No One Can Stop Mr. Talking Time's Top 50 32 & 64-Bit Video Games!

[Issun]

#19

Is it just me, or does everybody always ignore what I say?

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platforms: Sony Playstation, PC, Nintendo 64
Release Dates: January 21, 1998 (NA), January 29, 1998 (JP), April 29, 1998 (EU)
163 Points, 6 Votes, Highest Vote: #1 (ShakeWell)
​

There's always that one entry in any given top 50 that you figure is a shoo-in for the Top 10, yet falls well outside of it. I think it's fair to say that Resident Evil 2 is that game here. Maybe there's enough voters that just aren't into survival horror. Perhaps there were enough that preferred the first installment. Maybe the remake stole some of the original's thunder, or enough people just did not care for the tank controls. I haven't played it yet (though I intend to fairly soon),so I can't speak to any of that, but we all know, even though not many of us voted for it, that Resident Evil 2 is one of the defining games of the era.

I think it speaks to how determined Shinji Mikami was that this would be something truly special that he completely scrapped his original vision (now dubbed 1.5) halfway through. It's definitely great that he did. The finished product expanded the scope out of one mansion and into all of Racoon City, while still keeping the atmosphere. It deepened its characterizations, introduced fan favorites Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Ada Wong. All this while only tweaking the core gameplay that had made the original so popular. The end result was yet another game from this generation that pushed boundaries and showed what the medium was capable of.

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[4-So]

Voted for both of these. Great games all around. (I still have my puppet from the Lunar pre-order.)

Yeah, I am a little surprised that RE2 ranked so low on the list.

 

[Kirin]

I thought Lunar:SSSC was on my list but apparently it didn't make my last cut? Which was probably a mistake, given that it turns out I can still sing that whole song from scratch.

Sadly I didn't have the puppet, though.

 

[Yimothy]

I had RE2 at #6. Tank controls forever!

 

[Falselogic]

Resident Evil 2 wasn't on my list but it is the only Resident Evil game I think I've ever finished.

 

[WildcatJF]

RE2 was my first experience with the franchise through the N64 version, and I still think it's a marvelous game. And that port is truly exceptional. IMO the best of the classic REs.

I have the puppet too, altho I bought it on the used market about three years ago, haha. I sold my copy of SSSC and keep hoping it'll be rereleased on something I actually own...cmon G-Mode (current owners of GameArts)....

 

[Mr. Sensible]

Personally I prefer RE3, but that was more a refinement/side-story based on what had been established by its predecessor. RE2 is the big-budget blockbuster sequel that shed a lot of the constraints of the original game and established RE/Biohazard as one of Capcom's franchise pillars that even today is still turning out popular sequels.

 

[Tomm Guycot]

I was a hardcore Lunar fanboy before this hit PS (I liked Sega CD Lunar on principle of its anime - and that opening - but Lunar 2 is a bonkers unappreciated gem, and the finest game on Sega CD). But seeing the leap in quality when that opening started, and Nall flew overhead (on my pre-release, sorry this got delayed yet again demo disc) blew my mind. It's a shame WD got stuck on fullscreen for the sequel, resulting in a huge drop in anime quality for the Western release - making SSSC the best Lunar money can buy.

 

[Adrenaline]

I don't really think RE2 is better than 1. All the new features and expanded scope are cool, but the mansion is iconic, and gameplay improvements are kind of moot when you're still talking about a 90s survival horror game. RE2 is good though. I voted for it.

 

[Sarge]

I admit, I didn't vote for either of these, but I really do love Lunar. I just like Eternal Blue more, and even more specifically, prefer the Sega CD version.

As for RE2, I must admit that I've barely even played it, but I have many friends that have tried to convince me over the years to play through it. I even bought a legit copy not long ago! I did finally play through REmake, so I'm definitely open to it. And just as an aside, I knew when I saw RE2 that @ShakeWell was going to be the highest vote.

 

[Lokii]

Are there big differences between the Sega CD and PSX Lunar 2's?

 

[Sarge]

In my opinion, yeah, pretty substantial. Mainly in terms of how battles and encounters are handled. Battles are visible on the map in the PSX game, which sounds great, but enemies are very often clustered up where you can't dodge them at all. You have a dash button, but it only lasts for a few seconds before you have to re-engage. Unfortunately, most enemies actually move at your dash speed, so dodging them is typically very difficult. Honestly, it feels like you fight more battles than the Sega CD game, which has random battles instead.

The other thing I noticed (unless I'm completely misremembering) is that enemy movement ranges have expanded significantly. It makes it incredibly easy for them to move in on your mages regardless of positioning. Any strategy there (and I mean, no, there wasn't much to begin with) is pretty much gone in the remake.

I know people hated the "magic experience" to save in the SCD game, but it turns into a minor inconvenience pretty quickly. And there's an "UnWorked" patch out there if you want to eliminate that requirement and play the SCD version in its original form.

EDIT: Yeah, I confirmed the movement ranges are as I remembered. Also, magic EXP to save is governed by your level. From GameFAQs:

I am almost *certain* that the Mag Exp required to save is determined upon Hiro's Lv and not after major plot advancements.

That's true. It's 15 * Hiro's level for save costs, like you said.

 

[Daikaiju]

Lunar is good times.

 

[Tomm Guycot]

In my opinion, yeah, pretty substantial. Mainly in terms of how battles and encounters are handled. Battles are visible on the map in the PSX game, which sounds great, but enemies are very often clustered up where you can't dodge them at all. You have a dash button, but it only lasts for a few seconds before you have to re-engage. Unfortunately, most enemies actually move at your dash speed, so dodging them is typically very difficult. Honestly, it feels like you fight more battles than the Sega CD game, which has random battles instead.

The other thing I noticed (unless I'm completely misremembering) is that enemy movement ranges have expanded significantly. It makes it incredibly easy for them to move in on your mages regardless of positioning. Any strategy there (and I mean, no, there wasn't much to begin with) is pretty much gone in the remake.

I know people hated the "magic experience" to save in the SCD game, but it turns into a minor inconvenience pretty quickly. And there's an "UnWorked" patch out there if you want to eliminate that requirement and play the SCD version in its original form.

EDIT: Yeah, I confirmed the movement ranges are as I remembered. Also, magic EXP to save is governed by your level. From GameFAQs:

Gameplay issues aside (and they are important), but for some reason Vic got it up his butt that they could display Lunar 2 Complete's anime at full screen, rather than the partial screen anime that the first PSX game used.

So where Lunar 2 CD had the best cinematics on Sega CD
and Lunar: SSSC had the best anime in a game to that point

Lunar 2: Complete had blown out anime just COVERED in artifacting. I have to imagine at some point someone that Ireland hated told him it wasn't worth the tradeoff, so he dug his heels in and delivered a broken game.

Thanks Vic. Glad you're obsolete.

 

[WisteriaHysteria]

Lunar juuuuust barely made it onto my list at #25. Mostly just because of the warm fuzzies. I remember hating Lunar 2, but I imagine I'd appreciate it more these days. Lunar has a lot of regressive Anime™ business about it, but it's a very competent game. I still like the setting a whole lot. (Feels very Escaflowne-ish.)

RE2 did not make my list on account of not really being a big horror fan, and also despising tank controls. But it's a very good game and a really good time, and a quintessential defining moment for the 32bit generation (and just gaming in general). I definitely appreciate some of the takes here that prefers RE1 or 3, but RE2 was where the franchise/genre hit critical mass and broke through into the mainstream. I am both surprised and not that it didn't place higher. I imagine lotta people were of the same mindset I was, that I could safely leave it off my list because someone else would have me covered.

 

[YangusKhan]

I played Lunar SSSC when I was a teenager and I have never had any interest to revisit it. If I want a comfy, anime-ass JRPG on the Playstation, I'm not exactly hurting for options. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Resi 2 was my #10. I devoured that game when it was new and still have some incredible fondness for it. I didn't even end up finishing the R2make yet, but I've played enough of that one to know that it cannot replace the original for me. I never played the original RE at that age, nor did I played Nemesis, so until RE4 came out, Resi 2 was the only thing I identified with as "Resident Evil," and tbh that's not a bad problem to have at all. It's the Terminator 2 of the RE franchise!

 

[ShakeWell]

I got Resident Evil 2 on launch day, but couldn't get very far in because it's when my PS1 was in the process of dying (I got a little ways in balancing it upside-down on two Genesis carts). A friend of my dad's had gotten bored with his PS1 and gave it to me right before we went on a family vacation to Arizona for Brewers Spring Training. Any downtime I had on that vacation was spend reading my RE2 strategy guide or the Yoshi's Story issue of Diehard GameFan with extensive RE2 tips/coverage in it. I couldn't get my mind off that game.

In the time since, I've played through it a ton, including several times in autumn of 2019. I think in the end it barely edges out its own remake and 4 to be my favorite RE.

If you want my longform thoughts:

 

[Torzelbaum]

I had the Lunar 1 remake as #4 on my list. It's just a sweet and earnest game - almost like a fairy tale.

I thought Lunar:SSSC was on my list but apparently it didn't make my last cut? Which was probably a mistake, given that it turns out I can still sing that whole song [Wind's Nocturne / Luna's Boat Song] from scratch.

I can do that for Wings / the Opening Theme.

 

[Rascally Badger]

Man, I love Lunar. I am a slightly bigger fan of the sequel (which would have placed highly on my list had I got it finished and submitted), but SSSC is great as well. I think it might be one of those "you had to be there" experiences; I can't say that Lunar does anything better than most of its contemporaries. The battle system hints at complexity while functionally not being any more complex than Dragon Quest. The story is just the most anime. But I've played every version of Lunar I could get my hands on and the SSSC version more than once despite not being able to track it down until relatively recently. It is just . . . charming.

I should play some Lunar.

Resident Evil 2 is great, as well.

 

[Issun]

#18

I'm-a Luigi, number one!

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher:Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo 64
Release Dates: December 14, 1996 (JP), February 10, 1997 (NA), June 13, 1997 (UK), June 24, 1997 (EU)
165 Points, 9 Votes, Highest Vote: #10 (Johnny Unusual, Patrick)
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I recently went back and replayed Super Mario Kart for the SNES. I remember how much I loved and played it back in the day, but going back to it now, it's a bit of a tough haul. Perhaps that is why, for many of those who played the 64-Bit installment, it is the definitive Mario Kart. Because Mario Kart 64 was the first Mario Kart that felt like what people would come to expect from the franchise for the following 25 years and counting.

Part of the problem is just that a game like this demands to be in 3D. Yes, the original had Mode 7, which gave us a decent facsimile, and who doesn't love Mode 7? The move to polygons allowed for more precise controls, though, as well as expanded tracks and more secrets. This game may not have been quite the revelation that some other games of the era were, but it defined exactly how a kart racer should play, and did it with style. Its case as the definitive experience is also helped by the fact that most of its follow-ups made alterations that ended up being incredibly divisive, and even sometimes made the controls worse, at least until the WiiU version (which was also the first game in the series that even many MK64 die-hards have admitted might be better). It really is hard to beat the game that took the series into the third dimension, improved the controls exponentially, and added four-player support (it also added the blue shell, but nothing is perfect).

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[Issun]

#17

I am the reinforcements.

Developer: Square Product Development Division 4
Publisher: Squaresoft
Platform: Sony Playstation
Release Dates: February 10, 2000 (JP), May 15, 2000 (NA), June 21, 2000 (EU)
175 Points, 7 Votes, Highest Vote: #5 (YangusKhan)
​

When the day comes that Yasumi Matsuno passes from this Earth, and we look for one work to truly define his career as a games developer, Vagrant Story may be the best candidate. It is not as famous as some of his other games, but the daring gameplay that built on Parasite Eve combined with Matsuno's most well crafted story makes this nothing less than definitive.

He was no stranger to tales of political intrigue, but the epic scope of his tactical games meant the storytelling could kind of get away from itself. So the smaller setting of Lea Monde combined with a dark fantasy aesthetic made for a much more compelling tale. It's really not hard to see where Hidetaka Miyazaki might have cribbed some story beats from this game, as well as some of the aesthetics, especially the cellars and catacombs.

The aesthetics are another high point. The visuals put even some early PS2 games to shame, and the score being by Matsuno's partner in crime, Hitoshi Sakamoto, means the music is to notch, as well. Even the crafting system, as inscrutable as it is, has interesting things to show you if ever you can figure it out.

So yes, while Vagrant Story never quite gelled with me the way it has with those who love it, I still consider it the masterpiece of one of the greats of game design.

Sarge said: Vagrant Story expands on the combat system found in Parasite Eve, crafting a compelling dungeon crawl that's easy on the eyes. It may actually be the PSX's most visually arresting 3D game. And that localization marked a high point for SquareSoft's output.​

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[ThornGhost]

Lunar juuuuust barely made it onto my list at #25. Mostly just because of the warm fuzzies.

Same here. I recognized Lunar SSSC is a lot of visual and audio flash surrounding a pretty mechanically bog standard RPG, but I honestly still remember the day I bought it. Having never had a SCD, I remember being floored by the anime screenshots in gaming mags of the time, but just assumed I would never get to play it. When the reworked version came to PSX years later, it seemed to me like I was getting a taste of something special and exotic, especially with the premium packaging and accoutrements that came with it.

There's almost certainly something more deserving from the generation that I left out for SSSC, but what can I say, they razzle dazzled me and I loved it.

 

[Peklo]

Looks like I had Vagrant Story at #13. Honestly forgot, because I just threw it in wherever and it could be #1 if the whims ordained it. It has all the bullshit that drives me up the wall about Matsuno-written games, but I can never disregard the dioramic brilliance of its environmental design, the alternatively grimy and ethereal Sakimoto soundtrack, the level of cinematographic care put into its presentation in the cinematics proper and outside of them, or just the general sense of mixing in all kinds of genres from RPGs to action platformers to survival horror to rhythm games and whatever else that comprise the whole that's never been replicated anywhere else to the same effect. It's a world I want to curl up in and risk never leaving if I tarry too long within. All the system-side design that's involved in it pushed me to crack its abstract code in ways few games have ever compelled me to, and the reward was just inherent to what was already put in place: more time to spend in its world--whether the labyrinth of Leá Monde itself, the nestled menus, or the gridded combat sphere. It's at this point kind of immaterial what the game is about, textually (and frankly because the writing is beautifully conveyed and articulated bunch of nothing) but simply lingering in its spaces is an experience I've rarely found the equal to.

Weird miscellanea that endears the game to me further:

• named rooms, for each and every discrete space in the game. A catnip for me in any game that does it, but when it's pursued by others, the effect can be dry and merely perfunctorily descriptive; Metroid Prime would be a relevant example. In Vagrant Story, each room's title can in itself encompass a small tone poem, further underlining the intimate, mythical allure of its world. It's to my understanding Alexander O. Smith was responsible for conceiving a number of them whole cloth, again showcasing how much the game was elevated by his approach to localization.
• an internal achievement system of sorts, one of the earliest I can remember existing in a game. For a game that exists outside of the big series ecosystems and has to be seen as an underdog in almost any comparative context, they really thought and did a lot of things within those limitations to pack the game with as much things as possible. It feels "modern" in a way as if it stands outside of time.
• press start (or is it select; I forget) and all the HUD elements fade away and you get treated to one of the most gorgeous first-person views any game has ever attempted, both for its specific implementation (enemies remain in view and continue animating if idle, but they're also frozen in place if taking action; you can catch skeletons mid-jump for photo-ops and such) and how much the game's visual intricacy demands closer scrutiny. When I did my visual galleries for the game years ago it was an instrumental tool in presenting the game in the way it deserved to be and that I wanted to. Photo modes and such are commonplace now but at the time, and in my own subsequent exploits in trying to figure out how to bring the best out of games in terms of screen captures, working within limitations is always a joy as is the discovery of something like Vagrant Story that accommodates so much and so thoughtfully.

This was one of those rare Squaresoft treats that was granted an European release at the time, and not even particularly later to other regions; it was summer 2000 and I was 10. Why would a ten-year-old play Vagrant Story? I did anyway, and even though it took me years upon years to understand the game and complete it, it was always enjoyed by me because it had the uncanny capability to linger in your mind after being exposed to it even once. Some of it was due to the wide-eyed sense of importance bestowed to what it was through its tonal pretenses of maturity, and those I've since recoiled at or rejected, depending--but I don't think that assessment is wrong either because it is an outlier in many ways to convention and expectation in the ways that make it exceptional.

 

[Kirin]

I love me some Vagrant Story and had it at #7. The things that game does with subtle textures and baked-in lighting are quite frankly amazing, and it's definitely one of the most beautiful and atmospheric games on PS1. I love all the other stuff Peklo just talked about as well; the named rooms are delightful and Alexander Smith is a hero.

My not-so-secret shame is that the various weapons systems never really clicked for me back in the day (the unfortunate load times for the crafting menus really don't help matters either), and I ended up playing through most of it on a friend's NG+ save file with a jack-of-all-trades super weapon. But who cares? The fascinating hybrid battle system was still fun, and I got to drink in the world of Lea Monde, which is really the point.


I also had Mario Kart 64 on my list, though towards the bottom. I was never *really* into racers, but the MK64 period was when I played them the most for sure. Just a really well-executed game, with my only qualm being the sometimes egregious NPC rubber-banding.

 

[Beta Metroid]

Though I stand by DKR being better than MK64, and believe that MK64 has been outdone multiple times by sequels, it's still a ton of fun to return to. It's a game that strongly benefits from bugs, balance issues, and (probably) unintended inclusions. There's the speed being cranked up to absurd levels on certain tracks with 3 or 4 players, there's the vast array of shortcuts resulting from hopping walls, clipping through barriers, and other high-risk, high-reward actions that are so much more extreme than the built-in shortcuts of other entries, there's the fact the Spiny shell can hit opponents and banana peels infinite times without dissipating if you hold it behind you, there's the entire existence of the "spiteful Bob-omb" feature in Battle mode (and it's especially wonderful if you become a bomb with shells/banana peels), there's the fact the spawn points in Skyscraper are numbered, so you can be evil and spawn camp an opponent if they fall off...

And there are cool intentional things, like the entirety of SM64's castle grounds being re-created as a side area of a track, or how there's a special, mean cutscene for finishing a grand prix in 4th (which is probably harder to do than finishing 1st-3rd). And how it carried on the original's tradition of having a giant floating fish barf up your trophy (something that the vast majority has miserably failed to carry on. I count it a mark against each Mario Kart entry when it fails to resurrect this glorious practice).

Also, the ending credits theme is more emotional than a Mario Kart game has any right to be. It's clearly emulating the Super Mario 64 credits, but I will boldly state that MK64 has the better tune.

 

[Tomm Guycot]

Something missing from gaming today is the... ...feeling?... when a game was so designed for its platform as Vagrant Story (and MGS). You can tell the team took every single element into account for the PS1's limitations. Character models, textures, room composition, etc. Look at the screen in the post. it's just a brown room! It's impossibly gorgeous.

 

[Falselogic]

The Aesthetic of Vagrant Story is how I remember every PS1 game in my head. It's just a gorgeous game. I'm looking forward to when the nostalgia retro games get to the PS1 era.

Seriously, click through Peklo's gallery they linked above. It's just beautiful.

 

[Sarge]

Vagrant Story really does have an amazing aesthetic. I also remember brute-forcing quite a few fights with some weapons that weren't up to snuff by continual attack chaining. I plinked the minotaur to death with a bowgun, for crying out loud. The game really needed a sequel to allow it to stick out more in the minds of players, but I'm just glad we got it at all, honestly. (It clocked in at #10 on my list.)

 

[Balrog]

I think most PS1 era graphics aged really poorly but Vagrant Story looks great.

 

[ShakeWell]

I think most PS1 era graphics aged really poorly but Vagrant Story looks great.

Not to be that guy, but since getting a CRT last summer, PS1 graphics have aged way worse when they're sharply uprezzed (which is how I generally like to play my retro games). I find on the PVM, they look pretty great.

Re: Super Mario Kart 64, for me, it's that song you've heard one too many times. That one that you used to love, but it was not only popular on the radio, but seemingly universally acclaimed, and never really left radio rotation. And as much as you recognize it's good, if you hear it, you almost instinctively change it, because it's just emblazoned on your brain to the point that you never really need to hear it ever again.

What I'm saying is, my friends and I played a LOT of Mario Kart 64, and while I recognize that it is, in fact, good, I never ever need to play that particular installment again, ever.