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

[Nuel]

Day 4: Favourite Series

 

 

THE WALKING DEAD, YO. Unlike most zombie games that usually focus on shooting and killing, the Walking Dead series is more about making choices. Every thing you decide to do affects the fate of some of the characters and at some points you have to make a choice between your morals or doing something completely ruthless to ensure the safety of your group. There is no right or wrong here.

 

Season 1 really made me attached to the characters and feel for what happens to each of them. Seeing an old character in Season 2 made me feel like I was reunited with a long lost friend. All-in-all, the series has an awesome story and great character development - I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to try something different to the usual zombie action games.

[Wraith]

 

Time to talk about Zelda again!

 

 

There were a few more series I could have put in this category too(I'll get to you one day, Super Smash Bros.) , but I guess Zelda is the one that always got me excited for new entries no matter where they tried to take it(And believe me, they've tried to take it a LOT of places.).

 

 

 

The main reason was the gameplay. The series's combination of open exploration in it's fields and tense puzzle solving and combat in it's dungeons had me hooked. The dungeons specifically are my favorite parts. The puzzles were often simple enough that the flow didn't stop but clever enough to catch you off guard. There's also a lot of exploration in even the most linear of Zelda games. The worlds themselves can be kind of barren depending on the game, but at the very least there are usually treasure chests and shit all round you, and I get a childish amount of glee from those. 

 

 

Like I said before, the Zelda series is also pretty combat heavy. Not gonna lie, there isn't much complex about it. It's usually just remarkably simple sword combat with some puzzles thrown in. When the series handles this aspect properly, though, it can produce some of my favorite boss encounters in any video game. Skyward Sword in paticular had a lot of stand out boss fights, for example. 

 

 

 

While Zelda often just relies on "Save the world from darkness" for it's main plot, the characters are where the stories truly shine. From Skyward Sword's Groose and Ghirahim. to Twilight Princess's Midna and Zant to, hell, Majora's Mask and Wind Waker's entire cast. It gives you a sort of generic plot but in the end there's usually people worth saving. Majora's Mask in paticular is one of my all time favorite stories in a Video game, but I get the feeling I'll be able to talk about that one later. It's characters are bursting with personality. It's villains range from comical to terrifying. It's all just really charming stuff.

 

 

 

Most Video game series pretty much stick to only 1 or 2 artstyles throughout it's lifetime. Zelda tries to switch it up every game to fit the current setting and story and honestly that's one of my favorite parts about it. You don't ever know just what the next game is going to look like, sound like, or even play like. The wait between games is even more exciting if you keep this in mind. It results in a pretty divided fanbase since everyone will naturally gravitate toward a favorite style and setting, but it makes the games stick out more individually. 

 

The soundtrack are also top notch, with each game being filled with a variety of remixes and original themes. They can be a bit heavy on the remixes, like most Nintendo franchises are, but I don't think I can say there's a soundtrack I hate, so that's always a good sign.

 

 

 

 

So....yeah. That's why I like Zelda a lot. For a long running series, I have to give it credit for always catching me off guard with the next game announcement. While I will acknowledge that it is a bit dated in some ways, it just does so many things right consistently that you can't help but excuse them.

[Winston]

Day 4: Favorite Series

Metal Gear

Damn this was a hard choice for me, but I finally decided to go with Metal Gear. Weirdly enough I first got into the series when Snake was announced for Smash Bros. Brawl, and I decided to go play some of this Snake guys games. At first I didn't like them, but the more and more I played them and the older I got the more interested I got into the games and the more I wanted to keep playing, similar feeling to drinking coffee or alcohol.

 

The story is really weird, but I like it. I would tell you the basic premise, but I'm afraid I might spoil something by accident, so I'll just say Snake is a soldier and his father, Big Boss, is a legendary soldier that becomes a bad guy, and his brother is also a bad guy. So yeah, there we go, that's the the most bare way I can put it. Seriously, you should just play it if you want to know the story so much, it's really great and develops more and more through-out the games. 

 

The gameplay over time has changed alot. Starting from the original Metal Gear's on the MSX, I think that's what the system is called, to today. The Metal Gear gameplay for MSX was sprite-based and was from a top-down perspective, the first Metal Gear Solid was similar to that but not really. Metal Gear Solid 2 is basically the first one gameplay wise, but instead you play as Raiden for most of the game. Then, Metal Gear Solid 3 basically makes it a third-person game where you're constantly behind Snake's back. Metal Gear Solid 4 plays similar to MGS 3, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker does as well. Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes is similar, but adds alot more to the gameplay and totally changes it up, but it still has the base of the MGS3 gameplay.

 

Out of all the games in the series, I still have to say MGS3 is my favorite, maybe until MGSV: The Phantom Pain releases, as that one may surpass it, but you never know. MGS3 is my favorite though because I love it's story, gameplay and survival aspects, it's also the first Metal Gear Solid game I ever played so it holds a certain place in my heart. It's also one of my over-all favorite games of all-time. Now if we were to discuss the other ones, I'd say MGS3 > Peace Walker > MGS > MGS4 > MGS2 > MGR > MG > MG2. I don't really feel like discussing why I don't like those as much, but the MSX ones are just too old for me, and Rising was just a bit too repetive for my tastes and it didn't do a whole lot of new things to me, so yeah. 

 

Overall, the series is great, from it's gameplay, to characters, to weird ass complicated story. It's also pretty funny in some fucking weird ways. The voice-acting is also pretty good, but David Hayter had like the greatest voice in the world, it wouldn't not put a smile on my face everytime I heard him as Snake. I'm not sure if it's from laughter or joy though, because seriously the voice was just...I can't explain it. Now Kiefer Sutherland as Snake wasn't too bad, I certainly didn't like it alot, but I think I'll get used to it during The Phantom Pain, as Ground Zeroes didn't really show him off much. He only had a couple scenes where he actually spoke. But yeah, that's about it, MGS is my favorite series. Some other mentions are Super Smash Bros., Mario Brothers, Portal, and Crash Bandicoot. 

[Endy]

Day 4: Favourite Series

 

 

This comes as no surprise to anyone since I've talked about this series every single day so far, but my favourite series is Metroid. I said earlier that Prime 1 is my favourite game, and Metroid got me into gaming in the first place. When a game in the franchise is good, its really REALLY good. The visuals, the music, the gameplay, and the atmosphere are all seriously fantastic. There isn't really anything I can say at this point that I didn't' say before....sooo yeah. Even if the series has had some MINOR MISSTEPS its going to take something really really atrocious to make me stop loving it.

 

now if only nintendo liked metroid as much i do 

 

Some other franchises I have to mention are Mario, Zelda, Smash, Pokemon and Sonic.

[Debug Ring]

I'm going to say Smash Bros for this one. Bringing all the Nintendo franchises, with select outsiders together for a big fighting game, and it's really charming to see them all together. SSB and Melee were great, bring them all for the battles, and Brawl brought the Subspace Mode, and there were cutscenes with all the characters in and it was just really nice. It was a great idea and they executed it well. I can't wait for 4 either, because that looks sweet. I can play these games whenever and I love a series I can do that with.

[Senator NinjaShark]

Day Numbero 4 Uprising: Ninja's "Your pick is even Deader than Bubsy the Bobcat, Kami" Favourite Series ever!

 

 

now, Last year, I talked about stuff like Pokemon, Smash Bros, Mario and all, but like with the Favourite Game pick, lets talk about a series I havent Elaborated too much on (compared to last year, that is)

 

 

so first off

 

 

 

 

it was the year 1999, and one day my Older Brother would bring in a Game borrowed from a Friend for the Playstation 1

 

 

this game, was Metal Gear Solid 1

 

 

I was amazed by this game, it was nothing like anything I've before, it was Cinematic, Action Packed, filled with great and Over the Top Characters and many Memorable Bossfights wich I still remember to this very day.

 

since that time, I was Hooked to this series from start to finish, I love the Stories, the Characters, the little Easter Eggs, the Fact that its probably the only Franchise in existance where a super Serious Political Drama with Over the Top dumb ridicilousl awesome shit like Revengeance in the same continuity and somehow still make perfect sense, the Music and of course, the Sneaking based Gameplay.

 

 

Metal Gear Solid 3 is my absolute favourite of the Series, but I love all entries in it (MGS2 less so, but I still like it alot) and I am very much excited for Phantom Pain because playing this games I'll always know...

 

The Best is yet to come

 

 

 

fast forward to 2001, and my brother yet again would introduce Me to a series that I would end up loving dearly, a Game starring someone with Style

 

 

 

 

 

Devil May Cry, was yet again a type of game that was fairly new to me, focusing on Killing your Enemies in stylish and Over the top ways and ranking up Points by the Dozens of it, and it was amazing.

 

like with Metal Gear above, I love the series Characters, Awesome Gameplay, Music and more, sure DMC2 and DmC were crud, but DMC1, 3 and 4 more than more up for it by being some of the most fun and awesome Action games ever released, especially DMC3 as I mentioned before.

 

 

it is a series, that will forever hold a very special place in my Heart, like MGS, Mario, Pokemon, Smash and more and a series that has taught me how to throw CUHRAYZEEEEEH parties and taught me two very valuable Lessons

 

 

Devils never Cry and shall never surrender

[buba]

Day 4 - Favorite Series

 

I think that at this point it's pretty obvious that my favorite series is Persona, especially since I said so in my favorite game answer.

 

 

Believe it or not, I love the series as a whole, not just P3 and P4 like most people. I played and enjoyed all the games in the series excluding the second part of the Persona 2 duology, Eternal Punishment, since Atlus never localized the PSP remake. I will definitely give the original PS1 version a try in the future, though.

Like I said two days ago, I discovered the games some time after the release of the third (forth if you count P2 as two games) instalment of the series and decided to pirate it. After playing for about two hours, I fell in love with it and decided to actually buy it.

For many years Persona 3 would be my only experience with the series until Persona 4 Golden for the Vita was announced. I already had my eyes on the console thanks to Gravity Rush and with this now on the horizont I decided to buy the system.

After playing it and loving it, I decided to join various places and forums to discuss the games and with that I decided to play the older ones that where remade for the PSP. Surprisingly I found them pretty enjoyable and while the gameplay was a bit "boring", the narrative and characters where as good as the ones from the newest entries.

It makes me kinda sad that some fans decide to ignore or even pretend that those games don't exist.

 

 

Recently, Atlus and Ark Systems teamed up to make a Persona fighter where characters from both P3 and P4 appear. I really like the game and it might be my favorite fighter nowadays.

The whole series are very story/character heavy, even Arena and since P3 a new thing called Social Links where introduced. S.Links are an important gameplay mechanic where the player interacts with other characters spending time with them, helping with problems and sometimes they may result in romance. If done in a "wrong" way, the S.Links may reverse or break if you make a character angry or offend it.

With S.Links you gain access to new and more powerful Personas to use in battle.

The battle mechanics are basically a modified version of Shin Megami Tensei's one and getting new Personas and fusing them is crucial to beat the game.

The music is amazing in all entries, but my favorite is definitely Persona 3's ost.

And that's pretty much it, I guess. I love the series and this year couldn't be better for a fan like myself. Why?

 

 

Because last year during the best stream I've ever watched, 4 new games where announced. Persona Q for the 3DS, which I'm not really that hyped for since I live in Europe and the artstyle doesn't click with me, Persona 4 Arena The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold for the PS3 and 360, fuck the localization name, Persona 4 Dance All Night for the Vita and after 6 fucking years, Persona 5 for the PS3.

I can't fucking wait.

[Ducktor Naldush]

You know, I thought that Sonic was a given but...eh, I'm not that hot about some of latest main series games, so the blue blur will have to wait until another question calls for it. Same thing with Mario, actually.

 

 

SO

 

I guess my choices are:

 

1) Super Smash Bros. Series

Characters from the many worlds of Nintendo (and some guests) meet...and proceed to beat the living crap out of each other. What's not to love? The chaotic nature of the series makes it one of the funniest series I ever played, with its colorful stages, whimsical atmosphere and shout-out to many games I played and loved. I'm obviously hyped for the next instalment in the series. I'm sure my 3DS will love it.

 

2) Kirby

It's a name you should know. My favourite Nintendo series? Possibly. It rivals Pokémon and Mario when they are in their better days. A simple series, with a clear distinction between good and evil, and with lovable characters like the pink puff itself, Meta Knight and his awesomeness King Dedede (I pronounce his name King DEH-DEH-DEH, by the way). Some spin-offs are hit and miss, but the main games are games to marvel at. I can't wait for Triple Deluxe to reach my European 3DS.

 

3) Classic Megaman

The tale of a super fighting robot clashing against an evil genius to save the world over and over and over again. I still don't get why Capcom decided to take away the charged mega buster and the slide in 9 and 10, but besides that, this series always entertained me. I'm also a fan of the X series until the 5th game and of the Zero series, by the way.

Useless Trivium: I'm actually a fan of the American version of the story, where Dr. Light and Dr. Wily were friends until the latter decided to take over the world. I'm glad that the Archie comics decided to go this way.

[MamboCat]

Day 4 - Mambo's Favourite Series (plural)... that isn't Sonic...

 

1) Oddworld

 

 

As I mentioned before, I love this series for its mix of beautiful environments and atmosphere with loveable, bizarre characters. The series also has a wicked sense of humour! However I am under the impression we've only seen a little bit of what Lorne Lanning has in his head!

 

2) Tomb Raider

 

 

Lara Croft has had a few changes, but at heart the Tomb Raider games are largely the same; run around stealing things from ancient tombs then kick some ass when the bad guy tries to muscle in! The most recent game has been the grittiest 'Raider so far, with relatively little actual tomb robbing, but it was enjoyable all the same.

 

3) Legacy of Kain

 

 

Vae Victus!

 

Ahhh, the dialogue-heavy, bloodsplattery, timey wimey, confusing story of the Legacy of Kain. These games can be a bit of a mind fuck if you don't pay attention to what's going on... or you could just ignore the story and just kill stuff. It's fun. :B

 

While most of the games have centred on Kain's undead-then-reborn-as-a-vampire-wraith Lieutenant Raziel, Kain is very much the "hero" of the series, and he is glorious!

 

The series also has some wonderful voice acting from Simon Templeman, a classically trained actor (and Doctor Doom!) and Tony Jay. Tony fricking Jay!

 

4) Assassin's Creed

 

 

This is one wacky series. A mix of historical retelling through the eyes of the Assassin avatars, and Chariots of the Gods-esque sci fi. Tbh I could do without the latter, and I would be happy just playing games set in various eras without it. I like the re-created worlds they have built, and I can't help but wish for a Victorian London, or even Prague!

 

5) Half Life/Portal

 

 

I pop these two together because I believe they describe the same world. But these games, man... these freakin' games. The story. The writing. The characters. The simplicity of Portal and the difficulty of Half Life. These games are the best!

[Serperior]

Day 4 - Favorite Series

 

 

 

What a shocking surprise, the guy with the Pokémon name and the Pokémon avatar and the Pokémon signature and barely posts anything that isn't Pokémon picked Pokémon as his favourite series, alert the presses!

 

But yeah, I'd say Pokémon is my favourite series of games. The main games will always be my favourite part of the series, with it's surprisingly complex and fun battle system, the ever expanding choices of Pokémon to raise and the variety of things to see and do will always keep me coming back to this series. It also helps that the series has a good number of worthwhile spin-offs too, like the Mystery Dungeon series (Ignoring the third one), Conquest and Colosseum/XD. It's a great series with a great concept, and it's going to keep growing more and more, and I will always be excited to see what they do with it.

 

 

Honorable mentions:

 

Mega Man - Probably my favourite platforming series. Lots of memorable stages, boss fights, abilities and more that all keep each game interesting. (Except for the ones that aren't.)

 

Super Mario Bros - Like Pokémon, it's a game with a very solid main series of games, with a lot of great spin-off games too.

 

Street Fighter/Darkstalkers/Marvel vs. Capcom/Super Smash Bros. - I like fighting games a lot. When they're well done they're exciting to play and exciting to watch. Picking one series of them that I like the most is hard, so I'm just going to list a bunch of my favourite ones.

 

Devil May Cry - The series that made character action games what they are today. While it's had 2 games I like to pretend don't exist, DMC1, 3 and 4 are fun and over the top games, and hopefully Capcom will get their shit together and make a real DMC5.

 

Metal Gear Solid - A cinematic series done right, sporting great gameplay, an interesting cast and plot filled with many amazing and memorable moments.

[azoo]

Day 4 : Favorite Game Series

 

I'm gonna have to make a Top 7. 

(Minorly revised to tidy up the order and include a special puffball~)

 

7 ) Rayman

 

Ahh, yes. Rayman's been around me for a lot of my life; and since my early childhood. I always thought the kooky character designs mixed with the darker elements and crazy combat-based puzzle platforming was loads of fun since the beginning. Besides, who thinks swinging your hands around like boomerangs and spinning your hair like a helicopter isn't cool? Nobody. Unless it's you. Then you're a nobody. :v
 
I've grown a bit apart from the series since it departed from it's initial style when they started the Origins/Legends series, but I can't say they're not fun games. I personally love them, or at least Origins (considering I haven't played Legends past the demo yet)! I guess with that in mind I can't say I really dislike any of the main games in this series. But I will always miss when the series took itself a little bit more seriously, gotta admit.
 
Noteworthy games from this series: Rayman 3 (personal favorite), Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Rayman 1, Origins
 
 

6 ) Jet Set Radio

 

There's only been two games in this series but I don't even care. JSR's pretty much a dream for anybody into crazy art, urban cityscapes and the underground scene of soul, indie, punk, funk and hiphop music. The series' carefree 'street punk' philosophy really just breathes life into these games and it makes it feel so alive. It's colorful, vivid and over the top from top to bottom (from the environments to the gadgetry to the characters themselves), and both games seem to excel even today at being some of the most stylized cel-shaded games in known history. 
 
The gameplay isn't the greatest nor most fluid, admittedly, but its one of those series that has most of it's other factors really give it it's prestige (though JSRF is still loads of fun, I can't say the same for the original..). But yeah, I love basically everything about these game's aesthetics, and I certainly hope we see another game in the series someday. 

 

 

5 ) Super Mario

 

This is probably one of the most bland picks I could make, lmao. But I really can't lie!

 

Mario's given some of my favorite games, and some of the most lingering experiences as time's gone by. I at times seem to show some dislike for the series due to it's tendency to be the world's greatest cash cow, the Galaxy series being overrated and the NSMB series (past the first one I guess) being a snoozefest; but he's also given me a barrel of fun times and satisfying moments.

 

I should really get around to playing the RPGs at some point. I've always been told the first two Paper Marios are something else, and I've always had a particular interest for both Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi series. I'll make sure to pick them up someday!
 
Noteworthy games from this series: Super Mario 64 (personal favorite), Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 64 (might be replaced by 8), World, SMB2 / USA, NSMB (DS), Sunshine, one of the original N64 Party games.
 
 

4 ) The Legend of Zelda

 

Get out your Deku seeds and wooden shield, it's time for an adventure!
 
Zelda is such a well pieced together series, binded by enchanting stories, an amazingly intricate timeline and a grand visage. Every game is their own unique adventure that shines in their own special ways. I can't say I've played every game (I've missed practically all of the portable outings including ALBW) and I don't like every game (not a fan of Skyward Sword), but the amount of scale the series has given throughout really places it amongst the best experiences. 
 
Plus, the gameplay and it's pacing is some of my favorites out there. Link is so satisfying to control (the swordfighting is amongst the best of any single game or series I can think of), and it's really fun using all of his weapons in both combat and transportation. I've also always loved the idea of going from field to town to dungeon or sanctuary. It feels so satisfying to traverse amongst the open valleys or across the oceans.. man, the sense of adventure it gives is so exciting, and it keeps me coming back again and again.
 
Noteworthy games from this series: Wind Waker (favorite from the series), Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess.
 
 

 

3) Kirby

 

Kirby's got so much charm oozing out of it I can't help but have to revise my list. Sorry, Rayman and folks, but you're all getting knocked down a notch to fit Kirby inbetween Zelda and the next one. (I knew something was missing!)
 
Every game is loads of easy, carefree fun, with cheery atmospheres, colorful landscapes, and cuuuuute characters. Kirby lives in such a spacey, fun world, and it's so much fun going and gobbling up enemies and using all the powers that come with each game. It also helps to mention that like Sean said; every game seems to have it's own identity that stands out amongst the rest. 
 
Though I will admit that my favorite Kirby games tend to be the ones that feel the most like adventures, and have more of a "constantly moving" feel than focusing so much on combat. Don't get me wrong, of course, the combat is part of that punch to the series that makes it so unique! But I think I like the ones in the series the best that focus on a balance.
 
Noteworthy games from this series: Kirby 64 (personal favorite), Dreamland 3, Adventure / Nightmare in Dreamland, Return to Dreamland, Air Ride, Dreamland 2, Super Star.
 

2 ) MOTHER / EarthBound

 

I feel conflicted writing about this one, considering I haven't had the chance to get to Mother 3 yet, and I'm still going through Mother 1, but my passion I started to feel for the series after playing and completing EarthBound just about outright convinced me to be a full-time fan of the series (it's the only game fanbase outside of the obvious that I can say I'm a part of).
 
Its just so funny how it can take you into two different mindsets when playing these games, it seems. In one way, you can adore how funny, silly, surreal and charming the writing, simplistic art style and strange music are in these games. EarthBound was SO funny, it was filled with off-color humor, visual puns, running gags and the like; obviously designed as a sort of parody of the genre it also embraces. 
 
But at the same time, you can become enwrapped in how real everything feels, and how real the dangers, the fears, the pain,the friendship, and the unbridled love that goes around in the game really is. Its a feeling that's almost indescribable.. it really just needs to be played to be understood, since it's a bit hard to tell it can really do those things on the outside.
 
Since I've already went on a massive love-filled rant for what I've experienced so far (day 2), I'll quit while I'm ahead, lol. But I can't describe enough how much I love everything about what I've experienced, and how much it inspires me in my most creative state. I haven't even got to 3 nor completed 1 but I can still say I already love the characters involved. Nothing but pure adoration for this series. <3
 

-----------------------------------

and finally.. the obvious one..

 

1 ) Sonic the Hedgehog

 

I couldn't keep him off my list somehow. Dang ol hedgehogs man I tell you h'what.
 
Sonic's a series of love and hate. Lots of good things have happened, lots of bad things have happened. Many games are amazingly fun and great, and others are just downright terrible. It's a gamble, really; and a total teeter totter back and forth and back and forth. And even when the games are great, there's always something that could've been done better; either in concept (gameplay ideas, character ideas, etc), in execution (story writing or game design in general), or technically (as in, glitches and isht).
 
But I still love the series for all it's worth.
 
It's given me some of my favorite gaming moments, and overall some of my favorite games.. ever. Blame it partially on the nostalgia, but it's led me to have games to come back to again and again for well over a decade, and although I am a little weary of playing the games I consider the best at this point, I don't think I could ever really be tired of them.

 

His best games are just so satisfying on not just levels of fun factor, but in terms of atmosphere and immersiveness. His best games have full understanding on the meaning of game flow and the concept of speed, as well as small drops of mythos, character interactions and background story that get you hooked in.. as if the amazing artwork/music Sonic Team pulls off for each game isn't enough of a reason to stick around. Seriously, the general art style to the Sonic series is something both so endlessly cool and charming, and the music is amongst the best in gaming, period. It's hard not to at least like that about it all.

 

So yeah. While the same could be said for the other way around: when Sonic does well, he does really well, which I think that's why I've been in the fanbase for as long as I have, and will continue being. And going by who all is reading this, you guys too. It's why we're here, right?
 
Noteworthy games from this series: Sonic CD (personal favorite), Sonic 3K, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Advance, Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic 2, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic 1, Sonic Advance 2, and Sonic Adventure 2 (almost a guilty pleasure at this point).
 

- Day Four is NO MORE -

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Day 4: But Seriously You Guys I Was Just Kidding About Making Me Rant About Zelda, Enough Already

 

...

 

The Legend of Zelda, Again

 

Nobody's surprised anymore. I'm not surprised, you're not surprised, people from darkest Africa who have never even heard of Zelda aren't surprised. I was hoping to be able to talk about different video games over the course of this whole thing, but the fates have ordered copious amounts of Zelda fanaticism. This is maybe the first time I've been so childishly whiny and reluctant to write about my favoritest series, so I guess that counts for something.

 

Anyways, why is Zelda my favorite? It's got it all: great adventure, killer soundtracks, memorable characters, unique gameplay, and the very rare deep insight into everyday life. It's been host to quite a few of my most favorite games as well: Link's Awakening, Ocarina, Majora, and Wind Waker are each treasured parts of my gaming life (if that's any sort of actual term I dunno), and I don't even want to consider where I'd be without them. Even considering my apathy to the franchise's present state (people who have logged onto SSMB for at least two minutes have probably been witness to my absolute love and passion for Skyward Sword), I still have a treasure trove of excellent games to take from. There are probably better or more consistent series out there, but none have made such a big impact as Zelda.

 

 

MOTHER

 

I'm not sure what it is in particular that draws me to MOTHER. I guess as a storyteller at heart, I'll always have a great bit of love for one of the first series to examine what it took to tell a good video game story. It's strange, it's funny, it's heartrending, but all of it ties together to make for one of the most strangely compelling sagas in gaming's short life. I'm not honestly sure I want to say more, as my clumsy words can only diminish such a priceless experience. If you've not played Earthbound or MOTHER 3, I highly recommend you do so. Even if you come out hating it, I can assure you that what it offers is something few great games series ever achieve.

 

 

Kirby

 

This one's a little less for adventure and storytelling and more for the sheer fun it provides. For those of you who claim a video game needs to be fun first in order to be great (which I would respectfully disagree with, but I digress), this series might as well be the peak of gaming to you. Never in my life have I seen another series so consistently a joy to play in all its incarnations, and with the love and detail put into them it's not hard to see why. Insane quality and insane variety; Kirby really is one of those crown jewels for Nintendo that nobody seems to bother about.

 

 

 

 

PLEASE STOP MAKING ME TALK ABOUT ZELDA

[Jango]

I know one of the rules said to try to avoid Sonic games, but this is something I can't do it. So, after telling you what is my second favorite series, I'll tell you about my first one:

 

I'm on a Sonic forum, and yes, my favorite series is still, Sonic the Hedgehog. I like it since days I couldn't even tell what a Sonic was. When I was 2-3 years old, I had one of these pedal cars: http://i.mlcdn.com.br/1500x1500/carro-a-pedal-speedplayhomeplay-204893300.jpg. It was white and had the Sonic the Hedgehog logo in front of it. I think I still have the photo with me riding it, somewhere in my old photoalbums. Imagine my surprise when I first saw said photo as a grow-up Sonic fan

 

I love everything in the series, especially the music and the fantastic and colorful worlds. The classic series are so rich in detail, musical composition and challenge. The Adventure series beyond are thrilling and exciting to play. Adventure and Heroes are more traditional platforming in 3D. Then the boost games. Even thought it has the most linear games of the series, still, making Sonic run fast like that it's just freaking awesome and exciting. Sure, every era has its flaws, even the classic era wasn't perfect, but... if a series keep on entertaining me, despite its flaws, there's something definitely especial on it, and Sonic the Hedgehog is a very especial series for me.

 

Sonic's design is also something that really catches my attention. The classic design: clean, with just the right contrast and proportions. It's just good to look at, very round, very appealing. Look at this:

 

 

Bad-ass.

 

Then the modern design. I love the way modern Sonic looks right now. Not too skinny or tall.

 

 

 

 

The levels, from jungles to beaches, to ice caps, to air fleets, to ruins, to cities, to casinos. Themes always very explored, diverse and detailed. Sometimes more realistic, and sometimes really chaotic!

 

 

The music! One of my favorite aspects of the series. Always involving, catchy, exciting, whatever it needs to be for that level, moment, boss, etc. My favorite songs are in Sonic CD, Unleashed and Heroes:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgThnrxI5nc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ofzu70gM8ew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0piixxCTmo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHiUO5YxLOk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ueptl-lWY

 

Among many others!

 

To conclude, like I said before, if a series keep on entertaining me, despite its flaws, there's something definitely especial on it, and Sonic the Hedgehog is a very especial series for me.

 

I admit that I'm not enjoying the route Sonic is going right now, but I'm still optimist about the series, and I hope to see new games in the future.

 

Day 4: Favorite Series

 

Now that the Sonic part was covered, time for my favorite series, right after:

 

 

YES! Crash Bandicoot! The orange, spining, marsupial.

I love Crash, like many who owned a PSOne, this was my first game. It's easily one of the best platformers I've ever played, and I think it aged gracefully. Sure, the Titans series wasn't the best thing in the world, but I still had some fun with both games. Still, my favorite games are Crash 2, Crash 3. CTR and TwinSanity.

 

But what I think and like about Crash?

 

How the game, despite being very linear, requires a lot of skill to be mastered, especially Crash 3: Warped.

 

The ancient aztec, mayan themes always fascinated me.

 

 

The music is phenomenal, from Mutato Muzika very tribal tunes, to the awesome acapela songs from SpiralMouth. Always very, very fitting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnYcey3bW4U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws4a__RR1pg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYkBWmWExx0&list=PL9A06BA8BC88B4F0F

 

Crash Bandicoot himself is very loveable, all silly and goofy. Dr. Cortex is just a great villain, but he really shines, in my honest opinion, from TwinSanity beyond, when Lex Lang gave him that very humorous new approach.

 

CTR, is still my favorite kart racing ever. It's incredibly fun and addicting.

 

That's pretty much it, Crash was a huge part of my childhood, and it's always a nice experience talking about him.

 

Like many of you, I'm also here, waiting for his great return. I know, I know, fucking Activision.

[Covskin]

I'm going to have to go back to Day 1 and bring up The Secret of Monkey Island.

 

Don't ask me how, but as a young boy of no older than 4, I got my grubby mitts on a pirated (ho ho, we all love puns) copy of SMI. Using the SCUMM interface felt natural for me, and probably helped to be honest. Being so young, letting me tackle the game at my own pace was a great help. And well, I gushed about the first game earlier.

 

But then it led to an even greater game - Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge. This I remember us buying second hand from a family friend. I personally had no idea there was a sequel until I was told we were buying it, haha. But in that very short time between buying it and getting home, I was immensley hyped, despite having not yet completed the first game. And wow, things were different. Guybrush had a beard! New island, also in darkness! New version of SCUMM! But through it all were the classic Monkey Island hallmarks of great puzzles, fantastic MIDI music and a hilarious script. Also, thnkas to the AMIGA version having an easy mode (specifically for game reviewers), I was able to progress far further than I had in the original, and the game was on such a bigger scale to the original. SMI - 4 floppy disks. MI2 - 11 floppy disks. ELEVEN.

 

Then I played hard mode (or nowadays, the ONLY mode), and bloody hell, the game was a good 20% bigger than before, with even more mind-bending puzzles. Also, that ending. What a mindfuck that was.

 

 

For five years, that was it. No internet of course, so I was stuck with that cliffhanger. Until, one day, my brother comes home with The Curse of Monkey Island. Somehow, we hadn't missed anything, this was Game Number 3! Ron Gilbert was sadly no longer involved (I assumed he'd died...turns out he left to form his own studio. Dunno what that says about me). But hey, new Monkey Island, with new gorgeous graphics! New interface! VOICE ACTING! 2 floppy discs, and shoddy resolution of the cliff hanger aside, this felt just like the previous two games. Granted, the difference between Easy and Hard Mode was a bit more tacked on, but meh, still a great game.

 

Then...internet, and one of the first things I searched for was Monkey Island, leading me to fan websites like The World of Monkey Island and The Scumm Bar. Rumours abounded of a possible fourth game, but it all sounded like hope rather than expectation, but eventually, we got Escape From Monkey Island. It did not work on our antiquated PC, so we had the PS2 version. Admittedly the weakest game, I still enjoyed it. The tone was different and the controls TERRIBLE, but it still had that sharpness of wit in places.

 

That was 2001 and then again, radio silence on any further news. Then, Lucasarts essentially closed down its Advenutre Games development (Sam & Max: Freelance Police, we hardly knew ye), seemingly spelling the end of Monkey Island.

 

Then Telltale Games showed up. Having resurrected Sam & Max, they had their sights set on Monkey Island, and they worked out a deal with Lucasarts, releasing Tales of Monkey Island in 2009. Oh God, I wasn't a massive fan of Telltale, but I was ecstatic that Guybrush was back. The games, in truth were typical pre-Walking Dea Telltale fare, but I was just so happy that Monkey Island was back I didn't care.

 

I've played Monkey Island games for over 20 years, because what else would I do during those massive gaps between games? I'd play them over and over again, always finding a new line of dialogue. God, Monkey Island is great.

[Indigo Rush]

Day 04: Favorite Game Series

 

 

 

 

 

oh no 

 

why

 

 

 

musnt pick him

 

cant pick him

 

something other than him

 

 

 

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

You know what? Screw the suggestion. SCREW EVERYTHING.

 

I'm going in hard.
 

 

I couldn't do it. I just couldn't. It wouldn't be right. Why should I deny the truth?

 

Sonic is my favorite game series of all time.  

 

This was the first game series I ever cared about, as well as the first game character. The one consistent aspect of the games, the speed, is one of my prime reasons for returning to the series over and over. Then there's the wild and imaginative worlds, the memorable and catchy music, the addictive gameplay, and of course the loyal fanbase...

 

...I just can't bring myself to pick anything else. As much as I love Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Puyo Pop, Kirby, Tetris and the like, I just can't put any of them above Sonic. As game series, none of them ever impacted my childhood as strongly as Sonic did. 

 

 

hhnnggg childhood

 

So I'm sorry, but I can't adhere to the "suggestion" for this one. It's Sonic or nothing else.

[NGw00d]

Day 4: Favorite Series

Sonic the Hedgehog  Ace Attorney

 

You already got 1 outta 4, Sonic. You're not getting 2 this early. I didn't start playing the Ace Attorney series until years after its first release in the US. It was either 2011 or 2012, but as soon as I started playing the first game of the series, I immediately fell in love. Finding that contradiction in the witness's testimony and yelling "Objection!" is one of the most satisfying things in all of video games. Its also one of the most crushing things when you yell "Objection!" and the background music keeps playing, immediately knowing you were wrong. Speaking of music, its fantastic in these games. Probably one of my favorite soundtracks in video games period.

 

The characters are definitely the main reason I love this series. Phoenix, Edgeworth, Maya, Gumshoe, Apollo, Athena, the list goes on and on. Each have their own charming personality and each bring something different to the table. Even the witnesses, who are usually only around for one case, either get you to love them or hate them within that short span you interact with them. There's so many points in cases where I would think to myself "that guy is definitely the culprit" and then completely do a 180 and think he's innocent, only to go back to thinking he's guilty again. Saying these games are a roller coaster ride is an understatement.

 

Even though there are some bad cases throughout the games, I can't say that one game in this series is bad. Bad by Ace Attorney standards maybe, but as a bad game in general? Hell no. I wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone. There's a reason its my favorite game series, and I could go on and on talking about it, but you truly have to play it to understand why its so good.

[Speederino]

Day 4: Favorite Series

 

 

Not even a contest. No other series has provided me with so much joy and nostalgic memories over the last two decades as much as Zelda has. From watching my dad and brothers play the original NES game, to playing Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask with friends on my N64, and my extreme hype and excitement building up to Wind Waker's original release. Aside from that, Zelda has everything that appeals to me as a gamer. Action, a sense of adventure, mesmerizing and immersive worlds, puzzles to test my wit, great music, memorable stories. I'll echo what Soma said and say that I haven't been completely happy with more recent releases (aside from A Link Between Worlds which I adore), but even then I could never call any non-CDi Zelda games "bad". Out of all the franchises I like it's the one that has stayed the most consistently good. Even my runner-up choices for this question have games that I refuse to play again for whatever reason, there isn't anything like that with Zelda and I doubt there ever will be.

[jords]

I wonder what shall I choose.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mario kart is just the racing everyone knows and love, I couldn't be happier with any other racing game as much as Mario kart.  The crazy power ups, that causes mayhem throughout the well design tracks. The characters you know and love from the Mario series are there. 

 

 

This video speaks the truth! 

 

http://youtu.be/N6pGl0J5MdE

 

 

Every Mario kart game has always been a blast to play (Except Super mario kart, I played the SNES tracks all in Mario Kart Super Circuit)

 

The characters I always use is the best bro in green. Luigi! If he's playable I'm playing as him. But I also gotta play as this guy too.

 

 

My ghostly friend, King boo, I don't know why but I just like being a Boo, in Mario parties I would play as boo, In mario kart wii I'm always either Boo or Luigi. It was the best thing ever combining my favourite characters ever in Double dash. I was hoping King Boo would return in Mario kart 8, he could of shown up looking like this Boo

 

Oh well it's time to prep up.....

 

Because Mario kart 8 is coming out less than a month and I'm super excited for it. 

 

The Blue blur is still my favourite series but I was stepping away from the obvious choice. Gotta love Sonic. 

Can't wait for Sonic Boom this year, it seems like they are going all out on this one and I really hope it does not disappoint.

 

 

 

Also him returning in Super smash bros 4 was like the best thing ever. I really had doubts of him returning. And the way they revealed him in the direct. I never forget those words. "Speaking of Sonic, we have received a certain footage from a certain someone, please take a look." I was thinking "oh cool more news on Sonic lost world?" Nope. I then see Mario and Megaman battling it out. I then knew this couldn't be true. I was like "No no no no no...." Boom! Sonic Appears " Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes" I couldn't stop saying yes. BEST THING EVER! 

[Tracker_TD]

Oh come on.

 

Day 4 - Favourite Game Series:

 

 

 

Sonic the Hedgehog

 

Sonic the Hedgehog is just that series. The one I've been playing for 10 years, however bad 06, Unwiished, Secret Rings and Black Knight were. It's effectively become a part of who I am - if people try to explain who I am, they usually bring up Sonic first and foremost. As a result, I got more deeply invested into the community, as well as SEGA's other games - there's a reason I now work for SEGABits, and it's thanks to my enjoyment of the blue hedgehog's adventures that I got such an opportunity.

 

Sonic appeals to me in the way of interactive fun, because, especially with Unleashed, it's so damn frantic and exciting.

 

For example - I just finished playing Beyond 2 Souls, an awful pile of dross that felt sluggish far too often, and quite literally made me feel sleepy after a while.

 

With Sonic, every second something new and exciting's being thrown your way, and the game challenges your reflexes and timing to combat the challenges. In addition, whilst the 'trial and error' gameplay of getting to new paths is something that's been knocked in Sonic games, I think it's a clever way to encourage replayability, and to this day I'm still discovering new stuff in Sonic 2! (Though trial and error where death is involved is rubbish stuff)

 

So yeah. Not much else to it. The first game that really impacted me was Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, and it's stuck with me to this day. I eagerly await Sonic Boom!

[Badnik Mechanic]

I'm not feeling well today so these will have to be brief answers... might edit them later but I feel really poorly right now.

 

Day 4: Favourite/best series.

 

Kings Field/The Souls Games

 

Having already gushed about Demons Souls, was this any surprise?

 

You can't mention the Souls games without talking about their predecessors, The Kings Field games, they share similar traits, it's all here. Trapped in a castle/world, monsters around every corner, there is no escape. The sense of being trapped, that something powerful is waiting for you around every corner, struggling to survive, learning from your mistakes, thing about the battle as much as slugging it out. 

 

Great voice acting, amazingly atmospheric music. A cracking series.

 

 

 

Uncharted

 

So this became a series I had no interest in to a series which I look forward to. If there was ever a series which showed a studio with true talent and attention to detail, this is it. Uncharted arguably gets better with each incarnation. A large part of that has to do with Naughty Dog's team. You can tell when you play this that a group of people are behind it who understand games and love them as much as we do made this title.

 

But also... every Uncharted game feels like it's own unique adventure from a classic hollywood movie. We're going on an adventure to find a lost treasure! Theres bad guys chasing us! Magic! Mystery! Fighting! Shooting! Driving! Planes! And monsters! Take my hand and join me!

 

Really looking forward to the PS4 Uncharted game... though oddly, I wonder how good it will be considering the troubles as of late at the house of naughty dog.

 

 

 

Resistance

 

It seems difficult to believe that this is a series which is now over, or at least thats certainly the impression left by Resistance 3. I picked this up as a PS3 launch title, it was a shooter with aliens... so it sounded like a laugh... what I got was a very well made shooter which was also genially creepy and tense. You begin in England... wait? A modern FPS set in England? And early on you can tell that they got almost everything right with this one, especially when it came to creating an atmosphere. When you first start the game, it's not clear that you are fighting... is Aliens even the right word? It feels like an alternative world war 2 universe (which it is), then you encounter the Chimera and everything changes. 

 

Another reason I like it is that every game changes in direction and tone.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ked-Pw0mZyY

Star Trek (PC games)

 

A movie title!? Are you crazy!? Wait.... hang on... There were tons of Star Trek games released on the PC during the 90's and early 2000's... and some of them are amazing!

 

What do you want? 

 

A RTS game in which you can play as and against multiple alien races which has brilliant balancing, a variety of levels, a great plot and is fun and engaging? Star Trek Armada.

 

A FPS set in both Voyager and Next Generation's world which sees you fighting a variety of preexisting and new enemies? Also the ability to just explore ships from the Tv Shows? Star Trek Elite Force.

 

Or do you want to be a captain with full control over your starship? Down to ship Ai tactics, engineering power allocation, transporters, shuttle pods, communications diplomacy and helm? Bridge Commander.

 

How about the last one only we'll also give you the aibility to design a Starship? Starfleet academy. 

 

Another reason why I like them so much is that quite often they would get the official actors to provide the voices for the various roles. Heck in Elite Force, the game shipped without the official voice of 7 of 9. Then in a patch they added in/replaced her game voice actress with the official one! 

 

Also, because it's a star trek game, quite often they got writers from the show to pen the game scripts including the intro. Which is why a lot of games have absolutely amazing cut scenes and intros, just check out the one posted above.

 

SSMB: What about Star Trek Legacy!? Is that any good?

 

SILENCE! IN THIS HOUSE WE DON'T TALK ABOUT STAR TREK LEGACY!

 

 

And now for... a possible controversial choice.

 

 

The Terminator (PC Games/Early 90's)

 

Ok... thanks to the idiots who made Terminator Salvation.... Terminator Games now have a huge stigma attached to them. But did you know that there was a time where Terminator games where actually good? And we're talking GOTY candidates of good? 

 

In the early 90's Bethesda and a few other studios made some utterly cracking Terminator games. Terminator: Skynet, Future Shock, Rampage, T2-The Arcade game and more recently, Terminator Redemption.

 

Why were these games so good? 

 

Well, most of them had the Terminator 2 license, and in those movies you only ever saw T-800's, HK's and HK-Tanks. The only other reference material was the cut scrips and books, all of which were run through James Cameron, so you had a very rich history which followed a logical progression. Everything in these games makes sense and only deepens the terminator universe and mythology.

 

Best part... the license includes the official music.

 

Terminator Skynet is my favourite, it offers FPS, Driving and Flying all in one package, has some great music, tense moments and huge levels to explore.

 

Really wish someone would make a good terminator game. Who doesn't like shooting robots?

 

 

And so ends day 4.

 

P.S. That Blue Hedgehog is kinda nice too.

[Sonictrainer]

 

Day 4 - Favorite Series

 

Besides Sonic the Hedgehog, which definitely takes my number 1 spot?

 

 

2. The Pokémon Series

 

 

Definitely the Pokémon series. With the easy to play, hard to master ideals, Pokémon is always a fun series to get into whether it's the main games, the different and varied spinoffs, or the Adventures Manga and Anime.

 

 

3. Super Smash Bros. Series

 

 

This is one of the best fighting crossover games in existence. The game takes characters and elements from different Nintendo and other games to create battlefields where the competitors can win by knocking their opponents off the screen. Whether it's by skill, items, or stage hazards, each match can be explosive and exciting.

[Starman Swift]

Day 4: Favorite Series

 

 

Yeah I'm gonna have to say Pokemon again. It helps that I've pretty much stuck with the series for over a decade now. The mainline games are fun to play through, especially when you have friends playing them at the same time as you are so you can trade and fight with them. Plus it's always fun to see and try out the hundred-odd new Pokemon they introduce every generation and see if you have any new favorites to add to your team. The spinoffs are also usually great, I have a lot of fond memories playing through parts of Colosseum and Mystery Dungeon, and I've been trying out Conquest right now. The series is just really great and I'm probably gonna continue being a fan of it for a long while longer.

[Sean]

I have two, one for gameplay and one for story and characters.

Kirby has always been my number one for as long as I can remember. When it comes to the "main" games, HAL tends to stick with a single formula that works and polish it with each new entry that comes out. That said there is a wide variety of games that have totally different feel from each other - Adventure, Super Star, Dream Land 3, 64, and Amazing Mirror all have different experiences while not sacrificing the essence of the series that ties them all together. Return to Dream Land, which is undoubtedly the best-made Kirby game to date, fuses elements from all of these games and provides something that's just perfect.

As for the times when Kirby tries something different, they are all fantastic in my eyes. I really enjoyed Epic Yarn, Canvas Curse, and Mass Attack, and some of the non-platforming spin-offs are worth checking out, including Block Ball and the fan-favorite Air Ride.

There's not a single platforming Kirby game that I dislike. I can always rely on this series to provide me a fun, relaxing, and stress-free time.

The Ace Attorney games have some of the most entertaining characters and plot twists I have seen in all of gaming, rivaled only by those of Shu Takumi's other, solo project: Ghost Trick. Though it's had its share of bumps in the road, the most recent game, Dual Destinies, is definitely the best one since the first and is an adequate point for new players to jump into. However, it's one of those series you would ideally want to play in order, since the emotional impact of some events in later games rely on the player's experiences with previous installments.

Unlike Kirby there are cases and even entire AA games I just plain do not like. However, when the games get good, they get really good.

[Pawn]

 

This was a very difficult choice to make, but I decided go with the Batman: Arkham series since it's probably been the most consistent concerning quality. The point has already been made that the series really makes you feel like you're Batman; thanks to a deep, satisfying combat system, predator challenges and the ability to 'fly' from City onwards.

 

It helps that Batman happens to be my favourite superhero by far; part the reason being his fantastic rogues gallery. It's a joy simply to listen to Joker taunt his own men as they fall one by one to the bat. Villains are brought to life beautifully; my personal favourites being the sadistic, cockney Penguin and the creepiest version of Scarecrow yet. The latter played a big part in making Asylum feel like the madhouse it is.

 

Speaking of which, Asylum offers a different experience to its sequels. It places you in a much smaller map that has you backtrack as events like Poison Ivy's release transform explored locations. City and Origins provide more freedom, giving you a taste of what it's like to be a free bat in the big city. While Asylum's controls feel unrefined by comparison, its unique direction makes it more than worth going back to. Of course with Arkham Knight around the corner, I'm tempted to go back and play them all in anticipation for Rocksteady's grand finale.

[Forte-Metallix]

Day 4: My Favorite Series

 

This might sound a bit cliche', but...

 

This franchise never gets old. Throughout my years of gaming, Mario has consistently given me hours upon hours of entertainment! Whether it's a new platforming adventure, an RPG, or a friendship-shattering party game or kart-racer, I can always count on Nintendo to deliver a five-star title, complete with new twists and surprises around every corner!

 

Other favorites of mine include Mega Man, Zelda, Pac-Man, Pokemon, and of course, Sonic!