What gaming series is the greatest? I personly have to go with Castlevania but all of Nintendo's big three (Zelda, Mario, and Metroid) come real close. What do you think?
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What gaming series is the greatest? I personly have to go with Castlevania but all of Nintendo's big three (Zelda, Mario, and Metroid) come real close. What do you think?
Dragonquest
If you want to judge "great" by how each subsequent game in the sequel improves/innovates on the previous ones, DQ is the obvious choice.
Zelda
I was just thinking this last week and I'm going to have to say the Metroid series. All the games have gotten tons of praise for being some of the best games of all time and I love them all. Plus there has yet to be a true dud in the series. The only other series that I can think that compares to this is Zelda...but there was that whole Majora's Mask deal.
Its tough to say, but Metroid is waaaaaayyyy up there. Sonic is a fav of mine. While Final Fantasy may have fallen out of my personal tastes after 7, its influence has been amazing. Stil Metroid... I see its influence in many many games, and many of my favorite games. My personal favorite series of games though.... it would proabably fall to either the Shining series or the Panzer Dragoon series. Tough choice.
Z-roe
Mario.
Tough call...but I'll have to go with King of Fighters.
Street Fighter no question. Allow the original, it's easily the best and most influential 2D fighting game series.
Super Mario Bros. It set the standard for the platform game genre, got me hooked on video games, and remains one of the most innovative and consistently entertaining franchises to date.
Final Fantasy.
http://www.boomspeed.com/andy787/sarcasm.jpg
Good luck with the flaming you're about to recieve.Quote:
Originally posted by Andy
Final Fantasy.
:lol: :lol: :lol:Quote:
Originally posted by Andy
Final Fantasy.
This just in, Halo is the best FPS game ever and I love Tekken.
Happy? :rolleyes:
Title of Game =/= Emotion through text
I thought you knew me, Slip. I thought we tight, yo.
Do you not know how long it took for me to realize that you and AndyRose are two different people? :p
Oh, are we? ;)
Super Mario Brothers. It was the originator, and even now, with each subsequent release, everyone else struggles to meet the standards they set.
............Quote:
Originally posted by Andy
Oh, are we? ;)
:confused:
God damnit..
Street Fighter
Legend of Zelda... except for the whole Zelda II thing. :p
And you would be right.Quote:
Originally posted by Van Helsing
I personly have to go with Castlevania
Originator of what? It wasn't even the first game in its series...Quote:
Originally posted by Lordmrw
Super Mario Brothers. It was the originator
I'd go for Virtual On and all, but I can't play VOOM and I don't know much about Force.
So it goes to KoF.
I guess either Zelda or the Metroids. EVERY one in the series has been damn good. Mario has suffered a bit every now and then and theres been shitty Sonic games. But those two series are ALWAYS quality. And yes I LOVED Zelda 2. I dont know why it gets so much hate.
Mario is surely #3 though all time.
I didnt want to be Nintendo biased but when you really think about it those truely are the best game franchises ever.
Legend o' Zelda
The word dolt just doesn't go good there, it would flow better with "idiot," or "fool."Quote:
And I, in the minority, will have to say *sets self ready to receive flaming* Final Fantasy. It only surpasses Mario when I factor in FFt.
I would have to say Metroid. Never had a shit game. Castlevania is very close but I really don't care too much for Super Castlevania IV. All 3 Nintendo franchises can easily be considered the best. Very few have the pedigree that those franchises have. I will go out and say that, for me, the Soul Reaver franchise is right up there. Great exploration and the most intelligent story ever written for videogames.
Monster World.
Seriously. I've been replaying them all this week and I'm convinced.
It can only be Super Mario Bros.
It is Ultima, by far. Why?
01. It pretty much invented the RPG genre. Dragon Warrior was like a less complex Ultima I.
02. The storyline is incredible. Ultima I-III was pretty much the "defeat the big bad guy games"... and developers are still making essentially fancier versions of that. However, Garriott moved on by U4.
03. U4's storyline is just plain brilliant, an RPG without a bad guy to defeat. Its like a quest for enlightenment. Amazing game.
04. The series got even better. Ultima VI's storyline is in particular extremely clever and pretty brilliant. Ultima VII's is fantastic as well, as it has probably the best bad guy in all of videogaming, The Guardian.
05. Ultima VII did the whole "huge interactive world and you can interact with it all" thing about a decade before Shenmue did, and it did it better, too. Really amazing game.
06. Origin consistently pushed PC technology with their titles.
07. Ultima Underworld did the 3D thing a year before Doom did, and if I remember correctly it had six degrees of freedom (Doom had what, four?). It was also handled by Warren Specter, who went on to make titles like System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex.
08. Ultima Online put MMORPGs on the map, and its also the most complex of the existing ones. Still. Too bad EA canned UO2.
09. Origin, along with Infocom, started the trend of putting all sorts of extra crap into the game box that so many of you eat up with a spoon.
Yes, U8 was not very good and U9 was rushed (still an AMAZING game though). But Ultima gets my vote because its so far ahead of its time, I mean, it STILL is. Another game in the style of Ultima IV has *never* come out, developers won't even try. And its been 17 years. One day they will but until then Ultima will be at the forefront of interactive storytelling.
Metal Slug...
No need for explanations.
Wing Commander. Behold its glory.
Well, Lets see:
Resident Evil
KOF
Street Fighter
Final Fantasy
Metal Gear
Contra
Castlevania
Virtua Fighter - I can't think of any other long-running series where I've loved every entry.
Mario has Mario 2 and Sunshine, um, Street Fighter has SF1, Contra had the 32 bit ones and Contra Force, I just haven't played Metal Slug enough.
It's so hard to pick. Mario had a perfect streak until Sunshine.
Frogacuda's mention of the excellent Monster World series reminds me how disgustingly underrated the series is at TNL. I'm willing to bet 3/4 of people here haven't even played one game in the series.
<-- See avatar. ;)
Honourable mentions would be for Monster World (right on Froga!), Shining Force, and Metal Slug. I have to pick MS because I have been playing 2nd Mission a lot lately. What a great game. I could name more, but honestly no series comes that close to these. I am only picking games where I like every game in the series.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately (for obvious reasons) and I happen to think that Metroid is quite overrated. I've tried to get into it but I simply don't get it... Mario and Zelda I can understand, even though I am not a fan, but not Metroid. Oh well, to each his own.
:)
That seems so strange. It seems like people here have played just about everything, and yet not WB3, which is in my honest opinion the best 8-bit console-original game there is.Quote:
Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
It's so hard to pick. Mario had a perfect streak until Sunshine.
Frogacuda's mention of the excellent Monster World series reminds me how disgustingly underrated the series is at TNL. I'm willing to bet 3/4 of people here haven't even played one game in the series.
EDIT: sggg: You're right about Metroid being overrated. I do like the games I have gotten into them, I like them alot. But it's no where near the best series ever.
The only Ultima games I've played are the two Underworld games. And damn, they were amazing. But you've made me interested in the rest of the series...Quote:
07. Ultima Underworld did the 3D thing a year before Doom did, and if I remember correctly it had six degrees of freedom (Doom had what, four?). It was also handled by Warren Specter, who went on to make titles like System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex.
Army Men
Do you know if there's a Windows 9x patch for Ultima Underworld like there is for Ultima VII? I hate dealing with DOS bullshit. I have the Underworld games but I refuse to play them until I can get them working with sound.
Panzer Dragoon, Goddammit.
It seems like there is not a very big SMS contingent here on this forum. Perhaps it's because any 8-bit games are harder to appreciate if you didn't experience them first hand. I am not sure... but I believe that SMS is the most underrated console of all time. Maybe people simply don't understand because it's harder to tell 15 years later?Quote:
Originally posted by Frogacuda
That seems so strange. It seems like people here have played just about everything, and yet not WB3, which is in my honest opinion the best 8-bit console-original game there is.
Even still, my girlfriend was not that into videogames back then. She is now though, so I showed her various SMS games and then right after that showed her some NES games to she what she thought from an unbiased neutral perspective.. It's really hard to believe it's even the same generation of gaming. I'd go so far as to say that the gap in quality that SMS had over NES is the biggest single gap in quality between competing consoles that we've ever seen. Anyway, so I showed my girlfriend a few games back to back and she echoed what I just said. There is such a big difference in all aspects of the games.
SMS games were so bright and colourful with beautiful detailed sprites. The games looked and played so much better. Compare Wonder Boy or Alex Kidd's sprites to Mario, Zelda, or Metroid simply ugly 2-3 colour washed out sprites.. Or compare the detailed colourful backgrounds to the constantly boring repeating backgrounds of a game like Metroid.
Don't get me wrong, there are some NES games I really enjoy and I still find fun (The first SMB, for example), I just think that many people's opinions on these early games are heavily skewed because of nostalgia. Even for me, there are some lousy SMS games I can still enjoy simply because of the nostalgia factor, but because of NES' massive popularity and because of the relative youth of most of the fans back then, I think it is somewhat of an explanation for how overrated certain series/games have gotten (and results in the general lack of respect SMS games tend to get).
I would be really curious to see what some younger games who never played SMS or NES and who knew nothing of either console would think if you put both systems and their best games in front of them. I have a feeling a great many of these unbiased un-nostalgic youngsters would agree with Frogacuda about Wonder Boy 3, for example! ;)
I guess I just find it strange how underrated SMS and it's greatest games are, like the Wonder Boy games. My only explanation for it is simply that it's harder for some people to appreciate who missed out on them when they were new.
Is WB3 the Dragon's Trap? That game was available for the PC Engine as well. And that's the version I actually played....BTW I agree, one of the best games I ever played....
Apart from your comment about MM, I'm inclined to agree with you. Prime is so perfect in 3D that it may have catapulted to the top of my list.Quote:
Originally posted by Sl1p
I was just thinking this last week and I'm going to have to say the Metroid series. All the games have gotten tons of praise for being some of the best games of all time and I love them all. Plus there has yet to be a true dud in the series. The only other series that I can think that compares to this is Zelda...but there was that whole Majora's Mask deal.
I don't understand the obsession with Castlevania.
Yeah, but if Ultima is boring as hell, none of those points matter much.Quote:
Originally posted by diffusionx
It is Ultima, by far. Why?
01. It pretty much invented the RPG genre. Dragon Warrior was like a less complex Ultima I.
02. The storyline is incredible. Ultima I-III was pretty much the "defeat the big bad guy games"... and developers are still making essentially fancier versions of that. However, Garriott moved on by U4.
03. U4's storyline is just plain brilliant, an RPG without a bad guy to defeat. Its like a quest for enlightenment. Amazing game.
04. The series got even better. Ultima VI's storyline is in particular extremely clever and pretty brilliant. Ultima VII's is fantastic as well, as it has probably the best bad guy in all of videogaming, The Guardian.
05. Ultima VII did the whole "huge interactive world and you can interact with it all" thing about a decade before Shenmue did, and it did it better, too. Really amazing game.
06. Origin consistently pushed PC technology with their titles.
07. Ultima Underworld did the 3D thing a year before Doom did, and if I remember correctly it had six degrees of freedom (Doom had what, four?). It was also handled by Warren Specter, who went on to make titles like System Shock, Thief, and Deus Ex.
08. Ultima Online put MMORPGs on the map, and its also the most complex of the existing ones. Still. Too bad EA canned UO2.
09. Origin, along with Infocom, started the trend of putting all sorts of extra crap into the game box that so many of you eat up with a spoon.
Yes, U8 was not very good and U9 was rushed (still an AMAZING game though). But Ultima gets my vote because its so far ahead of its time, I mean, it STILL is. Another game in the style of Ultima IV has *never* come out, developers won't even try. And its been 17 years. One day they will but until then Ultima will be at the forefront of interactive storytelling.
I think there's a need for explanation.Quote:
Originally posted by Click_Stick
Metal Slug...
No need for explanations.
Umm... The game runs perfectly for me under '98. Hopefully it'll do the same under XP, if I use VDM sound. Don't know anything about a patch, though.Quote:
Do you know if there's a Windows 9x patch for Ultima Underworld like there is for Ultima VII? I hate dealing with DOS bullshit. I have the Underworld games but I refuse to play them until I can get them working with sound.
This may all be true, but it's ignoring the fact that nostalgia is one of the biggest reasons why we still play 8-bit games. If you didn't play these games then (and most gamers haven't - remember the NES' market share?) there's very little reason to go back to them now, when essentially every majore genre of 8-bit was done better in 16-bit.Quote:
Originally posted by sggg
It seems like there is not a very big SMS contingent here on this forum. Perhaps it's because any 8-bit games are harder to appreciate if you didn't experience them first hand. I am not sure... but I believe that SMS is the most underrated console of all time. Maybe people simply don't understand because it's harder to tell 15 years later?
Even still, my girlfriend was not that into videogames back then. She is now though, so I showed her various SMS games and then right after that showed her some NES games to she what she thought from an unbiased neutral perspective.. It's really hard to believe it's even the same generation of gaming. I'd go so far as to say that the gap in quality that SMS had over NES is the biggest single gap in quality between competing consoles that we've ever seen. Anyway, so I showed my girlfriend a few games back to back and she echoed what I just said. There is such a big difference in all aspects of the games.
SMS games were so bright and colourful with beautiful detailed sprites. The games looked and played so much better. Compare Wonder Boy or Alex Kidd's sprites to Mario, Zelda, or Metroid simply ugly 2-3 colour washed out sprites.. Or compare the detailed colourful backgrounds to the constantly boring repeating backgrounds of a game like Metroid.
Don't get me wrong, there are some NES games I really enjoy and I still find fun (The first SMB, for example), I just think that many people's opinions on these early games are heavily skewed because of nostalgia. Even for me, there are some lousy SMS games I can still enjoy simply because of the nostalgia factor, but because of NES' massive popularity and because of the relative youth of most of the fans back then, I think it is somewhat of an explanation for how overrated certain series/games have gotten (and results in the general lack of respect SMS games tend to get).
I would be really curious to see what some younger games who never played SMS or NES and who knew nothing of either console would think if you put both systems and their best games in front of them. I have a feeling a great many of these unbiased un-nostalgic youngsters would agree with Frogacuda about Wonder Boy 3, for example! ;)
I guess I just find it strange how underrated SMS and it's greatest games are, like the Wonder Boy games. My only explanation for it is simply that it's harder for some people to appreciate who missed out on them when they were new.
Most younger gamers wouldn't touch either. They'd rather play PS2.
a big hug for you my friend. i owned a SMS and all my friends an NES. actually i had 1 friend with a SMS. he was my outlet for trying the games i couldnt buy at the time since all the rental stores had here was NES games. but yeah...doesnt seem to be a big SMS, 3do or Jag section here on this board. oh well....Quote:
Originally posted by sggg
It seems like there is not a very big SMS contingent here on this forum. Perhaps it's because any 8-bit games are harder to appreciate if you didn't experience them first hand. I am not sure... but I believe that SMS is the most underrated console of all time. Maybe people simply don't understand because it's harder to tell 15 years later?
Even still, my girlfriend was not that into videogames back then. She is now though, so I showed her various SMS games and then right after that showed her some NES games to she what she thought from an unbiased neutral perspective.. It's really hard to believe it's even the same generation of gaming. I'd go so far as to say that the gap in quality that SMS had over NES is the biggest single gap in quality between competing consoles that we've ever seen. Anyway, so I showed my girlfriend a few games back to back and she echoed what I just said. There is such a big difference in all aspects of the games.
SMS games were so bright and colourful with beautiful detailed sprites. The games looked and played so much better. Compare Wonder Boy or Alex Kidd's sprites to Mario, Zelda, or Metroid simply ugly 2-3 colour washed out sprites.. Or compare the detailed colourful backgrounds to the constantly boring repeating backgrounds of a game like Metroid.
Don't get me wrong, there are some NES games I really enjoy and I still find fun (The first SMB, for example), I just think that many people's opinions on these early games are heavily skewed because of nostalgia. Even for me, there are some lousy SMS games I can still enjoy simply because of the nostalgia factor, but because of NES' massive popularity and because of the relative youth of most of the fans back then, I think it is somewhat of an explanation for how overrated certain series/games have gotten (and results in the general lack of respect SMS games tend to get).
I would be really curious to see what some younger games who never played SMS or NES and who knew nothing of either console would think if you put both systems and their best games in front of them. I have a feeling a great many of these unbiased un-nostalgic youngsters would agree with Frogacuda about Wonder Boy 3, for example! ;)
I guess I just find it strange how underrated SMS and it's greatest games are, like the Wonder Boy games. My only explanation for it is simply that it's harder for some people to appreciate who missed out on them when they were new.
Ditto that.Quote:
Originally posted by Contra
Panzer Dragoon, Goddammit.
Regarding the whole Monster World thing... I've played a few (roms only unfortunately, don't own a SMS) and they seem cool, but all the different names everywhere are confusing so I don't know what I should be checking out. Any of the fans (neo/frog) want to jot a quick list of the different games, their jap/american names and maybe your top 2 or whatever you think I should go to first? Isn't there also a Genesis sequel? Anyway, color me interested, and if you guys want to help out I'll definitely give them a try.
MonsterMash, here's how the Wonder Boy/Monster World series breaks down, not including computer ports which generally weren't very good.
The name "Monster World" only applies to the Japanese versions. The name "Wonder Boy" applies only to Sega-published Western releases.
Wonder Boy(Arcade, SMS) - Pure platform game. If you have played the Adventure Island, it's virtually the same game.
Monster World 1 - Wonder Boy in Monster Land(Arcade, SMS) - Action/RPG
Monster World 2 - Known as Wonder Boy 3 on SMS and as Dragon's Curse on TG16. - Action/RPG
Monster Lair(Arcade, MD, TGCD) - A side-story Wonder Boy game. It's a platform/shooter. The TurboGrafx CD version is supposed to be better than the Mega Drive one.
Monster World 3 - Wonder Boy in Monster World on Genesis, Dynastic Hero on TurboGrafx CD. - Action/RPG
Monster World 4(MD) - This game is import only but there is a translated rom. It also has a female protagonist named Asha instead of Wonder Boy.
I would say Wonder Boy 3/Dragon's Curse and Monster World IV are the two best games in the series.
Well, I very specifically mentioned the "nostalgia factor", so I don't think it's fair to say I am ignoring it. You pretty much repeated one of my major points actually.. :)Quote:
Originally posted by burgundy
This may all be true, but it's ignoring the fact that nostalgia is one of the biggest reasons why we still play 8-bit games. If you didn't play these games then (and most gamers haven't - remember the NES' market share?) there's very little reason to go back to them now, when essentially every majore genre of 8-bit was done better in 16-bit.
I agree (with myself!) that SMS games don't get enough respect simply because it's harder to get into them these days for some people who may have missed out.
I personally think many SMS games still look *absolutely beautiful* to this day though. When I play a game like Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Wonder Boy, or Fantasy Zone I still can't seem them as anything less than beautiful works of art. I love the sprites, backgrounds, music, etc. I think that some people who were not exposed to SMS during the 80s can still appreciate that though. Like I mentioned in my original post... I got my girlfriend hooked on them and she never heard of a SMS until she met me. ;)
I am not sure many NES games can still have that effect. To the non-nostalgic, most of the games (even the good ones) at least look pretty lousy. For example, SMB may be one of the best games ever. But how ugly is Mario's sprite?
For NES it's sorta like Atari 2600 where I can only still play the games I have much nostalgia for. With SMS however, there have been games I never played when I was little which I discovered in the last 5 years which I absolutely fell in love with. :)
----------------------------------
I agree, but Wonderboy in Monster Land is incredible too... It's a 5 star classic IMO. :)Quote:
Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
I would say Wonder Boy 3/Dragon's Curse and Monster World IV are the two best games in the series.
Here is a link to a pretty good breakdown of the series:
http://www.emucamp.com/monsterworld/games.htm
(Mods: I know the site has "emu" in the name and rom links, but it is a genuine Wonder Boy website and has a really good table with details of all the games in this confusingly named series)
streets of rage... even if it hasn't seen a recent update yet *nudges smilebit*
Yep. The port was a little off. Some of the bosses were easier. and the main character was either a girl or incredibly gay looking. But other than that it's the same as the SMS one. Some of those hudson ports were weird. The PC Engine port of Wonderboy 5 had a character that looked like a cross between Megaman and Megalon (from Godzilla).Quote:
Originally posted by opa-opa
Is WB3 the Dragon's Trap? That game was available for the PC Engine as well. And that's the version I actually played....BTW I agree, one of the best games I ever played....
Yeah, this is kinda true, but I don't think it applies here. I didn't play Wonderboy 3 (at least to any extent) until like... 1996, and I still say it's an awesome game, one of the best ever. I've had this experience with other 8 bit games as well.Quote:
Originally posted by burgundy
This may all be true, but it's ignoring the fact that nostalgia is one of the biggest reasons why we still play 8-bit games. If you didn't play these games then (and most gamers haven't - remember the NES' market share?) there's very little reason to go back to them now, when essentially every majore genre of 8-bit was done better in 16-bit.
I didn't play River City Ransom until 2001, and I still thought it was one of the best games ever.
BTW some more candidates to the list of greatest series:
Ninja Gaiden
Megaman
Fantasy Zone
Virtua Fighter
Well i think i have to go with a tie at #1 with Metroid and Street Fighter IMHO there hasnt been a bad game in either of those series
at a close #2 would be Mario, Zelda (both number 2s in those series dissapointed me, specially since Mario 2 wasnt even a freaking mario game in reality), and Castlevania
at #3 youll find Final Fantasy, and King of Fighters
i think thats my top 3 i may change it later not sure
Same here. I could not afford all of the various Wonder Boy games when I was little. Also, I could hardly keep track of them all (heh).. but having gone back and finally collected the others as an adult I can say that they are still fantasic. Good gameplay and visuals. :)Quote:
Originally posted by Frogacuda
Yeah, this is kinda true, but I don't think it applies here. I didn't play Wonderboy 3 (at least to any extent) until like... 1996, and I still say it's an awesome game, one of the best ever. I've had this experience with other 8 bit games as well.
Street Fighter, because I think 2D fighting is the best gaming genre.
Wizardry
mega man: for tryin' sumthin' new and diferent with each new series.
dragon quest/warrior: for stayin' solid and true to it's own style for so many years.
Mario.
Neo, sggg, thanks.
LOL!Quote:
Originally posted by rama
mega man: for tryin' sumthin' new and diferent with each new series.
Most other series' individual games pack more innovation than each MM series does as a whole!
You have a point there. I guess I was saying that the vast majority wouldn't be interested in either console if not for the nostalgia factor, so the fact that totally unbiased people might prefer the SMS over the NES here in 2002 is moot, since I don't think those people would give a shit about either.Quote:
Originally posted by sggg
Well, I very specifically mentioned the "nostalgia factor", so I don't think it's fair to say I am ignoring it. You pretty much repeated one of my major points actually.. :)
Castlevania.
Mega Man and innovation haven't gone together in well over a decade now.
I would've agreed with you on this about 3 years ago, but since Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Rockman EXE/Battle Network, Rockman Battle & Chase, and Mega Man Zero, I'm inclined to say you're wrong. :pQuote:
Originally posted by burgundy
LOL!
Most other series' individual games pack more innovation than each MM series does as a whole!
Those games' innovations don't exactly account for the many MM X rehashes.
I had an SMS before I got an NES and the nostalgia factor doesn't really help that much. It might've been that I never had any of the good games (I had Afterburner, Jungle Safari, Ghostbusters, and probably one or two other games). Anyway, I have to admit that I had more fun with Smurfs on the Colecovision than I had with all of the game on my SMS. :/Quote:
Originally posted by sggg
It seems like there is not a very big SMS contingent here on this forum. Perhaps it's because any 8-bit games are harder to appreciate if you didn't experience them first hand. I am not sure... but I believe that SMS is the most underrated console of all time. Maybe people simply don't understand because it's harder to tell 15 years later?
Jungle Safari (or was it Jungle Hunt?) kicked ass though.
I think the point where the X series really failed was beyond 3. All of the PSX versions of MMX were flashy, adding very little to the gameplay, while those who judged MMX2 and MMX3 as cheap rehashes probably never gave those games a fair shot.Quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy
Those games' innovations don't exactly account for the many MM X rehashes.
If it weren't for that PoS Sakura Taisen 4, I'd have easily said the Sakura Taisen series, as ST3 is like the pinnacle of gaming.
As it stands, I have a bitter taste for "series" as one will always come out that sours my taste for it. For Megaman, it was Megaman 3. For Sonic, it was Sonic 2. For Punchout, it was Super Punchout. For Grandia, it was Grandia Xtreme. So with that... I'll just say Radiant Silvergun ^_^