{"id":11747,"date":"2013-11-18T21:00:42","date_gmt":"2013-11-18T11:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=11747"},"modified":"2015-10-30T07:20:25","modified_gmt":"2015-10-29T21:20:25","slug":"the-fat-website-100-greatest-games-of-this-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=11747","title":{"rendered":"The FAT Website 100 Greatest Games Of This Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Seventh Generation<\/a> of Video Game Consoles is drawing to a close.<\/p>\n

The Seventh Generation refers to the home consoles released by Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft that spanned 2005 to present day.\u00a0 For the sake of this article I’m also going to be including the portable consoles, the Nintendo DS and the Playstation Portable, which were released a year earlier.<\/p>\n

It’s been a long and eventful eight years.\u00a0 Nintendo dramatically changed their fortunes from languishing with the GameCube to having the greatest market share with the Wii thanks to a savvy and bold move to target casual gamers.\u00a0 They were also helped by Wii Sports<\/em> which could make a strong case for being one of the most beloved and influential launch games ever made.<\/p>\n

Incredibly, the Wii went from dominating the sales charts to being absolutely dead as a doornail inside four years.\u00a0 It will still likely end up outpacing the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 but it lagged behind its competitors in month-on-month sales by 2010 and the availability of new software dried up dramatically.<\/p>\n

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 made incredible inroads into establishing the company as a long term player in the video game market.\u00a0 They delivered the most cohesive and innovative online gaming experience that Nintendo and Sony are still yet to catch.\u00a0 The Xbox 360 also popularized Achievements, were first to the market with standardized wireless controllers and they were champions of bite-sized indy games and having an active and credible digital marketplace.\u00a0 It was just as well Microsoft delivered on these fronts as the launch consoles were notoriously unreliable with practically every launch unit eventually succumbing to the Red Ring of Death.<\/p>\n

Sony started out hilariously badly with the Playstation 3.\u00a0 Arrogance and narrow mindedness saw them deliver an overpriced console that was last to market and bereft of a solid library of good games that took the better part of eighteen months to catch up with everyone else.\u00a0 But the strength of their first-party eventually came together and they have finished this generation by far the strongest.\u00a0 The Wii ran out of puff three years ago and Microsoft more or less phoned in their efforts with the 360 this year.\u00a0 By comparison, the PS3 is going strong and thanks to fantastic first party efforts like The Last Of Us<\/em>, Sony is sending off the system in style.<\/p>\n

Over these eight years, I’ve been an avid player of virtually every system in The Seventh Generation and I’d estimate that I probably played in the realm of 250+ games, big and small, spanning over 3,000 hours of play time.\u00a0 The Eighth Generation is already upon us with the Nintendo Wii U last year and the fast approaching Playstation4 and Xbox One arriving this month.\u00a0 Shelf space under the TV is precious and with the arrival of these last two systems, I’ll be packing away the 360 and PS3 and effectively saying goodbye to The Seventh Generation.<\/p>\n

So as a part of saying farewell, I thought I’d list my favourite games of this generation.\u00a0 I’ve made a few rules for myself.\u00a0 I’ve tried to only include games that I’ve played through to completion.\u00a0 I’ve kept sports games to a single entry per franchise.\u00a0 I’ve opted not to include remakes (Chrono Trigger DS<\/em> or Ico & Shadow of the Colossus HD<\/em>) for the most part although I did include The Orange Box <\/em>as it includes Portal.\u00a0 You’ll probably see a ton of critically and commercially popular games missing from the list.\u00a0 There is nothing from Bethesda (Elder Scrolls, Fallout<\/em>) and there isn’t much from Activision (Call of Duty).<\/em>\u00a0 This is because these games were predominantly played by someone else in the household or they’re not to my taste.<\/p>\n

And on that note, here we go.<\/p>\n

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100.\u00a0 Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Xbox 360, 2006)
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Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon<\/em> was one of the first games I bought on the Xbox 360 alongside Kameo <\/em><\/a>(which I returned the next day for Oblivion<\/em>). \u00a0It’s interesting to look back and see what an influential game this military shooter was.\u00a0 It has a campaign mode that has you moving from one action set piece to another and its complimented by a competitive multiplayer mode.\u00a0 Sound familiar?\u00a0 I have fond memories of engaging in online firefights in the back streets of Mexico with Mike and Munch.\u00a0 This was the first online shooter I ever played on a console.<\/p>\n

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99.\u00a0 Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360, 2009)
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Racing sim fans tend to be a divided bunch.\u00a0 Just like fans of Oasis and Blur or Rolling Stones and The Beatles, there is an unwritten rule in video games that you can only like one franchise and not the other.\u00a0 For me, the Forza Motorsport series gets the nod.\u00a0 It’s much more accessible to a casual racing fan like myself and I loved the easy of use of the custom decal mode.\u00a0 My Towelie-Mobile<\/a> was my pride and joy in both career mode and online racing.<\/p>\n

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98.\u00a0 New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS, 2006)
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From reading my review seven years ago, its easy to see that I enjoyed New Super Mario Bros<\/em>, the first new side-scrolling Mario game in thirteen years<\/em>, but with a particular caveat: the game clearly was a modernization of the original Super Mario Bros<\/em>. and although I appreciated the game, I was more hopeful of eventually getting a Super Mario 3<\/em> and Super Mario World<\/em> update (which we eventually got).\u00a0 Looking back now and assessing the game on its own merits, New Super Mario Bros<\/em>. is a solid entry in the Mario franchise.\u00a0 It’s kind of conservative with its graphics and power ups but revisiting the game today, its easy to appreciate the nuances in the level design that make conducive for speed-runs.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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97.\u00a0 Lumines (Playstation Portable, 2005)
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Lumines<\/em>, Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s music\/puzzle hybrid game is one of my favourite time-killing games of this generation and I’ve played a couple more iterations since the PSP version on the Playstation Vita and Playstation 3.\u00a0 Like Tetris, Puyo Puyo<\/em> and Peggle<\/em>, Lumines<\/em> is a simple concept but you can draw hours of fun out of the game thanks to its presentation and gradual difficulty curve.\u00a0 For my money, the Vita version is now the definitive version of the game and has the best music selection.<\/p>\n

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96.\u00a0 Trauma Centre: Under the Knife (Nintendo DS, 2006)
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When the Nintendo DS first really took off, I remember reading about all these weird esoteric genres and new settings that people were talking about on Something Awful and NeoGaf.\u00a0 There were games about training your brain, lawyers, dancing CIA agents and surgery.\u00a0 Trauma Centre feels like the spiritual cousin to the Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney games in that they incorporate an unusual game setting (in this case, an operating theatre at an emergency ward) and layer it with melodramatic anime characters.\u00a0 Trauma Centre<\/em> is a fun game that makes great use of the DS’s touch screen interface but its a shame that the game is so ball-breakingly difficult.\u00a0 If they eased the difficulty curve on the game and ramped up the melodrama with more Grey’s Anatomy<\/em> style drama, I think this game and franchise could’ve been even higher on the list.<\/p>\n

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95.\u00a0 Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, 2007)
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Ah, the plastic instrument craze of 2006-2009, one of the defining fads of the Seventh Generation.\u00a0 For three years, these things sold by the tens of millions and boy did publishers Activision and EA go over the top milking these games dry until the demand plummeted leaving the genre a withered husk by 2010.\u00a0 In three years, the two companies released sixteen<\/em> different iterations of Guitar Hero and Rock Band at a rate of one every three months.\u00a0 Guitar Hero 3, the first game in the franchise not to be developed by creators Harmonix still remains a sentimental favourite of mine.\u00a0 The DLC on this version is incredible.\u00a0 It was the first game to get Def Leppard and it also has some other great tracks including the Halo guitar theme, the Top Gun theme and some excellent Eighties hair metal.<\/p>\n

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94.\u00a0 Doctor Kawashima’s Brain Training (Nintendo DS, 2006)
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The game that got my mother to buy her first ever video game system.\u00a0 This thing was crazy popular in 2006 and its hard not to downplay the importance of Brain Training<\/em> in the Nintendo DS’s success in finding a casual market.\u00a0 It radically changed the notion of what a video game could be and better still, it was actually a lot of fun and subtly utilized video game conventions (high score leaderboards, beating your personal best) to keep you coming back.\u00a0 A quirky little game that contributed greatly to what made the Nintendo DS such a fun and surprising system.<\/p>\n

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93.\u00a0 Heavy Rain (Playstation 3, 2010)
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David Cage’s biggest and best known interactive film experience is the strange crime-drama Heavy Rain<\/em>.\u00a0 The game has clunky execution and the occasionally shoddy passage of dialogue (the notorious ‘Jason’ scene) but it also has ambition in spades and it is genuinely possible to compare your narrative journey in this game with a friend and find that you’ve both had completely<\/em> different experiences.<\/p>\n

I haven’t had a chance to play Cage’s latest, Beyond Two Souls<\/em>,\u00a0but I hear more or less the same level of praise and feedback.\u00a0 I feel like David Cage should be commended for attempting to popularize the interactive film concept and Quantic Dreams has built an excellent frame work to tell stories.\u00a0 I believe we now need a more competent writer and director with the next generation to take this concept to another level.\u00a0 With the right story and the right Hollywood actor, I believe interactive films could become the next big genre for gaming.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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92.\u00a0 Hydro Thunder Hurricane (Xbox 360, 2010)
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I didn’t notice Hydro Thunder Hurrican<\/em>e<\/em> when it came out in July of 2010.\u00a0 To be fair, I think few people did.\u00a0 I ended up buying the game on a whim when it was discounted during an Xbox Live Christmas sale.\u00a0 Then I played and played and played and surprised myself by ignoring the latest versions of Assassin’s Creed<\/em> and Call of Duty<\/em> in favour of this neat little XBLA title that was equal parts evocative of arcade racing games from the Nineties and Nintendo’s Wave Race<\/em> series.\u00a0 The graphics are big, bold and colourful.\u00a0 The water physics add an extra dimension to the gameplay as you factor in the wake and the waves in charting your course.\u00a0 It’s an absolute steal at $5 bucks.<\/p>\n

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91.\u00a0 Ratchet and Clank:\u00a0 A Crack In Time (Playstation 3, 2010)
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Although I never gave the Playstation 2 trilogy a second look, the Ratchet and Clank<\/em> series on Playstation 3 has been one of my favourite franchises this generation.\u00a0 I refer to it in my 2010 review and to this day, I’m mystified how Insomniac’s games aren’t finding a bigger audience.\u00a0 The games look like Pixar animations brought to life, the characters look and talk like Saturday morning cartoons and the action in the game is fast and furious.\u00a0 Although the offshoot games Q-Force<\/em> and All-4-One<\/em> are of questionable quality, everyone should give the core quadraology of games (Tools of Destruction, Quest For Booty, A Crack In Time, Nexus<\/em>) a go.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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90.\u00a0 Call of Duty 4 (Playstation 3, 2007)
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The Call of Duty franchise became an all conquering monster in this generation, dominating the November sales window so drastically that many other publishers simply delayed their games into next year so as not to compete against it.\u00a0 Each annual iteration makes literally billions of dollars in revenue in the opening weekend and the popularity of the game has surpassed that of any major Hollywood film in the last ten years.\u00a0 It’s also not really for me.\u00a0 I play the games occasionally but the whole fetishization of American military might does little for me.\u00a0 The one exception for me is Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.\u00a0 It has by far the most interesting campaign mode of the recent games which is varied in content and has some interesting, if not downright disturbing levels that actually explore the dehumanizing effect of modern military combat.\u00a0 Two years later they undid all their good will with Modern Warfare 2 which had the ludicrous and sensationalized No Russian level.<\/p>\n

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89.\u00a0 L.A Noire (Xbox 360, 2011)
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If you strip out about 15 hours worth of repetitive content, there is a pretty good noir-themed detective game here.\u00a0 Team Bondi’s L.A Noire<\/em> was a game that was ambitious to a fault.\u00a0 It created a massive L.A mid-fifties landscape for the player to explore but gave them almost nothing to do in it.\u00a0 They crammed in about twenty missions that touch on all sorts of famous and popular film noir genre tropes but in doing so made all the levels homogenized and boring.\u00a0 The game features some of the best acting and facial animation from this generation but doesn’t have an interesting story to tell.\u00a0 L.A Noire<\/em> is a game that is frustrating, bloated and more than a little broken but deep down, there are fragments and moments of an absolutely awesome noir game to be had.\u00a0 I would love to see a sequel made next generation that is handled by a superior developer.\u00a0 Make it happen, Rock Star.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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88.\u00a0 A Boy And His Blob (Wii, 2009)
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A Boy and His Blob is a criminally overlooked modernization of the old NES game in which a boy and his shapeless blob companion navigate some pencil sketch worlds utilizing the blob’s shape-shifting ability to get from A to Z.\u00a0 It’s only ever moderately challenging but it fits the calm, feel good atmosphere of the game.\u00a0 This was one of the most charming and laid back experiences I had on the Wii…<\/p>\n

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87.\u00a0 Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii, 2010)
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…and by comparison this was one of the most soul destroyingly difficult games I played on the Wii.\u00a0 Retro Studio’s much anticipated update to the Donkey Kong franchise is a lot of fun and finds a pretty good mix of honouring the game’s heritage while introducing new moves and mechanics.\u00a0 I was having an absolute ball with this game and I can’t say enough about the first six worlds.\u00a0 After that, the game becomes too difficult to the point that it took a lot of the fun out of the overall experience.\u00a0 I still persisted and finished the game but it became a war of attrition.\u00a0 Some of those barrel riding shooting levels and end level bosses were utter bastards.\u00a0 Still, the first two thirds of this game is a glorious and hedonistic revisiting of a Super NES classic.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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86.\u00a0 Hakuna Matata (Playstation 3, 2007)
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You work for the National Geographic and visit Africa, taking pictures of wild life and travel around in a Jeep.\u00a0 What’s not to like?\u00a0 This game is pretty quirky and is something of a rarity.\u00a0 I believe the only English translation of the game was the Hong Kong release (which I picked up mid-transit at a Duty Free).<\/p>\n

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85.\u00a0 Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360, 2008)
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Epic’s Gears of War 2<\/em> served up more of the same bloody carnage from the original game, only with the scale and scope cranked up a couple of notches.\u00a0 Although the game has a degree of notoriety for a melodramatic and hammy cut scene, the campaign co-op experience for Gears 2 was one of my favourites of this generation.\u00a0 It was short, sweet and full of spectacle.<\/p>\n

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84.\u00a0 Pixel Junk Eden (Playstation 3, 2008)
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One of the things that I admired about Sony in this current generation was their steadfast commitment to supporting the creation of these weird, abstract indy titles on the PSN that almost no one would enjoy except me and a handful of others.\u00a0 PixelJunk Eden<\/em> is one such game in which you play as a tiny little guy, only a couple of pixels high, as he tarzan swings around an abstract environment, collecting pollen and jumping to his next mark.\u00a0 It’s as weird and ambiguous as it sounds.\u00a0 I loved it and hope for more of the same on the PS4.<\/p>\n

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83.\u00a0 Phoenix Wright:\u00a0 Ace Attorney:\u00a0 Justice For All (Nintendo DS, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Justice For All<\/em> is widely regarded as the worst Ace Attorney game but the bar is pretty high, so its still fair to say that this game is better than most visual novel adventures.\u00a0 Although the game starts out slow with a couple of so-so murder mysteries, it really comes into its own with the fourth and final case.\u00a0 It’s one of the best cases in the series, as it features returning characters, a classic villain and a scenario that turns the Ace Attorney formula on its head.\u00a0 This game is absolutely worth tracking down but its worth playing the first game first.<\/p>\n

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82.\u00a0 Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360, 2010)
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Bioshock 2 is obviously not nearly as well recognized nor influential as its predecessor but it still offers up some interesting ideas on its own right.\u00a0 This weird collaborative production of an Australian and Chinese develop studio revisits the underwater dystopia of Rapture and puts the player in the shoes of a Big Daddy, the memorable antagonist from the original.\u00a0 The combat in Bioshock 2 is more varied and refined than the original and the game actually creates some pretty haunting and disturbing imagery that stayed long in the memory after I completed the game.<\/p>\n

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81.\u00a0 Everyday Shooter (Playstation 3, 2006)
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The first PSN game I bought and downloaded was Jonathan Mack’s musical twin stick shooter.\u00a0 The game features some creative, purposefully minimalistic imagery and compliments each stage with some unconventional musical choices.\u00a0 This creative and off-kilter shooter set the tone for the type of content we would come to expect on the PSN marketplace.<\/p>\n

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80.\u00a0 Katamari Forever (Xbox 360, 2009)
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There’s a handful of games that I own where I enjoy periodically revisiting them to play the last level which isn’t necessarily challenging, but it showcases the game at its most creative and vibrant.\u00a0 Rez, Flower, Journey<\/em> and Katamari Damacy<\/em> are all games where I enjoy doing this.\u00a0 Katamari Damacy on the Playstation 2 was a game that was stuffed full of creativity and humour.\u00a0 The gameplay concept of a sticky ball that gradually gets bigger and consumes anything smaller than it is a brilliant one.\u00a0 In Katamari Forever<\/em>, we get to see this idea in HD and played out to its fullest extent.\u00a0 In the final level, you start off rolling up tennis balls and shoes.\u00a0 By the end, you are consuming whole planets, solar systems and galaxies.\u00a0 Is there any greater transition in size and scope in any other video game?<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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79.\u00a0 Wipeout HD (Playstation 3, 2008)
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One of the saddest traditions to be broken with the launch of Playstation 4 is that there won’t be a new Wipeout to accompany it as developer Psygnosis (who went on to become Studio Liverpool) shut their doors last year.\u00a0 At least they went out on a high note with their last two games, Wipeout HD and Wipeout 2047 being a pair of accessible, high velocity racers that are blazing fast and look absolutely stunning.\u00a0 History will look back on the original Wipeout very kindly as one of the franchises that gave the Playstation a mature appeal to teenagers and adults with its exceptional Designer’s Republic aesthetic.<\/p>\n

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78.\u00a0 Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360, 2008)
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The first Grand Theft Auto<\/em> game on this generation brought with it the expected graphical overhaul but its ludo-narrative dissonance was jarring and the play mechanics became a little conservative for long time fans of the franchise.\u00a0 Although the game has been absolutely superceded in almost every way by its sequel GTA V<\/em>, GTA IV<\/em> still has its moments.\u00a0 The bank robbery mission is a clear blueprint for where the series would go in future and the downloadable expansions, The Lost and the Damned<\/em> and The Ballad of Gay Tony<\/em> are both full of worthwhile content.\u00a0 I’d actually say I prefer the story in The Lost and the Damned<\/em> to Nico’s adventures in the main game.<\/p>\n

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77.\u00a0 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (Xbox 360, 2010)
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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light<\/em> was one of the unexpected gems of this generation.\u00a0 The game has the Tomb Raider license but its almost ill-fitting as the game primarily shines as a co-op experience, where you play Lara and some weird tribal dude who’s name I forget, as you traverse an isometric landscape, working together to hunt down enemies and work through puzzles.\u00a0 If the latest Tomb Raider<\/em> game had one short-coming, it was an absence of actual tombs to explore.\u00a0 In this game, its all tombs, all the time.\u00a0 A great co-op downloadable game.<\/p>\n

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76.\u00a0 Assassin’s Creed II (Playstation 3, 2009)
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Otherwise remembered as the only Assassin’s Creed game with an interesting protagonist.\u00a0 The Assassin’s Creed<\/em> games have been a huge success for Ubisoft this generation.\u00a0 This is in spite of mostly luke warm reviews, some buggy releases and notoriously repetitive gameplay.\u00a0 I guess people really<\/em> like parkour.\u00a0 Although I’m a little harsh on the series as a whole, there’s no knocking Ass Creed 2<\/em> which is set in Renaissance era Italy and features the brash, cocky Ezio Auditore, a wealthy nobleman who battles the Knights Templar.\u00a0 Ubisoft knew they struck gold with this guy as he was involved in two spin off games.\u00a0 They went back to making boring protagonists with Ass Creed 3<\/em> which had a dour Native American at the helm.\u00a0 Perhaps in recognition of how uninteresting he was, he was immediately shelved for a new guy in Ass 4<\/em>.\u00a0 Ezio Auditore and this game remain the benchmark for the series.<\/p>\n

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75.\u00a0 New Super Mario Bros Wii (Nintendo Wii, 2009)
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The Wii installment of the Mario sidescroller kinda gets overlooked on the system because its keeping company with Super Mario Galaxy 1+2<\/em> which are some of the greatest games of all time.\u00a0 That said, New Super Mario Bros Wii is nothing to sniff at.\u00a0 The first few levels are kinda vanilla but the game really comes into its own in the final couple of worlds.\u00a0 The multiplayer is also suitably chaotic and loaded with opportunities for griefing your friends.<\/p>\n

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74.\u00a0 House of the Dead: Overkill (Nintendo Wii, 2009)
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I have no idea why this sweary, gory, over the top grindhouse shooter from Sega exists on the family-friendly Wii of all places but I’m glad it does.\u00a0 The light gun shooter genre all but evaporated this generation but if you want one last hurrah, you could definitely do worse than play this hilariously cheesy and bloody shooter.\u00a0 It’s dirty, silly and beautifully self aware.\u00a0 I’d love to see Agent G and Isaac Washington return for another installment on the Wii U.<\/p>\n

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73.\u00a0 The Unfinished Swan (Playstation 3, 2012)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

A beautiful, eyecatching Playstation 3 downloadable exclusive which takes the form of a children’s storybook come to life.\u00a0 A restless and unhappy king who struggles to engage with the people in his kingdom are the backdrop for a game that blends about three or four different gameplay ideas and meshes them together into this playful and highly polished game.<\/p>\n

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72.\u00a0 Trials HD (Xbox 360, 2009)
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Ah, this glorious trial-and-error motorbike-puzzle game was one of my favourite series this generation.\u00a0 The difficulty curve ramps up pretty quickly in this game which is all about achieving mastery over your bike as you navigate it through some crazy levels in the shortest time possible.\u00a0 They key to making this work is the brilliant checkpointing and instantaneous restarts.\u00a0 Sometimes, its not uncommon for me to restart 3 times in 10 seconds.\u00a0 But when its instantaneous and you never blame the controls, its all good.<\/p>\n

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71.\u00a0 Final Fantasy XIII (Playstation 3, 2010)
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This game features some of the most awful characters and cutscenes of any video game I’ve ever known.\u00a0 Vanille will practically have you stabbing your eyes out with a fork by the end of the game with her irritating voice and manner.\u00a0 It’s a Final Fantasy <\/em>game with little exploration, no overworld and a tutorial that basically runs for 20 hours.\u00a0 And yet, for those who perservered, there’s actually a proper, honest to God, Final Fantasy<\/em> game at the end of the rainbow with an excellent combat system and some fun enemies to battle.\u00a0 This game has a terrible story, the sequel is even more convoluted, but the turn based mechanics have interesting ideas, plenty of depth and are fun to play.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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70.\u00a0 Geometry Wars (Xbox 360, 2005)
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The original Xbox Live Arcade game, the original modern-day twin stick shooter and the foundation for all that was to come with the Xbox Live experience as well spent those first few months challenging friends to beat new high scores on the online leaderboards.\u00a0 I absolutely suck at this game but like ten pin bowling, I still have a lot of fun trying.<\/p>\n

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69.\u00a0 Viva Pinata (Xbox 360, 2006)
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Viva Pinata<\/em> is Rare Studio’s shockingly good attempt at creating their own Pokemon<\/em> game only with edible creatures that are a hybrid of animal and chocolate.\u00a0 This is a wonderful game, bursting at the seams with charm and playful creativity.\u00a0 It is an absolute crime that this game didn’t sell better and I’m crushed that we likely won’t ever see a next gen iteration.\u00a0 One of the Xbox 360’s finest exclusives.\u00a0 The weird thing is that I didn’t even buy the game at first.\u00a0 I just picked up a flat mates copy during a Christmas break and ended up sinking over 70 hours into it.<\/p>\n

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68.\u00a0 Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo DS, 2008)
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I think we can all agree that they released too many of these games too quickly but the original Professor Layton is still one of the finest, most polished gaming experiences to be had on the Nintendo DS.\u00a0 It’s a curious blend of Japanese animation, a twee English art motif and hundreds of puzzles not unlike the kind you get at airport bookshops.\u00a0 It’s a weird mix but somehow it works.<\/p>\n

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67.\u00a0 Henry Hatsworth (Nintendo DS, 2009)
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There was a brief spell at EA this generation where inexplicably they decided to finance a bunch of creative, niche game ideas that ultimately resulted in Mirror’s Edge, Dead Space<\/em> and this weird little game on the DS.\u00a0 Henry Hatsworth<\/em> is a cool little concept that mixes Mega Man style run-and-gun mechanics on the top screen with match-three Bejewelled style puzzle gameplay on the bottom screen.\u00a0 So crazy, so inventive!\u00a0 I have a hunch it will be a long time before we see EA finance this type of game again.<\/p>\n

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66.\u00a0 Costume Quest (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

There aren’t enough holiday themed games in the video gaming industry.\u00a0 Where is our classic Christmas adventure game or our go-to Easter puzzle game?\u00a0 At least Double Fine Studios have filled the niche now for Halloween.\u00a0 Costume Quest<\/em> is an adorable, pint-sized RPG based around the adventures of two siblings who try and win back their candy from evil monsters on All Hallows Eve.<\/p>\n

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65.\u00a0 Halo 4 (Xbox 360, 2012)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first Bungie-less Halo <\/em>game doesn’t have the breadth of features that its forebearer had but its still a solid effort from 343 Industries.\u00a0 The game looks shockingly good for something running on seven year old hardware and is bold enough to significantly challenge and change the landscape of the Halo <\/em>universe.\u00a0 Halo<\/em> has always been my favourite online shooter and although this game doesn’t have the legs of Halo 3<\/em> or Halo Reach<\/em> when it comes to multiplayer, it was still fun while it held my attention.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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64.\u00a0 Alan Wake (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The previews of this game in 2005 were what first drew my interest in the Xbox 360.\u00a0 A ton of delays and half a decade later, it finally came out.\u00a0 Alan Wake<\/em> is a survival horror game about an author whose writing comes to life and kidnap his wife (!).\u00a0 It’s kind of silly and has slightly janky play mechanics but I don’t care.\u00a0 This is a big budget horror game that draws direct influence from Stephen King and thats a game for me!\u00a0 Any chance of sequel, Remedy?<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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63.\u00a0 Yakuza 4 (Playstation 3, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I love the Yakuza<\/em> game series and the fourth installment mixes things up by giving us control over not one but four different protagonists.\u00a0 Basically this game did GTA V<\/em> before GTA V<\/em> did it.\u00a0 It’s cool, over the top and still has an unnecessary amount of selection and product detail when it comes to the whisky you can drink.\u00a0 A game after my own heart.<\/p>\n

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62.\u00a0 Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo Wii, 2008)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mario Kart Wii<\/em> is the most unashamedly casual of all the Mario Kart racing games with rubberband AI so ruthless that its pretty much a lottery who wins the race.\u00a0 And yet its manufactured chaos ensures that every race is full of implausible comebacks and last minute lead changes.\u00a0 If you’re playing with family, friends or casual gamers then this is the perfect recipe for fun.\u00a0 Don’t spoil the fun and just go with the flow, blue shell and all.<\/p>\n

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61.\u00a0 DJ Hero (Xbox 360, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

One day we can tell our grandchildren that during the great Plastic Music Instrument Craze of 2009, the games were so popular that someone could plausibly release a DJ ‘simulator’ where you spin a plastic turntable in time to some coloured dials on the screen.\u00a0 It’s a ridiculous concept, a blatant cash-in and thanks to the fine selection of DJ Shadow’s mash ups of popular hip hop tunes, it’s a ton of fun.<\/p>\n

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60.\u00a0 Brutal Legend (Xbox 360, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have no idea why Double Fine Studios decided to disguise the fact that this game is a Real Time Strategy game but so be it.\u00a0 It’s still a ridiculously fun adventure game in the vein of Heavy Metal<\/em>.\u00a0 Jack Black voices the lead Eddie Riggs, a deceased roadie who awakens in a netherworld where he keeps company with rock legends like Ozzie Osbourne, Lemmy, some hot babes and horned demons.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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59.\u00a0 Elite Beat Agents (Nintendo DS, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rhythm genre games always have the same challenge set before them.\u00a0 Mechanically, they are more or less the same.\u00a0 What sets you apart is the strength of your setlist and the charm of the presentation.\u00a0 It’s what seperates the Parappa the Rappers<\/em> of the world from the Umjammer Lammy’s<\/em>.\u00a0 Elite Beat Agents on the Nintendo DS includes songs from The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Madonna, David Bowie and Avril Lavigne.\u00a0 It also features a group of secret agents traveling the world helping people with the power of dance.\u00a0 Best game.<\/p>\n

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58.\u00a0 Limbo (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This creepy monochromatic platformers must rival Dead Space 2<\/em> for the highest number of appalling ways in which the protagonist can be killed.\u00a0 It’s eery, atmospheric and one of the best titles on XBLA.<\/p>\n

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57.\u00a0 Flower (Playstation 3, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This game is like an interactive Sony Bravia ad.\u00a0 The goal is to guide a drifting trail of flower petals to the end of the level but the draw card here is the pretty colours and breezy laid back atmosphere that this game exudes.\u00a0 The last level where you restore structure and colour to a derelict building is a favourite of mine.<\/p>\n

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56.\u00a0 Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Xbox 360, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the image above of Adam Jensen chillin’ with a cigarette and scotch tells you all you need to know about this super cool cyberpunk game from Eidos Montreal.\u00a0 Deus Ex is a versatile game that gives players multiple ways to develop their character and engage missions via stealth, computer hackery or brute force.\u00a0 Well, up to a certain point at least.\u00a0 Near the middle of the game you encounter some bosses that seem to be from another game entirely and can only be defeated via intense firepower.\u00a0 Oh well.\u00a0 Stealthin’ around Hong Kong and killin’ dudes was a ton of fun in this game.<\/p>\n

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55.\u00a0 Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, 2013)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was a lot of wailing and nashing of teeth from long time Tomb Raider<\/em> fans when Eidos declared their intention to update the franchise with a reboot that showed a new, more ‘vulnerable’ Lara.\u00a0 They needn’t have worried.\u00a0 Lara is a one-woman killing machine in this game and after her reluctance at killing a pirate in the opening act, she goes on to comfortably commit mass genocide, ruthlessly massacring about another 300 more indigenous people on the island.\u00a0 Thats the video game standard this generation and she’s just keeping up with the Nathan Drakes and Booker DeWitts of this world.\u00a0 Despite my protestations about the high kill count, this is otherwise a fantastic remake and the actual characterization and physical appearance of Lara Croft in this game compared to the 1996 shows that there is some progress being made in the portrayals of women in gaming.<\/p>\n

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54.\u00a0 Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the best surprises of this gen was the rise and rise of developer Rocksteady who made not one, but two excellent Batman games.\u00a0 Arkham City<\/em> is the sequel to Arkham Asylum<\/em> and features an expanded play area although it stops short of giving players full unfettered access to Gotham.\u00a0 The combat mechanics are refined from the original and the game retains its fine balance of stalking prey in detective mode and unleashing hell on hapless goons once they’re close enough for the Batman to strike.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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53.\u00a0 Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360, 2013)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bioshock Infinite is a game with a wildly creative narrative and setting sandwiched into a rigidly formulaic arena shooter.\u00a0 Honestly, if this game had come out three years earlier, we probably wouldn’t all be completely exhausted with the current generation’s obsession with shooters and would have given the gameplay a free pass but as it stands, the combat in this game is ‘servicable’ and the real reason to be excited about this game are its ambitions in tackling all kinds of uncommon subject matter for video games including religion, institutional racism and classism.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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52.\u00a0 Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This strange Western post-apocalyptic retelling of the Chinese fable Monkey is an excellent game with an uncommonly good script thanks to the contributions of screen writer Alex Garland.\u00a0 The relationship between Trip and Monkey really makes this game as they journey through an American wasteland.\u00a0 Shame this game got overlooked by most.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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51.\u00a0 Little Big Planet (Playstation 3, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Little Big Planet, the world conquering platforming game where anyone could make, share and upload their own levels never quite reached the lofty heights that gamers originally hoped for.\u00a0 It’s partly because the jumping was fiddly and partly because the honest truth is that only a select few have the skill to make an interesting level.\u00a0 That said, at the height of this game’s popularity I remember scouring different message boards and having a blast trying out different user created levels.\u00a0 It was good while it lasted but sadly I think this franchises community is probably on the wane nowadays.<\/p>\n

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50.\u00a0 Peggle (Xbox 360, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

You shoot pegs at a board full of tiles and try and clear them all out before you run of pegs.\u00a0 Thats why its Peggle, see?\u00a0 Also one of the most addictive games of any kind this generation.\u00a0 Like crack.<\/p>\n

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49.\u00a0 Pacman Championship Edition DX (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was a brief while there where Japanese developers were recreating these amazing psychadelic remakes of arcade classics from the Eighties.\u00a0 We got Space Invaders Extreme, Pac Man Championship Edition<\/em> and Pac Man Championship Edition DX<\/em>.\u00a0 Then they stopped.\u00a0 Why did they stop?\u00a0 These games were absolutely amazing.<\/p>\n

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48.\u00a0 Phoenix Wright:\u00a0 Ace Attorney (Nintendo DS, 2005)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The original Ace Attorney game that would go on to spawn a whole seven-installment franchise (and hopefully more to come!).\u00a0 This game would set the tone for the series with its flamboyant characters, charmingly devious prosecutors and crazy plot twists.\u00a0 I always loved the deliberately low-key animation that accompanied the graphics to the series.\u00a0 It’s like watching Season One of South Park or watching an animated GIF.\u00a0 Phoenix Wright, Detective Gumshoe, Miles Edgeworth…they’re all some of my favourite characters of this gen.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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47.\u00a0 Bayonetta (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This crazy balls-to-the-wall action game features a spacewitch who looks sort of like Sarah Palin who has revolvers on the heels of her shoe and is completely nude except that her hair wraps around her like a body suit.\u00a0 She defends this little kid and fights giant, occasionally planetary sized creatures from hell in one of the most batshit crazy and exciting games I’ve ever come across.\u00a0 So, so crazy.\u00a0 So very Japanese.<\/p>\n

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46.\u00a0 Mass Effect (Xbox 360, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a trilogy, Mass Effect\u00a0<\/em>can be admired and appreciated for giving us an ambitious space-rpg where we get to carry over the same character with the same choices across three games.\u00a0 But what we can specifically enjoy about the original\u00a0Mass Effect<\/em> that has been lost over the series is a very cool Seventies sci-fi motif that influenced the art design and soundtrack.<\/p>\n

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45.\u00a0 Critter Crunch (Playstation 3, 2008)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

This charming bug-munching puzzle game was developed by Capybara who quietly went on to become one of my favourite developers this gen thanks to their work on Clash of Heroes<\/em> and Swords and Sworcery<\/em>.\u00a0 Critter Crunch<\/em> is an underrated gem.\u00a0 A fun and simple game at first that gradually increases in complexity as it adds new creature types and abilities as the game progresses.<\/p>\n

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44.\u00a0 NBA 2K12 (Xbox 360, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

After experiencing an NBA firsthand I wanted to have a quick go at a basketball game to relive some of the fun.\u00a0 I ended up playing a full 80+ game season mode of NBA 2K12 and becoming a full fledged fan of both the sport and this particular series.\u00a0 It’s fun, challenging and rewarding.<\/p>\n

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43.\u00a0 Yakuza 3 (Playstation 3, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Open world sandbox games featuring gangsters are a dime a dozen but how many of them detour to a beachside location to have a holiday and run an orphanage?\u00a0 Thats pretty much what you get with Yakuza 3<\/em> as the Dragon of Dojima dons a Hawaiian shirt and chills out in Okinawa for much of the game.<\/p>\n

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42.\u00a0 Uncharted 3: (Playstation 3, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

It didn’t live up to the impossibly lofty standards of Uncharted 2<\/em> but this game is still no slouch.\u00a0 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is a fine bookend to the series trilogy on the PS3.\u00a0 The characters have plenty of history and this game fleshes out Drake’s background even further.\u00a0 The set pieces explore new concepts with the desert sequence and the sinking ship.\u00a0 And although the shooting sequences wear out their welcome towards the end of the game, they are complimented by some entertaining platforming and gorgeous graphics that really push the limits of the hardware.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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41.\u00a0 Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS, 2005)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

If Mario Kart Wii is the definitive casual version of the franchise, then Mario Kart DS, until its 3DS successor came out two years ago, was the undisputed champ for core gamers.\u00a0 The game was absolutely stacked with content including a healthy mix of new tracks and old favourites.\u00a0 It was the first installment of the series to go online and the ability to snake (rapidly power sliding left-to-right in a continuous movement) meant that seasoned players could leave newbies in the dust.\u00a0 I put tens of hours into this iteration of the game.\u00a0 It remained a popular game on the DS and would be a feature in its Top Ten Sales lists for years<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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40.\u00a0 Super Brothers: Sword and Sworcery EP (iOS, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Capybara’s Sword and Sworcery<\/em> is a brilliant low fidelity adventure game featuring the music of Jim Guthrie.\u00a0 The game is visually and aurally very distinctive and incorporates some of the best use of the iOS touch interface that I’ve seen in a game of this genre.\u00a0 What makes Sword and Sworcery\u00a0<\/em>so good is how the minimalist art and play mechanics combine to become much greater than the sum of their parts.\u00a0 The world is interesting, the story is engaging and the mystery intriguing.\u00a0 Amongst the dodgy free-to-play wasteland on the iOS Games Marketplace, Sword and Sworcery is a beacon of quality.<\/p>\n

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39.\u00a0 The Legend of Zelda:\u00a0 Skyward Sword (Nintendo Wii, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Skyward Sword<\/em> is one of the most comprehensive and complete gaming experiences one can have with the Zelda franchise.\u00a0 It brings fresh ideas to the series, learns lessons from past installments and pushes forward with a fresh new control mechanic that implements the Wii Motion Plus controller.\u00a0 The game transformers the Zelda series’ traditional dungeons into something far more organic.\u00a0 The integration of weapons is also much improved from Twilight Princess<\/em>.\u00a0 The game features one of the darkest villains the franchise has seen in some time and on a sweeter note, also has one of more romantic relationships between Link and Zelda.\u00a0 Beautiful art style, terrific play mechanics and a superb send off for the Nintendo Wii.<\/p>\n

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38.\u00a0 FIFA 10 (Xbox 360, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this generation, the FIFA<\/em> franchise emphatically passed the ailing Pro Evolution Soccer<\/em> series in terms of quality and never looked back.\u00a0 I’ve picked FIFA 10<\/em> because I believe that was more or less the point of no return for football fans.\u00a0 It was clear that FIFA<\/em> had nailed it.\u00a0 The game isn’t necessarily any closer to recreating a professional game of soccer but it finds the perfect balance between realism and fun.\u00a0 Hands down this is the multiplayer game that I played the most this gen.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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37.\u00a0 Dead Rising (Xbox 360, 2006)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first thing you want to do when you buy a new console is to find a game that delivers a moment that simply couldn’t be done on the preceding hardware.\u00a0 For some gamers, that was exiting the sewer in Oblivion and seeing an open world around you.\u00a0 For me, one of my favourite moments was simply booting up Dead Rising<\/em> and exploring the mall.\u00a0 So many enemies on screen at once! <\/em> Although the game had a quirky and annoying save system, it also had some kick ass bosses and a great sense of humour.<\/p>\n

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36.\u00a0 Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, yeah.\u00a0 The ending is terrible.\u00a0 We know.\u00a0 It’s still worth noting that the rest of Mass Effect 3\u00a0<\/em>is still a fantastic space opera where characters you’ve played across three games face life and death battles, make massive sacrifices and set the stakes as high as they can go in the battle to stop the Reapers.\u00a0 As for the ending, I think the DLC Citadel<\/em><\/a> is actually a pretty great unofficial send off where you get to see the characters have a sweet house party, get drunks, do a few things they regret and say goodbye the way it should’ve done the first time.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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35.\u00a0 Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arkham Asylum, the unexpected hit of 2009 put developers Rocksteady on the map.\u00a0 There’s still a good case to make that recognizes this as the best super hero video game ever made.\u00a0 They nailed the look and feel of the Batman series, got the best voice actors for the roles and put it all together in an atmospheric Metroidvania style game where the Dark Knight enters a den full of madmen to get to the Joker.\u00a0 Just brilliant.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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34. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best and definitive of Criterion’s Burn Out<\/em> franchise is actually Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit<\/em>.\u00a0 In a moment of serendipity, all the pieces of the puzzle came together to make this game the near perfect arcade racer.\u00a0 The sensation of speed is unmatched, the AI of the competing racers and cops are challenging but unfair and the selection of tracks and modes is incredibly generous.\u00a0 Strangely, I haven’t really enjoyed any other\u00a0Need For Speed<\/em> game before or since then.\u00a0 Just this one.\u00a0 But its all I need.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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33.\u00a0 Mark of the Ninja (Xbox 360, 2012)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mark of the Ninja<\/em> was an unexpected gem of a game from Klei Entertainment that arrived on XBLA with little fanfare but has since made a reputation for itself as one of the greatest 2D stealth games ever made.\u00a0 Every level in this game is created with an optimum level of flexibility and player creativity in mind.\u00a0 It’s possible to not only complete every level without killing a single guard, its also possible to do all that and not be seen.\u00a0 So the extra layers of challenges that the player wants to place on themselves greatly enhances the experience of the game.\u00a0 Even if you’re just taking it easy and killing half the guards you come across, the game also is one of the most enjoyable interactive representations of being a ninja that I can recall since Tenchu<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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32.\u00a0 Dead Space 2 (Xbox 360, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first game was good.\u00a0 The second was better.\u00a0 The third was awful.\u00a0 Dead Space 2<\/em> was the cream of the survival horror crop this gen.\u00a0 The game was chock full of gruesome creatures, creepy blacked out space stations and a few sprinkles of action set pieces to keep you on your toes.\u00a0 I let poor Isaac die a thousand deaths in this game.\u00a0 A great game full of atmosphere *and* challenging gameplay.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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31.\u00a0 Halo: Reach (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The send off Halo<\/em> game from Bungie follows the fortunes of the original Spartans as Earth comes under attack.\u00a0 This game was the beginning of Halo<\/em>‘s gradual evolution to win back fans who moved to Battlefield<\/em> and Call of Duty<\/em>.\u00a0 The multiplayer mode introduced perks and skill attributes which changed the gameplay more drastically than any prior installment.\u00a0 I have mixed feelings about the changes and ultimately preferred the simplicity of Halo 3<\/em> but I understand why the changes were made.\u00a0 No complaints however about a stellar campaign mode that tells a bitter sweet story.\u00a0 A fitting goodbye and a clear work of passion from the team at Bungie before they move onto bigger and better things.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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30.\u00a0 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (Playstation 3, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Uncharted<\/em> from Naughty Dog became one of the first killer apps for the PS3 with its heady mix of Indiana Jones style gameplay and highly polished graphics.\u00a0 The series has gone on to become monstrously popular thanks to a phenomenal sequel but the original game is still worthy of its own praise and recognition.\u00a0 Too many games today are poe faced and feature meathead protagonists.\u00a0 Having a lead character that talks like Nathan Fillion and behaves like someone straight out of Joss Whedon production is a good thing.<\/p>\n

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29.\u00a0 Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (Playstation 3, 2013)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch<\/em> is one of those dream projects that either sound too good to be true or you’d expect to hear about in Japan but doesn’t get a Western translation.\u00a0 And although it took long enough, here it is: a JRPG that looks and talks like a Studio Ghibli production.\u00a0 It’s exactly as awesome as you’d hope for.\u00a0 Underneath the hood is a classic (if not strictly conventional) JRPG game that features familiars, airships, turn based combat and overworld maps.\u00a0 Given the dearth of solid JRPGs this generation, this game was a Godsend.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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28.\u00a0 Ratchet and Clank:\u00a0 Tools of Destruction (Playstation 3, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first PS3 I bought was actually from Japan in 2007.\u00a0 The system is region-free so it could play games from Australia no problems.\u00a0 I noticed a weird surprise when I booted up Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction<\/em> however.\u00a0 The game identifies that its running on a Japanese system and modifies the game’s graphics to make them more ‘appealing’ to Japanese audiences.\u00a0 It does so by giving Ratchet different coloured pants and the these fantastic bushy eyebrows that John Howard and Martin Scorcese would be proud of.\u00a0 For that reason, it’s my 28th best game of this gen.\u00a0 Just kidding, the actual game is pretty great too.<\/p>\n

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27.\u00a0 Metal Gear Solid 4 (Playstation 3, 2008)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Creator Hideo Kojima threw the proverbial sink at MGS4<\/em>.\u00a0 He seemingly made the game with the spirit that it could be his last or it could be the last of the series (its actually neither).\u00a0 Looking back now, the game has hilariously complicated controls.\u00a0 You need to press and hold down three buttons to shoot a gun while you have your back up against a wall.\u00a0 It also had the most gloriously over the top, absurd and lengthy cutscenes of any game.\u00a0 The ending cinematic is longer than most feature length films<\/em>.\u00a0 The actual game itself heaped all sorts of awesome set pieces at the player.\u00a0 There was a noir level in Paris, a revisiting of an old stomping ground and a dramatic ending that was one for the ages.\u00a0 This game is complicated, bloated and a clear work of passion.<\/p>\n

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26.\u00a0 Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo Wii, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The sequel to the game-changing Wii Sports is a solidly entertaining multiplayer game in its own right.\u00a0 Table tennis, archery and that kendo thing where you knock each other into the water are all great fun.\u00a0 I will forever remember this game as the one that my non-game playing dad was able to instantaneously pick up and enjoy.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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25.\u00a0 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo Wii, 2006)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Time flies.\u00a0 Twilight Princess<\/em> is seven years old?!\u00a0 This launch game for the Wii was clearly overshadowed by Wii Sports<\/em> which got all the praise and attention.\u00a0 A shame because this is a fantastic 3D Zelda game that was a long time in the making.\u00a0 It has fantastic aesthetics and some cracking level design in the dungeons.\u00a0 My only knock against the game is that the overworld is a bit sparse and the side quests are lacking but everything else is top shelf.<\/p>\n

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24.\u00a0 Bastion (Xbox 360, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bastion<\/em> is a wonderful isometric action adventure game from SuperGiant Games.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The game features a stunning hand-painted art design, some classic dungeon-romping gameplay and has a cool design hook with the presence of a narrator who describes your movements in real time as though he were presenting a Western.\u00a0 The game is atmospheric, evokes nostalgia in the best way and offers plenty of depth in its weapon leveling system.\u00a0 Weirdly enough, its the one and only game that\u00a0SuperGiant Games have ever made.\u00a0 If you’re only going to do one, may as well shoot for the stars I guess.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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23.\u00a0 The Witcher 2 (Xbox 360, 2012)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Polish RPG based on a novel from the same country.\u00a0 It features a mature storyline that weaves political intrigue, romance and a thriller involving an assassin that commits regicide and frames our hero Geralt.\u00a0 It’s quite different from your usual RPG fare and stands out as a breath of fresh air.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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22.\u00a0 Gears of War (Xbox 360, 2006)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The game that leveled the playing field between Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and effectively squashed the idea that the PS3 was exponentially more powerful than Microsoft’s console.\u00a0 Cliffy B’s game was visceral, featured jaw dropping graphics for its day and was promoted using a cool, unconventional tv ad campaign that incorporated that Mad World<\/em> song.\u00a0 As a fan of Space Crusade<\/em> and Fighting Fantasy<\/em> in the Eighties, I absolutely loved the aesthetic of this game.\u00a0 I must have completed the campaign mode for this game in co-op with about three or four different people.\u00a0 It was an absolute blast.<\/p>\n

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21.\u00a0 Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mass Effect 2<\/em> might have eschewed the cool Seventies design motif from the original game in the series but there’s no doubting that its the pick of the trilogy when it comes to introducing memorable new characters and perfecting the game’s control mechanics and mission design.\u00a0 Gone was the clunky Mako, gone was the pointless currency system and in its place was a decent squad shooter with lite RPG mechanics overlaid.\u00a0 Ultimately, Mass Effect<\/em> is all about the story and characters of course and ME2<\/em> is a highlight.\u00a0 I have fond memories of traversing the galaxy in the Normandy with Mordin, Garrus, Grunt and Tali.\u00a0 The best crew of any game this gen.<\/p>\n

\"20\"<\/a><\/p>\n

20.\u00a0 Wii Sports (Nintendo Wii, 2006)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Probably the most influential game this gen.\u00a0 It effectively sold Nintendo 100,000,000 Wii units and turned the tide in their favour for hardware market share this gen.\u00a0 Even with the system software release grinding to a halt a full three years before the 360 and PS3, the Wii still ended up with more hardware sold.\u00a0 I remember being so excited for this game when I first got to try it out at a Nintendo tour in a shopping mall.\u00a0 It felt so radically new and different.\u00a0 After the game launched we had Wii parties where people would visit just to play this thing.\u00a0 It permeated offices as a leisure activity during lunch breaks.\u00a0 It was a cultural phenomenon.<\/p>\n

\"19\"<\/a><\/p>\n

19.\u00a0 Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo Wii, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Super Mario Galaxy 2<\/em> isn’t more of a good thing.\u00a0 It’s more of a great thing.\u00a0 Of course it can’t recapture that initial thrill and sense of wonder that SMG1<\/em> brings with it and the musical score isn’t quite as catchy but in every other sense, this is Nintendo throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at the 3D platforming genre and going for broke with their imagination.\u00a0 It’s nice to have Yoshi added into the mix also.\u00a0 Surely we won’t go too long before getting HD remakes for this pair of titles?<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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18.\u00a0 Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, 2013)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most intricate, lively and complete open world game ever made.\u00a0 It was five long years before Rockstar released a successor to GTA IV<\/em> but you felt like they were working their way up to it by mastering their storytelling (Red Dead Redemption<\/em>), mastering their shooting mechanics (Max Payne 3<\/em>) and stealing a few good ideas like multiple protagonists (Yakuza 4<\/em>).\u00a0 Grand Theft Auto V <\/em>is one of the best games in the franchise and although it might be up for debate whether it has the best protagonists, there’s no doubting that those heist missions are the best thing to happen to the game since switching to 3D graphics.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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17.\u00a0 Bioshock (Xbox 360, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Few games this generation blew my impressionable little mind like the first half hour of Bioshock.<\/em>\u00a0 You play the part of Jack, a passenger on a plane that crashes into the ocean at the start of the game.\u00a0 Jack swims to the safety of a mysterious lighthouse, only to discover a bathysphere inside which leads to a wondrous art deco undersea metropolis controlled by the billionaire Randist Andrew Ryan.\u00a0 Bioshock<\/em> was a game bustling with style, interesting ideas and some of the most memorable fourth wall shattering gameplay since Metal Gear Solid read the contents of your memory card.\u00a0 The journey into Rapture was scary, thrilling, mysterious and memorable.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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16.\u00a0 Portal 2 (Xbox 360, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look throughout this hundred game list spanning eight years and you’ll probably find only a handful of games that deal with humour.\u00a0 That’s what made Portal 2<\/em> stand out from the pack.\u00a0 Sure it took the ideas of Portal<\/em> and expanded them into a full fledged, big budget experience but crucially, it also retained its sense of levity and was never anything less than self-derisive, self-aware and very, very silly.\u00a0 Stephen Merchant makes an excellent companion throughout the game as the awkward, nerdy and eventually psychotic Wheatley.\u00a0 The game also\u00a0has one of the most creative endings to any game this gen.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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15.\u00a0 Fez (Xbox 360, 2012)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of all the classic and critically acclaimed games to be released this gen, Fez<\/em> may well be the one that ends up retaining the greatest amount of mystique and intrigue.\u00a0 The game’s enigmatic and hot tempered creator Phil Fish took a long time to complete the game from its initial unveiling at an indy game conference in 2008 to its eventual release four years later.\u00a0 In that time he fell out with the original co-creator, rebuilt the game from scratch twice and had his journey documented in the excellent game developer film Indy Game<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 After the game’s release, Fish fought with fans online and eventually some internet trolls successfully got under his skin.\u00a0 He dramatically declared that he had enough and was quitting the games business.\u00a0 Which is a shame because Fez, his one and now apparently only game, is an absolutely brilliant adventure game that is filled with nostalgic charm and inventive game design.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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14.\u00a0 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (2008)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ace Attorney games are all fantastic interactive graphic novels but there is a clear favourite amongst fans of the series and that game is Trials and Tribulations<\/em>.\u00a0 Other games in the series have some great cases and some that are not so hot.\u00a0 Trials and Tribulations<\/em> is the game where everything comes together perfectly.\u00a0 There isn’t a dud case in the whole game.\u00a0 It has a fantastic prosecutor in the form of the coffee-addicted Godot, the consolidation of some storylines that started from the original game and an absolutely classic final case that the series has yet to top.\u00a0 For new players, its still worth playing through the first two games though to fully appreciate and understand all the characters, their backgrounds and the events leading up to this amazing conclusion.<\/p>\n

\"13\"<\/a><\/p>\n

13.\u00a0 Halo 3 (Xbox 360, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bungie’s first Halo<\/em> game on the Xbox 360 did not disappoint.\u00a0 It was a game that was packed with an improbably large amount of content.\u00a0 The campaign was an absolute blast, offering four player split screen, online co-op and basically whatever combination of the two that you could want.\u00a0 The game had a rock solid, well balanced multiplayer mode that was a Top Ten fixture on Xbox Live for years<\/em> after its release and it also gave players even more content in the form of theatre mode and Forge which allowed players to create their own content.\u00a0 It was just an absurdly generous amount of content and it was all polished and honed to the nth degree.\u00a0 This game was clearly the peak for the series and although subsequent entries have had their strengths and qualities, none have matched the all conquering success of Halo 3<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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12.\u00a0 The Beatles: Rock Band (Xbox 360, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2009, the video game licensing gods smiled upon us and bestowed upon the gaming public The Beatles: Rock Band<\/em>, a game that took advantage of an exceptionally rare instance where The Beatles<\/em> allowed their music and likeness to be used for a third party entertainment product.\u00a0 Happily, Harmonix made the absolute best of the opportunity creating a wonderful interactive discography that explores the evolution of the band from their early days playing in Liverpool nightclubs to their big break on Ed Sullivan to playing to sold out concerts at Shea Stadium.\u00a0 The game features an exhaustive collection of practically all The Beatles’ greatest hits and includes plenty of extra content in the form of videos, rare audio content and photos.\u00a0 As a big fan of\u00a0Rock Band<\/em> and of The Beatles, this was pretty much a dream project come true.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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11.\u00a0 Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I remember after the release of Grand Theft Auto 3<\/em>, people liked to speculate what types of genres and locations people would like to see Rock Star apply their open world game design to.\u00a0 Although we never did get any GTA games set in other countries, we did see them dabble in a range of different settings.\u00a0 Bully<\/em> gave us Rock Star at school. \u00a0L.A Noire<\/em> did a Rock Star detective caper.\u00a0 And Red Dead Redemption<\/em> was the result of Rock Star goes Western.\u00a0 Although there’s more than a handful of things that people would like to see changed with the aforementioned games, there’s almost nothing you’d do different about Red Dead Redemption<\/em>.\u00a0 It is an exhaustive, comprehensive and near perfect Western.\u00a0 The game features all the tropes and locales you could hope for in a Western and then tops it off with an unexpectedly great storyline.\u00a0 John Marsden ends up being a quite fantastic protagonist and his story is an interesting one.\u00a0 The game possibly runs a little long in the tooth when it journeys into Mexico but it finishes very, very strongly.\u00a0 The game also has the added bonus of having some fantastic DLC in the form of Undead Nightmare<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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10.\u00a0 Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise (Xbox 360, 2008)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Viva Pinata<\/em> was a fantastic first go for Rare in delivering a Pokemon rival on the Xbox 360 and Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise<\/em> perfect it.\u00a0 The game smoothed out all the little kinks and quirks from the original game, introduced a swag of awesome new chocolate filled animals to collect and then added on an extra layer of content in the form of mini games and new locales.\u00a0 Its easy to see in hindsight that finding an audience for this type of game on the Xbox 360 was always going to be a challenge but its a crying shame because Viva Pinata: TIP<\/em> is Rare in vintage form, delivering a game that is as charming as Little Big Planet<\/em>, as addictive as Pokemon<\/em> and unique enough to stand tall on its own merits.<\/p>\n

\"9\"<\/a><\/p>\n

9.\u00a0 Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

A match-three puzzle game branded with an age-old PC fantasy license.\u00a0 It started on the DS before eventually finding a new lease of life on home consoles and eventually on iOS.\u00a0 It’s been a strange journey for Capybara getting this game to the masses and although I missed it the first time around on the DS, I’m glad I got a chance to discover it on the Xbox 360.\u00a0 This game is absolutely addictive and is probably my favourite puzzle game, besting my old standbys\u00a0Super Puzzle Fighter<\/em> and Puyo Puyo<\/em>.\u00a0 The mechanics of the game are easy to learn but difficult to master and can lead to some fantastic back and forth contests against both NPCs and other players.\u00a0 I’ve never been particularly good at articulating just why this game works for me so much but dammit, it just does.\u00a0 Fun, challenging and offers plenty of depth.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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8.\u00a0 Braid (Xbox 360, 2008)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jonathan Blow’s time-warping four dimensional platformer basically cemented the credibility of Xbox Live Arcade games and changed the perception of what a small, downloadable title could hope to achieve both commercially and critically.\u00a0 First and foremost, what makes the game brilliant are the mind-bending, challenging puzzles that require the player\u00a0 to stop, start, pause and warp time to navigate their way through a beautiful painterly pastiche of Super Mario<\/em> game worlds.\u00a0 Over and above that, the game also has a terrific twist ending whereby the time traveling mechanics are used to pull the rug out from beneath the player as they gradually realize with horror that the avatar they control is not the protagonist they thought him to be.\u00a0 Braid<\/em> was the little game that could.<\/p>\n

\"7\"<\/a><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 Journey (Playstation 3, 2011)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jenova Chen’s silent, minimalist masterpiece.\u00a0 Control a mysterious, mute wanderer and lead him to a mountain peak to reach the pillar of light atop it.\u00a0 Simple in concept, memorable in execution.\u00a0 The game’s use of an invisible online lobby that pairs your journey with an online friend hugely accentuated the experience and I suspect this type of ‘organic’ online experience will become an enourmously popular feature in years to come.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

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6.\u00a0 Portal (Xbox 360, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The surprise package of The Orange Box <\/em>from Valve.\u00a0 Kim Swift’s game came out of nowhere to wow gamers with its wonderfully creative design mechanic, its terrific sense of humour, that<\/em> memorable song in the closing credits and a good sense of brevity to ensure the whole package is absolutely perfect and can’t get stale for even a second.\u00a0 This game generated more memes and pop culture references than just about any other game this gen.<\/p>\n

\"5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 The Walking Dead (Xbox 360, 2012)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Episodic gaming and Telltale Games came of age with their adaptation of The Walking Dead<\/em>.\u00a0 The game was split into five short episodes each taking roughly a couple of hours to complete.\u00a0 Decisions that impacted who survived and what your relationship was like with fellow survivors carried over from Episode One to Episode Five.\u00a0 All of this is good and well but of course the heart and soul of the game that lifted it above its contemporaries was the beautifully written relationship between Lee Everett and Clementine.\u00a0 They go through hell and back together and its the touching sweetness of their relationship that makes this game a winner.\u00a0 Episodic gaming can work, it can be employed to tell interesting and thoughtful stories and one day, it can maybe even match the best that television has to offer.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

\"4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360, 2010)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rock Band 3 <\/em> came out a full year after the plastic guitar party died but it is without a doubt the greatest game of the genre.\u00a0 It has the best and most diverse song selection, the best (most durable) instruments, the most efficient sorting options and comprehensive score tracking, the best presentation and the best…well everything.\u00a0 It’s simply the best.\u00a0 Better than all the rest.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

\"3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Playstation 3, 2009)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The king of all action games.\u00a0 Uncharted 2<\/em> was one of those games where everything came together just perfect.\u00a0 The cast was terrific, the set pieces were exciting and inventive, the locations were gorgeous and exotic and the shooting…well, we hadn’t tired of the shooting just yet.\u00a0 It probably took Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception<\/em> to come out for me to fully appreciate just how perfectly Uncharted 2<\/em> nailed its pacing and execution. \u00a0Drake’s Deception<\/em> simply tried to top Among Thieves<\/em> by upping the volume and increasing the quantity of set pieces and it never quite captured the same magic.\u00a0 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves<\/em> is the bench mark that next generation blockbusters will have to topple in terms of spectacle and bombast.\u00a0 And when that day comes…holy moly will that be some kind of game.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

\"1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 The Last Of Us (Playstation 3, 2013)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

It took another four years but Naughty Dog lifted the bar set by\u00a0Uncharted 2<\/em> just that bit higher with The Last of Us<\/em>.\u00a0 The game doesn’t try to top Uncharted<\/em> in the action stakes but instead it offers something smarter, more cohesive and uncommonly mature<\/em> by video game industry standards.\u00a0 Not maturity in terms of adult content but maturity in the form of quality writing, believable characters and meaningful relationships.\u00a0 The kind that this generation generally failed to deliver upon.\u00a0 There are still too many games that have insulting caricatures of minorities.\u00a0 Marginalized and objectified portrayals of women.\u00a0 Insultingly simplistic story lines.\u00a0 Needlessly convoluted and complicated story lines.\u00a0 Games like L.A Noire, Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, Grand Theft Auto IV<\/em> and even Grand Theft Auto V<\/em> make an appearance on this list because they either play great or have interesting ideas.\u00a0 But they all come with a caveat that says they still have dubious or questionable content.\u00a0 Major narrative failings.\u00a0 Don’t hold a candle to even your average film or television program.\u00a0 Not with The Last Of Us<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0The Last Of Us<\/em> is smart.\u00a0 It’s funny.\u00a0 It has interesting ideas and intelligent social commentary.\u00a0 It came at the twilight of the Seventh Generation and is a shining light forward for narrative based games.\u00a0 Other publishers and developers will be dragged kicking and screaming along the way but Naughty Dog has shown that you can make a game with a middle aged man and a teenage girl as your leads and still sell a million copies and capture the public’s imagination.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

\"2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii, 2007)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Last Of Us<\/em> is the best in class for storytelling in gaming and Super Mario Galaxy<\/em> is the undisputed king when it comes to sheer playability.\u00a0 The game is six years old and nothing comes close to the creativity and playability of Nintendo EAD’s opus.\u00a0 Well, except maybe Super Mario Galaxy 2<\/em>.\u00a0 This game is so full of amazing design concepts, memorable levels, colourful enemies, classic musical numbers and exciting sequences of gameplay that it seems almost selfish.\u00a0 Surely this level of sheer, unadulterated fun should be spread across two or three more games?\u00a0 Super Mario Galaxy <\/em>is 3D gaming taken to glorious, abstract, unmatched, new heights.\u00a0 Games like The Last Of Us<\/em> are exciting because they push the storytelling medium forward and inch it ever closer to the standards in literature, film and television. \u00a0Super Mario Galaxy<\/em> is exciting because it is all about championing video game ludology, the art of control, design and interactivity – qualities that don’t exist at all in books, television and film.\u00a0 Personally, I loveboth types of games equally and want to see the medium continues to explore and improve in storytelling and play mechanics.\u00a0 But if push came to shove, if posed with a desert island scenario and I could only have one, then\u00a0Super Mario Galaxy<\/em> it is.\u00a0 It is the greatest game of the Seventh Generation.<\/p>\n

Full Review<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Seventh Generation By The Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Top 100 Game Breakdown<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot of these games are multi-platform but here’s a breakdown of where I played the games that appear on this list.<\/p>\n

Xbox 360 (53)<\/em><\/p>\n

Playstation 3 (27)<\/em><\/p>\n

Nintendo Wii (9)<\/em><\/p>\n

Nintendo DS (9)<\/em><\/p>\n

PSP (1)<\/em><\/p>\n

iOS (1)<\/em><\/p>\n

Systems Owned<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every single one of these consoles underwent a re-design or re-release.\u00a0 Sometimes to change the form factor, sometimes to add more memory.\u00a0 As a result, I ended up trading or changing systems a number of times in the past seven years.<\/p>\n

Xbox 360 – three systems – Xbox 360 Pro, Xbox 360 Elite, Xbox 360 S<\/em><\/p>\n

Playstation 3 – two systems – Playstation 3 fat, Playstation 3 slim<\/em><\/p>\n

Nintendo Wii – one system – Nintendo Wii<\/em><\/p>\n

Nintendo DS – four systems – Nintendo DS original, Nintendo DS Lite (three colours)<\/em><\/p>\n

Playstation Portable – one system –<\/em> PSP White 3000 model<\/em><\/p>\n

Broken Systems<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who produced the most unreliable system?\u00a0 No surprise, it was Microsoft with the woeful Xbox 360.<\/p>\n

Xbox 360 – two systems – red ring of death (2)<\/em><\/p>\n

Playstation Portable – one system – bricked when firmware updated without system being plugged to an A\/C charger<\/em><\/p>\n

Purchase Date<\/strong><\/p>\n

Which systems I purchased on Day One and which came later.<\/p>\n

Nintendo DS
\n<\/em>Launch Date:\u00a0 February 2005
\nPurchase Date:\u00a0 Late 2005<\/p>\n

Playstation Portable
\n<\/em>Launch Date:\u00a0 September 2005
\nPurchase Date:\u00a0 Won in a sales competition at work, mid 2007<\/p>\n

Xbox 360
\n<\/em>Launch Date:\u00a0 March 2006
\nPurchase Date:\u00a0 March 2006 DAY ONE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Playstation 3<\/em>Launch Date:\u00a0 March 2007
\nPurchase Date:\u00a0 August 2007<\/p>\n

Nintendo Wii
\n<\/em>Launch Date:\u00a0 December 2006
\nPurchase Date:\u00a0 December 2006 DAY ONE<\/strong><\/p>\n

First Game<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first game I played on each system.<\/p>\n

Nintendo DS – Super Mario 64 DS<\/em><\/p>\n

Playstation Portable – Loco Roco<\/em><\/p>\n

Xbox 360 – Kameo<\/em><\/p>\n

Playstation 3 – Virtua Fighter 5<\/em><\/p>\n

Nintendo Wii – Wii Sports\/The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Best of the Best<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":12073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1803,15,3],"tags":[2310,411,441,949,80],"class_list":["post-11747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-of-the-generation","category-blog","category-gaming","tag-list","tag-microsoft","tag-nintendo","tag-sony","tag-video-games"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11747"}],"version-history":[{"count":63,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14025,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11747\/revisions\/14025"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}