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4EverGreen Reviews the Best Nintendo Video Games, Year by Year!


4EverFreeGuy

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I've decided that the time is ripe to put some LIFE back into this club, so I'm going to review the best video games to ever come out for all of the various Nintendo Video Game systems, and I will do it chronologically, year by year! I'll start off with the year the first Nintendo Video Game system, the NES came out (which also happens to be the year I was born, 1985), and I will go up, year by year; until we get to the most recently completed year. If you want to comment on these games, please do so in a kind and courteous manner. Also note that this only refers to video games that I have actually played and beaten. So if you do not see a game that you think should be on this list, that's probably the reason why. Also, if a video game appears on a video game console that is NOT Nintendo, but can be accessed by a Virtual Console System, such as the Wii or the Nintendo 3DS, I'll count it as a game that can be on my list. Since there weren't a lot of games available in 1985 and 1986, I will combine the first two years together! With that lengthy explanation out of the way, we can get this show on the road!

1985

3. "Gradius" NES. This is a very challenging, side-scrolling, shoot them up video game! As can be expected from Konami, the controls, sound, and difficulty are all top-notch, and are still worthy of a video game player's time, even today! Try playing it on Virtual Console on the Nintendo 3DS, because the Restore Point option will certainly come in handy for this game!

2. "Ice Climber" NES. Unlike most platforming video games which encourage you to go both sideways or up and down, this is one where the goal is to go up, and ONLY up! Sounds pretty simple, but the more stages you get past, the harder it gets to keep completing them! This is definitely one video game where playing it via Virtual Console of the Nintendo 3DS comes in handy! If you want to see every single stage, than having the ability to MINIMIZE your dying via the Restore Point will save you a LOT of head-aches!

1. "Super Mario Bros." NES. It really should come as no surprise that this is the number one video game of the year; this video game SAVED the entire video game industry, by breathing new life into it! Many of the hooks found in video games, we take for granted today, but secret items, power-ups, multiple different stages, secret routes, and bonus areas were completely revolutionary back in 1985! And of course, everyone all over the world got introduced to the trademark skills of the Super Mario Bros. in this first game! That's why this game earns its rank at the very top for 1985! /

1986

3. "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels" NES (Japan) While the game itself wouldn't appear on American shores until 1993, as part of "Super Mario All-Stars," since the original game version is now available on Wii Virtual Console, Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, and Wii U Virtual Console, I'm counting it. While it has the same game mechanics as the original "Super Mario Bros.," this game is a LOT harder! There are now gusts of wind that you have to deal with; red piranha plants that DON'T hide in pipes if you're standing right next to it, or on top of it; bloopers that roam the sky instead of the water, poison mushrooms, and bonus areas that send you BACKWARDS through a stage, or warp areas that send you BACK to a level you have already beaten! And the only way to see Level 9, is to not take ANY Warp pipes to cut corners in the game. If you have the patience to beat this game, you can consider yourself a TRUE gamer!

2. "Donkey Kong Jr." NES While the game itself has been on the arcade floors since 1982, the game first appeared on the NES console in 1986. All of the graphics, sound effects, music, and challenge from the arcade original is fully present here, and this is so far, the ONLY time where Mario has ever genuinely BEEN the villain, as he has kidnapped Donkey Kong, and his son has to rescue him! Even though there are only four stages, you can play through them again and again, as long as your lives hold out! But every time you play through them, they get a little harder each time! Challenge yourself, and see how long YOU can last playing through this retro game!

1. "The Legend of Zelda" NES While a LOT of players take the "Save Game" feature for granted these days, the option to save and continue, didn't actually exist until THIS game came out on the NES! Even before you play this game, you can TELL it's going to be good, because Nintendo made the first run production cartridges of this game, LITERALLY made in gold! While this is an eight-bit cartridge game, the sense of adventure and challenge from the later games are completely present in this one! And there are plenty of hooks to be found, even in this first entry! Boomerangs, bombs, arrows, shield and armor upgrades, improved swords, heart containers, magic transportation, and hidden secrets where bonus rupees can be found! If there is one game that can define the eight bit era, this may be the game that does the best job of doing it! I highly recommend playing it! /

That's it for 1985 and 1986! :D Stay tuned for next time when I review 1987! :cool: Enough said, true believers! ;)

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I was hoping for more feedback for this topic before I posted again, but whatever. I'm going to keep plugging on, posting more about the video games I have played, and reviewing them for your reading pleasure. To make it more interesting, I'll give you TWO interesting years for the price of ONE! 1987 and 1988! I hope you enjoy reading this list as much as I did writing it! /

1987: 7. "Wheel of Fortune" NES The reason this game makes the list, is purely for nostalgic reasons on my part. Sure, the graphics are PRIMITIVE compared to what an accurate presentation of a video game version of this game show SHOULD be, but it did the job well, back in the day. Thanks to this game, it helped me learn how to read and spell. Who says video games CAN'T be educational?! And one of the prizes you could win by beating the final puzzle, was a trip to Disneyland! Sure, you couldn't actually GO there by solving the puzzle, but it's the thought that counts.

6. "Adventure Island" NES Back in the late 1980's, there was no shortage of video game companies trying very hard to come up with the NEXT "Super Mario Bros." and create a new franchise for their own company. One of the more successful endeavors was Hudson Soft, coming up with the adventures of a cave-man, going on a quest to attack rogue dinosaurs in order to get back his girlfriend (later, wife in sequel games) from the clutches of evil aliens. The graphics are good, and the music is decent, but the challenge to WIN this game is hard! It's definitely not for the novice player! Consider yourself warned, before attempting this game on your own.

5. "RoadBlasters" NES These days, EVERYONE is accustomed to racing games that allow you to attack other cars, race through unique scenery, or even get to the end of the finish line before time runs out, but this is one of the games that made the racing car video game of today, all possible! Granted, I was like four through six when I played this game, and I had absolutely no CLUE what I was doing, or what the ultimate point of the game was. But when you're just starting out as a video game player, the point wasn't trying to be as perfect as possible, it was just to have fun. And I certainly had a good amount of fun with this game back in the day! I have NO idea if it's currently available on another platform, so good luck in trying to track it down, if you want to.

4. "Contra" NES The BANE of many player's frustrations, and source of many NIGHTMARES that players had in trying to beat this game; is NOTHING short of many! Side-scrolling platform games are nothing new, shooting games are nothing new. But SURVIVAL shooting platform games, where you have to AVOID getting hit even ONCE, or you'll lose a LIFE; this is where the razor fine skills of perfection were introduced, for hard core experts! Granted the Konami code makes the game a LOT more survivable and playable, but it's STILL a challenge to get THROUGH the game. Consider yourself a pro, if you can get through this game WITHOUT using the infamous Konami code!

3. "Mega Man" NES Okay, FORGET the fact that the original box art of this video game has what might ARGUABLY be the WORST box art in video game HISTORY, the game itself is pretty solid. Introducing the classic bosses of Cut Man, Fire Man, Ice Man, Elec Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man; this was one of the FIRST non-linear video games! It let you play the first six bosses in any order you wanted (although SOME bosses are easier to beat ONCE you get a certain weapon to beat them with). Speaking of innovations, this is also one of the first video games where after BEATING a boss, you get to use THEIR own weapon against other bosses, for the rest of the game! This game has solid graphics and music from Capcom. Arguably, the one major downside of this video game is the hard CHALLENGE to be found in this game! If you want to give yourself a decent chance of beating this game, play it on the Nintendo 3DS. With the Restore Point feature available on the Virtual Console version of this game, it will save you a LOT of headaches, as you get to memorize the patterns of enemies, disappearing and reappearing platforms, and the bosses themselves. This game isn't easy to beat, but once you do, it feels SO satisfying!

2. "Double Dragon" NES If you were a video game on the arcade floor in the 1980's, and you wanted to have a successful conversion onto a home video game system, you WANTED to be ported onto the NES! There are only five missions (or levels) in this game, but they are divided into multiple sections. Mission One in two sections, Mission Two in one section, Mission Three in four sections, Mission Four in two sections, and Mission Five in one section. There is also a two player Vs. Fighting option, for players to try their skills against each other. While you can't compete WITH (and then against) each other in the actual mission game play of this game, this is still a pretty accurate arcade port. I highly recommend playing this game if you're looking for a decent challenge.

1. "Metroid" NES If there was ONE video game that turned EVERYONE'S expectations on their heads in 1987, in terms of what they could expect from video games, this was the game that wowed EVERYBODY! This game struck a perfect balance of challenge, good graphics, good music and sound effects, and a completely unexpected PLOT twist for 1987 standards! Beat the game, and you discover that Samus is a WOMAN!!!! While kick-butt women in video games are now common place, thanks to Lara Croft, Samus Aran was the first one to help break down the door for strong, compelling female video game characters. Sure, this video game is basically Nintendo's version of the "Aliens" franchise, but Nintendo does it SO well, you really don't mind. There might only be three actual bosses to fight in this game; but the game itself is so large (especially by NES standards), three bosses are actually ENOUGH for all the different areas you can explore in this game. If you want to enjoy the first TRUE, "Metroid" experience, this is the video game you should play! /

1988: 6. "Space Harrier 3-D" Sega Master System. LONG before the Nintendo 3DS system came out, making 3D games was a RISKY business venture. Mostly, it was because the technology wasn't as refined as it would become in the 21st century. But you can tell that Sega means BUSINESS when they make their first noteworthy game, a shoot-them up game, be a 3D game! I actually never even knew this game EXISTED, until I played the Nintendo 3DS download version of it a few years ago! Of course, Sega would have to wait for another year before they HAD a system that Nintendo would worry about, and ANOTHER additional two years before they HAD a game franchise that Nintendo would take seriously!

5. "Ice Hockey" NES. Much like "RoadBlasters," this is one of those games where I don't much remember the point of the game, because of my young age when I played this game, nor did I have much clue on whether or not I was doing a good job. I think I did though, due to the number of times I saw a winning team do a victory sequence at the end of every competition. Sports games aren't really my thing, so the fact that THIS one has managed to stick in my head for so long, is really saying something!

4. "Mickey Mousecapade" NES. Capcom was already a well-respected video game company by this point, having created "Mega Man" and "Street Fighter." But it wasn't until Capcom PROVED that they had the golden touch in converting established cartoon characters into successful video game winners that Nintendo KNEW they had a good thing GOING with Capcom! That isn't to say this video game is easy, because it isn't. But if you can track this video game down and play it, I highly recommend doing so, because this game is a solid BLAST!

3. "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" NES. One thing that can be safely said about Nintendo, is that they have always been a company that has always been willing to try new things, and they have always been a company to push the boundaries of what a video game can do. What's amazing about this game, is that while there are only SEVEN boss areas compared to the original's nine boss areas, the areas are TWICE as big! Also, the game itself is at least TWICE as long as the original "The Legend of Zelda." If that wasn't enough, the difficulty of this video game is significantly HIGHER than the original! This so far, remains the ONLY video game where Link can actually collect one-ups. This is also the first "Zelda" game where Link can actually GAIN experience, and IMPROVE his stats by leveling up. Link can also learn new attacking abilities, as well as helpful magic spells, in order to help him on his quest. Link also gets to talk to people, in order to find hints about where to go or what to do next. One thing for sure, when you beat this video game, it feels SO satisfying to win, especially if you can do it WITHOUT losing a life!

2. "Metal Gear" NES. To date, this remains the ONLY "Metal Gear" game in the "Metal Gear" franchise that I have played. I really liked the over-the-top, platforming action of the original, shooting up bad-guys, disabling traps, and using different weapons against heavily armored tanks and enemies. What I can't comprehend is just WHY this game has not yet been re-released on a Virtual Console yet! I think there are a lot of people out there who want to know just what the original "Metal Gear" video game is like. The video game itself is pretty challenging (except for the last boss) but the fun challenge of this video game is getting TO the end, not the challenge that waits at the end. Try finding it and playing it for yourself if you are interested in it.

1. "Super Mario Bros. 2" NES. This game is SO impressive, Nintendo had to put out their own MAGAZINE, dedicated to covering video games, and THIS game was the FIRST one to grace the cover of "NINTENDO POWER!!!!" While this wasn't originally a "Mario" game, (it was taken from a Japanese game called "Doki, Doki Panic!") This game plays SO well and handles SO nicely, it helped propel Mario into a lofty status of respected video game icon status! It helped that this game had a merchandising blitz dedicated to it, with lunchboxes, thermoses, pajamas, and other collectibles to numerous to mention, and it is perhaps BEST known for being immortalized in the cult classic cartoon, of "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show" starring Captain Lou Albano as Mario! To date, this game marks the only appearance of Wart as the big bad at the end of a "Super Mario Bros." video game. Which is a shame, because I would like to see Wart appear in another video game someday. But the best part of this game, is that you can play as either Mario, Luigi, the Princess, or Toad, and each character has their own strengths (and weaknesses) towards getting through a game, so each play through can be very different from each other! That is what makes the game REALLY fun to play! /

That's it for 1987 and 1988! Stay tuned for next time when I do the video games from 1989! Enough said!

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I'm glad that there are some people showing enthusiasm for this club; I just wish that there were people actually RESPONDING to MY topic! But I digress! In any case, here are the top Nintendo video games for 1989, as well as the top 20 video games for Nintendo from 1985-1989 overall. I hope you enjoy reading this list, as much as I did writing it! /

1989: 5. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" NES I have heard a LOT of critics bash this game for one sole reason; the DAM Water level! But when I played this game back in the day, I NEVER had any problem with it! Perhaps critics weren't willing to take the time to watch the patterns of the dangers of the level, and learn how to dodge them accordingly. Even so, the game isn't that easy. It's basically Konami's version of "Metroid," which means there are a lot of alien designed monsters appearing in this game that WON'T and DON'T appear in any other "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" game. The best way to play this game now, is by Wii Virtual Console, and I recommend playing with Donatello for the easiest time in trying to beat the game.

4. "Mega Man II" NES I think the reason WHY this game is so highly praised by critics, is mostly due to the sheer LACK of good, NEW video games that came out in 1989. While this is a GOOD game by Capcom, I would NOT qualify it as Capcom's best, for one VERY good reason; the amount of HARD in this game is too D*** high!!!! It's almost impossible to beat it on the original NES, and the Pass Code Save system certainly doesn't help much! You're better off playing this game on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. It may not be an authentic experience, but you can at LEAST save your game (very frequently) any time you want, and RETURN to that save point during the many times you will INEVITABLY die at the hands of the robot masters.

3. "Super Mario Land" Game Boy In a sheer departure from the LAST game, this game doesn't suffer from too MUCH difficulty; but rather, not enough! To be fair, this IS the very first Game Boy video game ever released, but it STILL feels ridiculously short EVEN by early Game Boy standards! And Mario also does stuff he doesn't usually do in his other video games, such as pilot a sub, fight against weird enemies he doesn't normally fight against, and pilot a plane, in order to defeat obscure alien villain Tatanga, in order to rescue Princess Daisy. Thankfully, this game is available (very cheaply) on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, which makes it the best way to enjoy the video game today.

2. "Tetris" NES/Game Boy Come ON!!!! You KNEW this video game HAD to appear THIS year! While this Russian based video game has appeared on FAR too many consoles to mention, it actually got its big break with Nintendo. Although its available to play on either the NES or the Game Boy, it is probably the Game Boy version which helped solidify the portable video game system as a force to be reckoned with. The only reason this video game doesn't get the top spot, is that there really isn't a point to this video game, other than to beat your own high score. While this game has been re-released a countless number of times, it's still impossible to go wrong with the good old fashioned original!

1. "Ducktales" NES/Game Boy Capcom, in the days of the late 1980's and the early 1990's, was probably one of the FEW video game companies around that could regularly keep up with the pace of Nintendo in releasing good quality video games, and releasing them often! But their highlight from 1989 has got to be their faithful tribute to one of the GREATEST cartoon shows of the 1980's! It's fun to play as Scrooge McDuck, as he hunts for treasures as he travels all over the world! This game was SO good, it actually got a SEQUEL in 1994, and was COMPLETELY re-mastered in 2013 for the Wii U! Now THAT, is what you can call STAYING power as a video game! /

1985-1989 Top 20:

20. "RoadBlasters" NES, 6/10. 19. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" NES, 61/100. 18. "Mega Man II" NES, 63/100. 17. "Mickey Mousecapade" NES, 16/25. 16. "Contra" NES, 13/20. 15. "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels" NES, 33/50. 14. "Mega Man" NES, 7/10! 13. "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" NES, 71/100! 12. "Super Mario Land" Game Boy, 18/25! 11. "Gradius" NES, 15/20! 10. "Tetris" NES and Game Boy, 19/25! 9. "Metal Gear" NES, 39/50! 8. "Double Dragon" NES, 40/50! 7. "Ice Climber" NES, 41/50! 6. "Donkey Kong Jr." NES, 42/50! 5. "Ducktales" NES and Game Boy, 17/20! 4. "Super Mario Bros." NES, 44/50! 3. "Metroid" NES, 9/10! 2. "Super Mario Bros. 2" NES (What ELSE?!), 19/20! /

And the number one video game of the 1980's, from 1985-1989 IS:

1. "The Legend of Zelda" NES 100/100! /

That's it for my list THIS time! :D Stay tuned for the next time when I take you into the first year of the 1990's, 1990! :cool: Enough said, true believers! ;)

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I'm feeling like I talk FAR too much on my own topic without anyone EVER replying to me hardly EVER!!!! So nobody wanted to talk about the video games from the 1980's? Maybe I will have better luck with the video games from the 1990's, as well as talking about other interesting things that caught my attention this year, such as the following! Best movie: “Dances With Wolves.” Best song: “Vision of Love.” Best music video:

I'm back and I'm here to talk about the video games of the year, for 1990! :D This is where I actually START to remember playing some of these video games when they first came out! We also get the first 16 bit video game entries for this year, from Hudson Soft's Turbographx-16! But even THAT'S not enough to dethrone Nintendo THIS year! Find out where my personal games rank! But first, beware of the following entry:

WORST Video Game of 1990: "Street Fighter 2010: the Final Fight" NES Don't let the title mislead you; there is a very GOOD reason why Capcom hides this game under a rock and pretends like it doesn't exist; it SUCKS! :rolleyes: Supposedly set in the futuristic year of 2010 (which Capcom MUST have thought we'd NEVER get to), it's about Ken Masters becoming a cybernetic warrior and fighting against other high-powered cybernetic warriors. Despite the interesting premise, the concept doesn't pan out. You've got HORRIBLE controls, and the bosses are FAR too powerful compared to the player. The graphics and sound are good by NES standards, but that's about it. Avoid this game at ALL costs! Your wallet will thank you. / Now with THAT out of the way, here is the list of an AMAZING ten games competing for video game of the year, in 1990! :cool:

10. "Smash T.V." NES Perhaps the reason why Capcom's "Street Fighter" entry didn't fare so well, is for the reason that Capcom was VERY busy this year! Not only did they release a pretty good adaptation of "Talespin; Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers"; and "The Little Mermaid" for the NES and Game Boy (as well as many other games on this list), but they also introduced the concept of the high stakes reality game show, which would become VERY popular right around the time they predicted it would, in the year of 1999! You can play either with or AGAINST a friend in three levels full of villains, traps, high-powered bosses, and lots of cash and prizes! Although this is a good game, the reason it only ranks here, is because the more highly POLISHED version available on the Super NES that would come out in 1991, would make this version rather moot and irrelevant.

9. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan" Game Boy It shames me to admit that I have never fully played THROUGH "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: the Arcade Game" on the NES. I would like to (if they would EVER get around to re-releasing it on Virtual Console), but at least the heroes on a half-shell manage to make an impression on the Game Boy's sole exclusive video game entry on this list. While the control is solid, and the music is pretty good, it suffers from the same fate as "Super Mario Land" did, as there's not enough challenge. The game is only four levels LONG! Still, if you want to have the turtles on the go, this was the first game you could do it with, so it was good for starters.

8. "River City Ransom" NES Another game that while good and entertaining for when it was released, suffers when compared to a more highly polished version that would be available later. This version isn't able to compare to the Game Boy Advance version, but I think that why this game endures, is because of the INCREDIBLY bad Japanese translation to English! I.E., so bad, it's GOOD!!!! It's also pretty cheesy by early 1990's standards, but in a good way. The best way to play this game now (if you don't want to search for the Game Boy Advance version) is by Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, for pretty cheap, to!

7. "Cratermaze" Turbographx-16 The Nintendo Wii was, and still IS an amazingly incredible thing! The Virtual Console system allowed me access to a number of video games that I otherwise, would have never known about. This game has SIXTY levels of mazes, all of which are designed quite differently from each other! It is a very fun game! In fact, the only reason this game doesn't get ranked any higher, if for the simple reason, that it lacks brand name recognition, and there is no real enduring protagonist to identify with! Still, Hudson Soft was able to prove that 16-bit video game systems were going to become a dominant force in the early 1990's!

6. "Little Nemo: the Dream Master" NES I feel like this video game is the forgotten masterpiece of 1990. It borrows a page or two from "Super Mario Bros. 3," but it actually works out in the best interest of this obscure cult classic. This game is actually based on the animated movie "Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland", which SOMEHOW didn't get released until 1991, one full YEAR after this game was available in stores! In spite of that fact, this game endures because it is both fun and challenging. The reason why this game doesn't get ranked higher, is for the simple reason that this game is pretty hard to find these days. If you either have or can FIND a version of this game to play, consider yourself lucky!

5. "Dr. Mario" NES and Game Boy I actually find THIS puzzle game to be more interesting than "Tetris." Partially, the reason is that it stars Mario, taking on one of his MANY other professions BESIDES being a plumber! Another reason is that this game actually has a POINT to it; to clear the screen of NASTY red, blue, and yellow viruses! And you can either play solo, or with a friend! And this game is easily available on a number of Virtual Console systems! If you haven't yet, I highly recommend trying it, and playing it for yourself!

4. "Super C" NES The definitive sequel to the original 1987 "Contra," the only reason why this game isn't called "Super Contra" on the NES, is due to the infamous Iran-Contra scandal that was going around at the time, and Konami didn't want this game to be affiliated with that. This is another game that involves running, jumping, and shooting many bad guys WITHOUT being shot yourself! And you can either play solo, or with a friend! Access to a Spread Gun, will undoubtedly be your best friend in this challenging game! The best way to play it, is through the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, which allows you to save ANYWHERE at any time! It is STILL a fun challenge to play today!

3. "Mega Man III" (What ELSE?!) NES With this video game, Capcom gave us Snake Man; awesome, AWESOME Snake Man and his VERY awesome stage! It also introduced the world Proto Man, Mega Man's older Robot brother. The reason why I love this game so much more than "Mega Man II," is that I feel this video game is much easier, compared with it's predecessors. The graphics and sound are also top-tier by NES standards. The challenge is still a little difficult, though, so be prepared to bring your A game to the table! And this video game is so satisfying to play on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, and you get to wipe that smirk off of Dr. Wily's face!

2. "Bonk's Adventure" Turbographx-16 In the 1990's, Mario got a LOT of competition from video game mascots! The first one to announce his arrival was Hudson Soft's representative mascot for their 16 bit system! Bonk was a head-bonking cave dude, with a lot of attitude! And he got to travel across many colorful levels, defeat many unique bosses, and fight against the evil King Drool! Despite bringing their A game to the table, Bonk STILL couldn't topple Mario (though certainly not from a lack of trying. And when Hudson Soft eventually called it quits, and went back to making video games for other video game consoles, it eventually brought this Bonk video game to the NES and the Game Boy. Still, you got to give Hudson Soft props for coming up with the first 16-bit video game mascot!

1. "Super Mario Bros. 3" NES After conquering the 1980's, the 1990's proved to be no match for Nintendo! This video game got a lot of help from the product placement --I mean, 1989 'movie', "The Wizard." While Motion Control was NOT ready for video game systems yet (the Power Glove was cool on-screen, but not at ALL practical for playing), this video game actually managed to live up to, and SURPASS the hype the movie generated for it! This game is MASSIVE by NES standards (even if a LOT of players would choose to zip through the games using the Warp Whistles, rather than playing the game straight through). This game required a special chip, just so the system would be able to PLAY the whole game! This game REALLY introduced the concept of special power-ups for Mario, in the form of Frog Suit Mario, Hammer Suit Mario, and Raccoon (Tanuki) Suit Mario! For my fifth birthday party, I actually PLAYED pin the raccoon tail on the Mario! This game also introduced the world to Bowser's pack of brats, the Koopa Kids! Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig! If that wasn't enough, this game introduced the concept of exploring many different types of levels in one video game, such as the desert, the ocean, a land filled with GIANT enemies, the Sky, an Ice World, a world full of pipes, and a land that thrives on darkness! This video game was actually the FIRST that required Nintendo to put out a strategy guide, dedicated to SOLELY covering a single video game! This video game not only pushed Mario into the stratosphere, it also made Mario more POPULAR than Mickey Mouse, and proved to video game critics everywhere, that video games were officially here to STAY!!!! / :cool:

That's my list for 1990! :D Stay tuned for next year in 1991, because there's going to be a big THROWDOWN; between a Hedgehog, and a Plumber! o.o Stay tuned! ;)

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The time has come to deliver the best video games of the year, for 1991! :D There is just a sheer plethora of video games fighting it out for video game of the year THIS year; a WHOPPING 18 video games over a WHOPPING 9 video game systems (counting arcade systems)! Of course, only ONE video game company with ONE video game system can rule supreme! It's time to see whether Hudson Soft, Neo Geo, Arcade Systems, Sega, or Nintendo will take the coveted crown for this year! /

18. "Final Fantasy Legend II" Game Boy / I have to be honest, it took me a LONG time to warm up to the sprawling, epic adventures that the "Final Fantasy" series has to offer. Although this is a portable R.P.G. quest on the go, I feel like it just doesn't capture the essence of the series. Of course, that may be due PARTLY to it being on the Game Boy, which can only do so much. Still, this is the first enjoyable R.P.G. experience available for a portable system, and it certainly won't be the last!

17. "Final Fantasy II" Super NES / This game does slightly better than it's portable cousin, but it sadly suffers due to superior re-makes of this video game being easily available on the Game Boy Advance AND the Nintendo DS, under it's REAL original title, "Final Fantasy IV". The core of the story doesn't change in the re-makes, however. It's a pretty gripping story about a young man named Cecil, who initially starts as a dark, brooding anti-hero, only to become a great hero of light! And it all leads up to a climatic, final fight with Zeromus, on the MOON!!!! The only reason this game ranks here, is that the re-makes do a much better job of toning down the difficulty of this game, and making it easier and more enjoyable to beat.

16. “Lagoon” Super NES / I actually like this dungeon sprawling, semi R.P.G. Adventure slightly more than the “Final Fantasy” games this year. This game has good graphics, good spells, and a pretty good story (from what I can remember), and a very good challenge! The only reason why this game ranks here, is that I don't remember much about this game, because it's been so long since I've played it! I'm hoping to come across it again someday, and then I might be able to rank this game higher, on a revised list someday.

15. “The Incredible Crash Test Dummies” NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / Back in the early 1990's, car companies everywhere (or at least in the U.S.A.), decided it would be a good idea to stress the importance of driving safely, by using Animatronic Crash Test Dummies. By them, doing the things that no SANE human would ever do behind the wheel, they could (harmlessly) show what would happen to a human who did those things. Their ads got to be so popular, they actually GOT their own video game this year! It's actually pretty solid, all things considered. You don't attack (as there are no actual enemies to attack), but you do have to duck and dodge a bunch of obstacles and traps that you come across, and it's not as easy as it sounds. This review mostly refers to the version on the Super NES, as that's the one that I remember playing. The reason I rank this game here, is simply because I found the other 14 games on this list to be more entertaining.

14. "Mega Man IV" NES / This game sadly suffers, due to a result of BAD timing on Capcom's part. The bad robots, this time, are created by Dr. Cossack (a not so subtle stab at the Soviet Union, which ended up completely DISSOLVING by the END of 1991); but of course, it's all just a ruse by Dr. Wily, to try to frame a good Dr. against Mega Man, by turning HIS robots evil! Although one good thing did come out of this game, the introduction of the Mega Buster shot for Mega Man, which allows him to charge up his Buster Cannon! The graphics and sound are pretty good by NES standards, and is available for pretty cheap on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console for anyone who is interested.

13. "F-Zero" Super NES / When Nintendo introduced its 16-bit juggernaut to the world, it offered something that no one had ever seen before; Mode 7! This video game technology allowed video game coders to render 2-D sprites, on a 3-D moving playing field, while still keeping the game-play 2-dimensional. This feat of engineering was put to good effect in this futuristic racing game! There are four different cars available to choose from, and it's a high-stakes racing game! You're not just racing to finish, you're racing to stay alive! And you can play solo, or with a friend on a variety of courses! The reason this game doesn't rank any higher, is that the game just doesn't hold a candle to it's more improved sequels, available on the Game Boy Advance, the N64, and the Nintendo Gamecube.

12. "King of Monsters" Neo Geo, Arcades, Turbographx-16, and Super NES / There were many arcade games striving for dominance in the early 1990's. In fact, when the kids game show "Nick Arcade" was introduced by Nickelodeon in 1991, this was one of their arcade game choices for kids to play. It definitely is fun to play as giant, rampaging monsters, and tear through many different cities in order to rack up high scores. But what you have to do, is beat down OTHER giant, rampaging monsters while you do it. It isn't as easy as it sounds, because the game is a little challenging. It is still currently available via the Wii Virtual Console though, for anyone who wants to check it out.

11. "Metroid II: Return of Samus" Game Boy / The Bounty Hunter Goddess herself, returns in a faithful, portable experience. On the planet of SR-138, Samus is roaming through the Metroid home world itself, in order to exterminate the 47 different Metroid creatures inhabiting it! The game-play, sound, and atmosphere of the original, is fully present on the Game Boy. The only downside to this game, is that it's not as long as the original, and there isn't much of a reason to try to beat this video game again after beating it once. Still, you got to give Nintendo props for giving players the opportunity to play Samus on the go! If you want to experience an updated version of this game, play the Nintendo 3DS game, “Metroid: Samus Returns!”

10. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Return to the Sewers" Game Boy / Konami must have been listening to its fans, and critics over what they liked or hated from the first Game Boy experience; because they stepped up their game for their second portable offering. Not only does this game feature SIX levels instead of just four, it also features TWO different difficulty levels, making for more of a replay value! I wish this game would become available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console someday, I think there's a whole generation of players who don't know what's available out there!

9. “Adventure Island II” NES (and eventually, Game Boy) / While I've known for a long time that a Game Boy version of this game existed, it was only recently that I stumbled upon the original NES version of this game, on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console! This game is actually a major step up, from the original! With enhanced graphics, improved difficulty, a new over-world map with many different Island Level designs, clever looking enemies and bosses, hidden bonus areas, and the welcome new addition of being able to ride helpful new dinosaur partners, who provide IMMENSE help in getting past different types of difficulty (such as the Plesiosaur helping you through the water stages, the Pterodactyl helping you through stages that involve a LOT of careful jumping, a red fire dinosaur that can walk on lava and magma, and a blue ice dinosaur that doesn't slide around on ice), this game really shows just how much the NES has progressed in a matter of four years! I highly recommend playing this game, if you HAVEN'T already!

8. "Columns" Game Gear, Sega Master System, Genesis, and Turbographx-16 / With the success of "Tetris" and "Dr. Mario" on Nintendo systems, Sega was looking for it's own puzzle phenomenon to hook players for their brand of consoles. While "Columns" is a pretty solid game on any platform it's on, it's the Game Gear version that gets a mention, because it FINALLY gave Nintendo its first taste of competition on the hand-held market! The Game Gear version itself, is available to play on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. So see just how well "Columns" can hold its own, against "Tetris" and "Dr. Mario."

7. "Joe and Mac" NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / Cave-Man based video games seemed to be a pretty popular subject to go to in the early 1990's. One of the more fun entries from the list of competitors is this one, with the best version being available on the Super NES! The only reason this game ranks here, is that it has been a LONG time since I've played this video game, and I don't remember much about it, other than the fact that I enjoyed it. I hope it becomes available on a Virtual Console system someday.

6. "Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear Version)" Game Gear, and Sega Master System / Apparently, Sega wasn't satisfied with just ONE version of their hit video game; they created ANOTHER version for their 8-bit video game systems! Although to be fair, the version available on the Game Gear is actually the ORIGINAL version of what "Sonic the Hedgehog" was going to be about, and the Genesis version is the polished, final version of the game. To it's credit, the Game Gear version is pretty faithful to its 16-bit cousin, you collect rings, 1-ups, Chaos Emeralds, and bust up robots and machines! In fact, the only reason this game doesn't rank any higher, is that the game is short when compared to the Genesis version. But the Game Gear Version is still worth giving a try, and it's available to play on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console!

5. "Super Smash T.V." Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / The polished, improved 16-bit version of "Smash T.V.", includes improvements over the original! There are now THREE difficulty levels instead of just one, FOUR levels with FOUR bosses instead of just three, stereo audio including vocal sound-bites (for the Super NES ONLY), and HIDDEN bonus rooms including the normal, accessible rooms! This game was SUPER fun to play back in the 1990's, and a sequel is LONG over-due for its fans! I hope we get one with the Nintendo Switch!

4. "Bonk's Revenge" Turbographx-16 / The history of video game systems, is FULL of both winners, and losers. Sadly, Hudson Soft's 16-bit representative gets lumped in the losers category, and not even because the system WASN'T any good, because it was! The sad thing is, Sega AND Nintendo both had established brand-name recognition with Sonic and Mario respectively! Against those two, Hudson Soft didn't stand a CHANCE with just Bonk to represent them! But it certainly wasn't going to concede the battle without giving it a solid effort! The title is a bit of a misnomer; Bonk isn't the antagonist, and it's actually evil King Drool who is up to no good again! The graphics, sound effects, music, and challenge are all top notch for this forgotten system. It really makes you wonder what might have happened had this system done better, and the games had sold more for it; such as maybe Hudson Soft and Sega against Nintendo, instead of Sony and Microsoft against Nintendo. This video game is currently available on Wii Virtual Console.

3. "Street Fighter II: The World Warrior" Arcades...and eventually, Sega Master System, NES (unlicensed), Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Turbographx-16, Neo Geo, Super NES, and many other systems too numerous to MENTION!!!! / Probably an easier question to answer, is WHICH systems HASN'T this game appeared on! This video game EXPLODED when it hit the arcade floors, and one year later, on the Super NES! There are eight different playable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The goal of the game is to use one of those characters, to beat up all the other characters! And if you can beat the regular competition, you get to fight against four boss characters! Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and M. Bison! The graphics, music, sound effects, and challenge are all stellar! You can even compete against a friend, to see who has superior fighting skills! It's probably small wonder why this franchise CONTINUES to endure to this day! /

So with 16 games already revealed, that means there are only two entries left to list. So, is it Sega OR Nintendo who gets the crown? o.o It's certainly NOT an easy decision to make, but after careful consideration, my choice shall be rendered here. Disagree? Just TRY to beat me in "Super Smash Bros. 4" for the Nintendo 3DS and prove ME wrong! :evil:/

2. "Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis Version)" Genesis / Despite ALL his attempts to take Mario OUT of the throne and establish a NEW video game system champion, even Sonic's speed wasn't enough to knock the steadfast Mario out of the top spot. The graphics, the sound effects, the music, the challenge, and the levels are all iconic, and are the envy of MANY 16-bit video games aspiring for greatness. So why doesn't Sonic get the top slot? There are only seven levels with a combined 19 stages (25 if you count the Chaos Emerald Bonus stages), compared to Mario's nine levels with a combined 75 stages with 96 different exits! And Sonic doesn't allow you to save your game, which is why Sonic doesn't get top honors. But Sonic was, and perhaps still IS, Mario's most note-worthy competition, and Sonic can still hold his own against Mario, especially when Sega decides to DROP the gimmicks and play Sonic straight! /

1. "Super Mario World" Super NES / Before the 16-bit era emerged, nobody had ever truly witnessed a battle such as the one waged between MOSTLY Sega and Nintendo! Camps were drawn up, and many players were criticized if they even THOUGHT about owning BOTH the Genesis AND the Super NES! Of course, no one ever THOUGHT there was a possibility that Sega would one day work FOR Nintendo; that was about as likely as The Eagles ever getting back together!!!!...And we all now know how THOSE events play out! But Nintendo manages to maintain dominance, even in the 16-bit era! With iconic stages, iconic levels, iconic enemies, and the iconic cape power-up, this game managed to bring Mario into the 16-bit realm, and do SO much more in the process! It introduced the world to Mario's trusty dinosaur steed, Yoshi! With the ability to gulp down many enemies, and temporarily fly through the air after gulping a blue koopa shell, Mario proved that he had what it took to stay on top against Sega. And beating Bowser STILL feels as satisfying today, as it did 26 years ago! There aren't a lot of games that can say that! Try it on a Virtual Console today, and play it for yourself if you haven't already! /

That's it for 1991! Stay tuned for 1992, and the video game that would CHANGE the video game landscape forever, by setting the bar for which ALL other video games have since ASPIRED to top! One hint; it is in my personal, honest, and humble opinion, to be the BEST VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME!!!! :cool: Stay tuned!!!! ;)

Edited by Zeo Ranger 4Ever
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I've decided that I don't want to make my loyal fans (if there ARE any), waiting any longer, so I'm going to reveal my list for 1992, now! :D There may be a lot of competition this year, with a WHOPPING 20 video games fighting for supremacy, but only one video game will change the video landscape forever, by becoming the greatest video game of all time! :cool: Find out which one it is!

20. "Contra III: The Alien Wars" Super NES / There's a very good reason this game ranks at the bottom of this list; the amount of HARD in this game is TOO D*** HIGH!!!! Even on the EASY difficulty level, the game ISN'T easy, and having a friend play with you doesn't make the game MUCH easier! Even by "Contra" standards, the game is unforgivably difficult! I only recommend playing it if you have a lot of patience, and you are EXTREMELY confident about your own sets of skills.

19. “Kirby’s Dream Land” Game Boy / A lot of people forget where Kirby got his start. It was on the humble, portable system! He was white on the game box art (Nintendo was worried that a PINK Kirby wouldn’t sell well), but when the game did better than expected, Nintendo allowed Hudson Soft to make Kirby pink for his debut on a colored system in 1993! The game ranks here because it is not as challenging or as long as many of the other games on this list.

18. "Super Star Wars" Super NES / For a long time, players wanted to be able to actually PLAY "Star Wars" for themselves! They finally got a chance to when the original Trilogy got the 16-bit treatment EXCLUSIVELY on the Super NES! The only reason I rank this game here, is that it has been a LONG time since I have played this game, and I personally don't remember much about it. But it is currently available on the Wii Virtual Console, for anyone who is interested.

17. "Lemmings" NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Turbographx-16, Neo Geo, and Super NES / Video Games got to be more unique and different in the 1990's. You actually don't control the title characters themselves, but you can designate them to do different random jobs, in order to get as many Lemmings as you can from the entrance of someplace, to the exit of someplace. It may have appeared on WAY more consoles than it had the right to, but the video game managed to leave an impact. The "MAD" cartoon series found it popular enough to parody it with "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events," about 20 YEARS after this video game was released! Now THAT'S leaving an impact!

16. "Toejam and Earl" Genesis / Another off-beat, unusual game, showcases two globe-trotting aliens! With funky humor and even funkier music, the goal was to get the Earth-bound aliens back to their home, by walking from rocket to rocket. The only thing unnecessary about this game, is that it doesn't GIVE the protagonists a constant FORM of attack; you can only RANDOMLY receive tomatoes in gift boxes, and with a number of either useful (or pointless) items hidden in gift boxes, you never know what you're going to get! I actually find the Genesis sequel to be a better experience than this. Thankfully, Toejam and Earl's prospects are looking up, as they are FINALLY going to get a new video game on the Nintendo Switch! Because even obscure mascots need love every now and then.

15. "The Ren and Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures" Game Boy / This video game was the beginning of a long, fruitful friendship between Nickelodeon and THQ. When Nickelodeon wanted to get into the business of making video games, "Ren and Stimpy" were their first candidates to receive the video game treatment. Although relatively short (it is a Game Boy game) the graphics and sound are pretty good, and the controls are pretty solid. "Ren and Stimpy" would have quite a few more video games during the 1990's, but this is where it all started for them!

14. “Krusty's Super Fun House” NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / When “The Simpsons” became one of the biggest names in Animated TV series in the early 1990's; their brand name characters suddenly found themselves getting slapped onto anything and everything that could sell! One of the more unlikely candidates for this instant success, was Krusty the Clown, getting his own unique puzzle game. Although this game can be found on five different platforms, only the Super NES version gets the distinction of being called a “Super Fun House!” The object of the game, is that Krusty's Fun House has become infested with rats! Krusty's job is to figure out how to get the rats to stop roaming around his Fun House, and get them to the Extermination Machine, where they can be properly eliminated! While the premise is simple, it's not always as easy as it sounds. There are sometimes breakable walls, ceilings, and floors that you'll have to break in order to get to all the rats; sometimes you have to put the rats into jars, take them close to the Machine, then open the jars so they can be eliminated in the machine. And sometimes, you've got to find hidden secret rooms, where you need to grab all the bonus score items in order to open up another hidden stage, because you can't proceed to the next section of the Fun House until all the stages (including the hidden ones) are completed in each section. The game IS actually pretty fun, but it gets to be too challenging and frustrating to figure out towards the end, which is why this game only ends up ranking here. Maybe someday, they can re-release this game on the Nintendo Switch, and give it a brand new Easy Mode! One can always hope!

13. "Road Runner's Death Valley Rally" Super NES / The antics of the "Looney Tunes" have always been funny. Particularly, Chuck Jones' eternal, fruitless Wily E. Coyote, chasing after the super-speedy Road Runner! This video game combines Chuck Jones' trademark humor, with a very solid video game! The graphics, music, sound effects, control, and challenge, feel completely faithful to the many cartoon shorts this video game is based upon. And unlike the cartoon shorts, the Road Runner has to actually WORK to disable Wily E. Coyote's many machines, so there's an actual challenge involved as well! This is a fun and funny video game that DESERVES to be re-released on a Virtual Console someday.

12. “Hook” Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / Sometimes, through complete ACCIDENT or sheer luck, a video game BASED on a movie can end up actually being BETTER than the actual movie! One such example is the video game based on Steven Spielberg's version of "Peter Pan" called "Hook." Unlike the movie, which only covers a SMALL portion of Neverland, and only features a SMALL amount of fighting, this game has a grown-up Peter Pan regaining his ability to fly, and fighting with a small dagger (at first). After beating the first boss, Rufio, Pan will be able to fight against pirates with a REAL sword, but only as LONG as he doesn't get hit! Although there are TWO different paths towards getting towards the final stage, players who choose to take the higher, HARDER path first, will STILL be able to do the easier, lower path for a complete game play! The graphics, music, and control are top notch for the SNES, and it all culminates with a final battle against Hook, when Pan seeks VENGEANCE against the crooked pirate for his CRUEL murder of Rufio! A pretty solid game, over-all.

11. "New Adventure Island" Turbographx-16 / While the NES original was fine for its time, Master Higgins returns in a new, improved video game on Hudson Soft's 16-bit machine. The graphics are better, the sound and music are improved, and the challenge is more finely balanced than it was on the NES! The game however, STILL isn't an easy one to beat! Thankfully, the game gives you a LOT of chances to continue (as in, unlimited) so you get many chances to improve and better yourself as a player! The best way to experience this game now, is via the Wii Virtual Console!

10. "Mario Paint" Super NES / This game, was one of Nintendo's many ways of giving back to their fans. This game allowed their fans to be creative, and create their OWN, eight or sixteen bit masterpieces of art! You could even create musical scores. In fact, for the longest time, this was probably the ONLY way players could see Mario and Sonic in a game together, by drawing Sonic and Mario in the same scene! While video games like "Drawn Into Life" and "Animal Crossing" now provide this kind of service and more, this was the first video game that TRULY, let the fans create for themselves!

9. "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" Genesis / When Sega introduced Sonic to compete against Nintendo, Sega always anticipated that Nintendo would send some kind of response at them. What Sega DIDN'T anticipate, was just how MUCH Nintendo would THROW against them, and it's particularly evident THIS year! Nintendo released masterpiece AFTER masterpiece of video game in 1992! Even Sonic's high-paced speed couldn't keep up with Nintendo's output! At least, Sonic no longer had to face against Mario alone, as Tails was introduced to help Sonic beat all of the bad robots! Sonic even got to transform into Super Sonic for the very first time, and there are more iconic levels and music in this game, then there was in the first. The only reason this game doesn't rank higher, is that the Bonus Stages where you can get the Chaos Emeralds, are UNFORGIVABLY difficult! It's like Sega tried to go out of their WAY to make turning into Super Sonic IMPOSSIBLE! And you can't even TURN into Super Sonic against the final boss (unless you cheat by utilizing the hidden de-bug mode option). Still, Sonic has been able to continue to hold his own against Mario; and with a brand new 2-D game now out on the Nintendo Switch, it looks like Sonic may be coming back into FULL speed in the very near future!

8. “U.N. Squadron” Super NES / A fun, fighter pilot shooting game, there are three different pilots to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. There are a number of different stages to play through, each with a challenging boss adversary to beat at the end of the stage! There are good graphics, good music, good sound effects, good control, and THREE difficulty levels. The only downside is that you can't save this game. Perhaps if this game ever gets re-released on a Virtual Console system, they can fix this little over-sight.

7. "Super Mario Kart" Super NES / Sega wasn't the only company interested in speed, Nintendo got into the act this year! With eight playable characters (each with their own strengths and weaknesses) with fifteen different tracks (plus five unlock-able tracks) on two difficulty levels (plus one unlock-able difficulty level), characters got to use items against each other, in order to help themselves, or hinder the competition! It might seem like an OBVIOUS idea now, but when this first came out, it was completely brand new! And the ability to compete against a friend is completely fun! If you want to see where the Kart racing madness all started, this is the game to do it with, and it's easily available on Wii Virtual Console.

6. “Mickey Mouse’s Magical Quest” Super NES / The early 1990's wasn't just a good time for pre-existing mascot characters to have great video games, it was a good time for brand NEW mascot characters to have great video games as well! "Mickey Mouse's Magical Quest" released near the tail-end of 1992, and the first video game to grace the cover as a subscriber BONUS issue of Nintendo Power (Issue #44), Capcom delivered another jewel in their crown of cartoon to cartridge video game conversions! When Pluto gets kidnapped by Emperor Pete, Mickey Mouse must travel through many different types of stages and don many different costumes in order to do different things and have different abilities, in order to defeat different bad guys. Capcom even goes the extra limit by putting in cool bonus items to find, extra-lives and helpful life extending heart containers, as well as coins to spend in shops that provide helpful items to help Mickey out in his Magical Quest! The best way to experience this game is by playing the Game Boy Advance re-release, which adds Minnie Mouse and more difficulty levels into the mix, which makes that version REALLY worth playing!

5. "Mega Man V" (What ELSE?!) NES / Capcom had lots of love for their Blue Bomber back in the 1990's. One of the highlights from the NES era is this eight-bit entry, which features Mega Man having to do battle...against his own BROTHER?! In this game, it appears that Proto Man has gone 'rogue,' and Mega Man has to stop his evil robots AND him! Of course, it's just another wicked ploy by Dr. Wily to try to destroy Mega Man, but you still got to give Capcom props for giving us a more gripping story in the eight-bit era! This is also one of the easiest "Mega Man" games to beat (which, is admittedly, not saying much!) But if you want to play a "Mega Man" game from the eight-bit era, this is probably the one to play, because it's fun! And easily available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console!

4. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time" (What ELSE?!) Super NES and Arcades / Konami got a lot of fans in the 1990's, mostly thanks to their heroes in a half-shell! The most popular game they had with the Turtles, was this 16-bit entry. It's the Super NES version that definitely gets a mention though, as it contains one additional level, and FOUR additional bosses! It even includes a new and improved final boss in Cyber Shredder! It just really surprises me that this game hasn't been re-released on a Virtual Console yet, it DESERVES to get more love and recognition!

3. "Final Fantasy Mystical Quest" Super NES / Back in the 1990’s, there was a wide gap between the amount of people who loved the “Final Fantasy” series in Japan, and the amount of people who loved the “Final Fantasy” series in America. Nintendo wanted to change that, so they requested for Squaresoft (who was a second-party developer for Nintendo at the time) to come up with a new, EASY type of R.P.G. for NEW, inexperienced gamers to try their skills on. After doing some thinking and tinkering, Squaresoft came up with THIS gem! Unlike their OTHER R.P.G. outings, there are NO random monster fights in THIS video game, every monster and boss that appears in this game, does so first as a small sprite representation, than as a pretty good 16-bit art-job interpretation of a monster in the actual fights. The story focuses on Benjamin, a knight, who with the help of four OTHER warriors (Leila, Tristam, Phoebe, and Reuben, who come and go at various points in this game to help Benjamin restore the four elemental crystals to their rightful place in the Tower of Elements. Although the game is a 'simplified' R.P.G.; that does NOT mean the amount of game-play is lessened. Depending on a person's experience, a good, solid 20-40 hours of game-play can be had from this game, so it can definitely pay for itself! Perfect for people who want to know what R.P.G. games are all about!

2. "Super Mario Land II: Six Golden Coins" (What ELSE?!) Game Boy / What "Super Mario Bros. 3" did for the Mario series on the NES, this game did for the Mario series on the Game Boy. That is, the game managed to BE bigger, play better, loved more, have a greater variety in challenges, obstacles, and enemies, and sell WAY better than its predecessor! As the second game in the "Super Mario Land" series (and OFFICIALLY the last, until "Super Mario 3D Land" came out many years later), this game manages to have more graphically in common (both in terms of looks, stage layout, and enemies) with the "Super Mario Bros." games than the first "Super Mario Land" did! The object of this game is to collect Six Golden Coins, which Mario needs in order to open his way BACK into his castle, which his WICKED doppelganger Wario, has taken over! On the way, Mario gets to fight underwater, in a Haunted House area, inside a GIANT mechanical Mario, inside a giant tree, inside a giant house, this game even allowed Mario to go into outer space for the first time (WAY before "Super Mario Galaxy" came up with the idea.) With all these great things going for it, this game EASILY managed to top the lists of MANY best-selling Game Boy game lists, exceeded only by a few! /

So, with 19 great video games listed already, which video game manages to not only top ALL of them, but gain the status of GREATEST video game of all time?! One hint: it’s LEGENDARY!

1. “The Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past” Super NES / While there have been plenty of video games that have been fun, challenging, and innovative, there was never a video game that managed to be truly gripping and compelling in its story-telling, until THIS video game came out! I consider my Cousin Ronnie, my personal mentor in great video game playing, to still have the best word about this game. There are only two types of video games out there; everything that came out BEFORE “The Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past”, and everything that came out AFTER it! That’s how clearly this game DEFINED what video games were before, and what they were AFTER this video game came out! With 12 different bosses (one that you have to beat two different times), thirteen different dungeons, a vast array of cool tools to solve puzzles and beat enemies, and the introduction of the legendary Master Sword, it’s little wonder how this game has managed to endure for so long, and still remain the envy and ambition of many video games aspiring to greatness! It is the one video game that I still love playing and beating over and over again today! /

That’s it for my list this time! Stay tuned for 1993, when Link goes portable, and Mario’s NES games get a graphical upgrade! It will be AWESOME!!!! ;)

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Is completely ASTOUNDED to realize just HOW many video games came out in 1993!!!! o.o The 1990's seem to have been a golden age for video games and video game developers! So far, 1993 seems to take the CAKE in the number of video games that came out in a single year; I counted THIRTY!!!! Let's see if I can remember what they were all like! :hysterical:

30. "Star Fox" Super NES / This was a game changer back in the day, and for a very good reason! It was the first video game equipped with the SF-X Chip. This technology enabled video-game makers to render 3-D polygons into 2-dimensional video games. The polygons enabled the video game to use less energy in rendering sprites, and give it more memory processing power, in depicting more enemies, more levels, and more stages! But with that being said, there's a very good reason why this game ranks at the bottom of this list; it's SHEER amount of INCREDIBLE difficulty! I've never even been ABLE to beat the HARDEST path of difficulty for this game, and I don't personally know of anyone who HAS! If there's a secret to beating the last two levels of the hardest path of difficulty of "Star Fox" that I am currently not aware of, I sure would like to know about it, just so I can give this landmark game a better rating!

29. "Ren and Stimpy: Veediots!" Game Boy, Genesis, and Super NES / Nickelodeon's comedy duo return for more hilarious antics and off-beat adventures, especially on the Super NES! This was gigantic fun back in the day. And the only reason I rank this game here, is because I don't remember too much about this game. It's been a LONG time since I have played it last. I wish this game would be re-released on a Virtual Console someday, because I want to be able to play it again.

28. "Jurassic Park" NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / Some games sound a LOT better in concept than they do when they're actually presented on video game software. The idea of hunting down dinosaurs in this game based on the ultra-popular movie, seems like a no-brainer. But much like the IDEA of having dinosaurs in a 'family-friendly' theme park, the idea is a pretty BAD one! The dinosaurs are SUPER hard to kill, and the velociraptors act more like the Alien Xenomorphs with their sheer ability to hunt protagonists down! Still, if you want to test your skill against giant reptiles, this is probably the best game to do it with.

27. "Disney's Goof Troop" Super NES / Capcom continues its solid efforts in converting Disney properties into classic video games. Another fun entry for the 16-bit system back in the day. Sadly, it's another video game that I don't remember much about, due to how long it has been since I have last played this game. I really want this video game to be re-released on a Virtual Console someday.

26. "Bomberman 93" Turbographx-16 / Poor Hudson Soft, just couldn't catch a BREAK against Sega and Nintendo! Not even a CD add on could improve or boost their prospects! In fact, this was one of their last highlights for their 16-bit video game system. Perhaps if this video game had been EASIER to beat, Hudson Soft might have been able to stick around for at LEAST another year! Although the Japanese really loved it. In fact, the Turbographx-16 managed to be a viable system in Japan for another whole year, and two remarkable games for the Turbographx-16 managed to be released in Japan in 1994. But for America, this was pretty much the end of Hudson Soft's attempts of competing against Sega and Nintendo, and Hudson Soft would partner up with Nintendo as it re-entered becoming a software-only development company.

25. "Battletoads and Double Dragon" NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / Most people don't remember that Rareware actually HAD a life before becoming Nintendo's prized company, and then becoming Microsoft's whipping boy in one of the STUPIDEST video game moves in history! The "Battletoads" franchise is KNOWN for being hard-core HARD! But one of their easiest games (that I remember playing, beating, and enjoying), is their team-up with the "Double Dragon" heroes! In fact, this game was SO successful for the Super NES, that it was THAT game that convinced Nintendo to make them a second-party developer for THEIR systems only! The move proved to be beneficial for both of them, and cultivated in a successful eight year partnership for both of them.

24. "Sonic Blast Man" Super NES / Despite the name of this game, this was NOT a stab at "Sonic the Hedgehog." This was a completely original video game for Nintendo, that involved the title name hero battling against a number of bad guys in a number of side-scrolling levels. I remember playing it, but I don't remember much about the enemies themselves. Although this game WAS popular enough to be referenced in a "Nester's Adventures" Comic in Nintendo Power, and there are only so many games that can say that they had THAT remarkable distinction!

23. "The Wizard of Oz" Super NES / What I don't understand, is WHY it took until 1993, before someone even ATTEMPTED to turn the greatest movie of all time into a video game?! That's REALLY dropping the ball! The video game is pretty faithful to the movie, and the graphics, sound, music, and control are all solid. What's even more bizarre than this game NOT being re-released on a Virtual Console yet, is that a completely unrelated video game called "The Wizard of Oz" was released on the Nintendo DS, which bared LITTLE resemblance to the movie, OR even the Super NES game! It's kind of a hard game to find now-a-days, but if you can go "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for yourself, consider yourself lucky!

22. "Pac-Man" NES and Game Boy / Another video game that took a LOT longer than it SHOULD'VE to make the transition to a Nintendo system (although the reason might be PARTIALLY due to the reason that the Atari 2600 version ROYALLY sucked, and Namco understandably didn't want to suffer another video game console fiasco). This is obviously much cheaper than having to shell quarter after quarter in an arcade cabinet, although the difficulty level isn't any easier than it was in the arcade game. Thankfully, the game is also easily available either via Wii, or Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

21. "Ms. Pac-Man" NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / For some reason, Ms. Pac-Man ALWAYS seems to be more successful than her male counterpart. HER video game managed to appear on FIVE consoles instead of just two! It's the Super NES that gets the special mention, though. It allows you to customize difficulty levels, how many lives and continues you can get, and gives you WAY more maze stages to try to beat than the arcade original! In fact, the only reason I think this game HASN'T been ported onto a Virtual Console yet, is that Namco is still making FAR too much money with the arcade original to even CONSIDER making it available on a Virtual Console!

20. "Taz-Mania" Game Boy, Genesis, Game Gear, and Super NES / This was a fun, little animated TV series in the 1990's, it even became a fun, little video game on four different systems; most notably, the Super NES! Featuring really good graphics and a really good challenge, the object of this game is for Taz to gobble down as many yellow kiwis (the flightless birds) as he can in a set amount of time, while avoiding water (“Taz HATE water!”), Bull Gator and Axl, and other various obstacles such as oncoming cars and other traps and obstacles! Yellow Kiwi's will restore Taz's health, but blue birds and Bush Rats will do the job, to! Not to mention, that everything that Taz can gobble will add to your over-all score! Sadly, I was unable to play the whole game, because when I finally managed to GET a copy, it turned out to be a glitching copy! Maybe someday, I'll be able to find a better, more reliable copy, play the full game, and I might be able to list this game higher up on a brand new, revised list!

19. "Adventure Island II: Aliens in Paradise" Game Boy / This was the start of Hudson Soft's return to being a software-only video game company with Nintendo. Not only did Master Higgins get to return in a portable experience, he got to ride new dinosaur partners who had various strengths and weaknesses, in a vast variety of stages. As the game title implies, dinosaurs are no longer Master Higgins' only warrior, he now has to fight against evil Aliens! I know the game is only ranked at #19, but the game is really fun if you give it a chance! I did, and I highly enjoyed it and recommend it!

18. "Clayfighter" Genesis, Game Gear, and Super NES / I know a LOT of people are expecting ANOTHER fighting game to be on this list, but I REFUSE to put "Mortal Kombat" on this list for one good reason; the amount of VIOLENCE in THAT game is TOO D*** HIGH!!!! Thankfully, this is a funnier, more comical alternative to the blood and gore present in "Mortal Kombat." It's actually kind of a predecessor to "Celebrity Deathmatch" in a way, as it involves different clay figures fighting against each other! The Genesis and Game Gear versions should be avoided, however. The controls are clunky and the difficulty is too un-even. The controls on the Super NES version are SMOOTH, and the difficulty is just right! Also worth searching for is the "Tournament Edition" with new stages and additional characters, available on the Super NES starting in 1994!

17. "B.O.B." Genesis and Super NES / In the 1990's, there was certainly no shortage of video game character mascots looking to become the next big thing! Many mascots came, and many mascots went, SOME more famously/infamously than others! One of the more interesting mascot candidates, would have to be Electronic Arts and their creation of the crazy cool, alien named B.O.B. (I don't remember if the acronym was EVER explained!) The game "B.O.B." had a unique funkyness to it. B.O.B. is LITERALLY cruising in a space car, on his way to a 'Blind' date, until his car gets TOTALED by a giant asteroid, and he lands on another alien world! Now B.O.B. must navigate through several stages filled with traps, perils, enemies, and mayhem while he collects money so that he will be able to buy a NEW car, and collect a variety of different weapons that will enable him to beat all the different baddies he faces in the different stages. But just when B.O.B. finally GETS the car he needs, a METEOR FLIES into, and WRECKS B.O.B.'s car, and landing B.O.B. on ANOTHER alien world! And B.O.B. has to navigate through MORE stages filled with traps, perils, enemies, and mayhem while collecting money so he can repair his NEW car! The weird part about this game, is the ending! His 'blind' date LITERALLY turns out to be blind, and not very attractive, either! Thankfully, an attractive alien babe comes by and SAVES B.O.B. from having to go on his love-less date! Not very considerate to the blind date, but she SHOULD find love, eventually!

16. "Plok!" Super NES / It's just incredible that there could be a video game character that actually pre-dated the concept of "Rayman!" The idea of a video game character being disconnected actually was first demonstrated with THIS forgotten mascot of the 1990's! The video game is both fun, and challenging! The graphics, music, sound effects, and control are all solid. I actually still OWN the game for my Super NES, which should give you a clue as to just how much fun it is! I hope it becomes available on a Virtual Console someday, because I want other people to know about this video game's existence!

15. "Disney's Aladdin" Super NES / Capcom and Nintendo were both VERY busy this year! Although Sega made a version of "Aladdin" for their Game Gear and Genesis systems, I have never played their version. I have played Capcom's faithful adaptation of the popular Disney movie, and I have enjoyed it very much! There are seven different levels, with seventeen different stages, including two boss stages. The graphics, sound effects, music, controls, and difficulty are all top notch by Capcom standards! This game was even re-released on the Game Boy Advance, with an additional stage for SIX levels, making THAT version worth playing, beating, and enjoying today.

14. "Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind" Genesis and Super NES / Although Bubsy has been relegated to being the BUTT of many jokes on the Internet, with jokes and memes revolving just around his FAILED 1996 3-D game, there was a time when Bubsy HAD a legitimate video game career, and was taken seriously! Especially in the Super NES version, Bubsy is fun AND funny! The plot may not be stellar by 16-bit standards, but the humor and challenge present in this game more than make up for it. I just hope Bubsy's earlier games get re-released on Virtual Console someday, because Bubsy DESERVES to have a come-back the way Sonic gets to consistently have one!

13. "Aero the Acro-Bat" Genesis and Super NES / This is another fun mascot platform video game character from the 1990's! There's a lot of different stuff to collect, many different enemies to beat, and many different goals to achieve in every stage of each level. Counting Bonus Stages, there are four levels, and there are 25 stages in all. 7 Stages for Levels One, Two, and Four, and just 4 Stages for Level Three. Although Aero is a Bat who is an accomplished Acrobat (hence the name of the game) who can jump, spin, hover, and even sometimes fly through the air with the greatest of ease, this game isn't all about fun and games. There are some obstacles that are fairly tough to get past without the proper knowledge and know-how of each stages' layout, and how best to take out each enemy. Fortunately, while having a good finishing time in each stage is a great goal to achieve, it's not completely necessary in order to beat each stage! The greatest strengths about this game is that the controls feel really slick, the graphics are pretty cool by Super NES standards, and the music is really rocking to! 8) And for only 800 points to download, the price is right to! This game will prove to be a challenging, but fun time for anybody who wants to enjoy a retro blast from the past!

12. "Mario Is Missing" Super NES / FINALLY! We are starting to get to the video games and characters people actually CAN remember playing from this year! Despite the title of this video game, it is Luigi who is the TRUE hero of this video game! I really loved this game back in the day, because I got to learn a lot about geography, historic/important artifacts and buildings for many world cities. It's also one of the FEW Mario games out there that HASN'T been re-released on a Virtual Console yet, and it deserves to be played again!

11. "Sonic Spinball" Game Gear and Genesis / Although available on two different Sega systems, it's the Genesis version that gets a mention. Although it's only four levels long (not counting accessible bonus stage areas), this is still a fun game to play, as it LITERALLY puts a SPIN on the fun pinball video game! Sonic has to collect Chaos Emeralds and defeat four different bosses in order to foil Dr. Robotnik's latest scheme! It may not have the level of depth that other Sonic games have, but it's still enjoyable, all the same. It's currently available on Wii Virtual Console.

10. "Mega Man X" (What ELSE?!) Super NES / Released at the tail-end of 1993, this video game is special because the Nintendo Power Subscriber Bonus Issue Version of the January 1994 cover, gave this game the SILVER treatment! Capcom decided instead of merely taking "Mega Man" into the 16 bit console generation, they actually re-invented him, making him faster, stronger, more powerful, and better than ever before! "Mega Man X" was the start of a new generation of "Mega Man" games set 100 years after the original "Mega Man" game series. Dr. Wily and mere robot man machines are out of the picture, but taking their place are a bunch of equally determined, equally villainous batch of animal themed machine robots headed by the notorious Sigma! The bosses Mega Man X must fight against are what might arguably the best bosses he's ever had to fight against, in some of the best stages to ever grace the Super Nintendo! And the music is really rocking to, my favorite is Tornado Eagle's stage as far as music and challenge goes! Whether you're an old fan or new to the world and realm of the entire "Mega Man" series, "Mega Man X" is definitely one of the best games to start off on in terms of challenge and accessibility, especially considering it only costs 800 points on Wii Virtual Console! It's definitely a rewarding experience!

9. "Kirby's Adventure" NES / One of the last knock-out punches the NES was able to deliver, was by giving us Kirby's first home console experience. Already a hit on the portable Game Boy, the N.E.S. greatly expanded Kirby's abilities (literally!) as Kirby uses his trademark copy technique for the first time in a game! Various enemies can be inhaled, and Kirby can then use their weapon as his own. Many are useful, some are just for laughs, and others need to be played around with. It's even possible to inhale two enemies with abilities at a time, and by combining the two, you can get a random, and sometimes totally cool, unique ability that's hard to get under normal circumstances. The music and sound effects make full use of the N.E.S.' full sound capabilities, the story is grand and epic even by 16-bit standards, and the graphics, are bright, catchy, and visually appealing. This game had the N.E.S. graphic system running on all cylinders, as it utilized some unique tricks usually only seen on a Super N.E.S., and the graphics even approached the standards of early Super N.E.S. Outings! This game proved that a great video game experience doesn't have to come out for a more powerful video game system. Despite having less, this game made the N.E.S. put out more than it had ever done before, and let Nintendo fans know that the N.E.S. was, is, and would always fight to the end. And when the system finally WAS retired, it went out like a champion! I enjoyed this game and I highly recommend it to players looking for a fun, retro challenge! 

8. "Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting" Arcades, Neo Geo, and Super NES / I used to not like this game very much when I was younger because I would always be getting my butt kicked constantly by the unbelievably smart computer controlled opponents who could always pull off moves better than I could and move faster than I could possibly move. But now that I'm older and I've played this game on virtual console, I find out that wisdom and patience have allowed me to try harder in overcoming different opponents, and I've also learned how to adapt to playing at faster speeds in order to become a better video game player than I was when I was young. Now that I've become skilled enough to beat the game, I can genuinely say that this is the definitive version of the "Street Fighter II" games on the Super Nes video game console, and it's a masterpiece that all true video game enthusiasts can enjoy playing. I've played it, enjoyed it, and highly recommend it for all fans of competitive fighting prowess games!

7. "E.V.O.: Gateway to Eden" Super NES / During the 1990's, there were a good number of video games that sought out to create new, unique, video game experiences that had never been tried before, and an attempt to create NEW types of games. One such unique experiment was with this game. The "E.V.O." in the title is short for evolution. Although it is TECHNICALLY possible to PLAY through the game (players start as a fish) and end UP as a human, who would WANT to be a puny human when its possible to end up being a completely radical, fantasy creature that could've POSSIBLY evolved had events played out differently?! Since the company thought that players might be confused about the point of this game without a PROPER explanation to it, the game WISELY includes an Earth Goddess, a spiritual being who helps the evolving creature the player is playing as, through-out the rough spots, provides helpful information at key points in the game, and sometimes give hints of where a player should go next. With a multiple set of MANY different possible animal evolution's to level up to and evolve into, whatever the ultimate creature ends up BEING after facing the FINAL evolutionary boss, is ANYONE'S guess! This unique game DESERVES to be played at LEAST once!

6. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Radical Rescue" Game Boy / Konami's final video game featuring the heroes in a half-shell for ten years (and their last video game that I enjoyed playing and beating). Unlike the two Game Boy predecessors, this game is longer, graphically improved, musically good, has a good challenge without being too difficult, and it has a good amount of variety. All four turtles have different abilities that help them reach different places. There are several different types of enemies to meet, beat, and it all leads to one final face-off against Shredder, in order to save the lovely April O'Neal from his nefarious clutches! This game was a good way for the Turtles to go out; on a high note!

5. "Yoshi's Cookie" NES, Game Boy, and Super NES / This is a very enjoyable game. It starts off easily enough when it teaches you the basic ropes of how to rearrange the rows and columns of four different types of cookies: Hearts, flowers, circles, and checkers. The goal of the game is that you have to line up at least two or more of the exact same kind of cookie in a row in order to get rid of that type of cookie, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Because there are additional rows and columns of cookies coming in from the right side and the top side of the screen at random speeds with random arrangements of cookies, players will soon find themselves having to work fast and furious, figuring out the best way to remove all the cookies from the screen, and advance to the next round. In addition to the four regular cookies, if you remove the same type of cookie enough times, you'll eventually get a Yoshi Cookie, which acts like a wild-card Cookie, and allows you to eliminate any of the four types of cookies as long as the Yoshi Cookie is lined up with a row or column where all the other types of cookies are the same types of cookies. The more cookie rows and columns a player can eliminate at one time, the higher their score will multiply and accumulate, but be careful! Because the longer each player takes to finish each round, the faster the cookies will zoom in from the right and from the left, and if cookies reach all the way from the left to the right or from the bottom to the top of the playing area of the screen, it will equal game over for the player. But the game over is pretty merciful in this case, as you can choose to have unlimited continues, pick up right on the stage where you were stumped before, and try a different strategy that might work better than the last one. The single player experience alone is pretty fun in itself, but the multiple player experience is where this game truly becomes challenging, as the rows and columns you clear becomes additional rows and columns that your opposing player has to clear as well! The NES version can even hold its own against the Super NES version, the music, sounds, and graphics of this game are top-notch by NES standards; as they approach very close to early Super NES standards of graphics, showing that the NES had come a long way since the block-type pixels of "Super Mario Bros." to a top-notch graphical presentation of "Yoshi's Cookie." And the little movie segments between each level of play is fun and funny to watch as well. With 10 levels of difficulty each with 10 rounds and 3 different speed settings to try, there are a total of 300 different kinds of challenging puzzle difficulties to overcome in this game, it equals a plethora of challenges that's hard to find on any other game for the NES, which is why this game shows that for the creative and the innovative, there are always new ways and possibilities for old systems to prove their creative worth. I highly enjoy this game, and I highly recommend it to families looking for a fun, multiple player experience!

4. "Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose!" Super NES / The 1990's cartoon series was all over the place in the early 1990's, there was even a boat-load of different video games available on a number of different consoles! However, this is so far, the only one I have personally played, beaten, and enjoyed! You get to play as Buster Bunny across a variety of levels and stages, each a theme based on the popular cartoon series. While I could've lived without the football stage that you have to play through in this game, some of the bonus stages that you have a chance to play are a real blast to play! The controls, graphics, music, sound effects, and difficulty levels are real solid! This is also a game that deserves to be re-released on a Virtual Console someday, and I'm really hoping that it WILL be someday!

3. "Super Mario All Stars" Super NES / In the 1990's, Nintendo was to video games, what the Chicago Bulls were to Basketball. Basically, Nintendo was an unstoppable brand that racked up an INSANE number of wins, and no other brand could even come CLOSE to matching the number of wins and victories that they had! One of Nintendo's greatest moves of the 1990's, was to re-master their three GREATEST "Super Mario Bros." games, and release "The Lost Levels" on American shores for the very first time. The graphics, sound, music, controls, and difficulty are all better than ever, and the ability to save ANY of the four games at any place and at any time is a welcome addition to these already great games! The best way to play this game now, is to seek out and play the Special Edition version available on the Nintendo Wii.

2. "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" Game Boy / By nature, this is the first game in which Link finds himself not in Hyrule. He is instead in a place called Koholint Island, a place isolated from the west of the known world (and it might have even been a predecessor to "The Wind Waker" albeit on a much smaller scale!) Link meets new characters such as Marin, Talon, the Wise Owl Kaebora Gaebora, a Chain Chomp, a town populated solely by animals, and for the first time, goes on a trading quest which would become a much more common practice in the N64 games, "The Wind Waker," and "The Minish Cap." There are also old as well as new enemies to fight as well. The new enemy bosses include an evil genie in a bottle, a floating eye enemy, a deadly angler fish, a swooping hawk, and a deadly fireball just to name a few! And this is just to wake the Wind Fish from his eternal slumber. And there's also a plot twist that while it might have been used before, still comes as a shocker considering all the characters Link met on the island and all the habits that they have. But this game proved that epics did have a place on the handheld, and they were definitely fun to play as well! This game was great and continues to remain an inspiration for hand held game developers everywhere! That's why I love this game! /

So with 29 great video games already listed, which one managed to zoom past all of them and become the best video game of 1993? Here's a hint, there's no "SECRET" to just how GOOD this game is! :D /

1. "Secret of Mana" Super NES / Squaresoft was undoubtedly the king when it comes to making RPG's and action adventure games, especially in the 1990's! In 1993, it was decided that a new game was to be made out of the mold of the popular "Zelda" games, and turn it into something that could be enjoyed for hard-core RPG fans. This game, the "Secret of Mana," mixed together the Action-Adventure Genre and the RPG Genre like never before! It had the easy accessibility of Action-Adventure Games, and it also had the deep immersion of RPG Games. Although it's a relatively simple story about having to save the world from a great evil, there's a lot of complexity and depth to it. Three unlikely hero's, a boy warrior, a girl warrior, and a sprite warrior, all find each other and join together to stop a group of evil men in control of an Empire from ruling and conquering the world through the powers of evil technology, which only good magic can destroy! There were several different areas, interesting enemies to fight, and several unique bosses to destroy. The different choices of weapons and magic were well thought out, and there was no end of options available for new things to discover and new levels of magic to achieve. There was Undine, the spirit of Ice and Water, Gnome, the spirit of the Earth, Slyphid, the spirit of Lightning, Salamander, the spirit of Fire, Shade, the spirit of Darkness, Lumina, the spirit of Light, Luna, the spirit of the Moon, and Dryad, the spirit of the Forest! This has a well-written story, with several surprises and twists along the way, and it is definitely well worth a play, as it can still provide a challenge just as well as any other game today can provide! That's why I love this great video game! /

That's my video game list for this time! Stay tuned for 1994, where we'll get the last great game for the original NES, TWO "Sonic" games, and what might be the R.P.G. video game that tops ALL R.P.G. video games! :cool: I hope you'll come back and read THAT list as well! ;)

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Once again, 1994 seems to have been a pretty busy year for video games! There are 28 games vying for top spot this year! :D Read on and find out what they were like! /

28. "Bomberman 94" Turbographx-16 / One of the last new games released for Hudson Soft's 16 bit system, this game didn't even ARRIVE in America; it was only available in Japan! But since the original video game version is now available on Wii Virtual Console, I'm counting it as a game that was released this year. Sadly, this game suffers from the same fate its predecessor did. The game was just SO incredibly hard to BEAT! That's why this game only ranks at the bottom of the list. At least Hudson Soft had much better luck in the software department THIS year!

27. “Marble Madness” NES and Game Boy / I REALLY dropped the ball for THIS game! I should have included it for my 1987 NES list, or my 1989 Game Boy list, but since this is the last year NES games really get a chance to shine, better late than NEVER! The same sound, music, controls, and razor-sharp difficulty is still intact in either version of the game; but the challenging hardness is one of the things that gives “Marble Madness” its iconic reputation.

26. “Paperboy” NES, Game Boy, and Super NES / Once again, another game I forgot about in 1987, 1989, AND 1991, for the NES, Game Boy, and Super NES respectively. In “Paperboy,” you play as a (three guesses as to what you play, and the FIRST two don’t count); who has to deliver papers. Sounds easy, but there are potholes and traffic hazards to avoid, the occasional attack dog, and the fact that you get docked points for every newspaper you ‘accidentally’ throw through a window or something (although some people might ARGUE that particular aspect makes the game even MORE fun!) I actually recommend trying to play this fun video game for yourself, if you can find it!

25. "Ren and Stimpy: Time Warp" Super NES / For three years, "Ren and Stimpy" had a good run releasing video games MOSTLY for Nintendo systems. But this is where it stops for them. After this video game, "Ren and Stimpy" have NEVER headlined a major video game on their own, although the characters themselves HAVE been featured in a number of Nicktoon crossover video games. Perhaps someday, the "Ren and Stimpy" games will be re-released on Virtual Console, and a whole new generation will be able to enjoy them.

24. "Sonic Blast Man 2" Super NES / The sequel to the unexpected hit that was featured last year, this video game features more of the same (if it ain't broke, don't fix it!) But it WISELY adds two OTHER superheroes into the mix for multi-player options, and makes for a better variety in trying to beat down enemies. I also remember playing this video game, but I don't remember too much about the enemies themselves. It needs to be re-released on a Virtual Console someday, because I want to be able to re-play iconic 16-bit video games like this!

23. "The Jungle Book" NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / By 1994, Disney STOPPED relying on Sega and Capcom to convert their properties into video games, and created their OWN video game division, called Virgin software. Unlike Sega and Capcom, which provided hit after hit, Virgin's conversions of Disney's properties have been hit, and miss. Oddly enough, this was one of the original NES console's last new video games, and it sure tried very hard to be as graphically good as the Super NES! The best way to play this video game now, is to track down the Game Boy Advance version of the Super NES game, available for the Super NES.

22. "Super Return of the Jedi" Game Boy, and Super NES / Since I have never really been fond of "The Empire Strikes Back" as a movie, I completely skipped over the video game version of it on the Super NES. The same is not true for the last of the original trilogy. I remember more about playing this game, than I do "Super Star Wars." With that being said, beating this game isn't completely easy. But if you want to play a good "Star Wars" experience for yourself, this video game is currently available via Wii Virtual Console.

21. "Donkey Kong" Game Boy / Before Rareware wowed us with the next generation experience of "Donkey Kong Country," Nintendo reminded us of where it all began, with the Game Boy version of the Arcade original. While it DOES contain the original Arcade level originals, it also includes many MORE levels and stages in addition to the four iconic stages. But just like the Arcade original, the game is IMMENSELY hard, so expect a lot of frustrations and headaches if you try to beat it for yourself. It's currently available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, if you are interested.

20. "Pocky and Rocky" Super NES / There were so MANY video games available in 1993, I couldn't REMEMBER them all! Although it ended up working out fine for me, as it allowed me to have 28 full games for the 1994 list! A charming platform video game, where you can play either as a human girl, or a racoon. This video game was SO popular it ended up getting TWO sequels! One on the Super NES, and another several years later, on the Game Boy Advance. Sadly, this is a video game that has not been re-released on a Virtual Console yet, so consider yourself lucky if you can find a copy for yourself.

19. "Mighty Morphing Power Rangers" Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Sega CD-I, and Super NES / Obviously, I'm going to REMEMBER everything in playing and beating one of the most POPULAR translations of an already existing property, especially one that I REALLY like! Although I have only played the Super NES version, I have heard that the Genesis version is also fun in its own right, even though THAT version plays more like a "Street Fighter II" game than anything, although THAT version allows it to be two-player ALL the time! "MMPR" for the Super NES is a traditional platform video game that allows you to play as all five Rangers, each of them having to beat one monster from the show. Than you play as the Megazord, and you have to beat two more TOUGH monsters from the show! The graphics, sound, music, control, and difficulty are all pretty solid; the only downside is that the game is pretty short. If you want to play the first video game experience of the "Power Rangers," though, this is where you can do it!

18. "Wayne's World" Genesis and Super NES / Another video game that I forgot to include in 1993, I actually didn't BEAT this game until a couple of years ago, when I managed to locate a copy for the Super NES, and beat it then! Just like the movie, the video game is pretty funky, and it contains a lot of vocal sound-bites from the sketches and the live-action movie! The graphics, music, controls, and difficulty are all pretty solid, especially on the Super NES version! But if you're looking to experience on Virtual Console, it can't be found on one, yet. So you'll have to track down a version of this game just like I did if you want to play it for yourself. I found it fun, so I highly recommend playing it if you can!

17. "Clayfighter: Tournament Edition" Super NES / The new and IMPROVED version of the original "Clayfighter" game, this version is available EXCLUSIVELY for the Super NES. Boasting IMPROVED controls, slicker animation, new turbo AND difficulty options, as well as new stages, this version ALSO allowed players to make use of the rarely-used four-controller video game option for the Super NES. By using a special modifier, four controllers could be used for the system instead of just two! This allowed up to four players to beat up against each other using a variety of characters, in a Tournament mode! But unlike it's predecessor, this video game is not yet available on a Virtual Console, which is sad. I would think that playing as clay fighters would be a TON of fun!

16. “Tetris and Dr. Mario” Super NES / Nintendo featuring TWO of their biggest puzzle games on ONE cartridge is a no brainer! Not only do these two games get graphical updates, the music, sound, controls, and difficulty levels are all boosted as well! This game is made even better when you play multi-player against a friend. Sadly, this video game bargain has not seen re-release on a Virtual Console yet. So if you can find a copy for yourself, consider yourself lucky!

15. "Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers" Arcades, Genesis, Jaguar, 3DO, and Super NES / Capcom probably MILKED this franchise a LOT more than it should have! By 1994, players were getting tired of Capcom rehashing the same game every single year, and only making LITTLE updates to it every single year. Ironically enough, this is where Capcom made its BIGGEST change yet; it gave the graphics for this game a complete OVERHAUL by making it look BETTER than EVER, added in FOUR new challengers and stages (plus one secret boss in Akuma), and added in a new combo bonus point system! This game is STILL a lot of fun, and is currently available to play on the Wii Virtual Console.

14. "Super Game Boy" Game Boy and Super NES / Okay, this is technically CHEATING, as this isn't a video game per say, it's more of a peripheral for the Super NES, but it's a very useful one! With this piece of technology, players could play Game Boy video games without EVER having to worry about running out of batteries, because they're playing them ON the Super NES! Not only that, but Game Boy games released the same year or AFTER the Super Game Boy was released, often made use of it! These games featured limited color pallets, and included stereo sound when played on the Super NES! This technology was SO popular, a sequel called "Super Game Boy 2", was released for the Super NES in order to BOOST the capability of Game Boy Color games; but only in Japan.

13. "Kirby's Pinball Land" Game Boy / Yet another video game that I should have included for 1993, this is a short, but fun and enjoyable Kirby experience! This let's you play Kirby in three different pinball levels. They are divided into three sections each, plus a boss section. You have to beat all three levels and all three bosses, in order to play against the final boss, King Dedede. Thankfully, the wild, unpredictable nature of this game makes it more replayable. It's currently available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console if you want to play it for yourself.

12. "The Lion King" Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and Super NES / This was one of Disney's last triumphs in the video game industry for many years, at least until "Kingdom Hearts" came out. The Super NES version gets the real mention here, as it features actual voice samples from the movie! The graphics, sound, music, controls, and difficulty are all solid in all ten levels of this video game, even if there are only two real bosses in this video game. The bonus stages featuring Timon and Pumbaa, are pretty fun as well! This is one video game that DESERVES to be re-released on Virtual Console, it's just too much fun to keep on just the Super NES!

11. "Wario Land: Super Mario Land III" Game Boy / FINALLY! I'm starting to get to the video games where it hasn't BEEN forever since I last played it, and I actually remember the majority of playing and beating these video games! I just want to state that despite the name of the game, Mario has very little to do with this game, and doesn't even APPEAR in it except for a very quick cameo near the end! Despite that, Wario makes a very solid effort in his first video game, as he dons unique power-ups in his search for treasures. If he can get all the treasures, and get the maximum amount of coins in this game, than as his reward, after beating the final boss in this game, Wario will get rewarded with his own PLANET!!!! Who SAYS hard work never pays off?! This video game is currently available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

10. "Super Punch-Out" Super NES / The original "Punch-Out" for the NES was HARD! Like Super HARD! Like IMMENSELY hard! Thankfully, the difficulty in this game is FAR more forgiving! Featuring improved graphics, sound, music, controls, and vocal sound-bites, this game features 16 opponents for Little Mac (who is blonde, in this game) to challenge and beat! Unlike the original, where you had to beat them ALL in a row, this game is divided into four different Circuits, or sections. The Minor Circuit, the Major Circuit, the Supreme Circuit, and the Special Circuit. In each new Circuit, the batch of fighters you have to fight is even harder than the last. Thankfully, you also get a number of times to re-try the fight you are on if you are losing, but you only get a limited number of them. If you can beat undefeated champion Rick Bruiser AND not lose against a single challenger along the way, give yourself a well-earned pat on the back! This video game is currently available on Wii Virtual Console.

9. "Donkey Kong Country" Super NES / When both the Sega Saturn and the Sony Playstation debuted in 1994, everyone was worried that the 16 bit Super NES wouldn't be able to compete against the two juggernauts. But Nintendo had an ace up their sleeve; Rareware and their ability to crank out graphically OUTSTANDING video games that could even give the Sony Playstation a run for its money! As both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, you have to trek across a wide variety of levels and stages, finding hidden secrets and bonus items, beating against unique bosses, and it all leads up to a climatic fight against the evil King K. Rool! This is an impressive game in itself, but the sequel for this game manages to impress me even MORE! Also available on the Game Boy Advance, and on the Wii Virtual Console.

8. "Earthworm Jim" Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Sega CD-I, and Super NES / The genius mind of Doug Tenappel, who also created "Catscratch" for Nickelodeon, was behind this MEGA popular mascot of the 1990's! He was SO popular, he even got a successful cult CLASSIC cartoon series on Kids WB! Oddly enough, while the Super NES version boasts superior visuals and sound, it's the Genesis version that I ended up beating on Wii Virtual Console. The controls are SMOOTH, the difficulty is solid, and the humor is EVERYWHERE! Earthworm Jim has to battle absurd but STILL dangerous villains, such as Psy-Crow, Evil the Cat, Bob the Killer Goldfish, Major Mucus, Professor Monkey for a Head, and the evil Queen Slug for a Butt! All in order to rescue the beautiful Princess What's Her Name! This game is also currently available on the Game Boy Advance, and via Nintendo DSI download.

7. "Super Bonk" Super NES / Hudson Soft really prospered after they became a software only company. With Nintendo to help them, they were able to BOOST the image of their video games, and advertise them, and get the games out to consumers in a way that they just never could, on their own! After Hudson Soft's experiment with the Turbographx-16 ended, Hudson Soft went back to doing the one thing they did better than anything else, making great video games! And Bonk's outing on the Super N.E.S. is one of the best games to demonstrate Bonk's amazing platform capabilities. The graphics, music, control, and difficulty level are all completely amazing! Although the game is only five levels long, compared to the more numerous levels in Bonk's earlier games, the levels are significantly longer with more different, multiple routes to choose from, and more secrets and bonus' to discover! In addition to the head bonking, teeth climbing, tree swinging, heart collecting, and meat eating power-ups carried over from previous Bonk games, there are also new candy power-ups which give Bonk CRAZY new abilities. Red candies make Bonk shrink to fit into tiny spaces he couldn't fit into otherwise, the blue candy makes Bonk grow Super large, enabling him to defeat many enemies with ease. The road to stopping King Drool is filled with traps and obstacles, including with Bonk going into outer space and entering a comet! But with plenty of 1-ups and health-restoring items to find, it never feels overwhelming. The game is currently available to play on Wii Virtual Console.

6. "Mega Man VI" (What ELSE?!) NES / Coming out near the end of a video game system's life-cycle can be tough for a video game's chances of success. Being only 8-bit, most video game players had thought that 8-bit "Mega Man" had exhausted all its tricks and had nothing left new to show. But this game proved that 8-bit "Mega Man" wasn't going to go away quietly, and it was going to surprise people...one more TIME!!!! A mysterious person named Mr. X has organized the first ever Robot tournament for Robots of all builds and all kinds to fight each other to prove who is the most powerful Robot in the world! But the tournament is a trap; Mr. X captures all the Robots and plans to do away with Dr. Light unless Mega Man can find a way to stop him! The graphics are among the best the N.E.S. has to offer, the music is rocking, the challenge is incredible, and it all adds up to an experience that's not just a great "Mega Man" video game, it's a great video game period! With unique bosses such as Centaur Man, Flame Man, Wind Man, Blizzard Man, Knight Man, Yamato Man, Plant Man, and Tomahawk Man, there are many different ways to play through the game and win it! But is Mr. X REALLY who he claims to be? (Spoiler alert: He isn't!) Just play the game and find out if Mega Man can prevail in his last original outing for the original N.E.S. video game system, that is also now available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console! I did, and I highly enjoyed playing it, beating it, and enjoying everything the game had to offer! I would highly recommend this game to players looking for a fun, challenging, "Mega Man" retro game blast!

5. "Toejam and Earl: Panic On Funkotron" Genesis / Sega really seems to be on top of their game in 1994, the Genesis has nine FULL games available on this list, which is a considerable step up from years past! Although this game SHOULD have been listed for 1993, I don't think this game would have ranked as high if I included it for THAT year, just because the field was already so CROWDED for 1993. Although a lot of people will prop up the original as being superior, I actually like the sequel better, because I actually managed to beat this one! The difficulty level wasn't as severe, the controls were a lot easier to handle and master, the graphic design system was a lot more artistic and varied, and there was much more variety in terms of music and sound! The story is simple enough, after Toejam and Earl return to their home planet of Funkotron, they found out that a bunch of Earthlings stow away on their ship! So it is now their duty to capture all the Earthlings into jars (you just got to love the off-beat humor) and bring the funk back to Funkotron by bringing the Funkopotamus back out of hiding! Even though there are many things that are collectible and many different types of challenges in terms of the different types of Earthlings needed to be caught, the difficulty is never overwhelming and the puzzle level difficulty goes up quite gradually. I highly enjoyed it, and I recommend it to players looking for a funky experience! The video game is currently available on Wii Virtual Console.

4. "Sonic and Knuckles" Genesis / The lock-on cartridge, is actually the second part of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3." When the former game is connected with this game, it allows for a full, play-through experience! The action is fast-paced, fun, and frantic, with three different ways to play the game, either with Tails, Knuckles the Echidna, and Sonic the Hedgehog with Tails, the areas you can access, the power-ups you collect, and the secrets you find differ based on which character choice you picked. Any way the game is sliced, the enjoyment will last a long time for anybody who enjoys playing old-school the "Sonic the Hedgehog" way! I enjoyed "Sonic and Knuckles," and I highly recommend it for fans of the 16 bit generation of video games! The video game is currently available on Wii Virtual Console.

3. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" (What ELSE?!) Genesis / While I was growing up, I latched into the Nintendo camp of the 16 bit wars, because Nintendo had more strong series to back up their hardware, and more good games overall that I could appreciate. And although I was proud to be on Team Super NES, I wondered how it could be that I could enjoy a game that was on Team Sega Genesis. Fast-forward more than 15 years after the fact that this game (and "Sonic & Knuckles") were released, and I find out something extraordinary was the key reason that I secretly enjoyed this game so much: the now late, great Michael Jackson composed music for it! I SO didn't expect that! It's no wonder "Sonic the Hedgehog" often makes King of Pop portrayals in his cartoon series, comic books, and frequent fan-fiction artworks! But I digress! So now that I know all of the reasons why I enjoyed this game, I can confidently review this game, and state that the graphics were absolutely amazing not just by Sega Genesis standards, but by 16 bit standards in general! The enemies, bosses, special bonus level designs, and the rivalry between Sonic and Knuckles make for an intriguing game! And the game "Sonic & Knuckles" made good use of lock-on technology! So the game called "Sonic 3 & Knuckles" makes the game twice as long, twice as hard, but also twice as rewarding to beat! Plus, it is SO cool to transform into Super Tails, Hyper Knuckles, and/or Hyper Sonic! I highly enjoyed this game and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for the best video game experience on the Sega Genesis! This video game is currently available on Wii Virtual Console.

2. "Super Metroid" Super NES / The third game in the "Metroid" video game series, and also the BEST; is this sprawling epic masterpiece that came out during the prime of the SNES! If "Metroid I" was ambitious and "Metroid II" daring, than "Super Metroid" took the concepts established in both, and expanded them more than DOUBLE combined! Ridley is back to cause trouble, as it has stolen the last Metroid Egg (that Samus previously saved in "Metroid II") and has taken it to the Metroid home planet of Zebes, in an EVIL scheme to re-populate the Metroid alien race and conquer the cosmos! Not only is the game bigger, the graphics better, and the sound music appropriately moody enough for a game of this nature, Samus learns more new tricks and travels to new types of areas that she never traveled through in the first two games. What makes this game an improvement over its predecessors is the inclusion of an in-game map that can be accessed at any time! The map lets Samus see where she has been and an idea of where she can go, but it has to be filled IN as the game goes along, giving Samus and players incentive to explore EVERYWHERE! One of the biggest incentives of this game is the concept of the speed run. The faster the game is beaten, the better the final ending is. How fast CAN the game be beaten?! Find out for yourself! This video game is currently available via Wii Virtual Console.

1. "Final Fantasy III" Super NES / This is the pinnacle of 2-D RPG strategy action games! There are enough monsters, bosses, espers, magical spells, weapons, armor, and other types of items in this game that would fill in three regular RPG games made by other companies! But the geniuses at Squaresoft managed to fit it in one game! And what a game it is! This game is challenging and thoroughly exciting as there are several characters to choose from and level up their different skills. (Note: This review will be using the default names used for the characters.) Terra is a mysterious young woman with an enigmatic past. A past that is riddled with being used by an evil Imperial Empire as a magical slave and finding the location of hidden espers. Locke is a gifted treasure hunter (or as others might call him, a thief) with a heart of gold who's had his share of heartbreaks but has his heart in the right place in helping to fight against the evil Empire! Edgar is the King of his Figaro Castle, a notorious ladies man and an expert at handling the latest and greatest technological machines. Sabin is Edgar's younger brother, a martial artist gifted in the Blitz Techniques. Celes is an attractive lady who has betrayed the Empire and joined the side of good, and she also knows how to use magic and can use her Runic technique to safely absorb magic. Shadow is a ninja riddled with a past that nobody knows about, and an allegiance to nobody, but with Interceptor the Wonder Dog, fights sometimes end very quickly, so Shadow is very useful! Cyan is a Knight of Doma Castle, with a vengenance against the Empire after all the other citizens of Doma Castle are poisoned. Gau is a wild boy living in the Veldt. He can learn any technique from any villain that he encounters. Setzer is a gambler with his own airship, and with his luck at the slots, he can turn the tables on any attackers. Mog is a moogle dancer whose various dances have different, random attacks and effects. Strago is a wise, old Mage user of blue magic, and just by experiencing enemy magic once, he learns it and can use it from then on out! Relm is a young artist who can paint other monsters and use their own attacks against them. Umaro is an abominable snowman who can't be controlled, but he attacks fast and strong, to strike against attacking opponents! And the very useful Gogo, who can mimic any move his allies make, including esper moves without any magical cost to himself. These warriors will all need to team up together to try to bring down the Empire, until faced with a bigger threat. The threat of Kefka! A general of the Empire and a deranged madman with a bad attitude! His only goal in life is to seek out and gain more power, at any cost! He doesn't care who he has to hurt or what he has to kill in order to get more power. And he does a lot of evil things against innocent civilians just to satisfy his insatiable cravings and lust. Different bosses and different enemies have different weaknesses and they all need to be exploited in order to save not just the day, but the entire world as well! What's incredible about this game is that even when the world's landscape is altered and changed to fit Kefka's needs, the game STILL isn't over, it's only halfway done! Plus, with many different Espers to find, there are many different spells to learn, and many different ways to learn them, so no gaming experience is ever exactly the same twice! One things for sure, this game is definitely worth a playing experience, to understand how truly great and how truly engrossing a video game experience can be. This video game is also worth playing on the Game Boy Advance, under it's ORIGINAL name; as "Final Fantasy VI Advance." Otherwise, it is currently available on Wii Virtual Console. /

That's it for my list this time! Stay tuned for 1995, where Mario becomes a baby, the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers have their best game EVER, Donkey Kong swings back for MORE fun, and one of the most epic time-traveling adventures to EVER hit video games arrives! :cool: Stay tuned! ;)

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Before I continue writing on with the best video games of the year for the Nintendo systems, I want to take this opportunity, to take a look back on the 42 best video games, for the ORIGINAL Nintendo Entertainment System! o.o Since I've already written about these video games at length, I'll just list the year they came out, and how high they score on a 100 point percentage scale rating! :D I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I did writing it! :hysterical:

42. “Battletoads and Double Dragon” 1993, 40/100. 41. “The Jungle Book” 1994, 41/100. 40. “Pac-Man” 1993, 42/100. 39. “Tetris” 1989, 44/100. 38. “Lemmings” 1992, 45/100. 37. “Mega Man IV” 1991, 46/100. 36. “Smash T.V.” 1990, 47/100. 35. “Marble Madness” 1987, 48/100. 34. “Adventure Island” 1987, 49/100. 33. “Paperboy” 1987, 50/100. 32. “Mega Man II” 1989, 51/100. 31. “Kirby's Adventure” 1993, 52/100. 30. “River City Ransom” 1990, 54/100. 29. “Mega Man” 1987, 55/100. 28. “Wheel of Fortune” 1987,56/100. 27. “Contra” 1987, 57/100. 26. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” 1989, 58/100. 25. “Ice Hockey” 1988, 60/100. 24. “Ducktales” 1989, 62/100. 23. “Mega Man III” 1990, 63/100. 22. “Super C” 1990, 64/100. 21. “Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels” 1986 Japan 1993 US, 65/100. 20. “Donkey Kong Jr.” 1986, 66/100. 19. “Metal Gear” 1988, 67/100. 18. “Ice Climber” 1985, 68/100. 17. “Adventure Island II” 1991, 70/100! 16. “Little Nemo: the Dream Master” 1990, 72/100! 15. “Joe and Mac” 1991, 75/100! 14. “Ms. Pac-Man” 1993, 76/100! 13. “Mickey Mousecapade” 1988, 77/100! 12. “RoadBlasters” 1987, 78/100! 11. “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” 1988, 80/100! 10. “Double Dragon” 1987, 81/100! 9. “Metroid” 1987, 84/100! 8. “Super Mario Bros.” 1985, 85/100! 7. “Super Mario Bros. 2” 1988, 86/100! 6. “Mega Man VI” 1994, 87/100! 5. “Mega Man V” 1992, 88/100! 4. “Dr. Mario” 1990, 90/100! 3. “Super Mario Bros. 3” 1990, 91/100! 2. “Yoshi's Cookie” 1993, 94/100! 1. “The Legend of Zelda” 1986, 100/100! /

That's it for my list THIS time! :cool: Enough said, true believers! ;)

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Since I'm REALLY busy with other projects, and I don't really have TIME to compose an entirely brand NEW list of video games for the year of 1995; I'll at the very least, give my loyal (if any) viewers/readers a consolation present, by presenting the top 36 BEST video games to EVER feature super-popular Mario! Note that this list only refers to games that I have actually played, and beaten! So if you don't see a game that you think should be on this list, that's probably the reason why! I hope that you enjoy reading this list, as much as I did writing it! :cool: (Warning: LONG walls of text ahead!) o.o /

36. “Mario Pinball Land” 2005 Game Boy Advance, 2015 Wii U Virtual Console. / Is it POSSIBLE for a “Mario” title to actually rank at the BOTTOM of a list?! Sorry, fan-boys, but even MARIO can release a relatively lackluster video game every now and then; a TRUE fan can realize that, and accept the fact that Sonic does NOT always release INFERIOR games compared to Mario! Bowser is terrorizing the Mushroom Kingdom (again), and this time, in order to defeat him, Mario must transform into a pinball shape in order to thwart his plans. While getting to explore the Mushroom Kingdom via Pinball board levels is a nice, new idea; and there are plenty of good graphics, sound, music, controls, and themes to go around; Nintendo really doesn’t try to innovate with this game and try anything unexpected or different from what they usually do. Not only that, but the difficulty is really uneven in this game. It’s either WAY too easy or frustratingly difficult to win this game! Even “Sonic Spinball” put a LITTLE effort into making THEIR pinball game fun, and different from the main “Sonic” series. So while this game didn’t win any awards for originality, it definitely reminded Nintendo that the video game industry was and never will be ANY place to get over-confidant and cocky. Final score: 32/100.

35. “Mario Party 3” 2001 N64, 2016 Wii U Virtual Console. / By 2001, you could pretty much set your CALENDARS around when another “Mario Party” game was going to be released! Although this game does feature nice new additions. There’s a new host, as new character Tumble, takes over board game hosting duties. And new characters, Toad and Walugi, get to join in on the mini-game madness! Not only that, but you can now hold THREE items at a time instead of just one! It certainly has the best graphics out of the 3 N64 “Mario Party” games, but I don’t know if it’s available on a Virtual Console yet. If it is, try playing it and see how fun it is for yourself! Final score: 33/100.

34. “Mario Party 4” 2002 Gamecube, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. / I was certainly anticipating what the “Mario Party” franchise could do when transferred from the cartridge based N64, to the powerful disc based Gamecube! This game adds new tricks, such as mini-mushrooms that let you access places that only a TINY character can reach, or mega-mushrooms that you advance MANY spaces and STOMP any character in your path! Also, Donkey Kong becomes a non-playable NPC and instead becomes a friendly helper to getting players their super-stars, depending on WHO is currently WITH Donkey Kong at the moment. Thankfully, Daisy is also added into the mix, so Peach is no longer the only woman in the party! Pretty fun, all things considered. Final score: 35/100.

33. "Super Mario Land" 1989 Game Boy, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The reason this game ranks at the bottom? It's not that this game suffers from too MUCH difficulty; but rather, not enough! To be fair, this IS the very first Game Boy video game ever released, but it STILL feels ridiculously short EVEN by early Game Boy standards! And Mario also does stuff he doesn't usually do in his other video games, such as pilot a sub, fight against weird enemies he doesn't normally fight against, and pilot a plane, in order to defeat obscure alien villain Tatanga, in order to rescue Princess Daisy. Thankfully, this game is available (very cheaply) on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, which makes it the best way to enjoy the video game today. Final score: 36/100.

32. "Super Mario World Two: Yoshi's Island" (AKA: "Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island") 1995 Super NES, 2002 Game Boy Advance, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2016 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. A good number of people already know the reason why this game only BARELY makes the list; why does Baby Mario have to CRY so much whenever Yoshi loses him?! Nintendo, NEWSFLASH!!!! Having some of the BEST graphics, best music, best sound, a super challenge, and the best controls on the Super NES doesn't mean ANYTHING if you make the main protagonist be super ANNOYING!!!! Even Bubsy the Bobcat avoided THAT trap in his FIRST game! The crying DID get toned down for the Game Boy Advance re-release, but not by MUCH! That version does slightly better, because it has more stages. Final score: 40/100.

31. "Mario's Time Machine" 1993 Super NES, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. While this is a good, educational tool to teach people history, I honestly don't remember much from the game besides that, which is why this game doesn't get ranked higher; it's not that memorable! Final score: 41/100.

30. "Mario & Luigi: Dream Team." 2013 Nintendo 3DS. With the exception of the Game Boy Advance, for every single hand held video game system that Nintendo has released since 2003, there have been two R.P.G. adventures with the "Mario & Luigi" name available to play for that system. So far, I have gotten around to playing this one. At first, the game seems like it will be simple fare dealing about problems in the dream world, with Luigi sleeping and Mario having to dive within his subconscious (kind of a nod to "Super Mario Bros. 2", as that game dealt with the dream world), but the situation turns out to be more epic and adventurous than a first glance would inform you. As it turns out, Pi'illo Island is home to a race of people who have been petrified into stone pillows, and only by diving into Luigi's subconscious while he's asleep on one, will Mario be able to free the people who have been turned into stone, by the evil Antasma. Unlike the past games in these R.P.G. entries, Bowser actually IS the big bad to beat by the end of this game! Although this game is very humorous, challenging, and entertaining as the other games in this series is, the reason why it ranks at the bottom of the list is the gigantic boss battles in the game. Although there aren't many of them, it's enough of a nuisance to be annoying, as you have to turn the 3DS sideways, utilizing the touch screen ONLY, in order to play the battles, and the boss battles can be MERCILESSLY unforgiving! You often have to be completely perfect with the controls and in your timing in order to actually WIN the fights; but the challenge is that playing the 3DS sideways makes it awkward to play as well as you could. If there was an option to play the gigantic boss battles normally WITHOUT the touch screen, the game would be better! But when it comes to video game greatness for the 3DS, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as the remaining games will ONLY get better! Final score: 42/100.

29. "Super Mario Kart" 1992 NES (as "Kart Racers," unlicensed release), SNES, 2001 Game Boy Advance (as part of "Mario Kart Super Circuit."), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2016 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Here's another un-popular choice, but time just hasn't been kind to the fun factor of this game. Sure, it was a blast to PLAY this game back in 1992, when it was the ONLY game of its kind OUT there, and no other game that could come CLOSE to matching its fun; but with it's sequels providing SO much more in terms of fun and challenge, the fun factor becomes REALLY muted for this game. At least the Game Boy Advance re-release does a better job of maintaining the fun factor. Final score: 43/100.

28. "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels" 1986 FDS (Japan only), 1993 SNES (with "Super Mario All-Stars"), 1999 Game Boy Color (as "Super Mario Bros. DX"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. This is probably ONE pick that most people will agree on; mostly because of how HARD this game is! You know the difficulty near the end of stage 8-3 on the ORIGINAL "Super Mario Bros."? Imagine THIS game starting out with THAT difficulty, and only getting SO much harder after THAT!!!! This game really doesn't add that much new to the "Super Mario" games, but this game DOES get the distinction of being the "Contra" of the "Super Mario" games! Final score: 44/100.

27. "Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time" 2005 Nintendo DS, 2015 Wii U Virtual Console. This game is good, it's just that all the other games do so much better! While it is nice to play a game where Bowser isn't the big bad, there was also a lot more that could've been done with this game, both in terms of challenge and side-quests, not to mention more humor. Still, where else can you find a game where you get to play FOUR Mario Brothers for the price of two?! Final score: 45/100.

26. "Mario Party 2" 2000 N64, 2005 Game Boy Advance (as "Mario Party Advance"), 2010 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. The "Mario Party" game series is a victim of its own success. If it had just STOPPED after the second installment, or WAITED a couple of years so that Nintendo would have more time to come up with new, BETTER ideas, the "Mario Party" series would be SO much better off! That's not to say that the N64 didn't NEED this game; it needed EVERY game it could have; seeing as how disc games were going to be the wave of the future; the N64 was the last place where a cartridge game could make a statement. And this game definitely makes a fun statement, especially with multiple people! Final score: 23/50.

25. "Mario is Missing!" 1993 NES, SNES, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. I remember THIS educational "Super Mario" game a LOT better than "Mario's Time Machine." The first reason why THAT is; I'm a BIG fan of geography and traveling! With this game, Luigi gets to go around the world and hunt for clues to discover the where-abouts of missing international iconic landmarks. The more landmarks that Luigi recovers, the closer he gets to a titanic show-down between himself and Bowser (a full EIGHT years before "Luigi's Mansion" came up with THAT idea, I might add!) There are a good number of educational games that don't manage to be fun. This one, however, thankfully IS! Final score: 47/100.

24. "Dr. Mario" 1990 NES, Game Boy, 1994 Super NES, 2001 N64, 2004 Game Boy Advance, 2007 Nintendo DSi downloadable game, Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. You'd PRACTICALLY would have had to LIVE under a ROCK for the past 27 years not to know that Mario is also a Doctor, as well as a plumber! The puzzle mechanics of "Dr. Mario" are simple, but very fun! Take one part "Tetris," throw in some MEAN adversaries (viruses) to get rid of, and you've got yourself a multi-million dollar franchise easy! Bet ALL companies wish they could come up with a marketing scheme THAT easily! Final score: 12/25.

23. "Yoshi's Island DS" 2006 Nintendo DS, 2014 Wii U Virtual Console, 2015 Nintendo 3DS (as "Yoshi's New Island"). Now THIS, is what I like to call "Super Mario World Two" done RIGHT! Instead of making the infants cry ANNOYING loud, their voices are toned WAY down, the game is a LOT more fun, with better challenges, better graphics, and a better story! And there are more different ways to play in this game then there were in this game's predecessor. Needless to say, this game ranks a LOT better than the Super NES/Game Boy Advance game that preceeded this game did! Final score: 49/100.

22. "Mario Party" 1999 N64, 2010 Nintendo DS (as "Mario Party DS".), 2012 Wii (as “Mario Party 9”), 2014 Wii U Virtual Console. Just because it's one of the first games in a spin-off series, doesn't mean that it can't be one of the funnest! This is one of the few games that can bring a LOT of people together for fun, and sometimes tear them apart with FIERCE competitions! But perhaps the best part of this game, is that while no playable character has any significant advantage over any of the other characters, it all boils down to how well a player can play each mini-game, that really makes the difference! Personally, I enjoyed this challenge, and I give this game a good score ranking! Final score: 50/100.

21. "Super Mario Sunshine" 2002 Gamecube, 2007 Game Boy Advance (as "Super Mario Sunshine 64," un-official release), 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. For a main console entry, you would THINK that this game would be ranked a LOT higher! Don't get me wrong, this game is good, it's REALLY good; it's just not "Super Mario 64" level good, though not from a lack of trying! Even though the game is meaty enough to provide weeks of play, the fact that there's only one REAL type of level type available in this game (the tropical island/water level), means that there's really not as much variety available in this game as there are in OTHER Mario games! Still, for only having ONE type of level, Nintendo sure does a good job of making EVERY level feel as different from each other as POSSIBLE! Final score: 52/100.

20. "Super Mario 3D Land" 2011 Nintendo 3DS. Prior to the release of the Nintendo 3DS, there were only two REAL "Super Mario Land" games. "Super Mario Land," and "Super Mario Land II: Six Golden Coins." ("Wario Land: Super Mario Land III" doesn't count because you can only play as Wario, not Mario.) After a 19 year hiatus, however, the "Super Mario Land" video game series FINALLY resurfaced, and in the third dimension no less! This game combines elements of "Super Mario Bros. 3," "Super Mario 64," and "New Super Mario Bros." together, in order to create a game that is on one hand, familiar, and on the other hand, a completely brand new experience on the hand-held (and, in my honest opinion, does a MUCH better job than it's slightly older sibling, "New Super Mario Bros. 2"!) It takes a lot for a platform game to satisfy my high standards of quality, in terms of challenge, originality, accessibility, good graphics, control, and video game entertainment. This game excels on all levels, just like a good game of the Mario caliber should! This game definitely goes to show that even 30 years after his original debut, the Mario brand and name is STILL going strong! Play this game and see the proof! Final score: 54/100.

19. "Yoshi's Cookie" 1993 NES, Game Boy, Super NES, 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. No matter which type of system I play this game on, I enjoy every single VERSION of this game! Not only is this a puzzle game, it's a puzzle game that's actually CHALLENGING to ME; and a puzzle game that can be beaten! And the fact that there are many stages to beat and three different difficulties mean that players will be coming back multiple times to try and do better with the game than they did the last time. It is for THAT reason why I like this game so much! Final score: 11/20.

18. "Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga" 2003 Game Boy Advance, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console, 2017 Nintendo 3DS (as “Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions”). It's right around here where the list starts to get tricky. The problem in quantifying just how GOOD a Mario game is; comes from the fact that so MANY of the Mario games are so EQUALLY good, that it's hard to pick one over the other! While this is one of TWO Mario Game Boy Advance ORIGINAL games, I feel that sliding it in this spot fits it the best. It's better than the second one, but the third one does better than the first one! (I haven't played the fourth game yet; I will someday.) But until then, this game scores a GOOD score for bringing a Mario R.P.G. to a portable video game system! Final score: 23/50.

17. "New Super Mario Bros." 2006 Nintendo DS, 2012 Wii U. The advantage that THIS game has over its sequel on the Nintendo 3DS, is the fact that it has a better concept of originality on its side. Sure, there are a good number of returning tricks from previous Mario platformer games in this one, but there are also a good number of original, NEW tricks brought to this side-scrolling game as well! Another advantage is that while this game has secrets; they're a lot more obvious to find and discover than they are in the Nintendo 3DS version! And this game ALWAYS feels fun to play, and it NEVER feels like a chore! That's why this game gets ranked SO much higher than its sequel! Final score: 57/100.

16. "Super Mario Land II: Six Golden Coins" 1992 Game Boy, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The sole Game Boy Mario game to make this list, this Mario game is to the Game Boy what "Super Mario Bros. 3" was to the NES, it was BIGGER, BETTER, more ambitious, had a better challenge, and was a lot more fun than its predecessor! Plus, the fact that you get to fight bosses and enemies that Mario doesn't normally fight; including getting to spar off against Wario for the very first time, bumps this game RIGHT into the middle of this top 30 list, and it's VERY fun to play! Final score: 29/50. /

15. "Super Mario R.P.G.: Legend of the Seven Stars" 1996 Super NES, 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2016 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. It takes a special kind of game to make one of the LAST games available for a video game system special; this game is special in TWO aspects! Not only does this game feature some of the BEST graphics available on the Super NES, it also features Mario in his FIRST successful R.P.G. game EVER! Some of the unique characters introduced in this game are Croco, the evil Crocodile thief; Belome, the four-eyed mole cat thing; Frogfucius, the Mole People of Moleville, Punchinello, Booster, Johnathan "Davy" Jones, a town FULL of Monsters, Valentina and her dense lackey, Dodo; Smithy, and the awesome, AWESOME Axem Rangers! Needless to say, this game has a LOT of things going for it, so this game deserves to be played! Final score: 16/25.

14. "Mario Vs. Donkey Kong" 2004 Game Boy Advance, 2014 Wii U Virtual Console. If there's one thing that can be said about ANY puzzle game revolving around BOTH Mario and Donkey Kong, is that it WILL be challenging! This game really lives up to the challenge precedent set by the original "Donkey Kong," but in a GOOD way! While this game does have QUITE a challenge, it thankfully ALWAYS manages to be fun! And every single challenge NEVER feels as though it is insurmountable to master! And with a plethora of stages available, AND some of the best graphics available on the Game Boy Advance, this game has multiple good points going for it on MULTIPLE levels! Final score: 13/20.

13. "Super Mario Bros. Deluxe" 1985 Arcades, NES (as "Super Mario Bros."), 1993 Super NES (with "Super Mario All-Stars"), 1999 Game Boy Color, 2004 Game Boy Advance, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. The reason why the DELUXE version wins over the original, is that the Deluxe version has MORE! It features all of the GOOD, original challenge of "Super Mario Bros.," a slightly easier version of "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels," and new, additional challenges to try to complete, along with some new, graphic cut-scenes EXCLUSIVE to the Game Boy Color version of this game! And the best part about THIS game is that the Deluxe version is available to play on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. So if you haven't played it before, now is a good time to do so! Final score: 66/100.

12. "Mario Kart Double Dash" 2003 Arcades, Gamecube, 2008 Wii (as "Mario Kart Wii,") 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. Some people might disagree with me putting THIS game higher up on the list, but in my point of view, a "Mario Kart" game is a "Mario Kart" game! (Except for "Mario Kart Wii," they SHOULD'VE stuck with traditional control handles ONLY!) Not only does this game feature a diverse amount of tracks, racers, and kart choices, it's also possible (with a Nintendo Gamecube memory card) to take the information from the Gamecube version of this game, and upload the information into the arcade version of this game; enabling people to share their top scores with people ALL over the world! This game started Nintendo's slow, but eventual embracing of Wi-Fi connection for multi-player games! Final score: 17/25.

11. "Super Mario Bros. 2" (AKA: "Super Mario Advance") 1987 FDS (as "Doki Doki Panic," Japan only), 1988 NES, 1993 Super NES, 2001 Game Boy Advance, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. I've already said so much about this game in previous lists of mine, I don't know what else to say. All I will say is that this game is very much a REAL "Super Mario" game, no matter WHAT some critics might say! Besides, if it wasn't for THIS game; we wouldn't have gotten the cult classic cartoon series of "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" So this game deserves to be saluted for THAT fact alone! Final score: 70/100!

10.5. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam2016 3DS. After the misfire that was "Mario & Luigi: Dream Team," it's nice to see the duo getting back to doing what they do best; making an epicly AWESOME story with epicly funny and awesome inside jokes, an excellent combat system, and a game that can span about a good 50 hours worth of game-play. There's plenty of chaos and confusion to go around when TWO Mario's, TWO Princess Peaches, and TWO Bowser's are running around int "Mario & Luigi" world. The music is nice, the locations are nice, and the challenges presented in this game never feel overwhelming. I think the card battle system is a nice little inclusion/introduction into a game of this nature. Using the battle cards can be a very good way to help your characters level up quickly, in order to face the many puzzles and enemies presented in this game. Also, I just think it's SO awesome that the original KOOPA Kids are back in this game, in order to bring more mayhem to the Mario Bros. Not only that, but King Bomb-Omb and King Boo make a return appearance, to! This is without a doubt, the best way to experience a good R.P.G. experience, with elements of BOTH "Mario & Luigi," and "Paper Mario." I highly enjoy it, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good R.P.G. video game playing experience! Final score: 71/100!

10. "Super Mario 64 DS" 1996 N64 (as "Super Mario 64"), 2004 Nintendo DS, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. Sure, the N64 original helped make the Nintendo DS version possible, but the DS version gets the edge, because it has more challenges, more secret levels, improved graphics, and Mario isn't the ONLY playable character in this game! Not to mention, the bonus mini-games that can be found and played are really fun and challenging! And this game is revolutionary for FOREVER making 3-D free-roaming games possible, and FUN! Final score: 72/100!

9. "Mario Kart 64" 1997 N64, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. Despite coming out early in the N64's life-span, this still manages to be one of the funnest games available in the entire N64 catalog! So much so, even as late as 2001, this was STILL seen as a relevant video game when being parodied! One of the main reasons is that it is REALLY popular for multi-player sessions, and even the SOLO sessions are a blast to play! It's rare to find a game that's as fun to play today as it was 20 years ago! That's the POWER that this game has to offer! Final score: 75/100!

8. "Paper Mario Sticker Star" 2012 Nintendo 3DS. One of the most RECENT games on this list; it's probably one of the most divisive. From what I've heard, there were a good number of people who didn't like the battling mechanic of this game. Personally, I loved it! The sticker mechanic makes this game REALLY challenging! Another reason I like this game, is that UNLIKE so many OTHER games of today; this game does NOT hold your hand; you have to figure out many of the puzzles in THIS game out on your own! And I LOVE games where I get to utilize MORE than just 10% of my brain; I like to be stimulated when I play my games! That's why I picked THIS game to be on this LIST! Final score: 19/25!

7. "Mario Kart 7" (What ELSE?!) 2011 Nintendo 3DS. I enjoy the "Mario Kart" games with one NOTABLE exception; the fact is, I skipped over "Mario Kart Wii" for one VERY major reason; it FORCES you to play with the Wii Remote Wheel, and I can't find ANYBODY I genuinely know who says that they were fond of that play control method. Thankfully, "Mario Kart 7" goes back to playing "Mario Kart" the way it was MEANT to be played; with traditional controls! There are many different characters, custom karts that can be customized, game tracks, and difficulty levels to choose from! Although my personal fave racer is Peach, it is almost certainly possible to race with and excel with nearly any character you want on any track you want! This game is an absolute THRILL to play, either single OR multi-player! The thrill is fun for everyone, and is a MUST own if you have a TON of friends you want to try your skill against! Final score: 77/100!

6. "Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story" 2009 Nintendo DS, 2014 Wii U Virtual Console. The highest ranking "Mario and Luigi" game on this list, is also the funnest and FUNNIEST! It's interesting enough to have Mario and Luigi working INSIDE Bowser to mow down enemies, but this game also features a very LOGICAL way that Bowser can become Giga Bowser (seen in the "Super Smash Bros." games). It has to come from an EXTREME need; Bowser can ONLY access that form when he absolutely HAS to, such as when he has to fight a GINORMOUS enemy of TITANIC proportions! And Fawful is always funny for a good NUMBER of funny freak-outs! This game is full of all KINDS of epic win! Final score: 78/100!

5. "Paper Mario" 2001 N64, 2006 Gamecube (Japan only), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. The highest ranking R.P.G. on this list (if one doesn't count the R.P.G. adventure mode of "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"), one of the LAST games ever made for the N64, also turns out to be one of the MOST epic! This game REALLY makes you feel like you can interact with your environment; mainly because you often CAN and SHOULD, in order to discover COOL secrets! In addition to many cool locations, there are also MANY cool new BOSSES! The Koopa Bros., Tutankoopa, Tubba Blubba, General Guy, Flaming Piranha, Melancloudy, and the Frost King! Thanks to this game, the N64 was able to go out on a HIGH note! Final score: 40/50!

4. (Tie!) "Mario Kart Super Circuit" and "Mario Kart DS" 2001 Game Boy Advance, 2006 Nintendo DS, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. These "Mario Kart" games are both SO equally good, it's IMPOSSIBLE to choose between the two! They both have equally good reasons to be on this list. The graphics, the sound, the music, the controls, the challenge, and the incredible FUN!!!! Until such time that I am able to play the 3DS version OR try playing the Wii U version, these are the highest ranking "Mario Kart" games on this list! Final score: "Mario Kart Super Circuit" 21/25!; "Mario Kart DS" 17/20!

3. "Super Mario Bros. 3" (What else?! AKA: "Super Mario Advance 4") 1990 NES, 1993 SNES (with "Super Mario All-Stars"), 2003 Game Boy Advance/E-reader, 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console, 2015 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Probably NO game in Mario's history EVER got the amount of promotion that "Super Mario Bros. 3" did! (At least, not until "Super Mario 64" did in 1996!) How much advertising did "Super Mario Bros. 3" get?! It got SO much advertising; it was actually the CLIMAX of the 1989 movie "The Wizard" starring Fred Savage! (And having NOTHING to do with Ralph Bakshi's magnificent 1976 animated movie. It might have DONE and BEEN better if it HAD!) Cheesy 1980's movies and product placements aside, this Mario game got the highest critical marks out of ANY Mario game; with only TWO managing to EXCEED it! "Super Mario 64," and the NEXT game on this list! Final score: 23/25!

2. "Super Mario World" (AKA "Super Mario Advance 2") 1991 Super NES, 2002 Game Boy Advance, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2016 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Launch games for a new console RARELY ever manage to even SCRATCH the surface of what a console is capable of in terms of pure fire-power! Notable exceptions include "Super Mario Bros., Sonic CD, Knuckles Chaotix" for the Sega 32X, "Super Smash Bros. Melee," and THIS game! Not only is this game fully-formed, it has a plethora of secrets to uncover, and a good difficulty challenge curve to master! (Although if what I hear is true, the Japanese get to play even HARDER stages that American players DON'T get to play; the lucky guys!) But no matter where you are, "Super Mario World" managed to make an impact! Nowhere does the 16 bit battle get more intense than the debate between "Sonic the Hedgehog," and "Super Mario World." While Sonic's career has been filled with FAR more many misses than the Chicago Cubs ever since 1906, Mario's career has remained CONSISTENTLY filled with good and GREAT games, with VERY few misses to his resume! Not only that, but in terms of console sales, the Super NES beats out the Sega Genesis, with Nintendo selling an estimated $33 million worth in consoles in America alone, to Sega's $30 million in America alone, with the figures quadrupled for world-wide releases! But history can sometimes prove to be stranger than fan-fiction, as Sega's mascot would find himself on Nintendo, and on the BEST game that Mario is involved in! Final score: 100/100!

Drum-roll please, and now, it's time to find out the BEST game Mario is involved in! /

1. (Tie!) The "Super Smash Bros." series!!!! 2001 Gamecube ("Super Smash Bros. Melee"), 2008 Wii ("Super Smash Bros. Brawl"), 2014 Nintendo 3DS (“Super Smash Bros. 4”) and Wii U (unplayed.) If there was ANY game that COULD go BEYOND perfect in terms of a Mario game, the "Super Smash Bros." game series would collectively be the game of choice! In terms of fighter choices, stage choices, challenge choices, trophy collections, and multi-player MAYHAM; this game has ALL this; and on the Wii, SONIC!!!! Heck may have OFFICIALLY frozen over with Sonic and Mario finally getting to duke it out for REAL with the release of that game; but what's EVEN better; Mega Man AND Pac-Man joined the fray in 2014; the HOLY trinity of video games FINALLY together on ONE game! The "Super Smash Bros." is not just fan-service, it's fan-service that goes ABOVE and BEYOND the call of duty, and proves to EVERYONE that Nintendo CARES about their fans! It is for THIS reason why the entire series ranks as the BEST thing Mario is involved with! Final score: 110/100! (Yes, it's THAT good!) /

That's my list idea for this time! :D I'll see you around! ;)

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I'm still kind of busy, but I still feel like It's time for me to do another video game list! This time, I will be featuring Link! This is the top 12 games involving Link! (Note: This list only refers to games I have actually played and beaten, so if you don't see a game that you like on this list, that's probably the reason why.)

12. "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" 2006 Nintendo Gamecube and Wii, 2016 Wii U (“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD”) / Okay, I'm probably going to get a LOT of hate for putting a game of this stature so low on this list, but there's a really GOOD reason as to why this game doesn't get RANKED higher; the amount of HARD in this GAME is just too D*** HIGH!!!! There, I said it! I NEVER thought I would live to see the day when there would be a "Zelda" game made that was HARDER than "Zelda II: the Adventure of Link!" I know that when it comes to the "Zelda" games, they REALLY like to respect and point out references to their past games a lot, but taking the hardness of "Zelda II" and applying it to the Nintendo Gamecube (and by extension, the Wii version) of this "Zelda" game, was NOT a necessary move that Nintendo had to make! Don't get me wrong, the game story is awesome, the music and sound effects are awesome, the dungeons are well imagined, and the Wolf transformation for Link is one of the most original ideas that the "Zelda" series has had in years, but this games biggest hurdle is by FAR the difficulty level. Just because the idea of "Figuring the game out for yourself" worked in "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask," doesn't mean that it ALSO works out for "Twilight Princess," because it doesn't WORK for a game that is as expansive at this. I'm not sure if I will ever get around to playing the new Wii U remake to see if it's any better, but than again, anything can happen. Final score: 53/100.

11. "The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker" 2003: Gamecube, 2013 Wii U ("The Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker HD"). Why is such a revolutionary game ranked near the BOTTOM of the list?! It's not because I didn't LIKE the cartoon-like graphics, I actually did! It's just that getting THROUGH this game is such a CHORE!!!! 75% of the time, you're stuck SAILING and hunting for hidden treasures, which is a HUMONGOUS pain in the buttocks! And the actual ADVENTURING parts of the game don't last as long as they should, and the puzzles just don't FEEL as inventive as previous installments did. I understand that the "HD" version of this game manages to make the sailing and treasure hunting aspect of the game FAR less tedious; but until I play THAT version of the game, the "Wind Waker" only makes its way to here for now. Final score: 55/100.

10. "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link" 1988 NES, 2004 Game Boy Advance, Gamecube (with "The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition"), 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. You got to give Nintendo an A for effort for NOT using the EXACT same game plan formula that they used for the ORIGINAL "The Legend of Zelda" for its sequel! Of course, intentionally MAKING the game unreasonably HARD (even by MY lofty standards) PROBABLY wasn't the best move on Nintendo's part! Granted, it's NOT "Contra" level hard, but it's STILL the hardest game out of "Zelda's" entire catalog! (Not counting the NON-canon Phillips games!) It's probably more famous for the immortal line "I am Error," than anything else! So imagine the IRONY when you find out that "Error" is actually the NAME of the guy who SAYS that! An interesting array of bosses, and you have a good selection of magic spells to choose from. A game that is as puzzling as it is in terms of an epic quest! Be sure to bring your A game! Final score: 57/100.

9. "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages" 2001 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. I've already said a LOT about this game and it's partner game! But I don't think I can stress enough just HOW epic the Link Game Boy Color games are! Being able to LINK with each other and continue a game from the OTHER one in either order?! That was a genius move on the parts of Nintendo and Capcom! Partnering up together provided TWO of the best games in Link's entire catalog! Final score: 59/100.

8. "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX" 1993 Game Boy (without the "DX"), 1998 Game Boy Color, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Unbelievable SHOCK twist and ending besides, Link's adventure on Koholint Island is quite the journey! Although it DOES contain some elements from "A Link to the Past," it presents the elements in a unique enough way to warrant a complete playthrough! The Game Boy Color version gets the ranking, mainly because of the additional FUN things you can do IN it! You have NOT experienced an amazing Link game until you've experienced THIS one! Final score: 61/100.

7. "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons" 2001 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Although BOTH "Oracle" games closely follow each other, in terms of a linked plot and an amazing story; this game has an EDGE on its partner because it focuses MORE on exciting action than it does on TOUGH, challenging puzzles! Many of the dungeons and bosses also pay homage to the original dungeons and bosses of the ORIGINAL version of "The Legend of Zelda," making it a treat in itself! Also, the map layout of everywhere you can go, and the dungeon layout, feels a lot more coherent and accessible than its partner. It is for those reasons, that I REALLY enjoy this game! Final score: 63/100.

6. "The Legend of Zelda: the Minish Cap" 2005 Game Boy Advance/Nintendo DS, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. What's amazing about this game, is that nobody really expected Link to make an original video game effort on the Game Boy Advance, let alone one made by Capcom! But Capcom went all OUT on its last co-development of a Link game, when it released this 32 bit juggernaut! This game feels like a pretty SOLID cross between "A Link to the Past," and "The Wind Waker" (without the annoying SAILING parts!) The graphics are incredible, the sound and music are great, the challenge is superb, and it creates a really good origin story on where Link's nemesis, Vatti, comes from. And this game even utilizes the concept of the Four Sword (splitting into up to FOUR Links) very well! It is for this reason why this game is one of the BEST for the Game Boy Advance! Final score: 66/100.

5.5. "The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition" 2011 Nintendo DSI download game. Awesome, awesome, awesome...did I mention this game is AWESOME?!!! Before this game came along, my expectations for original, download games (as well as a lot of other people's expectations, for the most part) were very low; and the chances of finding a GEM of an original, download game, are STILL too few and far in-between. Luckily, for fans of Nintendo games, and especially "Zelda" games, Nintendo has stepped in, to raise the bar WAY up when it comes to setting standards for just how great an original, download game can be! "Four Swords Anniversary Edition" is now THE gold standard as to what original, download games should aspire to be like! Awesome stages, cool items, challenging enemies, unlock-able bonuses (such as the Hero's Trial which includes remixed flashback stages of "A Link to the Past, Link's Awakening," and the ORIGINAL "The Legend of Zelda,") and the ability to play by yourself or with three friends makes this game a real treat to get, and one that should NOT be missed! It isn't often that this game is available for the downloading on Nintendo DSI, OR Nintendo 3DS systems, so for those who get the chance to download the game, should do so! They will NOT be disappointed by what they find, and will absolutely enjoy the THRILL of the challenge, and enjoy the fun of a truly engaging original, download game. Final score: 72/100!

5. "The Legend of Zelda" 1986 NES, 1996 Super NES (Japan only), 2004 Game Boy Advance, Gamecube (with "The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. The game that STARTED it all! Just the original cartridge itself made you feel like you were playing something special. I mean, what other video game company could PUT its entire first run production cartridges of this game in gold, and make the game actually FEEL like it IS golden?! Even by today's standards, the game play mechanics don't seem all that primitive! Sure, maybe Link isn't ABLE to do a good NUMBER of the cool things he can do in his LATER games, but by 8-bit standards, this was pretty IMPRESSIVE! And this IS the first video game, that IS by definition, an epic game! It is the FIRST video game to actually HAVE a save feature included into the video game! Very valuable for a game of this size, and all the Link games to follow! It's why this game remains as solid today as it did 29 years ago! Final score: 75/100!

4. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" 1998 N64, 2002 Gamecube (as "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2011 Nintendo 3DS (as "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D"), 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. Do I think this game is unnecessarily over-hyped? Yes. Do I think this game is unnecessarily praised? Yes. Do I think this game is EXTREMELY over-rated?! Yes. But even by THOSE standards, this is STILL a very good game! The fact that Nintendo makes the transition from 2-D to 3-D look EASY is an impressive hat-trick all by itself; but also HAVING perfect camera controls and game-play controls SINCE the beginning, is incredibly IMPRESSIVE all by itself! (Bet Sega wishes they had THAT luck and skill!) The original game still looks well made by today's standards, especially in terms of game design lay-out and dungeon layout, and the graphics look REALLY stunning on the 3DS re-release of the game! And the "Master Quest" version of the game will have players re-thinking that they INDEED know everything there is to know about this game! This MAY be just about the BEST game for introducing players to a 3-D game; it certainly sets the STANDARDS for what a 3-D game SHOULD be! Original Game Final score: 80/100! "Master Quest" Final score: 85/100! "Ocarina of Time 3D" Final score: 90/100!

3. The "Super Smash Bros." series! 2001 Gamecube, 2008 Wii, 2014 Nintendo 3DS, Wii U (unplayed). Some people might be wondering; how IS it that this is the number one GAME for "Mario's" video game series, but NOT the number one game for Link's video game series?! To be honest, I just don't think they are REALLY taking advantage of the Link games to the fullest extent that they possibly CAN in these series! Sure, they've gotten BETTER at it with each sub-sequent game, but they REALLY dropped the ball by NOT including Young Link in the Wii or the 3DS versions of the game, or by letting him be ABLE to have him transform into his different forms from "Majora's Mask." And Ganondorf's speed (or rather, lack there-OF), is a MAJOR hindrance to players who want to play the Gerudo King of Evil! Thankfully, the 3DS version allows you to EDIT Ganondorf and allows you to MAKE him a faster character! Also, they really need to include MORE stages from the "Zelda" games, and NOT just the 3D games, either! Some 2-D representation would be VERY nice! Still, it is VERY cool to see Link do sword battle against opponents like Marth, Ike, Shulk, and Meta Knight! Final score: 95/100!

2. "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" 2000 N64, 2004 Gamecube (with "The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2015 Nintendo 3DS (as "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D"). When it comes to the "Concept" game, a lot of video games won't touch them with a 39 and a half-foot POLE! Or when they do, they turn into COLOSSAL mis-fires such as Sega's "Sea Man;" or wastes of time like "Sim City!" But "TLoZ:MM" hits the concept game RIGHT on the mark! Take one part "Groundhog Day," one part of the Five Stages of Acceptance, one part apocalypse, and one part of masterpiece Link game action, and you've got a strange, yet oddly winning formula full of elements both familiar, and at the same time, strange and new to the "Zelda" series. I think the reason this game works as well as it does, is because it doesn't TRY to be the same as it's N64 predecessor, but rather tries a whole new approach to making a "Zelda" game. The new game-play mechanics (Link as a Deku Scrub, Link as a Goron, and Link as a Zora) all make the game new and interesting, and are essential for solving different puzzles. Speaking of puzzles, "Majora's Mask" may be one of the most puzzle-oriented games in the "Zelda" chonology, but all of the puzzles are well-made and well-thought out! Not only that, but it's very refreshing for a game to NOT "Hold your hand." You have to figure out how to SOLVE the challenges on your own! As an expert gamer, I like games that involve critical thinking! The people, creatures, and different races that live in Termina, are some of the most moody and expressive NPC's that Link meets; mainly because he meets them every time he has to reset the three day clock. And the NPC's all have their own routines, which can be changed depending on the actions Link takes or doesn't take during one of the three days. And it all leads to an epic confrontation with Majora's Mask, and HOW awesome is it to WIELD the Fierce Deity Mask, and have Link kick butt in his most powerful form EVER?!!! This game RULES!!!!

Final score: 100/100!!!! / Drumroll please, and now it's time for the #1 "Link" game of all time!

1. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" 1992 Super NES, 2002 Game Boy Advance, 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2016 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Not only is this the number one "Link" game of all time, it is perhaps the DEFINING game of ALL video games; the video games that came BEFORE it, and the video games that came AFTER it! Perhaps no game better demonstrated the concept of what a perfect video game should be. It set the bar for how GOOD all video games should be, a bar that video game companies have been trying, and often failing, to pass ever since! Perhaps its fitting that only Nintendo could hope to surpass their own crowning achievement. They managed to match their accomplishment with ANOTHER perfect gem in "The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds," a Nintendo 3DS original game and the DIRECT sequel to "A Link to the Past!" But as for "A Link to the Past," what it did for the "Link" games is that it REALLY perfected the 2D game formula established in the original "The Legend of Zelda," introduced a bunch of new tricks and tools, and introduced the concept of the epic game; the idea that video games COULD tell a good, coherent story, and people would be entertained by them! There are many cool bosses in this game; the Armored Knights, the Sand Worms, Moldworm, Agahnim, the Masked Crab, the Giant Octopus, Madame Butterfly, Blind the Thief, the Iced Cloud Eye, the Multi-Eyed Monster, the three headed fire and ice dragon, Agahnim again, and a final confrontation with Ganon! This is perhaps one of the FEW games that you don't WANT to have it end! But it's so fun and engaging, you won't mind coming to it time and again. I think that's one of the reasons why this game has endured for as long as it has. Final score: 110/100!!!! (Yes, it's THAT good!!!!) /

That's my list idea for this time! :D Enough said! ;)

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Nobody ever talks to me on this topic. I'm back, and This time, I'm going to do a list of the top 14 games featuring "Mega Man!!!!" And I mean, ALL "Mega Man" incarnations! This list only refers to games I have actually played and beaten, so if you don't see a game that you like on this list, that's probably the reason why! /

14. "Mega Man IV" 1991 NES, 1993 Game Boy, 1997 Saturn (as “Mega Man: 10th Anniversary Collection”), 2002 Gamecube (as “Mega Man Anniversary Collection”), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and Wii U Virtual Console. / This game sadly suffered, due to a result of BAD timing on Capcom's part. The bad robots, this time, are created by Dr. Cossack (a not so subtle stab at the Soviet Union, which ended up completely DISSOLVING by the END of 1991); but of course, it's all just a ruse by Dr. Wily, to try to frame a good Dr. against Mega Man, by turning HIS robots evil! Although one good thing did come out of this game, the introduction of the Mega Buster shot for Mega Man, which allows him to charge up his Buster Cannon! The graphics and sound are pretty good by NES standards, and is available for pretty cheap on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console for anyone who is interested. Final score: 53/100.

13. “Mega Man Zero 3” 2004 Game Boy Advance, 2011 Nintendo DS (as “Mega Man Zero Collection”), 2014 Wii U Virtual Console. / The video game series that is, “Mega Man Zero”, definitely doesn’t shy away from being as hard as nails! While this game is no exception to being difficult, it does at least TRY to be more merciful to beginning players than its predecessors…which isn’t really SAYING much! You’ve got colorful graphics, rocking sound and music, good controls, and an intense difficulty! The Cyber Elf system is still in place, but it is now more refined and more useful than it was in the first two games. Also, the plot is that the EVIL version of Reploid X has been re-created, and a NEW evil is threatening the City of Neo Arcadia! If you want to find out WHO it is, play this AWESOME game; currently available as part of the “Mega Man Zero Collection” on the Nintendo DS! Final score: 55/100.

12. "Mega Man II" 1989 NES, 1992 Game Boy, Genesis (as “Mega Man: the Wily Wars”), 1997 Saturn (as “Mega Man: 10th Anniversary Collection”), 2002 Gamecube (as “Mega Man Anniversary Collection”), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and Wii U Virtual Console. I think the reason WHY this game is so highly praised by critics, is mostly due to the sheer LACK of good, NEW video games that came out in 1989. While this is a GOOD game by Capcom, I would NOT qualify it as Capcom's best, for one VERY good reason; the amount of HARD in this game is too D*** high!!!! It's almost impossible to beat it on the original NES, and the Pass Code Save system certainly doesn't help much! You're better off playing this game on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. It may not be an authentic experience, but you can at LEAST save your game (very frequently) any time you want, and RETURN to that save point during the many times you will INEVITABLY die at the hands of the robot masters. Final score: 57/100.

11. "Mega Man V" (Game Boy game.) 1995 Game Boy, 2000 Game Boy Color (Japan only), 2002 Game Boy Advance ("Mega Man Anniversary Collection," Japan only), 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The first and ONLY Game Boy EXCLUSIVE "Mega Man" game to make this list, the "Mega Man V" for the Game Boy is on here for one GOOD reason above any other; Dr. Wily is not the BIG BAD in this game! I mean, SURE, Dr. Wily is IN the game, and he DOES release the planetary robots that cause Mega Man all the trouble in this game, but at LEAST, he's not the last boss that Mega Man has to fight! Possibly the ONLY "Mega Man" game where Mega Man leaves EARTH in order to fight evil (not counting "Super Smash Bros." or any OTHER fighting game), this game shows that the Game Boy was INDEED capable of producing an ORIGINAL "Mega Man" game, and CAPABLE of making a good one! Sadly, this is the only example that the Game Boy EVER came up with. This game was so rocking, it got re-released TWICE on the Game Boy Color AND the Game Boy Advance, but only in Japan. Americans had to wait until 2014 for it to come out on 3DS Virtual Console in order to play with it, again. This game may not have any color, but that shouldn't deter you from playing it in order to find out how good it is! You might be pleasantly surprised! Final score: 59/100.

10. "Mega Man Xtreme 2" 1995 Super NES (as "Mega Man X2"), 2001 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, 2003 Gamecube ("Mega Man X Collection"), 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console, 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The reason the Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance version gets listed is because I have never actually BEATEN the Super NES version as of yet. Although "Mega Man Xtreme 2" CONTAINS bosses, stages, and elements from the first three "Mega Man X" games, the story surrounding it is actually brand NEW!!!! Two new villains have resurrected machine reploids from Mega Man's past, in order to gain a better understanding of how Mega Man X and Zero fight. Using this information, they hope to find out a way to defeat them! This game is special because you can fight EITHER as Mega Man X, or as Zero! Each robot reploid has their own style of fighting and the tools they get for defeating each boss can differ significantly. Understanding how AND when to use each robot reploid in each stage will help out significantly towards beating the game, and defeating Sigma, who is not too surprisingly, behind all the chaos! The Game Boy Color proved that it WAS possible to add in all NEW elements into a pre-existing "Mega Man X" game, and make it seem all brand NEW!!!! But such an example never appeared again on the Game Boy Color, or any other system. "Mega Man Xtreme 2" was the eighth and FINAL game to be taken from a pre-existing game, and given different elements for a portable gaming system. Still, you got to love what Capcom managed to DO for it! For their last pre Game Boy Advance game release, Capcom decided to go out with a VERY big BANG!!!! Final score: 62/100.

9. "Mega Man" 1987 NES, 1991 Game Boy (as "Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge"), 1992 Genesis (as "Mega Man: the Wily Wars, 1997 Saturn (as "Mega Man 10th Anniversary Collection"), 2002 Gamecube (as "Mega Man Anniversary Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. The original, the introduction, the legend that started it all! Why is it only ranked at #9?! For a VERY good reason, it's SO incredibly HARD to BEAT!!!! In fact, if you want to BEAT the game, you're probably better off playing a VERSION of this game, that appears on the Genesis or on a LATER re-release, because THOSE versions make it so much EASIER to actually BEAT the game! The bosses and stages may be iconic, but that DOESN'T mean it's going to be any less challenging! Ice Man, Fire Man, Cut Man, Elec Man, Bomb Man, and Guts Man will ALL try to stop Mega Man from battling it out with Dr. Wily. The stages themselves are not too big, and the small enemies themselves aren't TOO tough to beat, it's the way they MOVE that proves to be TRICKY! Not to mention the fact that there are disappearing and re-appearing platforms that MOVE in a fast, nearly un-predictable matter, and one false move can equal instant DEATH!!!! Naturally, save features and the ability to create a restore point makes the game FAR more forgiving, but it's still a tough ride to beat! So why is it WORTH playing such a hard game? Because it feels SO satisfying to actually BEAT it! That's why this game gets the praise it does! Final score: 63/100.

8. "Mega Man Zero" 2002 Game Boy Advance, 2011 Nintendo DS (as "Mega Man Zero Collection"), 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. The only relatively RECENT "Mega Man" game I can think of that comes to being anywhere remotely NEAR the level of difficulty of the original "Mega Man," has to be this tough as nails game from Capcom, made just for the Game Boy Advance. Starring Zero instead of Mega Man, this game PROVES that even a 21st century game can be difficult if put into the right hands! In order to make the game-play easier, Capcom put in cyber-elfs for Zero to find! These cyber-elfs give Zero either a temporary, or a permanent boost, that can help him out in tough spots through-out the game. But all cyber-elf's can only be used once, so be sure to choose when to use them wisely! Although "Mega Man Zero" was the start of a trend of making ORIGINAL "Mega Man" games for the portable Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS systems, the only games successful in making "Mega Man" a great video game star in the 21st century WAS the "Mega Man Zero" games! What's REALLY interesting about the first two "Mega Man Zero" games, is that you don't even get to see or KNOW who the real "Big Bad" is! Although the graphics, the music, the sound, and the variety of stages are good, the unrelenting challenge can get to inexperienced players. Thankfully, it's sequel is a lot more forgiving. But this game is STILL worth a play, especially on the Nintendo DS compilation game package. Final score: 65/100.

7. "Mega Man Zero 2" 2003 Game Boy Advance, 2011 Nintendo DS (as "Mega Man Zero Collection"), 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. Although this game ALSO features the same degree of difficulty and toughness that the original "Mega Man Zero" features, the game has been designed to be FAR more forgiving than it's predecessor. With better bosses, better stages, and a game that has a greater length than its predecessor, this sequel manages to improve on the original "Mega Man Zero." But just because this game is a LITTLE bit easier, don't expect the overall game to be any LESS challenging, because it REALLY is, especially on the HARD mode! Challenge the Hard mode ONLY if you're supremely confidant about your own abilities. Playing this game and beating it is a really great feeling, and it is the BEST out of all the "Mega Man Zero" games! Final score: 66/100.

6. "Mega Man VI" (What else?!) 1994 NES, 1997 Saturn (as "Mega Man 10th Anniversary Collection"), 2002 Gamecube (as "Mega Man Anniversary Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. Despite being the LAST original "Mega Man" game for the NES, and the last major eight bit "Mega Man" entry (until "Mega Man 9" came out fifteen years later,) "Mega Man VI" pulls out ALL the stops to make Mega Man's last outing on the NES a remarkable one. Not only does it feature good stages, good NES graphics, good music, and good sound, it also features TWO bosses made by ordinary contest winners! It's certainly a BETTER prize than offering someone COMPLETELY inexperienced the opportunity to draw the WORST video game box art for the ORIGINAL "Mega Man!" But perhaps the coolest thing about this game, is that Mega Man gains the ability to FUSE with his long-time canine companion, Rush! By fusing with him, he can JET to places or perform a super-strong packed punch! Needless to say, this game makes sure that "Mega Man's" NES games go out with a BANG!!!! Final score: 70/100!

5. "Mega Man V" (What else?!) 1992 NES, 1997 Saturn (as "Mega Man 10th Anniversary Collection"), 2002 Gamecube (as "Mega Man Anniversary Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. The one thing noticeable about "Mega Man V" for the NES, is that it's DIFFERENT from all the other original "Mega Man" entries, mainly because it's the EASIEST "Mega Man" game out of ALL the eight bit "Mega Man" entries! Although, that MAY be a little misleading! It's like saying that surviving in a desert for five days without food or water, is a LOT easier than surviving in a desert for LONGER than five days without food or water! Still, if you're going to play an eight bit "Mega Man" game and you want to start OFF with the easiest entry, this is the game to do it with. With iconic bosses, awesomely designed stages, clever puzzles, AWESOME eight bit graphics, good music, good sound, and a well-balanced challenge, "Mega Man V" does a good job in presenting not only a good game, but a good story as well! But one eight bit "Mega Man" game does BETTER in showcasing the raw talent that a "Mega Man" game can have! Final score: 75/100!

4. "Mega Man Zero Collection" 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 Game Boy Advance; 2011 Nintendo DS, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. There are two REAL ways to experience the full "Mega Man Zero" experience today that DOESN'T involve owning a Game Boy Advance. Either own a Wii U and get each game individually on Wii U Virtual Console, or pick up a copy of "Mega Man Zero Collection" for Nintendo DS; the game is ALSO playable on the Nintendo 3DS! Although "Mega Man Zero 4" can DEFINITELY be criticized as being TOO easy and lacking the real depth and challenge of the OTHER "Mega Man Zero" games, the other three are still finely tuned challenges, to really test the mind and reflexes of players. For beginners, there is also a brand new "Easy" mode for "Mega Man Zero 1-3," which makes THOSE games more beatable for the inexperienced player! By playing all the games, you get the FULL story of Zero's adventures AFTER the "Mega Man X" series! It's definitely a thrill to play! Final score: 80/100!

3. "Mega Man III" (What else?!) 1990 NES, 1992 Genesis (as "Mega Man: the Wily Wars"), 1993 Game Boy, 1997 Saturn (as "Mega Man 10th Anniversary Collection"), 2002 Gamecube (as "Mega Man Anniversary Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. It's ALWAYS a difficult choice for me as to which "Mega Man" game gets the ranking on my list. While plenty of players will give praise to "Mega Man II" as being the superior game, I always have to go with "Mega Man III" as the better game! Not only does this game introduce Rush to video game players, it also introduces Proto Man, Mega Man's older brother! I also feel that the stages and bosses of "Mega Man III", are a lot more iconic and enjoyable than the ones in "Mega Man II." In terms of game play challenge, "Mega Man III" is a LOT easier to beat than the first two "Mega Man" games, it's still WAY more challenging to beat than "Mega Man V" and "Mega Man VI!" Not only does this game feature eight new bosses, the eight bosses from "Mega Man II" ALSO return for an encore performance, and you have to beat them with the weapons you collect in "Mega Man III!" But there are two MAJOR reasons you should play this game above any other: Snake Man; awesome, AWESOME Snake Man and his TOTALLY awesome stage! This game for me, is the HIGHLIGHT of Mega Man's eight bit games, and I HIGHLY reccommend it to ANY gamer looking for a TRUE challenge of video game playing abilities without being overwhelmingly difficult! Final score: 90/100!

2. "Mega Man X/Mega Man Xtreme" 1993 Super NES, 1999 Game Boy Color, 2003 Gamecube (as "Mega Man X Collection"), 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console, 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The ONLY game in the catalog of "Mega Man" games that completely NAILS what it means to be a PERFECT "Mega Man" game, is THIS one! This game presents the best of everything! Great graphics, well-designed levels, memorable bosses, a perfect challenge that GRADUALLY gets tougher, a good story, great sound, and the best music soundtrack out of ALL the "Mega Man" games! "Mega Man X" (later re-released as "Mega Man Xtreme" for the Game Boy Color), has these elements all on display in either 12 or 16 bit graphics! And this game is ALSO remarkable, in the fact that "Mega Man X" deals with actual LOSS for the very first time, when Mega Man X loses Zero when the latter sacrifices himself in order to save X. I mean, sure, Zero does get REVIVED in later games, but it's still kind of a heartbreaker by 16 bit standards. It definitely raises the stakes for what a good "Mega Man" game should be, so it's kind of sad that no real game since this one has come anywhere CLOSE to the level of genius and perfection that this game has! But perhaps someday, with enough demand and determination, ANOTHER great "Mega Man" game shall be made again! Final score: 100/100!

Drumroll please...and now it's time to reveal the number one game to FEATURE "Mega Man!!!!"

1. "Super Smash Bros. 4!!!!" 2014 Nintendo 3DS, Wii U. Although Mega Man has been featured in OTHER fighting games (most notably with OTHER Capcom heroes), none of them feel quite as memorable as THIS fighting game! This accomplishment has actually been a dream of Kenji Inafrune (Mega Man's ORIGINAL creator), ever since 2007. "Mega Man" MISSED the cut to be in the Wii game, though. And when Kenji Inafrune was uncerimoniously FIRED from Capcom in 2012, it not ONLY cancelled "Mega Man Legends 3," TWICE, it also SEEMED to crush the hopes and dreams of ANY chance that Mega Man would EVER be in another game again. But Nintendo made the impossible, POSSIBLE!!!! When Nintendo agreed to help kick-start Kenji's pet project of "Mighty No. 9," a game made very much in the VEIN of the original "Mega Man" games, it made Kenji willing to trust Nintendo with his creation of "Mega Man." Despite having the approval of Capcom, Nintendo decided to veer CLOSER to working on their relationship with Kenji than with Capcom. In 2014, everyone was AMAZED to see just what "Mega Man" was capable of in Nintendo's hands! As it turns out, Mega Man is AWESOME under Nintendo development! Not only does he have a lot of COOL, customizable moves from all his different "Mega Man" games, he UNDOUBTEDLY has one of the BEST final smashes available to ANY character, as every single MAJOR "Mega Man" incarnation helps Mega Man fire a Mega Buster towards the enemy! This is cool in itself, but the fact that "Mega Man" is playable in the SAME game as Mario, Sonic, AND Pac-Man, means that for the first time in video game history, the "Big Four" of video game series were FINALLY playable together on the VERY same game! And with new stuff being added TO the game via Nintendo DLC, chances are that this game is going to STAY relevant for quite some time to come! With this game, Mega Man is FINALLY getting the love he deserves, and MORE!!!! Final score: 110/100!!!! (Yes, it's THAT good!!!!) /

That's my list idea for this time. Enough said, true believers! ;)

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Sonic the Hedgehog has had...a LONG, complicated history, to say the least. Not just AGAINST Nintendo INITIALLY, but in general! Unlike Mario, who has a relatively SANE fandom, and isn't PRONE to having had too MANY video game misfires, Sonic has had the dubious distinction of having had to experience some of the WORST video games in HISTORY; TERRIBLE camera controls, BAD plot ideas, gimmicks that you either liked or HATED, and character model re-designs that RUINED certain characters FOREVER! o.o So why does Sonic STILL get into video games? Despite all those flaws; there's the core premise that he does have a good selection of solid video games, with a very good plot, and often VERY good graphics to go with them! :D With the brand new “Sonic Mania” now available on the Nintendo Switch, soon to be followed by a brand new, “Sonic Forces”, I'd like to present to you the top FIFTEEN "Sonic" games (in my personal, honest opinion), to be made for video game systems, and available to play on a Nintendo system! :cool: And just like in previous cases, this ONLY refers to games that I have ACTUALLY played, and that have Sonic as a playable character! /

15. "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" 1992 Sega Master System, Game Gear, Genesis, 1997 Saturn (with "Sonic Jam"), 2001 Neo Geo Pocket Color, Bandai Wonderswan, 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2010 Nintendo DS (with "Sonic Classics Collection," 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2015 Nintendo 3DS 3D Game Version. Despite this game being bigger and SELLING better than it's predecessor, I find it WEAKER than it's predecessor. That's mostly because I HATE the bonus stages in this game!!!! It's like Sega PURPOSELY went OUT of its way to make the bonus stages next to IMPOSSIBLE to beat! Not only do you have to get a SET amount of rings in order to obtain the Chaos Emerald at the end, you have to AVOID getting hit by objects so that you don't LOSE any rings you obtain, which is next to IMPOSSIBLE to do, due to the way the bonus stages CURVE and twist, and the way the objects are scattered about with LITTLE to NO warning as to where they are going to appear! Granted, you DO get to turn into "Super Sonic" for the first time in this game, but it's SO lame that you don't get to USE it in the Last Boss Battle! Not only that, but the Last Boss Battle is ALSO incredibly hard to beat! Not only do you have to beat a Metal Sonic first, Dr. Robotnik's final machine seems specifically DESIGNED to be almost IMPOSSIBLE to beat, and you don't even get any RINGS to help protect you in the final stage (unless you input the debug mode so you can GENERATE some ring boxes and turn yourself into Super Sonic. Overall, I just don't think this game is as FUN as its predecessor OR its sequels! I guess Sega truly does what Nintendon't, make an INFERIOR sequel to one of the BIGGEST games of all time! And when has Nintendo EVER managed to make an inferior sequel to one of THEIR hit games?! Still, this game gets on the list because of Tails, he's still cute. Final score: 53/100.

14. "Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood" 2008 Nintendo DS, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. When most people think of Sonic, they DON'T think of him as an R.P.G. star, unlike Mario, who IS thought of as one. However, Sonic HAS ventured into this realm at least once, with this great game that Sega made with the help of Bioware! During the course of this game, it is possible to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Rouge, Big the Cat, Shadow, Dr. Eggman, E-120 Omega, and Shade the Echidna. The game itself isn't overly long like many other R.P.G. adventures, but it's still challenging and has a good story. The graphics, music effects, and sound effects are all good (although it DOES honestly puzzle me as to WHY the whole game has to be played with a stylus; that's ONE of the reasons why I have NEVER played any of the Nintendo DS "Link" games!) In any case, Sonic's goal this time is to stop an evil clan of Echidna's from another dimension, from trying to conquer Earth/Mobius! Although this is a really great adventure, it has the dubious distinction of ending on a CLIFFHANGER! The plan that Sega had, was that they were going to release ANOTHER "Sonic" game to continue ON with the adventures of this first game, but due to PRESSURE from rabid, STUBBORN Sonic fans who REFUSED to take "NO" for an answer, such a sequel has YET to see the light of day. Still, if you want to play with Sonic in an R.P.G. adventure, this is DEFINITELY the way to do it, as it is completely playable on the Nintendo 3DS! Final score: 11/20.

13. "Sonic the Hedgehog (Game Gear version)" 1991 Sega Master System, Game Gear, 1997 Saturn (with "Sonic Jam"), 1999 Neo Geo Pocket Color, 2001 Bandai Wonderswan, 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console. Contrary to popular belief, there are actually TWO different versions of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" game; the Genesis version that EVERYBODY knows about, and the less popular, but still good in it's own right, Sega Master System/Game Gear version! What's unique about the versions that appear on the eight bit system, is that THOSE versions of "Sonic the Hedgehog" are ACTUALLY what the game was ORIGINALLY going to be about! You know how "Blade Runner" has different cuts of its film? Well, "Sonic the Hedgehog" has different cuts of his first game. The eight bit versions of the game are the ORIGINAL story and levels, the Genesis version is the final cut. Although shorter than its sixteen bit cousin, the Game Gear version of "Sonic the Hedgehog," is by no means less FUN than it's mightier cousin! Unlike the Genesis version, the Chaos Emeralds are located RANDOMLY, out in the open in various levels, although they are STILL kind of tricky to find! And in the Bonus Stages, its very easy to rack up coins and extra lives (unlike in OTHER Sonic games, which is kind of TRICKY to do!) Despite being on a supposedly INFERIOR system, "Sonic the Hedgehog" for the Master System and Game Gear, are graphically impressive games in their own right, they have good sound, good music, and a good difficulty. The only thing that prevents the eight bit version of the game from doing any better, is the fact that it is short. But don't let that stop you from playing it! The best way to play this game now, is on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console! Final score: 57/100.

12. "Sonic Colors" 2010 Nintendo DS, Wii (Unplayed), 2015 Wii U Virtual Console. It's no secret that Sonic has an adverse reaction whenever he interacts within a 3D environment. He either has a really great time in it, or he flounders about pathetically. But on a 2D plane, Sonic seems to have no problem having a great video game adventure, and the game I have played (at least on the Nintendo DS version) is no exception. While the game seems to take a LOT of its cues from the Sonic "Genesis" days, that actually seems to WORK in this games favor. The Wisp power-up idea, is one of the BEST that Sega has had in YEARS! The graphics are beautiful, the sound and music are great, the challenge is perfect, and the boss levels are well-designed as well. If you're looking for a good, 2D "Sonic" game, this is probably the best game you can find that's been made in the past six years. And since it's playable on the Nintendo 3DS, there's no reason as to why you SHOULDN'T play this well-made game! Final score: 59/100.

11. "Sonic Spinball" 1993 Game Gear, Genesis, 2002 Bandai Wonderswan, Game Boy Advance (with "Sega Classics Collection"), 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. "Sonic Spinball" was developed more as an afterthought, than as a serious entry for Sonic fans. The main reason this game got developed, was that Sega didn't want to GO through 1993, WITHOUT releasing a "Sonic" game, but they also didn't want to rush with "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," as they wanted that game to outdo both of their previous main entries! "Sonic Spinball" was developed as a stop-gap for fans of Sonic, it satisfied their appetites, and kept them content for a whole year. But more importantly, "Sonic Spinball" is really challenging and FUN to play!!!! The game itself isn't TOO big, with only four levels and bonus stages thrown in between, it's that accomplishing the goal of beating the game is trickier than it looks! But what I really like "Sonic Spinball," is the fact that it's one of the few RARE games in the "Sonic" library, that PUBLICLY acknowledges the existance of BOTH Sonic's Archie Comic Book friends and foes, as well as the Saturday morning cartoon friends and foes! While the game doesn't innovate HEAVILY, it DOES put a nice spin on the pinball game (literally!) It is also TECHNICALLY, Sonic's MOST successful spin-off game made to date! (A fact that fans of "Knuckles Chaotix" are none too happy about.) Owning this game on Wii U Virtual Console, is probably the best way to enjoy playing the game today! Final score: 61/100.

10. "Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis version)" 1991 Genesis, 1997 Saturn (with "Sonic Jam"), 2001 Bandai Wonderswan, 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2006 Game Boy Advance (as "Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2010 Nintendo DS (with "Sonic Classics Collection"), 2012 Wii U Virtual Console, 2014 Nintendo 3DS 3D game version. While "Pac-Man, Mario," and "Mega Man," were ALL original creations created to SPECIFICALLY fill a unique niche in their MAJOR choice of video game outings, Sonic is the odd Hedgehog OUT of the group! While the other three video game characters could only be DESIGNED to the limitations of their eight-bit games, Sonic debuted fully-formed (until his LATER two re-designs basically CHANGED his character!) Sonic was born and specifically DESIGNED for the 16-bit system in mind, being one of the first major characters to DO so (not counting "Bonk" on the Turbographx-16, which sadly NEVER got the amount of recognition, love, or sales that either the Super NES OR even the Genesis managed to get!) IRONICALLY, Sonic's original creator, admitted that he actually CREATED Sonic, after playing SPEED runs of Mario's first MAJOR NES game, "Super Mario Bros." Sonic was DESIGNED to be fast, to go fast, and to SELL fast, and he was DESIGNED to have a MAJOR personality attitude! One major thing that makes Sonic DIFFERENT from his predecessors, is that he was MADE as a DIRECT rival to a pre-existing video game character, that of Mario!

Sonic WAS Sega's answer to Nintendo's Mario! When the shots of "Sonic the Hedgehog" AND "Super Mario World," OFFICIALLY opened up the 16-bit battle in 1991, it waged for the BETTER part of five long years, with NEITHER side willing to give in to the other! Ironically, the reason Nintendo was able to pull AHEAD of Sega, was that Sega ended up SHOOTING itself in the foot! Not once, not twice, not THRICE, not even a QUADRUPLED time, but FIVE whole times!!!! First, Sega BLEW it by blowing off what COULD'VE been a lucrative partnership between themselves and Sony! While Nintendo turned down Sony first, Nintendo did it for the RIGHT reasons, Sony tried to CHEAT Nintendo out of the legal ownership of games developed for the INITIAL Super Nintendo Playstation! The second time Sega BLEW it was by releasing the Sega CD by itself! Instead of trying to PROMOTE it as its own seperate system, it was promoted as an add-on to the Genesis, to ENHANCE the game-playing experience! But the games for the Sega CD cost WAY more than games for the Genesis (and since many games for the Sega CD already EXISTED on the Genesis, a lot of people figured, "Why bother upgrading?!!!") And it doesn't HELP that not ONLY was the only REMOTELY good game for the Sega CD was the game "Sonic CD," most of the OTHER games for the Sega CD ended up being ATROCIOUSLY bad, and one game called "Night Trap" actually HELPED ignite the rating systems law for video game! The third time Sega BLEW it was by releasing a 32 bit system called the Sega 32X! But once again, instead of TRYING to promote it as a separate system, it was instead PROMOTED as another ADD-on to the Genesis! Needless to say, gamers were growing TIRED of Sega's attempt to artificially EXTEND the life-span of the Genesis, whereas Nintendo didn't NEED to do that, their Super NES was perfect from the get-go. But what REALLY hurt the Sega 32X was the INCREDIBLE lack of games available for it! Sega managed to release one GOOD one, "Knuckles Chaotix," before CANNING both the Sega CD AND the Sega 32X in 1995. The Genesis itself, IRONICALLY, managed to last by itself for ONE more year! Sega blew it a FOURTH time with the Sega Saturn!

Although the Sega Saturn COULD hook up to the Genesis, it was WISELY promoted as its OWN separate system! Unfortunately, Sega Saturn was the product of BAD timing!!!! Consumers were already JADED by Sega's last TWO offerings, and the Atari Jaguar, the Panasonic Neo Geo, AND the 3DO, all ALREADY had anywhere from 32 bits to supposedly a FULL 64 bits! But Sega felt PRESSURE from a company they had EARLIER rejected, and it was ABOUT to bite them BACK in the butt BIG time! With Sony promoting the Playstation like NO tomorrow, Sega felt that they HAD to release the Sega Saturn first! They rushed ahead with production, managed to get it OUT into markets BEFORE the Sony Playstation, but the gamble BACKFIRED big time! In Sega's rush to get the system out AHEAD of the Playstation, Sega didn't have a GOOD number of games available at launch time, and any GOOD games EXCLUSIVELY for the Sega Saturn were few and FAR in between! The major release for the Saturn wasn't even a "Sonic" game, but the cult classic game of "Nights Into Dreams." Although the Sega Saturn was released in 1994, and FORCED itself to stay ON the market until 1999, it hurt BADLY in terms of hardware AND software sales! In that entire time period, the Saturn actually managed to finish DEAD last in terms of sales, when compared to the Sony Playstation, the N64, the Panasonic Neo Geo, the 3DO, the Atari Jaguar, and even the Super NES managed to generate more sales between 1994-1998 OVER the Sega Saturn! The ONLY systems the Sega Saturn DID manage to outsell in that time, were Sega's OWN Sega Genesis and Game Gear, which were both OFFICIALLY shut down in terms of making new games by 1996. Needless to say; selling only 13.1 million units in comparison to the Super NES lofty standards of over 44 million units, the Sega Saturn was NOTHING short of a MASSIVE disaster! One of the reasons the Sega Saturn DIDN'T have more games, is that Sega spent a WHOLE three years hard at work designing the Sega Saturn's predecessor; it HAD to put Sega back on the top! The Sega Dreamcast, was designed to be the FIRST 128 bit system, and the FIRST to feature internet connectivity! But for the fifth and FINAL time, Sega shot itself in the foot! Even though the graphics were supposed to be VASTLY superior to any other system at the time, Sega's games were too expensive, too glitchy, had HORRID HORRIBLE camera controls, and had even WORSE third party support than the Nintendo 64! Sega's mistakes finally became TOO much for the company to bare as a hardware company, so they ceased production of hardware games all together, by 2001. Sega had the dubious distinction of finishing DEAD last in the console race, from 1994-2001.

However, even after Sega's name, fame, and some games got DRAGGED through the mud as a result of BAD decisions and some HORRENDOUS leadership, the fun factor of Sega's games (especially the ones they made in their glory days) still remains to this day. "Sonic the Hedgehog" is no exception. While "Sonic the Hedgehog" doesn't have the depth factor that "Super Mario World" does, it can certainly hold its own as a 16 bit game. That's why the original game CONTINUES to do well to this day. Final score: 63/100.

9. "Sonic Unleashed" 2008 Wii. After the Titanic DISASTER that was "Sonic 2006," some people were honestly wondering how Sega and Sonic could ever POSSIBLY recover from their massive folly! The answer came in this surprisingly well made game! Now, I know there are people who are either FANS of the gimmick games that "Sonic" has made on the Nintendo Wii, or they just ignore them completely. This game, however, is no gimmick! The concept of Sonic being able to transform into a Were-hog, is one of the BEST ideas that Sega has had in YEARS! The combat stages are a welcome breath of fresh air! The graphics are among some of the most BEAUTIFUL on the Nintendo Wii! The stages are well-designed, the music and sound effects are perfect, the control scheme works great, and the camera works PERFECTLY as well! Although to be fair, you can't help but wonder just WHO came up with the design of the Final Boss, Dark Gaia! Dark Gaia is by FAR, the most BUTT-UGLY boss in the HISTORY of Video Games! Yes, even UGLIER than the G.M.P. from "Conker's Bad Fur Day." Still, if you want to play the best "Sonic" game FOR the Wii, this is the one to play! Final score: 13/20.

8. "Sonic 3D Blast" 1996 Genesis, Saturn, 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. The Sega Genesis came into prominence WITH a "Sonic" game, it should seem very fitting that the Sega Genesis should exit WITH a "Sonic" game. The last major "Sonic" game made to release on the Genesis, was Sega's attempt to venture into the 3D realm. Even though 3D games wouldn't be fully mastered until the N64 came out a few months after this game, that didn't stop Sega from TRYING! Truth be told though, this game is only an isometric 3-D game. Although you CAN move around in all directions, you're limited as to WHERE you can go. ("Super Mario R.P.G." had the same limitation, but is considered superior because it is longer, and it IS an R.P.G. game.) Although Sega can ALWAYS be criticized as trying to bite off WAY more than they can chew, I think their efforts paid off in this game! Sega reached the LOFTIEST heights of graphics that the Sega Genesis could achieve in this game, not to mention their sound quality, their music quality, their controls, and their challenge of quality. So it's a real shame to note that for the most part, after THIS game came out, both Sega AND Sonic's quality in games DROPPED drastically!!!! Although the switch to full 3D games was hard for almost EVERYONE (except for Nintendo, who had the advantage of working out the bugs of a full 3D game for a full two years for the never publicly released Super NES game of "Star Fox 2,") nowhere was the transition more APPARENTLY hard and difficult to master, than it was for Sega. In fact, it could be argued that Sega STILL hasn't mastered full 3D games (with the noticeable exception of "Sonic Adventure DX"), but Sega WAS at least able to make sure that the Genesis went out on a HIGH note! Final score: 66/100.

7. "Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut" 1999 Dreamcast (as "Sonic Adventure"), 2003 Gamecube, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. Lets just get the BIG (not elephant), the Cat, out of the bag; Big the Cat is NOT the WORST "Sonic" character ever, and didn't bring the "Sonic" series to its lowest popularity point ever; that dishonor would fall to Silver the Hedgehog and the GOD-Awful "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006!" But another point that I should make, is that the Dreamcast should have been FAR more successful than it was! The Dreamcast had connectivity with the Neo Geo Pocket Color (granted, so did the N64 with certain Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, but only select ones). The Dreamcast had FULL wi-fi Internet connectivity (which Nintendo wasn't comfortable getting behind until 2004 with the Nintendo DS). And the Dreamcast was the FIRST 128 bit system, and would bring Sega into the 21st century! But Sega's DREAMS (as well as its Dreamcast) all ended up getting Dream-CRASHED!!!!) The original version of "Sonic Adventure" was one of the culprits for bringing Sega's juggernaut down. Sega learned the HARD way that it doesn't matter how GOOD your graphics ARE, or how GOOD your story for a game is, if the game can't EVEN manage to keep a decent camera lock on the main characters, or where they are going! Despite being able to play with six different characters, who all have different missions and ways of attacking villains, the original "Sonic Adventure" turned out to be just another mind-numbing failure for Sonic. Everybody thought Sega was FINISHED when they bowed out of the hardware race in 2001, but then, something truly amazing HAPPENED! Who of ALL companies should come to the rescue of Sega than the VERY company Sega had once sought SO hard to destroy?! In 1991, if you had asked ANYBODY if "Sonic" would EVER appear on a Nintendo console; their answer would've been; "Only when HELL freezes over!" Well, in 2002, Hell MUST have frozen over, because "Sonic" FINALLY appeared on a Nintendo console; both the Game Boy Advance AND the Nintendo Gamecube! Although Sonic has appeared on other consoles since then; it seems REALLY ironic that Sonic's BEST home for games (in terms of originality and game-play) would end up being FOR Nintendo! I mean, Nintendo was the ONLY video game company to have the COMMON sense to NOT release the GOD-awful "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006" on one of their game consoles! Nintendo has also proven time after time, to be the ONE place to find the BEST EXCLUSIVE "Sonic" games! Not only are they the most fun; they also TEND to stick to the formula that WORKS for Sonic, being fast AND fun! But Nintendo knew that if "Sonic Adventure" were given a fresh start on the Nintendo Gamecube, it might have a chance to shine!

Working with the ORIGINAL Director of the game (hence the sub-title; "Director's Cut"), and giving him COMPLETE power to make sure the game was completely polished (the way it was always MEANT to be), Nintendo managed to do what nobody thought could be done; make "Sonic Adventure" playable, beatable, and completely FUN!!!! Not only do you get the FULL game of "Sonic Adventure," with NO annoying camera freezes, hang-ups, or annoying glitches, you also get a WHOLE lot more! Playable bonuses UNLOCKABLE after accomplishing certain goals in "Sonic Adventure!" Every single one of Sonic's original Game Gear games (INCLUDING the ones that were originally released ONLY in Japan, and given full ENGLISH translations) are available for the playing! Also, the Chao Garden experience is back from "Sonic Adventure 2 Battle," and new fun mini-games and challenges are available for the Chao. If that wasn't enough, there are a ton of brand NEW missions available for ALL the characters in ALL the levels that they are playable in! If you EVER wanted to play a FULL "Sonic" game in 3-D, this is the game to do it with! Sonic gets BACK on top with this game, and all too ironically, he does it with Nintendo! Final score: 70/100!

6. "Sonic and Knuckles" 1994 Genesis, 1997 Saturn (with "Sonic Jam"), 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2010 Nintendo DS (with "Sonic Classics Collection"), 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. In 1994, BOTH the Super NES and the Sega Genesis came out with the concept of lock-on technology. For the Super NES, they made it POSSIBLE to play ANY Game Boy game on the BIG screen, with the SUPER Game Boy! While the Genesis only made it possible to play with two DIFFERENT games with THEIR lock-on game, but it's STILL pretty rocking! The reason why "Sonic and Knuckles" is a lock-on game (that is, BOTH "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" AND "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" can lock INTO the game) is that Sega ORIGINALLY wanted BOTH "Sonic the Hedgehog 3", AND "Sonic and Knuckles" to be one FULL game! But it proved to be TOO difficult to get ALL the content they wanted into one whole cartridge! So Sega decided to split the difference and divide it into two halves. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" would be the first, MAIN half, while "Sonic and Knuckles" would be the second and final half. What's great about "Sonic and Knuckles," is that the game makes it POSSIBLE to play as Knuckles in BOTH "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" AND "Sonic the Hedgehog 3!" It also makes it possible for ALL three playable characters in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" (Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles) to play a FULL game from the first level of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" to the FINAL level of "Sonic and Knuckles!" The reason why "Sonic and Knuckles" doesn't rank as HIGH as its slightly older sibling, is that the REGULAR levels, the Bonus areas, the Chaos Emerald areas, AND the bosses, are significantly HARDER to beat than in "Sonic the Hedgehog 3!" Plus, if you're only playing "Sonic and Knuckles" by itself, it doesn't FEEL like you're playing a full game! The best way to play this game now (without having the original lock-on cartridge) is to own "Sonic Classics Collection" for the Nintendo DS, as it is COMPLETELY playable on the Nintendo 3DS as well! No lock-on cartridge technology needed! Final score: 18/25!

5. "Sonic Heroes" 2004 Gamecube, N-Gage, 2014 Wii U Virtual Console. The last hurrah for Sonic for a good game for four years, Sonic's third 3-D outing on the Gamecube (as well as his ONLY original outing on the system), the third "Sonic" adventure on the Gamecube, is in MY personal opinion, his BEST! Not only do you get to play as SONIC, you get to play with eleven OTHER Sonic characters! The team system is not only a good idea, it is a FANTASTIC idea! The ability to control three characters at a time, and be able to switch them on the fly, makes solving puzzles a breeze. Not to mention that you get to fly, break stuff, and run at super speeds! There's Team Sonic, Team Rose, Team Chaotix, and Team Dark, featuring Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles; Amy, Cream, and Big the Cat; Espio, Vector, and Charmy the Bee; and Shadow, Rouge, and E-120 Omega respectively. But the really unique thing about this game, is that Dr. Eggman is not the big BAD in this game! Only by collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds (with any team) and by beating ALL four story-lines, will you get to discover that the Big Bad is actually Metal Sonic, who undergoes his most POWERFUL transformation that he's EVER undertaken! It culminates in a titanic battle against Metal Sonic monstrosity, with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles transforming into their SUPER forms, in order to put Metal Sonic right back into the scrap heap! It is for this reason, that I feel like it is this game, may be the closest thing the world HAS to a "Sonic Adventure 3" right now. Maybe someday, there may actually be one. For now, this game can't be BEAT for a 3-D Sonic outing! Final score: 39/50!

4. "Sonic Classics Collection" 1991, 1992, 1994 Genesis, 1997 Saturn (as "Sonic Jam"), 2003 Gamecube (as "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2010 Nintendo DS. The reason that this compilation game makes the list, is because it introduces some MUCH needed refinements to the first four "Sonic" games for the Sega Genesis. First off, it's NOW possible to save your game for all FOUR of the games ANYWHERE you ARE in them! (Although "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" remains unchanged, as that game has ALWAYS had a save feature.) Second, on the ORIGINAL "Sonic the Hedgehog," Sonic can now SPIN dash like he DOES in the later "Sonic" games (the concept was ORIGINALLY introduced in the under-rated "Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis" for the Game Boy Advance in 2006.) Plus, all "Sonic" games have brand NEW stereo sound that they NEVER had on the Genesis! And by playing this game, you get to see COOL artwork pertaining to the "Sonic the Hedgehog" games, and its history in general. While it may not have as many bells and whistles as "Sonic Mega Collection" for the Nintendo Gamecube, it's STILL pretty hard to beat getting to play FOUR great "Sonic" games for the price of one! (Six, if you count playing "Sonic and Knuckles" connected with "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" as separate games!) This game is a TRUE reminder of how STRONG "Sonic" was as a video game force against "Mario" in the early 1990's. Final score: 80/100!

3. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" (What ELSE?!!!) 1994 Genesis, 1997 Saturn (with "Sonic Jam"), 2003 Gamecube (with "Sonic Mega Collection"), 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2010 Nintendo DS (with "Sonic Classics Collection"), 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. This is PRECISELY when "Sonic" managed to reach the PEAK of his popularity in terms of merchandise, comic book sales, cartoon series, game sales, and hardware sales for the Sega Genesis AND the Sega Game Gear! Little did Sega know, it would be almost ALL downhill from here!!!! "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" debuted to a WHOLE lot of fan-fare, and energized the Sega Genesis like never before!!!! But Sega's undisputed run against Nintendo was about to come to an end! Just five months after "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" debuted in June of 1994, the Sony Playstation DEBUTED in November of 1994, and began to systematically DESTROY the ENTIRE competition of what the Sega Genesis and the Super NES was all about!!!! Needless to say, Sega didn't handle Sony's disruption well. Sega DESPERATELY tried to create hardware and games that would show UP the Sony Playstation, but with the aging technology of the Sega Genesis, it just couldn't compete against the Sony Playstation's compact discs and their capacity for storing LOADS of memory information on their memory cards! The Sega CD and the Sega 32X BOTH flopped HORRENDOUSLY compared to the might of the Sony Playstation! Technically speaking, the Sega Saturn was SUPERIOR to the Panasonic Neo Geo AND the Atari Jaguar, not to mention the Sega Genesis AND the Super NES! It was also technically and visually speaking, every bit as GOOD as the Sony Playstation! But in terms of sales, even the Super NES DOMINATED in sales over the Sega Saturn's lifespan of 1994-1999! You can blame a good CHUNK of Sega's troubles due to a clash of leadership within Sega, as they argued and bickered over the direction they wanted to take Sega. Needless to say, the "Bad Ideas" department won, and they proceeded to make one mind-numbingly BAD decision after another!!!! In terms of third party support, even the N64 got more third party games than Sega did for the Sega Saturn AND the Sega Dreamcast for the period of 1996-2001! "Sonic the Hedgehog 3", is also seen as the last, "NON-GIMMICK" game that "Sonic" was in. That is, "Sonic" didn't try to rely on tricks when it came to his games. From 2004-2010, "Sonic" released one gimmick game after another; "Sonic" in an Arabian adventure? Did that. "Sonic" in a Middle Age (Mideval) Adventure? Did that. "Sonic" as a werewolf/werehog? Did that.

A game revolving around "Sonic's" DARKER, EDGIER sibling "Shadow?" Did that. And the LESS said about every single MIND numbing thing WRONG about "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006," the better! The reasons why Knuckles WORKS is that unlike Shadow, Knuckles can STAND on his own! And Knuckles ALSO managed to be the star headliner of the only GOOD game for the Sega 32X, the criminally OVER-LOOKED "Knuckles Chaotix." But one of the biggest reasons for the MASSIVE success of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3," is that it HAD something special: Michael Jackson COMPOSING the MUSIC for the ENTIRE game!!!! And despite that fact, Michael Jackson didn't even WISH to be credited on the game!!!! (I can safely say that Justin Bieber would NEVER be humble enough to check HIS ego at the door!!!!) And the best part about this game, is that when paired with "Sonic and Knuckles," the game of "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" feels like playing one massive, fully complete game that is in every single shape and way, FUN!!!! Besides, how EPIC is it to collect ALL Chaos Emeralds, and all SUPER Emeralds, in order to transform into Hyper Sonic, Super Tails, and Hyper Knuckles?!!! Those transformations are SUPER epic!!!! That's why "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" remains the pinnacle of all standard "Sonic" games, even to this day. "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" Final score, alone: 21/25! WITH "Sonic and Knuckles": 23/25!

2. "Sonic Mega Collection" 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 Genesis, 1997 Saturn (as "Sonic Jam"), 2003 Gamecube. It was shocking ENOUGH for players to find that "Sonic" games were now being released on Sega's old rival, Nintendo consoles! But everyone thought that all of the OLD "Sonic" games, originally FOUND on the Genesis, would remain THERE, on the GENESIS!!!! But in 2003, everyone was SHOCKED and amazed to see something happen that they NEVER would've ENVISIONED ten years ago: On one mini-disc, in 128 bits of graphics capacity, music, sound, and memory, all SEVEN of "Sonic's" main Genesis games got RELEASED onto one package!!!! Some neat little bonuses were also thrown in as well; the FIRST Sega Genesis game, 1989's "Ristar," the obscure 1990 "Flicky" (which is where the Flicky characters from "Sonic 3D Blast" originate from), and the 1995 obscure game, "Blue Sphere." All of this was good enough on its own, but being able to see a bunch of GREAT artwork revolving around Sonic from the games, the cartoons, the merchandise, and the comics (up to 2003) was very impressive as well! Plus, it's TEN whole games for the price of ONE!!!! (Twelve, if you count "Sonic and Knuckles" locked with "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" and "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" as separate games.) And despite this amazing retrospective, this game is only PERFECT!!!! What game could POSSIBLY outrank this one?! It's a truly SMASHING game!!!! Final score: 100/100!!!!

Drumroll please...and now it's time to reveal, the number one game that STARS "Sonic the Hedgehog!!!!"

1. "Super SMASH Bros." series!!!! 2008 Wii, 2014 Nintendo 3DS, Wii U. Players got their first taste of Mario and Sonic competing against each other in the "Olympics" games, starting in 2006 for the Nintendo DS and the Wii. But there was ALWAYS one big problem with the "Olympics" games. Even though they were MADE by Sega (Bet you that nobody living through the 1990's ever THOUGHT they would see the day that Sega would MAKE a game that STARRED Mario WITH Sonic on a NINTENDO system!!!!) The problem of the "Olympics" games, is that you can OBVIOUSLY tell that they TONED Sonic's speed WAY down!!!! Sega's reasoning for doing this, is they WANTED to make "Mario" LOOK good and NOT suck compared to Sonic!!!! At least Sega was GENEROUS enough to teach Sonic how to SWIM for the "Olympics!!!!" But for most players, the "Olympics" was not a TRUE showcase of what either Mario OR Sonic were capable of in a TRUE video game; fans wanted MORE!!!! In 2002, players appetites were WHETTED when pictures of "Sonic the Hedgehog" and Tails IN "Super Smash Bros. Melee" surfaced, but they turned out to be CLEVER fakes!!!! Nevertheless, everyone KNEW which character HAD to be included in the next "Super Smash Bros." installment; "Sonic the Hedgehog!!!!" Easier said than DONE!!!! Securing the licences, getting the agreement of EVERYBODY involved in ALL the games, making a good selection of trophies, realistically integrating Sonic into the Nintendo universe, turned out to be a LOT harder than ANYBODY thought it would! But after six years of waiting, "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" FINALLY debuted for the Wii, and EVERYONE could FINALLY answer the question they've been asking since 1991: Who would kick WHOSE butt in a fight?; Mario, or Sonic? The appearance of Mario and Sonic together in the SAME game, where their either fighting against or WITH each other, was the dreams of super nerds, geeks, freaks, fanboys, and fangirls, come true after SEVENTEEN years; and "Sonic" and "Mario" had finally made HISTORY together!!!! "Sonic" COULD'VE appeared based on just his "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" appearance alone; but in 2014, Nintendo (with the help of brand NEW publishers Namco, switching from Hudson Soft from their previous games), Nintendo managed to even OUTDO themselves not once, but TWICE; in the SAME year!!!! In 2014, "Sonic" appeared with Mario, MEGA MAN, and Pac-Man, all on the SAME game!!!!

34 years after "Pac-Man" was created, 33 years after "Mario" was created, 27 years after "Mega Man" was created, and 23 years after "Sonic the Hedgehog" was created, all FOUR of them finally appeared together on the exact SAME game!!!! Making Nintendo the ONLY company to be able to LEGALLY lay claim to the history making fact that they had all FOUR major video gaming icons TOGETHER on the same game!!!! And the fact that new stuff is getting ADDED to "Super Smash Bros." for the Nintendo 3DS AND the Wii U means that people won't be STOPPING their enjoyment of "Sonic the Hedgehog" anytime soon!!!! I guess Sega did do ONE thing that Nintendon't; they found Sonic his REAL home; WITH Nintendo!!!! Final Score: 110/100!!!!!!! (YES, it's THAT good!!!!) /

That's it for my list idea for this time. Enough said, true believers! ;)

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Honestly, I think that I'm the SLOWEST person to get around to playing ALL the games from 1995 out of ANY person that I personally know of! :rolleyes: It WILL come, there are just certain games that I need to play before I present it. In the meantime, here is a list of the top 36 video games to appear on the Game Boy and/or the Game Boy Color. Enjoy! :D (Warning: WALLS of TEXT ahead!) o.o

36. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan” 1990 Game Boy. It shames me to admit that I have never fully played THROUGH "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: the Arcade Game" on the NES. I would like to (if they would EVER get around to re-releasing it on Virtual Console), but at least the heroes on a half-shell manage to make an impression on their first Game Boy outing on this list. While the control is solid, and the music is pretty good, it suffers from the same fate as "Super Mario Land" did, as there's not enough challenge. The game is only four levels LONG! Still, if you want to have the turtles on the go, this was the first game you could do it with, so it was good for starters. Final score: 41/100.

35. “Kirby’s Dream Land” 1992 Game Boy, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, Wii (as “Kirby's Dream Land Collection”). / A lot of people forget where Kirby got his start. It was on the humble, portable system! He was white on the game box art (Nintendo was worried that a PINK Kirby wouldn’t sell well), but when the game did better than expected, Nintendo allowed Hudson Soft to make Kirby pink for his debut on a colored system in 1993! The game ranks here because it is not as challenging or as long as many of the other games on this list, but it's still interesting to play in order to find out how Kirby first got his start. Final score: 42/100.

34. "Metroid II: Return of Samus" 1991 Game Boy, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, 2017 Nintendo 3DS (as “Metroid: Samus Returns”). After conquering the NES in the 1980's, Samus proved that the Game Boy would be no match for her in the 1990's. So why is this game only ranked at #21? Despite its relatively short length (compared to "Metroid"), it is REALLY on the challenging side, and there's not a lot of re-play value to be had once this game is beaten. Still, credit must be given where credit is due. The portable experience remains faithful to the NES experience, as do the graphics, music, control, and hazards of the original. One nice little update in this game, is that the different beam forms for Samus' plasma gun are much more diverse and useful than in her original game. Final score: 43/100.

33. "Tetris" NES/Game Boy 1989, 1994 Super NES (as “Tetris & Dr. Mario”), 2005 DS (as “Tetris DS”), 2009 Wii Virtual Console, 2014 Wii U Virtual Console. Come ON!!!! You KNEW this video game HAD to appear on this list! While this Russian based video game has appeared on FAR too many consoles to mention, it actually got its big break with Nintendo. Although it is available to play on either the NES or the Game Boy, it is probably the Game Boy version which helped solidify the portable video game system as a force to be reckoned with in 1989. The only reason this video game doesn't get the ranked any higher, is that there really isn't a point to this video game, other than to beat your own high score. While this game has been re-released a countless number of times, it's still impossible to go wrong with the good old fashioned original! Final score: 44/100.

32. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Return to the Sewers" 1991 Game Boy. Konami must have been listening to its fans, and critics over what they liked or hated from the first Game Boy experience; because they stepped up their game for their second portable offering. Not only does this game feature SIX levels instead of just four, it also features TWO different difficulty levels, making for more of a replay value! I wish this game would become available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console someday, I think there's a whole generation of players who don't know what's available out there! Final score: 45/100.

31. "Ducktales" 1989 NES, 1990 Game Boy, 2014 Wii U ("Ducktales Remastered"). This game is SO good, I couldn't just keep it on the NES list! That being said, despite lacking any color of its 8-bit brother, the Game Boy "Ducktales" manages to be a picture-perfect port of the NES original. All the great graphics, music, control, enemies, and stages from the NES, are present in the 8-bit powerhouse of the Game Boy. The biggest reason why this game doesn't get ranked higher, is that it is simply not as challenging or as entertaining as the 18 games that follow it, though not from a lack of trying! Capcom scores another winner in their cartoon to game cartridge conversion awards! Final score: 47/100.

30. "Lemmings" 1992 NES, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Turbographx-16, Neo Geo, and Super NES; 2007 Wii Virtual Console, 2012 Wii U Virtual Console. Video Games got to be more unique and different in the 1990's. You actually don't control the title characters themselves, but you can designate them to do different random jobs, in order to get as many Lemmings as you can from the entrance of someplace, to the exit of someplace. It may have appeared on WAY more consoles than it had the right to, but the video game managed to leave an impact. The "MAD" cartoon series found it popular enough to parody it with "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events," about 20 YEARS after this video game was released! Now THAT'S leaving an impact! Final score: 48/100.

29. "Super Mario Land" 1989 Game Boy, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The times when Mario actually DOESN'T come out with a high-scoring video game, are still few and far in-between. With Mario being a big hit on the NES, it was certainly destined to do the same for the Game Boy. Although there was a game package of "Super Mario Land" with initial production runs of Game Boy, it was the puzzle craze of "Tetris" that helped make the Game Boy the preferred choice of the portable player, even over COLORED portable offerings by Sega Game Gear and the Atari Lynx! Ironically enough, the reason this game is ranked where it is, isn't due to TOO much challenge. But rather, not enough challenge! Even by Game Boy standards, this game is relatively short. And the graphics feel like they would be more at home on a high end Game & Watch release, which the Game Boy was intended to replace. And this game also feels VERY different from a standard Mario game, as Mario has to pilot a submarine, fly a plane, and fight strange enemies that he doesn't fight in any other of his games, including the main antagonist Tatanga, who has kidnapped Princess Daisy (who is the Princess that the live-action "Super Mario Bros." movie decided to have, instead of the much more popular Princess Peach; only ONE of their many MIND numbing mistakes.) Still, this game has maintained a cult favorite, and an example of what the Game Boy was capable of. Little wonder than, that the Game Boy managed to STAY a relevant force in gaming for a WHOLE ten years! Final score: 49/100.

28. "The Ren and Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures" 1992 Game Boy / This video game was the beginning of a long, fruitful friendship between Nickelodeon and THQ. When Nickelodeon wanted to get into the business of making video games, "Ren and Stimpy" were their first candidates to receive the video game treatment. Although relatively short (it is a Game Boy game) the graphics and sound are pretty good, and the controls are pretty solid. "Ren and Stimpy" would have quite a few more video games during the 1990's, but this is where it all started for them! Final score: 50/100.

27. "Pac-Man" 1993 NES/Game Boy, 2005 Gamecube (as “Pac Man Vs.”), 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console. This is a video game that took a LOT longer than it SHOULD'VE to make the transition to a Nintendo system (although the reason might be PARTIALLY due to the reason that the Atari 2600 version ROYALLY sucked, and Namco understandably didn't want to suffer another video game console fiasco). This is obviously much cheaper than having to shell quarter after quarter in an arcade cabinet, although the difficulty level isn't any easier than it was in the arcade game. Thankfully, the game is also easily available either via Wii, Wii U, or Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Final score: 51/100.

26. "Dr. Mario" 1990 NES/Game Boy, 1994 Super NES (as “Tetris and Dr. Mario”), 2001 N64 (as “Dr. Mario 64”), 2005 Game Boy Advance, 2009 Wii Virtual Console, 2010 Nintendo DSI Download Game (as “Dr. Mario Express”), 2014 Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console. I actually find THIS puzzle game to be more interesting than "Tetris." Partially, the reason is that it stars Mario, taking on one of his MANY other professions BESIDES being a plumber! Another reason is that this game actually has a POINT to it; to clear the screen of NASTY red, blue, and yellow viruses! And you can either play solo, or with a friend! And this game is easily available on a number of Virtual Console systems! If you haven't yet, I highly recommend trying it, and playing it for yourself! Final score: 52/100.

25. "Battletoads & Double Dragon" 1993 Game Boy, NES, Game Gear, Genesis, and SNES. Long before cross-overs became the popular thing to do in the 21st century, it was often very RARE (especially for video game company Rare), to see two different properties make a collaboration; let alone, make a collaboration with a video game. But right before "Double Dragon" and "Battletoads" managed to stop being relevant, they both made one last great game, together! While all versions of the game are the same (save for slight graphical differences between them), I've never played the NES, Game Gear, or Genesis versions of the game, and I never managed to beat the SNES version of this game. That's the reason why this game appears on this list, and not any other. It's a challenging game that's on the difficult side to beat, but well-rewarding for players who finally DO beat it. Here's hoping both entities can make a comeback in the 21st Century! Final score: 53/100.

24. "Ms. Pac-Man" 1991 Game Gear/Genesis, 1993 NES/Game Boy, 1996 Super NES, 2000 N64 (as a “Ms. Pac-Man's Maze Madness” bonus). / For some reason, Ms. Pac-Man ALWAYS seems to be more successful than her male counterpart. The sound effects, music, level design, and difficulty level, is a LOT better than “Pac-Man”! In fact, the only reason I think this game HASN'T been ported onto a Virtual Console yet, is that Namco is still making FAR too much money with the arcade original to even CONSIDER making it available on a Virtual Console! Final score: 54/100.

23. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Radical Rescue" 1994 Game Boy. By the mid-1990's, the popularity level for the Heroes in half-shells was waning. The NES, the Game Gear, the Genesis, and even the Super NES all stopped releasing games based on this property by 1993, because they no longer saw them as popular or relevant enough to increase their profits. But the Game Boy decided to roll the dice one last time, and ended up making the BEST game for the four heroes on the Game Boy ever! Unlike the two Game Boy predecessors, this game is longer, graphically improved, musically good, has a good challenge without being too difficult, and it has a good amount of variety. All four turtles have different abilities that help them reach different places. There are several different types of enemies to meet, beat, and it all leads to one final face-off against Shredder, in order to save the lovely April O'Neal from his nefarious clutches! This game was a good way for the Turtles to go out; on a high note! Only "The Arcade Game" and "Turtles in Time" have managed to sell more and score higher than this game managed to do, but it still remains a Game Boy must-have play! Final score: 55/100.

22. “Kirby's Pinball Land” 1993 Game Boy, 2013 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. This is a short, but fun and enjoyable Kirby experience! This let's you play Kirby in three different pinball levels. They are divided into three sections each, plus a boss section. You have to beat all three levels and all three bosses, in order to play against the final boss, King Dedede. Thankfully, the wild, unpredictable nature of this game makes it more replayable. It's currently available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console if you want to play it for yourself. Final score: 57/100.

21. "Kirby's Dream Land 2" 1995 Game Boy, 2012 Wii (as “Kirby's Dream Land Collection”), Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. / The sequel to the original "Kirby's Dream Land" for the Game Boy, this game improves on the original, as it allows you to team up with some animal buddies, which gives you added abilities and skills that Kirby wouldn't have on his own. The graphics, sound, music, and difficulty get some improvement as well. Sadly, there's not much else to say about this game, because it still isn't very long, even by Game Boy standards. Thankfully, the game is easily available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console for anyone who is interested. Final score: 58/100.

20. "Adventure Island II: Aliens in Paradise" 1991 NES (as “Adventure Island II”), 1993 Game Boy, 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console. / This video game is a much more successful, and much more entertaining endeavor than it's prequel was! Not only did Master Higgins get to return in a portable experience, he got to ride new dinosaur partners who had various strengths and weaknesses, in a vast variety of stages. As the game title implies, dinosaurs are no longer Master Higgins' only warrior, he now has to fight against evil Aliens! I know the game is only ranked at #16, but the game is really fun if you give it a chance! I did, and I highly enjoyed it and recommend it! Final score: 59/100.

19. “Bust-a-Move 3” 1999 Arcades, Neo Geo, Saturn, Game Boy Color, and N64 (as "Bust-a-Move 99") / I have played a LOT of puzzles, on BOTH the Game Boy Color AND the N64 versions of this graphically fun video game! With more puzzles, more stages, more difficulty options than ever before, plus fun sound, music, and solid controls, this is a video game that can keep you busy for a NUMBER of hours! Since I don't know if the video game is available on a Virtual Console system, your best bet is to track down an Arcade cabinet version. Which given the popularity of THIS favorite, shouldn't be too hard to do! Final score: 60/100.

18. "Yoshi's Cookie" 1993 NES, Game Boy, and Super NES; 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console. / This is a very enjoyable game. It starts off easily enough when it teaches you the basic ropes of how to rearrange the rows and columns of four different types of cookies: Hearts, flowers, circles, and checkers. The goal of the game is that you have to line up at least two or more of the exact same kind of cookie in a row in order to get rid of that type of cookie, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Because there are additional rows and columns of cookies coming in from the right side and the top side of the screen at random speeds with random arrangements of cookies, players will soon find themselves having to work fast and furious, figuring out the best way to remove all the cookies from the screen, and advance to the next round. In addition to the four regular cookies, if you remove the same type of cookie enough times, you'll eventually get a Yoshi Cookie, which acts like a wild-card Cookie, and allows you to eliminate any of the four types of cookies as long as the Yoshi Cookie is lined up with a row or column where all the other types of cookies are the same types of cookies. The more cookie rows and columns a player can eliminate at one time, the higher their score will multiply and accumulate, but be careful! Because the longer each player takes to finish each round, the faster the cookies will zoom in from the right and from the left, and if cookies reach all the way from the left to the right or from the bottom to the top of the playing area of the screen, it will equal game over for the player. But the game over is pretty merciful in this case, as you can choose to have unlimited continues, pick up right on the stage where you were stumped before, and try a different strategy that might work better than the last one. The single player experience alone is pretty fun in itself, but the multiple player experience is where this game truly becomes challenging, as the rows and columns you clear becomes additional rows and columns that your opposing player has to clear as well! The NES version can even hold its own against the Super NES version, the music, sounds, and graphics of this game are top-notch by NES standards; as they approach very close to early Super NES standards of graphics, showing that the NES had come a long way since the block-type pixels of "Super Mario Bros." to a top-notch graphical presentation of "Yoshi's Cookie." And the little movie segments between each level of play is fun and funny to watch as well. With 10 levels of difficulty each with 10 rounds and 3 different speed settings to try, there are a total of 300 different kinds of challenging puzzle difficulties to overcome in this game, it equals a plethora of challenges that's hard to find on any other game for the NES, which is why this game shows that for the creative and the innovative, there are always new ways and possibilities for old systems to prove their creative worth. I highly enjoy this game, and I highly recommend it to families looking for a fun, multiple player experience! Final score: 62/100.

17. “Donkey Kong Country” 1994 Super NES, 1999 Game Boy Color, 2003 Game Boy Advance, 2008 Wii Virtual Console, 2013 Wii U Virtual Console, 2016 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Video game re-releases began to get QUITE popular, once the Game Boy added COLOR into its video game system! And since "Donkey Kong Land" was MORE of an ORIGINAL video game and NOT a Game Boy re-skin of "Donkey Kong Country," this was actually the FIRST time the FULL "Donkey Kong Country" had been released on a portable system! Rareware and Nintendo's partnership make sure the translation to a portable system, is a faithful one. The graphics, music, sound, controls, and difficulty all remain solid from the Super NES version, and this version NOW allows you to save and quit at any point you WANT! Although, if you are in the MIDDLE of a stage, you will have to play the stage from the beginning. But that STILL beats having to wait until a Saving Station like you did in the Super NES original! While this video game version is not yet available on a Virtual Console, a version is available on the Game Boy Advance, and the Super NES original is available on Wii Virtual Console, AND the NEW Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console! Final score: 63/100.

16. "Wario Land: Super Mario Land III" 1994 Game Boy, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. The game's name is a bit of an oddity. Although it SAYS that it's the THIRD game in the "Super Mario Land" franchise, it has relatively little to NOTHING to do with Mario at all! In fact, Mario BARELY makes a cameo appearance near the end of the game! Although, it turns out to not be such a bad thing! After making his debut as a villain in the predecessor to this game, Wario steps out of Mario's shadow, and makes his mark as a unique anti-hero. Wario's not concerned with saving Princesses or defeating evil Koopas; he just has one main goal in mind, which is MONEY!!!! Wario DOES get power-ups in this game, and he DOES fight enemies in this game, but both of them are notably different from Mario's usual game staples. A bull-hat power-up allows Wario to slam on the ground, breaking weak blocks and unbalancing weak enemies with his ground blow; a dragon hat power-up that allows Wario to breathe fire, which defeats many enemies and can break certain blocks; and a rabbit hat power-up that allows Wario to jet left or right through the air, allowing him access to places he can't reach otherwise! With many treasures to collect, there are actually different rewards depending on how many coins Wario manages to get by the end of the game. Get the maximum amount of coins, and Wario will get his own planet! Who says hard work never pays off?! Final score: 65/100.

15. “Wario Land II” 1998 Game Boy Color, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Although there's a version of this available on the ORIGINAL Game Boy, only the Game Boy Color version is available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console! Besides, this is the DEFINITIVE version of the video game anyways! Wario's rival, Captain Syrup, is back to her old tricks again; and she's called out an all-out war against Wario! There are many different secrets and paths located through-out this 12-bit video game, and just because Wario cannot be killed by his enemies, that doesn't make this video game less challenging OR fun to enjoy! See if YOU can find all the secret paths and treasures located throughout THIS fun game! Final score: 66/100.

14. "Mega Man V" 1995 Game Boy, 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT the "Mega Man V" that appears on the NES! Rather, it is a completely original, unique, and built from the ground up game! Unlike in previous games, where Mega Man's bosses were ALWAYS named after Man, Mega Man faces bosses that have named themselves after celestial objects. Mercury, Venus, Terra, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Pluto (one object skipped for OBVIOUS reasons) all try to put the beat down on Mega Man. Unique to this game is the fact that Mega Man can actually purchase objects to make the game easier for him. And if THAT wasn't enough, this is the first, and ONLY "Mega Man" game where Dr. Wily DIDN'T make the robots, and he isn't the BIG BAD at the end of the game (although he was still responsible for releasing the evil robot Sun Star, who appropriately BETRAYED Dr. Wily the first chance he got!) Although each stage is a riff on the space theme, they all have different variations on the way the stage is laid out. For having a great challenge and for DEVIATING from the normal routine, this game finds a spot up on this list! Final score: 68/100.

13. "Donkey Kong Land II" 1995 Game Boy, 2015 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. This might TECHNICALLY be seen as cheating, seeing as how this game is MOSTLY just a port of "Donkey Kong Country II" for the SNES. So why does it wind up on this list? It's "Donkey Kong Land II!" The AMAZING ability to actually take, pretty much, the WHOLE game from 16 bit "DKCII" and transfer it to 8-bit "DKLII," is NOTHING short of impressive! And when this game was/is played on the Super NES, Super Game Boy link-up, the game's graphics look even MORE impressive! The control, graphics, music, and challenge remain the same for this game as it does for its SNES big brother. The only reason this game DOESN'T get ranked higher, is because it DOESN'T try to be more different from the SNES version of this game! Still, it's a fun time to play as either Diddy or Dixie Kong in this fun, challenging game! Final score: 71/100!

12. "Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams" 1995 Arcades and Saturn, 1999 Game Boy Color. If you were to ask someone the most impressive thing that the Game Boy Color managed to do in its first year of existance, the answer would HAVE to be taking the 16/32 bit arcade game of "Street Fighter Alpha," shrinking it down to 8 bits for portable play on the Game Boy Color, retaining all the characters, special moves, good graphics, and rocking music, and varying degrees of difficulty, than THIS game would rank as the most impressive hat trick of the Game Boy Color's first year of existance! Granted, it was no easy feat to pull such a trick off, but Capcom made it look EASY!!!! If there was any game to choose from as a fighting experience on the Game Boy Color, "Street Fighter Alpha" is the best game to pick for a portable player on the go! Final score: 73/100!

11. "Pokemon Blue Version" 1995 Game Boy (as "Pokemon Green," Japan only); 1996 SNES (Japan only); 1998 Game Boy/Game Boy Color (with "Pokemon Red"); 1999 N64 (Compatible with "Pokemon Stadium"), 2004 Game Boy Advance (remade as "Pokemon Leaf Green and Fire Red"). Remember back in the late 1990's, when Digital pet crazes were in their infancy? "Tamagotchi" was a step above 'Pet Rock,' but the lack of game play variety and challenge was evident. Meanwhile, people in Japan couldn't get ENOUGH of the Virtual Pet craze. A craze that Nintendo wanted to realize in America! Despite trying TWICE in successive years in 1995 and 1996, all the markets were convinced that "Pocket Monsters" (what it was initially called), was NEVER going to take off or amount to anything. It wasn't until the Anime series started in 1997 and ported to the states, that hunger for the "Pokemon," started taking off. Still jaded by the marketing blitzes of Tickle-Me-Elmo and Furbees, short-sided retailers DID NOT order enough "Pokemon" merchandise to meet demands, and artificial shortages were created, fueling buyer frenzy and frantic card collecting everywhere! Finally, the pressure finally GOT to the American markets, and they caved and let Nintendo market "Pokemon" games to the American public! The Game Boy system, which HAD been seen as on its last legs, got a new lease on life thanks to "Pokemon." So much so, an official successor was FINALLY created, and everyone got the well-deserved Game Boy Color, which "Pokemon" was QUICKLY purchased for! The game may be antiquated, as it doesn't have any of the bells and whistles the later games have, but it's STILL instrumental, for kicking off the great game craze known as "Pokemon!" Who could catch them all?! ANYONE, but only by playing! Final score: 74/100!

10. "Super Mario Bros. DX" 1999 Game Boy Color, 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Mario sure knows how to get around! Despite the original "Super Mario Bros." game already being on the NES list, "Super Mario Bros. DX" is DIFFERENT enough from its original source to be included on this list! Not only does it contain the full, unaltered game of the original "Super Mario Bros.," it also contains eight of the thirteen stages from the Super NES version of "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels;" here called "Super Mario Bros. for Super Players." The game also features nice bonus features. It includes a yearly calendar to help people keep track of important dates, nice artistic pictures of iconic Mario characters, bonus features which include getting five red coins, finding a Yoshi Egg, and getting a high enough high score in each of the 32 original "Super Mario Bros." stages! Also included are eight exclusive stages containing a Boo race! That is, Mario has to race against a Boo to the end of a stage. But the Boo is a lot faster than he looks! By beating a Boo, he will be replaced by an even faster Boo for up to at least three times! So give Nintendo an A for effort, by including two GREAT NES games for the price of one on the Game Boy Color! I certainly do! Final score: 75/100!

9. "Mega Man Xtreme 2" 2001 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. What many people don't realize about Mega Man's portable video game outings (on the Game Boy) is the fact that MOST of them are actually level REMIXES of the NES originals! That is, the "Mega Man" game on the Game Boy (for example, "Mega Man III") actually takes FOUR stages from the NES version of "Mega Man III" and four stages from the NES version of "Mega Man IV!" When "Mega Man Xtreme" was designed to do the same thing for the "Mega Man X" series from the Super NES on the Game Boy Color, it followed the same pattern. However, the second (and sadly last) iteration in this series takes a divergence. It takes one stage from "Mega Man X," 4 stages from "Mega Man X2," and 3 stages from "Mega Man X3." If that wasn't enough, this game has an original plot not TAKEN from the "Mega Man X" games, with two new villains (serving Sigma, of course), and the ability to play as either Zero or X, a feature not available in the first game, but both robots have different fighting styles! This game features great graphics, great music, great controls, and a great challenge. The big reason why this game doesn't get ranked higher, is because the stages and bosses chosen for this game, aren't as iconic as the ones in "Mega Man Xtreme." Final score: 77/100!

8. "Super Mario Land II: Six Golden Coins" 1992 Game Boy, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. What "Super Mario Bros. 3" did for the Mario series on the NES, this game did for the Mario series on the Game Boy. That is, the game managed to BE bigger, play better, loved more, have a greater variety in challenges, obstacles, and enemies, and sell WAY better than its predecessor! As the second game in the "Super Mario Land" series (and OFFICIALLY the last, until "Super Mario 3D Land" came out many years later), this game manages to have more graphically in common (both in terms of looks, stage layout, and enemies) with the "Super Mario Bros." games than the first "Super Mario Land" did! The object of this game is to collect Six Golden Coins, which Mario needs in order to open his way BACK into his castle, which his WICKED doppelganger Wario, has taken over! On the way, Mario gets to fight underwater, in a Haunted House area, inside a GIANT mechanical Mario, inside a giant tree, inside a giant house, this game even allowed Mario to go into outer space for the first time (WAY before "Super Mario Galaxy" came up with the idea.) With all these great things going for it, this game EASILY managed to top the lists of MANY best selling Game Boy game lists, exceeded only by a few! Final score: 79/100!

7. "Mega Man Xtreme" 1999 Game Boy Color, 2014 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Although "Mega Man Xtreme" is a level re-mix game of "Mega Man X" and "Mega Man X2" for the Super NES, it actually manages to be the BEST "Mega Man" re-mix game ever made! The stages and the bosses chosen from BOTH games are the most iconic ever SEEN on the Nintendo "Mega Man X" games, the challenge, music, and difficulty are the most finely balanced in the entire "Mega Man X" video game series, and thusly, makes the game the most enjoyable out of ALL the "Mega Man X" games! Players everywhere LOVED getting a chance to beat Vile, Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Spark Mandrill, and Armored Armadillo for the very first time on a portable system, not to mention four great bosses from "Mega Man X2," and Sigma in his super-powerful forms from "Mega Man X." It is for this reason why this "Mega Man" game ranks the highest out of ALL the "Mega Man" games for the Game Boy/Game Boy Color systems! Final score: 81/100!

6. "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX" 1993 Game Boy (without the "DX"), 1998 Game Boy Color, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. One of the more OBVIOUS choices for inclusion on this list, goes to Link's first full-fledged outing on a portable system! Granted, there was a short game for the Game & Watch called "Zelda," but it's so short, it doesn't get a MENTION in the official Hyrule Historia (the chronological "Zelda" bible/timeline which orders ALL Canon "Zelda" games from 1986-2012 in chronological order.) Regardless, Link managed to IMPRESS the first time he was in a full-length game on a portable system. It was a very impressive feat in itself, to take the look and feel of both "The Legend of Zelda," and "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," and manage to shrink it down to fit on the Game Boy (and again on the Game Boy Color!) The reason why the "DX" version gets the ranking, is not just because it comes in color; it's graphically improved with better sounds and controls, it contains unique artwork not available in the original, and it contains a brand new dungeon EXCLUSIVE to the Game Boy Color version of this game. Featuring a unique cast of characters such as Marin, Tarin, Facade, owl Kaepora Gaebora, and the Wind Fish, the BIGGEST shocker has to be when Link finds out that Koholint Island is just a dream of the Wind Fish!!!!

If you haven't played the game, I'm sorry, but the statute for NOT spoiling that ending ran out YEARS ago! In any case, the dungeons have a great layout, the enemies and obstacles are fine staples for the "Zelda" series, and even though the ending is a little bitter-sweet, it's still a GREAT game to play from beginning to end! That's why this game remains a popular favorite in the "Zelda" video game series. Final score: 83/100!

5. "Pokemon Pinball" 1999 Game Boy Color, 2005 Game Boy Advance (Japan only). It was actually a very tough choice for me as whether to choose "Kirby's Pinball Land" or this game as my "Pinball" influenced game inclusion for this list. But this game wins out, because it has more stage variety, more interesting ways to play, better sound, graphics, controls, and challenge, and the fact that it IS possible to catch 150 Pokemon...by Pinball! So it's two great things for the price of one! If that wasn't enough, this game managed to STAY a Game Boy Color EXCLUSIVE, it's one of the very FEW Game Boy/Game Boy Color games that can't be PLAYED on a Game Boy Advance! That's because "Pokemon Pinball" was equipped with a special, LARGE battery compartment in the cartridge, which enabled players to feel the "Rumble" vibration feature, the same way the Rumble Pak did for N64 games. To that end, this game DID get a Game Boy Advance release, which didn't REQUIRE a battery compartment to feel the rumble (by playing the game on the Game Boy Player add-on for the Gamecube), but only in Japan. Still, it's hard to beat the fun and challenge of playing THIS game for a pure, Pinball gaming blast! Final score: 87/100!

4. "Pokemon Gold and Silver" (Tie!) 2000 Game Boy Color, 2001 N64 (Compatable with "Pokemon Stadium 2"), 2010 Nintendo DS (Re-made as "Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver.") Despite the enhanced abilities of the Game Boy Color compared to the original Game Boy, the tiny 12-bit powerhouse was beginning to get a little long in the tooth by the time Y2K came and went without a glitch. Many people wondered if the system STILL had any relevance to it when it came to games made in the 21st century. The over-whelming answer was that YES; there was STILL life to be had in the Game Boy Color! Among the LONGEST length games in the Game Boy Color catalog, "Pokemon Gold and Silver" managed to accomplish the IMPOSSIBLE; they UPPED the ante of the ORIGINAL "Pokemon" games! In the originals, there were only 150 to catch and 8 gyms to beat! In "Generation II," there were 250 to catch and 16 gyms to beat! In addition to highlighting the capabilities of the Game Boy Color, "Pokemon Gold and Silver" did a good job of adding new features to the "Pokemon" game world. In the original, only TWO Pokemon had distinct genders (the Nidoran evolution line), but in this game, nearly ALL the Pokemon had distinct genders, and they could even make EGGS/Baby Pokemon, impossible to catch otherwise! Another nice feature, is that Pokemon could now HOLD an item when they went to battle, very helpful in saving Pokemon in a pinch. And new HM moves were introduced, the helpful Whirlpool and Waterfall, which helped players access places that would otherwise remain blocked off. But the COOLEST new feature was the introduction of SHINY Pokemon; that is, Pokemon that appeared in RARE colors, with better stats and features than normal Pokemon, such as the mighty red Gyrados! With all these features, its little wonder how these games managed to out-perform and out-sell their predecessors on every level! But one "Pokemon" game managed to do EVEN better! "Pokemon Gold" Final score: 89/100! "Pokemon Silver" Final score: 91/100!

3. "Wario Land III" (What else?!) 2000 Game Boy Color, 2012 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. What Mario has done for the main console systems Nintendo has made, Wario manages to do for the Game Boy systems. While Wario isn't exactly known for helping people, he DOES do if it will get him rewarded with treasures and money! Take for instance, this game! When Wario finds and plays a Music Box, he finds out that it's MAGIC! Wario gets shrunk down into the world of the Music Box! A 'Guardian Deity' says he can restore Wario to his normal height, but Wario has to hunt down the four magic music instruments first, located in the four different sections (levels) of the Music Box. Any other treasures Wario discovers on his quest will be HIS to keep! What Wario DOESN'T know, is the 'Guardian Deity' is ACTUALLY a SEALED Demon who's been trapped by the now spell-bound citizens of the magic music box, and the Demon NEEDS the music instruments to be played before the seal on him can be broken! Needless to say, the Demon has no REAL intention of letting Wario getting ANY treasure! But if the Demon thinks it will be EASY to get rid of Wario, than he doesn't KNOW the lengths Wario will go to in order to improve his financial fortunes! This game is unique as Wario is UNABLE to die in this game! Although, Wario can STILL be affected by enemy inflicted transformations! These transformations are actually ESSENTIAL to Wario being able to discover SECRET bonus areas, alternate hidden exits, and rare treasures he wouldn't be able to find otherwise! Wario will have to set himself on fire, get fatter, become a zombie, get stung and float, become a snow-ball, and even get a little 'spring' action in! Along the way, Wario will also increase his move abilities, so that he can do more and find even MORE hidden secrets in stages he has already gone through!

So this game provides a lot of re-play value, and when Wario defeats the evil demon, the spell-bound citizens of the Music Box hail him as a GREAT hero and let him keep his treasures! Hey, what people don't know, won't hurt them, or endanger Wario's financial fortunes! Final score: 93/100!

2. (Tie!) "Rayman 2" & "Pokemon Crystal" ("Pokemon Crystal") 2001 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, and the N64 (Compatable with "Pokemon Stadium 2"), 2010 Nintendo DS (Re-made as a part of "Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver"); ("Rayman 2") 1998 N64, 1999 Dreamcast, 2002 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, 2004 ("Rayman DS"), 2011 Nintendo 3DS ("Rayman: the Great Escape.") One thing Nintendo is NOT usually known for, it's for resting on their laurels. This is especially true of many games released near the tail-end of their system's life-time! Nowhere is this more evident than in one of the last great masterpieces for the Game Boy Color, "Rayman 2." While "Rayman 2" can be criticized for coming out on WAY many more systems than it had the right to, that doesn't change the fact "Rayman 2" remains a solid game on MANY of the systems it comes out on! But "Rayman 2" winds up on THIS list, as it's the ONLY version of "Rayman 2" I have managed to beat to date. Not only does this version manage to take all the GOOD parts of the console versions of "Rayman 2" into THIS game version (No ANNOYING "Land of the Livid Dead" race stage), the game manages to be GRAPHICALLY impressive, musically enjoyable, has great controls and challenge, and remains a GREAT high-light from Rayman's short (but incredible) run on the Game Boy Color!

A more obvious choice for this list is "Pokemon Crystal." Unlike "Pokemon Yellow," which was basically a cheap ADD-on to the "Pokemon Blue/Red" saga, "Pokemon Crystal" manages to be a MORE independent game from "Pokemon Gold and Silver." Not only that, it introduces a brand NEW option! For the first time, players could CHOOSE to play as either a boy OR a girl, so that there wasn't just ONE avatar choice to choose from! Also, the graphics and music are even MORE impressive on "Pokemon Crystal" (especially on the Game Boy Advance) and there's a brand NEW quest, where it makes it a LOT easier to catch Suicune (who previously only appeared rarely and VERY randomly in "Gold and Silver." Also introduced were new SPECIAL days in "Pokemon," where special bargains were offered in shops, and certain Pokemon became easier to catch. "Pokemon Crystal" was the FIRST "Pokemon" game to keep REAL-time track of the days and months that this game was played in, resulting in a richer, more believable gaming experience! It is for these reasons why BOTH of these games share the number two slot! "Rayman 2" Final score: 95/100! "Pokemon Crystal" Final score: 97/100!

Drum roll please...and now it's time to find out the best game (or should I say, GAMES) available on the Game Boy/Game Boy Color systems!!!!

1. (Tie!) "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages" 2001 Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance, 2011 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. A game SO big, a project SO ambitious, it actually NEEDED to be divided into TWO different games! Not only that, but Nintendo NEEDED to rely on the expertise of Capcom in order to get EVERYTHING done! Capcom proved that not only could they HANDLE the legacy of Hyrule, they could handle it VERY well! Granted, it was no easy feat to take the many game features, characters, challenges, traps, and enemies from the N64 "Zelda" games to the Game Boy Color "Zelda" games. But Capcom made the impossible...POSSIBLE!!!! The most incredible PART of these games, is that they actually WEREN'T just TWO games, they were FOUR different games for the PRICE of TWO! By playing EITHER of the games in EITHER order; by winning each game, a password code would be given for use in the other game! By putting in the password and linking the two games together (possible on BOTH the Game Boy Color and/or the Game Boy Advance) its possible to CONTINUE the quest from the OTHER game and find NEW secrets and complete NEW quests available in the OTHER game! Although BOTH games link TO each other, "Oracle of Ages" is heavier on puzzles, while "Oracle of Seasons" is heavier on action. So "Oracle of Seasons" gets the SLIGHT edge over "Oracle of Ages" as the better game! Still, BOTH games are GREAT additions to the mythos, legacy, legend, and action ALL known in the great realm of Hyrule, Link/Zelda games!!!! "Oracle of Ages" Final score: 99/100! "Oracle of Seasons" Final score: 100/100! /

That's it for my list idea THIS time! :cool: Enough said, true believers! ;)

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I'm sorry for the long, LONG delay in getting a brand new list for you, but at long last, I am FINALLY ready! In 1995, things have quieted down a LOT in terms of video games, but the games that come out this year are some of the best, as 16 video games are vying for top spot. Find out where they rank! But sadly, there is ONE video game you need to AVOID! NOTE: From this year on, all video games are given video game ratings, in order to know which games are age appropriate. /

WORST Video Game of 1995: "Kirby's Dream Course" Rated E, Super NES / I will NEVER understand just WHY certain video game companies even TRY to MAKE the sport of GOLF seem like a FUN video game to play! Golf is currently NOT, has NEVER been, and never WILL be a fun sport to play in REAL life, so why would you even WANT to play a VIDEO game version of it?! Miniature golf, on the other hand...in any case; despite the good graphics and good music, this game has LOUSY controls, and LOUSY difficulty! It is a COMPLETE waste of Hal Laboratory's time, and a real waste of Nintendo's resources! Kirby deserves BETTER than this sad excuse for a video game, and so does everybody else! /

Now with THAT out of the way, here are the GOOD video games for 1995! / 16. "Sonic Labyrinth" Rated E, Sega Game Gear / Having Sonic explore labyrinth areas was NOT the worst idea in the world, but maybe putting it on the Sega Game Gear, was not the smartest move Sega could've made this year. Of course, they probably ALSO shouldn't have released "Mortal Kombat II" on all FOUR of their systems and make people STOP taking Sega SERIOUSLY, but this is REALLY where Sega begins to stumble and falter, in terms of making good, quality, video games. Even by Sega Game Gear standards, this game is NOT up to par with other video games available for this system. Although this game is available for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, if you are interested in tackling it.

15. "Toy Story" Rated E, Game Boy, Genesis, and Super NES / Disney was obviously NOT prepared for the movie of "Toy Story" to do as well as it did. Because if they were, they might have put more EFFORT into making a better video game for these three systems! The Super NES is the best of the bunch, as it contains the best visuals, control, and actual vocal sound-bites and still-frames from the movie. It's the difficulty that is tough to get past, though. It's hard to find, these days. Although it is possible if you want to look for it.

14. "Super Bomberman" Rated E, Super NES / This is a video game that SHOULD have been ranked for 1994, but I thought that this game didn't come out until this year! Even I can make a mistake from time to time! Unlike the super hard challenges of the Turbographx-16 games, the difficulty of this game has been relatively toned down for the Super NES. The graphics, music, sound, and controls are all solid, and multi-player is a blast. It's been a long time since I've played this game, though. And I don't know if it's currently available on a Virtual Console system right now. If it is, check it out! It will definitely be worth your time.

13. "Killer Instinct" Rated T, Arcades, Game Boy, and Super NES / Rareware has had a...complicated image problem with their own brand, to say the least. On the one hand, they wanted to be taken seriously and seen as a serious video game company. On the other hand, Nintendo often STUCK them with the thankless job of crafting a bunch of kid-friendly video games full of graphical quality and controls. Although if Rareware HAD a choice, I would THINK they would go back to Nintendo if they could; because THEN, at the very least, people would be BUYING their games! One of their more serious efforts was creating their own version of "Mortal Kombat" for Nintendo. Ironically enough, the same year this game came OUT on the Super NES, Nintendo re-thought their policy about NOT having guts and gore in their video games, and ended up releasing "Mortal Kombat II" on the Super NES, uncensored! Sadly, the only way to play this game today WITHOUT tracking down an arcade cabinet or a Super NES copy, is to play it via X-Box One Virtual Console. And you can BET Rareware won't see a DIME from any of the tiny profits that people GIVE to it!

12. "Mortal Kombat II" Rated M, Arcades, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Sega 32X, Saturn, and Super NES / What a DIFFERENCE two years make! In 1993, Sega was all OVER the guts and gore version of "Mortal Kombat," while Nintendo wouldn't even TOUCH a gory version of "Mortal Kombat" with a 39 and a half foot pole! But Sega ended up BLOWING their head start in the violence department, by oversaturating their OWN market base with this ONE game, for all four of their systems this year! Needless to say, fans did NOT want to pay for the exact SAME game four different times, and fans started leaving in droves! Meanwhile, Nintendo decided to swallow their pride, and go all IN with their decision to release an uncensored version of "Mortal Kombat II," and the move ended up paying off very WELL for the Super NES, as this game is seen as the DEFINITIVE version of the arcade original! Even though this game is known for its violence and dark humor, this game also has a lot of tongue in cheek humor, with the option to perform Brutalities, Babyalities, and even Friendship-talities! You BETTER be over 17 if you want to play it!

11. "Gargoyle's Quest" Rated E, Game Boy / This game was released in 1990, and I'm only NOW including it on a video game list?! It's not that I dropped the ball, it's just that I didn't actually PLAY this video game until AFTER I did my 1994 best of video game list! Despite being an early Game Boy effort, this game STILL manages to impress today, mainly for having a unique mix of platform elements, and an R.P.G., quest. You play as a Gargoyle named Firebrand, who has to save the Gargoyle Realm from a bunch of demons who are infiltrating it! The game can be fairly challenging for the uninitiated, so don't get cocky and think you can just breeze through it! It's definitely worth a play-through at least once, especially on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console!

10. "Mega Man X2" (What ELSE?!) Rated E, Super NES / The Mega popular sequel to the first Super NES hit, has Mega Man X fighting off against MORE of Sigma's deadly animal robot creations, and trekking across a variety of new stages, in a desperate attempt to find Zero's scattered body parts, and piece him back together after the events of the last game. It's been a long time since I have played this game, so I don't remember much about it. The game is currently available though, on Wii Virtual Console if you are interested.

9. "Super Mario World Two: Yoshi's Island" Rated E, Super NES / The FX2 Chip, originally planned to debut with "Star Fox 2", ended up debuting with THIS game! Despite the name of the game, this was more of a "Yoshi" title than a "Mario" title. It was actually the start of Yoshi's OWN Video Game series! A group of Yoshi's, are stuck with the task of carrying Baby Mario along with them, while they have to fight off against a rogue's gallery of villains, all in order to rescue Baby Luigi, so they can unite BOTH of the Brothers with their parents! A word of advice though, unless you like to hear the sound of LOUD crying, whenever Baby Mario gets knocked off of Yoshi, I recommend you turn the volume down. That's the only drawback to this otherwise pristine game. The game is also currently available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, the Wii U Virtual Console, and on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition, for anyone who is interested.

8. "Kirby's Dream Land 2" Rated E, Game Boy / The sequel to the original "Kirby's Dream Land" for the Game Boy, this game improves on the original, as it allows you to team up with some animal buddies, which gives you added abilities and skills that Kirby wouldn't have on his own. The graphics, sound, music, and difficulty get some improvement as well. Sadly, there's not much else to say about this game, because it isn't very long, even by Game Boy standards. Thankfully, the game is easily available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console for anyone who is interested.

7. "Bust-a-Move" Rated E, Arcades, Game Gear, Neo Geo, 3DO, and Super NES / This is a game that SHOULD have been featured for my 1994 list; but then again, I probably wouldn't have HAD a list of 16 games to include for THIS year! The goal of the game may be simple, pop bubbles of the same color by shooting bubbles of the same color at it, but accomplishing it can be VERY challenging! Because you're racing to accomplish this deed before the bubbles go over the danger line! This doesn't just happen through a player's inexperience, it can also happen as the ceiling moves DOWN, the longer you take to finish a round! This video game is SO popular, it has seen MANY sequels released for various video game systems over the year, but this is where it got its start! Ironically, the arcade is probably STILL the best place to find this game, as it is one of the prime choices of MANY restaurants to keep around for puzzle hungry customers!

6. "Tetris and Dr. Mario" Rated E, Super NES / Another video game that should have been featured for my 1994 list; Nintendo featuring TWO of their biggest puzzle games on ONE cartridge is a no brainer! Not only do these two games get graphical updates, the music, sound, controls, and difficulty levels are all boosted as well! This game is made even better when you play multi-player against a friend. Sadly, this video game bargain has not seen re-release on a Virtual Console yet. So if you can find a copy for yourself, consider yourself lucky!

5. "Mega Man V (Game Boy Version)" (What ELSE?!) Rated E, Game Boy / Despite the name of this game, it is actually NOT a port of the NES "Mega Man 5." Rather, it is an entirely NEW game, with NEW Robot Villains, that are based around planetary or celestial objects. Not only did Dr. Wily NOT create these robots (he just released them), he isn't even the Big BAD at the end of the game! Needless to say, this is probably the BIGGEST shake-up of the "Mega Man" formula that has ever occurred in a video game! If you want to play this unique video game for yourself, it is currently available on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

4. "Mighty Morphing Power Rangers: The Movie" Rated E, Game Boy, and Super NES / For all the Morphing the Power Rangers do, their games are often nowhere NEAR as Mighty as they SHOULD be! This game is a NOTABLE exception. Although ANY of the six rangers from the movie can be played, and simultaneous two-player co-op is available, it doesn't really change the way that the game is ultimately played! There are two levels of difficulty to choose from, full of many Z-Putties to fight, obstacle traps to avoid, and bosses to fight! Iconic enemies include Robo-Goat, the De-Polarizer, Silverhorns, Skelereena, and the EVIL Ivan Ooze as the final boss! The stage levels are of a good variety, while the sound, graphics, control, and challenge are all good WITHOUT being too overwhelming. This is a game that DESERVES to be re-released on a Virtual Console system someday.

3. "Earthbound" Rated E10, Super NES / I honestly cannot tell you just WHY it took me as long as it did to FINALLY play this video game, but I'm glad that I did! It's EASILY one of the LONGEST video games in the library of Super NES games! The graphics are good, the sound is good, the controls are good, the challenge is good, and ANY video game that features a MUSICAL sound version of The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" (while you're traveling on a U.F.O.,) earns MAJOR bonus points in MY book! And referencing The Beatles "Yesterday" and "Yellow Submarine," also helps out the coolness factor of this video game immensely! Although the game was TECHNICALLY rated K-A (1995's equivalent of an "E" rating when it came out), it would PROBABLY have an E10 rating today, because it features a couple uses of the "C" word, anthropomorphic puke, and rude humor, such as people talking about whether certain characters wet their beds! In this game, it is ALWAYS important to carry your important items with you at all times, and take the time to fight EVERY opponent that comes your way! It will make the boss fights MUCH easier, when you come across them! And just a little heads up, Giygas, may just be the FREAKIEST final boss you will EVER confront in a video game, especially by 16-bit standards! This video game is STILL one of the longest, and GREATEST R.P.G. Video games out there, and I highly recommend playing it on either the Wii U Virtual Console, the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console, or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition Console if you haven't already!

2. "Donkey Kong Country II: Diddy Kong's Quest" (What ELSE?!) Rated E, Super NES / If people thought that the ORIGINAL "Donkey Kong Country" was impressive, they were REALLY blown away by the sequel! Nintendo and Rareware had a pretty sweet thing going! When Rareware was given permission to design "Donkey Kong Country," that game proved that 2-D games could still be relevant with relatively realistic (at the time) 3-D pre-rendered polygon graphics and get people excited about what 3-D graphics could do! Plus it was was fun and easy to play to with a lot of extra, hard to find secrets! So Nintendo acquired Rareware and made their games an exclusiveity for Nintendo hardware only! And Rareware's first task was to do something that was considered the gaming equivalent to building the pyramids of Egypt: make "Donkey Kong Country" again, only make it with more levels, better graphics, more enemies, more animals, more collectible secrets, more mini-games, and more of everything! Many people were thinking that the Super NES was going to bust it's game-making ability and not be able to power up this juice engineered feet of engineering! But Rareware did what nobody else could manage to do, they perfected their own perfection! This time around, Diddy Kong was the one in the limelight, with his new-found girlfriend Dixie Kong. And this time, there were many more levels and many more different kinds of terrain to traverse in order to stop King K. Rool who was up to his old tricks again! This time, the Kremmling had taken to the skies, hired pirates, and kidnapped Donkey Kong himself! It was amazing what Rareware could package into a 16 bit cartridge! 75 Krem Coins, 102 DK Coins, an unlimited amount of Banana Coins, red and blue and green 1 and 3 and 2-up balloons galore, plus single bananas and bunches of bananas as far as the eye could see, not to mention secret blasting barrels which had more variety then ever before! Now players could actually move in some of the barrels, but they could only shoot in a certain direction, there were character specific barrels which only either Dixie or Diddy could use, and there were cannon balls and treasure chests that needed to be thrown to! Plus two new Kong members, Wrinkly Kong and Funky Kong showed up to lend their support, as well as several new animal friends that the two protagonists could either ride, or they could transform into them! Besides from the return of Rambi the Rhino, Enguarde the Swordfish, and Squawks the Parrot, there was also a Spider, a Snake, and an Anglerfish which all lended their support! This game redefined what it meant to be a 16 bit game, even if it was in a genre that wasn't going to last much longer, but this game definitely gave the Super NES as well as the 16 bit console war one of the best games that was available to play on the market everywhere! That's why I loved playing with it!

1. "Chrono Trigger" Rated E, Super NES / Before playing this game, I never before realized the amount of memory this 16 bit juggernaut could store inside its limited 1991 based technology, but now I can safely say that the amount it can store is truly astounding! :D This is where 16 bit games reached their absolute pinnacle of epic storytelling, where action, adventure, and time-travel all blend together to create a perfectly powerful game that is nearly without equal in peer; either in 16 bit standards or any other standard for that manner. How many other games can say that you can achieve 13 different endings in a single cartridge?! Plus its got artwork design by legendary "Dragonball Z" creator Akira Toriyama, and two RPG giants called Squaresoft and Enix came together to develop and publish what just might be the most effective demonstration of a 16 bit game that has ever maximized the full potential of a 16 bit hardware machine! I have been humbled by this game, and yet I also respect it. Now that I have finally played it and beaten it, this game has shown me that there are still hurdles left for me to jump over, heights that I still need to scale, and I can elevate myself to become an even better game player than I have been before I played this game, and I shall continue to do so from now on having beaten this game. I am a better game player for having challenged, played, and beating this game, so I highly recommend this challenging RPG platform combo game to anyone who wants to put their game playing prowess to one of the ultimate tests on a 16 bit system, or any other system out there! I salute this game! /

That's it for 1995! Stay tuned for 1996, where the Sega Genesis gets its last great game, Mario steps into the realm of R.P.G. video games, "Star Fox 2" gets a (delayed) landing, and the N64 arrives, and blows EVERYONE away! Enough said, true believers! ;)

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It's that time again! :D 1996 is here, and the Sega Genesis is ready to take its last bow. There are only 14 video games vying for top spot this time. Read on and find out what they are! / *Technically NOT released until 2017.

14. "Mortal Kombat III" Rated M, Arcades, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Saturn, and Super NES / In terms of bloody and violent video games, a lot of people think that this is about where the "Mortal Kombat" series hit its peak, in terms of being controversial and scandalous. After this game, it just got harder and harder for Midway to be able to top itself in terms of pure shock value. The graphics, sound, music, and control are as solid as ever, but the game is STILL pretty hard-core difficult, even on the definitive Super NES version! You BETTER be over 17 if you want to play it!

13. "Super Bomberman 2" Rated E, Super NES / This game should've been included in the 1995 list, but since I already had FORGOTTEN the original "Super Bomberman", I didn't want to include its sequel and crowd the field with "Bomberman" games. This entry contains more of the same from the first "Super Bomberman" game. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! It's been a long time since I've played this game, though. And I don't remember too much about the stages and levels. I'm not sure if this game is currently available on a Virtual Console yet. But if it is, I highly recommend you play it!

12. "Kirby Super Star" Rated E, Super NES / Since Nintendo's 16 bit system really couldn't even HOPE to beat the graphics of the Sony Playstation, Nintendo knew that they had to go for the amount of game-play, and beat Sony THAT way! This game is unique, as it is actually a BUNCH of different games on a single cartridge, and they are full of variety and challenge! The best way to play this game today, is on the Nintendo DS, as "Kirby Super Star Ultra," which contains even MORE games and new cut-out scenes! But this game is still very solid and enjoyable in its own right, so I highly recommend playing this game via Wii U Virtual Console.

11. "Cruisin' USA" Rated E, Arcades and N64 / Midway wanted to bring racing games to the next generation of consoles, and they did it with this launch game for the N64! At the time that this video game was released, it had by FAR the most realistic looking graphics of any racing car game out on the market! The sound, music, controls, and difficulty are all very solid, especially on the N64 version of this game. Unfortunately, this game does not have a lot of replay value, as there really aren't any major secrets to uncover. Still, if you want to play this game, it is currently available on the Wii U Virtual Console.

10. "Mega Man X3" (What Else?!) Rated E, Super NES / Capcom's final "Mega Man" entry for Nintendo's 16 bit system (with the exception of "Mega Man & Bass" in 1997, which didn't see release outside of Japan), this marks the FIRST time that you can play as either X, OR ZERO in a variety of stages filled with more of Sigma's diabolical animal robots! Sadly, Zero only GETS one life; and if he fails in a stage, you cannot play as him again in the game. Thankfully, the rest of the game is stellar, as it contains solid graphics, music, sound, control, and difficulty, that one normally expects from a solid Capcom game! The game is currently available via the NEW Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console download.

9. "Earthworm Jim 2" Rated E, Game Gear, Genesis, Saturn, and Super NES / When Majesco re-released "Earthworm Jim 2" on the Game Boy Advance, they REALLY messed up! They used the lackluster controls of the Genesis, rather than the smooth, trusted controls of the Super NES! Even the Saturn would've been a better option! But ignoring the terrible re-release, this game was a really solid entry for Nintendo back in the day. Featuring more mad-cap levels, more bizarre stages, and some of the most challenging obstacles a worm can EVER undertake, this game features some of the most hilarious antics of the 16 bit era! If you want to play this game in all of its untarnished glory, it is currently available via Wii Virtual Console.

8. "Donkey Kong Land II" Rated E, Game Boy / This might TECHNICALLY be cheating, seeing as how this game is pretty much just "Donkey Kong Country 2," but for the Game Boy! But still, you got to give Rareware credit where credit is due; they managed to take nearly the ENTIRE game of "Donkey Kong Country 2" (minus one level that they had to cut out in order for the Game Boy to be able to run the game) convert it into eight bit black and white, and retain ALL of the same great controls, sound, music, difficulty, and hidden secrets from the original Super NES on the eight bit, portable wonder! Now THAT is processing power! It is currently available to play via the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

7. "Street Fighter Alpha 2" Rated T, Arcades, Saturn, and Super NES / The 16 bit power of the Super NES was certainly incredible! They were able to do what the Genesis couldn't, and they FIT a 32 bit arcade game into the processing power of a 16 bit cartridge! With more characters and stages to fight through, the fight to be the strongest "Street Fighter" brawler has never been more interesting! And owning the video game was certainly cheaper than having to shell out a bunch of quarters on the Arcade floor. The game is currently available to play on the Wii U Virtual Console, for anyone who is interested!

6. "Bust-a-Move 2" Rated E, Arcades, Game Boy, Saturn, and N64 / The sequel to the first arcade classic, this game contains even MORE challenge options than the FIRST one! And on the N64 version, you even get four-player competition madness! The graphics, sound, music, control, and difficulty are all as solid as ever, but I don't know if this game is currently available to play on a Virtual Console. If it is, I highly recommend that you play and beat it for yourself!

5. "Sonic 3D Blast" Rated E, Genesis and Saturn / Sega made their grand entrance into the 16 bit battle with Sonic, so it's only fitting that the Genesis should make it's grand finale with Sonic! Although a version of this game IS available on the Saturn, I have only played the Genesis version. This game is easy, it just takes some getting used to. It's really not that hard to master the controls or avoid the dangers in this game. And once the timing is mastered, this game is literally a blast to play! All it takes is some getting used to. Sure, it's by no means a Sonic game in the traditional sense, but you still have enemies to defeat, rings, 1-up's, and Chaos Emeralds to collect! Plus Dr. Robotnik is back once again trying numerous mechanical inventions to try to stop Sonic the Hedgehog throughout many different level designs such as an Amusement Park stage, a snow stage, a lava stage, a technology stage, and my personal favorite, the jungle stage, not just for the design of it, but also because of the rocking music. This game certainly pushed the graphical capabilities of the Sega Genesis farther then it had ever been pushed before, so it's sad that this is the only real example of what could've been accomplished on the Sega Genesis. But the fact that this game did manage to get created showed that there was a reason that Sega could hold it's own against Nintendo and had games of it's own that were made to be played, even if they didn't have as many as Nintendo did. Of course, it's very strange now that all these years later, Sega is now releasing games On Nintendo systems, and they're even being allowed to feature characters from the Nintendo universe onto Sega published games! It just goes to show you that time changes everything and sometimes, even the most impossible of dreams can come true! That's why I like this game!

4. "Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire" Rated T, N64 / Maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, but I felt as though this was one of the better games that the N64 had to offer! Certainly it was one of the first, and as far as shooting games go, it definitely set the bar as far as adventure games go! Before 1996, I had certainly never played a 3D game where the primary role was to guide a character forward, changing camera angles to get different views, using different weapons to defeat different enemies, and most importantly, dealing with a character who by 1996 standards (and even a few years later after the fact) was a relatively realistic human character, even though he was in a time that was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. (Little "Star Wars" humor). There are different levels of challenge for people of different skill levels. Certainly, the harder levels of difficulty are not for the faint of heart. I could certainly never beat the Very Hard or the Jedi levels of difficulty, but as far as game-play goes, this was a very good game to play. While the graphics certainly wouldn't look impressive by today's standards, in 1996 they were really great! And there were many decisions to choose as to whether or not the character could get to a certain place. Jumps had to be timed carefully, lest the character hurt himself from jumping from a place that was too high or worse, killing himself. Even with the addition of a jet pack later on, the energy wasn't limitless, so the player still had to be careful. The level challenges are also wide and varied. The game starts during "Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back." And puts the player into the role of bounty hunter Dash Rendar, a hero for hire. He starts off by shooting the AT-ST's and AT-AT's on hoth, then he must escape on foot to his spaceship, avoiding the Snow Troopers, Wampas, and an AT-ST to reach his destination! Then he has to fly through an asteroid field, avoiding the space rocks and TIE fighters sent to destroy him. But his troubles are far from over. In not too long, he learns that Han Solo has been frozen in carbonite, which takes Dash Rendar onto another trip into hero time. He goes to a junkyard planet where a bunch of trash is located, and running on a train, avoiding obstacles and trying to stay alive (which was not an easy task) and then destroying IG-88. Then he travels to a canyon planet until he eventually finds his jet pack. He then hunts for and locates Boba Fett. First having to fight him, then his Slave II ship. However, Dash Rendar soon goes from trying to rescue Han Solo to protecting Luke Skywalker! He must race on a desert speeder, taking out the deadly bikers along the way, and avoid going to fast and crashing and exploding! Not to mention the deadly Sarlacc traps. Then he learns of a spaceship which may contain plans to a weapon, and he goes up there. It turns out to be the plans for the New Death Star. But the victory comes with the discovery that Princess Leia has been captured by a new enemy: Lord Xizor! So Dash travels to Xizor's planet, and infiltrates his defenses through the sewers, then he has to blow Xizor's palace up! But Xizor doesn't take the defeat lying down, and focuses on one last attack through his Skyhook. Dash Rendar must destroy it before the day is saved. It is an exciting game and an adventurous game to be sure, and definitely a good experience to have for fans of the "Star Wars" franchise! :idea: I'm one, and that's why I enjoyed this game!

3. "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars" Rated E, Super NES / In 1996, the 16 bit era was coming to an end. Sega gave up the Genesis after "Sonic 3D Blast". And Atari's 48 bit Jaguar couldn't compete with Nintendo, Sega, and Sony, and Atari dropped out of the hardware race. Nintendo however, wasn't ready to jump the 16 bit ship just yet, and wanted to show there was one more trick still up the Super Nintendo's sleeve! This game, was by far more ambitious then any other game the Super Nintendo had made up to that point! It was taking Mario into the uncharted realm of RPG's. Fortunately, it was a realm that Squaresoft was well accustomed with and could guide the game along the path that would prove what an RPG with a Mario name could do. While there might be comparisons that could be drawn between "Final Fantasy VI" and "Super Mario RPG," there are several key differences! The armor, weapon, and relic choices have been greatly simplified (for more casual Mario players not accustomed to an RPG game,) the characters learn their special skills automatically, plus players could choose whether they wanted to increase their stamina, their attack/defense, or their magical attack/defense. This game also broke the mold as far as Mario games went. For the first time in quite a while, rescuing Princess Peach wasn't a deep concern for Mario in this game. And for the first time in Bowser's career, he wasn't the main enemy in a game that he was in! And in fact, Mario ended up meeting characters and enemies that he had never met before, such as the cloud prince named Mallow, a thieving crocodile, Mack the Big Knife, Frogfucius, Boomer, the Star Warrior Geno, a bunch of anthropomorphic moles, Punchinello, Booster, Valentina, the Axem Rangers, and the dreaded Smithy himself! Mario had to team up with Mallow, Geno, a rescued Princess Peach and even Bowser himself in order to track down the enemies, defeat them, and recover the mystic seven stars that fell down from the sky, so that the ability to grant people's wishes could be restored. Needless to say, it was the first time and still one of the few, rare times where Mario, Peach, and Bowser all had one same common goal (albeit working for different interests.) This game proved that Mario could work in a 3D environment, and later versions of Mario RPG games have taken the concepts introduced by Squaresoft and have continued to evolve them in new and interesting ways that have cemented Mario's status not just as a platform star, but as an RPG star as well! That is why I enjoyed this game!

2. "Star Fox 2"* Rated E, Super NES / Some games, take a LONG time to actually MAKE their appearance! The ACTUAL "Final Fantasy II" (not the Super NES game, which was ACTUALLY "Final Fantasy IV"), was released in Japan on the NES in 1989, but not released on a Nintendo system (the Game Boy Advance), in America until 2002! "Earthbound Origins" (known as "Mother" in Japan; "Mother 2" was released AS "Earthbound" in America on the Super NES), was released on the NES in 1990, but not released on a Nintendo system (as a Wii U download game) in America until 2015! But for the longest time, it seemed like THIS game was going to be LOST to the ages, and NOT see a release ANYWHERE! But after 21 years, the game FINALLY made its way to America AND the rest of the world, via the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition Console! Since the game was READY for a release in 1996 DESPITE not actually being RELEASED that year, I'm allowing for its appearance here. Sometimes, you just got to BEND the rules for a game THIS good! This game has by FAR, the BEST video game graphics of ANY Super NES game; EASILY reaching 32 bit or even 48 bit caliber at times! This game definitely could've extended the longevity of the Super NES, had it been released back in the day. Strangely enough, many of the concepts planned to be introduced for this game, ended up appearing in "Star Fox 64". As such, this game plays much like the beta version of "Star Fox 64"! The concept of the All-Range Mode, being able to fly in any direction, and Star Wolf; got their (technical) origins with THIS game! The only reason this game doesn't get top honors, is that the camera feels kind of slow to respond to your directional input whenever you are moving your Arwing! Although this game actually DID help Nintendo a lot, it helped them to figure out HOW to work with video games that had 3-dimensions, and how to make characters and objects MOVE in 3-dimensions! And because Nintendo had a FULL year to work the bugs out with THIS game, it helped them REALLY nail down how to make a good impact, when the N64 made it's debut, and changed the video game landscape forever!

1. "Super Mario 64" Rated E, N64 / The first free-roaming 3-D game! In this game, Mario could move, perform, and go anywhere that it was possible for him to go to, and was no longer restricted by the boundaries of 2-D gaming or isometric 3-D games. Now he could beat and defeat his enemies in ways that weren't possible before, and new methods of game-play were opened up, in a brand new possibility of ways that were truly revolutionary. If Mario wanted to walk underwater and be unharmed, he could! If Mario wanted to pass through walls and enter sealed cages, he could! And if Mario wanted to fly anywhere he wanted, he most Definitely could! What was even better, is that the characters and enemies in this game expressed more different types of personality then they ever had before, making them much richer as video game characters. During the lifespan of the N64, this game modeled all the possibilities of what was possible in 3-D gaming, and to this day still remains a technological feat of engineering not just for Nintendo, but for video game designers everywhere! And it is for that reason that I salute this game! /

That's it for 1996! Stay tuned for 1997, when Mario goes racing AGAIN, the Super NES gets its last note-worthy entry, and where you will be REQUIRED to do a BARREL Roll!!!! :hysterical: Enough said! ;)

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Today, you get TWO lists for the price of ONE! o.o 1997, AND 1998! Consider this your LUCKY day! :cool: /

1997: 1997...pretty quiet, all things considered. We only have ten video games fighting it out for top spot this time. But one video game SOARS above all of them! Read on and find out what it is.

10. "Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3" Rated M, Arcades, Saturn, and Super NES / The pumped-up, super-charged, adrenaline-filled version of "Mortal Kombat 3," this version pulls out ALL the stops in trying to be a fist-pounding, heart-thumping, no-holds barred fighting game! With more characters, stages, and special options then ever before; this was a pretty action-packed way for the Super NES to have one of its final video games! Sadly, I do not know if this video game is currently available via a Virtual Console system. If it is, be sure you're over 17 before you play it.

9. “Mole Mania” Rated E, Game Boy / One of the last hit games to come out for the original black and white portable console, was this charmer about a mole trying to save his fellow moles from various troubling predicaments. It's a challenging puzzler, with surprisingly good sound, graphics, and music. It's very challenging though, so don't let the simple concept catch you off guard! It's currently available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console if you're interested!

8. "Bomberman 64" Rated E, N64 / Hudson Soft was very busy this year! Not only did it release their last "Bomberman" game for the Super NES, (which I haven't gotten to play yet), it released THIS game, and a SURPRISE hit for the N64! This game successfully brings Bomberman into the 3-D realm. The levels and stages are well designed, the puzzles are clever, the graphics, music, sound, controls, and difficulty are all first rate on this top of the line video game; even if I was never able to figure out just HOW to get past the final stages of this good game. This video game is available on the Wii U Virtual Console, and I highly recommend that you play it for yourself!

7. "Frogger" Rated E, Game Boy, and Super NES / This video game took a LONG time to hop onto the 16-bit system, but players are certainly glad it did, because this was one of the LAST new video game experiences that became available for Nintendo's 16-bit video game system. It features the same difficulty and challenge as the arcade original, but it features improved graphics, sound, music, and new difficulty level options. As of right now, though, the game currently isn't available via a Virtual Console system, which is a shame. This is one of the last crown gems of the Super NES video game system!

6. "Clayfighter 63 1/3" Rated T, N64 / Don't ask me what the "63 1/3" part is all about, it's NEVER explained! Not only does this video game feature some of the SAME mad-cap, crazy clay-figures from some of the previous video game entries of this franchise; Earthworm Jim ALSO gets thrown into the mix, and gets to beat up the ILL-conceived, OTHER, LESSER 1990's video game mascot, Boogerman! This video game features solid graphics, music, sound, control, and a good difficulty for players. This video game is currently available via Wii Virtual Console. Also worth searching for is the "Sculptor's Cut" version, available on the N64 starting in 1999, which features some characters and stages that WEREN'T able to make the ORIGINAL version of this game!

5. "Cruisin' World" Rated E, Arcades and N64 / This game is an exciting IMPROVEMENT over the original! Not only do you get more rocking music, cool sounds, smooth graphics, and solid difficulty, this game features more stages than the original, where you get to travel ALL around the globe; there's even ONE secret track where you get to race, On the MOON!!!! Don't ask how that works, it's just for fun! This game is currently available to play on the Wii U virtual Console.

4. "Diddy Kong Racing" Rated E, N64 / This video game MOSTLY exists purely as Rareware's answer to "Mario Kart 64." It's a very solid entry, with good graphics, sound, music, controls, and difficulty featured in this video game. The only reason this video game doesn't rank as high as "Mario Kart 64," is that this video game is where Rareware started to get into the habit of making up an INSANE amount of things to collect in order to 'FULLY' complete the game, which can get a little tedious at times! Thankfully, the Nintendo DS re-release of this game does AWAY with the item-collecting mini-quest, and makes an even BETTER version of this already-rocking game, making THAT version the definitive version to find and play today!

3. "Rampage World Tour" Rated T, Arcades, Saturn, N64, and eventually Game Boy Color / This video game, is an EXCITING video game! With three different monsters to choose from; Lizzie the giant reptile, George the giant ape, and Ralph the Giant wolf, its possible to play this game either alone, or with a friend. The object of this game is to travel to MANY exotic locations around the world, and SMASH all the buildings to pieces! Reduce human civilization to rubble, and one monster will RULE as the ruler of THEIR Earth! Just don't tear down buildings right away, valuable items can be hidden in buildings, such as cash money, food, or even PEOPLE for the monsters to eat! But be careful; poisonous items and traps are ALSO hidden in the building; learn which items to grab, and which items to avoid! And if any tank or military vehicle tries to put a stop to the fun, SMASH them! The N64 and Game Boy Color versions are the DEFINITIVE versions to play, as they even add a neat on-going story in for good measure! "Rampage World Tour" may be a DESTRUCTIVE game, but it's a FUN destructive game!

2. "Mario Kart 64" Rated E, N64 / This video game, even after 20 years, is STILL a fast, furious, fun, sometimes challenging, but ALWAYS entertaining racing game that ANYONE can enjoy! Choosing from eight different characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach (she's the BEST!), Yoshi, Toad, Bowser, Wario, and Donkey Kong, players must race their way through sixteen different courses on four Cup Circuits on three difficulty levels (and an unlock-able mirror course difficulty level, where the course level designs are REVERSED); and all players must race while avoiding the different weapons and hazards deployed by either the computer-controlled opponents, or the other players! This game is fun enough for a solo player, but it's REALLY entertaining when two-four people play against each other! There is no shortage in the amount of fun that can be had from this game, so it is a definite must-play!

1. "Star Fox 64" Rated E, N64 / "Do a BARREL ROLL!!!!" With those four words, an Internet meme was forever born and parodied in MANY Internet web chat rooms! The command refers to how you can keep your Arwing from taking damage! As far as video game sequels go, a lot of them STRIVE to be better than their predecessor, but few manage to do as EXCEPTIONALLY well as THIS one! While this game has pretty much the same story-line and plot as the original "Star Fox," the execution is pulled off a LOT better on the N64 as it has BETTER controls, BETTER sounds, BETTER graphics, BETTER balanced challenge, BETTER music, and some new tricks and techniques are introduced also! Playing as ace pilot Fox McCloud, the Star Fox team is commanded by General Pepper into duty; their mission is to protect the Lylat system against the evil Ape Genius Scientist named Andross, and his invading Venomian army! Featuring 16 different worlds with 24 different paths to choose from (two of them secret!) Fox and his fellow pilots Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, Slippy Toad (and occasionally helped by Bill the Dog and Katt the Cat), the Star Fox team must battle through Seven different worlds in one game play-through, with Corneria ALWAYS being the starting planet, and Venom as the ending planet (although Venom is divided as two separate levels, depending on the path TAKEN to get to Venom). Players CAN take the EASIER paths to beat the game, but only by CHOOSING the harder paths, and beating Andross in his TRUE form, can the TRUE ending of the game be seen! Plus, by earning a medal by shooting down ALL or MORE of the recommended amount of enemies in each level (except for the easy version of Venom), can an even HARDER version of the game be unlocked, with more enemies to fight and greater DAMAGE to the player's Arwings! When it comes to exciting space shooters, it's hard to get more exciting than THIS game! And that's what makes this game so GREAT! /

1998: It's time for the video games of 1998! There are only nine of them this year, but they're pretty good, all things considering. See where they rank! /

9. "Wheel of Fortune" Rated E, N64 / Much like the video game that was available on the NES, this video game is mostly here for nostalgic reasons. The graphics were pretty faithful to the popular game show, as well as the music, sound effects, and control. This game let you choose whether you wanted to play three through five rounds of puzzle-solving rounds, plus a Final round for the Winner. You could either play alone, or with up to two friends. This game isn't available on a Virtual Console, though. So you'll have to track it down if you want to play it.

8. "Mortal Kombat 4" Rated M, Arcades, N64, and Game Boy Color / As far as the "Mortal Kombat" franchise goes, this is the FIRST time where the arcades and the N64 version goes into the 3-D realm! Thankfully, the hyper-action, killer combo controls, realistic graphics, awesome sounds and music, do not suffer in the translation of going from 2D into 3-D! Sadly, after this solid game, the "Mortal Kombat" series would stumble and falter in trying to stay hip and relevant to discerning players. I'm not sure if this game is available on a Virtual Console, though. If it is, be sure you are over 17 before you play it!

7. "Wario Land II" Rated E, Game Boy Color / Although there's a version of this available on the ORIGINAL Game Boy, only the Game Boy Color version is available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console! Besides, this is the DEFINITIVE version of the video game anyways! Wario's rival, Captain Syrup, is back to her old tricks again; and she's called out an all-out war against Wario! There are many different secrets and paths located through-out this 12-bit video game, and just because Wario cannot be killed by his enemies, that doesn't make this video game less challenging OR fun to enjoy! See if YOU can find all the secret paths and treasures located throughout THIS fun game!

6. "Banjo-Kazooie" Rated E, N64 / Remember when Rareware USED to make only GREAT, QUALITY games that EVERYONE enjoyed?! They SURE don't seem to; otherwise they wouldn't suck so much with Microsoft! Nintendo KNEW what Rare was good at, and what their best strengths were! Making entertaining platform games was one of them! Even though this game is basically Rare's take on the "Super Mario 64" formula, Rare DOES the formula justice; putting its OWN spin on the formula, making it different enough, fun enough, AND challenging enough to warrant a complete play-through! The evil witch Gruntilda, wanting to become beautiful, has decided to kidnap Banjo the Bear's LOVELY younger sister, Tootie! And once Klungo completes his Beauty Extracting/Transfer Machine, Gruntilda plans to use it to transfer Tootie's beauty from Tootie to Gruntilda! Banjo is NOT going to allow THAT to happen, so he and his pal Kazooie must travel through many different challenging levels and confront all the different obstacles! Along the way, Banjo will also need to transform into various different things. Each level will often have a Mumbo Jumbo Skull House which Banjo will need to visit; and upon paying Mumbo currency (Mumbo tokens) Mumbo will transform Banjo into a unique creature transformation capable of helping Banjo get through a difficult part of a level or accessing places Banjo can't reach normally. It's recommended (but not required) for Banjo to find 100 notes in every level, five Jinjo's in every level, and 100 Jiggies (puzzle pieces) hidden throughout the game! The biggest secret ABOUT this game, is the fact that Rare managed to keep SOME of it secret until it was just about to LEAVE Nintendo! By putting in special codes inside of the sand beach castle in the second level, its ACTUALLY possible to collect all the different colored eggs, and the ice key, as seen in the Easter egg ending of the game! It's still HARD to believe Rare traded SURE success for...whatever it is Microsoft makes them do! At least THIS game still rocks!

5. "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX" Rated E, Game Boy Color / Link's original portable adventure is back, and it is BETTER than ever! The Game Boy Color version of this game gave it something which the previous hand-held version had lacked. Mainly, color! Now the characters were more fun to look at then ever before, plus there were new things to do in this version as well! There was the fun ability that by doing certain things, in video game pictures could be taken which added to the fun. There was also a brand new dungeon in which Link could choose a brand new tunic that depending on a player's preference, either increased attack or increased defense (I've always been good at attacking with my character, so I always chose defense.) Those additions already enriched an already very good game! This video game is currently available to play via the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console!

4. "Yoshi's Story" Rated E, N64 / This game just can't seem to catch a BREAK in the United States! Despite being a gigantic hit in Japan, and doing modest success in America, plans to re-release the game on a portable system in the States, have fallen through THREE times! But at the very least, it's still an enjoyable game to play on the N64, Wii Virtual Console, or the Wii U Virtual Console. A sequel to "Yoshi's Island," this story (told like a children's storybook) follows six young Yoshi's (two unlock-able Yoshi's can be picked up along the way) who have to save the Tree of Happyness from Baby Bowser, who has selfishly stolen it for himself so that the Yoshi's can't have it. The majority of this game isn't particularly hard, but finding all the secrets are! The toughest goals in this game, are to find the three hearts hidden in EVERY stage, and to TRY to eat ONLY melons in this game! Not as easy as it sounds, as the hearts can be WELL hidden at times, and sometimes, if a player FAILS to get a melon the FIRST time, it WON'T be available for eating later! Thankfully, this game has a lot of re-play value. Instead of having to beat ALL 24 stages in a row, players are given a CHOICE as to WHICH stages they want to play on any play-through of "Yoshi's Story." Players have to beat one stage on all the six levels of this game, before finally facing off against Baby Bowser. And by collecting the hearts and melons in each level stage, it makes all the other stages in each level available in a players stage selection! So any play-through (as well as the story) can change quite significantly every time this game is played!

3. "F-Zero X" Rated E, N64 / This game makes absolutely SURE that there is NOTHING bland to be found in this game as it takes racing to the TENTH level, hence the "X" in this game! Instead of only four different racers to choose from (like there were in the first game), there are THIRTY different racers to choose from! Every one of them is a unique racer, and each vehicle they race has its own unique strengths and weaknesses about its vehicle. Find out the best vehicle for your own personal taste by testing them out in time-trial mode, than race either solo, or with a friend, in every one of the games fast, furious, very DANGEROUS, exhilarating, and fun race courses! The challenge isn't JUST to finish in first, the challenge is to finish ALIVE!!!! Every other car is trying to knock the OTHER cars OUT of the race, whittling down the competition, and improving their chances of being first! So if a car pushes yours, feel free to push back! But the best part of this game has GOT to be the inclusion of an "F-Zero" version of the Rainbow Road course from "Mario Kart 64!" This is definitely fun for multi-player sessions, and is challenging enough for solo players to enjoy! I highly recommend it for players of all skill levels to try and test their skill! The game is currently available on Wii Virtual Console!

2. "Pokemon Blue/Red" Rated E, Game Boy Color / "I want to be, the very best, like no one EVER was!" The Playing Cards promoted the Anime, the Anime promoted the video games, and the video games sparked a collecting frenzy, the likes of which has YET to be equaled by any other franchise TRYING to become the next "Pokemon!" It's hard to believe this game is now nineteen years old! It seems like only yesterday that the phrase "Gotta Catch Them All" still seemed like a feasible, accomplish-able project and a worthy endeavor for any game player! This game proved that the Game Boy Color was no slouch when it came to delivering RPG games, and this was a game that became a giant success for Nintendo, and continues to be so today. Although primitive, players choose the name of a protagonist and their rival. Choosing a starter Pokemon, the rival would choose the opposite type of the player's Pokemon. There are soon revealed to be a number of different Pokemon, all with different stats, abilities, and types to! There were 11 different types of Pokemon, and 150 to collect in all! And the only way to do that was by linking with the opposite game and fulfilling a Pokedex! And "Pokemon Blue" was the one game where I actually managed to catch them all! The characters are also interesting by the handheld standards of 1998. There is Brock, the rock gym leader. There is Misty, the water gym leader. There is Lieutenant Surge, the electric gym leader, there is Erika, the grass gym leader, Sabrina, the psychic gym leader, there is Koga, the poison (ninja) gym leader, there is Blaine, the fire gym leader, and there is Giovanni, the ground gym leader. And even if a player could beat all that, there was one more challenge: the Elite Four and facing off against the protagonist's rival for one last time! Only then would it be possible to capture Mewtwo, the most powerful Pokemon of all! While the graphics are outdated and there aren't any special game mechanics that the later games had, this game still had to exist so that it's descendants could exist! So this game was important for the "Pokemon" franchise, and for developing an RPG that everyone could enjoy! And for that reason, I salute this game! Both video games are currently available via Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

1. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" Rated E, N64 / What's to be said about this game that hasn't already been said? It took the game-play from "The Legend of Zelda" video game series and re-imagined it for the 3D environment! And not only that, it was HUGELY successful! By far one of the best games on the N64, and one of the best games ever made! Everything about this game was handled to perfection. Interesting characters with emotions? Done to perfection! Bosses with different weaknesses and ways to defeat them? Done to perfection! Interesting landscapes and scenery? Done to perfection? Secret items, weapons, caverns, giant fairies, bigger wallets, and golden skulltulas to collect? Done to perfection! Puzzles to solve, problems to fix, three different trading quests, magical spells, and re-imagined weapon designs? Done to perfection! Fun mini-games, locations, time travel, hidden secrets, Gorons, Zoras, Mask Stones, Gerudo's, and Kokiri's to talk to? Done to perfection! And a plot that will rock off anybody's socks in terms of story-telling, emotion, complexity, motives, desires, goals, and changes done through a seven year change? Done, done, and Done to perfection! Nintendo didn't just make a game that was exactly right, they redefined what a game had to be in order to be exactly right, and it was the one thing above all other things that they have always been the first to do, and almost always do it best! This game earns a spot in video game history easily for bringing action-adventure games into the 3D realm like never before! And it's definitely one to enjoy playing time and time again! And I will always have fond memories of this game for the joy it gave me. The video game is currently available via Wii Virtual Console, OR in an IMPROVED form as "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D" for the Nintendo 3DS! /

That's it for 1998! :D Stay tuned because Mario and his friends are going to get into a FIGHT, "Street Fighter" and "Mega Man X" go portable, and we're going to "Mario Party" like it's 1999, because it WILL be! :hysterical: Enough said, true believers! ;)

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Before I get to the video game list for 1999, I thought that I would take this time to list the 85 best video games EVER made for the Super NES video game system! :D Note that this list ONLY refers to games that I have actually played and beaten, so if you don't see a video game that YOU think should be on this list; the reason for that is, I probably haven't played and/or beaten it yet. Also note, that “Contra III” and the original “Star Fox” are NOW ranked proportionally higher on this list compared to their original year lists, mainly because I actually MANAGED to beat them after MAKING those original lists! :cool: With that explanation out of the way, I hope you enjoy reading this list, as much as I did writing it! /

85. “The Lost Vikings” 8/100. 84. “Ren and Stimpy: Veediots!” 9/100. 83. “Jurassic Park” 10/100. 82. “Disney's Goof Troop” 11/100 81. “Paperboy” 12/100 80. “Battletoads and Double Dragon” 14/100 79. “Ren and Stimpy: Time Warp” 15/100 78. “Sonic Blast Man” 16/100 77. “Sonic Blast Man 2” 17/100 76. “The Jungle Book” 18/100 75. “The Wizard of Oz” 19/100 74. “Super Star Wars” 20/100. 73. “Super Return of the Jedi” 21/100 72. “Final Fantasy II” 22/100 71. “Lemmings” 23/100 70. “Pocky and Rocky” 24/100 69. “Ms. Pac-Man” 25/100 68. “Taz-Mania” 26/100 67. “Mighty Morphing Power Rangers” 27/100 66. “Clayfighter” 28/100 65. “Wayne's World” 29/100 64. “Lagoon” 30/100 63. “Clayfighter: Tournament Edition” 32/100 62. “B.O.B.” 33/100 61. “Tetris and Dr. Mario” 34/100 60. “Toy Story” 35/100 59. “The Incredible Crash Test Dummies” 36/100. 58. “Krusty's Super Fun House” 37/100 57. “F-Zero” 38/100. 56. “King of Monsters” 40/100. 55. “Road Runner's Death Valley Rally” 41/100 54. “Hook” 42/100 53. “Super Game Boy” 43/100 52. “Super Bomberman” 44/100 51. “Killer Instinct” 45/100. 50. “Mortal Kombat II” 46/100 49. “Mortal Kombat III” 47/100 48. “Super Bomberman 2” 48/100 47. “Plok!” 49/100 46. “Disney's Aladdin” 50/100 45. “Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind” 51/100 44. “Aero the Acro-Bat” 52/100 43. “The Lion King” 53/100

42. Mario is Missing!” 54/100 41. “Kirby Super Star” 55/100 40. “Super Punch-Out” 56/100 39. “Mario Paint” 57/100. 38. “Ultimate Mortal Kombat III” 58/100 37. “Mega Man X2” 59/100 36. “Mega Man X3” 60/100 35. “Mega Man X” 62/100 34. “Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island” 63/100 33. “Donkey Kong Country” 64/100. 32. “Earthworm Jim 2” 65/100 31. “U.N. Squadron” 66/100 30. “Earthworm Jim” 67/100 29. “Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting” 68/100 28. “Frogger” 69/100 27. “Street Fighter Alpha 2” 70/100! 26. “Super Bonk” 71/100! 25. “Bust-a-Move” 72/100! 24. “Super Mario Kart” 73/100! 23. “Joe and Mac” 74/100! 22. “E.V.O.: Gateway to Eden” 75/100! 21. “Mickey Mouse's Magical Quest” 76/100! 20. “Super Smash T.V.” 77/100! 19. “Contra III: the Alien Wars” 78/100! 18. “Star Fox” 80/100! 17. “Yoshi's Cookie” 81/100! 16. “Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose” 82/100! 15. “Mighty Morphing Power Rangers: the Movie” 84/100! 14. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time” 85/100! 13. “Final Fantasy Mystical Quest” 86/100! 12. “Earthbound” 87/100! 11. “Street Fighter II: the World Warrior” 88/100! 10. “Super Mario All Stars” 89/100! 9. “Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars” 90/100! 8. “Star Fox 2” 91/100! 7. “Super Metroid” 93/100! 6. “Donkey Kong Country II: Diddy Kong's Quest” 94/100! 5. “Chrono Trigger” 95/100! 4. “Secret of Mana” 97/100! 3. “Final Fantasy III” 99/100! 2. “Super Mario World” 100/100! 1. “The Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past” 110/100! /

That's it for the Super NES list! Stay tuned for another list next time! Enough said, true believers! ;)

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Prince may be gone, but his song of celebration lives on forever, as the PERFECT introduction to the best video games of 1999!!!! :cool:Things have heated up since last year, there are now fourteen video games vying to become the top video game of the year! :D Sadly, just like the 1990's BEGAN with a video game to AVOID in 1990, the 1990's also END with a video game to AVOID, in 1999! /

WORST Video Game of 1999: "Earthworm Jim 3D" Rated E, N64 / Not that the video game ITSELF was a bad idea, but you KNOW things aren't going to go well when even the CREATOR of the franchise, Doug Tenappel, REFUSES to get involved with the production of the video game! Not only that, but Playmates (the original copyright distributor) was no longer around to ensure the proper handling of the "Earthworm Jim" franchise, so the (dis)-honor fell to NEW copyright distributor, Shiny Entertainment. That was already two strikes against it, but they STILL could've pulled off a good game...but instead of TRYING to emulate "Super Mario 64," the video game strays into DANGEROUS territory of TRYING to emulate "Bubsy 3D!" o.oIf it WASN'T for the fact that the game was only four sections long, they MIGHT have BEEN as bad as that GAME! :rolleyes:Earthworm Jim has been struck in the head by a falling cow, and he has lost all of his marbles! So trapped in his subconscious, he has to navigate the corridors of his mind, to find all of his marbles, in order to re-awaken. The plot, graphics, and music are good enough, but it's the sound effects, stilted controls, and REALLY uneven difficulty of the game that makes trying to EARN all of Earthworm Jim's marbles FRUSTRATING! :S I had a Game Shark for the N64, and I STILL wasn't able to get past the second boss! My advice? You're better off dusting off an old Sega Genesis or Super NES copy of "Earthworm Jim" and playing THAT instead! /

Now with THAT out of the way, it's time to get to the REAL video game contenders for the crown of best video game of 1999! / *A star indicates that a Memory Expansion Pak is required to play the game. /

14. "Sonic Adventure" Rated E, Dreamcast / After a three year absence away from making video games, Sonic makes his first FULL 3-D video game outing with THIS game! This video game features Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102, as various different characters who all play some sort of role in stopping Dr. Robotnik's latest EVIL plot, the diabolical EVIL named CHAOS!!!! The graphics, sound, and music are all top-notch for the 128 bit system, but the loading times and camera controls can get frustrating when you're trying to make an important move! Fortunately, this GOOD game was made even BETTER, as the definitive version, called "Sonic Adventure Deluxe: Director's Cut," was made available to play on the Nintendo Gamecube in 2003!

13. "Pokemon Pinball" Rated E, Game Boy Color / Back in the late 1990's, you couldn't throw a rock, stick, (or a Pokeball) without HITTING something "Pokemon" related! That's how prevalent the craze was! This video game was released to give players the enjoyment of catching Pokemon, in a pinball game! The graphics, music, sound, controls, and difficulty are all very solid, and there are many different pinball boards to travel through, as you can get up to eight badges AND up to 150 Pokemon! And if you have some batteries, the in-battery game pack for this game would let you feel the RUMBLE of the video game! Sadly, it's due to this unique feature that has made it so this video game has not yet seen a re-release on a Virtual Console system yet.

12. "Donkey Kong 64" Rated E, N64* / You can't fault Rareware for TRYING to be too impressive with their video games; they WANTED people to know that they HAD the most game-play in video games available, AND the best graphics FOR those video games! In fact, this game was so GRAPHICALLY superior to all the OTHER N64 games available, THIS game, along with only three OTHER video games (two of which will be released and mentioned NEXT year), would require a special Memory EXPANSION Pak, just to PLAY the game! Nintendo NEEDED Rareware to throw in EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink, in order to make a video game of substantial length and graphical quality, that would even make the Sega Dreamcast look like a joke! Rareware was definitely the company with the incomparable graphics, but they succeeded a little TOO well in making the game have substantial length. With five different Kongs to choose from, the abilities and strengths that each one has are all different from each other; and they ALL have a bunch of bananas and OTHER stuff they need to collect before they can have a final showdown with the evil King K. Rool! While extending the game-play by HAVING a bunch of different things to collect, things to see, and do, WAS a good idea in theory, Rareware unintentionally EXHAUSTED the average player by making this exercise, be one in tedium! Although the ability to play the hidden arcade gems of the original "Donkey Kong," and Rareware's FIRST video game, the 1983 "Jetpac," were definitely nice additions. Sadly, due to Rareware SPLITTING with Nintendo, it has made the availability of this video game IMPOSSIBLE to find on a Virtual Console!

11. "Rayman 2: The Great Escape" Rated E, Dreamcast and N64 / I...had LOTS of time to kill back in the late 1990's! Not counting the Game Boy Color game version of this game, simply called "Rayman 2," the N64 version was the closest version of this game that I ever GOT to ever fully beating this video game! I think it was BECAUSE I had so much free time (and was probably a LOT more stubborn back then), that I was willing to keep playing through all the challenging stages of this well-designed, but thoroughly difficult video game! And there is probably no better mention of just HOW difficult this video game can get, than with the infamous "Land of the Livid Dead" race stage! I was never able to figure out how to beat the final boss, though; and believe me, I sure did TRY! I'm not sure if the video game is available on a Virtual Console system yet; but there are game versions of this game, available to play, either on the Nintendo DS as "Rayman DS;" or on the Nintendo 3DS as "Rayman 3D: The Great Escape."

10. "Super Smash Bros." Rated E, N64 / Believe it or not, Nintendo NEVER expected this video game to actually LAUNCH a franchise! Because if they did, they certainly would've THROWN more resources at this video game, such as more visually impressive graphics, more characters and stages within this video game! Despite the modest budget Hudson Soft was given for this 64-bit game, they managed to take it MUCH farther than ANYONE, (EVEN and especially Nintendo), ever EXPECTED it to go! Despite the relatively small number of different fighters and stages, this game STILL laid down the basic blueprint for the (so-far) three future sequels of this video game to follow! With different item weapons to wield, and different special attacks for each of the characters featured, fights against either the computer or up to three other friends can be fast and furious, slow and strategic, or ANYTHING in between! If you want to play the original and see where it all started, it is currently available to play via the Wii Virtual Console!

9. "Cruisin' Exotica" Rated E, Arcades, Game Boy Color, and N64 / Midway had a very good franchise going on with the "Cruisin'" series, and they wanted to keep it going for as long as it could. This video game features what is ARGUABLY the best graphics in the franchise, and features more cars, more music, and more new stages than ever BEFORE to play through! It even includes two IMPOSSIBLE stages (that in normal physics, you couldn't race through), but in a video game, you even get to race underwater through Atlantis, AND through the dusty landscape of Mars! Sadly, this is where the "Cruisin'" series hit its peak; and with the exception of a Game Boy Advance game, it was never able to release another video game of value and worth. I have no idea if the video game is currently available to play on a Virtual Console system. If it is, try and play it for yourself. I am SURE you will enjoy it!

8. "Donkey Kong Country" Rated E, Game Boy Color / Video game re-releases began to get QUITE popular, once the Game Boy added COLOR into its video game system! And since "Donkey Kong Land" was MORE of an ORIGINAL video game and NOT a Game Boy re-skin of "Donkey Kong Country," this was actually the FIRST time the FULL "Donkey Kong Country" had been released on a portable system! Rareware and Nintendo's partnership make sure the translation to a portable system, is a faithful one. The graphics, music, sound, controls, and difficulty all remain solid from the Super NES version, and this version NOW allows you to save and quit at any point you WANT! Although, if you are in the MIDDLE of a stage, you will have to play the stage from the beginning. But that STILL beats having to wait until a Saving Station like you did in the Super NES original! While this video game version is not yet available on a Virtual Console, a version is available on the Game Boy Advance, and the Super NES original is available on Wii Virtual Console, AND the NEW Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console!

7. "Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams" Rated T, Arcades, Saturn, and Game Boy Color / With "Street Fighter 2010" as an example, I can see why the "Street Fighter" video games don't get ported/modified into 8-bit video game versions more often; the graphical quality and musical sounds often don't transfer well from 16-bit video games onto their older, more ancient brothers. But this video game proved that given the right circumstances, an 8-bit video game version of "Street Fighter" CAN work, and it CAN be very successful! This video game has graphics that are among the BEST the Game Boy Color can offer, the musical sounds are very awesome for this portable video game system, and the control scheme manages to be completely faithful to the home game counterpart versions of the "Street Fighter" video games, and still not be overly complicated! And there's a good range of video game characters to choose from as well! When it comes to "Street Fighter" video game experiences, it's hard to go wrong with THIS one! Sadly, this video game has YET to become available on a Virtual Console system.

6. "Bust-a-Move 3" Rated E, Arcades, Neo Geo, Saturn, Game Boy Color, and N64 (as "Bust-a-Move 99") / I have played a LOT of puzzles, on BOTH the Game Boy Color AND the N64 versions of this graphically fun video game! With more puzzles, more stages, more difficulty options than ever before, plus fun sound, music, and solid controls, this is a video game that can keep you busy for a NUMBER of hours! Since I don't know if the video game is available on a Virtual Console system, your best bet is to track down an Arcade cabinet version. Which given the popularity of THIS favorite, shouldn't be too hard to do!

5. "Super Mario Bros. Deluxe" Rated E, Game Boy Color / Nintendo, has THANKFULLY never been a video game company to have ever REALLY rested on their laurels! When they re-release a video game for another system, they normally don't JUST re-release the same game and call it a day, they always go the extra mile, and add MORE to the game! Not only does this video game contain the full, unaltered game of the original "Super Mario Bros.," it also contains eight of the thirteen stages from the Super NES version of "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels;" here called "Super Mario Bros. for Super Players." The game also features nice bonus features. It includes a yearly calendar to help people keep track of important dates, nice artistic pictures of iconic Mario characters, bonus features which include getting five red coins, finding a Yoshi Egg, and getting a high enough high score in each of the 32 original "Super Mario Bros." stages! Also included are eight exclusive stages containing a Boo race! That is, Mario has to race against a Boo to the end of a stage. But the Boo is a lot faster than he looks! By beating a Boo, he will be replaced by an even faster Boo for up to at least three times! So give Nintendo an A for effort, by including two GREAT NES games for the price of one on the Game Boy Color! I certainly do! This video game is currently available to play on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.

4. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" Rated T, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, and N64 / It's been a long time since I've put a sporting video game of any kind on a best of the year video game list, but this is probably the HIGHEST ranking sporting video game that I have had on a best of the year video game list yet! It's not just because of Tony Hawk, it's because the game is challenging, AND fun! The graphics, sound, controls, and music are all very rocking and SOLID, on EITHER the Dreamcast OR the N64 versions of this game! Although if you want to play this game WITHOUT the annoying loading screens, you will have to play the N64 version of this hit video game!

3. "Mega Man Xtreme" Rated E, Game Boy Color / Although "Mega Man Xtreme" is a level re-mix game of "Mega Man X" and "Mega Man X2" for the Super NES, it actually manages to be the BEST "Mega Man" re-mix game ever made! The stages and the bosses chosen from BOTH games are the most iconic ever SEEN on the Nintendo "Mega Man X" games, the challenge, music, and difficulty are the most finely balanced in the entire "Mega Man X" video game series, and thusly, makes the game the most enjoyable out of ALL the "Mega Man X" games! Players everywhere LOVED getting a chance to beat Vile, Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Spark Mandrill, and Armored Armadillo for the very first time on a portable system, not to mention four great bosses from "Mega Man X2," and Sigma in his super-powerful forms from "Mega Man X." On both the Game Boy AND the Game Boy Color, I LOVE this "Mega Man" game more than any OTHER "Mega Man" game AVAILABLE for those systems! The video game is currently available to play on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console system.

2. "Rampage 2: Universal Tour" Rated T, Game Boy Color and N64 / The SMASHING sequel to "Rampage World Tour," this game features FIVE unique monsters instead of just three, and includes MORE unique world locations to attack and destroy than EVER before! While the N64 is CERTAINLY the clear winner in terms of graphics, sound, and music; the Game Boy Color version can definitely hold its own in terms of controls and difficulty, making either version easy and fun to play and enjoy!

1. "Mario Party" Rated E, N64 / If there was EVER a reason to have three other friends over to your house (and in MY case, kick their digital BUTTS as often as possible in playing video games!) Than "Mario Party" was the fun and AWESOME game of choice to play! Nearly every single mini-game that can be played is a winner, it is easy to learn, and endlessly fun to play, especially with multiple people! The more friends, the better! Plus the stages were well designed to. There was a Jungle stage, a Birthday Cake stage, a Battlefield stage, a Pipe Maze stage, an Island stage, a Sky Castle stage, a Lava Stage, and a Space stage! The ability to which the CPU controlled opponents played was much more forgiving then in later installments, and since this game didn't suffer from sequel-itis, it didn't have to worry about being compared to the previous installments, because there weren't any! It is for this reason that this remains the best "Mario Party" game in my books, and that's why I've always enjoyed playing it! /

That's it for 1999! But before I travel into the 21st Century, I will shuffle through all the video games of the 20th Century! First, I will find out what the BEST video game of the 1990's is, than I will find out what the BEST video game of the 20th Century (1985-1999), was! Stay tuned! ;)

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I always knew that I was an incredible gamer, but after counting a total of 170 video games total that came out in the 1990's that I played, even I'M astounded by my own skills! o.o Since I've already talked about the video games in length, I shall list the video games by score, starting from the least impressive, to the most impressive of all the video games in the 1990's! Games will be scored on a 170 point scaled, with 170 being the maximum, unless it's the best! :hysterical: I hope that you enjoy reading this list as much as I did writing it! :D /

170. “Kirby's Dream Course” Super NES 1/170 169. “Street Fighter 2010: the Final Fight” NES 2/170 168. “Earthworm Jim 3D” N64 3/170 167. “The Lost Vikings” Super NES 4/170 166. “Ren and Stimpy: Veediots!” Super NES 5/170 165. “Jurassic Park” Super NES 6/170 164. “Bomberman 94” Turbographx-16 7/170 163. “Disney's Goof Troop” Super NES 8/170 162. “Paperboy” Super NES 9/170 161. “Bomberman 93” Turbographx-16 10/170 160. “Ren and Stimpy: Time Warp” Super NES 11/170 159. “Battletoads and Double Dragon” Super NES 12/170 158. “Sonic Blast Man” Super NES 14/170 157. “Sonic Blast Man 2” Super NES 15/170 156. “Final Fight” Super NES 16/170 155. “Radical Rex” Super NES 17/170 154. “The Jungle Book” Super NES 18/170 153. “The Wizard of Oz” Super NES 19/170 152. “Pac-Man” NES and Game Boy 20/170 151. “Kirby's Dream Land Game Boy 21/170 150. “Final Fantasy Legend II” Game Boy 22/170 149. “Super Star Wars” Super NES 23/170 148. “Super Return of the Jedi” Super NES 24/170 147. “Donkey Kong” Game Boy 25/170 146. “Ms. Pac-Man” NES, Game Boy, Genesis, and Super NES 26/170 145. “Taz-Mania” Super NES 27/170 144. “Pocky and Rocky” Super NES 28/170 143. “Mighty Morphing Power Rangers” Super NES 29/170 142. “Clayfighter” Super NES 30/170 141. “Wayne's World” Super NES 31/170 140. “Clayfighter: Tournament Edition” Super NES 32/170 139. “Final Fantasy II” Super NES 33/170 138. “Lemmings” Super NES 34/170 137. “B.O.B.” Super NES 35/170 136. “Sonic Labyrinth” Game Gear 36/170 135. “Toejam and Earl” Genesis 37/170 134. “Lagoon” Super NES 38/170 133. “Plok!” Super NES 39/170 132. “The Ren and Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures” Game Boy 40/170 131. “The Incredible Crash Test Dummies” Super NES 41/170 130. “Toy Story” Super NES 42/170 129. “Tetris and Dr. Mario” Super NES 43/170 128. “Super Street Fighter II: the New Challengers” Super NES 44/170 127. “Disney's Aladdin” Super NES 45/170 126. “Mega Man IV” NES and Game Boy 46/170 125. “F-Zero” Super NES 47/170 124. “Krusty's Super Fun House” Super NES 48/170 123. “Road Runner's Death Valley Rally” Super NES 49/170 122. Mortal Kombat III” Arcades and Super NES 50/170 121. “Super Game Boy” Super NES and Game Boy 51/170 120. “Kirby's Pinball Land” Game Boy 52/170 119. “Super Bomberman” Super NES 53/170 118. “Killer Instinct” Arcades and Super NES 54/170 117. “Super Bomberman 2” Super NES 55/170 116. “Mortal Kombat II” Arcades and Super NES 56/170 115. “Mario's Time Machine” Super NES 57/170 114. “Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind” Super NES 58/170 113. “Kirby Super Star” Super NES 59/170 112. “Aero the Acro-Bat” Super NES 60/170 111. “Hook” Super NES 61/170 110. “Mario is Missing!” Super NES 62/170 109. “King of Monsters” Arcades, Neo Geo, and Super NES 63/170 108. “Gargoyle's Quest” Game Boy 64/170 107. “Metroid II: Return of Samus” Game Boy 65/170 106. “Smash T.V.” NES and Game Boy 66/170 105. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan” Game Boy 67/170 104. “River City Ransom” NES 68/170 103. “Sonic Adventure” Dreamcast 69/170 102. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Return to the Sewers” Game Boy 70/170 101. “New Adventure Island” Turbographx-16 71/170 100. “Adventure Island II” NES and Game Boy 72/170 99. “Columns” Game Gear 73/170 98. “Mario Paint” Super NES 74/170 97. “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” Genesis 75/170

96. “Crusin' USA” Arcades and N64 76/170 95. “Mole Mania” Game Boy 77/170 94. “Bomberman 64” N64 78/170 93. “Frogger” Super NES 79/170 92. “Wheel of Fortune” N64 80/170 91. “The Lion King” Super NES 81/170 90. “Sonic Spinball” Game Gear and Genesis 82/170 89. “Wario Land: Super Mario Land III” Game Boy 83/170 88. “Ultimate Mortal Kombat III” Arcades and Super NES 84/170 87. “Super Punch-Out” Super NES 85/170 86. “Mortal Kombat 4” Arcades and N64 86/170 85. “Mega Man X2” Super NES 87/170 84. “Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island” Super NES 88/170 83. “Kirby's Dream Land 2” Game Boy 89/170 82. “Mega Man X3” Super NES 90/170 81. “Earthworm Jim 2” Super NES 91/170 80. “Wario Land II” Game Boy Color 92/170 79. “Pokemon Pinball” Game Boy Color 93/170 78. “Donkey Kong 64” N64 94/170 77. “Rayman 2: the Great Escape” N64 95/170 76. “Donkey Kong Country” Super NES and Game Boy Color 96/170 75. “Super Smash Bros.” N64 97/170 74. “Rayman” Jaguar, Saturn, and Game Boy Color 98/170 73. “Cratermaze” Turbographx-16 99/170! 72. “Joe and Mac” Game Boy and Super NES 100/170! 71. “Sonic the Hedgehog” (Game Gear Version) 101/170! 70. “Donkey Kong Land II” Game Boy 102/170! 69. “Cruisin' Exotica” Arcades and N64 103/170!

68. “Bust-a-Move” Arcades and Super NES 104/170! 67. “Mega Man V” (Game Boy Version) 105/170! 66. “Earthworm Jim” Genesis 106/170! 65. “Super Bonk” Super NES 107/170! 64. “Street Fighter Alpha 2” Arcades and Super NES 108/170! 63. “Clayfighter 63 1/3” (What Else?!) N64 109/170! 62. “Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior's Dreams” Game Boy Color 110/170! 61. “U.N. Squadron” Super NES 111/170! 60. “Super Mario Kart” Super NES 112/170! 59. “E.V.O.: Gateway to Eden” Super NES 113/170! 58. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: the Radical Rescue” Game Boy 114/170! 57. “Sonic 3D Blast” Genesis 115/170! 56. “Mega Man X/Mega Man Xtreme” Super NES and Game Boy Color 116/170! 55. “Kirby's Adventure” NES 117/170! 54. “Little Nemo: the Dream Master” NES 118/170! 53. “Super Smash T.V.” Super NES 119/170! 52. “Bonk's Revenge” Turbographx-16 120/170! 51. “Super C” NES 121/170! 50. “Mickey Mouse's Magical Quest” Super NES 122/170! 49. “Mega Man VI” NES 123/170! 48. “Toejam and Earl: Panic on Funkotron” Genesis 124/170! 47. “Mega Man V” NES 125/170! 46. “Contra III: the Alien Wars” Super NES 126/170! 45. “Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting” Arcades and Super NES 127/170! 44. “Star Fox” Super NES 128/170! 43. “Bust-a-Move 2” Arcades and N64 129/170! 42. “Cruisin' World” Arcades and Super NES 130/170! 41. “Banjo-Kazooie” N64 131/170! 40. “Bust-a-Move 3” Arcades, N64, and Game Boy Color 132/170! 39. “Super Mario Bros. Deluxe” Game Boy Color 133/170! 38. “Tony Hawk's Pro Skater” N64 134/170! 37. “Yoshi's Cookie” NES, Game Boy, and Super NES 135/170! 36. “Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose” Super NES 136/170! 35. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time” Arcades and Super NES 137/170! 34. “Mega Man III” NES and Game Boy 138/170!

33. “Bonk's Adventure” NES, Game Boy, and Turbographx-16 139/170! 32. “Mighty Morphing Power Rangers: the Movie” Super NES 140/170! 31. “Earthbound” Super NES 141/170! 30. “Diddy Kong Racing” N64 142/170! 29. “Final Fantasy Mystical Quest” Super NES 143/170! 28. “Street Fighter II: the World Warrior” Arcades and Super NES 144/170! 27. “Super Mario Land II: Six Golden Coins” Game Boy 145/170! 26. “Sonic the Hedgehog” (Genesis Version) 146/170! 25. “Super Mario Bros. 3” NES 147/170! 24. “Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire” N64 148/170! 23. “Super Mario All Stars” Super NES 149/170! 22. “The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX” Game Boy Color 150/170! 21. “Yoshi's Story” N64 151/170! 20. “Sonic and Knuckles” Genesis 152/170! 19. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” Genesis 153/170! 18. “Super Metroid” Super NES 154/170! 17. “Donkey Kong Country II: Diddy Kong's Quest” Super NES 155/170! 16. “Super Mario R.P.G.: Legend of the Seven Stars” Super NES 156/170! 15. “Star Fox 2” Super NES 157/170! 14. “Rampage World Tour” N64 and Game Boy Color 158/170! 13. “F-Zero X” N64 159/170! 12. “Pokemon Blue/Red” Game Boy Color 160/170! 11. “Rampage 2: Universal Tour” N64 and Game Boy Color 161/170! 10. “Mario Kart 64” N64 162/170! 9. “Mario Party” N64 163/170! 8. “Secret of Mana” Super NES 164/170! 7. “Chrono Trigger” Super NES 165/170! 6. “Final Fantasy III” Super NES 166/170! 5. “Super Mario 64” N64 167/170! 4. “Star Fox 64” N64 168/170! 3. “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” N64 169/170! 2. “Super Mario World” Super NES 170/170! 1. “The Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past” Super NES 180/170! (Yes, it's THAT good!) /

That's it for my list THIS time! Stay tuned for next time, when I list the best Nintendo video games of the entire 20th century! :cool: Stay tuned! ;)

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