Pong and Beyond

So here we are again. 50 games in six months and it is time for our round-up so we have a chance to look back to reflect on what we have played.

This time we are introducing a new category: Best Blast From The Past. Since we are both gamers there is a proportion of each 50 that we have already played and as such have a chance to get nostalgic about so an apology in advance for possible gushing.

Best Game I Had Not Previously Played

This has been a real dash to the finish line. If you had asked me before 140 I was pretty likely to have said Saints Row 2 was my favourite game that I had never played before. It ticked all the boxes of things I love about the Grand Theft Auto franchise and was very very silly. True it had some flaws, such as the lack of decent radio stations, but I loved it.

Then Jeanne D’arc came along which stole my heart away. The enchanting storyline, the beautiful anime-styled cutscenes, the pick-up-and-play feel of free battles… it had me from the get go. I still have no idea why this was released in the UK but I sure am thankful for this list for pointing us in this game’s direction otherwise I would have never had a chance to play this gem.

Another note-worthy game is BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger which, if it had hopped over the 150 line, would have set the benchmark very high and could have had a great chance at being the top pick. For now it has the distinction of being a top three which is not bad at all.

Other games that deserve to be mentioned include God of War II, Far Cry 2 and Halo 3: ODST.

Worst Game

Dear Free Running,

Why were you on this list? I understand many other games I will not like. I am not a horror enthusiast but I can see their worth. The same games for the skateboarding games that go COMPLETELY over my head. But neither of us could find any merit in your inclusion. Everything you did had been done before in better games.

I have a feeling you won’t make the cut of the next list which will be some form of justice. You suck. Seriously. I won’t even try selling you on eBay.

Most Surprising Game

Remember how much we hated Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes? Well we never really enjoyed this franchise. I mean Snake Eater was okay but I was blown away by Metal Gear Solid 4. Having chartered the course of this series from the original through all the major console releases it is so interesting to see how this game morphed from one that annoyed me to one that was a joy to play. I need to get a copy of this to complete at a later date, thanks for the lend again Chris.

Biggest Disappointment

Everyone I know raved about the Team Fortress games. This meant that when I sat down to play Team Fortress Classic my expectations were ridiculously high and although I did enjoy the game it was never able to live up to them. Much like Half-Life if I’m being completely honest.

Best Blast From The Past

Well I expected Tekken to be in here but that was a bit of a bust. However, Abe’s Exoddus really stood up to the plate and delivered a great gaming experience which reminded me why I played the demo constantly for a few weeks. It was great to finally be able to play the game properly.

Games We Kept Playing

Saint’s Row 2 wins this by a country mile. I have played this for over 26 hours and I still have missions to get through. It was not only great value for money but has given much joy and frustration. Blowing things up, streaking, dressing up as a hot dog, setting things on fire and casual plastic surgery. God, I love this game.