Noelinho's Top 10 - Video Games
Following mrBen's review of Driver for the PC, I thought I would do a top 10 - of video games :)
So, in reverse order:
- Madden 2000 (Playstation). I have Madden 2002 for the PC, but it's not as good and doesn't like my new GFX card. Therefore, Madden 2000 gets the nod. I did have NFL Quarterback Club '98 for the N64, but it wasn't quite as good - it didn't have the balance of pass and rush that you can have in Madden. Tactics in the game are simple - short passes to the half and full backs, gain short yardage. Get a good block or a nice jink to the left or right and you could be away. But, you could always rely on the QB Sneak for a surprise play, or the HB Slash. When passing long, you'd always pass to either really long, past everyone except your receiver (but only if he'd beaten his man), or throw as he runs across, so as to reduce the chance of an intereception. Finally, you could always run a 10 and turn - throwing the ball as the receiver turns around and stops. A brilliant game.
- LMA Manager (Playstation / PC). Most people say their favourite football management sim is Championship Manager. It is good and I do own two copies of it, but I have preferred the two copies of LMA Manager that I've had. I don't know why, they aren't hugely different. Interface is the main thing. I think having as bit more control over the commercial side of the club adds to the game a little bit - though it's not everybody's cup of tea, I'm sure.
- Gran Turismo 2 (Playstation). The original Gran Turismo didn't impress me. The second had me hooked. Great graphics, physics were fantastic. The tracks were amazing, there was something there for every road / street / closed circuit racer. It's a shame it's not on the PC, it'd be fantastic. Perhaps I'll need to save up for a PS3 at some point* (or be sensible and first of all wait until they are cheap). The endurance races were very good. Only two bones - not enough cars in races, no damage. Pf course, that's only because I'm a Formula 1 fan. I don't think having either of those two things would have helped the game one bit.
- Grand Prix Legends (PC). Probably the oldest game on the list. When it came out, it needed an original Pentium running at, get this, 90Mhz, 16Mb of RAM, and an SVGA graphics card capable of running at 640x480 resolution. How on earth could I ever hope to aspire to that specification... Don't be fooled by that. It is a Formula 1 simulation of the 1967 season and has to be the hardest game I have ever played. It still has fanatical support today, although it does now have the addition of 3D graphics acceleration. It is almost impossible to get hold of copies of this game, for which almost 1,000 tracks have been produced. It is almost impossibly difficult to play with a steering wheel - and if you don't have one, it's worse. When mastered, it is astoundingly good. If you aren't good, it is a ruthless punisher of mistakes - as it should be. In 1967, a mistake could cost you your life. That definitely comes across in this game.
- Brian Lara Cricket (Playstation). I have played the demo of the sequel for this on PC, but having not played the full game, I'll go with the original. Yes, it's a little dated (ok, and it may be a year older than Grand Prix Legends), but it is fantastic. Batting is great (I scored 954/4 declared once, I only declared because I thought the counter may reset to '0' at 1000), bowling equally good. Good line and length is the key. If you can master that well enough, it makes batting a whole lot easier. Fielding, though available, was frustrating sue to the camera and so I didn't use it. However, it was still a fantastic game.
- F1 World Grand Prix II (N64). The very game that came with my N64 when I bought it in Sainsburys. Incidentally, there was a ?1.38 sticker on one of the N64 boxes, so I picked that one up. Unfortunately, I didn't get it for £1.38 :( A very hard game. It had some great scenarios taken from the 1998 season, like trying to finish the race with a win, but having a gearbox that was about to blow up. Very fun. It was made all the harder as a game because you could damage your car, but AI cars were indestructible. It made for a frustrating time when they hit you (I got bumped off in one end-of-season race Michael Schumacher style!), but it really worked, i.e. you couldn't win by cheating by helping people very lightly in to the barrier. The champion setting was incredibly difficult, but just about completable. The second-hardest game I have ever played, and the best F1 game bar the "Grand Prix" series.
- WWF No Mercy (N64). Best wrestling game ever - beats "Smackdown!" hands down. There was a problem with the original release - the cartridges would accidentally erase themselves. Re-released and replaced, but the blood was taken out (Grrr...bloody German censor board!. It used a great method of "momentum" in matches. If you got enough momentum, you'd eventually get your "special move". However, if you smacked your opponent around too much without pinning them, they'd get second wind. Taunting was also great. A wonderful multiplayer game and very challenging single player, with great storylines. Including an 80 year old who challenges you to a swimsuit contest. Only in the WWF...
- Colin McRae Rally (PC). We're getting real close to the sharp end here. In fact, all of the games are fantastic, even the games at the bottom that would have been on the list. I could do a top 20 easily. Still, Colin McRae Rally. I had the original on the Playstation, the sequel on PC, and I also have the 2004 version on PC too. The 2004 version is easily the pick of the bunch. It's a pure petrol-head experience. Driving through a narrow forest at 120Mph is scintillating stuff, and replays always look hairy. That's because that's exactly what my rally driving style is like. It's a fabulous game, requiring fantastic concentration. And a hard sunroof. Graphically fantastic, too.
- Grand Prix 4 (PC). The Grand Prix game, from Geoff Crammond. The "Grand Prix" series of games started at the beginning of the 1990s and has always been highly acclaimed. Unfortunately, with the F1 licence now with Sony, it is confined to just the four installments. The fourth game came with a new, very nice, graphics engine. The physics weren't the most challenging out of the box, but with with tracks made using GPS technology, it was a great game. Good oil fires, too. Alongside, Grand Prix Legends, the most realistic F1 game out there. Grand Prix Legends just shades it for realism, actually. Well, 40 years ago it would, anyway ;)
- Goldeneye (N64). Could there be any doubt? Playstation owners either just couldn't understand just what made this such a great game, or they were just in pure denial. There is no better multi-player game. The levels were awesome. Guards that spawn forever, giving kill counts of more than 2,500 if you played for long enough. A "facility" level taken from the very start of the film, where you get to shoot at guards in the toilets as they swat flies - or scratch them. Sniping guards from half a mile away. Shooting Trevelyan for fun just because you could. Putting innocent civilians and scientists in the line of fire, getting them accidentally killed by guards - just for comedy value. Slapping Natalya at every opportunity, just because she was ugly (and I know of many who took delight in that!). And the blasted drone guns. Everywhere you go, drone guns. Chasing Baron Samedi through "Temple" as he cartwheels out of the way all the time. If you've never played Goldeneye, you have missed out. In fact, you've just not lived.
So there you go! Noelinho's top 10! However, there are plenty more that I would love to have included, but those are my top 10.
This work by Noel Slevin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.
There is currently 1 comment on this article.
Supergingermanhttp://supergingerman.jedimoose.org
there was no mario or sonic! tsk! you can tell your still stuck 10 years ago with your N64 :P and no mention of any GTA :O but some ones i agree on, goldeneye was very good and yes PS3 will rule all, just liek the PS1 and PS2 did.... there is a slight pattern there i think...
2006-04-13 21:47:27