Top 10 Video Games of the 00 Decade, Part Deux

As I continue my rundown of what I consider the best games of the last decade, I've noticed how predictable my gaming tastes are. Maybe I should broaden my horizons?

5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was one of the most controversial games of the last decade. Not because it is immoral or violent, but because Nintendo decided to drastically overhaul the art style from the series' previous 3D incarnations; a move which put gamers in a frenzy about Link's new "kiddy" look. But the cartoonish, cel-shaded visuals actually masked the very serious nature of Wind Waker's plot. Though the game is relatively short and easy, and traversing its vast ocean became tiresome, the minimalist story about the fall of the land of Hyrule kept me on the edge of my seat. Finally, the series showed its maturity thanks to the sympathetic portrayal of Ganondorf, the series' main antagonist, and the discovery of the source of his lust for power. I must also give it credit for breaking what has become known as the "The Zelda Formula" which its successor, Twilight Princess, failed to do.

4. Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime was one-half of Nintendo's successful relaunch of the Metroid series. Many gamers, including myself, were worried about the series' first foray into the third dimension when Nintendo announced Metroid Prime would play from a first-person perspective as that led us to believe it would turn into a space shooter more akin to the Dooms, Unreals, and Halos of the world rather than the atmospheric, exploratory nature of its predecessor, Super Metroid. However, Retro Studios delivered as Metroid Prime surpassed our best expectations with its fantastic setting, ambient soundtrack, and subtly told story on top of being one of the best shooter experiences found anywhere. But calling Metroid Prime a shooter is to sadly misclassify it. Most of the game is spent solving environmental puzzles, and finding out which way to go next. After all, "Evil must be eliminated, but first it must be found."

3. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Square Enix's flagship Dragon Quest series is an odd cultural phenomenon. It's hard to ascribe what exactly makes this series so great. For example, Dragon Quest VIII's, plot and gameplay are more similar to a game one would play in the early 90s. While other RPG series were moving away from the tried and true turn-based battle systems, Dragon Quest VIII embraced it. Those gamers with an epic mindset (the main story takes around 70 hours to complete with easily 100 more hours for completionists) played it, and loved it anyway. Though it played like a Super Nintendo RPG, it stood out thanks to its extremely high productions values. Most noticeable are the visuals. The world is gigantic and beautiful with its vivid color palette, soaring vistas, and fantastic map design. This coupled with a fully symphonic soundtrack and the best voice-acting on the PS2 made the Dragon Quest series a hit outside of its native Japan for the first time. Being the hero never looked or sounded so good.

2. Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most interesting specimens developed in the 2000s. Calling it a game hardly does it justice because it is so different than what one would expect from video games. There's the player and their horse, the vast world, and a grand total of sixteen huge Colossi to defeat. There isn't much else to the game aside from a few small lizards and some fruit of an indeterminate type. Yet the game is completely engaging despite its sparsity thanks, similarly to Dragon Quest VIII, to its amazing map design that offers the player with a living world full of forests, canyons, and lakes to traverse in order to find and destroy the elusive Colossi. All of this to return life to the protagonist's deceased lover. The story may sound cliche, but Shadow of the Colossus is beautiful and the emptiness of the landscape only adds to its emotional impact right up to the unexpected denouement. No other game makes a better argument about the artistry of video games than Shadow of the Colossus.

So what is my favorite game of the last ten years? I bet the world wants to know (yea right!), but the suspenseful conclusion of my list must wait! Not because I want to create tension, but because I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

Top 10 Video Games of the 00 Decade, Part 1

Seriously? A top ten list? Could I be any more cliche? Probably not, but the zero-zero decade brought us some fantastic games in spite of concerns many had that the gaming industry would stagnate. It is also the decade where 3D became the true standard for video games, and then retrograde to "classically" designed games one would expect to find on the NES and not systems capable of rendering extremely realistic three-dimensional detail.

Of course, my list is limited to the games I actually played over the last ten years.

10. Super Smash Bros. Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee made an even better argument than its predecessor that players could enjoy beating down with their favorite Nintendo characters. Not only that, but I found I still prefer it to its sequel due to a slightly better physics engine and more responsive controls. It is still fun, furious, addictive, and the best party game I've played this decade.

9. Chrono Cross

Most either love or hate Square's sequel to Chrono Trigger due to the minimalist connection it had with its predecessor as well as the drastically different battle system. But, to those willing to look at the game as its own game and not as a sequel, found a game that is definitely worth their time. One need only watch the opening cinema to know the game possesses one of the best soundtracks found anywhere. The game also has a very complex, emotional story with some fantastic character development. Finally, the game's "real" ending was more mature and compelling than many developmentally more mature games that have come since.

8. Mega Man 9

Except for perhaps the New Super Mario Bros. games, Mega Man 9 is probably the most popular example of the retro trend that has become prominent in the last few years. It is very much an NES game, and that's what Capcom intended. They even went so far as to make some horrible box art in the vein of the game's twenty year old predecessors. Not only is the game novel, but it's fun, difficult, hilarious, and completely addictive with its tough level design and fantastic 2 channel music. It is easily the best Mega Man game since the release of Mega Man X4, and for only ten bucks it is a bargain at that.

7. Fire Emblem

Fire Emblem was an anticipated release from 2003. Many gamer's interests were piqued by the inclusion of Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Nintendo obliged everyone's curiosity by releasing the seventh game in the Fire Emblem series internationally. What gamers found was a challenging turn-based strategy game with a huge, colorful cast. It also turned into quite the adventure for a Game Boy Advance game with around 30 hours of play time and tremendous replay value.

6. Riviera: The Promised Land

Riviera: The Promised Land was a fairly low-key title that shot under many gamers' radars both times it was released, but I still find it to be the best the Game Boy Advance had to offer. The world is downright gorgeous as all of the environments and sprites were hand drawn and spanned from the gates of Asgard to the Underworld. The battle system, story, and characters were all top-notch, and the game even had some voice-acting in particular scenes and during battles. I'm still amazed the developer, St!ng, could fit so much awesome onto a Game Boy Advance cartridge.

That's it for the first half of my list. I'll post the other half within the next few days.