Replay's Top 100 Games (#80-71)
Alright here we go again, Top 100 games #80-71
Jumping straight into it with
#80 - Fire Emblem Engage
Starting with a big one oh boy.
I have a lot of very strong opinions about this game.
The story is absolute garbage, it almost feels like a parody of the the series. The main villain is as "generic evil purple dragon" as it gets, they speedrun the dead parent story beat so fast it's almost comedic, and everything in between feels nonsensical and only loosely connected. The characters are overdesigned and shallow, water downed tropes of other FE characters.
If it was an intention decision to be a parody, I can at least respect the creative decision. But even if it was, so much is lost by making that choice.
It makes me not care about the story or characters, not care about the plot beats or support conversations. It makes this game's version of the Monastery boring, bland, and annoying. And above all else, it makes the game forgettable.
It would be the worst game in the franchise... if the gameplay wasn't so fucking good.
Between skill inheritance, the more free class system, and engage rings, it's easily the most customizable Fire Emblem game period. On top of that, the break mechanic makes the weapon triangle actually impactful in a fun and interesting way.
Normally, this level of player freedom is difficult to balance around, but the maps in engage are, well, engaging. They offer enough of a challenge that you're forced to use your powerful abilities in smart and creative ways.
It's so well designed, each element builds off the last to create one of the most fun tactics games ever. Its just a shame that the rest of the game is so unenjoyable that it had to fall this far on the list.
#79 - DOOM
I said I loved boomer shooters, and this is THE boomer shooter. It's crazy that an FPS from 1993 that didn't even utilize the mouse for aiming still feels so good to play nowadays.
I guess that's the magic of good movement and satisfying gunplay. Like yea, the levels are well designed, the enemies are varied, the midi soundtrack slaps, and the aesthetics are iconic. But at the core of it all, what really makes DOOM fun can just be boiled down to "Run fast shoot good." I love that shit, inject it into my veins.
#78 - Left 4 Dead 2
A short, simple and sweet one. L4D2 is one of the best zombie games ever made, one of the beat co-op experiences in gaming, and made even better by a thriving and easily accessible modding scene.
I could go into detail about the AI Director and how it improves the experience, but you really don't need to know how it works to know this game is great.
Really, I just wish I had people in my life who still played it, so that I could still play it with them.
#77 - UFO 50
This game is just a joy. It truly is 50full fledged games from an alternative timeline where people never stopped developing for the NES.
The whole collection can be summarized with the phrase "limitations breed creativity." Every single title here is so creative mechanically and has such a high level of polish, every single one would have been smash hits in the NES days. And at just 50 cents a game, that value really just can't be beat.
I'm so happy a game like this even exists and is as high quality as it is. A no brainer for NES fans.
#76 - Mario Kart Wii
To me, this is the best Mario Kart hands down. Yea the items are unbalanced and Deluxe has more tracks and there's only like 2 viable combinations of kart and racer. But Flamerider Funky Kong feels better to control than anything in Deluxe.
I like the general vibe and aesthetic way more, wheelies are satisfying to do, shortcuts are more plentiful and fun to pull off, and the modding community is massive.
Wii is peak Mario Kart, I'm so sorry if you disagree cause you're wrong.
#75 - Super Mario Galaxy 2
Galaxy 2 is an interesting game, and I have a lot of weird opinions on it.
On paper, it's literally just more Mario Galaxy. Hell, in some ways it's better that Mario Galaxy. It has some of the most creative mechanics, levels, and ideas in the entire Mario franchise. Gameplay wise, it's an upgrade, but to me, it feels clear that these are the "leftovers" of Galaxy 1. The ideas that didn't make the final cut.
And I think with that being the case, a lot was lost between Galaxy 1 and 2. The isolation, the mysticism, the grand feeling of exploring the cosmos, and the feeling of being a small spec in a greater universe. All of it felt absent in Galaxy 2
Any strong emotions I felt in Galaxy 1, with the exception of joy and fun, weren't felt in Galaxy 2.
Despite literally being a sequel, I associate Galaxy 2 more closely with 3D World. Both titles are a collection of Mario levels, loosely tied together by a common overarching theme. For that reason, Galaxy 2 is still one of the best games I've ever played, but it doesn't hit the emotional highs that other games higher on that list have.
And for that reason, this game ranks where it does.
#74 - Kirby Super Star
I felt like if I put Kirby's Adventure on this list, I had to put Kirby Super Star. It's just Kirby's Adventure, but better in like, every way. And I really liked Kirby's Adventure.
It looks better, sounds better, plays better. Its more fluid, controls great, has more game modes (I especially love Great Cave Offensive).
It's just more Kirby, it doesn't go much deeper than that, and it doesn't have too.
#73 - Kirby's Air Ride
My first Kirby game, an air based racing game for the Nintendo Gamecube. Wait, didn't this happen with Sonic?
Anyway this game is so fun. It excels in its simplicity, just a stick and a button. And despite that simplicity, this is one of the most creative racing games ever made.
Every track is so interesting, both in mechanics and aesthetics. They look gorgeous for the Gamecube. Each star is so unique and fun to control, without ever breaking that simple "one stick one button" control scheme. And City Trial.
City Trial was the shit. Outside of completing checkboxes, most of my time was spent just free roaming in City Trial. It felt so much larger as a kid.
I just wish I had more people willing to give the game a shot and play with me.
#72 - Resident Evil 4 (2023)
I started my journey through the Resident Evil games with the remake series. You can clearly see the shift towards the more "action" oriented style of games clearly with this entry.
I think this game (the original anyway) is held in such high regard, because the game balances the action and scary ratio almost perfectly. There are parts in this game that are genuinely really scary, and despite the badass Leon is in this title, you never feel that comfortable going into combat.
In RE2, I always felt like I had just a little less than what I needed. I was a few mixed herbs or rounds short that what was needed. RE4 feels like I have exactly enough to scrape by. That I can go into a combat knowing I can make it through, but I need to be on point, or else the scales will tip fast.
Every fight still felt like I was surviving by the skin of my teeth, and that's the feeling I go to these games for. I'm glad not every RE game is like 4, but I'm glad 4 is what it is.
#71- Luigi's Mansion
Luigi's Mansion was the first "horror" game I ever played, and it scared me so bad as a kid I didn't actually playthrough it until years later. But I was always enamored by it.
I feel like my experience with the Gamecube growing up was defined by spin off titles that showed different parts of the worlds of their respective franchises. Kirby's Air Ride, Sonic Riders, and Luigi's Mansion.
I always liked these places in games, because they made the worlds feel much bigger than they actually were in game. Luigi's Mansion did that for me for the world of Mario. Yea it was just the one building, but it has a tone, aesthetic and vibe never seen before or since in the Mario Franchise (and yes, thats including the sequels).
Outside of just the vibes, the game is just really good. The mansion is well designed, the poltergeist feels good to use, each boss is like it's own mini puzzle to solve. There are twists and scares and suspense. I'll never forget how I felt growing up, when the mansions power went out and everywhere I thought was safe suddenly wasnt.
For a while, this game was the gold standard of horror games for me. So much so that when I wanted to do a Halloween DnD one shot with my friends, the entire thing was HEAVILY inspired by this game.
It holds a special place in my heart, and part of me in retrospect feels like it deserves to be higher. I'm not redoing the whole list to make it happen tho.
