My Top 100 Games of All Time: #20-11

20. Resident Evil

(GCN, 2002)

This game single-handedly made me a survival horror fan. No, I never played a Resident Evil game until this one. I had heard people talking about the games in school, usually among the "superior" Playstation crowd (gotta love the console wars) but I didn't know how great the series was until I played this. My friend got me this for my birthday the year it came out and all I knew about it was that it was scary and the graphics were amazingly good. Little did I know I'd be playing one of my favorite games of all time. This game is the definition of survival horror. Since I never played the original Resident Evil on PS1, I had no idea what upgrades they made to this game since it was a remake, but my god wow this game was scary the first time I played it. I'll never forget the first time I killed a bunch of zombies in the basement, only to return later, forgetting about them, but they were now the stronger and faster Crimson Heads, which immediately dashed towards me as I ran away in terror. It was exhilarating to play through for the first time. The game doesn't scare me anymore, but I still enjoy the creepy atmosphere and the great story.

19. Kirby's Epic Yarn

(Wii, 2010)

This game really surprised me how much I loved it. I find Kirby games to be hit or miss with me. Either they end up becoming one of my absolute favorite games, or I'd be happy never to play them again. Kirby's Epic is not only my favorite Kirby game of all time, but also my favorite Wii game of all time, and my absolute favorite game of the last 5 years. People hate this game because it's cutesy and very easy, but they don't realize it's not about challenge. I found the game to be extremely charming and creative with a fantastic art style and an amazing soundtrack. I absolutely love the "everything is made of yarn" aspect of it, and even though the story is simple and ridiculously cute, almost in a children's book sort of way, I can't help but love this game every time I play it. It is a truly underrated gem. If it weren't for this game and Donkey Kong Country Returns, I might not have kept my Wii. Seriously. The Wii is a disappointing console but Kirby's Epic Yarn almost singlehandedly redeemed the console. Almost. For a while I'd even thought this game had broken into the top 10 in my list, but I don't see myself replaying this one as much as a few others. But this game still gives me chills of nostalgia when I play it despite it only being 4+ years old.

18. Final Fantasy X

(PS2, 2001)

This game, along with Kingdom Hearts and Xenosaga Episode I, convinced me to buy a Playstation 2. The other two games were good but didn't make the list. Final Fantasy X,  however, is one of the greatest games ever conceived. The battle system returns to turn based but with the ability to switch party members in and out on the fly, which is a very nice addition. The characters were all memorable and engaging, the story was amazing, the world was vivid and detailed, and the soundtrtack...my god the soundtrack...might just be my absolute favorite soundtrack of all time. That's a topic for another day, but the music is just that good. But the music alone doesn't make the game a masterpiece. Every element in the game comes together perfectly. I'll never forget my first playthrough with the game either. I started and finished the game within a week. I blazed through this game so quickly because played it probably about 8 hours a day. I couldn't stop! After a serious reassessment of the series, this game is my third favorite Final Fantasy, and my 18th favorite game of all time.

17. Super Mario World

(SNES, 1991)

The biggest and best 2D Mario game of all time, Super Mario World singlehandedly sold me on the Super Nintendo. This was all I needed to know that I needed a SNES. I remember playing this game with a friend in elementary school. He had just gotten a Super Nintendo with Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Pilotwings, and SimCity. I remember playing those games together and taking turns to beat Super Mario World. It was one of the most epic game completions I've ever experienced. This game was so huge I didn't even finish it 100% until a good 10+ years later. This game was literally secret after secret. And every level was great. I also loved the addition of Yoshi. Super Mario World is so iconic for the Super Nintendo and for the Mario series and I'm so glad I got to play this game during its heyday, unlike most other SNES games. Super Mario World is a true archetype for 2D platformers.

16. Diddy Kong Racing

(N64, 1997)

By now you know I love Mario Kart, but what is Diddy Kong Racing but a bigger and better Mario Kart? No, seriously. This game is my all-time favorite racing game. It takes the item tossing, kart racing element of Mario Kart and adds two vehicles: a hovercraft and an airplane, gives you a simple but effective story, a bunch of new characters, and a big expansive overworld. Diddy Kong Racing was the kart racing game to end all kart racing games. I cannot even tell you how hyped I was for this game either. Leading up to its release, I think I was more hyped for this game than any other game in history. Not to mention I loved Diddy Kong from the Donkey Kong Country games. This game is still fantastically fun to play, still provides a challenge, and is still my absolute favorite racing game of all time.

15. Mother 3

(GBA, 2006)

This was the long-awaited sequel to Earthbound on Super Nintendo and despite being originally conceived as Earthbound 64, which never came out, then put into development hell, then a surprise announcement not long before its release, it was a real rollercoaster getting to the point of this game coming out at all. I was upset, as were many fans, when they announced it as a Japan exclusive. But this would mark the first time I ever imported a game from Japan and played a game completely in Japanese. Yes, I played Mother 3 in full Japanese despite not knowing a single word of it. Luckily they made it pretty easy to follow the story and menu items since most things were represented by pictures. For a game I hold in such high regard as Earthbound, this game had a lot to live up to in my opinion, but I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint. It is a truly amazing game, and one I was proud to have as a sequel to Earthbound. Mother 3 was eventually translated by a super fan and dumped onto the internet in ROM form so I was eventually able to fill in the gaps of the story I didn't understand. Mother 3's story was ridiculously strong and surprisingly emotional, and the fact that I knew pretty much everything that was going on even though I couldn't read any text - that's good story telling. Just by actions I was able to figure out the story on my own. Aside from an amazing story, this game features an amazing soundtrack, a battle system that's similar to Earthbound's but more fluid and faster paced, and graphics similar to Earthbound's but a bit better. Overall, Mother 3 succeeded in pleasing myself and the rest of the Earthbound fan community, which could've easily gone either way, but thankfully it came out great. Now all we need is an official North American release.

14. Chrono Trigger

(SNES, 1995)

Often hailed as one of the greatest RPGs of all time, Chrono Trigger is an epic time-traveling story - one so great that whenever time traveling is featured in games, it is almost always compared to Chrono Trigger. The game is such a masterpiece of a game with its fantastic story, endearing characters, great graphics, and its masterpiece of a soundtrack, which I feel is easily one of the best soundtracks of all time. I didn't get to play this game until at least 5 years after its release when I played it on emulator. I remember it taking me two days to download (dial up connection was slow as hell) and then finally I got to play it and it was well worth the wait. I knew the game was highly regarded before I played it but the actual game was nearly impossible to find at the time so I had to wait until a viable option came along. The characters are all distinct and fun to play as, and I love how each character's "Tech" (kind of like magic) can combine with other party members' Techs to create bigger and better attacks. Chrono Trigger really set itself apart in many ways back then and still remains one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

13. Super Mario 64

(N64, 1996)

If there ever was a single game that would sell me on any console, this was it. Super Mario 64 was the system seller to end all system sellers. Prior to seeing and playing Super Mario 64, I had zero interest in the Nintendo 64. I only just got a Super Nintendo around 1994/95 and N64 was only a year or two away so I felt I wasn't given enough time with the SNES to really justify diving into the N64. Also, 3D graphics didn't interest me. I strongly preferred 2D pixelated art as opposed to blocky 3D models. My neighbor had a PS1 and the graphics really turned me off, so I was more than content to just play my SNES. However that all changed when I played a demo of Super Mario 64 in Blockbuster. My interest went from 0 to 60 in mere seconds. I couldn't believe how amazing the gameplay was and what I almost missed out on for fear of change. Shortly after, I rented an N64 with Super Mario 64 and played it all week, nearly completing the game in the time that I had it. Not long after that, I bought an N64 with my birthday money in 1997 but didn't have enough for a game. I resorted to renting games from March through September in 1997 and eventually got Super Mario 64 6 months after buying the system. Even though I rented it twice at this point, I still couldn't get enough of the time. And after finally owning it and completing it, Super Mario 64 became the first game I ever completed to 100%. Years go by and in my mind I feel Super Mario 64 is old and outdated, but I just played the game last year, and sure the graphics are blocky and dated, but the gameplay is just as fun as it was in 1996. This is why Super Mario 64 is my all-time favorite Mario game and one of my favorite games of all time.

12. Conker's Bad Fur Day

(N64, 2001)

Since this game's initial announcement, I followed it like a hawk. Conker 64 was the pending title then it changed to Twelve Tales: Conker 64, then finally Conker's Bad Fur Day. It was the final iteration that transformed Conker from a cutesy 3D platforming hero to a foul-mouthed and drunken squirrel and honestly I feel the changes only made the game better. The platforming is still there and it's very solid. Not quite as fluid as Super Mario 64 but it's still well done. What really sets Conker's Bad Fur Day apart from the rest is the humor and the story. Conker's girlfriend Berri goes missing and the game opens with Conker stumbling out of a bar with a massive hangover. Things soon snowball out of control as Conker searches for his missing girlfriend and each new character is more memorable and funnier than the next. Even the villain of the game, the Panther King, is funny, and his motivation for capturing Conker is only so he can replace the leg of his 3 legged table since Conker is just the right height to keep the table stable so he doesn't spill his milk. Seriously - that's the story. The comedy is very South Park-esque in style, which appeals to me greatly. Every element in the game comes together perfectly for the most enjoyable experience on the N64, but most of all is its humor. This is easily the funniest game I ever played, by far, and it's the biggest reason I kept coming back to the game over the last decade and a half. It's just a shame we'll never see Conker reappear on another Nintendo console again.

11. Donkey Kong Country

(SNES, 1994)

It's hard to believe this now, but the first time I played this game, I hated it. It was lent to me by a classmate who insisted I play it. I didn't have my SNES for that long and my experience with the system was extremely limited so Donkey Kong Country was one of the first games I played on the SNES. Although the graphics were fantastic, I found the gameplay to be ridiculously hard and frustrating. I struggled to get to world 3 and at that point I just ended it and handed the game back to my classmate. About a year later, I found myself in Funcoland and I needed more SNES games since all I had was Super Mario All-Stars + World. I primarily rented games to experience them at the time, but looking at the wall of games in Funcoland, I was ready to buy Super Mario Kart when an employee convinced me to get Donkey Kong Country instead. He convinced me and I took home Donkey Kong Country that day. It took me a while to really get into it but the more I played it the more I liked it. Eventually I found myself finishing it, and at that point I loved it. At that moment, Donkey Kong Country was my favorite game of all time. It was also one of the first games I ever beat. The only games I ever finished prior to it were Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World. It would be a good decade or so later that I would finally get 100% but even beating the game without 100% completion made me feel accomplished. This was a game that was my Achilles' heel for a good year or two, which looking back isn't that long, but I found the game to be so difficult back then that actually finishing it felt amazing. And ever since I have really come to appreciate it. Nowadays I can play the game almost blindfolded and in one sitting. There's something very comforting about running through a game you've played so many times that you know like the back of your hand. This is also the game that made Donkey Kong my favorite video game character of all time.