30 Day Video Game Challenge Thing.

[Julius]

@bob, Awano is one of the most smug douchebags in all of video games and I absolutely loved wiping the floor with him. Great pick! Yakuza has a number of excellent antagonists and does a great job of writing them in a way which makes you want to throw punches their way. 

But going to have to second @Goafer's pick here. 

Day 4: Favourite Villain/Antagonist

Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII.

Not sure if I'm quite going to be going through this challenge in Hard Mode, but to specify, I'm talking about Sephiroth from the original 1997 game. 

Awesome character design, intriguing backstory, and some stellar boss battles.

BELOW ARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR THE ORIGINAL FINAL FANTASY VII (1997). I had debated putting this in a spoiler tag but I know most here have played it, so it's more a heads-up for those who haven't and are planning on doing so, and I would like to leave it this way for the sake of discussion instead. No spoilers relating to Remake to be concerned about. 

But what made Sephiroth stand out to me above all else is that he was a phantom that, throughout FFVII, we were always a few steps behind, and the opening of the game did an excellent job of turning what was just a name into a nightmarish super-being to be reckoned with: we didn't see him, but the blood trail he left in the Shinra Building after killing the President (perhaps my favourite scene in a video game), and the eerie music which accompanies it sets the scene perfectly.

Then you've got how they expertly showed the difference in class between Sephiroth and Cloud in the flashback when you see Sephiroth's level, equipment, and spells. And then there's the murder of the Midgar Zolom. He was an unstoppable, untraceable force to be reckoned with, and that made him terrifying. 

The flashbacks to the Nibelheim Incident gave more context to this and was excellent because of the questions it raised, and the (not totally accurate) story it told. It was an excellent story point in itself, seeing Sephiroth's descent into madness and having Those Chosen By The Planet circle during his breakdown, coming into full force as he declares his true intentions and leaves the Nibelheim Mansion basement. 

Goafer mentioned One Winged Angel, and while I agree that it is an excellent musical culmination for the game in that final fight with Safer Sephiroth, I much prefer Those Chosen By The Planet as Sephiroth's theme (it is his leitmotif after all!), as it does so much of the heavy lifting in setting up the mystery and danger surrounding Sephiroth's character. 

You hear this intense percussion which corners you, mimicking the sound of a heart beating, accompanied by a foreboding bell ringing out, repetitively, symbolising impending death and despair. It's brilliant.

Not only that, Sephiroth actually has a third theme, Birth of a God, for the Bizarro Sephiroth boss battle, which brings in Those Chosen By The Planet's leitmotif too. In short, Nobuo Uematsu's music almost singlehandley carried and breathed the menace and malevolence of Sephiroth into being. 

Without a doubt my first choice for this category, but shout-out to Kefka from Final Fantasy VI, a close second. 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Julius

[S.C.G]

Day 4 - Favourite villain/antagonist.

Skull Kid from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Although technically, it should be Majora's Mask itself but just the combination of that michievous Skull Kid and the dark power of Majora's Mask, makes for a truly terrifying villain. Especially when you encounter him at the top of the Clock Tower at the last few moments on the Final Day, the moon looming ominously above you, then Skull Kid lets out that scream, bringing the final act seemingly to a close... it's impossible not to be affected in some way by that, in that moment.

Those who have played the game before will know what I mean, if not though... then just watch the video above and you'll see what I'm talking about. But more to the point, if you haven't played The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask yet, then I'd very much recommend doing so.

Oh and a bonus, let's not forget the quote from the Happy Mask Salesman... "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Majora's Mask is memorable for many reasons, its main villain is easily the most memorable overall though.

[Jonnas]

Best villain was always going to be an easy one for me:

Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time)

Ganondorf is the best "evil overlord" ever. Oh sure, it's easy enough to have a pig monster waiting in his mountain, or a Shao Kahn sitting in his throne acting all judgemental, but to give that conquering villain the proper development that Ganon had in Ocarina of Time is rarer.

Ganondorf starts as an image, a dream that Link has before the game starts in proper. He looks like your typical Dark Knight, just a fierce soldier with a mean face. His presence is felt from the very beginning. We're soon told that "The King of Thieves" was responsible for putting a giant spider into the Deku Tree, discreetly killing Link's guardian deity from the inside.

We soon meet Zelda, who tells us that Ganondorf is a menacing (but still unassuming) presence in the kingdom, who's on the look for the sacred Triforce. So far so decent, evil man wants valuable thing, that's a summer blockbuster. This evil man does things like blackmail Gorons, or poison a water deity (and kidnap the fish princess? Unclear if that part was planned). Point is, he's the bad adventurer, Link's the good adventurer, you're both on equal standing, looking for the thing.

Except you're not. The moment you see him on his horse, looking down on you, you know this man's a king. He swats you aside, too powerful to face. But you can at least outsmart him by grabbing the Triforce before he does... except you can't, he outsmarted you first, dummy. He succeeds, and your merry adventure ends in failure.

You wake up from your seven year sleep to see how much Ganondorf succeeded. The castle town lays in ruins the death mountain looks like its own name, the ranch is owned by an evil sycophant, the lake is dry, your hometown is filled with monsters... Ganondorf won, and you're reminded of it with every place you visit. He wasn't an evil overlord at first, but you saw him become one before your very eyes. All you can do is stop him and save what's left, but you can't undo him.

And the first time I played it, I kept wondering "If he's so smart, why's he letting me run around and kill his servants, huh?", but then he eventually answers me: "I let this kid run around to weed out Zelda. She matters more than him". You thought you were playing a game, but Ganondorf's been playing you, too. It's obvious this overlord is proactive in its evil, and not just some ugly bloke waiting in his throne.

When the fight finally comes, it feels like the entire game was building towards that moment. Ganon never lets that grin down, he's always in control. He always has the face of someone who knows what he's doing it, why he's doing it, and doesn't regret a single thing. He MUST be stopped, and no other action will do. After a gruesome tower climb, a fight that spans two floors, a 3-step strategy needed to even touch him with the one sword that can damage him, a wrecked building, him rising from the ashes to become a mangoatpig, briefly losing your sword, pinning him down with magic, and then stabbing him repeatedly in his open mouth... he is finally defeated. It feels like we toppled the largest beast in the world. And he's not even dead, banishing him to a hell of his own creation was the best the characters could do.

I appreciate that Wind Waker gave him some introspection, but his role there is to be an old relic that clings to a long-gone past. I appreciate villains like Symphonia's Yggdrasill, who have fleshed out backgrounds and sympathetic motives behind their villainy. I even appreciate the simpler villains like Bowser or Robotnik. But to have an unapologetic evil character, depict his growth into power, allow the player to feel his actions throughout the entire game, and then still make it a struggle to beat him in the end... None have done it as well as Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time.

[Glen-i]

Wow, this is legit hard for me to choose. I have, like, 5 different candidates for favourite villain, and all for completely different reasons.

Gonna have to give some thought.

[Dufniall]

Day 4 - Favourite villain/antagonist

Sarah Kerrigan - StarCraft series

This needed some thoughts as well as there are plenty of baddies, but a lot of them are pretty cliche. Sarah Kerrigan though is a deep character, who starts out as one of the good guys but gets infected by the Zerg. Through the stories of StarCraft, Brood War and StarCraft II she goes from being the good girl to the bad girl under control of the Zerg to the bad girl controlling the Zerg but ultimately redeems herself.

I cut some corners here as she is technically not always the antagonist since you can control her in one of three story paths in StarCraft. But for a big part of the StarCraft series she is evil reincarnated.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Vileplume2000

[RedShell]

For favourite villain I think I'll go with, Uncle Rupee:

A conniving and unbelievably greedy character who also happens to look hilarious. Although I'd also quite like to use him for best boss battle too, so I may have already failed on hard mode unless I can come up with something else for that category.  

BTW, for those not familiar with Uncle Rupee, please enjoy this 12 year old YouTube video presented in glorious 240p quality:

Spoiler

1. Earliest video game memory: Bubble Bobble in the late 80’s
2. Opening section of a game: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
3. Local multiplayer: Wii Sports
4. Favourite villain/antagonist: Uncle Rupee (Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland)

 

[Happenstance]

Starting a bit late but I'll try to catch up:

Spoiler

I'm gonna say playing Adventure on the Atari 2600. I have trouble though knowing which came first, my NES or my Dad's Atari 2600 but I tend to associate my first gaming memory more with the Atari so we'll go with that.

Spoiler

Hmmm, tougher already. I think I'll go with 1-1 from Mario. Nothing special but has just stuck with me all these years.

Spoiler

Same as @Goafer here. So many good memories of me and him playing through the Halo co-op. We should really put one of those on again when we can actually hang out! I will have to correct him on one thing though, it was big Galaxy bars not Dairy Milk!

Day 4 - Favourite Villain/Antagonist

I actually thought I would have an obvious one here but apparently I don't care about villains as much as I thought I did. I think I'll give this one to the Joker from the Arkham series for what an amazing job Mark Hamill did with him as usual.

 

And I guess a special mention for this fucker:

[bob]

Day 4 - Favourite villain/antagonist
Sarah Kerrigan - StarCraft series

Hmmm, yes. She looks like a Sarah.

[BowserBasher]

This might come as a shock but my favourite has always been Mario’s number one enemy.

 

Especially his appearance in Super Mario World, I think I beat him up so many times as I loved that fight. 

[Glen-i]

7 minutes ago, BowserBasher said:

This might come as a shock but my favourite has always been Mario’s number one enemy.

 

Especially his appearance in Super Mario World, I think I beat him up so many times as I loved that fight. 

Funny you went with the Mario World depiction of Bowser specifically.

He, uh... Ain't looking so hot here.

[WackerJr]

Day 4 - Favourite Villain / Antagonist

GLaDOS (Portal / Portal 2)

Luring me into a false sense of security, pretending to help me through all those training areas.  I should have guessed your true intentions by the messages scrawled on the wall.  They were right, the cake WAS a lie!

Forcing me to destroy my favourite companion cube then trying to lure me to the same firey fate, you never truly cared for me.

I should hate you, but your hilarious dialogue made that so difficult, and even after supposedly condemning you to your own fate, hearing your voice singing how you were still alive brought a smile to my face.

GLaDOS how I hate & love you! 😄

[Glen-i]

OK, I'm never going to be completely satisfied with my answer because I like quite a few villains for completely different reasons, but in the end, I'd have to go with the one that had the most impact on me really.

I'm gonna put this in spoilers, because I wouldn't be totally surprised if this got some kind of remake in the future and I'd hate to spoil it for any of you who would be interested in playing it blind. I highly recommend playing it blind if you're remotely interested.

Spoiler

Yeah, yeah, I know. It was inevitable that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon would show up with me around. Probably won't be the last time as well. But I can't not go into the best villain a Pokémon game had ever seen.

OK, so a bit of context, you play as a human who has been transported to a world where ony Pokémon live and subsequently transformed into one themselves. In this world, there are 5 trinkets called Time Gears. These things help keep time flowing and everyone in this world wouldn't dream of messing with them...

Well, except this git.

This Grovyle is going around jacking the Time Gears for some reason. And this has the unfortunate side effect of stopping time in the immediate area, the more Time Gears that go missing, the worse it gets. It gets so bad that one of the best explorers in the world, a Dusknoir, is called in to stop this Grovyle. Cue you teaming up with this Dusknoir to bring the Grovyle down and put the Time Gears back in their rightful place.

Yeah, reading it like that, it seems like a typical kind of video game plot that doesn't really stand out much. But there's a certain point of the game where everything takes a massive swerve.

Spoiler

The two key points that complicate matters here are:

• Grovyle came from the future to enact his "Steal the Time Gears" Plot, destroy the flow of time, and cause the Paralysis of the Planet.
• Dusknoir is also from the future, sent to stop Grovyle.

So inevitably, you help Dusknoir to stop Grovyle's plot and Dusknoir can bring Grovyle back to the future to receive justice.

Oh, right. Forgot about the third key point. Dusknoir is a big massive liar! The future has already had time frozen, Grovyle went back to stop this happening by putting the Time Gears where they actually have to go. Dusknoir went back to stop him and keep time frozen.

What elevates Dusknoir above most typical Pokémon villains is that he's not a one-note villain. At the point of the above twist, it seems like that, but as you progress, Dusknoir drops the bombshell that if Grovyle does stop time freezing, the future will change, effectively erasing himself, and everyone else from the future, from existence. It really hits home in Explorers of Sky's fifth Special Episode, where you play as Grovyle, in the future, moments before it gets changed.

He's doing evil deeds because he's scared of having all traces of himself wiped from existence. Selfish? Probably. But I can totally get where he's coming from. It's the first time I've ever felt bad for a Pokémon villain. Seriously, in a Pokémon game, that's unheard of!

 

The second PMD game is still the best story you'll see in a Pokémon game. And I know @Julius will back me up on that.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Glen-i

[Ugh first aid]

Bloody hell this is a tough one... Now I have several different favourite villains for several different reasons... ( Just so you know I made this SOOOOOO much harder for @Glen-i ) 

I've deliberated on this for a little and as much as this was a difficult choice I've decided on...

 

The Ashford twins ( from resident evil code Veronica ) 

 

In particular I am talking more so about Alfred Ashford! 

Two twins separated from a young age based on their intellectual differences, Alfred left to idolise his sister, though being of higher then average intellect, his sister was a genius. Alexia given the priority of the two graduated from university at the age of ten. They both were moved to the Antarctic base where Alexia conducted her tests on the T-virus.

The two children discovered the truth about their origins after gaining access to Alexander's lab. Disgusted by this fact, the two forced him to take part in a human trial of t-Veronica, and then left him sealed in a hidden compartment beneath the facility director's office. Soon after, Alexia found out how to properly control the viral corruption, but the process involved fifteen years in cryostasis. Alexia left this task to Alfred, and with no choice Alfred aided Alexia in her Complete mad dream of Godhood. 

Alone, in the world Alfred's mental state shattered and with that a dual personality developed within him closely resembling that of his sister. His mental state eroding so far as to dress and having conversations between each dual personality. 

In there is a tragic irony... We learn of Alfred's tragic mental erosion and at the brink of death he makes his way to the cryogenic pod where Alexia is stored. And finally the twins are reunited, though Alfred passes away as Alexia strokes Alfred's head as he lays dead in her lap. Leading to one cut scene that still gives me goosebumps to this day.

( Warning, tasteful nudes ahead! ) 

 

Oh... And this is an extra little clip because Alfred's voice is just amazing and it makes me smile every time.

 

Spoiler

 

This was me runner up choice

 

[Cube]

Day 5 - 3D Platformer

Despite being one of my favourite genres, I've not found one I've truly loved since the N64 - that is until recently, when Super Mario Odyssey captured the feeling I had playing Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie.

There's so much to do in the game and (apart from 2 moons) every moment is a joy to play. The levels are varied and interesting, with lots to do. It's fairly easy to "finish" the game, but that just opens up more difficult stuff for people who want to complete it.

 

[Goafer]

3D Platformer

Jet Set Radio Future

Probably the only platformer that I've completed 100%. Spent ages collecting absolutely everything. Plus that soundtrack.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Goafer

[Happenstance]

Day 5 - 3D Platformer

Right.....I know this isn’t necessarily even a good game, let alone a good 3D platformer but anyone who I chat with in the retro thread knows I have some weird obsession with Croc Legend of the Gobbos. For some reason that game just stuck with me over the years, much more than all the shitty Mario games you’ll all be posting today 😝

[Will]

3D Platformer

I think with this one I could have gone for any of the main line Mario games. I have played every single one of them to completion and more often than not to 100%. They’ve all added a unique thing that seems perfect and, to me, I’d happily pay for a Nintendo system just to play the Mario game for it. 

In the end I’ve gone for Mario Galaxy, really fit the Wii controller well, great music, and just an awesome gameplay experience.

[Dufniall]

Day 5 - 3D Platformer

Of course it's going to be a Mario, but which one? I never owned the N64 so I don't have any particular love or feeling for that Nintendo generation. My first 3D experience was Super Mario Sunshine which I really liked. Later I played Super Mario 64 on the DS, and of course Odyssey is an amazing game as well. But the most magical one for me is Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. Galaxy 2 may have the better levels, but I prefer 1 because of the Observatory hub and for introducing the planet concept. For me that's the pinnacle of 3D platforming. Bring on the remaster Nintendo!

Edit: so yeah I agree with @will' who posted it minutes before me.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Vileplume2000

[drahkon]

3D Platformer

Easy: Ratchet and Clank (PS4)

Blows all other 3D platformers out of the water. Funny, great characters, wonderful gameplay and a joy to play from start to finish.

[Dcubed]

Hey guys, bit late to the party, but what the hell! I'll chip in with some of my own memories!

Spoiler

Star Raiders II for the Atari 8-bit micro computers

This might actually shock @Glen-i and @Ugh first aid, but Super Mario World was NOT the first video game I ever played! (Though it was the first game I ever had to call my own and was the first one I played to completion).

I actually didn't know what this game was called at the time; I remember this fascinating space game that I used to see at my Uncle's house.  He had this weird looking keyboard thingy and he used to play this enchanting video whatchamacallit on his tube box that blew my tiny little 2-3 year old mind!

When I was a little older, I had a go at it myself and found myself totally absorbed into the depths of space.  I had no clue where I was going or what I was doing, but it made me happy to play it regardless.

It was only many years later that I actually discovered what the game was called and what the hell an Atari was, but this was indeed my first ever video game memory!

Looking at it even now, it does still hold a certain allure.  The unknown regions of space still call out to me, like a mystery waiting to be unravelled.  And objectively, it (and its predecessor) are amongst the most influential games of its era; inspiring classics such as the Elite series, Wing Commander and... well... pretty much the entirety of the space exploration genre! And certainly it had an impact on me! My love for video games (not to mention classic Star Trek!) all started here!  

Spoiler

Super Metroid

Fun story here.  When I was a wee tyke, I remember being enchanted by game magazines and the like.  I remember I once had a VHS (That's how you know I'm old) that had a load of videos about upcoming games and I remember seeing a game that took place in rocky landscapes starring some crazy looking frogs that would beat the snot out of lizardmen and other ugly mofos.  I had no idea what the game was called, but I wanted it bad! So I looked through a game magazine of the day, trying to find out what this game was and I found this other cool looking game with rocky landscapes and weird creatures that the magazine was hyping up as the second coming of Christ; this MUST be the game that I was looking for! It looks similar enough on the surface, what's it called? Oh! Super Metroid! That's the one with the Frogs With Attitude! Aww yeah! I'm gonna bust some foo's!

So Xmas comes along and I get my dream game! Here we go...

The hell is this!?

This isn't my Froggy Beat 'Em Up!! I've asked for the wrong game!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whelp.  I'm stuck with this thing now... might as well stick with it I suppose...

 

... wait...

 

... WOAH!!!

 

... HOLY CRAP!!!!

... OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!...

... SWEET JESUS!!!!...

... what the hell just happened!? Where do I go now?

 

THAT'S how you start off a game!

Spoiler

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

You haven't experienced multiplayer bliss until you've played a full four player setup of Four Swords Adventures!  There are tons of great multiplayer games that I could've chosen for my number one spot (and plenty of great ones that were already chosen), but this has to win the crown for me.

It's just utterly genius! While its GBA predecessor was fantastic in its own right, it was a slight experience compared to its more fleshed out and fully realised sequel.  THIS is the game that best exemplifies how incredibly fun the Multiple Screens mechanic can be really be!  It's an absolute riot that is unmatched in just how much a complete jerk you can be to your friends! The co-operative/competitive nature of its gameplay is just so utterly unique and no other game can match the absolute chaos when you and your friends start fighting over who gets that one Giant Blue Force Gem...

Here's the PG Rated version

What a game! The only bad thing I have to say about it is that in the west, we got robbed of an EXCELLENT third game mode within the package called Tetra's Trackers.  For whatever reason, Nintendo decided to end up dropping it entierly from the western release during localisation (despite a translated version actually being demoed at E3 2004).  And it's a damn bloody shame, because it's a bloody riot! As both @Glen-i and @Ugh first aid can personally attest to  

What could've been...

It's the best multiplayer game you've never played.  Do you and your friends a favour and import this (force) gem! It's completely playable without any knowledge of Japanese (though a guide to the unlocks does help), and a guaranteed great time for all!

It's such an amazing multiplayer game that I simply just HAD to make a Super Mario Maker 2 tribute course in its honour...

I like to think that I captured some of the unique appeal of the original game with this course

Oh and also...

Shadow Battle was Towerfall, more than a decade before Towerfall!

Spoiler

The Fawfuliest Character that ever Fawfulled

Welcome to you! Fawful is here! And he has the angries!

To other villains I say, you are but caricatures drawn by children that are stupid! Only I! The Great Fawful have the brains and the funnies to steal your socks from your feet!

World domination? Revenge? Money? Power? Fawful craves not these trite things.  He only craves more FAWFUL! Why would you want of anything else!?

So shut your stupid face and gaze upon mine with GLEE! To gawk at any other orifice will only draw upon MY FURY, for which I have many.

This man's choice is right, for he is of the smarties.  Respect you shall grant him, but not as much as you shall lavish unto ME!

Spoiler

Genuinely tough choice here.  There aren't a lot of great 3D platformers out there; for indeed, I would argue that there are only two great series to choose from really (Super Mario and Banjo Kazooie).  And while Banjo Tooie is probably the game with the strongest of memories for me, it feels wrong to give it the top spot on the platformer list because it honestly errs more onto the side of Action Adventure than pure Platformer (not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that of course).

With that in mind? My top pick goes to...

UR MR GAY

This mindblowing treat of a game revolutionised a genre that bent more and more towards the Open World Sandbox formula that has since become dominated by the Grand Theft Auto series.  Bringing the gameplay closer in line to the traditional linear stages of the Marios of yesteryear, Super Mario Galaxy largely ditches the open level design of its two 3D predecessors and brings with it a tight focused on closed and linear level design, packed to the absolute brim with inventive ideas, concepts and spectacular gameplay!

This celestial centrifuge of gravity gushing, joyful jumping, masterfully musical, gayful gameplay blows my mind today every bit as much as it did in 2007.  And while its immediate sequel is every bit as fun, it doesn't quite have the same impact as its pioneering predecessor.  Long may we be gay for Super Mario Galaxy!  

There we go! All caught up!  BTW, good shout for Alfred Ashford @Ugh first aid, I would've thought he'd be forgotten in the shuffle; so I'm glad that he got his dues! (not within the context of the game though, that's actually pretty sad what happens to him).

Edited July 5, 2020 by Dcubed

[Dcubed]

1 hour ago, Happenstance said:

Day 5 - 3D Platformer

Right.....I know this isn’t necessarily even a good game, let alone a good 3D platformer but anyone who I chat with in the retro thread knows I have some weird obsession with Croc Legend of the Gobbos. For some reason that game just stuck with me over the years, much more than all the shitty Mario games you’ll all be posting today 😝

It probably stuck with you because it was originally a Yoshi game before Nintendo rejected Argonaut's pitch  

[Dcubed]

On 7/1/2020 at 9:11 PM, Nicktendo said:

90s School kids, can I get a hell yeah?! 

It's our planet, it's our place, we must save the human race, eaaaaaarth warp, we must save the woooorld! 

Definitely remember playing Earth Warp on the BBC Mirco in Mrs. Hill's class (year 4) at Woodthorpe Primary School. Ollie the Alien, what a guy.

+ 10 internet points for remembering "Through the Dragon's eye". Also had a BBC Micro game as far as I remember...

 

Bugger me! Someone else remembers Through The Dragon's Eye!?

I bloody LOVED the BBC Micro game and the TV show as a kid!! I had the game in my old school and played it TO DEATH as a little one!  

Edited July 5, 2020 by Dcubed

[Dcubed]

On 7/1/2020 at 11:34 PM, nekunando said:

With Human Interactive sadly no longer in business, there doesn’t appear to be any possibility of this ever appearing on the Virtual Console at any point, but we'll always have Christmas '93!

It's available on Switch's NSO SNES Selection RIGHT NOW! Go re-live your Xmas 93 memories you fool!

Edited July 5, 2020 by Dcubed

[bob]

3D platformer

When I got my first ever console, the N64, the two games I got with it were Mario 64, and Banjo Kazooie. For some reason, Mario 64 never quite clicked with me, but Banjo Kazooie was a different story.



Banjo Kazooie seemed more lively, colourful, crazy and fun to me, with fantastic music, characters and more interesting levels.

Since then, I've played a few more 3D platformers, but they all seemed fairly forgettable compared to BK.

[Ronnie]

3D Platformer

Controversial choice for me, the Galaxy games or Odyssey are typically considered the pinnacle of 3D platforming, and I couldn't argue too much, but I'm going with Super Mario 3D World. Much maligned at first by fans for what it wasn't (similar to The Wind Waker), the game ended up being just incredible, at least in my opinion. Lovely, cohesive visuals, everything was just so colourful and fun. The platforming was pitch perfect (something I felt was lacking Odyssey) with each level having its own brilliant concept. The Captain Toad levels spawned one of my favourite games ever, and the soundtrack was incredible. The whole thing was dripping with polish and charm. Would love to see Nintendo go back to this sort of obstacle course type 3D Mario at some point.