That's it. It's done*. I've played** all*** 1001 games featured in the first edition of the 1001 Video Games book.
Why are there so many asterisks there?
Welcome, one and all, to the final rather pointless but equally monumental The 1001/1001 Milestone Awards, the finish line of this trip through video gaming history, stretching all the way back to The Oregon Trail and Pong.
It has been many a year since I first put keyboard to blog post window and I've discovered an awful lot of games that I just didn't bat an eyelid towards when they first entered my view - if they even did at all, of course.
I've got some ideas for what will happen next, but for now, this post is all about the final batch of 50 video games vying for our attention, starting with UFC 2009: Undisputed and taking us through to Alien Zombie Death, all competing for the top spots of a rather biased Top Ten.
Let's get The Indifferent Five out of the way first. Games that are aight, I suppose. Take them or leave them, up to you.
Alien Zombie Death, PomPom Games
Cogs, Lazy 8 Studios
Reflect Missile, Q-Games
Swords & Soldiers, Ronimo Games
Zen Bound, Secret Exit
Congratulations one and all, if only for avoiding the next category.
Yep, you don't want to be the answer to the question What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For? It was actually a little tough this time out because while I did have a good few grumbles in this batch, they weren't quite the fault of the games in question, and the titles did deserve to keep their place.
Apart from one, obviously. One that wasn't much of a game in the traditional sense, and one that might cause nightmares for those who spend too long with the little rascal...
What Was EyePet Even Put On The List For?
What is it even?
What do you replace EyePet with then? This was a little tricky too because I wanted to choose a game on the assumption that I was replacing games in the same time period as the first 1001 list was written, so my cut-off was early 2010. I was also trying to find games that didn't make an appearance in the second edition, either, but luckily for me, one title did leap out at me as an answer to You Forgot What?!
Yes, the servers have long since been shut down, and so too has the studio behind MAG, or Massive Action Game if you want to get specific, but for a time it was my first-person shooter of choice.
The PC gamers might have scoffed at it having 256 players, but when you come from a console background where 16 or 32 is the norm, having game modes tailored to 64, 128, and finally 256 players was a little mindblowing for many.
I've got great memories of it, including playing alongside some of the devs, on their lunch break, I think, as we redlined the opposition on one map (meaning the enemy just couldn't get out of their spawn area without facing a wall of incoming lead). I even got the Platinum trophy, though I have a hunch it was after they reduced some of the requirements for the other trophies, so it's like scuffed platinum or something.
Anyway, those were the good old days, and their time has long passed.
You know what isn't long passed? The games that make up the Top Ten list, and you can play them all without relying on multiplayer server support. I think. I don't check multiplayer stuff too often, I just can't compete with the youth anymore.
Is this Top Ten going to make much sense to an outsider looking for an objective ranking? Nope! On with the list.
10: Plants vs. Zombies, PopCap Games
It's simple, the end of a level gives you something new to try in the next, it's real easy to immediately dive into the next level with your new seeds, what's that? I've been playing for how long?
9: Neptune's Pride, Iron Helmet Games
I really want to play this with people I know, but that probably requires them to play a practice game for a month to see if they're on board with the idea...
8: Mass Effect 2, BioWare
This is almost a placeholder entry. It's not the 8th best game of the batch at all, it's higher than that, but as I've not technically played it, I can't technically rank it. Not that that has stopped me before, I suppose, but let's give these other titles a chance to shine before Mass Effect 2 overtakes them.
7: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Nintendo EAD
The best Zelda, the best mode of transport. 'Nuff said.
6: WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, Yuke's
It's just dumb fun, isn't it? Though it's cinematic dumb fun this time around, which is an interesting change.
5: Wii Sports Resort, Nintendo EAD Group No. 2
Some of it could be ignored, the rest of it really shouldn't. Best Nintendo Wii game? Best outside of anything with Mario on it, at least?
4: Shadow Complex, Chair Entertainment, Epic Games
I don't quite know what it is that I really like about it, but I really like something about it enough to want to keep exploring.
3: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, Relic Entertainment
One of the great discoveries of this 1001 list for me. I do need to brush up on my strategy before facing any more Ork war bosses, though.
2: Skate 2, EA Black Box
It shows its age these days, but it's as close as anyone can get to being an actual skateboarder without seeing blood. Sweat definitely makes an appearance while playing, and tears might not be too far away either in some challenges.
A few of these games could have found themselves in the top spot, especially factoring in recency bias and the like, but I opted to give the number 1 to a title that has proven itself to stand the test of time. It's not the best of the series, but Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the best at the time of writing the 1001 list, and as I said then, you've just got to play them all.
And now we come to the very last Topper Than That 10 list, a running leaderboard of the best of the best. It has been rock solid for many a Milestone Award post, often with only a single new entry. This is the last time anything can muscle their way onto the list that defines who I am as a gamer if anything - it's certainly not an objective fact, but I'll fight for every one of these titles...
10: Portal, Valve
This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: "Huge success."
9: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Naughty Dog
No Fortune, no Thieves. And I prefer the greens of the first game, I guess.
8: Assassin's Creed II, Ubisoft Montréal
You know you've lost the will to follow along with the AC series when UbiSoft announces something or other and you can't even be bothered to click through to the article to find out what it is. The future of the series? Give me the past, when it was great.
7: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Have there been any new discoveries of ridiculous tiny details? Any more absolutely bizarre videos of Monkey-masked Santa Snake? No? Why not?
6: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North
YouTube suggested some videos about the history of VC speedrunning. I wanted to play some VC.
5: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar North
It then suggested some videos about the history of SA speedrunning, because now I'm into the rabbit hole and digging deeper. I wanted to play some SA too.
4: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD
And still, it serves as the one link to the early home consoles. Surrounded by the big boys, this champion defies the odds and inspires us all.
3: Front Mission 3, Square
It's been too long since I've even seen mention of a mech game, in or out of video games. That's got to change. Looking forward to stomping around in this one.
2: Killzone 2, Guerrilla Games
The aesthetics, though! Mmmmmmm.
1: Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
It is, put simply, the game that changed the game. And I really want the board game based on the game that changed the game, but noooooo, we can't have nice things, can we? Sort it out, someone, please.
Boom! No change at the top. Nothing good enough to crack into The Topper Than That 10, which means The 1001/1001 Milestone Awards, and therefore the 1001 list, are done and dusted. That's all there is to it****. I guess I'll have to find something else to do.
Don't know what, though.
I think I might go for a walk.
Yeah. That sounds nice.
* Nothing is ever finished, only abandoned.
** Does emulating count as playing? Does playing for ten minutes count as playing?
*** I haven't been able to get all games. Platform exclusives, arcade cabinets, games literally lost to time... I tried, honest.
**** Or is it?