The 1001/1001 Milestone Awards

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?

The 951/1001 Milestone Awards

What's that? Do I regret this nonsense about trying to tie each Milestone Awards into a video gaming related number however tenuous the link? Yes, very much, but look how far we've come! They've not all been bad, have they? They've gotten worse, I can say that for sure.

Anyway, here we are, once again, rounding up the latest games to feature on the 1001 list for this, The 951/1001 Milestone Awards, an excuse to make me feel like I've accomplished something, and to spur me to continue doing it for at least 50 more games.

Fighting to appear in the Top Ten and desperate to avoid the Indifferent Five in this batch are everything from Half-Minute Hero to Shatter. I don't think it was too difficult to dish out awards this time, but there may well be some that raise an eyebrow. Which ones? Better get started and find out.

The Indifferent Five is a list of video games. Nothing more, nothing less.

Fuel, Asobo Studio

geoDefense Swarm, Critical Thought Games

LostWinds2: Winter of the Melodias, Frontier Developments

MLB 09: The Show, San Diego Studio

One-Dot Enemies, Studio Kura

Well done, or not, games.

Now then. Eyebrow raising time. What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For? could have been asked of a fair few games in this batch. LostWinds 2, Assault on Dark Athena, Left 4 Dead 2, and so on, but these sequels were better than their original games, so I'd have preferred to put the first games on instead, but they're not in this batch.

"What about Pikmin 2?" I hear a tiny corner of my brain shout. I strongly disliked its inclusion in the list at the time but, perhaps having mellowed over the years, I would also want to go back and replace it with Pikmin itself.

I'm not too sure, but the gist of the argument is that if a sequel is so similar to the first game, why not pick it for the list instead of the original? Well, the answer is probably the historical significance of the first game and running out of ideas to hit that 1001 target. With another decade of video gaming to wade through, any 1001 list written today would, I'd hope, have a much easier time of shouting at you to avoid earlier titles in a series.

But we're not in that lovely sounding world, oh no. We're in 2010, where I've got to play far too many bloody Guitar Hero-like games.

What Was Guitar Hero: Metallica Even Put On The List For?

Give me a break! And not the musical break.

So, what game is infinitely better than Guitar Hero? That'll be the answer to the question You Forgot What?! and once again, little eyebrow-raising, perhaps.

We've got to acknowledge the position the editors of the first release of the 1001 list were in. It's 2010, or thereabouts, and Minecraft is publicly available but not in a finished form. It won't see an official release for a few years, and even then it's a Beta release. 12 years later it's still only v1.18, and the thought of it being 'finished' doesn't seem to apply.

Minecraft is its own thing, part game, part tool, but there had to be some rumblings, even in 2010, that it was going to be something special - or at least something you ought to check out, right? It's not like this 1001 list hasn't had its misses.

But it's not here and Guitar Hero is. Mistakes have been made and I am here is correct them. You're welcome.

Now that that's sorted out, we've got a Top Ten list to fill, and let me say once again that this one is going to be skewed. Recency bias. Favouritism. Nostalgia. It's got the lot. Objectivity makes a brief appearance. See if you can spot it.

10: Halo Wars, Ensemble Studios

It surprised me, and lite games that allow me to get stuck in without any hassle are more appealing as I age. Come at me, covenant. Are we fighting the covenant in this one? Halo lore isn't my thing.

9: Demon's Souls, FromSoftware

Am I ever going to get good at it? No. Do I admire its gameplay and the patience and skill of those that do get good at it? Very much. Would I love an easy mode? Are you kidding me? Of course I would.

8: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, AlphaDream

I was scrolling through the latest batch of 50 and it stood out. Simple as that.

7: inFAMOUS, Sucker Punch Productions

Now look, I hear you, inFAMOUS isn't going to command the kind of attention that Demon's Souls gets, but while I was playing it way back when, I was having a blast, and I was having fun, and fun trumps frustration.

6: Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward

Similarly, you have a blast in CoD: MW2 as well. A shorter blast that blurs with all the other CoD blasts, but it's guaranteed entertainment.

5: Need for Speed: Shift, Slightly Mad Studios

Bias, definitely, and I'm not afraid to say it. I'm having fun, damnit.

4: Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City, Rockstar North

Oh, look, an eyebrow. If you want me to separate the two games, it's Ballad all the way, but these expansion offerings to the great city of Liberty are wonderful.

3: Forza Motorsport 3, Turn 10 Studios

I like going around and around in circles, what can I say? I needed a Gran Turismo fix and the 1001 list wasn't going to give me anything after GT3, so here we are.

2: Colin McRae: DiRT 2, Codemasters

Hook, line, and sinker. I've latched onto this entire series over the course of doing this 1001 list, and I've been all the more entertained because of it. How do you not smile driving sideways on a narrow dirt road, or flying through the front doors of a stadium?

What could possibly be better than all of those games? What could be number 1 in the Top Ten list? The greatest aesthetics in all of video gaming/my memory/my nostalgia, it is of course Killzone 2. How could it not be? That little squealing electronic blip when you kill someone in multiplayer brings delight to my ears.

How strong is that nostalgia, though? Will The Topper Than That 10 list be broken into? It's looked pretty solid for absolutely ages, hasn't it? Not long to go before the list finishes...

10: Portal, Valve

Clinging onto the last spot as though a portal linked to one on the surface of the moon has opened behind it.

9: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Naughty Dog

The sequels were better, but the sequels didn't kick this series off, did they? Nate came out with a bang, and that bang is mighty enjoyable.

8: Assassin's Creed II, Ubisoft Montréal

Unlike ACII here, which did bring a load more eyeballs to the AC series, introducing us to one of the greatest characters in Ezio. I'll get around to playing Valhalla when it's cheap enough, and I'll enjoy that too, but just not in the same way as this.

7: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

I was watching a let's play of this recently and was still learning new things about the game. How is that even possible? Don't we know everything about MGS3 by now?

6: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North

Where are we with those GTAVI rumours? Are we going back to a parody of Miami? I wouldn't mind.

5: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar North

All of a sudden, the music for the bouncy car minigame has popped into my head. Couldn't tell you why.

4: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD

Sums up this 1001 quest, really, this book being my link to video gaming past.

3: Front Mission 3, Square

If there are any board games like this, let me know. I want all the mechs.

2: Killzone 2, Guerrilla Games

You damn right it broke into the Topper 10. Did you know Edge gave this a 7/10, where everyone else was correct in giving it at least a 9? Madness. Edgy, you might say.

1: Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Rumours and rumblings of remakes just aren't exciting me, partly because I'm not going to be able to get hold of the PS5 they'll inevitably be released on, and partly because MGS belongs in the past, where we can cherish it as it was. But for the love of all that is holy, someone please get in touch with Emerson Matsuuchi regarding the board game. We need it, and we need it to have the MGS license.

There you have it. The penultimate Milestone Awards. The final stop before the end of the line that is The 1001/1001 Milestone Awards. Don't know what'll change for that one. Nothing, I suspect. Change requires effort, and I've got something to finish first...

Fifty games. That's all that stands between me and finishing this thing. UFC 2009: Undisputed has got its nose all up in my face first. Can we knock that one down and out quickly?

Here we go...

The 901/1001 Milestone Awards

 

Well now, I think I spy the final stretch. Six years in, and there are just 100 games to go on this 1001 list. Then what will I do? I've got some ideas. Some relate to the list, others don't. I'll have to see what sort of mood I'm in.

What I do know is that the latest batch of fifty video games are hoping I was in a good mood when playing them. From Midnight Club: Los Angeles to Bayonetta, we've seen more games that I'm familiar with, but still many more that I'm not, making for an interesting looking Top Ten in this, The 901/1001 Milestone Awards.

The format hasn't changed. Waffle to fill some space, get the 'meh' games out of the way, moan for a bit, then list some games that objectively don't belong on the same list, but as of this afternoon and according to this guy, find themselves sharing one.

Let's get cracking.

What games were there, good or bad, doing their thing, but not in any particularly special way? That's what The Indifferent Five list represents, and this time out it was a little bit tricky. Usually, several games jump out for their mediocrity, but they weren't jumping so high today, so it's a little more of a list of games that I wasn't too fussed one way or the other. I think. I don't read back what I wrote about them.

Fieldrunners, Subatomic Studios

Reset Generation, RedLynx

Resistance 2, Insomniac Games

SoulCalibur IV, Project Soul

Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Sora Ltd.

Even I didn't think I'd see some of those kinds of games in this part of the post.

There were a couple of games that caused some strong negative reactions this time around, but the answer to the question What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For? came in the form of a game that was supposed to celebrate and enhance a classic, but delivered an experience nobody really wanted - certainly not one I wanted.

What Was Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Even Put On The List For?

Just wrong, wasn't it?

But what takes its place on the 1001 list? What omission do we have a chance to correct? What glaring oversight must the selection committee be held accountable for? You Forgot What?!

We can have 2D motorcycle physics platform puzzler Elasto Mania, but there's no room for an extra half a dimension for Trials HD? I didn't even have an Xbox back then to see what all the fuss was about, but even I know there is plenty of fun and frustration to be found in Trials HD.

Madness. But not as mad as The Top Ten, a list so skewed towards my personal tastes that it serves next to no use for anybody else. Sorry, not sorry. A varied selection this time out. Probably just as varied as last time out, but as I say, I don't read things I've written. Makes you wonder just why I decided to blog about 1001 video games, really...

10: Edge, Mobigame

I didn't think it'd cling onto the tenth spot, but it looks so dang cool and is simply baffling.

9: Rez HD, United Game Artists

Sure, I played an even better version, but Rez is Rez and Rez is something you ought to play, if only once. Won't take you long, either.

8: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, Atlus

Even better than P3? One day I might have enough time in the day to find out.

7: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, Ubisoft Montréal

Surprise entry, perhaps, but that's exactly what you'll be doing plenty of in this game, and with controls that won't tear your hair out either.

6: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady Studios

Played it, was alright. Played it some more, got better. Played it to the end, had a good time. 'Nuff said, eh?

5: Wipeout HD, Studio Liverpool

Zone mode, custom soundtrack, have fun.

4: Race Driver: Grid, Codemasters

Came out of nowhere, consumed as much as it had to offer because it felt so rewarding. It's just a racer, but I was in the mood for exactly this kind of racer.

3: Drop7, Area/Code Entertainment

Addicting, even through an app that loves to crash.

2: Valkyria Chronicles, Sega

What a good thing it was that I actually got around to play this. Tricky, yes, but absolutely lovely to look at.

And so that leaves only one space for only one game, and there can be only one. You might say that this is the nostalgia talking, and it probably is, because the PC controls for the number 1 game, Assassin's Creed II, are pretty awful. The game, thankfully, is not. Is the series as good as it was yet?

Before I even think of finding out, I've got to wrap up this Milestone Awards post with The Topper Than That 10 and see where the games above rank amongst the stalwarts that have been locked into place for a long time now. Can they even make it onto the list, or am I so stubborn about moving anything with MGS or GTA in the title out of the way?

10: Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment

Finished all the DLC, brilliant. Better even than the main game, though shorter, too. I hope the sequel gives me just as much entertainment.

9: Portal, Valve

Speaking of short, here's Portal, proving that you don't need to have more DLC than your base game to have a good game.

8: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Naughty Dog

Oh, he's made a fool of himself and is slipping down the rankings. At least he made a pun about it, though. Dunno what it was, but it's something Nate would do.

7: Assassin's Creed II, Ubisoft Montréal

And here we find it, an excellent game only managing to make it to the 7th spot because there are even more excellent games that are slightly more excellent than it. The more I think about the series, though, the more I want to remind myself of it all over again.

6: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Weird, definitely. Ambitious. Unmatched. Bettered, obviously, but unmatched for what it was.

5: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North

News of a reverse-engineered source code sent a few folks into a flutter, only for the project to stomped upon by lawyers. We could have had an even better Vice City.

4: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar North

No source code for this one, though, but YouTube has been suggesting videos telling me how Big Smoke was always going to betray CJ. If only I saw the signs.

3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD

Another Breath of the Wind? Nah, Nintendo, wrong direction. Less is more, and pixel art is perfect.

2: Front Mission 3, Square

All is silent on the Front Mission front, and I don't like that. Left Alive doesn't count, obviously, but can you imagine if it did? Front Mission by Yoji Shinkawa? Hell fucking yes.

1: Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Guess we'll just have to get our Yoji fix from this one. Sad news, though: The board game is no more, or more accurately the publisher no longer has the license. Curse you, Covid. We could have had fun. Fun, I tell you.

And that's that. Only 100 games left to try and kick these games off the list and cement their place in my version of history. As I say, I can finally see the end in sight. I'm looking forward to it if I'm honest, but I'm looking forward even more to see what I've missed. The 1001 list continues to surprise and continues to inspire me to try new series - even if they're now very old.

We keep on rolling with Half-Minute Hero, which by the sounds of it shouldn't take too long at all...

Game on.

The 851/1001 Milestone Awards

It's an Auburn 851 Speedster, says IGCD.net

It's one of my favourite parts of this blog, blathering on about video games for no real reason other than that I can, and you can't do a damn thing to stop me, insert maniacal laughter here, insert comedically timed loss of Internet connection here.

Rough times are almost inevitable, and mine aren't really that rough, considering. Staying indoors playing video games isn't exactly rough now, is it, and we're meant to be playing the very best, according to the fine folks of some point in 2010 or so - it's not like this is an absolute slog.

On the contrary, it's been a delight, for the most part, to check out some of these titles, be it for the first time in a long time or the first time at all. Some haven't received the warmest of reactions from me, but some have caught me by surprise and introduced me to new things.

Having just finished the latest batch of 50 games, fittingly ending with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, I get to look back and reflect on what I've seen and done these past few months in the world of video games for The 851/1001 Milestone Awards. This particular list goes all the way back to Wipeout Pulse, which isn't very far, but a lot can happen in between it and MGS4 on a list like this. Enough to churn out an awards post like this, in any case.

The end of the 1001 list is coming up to the horizon now. 150 games seems like a lot, but many I'll surely have played and many more are of an age where most video games knew how to control themselves properly. It should be plain sailing, and then I'll have to see what to do afterwards. I'm already forming some ideas, but who knows what will come in the future?

All we know for certain is what has come before, so to cut this dillydallying short, let's begin.

To kick things off as ever are The Indifferent 5, games that are there to fill a hole that may or may not need filling. They're usually small and replaceable, but almost always games.

Audiosurf, Dylan Fitterer

Bangai-O Spirits, Treasure

Bejeweled Twist, PopCap Games

Buzz! Quiz TV, Relentless Software

N+, Slick Entertainment, SilverBirch Studios, Metanet Software

Congratulations on being recognised for a second time, though this will likely be the last.

My favourite thing to do is moan, if you ask the right people, and moaning is what the next award is all about. What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For? was a tough question to answer this time out, believe it or not. You'd think Banjo would be a shoe-in from this batch of contenders, but my choice actually goes elsewhere. The death of Flash was not fast enough in my opinion.

What Was Fantastic Contraption Even Put On This List For?

If I want a video game to mock my lack of understanding with regards to physics and engineering, I'd at least prefer it to not be disguised as homework.

What takes its place? What game must be play instead of physics homework? There were probably quite a few choices that could have been made, including LEGO Indiana Jones, as you can see in the image up top. It's not the greatest LEGO game, nor is it the most revolutionary, but it showed us that the formula could be applied to any film license under the sun and still work. When you want to put seemingly every iteration of Mario Kart on the 1001 list, what's the problem with another LEGO game that's slightly different from Star Wars?

But I didn't go with Indy. Instead, after double checking the list both in print and on screen, I came to a staggering oversight that answers the question You Forgot What?!

Is Mirror's Edge seriously not on this 1001 list? First person parkour set in an incredibly artistic future city? Yes, it was a little cumbersome, but have you seen the speed runs, both glitched and glitchless? Clearly not. It has to be a better depiction of parkour than Free Running, surely...

Shouldn't dwell, though, should we? We know Mirror's Edge is worth a play even if an old book ignores it, just like we know the games that make up The Top Ten are worth a play too. Quite a few heavy hitters in this list, and even if they've got their flaws, they remain great games in my eyes.

10: Carcassonne, Sierra Online Seattle

Mostly included in the top 10 because of P2 and the board game, but as digital adaptations go, this is a good one. Since bettered, but still a thoroughly enjoyable game.

9: God of War: Chains of Olympus, Ready at Dawn

I could have given the PlayStation Portable some props for either LocoRoco 2 or Patapon, but let's face it, I'm going to get more enjoyment from button mashing sharp steel through hundreds of enemies in Ancient Greece, aren't I?

8: Battlefield: Bad Company, EA DICE

Not perfect, but ambitious and alternative in the right ways. Is there a sequel incoming, or are Battlefield games just going to borrow the mechanics some more?

7: Far Cry 2, Ubisoft Montreal

You're going to see a theme with these titles, "Not perfect, but". This first-person survival in the blistering heat of Africa isn't perfect, but I must have enjoyed it to play so much of it.

6: Fallout 3, Bethesda Game Studios

Flawed, yes, in many ways, but when I was putting up with those flaws I was enjoying my time in the wasteland, and there was a lot of time spent there, soaking up all that radiation.

5: Dead Space, EA Redwood Shores

A surprise for me to like a survival horror, but this one kept me hooked more than I thought it might, and is one I look forward to returning to. Its sequels probably not...

4: Critter Crunch, Capybara Games

It's already been so long since I've played this incredible looking gobble 'em up, I want to see what more it has to offer that I've not been introduced to yet.

3: Wipeout Pulse, Studio Liverpool

I actually forgot this was a PSP game too, it ran so well and looked so good. Sorry everyone.

2: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Kojima Productions

It is an absolute mess of a game. A mistake. It shouldn't have been made. But damn, look at the lengths they went to to get it done, for better or worse. You can't deny it's a hell of a talking point at least.

But there's no way I could give MGS4 the number 1 spot. That's silly, even for an MGS fan. No, there can only be one winner of this top ten, and you know that it's going to be Grand Theft Auto IV. Again, following the theme, it's not perfect and isn't at the top of its series, but I just enjoy being in that world for hour after hour.

Can it, and any of the other 'not perfect, but' games get onto The Topper Than That Top Ten list? It's a tough nut to crack, this one. The top end has been rock steady for a long time, but Rockstar aren't strangers to it. What's changed at the top?

10: Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar North

This has changed, and it's changed at the bottom. I like it, a lot, but I like other games more. It's as simple as that.

9: Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment

Like this one. I have since started playing some of the DLC for this, and need to find time to carry on doing so, whether it is repetitive or not.

8: Portal, Valve

Still a little short, but it has staying power. How much, though?

7: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Naughty Dog

I think the first photos of the Uncharted film have come out since this found itself onto the Topper Ten. That'll be something to look out for in the normal times...

6: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

The game we shouldn't have got but are very glad we did. Unlike it's sequel, I guess.

5: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North

I am going to have to have a GTA marathon or something soon, aren't I?

4: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar North

I mean, how else am I going to enjoy these games again? My fuzzy memories?

3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD

What's Link done recently, in terms of the 1001 list, I mean? Feels like he's missing in action. Not that anything would come close to this, though.

2: Front Mission 3, Square

You know, I haven't actually looking into any other Front Mission title on the back of my amazement regarding FM3. Does that need to change?

1: Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Ah, the memories. War has changed, huh?

It's going to take something very special to break through into that list. I'm not even sure what could. There are still 150 challengers hoping to do so, but to be honest with you, I can't think what is yet to come on this list. There are so many titles from 2008, 2009 and a little bit of 2010 to go through. It must have been the golden age of video gaming - or merely recency bias on the part of the editors and selection committee.

Was there even a selection committee for this 1001 list? They forgot Crash Bandicoot, for goodness sake...

Anyway, let's look ahead to all the greats we're still to look back to. Up next is Midnight Club: Los Angeles, a racer I never played because I preferred my racing to take place legally, on closed circuits with safety standards. I guess I limited my fun considerably with that, didn't I?

Stay indoors, especially in this winter weather, doubly especially with these virus variants, and game the Hell on.

The 801/1001 Milestone Awards

Nintendo leaks? Old news. We've smuggled out information about the 801/1001 Project from IBM themselves. Must be concerning The 801/1001 Milestone Awards, some dork's attempt at ranking a bunch of old video games for no apparent reason other than that he can. Who gave him a free platform to host this 'content' on? Google? Write their names down, we'll get on that as soon as we see how laughable his decisions are.

Fifty games go by so quickly. It feels like only a few months since the last time I had a refresher on how far I'd come. 4/5's of the way through the 1001 list. Blimey. Just think if I'd have been an idiot and insisted on completing them all. I'd be stuck on... well, I shudder to think. We might still be farting around on the NES after 5 years.

But here we are in the late-2000s checking out titles from FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage to Wii Fit. Quite the contrast in games there, that's for sure, but where will they end up ranking?

Before even trying to think about the best, we've got to weed out the titles that don't have much of chance in featuring. Titles that exist, but don't really evoke anything one way or the other. Might be good, might be bad, definitely be, in the Shakespearean sense. Here are The Indifferent 5.

Super Stardust HD, Housemarque

Quadradius, Jimmi Heiserman

Planet Puzzle League, Intelligent Systems

Hexic 2, Carbonated Games

E4: Every Extend Extra Extreme, Q Entertainment

Ooh, crikey. Bad time for puzzle games, eh? Even Puzzle Quest made the shortlist for this, but I don't think that belongs in the same list as this lot.

I do like the next award. What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For? always gets me going. What I do when collating these awards is scroll back through the blog posts. That's all. A little refresher of what I've recently played. Enough to remind me of the good times and the bad. One title stood out for this award, and by 'stood out', I mean 'leapt about like an idiot, shouted really loudly, dwarfed all other contenders and even started to make my blood boil'.

What Was Mercury Meltdown Revolution Even Put On This List For?

What an absolute waste of an entry, much like Ninja Gaiden: Whatnot before it.

But what do we replace this rubbish with? Preferably a game we've not played before. Maybe a genre or series that doesn't get enough attention.

There were two contenders that I was thinking about here. One was Stuntman: Ignition, because the idea of a stuntman having to perform ridiculous routines timed to perfection for a bunch of gold stars is amusing, though the gameplay isn't exactly easy.

As such, the answer to You Forgot What?! needs to be the kind of game where you can zone out a little and just button mash your way through hundreds of enemies like they're made of paper. And if possible, such a game, perhaps based on Ancient Chinese history, should feature giant mechs.

Oh. There is such a game. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. I've not played it, but for a series as long-lasting as Dynasty Warriors, a series no stranger to spin-off titles, I'm surprised that not even one of them made it to the 1001 list. Alright, they may not be the greatest video games of all time, but everyone's impressed by how many enemies they put in your path, and how wonderfully easy it seems it is to swat them out of the way.

Plus, this one has mechs. I've not played it, could be garbage, but I'll take it over Mercury bloody Meltdown bloody Revolution, that's for sure.

And now to the main event, where all the cool games hang out. This one, from the looks of it, is rather swayed by nostalgia and personal preference, I must say. Objective rankings won't be seen here, and nor will they ever on a Milestone Awards post, except by sheer dumb luck.

Here are The Top Ten.

10: Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow, SCE Bend Studio

Sneaking into the top ten is Gabe Logan and his almost impossibly good PSP game - a title that actually made me seek out a nearly 4-hour video of every PSP game to see what other hidden gems I've missed.

9: God of War II, SCE Santa Monica Studio

A cheeky entry this, seeing as I've played basically ten minutes of it, but that brief glimpse felt like more over the top action-packed fun, and I like the sound of that.

8: Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Level-5

That cockney accent may not last long, but the surprise I had when first seeing this game in action sure will. Just need to get my puzzle head on.

7: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Nintendo EAD

Another cheeky entry, but I felt at home when playing it, the art style is great, and I can scribble on maps. I want more games that allow me to scribble on maps.

6: Mass Effect, BioWare

Yeah, a little bit janky these days, but a world - nay, a Universe - I want to explore. Do I wait for the remaster, though?

5: Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo EAD Tokyo

It's the game that got me to admit there was something to all of these Mario games. The game I begrudgingly accept to be pretty damn good, simply because I wrongly want to treat all Mario games as games for kids.

4: Colin McRae: DiRT, Codemasters

As far as racing in the mud goes, there were better looking and sounding games in this very batch, but Motorstorm hasn't gone on to give me another 4 games to sink tens of hours into like the DiRT series has - and I'm counting DiRT 5 in that list, and I don't even own it.

3: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Insomniac Games

Part nostalgia it, part brand new adventure with characters and gameplay I love. It was hella frustrating at times, but I pushed through because I wanted to, and enjoyed doing so.

2: Portal, Valve

Short, sweet, humongous impact on video gaming. Can't be ignored.

But it's not number 1. Nope. That goes to the birth of the wonderful Uncharted series, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Perhaps not quite as quotable as Portal, but much longer and more impressive to look at.

Is it impressive enough to break into The Topper Than That Top Ten though? The frontrunners of this list haven't budged in bloody ages. Is it possible to do so, or do I now just stubbornly refuse to rank anything higher than Snake Eater? Let's find out!

10: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Insomniac Games

Must be included simply because it sort of allowed me to relive my youth, in the same way I hope the rest of that trilogy will do, if and when I get around to them, and of course the PS5 outing somewhere in the future.

9: Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment

I've bought the DLC now, still haven't found the time to play it, though.

8: Portal, Valve

It's clearly going to rank highly on any list, but it's a little too short for me to really rank high.

7: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Naughty Dog

I was uhming and ahhing over which was the better jungle, this or Snake Eater, for a while. Believe me, I was mighty tempted to put this above MGS, but I think that'd be saying that story is more important than gameplay. Yeah, I know that's what I tend to prefer, but we are talking about MGS3 here, remember.

6: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

MGS3 doing all the technology before Uncharted and its water. Oooh, water, big whoop. Let me just dig this crossbow bolt out of my leg and I'll show you what 'technology' really is...

5: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North

I really must return to this sometime.

4: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar North

And then return to this one as well. They've both aged, yes, but the memories are fresh.

3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD

Sing along with me now. Bahm, bam, buhm buhm buhbah baaah!

2: Front Mission 3, Square

What was our mech entry in this recent batch? Oh yes, Supreme Commander. No, no chance of toppling this.

1: Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

A game so good that even if you tried to remake it, you'd only end up failing to capture whatever it was that made MGS so special in the late-1990s. It just is amazing. How I'm not always sure.

Close change in the middle, but this list is getting mighty familiar now. There are only 200 games left to fight for these awards. I'm looking forward to the next lot, especially when the next game on the list takes me back to a series I'm all over: Wipeout Pulse. How is this one styled? wipEout pulse. Eh, could be better.

The days are getting shorter, and bathing your face in the warm glow of the TV gets more and more appealing. It's that or venture outdoors, but out there is the winter of 2020, so that's not happening. Stay safe, and game on.

The 751/1001 Milestone Awards

Another one, whey! It feels like these recaps come around much more quickly, the older you get. Seeing as these are The 751/1001 Milestone Awards, we're three-quarters of the way through this undertaking, and still discovering new old things. Did you know the Telescore 751 was a video game thing? I bet you didn't.

Fifty more video games going head to head in ways they never would have expected, for a prize that definitely isn't worth slapping all over the box art, Batman-style. From Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis to Free Running, these titles have been quite different from the previous couple of batches. I wonder what stood out the most.

But before that, we get to find out what merely stood. The Indifferent 5 are games that are. That's all. On a good day, they're alright, on a bad day they're there if you've got nothing else. They can elicit a strong reaction, but not often. In the order I wrote them down in, they are:

Mercury Meltdown, Ignition Banbury

Naked War, Zee-3

Slitherlink, Nikoli

Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Atlus

Virtua Fighter 5, Sega AM2

Better luck next time, eh?

The next award is always a favourite, and to cut straight to the point, it asks What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For? There were two or three in the running for this one. One was I game I liked, two were games I definitely didn't, but one of those two had such a poor showing that it may forever dominate my opinion of it and anything that comes from the same series.

What Was Rayman Raving Rabbids Even Put On The List For?

Ugh, just appalling. If it had a half-way decent PC port instead of an utterly garbage one, then Gunpey or Lumines Live! was up for this award: Gunpey for not being able to see it, and Lumines Live! for already having seen it, a.k.a the unwritten 'Pikmin 2 rule' about identical entries.

Right, enough of exposing how the panel voted for these awards, let's find a replacement to answer the question You Forgot What?!

I had a quick skim through some notable games from 2006 for this, and a few made it to the shortlist. There's no Dynasty Warriors, what's that about? Overlooking Killzone: Liberation? Shame. But one title rocketed above all the others.

Video games cover many genres and portray many characters overcoming difficult circumstances. They have stories that resonnate and lead to memories that last a lifetime. But not all memories are good. Not all video games care about their story, or characters, or social issues, or depictions of women... What I'm trying to get at here is that, for some context about what video games actually do, you should all play Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.

No, I mean it. This 1001 list is about learning, is it not? And there's much that can be learned from the DoA Xtreme series. If you want to champion how great video games are, you need to be prepared to explain stuff like this (which is far, far better than Rayman Raving Rabbids).

Moving on. The Top Ten. The best of the rest. As I said, it's a strange batch this time out. Not so many titles that I'm familiar with, and a fair few surprises. Sitting back and looking at this list, it looks like it makes little sense. There's no logic to it at all, and how I arrived at the final form I don't really know, but here they are:

10: Microsoft Flight Simulator X, Aces Game Studio, Dovetail Games

Have I been swayed by the 2020 release? Has 2020 itself made me desperate to get back on a plane for some sense of normalcy, even though I only ever travelled by plane once (well, twice, there and back) a year anyway? Do I just like looking out the window, regardless of what I see? No idea.

9: Gottlieb Pinball Classics, FarSight Studios

What on Earth have I got a pinball simulator on this list for? Have I gone mad, or do I just appreciate the dedication in bringing these tables to new players?

8: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, Atlus

Took an age to get going, but persistance paid off for Persona.

7: GTR2 - FIA GT Racing Game, Blimey! Games, SimBin

Get closer! Get real! Get these Ferrari's and Porsches out and mod something decent in there instead. Still no good at it, of course, but this isn't a top ten of what games I'm good at, it's what games I enjoy.

6: Final Fantasy XII, Square Enix

Still unsure why I'm interested in this one, but I am, and that's what matters. The forgotten game it may be, but it's still a solid entry.

5: Virtua Tennis 3, Sega AM3

In what world is Virtua Tennis better than Final Fantasy? This one. My world. And no, I cannot tell you why. This list is nonsense, even to me.

4: BioShock, 2K Boston, 2K Australia

If you'd have said the magic words, you might have been higher up on this list, boyo.

3: OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast, Sumo Digital

Sim racing, arcade racing... I don't really care what form it comes in, racing games are appealing, and OutRun 2006 is simply a joy.

2: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward

As crazy as this list is, it would be certifiably stupid to not have this feature on it somewhere.

Because I only bothered with the single player side of CoD4, I can only rank it at number 2. The number 1 title of this batch has to go to a game I spent tens of hours with, if not more. You will never emerge from the sewers for the very first time again in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. But you can still have a good time, all these years later.

Is it a good enough time to crack into The Topper Than That Top Ten though? It's getting harder and harder to do so. Of all the 751 games we've looked at so far, what are the best of the best?

10: Counter-Strike: Source, Valve, Turtle Rock Studios

I feel a victory slipping away. Gonna blame it on the rest of the team, though...

9: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bethesda Game Studios

It'll always have a place in my memory for what it introduced me to all those years ago.

8: Yakuza 2, Sega NE R&D

Current Yakuza status: Zero finished, Judgment finished, Kiwami begun, fifth chapter, I believe.

7: Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment

The DLC is on the wishlist. If there wasn't all this backlog, I'd be right there.

6: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

I've just been reminded of that really high def video of the final fight, teasing an insane remaster, only to instead be the promotion for a pachinko machine. Well done, Konami...

5: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North

When are Love Fist going to tour again?

4: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar North

What's the fastest way down Mount Chiliad on a BMX?

3: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD

You know what doesn't need a 35th anniversary to spruce it up? This guy.

2: Front Mission 3, Square

No big stompy robots in this recent batch? Nothing to threaten this position, then.

1: Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Board game status: Delayed playtesting, pending difficulty adjustment. Video game status: Absolute classic, cannot be bettered.

There you have it. Very little chance, but then a very unusual top ten this time out. The 1001 list is getting smaller and smaller. What 'modern' classics are going to muscle in on the golden oldies? We'll begin looking at the next lot of contenders with FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage. It probably won't get into the topper ten, but will it entertain at all? We'll find out soon enough.

Would you kindly game on?

The 701/1001 Milestone Awards

It's that time again. The moment where we roll back the clock in the middle of rolling back the clock to assess what the clock has shown us. Except it's not a clock that has shown us anything, it's a list of 1001 Must-Play Video Games, and instead of just assessing them we're shoving them on pedestals in The 701/1001 Milestone Awards.

The very latest batch of 50 old video games, from GT Legends to Fight Night Round 3, have shown themselves to the world, but only a mere fraction of them can hope to appear in The Top Ten, and fewer still have a chance to crack into The Topper Than That Top Ten.

Do we have some more recency biases on display this time out? Probably. But these awards are a joke to begin with. I mean, who would use an IBM 701 to introduce a set of video game awards?

Kicking us off, not because they want to but because they have to are The Indifferent 5, five games that are exactly that. Games. Take 'em, leave 'em, doesn't really matter. Surprisingly not as bland as previous winners, this lot. I must have found it hard to have no opinion about the games this time around. That, or I've forgotten - and stubbornly refuse to re-read - what I wrote. In no particular order, they are:

Dead Rising, Capcom Production Studio 1

Tower Bloxx, Digital Chocolate

Nintendogs, Nintendo EAD

Guitar Hero, Harmonix

Gunstar Super Heroes, Treasure

Good job, you lot. Or an adequate job, I guess?

One of my favourite awards next, because everyone loves to argue over pointless things, don't they? In a list of 1001 video games, do you know how many there are that shouldn't be there? At least 20, otherwise The Milestone Awards would be over with quicker. Each batch contains some glaring errors, as we get to ask What Was That 1 Even Put On The List For?

There can be only one, and there was only one. Potentially even taking over from Pikmin 2 as the absolute embodiment of this question.

What Was Ninja Gaiden Black Put On The List For?

Congratulations go to Nintendo for not winning this for once. I've probably jinxed you to appear here next time, now...

In its place, of course, we must put something new. Something worthy. Here's an idea. If a remake/remaster/rerelease in the form of Ninja Gaiden Black is fair game, I answer the question You Forgot What?! with the fantastic remake/remaster/rerelease that is Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence.

Look at that. Horrible camera system stripped out and replaced with something that works. New difficulty levels designed with extreme Europeans in mind. Ape Escape crossover levels. And that's before we learn about the second disc, with Metal Gear Online, as well as the original Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, fully playable for those of us who don't have an MSX lying around. And you know there's more.

That's how you tweak a game. 

Right, moving onto the good stuff. The Top Ten. A little strange, perhaps. The objective among you will wonder what I'm smoking, but I say nothing. I am merely high on the buzz that these lot give me, whether they're the greatest games of all time or not. You're free to make your own list if you think otherwise. Here we go:

10. Gears of War, Epic Games

Bulky bloody cover shooting starring walking fridges with chainsaw guns. I mean, come on, what else do you want?

9. Mother 3, Brownie Brown, Hal Laboratory

I've got a dog called Monkey! I named him that, though. It wasn't the default choice. Don't know what we'll get up to, but it'll look all kinds of weird and impressive, even if I have to rely on fan-translated ROMs.

8. SWAT 4, Irrational Games

It's tricky to get on top of, but what a novel concept. To me, at least, late to any series, as always.

7. Psychonauts, Double Fine Productions

Late to this one as well. I hear there's a trailer to the sequel that I can watch. Surprising, that. Commercial flop, wasn't it?

6. LEGO Star Wars, Traveller's Tales

Hello, nostalgia. The series definitely got better over time, though.

5. TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, Free Radical Design

Better than I remembered, to be honest. I've more memories of TimeSplitters 2, but there really is a reason to play both.

4. Rogue Galaxy, Level-5

The definition of a hidden gem, perhaps. Star Wars meets Dark Cloud? Sign me right up.

3. GT Legends, SimBin Studios

A love letter to racing of old, and a great one at that.

2. Yakuza 2, Sega NE R&D

My plans after wrapping this post up? Begin my journey through this story with Yakuza 0. Yeah, it's not Yakuza 2, but that's how good Yakuza 2 was. Got me to want to play everything else.

That's a pretty strong second place. What have I been captivated by more than any of these titles, or the 40 others that weren't good enough to get here? Spoilers: They've done it again. First with Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and now with Company of Heroes. How do you do it, Relic? Have you spaced out the sequels so that the next few Milestone Awards are yours too?

Which is better, though, 40k or WWII? That's a dumb question. Clearly, 40k is better. Which makes for the better game? Can CoH kick DoW off The Topper Than That Top Ten list? Scroll on and find out.

10. Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac Games

Clinging on for dear life. I really need that new game. Well, no, I want it, I don't need it.

9. Counter-Strike: Source, Valve, Turtle Rock Studios

Haven't seen much of this for a while. Could that be why it's slipping down the ranks?

8. Yakuza 2, Sega NE R&D

It doesn't make it far onto this list but its impact is still felt. I am looking forward to a great many things with this one.

7. Company of Heroes, Relic Entertainment

There it is, kicking Dawn of War off the list. Every few days since posting about it, I've played another level, enjoyed another level, wondered what the next one would bring.

6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

Still, in the Topper Ten, Snaaaake Eater

5. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Rockstar North

Is GTA6 coming back to Vice City? What will it look like? Shall I just look for a ridiculous HD patch until then?

4. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar Noth

Is GTA6 coming back to San Andreas? What will it look like? Shall I just look for a ridiculous HD patch until then?

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Nintendo EAD

This 1001 list has very much been my link to the past. I wonder what I'll do when it's all over...

2. Front Mission 3, Square

Remake when? Come on. Do it.

1. Metal Gear Solid, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan

So good that I've been waiting for the board game adaptation for a year, and will have to wait a year longer. Would nanomachines have helped in this COVID crisis? Yes, they would have. Thanks, world, for ignoring the genius of Kojima. Thanks.

And that's that. No change at the top. No change halfway down, either. It's going to be mighty tricky to topple these titles, but there are always challengers. Next up, something from Rockstar. Oooh.

Rockstar Presents Table Tennis? You're joking, right?