I was going through my RSS feeds when I saw this interesting post by Angelica “XboxFlickan” Norgren, a swedish gamer, challenging her readers to make a list of their top 10 games of all time. So I thought I would take on that challenge, but as soon as I started thinking about what my favorite games are, I realized why she called it a “challenge,” because it’s a daunting task.
The “rules,” so to speak, are simple: name a game and justify its positioning on the list with a few words. Here we go:
• #1 Grim Fandango (PC, 1998) – If the Land of the Dead is as festive and “alive” as portrayed here, then kill me now. And I want Manny Calavera as my travel agent!
• #2 Call of Duty Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, 2007) – Who knew horrible stories of war could be translated into entertainment for the rest of us?!
• #3 Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2 (PC, 2002) – Driving exotic cars, through exotic locations, in a fast yet orderly manner. A dream I may never experience.
• #4 Bioshock (Xbox 360, 2007) – There’s no way I would be living were I live if Rapture actually existed. And also, art deco FTW!
• #5 Burnout 3 Takedown (Xbox, 2004) – Driving not so exotic cars, through not so exotic locations, in a fast and completely chaotic manner. A nightmare I may experience.
• #6 Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES, 1990) – Don’t forget your past, where you come from. Ever.
• #7 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3, 2007) – I’m confident of my male persona, but the charm of Nathan Drake is hard to resist. I’ve never had such a “gay” moment.
• #8 Trials Bike Basic (Web/Flash, 2003) – If XboxFlickan brings along Pokemon Puzzle League to her deserted island, I’m bringing brain-melting motocross physics to mine.
• #9 Pilotwings 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996) – If I’d been smarter back then, I would’ve come to realize that it might have actually been cheaper to buy the game and console rather than rent them as many times as I did. Kids…
• #10 Grand Theft Auto Vice City (PC, 2003) – This game pulls off the Miami Vice theme better than the actual Miami Vice game. And I loved Miami Vice, hence my love for this game. Glorious!
There are undoubtably other games that could’ve made the list, a lot of others, if the list was bigger. The difference between those and the ones above, is that all the ones on the list here have in one way or another made their mark in my history of gaming.
Since XboxFlickan’s blog is in swedish, I thought I’d further roll this ball and continue the challenge in english. So for all you english-speaking folks out there, why don’t you give it a go? It’s not as easy as you’d think. Leave a comment or write it on your own blog if you have one. Just remember to hit me with the link when you’re done so I can check it out.
* Credits go to neonoir for the amazing artwork of Manny Calavera featured above.
