30 Days of Video Games - BONUS: Why Do You Play Games Pg. 142

[Sami]

Day 4 - Favorite Series

Metal Gear

So it's no secret that I've recently fallen completely in love with Metal Gear. Just a few months ago, out of curiosity and anticipation for Ground Zeroes, I decided to buy MGS1 on PSN for my Vita. Words can not describe how happy I am that I made that decision. The first three Metal Gear Solid games are among the greatest, most fascinating games I've ever had the pleasure of playing, and Ground Zeroes is practically a case study on brilliant level design and player freedom.

Metal Gear is a series well known for its complex and comprehensive plot, but there's really so much more to the games than just that. The characters are all interesting and memorable, the music is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv1bgZ3u9As, and the gameplay has always been top notch and well ahead of its time.

I have an enormous amount of respect for Hideo Kojima as a director, game designer, and visionary. It's Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 that really set the stage for providing compelling, cinematic stories in games, while still providing fun and challenging gameplay all throughout.

Ignoring MGS4 and Peace Walker, there's very little that really bothers me about these games. The script would definitely benefit from good editing, but apart from that, all of the games are exceptionally strong thematically, in story, and in gameplay.

[Spin Attaxx]

Favourite series? I have a lot (seriously stop with the "Favourite X" questions, I pretty much have no One Triumphant Example), but if I had to choose...

 

 

Out of all the Mega Man games, I love the Classic series the most. It just has this tone and feel to it that makes me prefer it over every X game past the first and all the various spinoffs and sequel series. I like the concept of gaining a boss's powers, I love the design of the Robot Masters, I like going through one of Dr. Wily's TARDIS Castles (seriously, as someone who made a 3D Wily Castle in Minecraft, the layout of the levels do not translate well to actual interiors without making odd bends in the design, and also where the fuck are these levels, are they just death traps behind some walls while on the other side of them Wily's drinking coffee and playing Resident Evil or something? Blah.) to kick his ass.

 

I even edit a wiki for it. So yeah, fair to say I like it.

[JezMM]

 

No series excites me for a new entry more than Mario.  I love a lot of franchises, but for me, the main Mario series is the one that guarantees me a wonderful experience every time.

 

Close seconds would be Kirby, Sonic, Left 4 Dead, Half-Life, Portal and BioShock.  They aren't always 100% full quality and/or aren't many games strong - but they also fill me with excitement when a new game is announced.

[Your Vest Friend]

...Eh.



Crash Bandicoot...for three out of four days

 

The reasons why are...basically the same as why I like Sonic, they're just that intertwined (hell, my username can attest to that). The games are fun to run around and explore in (especially Twinsanity and Mind Over Mutant), there's great settings and music, there's characters and lore I've grown attached to, it's just a great series full of games I can enjoy.

 

And yet I'm not excited for Sonic Boom despite being a spiritual cross of the two franchises, go figure. 

[ElectricAngel]

Day 4: Favourite Series

 

Get ready. Be prepared. I know I'll piss off a lot of people. But goddammit I can't help but choose:

 

 

Yeah, so I know people are gonna shit all over me for this but I can't help it. This series to me is almost perfection. I would say it's perfect, but then that'd be the nostalgia talking. So, let me explain why I love this series so much.

 

As a young boy, I was the only one to ever own a GameCube and pretty much everyone around me had a PS2. There was this one friend of mine who owned a PS2 and a copy of Ratchet and Clank 3. I would spend so much time with him playing it and I loved everything about it. I never got to actually owning any of the games besides A Crack in Time on my newly owned PS3, but I'm sure to get the HD collection as well as the rest of the future games.

 

*ahem* Where was I? Oh yeah, the series. The thing that made me fall in love with the series was the whole theme of space. Ever since I was young, I've always loved the idea of space. And any media that would explore the galaxy and beyond, would have me hooked. Ratchet & Clank was no exception. 

 

It wasn't just the theme that made me love the series, it was also the gameplay. The game was immensely fun to play. Shooting enemies and collecting bolts with the occasional platforming had that perfect mix and feel of adventure and it was and still is a very satisfying series to play. I always love the feel of shooting down enemies while swiftly dodging their attacks. It makes you feel really badass, ya know? And the bolt collecting. Oh lord, the bolt collecting. For some reason, I always try and find as many bolts. There's just so much satisfaction of beating a crate and have it explode with bolts for you to collect. Furthermore, the gold bolts added more challenge and promoted exploration in the various planets you visit.

 

And of course, I can't talk about Ratchet & Clank without talking about the characters and humour. When I first "tasted" the story of Ratchet & Clank, I couldn't help but feel amazed. It was the first time I had seen a video game take such a direction in it's story and humour. The jokes made me laugh out loud so much and still do to this day. It feels like a Saturday morning cartoon, which made it all the more inviting. Of course, the jokes wouldn't work if we didn't have the amazing cast of characters. I freaking love Captain Quark and Dr. Nefarious. I'll go as far as to say that Dr. Nefarious is my favourite video game villain of all time, just behind the magnificent Dr. Eggman. This villain is so over the top and wacky, I can't help but not love him. And Captain Quark is just one of those lovable doofus sidekicks that always make the journey more pleasant and hilarious. I would talk about Ratchet and Clank but they didn't really impress me much. Clank does have a lot of funny lines, but they didn't stick out as much as Quark or Nefarious.

 

Looking back, perhaps it's just nostalgia talking but I can't help but pick Ratchet & Clank. This series was something so new and so out there for me that I just couldn't help but fall in love. I have very fond memories of playing the original trilogy with my friend on the PS2 and even the newer games seem to still keep the spirit of the original trilogy alive. Granted, I've only played Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time. I've heard All 4 One and Q-Force aren't that good, but Into the Nexus is a return to form. However, when I look at this series, I always look at the positives and how it (sorta) introduced me to a new genre of games. So there you have it. Ratchet & Clank is my favourite and most cherished game series. And of course, I'm very much looking forward to the movie coming next year! 

[TheOcelot]

Discoid <3 Snake

 

Yet again I agree with Discoid. It's no secret I champion the MGS games.

 

Only the other day dwibs called me 'the Metal Gear Solid guy' in the statuses which sounds about right   

 

Those games are designed with endless replay value. I've been replaying Ground Zeroes to death because I enjoy the stealth game-play so much. The upcoming MGSV: The Phantom Pain has the potential to not just be the best MGS game, but to be one of the best video games ever created. 

 

But I've already talked about MGS in my previous two posts so I am going to talk about my second favourite series.

 

 

 

The Batman Arkham games:

 

 

 

 

 

The gameplay is arguably the best I have ever experienced. The free-flowing combat is incredibly well designed and implemented. It's fun and challenging. You feel like you're The Batman moving around kicking some serious ass! It's one of the rare games where dying doesn't annoy me because combat is so much fun, and you can attack enemies however you want. There are different gimmicks and special combos which IMO keep the combat feeling fresh. The evolution from Asylum, City to Origins has kept the same basic formula whilst tweaking the gameplay. As they say if it ain't broke don't fix it. It feels so effortless/seamless as you approach and tackle enemies, be it by stealth or by charging in. 

 

The writing and dialogue has got better and better as have the boss fights. The complex stories behind the characters has opened my eyes to the DC series. Whenever I want to replay one of those games I always feel obliged to play all three games back to back to 'complete' the story. So it will come as no surprise that I'm hyped for Batman Arkham Knight (although that should be obvious considering how much I post in the Batman topics).

 

 

 

 

The boss fights - which were a tad disappointing in Arkham Asylum - have improved so much. Special mention to the Mr Freeze fights in Arkham City and Origins Cold Cold Heart dlc, and the Deathstroke and Bane fight in Origins.

 

The stories are entertaining. Props to the Arkham City ending for the shock value. I love Mark Hamill and Troy Baker's portrayal of the Joker. The Penguin - voiced by Christian Nolan - is my favourite character in the Arkham games. Special mention to Harley Quinn and Mr Freeze, and Roger Craig Smith the Sonical Batman who did a respectable job in Origins. Although Kevin Conroy for me will always be the voice of Batman.

[Johnny Boy]

Favorite Series

And no, this isn't because I'm on a Sonic forum. I'm speaking from the honesty of my heart here. Sonic was one of the first games that I ever played and no series manages to excite me more than this one. I just always manage to be absorbed into the gameplay, fall in love with the characters, and mesmerized by the world that they all live in. Sure the series may have had its ups and downs and all arounds, but I still stuck with him through thick and thin and I'll continue to stick with this series till the day I die.

[Faseeh]

So let's go for something apart from Sonic. Sonic will always be my most favourite video game series so here's the second!

 

 

This is quite the intriguing thing, I actually played the demo on PSN always and then I finally got the two games on Steam last Christmas.

 

The series itself is very basic. Joe Danger used to be the best bike stuntman until an accident. The first game you bring him back to his glory, the second you live his life as a movie star. 

 

The game has the charming touch of the 90s, it has great country styled music, great visuals, wonderful gameplay. The gameplay is really something so unique. Speedy platforming with a bike is so rewarding. It feels a lot like Sonic Rush in this manner. 

 

Here's hoping for a new game soon, can't wait Hello Games!

[Solkia]

Well shit, I'm not sure about this one. I would say Okami but it isn't really a series since I refuse to accept the fact that Okamiden exists.

 

hmmm....

 

I guess I'm going to go with the Tales series again. Not because it's oh so better than all my other favorite franchises, but because in comparison to them it has had very little fuck ups. In fact I can only name 3, and one of them wasn't even made by the Tales team.

 

So yeah, another point to Tales.

[Jin.]

Day 4

 

HEY GUISE JIN HERE WITH AN MMO

BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-*shot*

 

Guild Wars is the only MMO series I truly love. I bought all the campaigns and the EotN expansion, and was a beta tester in Guild Wars 2. The art is beautiful, the music by Jeremy Soule is always welcome to my ears and the gameplay was enjoyable. Guild Wars 2 dropped a little on my list because of how boring the grinding could get (I was promised no grinding, Arenanet D:<).

[Dr. Homem]

Favorite series it is.

 

 
Arkham Asylum was among the first games that came with my Xbox 360, and the first game I played of that generation. What a way to start. Batman has always been my favaourite superhero and I was eager to see what a game of him would be like. Right from the start as you're taking the Joker in as things hit the fan, I knew I was in for one of the most intriguing game experiences I had played thus far.
 
All three games managed to create incredible atmospheres for their respective settings; it doesn't just feel like a Batman game, but a "Batman simulator", you find yourself believing that you are Batman and that you are inhabiting this world that has been so carefully constructed around you. Arkham Asylum passed off the feeling of being the last man standing in a place overrun by enemies exceptionally well. Arkham City, while I feel never fully explored the idea of "what if all of Batman's enemies were concentrated in the same location", still built an outstanding grim comicbook identity. Arkham Origins had my favourite setting of the three, but for a different reason: rather than being isolated, you are Batman going out to pursue your enemies, which I found very captivating.
 
Last week, I had a conversation about when was the last time a game truly made innovations that affected the industry significantly. While others came to mind, such as GTA 3 or World Of Warcraft, the first one I thought of was the Batman: Arkham series. The combat in that game is in almost every competent third-person action game with melee combat, and it's likely that it'll only continue to spread its influence.
 
It sounds cliche to say, but those games have the best example of an "easy-to-learn-hard-to-master" combat system. Anyone who started the game could easily pick up the basics and manage get through most combat situations with ease. But truly mastering the system and incorporating all of Batman's arsenal into a fight was the real challenge. And when you manage to do it, it's incredibly satisfying. It's amazing how many games overlook that aspect: at the same time as you have to make combat challenging and fun, you have to make it rewarding for the player to master it. The Arkham games execute that flawlessly.
 
The sum of all the immersive environments, carefully constructed sections and endlessly fun gameplay is what makes this such a strong franchise. From the first installment, you could see how solid the foundations were, to a point the sequels could bring their new elements, refine the old ones and become increasingly better. I enjoy the series immensely and can't wait to see what comes next.

[Red]

Day 4: Favourite Series

 

 

I'm sorry I just love this series too damn much. The characters, the story, the music, everything. It means so much more to me than Sonic and I honestly can't imagine my life without it. I've met so many friends thanks to this series, and they've been an absolute joy to talk to. It's just helped me in so many ways. I can hardly wait for the next game.

[Celestia]

Day 4: Favourite Series

 

MOTHER--hahaha, just kidding!...Actually, I would say that, but there's actually another series very dear to me that I'd like to talk about. One that was born in the 90s, had three great games, and then fell into some hard times...........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm talking, of course, about Spyro the Dragon.

 

 

There's a lot to love about the original trilogy (I also kind of enjoy Hero's Tail). I admittedly haven't played the Legend games, though they're on the list of Things I Need to Get To One of These Days. But nevertheless, the original Spyro is very dear to me, being--as I said on day 1--the first 3D platformer I ever experienced.

 

You see, the first (home) console I obtained was a good ol' Playstation 1. I was, frankly, blown away when I first played Ripto's Rage. There I was, having previously only jumped around and stuff in 2D games, but now I was jumping around and stuff...in 3D!! It wasn't the first 3D game period I had played, mind, but it was the first one based on platforming.₁ Hence why I answered with that game as my most nostalgic game. Now, though, I can elaborate on why I loved it--and the other two games--in general, rather than why it's nostalgic to me.

 

See, Spyro is a fairly simple game. You run around, collect a whole bunch of gems, shoot fire breath or charge into enemies, make sure to use one of those attacks specifically for certain enemies that are immune to the other form of attack, glide, and all that good stuff. But in Ripto's Rage and Year of the Dragon, there's also people at the beginning of the level that give you a task to complete. Of course, a lot of the time you basically just have to get to the end of the level...but to progress through levels, you'll often have to do something special to help them out, so, y'know. That was cool.

 

There's a lot of emphasis on collecting, being an early 3D platforming series; like I mentioned on Day 1, this series can be blamed for why I'm a sucker for collectin' stuff. Even just running around and getting gems was fun to child-me, and that sort of thing hasn't changed a bit.

 

The trilogy, particularly the second and third games, had so many wonderful, memorable, and entertaining characters. Spyro 2's level intros/outros alone have a lot more personality than the average platformer'll give to individual levels, in part due to the characters. But the main cast in particular is very endearing to me. Especially everyone in Spyro 3.

 

...Yes, even Moneybags. I mean, I love to hate him, but you know, that's...a kind of love too, right? Right??

 

Oh, and because I have to mention it every time I speak of this dang ass series, Spyro music is awesome.

 

But yeah, Spyro is tied with a few others as my favourite series!

 

Runner-ups: that fast hedgehog that I doubt any of you have ever heard of, MOTHER, and more recently Metroid (though I need to play more games in that series). Again, there's probably some that have slipped my mind that I'll remember like, tomorrow, and I'll gladly punch myself in the face for not mentioning them.

 

--

 

₁I think the first was probably the first Harry Potter game, PC version. There was some platforming, but I don't think it was the focus by any means. *shrugs*

[Jimbo]

Day 4: Favorite Series: Mario Kart (This counts as a series and not a spinoff, right?)

 

 

The ultimate game to piss your friends off. I did not own a Nintendo system until the Gamecube, but every time I went over to my friend's house and played his N64, I would always pick to play Mario Kart over Super Smash Bros. It's funny that I never actually owned a Mario Kart game until Wii, yet it was still one of my favorite series throughout the years. When I got Mario Kart Wii it was pretty much the only game I played for a period of time. I wasn't a big fan of the changes made in Mario Kart 7, but it was still good enough to play it for the time that I had it. Mario Kart Wii still stands out to me as the best in the series; I was a fan of the use of bikes in the game, and it was also the one that I had the most time to play.

 

That being said, I plan to get Mario Kart 8 on release day and I swear to god you guys better be playing it online.

[Nix]

Day 4

Favorite Series

 

 

Ace Attorney

 

The Ace Attorney series is something I'm very very fond of.  Though none of the games are my Number 1 favorite, as a whole they come together to create my favorite series ever, of all time.  

 

In the first 3 games we follow the tale of rookie defense lawyer Phoenix Wright as he takes up a variety of cases.  We see him make new friends, fix broken bonds with old friends, defend those who can't defend themselves, and point his finger towards the truth.  We learn of Phoenix's life, his friends, even his enemies.  The first trilogy is a wonderful package with great characters, clever writing, some amazing artwork, and even a greater soundtrack.  It also takes place in Japan-America, because the translation team thought it'd be a good idea to make the game take place in America.

 

It wasn't a good idea, but it's funny to think about as it gets worse and worse each game.

 

The 4th game stars a new Attorney, Apollo Justice.  We follow Apollo as he learns about Phoenix Wright's life, how Phoenix Wright got fired from his job, how Phoenix Wright is going to get his revenge on those who wronged him- wait what?  What about Apollo you say?  You thought this game was about Apollo?  WELL TOO BAD.  Truth be told, Ace Attorney 4 is just another Phoenix Wright game in disguise, and while Wright is amazing, we never actually learn anything about Apollo... except for the fact the he HAS CHORDS OF STEEL.

 

The 5th game rectifies that by not being about Apollo either, I mean, we do learn a little more about Apollo and Apollo himself shines so much more despite having half the screen time he did in AA4.  The 5th game stars Phoenix Wright again!  But who cares about that?  No one, that's who, because there's a new star in town and her name is Athena Cykes.  AA5 has not one, not two, but three playable characters, and the constant switching of viewpoints lets us see our favorite (and not so favorite) characters in whole new lights.  It's pretty cool.  Oh, AA5 also used 3D models instead of the old sprites and artwork.  Amazingly enough it looks just as good if not better than the old 2D stuff.

 

There's also a spin-off series *cries* about a reoccurring character named Miles Edgeworth.  It's pretty awesome except for the part where the second game isn't getting localized EVER.

 

Oh, did I mention the music?  Because it's pretty rad.

 

 

Everyone should play these games.  Don't buy the iOS HD collection though.  That's a bad idea.

[Kuzu]

Day 4: Favorite Series

 

 

 

 

Ahh yes, one of the only series that I've put hours into. Because goddamn. Pokemon is such a simple experience that hasn't really changed over the years, and yet it still remains an incredibly fun game to play and explore. The sheer amount of choices you have in them is simply astounding and every generation gives you a different option to choose from.

 

 

However, that's just the main game. What really helped me appreciate this series more was the competitive scene. There is no greater feeling than raising your favorite Pokemon and then using it to decimate lives of all of your friends, then bragging to the heavens and earth.   

 

 

So yea, Pokemon is one of my all time favorite series.

[Cola]

DAY 4 - FAVORITE GAME SERIES - ALL OTHER SERIES SHALL PALE IN COMPARiSOn

 

Well, I've got a few favorites (Including Sonic but you knew that already). But, there's one game series that simply comes out above all others for me...

 

 

You knew it'd be this. You knew. The Super Smash Bros. Series is HANDS DOWN my favorite video game franchise of ALL TIME. Lemme tell you why. High Octane 4-Player Multiplayer Insanity. Picking your favorite Nintendo character to beat the crap out of your friends. Using a variety of unique items to gain the upper hand over them. Battling in unique, colorful locales with the perfect places to slam your opponents out of bounds. Every hit is satisfying, every K.O. makes you feel like you're on top of the world. No fighting game has matched the fun I've experienced by playing the games in the Smash Bros. series. The imitators may have come and gone, but Super Smash Bros. is still here, stronger than ever.

 

Honorable Mentions go to the Shantae series, Wayforward's Mighty series, and the Super Mario series, especially the Mario and Luigi subseries.

[Mando-Whirl-Wind]

Day 4: Favorite series

 

Hmmmm, for this one, its a little odd, and is kinda related to a little goal of mine:

The fact is, I have a ton of great series I love, and that are really competent, like Mario, Metroid, Star Fox, but the thing is that when I got a ps2 after years of having an N64, I got the sequel and the original PS1 Spidey game, and simply had a blast, and ever since I've wanted to play every spidey game, for our wisecracking hero and his wide and diverse cast of villians like Shocker

The spiderman games are always far from perfect, but I do have to say friend or foe, and shattered web were awesome, despite major differences. The fact is that if you are willing to ignore the screw-ups, EVERY spidey game has some various aspect you can enjoy, and that has never changed from the best to the worst

Still needa play the older 2D ones, and The TAS ones though

4/30 days complete

[Iggy]

Day 4: Favorite Series

"KIDS THESE DAYS AND THEIR FANCY SATANIC PIKACHUS!"

Wanna know what my first Pokémon game was? Pokémon Diamond. I could've gone with Pearl version, but Dialga was the fucking shit, so I chose Diamond because I knew what I was doing. I remember choosing Piplup, beating the crap out of all the gym leaders, catching Dialga with my Master Ball because I wasn't the brightest, beating the champion, and buying 100 dusk balls to catch Giritina and only having 30 left by the time I finally caught that jerk. That was in Gen 4. It's Gen 6 now, and it's still got it. Also, Eevee.

[Brad]

 

Pokemon is without a doubt the series which I'd hold above others as a favourite. Ever since I was around five years old, Pokemon has engaged and excited me like no other franchise has been able to. Every main game released I've enjoyed thanks to constant development of the already very addictive and well structured battle system, long adventures which you can lose yourself in, and collecting your own little Pokemon which you feel oddly connected to. Even some spin-off games like Mystery Dungeon or the Shadow Pokemon games were enjoyable for me. No game in this series is perfect and I honestly wish Pokemon would take better strides in the music and storytelling departments but whenever a new Pokemon title is announced I feel as giddy as I did when I first got Pokemon Red and put into my Gameboy for the first time. Oh and obviously, shout out to the anime series and card game for when I was growing up. Those two only solidified my love for this franchise even further. 

[Cyrus]

Day IV - Favorite Series

 

 

 

 

 

I can't stop thinking about the games, nor can I stop talking about them, drawing fan art of the characters, listening to the music and of course playing the games. A series packed with appealing character designs, fun gameplay (at its best), amazing music and a dedicated development team that tries to innovate and experiment with it. Yes, the Sonic the Hedgehog series has had some failures that have costed its reputation and spawned floods of mockery and critical bias against the series, but it has and will always hold a special place in my heart, for these games have brought to me much joy and fond memories.

 

last sonic related post from me until i really have to talk about this damn series again, im sorry ;c;

[Gabz Girl]

Day 4! Favourite series!

This one is easy.

The day I played and beat the Wind Waker for the first time was the day I fell in love with the Legend of Zelda series. I couldn't wait to play more and explore each games different worlds and characters. There are still a few Zelda games I haven't actually played yet, mostly the handheld versions, but hopefully I can get to those one day. Anyway, what I find most appealing about LoZ is the gameplay. I love how it plays like an RPG (dungeons, items etc) but then it's not! It's an adventure game with RPG elements, and I love that. Then there's the characters which vary from game to game, but more often than not there will be at least one character who is great and stands out from the rest. Oh, and the music! The music is probably my favourite thing about these games too because you'll definitely find some great tunes in each instalment.

Zelda ftw!

[The Tenth Doctor]

Day 4: Favourite Series

Probably Assassin's Creed. I only got into this series not too long ago but I've been absorbed into the world very well. I loved the characters mostly. Ezio, Edward and Altair all had great personalities. Each person in the world feels like they have a story to tell. The landscapes are gorgeous, each title makes you feel you are truly in that era. I really like this series now XD

[Chaos Warp]

Day 4: Favourite Series (other then Sonic)

 

  

 

The Super Smash Bros Series

 

Now, this is probably my favourite franchise next to Sonic, because all of these games are just so much fun to play. While Meele is IMO the best of the bunch and my personal favourite, 64 and Brawl are also overall great games in their own right. These games are always high quality and have a fighting system that's not hard to get into like a traditional combo-based 2d fighting game, yet can still very skill based and competitive (especially Meele). Or you can just have a amazing time with 4-player all-items-on mayhem. That's the beauty of it, there's many different ways to play all the games in this franchise, which leads to the fun almost never ending. When friends come over, a Smash Bros game is almost always played at some point or another, and I've had many great memories. 

[KrazyBean]

Sonic is out of the question, so I guess I'll go with...

 

Day 4: Favourite Series

 

 

The Zelda series has always given me great gameplay experiences. I love the universe, the lore, the gameplay, the characters and the sense of adventure the games have. The fact that almost every Zelda game is pretty different from one another in terms of story and the world as well also keeps the series fresh.

 

I've never had any bad experiences with Zelda. All the games I've played (Ocarina of Time 3D, Wind Waker HD, Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword) were brilliant and I can safely assume that this will be the case for years to come. 

 

Granted, the series does have some flaws which are now becoming really apparent. The main one is that the series has become really formulated as of late but luckily A Link Between Worlds shaked the series up by allowing you to explore any dungeon in any order at your own pace. I hope this is the case for Zelda U as it will make the game feel even more adventurous instead of following a set path all the time.

 

I love The Legend of Zelda, I will hopefully continue to love it and I cannot wait for Zelda U. If you're interested, my favourite Zelda game is Wind Waker HD (never got to play the original but I can assume that the HD version is superior) and my first Zelda game was Phantom Hourglass believe it or not.

 

Honorable Mentions

 

I've been playing games for a long while now, so obviously my portfolio is pretty big. I just can't have ONE favourite series, so I'll mention some others here which ISN'T Sanic. I will spoiler each of them because I don't want to bother you guys with an obnoxiously long post with lots of pictures.

 

Pokemon

 

 

Ever since I played Pokemon Emerald I have been HOOKED on this series. The whole "Gotta Catch em' All" aspect of the series is really powerful.

 

One thing I love about this series is how versatile it is. Little kids can play it and have tons of fun without being confused by complex systems but at the same time has SO MUCH depth that even the most hardcore RPG player will be satisfied. I can't really say that for other RPGs as most of the time they are either too simple or most of the time, too complex.

 

It took the series forever to jump into 3D but now its finally happened with Pokemon X and Y and now the future looks even more bright for the series as the age of sprites is over. Graphics aren't everything but man oh man did it help this time.

 

I've been playing Pokemon for almost 10 years now and the fact that I still scream like a girl every time a new game is announced shows how insanely addictive this series is.

 

Mario (Mario Kart is a separate series, but it's still Mario so I'm going to add it)

 

 

C'mon, you should've expected this.

 

What can I say about Mario which has not already been said? His main platforming games are brilliant, his spin-off games such as the Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario series' are brilliant, Mario Kart is still stupidly fun to play and keeps on getting better as demonstrated by Mario Kart 8...everything this guy has is of insane quality.

 

As long as Mario keeps on getting excellent games, I will continue to love the series. The series is about 30+ years old now and the fact that it hasn't had a fail of Sonic 06 proportions is pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

 

Tales (or is it Tales of? I dunno what to call the series. lol)

 

 

I WILL admit, I am a newbie of this series. The only games I've played in the franchise are Graces f and Xillia BUT these two games have definitely made me love the series. The stories are great and well presented with lots of twists, the characters are very interesting, the writing is very good (for the most part) and the universe in each game are fascinating. The anime style also helps me enjoy it even more.

 

The main course which is the battle system is utterly fantastic. I've played A LOT of RPGs but none of their battle systems have satisfied me as much as these two Tales games I've played. It's not turn based, it doesn't use an ATB system of sorts and it's not a hybrid like Ni no Kuni (it mixes real time with turn based combat). It feels and plays like a fighting game, and it's fast, fluid and awesome. Granted, Xillia and Graces f play radically different from one another in battle but I love them both.

 

With Xillia 2 on the way and Zestiria coming out next year, I can safely say that I'll be playing games from this series for a long time. Hell, I might as well get Vesperia eventually...my 360 is just sitting there.