PixlBit

Here's that Final Fantasy article Patrick was talking about. Personally, I think it's poorly written and my eyes nearly rolled out of my skull at some of the connections they try to make, but it's an interesting read. 

I don't follow Final Fantasy enough to really know any of that stuff, but my approach to interseries connectedness is usually "I believe it cause I want to." What I REALLY like is when directors and writers insert tropes and characters specific to their work across different works.

Knowing how to play on guitar for me has never been a huge issue when it comes to anything that's not a complex solo. My issue is, while I have great rhythm, I do still sometimes have trouble staying in time with a record ("Snow Hey Oh" by RHCP is a lot faster than you think, while I tend to play "R U Mine" by Arctic Monkeys a bit faster than it is recorded). While bands will speed up or slow down live as well, that's honestly the biggest reason I might buy Rocksmith, despite Tab Pro being a much cheaper option technically. I'm happy it is on PS4.

"I would have liked to have a physical version, but it was SO cheap!" Me every time PS Store has a sale. I feel that, Angelo. Lol 

I forgot Super Metroid released in '94. Julian, would you like me to start picking "best" game along with my "favorite?" lol Cause I'll concede SM was the BEST '94 game, but it's not my favorite, personally. I'll admit MMX2 was based on nostalgia in large part, but I can still jump into it today more easily than I can SM.

I think given what you said about FF VI vs IV, we all have some objective measures for what makes a good game and then there is our personal tastes. 

Speaking of "teaching you without teaching you," have you ever seen the Mega Man X Sequelitis episode? I've thought several times how I might incorporate something like that into my actual teaching.

I've never experienced the Draygon thing, but the creepy elements of Metroid games are a big part of why they work for me when they do. Don't get mad, but I never rented Super Metroid because the box art made me think it was a JRPG ( because dragon), even though I thought the box art looked SWEET. So that's why what I've played of it was via emulation way later and I got stuck when I couldn't wall jump consistently enough for a particularly long vertical stretch using the keyboard.

If I had a Genesis, I'd probably have some of these Sonic games on my favorites list. I was definitely into the coolness and action as a youngin. Sonic fans might be weird, but if you know the history of that character, so are his creators ... Maybe not to the same extent, but ...

I do like Sonic and will defend Casey's right to identify with any fandom he chooses. I also disagree that they "don't hold up." I still like the original trilogy and the two Adventure games and think they get way too much hate for being good/average but not great games. This really isn't based on nostalgia either ... Again, never even had access to a Sega aside from the two times I played Dreamcast with the neighbors. Maybe I just like arcade style games more than a lot of people.

I want to say I got a free trial of Axiom Verge and never redeemed it or something. Xeodrifter is my favorite Metroid ripoff in modern Times ... Because it's also the only one I recall playing. 

Never liked SimCity 2000. Just not a sim guy; with Julian there. 

Mortal Kombat 2 over Sonic? I disagree. Never was a huge MK fan. Knuckles over DK Country? I disagree. I'll admit playing DKC for the first time and seeing the graphics is part of it, but I still think it's a legitimately good game ... Much as the cart level pisses me off ... Ok, maybe S&K is better ... !$@%#!ing carts.

Is Doom 64 a Doom 2 port? Trying to think if I ever played it. I know I played the original PC Wolfenstein back when.

Oh Damn, Earthbound love. I uh ... Hated that game when I rented it and couldn't figure out what the hell I was supposed to do. But I would like to go back and try it. Even if it is turn based ... Oh damn, Earthbound dislike. Didn't realize other people had tried it and weren't into it. I'm not alone!

Why does this episode feel shorter than others? I know it isn't ... Be back with my picks. Cause you clearly haven't seen/heard enough of me already. :p

That end music is NICE. Is that from a Capcom title? What is this Legend of Xanadu?

I wish Egoraptor had continued the Sequelitis series, because they are amazing. The Megaman X one is my favorite, of course.

Again, I don't think the Sonic games are bad games. As a teenager I called them bad games because I was a Nintendo fanboy, but I've gone back and played them often as an adult. Honestly, I've probably gone back to the Sonic games more often than Mario World because they get rerelased so often. I also tested hundreds of Sega Genesis machines in my retail days, and Sonic was always a go to game. 

I've been looking at games critically long enough that I stand behind my statement of the Sonic games not holding up over time. Sonic is great when he's going fast, and straight up boring any time he isn't. His jumps never feel precise, and the level designs, while impressive on a technical level, aren't very interesting. I actually cite the underwater level and the casino level as some of the worst platforming levels I've played. 

But the crux of my argument comes from the mechanics. Sonic runs, jumps, and can do a spin dash (which is just a way to start running again). In Mario World, Mario runs, jumps, spins, slides, throws fireballs, and flies with the cape. And it's the cape above all else that puts it on a higher level in my eyes, because it takes some real skill to master. I achieved that mastery, and the feeling of flying through entire levels due to my deft handling of the cape controls is one of my favorite things from the 16 bit days. 

Donkey Kong Country may hold up better than Sonic and Knuckles. I know the graphics of DKC look pretty rough these days, and I'm not sure if the barrel jumping is still as fun as I remember, or if it's just kind of this auto pilot gameplay with little skill involved. I honestly haven't played it since the GBA release, and I played Sonic and Knuckles on one of those Genesis collections. 

I think they just take too much time, and he seems to have a lot of projects on top of Game Grumps now. But yeah, I love those videos. 

I'm going to agree to disagree that Sonic is ONLY good when he goes fast or that the games don't hold up; I think some of the platforming in slower sections holds up in 2 & 3. But the water level in 1 ... yeah, I can't defend that. As for the casino level, I love the ones in 1 and 2 and think they act as a nice precursor to Sonic being used as a pinball. If you mean 3, that level is labyrinthine in a way it has no right to be only because so much looks the same, and I'm with you there. The games are flawed, but I still think the good levels outweigh the bad. 

I'll agree that Mario games give you more to do, but I actually really appreciate the simplicity of Sonic mechanics. I don't think there's anything wrong with cutting it down to the basics of what makes a good platformer. And I could never get the cape flight down consistently, so that may be a factor. lol 

I still think DKC looks pretty good. Star Fox for SNES looks like garbage now, but while DKC isn't mind-blowing any more, I think it's still at least passable and looks good compared to several other games in the same era. 

I gotta side with Joe on this, Sonic games still work very well when slowed down. The jumping and movement feels so right and exploration is a key component since they hide a good number of secrets in each level. That's why playing as Tails works, his flight ability is all about taking it slow.

And Sonic can do less, but there are three characters. In a Mario level, power ups sometimes give me different options, but the game usually limits you to his abilities. In Sonic, there are many levels where I might take the low route with Sonic, high route flying with Tails, and somewhere between gliding and climbing with Knuckles. The game uses different characters so well. Not to mention they take a less is more approach. There is just running and spin dashing, but the levels are designed to use these mechanics to their fullest, where you need to really understand the physics and mechanics of the game. Few games do it to the extent of Genesis Sonic.

DKC I don't think can hold a candle to Genesis Sonic. DKC2 you have a strong case for, but 1 had incredibly basic levels. There were some elements of adding exploration like the KONG blocks and DK coins, but they lack the challenge and puzzle solving the sequels gave to obtaining them. I just replayed DKC1 last year and while it's not a bad game, it probably wouldn't be anywhere near my top 10 for 1994 (whereas DKC2 would be my runner up for 1995).

I agree DKC2 is a better game than DKC, but I was only commenting on the graphics there. The levels are certainly simple, and if I played more games from 1994, it might not be so near the top of my list either; but I can only pick games I have experience with. 

I like the differences between characters in Sonic 3 & Knuckles as well. I'll check the video out later; thanks for sharing.

You saying that Sonic jumping feels "so right" is so absurd to me. I feel it is one of the worst feeling of the "top tier" platformers. Like, obviously I wouldn't compare it to dreck like Awesome Possum, but I think the jumping in the Sonic games is poor at best. We will never come to an accord on this subject.

Also since you both like Sequelitis, check out ShaySays' series Sonic Spinball. Absurdly long, but has a great take on why the Genesis games work (with some criticism of later Sonics too). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AK3n-srj5E

That music at the end is a cover of "4 Gods" from one of the Y's games. One of my favorite VGM covers.

I said that about scores, yet The Elite Beat Agents is my all-time favorite DS game and I still care more about the fact I have S ranks on every level than I do about the (still a big draw, humorous) cutscenes.

Ok... I HATE the "this isn't even my final form" thing when I've almost died seven times and figure out there's more after what I thought was a hard fought Victory. Lol

Top 3 lines of dialogue in a game ... Ummm ... I'll be back. Gonna have to think about that one. Lol 

Stage Select

This one is hard because I remember themes much better than I do specific pieces of dialogue/writing. If you asked me for a list of best-written games or even famous game quotes, that would be a bit more simple. Anyway, I'll probably change this list every day for as long as I live, just like I would with something like "favorite song lyrics/favorite movie quotes," but here goes:

3. Horizon: Zero Dawn VERY EARLY GAME SPOILERS (Womb of the Mountain is mission I finished last)

Teersa: "Always that is what I believed. That you came from the womb of the mountain ..."

Aloy: "But ... this isn't a goddess! It's a door!" 

Aloy's outcast status and skepticism of her tribe's beliefs and rituals is a big part of why I want to play more of the game and relate to her. ... Yeah, this is really stretching what counts as "best dialogue," I know. I guess it just drives certain themes in the game so far home for me. 

2. The Last of Us

Ellie: Back in Boston... Back when I was bitten... I wasn't alone. My best friend was there. And she got bit too. We didn't know what to do. So... [...] She says... "Let's just wait it out. Y'know, we can be all poetic and just lose our minds together." [pause] I'm still waiting for my turn.

Joel: Ellie—

Ellie: Her name was Riley and she was the first to die. And then it was Tess. [beat] ..And then Sam.

Joel: None of that is on you.

Ellie: No, you don't understand.

Joel: I struggled for a long time with survivin'. And you— ..No matter what... you keep finding something to fight for. Now, I know that's not what you want to hear right now, but it's—

I'll be honest, this did not stick out to me as much when I actually played TLoU, but as someone who has suffered from depression and guilt in the past, I recognized it as some powerful stuff when I was looking this stuff up online. 

1. Psychonauts

Raz: "They stole Dogen's brain!"

Typical response from other characters: "No. He's just like that." 

This dialogue stands out to me because it's recurring and makes me laugh, but really this game's dialogue is probably my favorite of any video game. It cracks me up. Now if I can only get past this damn "put on the right play" level ... I'm so glad this is on PS4, since my PC copy bugged out all the time and wouldn't recognize my 360 controller and I always hated that it was the ONE "kiddy" game (not really; see dialogue) I actually wanted to play for Gamecube ... only it wasn't on Gamecube! 

Chrono Chross

Street Fighter II: Turbo for SNES. This one: 

It was released in U.S. August 1993, according to the Internet and no matter what year it was released it was going to be my pick. The reason I include the picture is because it's hard to keep track of iterations of this damn game and I almost chose Star Fox (which was one of those now-ironic "holy crap, they will never make graphics better than this!" games for me) thinking only the first port had come out this year.

Anyway, this version of the game is the one I played by far the most of any video game period growing up, edging out even Super Mario World. When I chose Capcom as one of my favorite developers and listed music as one of the reasons why, this was a huge influence on that decision. Even when I got to college, I was ecstatic when I learned a friend's roommate had a copy and immediately started playing it with him.

I didn't even realize the "Turbo" mode was there until I grew up; I just kind of went with whatever speed the game defaulted to and enjoyed the music, style, tight gameplay, ocassional taunting dialogue at the end of matches, complete with bloodied faces of the losers, and the iconic "Beat the shit out of this car" minigames. (I can't remember if Mortal Kombat did the chop this woodblock thing first or?) 

I think you could make a solid argument for Mega Man X being the best game this year, NBA Jam appeals to me on several levels as someone who loves arcade-style titles, political humor and actually played basketball pretty well growing up, and then you've got plenty of legitimate picks for this year that others have likely played much more than I have, but this game WAS my gaming childhood growing up. 

I also liked that the PlayStation disc anime movie about Street Fighter II my neighbors had featured Alice in Chains. 

For the record, my favorite character was Vega at the time (really more like two years later, since I don't think I played this much as a 3-year-old toddler in its release year), mostly cause I thought he looked cool and liked his slice hands. Had no idea he was a villain. 

The introductory Capcom logo and music, along with the game's intro music and demo scenes probably got pounded into my skull more than anything I learned in school. And I'm a professor now ... 

Uhm... I may be an ass for pointing this out (And I sincerely apologize if so) but in the show you said to have chrono crossing and stage select in by July 1st... I swear I heard that. I was pretty sure you meant June... Hopefully I'm wrong and nobody gets confused by that. Or maybe I'm wrong and you did mean July... Either way here's my submissions for that stuff!

Stage Select:

3. "The president has been kindnapped by ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president?" - Intro to Bad Dudes(I seriously hope this counts because it always makes me smile)

2. "May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours but if this whole thing goes sideways and we both end up there... Meet me at the bar. I'm buying." - Garrus to Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 3 (Because Garrus is awesome.)

1. "I finally understand. I wasn't waiting to kill people... I was waiting for someone to kill me. A man like you... You're a real hero. Please... Set me free." - Sniper Wolf to Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid. (This was the first time, off the top of my head I felt awful about killing a bad guy in a video game. And I choked up listening to it again. This entire scene holds up so well... Not graphically but from a writing standpoint it's amazing)

Chrono Crossing: Mortal Kombat 2! I was... 7 when this game came out. Yet somehow my parents let me get this game. In their defense they did know what it was. They just found it so detatched from reality that it wasn't an issue for them. I mainly just plugged the second controller in and beat up a dummy character just to practice fatalities. I'm not ashamed to admit I did that. I loved this game.

Whoops! It's definitely June 1. No way we're taking that long of a break, especially with E3 on the way!

Stage Select

All of these come from my favorite character, Godot from Ace Attorney. It took a lot of self control to not post every single thing the guy said.

3. "A bet's only good when your life's the ante."

2. "Men that are trapped by the chains of “maybe”… can never reach their dreams"

1. (Happens when blood starts dripping from his eyes) "In my world the color red doesn't exist. These must be my tears."

Chrono Crossing

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. This was the first Zelda game I ever played, I had no clue of its legacy, I just wanted something new to rent at Blockbuster. I had no clue of the amazing adventure that awaited me. To this day I even like it more than A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time.

Stage Select (in no particular order of importance)

Disclaimer: Some of these may be paraphrased since I can't find the exact woradge online. Sorry.

1. Super Mario RPG

When the game says "Mallow the tadpole joins your party (although he looks nothing like a tadpole)!" It was great way to confirm that the game wasn't insulting your intelligence regarding Mallow clearly not being a tadpole.

2. Beyond Good and Evil

Uncle Pey'j (page): "You guys are not what I'd call 'faster than a speeding bullet'" *news abrubly cuts out the rest of his comment* (might be a bit of obscure reference. But if you played that BGE, you'd love the way it happens throughout the game.)

3. Metal Gear Solid

Revolver Ocelot: "And don't even think about using auto-fire!" (He called my bluff right then and there because I was sooo going to do it! I've never seen what happens if you do though).

Crono Crossing 1993

This may not be a popular choice, but my favorite from 1993 is Rocket Knight Adventures. This felt like Konami putting their best foot forward as far as original IPs on the Sega Genesis.

My favorite moment in the game is at the end of stage 5 where Axle chases you in a giant robot, culminating in a sweet robot deathmatch!

Sparkster was one of the few good 90s animal mascots that managed not to be completely forgettable. Also this was the only Sega Genesis game I got brand new (around 1995-ish) thanks to my dad and a K-B Toys bargin bin. Very cherished memory!

Stage Select:

3. Ezio Auditore vs Cesare Borgia, final scene, Assassin's Creed 2

Ezio: "May your name be blotted out. Requiescat in Pace."

Cesare: "You cannot kill me! No man can murder me!"

Ezio: "Then I will leave you in the hands of fate."   (Ezio then proceeds to drop Cesare to his death rather than kill him with a blade)

2. "When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these?! Demand to see life's manager! Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons! Do you know who I am?! I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons! I'm gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!" - Cave Johnson, CEO Aperture Science Innovations (Portal 2)       **Please sign me up for one of those lemons

1. Final Scene with Kefka, Final Fantasy VI

Kefka: "And did you all find your "somethings" in this broken world that just won't die?"

(everyone proceeds to tell Kefka that life is great, including the line "I kupo my friends" from Mog. If they could have animated in an eyeroll in for Kekfa back then, they would have.)

Kefka: "You make me sick...it's like listening to the world's worst self-help booklet!"

---

Crono Crossing 1993: The Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening for GameBoy

I. Love. This. Game. However...can we all please still be concerned for Link? He's lost in the middle of the ocean having a heat-stroke, dehydration induced dream about a giant whale. It never gets resolved. He's still drifting. Someone please give the man a raft so he can find his way home.

Stage Select

Naked Snake to Para-Medic in MGS3

Para-Medic: Snake, look at your body! 
Naked Snake: Yep... lookin' good. 
Para-Medic: Not there. 
Naked Snake: Then where? 
Para-Medic: You have leeches all over your body! 

Cave Johnson's combustible lemons rant in Portal 2

“When life gives you lemons, don’t make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don’t want your damn lemons, what the hell am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life’s manager! Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons! Do you know who I am? I’m the man who’s gonna burn your house down! With the lemons! I’m gonna get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!” - Cave Johnson

The first line of dialogue in DOOM 2016

"They are rage: brutal, without mercy. But you. You will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done."

Chrono Crossing 1993

It's Doom. Doom rules. Rip & Tear!

First of all, I apologize in advance for my spelling and grammer mistakes. I wrote this up from my phone.

I'm glad everyone enjoyed riding a motherf@cking dragon as much as I enjoyed writing it! And it amuses me greatly that Angelo and I have similar tastes when it comes to aesthetics! Anyway...

Stage Select

3. "And When he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell - One more soldier reporting Sir - I've served my time in Hell" - The opening sequence of Medal of Honor: Frontline.

When I played MoH:FL for the first time I had never played a shooter. And my breath caught a little when the screen went dark and these words in white came on the screen. Slowly it transitions to the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. It was a very stroking moment in storytelling for me. I'm still an RPG guy at heart but I'm willing to branch out because of MoH:FL.

2. Dear Julian, I don't expect you to read all of this because it is a lot. i just copy and pasted it for posterity's sake.

"War. War never changes. 

Since the dawn of human kind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything: from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage. 

In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation. 

But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes. 

In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as vaults. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Vault 101. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed... and never reopened. It was here you were born. It is here you will die. 

Because, in Vault 101: no one ever enters, and no one ever leaves."

Fallout 3 was The first game I played for the PS3, and I was not prepared for how gorgeous the end of the world would look. Everything from the birthday party to the fleeing the vault for your life and first seeing the ruined capital comes together to make a dazzling intro but Ron Pearlman soothing sensual voice provides the rock solid foundation for it. 

1. "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong." - Mordin Solus ME3

I feel like this speaks for its self. Like countless other folk I sat in stunned, pained silence as my boy, my favorite, my Mordin signed his own death warrant so that the Krogan could survive. 

Chrono Crossing 

Secrets of Mana as it is the only game from 1993 that I have played (I think). I played along with the Squoots crew, and I struggled, Googled, and profaned the version I played on my phone. But ultimately, when it was over, I kinda missed playing it. 

Got to say that this Stage Select was tough since I don't remember many quotes. Sure there's some standouts but something that I really like was hard to pinpoint. Here goes. 

Stage Select: Top 3 Quotes  

3. I'll kick your bloody arse so hard you'll kiss the moons.

-Kid from Chrono Cross

You know I got to "Angelo" Chrono Cross into this somehow. I loved Kids fiesty spirit which was the complete opposite of Serges quiet, reserved demeanor. This highlighted her tough nature in the game.

2. Tonight, Gehrman joins the hunt.

-Gehrman from Bloodborne

The last words before one of, if not, the greatest climatic boss battles I've ever played. After declining to give up your life, the old hunter, your mentor/guide, decides to take it from you. 

1. Those of you who volunteered to be injected with praying mantis DNA, I've got some good news and some bad news. Bad news is we're postponing those tests indefinitely. Good news is we've got a much better test for you: fighting an army of mantis men. Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You'll know when the test starts.

-Cave Johnson from Portal 2.

I honestly could have filled all 3 spots with Portal 2. Cave Johnson is such a perfect character. His Lemon speech was great along with his twisted Professor Farnsworth (Futurama) like enthusiasm. I hope to play a Portal game set in the past to see his glory days.  

Chrono Crossing: Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine

I stumbled upon this gem with my, sorely underrated,  Sega Channel. Being a huge puzzle game fan, I immediately fell in love with this Puyo Puyo Pop reskin. To this day I still pull out this game to play. At least until I get my hands on Puyo Puyo Tetris for Switch.

Stage Select: I easily could have just picked 3 quotes from earthbound, but figured I'd branch out a little

3. Literally anything from NBA Jam - "From Downtown!"   "He's On Fire!"   And my personal favorite "Razzle Dazzle!"

2. Super Mario RPG - Bowser, after losing his castle: "Oh geez, it's Mario! Oops... okay, okay... calm down! Don't let him see you like this! "Hey, how have you been?"NO! Not like that, dummy! Wrong tone! It needs more... confidence!"

1. Earthbound - Sailor, to Ness after you defeat the Kraken: "I also helped. I threw my slippers at the beast... maybe you didn't notice."

Lifetime achievement award - Super Mario Bros, Toad: "Thank you Mario. But our princess is in another castle"

Chrono Crossing:

Really hard to pass on Secret of Mana and Links Awakening, but my favorite game of 1993 is Shining Force. Single handedly responsible for my love of turn based strategy games.