Adventure:
Outcast
The Dig
Phantasmagoria
Beyond Good & Evil
Diablo II
Action:
D&D: Shadow Over Mystara (Arcade)
Devil May Cry (PS2)
Roleplaying:
Darklands
Arx Fatalis
Gothic II (for better or worse, mostly better)
Real-time Strategy:
Age of Empires II (the game that defined the genre)
Darwinia
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Turn-based Strategy:
Stars!
Alpha Centauri (or any Sid Meier game, for that matter)
Simulation:
Europa 1400 (the genre-breaking champion)
SimCity 2000
Dungeon Keeper
Startopia
Platform:
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX)
Lego Star Wars
Ragnarok Battle Offline
Super Mario World (SNES)
Shooter:
Halo (XBox)
System Shock 2
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Serious Sam
Spaceflight:
Freespace 2
Freelancer
Puzzle:
Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo (Arcade/PSX)
Best atmosphere:
Undying
Nosferatu: Wrath of Malachi
The Suffering
Far Cry
Seek both advantages and flaws in all of the above. You will find them.
I'm a fierce advocate of cooperative play. If your engine is network-capable and you don't support cooperative play, you're wasting a tremendous opportunity. If your engine is not network-capable, you're missing an even greater opportunity. However, support for multiple players on one machine (generally in the form of split-screen) is acceptable in my book.
[Edited by - Tom on July 26, 2005 1:22:16 PM]
Ten games every designer should play
Man i'm still confused on why X-Com: UFO Defense hasn't been put on the main list yet. It is definitely a game all designers must play.
XCOM
XCOM
XCOM
XCOM
[Edited by - HAM on July 27, 2005 4:30:23 AM]
XCOM
XCOM
XCOM
XCOM
[Edited by - HAM on July 27, 2005 4:30:23 AM]
Wait...GBGames...you -liked- ET?
*laughs* I still have my 2600 cartridge. I mean, granted, I loved playing it as a kid, but at that age any game where you mindlessly fall into pits that don't exist on the overworld map is fun.
Oh, and FBI agents that seem to catch you within five minutes of beginning the game.
Yup...crying shame they paved over those unsold copies in the Arizona deserts.
:P Oh well, not -too- terrible for a one-man development team on a three-week (I think) schedule before the Christmas rush.
*laughs* I still have my 2600 cartridge. I mean, granted, I loved playing it as a kid, but at that age any game where you mindlessly fall into pits that don't exist on the overworld map is fun.
Oh, and FBI agents that seem to catch you within five minutes of beginning the game.
Yup...crying shame they paved over those unsold copies in the Arizona deserts.
:P Oh well, not -too- terrible for a one-man development team on a three-week (I think) schedule before the Christmas rush.
Quazatron/Rana Rama (Spectrum/C64)
Quake (PC)
Warcraft II (PC)
Elite (C64)
Worms/Lemmings (PC)
Street Fighter II (Coin-op)
Heretic (PC - awesome sound!)
Note that my choice of versions for Quake and Warcraft is very deliberate. Designers should play the other versions and of those games (along with Starcraft and C&C:Red Alert) and try to understand why they're not as good as Quake I and Warcraft II.
Quake (PC)
Warcraft II (PC)
Elite (C64)
Worms/Lemmings (PC)
Street Fighter II (Coin-op)
Heretic (PC - awesome sound!)
Note that my choice of versions for Quake and Warcraft is very deliberate. Designers should play the other versions and of those games (along with Starcraft and C&C:Red Alert) and try to understand why they're not as good as Quake I and Warcraft II.
Quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
Quazatron/Rana Rama (Spectrum/C64)
Quake (PC)
Warcraft II (PC)
Elite (C64)
Worms/Lemmings (PC)
Street Fighter II (Coin-op)
Heretic (PC - awesome sound!)
Note that my choice of versions for Quake and Warcraft is very deliberate. Designers should play the other versions and of those games (along with Starcraft and C&C:Red Alert) and try to understand why they're not as good as Quake I and Warcraft II.
Starcraft is better than WC2 in every way (unless you just like fantasy style). :P
Action
Q2 3wave CTF : This was the version with the grappling hook & the runes. Rocked, especially e3m2.
Action Quake 2 : Best fps mod I've ever played, by the team behind CounterStrike. Really great, well-balaned weapon choices. Each player could choose 1 weapon, and 2 items. Most chose a machinegun, a bulletproof vest, and a grenade. I would choose the vest, 10 poisoned throwing knives, and the silent slippers that let you run silently, rather than just walk quietly.
Severance : Blade of Darkess I'm probably the only person on the planet who has played through this game 8 times. Twice with each of the 4 characters... so far! Great levels. The gameplay has some issues ( I never use the lock-on feature ), but overally it just works for me. Really fun to explore the first time. Great sounds & music throughout.
OUT OF THIS WORLD like many french games, it was beautiful, too hard, and too short. I played this continually until I finished it. Wow, what atmosphere this game had. I played the sequel a bit on emulation, but it didn't work for me.
Die by the Sword I actually loved the idea for the controls, but hated the way they worked. I was surprised I didn't like them. But, the levels were cool, and a good use of physics - nice feel. Played through multiple times with different characters.
RPG
WASTELAND If you can find a copy of this, check it out. Played this in glorious 16 color EGA graphics back in the day. A bard's tale style of game set in post-apocolyptic future. It had a great skill system, as well as a super upgrade jones. Just as all of your party members had a certain weapon class ( say pistols ), you killed the boss of an area, and got a cool new gun for only one dude - now you wanted all your dudes to have the .45/uzi/ak47, etc. Also possible to skip areas and still win ( although harder ). Some cool sidequests too, like Finster's Brain.
SSI Gold Box D&D Games These were great. The DragonLance games in particular were very cool. Good turn-based tactical combat.
Dark Sun I & II 1 was better, but both were fun. Cool alternate D&D setting, very good atmosphere. Nice tactical combat with some exploration, too.
Fighting
Street Fighter 2 Chapionship Edition This is what I failed out of school for ( that and my GF! ). So addictive, well balanced fighting game. I'm a Dhalsim player, btw.
Toshinden Possible to win with any character. I liked the slow french dude with the sword for some reason.
DOA3 God we used to play this at NVIDIA all the time. I was mainly a Leon dude, but my Christie and Hitomi were good too. Fun rock/paper/scissors style fighting with attacks/throws/counters.
Q2 3wave CTF : This was the version with the grappling hook & the runes. Rocked, especially e3m2.
Action Quake 2 : Best fps mod I've ever played, by the team behind CounterStrike. Really great, well-balaned weapon choices. Each player could choose 1 weapon, and 2 items. Most chose a machinegun, a bulletproof vest, and a grenade. I would choose the vest, 10 poisoned throwing knives, and the silent slippers that let you run silently, rather than just walk quietly.
Severance : Blade of Darkess I'm probably the only person on the planet who has played through this game 8 times. Twice with each of the 4 characters... so far! Great levels. The gameplay has some issues ( I never use the lock-on feature ), but overally it just works for me. Really fun to explore the first time. Great sounds & music throughout.
OUT OF THIS WORLD like many french games, it was beautiful, too hard, and too short. I played this continually until I finished it. Wow, what atmosphere this game had. I played the sequel a bit on emulation, but it didn't work for me.
Die by the Sword I actually loved the idea for the controls, but hated the way they worked. I was surprised I didn't like them. But, the levels were cool, and a good use of physics - nice feel. Played through multiple times with different characters.
RPG
WASTELAND If you can find a copy of this, check it out. Played this in glorious 16 color EGA graphics back in the day. A bard's tale style of game set in post-apocolyptic future. It had a great skill system, as well as a super upgrade jones. Just as all of your party members had a certain weapon class ( say pistols ), you killed the boss of an area, and got a cool new gun for only one dude - now you wanted all your dudes to have the .45/uzi/ak47, etc. Also possible to skip areas and still win ( although harder ). Some cool sidequests too, like Finster's Brain.
SSI Gold Box D&D Games These were great. The DragonLance games in particular were very cool. Good turn-based tactical combat.
Dark Sun I & II 1 was better, but both were fun. Cool alternate D&D setting, very good atmosphere. Nice tactical combat with some exploration, too.
Fighting
Street Fighter 2 Chapionship Edition This is what I failed out of school for ( that and my GF! ). So addictive, well balanced fighting game. I'm a Dhalsim player, btw.
Toshinden Possible to win with any character. I liked the slow french dude with the sword for some reason.
DOA3 God we used to play this at NVIDIA all the time. I was mainly a Leon dude, but my Christie and Hitomi were good too. Fun rock/paper/scissors style fighting with attacks/throws/counters.
1. Half-life/CounterStrike - I've probably played these two games more than all others combined, perfect examples of FPS multiplayer goodness, and "The best game of all time".
2. GTA: Vice City - Gangsta' freedom, with an 80's theme...can't go wrong.
3. Age of Empires (Series) - Multiplayer against your brother on the home LAN for 15 hours at a time, enough said. This is why I love RTS games.
4. Half-life 2 - It's gotta be on here somewhere.
5. Commander Keen (Series) - Probably one of the first games I ever played, deserves a spot on then list.
6. Sim City 2000 - Openendedness at it's finest.
7. Max Payne/Max Payne 2 - I think these games are very cool, and everyone should play at least one of them. First game to use "Bullet time"? I think that was actually on the back of the box? ;-)
8. Gangsters: Organized Crime - Personal favorite, check it out there are some good ideas in there somewhere ;-)
9. Rainbow 6: I seem to recall their planning/action stages to be very unique at the time. Also one of the first games I reaaaaally got into, so it deserves a spot.
10. Doom - I remember playing it at a friends house, and realizing how cool computer games really are. Plus making maps for the Doom was the first step I
ever took into game development. I was 11 or 12 years old at the time.
[EDIT] Oh shit, I forgot about Mortal Kombat ;-)
Ok this turned into a "Games I think rock" list, but oh well.
- Dan
2. GTA: Vice City - Gangsta' freedom, with an 80's theme...can't go wrong.
3. Age of Empires (Series) - Multiplayer against your brother on the home LAN for 15 hours at a time, enough said. This is why I love RTS games.
4. Half-life 2 - It's gotta be on here somewhere.
5. Commander Keen (Series) - Probably one of the first games I ever played, deserves a spot on then list.
6. Sim City 2000 - Openendedness at it's finest.
7. Max Payne/Max Payne 2 - I think these games are very cool, and everyone should play at least one of them. First game to use "Bullet time"? I think that was actually on the back of the box? ;-)
8. Gangsters: Organized Crime - Personal favorite, check it out there are some good ideas in there somewhere ;-)
9. Rainbow 6: I seem to recall their planning/action stages to be very unique at the time. Also one of the first games I reaaaaally got into, so it deserves a spot.
10. Doom - I remember playing it at a friends house, and realizing how cool computer games really are. Plus making maps for the Doom was the first step I
ever took into game development. I was 11 or 12 years old at the time.
[EDIT] Oh shit, I forgot about Mortal Kombat ;-)
Ok this turned into a "Games I think rock" list, but oh well.
- Dan
I can't believe you don't have Lengend of Zelda, Metroid, Mario, or any of the greatest games Nintendo ever made! Every game they make combines both new technology and awesome design to make the best games ever. Almost every game on your list has been influenced by, or used technology developed for these games. Don't be stupid. Include these games!
My opinion, no apologies.
The list is a joke. Look at the entire TBS section for instance: Alpha Centauri and Civilization (1, 2 and 3). All Sid Meier games, and all based on the same basic model.
What about Jagged Alliance? Master of Orion? Not to mention any of the excellent turn-based wargames out there..
What about Jagged Alliance? Master of Orion? Not to mention any of the excellent turn-based wargames out there..
Quote:Original post by Argus2
The list is a joke.
If you want to spend hours and hours of your own time organising these hundreds of suggestions into a better list then feel free. I've clearly stated that I'm not finished, and all of the games mentioned in the last few posts are going to be added when I get around to it.
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