#100 Heavy Rain
Yes yes, get the “Press X To JASON!” memes out of your system now, because this game’s still cool in that “David Cage is an over-zealous jackass that occasionally gets something right” kind of way. This game manages to tell a story through mundanity and ridiculous pulp thriller movie nonsense at the same time. It’s one of the better cinematic “your choices totally matter kinda sorta” games of it’s time.
We’ll just um… ignore that sex scene because… bloody hell…
#99 Ys Origin
Sometimes I don’t need anything particularly deep. Sometimes I want to PRESS BUTTON MAKE CHARACTER GO BRRRRR and this game manages to capture that essence of the Ys franchise perfectly. Mix in excellent music, balls-stompingly difficult boss fights, and pure anime derp for a storyline and you’ve got one excellent little action RPG. Almost makes me forgive that it’s the only game in the series not to star Adol.
Almost.
#98 Remember Me
I’m not stranger to cheering for the underdog. And Dontnod entertainment’s action game output is definitely underdog-quality. Does this game do much to reinvent the brawler character action game formula? Not really.
But what it does do is steep the whole thing in atomosphere and aesthetic. Neo-Paris is a beautifully realized world and a joy to be in. The story is bonkers but enjoyable, and the unique memory gameplay gimmick compliments that narrative excellently. A flawed, but loveable B-game.
#97 Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Mario’s back! And this time, he’s a furry.
Part of me thinks the Mario series has never been quite as creatively free as it was during this time. The different worlds and levels are vastly different from your usual Mario formula, and it makes for a delightfully silly game to play through.
From climing through a whale’s rectum, to a level that takes place uncomfortably close to a giant robot-Mario’s junk, you never know where you’re going next. Mix in perfectly tuned platforming, and you have a game that stands the test of time.
#96 Rocket Knight Adventures
Sometimes all a game needs to be great is a cute artstyle, adrenaline-fueled action, and an utter disdain for the player.
This game is hard. Retro-hard. Behind it’s snappy gameplay mechanics and rapid-fire changing level design, it takes time to beat the ever loving hell out of you, but it’s impossible to stay mad at it due to it’s constant charm and cartoony antics. Just a joy from start to finish, even if I suck at it.
#95 Voodoo Vince
I love me a platformer that mixes things up. And Voodoo Vince is not afraid to throw completely random things at you from time to time to spice up it’s otherwise fairly standard stuff, occasionally coming across as almost more of a 3D adventure game than a pure platformer. Mix that with some fun gameplay quirks revolving around the voodoo concept, and enough silliness to keep you grinning like a buffoon, and you have an enjoyable experience that many people seem to have completely missed. Pity it never caught on, could have been a fun franchise to expand on.
#94 Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Once Japan discovered the Saw franchise, it was all over. Anime death games become the new coolness, and this is perhaps the first one to really nail it. The story manages to hold strong until the end game, which is a pretty rare feat for this genre. Coupled with well-written characters and more twisty-turny shocks than M. Night Shyamalan can shake a 37% Rotten Tomatoes score at, and you’ve got an enjoyable graphic novel…
…that subsequently makes you feel like an absolute dipshit during it’s puzzle segments. I love me a game that makes me feel like a complete idiot.
#93 Super Marios Bros. 3
What else is there really to say about this game? It’s an all-time classic. A generation-defining leap forward. And still remarkably enjoyable and charming even by today’s standards.
This one is almost entirely a childhood nostalgia pick, as I played this game for hours upon hours in my youth growing up in the late 80s/early 90s and if you plopped me down in front of it today, I’d still enjoy every minute.
I’ll still suck at it. But you know what? It’s fun.
#92 Kirby’s Dream Land 3
A sentimental pick amongst what most would consider better Kirby games.
Something about the warm pencil-art drawing style of this game resonates with me enough for it to stick out above its contemporaries. I’m sure more people would pick Super Star over this one, but I always find myself enjoying this one more. The animal buddies and extra level challenges coupled with it’s charming art style keep me coming back.
#91 The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
I’ve gone on record saying that this is the best pure video game ever made. It doesn’t do anything particularly special or interesting, it just does Game Design 101 about as perfectly as any game ever has.
And no matter how many times I revisit it, it still blows my mind in how meticulous it’s design was.
#90 Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow
Look, I’m not some “Genwunner” that thinks modern Pokemon is bad and only early Pokemon is good (in fact, more Pokemon to come on this list).
But I’m also a whore for nostalgia, and I played Pokemon Red when it was new and fresh. I was boots on the ground at the exact right age when Pokemon fever turned the entire world into fiends for those monsters. I had the cards, games, anime, toys, you name it.
Is Gen 1 busted as hell and borderline unplayable nowadays? Yup. Do I love it regardless? You better believe it.
#89 Kirby Mass Attack
I hate saying a game is “under-rated”, because who rates games doesn’t really matter anyway. But man, what a great game.
Many franchises fell victim to awkward DS control gimmick syndrome (Kirby perhaps more than any), but Mass Attack is perhaps one of the most impressive. It constantly mixes things up throughout it’s entire runtime, almost never repeating itself. It’s a blast to casually play through and marvel at the numerous surprises and twists it throws at you. Even if it’s clunky at times, it’s endlessly light-hearted and silly.
And an absolute nightmare to try to 100%, a feat I STILL haven’t finished doing.
#88 Shadow Of Destiny
I have absolutely no idea how to explain this game. It’s an adventure game… thing where you play as a guy who has to prevent his own death through time travel.’
It’s goofy B-game schlock from word one, but it’s undeniably atmospheric and entertaining.
Created by Junko Kawano after she helped get the Suikoden series off the ground, this game leaves a lasting impression even if its very off-the-walls silly. Somehow, it works as a moody adventure game about death, time travel, and alchemy.
#87 Vampyr
Hey look, Dontnod Entertainment is back with another slightly janky action adventure game with a well-realized world and engaging narrative.
Just like Remember Me before it, Vampyr hooked me with it’s excellent world design, story hooks, and the ways you interact with said world are still impressive to me even now.
The game is heavily invested in player choice and how you build relationships with each character in the world. It has a gameplay-centric morality system that lends itself to some fun roleplaying and unique experiences. An overall unique game that got vastly overlooked upon release. My kind of thing entirely.
#86 Ys: The Oath In Felghana
The second Ys game on my favorite games list (and, spoiler, not even close to the last) is a pretty straight-forward affair.
Hack and slash your way through dungeons while bangin’ tunes play. Enjoy a surprisingly emotional story while you get your skull absolutely shattered by bosses that are way too bloody hard at times, but give you a deep sense of satisfaction when you finally overcome them.
This game seems to have set a standard that the Ys franchise has been chasing ever since, and it’s a lot of people’s favorite game in the entire series. For good reason, but it’s a bit too ball-busting for my taste at times. Still an incredibly good time though.
#85 A Plague Tale: Requiem
A heartfelt excercise in exhaustion and bleakness. This game builds off the original perfectly, raising the stakes and paying off on all the emotional setups throughout.
While the gameplay is fairly standard for the most part, it uses it to push a wonderfully structured narrative filled with stark imagery and bonding moments that carry the weight of it’s story fantastically.
#84 Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Look who’s back for the third time already. Don’t Nod took everything they learned from Remember Me and Vampyr before it, and managed to pull it all together in a story that left me blurry-eyed with tears.
Why? Because the two main characters and their relationship are genuinely powerful and moving. For a game that centers itself around death, it is filled with life more than most game narratives.
While the gameplay is fairly standard at times, the world and story more than make up for it.
#83 AI: The Somnium Files – NirvanA Initiative
I was reluctantly excited about a sequel to the first Somnium Files game, due to it being pretty dang perfect. But the sequel delivers an almost-as-good experience. Focusing more on my favorite character Mizuki (which is weird ’cause I usually hate the “precocious child” trope), this one works in every way the first one did.
The plot twist in this game is so well-delivered, it sent me spiralling back through the entire game desperate to get a “BUTWUDABOUT” moment that I never did find. It was so tightly done that it made the whole game better post-twist.
#82 Ys Memories of Celceta
Coming in right after the remake of Ys 3 comes the remake of Ys 4. This game is all about playing with tropes, as they make Adol the amnesia-ridden protagonist, leading to some interesting ways of telling an already-established character’s backstory.
At this point, Falcom had nailed down the new party system, which leads to this particular entry feeling streamlined and snappy. Mix in the usual killer music, and it’s just a fun breeze-through action adventure game with some great story beats along the way.
#81 Paper Mario: The Origami King
Spoiler: This is the only Paper Mario game on this list.
Before I get crucifixed for this one being my favorite, let me explain. I do not like timed-button press combat. So the new wheel combat system in this game had me more engaged with every aspect of the game, instead of just the story. I found the adventure bits to be satisfying and enjoyable as well, leading to an all-around light-hearted romp that kept me going until the end (most Paper Mario games fizzle out for me later on).
Extra points for getting to kicking the shit out of a stapler. Fuck staplers.
The Mog Pile 