Category Archives: Top #’s

Listmas: Favorite Items and Weapons

Image from Flickr User: The Conmunity - Pop Culture Geek
Image from Flickr User: The Conmunity – Pop Culture Geek

Video games are home to much more than just delightful characters to control and interesting locations to explore.  No, most games just wouldn’t be complete if it weren’t for creative and useful items and weapons that make the game that much more fun.  So now, a list of some of my favorite items.  Those I can think of, that is.  And I will admit that this list is a bit biased.  By a lot.

  1. Double Hookshots, The Legend of Zelda, for grabbing items and getting to new locations, now with twice the awesome as one
  2. Hoverboots, Ratchet and Clank, for getting around in style
  3. Mr. Zurkon, Ratchet and Clank, because who doesn’t love a little robot that shoots your enemies and taunts them at the same time
  4. Groovitron, Ratchet and Clank, an item that makes enemies boogie (perhaps that’s what Captain Falcon meant when he said, “Show me your moves.”)
  5. Tanooki Suit, Super Mario Bros, because apparently raccoons can fly, and so can plumbers
  6. Phoenix Down, Final Fantasy, ‘nough said
  7. Extra lives, too. And those invincibility stars, while we’re at it.  And anything that increases your health, of course.
  8. The hammer in Super Smash Bros.
  9. Lens of Truth, The Legend of Zelda, even if it sometimes shows you scary things you didn’t want to see
  10. Din’s Fire, The Legend of Zelda, for keeping ReDeads at bay
  11. Mirror Shield, The Legend of Zelda, for also keeping ReDeads at bay

An Itemized Duck

#Listmas2014: The Ol’ Replay List

tImage by Flickr user: cinz (cc)

Merry Listmas everyone! So psyched to be doing this again! Strange thinking that we’re almost at the end of 2014 isn’t it? This year just flew by in a whirlwind of high-profile releases and just as many controversies. Bugged launches and disappointments abounded this latter half of the year, and while I did enjoy the games I played I could help but find myself looking back at the games of years gone by. I’ve been thinking about revisiting quite a few of them lately , so why not make a list? That’s what Listmas is all about right?

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This game has been calling my name like no other lately, so I can’t wait to take up the mantle of the dovahkiin once more. I’m going on 2 years since having put it down now, perhaps the time to return has finally come; this time as a sneaky Argonian mage!

2. Assassins Creed II

There was a time when I called myself a fan of Assassin’s Creed, and was all because of this game. True the controls are now dated compared to the current entries into the series, but I still think this is the pinnacle of he franchise! It’s an open world, but with little of that same-iness that found in so many modern games. Assassinations, platforming, mind-bending puzzles, a plot that’s actually interesting. It’s all there, just waiting to be experienced anew!

3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Also known as Assassin’s Creed: 2.5. This one still has all the good of Assassin’s Creed 2…just less of it. I’m mostly looking forward to the Assassin training and stealth missions when time comes to pop it in the ol’ 360 again.

4. Final Fantasy III (aka Final Fantasy VI)

Okay, I’m cheating a little bit here since I’ve never actually played this game. I’ve just been hearing its praises for so long that I’ve decided that 2015 will be the year I finally bite the bullet and dig into it! I even went so far as to get the actual cartridge for my Super Nintendo! All that’s left is to get started…

5. Final Fantasy XIII

Going through this is a matter of just finishing it this time. See, I got the game back when it came out and was actually very much a fan of the combat system. The problem was that I just wasn’t very good at it. I got as far as Barthandelus and could progress no farther…well not until I “adjusted” my save file that is. It’s not the best Final Fantasy I’ve played, but I just don’t like the fact that it beat me. That changes next year!

6. Final Fantasy XIII-2

Similar situation with this one. However, rather than getting stuck on fight, this was a case of the story completely losing me and me losing my interest as a result. Still have the game, so if I’m going to go through the trouble of beating the first one I’m thinking I should take this one one too while I still have the momentum going.

7. Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns

Seems like there’s a bit of a pattern here isn’t there? Yup, I didn’t finish this one either. Unlike the other two though, I’m not sure what cause me to put this one down. It came out around the time Infamous: Second Son did, so I must have just gotten distracted. This one can’t site any longer though, I really love the streamlined combat (that and being able to wield the Buster Sword again!) so having this one site unfinished is just unacceptable!

8. Batman: Arkham Asylum

There’s another Arkham game coming down the pike and sadly I can’t seem to muster very much excitement for it. After Arkham City and Arkham Origins, it looks like Arkham games are going to continue following an open-world model. That’s fine and all,  but to me they will never be as good as Arkham Asylum’s carefully crafted encounters and tight, focused plot. It’s time once again to take up the ol’ cape ‘n cowl in the Batman’s first and best last gen outing.

9. Super Metroid

Yeah…I haven’t played this one yet either. All of my knowledge of this one is cobbled together from what I’ve read on the internet and for a Metroid fan, well that just can’t stand. I’ve played every major entry in the franchise except what is arguably the most important one. Need to fix that…

10. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Simply put, Majora’s Mask is my game. I could probably play through it 50 more times and still not get tired of it! This is the one and only game I make sure to revisit every year, so of course I’m gonna include it here!

With four Final Fantasy games on here getting though all these might wind up being a tall order, but then again just getting through a game really isn’t the point is it? This next year is going to be great!

What games are you planning on replaying next year?

Listmas: Games I Played This Year

Image from Flickr User: Mark Fleming
Image from Flickr User: Mark Fleming

How wonderful that we’re doing Listmas again this year, as it was quite a fun holiday, and I’m just a person who enjoys listing things, no matter what time of year that may be. This has been a crazy year for gaming, so I thought today’s list would be a list of the games I played this year. Look at me go!

  1. Rayman Legends, PS3, which somehow managed to top the masterpiece that came before it
  2. Final Fantasy VIII, PS1, a game that makes you want to conserve your magic at all costs, only to have it get periodically stolen during the final boss, the only time you feel like you can actually use it
  3. Final Fantasy VI, PS1, the inspiration for the first costume I ever made and for getting me into masquerade competitions
  4. Final Fantasy IX, PS1, a game I strangely couldn’t get into, even when, at the same time, it was pretty darn fun
  5. Chrono Trigger, PS1, a nice break from the turn-based RPG’s I had played up until that point and which included some pretty neat time travel
  6. Chrono Cross, PS1, which was both fun and the bane of my existence, considering they didn’t let you get experience from fighting most of the time, and the bosses could be so darn ridiculous
  7. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, PS2, my second playthrough, but my first time completing Annihilation Nation and collecting all sewer crystals, thanks to a map I completely forgot existed before
  8. New Super Mario Bros U, Wii U, which I’m still in the process of playing, with much gusto
  9. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Wii U, which is a lot like the prequel, which accounts for the lessened gusto and less motivation to complete it any time soon…
  10. Pikmin 3, Wii U, which makes fruit far more fun than I ever would have expected; I just wish Brittany would shut up

A Duck That’s Been Busy With Nonsense

Merry Listmas 2014!

Image by Flickr user: commorancy (cc)

Merry Listmas everyone! That’s right the most list-tacular blogging holiday is back this year, and it all starts today!

Just like last year, this Listmas season United We Game and Murf Versus are challenging our fellow bloggers to put together lists of any and every sort! Your favorite games, least favorite foods, the top 5 dog breeds that resemble other animals (if you so desire)! From now until the 31st, list to your hearts content and tag it with #Listmas2014 in the title! We’ll be looking for those lists to add to our master Listmas List, which will link back to everyone else’s lists and will be updated at least weekly depending on how many lists we find (up to 5 per blog).

December 31st will be Relistmas Day! On that most list-tastic of days, the full and final Listmas List will be available for all to see and enjoy, and everyone who published their own lists is encouraged to relist their own lists for those who might have missed them the first time.

There’s only 17 more days until Relistmas Day now, so what are you waiting for? Let’s get listing!

UWG Top 10 #1- Mass Effect 2

Image from Flickr User: Firespray1138
Image from Flickr User: Firespray1138

So here it is, after a lot of whittling down we have finally reached UWGs number one game, Mass Effect 2, it’s a giant of a game and one that really made me fall in love with the whole Mass Effect series. When the original Mass Effect was launched it was a game that I liked a lot, but by no means would I have put it in my top ten, but when the second instalment came out in 2010 I was absolutely blown away. I remember always liking the concept a lot from the original, the idea of what is pretty much a free roam RPG set in space always had fantastic potential but in Mass Effect 2 they turned that potential into a masterpiece and really pushed the series forward a lot.

 

Continue reading UWG Top 10 #1- Mass Effect 2

UWG Top Ten: #3- Super Mario 64

I can distinctly remember the first time I played Super Mario 64.

It was the last time buying a video game console was a family event. My father had purchased a Nintendo 64 the day it released and brought home one of the two launch titles for the system.  This was the third time over 11 years that we had all gathered around the television to watch our favorite plumber run and jump across the screen.  After hooking up the console to the TV in our den, my father passed the torch of first play to his sons; handing the controller to my brother.  I slid the power button on, and sat by my brother as the Nintendo 64 launched in our household.

Continue reading UWG Top Ten: #3- Super Mario 64