Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. That isn't mashed potato, grandma.... Don't say we didn't warn you.

Curse you readers and your dogged devotion to me and DA! I gave you this topic to make an easy night for myself, but no…. You all had to write in, and moreover you all had to write in with intelligent, fleshed out letters that I'm actually going to have to respond to.

Nonetheless, my temporal cup does not runneth over, and I must put this together in something of a rush in order to leave myself time to pack for a jaunt to Vegas.

So, particularly incoherent thanks to a sip too many of the holiday wine, here I go!

I (stupidly, in hindsight) saw this as a topic that would allow me to foist off all the weight of the column on my unsuspecting readers and nicely excuse myself from having to say something fantastically enlightened at every turn, seeing as how this is purely a matter of opinion.

Samus rocks, and Castlevania SotN rocks for ripping off Metroid....

"Ha! I beat you, bitch!"

"I'd love to see strategy RPGs go grand-scale for a change and give you 10 or more units to a side" It's been awhile since I've played these games but I think the Vandal Hearts series and Tactics Ogre had this. My favorite five would have to be: 5. Legend of Legaia - Ok so maybe the character's and the story weren't that deep. I still enjoyed the characters and story though even though they were simple. I was totally awed with the battle system. The combo attacks and summons were awesome. While the summons didn't look as good graphically as the summons from FF7-9 a lot of them were done in interesting and cool ways, like the one where a big ass stone wall appears, where a weird little creature appears and somehow produces a impossibly long wooden stake out of his mouth that he spits out and punctures the enemy to the wall or the weird flying creature that picks up the enemy, zooms into the air and then plunges back to earth, dive bombing the enemy it was holding. Punching in all the button combinations to make great combos was really fun, especially since you could mix and match combo abilities with each other. Or if you were bored you could just hit random and see what the character comes up with. I also liked the fact that a lot of the boss battles were really challenging but not enough to make you pull your hair out. I can't wait for the PS2 sequel. 4. Final Fantasy 7 - I just loved the whole experience. The FMV, summons, storyline, main villain and characters were all very intriguing. The only complaint I had about the game is that it was too damn easy. Sure the two of the bonus bosses were hard as hell but they were totally optional and not really something to base the game's difficulty on . The difficulty level is the lowest I have ever seen for a FF game. 3. Front Mission 3 - Awesome very customizable huge robots battling each other tactical turn-based RPG strategy style. With two 50-60 hr scenarios to play through it was heaven. It's a crying shame FM1 or FM2 never came over here. 2. Chronotrigger - The battle system and story for this game with great multiple endings were top-notch to say the least. I loved combining techs. I loved how the time travel aspect was handled. I loved the storyline quirks like the whole trial scene and how it could go different ways, or how one of the villains Magus becomes one your own party members. The game was pure bliss. Of course what do you expect from the great minds of the Dragon Warrior team and Square? 1. Dragon Warrior IV - I loved everything about this game. The chapter setup, how all you party members join up with you, the final boss fight (still one of the coolest IMO), the wagon that allowed you to have so many characters, the monsters, the towns and castles, everything. The whole atmosphere of the game was excellent. I don't often like to play RPGs over and over again but I have with this gem. After seeing screens and movies about the upcoming PSX remake of this game I'm drooling with anticipation. Honorable mention goes to Dragon Warrior VII because I'm 60 something hours into it and I'm enjoying every minute of it. It's shaping up to be one of my top five. I can't think of a list of five games I hate but Saga Frontier sticks out in my mind. I couldn't stand that game. Everything about it from the battle system to the extreme non-linearity (as far as typical console RPGs go) made me want to break the game. I could only play it for so long. This brings me to an important question. Why do people torture themselves by playing all the way through games they hate? If I play a RPG and I don't like it....I stop! Why would you be so foolish to put yourself through that kind of torture. Do people do it so that after they beat the game they can stare right into the face of the cartridge/CD/DVD and say "Ha! I beat you bitch!" You see people torture themselves doing physical exercise they don't like doing all the time but at least there is a sane practical point to doing it. Pendy http://dqnn.alefgard.com

I'm not nearly so masochistic as to force myself through an RPG I can tell from the get-go I'm going to hate. Why DO people do that?

SaGa lasted about an hour in my PSX. The way I saw it, the bloody game could've been 300+ hours long, all of which were oozing orgasmic gaming perfection like some freakish lovechild sired by God and genetically manipulated to contain the best of every FF to date, and it still wouldn't have atoned for that first hour. No point in pushing onward.

Sentimental journey

Oh well, guess there's no harm in giving it a shot, but there have been SO many great games in the past twenty years that it's tough to pick just five. 1) Final Fantasy 3/6. Sentimental favorite. And it had one of the greatest soundtracks in videogame history, which is always a bonus. How could you not hate Kefka? Yes, he was shallow, but he was probably the single most evil villain Square ever cooked up. Also one of the few to actually achieve his goal (He destroyed the world as we knew it, even if he didn't destroy it completely). The final battle is still awe-inspiring to me. 2) Xenogears. Say what you will about the combat system and voice acting (actually, say nothing about the voice acting. There was no voice acting. NONE. Now let us never speak of this again.), but the storyline was amazing. Best cast of characters in an RPG as well, in my humble opinion. And like FF6, it had an amazing soundtrack. The only VG soundtrack I own, matter of fact. 3) Capcom vs SNK 2. Yes, it doesn't fit anywhere in your realm of coverage, but it's an amazing game. I'm a sucker for 2D fighting games, and this is about as good as it gets. Imagine the best aspects of most any Capcom or SNK fighter and it's probably stuck in here somewhere. Only complaint is the lack of Andy Bogard (wtf?!) and a few other SNK characters that should have made the cut, but I'm sure that will get rectified in the inevitable CvS3. 4) MegaManX series. What it is about these games, or even the original series (they lack the Zero coolness factor, but otherwise they're just as good) that keeps me coming back I will never know. There's just something about pounding on robots with assinine names that I can't resist. It's always fun to try and figure out which level to start on, and where to go once you acquire that first weapon. Yeah, they're all basically the same, but that's fine with me. Tetris hasn't changed in...ever, and it's still fun. 5) Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo. Greatest puzzle game ever. The only possible complaint is that it isn't nearly as fun playing solo, but this is the type of game that even non-gamers can enjoy. Hell, I got my mother addicted, and she hadn't played a videogame since Super Mario Brothers. Nothing puts the fear of God into a gamer like a ten string combo resulting in a rain of multicolored blocks all over their playing field. The SD street fighter characters were so awesome that Capcom eventually used them in an actual fighting game. Kick ass. Honorable mentions- the rest of the Final Fantasy Series (even 8, damn the naysayers), the Lufia series, DDR, Castlevania:SOTN, the 2D Zelda games...And a whole bunch of other good stuff. Savior, Suddenly feeling the urge to play Megaman 2 and kill Metal Man with his own weapon...

Final Fantasy VI is THE sentimental favorite. While I'd been playing games a good 8 years before laying hands on this title among titles, FFVI made me into the gaming fanatic I've since become. IV may have had a memorable story, but VI connected with me in an emotional way, and for the first time, I glimpsed a future in which games would begin evolving into a legitimate new storytelling medium. Kick my ass and call me chicken-wuss, if you must, but Celes' Aria can still bring a tear to my eye.

Bah. "Enjoying Thanksgiving," indeed.

Hi Erin, hope you're enjoying Thanksgiving. It's a little hard to pick my favorites, but I think the order might currently run as follows: 5. Vandal Hearts II. Often maligned, sometimes deservedly so. It had it's flaws, sometimes very big ones especially in light of the original, but I like it nevertheless. Where it really shines is the Dual Turn System; having one of the enemies move at the same time as one of your characters made it the battles much more devious. You had to not only come up with your own strategy, but had to try to guess what the enemies' strategy would be. There's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you hit someone from behind when they weren't in that space when you chose to attack there. 4. Chrono Trigger. What can I say? The plot is beatiful, the graphics are beautiful, and the battle system is beautiful. I know you'll get plenty of letters echoing this, so I'll just leave it at that. 3. Vandal Hearts. I've played it through 3 or 4 times and I never get tired of it. It's like a special kind of chess game, with enough differences in the mission goals to keep it fresh (which was a bit of a weakness in the sequel.) I loved that there were different classes to the characters that were forced into it (again, a weakness in the sequel was the interchangeability of the characters), but that you could send them down different paths of growth. 2. FF Tactics. This game is a work of art; an intricate battle system, unlimited customization while at the same time you can't simply swap one character for another just by exchanging equipment. About the only flaws I can think of are the wild swings in battle difficulty and the ridiculously limited camera angles. (For those who don't know what I'm talking about, play one of the levels in Tactics where there are obstructions in the field; sometimes there is simply no way to see a character. By contrast, Vandal Hearts had enough camera angles that it was always possible to see every spot on the field.) Despite these flaws, though, it's a better game than pretty much any other Strategy RPG. 1. FFVII. Yes, it's almost a cliche to include it, but given that I'm currently playing it for the fifth time, I think if I put anything else at the #1 slot I'd be lying. It's simply such a good game; the plot doesn't get old or annoying, the battle system is nice, and you can play it a different way each time. First time I did it in the straightforward, "let's just see how the game goes" method I usually do. Then I did the "get everything" playthrough. Then the "time-trial." Then I went through trying to keep my levels as low as possible (always good for a challenge, which is, after all, a large part of the point.) This time I'm going to do something I haven't done before. I'm going to beat the Weapons fair and square. No Knights of the Round. No Quadra-Magic/Bahamut Zero combo. No Miming for free spells. I'm not even going to get a Gold Chocobo until I can get one via the Desert Rose. I know it's hard -- I couldn't quite seem to destroy Ruby's tentacles at level 40 -- but I think it's possible, and I'm damned sure going to try. -- Chaomancer Omega

The only criticism I could really make of CT is that I really wish there'd been more of it.

As for the Weapons.... I daresay killing Emerald is simply un-possible without the Final Attack materia in the face of Aire Tam Storm, man. You're crazy! It's suicide!

"And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the [ocean] floor
Shall be lifted -- nevermore."

PURIFY WEIRD SOUL!

1|Xenogears|Krellian, naked 2|FFVII|Sephiroth, shirtless 3|FFT|Monk and Geomancer, with half-shirts 4|FFVIII|must...beat...Omega Weapon...somehow 5|BOFIV|nice battles, and the Pixies can kick any monster's ass, thoroughly -1|Quest64|well, it just kinda sucks -2|VS|tedium, tedium, and more tedium -3|FFIV|just what is Cid's haircolor, anyways? -4|LoM|all complain about its plot; i ask "it has a plot?" -5|Xenogears|great religious dialogue...with not Text Speed option ~Beowulf_VII, ignoring that Xenogears only counts as one game

Nice, succinct argument with solid, inarguable cases for each game. A must-print.

"Dycedarg" is SUCH a sexy name....

Erin, Congratulations on the warm reception you have received. I was on the " Brooke should stay, screw everyone else bandwagon, " but I must say I like your style. My top five: 1) Tactics Ogre. The great TO. This game was FFT with balls. What else can I say? Ten people to a battle, a 100 floor secret dungeon, knights and wizards, a one-eyed villain who is so realistic and not insane you can't figure out whether you hate him or love him. As well, who doesn't love a game where, if one of your characters dies, they die. I mean, kaput(sp?). Gone forever, no tomorrow, see you in hell. Best game 2) FFT, of course. While this happens to be a little kids version of TO, it has it's up points. Jobs were fun, and so was combining abilities to make a Knight with blade grasp, twin swords and two Excalibur's, and ignore height. However, the character animation didn't do it for me. Something about a knight rasping his sword from his sheath and then whipping it down on his foe just makes me randy...err, sorry bout that. 3)Ogre Battle 64 Fun,, fun. Paladins, Dark Knights, and Swordsmasters, oh my! More classes than just about any game I can think of, and so much versatility. Wonderful. 4)Dragon Warrior 3 Classic. Nice classes, good story, and a hero in blue armor. Had the hero in DWVII been in blue armor, that game would surely have surpassed this game in my affections. However...green...pointy hat...'nuff said. 5) XenoGears, simply because it had so much going for it. It would probably have placed first had it not been for the fact that the last portion of the game was utter, complete, and absolute shit. Anyone else have a problem with Citan becoming God after he got his damn sword?!?!?!?! Other than those things, one of the best ever. Savra " We'll go out through the kitchen."- Tanis Half-Elven " It's insane, Pelopidas. I mean, would you attack a lion with a brooch pin?" "Why would a lion have a brooch pin?" Pelopidas replied, grinning.

FFT made me pretty randy, too. Mmmm.... Daravon.....

Acid flashback

Erin: My 5 worst games ever. In no particular order. *Xenogears. I'm sure it's a great game, but the t....e....x.....t...........s........p........e.......e......d made me want to kill myself. I'm a pretty darn fast reader, and I found myself getting up to go do something else a few times while I waited for the text to finish displaying. It drove me insane. *Where's Waldo (NES). Probably the worst thought out game EVER. You moved a cursor around a big screen of blurry pixels with a time limit, praying to god that you clicked your box on the blob that was waldo. I think the time limit was like 8 minutes. The sad part was that with random clicking, you could STILL win the game easy without running out of time. I did it, and I think I was 6 years old. And the prize for winning? Waldo goes to the moon.... *Mary Kate and Ashley: Crush Course Never touched it, but looking at the box at Blockbuster almost sends me into fits of looking-at-stupid-thing induced seizures. *Arcana Probably the slowest, most boring, uninteresting RPG ever created. It was like Wizardry, but even more boring. Indescribable. *A game probably no one has ever heard of, an old computer game called Gadget. Basically like Myst, but it sucked really bad. Looking at the back of the CD case now, it has a little portion that says "$79.99", which i hope to god my dad didn't pay. I only played it once, the main point seemed to be "get on a train and find gizmo parts for no reason" Surprisingly enough, it was made in Japan, which is unusual because when the Japanese come out with crap, it's usually unique and strange in some wonderfully weird way. Not this. My brain hurt just thinking about those nightmares...ugg. -Jonathan

I'm glad someone else has experienced Arcana. I was beginning to wonder if someone hadn't just slipped me some bad acid at some point during the SNES era.

Fulfilling the hopes of disgruntled Canadians everywhere

You Americans and your Thanksgiving. I'd rather have it early and freeze my ass off in good ol' Canada, thanks. Anyway, my five favourite games, in no particular order, are Seiken Densetsu 3, Genso Suikoden II, Tales of Phantasia, Chrono Trigger, and... Lufia II. Now, as is at once obvious from the above list, I prefer older games, or (as is the case with Genso Suikoden II) games that are not a 3-D graphics feast. Now, as for why: When I first played Seiken Densetsu 3, I could not read a word. I didn't want to consult a walkthrough because it would spoil my playing the game when it was actually translated. So, I fought while reading incomprehensible Japanese and, generally speaking, had one hell of a blast. The lush, wonderful, nigh-orgasmic graphic quality dropped my jaw to the floor and turned me into a useless heap of jell-o for many minutes. Add to that the fact that the soundtrack is one of the best I have ever heard, and there was no way I could not be hooked. Sure, I had a tough time finishing the start scenarios without knowing what the hell I was doing, but I managed, and soon I had a party of Riese, Hawkeye and Angela rockin' it like it was the end of the world. Of course, once the game was translated into English, its greatness was augmented twentyfold. Genso Suikoden II is the only PS-X role-playing that I have ever truly enjoyed (note, though, that I have only played a dozen or so). Grandia I found excellent and Wild ARMs highly enjoyable, but Suikoden II I played through slowly, relishing ever minute. Since I have finished the game, I have played through another three times, the last with a walkthrough to acquire each of the stars. Suikoden II sold me with its lovely sprites and flat backgrounds, inconspicuous 3-D battle backdrops, catchy (if badly arranged) soundtrack, gorgeous spell effects, superb storyline, and its huge mass of custom animations that lent it a feel of realism that no other sprite-based game has to my knowledge ever achieved. War always makes for a good story, whether it be in a motion picture, television show, novel, or a game. It's a sure-fire road to success. Next, Tales of Phantasia. Here, the same applies as Seiken Densetsu 3. However, what endeared me to ToP was its heavy use of Japanese speech, its unusual (if mostly mindless) battle engine, terrific soundtrack and surprising character development. The sheer scope of the game is difficult not to be impressed by, too. Again, war helps. :) I believe Chrono Trigger needs no introduction. What's there not to love about this game? The storyline, though, is its highest point, since it actually spawned some decent fan fiction which I have read and actually enjoyed. The world owes a debt to Square for this game, but since Square owes the world in a big way for producing Final Fantasy VIII, it all sort of balances out. :) Which brings me to Lufia II. What can I say? The best part about Lufia & The Fortress of Doom was the beginning bit with Maxim and his chums. To have an entire game based on them is godsend enough, but to have such a game with those eye-popping graphics, emotional soundtrack, addictive battle engine, honestly challenging puzzles and stirring (if cliché) storyline is simply divine. None would deserve to play such a game were it not for its terrible repetitiveness, idiotic renaming of Artea to the dreaded "Arty" and the frustration of sometime running around in towers while uncertain as to where you should go. Well, those are my two devaluated Canadian cents for you. I really hope you print this, but I suppose I can't ask too much, now can I? Enjoy your gorging, Erin. Cheers, MTKnight, positively tired and disgruntled.

Good letter. I particularly like the "tired and disgruntled" bit. I like being able to sympathize wholeheartedly with various things, and that really did it for me just now.

Eat MY cat, pal, and more 'n your letters are going on the fire

Erin, Glad to see someone who can really work the DA in the stand. My letters, as someone else said, were also always thrown into Brooke's fire. Who knows why...maybe she just disliked me because I ate her dog. And her cat. No I didn't. Anyway, for my top five favorite games, I'll start off by saying Metal Gear Solid. This game was incredible. The graphics were prtety good for it's time, but we know that graphics don't make the game. I was in absolute awe of the story. I really did feel the emotions the game would try to invoke. And Snake, oh man, he's just too cool to say anything bad about (in fear of an ultimate, painful, cruel, and untimely death at the hands of David Hayter....not.). For another of my favorite, I'm going to say Metal Gear Solid 2. For some odd reason, I've heard alot of bad things abotu this game from other people. I, personally, saw it as another masterpiece for many reasons. One, it left us off for another great masterpiece (what happened at the end? Snake was chasing Liquid/Ocelot..and that was it!). Second, playing as someone else while still having Snake deeply involved, even though very unexpected, was excellently done. I came into the game expecting to be Snake throughout the entire game, but was most definetly NOT dissapointed at the end of the game. Not at all. I can't wait for MGS3 to become one of my favorites. Zelda 64 immediately comes to my mind. I had all the Zelda games for NES and SNES, but never played them. Sadly, by the time I was really into gaming, I did not have my NES or Zelda games for NES orSNES anymore. Either way, Zelda 64 was a great game. The mood and atmosphere of it really got me into it. There will always be a deep, profusely bleeding gash in my brain for Zelda 64. Now for my two absolute favorite games. These are the creme of the crop, for me, in all that I have played. First off, Xenogears. This game was just *insert nonexistent word to explain the awesomeness of this game*. The story was probably the most thought out I have ever seen. While most may hate it, I loved the way that I didn't know what was going on until the end (just like MGS2). It made for quite an artistic game. In all seriousness, this game was a magnificent work of art. If there was a first for a game to be a TRUE piece of art, in my mind, it is Xenogears. Art. Art. Art. Secondly, Final Fantasy VII. The story in this was genuine. It was the first game I played that really got me into the gaming world. It took me a really long time to beat, and there wasn't one time in those months that I was bored of the game. It was like I was in a different world during the era I played it. When I finished, I felt like I had nothing left to do. Life was really boring until FFVIII came out. Err, wait, it was still boring after that. Then I had my taste of the Xenoie-goodness. Man, I have no RPGs to play as of right now. I can't wait for FFX. I guess I could go back and beat FFVIII...but...nah. ~Frank, who beat MGS2 in ONE day. I got up at 7 am, and finished at 12am. I rule.

Zeldas are perfect. Well, if you like that sort of thing. 'Nuff said.

And... someone had to stick up for the much-maligned Xenogears. Poor, waifish 80-hr epic that it is, shrinking in the cold from the unrelenting criticism....

Yeah. How 'BOUT those Packers?

Erin, A list of my five favorite games is pretty simple for me; it hasn't changed much these past few years. 1. Final Fantasy Tactics. This ones a no-brainer, i've wasted more of my life playing this game over any other, and i still never get bored with it. I really don't need to defend this one. 2. Chrono Trigger. This one is pretty self-explanatory. I got CT right after i got out of high school so i had several months of play, day and night, without interruption, and it left a fairly indelible mark on my psyche. An undisputed favorite of mine for many moons. 3. ICO. This one's been beaten to death lately; i don't think I need to explain why it got to me. Others have explained why far better than i ever could. 4. Metal Gear Solid. For me, this game had nearly everything: kick ass storyline, great voice acting, fun game play, incredible boss fights (I've got a memory card full of saves before each and every major fight in the game so I can relive them at any time) and a lot of replay value. Just not enough replay value, at least when compared to FFT. Still, the best action game i've ever played. 5. Resident Evil. Yes, you read right, I said Resident Evil. I can't explain it, there's just something about putting the barrel of a shotgun right up to a zombie's head and disintegrating it with a 'pop' sound that is not unlike, in fact, disturbingly similar to, a melon. I'll admit, I have somewhat of a zombie fetish. Movies, books, games, anything that has zombies in it I love. Maybe it has something to do with watching the original black-and-white version of 'Night of the Living Dead' when I was five. The incredibly creepy way that guy says "They're coming to get you Barbara" gave me nightmares for years. It also probably has something to do with the way i first played RE. When it first came out i didn't own a PSX, so i had to rent one to play it. Well, as anyone who's rented a PSX from Blockbuster knows, you don't get a memory card with it. The threat of dieing was very real indeed, it meant starting over from the very beginning. Every little zombie that jumped out from out of nowhere or every dog that jumped through a window scared the living bejesus outta me. Well, that's it. Before I go, I just want to complement you on one helluva job so far. I really enjoy your cols, keep it up. Charon, who just might need a pacemaker if the Packers keep playing the way they did today.

Though I hadn't yet consciously added it to the list until now, ICO has definitely wormed its way into my own top 5. And you're right - I think we've said enough about a game that speaks so eloquently for itself in half the words we'd inevitably use.

When did I ever say I didn't like Earthbound?!

Hi Erin....type creature...of the dark....., Anyway, I couldn't think of my 5 favorite games (I couldn't pick just 5). But the 5 games I simply despise, easily come to mind: Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy VIII, Parasite Eve 2, Persona 2, and Quest 64. Vagrant Story: At first I started playing it and thought the premise sounded okay. But then I delved into the time-draining void that is Vagrant Story. This world where you can never feel powerful, something can always seem to kick your ass. Final Fantasy VIII: I managed to complete this game and out of the rest of my list, is actually not that bad. Unlike you, I am a level-gainer, and going down levels making you weaker, didn't work for me. I hated the fact you had to Draw spells, but then again, what game is perfect? Parasite Eve 2: Is it just me, or did they take everything I loved about the original and turned it into CRAP! I couldn't get past this games flaws, and the story didn't compel me to play either. Persona 2: In this game it seemed every battle I got into made me groan. A single dungeon would take me 3 days to complete. Eventually, the story lost me and I wandered into another game. And the winner is.....Quest 64: The biggest load of crap I've ever come across. From it's undeveloped story and characters to it's bland locales and boring battles, everything about this game sucks!!!!!!!! Okay, I'm through venting. Mr. Fuddy Duddy, who can't understand what's not to like about Earthbound.

It occurs to me that you must've been spared the sinful load of dingo's kidneys that is Beyond the Beyond, seeing as how if you'd had so much as 4 minutes' contact with Camelot's old atrocity, it most definitely would've made your list, to say nothing of burning its unholy image into your dreams for all time.

With seizure-inducing battle graphics that the game designers inflicted on the player almost constantly thanks to a truly INSANE encounter rate, and a story so shamelessly lifted from Lunar: SSS they couldn't even be bothered to tweak the character designs (Ghaleon and Shutet - separated at birth?), BtB's throne at the center of my personal gaming Hell ought to go unchallenged for a long, long while.

It's NOT in my head! In your FACE, Mom!

Erin, Commendable job on taking over DA. Wit and intelligence... and female to boot. Can't go wrong there. Oh yeah. Topic. Actually narrowing down one's favorites to a list of 5 games is not an easy task, especially when it requires one to think. I'm not particularly in the mood for thinking (what with the vast amount of "trypto" in the system), but why not try anyway. 5) Suikoden series - Semi-continuous story and brain-dead but fun battle system are a-okay with me. Collecting 108 people per game is kinda tedious for the perfectionists among us. Oh yeah, and it's 2D! Errr... was, anyway. 4) Chrono Cross - All about the atmosphere. Everything in the game, from Mitsuda's untouchable score to the game's distinct look (lots of blues and greens), lived and breathed an island paradise vibe. Add the CT tie-ins and an amazing battle system and I'm sold before even playing it. Oh, and Scars of Time is sheer perfection. 3) FFX - Apart from being beautiful, it has a sweet, touching story and ummm... Auron is a bad-arse. Rikku is irritating and Tidus is kinda whiny, but there are some truly worthwhile moments. Oh, and one of the most interesting battle systems ever in an RPG. (Though trying to get every person in every battle gets kinda old after a while) Dear God, please don't screw up the voice acting! 2) MGS 1+2 - Pure anal-retentive joy. While certain parts of 2 REALLY irritate me (which I won't get into for spoilage reasons), no one can deny that MGS is cinematic buttah, baby. The best story-telling and voice acting in the bizz. If only they could lay off the peyote before writing the end sequences. 1) FF VI - Two words: Kefka's laugh. I'm not entirely sure why this is still my favorite game, but it is. Something about FF6 has always brought a smile to my face that takes at least a few days to wipe off. Characters, music, story, battle system: I'm smiling right now just thinking about it. [sigh] To be semi-critical, the game is ridiculously easy. Close behind would be FFIV, FF Tactics, and the amazing Skullmonkeys. As for 5 games I spit on... hmmm, how about Star Ocean 2, Legend of Drag On, FF8, Legend of Legaia, and the vile 7th Saga. I don't truly loath any of them except for 7th (well, maybe LoD), but I wouldn't play any of them again no matter how much you paid me. Griffin, who's desperately trying to enjoy DW VII

I find it strangely comforting to know that someone else in the world reviles Star Ocean. I was beginning to think it was just me.

I've never held an affinity for this game against anyone, because in all honesty, I can see where it had the odd good point, but for the love of God, it just didn't do a thing for me.

"It's a GOOD thing."

As I sit here having finished off a modest one plate of tukey, ham, and other assorted foodstuffs, I realize that I need to get back to Ogre Battle 64, which I'm borrowing from a friend. A decent game, if you disregard the platform it's on. You'll notice that a lot of my pics are firsts in one way or another. Anyway, my personal top five. #5: Goldeneye 007. This is the game that brought me to the N64 and the first person shooter. It, in my opinion, defined multiplayer gaming for its time. I opened this beauty on Christmas Eve, and had played it continuously thorughout the winter break. I had only had an SNES until then, so I presume I'm more than a little biased. That notwithstanding, it's got plenty of classic moments. Getting the invincibility cheat after trying so hard, taking out three friends after coming out of nowhere, figuring out that you can play multiplayer in the cradle, full facility, and the statue park, all of these added life to it, and that makes it my number 5. #4: Mario Kart (SNES). As I said, I was stuck with an SNES for many years. Doesn't sound so bad, but keeping up with the Jonses applies to us teens, too. Mario Kart was, incidentally, another Christmas game, introducing me to another genre: the racing game. Nothing serious, but the vivid colors, decent handling, variety of courses, and overall cheeriness made this a light-hearted romp in the park. The racing park, that is. Of course the '64 version is a lot more refined, but this is the nicity that allowed it to happen. #3: Super Mario Brothers. The game that started it all for me and many others, this pak featured 64 levels, if you include the "expert" mode, powerups, and the most recognizable video game tune period. I've played it for thirteen years now, and it still asks to be played every once in a while, to see if I can get a new personal best, find some new trick, or just to kill some time. It enlightened me, it saved the industry, and that's what makes it number three. #2 Lunar SSSC/Lunar 2 EBC. I include these as a matched set because... Well, because. I make the list, so I make the rules. Discovered SSSC at a friends house one cold January day back in middle school. He said I'd like it, being a passive anime fan, and since he knew my love of upbeat music (I'm a part time arranger). He turns it on... and I'm amazed. he showed me all the controls, and after a couple minutes I'm on my own. The cut-scenes are incredible, the battle engine was unique enough that I kept thinking of where to place my characters to keep them alive, the plot was cutesy... so I go for melancholy every once in a while. Us guys can't be all macho all the time! The pop references were good for a laugh, the characters were ones you could empathize with at times, laugh at/with at others, and the music was the best I had ever heard. I asked working designs for a replacement soundtrack when a sibling of mine happened to smash it one day, it's that durn good. I don't think I've ever chewed someone out that much in years. Go out to your local used game store, find it, ignore the high price tag, and take it home. Go on, go. Now. *waits for shoppers to come back* Good job. You'll thank me for it later. However, despite the praise I give the Lunar series it and all other games pale to... #1 FFVII. It was Sony's cash cow, it's the best game ever, and it still is overheating my sad excuse for a computer. This game takes all the good things I've said about the Lunar series and refines it to such a level it's incredible. If you can get past the fact that a decent number of the characters are cliche (and what video game character isn't?), you will be in for the experience of your gaming life. All those spells, all that plot, all that music, all that world. I still remember whenever I saw something big happening, all I could say was, "Aw crap." You'd make revelatins about the plot, predict some points correctly, others not, but this game drew you in. I don't say as much about my #1 pic as my #2 because it defies explanation and is beyond it. It doesn't need it, it's that damn good. It's the seventh final fantasy, and seven is undoubtedly a lucky number. Not including any PS2 games because he hasn't played anything other than Armored Core 2, Aleksandrs Bomis

I remember the absurd tidal-wave of media buzz that heralded FFVII well; the universal proclomation that this was "the best game ever."

And then it was released, to glowing reviews.

And then, for no immediately obvious reason, all those who'd formerly sung its praises went into furious 180 degree spins and declared that Square had "sold-out" to graphics whoredom. And I was left standing there, still sniveling over the tragedy of having had to KILL a villain so downright cool as Sephiroth, saying "WTF?"

FFVII was, for me, the birth of the 32-bit RPG. It was - and is - a good thing.

On to the important question

Greetings Well my favoroite games are as follows. Well the first two are the Lunar games since they're overall light-hearted when many games are very dark in nature. It's also likely since the silly translations done by Working Designs are silly and sometimes a little naughty. Also Final Fantasy Tactics since it's a fun battle system and has a storyline where you never know who's going to backstab someone else or where their loyalties lie. Also the two Suikoden games since they do something that really needs to be done by more companies, continuous series since RPG's are very story-focused, it'd really help to have continuity in story so you could get really in-depth in a world you visit multiple times and see characters progress through their lives. Also have you noticed that FFT and Suikoden II have some real similar plotlines since Jowy and Delita are very similar in nature. I picture them reading Machivelli's "The Prince" for inspiration. Would of been fun if Luca had an audible laugh like Kefka did since hearing Kefka's cackle really was fun. I still wish in Suikoden III Pilika's so traumitized from her childhood loss that she just goes nuts and takes revenge in a very Luca Blightish manner. I also wonder what do you look like? Imperial Mog

Ah, Mog. So very eager to confine my genius to an earthly vessel. I wish there were a complete staff dossier on me I could conveniently point to without taking time away from this column and my evening (which is readily being pissed away down the great temporal toilet), but alas, it's not up yet.

So for the first and last time: Blonde, grey-eyed, quite tall, usually lying on my stomach on the floor in a bathrobe for want of a computer desk in the new apartment. Generally somewhat dazed-looking.

The continuity of the Suikoden world adds a unique dimension to the games, yes, and a sense of greater immersion despite the (traditionally) archaic graphics. Long live those tales of intrigue, betrayal and flying squirrels, hey.

Closing Comments:

In case you were preparing to pounce on me with complaints that I didn't divulge MY favorites, allow me to point out that artfully scattered some of them throughout the column, along with some less-than-favorites.

And so that, I suppose, is that. Always a pleasure, people.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to pack my things, for I'm Las Vegas-bound as of 6 AM tomorrow morn for a weddin'. No, of course not mine; no one means more to me than you.

So, sacrifice a farm animal for my safe return - I will be flying American Airlines.

In the meantime, your special friend Nich is going to be babysitting you lot over the weekend. I'm going to make things easy on him for the time being and make tomorrow a free topic day, but I'm sure he has plenty of fun activities and cerebral roughage planned for you.

Till Monday, you lovely, rowdy bastiches.

-Erin Mehlos, a winner [at the Blackjack table] is her [hopefully]