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Top 50 Hub Worlds: What's all the Hubbub?
- Thread starter Baudshaw
- Start date
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- Tags
- bub? hubba hubba
Nominated by: @Johnny Unusual (15), @Issun (14), @Falselogic (4), @JBear (18), @Patrick (11), @Beta Metroid (15), @Baudshaw (14)
The comet observatory is a fun bit of nonsense. It's not an observatory, but it is a place from which to observe comets and sometimes it is one. It's also a house, sort of. A deconstructed house where rooms are outside instead of in and everything is powered by an open-air fusion reactor. As a hub its also strange, essentially being three hubs nestled marishka-like inside each other. On the top layer you have the observatory itself, all walkways and energy conduits; which lead to rooms, sparse little spaces with nothing in them except: entire solar systems composed out of the galaxies which actually make up the game's stages. Kinda convoluted! But a memorable hub and, with cozy vibe levels through the roof, its no surprise to see it in the top 10.
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Nominated by: @Baudshaw (10), @Johnny Unusual (10), @Patrick (12), @RT-55J (14), @Lokii (5), @Dr. Nerd (4), @Beta Metroid (1)
Banjo-Grunzooie took the hub-as-level concept originated by Mario 64 and exploded it. Gruntila's Lair is a labyrinthian cave complex full of distinctive set-pieces containing the level-entrances--which in turn require more and more convoluted hub-navigation to open up as the game progresses. It's a stunningly memorable place as exploration to get access to the stages is just as involved as the stages themselves. What's more, the penultimate challenge relies on your knowledge of random trivia than can only be learned through a thorough investigation of all the Lair's nooks and crannies. And the pièce de résistance tying everything together is Teddybear F-in' Picnic if you can believe it. You'd think this nursery melody would wear itself out in seconds but through use of dynamic audio track shifting the tune is not only immensely listenable but contributes more than its fair share to the Lair's distinctive personality.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Two great choices. It's been forever since I played Banjo Kazooie but Rare was on a real hot streak. BK felt like an extension of what Mario 64 did but what they do in this and the puerile but fun-to-play Conker is making a weirdness with a mix of platforming and... I guess adventure gaming (I'll use the term loosely).
The Observatory is really fun to. God, Galaxy was a good game.
The Observatory is really fun to. God, Galaxy was a good game.
"AAAAAAAAAAA"
I frickin' love the Comet Observatory.
Nominated by: @Issun (17), @Aurelia (8), @Patrick (9), @Violentvixen (21), @RT-55J (15), @Dr. Nerd (2), @Beta Metroid (5), @Baudshaw (12)
Majora's Mask is a weird swing in a lot of ways. Typical Nintendo. In their dreamlike reimagining of OooT they transformed its famous Hyrule Field from a naturalistic but empty space into Termina's contrived but full-to-bursting hubzone. Termina Field is laid out, well, like a clock. The game's four major regions are located at 3, 6, 9, and 12 and its face transitions between four quadrants that somewhat resemble the associated region's biome. The quadrants blead into each other and each is primarily dictated by the overall "field" theme, which all together gives the game world a uniformity that offsets its rigid geography. At the center of Termina Field is Clock Town—the hub's central hub—and at the center of it is the actual clocktower and the point of impact of that dang ol' moon. So Termina Field not only resembles a giant timepiece but is also suggestive of a target. Lotta thematic work being done by this, your #5 favorite hub.
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Nominated by: @Baudshaw (9), @Falselogic (2), @Aurelia (9), @Patrick (10), @Violentvixen (24), @RT-55J (4), @Dr. Nerd (11), @Beta Metroid (14)
Like Dark Souls, Delfino Plaza is one of those integrated hubs where you can see other stages off in the distance. But Sunshine did it first, damn it! Nintendo was blazing a trail with the idea of a diegetic hub that existed in spatial context of its stages. The issue here is that Isle Delfino consists of giant volcano that blocks line of sight to half the levels. Still, it's extremely cool to see Pinna Park or Rico Harbor in the skybox and make the realization that, unlike every other Mario adventure up to this point, the world here is one continuous place. As far the Plaza itself, it's your typical playground hub with plenty of buildings to scamper across, secret blue coins to sniff out, and the indigenous Pianta population to be-soak.
I know this is not a popular opinion, or perhaps we are in the up-cycle, but Super Mario Sunshine is one of my fav 3d Mario games and I have much more memories of it than I do for Super Mario 3d. I dont think we will ever see FLUDD again but I had fun with it.
Was the first 3d Mario game I ever played as a kid so I have a soft spot for it even if I think that 64 is the better game now.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
I played it only for short periods in the waiting room of my second orthodontist when an actual child wasn't playing. I found it fun. Isn't it the precursor to car-wash simulator. Or Splatoon in reverse.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Just letting people know there's 4 days left for submissions for the next list; top 50 musicals! I have 6 but I need at least 9 more.
The Top 50 Musicals Submission Thread: The Old Song and Dance
These are not the happiest of times and sometimes we just need art that is an explosion of emotion, whether it be joy or tragedy, to give us the release we need. Even when they aren’t happy, musicals are beyond “realistic” because by putting our emotions and ideas to music, it can (when done...
talking-time.net
Nominated by: @Issun (11), @JBear (11), @Aurelia (4), @Patrick (1), @RT-55J (23), @Lokii (6), @Dr. Nerd (5), @spines (1)
The first From Hub comes in as a well-deserved first among the soulslikes. This place has it all: cool vibes, NPCs showing up to distribute gear/lore, a sexy lady, everything! What strikes me as notable is how much unused space is here. The Nexus goes up and up with nothing to find except for the Monumental, which you must talk to in order to begin the game proper. If nothing else, by forcing you up into the rafters the game teases you with the prospect of a simple drop back down to the archstones—through which we learn that fall damage exists and perhaps get our first taste of Miyazaki humor.
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Nominated by: @Kalista (1), @Torzelbaum (1), @Johnny Unusual (8), @Issun (7), @Kirin (2), @Falselogic (3), @JBear (6), @Aurelia (2), @WildcatJF (5), @RT-55J (1), @spines (18)
The End of Time ain't big, and it's unclear if it's even a place. But the vibes... the vibes...
I like how when you're not using party members they hang out here, awkwardly staring at each other, shuffling their feet, futilely checking their watches.
Fun-fact: Gaspar keeps the portal to Lavos inside his chamber-pot.
Both of these are incredibly good picks. Worth mentioning for The Nexus that a large portion of it above at least in the original PS3 release was dedicated to online ranking leaderboards, which was pretty cool to see them incorporated into the world as physical objects you interacted with instead of navigating a menu. I’m not sure if the PS5 version keeps that or cuts them.
End of Time is also just one massive vibe, hands down one of my all time favorite game hubs. This is a reminder to myself that I should maybe play Chrono Trigger again for the third time. What a game.
End of Time is also just one massive vibe, hands down one of my all time favorite game hubs. This is a reminder to myself that I should maybe play Chrono Trigger again for the third time. What a game.
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I've replayed Chrono Trigger way more than any other RPG, possibly in the running even including other genres for games of any significant size, and have gotten every ending multiple times, so I've passed through the End of Time a *lot*. It's super succinct but has everything you need - portals to everywhere you can go, a party hang-out, a cryptic advice-giver, and a semi-optional escalating boss battle that powers you up. And, as everyone has said, the vibe is just immaculate.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I thought I voted for End of Time but apparently not! Must have been a late cut on my list.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The End of Time is nice and simple. Very little stuff at the end of all things.
So does it go straight OVER Lavos? The End of Time lets you poop on a Lovecraftian horror? Nice.
So does it go straight OVER Lavos? The End of Time lets you poop on a Lovecraftian horror? Nice.
Nominated by: @Daikaiju (13), @Baudshaw (2), @Kalista (11), @Torzelbaum (10), @Johnny Unusual (1), @Issun (5), @Kirin (3), @JBear (2), @Aurelia (10), @WildcatJF (1), @Patrick (4), @Violentvixen (20), @RT-55J (13), @Lokii (7), @Dr. Nerd (3), @spines (4), @Beta Metroid (13)
Yes indeed it's true, Peach's Castle claims the number one spot. And why shouldn't it? It was the hub that invented hubs. And did so with such appeal and style. It could have been a simple lobby like Crash's warp rooms or Quake's episode selection area. Instead Big 'Tendo gave us an iconic location we had never been able to explore before. And not only that, but amid the castle's crooks, crannies, and secret passages they hid paintings? That you jump into?? To go to the game's actual levels??? Forgetaboudit. It was never a competition. Perfect hub, case closed.
Also Luigi's grave is here.
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Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The mysterious Mr. L is sought for questioning but could not be found.
Dang, Kattelox didn't even make it in? 
Wait, did everyone have Peach's Castle on their lists?
I did not. Super Mario 64 is a game I mostly skipped.