#50: Sonic 2. This is nearly a perfect game. The levels are well-paced and extremely interesting. Movement is fun. This perfectly expands on the foundation Sonic 1 set. Super Sonic is the best reward in gaming. Unfortunately, there's a super annoying soft lock I encountered twice. I need a new ROM.
November 7, 2025 at 1:34 AM
#50: Sonic 2. This is nearly a perfect game. The levels are well-paced and extremely interesting. Movement is fun. This perfectly expands on the foundation Sonic 1 set. Super Sonic is the best reward in gaming. Unfortunately, there's a super annoying soft lock I encountered twice. I need a new ROM.
#49: Castlevania IV. This game hits all the right notes. The music is perfect. Directional whipping is a lot of fun. The level progression goes a long way in environmental story telling. I've played this one a million times and am never tired of it.
November 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
#49: Castlevania IV. This game hits all the right notes. The music is perfect. Directional whipping is a lot of fun. The level progression goes a long way in environmental story telling. I've played this one a million times and am never tired of it.
#48: Pokémon ZA. This is my favorite pokemon in a while. Lumiose os a great city that was a lot of fun to explore. The battle system changes were great. Everything had a lot of character. It felt like an RGG game.
November 1, 2025 at 6:14 PM
#48: Pokémon ZA. This is my favorite pokemon in a while. Lumiose os a great city that was a lot of fun to explore. The battle system changes were great. Everything had a lot of character. It felt like an RGG game.
#47: Luigi's Mansion. This is a tech demo but it's lasted as a great way to spend an afternoon with the Gamecube. The mansion is sufficiently spooky and each room provides a great, unique experience without feeling like too much. This is a very charming game with lots of character.
October 29, 2025 at 3:45 AM
#47: Luigi's Mansion. This is a tech demo but it's lasted as a great way to spend an afternoon with the Gamecube. The mansion is sufficiently spooky and each room provides a great, unique experience without feeling like too much. This is a very charming game with lots of character.
#46: Pikmin 3. I think this is my favorite Pikmin. I really like the limited resource and time limit but this doesn’t feel like too much pressure. The areas and new Pikmin types are really neat and the last level is really challenging and well designed.
October 23, 2025 at 1:29 AM
#46: Pikmin 3. I think this is my favorite Pikmin. I really like the limited resource and time limit but this doesn’t feel like too much pressure. The areas and new Pikmin types are really neat and the last level is really challenging and well designed.
#45: Shin Megami Tensei 2. This is a great follow-up to the first one. It builds on what was established but stands on its own. Things are a bit more challenging here and the story is interesting. Biggest issue is there's a lot of backtracking but overall great game.
October 19, 2025 at 4:39 AM
#45: Shin Megami Tensei 2. This is a great follow-up to the first one. It builds on what was established but stands on its own. Things are a bit more challenging here and the story is interesting. Biggest issue is there's a lot of backtracking but overall great game.
#44: Silent Hill f. This game was sufficiently spooky and a lot of fun. They did a great job building the narrative through the world which leads to a great climax. Will likely revisit this sometime soon to get the other endings.
October 7, 2025 at 10:00 PM
#44: Silent Hill f. This game was sufficiently spooky and a lot of fun. They did a great job building the narrative through the world which leads to a great climax. Will likely revisit this sometime soon to get the other endings.
#43: Castlevania II. This was the first Castlevania I ever played. A relative had it. I was obsessed with it. It was so cool and made no sense so I wanted to figure it out. It's still super cool and doesn't make sense but now I have guides. Not the best CV but still great.
October 3, 2025 at 1:53 AM
#43: Castlevania II. This was the first Castlevania I ever played. A relative had it. I was obsessed with it. It was so cool and made no sense so I wanted to figure it out. It's still super cool and doesn't make sense but now I have guides. Not the best CV but still great.
#42: Shin Megami Tensei. The big story events in this are well known at this point but this was probably extremely mind blowing when it came out. The music and vibes are extremely good here. Monster summoning games are always great. Choices are very satisfying.
September 29, 2025 at 3:22 AM
#42: Shin Megami Tensei. The big story events in this are well known at this point but this was probably extremely mind blowing when it came out. The music and vibes are extremely good here. Monster summoning games are always great. Choices are very satisfying.
#41: Scooby Doo Mystery. This is a really cool LucasArts style adventure game. It feels a lot like playing a couple episodes of Scooby Doo and is exactly how a Scooby Doo game should be done. Some puzzles are a bit difficult but that goes with the genre. Would love a new one like this.
September 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
#41: Scooby Doo Mystery. This is a really cool LucasArts style adventure game. It feels a lot like playing a couple episodes of Scooby Doo and is exactly how a Scooby Doo game should be done. Some puzzles are a bit difficult but that goes with the genre. Would love a new one like this.
#40: Resident Evil 2. I've had this since the N64 release but would always get to the police station with low health and run out of ammo and give up. Managed to get a good flow this time and had a pretty good experience. This is the third RE I've beaten (1 and CV). I had fun.
September 24, 2025 at 1:02 AM
#40: Resident Evil 2. I've had this since the N64 release but would always get to the police station with low health and run out of ammo and give up. Managed to get a good flow this time and had a pretty good experience. This is the third RE I've beaten (1 and CV). I had fun.
#39: Mr. Bones. I wish I had this as a kid. It would have had a huge impact on me. This game is so cool. It's also very cruel. This is a mix of platforming and a mini-game collection. It took a while for me to get it originally but it's perfect. Ed Annunziata is a genius.
September 21, 2025 at 3:29 AM
#39: Mr. Bones. I wish I had this as a kid. It would have had a huge impact on me. This game is so cool. It's also very cruel. This is a mix of platforming and a mini-game collection. It took a while for me to get it originally but it's perfect. Ed Annunziata is a genius.
#38: Wind Waker. This is a beautiful game with a lot to love but it's clear that it needed more time in the oven. It's been over 5 years since I've played this and I forgot how repetitive parts are. Still a lot is great.
September 20, 2025 at 9:36 PM
#38: Wind Waker. This is a beautiful game with a lot to love but it's clear that it needed more time in the oven. It's been over 5 years since I've played this and I forgot how repetitive parts are. Still a lot is great.
Bush passed a law making it illegal to make a game as cool as Mister Bones ever again. That's why Sega exited the console business.
September 19, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Bush passed a law making it illegal to make a game as cool as Mister Bones ever again. That's why Sega exited the console business.
#37: Ys 8. Bump Ys is the best Ys but Lacrimosa of Dana is peak as well. The characters and island are great. It's got dinosaurs. Everything is really fun. I really like Dana and the flashbacks to her world and the side stuff is engaging as well. This and X are my favorite modern ones.
September 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
#37: Ys 8. Bump Ys is the best Ys but Lacrimosa of Dana is peak as well. The characters and island are great. It's got dinosaurs. Everything is really fun. I really like Dana and the flashbacks to her world and the side stuff is engaging as well. This and X are my favorite modern ones.
#36: SOTN. This game gets compared to Super Metroid a lot but Metroid is in a whole different league. The vibes and music carry it a lot. I don't think the exploration and power ups are quite as interesting as in SM. That said, it is extremely cool in a lot of ways. Would prefer classic style though
September 13, 2025 at 9:50 PM
#36: SOTN. This game gets compared to Super Metroid a lot but Metroid is in a whole different league. The vibes and music carry it a lot. I don't think the exploration and power ups are quite as interesting as in SM. That said, it is extremely cool in a lot of ways. Would prefer classic style though
#35: Shinobi Art of Vengeance. While this didn’t exactly feel like a proper Shinobi game, the action was very satisfying and I enjoyed exploring the stages. My biggest complaint is that I wish the music stood out more. Shinobi music should be loud and in your face.
September 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
#35: Shinobi Art of Vengeance. While this didn’t exactly feel like a proper Shinobi game, the action was very satisfying and I enjoyed exploring the stages. My biggest complaint is that I wish the music stood out more. Shinobi music should be loud and in your face.
#34: Mario 64. Decided to play a cozy game because Devil Summoner kept freezing. Mario 64 is a nearly perfect 3D platformer. Little stands up to it, even later Mario games. Movement just feels great.
September 5, 2025 at 6:55 PM
#34: Mario 64. Decided to play a cozy game because Devil Summoner kept freezing. Mario 64 is a nearly perfect 3D platformer. Little stands up to it, even later Mario games. Movement just feels great.
#33: Phantasy Star 2. I have a Nei tattoo so I'm extremely biased but this is game is nearly perfect. The dungeons are labyrinths and the battle system is sufficiently complex. The music and atmosphere convey dystopian dread. I always love playing this and am getting faster each time.
August 31, 2025 at 3:53 PM
#33: Phantasy Star 2. I have a Nei tattoo so I'm extremely biased but this is game is nearly perfect. The dungeons are labyrinths and the battle system is sufficiently complex. The music and atmosphere convey dystopian dread. I always love playing this and am getting faster each time.
#32: Ecco the Dolphin CD. On the surface Ecco is a very cute and cozy game that quickly becomes extremely hard. Time travel, xenomorphs, and dolphins. I love Ecco. I wish we could get some more. I managed to get through The Machine in a few tries this time somehow.
August 25, 2025 at 11:32 PM
#32: Ecco the Dolphin CD. On the surface Ecco is a very cute and cozy game that quickly becomes extremely hard. Time travel, xenomorphs, and dolphins. I love Ecco. I wish we could get some more. I managed to get through The Machine in a few tries this time somehow.
#31: Shining Wisdom. This is definitely the worst of the true Shining games but it's still a solid Zelda knockoff with some issues. The music could be a bit better and the sword's hitbox is pretty bad. There's some great power ups and ideas that clearly inspired future Shining and Golden Sun games.
August 24, 2025 at 1:54 AM
#31: Shining Wisdom. This is definitely the worst of the true Shining games but it's still a solid Zelda knockoff with some issues. The music could be a bit better and the sword's hitbox is pretty bad. There's some great power ups and ideas that clearly inspired future Shining and Golden Sun games.
#30: rivercity girls 2. I think I enjoyed the first one more. Pretty similar though this one adds more fetch quests. Music is good. Dialog entertaining. Not into the modern “retro” look. Would rather they go all in or just make it pretty.
August 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
#30: rivercity girls 2. I think I enjoyed the first one more. Pretty similar though this one adds more fetch quests. Music is good. Dialog entertaining. Not into the modern “retro” look. Would rather they go all in or just make it pretty.
As seen in Shinjuku
August 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM
As seen in Shinjuku
#29: SMT: V. While I love Persona and Metaphor, I've never successfully beaten a true SMT before. V is a great entry to start with. It's got great vibes, the battle system is great, but it's not extremely difficult. I had a great time. Definitely need to play Canon of Vengeance later.
August 13, 2025 at 12:53 AM
#29: SMT: V. While I love Persona and Metaphor, I've never successfully beaten a true SMT before. V is a great entry to start with. It's got great vibes, the battle system is great, but it's not extremely difficult. I had a great time. Definitely need to play Canon of Vengeance later.