Let me be honest, LusiFolks. Whether or not I specifically mention them, whenever I write about games on this glorious website, my ramblings tend to relate to my very favourite titles or the RPG genre. If I am talking, it can be expected that I will mention Final Fantasy IX, Flower, Shadow of the Colossus, Mass Effect, or any number of the 3D Legend of Zelda titles.
Ethos’ first game ever.
Of course, there is always the off chance that I will mention my “tier 2″ favourites like Skies of Arcadia, inFAMOUS, Final Fantasy XII and VII, or any number of the games in the now-bloated Kingdom Hearts series.
However, sometimes I get so caught up in the games that I love the most that I forget about the titles that I really have – or have had – a lot of fun with that never get the spotlight in my writing. Maybe it is that I have not played them in a long time, or that they are overshadowed by the more emotionally poignant or grander-scale titles. Still, they are a part of my gaming makeup, so I feel like they are worth mentioning.
Kirby’s Dream Land (GB)
Yes, the Game Boy title. It is a bit of a joke now. It is very easy and there is nothing particularly special about it, but it is the very first game I ever owned and so it has a special place for me. I was caught up by the fact that I could actually control a character on a screen that I had no room for critical analysis. It was just pure fun to Child Ethos.
Snow Bros. (NES)
This is even older and even more obscure. Before I owned my own console, I had to play at other people’s houses. This is a game I would prefer never to play again. This is because I am quite sure that it is exponentially better in my nostalgic memory than as an actual game. Even recalling it now makes me remember a horrible premise, forgettable gameplay, and no boundaries pushed. But at the time, there was no story more grand, no gameplay more nuanced, and nothing more fun.
Tecmo Stackers (PSX)
Now we get into the games that I actually think are pretty good. This is one of those games that rides the fine line between absolutely horrible and strangely incredible. On one hand, the title takes the standard Tetris formula and turns it into one of the more unique and addicting iterations of the puzzle game that I have every played. Gameplay is fast and furious, strategy-based, and requires unlearning a lot of the standard ways of thinking about puzzle games.
So weird.
Yet, on the other game, the game is so bonkers, one has to wonder how it ever got a stateside release. Each match starts with a countdown that inexplicably switches from girls in pretty dresses to shirtless dudes with weird voices. Menu choices are selected by one of the puzzle blocks licking the selection, and the title features what is probably the smallest and laziest OST in gaming history.
At the same time, however, these obscure low-rent choices make the experience that much more surreal and hilarious while playing. Sometimes I lost matches to a friend because of how hard I was laughing at the strangeness on screen. It is very difficult to say whether or not Tecmo Stackers is a good game, but I sure as hell have a lot of amazing memories with it.
Super Smash Bros. (N64/GCN/Wii)
This might seem like a bizarre entry to include given its popularity, but I mention it so rarely in my writing that it is pretty surprising consider the number of hours I have spent with these games. While Melee is probably the most balanced of the three, there is no Captain Olimar in Melee. I will be the first to admit that I am not very good at video games, but if I had to show off with any title, it would be Brawl. Those pikmin are powerful defenders.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
While the New Super Mario sequels look to be more of the same, Super Mario Galaxy 2 was a case of perfecting a new formula. The game sliced down the number of missions per levels and instead offered more worlds, more varied missions, and the most skill-based suit I can remember in a Mario game in years: The cloud suit. The 3D Mario games are certainly not for everybody, but Super Mario Galaxy 2 is far and away the best one of the lot and I barely ever mention it considering my deep respect and love for one of Nintendo’s rare success stories of late. Maybe it is because the Wii is stupid.
What about you, LusiSlaves? Do you have games that you have great memories with or might even consider to be one of your favourites that you just never tend to talk about? Good, bad, guilty pleasures, all is fair game!
