“All your base are belong to us.”
Cats -Zero Wing

Ever since I moved a digital paddle up and down the screen back in the day I have been hooked on video games. We used to get blisters on our thumbs from trying to beat Mike Tyson on Punch Out! I remember trying to memorize a code that I can’t get out of my head to save my life now. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start. Despite the fact that it work on a lot of Konami games we used it for this. There have been alot of great games, but I’d like to focus on some that are good now (or at least in the last few years).

Madden Football
… is a staple of my life…it keeps the football demon satisfied, my man uses it to see what’s up with players the Ravens acquire, and it helps to justify all that stuff you said about how stupid the head coach of your team is. “I said Billick needs to leave the 3-4 alone, free Ray up!” For real this thing is a fix and I know that when the next installment comes out people will be calling in sick to play it. Sometimes it’s the only thing that can allieviate the week long depression that comes when you team loses on sunday. BTW: All you pansies that move the O-line around to tire out the other team and do all those stupid tricks, man up and play like this is football!

The Metal Gear Series
..are some of THE best games I have ever played. Not only is Hideo Kojima a sick genius when it comes to writing the stories for this joint (which are on par with the best Anime out there), but he throws in all kinds of humor, plot twists and moral issues. Cloning, the nuclear threat, changing politics and personal beliefs…all that good stuff. Not to mention the main character is based on Snake Pliskin The best thing about this series is that the main focus is stealth…for all you parents worried about violence. You can run through and kill everyone if you want, but the game will get alot harder and sometimes it’ll cause you to lose the game. On the other hand you’re rewarded for not being seen and not killing people. Some of these story lines are so good you think they might be a real part of military history…only the stuff that didn’t make the papers. The best part is the last one’s ending was very “The Killer-ish” I love those asian movies where it’s not as easy for the good guy as just kill this person. The hero doesn’t die…physically anyway.

Final Fantasy X
Now despite some of the nerdy implications of turn based RPG’s. The stories in this series have been some good ones. In fact it’s called Final Fantasy because the company that made it was going to present it as it’s last gasp before going out of business. The game did so good the company was able to stay open. Perhaps some of you remember the movie Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. Well don’t think about that crap…if they had used the plot from this game it would have been one of the best grossing CGI joints ever. This was a really great story. I don’t think my post will make you guys go buy it, but you can go to Wikipedia and read the plot…which isn’t presented dramatically at all. The CGI and the plot make this something anyone who liked RPG’s had to experience.

Burnout Revenge
…makes the roads safe. At least for people who drive near me. The whole premise is to win a race…and gain extra points for knocking other drivers off the road. Hell there is even a mode where you rev up from a starting point and launch into traffic with the intent to cause as much destruction as you possibly can. I swear on those days when MLK was way too busy or some idiot wants to drive 15mph on a one lane street, this game is my goosfraba. Instead of just trying to pass some chump that’s in first place you crash his sorry hide into the wall and ride away laughing…why can’t life be like this.

We can’t forget our history though!

Zaxxon

Outlaw

Haunted House

Street Fighter 2

Super Mario Bros.

Metal Gear (old school)