Ken Barnes – Reviewer
Grand Theft Auto III
I’m not a huge GTA fan generally, but this one makes my list easily for being the first game to convince me that I was roaming around a living, breathing world. It was the first game that made me want to drive around outside of a mission and explore, on the off chance that I’d find something cool. The little touches – such as the radio stations and the always-random weather – all added to the effect.
European Football Champ
When I was a kid, every soccer game I played on a home console or computer was instantly compared the visual splendor (at the time) of Taito’s European Football Champ. Every arcade in my area had one of these machines, seemingly, and you could always hear the “FOOTBALL CHAAAAAAAAMP!” of the attract mode calling out from across the room. In terms of gameplay, it isn’t the best by a long way, but it holds a special place in my heart – along with SNK’s Super Sidekicks series, for similar reasons – over the FIFAs and the Pro Evos.
The Last Of Us
Very few games genuinely make me tense while playing, but when you’re low on ammo and creeping into an unknown location on the hunt for just a bullet or two, The Last of Us is often enough to raise the heart rate. Sure, Resident Evil II and Fatal Frame came close before, but Naughty Dog’s effort gets it done, for me. Add that to an opening chapter and introduction that moistens not just the brow, but the eyes as well, and you’ve got what is at least a favored contender in the race for the best game of the last generation.
Bayonetta
When it comes to Platinum Games, picking just one for this list was difficult. Aside from Bayonetta, I’m a big fan of the action of Metal Gear Rising and Vanquish, but Bayo wins out. Flawed, sure, but the general attitude of the lead character and the over-the-top action puts it on my list. The sequel is a better game in my opinion, but the original really mixed things up for me and pulled me back into gaming at a time when the entire landscape was blending into a mess of grey AAA mush and I was thinking of hanging up my controller.
Virtua Racing
My father is no gamer. The only game I’d ever seen him play was Asterix on the Master System, and that was just for two minutes in order to test a new TV. Then he saw a Virtua Racing cabinet and couldn’t resist challenging me. We ended up playing all afternoon. It isn’t even the strongest Sega racer but at the tender age of 11 it taught me of the massive potential of video games to give people new experiences. He’s not played anything since, but there you go…
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
As a huge fan of Studio Ghibli, there’s no way that Ni No Kuni wasn’t going to make my list. Obviously the art style drew me in, but the story and soundtrack both hit the nail on the head as well. Then as if that wasn’t enough, they throw in the incredibly Welsh Mr. Drippy, who is an absolute comedy genius and easily one of the most memorable characters in gaming.
Burnout Revenge
It’s a second racer in my list, but this was the racer that introduced “the zone” for me. The zone, if you haven’t experienced it, is where everything around you fades away and it’s just you and the game, with the controller becoming nothing but an extension of your thoughts. If a bee flew in and started stinging your eyeball, you’d still be locked onto the game. To hit some of those required times without wrecking your vehicle meant that the zone was absolutely imperative and though titles such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted came close, this one still hasn’t been bettered.