I don't get why Perfect Dark doesn't beat Goldeneye for anyone who's played both.
Mario 64 behind Banjo Kazooie?
Excitebike 64 is the big miss from this list for me, though the quality on the list just shows what a great (and underrated by many) console the N64 was/is.
I had a surprising thought recently that it was the best console of its era for sports games:
ISS
Wave Race
1080
NBA Courtside
Excitebike
No Mercy
F1 World Grand Prix II
Not forgetting the Mario sports games
Then there are excellent quirky games that didn't make the list like Space Station Silicon Valley and Wetrix.
@Stubborn_Monkey I agree with almost everything you say, though I think Perfect Dark was Rare's greatest achievement. I also didn't really like any of Rare's 3D platformers on the N64 for some reason. Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini and Diddy Kong Racing were great.
I'm 50 hours into Breath of the Wild and only just about to head to a tower that'll see me unlock over half the map.
Also getting close to finishing Full Metal Furies main game (I think) on local co-op, as well as having hilarious multiplayer fun trying the Wrestling Empire demo and playing Hidden in Plain Sight.
I was thinking about this recently, and my top 5 probably hasn't changed since the 90s:
1. Terranigma
2. Super Mario 64
3. Secret of Mana
4. Perfect Dark
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
What a year 1997 was for me - I was playing Mario 64 and Terranigma at the same time!
Another retro game, Super Probotector (Contra III: The Alien Wars) is probably the closest anything has come since.
For modern games, Breath of the Wild and Full Metal Furies come closest. Even though I consider those 2 all-time favourites, they probably wouldn't make my top 20 because there are so many great games. The SNES was pretty much the perfect era for me, as the games play just as great today. DKC2 and Super Mario World are still the peak of 2D plaforming. That's one of the things I love about Full Metal Furies actually - it often feels like a combination of some of the best SNES games.
Manuals do have some practical use for me, as I quickly forget how to play games and the way many games 'teach' you how to play feels intrusive. Breath of the Wild is one of the few to do that very well, though I still forget how to do certain things after a few days not playing - perhaps ironic given I can pick up and play so many games from 20+ years ago without needing to look at the manual, where the controls have stuck in my muscle memory.
I also appreciate the artwork in manuals. And that physical feeling and having something to look through is good too - I enjoyed buying 3DS and DS games last year much more than Switch games thanks to the manuals (though it was even more disappointing when a game didn't have a manual).
I'm wearing a British Sea Power t-shirt in my avatar. I'm excited about Disco Elysium coming to Switch just so I can play a game where they did the soundtrack! And it's a bonus the game's had great reviews too.
Sadly review-bombed by a few, I think because the developers didn't enable drop-in online co-op despite having good reasons not to.
I've bought Lichtspeer in the sale, which looks fun for local co-op. I'm also thinking of buying Katamari Damacy REROLL and Blazing Chrome, but I have too many games already...
The irony is, articles like this push the prices up further.
I bought a complete and mint condition Ghost Trick for £25 three months ago. It seems I got there just in time, as prices have shot up since for some reason.
I'd never owned a DS or 3DS so decided to buy a 3DS along with a few games given it's such a unique console (though I can't see 3D so that's lost on me).
@AndyC_MK84 Great - I knew I wasn't the only one! I see your comment about the SNES too - I think it'll always be my favourite console, but the Switch has a chance of beating it. Given SNES was my mid-teens though, the nostalgia of it may always win out - and I seriously can't see any platform games beating Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country 2 or Yoshi's Island. They were and still are perfection. It'll take an incredible RPG to beat Terranigma and Secret of Mana too (I finally bought Chrono Trigger on the DS recently), and no puzzler is likely to beat 2-player Tetris Attack for me.
It's the diversity of Switch games I love - Gorogoa, Downwell, Mario Odyssey, Golf Story, Astral Chain, Breath of the Wild, Full Metal Furies, Death Squared - I could go on. So many great and completely different experiences. And so many have a classic feel. Downwell looks like a Spectrum/Amstrad CPC-level game, but it's as good as (if not better than) anything I've played originally from that era. Full Metal Furies is a new spin on the 16-bit 2D games, and it's brilliant. The festival section on Mario Odyssey's New Donk City was amazingly nostalgiac too. Loving ARPGs back in the day, games like Crosscode and Cosmic Star Heroine are high up my play list.
Many of these games are multi-platform, but the Switch seems the perfect console to play them, and I love there are so many recent classics (given I haven't had a new console for 10 years) I can catch up on (if I have the time...) like The Witcher 3, Xenoblade Chronicles and Assassin's Creed.
Code in a box releases are the worst. I miss the days when games came with an instruction manual too - I've much preferred receiving physical 3DS and Wii games over Switch. Untitled Goose Game's physical release was a nice surprise and included something other than the cart.
Limited editions often contain tat. The game, a CD soundtrack, manual and art book are enough generally, unless there's a really special unique extra.
I hate taking up physical and digital space with stuff I don't use, but I seem to have become more of a collector based on this article's definition. I keep all my old physical games even though I'll probably never play most of them again. I feel like they're more reliable backups than digital versions of games.
The Switch was my first new console in 10+ years (excluding the SNES Mini), and I've bought 60+ games for it since I received it in April last year. Given the frequent e-shop sales, I can't resist buying games I'd like to play, and many have cost <£2 (<US$3). I prefer shorter games, so many I've bought are short or pick up and play local co-op.
I prefer physical releases, so buy those when available for the games I want most. Around 15 of my Switch games are physical with the other 45ish being digital (plus demos). Some of these contain multiple games (e.g. MegaDrive/Genesis Classics).
I realised a few days ago that I'll probably never need another console again. 5-hours a week is probably a heavy-gaming week for me, and games like Downwell and Hidden in Plain Sight prove even 'outdated-looking' games can be as great to play as AAA titles. I also bought a 3DS XL and some Wii 'hidden gems' last year (with the DS and Wii being unique consoles) but have barely touched those given the range on the Switch.
My dilemma is whether I should continue playing games if I'm not enjoying them as much as a favourite game? To the Moon felt like 4 hours wasted, and while I enjoyed Far: Lone Sails to start with, it's become repetitive. I don't know if I continue some games due to the sunk cost fallacy or thinking I'm missing out if I don't finish them. Maybe both.
I find I'm discovering loads of great games I might not have played if I wasn't 'collecting' - I try similar-type games and pick what seems the most interesting to play, and that's how I'm massively into Full Metal Furies at the moment.
Full Metal Furies - awesome game, especially in co-op! I wish the puzzle side of things was a bit more obvious from the start - it sort of seemed like they were just extras that weren't really part of the game. But I'm enjoying this a lot. It's like a cross between Contra III, Secret of Mana and The Witness - perhaps the closest I've seen to it is Castle Crashers, which I'm playing Full Metal Furies at the expense of.
FAR: Lone Sails - I loved it at first, but it's become a little repetitive and less engaging. I'll see how I feel by the end.
Blazing Chrome - added to my wishlist. I love the look of this (Super Probotector/Contra III is one of my favourite games).
Planet Alpha - I enjoyed the demo, and it looks beautiful at times, but I'm unsure if it has enough to keep me engaged. On my wishlist if I finish everything else I want to play...
I thought To the Moon was an awful game - I urge anyone to look up some negative reviews before wasting their time on it. Even at only 4 hours, it was a slog to get through. The unlikeable characters weren't a good start. The controls were clunky, the puzzles terrible, story disappointing (a couple of nice moments towards the end didn't save it), with some bizarre attempts at action. I will revisit the soundtrack once I get over the bad memories of the game!
Brothers is a wonderful game. I loved the variety of the different mini-worlds and the characters you come across. The short interjections like the glider were great fun. I played it co-op first, which was a great experience, though not much of a challenge. The challenge is greater as a single player, and I believe the ending would have more impact too.
It seems I'm in the minority with this game - I thought it was poor and couldn't wait to get it over with. It's a nice idea but badly executed for me. The protagonists are unlikeable, especially the doctors with their constant bickering. The only thing I liked was the music, though that became tiresome at times. The funniest moment in the game was probably when one of the characters commented on how repetitive the music was - but it was only funny because it was true. I'm sure I'll enjoy listening to the soundtrack outside of the game at some point. The 'gameplay' is awfully repetitive.
The game's opening was intriguing enough, and story-wise, the section leading to why John couldn't remember why he wanted to go to the moon was surprising and believable, but everything in between and after felt like a waste of my time.
@erv I got bored of Little King's Story after a few hours - it was too repetitive. I bought it after seeing it on an underrated gem list and reading other reviews. But I agree with your sentiment - it's a shame so many great games are missed. I hope The Last Story makes the list.
I bought Zack & Wiki yesterday for a ridiculously cheap price, but some games I missed first time around are crazy prices now.
Comments 218
Re: Review: Mario Golf: Super Rush - A Solid Swing, But Par For The Course
I was on the fence, but if paid DLC is a big factor and the story mode doesn't seem all that great, it's a no from me.
Re: Best Nintendo 64 Games
I don't get why Perfect Dark doesn't beat Goldeneye for anyone who's played both.
Mario 64 behind Banjo Kazooie?
Excitebike 64 is the big miss from this list for me, though the quality on the list just shows what a great (and underrated by many) console the N64 was/is.
I had a surprising thought recently that it was the best console of its era for sports games:
ISS
Wave Race
1080
NBA Courtside
Excitebike
No Mercy
F1 World Grand Prix II
Not forgetting the Mario sports games
Then there are excellent quirky games that didn't make the list like Space Station Silicon Valley and Wetrix.
@Stubborn_Monkey I agree with almost everything you say, though I think Perfect Dark was Rare's greatest achievement. I also didn't really like any of Rare's 3D platformers on the N64 for some reason. Blast Corps, Jet Force Gemini and Diddy Kong Racing were great.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 29th)
I'm 50 hours into Breath of the Wild and only just about to head to a tower that'll see me unlock over half the map.
Also getting close to finishing Full Metal Furies main game (I think) on local co-op, as well as having hilarious multiplayer fun trying the Wrestling Empire demo and playing Hidden in Plain Sight.
Re: Talking Point: When Was The Last Time A Game Cracked Your Top Five?
I was thinking about this recently, and my top 5 probably hasn't changed since the 90s:
1. Terranigma
2. Super Mario 64
3. Secret of Mana
4. Perfect Dark
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
What a year 1997 was for me - I was playing Mario 64 and Terranigma at the same time!
Another retro game, Super Probotector (Contra III: The Alien Wars) is probably the closest anything has come since.
For modern games, Breath of the Wild and Full Metal Furies come closest. Even though I consider those 2 all-time favourites, they probably wouldn't make my top 20 because there are so many great games. The SNES was pretty much the perfect era for me, as the games play just as great today. DKC2 and Super Mario World are still the peak of 2D plaforming. That's one of the things I love about Full Metal Furies actually - it often feels like a combination of some of the best SNES games.
Re: Talking Point: Do You Miss Instruction Manuals?
Manuals do have some practical use for me, as I quickly forget how to play games and the way many games 'teach' you how to play feels intrusive. Breath of the Wild is one of the few to do that very well, though I still forget how to do certain things after a few days not playing - perhaps ironic given I can pick up and play so many games from 20+ years ago without needing to look at the manual, where the controls have stuck in my muscle memory.
I also appreciate the artwork in manuals. And that physical feeling and having something to look through is good too - I enjoyed buying 3DS and DS games last year much more than Switch games thanks to the manuals (though it was even more disappointing when a game didn't have a manual).
Re: Random: A Switch Owner's So Fed Up With Games Lacking Manuals That They Made Their Own
@Aurumonado I'd love Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition manuals.
Re: Slapstick Comedy Rain On Your Parade Could Be Switch's Next Untitled Goose Game
I didn't like the list-based nature of Untitled Goose Game and would love something like this if it felt like it had more freedom.
Re: ZA/UM Releases New Songs By British Sea Power For Disco Elysium's 'Final Cut'
I'm wearing a British Sea Power t-shirt in my avatar. I'm excited about Disco Elysium coming to Switch just so I can play a game where they did the soundtrack! And it's a bonus the game's had great reviews too.
Re: Our Top Picks From The Games In The Current eShop Sale
Full Metal Furies fits every one of these categories and currently has 66% off (£5.09 in the UK store). Rated 9/10: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/full_metal_furies
Sadly review-bombed by a few, I think because the developers didn't enable drop-in online co-op despite having good reasons not to.
I've bought Lichtspeer in the sale, which looks fun for local co-op. I'm also thinking of buying Katamari Damacy REROLL and Blazing Chrome, but I have too many games already...
Re: Soapbox: Retro Nintendo Games Cost Too Much, But Nostalgia Is Expensive
The irony is, articles like this push the prices up further.
I bought a complete and mint condition Ghost Trick for £25 three months ago. It seems I got there just in time, as prices have shot up since for some reason.
I'd never owned a DS or 3DS so decided to buy a 3DS along with a few games given it's such a unique console (though I can't see 3D so that's lost on me).
Re: Talking Point: Are You A Player Or Collector?
@AndyC_MK84 Great - I knew I wasn't the only one! I see your comment about the SNES too - I think it'll always be my favourite console, but the Switch has a chance of beating it. Given SNES was my mid-teens though, the nostalgia of it may always win out - and I seriously can't see any platform games beating Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country 2 or Yoshi's Island. They were and still are perfection. It'll take an incredible RPG to beat Terranigma and Secret of Mana too (I finally bought Chrono Trigger on the DS recently), and no puzzler is likely to beat 2-player Tetris Attack for me.
It's the diversity of Switch games I love - Gorogoa, Downwell, Mario Odyssey, Golf Story, Astral Chain, Breath of the Wild, Full Metal Furies, Death Squared - I could go on. So many great and completely different experiences. And so many have a classic feel. Downwell looks like a Spectrum/Amstrad CPC-level game, but it's as good as (if not better than) anything I've played originally from that era. Full Metal Furies is a new spin on the 16-bit 2D games, and it's brilliant. The festival section on Mario Odyssey's New Donk City was amazingly nostalgiac too. Loving ARPGs back in the day, games like Crosscode and Cosmic Star Heroine are high up my play list.
Many of these games are multi-platform, but the Switch seems the perfect console to play them, and I love there are so many recent classics (given I haven't had a new console for 10 years) I can catch up on (if I have the time...) like The Witcher 3, Xenoblade Chronicles and Assassin's Creed.
Re: Soapbox: Since When Did Physical Releases Stop Being About Physical Games?
Code in a box releases are the worst. I miss the days when games came with an instruction manual too - I've much preferred receiving physical 3DS and Wii games over Switch. Untitled Goose Game's physical release was a nice surprise and included something other than the cart.
Limited editions often contain tat. The game, a CD soundtrack, manual and art book are enough generally, unless there's a really special unique extra.
Re: Talking Point: Are You A Player Or Collector?
I hate taking up physical and digital space with stuff I don't use, but I seem to have become more of a collector based on this article's definition. I keep all my old physical games even though I'll probably never play most of them again. I feel like they're more reliable backups than digital versions of games.
The Switch was my first new console in 10+ years (excluding the SNES Mini), and I've bought 60+ games for it since I received it in April last year. Given the frequent e-shop sales, I can't resist buying games I'd like to play, and many have cost <£2 (<US$3). I prefer shorter games, so many I've bought are short or pick up and play local co-op.
I prefer physical releases, so buy those when available for the games I want most. Around 15 of my Switch games are physical with the other 45ish being digital (plus demos). Some of these contain multiple games (e.g. MegaDrive/Genesis Classics).
I realised a few days ago that I'll probably never need another console again. 5-hours a week is probably a heavy-gaming week for me, and games like Downwell and Hidden in Plain Sight prove even 'outdated-looking' games can be as great to play as AAA titles. I also bought a 3DS XL and some Wii 'hidden gems' last year (with the DS and Wii being unique consoles) but have barely touched those given the range on the Switch.
My dilemma is whether I should continue playing games if I'm not enjoying them as much as a favourite game? To the Moon felt like 4 hours wasted, and while I enjoyed Far: Lone Sails to start with, it's become repetitive. I don't know if I continue some games due to the sunk cost fallacy or thinking I'm missing out if I don't finish them. Maybe both.
I find I'm discovering loads of great games I might not have played if I wasn't 'collecting' - I try similar-type games and pick what seems the most interesting to play, and that's how I'm massively into Full Metal Furies at the moment.
Re: Feature: Hidden Gems On Nintendo Switch eShop
I bought a few games after reading this list:
Full Metal Furies - awesome game, especially in co-op! I wish the puzzle side of things was a bit more obvious from the start - it sort of seemed like they were just extras that weren't really part of the game. But I'm enjoying this a lot. It's like a cross between Contra III, Secret of Mana and The Witness - perhaps the closest I've seen to it is Castle Crashers, which I'm playing Full Metal Furies at the expense of.
FAR: Lone Sails - I loved it at first, but it's become a little repetitive and less engaging. I'll see how I feel by the end.
Blazing Chrome - added to my wishlist. I love the look of this (Super Probotector/Contra III is one of my favourite games).
Planet Alpha - I enjoyed the demo, and it looks beautiful at times, but I'm unsure if it has enough to keep me engaged. On my wishlist if I finish everything else I want to play...
Severed - looks great - bought on 3DS.
Re: Feature: The Best Hidden Gems And Overlooked Switch Games Of 2020
I thought To the Moon was an awful game - I urge anyone to look up some negative reviews before wasting their time on it. Even at only 4 hours, it was a slog to get through. The unlikeable characters weren't a good start. The controls were clunky, the puzzles terrible, story disappointing (a couple of nice moments towards the end didn't save it), with some bizarre attempts at action. I will revisit the soundtrack once I get over the bad memories of the game!
On the plus side, there are a few games in this list I didn't know before but like the look of. I'm only just getting around to trying out games from https://www.nintendolife.com/guides/feature-hidden-gems-on-nintendo-switch-eshop with Full Metal Furies being a major highlight so far.
Re: Review: Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons - A Welcome Return Of An Indie Classic
Brothers is a wonderful game. I loved the variety of the different mini-worlds and the characters you come across. The short interjections like the glider were great fun. I played it co-op first, which was a great experience, though not much of a challenge. The challenge is greater as a single player, and I believe the ending would have more impact too.
Re: Review: To The Moon - A Powerful Interactive Story You Really Need To Experience
It seems I'm in the minority with this game - I thought it was poor and couldn't wait to get it over with. It's a nice idea but badly executed for me. The protagonists are unlikeable, especially the doctors with their constant bickering. The only thing I liked was the music, though that became tiresome at times. The funniest moment in the game was probably when one of the characters commented on how repetitive the music was - but it was only funny because it was true. I'm sure I'll enjoy listening to the soundtrack outside of the game at some point. The 'gameplay' is awfully repetitive.
The game's opening was intriguing enough, and story-wise, the section leading to why John couldn't remember why he wanted to go to the moon was surprising and believable, but everything in between and after felt like a waste of my time.
Re: Reminder: Rate Your Favourite Wii Games
@erv I got bored of Little King's Story after a few hours - it was too repetitive. I bought it after seeing it on an underrated gem list and reading other reviews. But I agree with your sentiment - it's a shame so many great games are missed. I hope The Last Story makes the list.
I bought Zack & Wiki yesterday for a ridiculously cheap price, but some games I missed first time around are crazy prices now.