that it wound up being a digital-only release.

Painkiller: Resurrection

Yes, this was a PC-only release, as the series home is on PC, but how can you screw up such a high-profile classic? Painkiller may not have been very innovative, but it had a rocking soundtrack, really fun weapons, level, and enemy variety, and just felt good to play. It was a “wave shooter” like Serious Sam and less like Doom and Quake. This sequel just didn’t work and was completely broken gameplay-wise. The levels were awful, the guns weren’t fun to use, and the graphics were incredibly dated. Just how do you mess something like this up? Sadly, the series is dead and the low sales of this game are probably why.

Rogue Warrior

Rogue Warrior wasn’t just a low-budget FPS that littered the scene in the day. This was a somewhat high-profile shooter with a retired Navy Seal helping design the game and Mickey Rourke cussing his way through the game. What we got was just a broken mess that wasn’t finished. The story and characters were lame stereotypes and used cussing as a way to make the story feel mature. The guns felt bad, the controls didn’t work right, animations were broken, there was lots of slowdown and glitches and crashes. It was just a hot mess and it was a tale as old as time back in the late ’00s.

Perfect Dark Zero

What could probably be known as one of the most anticipated games of the seventh generation of consoles, Perfect Dark Zero had a lot of hype behind it. It was a beloved Nintendo 64 franchise debuting on a next-gen console. It looked next-gen leading up to release, but once we finally got a hold of it the game felt like it was stuck in the ’90s. Dated gameplay, boring missions, pointless story, and the stealth gameplay were pretty much ruined. I don’t understand the high scores this game got outside of people just being excited about the game or possibly being paid by Microsoft. Even the multiplayer couldn’t save this one. There’s no redeeming value in this game other than it existed on the N64 at one point.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel

The Call of Juarez series is a causality of the HD era. It came and went in that single generation and this game is what killed it off. The previous games were forgettable but enjoyable experiences. Quick weekend rentals and nothing more or bargain bin purchases. The Cartel was an absolute disaster and it’s sad as it had a lot of hype around it. The game was pretty much unfinished with game-breaking bugs, glitches, and slowdown. This was a by-product and a common scenario of the struggle to bring games to the HD gaming era. This game just didn’t work out and was quickly forgotten about.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

This game was heavily hyped as was the whole The Walking Dead franchise. It was at its peak in the late ’00s with The Walking Dead adventure game by Telltale Games launching the franchise into the stratosphere in the video game world. With the success of that series, everyone wanted their hands in the franchise’s honey pot, but there wasn’t a single good game that came from it. Survival Instinct was dreadful. It was ugly, boring, and despite using Norman Reedus in the game his likeness wasn’t used very well. The game followed the TV series pretty closely, and instead of the tense atmosphere from that show, we got a boring arcade-like shooter.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 1/2

I have never seen a game series so consistently terrible as the Sniper series. Both of the first two games were boring and generic as can be for military shooters. The game looked great on PC as it used the Crytek engine, but it ran poorly and looked pretty bad on consoles. There were some great sniper animations, but other than that the voice acting was bad, the levels were borderline free asset quality and there are zero reasons to bother playing this entire series. The series took a 4-year break before releasing Ghost Warrior 3 in 2017 and that one is barely passable.

Dead Island: Riptide

Riptide’s mistake was trying to be a sequel. It was pretty much the exact same game without any changes. This would have been better off as an expansion or DLC. The game also didn’t fix any issues from the decent first game. Lots of bugs, glitches, poor optimization on PC, and overall just not a fun experience. The open-world was void of any interesting characters and the story was just as lame. It did retain the eerie post-apocalyptic atmosphere and setting and was still enjoyable to smash zombies up and run away from them and craft weapons. If you never played the first one you can skip that and go straight for this one, but the entire Dead Island franchise has a sad history and just isn’t very good compared to similar games like Dying Light.

Alien Rage

Alien Rage is another byproduct of the era. Boring and sleep-inducing gameplay with generic aliens, weapons, and an overall feeling of low-budget cheapness. The graphics were awful and there was zero redeeming value to look in this game’s direction. Even by bad shooter standards this one fell into almost infamy of “why did they bother?” The problem is that no one wants to buy your game if it’s bad. The idea of quick cash grabs by releasing quick and dirty shooters just doesn’t work. You couldn’t even save this one with just good graphics or cool aliens. Everything about this game screams “I don’t care”.

Duke Nukem Forever

Probably the most infamous shooter on this list Forever has a well-documented development cycle of hell that can be traced back in detail. What we got was a gross, dated, ugly, and messy game that barely felt like a Duke Nukem game. The jokes were dated, the gameplay, while varied, just wasn’t fun. The game was also poorly optimized, crashed, and glitched everywhere, and the slowdown was abundant. The hype wasn’t enough to make sales and it flopped with collector’s editions rotting on store shelves. Sadly, we haven’t seen hide nor hair of the franchise since outside of some cameos and releases. This game may have single-handedly killed the franchise forever.

Brink

Another well-documented example of the troubles HD gaming brought to the industry. What was here could have worked, but the lack of support, content, and overall polish killed what could have been one of the best multiplayer shooters of the era. The game also had average gunplay that felt generic and the overall aesthetic of the game was very bland and sterile feeling. It didn’t have an identity or rather one that was the culmination of broken or half-baked ideas. No clan support or single-player campaign didn’t help either. Poor sales led to this game’s quick demise and you can’t even play it anymore if you wanted to.

Bodycount

This is a perfect example of generic military shooters. This game tried to be arcade-like but also felt too realistic for its own good. It was boring, ugly, messy, and just wasn’t any fun to play. The first level showed you pretty much everything there was to offer. The guns had no weight, the enemies were copy/paste from other shooters, and the story and characters were pretty much in the background barely existing. Codemasters was trying to capitalize on games like Bulletstorm and Rage with fast-paced FPS action, but this just wasn’t it.

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Probably as infamous as Duke Nukem Forever, and sadly by the same publisher. Aliens was one of the worst games released of the HD era. Period. It was unfinished, rushed, lie and mess. It was so bad that there were glitches in the AI script for the aliens that users had to fix on the PC version. It was so different from what was shown in demos that Gearbox was sued. The game was boring, ugly, and didn’t feel like an Aliens game at all. Even the multiplayer couldn’t save this one. I played through the first level and never touched it again. This isn’t even a game that could have been patched up. It was rotten from its core and it shows.

Medal of Honor/Warfighter

Danger Close is talented in the sense they can screw up two games in a row this badly. The first game was an ugly dated mess using the Unreal Engine 3 and just felt like a game stuck in the past. Ditching WWII and trying to capitalize on the realistic military shooters and compete head-to-head with Battlefield, Medal of Honor was just a boring and generic feeling. The use of the Tier 1 operatives didn’t do anything, and the multiplayer had downgraded visuals and felt like a worse game in general. Warfighter looked much better but was a linear, scripted, and boring unoptimized mess that didn’t stand out from the crowd at all. You’re better off playing the older WWII shooters and leaving these to rot. There’s a reason why the series died after Warfighter.

007 Legends

Probably the single worst Bond game to date. Legends shoehorned memorable Bond moments with some of the worst Call of Duty clone shooting you can imagine. This is a perfect example of the HD-era shooters that shouldn’t have existed. This was a plague in the industry to create quick cash grabs from the Call of Duty fanbase. GoldenEye this was not.

Newbie Guides: Retropie Complete Setup and Tutorial

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 12/02/2021
Posted in: Blogs, Newbie Guides, Retro Consoles. Leave a comment

Well, I guess someone had to do it right? There isn’t a single Retropie setup for Raspberry Pis on the internet that I could find. After setting up my Picade I spent three weeks tweaking, adjusting, fiddling, troubleshooting, and overall just learning the ins and outs of Retropie and Retroarch. It’s a fantastic and powerful emulator software but needs to be fiddled with so much that most casual users will give up. You finally have a Pi and an enclosure or some sort of cabinet for it and no idea on how to make it look nice or even get games to work.

Getting Retropie Up and Running

Let’s start with something simple and that’s just getting the thing up and running. You will need to burn an image to an SD card to get started and I highly recommend just using a Pi 4 as this guide will cover that Pi, but older ones are fine too.

First, you’re going to download the Retropie Imager

Choose the version of Retropie that matches the Pi you’re using and then select your storage and click write. That’s it! You now have the basic Retropie install ready to go. Slot it into your Pi and start it up.

When you startup Retropie you will need to set your controls. If you have a cabinet built around the Pi set your controls as you want and hold down any button you want to skip. If you’re using a controller I suggest picking the main controller and sticking with that one as Retroarch will map EVERY emulator to these controls.

After this, you will need to have the correct keyboard layout for your country. To do this go into RetroPie>Raspi-Config.

For the US layouts change the keyboard to “Generic 105 key” layout and the rest their default options when prompted.

Setup Wifi and SSH

The best and fastest way to get ROMs and files onto your Pi is to set up the Wifi and SSH into it. We can’t do anything without these two things set up first. You can also alternatively use an ethernet cable, which is recommended, but if you have an arcade enclosure or are far away from your router then this may not be an option. Once you have set up your control go into Retropie>Wifi. I highly recommend getting a wireless USB keyboard for this stuff as the “DOS” menus of Retropie are easier to navigate with a keyboard. I use this one as I can leave the dongle inside my Picade and the keyboard has very long battery life. It also has a great layout and nice buttons. You also won’t be typing more than a few buttons prompts or short commands so you don’t need anything full size for typing novels. Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard

Once you’re in you can scan for an SSID and type in your password. And yes, I looked it up, there’s no way to see the characters in your password which is super annoying if you have a complicated password. You should see SSIDs, this one is blank for privacy reasons. Once you’re connected write down your IP address as you will need it next.

Setting up SSH on your Windows 10 PC (I’m not sure how to do it for Mac) is fairly easy. I highly recommend using WinSCP as it’s just easier and more reliable and has Windows built-in FTP stuff. Once you have it installed you need to enter your IP address from the previous screen and the username and password is always pi and raspberry by default. You can change these if you want, but…who wants to hack into your Pi? Yeah, no one.

You should now see a screen like this. Always remember that in the <root> menu that <home> is your main folder if you get lost. Inside go to RetroPie and the <roms> and <bios> folders are what you’re going to use the most.

You also need to enable hidden files by going to Options>Preferences>Panels>show hidden files

Update RetroPie and Firmware

You should upgrade your firmware if you haven’t already. If you installed a Picade you have probably already done this step, but you need to step down into a command line by pressing F4 on your keyboard and type in:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

you can then type

reboot

At this point, I recommend updating Retropie by going into the Retropie>Retropie Setup in EmulationStation. Then select Update RetroPie Script and once that’s done you can select Update.

Now we’re ready to add BIOS files and ROMs

Getting ROMs Working

Before we make Retropie look fancy we want to get games working first. I can’t link where to download them, but for Arcade MAME ROMs you can go to archive.org and get romsets. Now, I need to take some time and explain MAME and how it works as it’s very confusing and most people have trouble getting MAME up and running.

MAME is not like other video game consoles in which you can download any ROM and stick it in the folder and it plays. MAME requires the correct romset version/year for the MAME emulator you’re using. For Retropie you will mostly use mame2003plus, mame2010, and FinalBurnNeo. You must only use the romset that matches the emulator version. This is such a hard thing to find online as there are a million answers. If you go to archive.org and search for “mame2003plus romset” you should find an entire archive of them. This is also important because some ROMs only work with certain emulators and you need to have the right romset. You can’t just download an entire 120GB file and drag them all in your ROMs folder and hope they work. Now the confusing part is getting distracted by the three main emulators. Don’t worry about this. I will link a Google spreadsheet of every MAME game (or most of them) that works and for what emulator to use them with. I highly recommend searching inside the document under each emulator tab at the bottom for the game you want. Search within mame2003plus first as you want this to be your default core. Any other games needing specific emulator changes can be changed individually.

Here is the Google Doc

This is also mainly for a Pi3b+, so anything that says it lags will most likely run on a Pi 4 just fine. Remember, there are some popular games that just do not run on a Pi 4 and that includes Killer Instinct and some Cave 1K games. Modern fighters like Tekken 3-6 will not run. This also includes certain Sega games that use the Naomi or Atomiswave boards for Dead or Alive and Crazy Taxi for example. The Pi 4 just isn’t powerful enough for these so don’t even bother.

There are also some games that require CHD files which are hard disk images that are needed to run alongside the ROM itself. You will probably not find any games that require these as most are too advanced to run on a Pi 4 anyways, so you can mostly ignore this.

For games like Metal Slug, you need the neogeo.zip BIOS file in the ROMs and BIOS folder. For games like Demon Front, you need the pgm.zip BIOS in both folders as well. I can’t link BIOS files, but Google search “neogeo.zip for mame” and something will come up.

For other consoles, I highly recommend reading the official Retropie help docs and under each emulator, it will tell you if a BIOS is needed, what format each emulator can read files in, and other settings. I also recommend compressing your CD images into CHD files as most disc-based emulators can read these and it saves space. The official docs have links to CHDMan and how to use it. There are places to download already made CHD files for systems like PlayStation. r/roms on Reddit is a good place to start.

Whenever you SSH ROMs over to your Pi you need to restart EmulationStation which is your GUI for Retropie. You can press Start>Quit>Restart ES and your ROMs should appear under the correct consoles if you put them into the correct folders.

Scraping

This is a weird term that most people don’t know, but it means downloading all the images and metadata you need for each game to make your Pi experience look presentable. A blank screen with game names just isn’t very appealing. You also want a nice ES theme to complement these scrapes, but we’ll get into that later. Don’t ever use the built-in scraper inside ES as it’s crap. You want video snapshots, wheels, and even marquees, but it’s a bit complicated and you will need your trusty keyboard for this one.

We are going to press F4 on the keyboard and type in the following:

sudo ~/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_setup.sh

Quick tip. If you press the up arrow in the command line screen the Pi remembers all the commands you type in. This is a quick shortcut when needing to get the scraping section faster or any other command you’ve used.

Navigate to Manage Packages>Manage optional packages>scroll down to the bottom and install the skyscraper package.

For this scraper to work correctly you will need to go to screenscaper.fr and create an account. You then need to enter the credentials in the skyscraper .ini file using WinSCP. Optionally you can edit the .ini file on your Pi by going into “Advanced options” in the skyscraper menu and editing the config file there. Pressing Ctrl+X will allow you to save the changes.

Navigate to the following location in WinSCP

/home/USER/.skyscraper/config.ini

Then enter the following at the bottom

[screenscraper]
userCreds="USER:PASSWORD"

Replacing USER:PASSWORD with your credentials.

Once this is done, navigate back to the skyscraper menu. Under option 5 “generate options” make sure ROM Names is Source Name, Remove Bracket info is enabled and the last option is disabled. Make sure “Download videos” is enabled.

Under option 3 “Cache options” make sure screenshots, cover, wheels, scrape only missing are enabled. The rest should be disabled.

Once this is done you need to go under option 1 “Gather resources” and press space to select the systems you want. After this is done let the scraper do its thing. Depending on how many ROMs you have this could take a while.

After this is down you need to generate the lists! They won’t show up in ES otherwise. Go down to option 4 “generate game lists” and select the systems you just scraped and continue.

You’re done scraping! After this backup, until you see the reboot option.

Customization EmulationStation

Themes

This is an important one and probably one of the most important visual changes you can make to make your Pi look unique. I suggest looking at a list of the official ES themes here or a video preview of them all here. Navigate to the ES Themes under the Retropie menu and select “View or update theme gallery” and then “Update theme gallery”.

Once you have the theme you want installed press the select button on your controller and go to UI Settings>Theme Set. It should change instantly. This is when you should check your scrapes. If you have a theme that plays videos you should see them playing when you highlight them. Some videos may not play and you may need to change to the OMX Player by going into the settings again and “Other Settings” and turning it on. If this still doesn’t work some videos may need to be re-encoded. Don’t bother doing this until you have all the games you want on your Pi and are happy as every time you scrape you will need to replace/re-encode all of the videos again.

Splash Videos

Splash videos are videos that play while Retropie is booting up. You will want to disable startup text and the length of the video will depend on how many games you have installed. Videos can range from around 12 seconds to a minute. These videos cover up anything on the screen so it looks cleaner when starting up.

To disable on-screen text that you see during the start-up phase you can do so by dropping down into the command prompt with F4

sudo nano /boot/config.txt

go to the very end and add this line

disable_splash=1

These videos are usually in .mp4 format and can be ripped from YouTube videos and dropped into

/home/pi/RetroPie/splashscreens/video/yourvideo.mp4

Here’s a link to an entire playlist of professionally made splash screen videos

Properly Encoding Troublesome Videos

If you have scraped videos for your theme and some aren’t playing at all or have no sound or video then you might need to re-encode them. SSH into your Pi and navigate to

/opt/retropie/configs/all/emulationstation/downloaded_images

There should be video folders within each system folder. Download and install Handbrake. Under preferences change the output file name format to just “{source}” as you want the file names to stay the same. You don’t want to go renaming possibly dozens, or even hundreds, of videos by hand. You can also batch convert these files, but make sure they convert into .mp4 files. Once this is done you can just overwrite the files in each system folder.

Favorite Tech/Gaming YouTube Channels

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/14/2021
Posted in: Blogs. Leave a comment

There are a lot of quality channels on YouTube for every category imaginable. While there is quite a bit of junk on there, there are a lot of hidden gems and large channels that are incredibly informative and entertaining. Other the last decade I have been subscribing to channels little by little and I think as of now I have a fairly large subscription base to share. Some of these channels I’ve just found, and many I have been following for years. You have may heard of some of these and maybe you’ll discover something new and original.

Caddicarus (Gaming)

Caddicarus is a channel I have been following for around 5 years now. He’s a British gamer and lover of the PlayStation which is hard to come by on YouTube. His British humor hit all the right spots and I feel he’s very original compared to many other gaming channels out there. His format has changed over the years, but my favorite videos are reviews of older PlayStation games. He does talk about new PlayStation titles, but these aren’t my thing.

Channel Awesome (Gaming…kinda)

Specifically The Nostalgia Critic. While it’s mostly regular movies or TV shows, video game related movies or TV shows do pop-up every so often. He may seem cringy to some, but his format has been the same for almost ten years and it’s highly entertaining. He’s very knowledgable in movies and TV shows across most decades. He usually reviews awful or lesser known movies, but sometimes he will review gems or classic well known films. Occasionally he will feature guests, but the other Channel Awesome staff will reguarly engage in skits themed around the reviewed film.

Cinemassacre (Gaming – Pre Screen Wave Buy-Out)

Yes, The Angry Video Game nerd is actually one of the first YouTubers I regularly watched. This was around 11 years ago. I also mention the pre-Screen Wave buy-out as his quality has dropped over the years. While a lot of popular shows have stopped such as Board James, The Angry Video Game Nerd is his bread and butter. Cussing and trash talking, mostly, NES games is his claim to fame and it holds up very well to this day, but the issue over the last few years has been his lack of enthusiasm on screen. He no longer writes most of his episodes anymore and they come off dry and disconnected sometimes. Other famous shows like Cinemassacre’s Monster Madness during October is also gone, but his other movie reviews are enjoyable. I suggest watching his backlog of episodes pre-2017 or so and you will enjoy it quite a bit.

DidYouKnowGaming? (Gaming)

Most people will probably have heard of this channel, but these guys are fantastic. The UK team of researchers have given us years of entertaining gaming trivia, that I myself would never have found out otherwise. The formatting has mostly stayed the same over the years but with added episodes like Did You Know Gaming – Extra, and episodes focusing on lost games by Unseen64 and various other trivia. One of the popular things DYKG does are their guest narrators. These are mostly YouTube gaming channels from well-known to rising stars. It’s fun to see who is featured next and sometimes your favorite YouTuber might pop-up.

Game Sack (Gaming)

An upcoming YouTube who mostly talks about retro gaming. This ranges from perusing old catalogs to taking apart arcade machines and systems. He’s incredibly informative and if you are a retro gamer might enjoy the knowledge he brings to the scene.

GVMERS (Gaming)

GVMERS is in my top five favorite channels. This incredibly informative long form documentary style channel is one-of-a-kind. While DidYouKnowGaming? does short rapid fire clips, GVMERS focuses on a single series or game giving you full insight into the development, personal issues, and overall story of a game or series. The formatting hasn’t changed, but the narrator has an incredible voice and this is a fantastic channel to binge watch.

JayzTwoCents (Tech)

Jayz is a fantastic channel for exclusive PC gaming knowledge, mostly on the hardware side. He dives deep into overclocks, benchmarking, PC building, and is overall a charming personality on screen. Some say he’s cringy and egotistical, but I believe in the toxic world of PC gaming we live in these days you need to stand your ground and stick to facts which he does. I think his goofiness brings a “dad” feeling to the younger PC gaming YouTube crowd.

JonTronShow (Gaming)

JonTron is one of my favorite YouTubers of all time, but his schedule is rather inconsistent. Sometimes going on hiatus for an entire year, he at least brings quality content and has a striking personality that no one else on YouTube has. His videos have veered away from gaming these days, but his back catalog is quite entertaining to binge watch. It’s not so much the knowledge he brings to his show, but his explosive personality.

LGR – Lazy Game Reviews (Tech/Gaming)

LGR is in my top five favorite YouTube channels for sure. His content has been phenomenal over the years and his charm, voice, and demeanor over the camera is just so enjoyable. You could easily binge his whole channel in a week and be left wanting more. He mostly focuses on retro PC gaming, but he does have various shows like LGR Oddware that looks at old hardware, mostly from the 90’s and early 2000’s, that is one of my favorite shows on YouTube period. It’s such a niche and fascinating channel yet can attract even the most curious observer. Clint is someone I hope stays on YouTube for years to come, and the only bad thing I have to say about the channel is there aren’t enough uploads per week, but what we get is pure quality.

Linus Tech Tips (Tech/Gaming)…kinda

Well everyone and their mom has heard of Linus. The Canadian super star who flaunts the ability to live on the bleeding edge of technology mostly from just sponsorships. The millionaire YouTube star has a fully staffed studio and warehouse, and you can tell he isn’t afraid to show off the cash. Videos ranging from $50k+ orders for machining equipment,and some of the most expensive PC builds no one will ever be able to obtain. He also lets you tour his mansion where he frequently installs insanely expensive systems of various kinds. He clearly has a successful business and his videos are still only for a certain audience. He focuses mostly on mainstream consumer electronics and PC building, benchmarking, and testing. Some of his videos are very informative, but he’s not a source for deep knowledge of anything really. He has reviews for all the latest tech, albeit short and not in depth, but still entertaining.

Linus is also just a personality and is fun to watch on screen. His staff have grown to become popular people on his channel and are beloved sometimes more than Linus himself. He clearly has a staff of varying expertise, but you tell the channel overwhelms him and he’s pulled in too many directions. Some claim his audience is mostly 12 year-olds, and it might be, but his convention LTX is also very popular and attended in the tens of thousands. Some of their tactics have been questioned and scrutinized like the click-baity thumbnails and short video lengths that bow down to the almighty YouTube algorithms for pure profit have been considered shady and cheap. Take the channel with a grain of salt and enjoy just seeing the latest tech being used.

Matt McMuscles (Gaming)

A YouTuber in my area (Seattle), Matt’s series “Wha Happun?” is similar to GVMERS’ documentary episodes, but in shorter episodes and posted more frequently and also covers more obscure games. He regularly plays niche and hidden gems, but it’s this series that makes his channel a true gem. The series is so entertaining you can binge watch them all and want more.

RMC – The Cave (Gaming/Tech)

RMC is a very relaxing channel. The host, Niel, has a calming British accent and takes us into his world of 8-bit computing and gaming by restoring pieces of hardware, showing off forgotten tech, and overall just having a good time. His channel is very binge worthy and if you love 8-bit computers, or just old tech in general, this is a wonderful channel to get into.

His series “Trash to Treasure” is by far one of the favorites. From retro-briting systems to resoldering chips and resistors, the list goes on. It’s very cathartic and relaxing.

Scott the Woz (Gaming)

Scott is easily in my top five favorite YouTubers. His personality is just smooth, smart, clever, and witty. He’s what Cinemassacre used to be in their hayday, but without all the cursing. His love for Nintendo games from his childhood is what drives the channel. He frequently will go in depth on various Nintendo franchises from the past and even talk about shovelware for various systems. He’s a joy to watch on screen and frequently gets laughs out of me.

Shesez (Gaming)

Shesez’ main show Boundary Break is a wonderful education show like DidYouKnowGaming? but with breaking the game’s camera and pulling off the curtain of illusion that games give us. He will go around game levels showing hidden Easter eggs, curious anomalies, and various things that a niche group of gamers like myself enjoy watching. He has a wonderfully charming personality and has been steadily growing over the last couple of years. It’s a very unique channel and there is nothing like it out there that’s dedicated to this type of thing.

Stop Skeletons From Fighting (Gaming)

From my own neck of the woods, the Seattle based gaming couple is just chock full of trivia when it comes to retro gaming. From covering obscure hidden gems, weird hardware, and overall coverage. He has a bubbly and explosive personality and the various shows on the channel are quite entertaining with my favorite being Punching Weight.

Techmoan (Tech)

Techmoan is one of my top five favorite YouTubers. He mostly focuses on retro audio equipment and is your go-to source for knowledge in retro 80’s and 90’s hi-fi equipment, stereos, tape recorders, and boom boxes. His channel is so vast it took me over a month to binge watch all his shows. They are so entertaining and his British voice is so soothing and just captures you attention and keeps you focused. It’s a channel unlike any other on YouTube and he’s peaked at over 1 million subscribers.

Technology Connections (Tech)

Alec is a wonderful person to watch on screen. He talks about technology in regards to mostly what we live and deal with daily. From air conditioners to dish washers to how reflectors in signs work. His channel may be a bit dry to some as he goes deep into the technology and science of things, but overall I have come to binge his channel and find everything he posts fascinating. There’s no other channel that dives into the science of everyday things we take for granted.

The 8-Bit Guy (Gaming/Tech)

The 8-Bit Guy is both a game developer and lover of 8-bit computers. His vast knowledge is something you won’t get on any other channel as he also programs frequently and delves into the technical aspect of all 8-bit computers. He videos are made at a steady pace and are easy to keep up with. He frequently restores computers on his channel and it’s niche, but very interesting nonetheless. One of my favorite shows he did was traveling around Texas visiting retro tech and gaming companies’ buildings and sites. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but sadly due to lack of popularity, he couldn’t finish the show. It’s things like this that make me love YouTube and you would never see on TV.

Adrian’s Digital Basement (Tech/Gaming)

Similar to RMC, LGR, and The 8-Bit Guy. Adrian talks about retro gaming both the tech and the games. He’s very informative, a joy on camera, and it just feels like your hanging with the guy in his gaming den talking about retro tech and there’s a clear passion for it here. His channel is steadily rising and is a blast to binge watch.

Goodbye 2020! First Time Video Game Memories

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/04/2021
Posted in: Blogs. Leave a comment

Everyone has their first memory with a video game. They also have memories of their first games with each console, usually, and the whole experience of a new console and game is usually quite magical. Discovering a whole new world on new technology isn’t something you forget. In my 27 years of video game experience I had quite a few of these memories and hopefully they won’t slow down any time soon. I’m going to take you on a trip down memory lane from my first experience all the way to my last memorable magical memory and hopefully it will get your traveling down your own memories and nostalgia train,

1993

Sega Genesis – My very first video game memory was Mortal Kombat for the Sega Genesis. I was around three, maybe four years old, and I remember watching my cousin pull off Scorpion’s fatality. I remember the whole thing from the screen going dark to Scorpion pulling off his mask and seeing that bare skull. It was what got me into video games and I realized it was something different over TV as I could do these things in game. Mortal Kombat quickly became my favorite video game of all time and still is to this day.

After I got my own Genesis for Christmas that year I received Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with the system. I also remember my Genesis was problematic and kept freezing during gameplay no matter what my mom did. The old ISA and Q-Tip trick in both the cartridge and slot didn’t work. Different power source, etc. I remember taking it back to Circuit City with her and exchanging it for a new one and that worked perfectly. My Genesis time was limited, as were all my early consoles, as I didn’t get any games hardly ever after the initial console purchase as most were just rentals. Some other game memories were Ecco the Dolphin, Sword of Sodan, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Gynoug, Vectroman, Aladdin, The Lion King, and there were more I just don’t remember them as much.

I also remember getting The Sega Channel. My mom surprised me with it one day and I remember thanking her for all the new games, but she explained to me that it was from the cable company and they updated weekly. I remember when the games would refresh I would keep thanking her for the games. It was short lived as my parents couldn’t afford it for very long.

1995

Super Nintendo – The first game I remember playing was Mortal Kombat as I didn’t have my Genesis anymore. It most likely got pawned to pay bills or broke, I honestly can’t remember. I also had Math Blaster and Stun Race FX with the system, it was used unlike my new Genesis two years prior, and I remember how disappointing Mortal Kombat was. I realized the game was censored, there was no blood code, no fatalities, but I played it to death anyways. That Christmas was magical for me and Math Blaster was also a lot of fun, and I remember Stunt Race FX being incredibly difficult.

Some other memories on the system were Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Gargoyles, Boogerman, Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, Super Mario World. I had this SNES until I traded it with a neighbor for a few PS1 games. Big mistake.

1997

PlayStation – This was the first time I got so excited I couldn’t contain it. My parents bought one used from a pawn shop and it came with a Crash Bandicoot demo disc. They also picked up Mortal Kombat 3. This was one of the best times I had with a system, but sadly I didn’t get to play it more than year before my youngest sister ruined it by putting food inside of it. This was my first 3D game console and I was blown away by the visuals and what the system could do. I even remember trying to burn game rentals and not knowing why it didn’t work.

Some of my fondest memories are Syphon Filter. This was one of the first game I bonded over with my dad. We memorized every level, weapon and enemy placement, and learned to finish the entire game without getting caught in the stealth levels. Same went for Syphon Filter 2. I also had fond memories of Silent Hill. I remember I was trying to rent Syphon Filter a second time and forgot the name and picked up Silent Hill on accident. When my sister and I got to the alley with the skinless dogs we screamed and my mom sent the game back. Spyro 1 and 2 were also huge frequent repeats in the family as well as Crash 1 and 2. I also remember my only brand new PS1 gaming being Mortal Kombat 4 that was picked up at Wal-Mart one day. My first Final Fantasy experience was FF8 and I could never get past the second disc. Gran Turismo also got me into racing simulators and was another game I bonded over with my dad frequently.

Some other game memories were Fear Effect, Kingsley’s Adventure, Syphon Filter 3, Spider-Man, Martian Gothic: Unification, Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

1999

Nintendo 64 – I got my first Watermelon Nintendo 64 used from a pawn shop in Christmas of ’99. This was the only system I played the very little games on due to the sheer expense of them even used. My parents picked up Goldeneye: 007 and Top Gear Rally with the system. This was something I wasn’t too excited over. I didn’t have an expansion pack, no memory card, and no second controller. I had never played a first-person shooter before so I was confused on how the game was actually played. Top Gear was fun for awhile, but I picked up Mortal Kombat Trilogy used for $20 somewhere and played the hell out of this game. I also remember Conker’s Bad Fur Day that was quickly returned back to Blockbuster. I also played Glover and Paper Mario quite a bit on here. The only other three games I owned were thanks to a $45 gift card to Funcoland form my grandma the following Christmas. I picked up Quake II, 1080 Snowboarding, and Pokemon Stadium. Stadium was played and rented a lot before and so was Winback.

I didn’t spend too much time with my N64. I had it until the mid-2000’s, but never used it after I got my PS2 in the fall of 2002. It was a great system and for some reason I completely missed most of the popular Mario games and never played a single Zelda game on it.

2002

PlayStation 2 – I had seen the system in action at a friend’s house before, but before that was another younger neighbor. I still had my old N64 and I remember he had Silent Hill 2 and Grand Theft Auto III. I was so jealous and mad. The games looked unreal, incredible, and life-like. I had to have one. I did eventually get to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 at a friend’s house frequently. I got my PS2 for babysitting my sisters for a whole summer. Fall of 2002 and the system just dropped down to $200. I remember fighting with my dad as he wanted to get one used, but they were only $179 and it wasn’t worth it. He insisted and also wouldn’t let me get a PS2 game. We walked out with a used PS2 $20 cheaper than a new one and Syphon Filter 3 – a PS1 game. I was so mad when I got home, but a neighbor let me borrow Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.

This is the system I played for the next four years until I got an Xbox 360. I played so many games on this system. My fondest memories were Shadow of the Colossus, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Killzone, Jak II, Ratchet & Clank, Bully, Kingdom Hearts, Okami, and many more. I also pre-ordered my first game, Mortal Kombat: Deception, in 2004. I had never been that excited for a game in ages. I also remember playing my first online game. I picked up a PS2 keyboard and network adapter at Best Buy on sale. SOCOM was incredibly addictive and I put dozens of hours into that game. I remember buying it from a school mate for $10.

I did eventually get the fatal disc read error and wound up getting a Slim PS2 a couple years later. I remember being devastated when the system wouldn’t read blue discs and then wouldn’t read anything after that. I didn’t know what to do. We then went to Comp USA and picked up a Slim PS2 for $100 just a few months after it was released. This was also around the time I was heavily reading video game magazines and wanted to play Final Fantasy XI really badly, but the HDD add-on was expensive, and my parents wouldn’t pay the $15 a month for the subscription, and the

2003

GameBoy Advance – I got my first SP during Christmas 2003, the 26th to be precise. My dad gave us $100 each for shopping money and I went to a local KB Toys (RIP) and inside a display case with tons of crap at the bottom was the last SP. A silver one. I slapped down the money and went over to GameStop and picked up the cheapest GBA game I could as I already spent my money: Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder. Holy crap was that a mistake. I was stuck with this game for some time until I bought Sword of Mana brand new as well as Spyro: Season of Flame and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I didn’t like these games all that much, Spyro and Sword of Mana were okay, but my GBA experience was very much mixed. I couldn’t rent GBA games so I was stuck buying them and they were always very expensive. I then sold it to a school mate for $200 and then turned around and bought the Flame Red one that I actually wanted a couple of months later.

2005

PSP – Man was this the most exciting thing ever. This is the first and only video game system I ever pre-ordered. I saved up my allowance for 6 months to pick this baby up. I remember making wallpapers, watching videos, and inhaling every morsel of information leading up to release. I remember not being able to sleep the previous night before the launch day. I also remember being short one whole cent after taxes and instead of running out to my mom (I was 15 at the time) a nice person in line tossed me the penny. I remember picking up that black and white box and just being in pure awe at how futuristic the system looked. Ridge Racer was the game I picked up with the system and it looked so much like the future. That much power in the palm of your hands was fascinating and amazing. I also hacked the thing that week and kept up on the hacking scene ever since.

I don’t have that PSP anymore though. Sadly, the morning I went to my first driving school lesson later that year I put the thing in my front pocket and the jeans stretched too tight and cracked the screen. I was devastated. I did eventually get a new one a few months later, but I also don’t have that system either. I currently have a PSP-3000 which I received from my fiance for Christmas of 2009 and I also have a white PSP-GO. It’s still my favorite handheld system to this date.

Some notable game memories was God of War: Chains of Olympus. A full console God of War experience on the go was just mind-blowing. It was also the only other PSP game I pre-ordered outside of Ridge Racer. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII really showed how much power the system had as well and was an amazing experience. Mortal Kombat Unchained was also great, albeit a flawed and rushed port, Burnout Legends showed just how beautiful the LCD screen looked with high framerate games. Coded Arms was also a lot of fun despite how basic the game is. Playing a first-person shooter on a handheld was both fun and challenging due to the controls. But the best thing I remember is Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror. If you remember I played the crap out of that game on PS1 and I loved this game so much I even wrote my own walkthrough for it and its sequel. It was the first game to show that a shooter can work with the limited controls. I also remember being blown away by Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories despite the game’s many flaws.

Other games of note: Jeanne D’Arc, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, Gran Turismo, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.

2006

Nintendo DS – A year later I picked up a used red DS on eBay and bought Metroid Prime Hunters. I was a little underwhelmed with this system and later gave up on it until the DSi XL came a couple of years later. I didn’t really get into the DS until much later after I started collecting for the system full-time. The library is vast and underrated and I love it. I got into the DS library after the 3DS was released, but to date I only have a white DSi. I didn’t have too many memories with this system as I rented and bought very few games for it.

Xbox 360 – This was probably the most exciting system I had ever received as a gift, and it was also the last from my parents. I was 16 at the time and I remember knowing I had the system by weighing and measuring the box. I then took my birthday money and bought Gears of War and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. I remember being so excited and losing sleep leading up to Christmas morning. I received Prey with the system and I also had GameFly send me Condemned: Criminal Origins before hand. I was prepared. It was the first introduction to true next-generation gaming as I didn’t have a gaming PC yet. Gears of War remains one of my favorite and most memorable moments in my whole life. I have played that game over half a dozen times since. It was so polished, and was nearly revolutionary for the third-person shooter genre. I had a lot of fun with the Xbox 360 up until I got a PS3 four years later.

Some other memorable gaming moments was Condemned. I remember watching the reveal gameplay at E3 the previous year and was just taken aback. It was scary, dark, and well polished and looked next-gen. Ghost Recon was also a fantastic reboots and remains my favorite game in the series. I also did my first midnight launch for a game which was for Gears of War 2.

Oblivion was also the first action-RPG I ever played at that scale and sucked me into the series. It was also the first time I did a 12 hour gaming marathon. Guitar Hero II was also at the top of my list for memorable moments as well as Halo 3, Red Dead Redemption, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2. Those games were fantastic and helped get me further into online multiplayer games. Assassin’s Creed and Borderlands were memorable moments for me, especially Assassin’s Creed II. Fallout 3 was one of the few games I spent almost 100 ours on with an Xbox 360 as well. Batman: Arkham Asylum was also very notable. BioShock would be in my top 5 most memorable gaming moments of all time. That intro is still one of the best in any game period.

2007

Nintendo Wii – This was a magical moment for sure. I was super skeptical with this system and it took me almost a year before buying one. I remember having fun with the system at first and quickly lost interest and got rid of it a year or two later. The most fun I had was Twilight Princess, Resident Evil 4, and Link’s Crossbow Training. I remember WarioWare: Smooth Moves really showed off what the motion controls could do and I had a blast with a few WiiWare games like World of Goo. The light gun games were a hit with me such as Medal of Honor Heroes 2, Ghost Squad, and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. By far the most memorable game for me was No More Heroes. It was one of the few ultra-violent games on the Wii and was a blast to play through.

I remember eventually buying rechargeable battery packs and thinking the online component was sub-part to the Xbox 360. The Wii was never my main system, and after about 6 months I lost faith due the sheer amount of shovelware on the system.

2010

First Gaming Laptop – This was one of the major exciting turning points in my gaming life. For the longest time my family only had a PC purchased in 1998. It was a business/graphical artist PC that was a little underwhelming even for its time. It was used all the way until 2005 when it died for good. It could only play DOS games and when PC gaming really took off into 3D in the early 2000’s my PC was left in the dust. I had to play Unreal Tournament in a 320×240 window to get 60FPS.

I finally purchased an Alienware M17x-R2 with a second generation dual-core Intel i5 CPU and an ATI Radeon HD 5870 and 4GB of RAM. This was also underwhelming even for its time and I mostly screwed myself by not getting a quad-core CPU. The dual-core bottlenecked my GPU like crazy and was already obsolete at purchase. It was a fine laptop, never had any hardware issues for the 8 years I did use it, but it wasn’t upgradeable and it struggled to play DirectX 11 games such as The Witcher 2, Batman: Arkham City, Tomb Raider, and various other games just a couple short years after I got it. It was still exciting though and it allowed me to enjoy the massive backlog I otherwise was unable to play.

PS3 – I received this as a Christmas gift from my fiance and it wound up becoming my main system. By this time the PS3 was knocking it out of the park with exclusives and the Xbox 360 was winding down in that department. I remember picking up Killzone 2, Heavenly Sword, and receiving Metal Gear Solid 4 from my parents that year. While these games were older, they still blew me away and looked miles better than any Xbox 360 launch title. Uncharted was also fun, while not the best in the series, helped me admire the series as a whole.

I mostly played games on that system from then on out. Other great moments was Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3, Uncharted 2 and 3, Journey, and Mortal Kombat. Oh man, I hadn’t been that excited for an MK game since Deception six years prior. I pre-ordered the collector’s edition and played the hell out of the demo. God of War III was also a game that blew my mind. 60 FPS and it just looked so amazing. That was another midnight launch I attended.

2012

PS Vita – This wasn’t a pre-order as I wasn’t sure how the system was going to be received. After a lot of positive reception and a decent launch line-up I picked one up two days after launch with a 4GB memory card and Rayman Origins. The system was very familiar thanks to the PSP, but not as magical or exciting. The rear touchpad was a hindrance for the system and despite a huge power increase the system was rarely taken advantage in this department outside of PS3 ports.

The system’s library waned and only had a strong two years and minimal first party releases. I remember played Uncharted and Killzone Mercenary and being blown away by the system’s ability to bring console games into handheld form. There weren’t too many games that amazed me, but I still had a lot of fun with it. The many HD ports from the PS3 were a welcome addition despite some framerate issues. Tearaway was one of the only games that made the Vita feel magical, and the Mortal Kombat port was solid despite being and ugly downgrade visually. It was the only Vita game I actually ever pre-ordered.

Some memorable moments were Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, Dead or Alive 5 Plus, Dragon’s Crown, Muramasa Rebirth, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Hatsune Miku series.

Nintendo 3DS – I was super skeptical about the 3DS, but after tons of amazing games and the quality surpassing the Vita, my fiance got me one during Christmas of that year. The Zelda: Ocarina of Time system to be exact. I remember the 3D effects were actually quite good and they didn’t make me sick, but in the end most games didn’t use this very well. I had Dead or Alive Dimensions, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time. These games were a lot of fun and I had a blast with the system early on.

I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with the 3DS until I got the 3DS XL a few years later and then the 2DS XL. There were so many fun games such as Monster Hunter, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Golf, Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Super Smash Bros., Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.

2013

Nintendo Wii U – This was actually only purchased because of a shopping spree I did at Fry’s Electronics. I was never interested in the Wii U and would never have purchased one otherwise. I picked up the 32GB model with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Injustice, LEGO City: Undercover, Mario Party 9 and New Super Mario Bros. U. I had a blast with the system at first. Call of Duty felt good and looked great. Injustice was fine and I remember Mario Bros. U was a pain the butt and difficult to play. The gamepad is something I never quite cared for. It was big and bulky and my hands constantly cramped when using it as a standard controller.

Surprisingly, the most enjoyable game was LEGO City. I should have bought a Wii U Pro Controller and never did, but I did have some fun in Nintendo Land with my fiance and sister. After the first couple of weeks with the system I was over it. My fiance picked up Mario Kart 8 at one point and that was about it. I sold it off to pay some debt and this was before Bayonetta 2, The Wonderful 101, and many other end of life Wii U favorites hit the system. I hated the small hard drive space and the price was absurd. I also was sick of all the crappy ports the system had. I used it for more Wii games I think than Wii U. It’s actually the only system I have no desire to repurchase since all games have been ported to Switch.

2015

PS4 – This was something my fiance surprised me with. I was just about to leave for work in the Summer of 2015 and she came over one day with the system in hand. It was such a huge surprise and my fondest memory was coming home from a 14 hour shift from work where I was sent afar to help a team in the same company with an event. It was incredibly hot that day and I ordered a pizza as we could get two meals comped from the company (refunded) by keeping the receipts. I sat back and played Killzone: Shadow Fall that day and it was peaceful and relaxing. I was exhausted, but it was my first weekend with the system.

I later got a PS4 Pro shortly after God of War released and continue to play the PS4 actively to this day. Many other fond memories are Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy, The Last Guardian, Shadow of the Colossus, Mortal Kombat X.

2016

Xbox One – Again, my fiance surprised me with this one as well. I was still on the fence about an Xbox One. It was sitting on the coffee table when I got home from work one night and it came with The Master Chief Collection. I remember spending many weekends on that system, but the PS4 was still my main console until I required a One X, so now the One X is my main system for multi-platform games that don’t end up on PC, and these days, there aren’t many anymore. I love the One X and the original system as well. I also had a One S for a brief period of time. I remember playing Gears of War 4, Halo 5, and one of the most memorable games on that system: Forza Motorsport 5 and 6.

2017

Nintendo Switch – The Switch was a system I was sure was going to fail. I remember the system launching at the beginning of the year, which was odd, and completely missing the 2016 holiday lineup. When I did pick one up during Christmas of that year several months allowed for a large amount of games to show up, but my fondest memory of the system is with Super Mario Odyssey. It made me feel like a kid again experience a revolutionary Mario game. The game was perfect in every way reminded me of how I felt when I first played Mario Galaxy. While I still actively play the Switch today, I collect for it quite a bit as it’s become a very collectable console. With publishers like Limited Run Games, and ones like it, as well as many third part publishers backing the system, this may be Nintendo’s most successful console yet.

Those are just some memories I have had during my first console experiences. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X out now, and impossible to obtain, I’m sure my memories with my PS5 will be quite enjoyable and memorable. I will most likely skip the Series X as I know mostly game on PC these days. It’s sad that dedicated handhelds are gone, but who knows what video games will bring in the next 5 to 10 years.

Site Updates and Changes

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 09/23/2020
Posted in: Blogs. Leave a comment

You may have noticed over the last two weeks a couple of things changed. One is the new report card at the end of each review. It’s now clean, minimalist, and professional looking. A simple blue background for the score, white lettering inside a white circle, clean text on the right, and then a piece of art blended into the background of the card. I love it and this is staying permanent probably forever. It took me two weeks to manually edit all report cards for every review on the site and there are well over 1,000 at this point. It’s just me doing this on free time and it takes time editing each card. I won’t EVER be doing this again! As you can imagine, it’s a daunting task. There are now no longer any scores at the top of the page so it’s one cohesive report card at the bottom.

The next thing are the deletion of around 50 articles. These are old outdated products that either no longer exist, can’t be purchased anymore, or are just badly written or maybe a report card was missing and I have no idea what score it had. Some things gone are older mobile game reviews. I looked them up and they no longer exist on Android or Apple and were long deleted by the publishers. There’s really no point in leaving these up as some were 7 years old! Some mobile games would disappear off of one store and stay on another so I adjusted that.

Another thing adjusted are updated console availability for older games. As time goes on more and more games are being re-released as remasters or compilations so I want to add the tags and categories as well as images for the newer system they are on so more people know where to get them at. I also deleted reviews from way back when I first started doing this as a teenager. Those reviews were lower quality and maybe one or two paragraphs each. They weren’t in depth enough and I didn’t like having these terrible reviews just sitting on the site. There were probably 50 of those as well but they were deleted maybe a year ago and I just never mentioned it until now.

I also deleted the scores off of book reviews so sadly, no scores for books anymore. I haven’t had time read a book in years so I don’t even know when the next one would go up. I will probably just use the report card for those and comics if I ever get around to reading and reviewing more. But overall, that’s it! I’ve been doing this for 12 years now and it’s insane how many hits I get a day without any advertising or anything. So, if you’re reading this and you happen to be a long time viewer, thanks for you dedication!

Arcade 1UP: Mortal Kombat Cabinet Mods

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 07/03/2020
Posted in: Blogs, Hardware, Retro Consoles. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

It might be common knowledge of the even the most casual fan of Arcade 1Up’s cabinets that mods are needed for quality of life improvements and to make it that much closer to the original that 1UP either had oversight on or just plain refused to include. Thankfully, these cabinets are fully moddable with real arcade parts and require little knowledge or knowhow to do. I’ve included the mods I’ve done to my cabinet to make things better and improve the quality of life and make it more unique and stand out from the crowd. There are plenty of other more involved mods like running a RetroPie which essentially makes the cabinet an arcade emulator (which I feel is pointless when buying a specific machine), LED coin slots (requires a lot of wire splicing and even a brand new control board), various sound mods like adding a subwoofer, new speakers, and amp. But these are more involved and some aren’t worth it in the end as they won’t greatly improve the playing experience.

Cosmetic Improvements

While the artwork on these cabinets or gorgeous, high quality, and true to the originals, there’s a few things that have been overlooked. Mainly the screws and screwholes are eyesores. Seeing bare wood and silver screws is just plain ugly. This goes for the cabinets and risers on every single unit. Thankfully for a few dollars, or even free, you can change this with some time and attention to detail.

Screw holes

The first thing you want to do is get rid of those unsightly bare screw holes. These can easily be covered up with a black sharpie or a matching color of your panel art. Mine was easy as the MK cabinet is mostly black where the screw holes are.

Screws

The silver screws are unsightly silver and stand out against darker artwork. You can either paint your screws to match the artwork around them or buy kits online for a few dollars that include painted screws. If you pain the tops of yours, they must also be treated with an anti corrosive spray so it doesn’t wear off over time.

Controls

Buttons

The buttons are the only major things that need to be swapped and can be the best upgrade and improvement you can do. Casual gamers might not mind them, but anyone familiar with real arcade hardware or fighting games in general might know the difference. This goes for any arcade game. The best option is buying already made kits available on diyretroarcade.com for around $50. This also includes awesome LED buttons, but you can also forgo that if you really want to. These are Happ button as regular Sanwas won’t snap into the wood deck as it’s too thick. The guys at DIY Retro Arcade have already wired everything up for most 1UP cabinets, including power splitters. The kit only requires you to plug stuff in and no changes to the design are required. These new buttons are like night and day, and the LED looks awesome.

If you want to turn the LEDs off without unplugging the machine, you need to buy the optional switch and this requires drilling a 1/4″ (6.5mm) hole in the slanted panel under the control deck to use. If you are too scared to drill, it’s not a big deal and you can practice on small wood squares from a local craft store.

Joysticks

The ones included in the Costco edition of the MK cabinet are actually great clones and most people won’t notice a difference between these and real Sanwas, however, some cabinets have terrible joysticks. Sadly the joysticks used are proprietary and have a smaller hole layout over the Sanwas and require drilling new holes in the deck which also isn’t that scary. DIY Retro Arcade also sells kits with pre-wired harnesses that allow you to plug these up without needing to solder.

Restrictor Gates

Depending on the game you are playing, you need specific restrictor gates. These are plastic plates that go under the joystick to give it a movement pattern. Fighting games should be octagonal, and games like Pac-Man should be square or diamond. Sadly, 1UP didn’t have the foresight to include these for each machine and the MK one comes with a diamond gate which feels off. These are extremely cheap mods to make and super easy to install. They just pop off and on with no extra tools and can make a huge difference.

Retention Springs

This is a super cheap mod that makes the joystick stiffer depending on the game you are playing. Fighting games should have stiff joy sticks for more accurate combo execution, but of course it’s down to preference. There are 2lb and 4lb springs as the ones that come with the 1Up arcades are under one pound and allow that floppy joystick feeling.

Arcade 1UP: Mortal Kombat – Costco Edition

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 07/02/2020
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Let’s face it, we all want full size arcade machines, but they are either too large or too expensive to collect. Most arcade collector’s rent warehouse sized storage rooms or open an actual arcade room. You can collect a select few to keep in a room or basement, but they are very expensive to restore and maintain. They require a lot of knowledge and research and every machine is different. That’s where 1Up Arcade comes in. Some might say they are smearing the sanctity of the arcade scene but I say they are saving it. There are a lot of people who love arcades, but can’t get a hold of them. This allows these people to collect arcades at 3/4 scale and have a room of them without much knowledge. These machines run off emulator boards and are easily put together and are faithful to the originals.

I’ve always wanted a Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet and when I saw this get announced I flipped. It’s my favorite game franchise of all time and I couldn’t be happier with what has been released. The cabinet features the artwork of the Mortal Kombat II cabinet and looks beautiful. The installation process is rather painless, but does require a good 2-3 hours of your time to put together properly, as it’s large and there are a lot of pieces. The price you pay for these cabinets is about 1/4 the cost of a full size arcade minimum. Mine cost $350 from Costco and I will get to why this is a special version later.

When you open the box everything is laid out nice and easy with good enough instructions. You are basically putting one side together with all the center pieces on its side and then you put the other side panel on. There is one ribbon cable that connects the video screen with the control deck and you’re all set. The cabinet may look heavy, but it’s very solid and light enough to move around with only one person. The control deck has an acrylic cover on top and the screen panel has instructions on how to select games. Once it’s plugged in and you’re booted you’re greeted with a 1UpArcade splash screen and the option of all three MK games. These are prefectly emulated arcade ports and you can even access the master options like in a real arcade cabinet to change things around.

Let’s start with the controls. These aren’t the best buttons in the world, but they do for casual users. They do eventually get a little squeky and don’t depress evenly across all buttons. They are concaved and look and feel decent enough. The joystick is actually a pretty good Sanwa clone and comes with nice bat tops, but the restrictor gate is a four sided one underneath despite this being an eight direction game so some mods will need to be made if you really care. Having only four directions feels off and the cabinet should have come with an optional gate. I also think the joystick spring should be a 4lb spring and not a half pound spring that’s included, but it’s all down to preference.

The sound quality is actually quite good and this game gets extremely loud. The single mono speaker has great sound and there are three volume settings. Off, normal, and extra loud. I found the sound was great across all three games and emulation in general is fantastic. There weren’t any glitches, slowdown, pops or crackles in audio. I felt like I was playing in an actual arcade. The screen is also fantastic as it’s a 17″ LCD with a Hor+ aspect ratio so the characters aren’t stretched upwards. The colors are bright and vivid and not pixelated. There are no brightness settings for the monitor, but it looks great at stock settings.

Let’s get into what makes the Costco version so special and superior over the regular MK arcade release. This version comes with a light-up marquee, bar stool, and MK riser as well as a superior speaker and monitor. The original monitor is a Vert- aspect ratio so everything is stetched upwards and the colors are off. There is popping and crackling in the sound and the buttons are a little better here. Overall, the Costco version is the only version I actually recommend for this cabinet.

With that said, 1Up’s MK cabinet is fantastic and a must have for any Mortal Kombat fan. It’s one of my favorite gaming pieces that I own and is a centerpiece for my gaming room. With various mods to the cabinet you can easily make it better and unique, but for the price I feel 1Up should have added some stuff. For one, there should have been real Sanwa buttons and sticks, it doesn’t cost much more. Second, stereo speakers would have been nice. You can add your own regular speakers as there is a 3.5mm jack on the back of the LCD, but something better stock would have been nice. The wood could have been slightly higher quality and black instead of silver screws would have been nice. These changes would cost little to no money and quality of life changes are a must for these cabinets.

Handhelds: What Nintendo Did Right that Sony Didn’t

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 04/11/2020
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Everyone knows what the GameBoy is. I had one as a kid, while late in its life cycle, I received one for my 7th birthday in 1996. I was introduced to Tetris and Galaga and was hooked. I sadly couldn’t play it much because my parents couldn’t afford the batteries for it often and rechargeable AA batteries were very expensive back then. It was one of the first generations of handhelds along with the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear. I never owned those two systems, but it was the start of something I will always love and cherish: Handhelds.

In 2003 I remember Sony announcing the PSP at a press event and went insane for it. I actually pre-ordered the system and put all of my allowance down on it for 6 months, I even did some extra stuff for my parents for more cash so I could pick up Ridge Racer with it. I owned a DS at the time, but I wasn’t too impressed with it. The PSP looked futuristic and there is still yet to be a handheld that looks as sleek as it. It had powerful hardware, a sleek screen, and multimedia features that no other handheld had at the time. This was also the pre-smartphone era so it was out of this world at the time. I loved my PSP and still play it to this day. I owned nearly every model available and modded the crap out of it. When the Vita was announced in 2011 I nearly lost it then too, but that’s when Sony started to lose me and I still feel disappointed with the Vita to this day.

They got the hardware down pat outside of the useless touch features, dual analog sticks, more power, I couldn’t be happier, but something else happened. The marketing was poorly done and the Vita only saw a great run for maybe three years. Around 2015 the system started dying and lost all first party support. The system turned into an “indie machine” and outside of larger Japanese releases and ports the system stopped seeing most regular releases in 2017. What happened? The first two years were strong and steady and it just died. Was it the ever growing market of smartphones? I personally don’t think that is what caused the demise of the Vita. The 3DS was still running strong at the time with huge blockbuster releases and strong sales. What I think happened was the loss of first party support.

We saw a couple of first party titles on the system like Uncharted, Killzone, and LittleBigPlanet, and Tearaway, but where was the rest? Where were the unique IPs that kept Sony systems rolling? I feel if they had kept going the Vita would still be strong to this day. While the slow death of the 3DS is clearly obvious and has anything but an official discontinuation announcement from Nintendo, the Switch is our last bastion of handheld greatness. The Switch Lite is exactly what this world needed. Sure, the regular Switch is portable, but it’s heavy, sometimes too big, and just doesn’t feel like the best portable system.

Now hear me out, let’s think about what a handheld system consisted of. A small unit packed with the best features of consoles. Great controls, some multimedia features, internet access, and best of all, fantastic games that made that system unique and stand out. The Switch has all of this. The Switch has some of the best video games ever created both first party and third. Think about that. The Switch could literally be the best handheld system ever created and it’s because Nintendo wasn’t afraid to do what Sony kept boasting about.

Sony touted the PSP and Vita as portable consoles, but never actually treated them as such. Constantly pushing and implying that portable games should be in bite sized chunks, much shorter simpler games when most gamers would spend hours on their systems. Not everyone only has 30 minutes on a bus or short car ride, some of us just like sitting on the couch or laying in our bed comfortable, away from the TV and family, playing our handhelds for hours. I did this with my GameBoy Advance SP, PSP, Vita, and so on. Some of my fondest gaming memories are on handhelds. So why was Sony so afraid to commit outside of paper?

Nintendo went all out and gave us both. A console and a handheld, and at the time of release it seemed like a silly concept. If I wanted a console I’d buy one and If I wanted a handheld I’d buy that, but why not have a choice? More people who own Switch’s now play more in handheld format than TV mode. It’s simple, convenient, and you can pull the system out whenever you have some spare time. Nintendo also treats all games like console games, we have a sleep mode on these systems for a reason. Even the PSP 15 years ago had a sleep mode so the bite sized gaming never made sense to me. I feel this was Sony’s biggest mistake going in. If you have this powerful new hardware with features no other handheld had at the time, like a sleep mode, insist that games are made like consoles. We got some games that seemed similar to a console version, but that didn’t exactly exist on PSP. Most of those games were all bite sized smaller versions of their console counterparts. It changed a little on the Vita thanks to indie developers, but it never fully took off. I feel Sony focused too much on hardware (did we really need a 3G Vita?) and not enough on the longevity of the system.

The Switch Lite feels like a true handheld system that isn’t ashamed of being a console. It’s truly the next generation of handheld gaming, and it hasn’t been crushed by the smartphone industry. So that theory is clearly not the reason the 3DS and Vita are dead. We can get handheld experiences on our cell phones in bite sized chunks, we now truly want our home consoles on the go more than ever. The Switch Lite isn’t as clunky as the original model, but feels bigger than a handheld and isn’t ashamed of it. The system feels light, sleek, has fantastic buttons, and feels like a true next generation handheld. We get full blown console experiences on this thing. While it’s taken a step back on online features such as no media streaming or internet browsing, we get a total focus on games. Another thing Nintendo did right was not using proprietary expansion cards like Sony did. This was a huge blow to Sony especially on the Vita. Many people refused to buy their systems because of this reason and it didn’t stave off pirating at all.

To conclude, the Switch is the true next generation of portable gaming, not the Vita. Sony bragged about having a portable console but never once treated it as such. Nintendo took a huge risk and received an insane amount of criticism when they announced the Switch like they do with every system they put out. In the end, it’s paid off and has proven that handheld systems are not dead and the smartphone industry hasn’t killed it. It’s the strongest it’s been since the heydays of the original DS selling out everywhere and nearly every gamer these days owning one. It’s surpassed the lifetime sales of the Xbox One even showing this is clearly what people want. So, if Sony does decide to jump back in the market they need to make a console hybrid and I feel they could knock it out of the park and even do a better job than Nintendo. Their systems are insanely unique and feature rich, but they need to back the system like a console and go all in.

My Top Games of the 90’s

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 04/01/2020
Posted in: Blogs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This is the decade I started playing games and grew up in. Sadly, my parents couldn’t afford to buy games. Most games were rentals and very few were owned. I also only owned a Genesis, SNES, N64 and PS1 during this time. I didn’t get the systems until late in their cycle. I also had no access to gaming information as my parents couldn’t afford magazine subscriptions so it was all word of mouth at school or what I saw at Blockbuster. We didn’t get internet access or our first PC until 1998. This list is also of what I just remember or have played much later that was released at the time.

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse – 1990

Genesis – SNES – Master System – Sega Game Gear – Sega Saturn – iOS – Android
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: SNES

While this wasn’t the first game I ever played I did have fond memories of it. I remember this being one of the darkest forms of Mickey Mouse and it kind of creeped me out. It was a hard platformer, but the art style was amazing and was just so memorable.

Dr. Mario – 1990

NES – GameBoy – GameCube – Wii – GameBoy Advance – SNES – 3DS – Wii U
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Wii/3DS/Wii U

I played this on the SNES and had a blast with it. I didn’t quite understand it as a young child, but as I got older it was addictive and even my mother got into it. It was different from Tetris and Bust-a-Move.

Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991

Genesis – GameBoy Advance – PC – 3DS – iOS – Android – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: 3DS/iOS/Android

The funny thing is, I played this after Sonic 2. I didn’t quite care for Sonic 1 as much since you didn’t get the spin move, and the game was just more difficult and less memorable, but it was still a fun ride.

Road Rash – 1991

Genesis – Amiga – Master System – Game Gear – GameBoy – 3DO – Sega CD – PlayStation – Sega Saturn – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: 3DO/Saturn

I remember my dad and I played the hell out of this game. Smacking riders with weapons was tons of fun and we couldn’t get enough. I beat the game multiple times, but I can’t remember if I ever owned it.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – 1992

Genesis – iOS – Android – 3DS – Switch – Wii – Xbox 360 – Xbox One
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: iOS/Android

One of the first video game I ever played. This came with my Genesis that I got for Xmas of ’93 and I fondly remember the system was faulty and my mom returned it to Circuit City the next day. It’s still my favorite Sonic game to this date. I’ve beaten so many times on different systems and emulators. I know all the music and levels by heart. While I have spent less time in the last couple of levels just due to sheer difficulty, this game will always have a special place in my heart.

Super Mario Kart – 1992

SNES – Wii – Switch – Wii U – 3DS
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii/Switch/3DS/Wii U

This was something I played years after release, but it was my first Mario Kart experience. I played it at a friend’s house a lot and remember being super competitive with it. I’ve played it a bit as an adult, while not my favorite in the series, it was a great memory.

Mortal Kombat – 1993

Genesis – SNES – Game Gear – GameBoy – Sega CD – Amiga – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Genesis/Sega CD

Here we are, the entire reason I’m a gamer. This was the first video game I ever laid eyes on as a toddler. I watched my older cousin do the Fatalities in the game and was blown away. I played this game more on SNES, sadly, than Genesis, but I just love the music, the sound effects, and the overall game has made Mortal Kombat my favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Disney’s Aladdin – 1993

Genesis – PC – GameBoy – GameBoy Color – Switch – PS4 – Xbox One
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Switch/PS4/Xbox One

I remember this game being incredibly difficult. I played it so much though and my sister and I would try to take turns and take breaks to beat the game and it never happened. The game was fantastic and remains one of the best platformers on the system.

Sonic CD – 1993

Sega CD – PC – Xbox 360 – PlayStation 3 – iOS – Android
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: iOS/Sega CD

I played this as a teenager and didn’t understand the hype. It was cool, felt like Sonic, had a couple of neat camera tricks, but overall it didn’t blow me away. It was the definitive Sonic game for the time, but not nearly as memorable as Sonic 2.

Clay Fighter – 1993

SNES – Genesis – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii

I remember this game being so funny and my entire family got a kick out of the characters. While it was a bit sluggish and clunky, it had a lot of heart and soul and that’s what made this game stand out for me.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors – 1993

Genesis – SNES – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii

This was probably one of the most difficult game I had ever played growing up. I couldn’t get past more than 20 levels by myself and I remember getting so frustrated I’d scream at the TV. I actually played this thanks to the Sega Channel along with Earthworm Jim, Toe Jam & Earl, Aladdin, and many other games.


Doom – 1993

PC – Sega 32x – Atari Jaguar – SNES – PlayStation – 3DO – Sega Saturn – GameBoy Advance – Xbox 360 – iOS – Android – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Switch/PC

Doom remains of my favorite shooters of all time, but I didn’t grow to care for it until much later in life. I dabbled in the game on PC and various other consoles but my true love came as an early adult. The art style, speed, enemies, and everything is just so perfect and iconic. There’s nothing out there like it.

Mortal Kombat II – 1994

Genesis – SNES – Game Gear – GameBoy – Sega Saturn – Sega 32x – PC – PlayStation – PlayStation 3
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Saturn/SNES

MKII was something I was super excited about, but had a harder time playing than the first game. I did have the superior SNES version and spent dozens of hours figuring out Fatalities and learning the characters. It was darker and grittier than the first game, but at the same time had it’s own style that was seperate.

Earthworm Jim – 1994

Genesis – SNES – Sega CD – GameBoy – Game Gear – PC – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Sega CD

Earthworm Jim was probably one of my all time favorites as a kid. It was hilarious, my sister and I mocked the sound effects, but man was it so damn hard. I don’t think I ever got past the third level and I played this on various systems throughout the years. It’s art style and characters remain incredibly iconic.


Doom II – 1994

PC – Mac – GameBoy Advance – Xbox 360 – Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – Android – iOS
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Switch/PlayStation 4/Xbox One

I believe I played Doom II more than the first game, and like the first game, grew to appreciate it the most as an early adult. It’s still my favorite over the original and has insane levels, improved gameplay and visuals, and just clicks more with me.

The Lion King – 1994

Genesis – SNES – Game Gear – PC – GameBoy – Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Switch/PlayStation 4/Xbox One

Just like Aladdin, these two games were some of the hardest platformers at the time. I could never get past the second level, but I spent hours trying and hopefully one day will actually beat the game for good. It looks and sounds good and remains one of the best platformers on the system.

Sonic & Knuckles – 1994

Genesis – Wii – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii/Xbox 360/PC

Sonic & Knuckles is a game I never knew was even out until I saw it at a local rental store. The cover caught my eye and it seemed more mature and mysterious. This is actually a lot of people’s favorite Sonic game and for good reason. The visuals are very different from other games in the series and Knuckles is a great character in the game. I want to spend more time in this game, but it’s the least ported of them all.


Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – 1994

Genesis – PC – Wii – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC/Wii/Xbox 360

Sonic 3 was never really my favorite and I probably spent less time with this game than any other in the series. It was fun, and it was Sonic and I had to play it, but it felt like it was trying to be Sonic 2 way too hard and didn’t have its own feel or vibe.

Killer Instinct – 1995

SNES – GameBoy – Xbox One
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One

The only real Mortal Kombat rip-off that took off and became successful. It had soul, character, and its own identity without being gory and bloody. It was a darker more mature fighting game and it worked so well. I spent hours on this game at friends’ houses and with a rental copy trying to practice and get the biggest combos. I remember Cinder being my favorite and most used character as a kid.

Earthbound – 1995

SNES – 3DS – Wii U – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: 3DS/Wii U/Wii

I spent more time on this game as a teenager and young adult and I love the charm and feeling of this game, but could never really finish it. It’s quite a long game and gets hard fairly early on, but one day I plan to pay the $800 for a physical copy and beat the game.


Chrono Trigger – 1995

SNES – PlayStation – DS – iOS – Android – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: DS

Another game I didn’t discover until I was a teenager. Many people regard this game as Square’s best work even to this date and for good reason. The art style, storytelling, writing, and characters are unique and so memorable, but I just can’t bring myself to finish this or any other JRPG for that matter.

Mortal Kombat 3 – 1995

Genesis – SNES – PlayStation – GameBoy – PC – Sega Saturn
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Saturn/PlayStation

This was one of the few games as a kid I got hyped about before release. I remember seeing ads in the store and on TV and hearing friends talk about it. The game was darker, grittier, and somewhat more frustrating than previous games. Combos were hard to pull off and it wasn’t as well received. I loved the new characters and had a blast with it, but I spent more time on Ultimate UMK3 to be honest.

Earthworm Jim II – 1995

Genesis – SNES – Saturn – PC – GameBoy Advance – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Wii

I didn’t play this as much as the first, but had a blast nonetheless. The same whit, charm, and humor were present with new levels and things to do. One day I would love to finish this game completely.


Comix Zone – 1995

Genesis – PC – GameBoy Advance – Android – iOS – PlayStation 3 – Mac – Wii – Xbox 360
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Wii/Xbox 360

Something I discovered more as a teenager and loved it. The game feels like you’re playing an actual comic with each panel looking like a panel from a comic and jumping pages is awesome. The game is incredibly hard, and I have never finished it, but the style and controls are just smooth and it’s one of the best Genesis games.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island – 1995

SNES – Switch
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Switch

My sister and I played this game to death and rented it numerous times. It was the first real Mario game I got into and couldn’t ever put it down. I don’t know if I’ve ever finished it, but I did try to 100% each level and couldn’t ever tear myself away from it. It was incredibly addicting and it’s what got me into Mario games.

Bust-a-Move – 1995

SNES – 3DO – Game Gear – PC
Remastered: No| Best Played On: SNES

This was a random game my parents picked up at a local game store and we had a blast. I did manage to finish all 100 levels and I spent dozens of hours perfecting my play and writing down pass codes. It was incredibly addictive and the level design was superb. It’s one of my favorite puzzle games to this day.


Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 – 1996

Genesis – SNES – Sega Saturn – Xbox 360 – DS – PlayStation 3
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: DS/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3

This was a game that was hard to get a hold of, but I had a blast with it. I preferred this over MK3 thanks to the Aggressor meter and the new run button. The new characters and cheats were awesome and it just felt more refined over MK3.

Crash Bandicoot – 1996

PlayStation – PlayStation 4 – PC – Xbox One – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Switch/PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One

One of the first PS1 games I ever played along with MK3. I got this and MK3 for Xmas of ’97. It was a blast and I couldn’t stop trying to get 100% in each level. I didn’t play this as much as the second game, but I also remember it being very unforgiving.

Mortal Kombat Trilogy – 1996

PlayStation – PC – Nintendo 64 – Sega Saturn
Remastered: No| Best Played On: PlayStation
Score: 9.5/10

I probably spent more time with this game than any other 2D MK game. I had this on both N64 and PS1 and tried to perfect every move and character. It was lame that the bosses weren’t on the N64 version, but I still had a lot of fun. It was one of the few N64 games I actually owned.

Die Hard Trilogy – 1996

PlayStation – PC – Sega Saturn
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation

A random game that I picked up in the bargain bin in the early 2000’s and had a blast with Die Hard 2. The light gun game was so much fun yet so hard. I spent so many hours playing this, but not the other 2 games. I still have it to this day and highly recommend it to everyone.

Panzer Dragoon II Zwei – 1996

Sega Saturn
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

Not something I played until I was an adult, but it’s a fantastic Saturn experience, and a must have for Saturn owners. It mostly defines the system and shows what it can do. I plan to finish it someday as it’s not too hard, but it looks amazing on the system regardless of age.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter – 1997

Nintendo 64 – Switch – PC – Mac – Xbox One
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PC/Xbox One/Switch

This was one of the few N64 games I spent a lot of time in. My dad and I perfected every level, found every secret, and every weapon and enemy placement. It was one of the first FPS games I ever played and have very fond memories of.

Star Fox 64 – 1997

Nintendo 64 – 3DS – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: 3DS/Wii

I never owned this game, but I played it a lot at a neighbor’s house and later rented it. It was very difficult, but so addictive and fun and fast paced. I hadn’t played anything like it as I didn’t have a gaming PC, but it was just so much fun. Sadly, I never surpassed the third level.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – 1997

PlayStation – Switch – PC – Xbox One – PlayStation 4
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Xbox One/PlayStation 4/Switch

Crash 2 was the Bandicoot game I spent the most time in. It was better than the first with amazing level design and I loved the bonus stages, I never finished a single Crash game, but thanks to the remake I probably can now.

Quake II – 1997

PlayStation – PC – Nintendo 64 – Mac – Xbox 360
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PC

Sadly, I discovered this game on the N64 buy picking it up in a bargain bin. I didn’t care about multiplayer at the time and stuck with the campaign. It was a bridge into PC shooters for me and later I played this on PC and even PS1 where it is a much better experience.

Frogger – 1997

PlayStation – PC
Remastered: No| Best Played On: PlayStation

Frogger was a game my sister was obsessed with and I found fun but frustrating. One wrong move and you were dead. It had the arcade classic gameplay, but updated with 3D visuals and more levels. It’s worth a play if you want some fun arcade action, but just be warned of the insane difficulty.


Mortal Kombat 4 – 1997

PlayStation – PC – Nintendo 64 – GameBoy Color
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation/PC
Score: 9/10

I remember seeing this game at a Wal-Mart as a kid wrapped in its smooth plastic. I freaked out because I saw this game on arcade machines and didn’t know when it was going to release. Remember, I didn’t get a PC in the home or internet until the following year. I remember not liking the game as much as the older ones and felt the 3D perspective was confusing. MK’s first outting into 3D was a rough one.

Gran Turismo – 1997

PlayStation
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

My dad actually got this game and I quickly fell in love with it. The tweaking of cars, the visuals, the tracks, it was all a wonderful dance. It’s weird for a 7 year old to get into a racing simulator but I was serious about this game. I nearly completed the game 100% before GT2 came out. It was one of the few PS1 games I spent dozens of hours in.

Disney’s Hercules – 1997

PlayStation – PC – GameBoy Color
Remastered: No| Best Played On: PlayStation

I vaguely remember this game as a kid, but played it more as a teen. It’s super colorful, feels like the movie, and plays really well. Disney made some solid games throughout the 90’s and this was one of their last greats.

Vandal Hearts – 1997

PlayStation – Sega Saturn
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation

I picked this up in a bargain bin at a local game store as a teen because I didn’t have the money for anything else. It was gory, and at the time, I really loved TBS games thanks to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I actually remember the story being decent, but half-way through the game got brutally difficult.

Half-Life – 1998

PC – PlayStation 2 – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

Surprisingly my first encounter with this game was on PS2 and I remember not getting the game at all. Everything being in real-time confused me and I quickly returned it. A few years later I played it again on PC and loved it. I prefer HL2 more, but HL1 holds a special place in my heart. I remember spending hours modding the game and even going over to relatives’ houses and seeing their modded version.

StarCraft – 1998

PC – Mac – Nintendo 64
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PC

StarCraft was a game I got into a few years after release as my first calling to RTS games was Age of Empires II. I beat the campaign and quickly forgot about it, but I remember enjoying the game and having it further confound my love for RTS games. I was the only kid in my whole school who actually liked RTS games so I literally kept these games to myself.

Grim Fandango – 1998

PC – Mac – Vita – PlayStation 4 – iOS – Android – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Switch

This was something I played in the early 2000’s and loved it. The writing, story, and characters were so much fun and it was so memorable. I was actually sad when the game ended. I plan to play the remaster, but it did suffer from typical adventure game tropes of its time.

Crash Bandicoot: Warped – 1998

PlayStation – PC – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Switch

The last Crash game I ever played on console. I remember renting this game the year it came out and loving all the vehicle sections and how diverse the levels were, but it was very difficult. As an 8 year old I had a hard time completing levels and have actually played this less than the other two.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six – 1998

PlayStation – PC – Nintendo 64 – Dreamcast – GameBoy Color
Remastered: No| Best Played On: PC

The PlayStation version was my first experience with this game and it was really bad. Later I played this on PC as I found it in a bargain bin for $5 and while I didn’t quite understand the strategy part of the game I loved the slow pace of everything and taking my time to take out enemies. I’m not a huge R6 fan, as I have only played Vegas since this game, but it’s a classic for sure.

Spyro the Dragon – 1998

PlayStation – PC – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Switch

Ah yes, the game that made me afraid of underwater 3D levels. I had to have my sister complete these sections, but overall this was a hit in our house. We rented this game multiple times and I even got 100% in the remaster almost by memory.

1080 Snowboarding – 1998

Nintendo 64 – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii

This was something I picked up a couple years after release in a bargain bin at Funcoland. I didn’t have a PS2 yet so this had to do before I could get my hands on Tony Hawk 3. It was a blast and I spent so many hours actually trying to do a 1080 and I can’t remember if I ever did.

Pokemon Stadium – 1998

Nintendo 64
Remastered: No| Best Played On: N/A

This was a massive hit in our house and in school. I rented this game multiple times and loved watching the battles. I grew up with Gens 1-3 during their craze and was wowed by these characters on screen. Of course it doesn’t hold up today, but it was a lot of fun for an 8 year old.

MediEvil – 1998

PlayStation – PlayStation 4
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4

This game was really hard, and after playing the remake I can see why. The controls were clunky, but I loved the art style and horror theme and I remember the game being funny somehow. Regardless, it was a one time rental and I don’t think I ever got past the first level, but liked it nonetheless.

Final Fantasy VIII – 1999

PlayStation – PC – Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Switch/PlayStation 4/Xbox One

This was my first Final Fantasy game. I never really cared about JRPGs up until this point. I to this day have not been able to get past disc 2. It’s a tough game, but my sister had beaten it and I just remember being blown away by the graphics and experiencing a story rich adventure for the first time.

Unreal Tournament – 1999

PC – Mac – PlayStation 2 – Dreamcast
Remastered: No| Best Played On: PC

I honestly had a PC that couldn’t run this at all. I played it on lowest settings on 320×240 resolution window just to play this online with people. It was so much fun and I had a blast modding the game, but that tiny window will always be burned into my brain.


Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings – 1999

PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: N/A

The game that got me into RTS game to begin with. My 7th grade history teacher in 2002 would give us extra credit for playing online with him. I, of course, pirated the game as my parents couldn’t afford to buy it. I played this game all throughout 7th grade and loved it so much. I don’t think I’ve spent more time in an RTS since.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater – 1999

PlayStation – Nintendo 64 – GameBoy Color – Dreamcast
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Dreamcast

This game was one of the biggest moments in my childhood. It made me go out and skateboard, it made me watch skateboarding videos and movies, it made me want to be a pro skater. Of course that never happened, but one can dream. This series was something I stayed on top of and played every single game in the series up to THUG2 and nearly mastered.

Silent Hill – 1999

PlayStation
Remastered: No| Best Played On: N/A

Funny story with this. I couldn’t remember the name of Syphon Filter and picked this game up on accident at a rental store. When we got to the scene of the skinless dogs in the alley with gurneys my sister and I screamed and turned the game off and my mom returned it. It will remain one of the scariest moments in gaming for me.


Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – 1999

PlayStation – PC – Dreamcast – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – GameCube
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 8/10

I actually played this game just recently, and sadly missed it when it was release. I had an N64 in ’99 and not a PS1 so I couldn’t even play it if I wanted. The game is great and one of my favorite RE games, but it’s still hard and confusing and the controls are awkward.

Syphon Filter – 1999

PlayStation
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9.5/10

This is literally the single game I played the most on PS1. My dad and I were obsessed with this game. We remember every enemy, item, and weapon placement. Every single level was memorized by heart, I even memorized all the dialogue and names of the characters. It’s a wonderful game and the quality was unheard of back then and holds up well to this day.

The Longest Journey – 1999

PC
Remastered: No| Best Played On: N/A

I played this years after release in 2005, but it was one of the first Steam games I ever bought. The game was fantastic and even my own mom liked it. I remember being sucked into the story, characters, and settings and playing through to the end in one sitting. Sadly, I don’t remember much of it, but I want to go back and play it again. It needs a remaster.

Medal of Honor – 1999

PlayStation
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

I remember playing the demo of this game in a local game store. I rented the game and didn’t quite understand it. The fog of war really held the game back and belonged on PC where it could have been better. It’s still fun to go back and see where the series started.

Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage! – 1999

PlayStation – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One – PC – Switch
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Switch

Spyro 2 is absolutely fantastic and when my sister and I saw this on the new arrivals shelf we snatched it up at our local rental store. We played through it multiple times, and while she was the one who remembered most of the game, I still had a blast.

Gran Turismo 2 – 1999

PlayStation
Remastered: No| Best Played On: N/A

I spent less time in this than GT1, but my dad loved it and we would spend evenings tweaking car settings and taking turns racing in the endurance events. It was a lot of fun, but remains one of the best racing games on PS1. It was seriously ahead of it’s time.

My Top Games of the 2000’s

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 02/14/2020
Posted in: Blogs. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I did my top games of the 2010’s and it got me all nostalgic for games I actually grew up with. I might later do my top games of the 90’s, but the 2000’s were very memorable to me thanks to the PS2 dominating the first half of that decade. I wasn’t so much a PC gamer until around 2005, and even then, I was playing older games as I didn’t have a gaming PC until 2010. This topic will mostly focus on console and handhelds games. So, if you don’t see a Zelda game on here you know was amazing it’s not because I didn’t like it, I probably never was able to play it even to this day. Games like Citizens: Kabuto or Hitman 2 were great games, but I just never played them. So, in light of all this, this isn’t a “Overall Best Games of the 2000’s” as you will see.

I will also not be putting any mobile games in here, while I had the first Droid phone in 2009, it was too late in the decade and too early for Android to make anything all that great. I did have an iPod Touch, but mobile gaming hadn’t quite evolved into anything special, even on Apple’s devices. Sure, there were fun and interesting games, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. Resident Evil 4 and Rock Band were a blast, but the console versions were much better.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 – 2000

GameBoy Color – PlayStation – Nintendo 64 – PC – Dreamcast
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

While Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was revolutionary, the second game pushed it over the edge. More of everything, better graphics, and it just overall felt more polished and better than the first game. I played this more than the first, and was a frequent rental on both PS1 and N64.

Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – 2000

Dreamcast – PlayStation – PC – GameCube
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: GameCube
Score: 8/10

While I didn’t play this game until years after it was released, the Dreamcast version is by far the best (outside of the GameCube release) for the earlier versions. Cleaner graphics, better framerate, and it’s for the Dreamcast! It was a well polished end to a great trilogy, and while not very scary, it was tense and kept you on your toes.

Paper Mario – 2000

Nintendo 64
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii U

Paper Mario caught everyone’s eye because it was an RPG and it wasn’t your standard platformer. My sister actually rented this and I got sucked in watching. When I finally finished the game I didn’t want it to end. While it was a very simple and rather easy game it was fun and enjoyable and had JRPG elements everyone could enjoy.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 – 2001

PlayStation – PlayStation 2 – Nintendo 64 – PC – GameCube – Xbox – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

This is by far my favorite game in the series. It was the first PS2 game I ever touched and I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up playing this all night at friends’ sleepovers and mastered this game. Ever level, used every cheat, and got 100% in the game. It’s a masterpiece and remains one of the best sports game ever made, period.

Grand Theft Auto III – 2001

PlayStation 2 – PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox

This game made me jealous I didn’t have a PS2. I had a neighbor who had a PS2 and he always left his door open and I would walk by and see him playing this Silent Hill 2 and SSX. When I finally got a hold of it I realized I was holding one of the most controversial games ever made. It had fantastic writing, fun gameplay, and one of the first large open worlds on a console.

Halo: Combat Evolved – 2001

Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

What can you say about Halo? It’s Microsoft’s Zelda or Mario. It was the beginning of an era and online shooters would never be the same. It’s not just one of the most iconic games ever made, but one of Microsoft’s only standing exclusives they have left. I actually played this on PC first, but I saw this game on gaming sites and magazines on a daily basis for years.

Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec – 2001

PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

GT3 is by far one of the best racing simulators ever made, even to this day. The physics and graphics hold up so well and it was well beyond its time. I got gold in nearly ever race and almost bought every single car. I spent dozens of hours in this game with my dad and couldn’t put it down. It still remains the best in the series and one of the best PS2 games of all time.

Civilization III – 2001

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

This was a small game I bought from a school book fair a few years after it had released. It was only $20 so I grabbed it as I loved Age of Empire II. I got sucked in right away and played this on a 5 year old computer that couldn’t run anything else. I became a Civilization fan after that.

Max Payne – 2001

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC – Mac – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

While I played the inferior PS2 version when it was released I still had a blast with this game. The crying baby scene where you are running on the line of blood was a serious pain in the ass and I remember my mom yelling at me to mute the TV. The bullet time gameplay was otherworldly and the gritty comics and voice acting was top notch. Years later I played a better port on PC.

Silent Hill 2 – 2001

PlayStation 2 – PC – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

I never played this on PS2, but the PC version was fantastic and also scary as sin. The puzzles were a little vague, but the game was grotesque and strange, just how I remembered the first game being. While the story is convoluted, and the gameplay is stiff, you can’t knock the game for the sheer amount of weirdness it throws at you.

Alien vs Predator 2 – 2001

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

Played years after release, the game was one of the best PC shooters I had ever played and was actually scary! The Alien and Marine campaign stood out the most for me, and it looked pretty good to. I never had a chance to play online, but the campaigns have great replay value and are worth checking out to this day.

Final Fantasy X – 2002

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 9/10

Funny story about this game. I rented this from Blockbuster and the disc had a scratch that prevented me from getting past the cut-scene that showed Sin just before attacking the boat. I returned it and didn’t finish it until years later. It was the first FF game I ever was able to beat and had an engaging story that was quite memorable, great locales, and gorgeous visuals.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – 2002

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC – Mac – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

While I played the inferior PS2 version, Splinter Cell got me into stealth games as Metal Gear Solid just couldn’t quite do it for me. The lighting was amazing, and the the controls and animations were awesome. I loved how you could actually see how dark everything is around you and that would determine how hidden you are. The level design was great, but it could also be a tad difficult.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem – 2002

GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

While not the best GameCube game it was so oddball I couldn’t stop playing. I remember something about an Indiana Jones artifact recovery thing, strange puzzles, and just a bizarre story in general. It’s a hidden gem, and I played it years after release, but there’s nothing else like it on a Nintendo system. It’s a must play.

WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos – 2002

PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

I played this longer after release, it was one of the best real time strategy games I had ever played. It was fun, simple, had great visuals, and a story and characters were fun to watch. The campaign was well done with great scenarios, and it has replay value for sure. The collector’s edition is currently sitting on my shelf.

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault – 2002

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I was late to the Medal of Honor game as I skipped the first outings on PlayStation. Allied Assault took the PC community by storm with fantastic visuals and great gameplay. I played this after Finest Hour for PS2 came out and realized what I was missing out on. The best Medal of Honor games are on PC.

No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way – 2002

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

This is by far one of the most original shooters ever made. It’s a spoof on 60’s spy movies like James Bond. The clever writing, great humor, interesting characters, and funny gadgets used in the game just keep you hooked. This was one of my first FPS games on PC and it made me realize that PC has some of the best shooters on the planet.

Ratchet & Clank – 2002

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PlayStation 3

Ratchet & Clank aren’t just some low budget mascots like Bubsy. These are Sony’s, and PlayStation’s, icons and also some of the best platforming you will ever find even to this day. While the sequels were equally as charming, the first game made the largest impact on me, and it’s the only one I played, thanks to its witty humor, great characters, and memorable levels. This game also put Insomniac on the map for being fantastic weapons designers and their famous unique alt fire modes.

Medal of Honor: Frontline – 2002

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Score: 7/10

This was the first ever Medal of Honor experience I had. I had played a demo of the original back when it came out, but it was boring to me as a kid. Frontline blew my mind away when the opening scene of the Normandy beach on D-Day rattled my TV speakers. While today, it’s rather dull and not very interesting, Frontline was back-to-consoles basics, and looked good doing it.

Kingdom Hearts – 2002

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4

Disney plus Final Fantasy was something no one saw coming and I was so exciting reading about this game in magazines and online articles up until release. I didn’t pick this up until nearly 2 years after release, but when I did I had a blast. Revisiting old Disney favorites with my siblings was so much fun, and the the characters were great despite not being able to follow any of the story. Admit it, we played it so we could Final Fantasy inside Christmas Town.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs – 2002

PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

My first ever online console experience. I was late to the game on this one, but I picked up a network adapter just for this game and spent dozens of hours online. It made me love online shooters on consoles, I never finished the campaign and solely focused on fragging online which is fine right?

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2002

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

As a kid, The Lord of the Rings movies were part of my universe. I watched them in the theaters and rewatched on DVD. I couldn’t get enough. The games were nearly perfect recreating the scenes of the movies with tight controls, a fun upgrade system, and great visuals. They have great replay value to this day.

Freekstyle – 2002

PlayStation 2 – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: GameCube

Out of all the motorcycle games that were a huge deal in the early 2000’s, Freekstyle won me over, mainly as I picked it up on a budget and loved the high octane tricks and crazy arenas. I got obsessed trying to get the highest scores on all the races and played this for dozens of hours.

Spyro 2: Season of Flame/Ice – 2002

GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

Some of the finest mobile platforming is right here, and it’s all thanks to the isometric view rather than cramming terrible 3D visuals onto the system. The clever level design, tight controls, and classic Spyro gameplay we have grown to love was in handheld form. This was one of the few GBA games I owned growing up and I couldn’t get enough.

Metroid Prime – 2002

GameCube
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Wii
Score: 8/10

I played this many years after release, and I didn’t like it then, but now I’ve grown to appreciate the game and series overall. Metroid took awhile to grow on me and sadly this is the only game in the series I ever touched. I finished it, shrugged, and tossed it aside, but after loving the series like I do know, I will someday go back and play all three.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – 2003

Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

Another game played many years after release, KOTOR is considered by many to be the best Star Wars game ever made. With an original story not following the movies, great RPG battles, lightsaber customization, good writing, voice acting, and more Star Wars lore than you can shake a stick at. It looked fantastic and remains one of the best Xbox games as well.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – 2003

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC – GameBoy Advance
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

Most people had never heard of the Prince before The Sands of Time. Ubisoft’s reboot was an instant hit and classic. Using time rewind skills, great combat, and platforming, this was almost a perfect game. While I didn’t get a chance to play it upon release, I got to play the PC version a couple years later.

Call of Duty – 2003

PC – Mac – N-Gage
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3

Considered by many to be the best WWII franchise, Call of Duty set higher standards than even Medal of Honor. Less arcade feel gameplay, more bombastic scripted events, and addictive online play. Call of Duty went on to be a fan favorite and is far different from what the series is today.

Tony Hawk’s Underground – 2003

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

While THPS4 felt a little mediocre and samey, THUG mixed things up again with an actual story, off board exploration, and a return to amazing level design and overall fun that the series was known for. This was the end of an era as later games in the series flopped and never felt the same.

SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs – 2003

PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

The last SOCOM game I would ever play, the campaign was a lot better, visuals improved, and the online gameplay was even more fun, but for some reason a lot harder. The first game felt a little more arcade like and SOCOM II took a very realistic approach to shooting. I was too young to really care, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2003

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – GameBoy Advance – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

The last of the two great Lord of the Rings games, and the last of any good game in the series for at least a decade. Return of the King bumped up the visuals and gave us all the great scenes in the movies to play with unlockable clips, behind the scenes, and more. It was nearly a perfect action game and has great replayability to this day.

Tron 2.0 – 2003

Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I loved Tron growing up as a kid, and when I found out this game released on PC I was excited. While it didn’t run well, Tron 2.0 was a mind trip. It felt like you were in the movie, and despite being difficult, it had a lot of great gameplay and some nice RPG elements thrown in. It felt like a true adventure and like I was slowly getting towards my goals and growing as a whole.

Beyond Good & Evil – 2003

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
Score: 8/10

I played this years after release on PC at about 20FPS, but I played it and it was a blast. It was one of the first games I ever bought on Steam back when the store had only a couple hundred games. It felt like a true adventure with great characters, voice acting, and memorable environments.

Half-Life 2 – 2004

PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3

The beginning of an era and FPS games would never be the same. I was barely able to run this game on PC, but it was the first game I ever bought on Steam, back when Valve games were all that were available. I played through the game numerous times and I never experienced anything like this — it was a PC only experience and it showed. While it was bug city, and didn’t run well on older hardware, it was a blast to play and the style of storytelling is something I will never foget.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox/PC

One of the most contraversial games ever created, San Andreas took the industry and world by storm. Making it to the 6 o’clock news and then some. I had never had more fun in a game until San Andreas. The story and characters were fun and entertaining, the RPG elements were interesting, and was just good ‘ol GTA that you would screw around in and always find something to do. It rang through the industry long after release too.

Halo 2 – 2004

Xbox – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One
Score: 9/10

I didn’t get a chance to play this until I had an Xbox 360, but when I did I understood why it was such a big deal. Halo 2 was probably the biggest game in 2004 just due to the fact that it was the best online shooter you could play on a console. The story and visuals were top-notch, the campaign was amazing, and who doesn’t love online fragging? I missed out not owning an Xbox, and hated on the game for years, but it remains one of the best games in the series.

Burnout 3: Takedown – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

Burnout 3 remains one of my favorite racers of all time. The crash mode is all I need to say. Slow down time and rack up points by causing crashes? Who didn’t like that. It was fun, the physics and sense of speed were perfect, and there were a ton of events and it never got old. It remains one of the few perfect racers out there.

Unreal Tournament 2004 – 2004

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I was late to the game, but Unreal 2004 was a blast, and actually ran well on my old school PC I used at home. While the campaign was entertaining for practice, I spent hours modding the game with skins, models, and maps, and playing online was never more fun. It still plays well to this day, but I finally had an online shooter I could play daily that had a large community.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay – 2004

PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC
Score: 8/10

Another reason to own an Xbox or high-end gaming PC. Riddick was a surprise hit that no one expected. It was dark, gritty, had good controls and gameplay, and a decent story with Vin Diesel himself starring in it. I remember my family rented Pitch Black from Blockbuster and the movie included a demo of this game, but alas, no Xbox. I finally played it years later on PC.

Doom 3 – 2004

PC – Xbox – Mac
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 7/10

How many more reasons did I need to finally cave and get an Xbox? It wouldn’t even launch on my then 6 year old PC, so I was stuck watching videos online. The game was so awesome, but fans were divided. I eventually played it on Xbox a few years later, but I could understand the hype. It looked so real when I saw it at launch with fantastic lighting effects, and the gore!

Katamari Damacy – 2004

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: Switch

Not only was it appealing because it was $20, but it was weird and every PS2 owner was talking about it. The low budget Japanese adventure game had you playing as the Prince of Cosmos rolling up random crap into bigger and bigger balls. It was satisfying, fun, had decent controls, and great personality and charm. It shook-up the game industry and was one of the first examples of an indie game that can become really popular.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – 2004

PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10

One of the best RTS games I have ever played. Period. My parents couldn’t afford to get me the stuff for the board games so the video games was all I had. Dawn of War was the first game set in the Warhammer universe I ever played and I got hooked. The interesting lore, factions, and base building and unit management were top notch with some great expansions as well.

Def Jam: Fight for NY – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

Love or hate rap music, it is the single most influential music genre on the planet spanning nearly every culture and country. Def Jam turned into an okay fighter into something awesome with Fight for NY. Plenty of East Coast rappers brawling it out with a fantastic fight system.

Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

Psi-Ops was a weird game, but somehow a sleeper hit. It featured an interesting story with great voice acting, and one of the most questionable cliffhangers ever. Everyone wants a sequel, but it sadly died and went down with Midway. I discovered the band Cold from the music video on the disc at least.

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – 2004

PlayStation 2 – GameCube – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

This is actually my favorite game in the series. People hated on the darker and grittier game, but I loved it. The awesome metal music, the blood and gore, and darker tones were just awesome to me. Ubisoft took risks that most other developers wouldn’t with a AAA franchise. It had improved combat and some fantastic level design.

Spider-Man 2 – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

By far one of the few great movie-game tie-ins that worked. This game had a huge sprawling Manhattan you could explore and the combat system was excellent. Climbing the Empire State Building and diving off was a blast. It made a huge splash back in the day and influenced the new Spider-Man for PS4.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 – 2004

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

A lot of people like roller coasters, but how about taking an already popular simulation game and making it 3D with POV roller coaster rides? It was an absolute blast and I spent countless hours building coasters and riding them in real-time. The park management aspect was something I didn’t care for until I was older, but with an easy to use coaster builder you’re going to set off the imagination of many.

Mortal Kombat: Deception – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Score: 8.5/10

This was the first video game I ever pre-ordered and was the first video game I truly got amped up and excited for leading to release. I watched every trailer, clip, screenshot, and article multiple times over. It was also the first ever online fighting game for consoles and had great net code and worked. I spent so many hours fighting online to keep my win ratio up, and was the best of the 3D Mortal Kombat games. It had a fantastic Puzzle Fighter and Chess Kombat mode, but the Konquest mode was complete filler and was awful with terrible controls and visuals, but you had to play through it to unlock stuff in the Krypt.

Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault – 2004

PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 7.5/10

EA took the series back to the PC and the Asia-Pacific theater. It was bombastic, looked amazing thanks to PC hardware, and sadly I didn’t get to play this until almost a decade after release, but I grew to appreciate the game for what it was and how well it was made.

The Suffering – 2004

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

The Suffering was another game in Midway’s peak just before they declared bankruptcy. Midway had some of the best franchises on the planet and The Suffering wasn’t amazing, but the dark atmosphere, and psychological stuff really got me hooked. It was a hard game and I never finished it, but it’s a great franchise that I wish was picked up again. The inspiration of real-life asylums and prisons is what got me hooked.

Ridge Racer – 2004

PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

When I got my PSP, which remains the only console I ever pre-ordered, it felt like I was holding the future. It remains the slickest portable console ever made, and it was ahead of its time. With PS2 level graphics in your hand, and a fantastic library, the PSP is a must have system. Ridge Racer remains the best game in the series and one of the best racers on PSP. I actually got 100% completion in the game and was so satisfied when I did.

Resident Evil 4 – 2005

PlayStation 2 – GameCube – PC – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4

RE4 is by far in my top ten games of all time. It has to be. While GameCube players got the game for a few months it was quickly released on PS2, and not only sold way more there, but a premium edition was released which I have to this day. It didn’t look as good on PS2, but it was still a memorable experience. The 20 hour story was nearly perfect with exciting enemies, great gameplay, and the RE reboot that took over the industry and inspired games like Gears of War after it.

God of War – 2005

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 8.5/10

Another game in my top ten, God of War shook me to my core. It made me rethink how games should be made and played. The revolutionary combat system, the great use of Greek lore, great voice acting and story, and the huge open vistas with no loading was out of this world. It was gory, exciting, and I replayed it many times over on various other platforms as well.

Guitar Hero – 2005

PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

Guitar Hero was the beginning of an era and a short lived push for rhythm games on consoles. It literally took over the entire world with so many knock-offs and sequels, parties, competitions, and world records. Guitar Hero got me to buy a real guitar and learn to play and it just somehow worked. Sure, the game didn’t have any original tracks, they all had to be cover songs, but they were well done and the game was so addictive. I spent dozens of hours in this game and many of the songs are well known to younger generations because of this game.

Shadow of the Colossus – 2005

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
Score: 8.5/10

Another game that made me see them differently, Shadow of the Colossus didn’t just look like one of the best games ever made at the time, it ran poorly, sure, but it was memorable. Running around and empty wasteland taking down larger than life beasts was unheard of back in the day. The fact that it could be done on the PS2 was astonishing, and with the next-generation of console just around the corner it seemed silly not to wait. What we got was one of the best PlayStation games ever made that has only improved with the recent remaster.

Guild Wars – 2005

PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

My first ever MMO and only because it wasn’t subscription based. With World of Warcraft still dominating the charts and being talked about daily, Guild Wars used it’s free-to-play concept to lure players in. I didn’t understand the concept of an MMO back then, it was complicated, but I got a good way into the story before finally moving on to other things as I didn’t get into the game until much later after release.

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 – 2005

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

I played this years after release on PC, but what we had was a WWII shooter that left the arcade gameplay behind and gave us a gritty and gripping story with great voice acting and realistic tactical combat. Not to mention the first WWII game to finally have gore and blood. It was a very tough game, but was so good, just avoid the PS2 version as it runs like garbage.

F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon – 2005

PC – Xbox 360
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

FEAR was probably the first game where I was jealous I didn’t have a gaming PC. You needed a monster rig to run this back in the day, and when I walked into Sam’s Club and glanced over at the video games one day, I finally decided I wanted to be a PC gamer. It is still considered one of the best shooters ever made. I didn’t get to play this until it was released for Xbox 360, but it’s hard, fun, and one of a kind.

Psychonauts – 2005

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
Score: 9/10

I played this years after release because the PS2 version is awful, but we got was a charming lovable platformer that is thankfully finally getting a sequel 15 years later. It had great voice acting, fun levels, and a trippy atmosphere.

SWAT 4 – 2005

PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

Being able to slowly walk through a level and yell, “Police! Hands in the air!” and have a button for that is just awesome. The game has so much replay value and being put into small areas with multiple outcomes is addictive. I loved playing through each level and going in with non-lethal approach and then lethal. I tried to get a perfect score in every level. It didn’t run very well on my PC at the time, but it didn’t stop the fun.

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – 2005

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

I played this long after release, but it is one of the best comic book video games ever made, and for sure the best Hulk game in existence. With a large open world you can smash everything in sight. It had fun missions, lots of Hulk lore, and you felt like a real comic book hero. This was back when comic book games were mostly bad and when a good one came along everyone clung to it.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening – 2005

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4

While most people skipped DMC2, DMC3 came back with a vengeance. It was one of the most talked about games and not only was it hard as nails it was fun, stylish, and looked amazing. I remember beating this game and being incredibly satisfied.

Star Wars Battlefront II – 2005

PlayStation 2 – PSP – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

I prefer this game over the first one as it was louder, bigger, looked better, and just had more content overall. It was a smash hit and one of the best online shooters of the time. It was sadly one of Pandemic’s last games as well.

Fable: The Lost Chapters – 2005

Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox 360

I finally got a chance to play Fable long after release, and when I did I loved it. It has a wonderful British charm, great medieval fantasy atmosphere, and the choice system, combat, and dialog were great. I didn’t have many complaints about this game and it remains an Xbox game that needs to make a return.

Condemned: Criminal Origins – 2005

Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

Man this game really takes me back. I remember watching the reveal of the PS3 at E3 2005 live on GameSpot. I remember watching the Condemned tech demo by Sega and being absolutely stunned. This was one of three games I first bought for my Xbox 360. I replayed this game a few times and couldn’t put it down. It’s actually quite scary, tense, and has great combat.

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks – 2005

PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

The last Mortal Kombat spin-off we would ever see, Shaolin Monks had a fantastic fight system, and despite being really short, helped bring MKII to life which is a lot of fan’s favorite game in the series. The voice acting and story were dreadful, but it had great co-op gameplay as well. I still have my action figures that came with the pre-order.

Star Wars: Republic Commando – 2005

Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I played this on PC long after release, but it’s something in the Star Wars universe that feels unique and rare. It has a great atmosphere, and FPS games in the Star Wars universe are quite rare. It was a solid tactical shooter that sadly didn’t get the attention it deserved.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth – 2005

Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I played this game on a PC that could barely run it, but it got me into HP Lovecraft’s writing. The game wasn’t perfect, but the atmosphere was tense and scary, and it just felt like a great adventure. It was horror at its finest, and there really isn’t anything out there like it. It’s the best Cthulhu game out there, and sadly didn’t get much attention.

Area 51 – 2005

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

I remember getting really excited for this game up to release. I got it on day one and had a blast. I played through the campaign a few times to get all the collectibles and played online quite a bit. It had a great atmosphere, and featured some AAA voice talent like Marilyn Manson and David Dechovny.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted – 2005

PlayStation 2 – GameCube – Xbox – Xbox 360 – PC – Nintendo DS – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360

I played this game for hours and hours trying to get 100% completion. It wouldn’t run on my PC so later the following year I picked it up cheap and went to town on my 360. I remember playing this for hours listening to my custom soundtracks in the background.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – 2005

PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

This was the fist MGS game I actually beat and could really get into. Snake Eater was fine and all, but I was still too young and impatient to care for it. I loved the story, characters, and gameplay and it looked fantastic as well. In fact, this was the first game I played using component cables for my PS2 and it looked sharp and detailed. I’m still not the biggest MGS fan, but I appreciate the series for what it is.

Kingdom Hearts II – 2005

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4

This was the only video game ending that made me cry. I rented this right when it came out and actually finished it. The first game was too hard for me to beat, but Kingdom Hearts II had more Disney locations and more Final Fantasy characters that I liked. It remains one of the best PS2 games, but the story was so convoluted and confusing.

Gears of War – 2006

Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One
Score: 9.5/10

Gears of War is in my top ten favorite franchises of all time. This game changed the way I see and play games and was a real stepping stone for true next-generation games. It was one of three games I first played on my 360 and I have beaten it numerous times on every system it has been out for. I’ve read the novels as well and just love the world and characters that this game has. It’s a surprisingly deep rabbit hole of lore and story if you look in other media.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – 2006

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9.5/10

Oblivion holds a special place in my heart. It was the first Elder Scrolls game I ever played and it was the only time from before or after that I sat and did 12 hour gaming marathons. I explored every nook and cranny of this game, read all the in game books, and even tried it on PC. The game is so deep and has so much going for it that it pushed gaming into another generation. Sure, it has flaws like numerous bugs, dated visuals, mediocre combat, and menus aren’t the best, but it was magical nonetheless.

Okami – 2006

PlayStation 2 – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4/PC
Score: 9/10

Okami was a game I greatly anticipated. When I saw preview for it at E3 2006 I freaked out. The Celestial Brush really caught my eye and the art style is still to this day one of a kind. We got an open world adventure with gorgeous visuals and music, and some great combat. It remains one of the best reasons to own a PS2, and was a great way to help end that generation of games. While the HD version is the way to go today, I will never forget the 30 hours I put into this game.

Guitar Hero II – 2006

PlayStation 2 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360

I honestly couldn’t wait for more Guitar Hero. While the game still featured cover songs, it had so many great classics with better visuals, gameplay, and an improved controller. I owned this on PS2 and then later 360 because it had some DLC which was a blast. The rhythm genre was really still getting started and hadn’t tired out yet.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas – 2006

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I had played the original Rainbow Six on PS1 and PC and couldn’t get into it. The new third person camera and more arcade style action was a blast and it actually had a decent story from what I remember. The game was a ton of fun, looked great, and was a blast to play online.

Half-Life 2: Episode 1 – 2006

PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC

The long anticipated Episode 1 finally came out and I downloaded this sucker right at midnight. It was short, but sweet, and improved the visuals, there were less bugs, and I loved played as Alyx in the new locales. It was more Half-Life 2 and everyone ate it up. It was one of the most talked about games for some time.

Bully – 2006

PlayStation 2
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

I remember this being GTA for kids. While it was still crass and had adult humor it was smaller in scale than GTA, but had great characters and setting just like GTA. I was so excited when this game released and rented it immediately. I just remember it being short and wanting more, and I later played the Scholarship Edition on PC which is the way to go.

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix – 2006

PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox

Midnight Club 3 was a fantastic arcade racer that featured real world cars. The customization was insane and even had some great licensed music. I remember having a blast with this game, but also remember it being really hard in later races. The Remix version added more content for $20 and this was the version I wound up playing.

Prey – 2006

Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

Prey was one of the first games I ever played on my 360 and man was it a blast. It’s weird, interesting, a game out of development hell, and a game we will likely never see again. It felt like a mix between Turok and Quake. The weird room flipping with portals, the interesting alien guns, and the environments were just crazy. It’s a one-of-a-kind game and I will always remember this game as one of my favorite 360 games.

Tomb Raider: Legend – 2006

PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PSP – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PC
Score: 8/10

Legend was the reboot Tomb Raider needed. The series was seriously tanking, and Legend introduced revitalized gameplay and a new Lara Croft. Legend was also highly touted as one of the first true next-generation games on Xbox 360, and it looked damn good. It was one of the first next-gen games I was incredibly excited about, and the excitement paid off.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter – 2006

PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360

GRAW was one of the first of three games I played on 360 that showed me what the next-generation of games was going to be. GRAW was a different games on every system, and the only good one was 360. It was a dull FPS on PC, a crappy FPS on PS2 and Xbox, and was incredibly buggy on PS3. I played this game twice over even on the hardest difficulty and loved it. It was just the right mix of tactical gameplay and arcade gameplay.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – 2006

PlayStation 2 – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP

Syphon Filter is one my top ten favorite games of all time. When I found out it was being rebooted on PSP I lost my mind. While it’s a far cry from the original games, it revolutionized the PSP system as a whole and showed you can make a shooter work on the handheld. It had great graphics, gameplay, and continued the story and featured characters that fans would really appreciate.

Star Wars: Empire at War – 2006

PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I’m not a huge RTS fan, but when a good one comes along I pick it up and Empire at War was an absolute blast. I played it on a PC that couldn’t run it very well, but I still had fun building bases and living the Star Wars dream. It felt like Starcraft meets Star Wars and was easy to pick up, but hard to master. This is by far the single best Star Wars RTS and I hope a remaster comes along at some point.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – 2007

PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – Wii – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Score: 8.5/10

The last great Guitar Hero game. This was the height of the rhythm genre, not the start of the decline, and Guitar Hero III had some of my favorite songs in the whole series. It had a new “sliding touch bar” feature for faster paced solo sections, and just had sharper gameplay, great visuals, and awesome DLC, I found some of my favorite bands of all time through this game as well.

Super Mario Galaxy – 2007

Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

My all time favorite 3D Mario game for sure. Galaxy opened my eyes to a whole new Nintendo after years of bagging on them. It made me happy to be a Wii owner, and it was something you couldn’t get on any other system. I played this game twice through and collected every star there was. It was so much fun and addictive and I just couldn’t put the game down. I was very skeptical at first, but it’s a game you must play to truly understand how special it is.

BioShock – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

BioShock was one of the most anticipated next-generation games of the time and I remember playing the demo several times over, and staying up until midnight for it. It looked fantastic, and had a wonderful atmosphere, great gameplay, and was so much fun to play through multiple times. It’s still a classic to this day, and has thankfully been remastered since. BioShock is by far one of the best games of the last generation.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac – Nintendo DS – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

I remember being blown away by the E3 2007 demo of this game. The clip from the Pripyat level with Captain Price is legendary, and the level more so. Call of Duty 4 pushed shooters out of the WWII genre and into modern combat. The game featured revolutionary multiplayer that changed online shooters forever. It’s sad to see where the series wound up, but the remastered version is the way to go these days.

Mass Effect – 2007

Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC

One of the most exciting next-generation games that really made you want to own a system at the time. It featured fantastic visuals and facial animations, a lore as expansive as Star Wars and great gameplay and choices you could make during dialog scenes. The game was epic and it’s one of my all time favorite games. The series got better as it went on and that’s kind of rare for franchises these days.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – 2007

Nintendo DS
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A

Phantom Hourglass was the first handheld Zelda game I had played to the end, and it used every single feature of the DS cleverly, even the sleep mode. Copying a map required you to close the screen and open it. It’s such a simple and stupid thing but it made me smile so much. The gameplay was fantastic with a charming story and characters. It still remains one of my favorite Zelda games to this day.

Crysis – 2007

PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

Crysis was revolutionary back in the day for the sheer amount of graphical power the game delivered. Not a single GPU could run the game at full specs at 60FPS and you needed two GPUs to do so. It remained a benchmarking game for nearly a decade and for good measure. It used the new DirectX 10 graphics architecture and made you jealous of any PC gamer who could run it. It was the first game I played on my first gaming laptop back in 2010 and even that thing couldn’t play the game at highest settings. It still remains a great open world game and the best in the series.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords – 2007

PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – PSP – Xbox 360 – PC – Nintendo DS – Wii – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3

Puzzle Quest wasn’t a game I thought I would love. It was one of the first popular match 3 gem puzzle games with RPG elements and it worked so well. I spent 40 hours completing every puzzle on my PSP during grueling work hours where there was nothing to do. It has great replay value and remains one of my favorite puzzle games of all time.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

Shivering Isles somehow made Oblivion better. The introduction of Sheogorath and the Jabberwocky and his crazy dialog were just icing on the cake. The giant mushrooms, enemies, and awesome new quests made the $30 expansion worth while. It’s one of the best Elder Scrolls expansions to date as well.

Super Paper Mario – 2007

Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii U

I never thought Paper Mario would return, but the third game in the series is the best and a blast. I loved transitioning from 3D to 2D and the game was just so much fun, I couldn’t put it down. This is by far one of my top five favorite Mario games of all time and for good reason.

DiRT – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

I really didn’t care for racing simulators after Gran Turismo 3, but the Colin McRae series has always been the top rally simulator for years. With DiRT Codemasters restructured their IPs and made one of the most successful racing series of all time. I didn’t get gold in every race by one of my sisters did which is saying something. I didn’t have a PC to run this game back in the day, but the console versions were such a blast.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary – 2007

PlayStation 2 – Xbox 360 – Wii – PSP – Mac – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC/Xbox 360

Remaking the first Tomb Raider was a smart move, but being better than the original is another thing entirely. Anniversary was so much fun to play and felt fresh with the Legend style gameplay. Puzzles were fun, combat was improved, and Lara looked better than ever. It was on so many systems, but I chose to play it on PC where it could barely run for some reason.

The Darkness – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360

I didn’t even know this game was based on the comics until years after playing it. It remains a sleeper hit and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games to date. The use of the arms was so awesome, and the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere that also added to the replay value. The gunplay was fantastic as well and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Assassin’s Creed – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One/PC
Score: 8.5/10

One of the most anticipated games of the last generation, and now of the most run-down franchises of all time. Assassin’s Creed went through some development hell before finally coming out, and not keeping up with promises. The crowd AI wasn’t exactly the best, and the game was very repetitive and limited in scope, but it still showed what the next-generation of games could do and there was nothing else like it at the time of release. While it’s not my favorite AC game it remains one of the most memorable.

Eternal Sonata – 2007

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 9/10

I am not the biggest JRPG fan, but I usually love the art style, combat, and visuals and story that they can bring. Most JRPGs are generic and dime-a-dozen, but Eternal Sonata caught my eye when it used the life of composer of Chopin and infused the character’s names that related to music. I even named some of my animals after these characters. It was a short RPG, about 20 hours long, and wasn’t so grindy that you would get bored. It was beautiful, fun, and one of my favorite JRPGs to this date.

Heavenly Sword – 2007

PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10

Heavenly Sword may not be an amazing game on its own, but it was showcased at E3 2005 and I remember seeing the demo of this game live. It looked like a next-generation game and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. It was a well made game, and looked fantastic, but was very linear in scope and short.

Silent Hill: Origins – 2007

PSP – PlayStation 2
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP

The last real Silent Hill game we ever got. Origins looked amazing on the PSP and was actually quite scary and felt like a Silent Hill game. I don’t think I ever finished it because I was too scared to, but staring into mirrors to get to the “Other World” with haunting music, and crazy enemy design. Yeah, it’s Silent Hill all right and one of the better ones too.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – 2007

PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10

Anything Final Fantasy VII related is going to get big, and when Square Enix did their FF7 reboot stuff Crisis Core and the movie proceeding it was a huge deal. While it helped muddy the story more than needed, we got a glimpse of Zack’s life during the events of the original game. Many hated on Crisis Core for the “roulette” style gameplay, but I loved that it was hack and slash battles over turned based stuff. It remains one of the best looking games on PSP and had gorgeous CGI cut scenes.

Grand Theft Auto IV – 2008

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9.5/10

Every GTA is a worldwide phenomenon and event. It’s not just a game release. It makes the global news channels, creates controversy, break records, etc. GTAIV was no different, and while I played it much later after release, it was a blast. It’s not my favorite GTA game, but the characters were great and it was an evolution that the series needed.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – 2008

PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9.5/10

MGS4 was a serious heavy hitter back in the day. It showed off the power of the PS3 during E3 and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. The game featured 45 minute long cut-scenes, great visuals, and classic MGS gameplay. It was the first MGS I fully enjoyed, but still didn’t convince me to be a huge fan. I love the series for what it does, but stealth games are hard to hold my attention.

Fallout 3 – 2008

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

One of my top favorite games of all time. Fallout 3 may have upset some fans, but it was the fist game in the series for me and I loved it. Even upon release it was dated visually, and had numerous bugs, but I played the game to death and explored every corner and all the DLCs. I have the collector’s edition sitting on my shelf to this day.

Gears of War 2 – 2008

Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9.5/10

I remember going to the midnight launch for this. I was so excited for more Gears, and remains one of the best in the series. The fun new online modes, longer campaign, improved visuals, and expanded story were just mind-blowing back in the day. Gears of War was one of the games that made you want an Xbox 360.

Rock Band 2 – 2008

PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
Score: 8.5/10

While Rock Band 1 was the next evolution in the rhythm genre, Rock Band 2 just did it better and you could import the original songs. The game had improved instruments, better visuals, more music, and an insane amount of DLC. EA was able to get more bands on board than Activision. Rock Band’s rival was Guitar Hero 4, but Activision just didn’t do the whole band thing as well.

Chrono Trigger – 2008

Nintendo DS
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Nintendo DS

Some say the DS version is the best port of the game before and after. It remasters the game so well and looks so good without making too many weird alterations like later ports down the road. Chrono Trigger is considered by many to be Square’s greatest RPG and one of the best games of all time. I still haven’t completed the game, but when I dabble in it here and there I appreciate the game for what it is.

God of War: Chains of Olympus – 2008

PSP – PlayStation 3
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 9/10

This is probably the only PSP game I really got excited for and pre-ordered right away. The demo was replayed numerous times and the game blew me away. It was a full scale God of War game, just on a smaller screen. It was very short, four hours long, but looked as good as a PS2 game. It was memorable, and shook the industry for a good while.

Fable II – 2008

Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8.5/10

Fable II was much improved over the first game. It had better mechanics, visuals, combat, and was overall more charming than the first if that’s possible. It remains the best game in the series, and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games to this date. It really does need a remaster already.

Dead Space – 2008

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

I didn’t really know much about this game leading up to release and only heard a lot about it just before. I bought the game on launch day and was blown away by the visuals, dismemberment combat, and fantastic story and lore. It was incredibly scary and has so much replay value. I played the game to death and replayed it a few times before finally putting it to rest.

Pure – 2008

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

Pure is a sleeper hit by Disney which was a huge surprise. The game is one of the best arcade racers of the last generation, and was just an absolute blast. Huge jumps, high sense of speed, and decent customization and it looked pretty good to boot. I love when sleeper hits are just really entertaining and Pure desperately needs a sequel.

Mirror’s Edge – 2008

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

Mirror’s Edge wasn’t received amazingly well, but I loved the first person parkour action and the art style. The pure white and red and the dystopian future is right up my ally. Faith is a great character, and while the story was seriously lacking, it had potential, but the time trials is where the challenge was really at.

Tomb Raider: Underworld – 2008

PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

The last of the second generation of Tomb Raider games, Underworld was a game I was really excited about, it had larger levels, better puzzles, and a decent story to boot. Lara Croft looked great in this game, and the visual improvement over Anniversary was astounding. Some people didn’t like Underworld, but it was polished and even has a lot of mods on PC.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 2008

PlayStation 3
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
Score: 9/10

While Uncharted 1 looked great, it didn’t blow me away. Uncharted 2 did with its bombastic scripted events, and holiday style action. The story was great, Nathan Drake is an awesome character to watch on screen, and it was the best looking game to be released at the time. It remains my favorite game in the series to this day.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

I didn’t think Modern Warfare could be improved upon but it did. While this is sadly the peak of the series, it had a lot of controversy, and the best maps of any Call of Duty game. I spent the most time playing this online over any other Call of Duty game. It looked fantastic, had a great campaign, and just felt like a true sequel with a larger package to offer.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – 2009

Nintendo DS – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
Score: 9/10

The only GTA game that didn’t make a big splash, Rockstar gave the portable systems some attention with a top down GTA game that was just as good as the larger games. Great story, characters, gameplay that suited each system, and was just highly entertaining. Yes, it was shorter than the larger games, but it made you proud to be a handheld gamer. We got a GTA that the others didn’t.

Batman: Arkham Asylum – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

Considered by some to be the best super hero games ever made, Rocksteady raised the bar for super hero games and pushed them past crappy movie tie-ins. It had amazing visuals, great voice acting, and gameplay that made you feel like Batman. While later games were more open world, the Asylum was a great place to explore with lots of puzzles and hidden content, and the fight system is one of the best action adventure fight systems ever made. Many games copy it to this day.

Assassin’s Creed II – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 9.5/10

ACII remains my favorite game in the series, and it really improved upon the first game. So many things were added and built upon that it felt like a new series all together. New protagonist, story, location, and a larger open world was just a blast to play through. More puzzles, secrets, and much improved visuals helped as well. The series will never be able to capture the lightning in a bottle that was ACII again.

Killzone 2 – 2009

PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 9/10

Killzone 2 was one of the most hyped up games leading up to the PS3 launch. It looked too good for even a next-generation game, and when released it delivered. It still remains my favorite game in the series with visuals that hold up to this day, great gunplay, and a fun online component.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

I played this game long after release, but when I did I was engrossed by the great characters and writing. It was written better than GTAIV and kept me playing all the way through to the end. The introduction of biker gangs, territory, and new motorcycles was awesome.

Left 4 Dead 2 – 2009

Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

One of Valve’s greatest games. Left 4 Dead 2 is still played a lot even 11 years later. While the Xbox 360 servers are down, the PC version has a ton of mods, and a large community. The variation of zombies, the sheer amount that come after you, and the unique characters make for endless amount of fun. Each experience is never the same.

Dragon Age: Origins – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
Score: 9/10

Origins was one of the last truly epic Western RPGs that I fell in love with. While the Xbox 360 version was the worst, I still loved the lore, characters, writing, story, and gameplay that came with it. It was a true call back to PC RPGs of the 90’s and pulled it off so well. I played the game all the way through and finished every side quest even.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – 2009

PlayStation 3
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8/10

The second generation of Ratchet and Clank games were a blast and helped show off the power of the PS3. Insomniac gave us more original weapons, great writing, dialog, laughs, and something to write home about. This was the last of the second trilogy and it went out with a bang.

Resident Evil 5 – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Score: 8.5/10

I went to the midnight launch for this and RE5 had large shoes to fill after what was given with RE4. Another game that copied it but with Chris Redfield and a brand new character, Sheva, in the mix. While it wasn’t as memorable or as impactful as RE4, it was a solid game with a good run time and more story behind the events of RE4. It looked amazing as well with next-generation visuals.

‘Splosion Man – 2009

Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
Score: 8/10

A crazy 2D platformer that allowed you to explode when needed. This was a sleeper hit that no one knew would actually work but it spawned a successful sequel. Sadly, Splosion Man hasn’t been seen outside of the Xbox 360 and needs a remaster or port.

Skate 2 – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360

While Skate 3 is the definitive ending to the series, Skate 2 greatly improved upon the first game and gave us some last hope of a real skateboarding simulator, and sadly nothing else has come out in the last decade that has topped it. The flick stick system is amazing, the physics are great, and the online components were fun while they were still online at the time.

Borderlands – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

Borderlands was the beginning of the looter shooter era. While the game was dull alone, it had some crazy characters and fantastic shooting which is what the game is all about. Sure, the locales are boring, and it gets repetitive, but the DLC is awesome and playing with a buddy makes this a game worth playing. While the sequels are much better, nothing compares to the impact the first game made.

Half-Minute Hero – 2009

PSP
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC

A small indie game that you would be surprised to see on this list. Half-Minute Hero is a blast by taking shots at JRPG tropes and making an entire game playable in 30 seconds. It’s hard to understand, but playing through multiple times to level up is so much fun. It’s funny, looks good, and is a rush to experience.

Torchlight – 2009

PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC

Torchlight was the answer to Diablo III by giving players with lower end PCs a looter game to play, and it was fun. The use of dungeon levels that go down and coming up to spend your cash was so much fun. I played this on a crappy netbook back in the day and the game actually had a netbook mode!

Dead Space: Extraction – 2009

Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Score: 8/10

A surprise hit that no one saw coming. While the Wii couldn’t handle the visuals of the main game players got an on-rails shooter that was just as stunning as the first game. It was gory, scary, brutal, and very cinematic to play and experience. I was personally shocked at how good it was and it remains one of the best shooters on the system.

Brutal Legend – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8.5/10

Tim Schafer couldn’t get Psychonauts 2 greenlit so he partnered with Jack Black and gave us an 80’s metal anthem in game form and it was awesome. The RTS elements were the weakest, but it had a ton of humor, great characters, and fantastic music. It’s a widely overlooked game that should be played by all.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game – 2009

PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
Score: 8/10

There aren’t many good Ghostbusters games, and most consider this the third official Ghostbuster movie. It has all the original voice actors, it lets you blast ghosts with a Proton Pack, and has nods for fans. While it was repetitive, slightly clunky, and short, it was great for fans of the movies to finally play a game that the developers put love into.

Motorstorm: Arctic Edge – 2009

PlayStation 2 – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
Score: 8/10

The last of the Motorstorm games, this game stunned gamers when it was shown at E3 2005 using it’s terrain deformation physics. It looked like real-life TV. While the actual game didn’t live up to that, it was still a blast to play and one of the best arcade racers of the last generation. Motorstorm skipped the big consoles and showed off the power of the PSP. It was one of the last first party titles to hit the console and remains one of the best racers on the system.