The 100th Post: 5 games Every Gamer Should Play

After gathering a list of games for fellow gamers, reducing that list down, and letting you vote on them, The 5 games every gamer should play has been determined. I'm not surprised that some of the games that made it on the list, but one did make a last hour surge. now to game number 5

5. Half-Life (PC)

Ahh Half-Life, still considered the best PC game of all time. I have fond memories of this and it's expansions. This game put Valve on the map, if it was not for Half-Life, there will be no team fortress, counter-strike, portal, or Left 4 Dead. You are Gordon Freeman, a scientist unknowenly about to enter the battle of his life. Beginning with the tram ride (best introduction in video game history), a quick chat with you pal barney, and getting your hav-vac suit on, you start your experiment....where something goes wrong and all hell breaks loose. Now you're fighting head crabs, zombies made by the head crabs, monsters, giant tigerfish, the military,

and the vortigons, who unlike in half-life 2, are your foes and shoot green lightning at you, god i hate those fuckers, I so want to kill them in 2, but NOOOOOOO there good now. The expansions Opposing Force and Blue Shift were also great And both are on steam for 5 bucks each. If you have only played Half-life 2 then you must play Half-Life, it is a requirement.

4, Donkey Kong

For 30 years (see here) this monkey has been raising hell for mario and others. This game put Nintendo on the map. Still played to this day, It is a timeless classic. Climbing ladders, jumping barrels, and saving the girl is what Donkey Kong is all about. Go find a way to play this classic today

3. The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time

Considered the best in the series, this is one of the best games on the N64. I must have played the hell out of this. Loved it so much, from horse riding, to sword fighting, great game all around. You start out as a young link, adventuring you way across the land rescuing the princess. Then you get trapped and get released in the future  ages and for some reason your clothes change as well. Along with a mysterious stranger, you're on your way to beating Gannon once and for all.

2. Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII, in my opinion the best Final Fantasy game ever. Great Story, great battle mechanics, and how can forget the chocobo raising and racing. I got this game before I got  a PS1, traded a Sugar Ray CD because he needed to get a gift for his girlfriend and she loved them, I won in the end.  Who can forget this shocker from the game.

1. Super Mario Bros.

The One the only, Super Mario Bros, the game that not only helped launched a system, but a whole new generation of games and gamers. The modern platfromer can trace it's roots to this game. Until All-stars on SNES, I only played this a few times at friends houses. It also inadvertently started cheat codes with the negative zone, a programming error. If you never played Super Mario Bros, then what's the hell is wrong with you, go PLAY NOW!

Thanks to all that votes, and to the readers of the blog, here;s to 100 more!

Honorable mentions:Super Mario 64, DOOM, Pac-Man, Hale-Life 2, Halo

        

Happy 30th Birthday Donkey Kong, now go teach that young whipper snapper Mario A lesson or too.

Today (or at least a web sites says) is Donkey Kong's birthday, and he turns the bis 3-0! If it was not for DK, we would never have so many of Nintendo's great games back in the day and now. Let's take a look back at this stupid monkey;s (that what Donkey Kong means in Japan) Video Game Career.

The granddaddy of them all, the one that put Nintendo on the map, Donkey Kong. At some point in your gaming life you have played this, it has been on so many platforms and in other games (like DK 64), there's no way you missed playing it. They even made a documentary about getting the all time high score. As a then named jumpman aka Mario started his "rescuing ladys in pink" carrier, by climbing up beam and ladders while jumping barrels throw by DK. You chase DK though I think 4 levels....then you do it again, but harder each time you do. I think beat DK 2 times before it got too hard for me. Such a great classic game.

Next was Donkey Kong JR,, this time the tables are turned. The evil Mario has captured DK, and it's up to DK JR  (who I believe is the DK of today, just based off of Donkey Kong Country) to save him. You jump from vine to vine working you way up to stop that Mario from hurting your Dad. I have the e-reader version of this, and a unplayed Atari 7800 version too. A variation of DK jr called Donkey Kong JR math was released, and thanks to Animal Crossing, I've played it and do not care for it.

In Donkey Kong 3, the game takes a different approach. As Stanley, you gotta get rid of DK, who's slumming in his greenhouse. To get rid of DK.......by shooting bug spray up his ass. I played this also, and remember liking it. here's a video showing gameplay and some DK 3  history

DK entered the SNES era in Donkey Kong Country. DK and his little buddy Diddy, must get there bananas back from King K. Rool. You got help along the way by the Kong family and you animal pals. This was Rare's first Nintendo Game and it put them on the map. This was one the 3 games that I got with my SNES and I have fond memories of it. There was 2 sequels, Diddy Kong's quest which I also like, and DK Country 3, which I didn't care for. Donkey Kong Land was the portable version of DK Country, it also had 3 releases.

Ahh Diddy Kong Racing, I was obsessed with this game. I maintain till this very day that it was better than Mario Kart 64. Car, Planes, and hovercrafts were the vehicles of choice. And an open environment, great race tracks, and boss battles. The N64 version has banjo and a pre-mature ratted Conker. I REALLLLLLYYY need to the DS version someday. 

Donkey Kong 64 was the first game I got on day 1, mainly for the N64 memory update. Like Super Mario 64, it was a 3d adventure game. I don't remember much of the story, or the characters, except the little girl kong was Dixie's sister. I do know it has the original Donkey Kong it it and Rare's jetpac, both I played a lot of. 

The Donkey Konga Games.....to be honest i never gave a shit about them. They never interested me one bit. The did pre-date guitar hero in the music game controller business I think. Well any way here's a gameplay vid.

Donkey Kong has been one of Nintendo's well know characters for many, well, 30 years, A part from all his appearances in many great Nintendo games, he's held his own. Here's to another 30 years DK!














list info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Donkey_Kong_video_games