Your Favourite Game Ever

[T-Pac | 7,537]

On 10/24/2019 at 7:38 PM, CasualCart said:

If I had to choose just one, though, it would be PacMan.

-CasualCart

 

On 8/18/2021 at 5:27 PM, DarkTone said:

Anyone changed theirs?

Yup - PacMan was definitely just a heavy nostalgia pick - it's not even objectively my favorite Namco arcade game.

My true favorite game, as of 2021 at least, is Abadox [NES].
It was a fresh game to me in 2019, so the novelty factor kept me from knowing if it would be a lasting favorite. But I still love it today, so I'm confident giving Abadox my top-spot.

-CasualCart

[T-Pac | 7,537]

On 8/22/2021 at 7:30 AM, Knud said:

I can’t really decide between :

Mega man 2

Wizardry 8

Baldur’s gate

Zelda BOTW

Solomon’s key 2

Solomon's Key 2 is the floss. It's probably in my top 10 games as well, if not my top 5.

-CasualCart

[Gloves | 11,776]

5 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

 

Yup - PacMan was definitely just a heavy nostalgia pick - it's not even objectively my favorite Namco arcade game.

My true favorite game, as of 2021 at least, is Abadox [NES].
It was a fresh game to me in 2019, so the novelty factor kept me from knowing if it would be a lasting favorite. But I still love it today, so I'm confident giving Abadox my top-spot.

-CasualCart

I love Abadox as well, but I'm curious what about it specifically makes it deserving of the top spot?

Serious question, not being snarky - how many games have you played, roughly, across all systems and everything?

[T-Pac | 7,537]

1 minute ago, Gloves said:

I love Abadox as well, but I'm curious what about it specifically makes it deserving of the top spot?

Serious question, not being snarky - how many games have you played, roughly, across all systems and everything?

While I can't say I've played a massive amount of games overall (I have no idea in terms of numbers), I've played enough to know what generally conforms to my tastes. I own and have played almost every space-shooter on the NES (as well as a sampling from a  variety of other systems), so my preferences regarding Abadox's contemporaries in the genre are pretty fine-tuned.

What makes Abadox my favorite? 

A) Genre - I love scrolling space-shooters (specifically 8-bit and 16-bit offerings) for their mix of short-burst arcade action and focus on progression. Plus, flying around blasting stuff in space is the best.

B) Aesthetics - the NES graphics, the crunchy explosion sound effects, the android-like protagonist, the mix of space-age and bloody organic design - it's all so perfect together.

C) Gameplay - Abadox is a strategic shooter in the vein of R-Type. It rewards learning the best route through a level by trial-and-error rather then relying on twitch reflexes (which is my preference). The boss battles also revolve around locating a "sweet-spot" to camp out and drain the enemy, which I find immensely satisfying. The unlimited-continue system is perfect for my low skill-ceiling, and the length of the game is ideal to complete in a short sitting once you know what you're doing.

D) Novelty - as a shameless nonconformist, I'm drawn to the relative obscurity of Abadox. And I genuinely enjoy it more than the bigger-name titles it is derived from (namely Salamander / Life-Force). It is my favorite type of game from my favorite era of gaming on my favorite game system. I always get a kick out of the fact that is was published by Milton-Bradley of all companies. There's just so much charm to it that uniquely appeals to my tastes, in a way that no other game has matched (in my experience).

 

I recognize that Abadox is generally seen as a C-tier game for most people, but there's just something about it that clicks with me. I'll wholeheartedly admit that it isn't objectively as good as other games, but to me personally, it's nearly perfect.

-CasualCart
 

[Gloves | 11,776]

1 hour ago, CasualCart said:

While I can't say I've played a massive amount of games overall (I have no idea in terms of numbers), I've played enough to know what generally conforms to my tastes. I own and have played almost every space-shooter on the NES (as well as a sampling from a  variety of other systems), so my preferences regarding Abadox's contemporaries in the genre are pretty fine-tuned.

What makes Abadox my favorite? 

A) Genre - I love scrolling space-shooters (specifically 8-bit and 16-bit offerings) for their mix of short-burst arcade action and focus on progression. Plus, flying around blasting stuff in space is the best.

B) Aesthetics - the NES graphics, the crunchy explosion sound effects, the android-like protagonist, the mix of space-age and bloody organic design - it's all so perfect together.

C) Gameplay - Abadox is a strategic shooter in the vein of R-Type. It rewards learning the best route through a level by trial-and-error rather then relying on twitch reflexes (which is my preference). The boss battles also revolve around locating a "sweet-spot" to camp out and drain the enemy, which I find immensely satisfying. The unlimited-continue system is perfect for my low skill-ceiling, and the length of the game is ideal to complete in a short sitting once you know what you're doing.

D) Novelty - as a shameless nonconformist, I'm drawn to the relative obscurity of Abadox. And I genuinely enjoy it more than the bigger-name titles it is derived from (namely Salamander / Life-Force). It is my favorite type of game from my favorite era of gaming on my favorite game system. I always get a kick out of the fact that is was published by Milton-Bradley of all companies. There's just so much charm to it that uniquely appeals to my tastes, in a way that no other game has matched (in my experience).

 

I recognize that Abadox is generally seen as a C-tier game for most people, but there's just something about it that clicks with me. I'll wholeheartedly admit that it isn't objectively as good as other games, but to me personally, it's nearly perfect.

-CasualCart
 

Your reasoning is well thought out and actually aligns quite well with my own thinking. I was vague in my questioning as I didn't want to lead your response in any way; it may surprise you to know that it's actually MY favorite (official) NES Shmup as well. Interestingly, for many of the same reasons as your own (despite NES being nowhere near my favorite console).

The only two shmups on the system that beat it for me are Recca and Blade Buster, the former being Famicom exclusive and the latter being a homebrew/hack.

[T-Pac | 7,537]

21 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Your reasoning is well thought out and actually aligns quite well with my own thinking. I was vague in my questioning as I didn't want to lead your response in any way; it may surprise you to know that it's actually MY favorite (official) NES Shmup as well. Interestingly, for many of the same reasons as your own (despite NES being nowhere near my favorite console).

The only two shmups on the system that beat it for me are Recca and Blade Buster, the former being Famicom exclusive and the latter being a homebrew/hack.

Whaaa!!!??? Dude that's awesome! 

Now I'm interested to try out your recommendations - maybe I'll find a new favorite game if we've got similar tastes haha.
Unfortunately Recca is too far out of my price-range for a game I can't be sure I'll enjoy (I don't do pirated ROMs or repros). Is Blade Buster still officially available somewhere? I don't know anything about that game.

-CasualCart

[Brickman | 3,983]

12 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

Unfortunately Recca is too far out of my price-range for a game I can't be sure I'll enjoy (I don't do pirated ROMs or repros)

I can respect you not wanting to play ROMs but I think in the case of Recca a small exception can be made due to the fact that there are so many pirated versions of this game floating around now that even if you did buy a copy you may not even pickup that it is fake. I've spoken to a few Japanese sellers and they are struggling to spot the fakes and even the shop owners are getting them in and can't spot them. Recca is an amazing game and is hard to believe it is a game on the famicom sometimes. It is like the precursor to modern bullet hell games.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

17 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

Whaaa!!!??? Dude that's awesome! 

Now I'm interested to try out your recommendations - maybe I'll find a new favorite game if we've got similar tastes haha.
Unfortunately Recca is too far out of my price-range for a game I can't be sure I'll enjoy (I don't do pirated ROMs or repros). Is Blade Buster still officially available somewhere? I don't know anything about that game.

-CasualCart

Blade Buster is the shit!  Get it from the official page here.

Also, @Gloves, Blade Buster is a ground up homebrew, not a hack, from my understanding.

Edit: Blade Buster was a rom release only.  Any carts you may find are unofficial bootlegs.

Edited August 23, 2021 by JamesRobot

[Jaden | 151]

Spyro: Year of the Dragon is my favorite game ever. I played it a ton when I was a kid and it's one that I can still go back to and have a blast playing. While all three of the original Spyro games are fantastic, they just got everything right with three. The gameplay, the new playable characters, the story, the level design, the music, the minigames, everything was pretty much perfected here. And since 3D platformers are my favorite genre of game, it makes sense that the best 3D platformer ever would be my top pick for best game ever.

[Knud | 100]

2 hours ago, CasualCart said:

Solomon's Key 2 is the floss. It's probably in my top 10 games as well, if not my top 5.

-CasualCart

Even though i really love platforming games there is just something really satisfying sitting back and doing the puzzles with no time running out(except the boss level)It’s one of the games that i think is under appreciated

[Gloves | 11,776]

50 minutes ago, JamesRobot said:

Blade Buster is the shit!  Get it from the official page here.

Also, @Gloves, Blade Buster is a ground up homebrew, not a hack, from my understanding.

Edit: Blade Buster was a rom release only.  Any carts you may find are unofficial bootlegs.

I was pretty sure it borrowed logic from another game. I could be mistaken however, I'm going off memory here. More than happy to be mistaken in fact.

And yeah, @CasualCart, no official physical way to play Blade Buster unfortunately; you'd have to download the ROM. Happily as JR shared above, it's available free on the official page.

BB is a caravan shooter, so it's the perfect quick rush - literally takes 5 minutes to clear. It's all about high scores baybeeeeee.

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

On 8/18/2021 at 5:27 PM, DarkTone said:

Anyone changed theirs?

On 2/8/2020 at 10:37 PM, SpoonMan Abrams X said:

Brought it up in a different thread (Top ten RPGs iirc) but;

Super Mario RPG

I love this game. I can play it anytime 100%. I will never get tired of it.
I love the Paper Mario games, but I would love a proper sequel completely in the style and gameplay of SMRPG more then anything. Maybe someday...

It would probably take that sequel to really have a chance lol

[Dr. Morbis | 2,088]

5 hours ago, Gloves said:

I was pretty sure it borrowed logic from another game. I could be mistaken however, I'm going off memory here. More than happy to be mistaken in fact.

I haven't played Blade Buster yet, but just looking at the screenshots, it looks a hell of a lot like Blazing Lazers on the TG (Gunhed on the PC Engine).

[Sumez | 2,947]

8 hours ago, CasualCart said:

Solomon's Key 2 is the floss. It's probably in my top 10 games as well, if not my top 5.

Man, you should try Lolo 3.

7 hours ago, CasualCart said:

I recognize that Abadox is generally seen as a C-tier game for most people

While I definitely wouldn't rank Abadox among the top space shooters out there, it's no doubt one of the best on the NES.

Edited August 24, 2021 by Sumez

[Sumez | 2,947]

29 minutes ago, Dr. Morbis said:

I haven't played Blade Buster yet, but just looking at the screenshots, it looks a hell of a lot like Blazing Lazers on the TG (Gunhed on the PC Engine).

Pretty sure that's just a style choice, it's going for the classic Hudson-style caravan shooter style. There are a lot of similar games out there, with Star Force and the first Star Soldier being some of the classic examples.

[T-Pac | 7,537]

22 hours ago, Shmup said:

I can respect you not wanting to play ROMs but I think in the case of Recca a small exception can be made due to the fact that there are so many pirated versions of this game floating around now that even if you did buy a copy you may not even pickup that it is fake. I've spoken to a few Japanese sellers and they are struggling to spot the fakes and even the shop owners are getting them in and can't spot them. Recca is an amazing game and is hard to believe it is a game on the famicom sometimes. It is like the precursor to modern bullet hell games.

That's such a bummer. I'm still gonna stand by my "no pirated games" thing, but I've always been reserved to the fact that I may never play Recca (among other rare titles). Ultimately it's okay because it just makes me appreciate what I do have even more.

-CasualCart

[T-Pac | 7,537]

15 hours ago, Sumez said:

Man, you should try Lolo 3.

Haha I still have to finish the first two! Good call, though - it's a fantastic franchise for sure!

-CasualCart

[T-Pac | 7,537]

@Gloves and @JamesRobot - I just tried out Blade Buster this afternoon (thanks for the link - the developer sure is generous to put his game out there for everyone to play haha). 

And it's awesome!
When I saw all the stuff flying at me, I was afraid it would be just like a Compile shooter (which are too "reflex" heavy for me), but it actually felt like a Star Soldier game that forgot to take its Adderall haha.

I keep getting smoked before the timer ends, but I'm having a blast all the same. That first boss that practically exhales missiles is dope.

-CasualCart

[Sumez | 2,947]

The third is leaps and bounds beyond the "first" two  

[T-Pac | 7,537]

2 minutes ago, Sumez said:

The third is leaps and bounds beyond the "first" two  

Wow - I'll have to keep it on my radar.

Another expensive one haha. Is there a direct Famicom equivalent? I feel like I heard the American Lolo games are just a bunch of mismatched puzzles from a Japanese series...

-CasualCart

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

You fine gentlemen should consider Just Shapes and Beats if you fancy yourselves fans of a fine bullet hell meets rhythm game. One of my favorite games of the past few years for sure.

As for my favorite game of all time, that's a tougher pick. There are games I can just pick up and play anytime and never tire of it(RBI Baseball-NES), there are games with plots that have stuck with me decades later(FF7-PS1), games with perfect control, level design, and difficulty curve(SMB3-NES), and multiplayer games that really light that competitive fire up under me(MK9- PS3). If I had to choose one based on what hits the most notes on the scorecard to making the most *fun* game ever, it would probably be MK9 at the moment. It nails all the notes of gameplay, competitive balance, casual pick up and play ability with the addition of an intriguing plot with an expansive lore. I was stunned at exactly how great a game this was. Soon I'll need to get myself a PS4 so I can play MK10.

[Sumez | 2,947]

7 hours ago, CasualCart said:

Another expensive one haha. Is there a direct Famicom equivalent? I feel like I heard the American Lolo games are just a bunch of mismatched puzzles from a Japanese series...

Yes, the Lolo/Eggerland series can be really confusing like that. I don't think any of the games are identical between Japan and EU/NA, and I think only the first "Lolo" game was based on a bunch of puzzles from previous Eggerland games.

"Lolo 2" is the Japanese equivalent of Lolo 3, with the same overworld navigation, but all the puzzles are different. I don't know how the actual puzzle solving experience compares, but the western version of the game is just insanely headscratching. Several puzzles took me well over an hour to solve.
The Japanese version might be a much less mind blowing experience, or maybe it's a similarly amazing experience I have yet to explore, until I've played it myself I couldn't really say. I do have the cartridge, but I was so worn out after playing the western Lolo 3 I needed a long break.