Christmas lists don’t have to be as jolly as the season usually dictates, and our latest is surely no exception – the ‘12 games to play before you die’. Just like the 12 days of Christmas, only much less cheerful...
A couple of caveats before we begin. The titles making our countdown are not necessarily the very best in the world, but they’re all landmark games in one way or another; be they big sellers, personal faves or just prime examples of their genre. Our list almost certainly won’t agree with yours either. But that’s what the comments are for. Feel free to contribute yours at the end of the article. OK, here we go:
Bubble Bobble – 1986, Arcade
Two cutesy dragons jump around a series of increasingly tricky levels, capturing foes in the bubbles they blow before popping them and moving onto the next screen. It’s a deliriously simple concept that resonates to this day – try the Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wii or iPhone remakes. Approach with caution, though – ‘Bubble Bobble’ is seriously addictive, and the endlessly repeating theme tune is guaranteed to drive you loopy.
Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! – 1987, Nintendo Entertainment System
“Boxing’s main event” sees ‘Little Mac’ fighting a series of cartoonish opponents before a final, bruising face-off with Iron Mike himself. It’s classic stuff and the original is still available on Wii’s Virtual Console. Moreover, you can draw a direct line from this humble little game to the likes of ‘Wii Sports’, ‘Kinect Sports’ and ‘The Fight: Lights Out’ on PlayStation Move. Here’s where it all started, though.
Super Mario World – 1990, Super NES
‘Super Mario World’ gets our vote thanks to its flawless platforming action – not too hard, but just tough enough to make you feel you’ve achieved something afterwards. It looked a treat on the Super NES (or download from Wii Virtual Console) and it remains creator Shigeru Miyamoto’s favourite Mario game. We wouldn’t presume to argue with that, but we would recommend that you also check some of Miyamoto’s earlier Mazza masterpieces – ‘Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 and 3’ plus the legendarily difficult ‘Lost Levels’ are all bundled in ‘Super Mario All-Stars’, out this Friday on Wii.
Tomb Raider – 1996, PlayStation
Pipping ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ as the best adventure on consoles is Lara Croft’s first outing. Sure, she’s horribly rendered by today’s standards and the jerky gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, but this is the one that begat a whole genre – as well as more sequels and wannabe female heroines than we care to count. We love Lara, and we’re doubly pleased to see her back to her best in ‘Tomb Raider: Underworld’ and her excellent downloadable adventure ‘Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light’, available now on next-gen consoles.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – 1998, Nintendo 64
In truth we could have picked any Zelda game on a variety of Nintendo consoles, but we went with ‘Ocarina of Time’ because of its enchanting storyline and the gripping gameplay that eases you into the action and locks you in all the way to the climactic battle with Ganondorf. Many critics still rate this as the greatest game ever made – and they may well be right. Maybe it’s time that Nintendo started thinking about an HD remake?
Crazy Taxi – 1999, Arcade
Players pilot a yellow taxi and try to take passengers from A to B by any means necessary. Too bad for your fares if this involves ploughing through crowds of screaming pedestrians, taking shortcuts through car parks or driving the wrong way up one-way streets. No other driving game is quite as riotously silly, nor does any match ‘Crazy Taxi’s propensity to do your joypad a mischief, as you try to squeeze out one last speed boost. Check the Xbox LIVE/PlayStation Network remakes at your earliest convenience.
World of Warcraft – 2004, PC
Truly the mother of all role-playing games, and the title that put the ‘Massive’ into MMO. Innumerable quests, countless interactions with global players and a fantasy gaming world you could truly live in – plenty really do. Ask the 12 million ‘WoW’ subscribers why they play and you’ll realise why we can’t summarise it in a single paragraph. The ‘Cataclysm’ expansion pack promises to make things even bigger and better too. Prepare to be dazzled from 7 December.
Mario Kart Wii – 2008, Wii
This will upset a few die-hards, but the Wii version wins every time because of its crisp visuals, its selection of awesome tracks, the mirthfully merciless gameplay and tilt-controls that (in theory) allow complete newbies to compete with the pros. Other ‘MK’ games may lack the visual finesse and multiplayer options but are still worth looking up – download ‘Super Mario Kart’ and ‘Mario Kart 64’ from the Wii’s Virtual Console.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 2009, PC, next-gen consoles
Treyarch’s contemporary wartime blaster may well be a gentle stroll through the woods compared to the utter chaos of ‘Black Ops’, but ‘MW2’ is all the better for it, with a properly compelling plot, great characterisation throughout, plenty of variety in the high-octane gameplay and the voice of the bloke who does the ‘Injury Lawyers 4 You’ adverts. What, we ask, is not to like? This is the very best of an excellent bunch in our opinion.
Halo: Reach – 2010, Xbox 360
An obvious choice, we know, but ‘Halo: Reach’ is the game that keeps on giving. The single-player campaign is somewhat short but is never less than spectacular, while the finely-tuned online multiplayer modes are truly to die for – all too frequently – and you’ll still keep coming back for more. If there’s a better space shooter out there we haven’t played it yet.
Gran Turismo 5 – 2010, PlayStation 3
Set aside the five-year wait, the 50-minute installations, the ongoing server problems and ‘GT5’ is still the absolute pinnacle of motor racing games. Photo-realistic supercars and real-world locations dazzle throughout, while go-karts, NASCAR and the Top Gear Test Track keep things just the right side of too sensible. If you’ve got a PlayStation 3 you must own this game. It’s as simple as that, really.
Super Street Fighter IV – 2010, next-gen consoles
The classic ‘Street Fighter II’ first fired our appetite for this feisty fighting franchise. However, ‘Super Street Fighter IV’ takes everything that makes the series great, then turns it up to 11 – the classic 2D gameplay is given a neat 3D twist, 35 awesome brawlers are unlocked from the start, there’s bruising action for two offline and an eight-player online game that works like a virtual arcade. It’s no exaggeration to say that ‘Super Street Fighter IV’ really is all the fighting game you’re ever going to need.
Which other games would you include on the list? Over to you...
A couple of caveats before we begin. The titles making our countdown are not necessarily the very best in the world, but they’re all landmark games in one way or another; be they big sellers, personal faves or just prime examples of their genre. Our list almost certainly won’t agree with yours either. But that’s what the comments are for. Feel free to contribute yours at the end of the article. OK, here we go:
Bubble Bobble – 1986, Arcade
Two cutesy dragons jump around a series of increasingly tricky levels, capturing foes in the bubbles they blow before popping them and moving onto the next screen. It’s a deliriously simple concept that resonates to this day – try the Xbox LIVE Arcade, Wii or iPhone remakes. Approach with caution, though – ‘Bubble Bobble’ is seriously addictive, and the endlessly repeating theme tune is guaranteed to drive you loopy.
Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! – 1987, Nintendo Entertainment System
“Boxing’s main event” sees ‘Little Mac’ fighting a series of cartoonish opponents before a final, bruising face-off with Iron Mike himself. It’s classic stuff and the original is still available on Wii’s Virtual Console. Moreover, you can draw a direct line from this humble little game to the likes of ‘Wii Sports’, ‘Kinect Sports’ and ‘The Fight: Lights Out’ on PlayStation Move. Here’s where it all started, though.
Super Mario World – 1990, Super NES
‘Super Mario World’ gets our vote thanks to its flawless platforming action – not too hard, but just tough enough to make you feel you’ve achieved something afterwards. It looked a treat on the Super NES (or download from Wii Virtual Console) and it remains creator Shigeru Miyamoto’s favourite Mario game. We wouldn’t presume to argue with that, but we would recommend that you also check some of Miyamoto’s earlier Mazza masterpieces – ‘Super Mario Bros. 1, 2 and 3’ plus the legendarily difficult ‘Lost Levels’ are all bundled in ‘Super Mario All-Stars’, out this Friday on Wii.
Tomb Raider – 1996, PlayStation
Pipping ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ as the best adventure on consoles is Lara Croft’s first outing. Sure, she’s horribly rendered by today’s standards and the jerky gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, but this is the one that begat a whole genre – as well as more sequels and wannabe female heroines than we care to count. We love Lara, and we’re doubly pleased to see her back to her best in ‘Tomb Raider: Underworld’ and her excellent downloadable adventure ‘Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light’, available now on next-gen consoles.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – 1998, Nintendo 64
In truth we could have picked any Zelda game on a variety of Nintendo consoles, but we went with ‘Ocarina of Time’ because of its enchanting storyline and the gripping gameplay that eases you into the action and locks you in all the way to the climactic battle with Ganondorf. Many critics still rate this as the greatest game ever made – and they may well be right. Maybe it’s time that Nintendo started thinking about an HD remake?
Crazy Taxi – 1999, Arcade
Players pilot a yellow taxi and try to take passengers from A to B by any means necessary. Too bad for your fares if this involves ploughing through crowds of screaming pedestrians, taking shortcuts through car parks or driving the wrong way up one-way streets. No other driving game is quite as riotously silly, nor does any match ‘Crazy Taxi’s propensity to do your joypad a mischief, as you try to squeeze out one last speed boost. Check the Xbox LIVE/PlayStation Network remakes at your earliest convenience.
World of Warcraft – 2004, PC
Truly the mother of all role-playing games, and the title that put the ‘Massive’ into MMO. Innumerable quests, countless interactions with global players and a fantasy gaming world you could truly live in – plenty really do. Ask the 12 million ‘WoW’ subscribers why they play and you’ll realise why we can’t summarise it in a single paragraph. The ‘Cataclysm’ expansion pack promises to make things even bigger and better too. Prepare to be dazzled from 7 December.
Mario Kart Wii – 2008, Wii
This will upset a few die-hards, but the Wii version wins every time because of its crisp visuals, its selection of awesome tracks, the mirthfully merciless gameplay and tilt-controls that (in theory) allow complete newbies to compete with the pros. Other ‘MK’ games may lack the visual finesse and multiplayer options but are still worth looking up – download ‘Super Mario Kart’ and ‘Mario Kart 64’ from the Wii’s Virtual Console.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 2009, PC, next-gen consoles
Treyarch’s contemporary wartime blaster may well be a gentle stroll through the woods compared to the utter chaos of ‘Black Ops’, but ‘MW2’ is all the better for it, with a properly compelling plot, great characterisation throughout, plenty of variety in the high-octane gameplay and the voice of the bloke who does the ‘Injury Lawyers 4 You’ adverts. What, we ask, is not to like? This is the very best of an excellent bunch in our opinion.
Halo: Reach – 2010, Xbox 360
An obvious choice, we know, but ‘Halo: Reach’ is the game that keeps on giving. The single-player campaign is somewhat short but is never less than spectacular, while the finely-tuned online multiplayer modes are truly to die for – all too frequently – and you’ll still keep coming back for more. If there’s a better space shooter out there we haven’t played it yet.
Gran Turismo 5 – 2010, PlayStation 3
Set aside the five-year wait, the 50-minute installations, the ongoing server problems and ‘GT5’ is still the absolute pinnacle of motor racing games. Photo-realistic supercars and real-world locations dazzle throughout, while go-karts, NASCAR and the Top Gear Test Track keep things just the right side of too sensible. If you’ve got a PlayStation 3 you must own this game. It’s as simple as that, really.
Super Street Fighter IV – 2010, next-gen consoles
The classic ‘Street Fighter II’ first fired our appetite for this feisty fighting franchise. However, ‘Super Street Fighter IV’ takes everything that makes the series great, then turns it up to 11 – the classic 2D gameplay is given a neat 3D twist, 35 awesome brawlers are unlocked from the start, there’s bruising action for two offline and an eight-player online game that works like a virtual arcade. It’s no exaggeration to say that ‘Super Street Fighter IV’ really is all the fighting game you’re ever going to need.
Which other games would you include on the list? Over to you...
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