20. Megaman X: Command Mission:
When I bought this game, I actually hadn't played a Megaman game in years, and bought it because I was in a turn-based RPG frenzy. I ended up loving the FFX-style gameplay, and the soundtrack was pretty badass. The final chapter even had a twist I did not see coming (Though in hindsight, I'm kicking myself for not realizing it beforehand...)
19. Jet Moto 2
This game has a special place in my heart for being the first ever PS1 game given to me when I was either 6 or 7 by my grandmother. The fast-pased racing action and unique tracks helped make racing my all time favorite game genre. I even felt JM 3 was a good final chapter to the trilogy.
18. Mario Kart Wii
The most recent game on this list, and the reason why I decided to get a Wii. This was the installmment where Nintendo absolutely nailed the Mario Kart forumula. A greta variety of tracks, powerups (though we still have that f***in blue shell) and vehicles plus solid gameplay make this a must-own for any Wii owner.
17. Muppet RaceMania
A pretty solid MK clone, the Muppet voice actors did a good job, the AI was fair and a nice variety of tracks.
16. The Simpsons: Hit and Run
This is probably my favorite licensed game, so I'll keep it brief. Nice, wide open environment, great voice acting, and fun missions. THE best Simpsons game IMO
15. Metal Gear Solid
I'm sure you're surprised this didn't make the top 10, but I still really love this game. Moreso than Final Fantasy, I think Metal Gear was the franchise that proved that you can get both awesome gameplay and an amazing story.
14. Final Fantasy IX
I consider this to be my least fav of the PS1 Final Fantasy trilogy, but this is still a great game (Spoilers for later in my list just been provided there). The throwback to the old school style of games mixed with the newer FF gameplay worked flawlessly, with many colorful enviornments, a good battle system, and an epic conclusion.
13. Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
While the original Spyro is still a solid game, Ripto's Rage is really when the series kicked into high gear. Nice gameplay physics, vast environments, and a great soundtrack by Stewart Copeland, the original Spyro trilogy were some of the few games that I felt the need to finish 100 percent.
12. Final Fantasy X
This, along with a game to be included in my top 10, helped show me the awesomeness I was inf or when my family purchased a Ps2. The different time battle system was downright brilliant, as it helped reduce thee frustration so of the other Final Fantasies (Even ones that rank higher on the list) would give. The story was great, and the romance between Tidus and Yuna worked well for me.
11. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
For the longest time, I had this game only in the form of a demo as an extra in "Ridge Racer Type 4" But those two levels I played hundreds of times, loving the 2.5D graphics, fantasy language, beautiful music, and interesting gameplay. When I finally tracked down a copy of the whole game 9 years later, the rest of the game did not dissappoint. Be advised: this has one of the most soul-crushingly bittersweet endings ever. The Wii remake was also a fine game.
10. Sonic Heroes
This game has a special place in my heart for being the first Sonic game I ever played. And even besides the nostalgia, I loved the team-based gameplay and didn't have a hard time with the controls. Plus, as per usual for Sonic, the soundtrack is amazing.
9. Road Trip
A vast world, several objectives to complete, and good tracks make this a game that, for me, I was OK with it at first, but I grew to love it. The best ChoroQ game ever made, it's a very underrated franchise in general.
8. Kingdom Hearts II
Like Spyro 2, KH2 took everything that part 1 did well and made it even greater IMO. The Disney worlds were beautiful, the new combat features enhanced the gameplay, and the story with Organization XIII was solid.
7. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
I know I'm gonna get some flak for this, but I love MGS2 even more than the original. Some of the new weapons made the gameplay even....solid-er (Insert "that was a stretch" drumroll here), and it IMO has one of the best video game stories ever. I know a lot of people hate Raiden, but the fact you're not playing as Snake is what leads to the downright brilliant finale.
6. Final Fantasy VIII
The second-best of the PS1 Final Fantasy trilogy, this game was the first Final Fantays I was able to beat before my older brother did. I know the gameplay was weird compared to other installments, but once you get it down it becomes one of the best FF battle systems to toy around with. The soundtrack and environments were beautiful, and I liked a lot of the characters.
The Top Five!
5. CTR: Crash Team Racing
Maybe moreso than even the games I ranked higher, CTR brings out more nostalgia to me than any other game. I remember playing this game for hours on end when I was in First Grade. I had all the tracks memorized, knew all the shortcuts, I was a master at this. It was a great final chapter in the Naughty Dog entries of the series.
4. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
In Part 1, while discussing FFX, this was the other game I was referring too when I said that some games showed me what I was in for with the PS2. Having only played the demo of Klonoa 1, I was still able to get hooked into this. As usual, beautiful gameplay, settings, and music, plus, this was the first time a video game ever made me cry (Albeit I hadn't seen how the original game ended back then)
3. Spyro: Year of the Dragon
Well Spyro 2 kicked the formula into high gear, Year of the Dragon absolutely PERFECTED it. The levels and soundtrack were better than ever, and Bianca and Hunter were the first fictional couple I remember liking their interactions. A solid finale to the original trilogy.
2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
A common theme among my picks was "perfecting the established formula", and Pro Skater 4 was that moment for the Tony Hawk series. I accumulated so many hours with this game, beating all 190 goals twice. (Albeit the second time was only because a cousin accidently deleted my file). The soundtrack introduced me to a lot of bands I liked, and it had some of the best levels in the entire Hawk franchise.
And my number one favorite video game is.....
1. Final Fantasy VII
Yeah, you probably saw this one coming. Final Fantasy VII is my favorite video game. Everything about this I love....the world it created, the playable characters, the battle system, the classic Highwind airship theme, you name it. I can remember being 7-8 years old and trying to do an acapella rendition of the boss battle theme to no avail. But overall, it's the video game I honestly enjoy the most.
There's my list! Hope you guys enjoyed. Share your thoughts below, were there any surprises?
