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The Devil's Grid: 'Golden Eye' & 'Donkey Kong' and more meaningful games


It’s no secret that I love video games.  While once (and still) considered a massive waste of time, video games have turned into an entertainment medium that reaches people around the world and has become more than just a simple hobby to me.

I have a “top five” — a list of games that I either feel a personal connection to, or ones that simply grabbed me the whole way through and kept me coming back long after I had beaten it.  This list can always change in the future as games continue to come out. For now, here are my top five of all time (in no order).

"Donkey Kong Country"

“Donkey Kong Country” was the first game I ever owned on the first system I ever owned, the Super Nintendo. I consider this my starting point as a gamer because I was always glued to the television whenever I had a chance to play. With two player co-operative play, it gave me the earliest memories of my brother and I teaming up to tackle K. Rool’s army (or argue over who gets to ride the Rhino).

"Bayonetta"

I always enjoy it when a game doesn’t bother with taking itself too seriously. A case in point is “Bayonetta,” a title that frankly doesn’t give a damn about how ridiculous it is. You play as a witch who wields four guns (two on her feet) and summons demons from hell made from her own hair to kill angelic creatures from heaven — and that’s just the tip.

However, the combination-heavy action is my main draw, with addictive and fun fights that have yet to become repetitive five years after I first played it – and that goes double for the boss battles.

"BioShock: Infinite"

Alternate history is a positive sticking point with me, and “BioShock Infinite” had it in spades. While the floating city of Columbia was quite bit of fun to explore and shoot in, the biggest draw for me was the overall experience.

The story of the main characters, interspersed with political and religious themes that culminated in a massive revolution, was paced well and never moved too fast. Uncovering the secrets behind Columbia through guns, powers and the supernatural was something that stuck with me long after I played it.

"GoldenEye N64"

If there was one game that always brought my friends together for hours when we were younger, this was it. It had four-player split screen with a bunch of characters to choose from and a multitude of cheats and rules to combine to make a game something serious, or just downright fun. 

I remember one afternoon where a "slaps-only" (no guns) match took ages to finish, but we couldn’t stop laughing the whole way through.  I’ve been missing this game to the point where I’m working on getting another Nintendo 64 just to play this again.

"The World Ends With You"

There are a multitude of reasons why this game is one of my biggest favorites of them all. “The World Ends With You” tells a dark story littered with moments of desperation and comedy, and contains twists and turns that came from nowhere when I first played it. Seeing main character Neku's well-paced start from loner to fighter was handled well, even if he's pushing the emo envelope a bit in the beginning.

Additionally, the game carries one of the more unique fighting systems I've ever used in a role-playing game. Controlling two characters at once is tricky and hectic, but there's satisfaction in finishing each fight that quantifies the fun. There's enough variance to enemy types to keep things fresh and the boss battles are worth playing alone.

All of this is contained in an alternate form of Shibuya, Japan that feels alive with moving crowds and towering buildings, and had me hooked from the beginning. The soundtrack, a mix of Japanese rock, pop and hip-hop that backs you throughout the game, kept me hooked as well.

Contact the reporter at damionjrohman@asu.edu, or follow him on Twitter @legendpenguin.

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