Monday 1 September 2014

Red Parsley Charts - Part 1

Oh, hello there. In a flash did the idea come unto me one hazy afternoon of late; an idea so resplendent in its simplicity that one cannot fail to gibber in a curious mixture of awe and bewilderment. This idea was, to add another tab/page to the top of this modest blog featuring charts of the highest rated games and films!

These charts will feature only such titles that have already been reviewed here at Red Parsley so far and are therefore likely to change over time as I encounter more and more splendid examples (hopefully). Here is the first such chart which is none other than an overall Top Ten Games :)

**Last Updated 16/12/15**

10. Bomberman '93 by Hudson Soft (1992) - PC Engine

Any Bomberman game is special (well, almost any - see the Bottom Ten Games!) and this is definitely the best one I've reviewed here so far. Wonderful, colourful, varied graphics, appealing music, and not only an immensely enjoyable game for one player but one of the finest multi-player games ever made. (full review here)


9. Devil's Crush by Naxat Soft (1990) - PC Engine

I almost couldn't decide between this version and the MegaDrive version but eventually I plumped for the original which, while harder than the MD game, is also more balanced, and looks nicer too. Easily the best pinball game I've ever played, and yes, that's including actual pintables! (full review here)


8. PixelJunk Shooter by Q-Games (2009) - PlayStation 3

By jingo, what's this - a modern(ish) game?! Yes that's right, for despite its humble origins (being a PSN indie and all), this addictive cavern-based shooter has proven to be the most enjoyable game I've played for years, and certainly the best I've found so far on my PS3. I haven't played the sequel yet either... (full review here)


7. Space Station Silicon Valley by DMA Design (1998) - Nintendo 64

Whenever the subject of unappreciated gems comes up I think of this game which, in my experience, many gamers haven't even heard of never mind played. A big part of its appeal is its sense of humour, from its menagerie of strange robotic animals to its funky jazz-tinged soundtrack. A brilliant and truly unique game. (full review here)


6. Robotron 2084 by Williams (1982) - Arcade

I'm not sure this was one of the most popular of the early arcade classics at the time but it's definitely proven to be the most enduring. Everything about it typifies what many consider the 'glory days' of the amusement arcade and its unrelenting shooting action shows no sign of ageing yet... (mini review here)


5. Star Fighter by Fednet / Krisalis (1995) - 3DO

Originally released for the Archimedes of all machines, this free-roaming, mission-based shooter amazed me with its smooth 3D graphics and superb soundtrack when I first played it but I soon discovered a game of surprising depth as well. There are still few games I've spent more time with than this. (full review here)


4. OutRun by Sega (1986) - Arcade

What can I say about this one? Almost everyone who grew up in the 80's loves it, and that includes me. Indeed, it's almost single-handedly responsible for me even getting into video games to start with. Spectacular, even revolutionary in its day, and still great fun today, even without the nostalgia. (full review here)


3. Bubble Bobble by Taito (1986) - Arcade

This may not have been the first platformer ever but after nearly thirty years it's still one of the most popular, and that's no surprise thanks to its appealing characters, 100 stages, intricate scoring system, and tonnes of secrets. There can't be too many gamers in the world who don't love this Taito classic. (full review here)


2. F-Zero X by Nintendo (1998) - Nintendo 64

Many nincompoops prefer F-Zero GX over this, due no doubt to its flashy graphics, but this N64 game is without question the finest in the series. Each of the memorable courses are superbly designed but it's also the purest racing game I've ever played and, quite possibly, the greatest example ever made. (full review here)


1. Star Control 2 by Toys For Bob / Accolade (1994) - 3DO


I bought this game for peanuts, purely on the strength of its decent prequel, and didn't expect a great deal, but I soon found myself lost in its immense, intricate world of alliance building... and breaking. Don't let the un-3DO-like graphics fool you; this is quite simply the finest video game I've ever played. (full review here)


Look out for this chart's opposite number, coming soon!
 

2 comments:

  1. Ah great, everyone loves a good list! Never played Pixel Junk Shooter (what with not owning a PS3), and I need to spend more time with Star Fighter (and Star Control 2) one day... The 3DO's always plugged in, I just never get the time for games these days!

    Anyway, out of politeness, here's my own Top 100 (it's been getting constantly updated since 2008, this is the "latest revision"). Read if you want, ignore if you prefer:

    100-RoadBlasters [Lynx]
    99-Jaws Unleashed [Xbox]
    98-Captain Dynamo [ZX Spectrum]
    97-Chuck Rock [Mega CD]
    96-Alleyway [Game Boy]
    95-Operation: WOLF [Master System]
    94-Sonic Adventure [Dreamcast]
    93-DeathRally [PC]
    92-James Pond II - Codename: RoboCod [Mega Drive]
    91-Donkey Kong [Arcade]

    90-Disney's Aladdin [Mega Drive]
    89-Pinball Challenge Deluxe [Game Boy Advance]
    88-Soul Calibur V [Xbox 360]
    87-Road Avenger [Mega CD]
    86-Kishin Doujin Zenki FX: Vajra Fight [PC-FX]
    85-PaRappa the Rapper [PlayStation]
    84-Sonic Spinball [Mega Drive]
    83-Gynoug [Mega Drive]
    82-H.E.R.O. [Atari 2600]
    81-Stellar Assault [32X]

    80-The Ninja [Master System]
    79-BioMotor Unitron [Neo Geo Pocket Color]
    78-PC-Kid 2 [PC-Engine]
    77-Ristar [Mega Drive]
    76-Pac-Man Championship Edition DX [Xbox 360]
    75-Skeleton Krew [Mega Drive]
    74-Krystal Connection [BBC Micro]
    73-Sonic CD [Mega CD]
    72-Shinobi X [Saturn]
    71-Pong [Binatone]

    70-Rival Schools: United By Fate [PlayStation]
    69-Dynamite Headdy [Mega Drive]
    68-Alien3 [Master System]
    67-Cannon Fodder [3DO]
    66-Super Fantasy Zone [Mega Drive]
    65-Death Tank Zwei!! [Saturn]
    64-Score Rush [Xbox 360]
    63-Gates of Zendocon [Lynx]
    62-Ghouls 'N Ghosts [Mega Drive]
    61-Mashed: Fully Loaded [Xbox]

    60-Puzzle Bobble Mini [Neo Geo Pocket Color]
    59-Return Fire [3DO]
    58-Scramble [Arcade]
    57-Granada [Mega Drive]
    56-Power Stone 2 [Dreamcast]
    55-Virtua Racing Deluxe [32X]
    54-World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck [Mega Drive]
    53-Zombies Ate My Neighbors [Mega Drive]
    52-Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]
    51-Road Rash [3DO]

    50-Golden Axe [Mega Drive]
    49-Sonic The Hedgehog [Mega Drive]
    48-Bushido Blade [PlayStation]
    47-Grand Theft Auto [PC]
    46-Metal Slug [Arcade]
    45-Alex Kidd in Miracle World [Master System]
    44-Rocket Knight Adventures [Mega Drive]
    43-Gauntlet II [ZX Spectrum]
    42-Earthworm Jim [Mega CD]
    41-Duke Nukem 3D [PC]

    40-Vib Ribbon [PlayStation]
    39-Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master [Mega Drive]
    38-Contra [Arcade]
    37-GigaWing [Dreamcast]
    36-Total Annihilation [PC]
    35-Metroid Fusion [Game Boy Advance]
    34-Pooyan [Arcade]
    33-Cave Story [PC]
    32-ToeJam & Earl [Mega Drive]
    31-Crazy Taxi [Dreamcast]

    30-Psycho Pinball [Mega Drive]
    29-Tempest 2000 [Jaguar]
    28-Baku Baku [Saturn]
    27-Pin Ball [NES]
    26-Rainbow Islands [Arcade]
    25-Worms Armageddon [PC]
    24-Super Stardust Portable [PSP]
    23-Time Pilot [Arcade]
    22-F-Zero X [N64]
    21-Metal Slug 3 [Arcade]

    20-Decap Attack [Mega Drive]
    19-Grand Theft Auto: Vice City [PC]
    18-WarLords [Atari 2600]
    17-RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 [PC]
    16-Gunstar Heroes [Mega Drive]
    15-SSX3 [Game Cube]
    14-Devil Crash [PC-Engine]
    13-Streets of Rage II [Mega Drive]
    12-Red Dead Redemption [Xbox 360]
    11-Space War [Vectrex]

    10-Sonic 3 & Knuckles [Mega Drive]
    09-Soul Calibur [Dreamcast]
    08-Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow [DS]
    07-Contra: Hard Corps [Mega Drive]
    06-Taiko Drum Master Wii: DoDon & The 2nd Generation!! [Wii]
    05-OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast [PSP]
    04-Joust [Arcade]
    03-Little Big Adventure 2: Twinsen's Odyssey [PC]
    02-Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament [Mega Drive]
    01-Sonic The Hedgehog 2 [Mega Drive]

    (guess what my favourite system is!)

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  2. Hello sir, thanks for dropping by :) I should probably point out that this list if the Top Ten games that I've actually reviewed here so far, it's not my personal top ten favourite games (although some of them would probably feature there too). I certainly shan't be ignoring your list though, thanks for posting it! I know most of your choices well but there are a few I don't know much about and will look into accordingly :)

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