Topic: "THE" Game- One for each genre.

[Evan_B]

Hey, guys.

So there's been a lot of discussion, lots of top fives and twenties and other stuff, and nostalgia threads and whatnot. I have been trying to discuss this particular subject on my podcast, "Now Playing", for about two months, and I've never really been able to hit the discussion right on its head, so I wanted to throw it out at you guys.

I guess meta critic is a great place to really look for what I would call "THE" Game. There's many different genres in this medium, and some are more accessible than others, and sometimes we need to base our recommendations on the experience of the one who is asking. In which case, I present to you a challenge. Let's say a person who has no experience in video games asks you for a recommendation- the best, most easily accessible, resonating video game you have played in each genre. They pretty much want to see what makes playing video games so great. Now, of course, recommendations are going to vary based on the player, because not all of us have played the same games and not every game resonates with us the same way. But I am curious to hear your opinions.

I have been making a list of my own for some time that covers a number of genres, but I wanted to open the discussion to you guys before posting it. So yeah, go for it. Bonus points for specificity- "the game the resonates with me the most that incorporates 3D/motion controls/game peripherals the best" etc.

[ShyGuy]

Puzzle: Nothing beats Tetris. It's the first and the still the best. You can grasp the concept in seconds, but a lifetime of strategy follows.

3rd Person Action Horror: Resident Evil 4. The pinnacle of the series and a near perfect third person action with survival horror roots.

[Evan_B]

Yes, Tetris is the most easily recognized "THE" game, in my opinion. I can't give much input on RE4 or the third person action horror genre as I've played little of it, but I do own RE4Wii so I will be learning more soon.

[marvel_moviefan_2012]

I have written similar posts like this on my now dead blog. I love these kinds of challenges.


2D Platformers
If you want to sell someone on 2D platformers, I always pick Super Mario World. It has delightful character design, colorful levels, mostly happy music, the level design is great for beginners and just challenging enough for veterans. The new mechanics it introduces have a long lasting effect on platformers as a whole not just Mario games. I also like how it is the first to use a save feature that is not tied to specific save points but does require you to actually earn your save by completing a specific type of level. The music in this game is the best of the genre too, the only Mario game where I think the music is actually good enough to just sit and listen to for no reason other than to put a smile on your face.


3D Platformers

Normally I would say it is a toss up between Super Mario 64 on N64, and original Crash Bandicoot on Playstation. I like Mario 64 because it basically creates the template for 3D platformers and is a lot of fun. I dislike the game because honestly once you unlock the upper level you realize how short, and limiting in scope the game really is. It is a great pick up and play game to initiate a gamer into 3D controls as well. The reason I would suggest Crash Bandicoot instead would be because it is a good blend of 2D and 3D and it gets both right. The 3D is not quite as open ended as Mario 64 but it still works really well for what it is plus it has the benefit of not rehashing the same levels over and over. The challenges are quite fun and the game is remeniscent of DKC on SNES, but it feels like a proper evolution of that game more so than DK 64 even did.


2D fighting games

For someone new to fighting games but looking to get a real experience I would recommend Samurai Showdown for Neo Geo because it has all the elements of a good 2D fighter but it is simple enough for a beginner and advanced enough to lead into the superior games down the road. Otherwise I would probably suggest Marvel vs. Capcom as a good entry point for someone looking to jump right into a fully fleshed out fighting game. Anything newer than that is going to be too complicated for a beginner and I don't think Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter cut it because they are fine games just they rely on unique gimmicks that are not quite as indicative of fighting games as a whole.


3D fighting games

I suggest Tekken 3 as a good entry point. I would also suggest Dragon Ball Z Budokai PS2/GC if they were anime fans but Tekken 3 is a really good starting point for 3D fighting games, that is the point where the genre finally caught up and surpassed 2D fighters, before that 3D fighters were all training wheels for Tekken 3.

Scrolling Shooters (shmups)

Everyone is going to have their own opinion here, but I would suggest starting with Raiden, and go from there. Raiden is more accessible than the more advanced shooters, it has a good assortment of levels and weapons but it isn't too complicated like the more popular games and its got some pretty cool music.

FPS

Quake on PC. Doom is the grandaddy but I think Quake is the game that took multiplayer FPS games to a new level. You could pick anything newer as well but I think Quake is where you need to start.


Puzzle Games

Tetris on Game Boy, the definitive version of Tetris. This game is addicting and will turn anyone from a casual gamer to at least a hard core Tetris nut for a while.

Sim/godlike

A tough one. My personal preference is Sim City for SNES, I play that game way too much. But it is far from accessible and hardly resonates with non-gamers or new gamers. I would then go instead with Civilization for PC instead.


Slasher/hack n slash

Golden Axe for Arcade (or Sega Genesis but realistically that won't fly in todays world)
This is the game I think of when I describe a hack n slash game.

Maze runner
Gauntlet hands down no need to explain.


gaming in general, Pac-Man, EVERY gamer needs to play this game first it is like gaming 101. There is no other video game that transcends gaming it is so universal its not even a contest Pac-man exists on just about every game machine ever made in some form or another.


Racing

Daytona USA arcade. I played this game so much in arcades.  not as much as Pole Position or Super Chase HQ but those games are incredibly dated and primitive at least with Daytona you get a fully fleshed out experience. There are better games but this is the one I think of it is my go to racing game.

RPG

You are going to hate me for this but seriously Final Fantasy 7. That is the game that made RPG gaming cool and mainstream. As a introduction to RPG games I would dig Dragon Warrior on NES that is damn fun but way to hard core for modern gamers or gamers not already familiar with gaming. FF7 is the ONLY RPG game I know of personally people who have played, enjoyed, and beaten it who literally it was their only RPG experience. Every other RPG appeals more to dedicated fans of the genre.


Dungeon Crawler/Adventure quest
Legend of Zelda NES, or Link to the Past. NES is my personal favorite and the one I think really introduces gamers to the game play but Link to the Past is the better game and the one that has connections to the modern games and is more accessible to today's games in that it feels similar to the modern hand held games.


Brawler/beat em up

I can't decide between Battletoads, Streets of Rage, or TMNT Arcade game, they all resonate with me for the genre. Battletoads is more sci-fi and features a variety of game play but so does the Turtles games. Streets of Rages perfected the formula that Final Fight and Double Dragon  began awkwardly. If I had to pick just one, the Sega fan has to hold his lip and go with TMNT.


Button masher/arcade

Ghost N Goblins, this game will frustrate the hell out of you but it really is a great beat the **** out of your controller game.


That is all I can think of at the moment. Not very insightful I am afraid.

[Mop it up]

I think any of the New Super Mario Bros games are a good place to start, especially the console ones. The design of the games is easy to understand, the controls are simple, and it also introduces many common things about games such as level progression and a difficulty curve. Plus the multiplayer allows you to play it with them or lets them play with whoever else they want experiencing the game alongside them.

[Spak-Spang]

Brawlers:  TMNT: Turtles in Time.  This game is always a delight and the graphics and humor are topnotch.  However, a close second is Aliens Vs. Predators

2D Fighters:  Super Street Fighter 2  Classic Characters people will recognize, it has all the elements and is easier to play than other fighting games.

Racing:  It depends...Daytona USA is good for arcade realism...but I would go with Super Mario Kart series for the fun of it.

3D Platformer: Super Mario Galaxy or Galaxy 2.  Though 64 would work as well.

2D Platformer:  I agree Super Mario World is perhaps the best game created in that genre.

Metroidvania:  Super Metroid...nothing feels like it...or plays as good...even later Metroid sequels.

Japanese RPG:  Chrono Trigger.

Single Screen Arcade Games:  Mrs. Pac Man or Donkey Kong

[Spak-Spang]

"Streets of Rages perfected the formula that Final Fight and Double Dragon"

I dunno if I agree with this.  I have played and beaten Streets of Rage 1, 2, and 3.  I thought they were generic and boring.  The lacked style and substance.  To me these games live and die on their personality, because the game play is usually so basic.  I am not saying Final Fight or Double Dragon were excellent examples of the game, but both of them had some nice style behind it.

[Khushrenada]

A couple from off the top of my head:

First Person Shooter - Duck Hunt. Anyone can grasp the concept and once you see it in action, you want to play it.

2D Platformer - Kirby's Epic Yarn. Pretty simple controls and semi-breeze difficulty to allow any first time players to learn and succeed while the game touches on so much of what the genre is known for with an art style that is appealing and easily stands out from other games.

[Ian Sane]

I'm going to throw in my two cents on the beat 'em up genre.  The best beat 'em up I have ever played, oddly enough, is Cadillacs and Dinosaurs.  Now this is an arcade game using a licenced IP that isn't that popular so it has never been made available in a home version and likely never will so I guess I'm focusing on "best" as opposed to "accessible".  The gameplay is accessible anyway.  I'm thinking if I was teaching future generations on how the different genres play THIS is the game I would use to teach them beat 'em ups.

So why is this my choice?  Well for starters it's a Capcom beat 'em up and they made the best ones back in the day.  It's one on their later releases so it's got a bit more polish then some of the earlier titles.  Every character is pretty distinct with their moveset and you can dash so it isn't as slow as older beat 'em ups.  It's also four players which is awesome and the game has tons of different weapons you can use.  It's just the perfect beat 'em up.

Now if we need to offer something that you can actually obtain a copy of then get the Capcom Classics Collections for the PS2.  They cover pretty much all of Capcom's beat 'em ups that don't have third party IP.