Last gen favorites

[celerystalker]

Well, as we're down to the final trickle of games for the PS3 and Xbox 360, it's about that time to start snapping up all of the games we all want while they're at likely their lowest. I thought it might be time to share a top five for each console, so maybe we can see what each other enjoyed and/or missed last gen. As for me...

Xbox 360:

5: DeathSmiles-a horizontal shooter that feels like the spiritual successor to Cotton, but with Cave style.

4: Nier-an action RPG that presented some of the most interesting moral dilemmas I've seen in a game, but never forgot that it's a video game. Blending in top-down hack and slash, 2D platforming, and even text adventures with the more conventional third person open world exploration, it seemed to always have a new, interesting hook ready to keep things fresh.

3: Crackdown-I'm not much of an open world game guy, but Crackdown is by far my favorite. Loaded with secrets, tons of missions... but just becoming crazy powerful and jumping like a super hero across the city while chucking cars about felt great, and it supports LAN co-op for long after the servers go dead.

2: Terraria-I've been done playing this for awhile, but I'll come back to it for hundreds of hours in the future for sure. It's basically 2D, pixelated Minecraft for crotchety old men who want to kill bosses and have more of a point to their virtual Legos. I have created much, killed much, and died much... but killing the Wall of Flesh by myself for the first time really felt like an accomplishment, as it's meant to be done by a group, and the payoff is insanely cool.

1: Culdcept Saga-holy shit, have I put an insane amount of time into this board game/card game/rpg hybrid. It's nigh impossible to properly describe to someone who hasn't played it, but most who do play it dig it hard, so you almost never see it at a store.


PS3:

5: 3D Dot Game Heroes-classic Zelda in voxels. As Zelda homages go, it's one of the best, and I enjoyed it way more than any 3D Zelda.

4: Lost in the Rain-presented like a children's book and full of european early 20th century atmosphere, Lost in the Rain feels like a successor to games like Out of this World and Heart of Darkness with its innocent characters and dark undertones, and also with its trial and error gameplay (but not nearly so frustrating). An english disc came out in Asia, but it's gotten pricey.

3: River City All-Stars Super Sports Challenge-it's a re-imagining of the Kunio-kun Famicom/PC Engine classic, Downtown Nekketsu Koushinkyouku: Soreyuke Daiundoukai, but with a very modern front end that allows you to customize and create everything from characters, teams, and move sets to course designs, victory conditions, and whole events. It's River City Ransom beating the shit out of Track & Field, and got an english disc in asia.

2: Dragon's Crown-an excellent synthesis of beat 'em up and RPG, the only thing I really disliked was weapons breaking, which I hate in any game. It has a great look, fun co-op, and a super corny story... it's the one game I actually play online from time to time.

1: Strider-to my mind, this is the best pure Metroid style game since Super Metroid, eschewing the Castlevania RPG elements and massive item/soul lists in favor of maximizing a more limited arsenal and challenging you to best exploit your movement options... and never compromises on the Strider elements in the process. After finishing it, I felt like going right back into its world, which is laden with hidden passages and nifty secrets. Physical disc came out in Japan, and plays in english on your US PS3.

There are other real winners and some fun compilations, but those have been my favorites. How about you?

[Emperor Megas]

I haven't played that many games this past generation, honestly. I suppose if I had to chose, my top picks would be (in no specific order)

XBOX360

• Left 4 Dead 2 - The L4D series were two of only 7th gen games the wife played with me, and we played HUNDREDS of hours of those games.
  
  
• Dead Space - This was probably my favorite new IP of the past generation. I love all three of them, but I probably enjoyed the first one the most.
  
  
• Gears of War II - I really, REALLY enjoyed this series as well. The second is probably my favorite installment.
  
  
• Nier - I didn't know ANYTHING about this game when I first acquired it. I was completely blown away at how get they well they combined several genres and the music was just god tier, IMO. I only has two issues with this game. 1. The Protagonist is HIDEOUS, and 2. I got a weapon early on that I used the ENTIRE game. This thing was DEVASTATING, rendering every other weapon acquisition completely pointless/worthless.
  
  
• If I had to pick a fifth it would probably be out of [I]Dante's Inferno[/I], Bayonetta, and Bioshock.
  
  I suppose I'd have to go with Dante, maybe...only because the other two were slow starters for me. I had to shelf both Bayonetta and Bioshock because I was frustrated with both early in. I'm glad I revisited them though, because they turned out to be among my favorite games that generation. Dante's Inferno grabbed me and held me through the whole thing. Actually, the more I think about it, the more it doesn't sit well. Bayonetta has style for days, and Bioshock had SUCH great environment and pace. I just don't know.

PS3 (I've played almost nothing on this system)

• The Last of US - Easily one of the best games of the generation, IMO, and one of the best story driven games I've ever played. This game was a masterpiece.
  
  
• Super Stardust HD - I got this game as one of the two free games picked from the PS Store because of the PSN hack.
  
  
• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune - I've only played the first one, but it's one of the ONLY GAMES I've EVER played through in one sitting, the FIRST time. I started it one night and by morning I'd completed it. I NEVER play games like that, so there must have been something special about it.
  
  
• Resistence: Fall of Man - Meh FPS. Again, I haven't played many PS3 games. :/
  
  
• Undead Nation - The other free downloadable title I got because of the PSN hack. It was alright.