My Favorite Games of All Time: 7-5

We’re almost done! This is the first of the last three posts concerning my favorite games of all time, and now things are getting really good. It’s time for some nostalgia, as well as some more recent memories as we continue to dive into some of my favorite (and maybe yours too) games of all time! I hope this trip down memory lane is not only beneficiary to me, but to anyone reading this as well!

#7: Final Fantasy VII (PS1)

Big swords are cool.

Final Fantasy VII is the RPG that most will remember and consider to be the most influential and remembered of its kind. You may consider it to be the most overrated pile of garbage video game of all time, but that doesn’t change the fact that a lot of people loved it. And even today, the game garners both love and some very unwanted and just plain random hatred due to how immensely popular it is. People bash it for no good reason, and they continue to do so today. Why is this? It’s cool to hate popular things. You may be among those who hate FFVII, but I’m going to take the time now to explain why it is one of my favorite games of all time.

Like many who played this when it first came out, it was the first PS1 game I really got into, and one of the first RPGs I ever managed to finish, aside from two other Final Fantasies on the SNES. The series in general is the only RPG series I ever really liked, but FFVII truly opened my eyes and made me discover so many other great games, mainly RPGs, that were available or soon to be available (at the time) on the original Playstation. The story was fantastic, the characters were all great in their own way, the villain famous for making video game villains famous, Sephiroth, was truly one of a kind, and the game had everything and RPG fan could ever want in a game.

Seriously, who hasn’t played this game at this point in time? Whether or not you were around to experience this when it was first released, there is absolutely no way to deny just how incredible this game was at the time. And yes, in that video, you can hear Nobou Uematsu’s incredible song known as Aeris’ (or Aerith’s) theme, one of the best songs on the FFVII soundtrack, and one of my personal favorite video game songs of all time. And of course, how could I forget the moment that most everybody cried during? While it may still be a running internet joke among some, the death of you know who still makes me tear up to this day. Why? I still don’t know, I was pretty young at the time, but it was something nobody had ever really seen in a game. It’s quite a historic moment.

All in all, Final Fantasy VII is a masterpiece; it combines elements from the best RPGs, a beautiful (at least at the time) 3D game engine, an engaging story, a masterful soundtrack composed by one of gaming’s greats, and some of the most well liked and remembered characters in any game. It’s a timeless classic that will live on in many gamers’ hearts, and while it continues to get unwarranted hate from some, it will never stop the love it continues to get, ten years after its release.

#6: Super Mario World (SNES)

I've always wondered why Yoshi looks so damn creepy in this picture

From one nostalgic classic to another, this time one of the most influential platformers of all time, from one of gaming’s most beloved heroes: Mario. Super Mario World is yet another timeless classic that can be enjoyed over and over again, and every time you play it, it never loses the thing that made it so fun in the first place: the simplistic, yet well designed platforming. The game controls perfectly, and in a platformer like this, the controls have to be perfect. If you can nail that down, everything else just falls into place. Ask any person who has ever owned a Super Nintendo, ask them about the best games on that system, and Super Mario World will be one of the first named right off the top of their heads.

The soundtrack, while simplistic, was a mix of new and old tunes that never became old, even after your friend still continued to whistle them the next day, or even a week after that. The game looked amazing; a perfect artistic vision, and a game that had captured the true look of Mario like never before, and even with his emergence into the third dimension, I still feel that this game captured Mario’s world unlike any before and even after its release.

There is no other way to put it, the game was just THAT much fun to play. Even if you were a Genesis guy back in the day, there is no way you could’ve gotten far without playing this game at least once in your life. Who hasn’t? Plus, the replayability is definitely there. Think you finished it when you first played? No, I guarantee you haven’t even come close. There is so much else to do in this world, so many extra levels to discover, and so many secrets to find, there is no way playing through it once (or even twice) is ever enough.

It’s a game that, if you haven’t played it (those crazy people out there), you have to actually play to understand the appeal. I’m sure everyone has at least played a Mario game once in their life, and this is pretty much the best of the best. Some may argue that Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Bros. 3 are the best in the series, but I can’t see how those two, as good as they are, even come close to comparing to what Super Mario World has to offer. And one more thing: Sonic never had a game this good. Nintendo what…Sega…don’t…yeah.

#5: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)

Oooh...gold.

We go from one Super Nintendo classic to another, as I talk about yet another game that I consider to be the best in its respected franchise. The Legend of Zelda series is one of my favorites; definitely my favorite Nintendo franchise. And aside from the CD-I games, I have loved every game in the series since the original. (Yes, even Zelda II) But what does it take to be the best of the best? Something truly spectacular. And that is what we have here, ladies and gentlemen: one of the finest games that has ever been released on a Nintendo console.

The game, in many respects, shares many of the same qualities of Super Mario World, despite the differences in gameplay. The art/graphical style is beautiful, the music never gets old, Link’s design has never looked better (but only in 2D, Wind Waker Link is the best of the bunch) and the game is just amazing from start to finish. It’s another game that has incredible depth, with everything you can do, explore, and find throughout the mysterious world of Hyrule. The difference this time is, there are two Hyrules to explore, so that is two times the fun. The Legend of Zelda does “free roaming” better than no other series, even Grand Theft Auto. And although GTA is more realistic than Zelda, Zelda has always been able to offer a huge, expansive world with so much to do and explore outside of the main quest.

Man, that music never gets old, and neither does the satisfying sound of defeating a boss in the game. It still retains many of the things that make a Zelda game, and improves upon them more so than any other game in the series had. Screw Ocarina of Time; while it is considered by many to be one of the best games of all time, A Link to the Past is such a much more satisfying adventure, and one that I think is more challenging and has more of a “Zelda feel” than Ocarina ever will.

But enough about that, A Link to the Past, just like the previous two games on this list, is a timeless classic. It’s a game that never gets old, always finds ways to surprise you, and will continue to bring back joyous memories from the “good old days” of gaming. Whether or not you consider it the best in the series, it’s hard to deny A Link to the Past as one of the best on the SNES, and one of the best games Nintendo has ever made.

There you have it, three more games down, four more left. Until next time!