Topic: The Universal Games Ranking Forum (Currently: Characters/Weapons/etc. You Hate Playing Against)

@BigYellow: I'll honesty be surprised if many even bother to read my whole post. XD I intentionally bolded the start of each entry to make it easier to skim.

As for suggestions on which series to do next...Metroid or Zelda.

It's been years since I've played a Pokémon game, but here I go.

3. Red/Blue/Yellow - What can I say, I was there when the series went big, and thus have a lot of fond memories of the games. It does drop to 3rd place because of just how slow they are, but this gen probably still has the highest ratio of good designs to bad designs. My favorites are Charizard, Zapdos, & MewTwo, but I actually made it through my first game with only Blastoise, lol.

2. Ruby - The only gen 3 (and last overall) Pokémon game I've played. I loved the graphical overhaul (and the addition of running, I believe), and Blaziken was boss, but this is overall where the designs started to suffer & I started to lose interest in the series afterwards. Great game, though.

1. Gold/Silver - The best I've played. The only games where I never choose the fire starter (I went with Chikorita each time). I was mystified of the ruins where the Unknown were (I probably spent hours there trying to solve a puzzle I'm now sure didn't actually exist), I hunted down the legendary dogs across the map, and of course discovering Kanto again. Fantastic games.

7. Gen 1 (Yellow): The original Pokémon games are super fun even today but the horrible mechanics, subpar graphics, and large amount of glitches bring this one down.

6. Gen 6 (X and Y): Kalos was a poorly designed region with a terrible story and no post-game. Still fun, but far from my favorite Pokémon game.

5. Gen 4 (Platinum): The beginning of Platinum was a SLOG. The game vastly improves on the east side of Sinnoh, but the Pokémon distribution and region design put this at #5.

4. Gen 3 (Emerald): I don't have much to say about Gen 3 other than that I consider it middle of the road for Pokémon. No aspect of this game is my favorite or least favorite in the series.

3. Gen 2 (GSC): A great sequel that fixed all the flaws with Gen 1 and introduced fun new mechanics. Would be higher if not for the innovations made by future games.

2. Gen 7 (Sun and Moon): Great in almost all aspects; the region design, story, graphics, Pokemon distribution, post-game, etc. are some of the best in the series. Definitely looking forward to Ultra Sun and Moon to see how they can improve Gen 7.

1. Gen 5 (B2W2) I haven't played the originals, but my first and most played Pokemon game is Black 2, and I consider it near perfect. Everything aspect I loved about Sun and Moon is just as good, if not better. A must-own for all Pokemon fans and 3DS owners.

@Tyranexx In my defense, this is the same friend I gave a 5IV EV trained Feraligator With Waterfall, Ice Punch, Crunch and Dragon Dance because he said he wanted to play competitive and an hour later I found he gave it 4 damaging Water moves.

Who's the real monster?

As we're doing Pokemon, I'd like the next series for discussion to be Pokemon spin-offs, as there's loads out there and I haven't tried any of them.

@gcunit Definitely considering it, I'm thinking either Zelda, Metroid or that for the next topic. If I can I'll probably have three/four options at a time and I'll see what everyone picks. Currently, it seems like Zelda is next, but that could change if there's enough support for the other options. Either way the following topic will be between the two most suggested ideas and something new. I'm thinking a non-Nintendo option would be good for the third slot, I'm personally leaning towards Crash Bandicoot.

7. S&M
6. BW/B2W2
5. DPP
4. HGSS
3. FR/LG/Y
2. XY
1. ORAS

I would explain why these are ranked how they are, but it would end up a short novel for why Sun and Moon are excrement (and frankly, I don't think I can do it without resorting to profanity), with everything else getting a couple of sentences to a paragraph.

@shaneoh Interesting, I haven't played Sun or Moon myself so I can't say much, but either way it's nice to have some variety of opinion. One thing I will comment on is X&Y's placement, I'd be curious to know why it's so high up for you.

@BigYellow
Well I missed the GBC/GBA entries when they released (got to play them later due to emulation) and tried getting back into the DS games. BW/2 were completely forgettable, I gave up part way through out of disinterest, DPP and HGGS were more enjoyable, but I still didn't find myself engaged enough to complete them. X and Y grabbed me and didn't let go, I certainly hadn't felt so involved with a Pokemon game since RBY.

@shaneoh True, X&Y does a good job of putting you in the shoes of the character. That first playthrough is pretty good aside from being too easy, it's once you finish that it falls apart for me.

Right, really hoping this works, don't really have any other way of seeing if it does, so fingers crossed.

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=598c65a6e4b08c427e461542

Edit: Looks ugly, but it'll do. Click the link if you wanna vote for the next topic.

@BigYellow: ...Wow, that IS pretty bad. XD I don't battle competitively, but I know enough about it to be able to tell that that was a bad move on your friend's part. Be that as it may, though, I would only wish that game on people that I truly dislike.

@Tyranexx I would've thought he would've at least looked up the game to see I tricked him but I guess not. I ended up telling him to go with Black 2 instead, and while he loved it, I shudder to think what his team was like.

Also to everyone who sees this, the poll for the next topic is doing nicely, although we do currently have a tie. I'm thinking of closing it soon, maybe 4 hours?

Edit: 1 hour left. Still a tie for second place, but seems like we've a clear winner.

@BigYellow, just a suggestion. Maybe whenever you update the topic, you could update the title as well.

For example: If the next topic is Zelda, the title could read The Universal Games Ranking Forum (Zelda), then be updated to The Universal Games Ranking Forum (Metroid), so on & so forth.

This would make it easier for users to know when there's a new topic at a glance.

@RR529 Good idea, I was gonna do that from the start, but I thought it would've been a bit confusing if the title said 'Universal' but also had 'Pokemon'. I think it'll be safe once the topic changes, as everyone gets the gist of this thread by now.

I'd completely forgotten til' you mentioned it though, so big thanks for that.

Because this thread passed 33 posts, it's officially cool enough to receive my top whatever list.

1. Gen 2: An easy pick. Gold, Silver, and Crystal remain one of my favourite games despite its flaws. They improved on the originals, in a lot of ways. Battles were more enjoyable, I enjoyed the upgrade of the pixel art. It finally had quality sprite-work, as opposed to the horrendous Pokemon sprites of the first generation. The ironed out a lot of bug, fixed some moves and effects that didn't work as intended. They balanced out the game by splitting the special stat, nerved Psychic types by introducing Dark and Steel types, and may more. I liked the Johto region for its elaborate cave systems, the day/night cycle and the new Pokemon. My only complaints are the absence of some Johto Pokemon in the region, like Slugma, Houndour, Murkrow and Misdreavus. This meant that you couldn't really use them in your in-game team without trading. The levels were also all over the place after the fourth gym, resulting in a huge difficulty spike at the end. Still, good games.

2. Gen 3: I remember ordering Pokemon Ruby from the US (or Hong Kong I think it was), because I couldn't wait for that delayed European release nonsense, and I didn't regret it. I don't think the Hoenn region is my favourite, but the reason generation 3 is a close second is because it also contained the remakes of the original games and Pokemon Colosseum. I'm a big fan of the introduction of Abilities, giving each Pokemon more personality and making some Pokemon stand out in a sea of others. Just another variable that effects the battles. Compatibility with Colosseum on the GameCube meant that I could trade with myself, and didn't have to rely on friends who happen to have the games (there weren't a lot that that played Pokemon). More importantly, I liked the focus on double battles in Colosseum, and I liked the fact that they were all double battles. This meant that a lot more strategy was possible. Moves like Growl suddenly had a use, Helping Hand was finally useful (the double battles in Ruby and Sapphire were way too infrequent to waste a slot on that move), and you could also pull some weather effect strategies off better IMO; or even simple EQ + Protect/Levitate combos. It still remains one of my favourite Pokemon and GameCube games. I wasn't a huge fan of XD, didn't like that stupid kid and his moped.

3. Gen 1: I think I've already said enough. I appreciate the games for what they are. I still like them a lot, and nostalgia also plays a role here. I can't the deny the big improvements gen 2 and 3 brought to the franchise though.

4. Gen 4: I liked these, could've been on the third place if I didn't have so many good memories of the first generation. The physical/special split was important, meaning that some Pokemon could finally make use of some good STAB moves. It also had Heart Gold and Soul Silver, and these games contain some of the finest sprite-work in a 2D Pokemon to date. Really liked the way that game looked. Pokemon designs were on level with the third gen I think. They've grown on me, but I still can't stand most of the ugly post-game evolutions like Gliscor, Magmortar, Lickilicky, Yanmega, etc.

5. Rest goes here. What I've played of BW, XY, and SM, I think I prefer the latter two over the former. I didn't like most of the gen 5 designs, and the in-game animations weren't pleasing on the eye either. I prefer the clean 3D models of XY/SM. Overall, the increase of hand-holding, linearity and the decrease in difficulty meant that I haven't owned a Pokemon game in almost a decade. I don't own a 3DS, and the games simply weren't a system seller for me anymore.

@Octane Good read, and good timing cause the poll has just closed. Here are the results...

Mainline Zelda Games - 53% (8 Votes) Da Winna
Mainline Metroid Games - 27% (4 Votes) Da Spinna
Pokemon Spin-off Games - 20% (3 Votes) Da Binna

So as you can see, Zelda is our new topic!
Since Metroid came second, it's guaranteed a spot as an option for the next topic!
Sadly Pokemon Spin-offs was third, and so will only be an option for the next topic if there's demand for it.
From now on, there'll also be a fourth option, and whatever comes fourth will not be an option for the next poll, so keep that in mind.
If there's ever a fifth option, chances are it's a meme. Don't vote for it. Unless you have literal zero opinion.

I'll get the net poll up later for what we discuss after Zelda, but here's the rundown of it.
Option 1 - Mainline Metroid Games (Runner-up of last poll)
Option 2 - Mainline Crash Bandicoot Games (Something I Chose)
Option 3 - New Forum Decided Topic/Pokemon Spin-off Games (Only Pokemon if there's demand)
Option 4 - New Forum Decided Topic (Self-Explanatory)

Happy Ranking!

(Also, sorry Inspector Gadget, but this had to be my new profile.)

[quote=Octane] Because this thread passed 33 posts, it's officially cool enough to receive my top whatever list.

Forgot to mention how cool that is, thanks man!

10. Zelda II: the Adventure of Link (NES) - Played on 3DS VC. Not my thing at all, and don't think I completed one dungeon.

9. the Legend of Zelda (NES) - Played on 3DS VC. It's alright, but really aged. I had to use guides to work my way through it.

8. Oracle of Seasons/Oracle of Ages (GBC) - Played on 3DS VC, and while they're fine games, I had played a lot of other 2D Zelda games recently and didn't think these two really stood out from a gameplay perspective.

7. Link's Awakening DX (GBC) - Actually played this on 3DS VC. I liked the unique locale, and inclusion of Mario baddies, and while it's a fine game, I just felt like things improved from here.

6. Phantom Hourglass (DS) - This was the first (and only) time I played an oceanbound Zelda, and it was a unique feeling. I liked discovering new islands, and they did some really creative stuff with the bosses (really loved the final showdown, BTW), but I feel like it's held back by the touch controls & akward central dungeon approach.

5. Spirit Tracks (DS) - Sure, the train wasn't as liberating as the ship in the previous entry (and it had a worse final boss as well), but I still think the improved touch controls & reworked "central dungeon" idea made this more fun to play than PH overall. Plus, I really liked that Zelda tagged along this time.

4. Ocarina of Time (3DS) - Only played this on 3DS, and while it was a bit dated, I really did enjoy my time with it (especially since it's only one of two 3D entries I've played).

3. Minish Cap (GBA) - Actually found a used cart for $20 during the DS era and played it on my DS Lite. It's not the longest Zelda game, but I loved the shrinking mechanic, and it had a packed overworld with tons of secrets. I liked Vaati as a villain, too. Actually, I replayed it on 3DS as well, and I rarely replay games (Think I managed to collect every figurine my second go around, as well).

2. A Link to the Past (SNES) - Had this as a kid and never beat it, but after getting into the series thanks to Twilight Princess (guess what #1 is, lol), I dug out my SNES and got to work. It took me awhile to get through it because my battery must have been dying (I had to restart like 3 times because my save kept getting erased), but I was enjoying myself so much I didn't care & worked my way through it. Also, interesting to note that this is the only game I didn't go by "Link", but rather "Eragon", as I was really into those books at the time, lol.

1. Twilight Princess (GCN) - I remember seeing the E3 trailer for this and was absolutely blown away. I was a PS2 gamer at the time, and hadn't played a Zelda game since ALttP (which I hadn't even beat at the time), but I knew I had to play this game. I got a used GCN in early 2007 just to borrow my friend's copy of the game, and if I'm not mistaken, 100%ed it during the month I had it. I was totally immersed in the experience, even spending days just making my way through Roll Goal & the fishing pond, lol. This is still one of my favorite games of all time, and what really got me into Zelda.

• 1 Ocarina of Time 3DS
• 2 Wind Waker HD
• 3 Oracle of Ages
• 4 Oracle of Seasons
• 5 The Legend of Zelda 1
• 6 Zelda II: Adventures of Link

There's a lot of Zelda games that I haven't yet played, so my list is missing a lot of them (I would like to go back and play the other main Zelda games at some point). There's probably at least one game I've forgotten.

As for ordering, Ocarina beats Wind Waker because I felt that Wind Waker had slightly too few big dungeons. A couple more dungeons, and Wind Waker might have been on top. 3D Zelda games will always beat the 2D Zelda games on my list, since I love 3D adventure platformers.