#SUPER PAPER MARIO HAS GIVEN ME STRENGTH THROUGH THESE HARD TIMES

[ohmaerieme]

now wake up, puppet boy!

[themattress]

My Top 30 Favorite Video Games

Inspired by @ultraericthered’s Top 30 Favorite Anime post. 

Although I’m doing mine in countdown form, ‘cause it’s more fun that way!

30. Super Mario Bros. - Arguably the first “blockbuster” game to be released, not only does Super Mario Bros. still hold up over 35 years later but it’s a gift that keeps on giving with how many different incarnations, remixes, fan games using its assets, etc. that we have now.

29. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - OBJECTION! While I cherish the entire original Phoenix Wright trilogy of the Ace Attorney franchise, I’ll always be the most partial to the original outing. The sheer audacity and hilarity of the concept, which is grounded by endearing characters and compelling mysteries, shines brilliantly in this little, easily accessible game. 

28. Trigger Happy Havoc: Danganronpa - While similar in many ways to Ace Attorney, Danganronpa boasts a variety of more actual gameplay than mere point-and-click text scrolling. But what really makes this stand out, beyond gameplay or even the strength of its concept, story and characters, is the atmosphere it creates. For good and for ill, traversing the pristine, neon-lit hallways of the abandoned Hopes Peak Academy looking for clues as I’m forced to play by Monokuma’s twisted rules is an experience that will stay with me forever.

27. Star Fox 64 - Beyond all the entertainment this game provides through memes, it’s really just a fun, reasonably simple but just moderately complicated enough game that’s accessible to any player even if they usually don’t go for aerial shooters. It’s also one of the earliest console games that I ever played, so of course it’s going to hold a special place in my heart.

26. Batman: Arkham City - It’s an impressive feat when an open world game can still feel so claustrophobic in all the right ways, and that’s what Arkham City accomplishes. This game is essentially The Dark Knight to Arkham Asylum’s Batman Begins, escalating the action, suspense and sheer Batman-ness, providing unlimited opportunities to enjoy yourself playing as Gotham’s defender and facing down the greatest Rogues Gallery in comic book history.

25. Red Dead Redemption - Look, I know that Red Dead Redemption 2 is technically the superior game. But its complicated story, sprawling cast of characters, and vast canvas of a world can be pretty daunting, whereas I feel like the original Red Dead Redemption struck a much better balance. Allowing open world freedom within the confines of the straight-forward story of John Marston’s redemption really makes you feel like you’re in an old Western film, and the way that choices you make as a player impact the way that film ultimately turns out is one of the strongest arguments for video games being worthy of consideration as true art.

24. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - So, ten years ago an open world adventure video game series releases its fifth entry...and to this day, we’ve had no sixth, in favor of expansions and updated re-releases of said fifth entry. But that’s not a sign of laziness; it’s a sign the developers know they hit such a peak in quality that they have no need to rush anything further out the gate, as Skyrim is a gift that keeps on giving. Addictive in how unlimited in possibilities it is, with each playthrough never being the same as the one before, Skyrim is a gaming masterpiece that I don’t think I’m going to get bored with playing anytime soon.

23. Super Paper Mario - This may be an unpopular opinion, but I vastly prefer this game’s action-platform-RPG hybrid gameplay style to the prior installments’ traditional turn-based RPG style, which feels more at home in stuff like Super Mario RPG and the Mario & Luigi series. But gameplay aside, I think this has the strongest story of any Mario game, trading in the usual “save the kingdom/princess” fare for saving all of reality, with legitimate emotion and drama and even character development. It’s one of the Wii’s shining gems, to be sure.

22. Epic Mickey - This game’s graphics are by and large unremarkable, its gameplay is fraught with issues (that camera is unforgivable), and it’s nowhere close to the best on its system or genre. But Epic Mickey is a case study in where the effort put into crafting the game’s world and story, not to mention the obvious love and respect for the material being worked with, pays off. Any Disney fan will love this game for its story, which puts Mickey front and center as an actual character rather than a mascot and dives deep into his history as he meets his “half-brother” Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and its mystical, unique atmosphere - what the graphics can’t deliver, the fucking music more than makes up for. All of the game’s flaws mean nothing compared to the sheer heart on display, and I treasure it greatly as a result.

21. Batman: Arkham Asylum - I already mentioned that Arkham City is the superior game, but as was the case with Red Dead Redemption and its sequel, personal preference strikes again. The simpler story and narrower confines of Arkham Asylum just appeal to me slightly more, and I feel like the borderline horror atmosphere this game has could never fully be replicated by all of its sequels and spin-offs. Also, you can play as the Joker in this. WIN.

20. Metal Gear Solid - And on the subject of Arkham Asylum, it owes much to this game, which created the template of a lone badass hero having to use stealth and weaponry to liberate a government-owned island from the lunatic terrorists that have taken over. Hideo Kojima famously never wanted this game to have any sequels, and I can definitely see his point, as it’s a complete and wholly satisfying experience in of itself and I don’t feel like it’s ever been topped. At the very least, it’s certainly the most enjoyable of the series to me.

19. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Also, speaking of “borderline horror atmosphere”, we have the freakiest game that the Legend of Zelda series ever put out. What was supposed to just be a gaiden to Ocarina of Time mutated into this beautiful monstrosity that’s become just as iconic. Nobody who plays this game is ever going to forget that fucking moon and all the constant jumping back and forth in time across three days as you try to prevent the apocalypse of Termina. It’s the kind of gaming trauma that’s well worth experiencing.

18. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories - Like Majora’s Mask, this game is a case study where you can take a bunch of recycled assets and gameplay, and then make something unique from it if you have a well-crafted story with a dark and disturbing atmosphere. It’s hard to experience or appreciate the transition between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II without playing this midquel, which takes the narrative and characters to deeper levels without being pretentious about it and sets the stage for the proper console sequel perfectly. And if you can’t get into it being on Gameboy Advance, then just play the PS2 remake (which is arguably the superior version anyway) and you’re good! Just...don’t mind the cards, OK?

17. Sonic CD - And now we have another game about jumping back and forth through time to prevent an apocalypse! See the common threads at play here by this point? Sonic the Hedgehog is at his best in 2D gameplay, and I personally enjoy this the best out of all the 2D games in the series. As obscure as the Sega CD was as a system, it was powerful enough to take the blue blur’s speed to its maximum level, set alongside beautiful graphics and a kick-ass soundtrack (well, two different kick-ass soundtracks; and I actually prefer the US one). 

16. Pokemon Black & White - While there were advancements made to story and graphics and gameplay features in the third and fourth generations of the Pokemon series, nothing felt as truly ground-breaking as the second generation games until the fifth gen with its Black & White games. This was arguably the game series’ peak in quality on all fronts, but its specifically the story that lands it on this list, as its well-written and paced, subverts many formulaic elements from the previous games, is set in one of the most unique regions in the Pokemon world, and has a timeless message that has only grown more relevant with age. 

15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The whole series could really go here, but fortunately the most recent entry is the perfect embodiment of said series, with every playable character there’s ever been and then some. The sheer variety is unmatched by any other fighting game out there, and its story mode, “World of Light”, is quite possibly the greatest video game crossover in history given how many characters are featured as both fighters and spirits.

14. Super Mario 64 - I’m pretty sure this game used to be higher in my favor, but replaying it on the Nintendo Switch recently has made me aware of how, as the first game on the Nintendo 64 and the first 3D platformer, it’s poorly aged in several areas. However, I must stress that it is still a very good game. The fun of going to the various worlds within paintings in Peach’s Castle hasn’t changed, nor has how smoothly and seamlessly Mario managed to make the jump from 2D to 3D. Just like Super Mario Bros., the number of games that owe something to this one is too great to count, and that’s an achievement that remains timeless.

13. Dark Chronicle - Also known as Dark Cloud 2. I hadn’t heard a damn thing about this game before renting it on a whim many years ago, and I was caught off guard by just how good it was. It’s got a simple but effective story and likable characters, a timeless atmosphere, beautifully cel-shaded graphics, dungeon-crawling gameplay, action-RPG combat gameplay, literal world-building gameplay, and even a fishing minigame! This game can actually stand besides the Zelda series without shame; it’s truly an underrated gem.

12. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Oh, speaking of Zelda, this game goes full Lord of the Rings-style epic fantasy with it and it is glorious. Between the near perfect gameplay, beautiful 3D graphics, and one of the best stories in the series (with one of the best characters: Midna), Twilight Princess’ most prevalent complaint from critics all the way up to its own developers is that it wasn’t even MORE expansive and awesome given how long it was hyped, and if that’s the biggest issue with the game then I’d say it’s in pretty good shape.

11. Super Mario Galaxy - Super Mario 64 may be held back a little by how its aged, but no such thing is holding back Super Mario Galaxy. Super Mario Odyssey might be as good or possibly even better, but I just don’t hold the same feelings of amazement and respect toward it that I do for this game. From the blitzkrieg-style attack on the Mushroom Kingdom by Bowser to the discovery of Rosalina’s space station, this game had me hooked from the first few minutes, especially with it blaring that awesome orchestral score the whole way through. To this day, I maintain that this is Mario’s greatest 3D adventure. It’s simply magnificent.

10. Final Fantasy X - Ha! See what I did there? This game has caught flak for some of the awkwardness that comes from being the first fully 3D entry in the series, but I think that’s tantamount to nitpicking when compared to all it does right. To me, this was the last really good installment of the main Final Fantasy series, with a story and world so brilliantly developed that the game earned the immediate breakthrough success and acclaim that it found in its native Japan. 20 years later and, as the HD remaster has shown, it still holds up as one of the most engaging JRPG experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure of having.

9. Banjo-Kazooie - At the time, this was basically Rare’s copycat version of Super Mario 64, although considered about as good. Now, however, there’s a difference: the aging issues I mentioned for Super Mario 64 don’t apply for Banjo-Kazooie. Whether replaying it on the Nintendo 64 or on whichever Xbox you’ve got, this game is still just as fun, imaginative and hilarious now as it was back then. It’s quite possibly the greatest 3D platformer ever made.

8. Pokemon Crystal - The definitive edition of the Gold & Silver games of Pokemon’s second generation, taking what was already a phenomenal advancement and improvement to the first generation and making it even better with additional features such as the ability to play as a girl for the first time and a more clearly defined storyline centered around the legendary Pokemon featured on the game’s box art. Pokemon had been written off as just a passing fad up until this point. This was when its staying power as a video game juggernaut was proven.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Talk about a win right out of the gate for the Nintendo Switch! This game returns the Legend of Zelda series to its roots while also applying all that has been made possible in video games since the original game’s release, and the result is an enthralling, addictive, open world masterpiece that has set a new standard of quality for both the Zelda series and for many modern video games in general.

6. Kingdom Hearts II - The Final Mix edition to be precise, although in this day and age that’s basically the only edition people are playing anyway. This game is the apotheosis of Kingdom Hearts as both a video game series and as a concept; filled to the brim with Disney magic and Square Enix RPG expertise and paired with some of the most refined action-based gameplay there is. And when it comes to bringing the original Kingdom Hearts trilogy’s story to a close, does this game ever stick the landing. The series could have ended right here and I would have been completely satisfied (and its reputation would be a lot better off, too!)

5. Pokemon Yellow - While I maintain that this game, the definitive edition of the original first generation Pokemon games, still holds up as fun to play even now, I’ll admit that it’s pure bias that it ranks so high. It was the first proper video game I ever played, there was no way I was leaving it off the top 5! Its blissful nostalgic atmosphere is always such a delight to return to.

4. Banjo-Tooie - Remember when I said Banjo-Kazooie was “quite possibly the greatest 3D platformer ever made”? The “quite possibly” is because its in stiff competition with its own sequel! And personally, I’m in Banjo-Tooie’s corner; something about how inter-connected its worlds are and the addition of so many things to do all while maintaining your full moveset from the original game is just beautiful to me. Both it and its predecessor are like obstacle courses that I never tire of running through, which is the hallmark of brilliant game design.

3. Kingdom Hearts - Another case where the sequel may be the superior game, but my own personal preference leans toward the original. And in this case, it’s a highly personal preference: this game and my memories of playing it for the first time are so very dear to me. The characters and worlds of Disney put into an epic crossover RPG was like a dream come true for me and no matter how far the series it spawned has deteriorated, nothing can detract from the magic of this game. It’s got a certain, indescribable feel and atmosphere that’s never truly been replicated, and that feel and atmosphere still holds up whenever I revisit it. The gameplay may not be the best, particularly when compared to Kingdom Hearts II’s, but the charm of the story and the characters and the world and the very concept more than makes up for that. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of Disney and Square’s greatest masterpieces.

2. Final Fantasy VII - I was aware of the hype this game got and was totally ready to call it overrated, but damn it, it got me! I don’t know what it is about this game with its blocky early 3D graphics, poor sound quality to its excellent soundtrack, and frequently mistranslated script that proved to be so gripping and enjoyable to play through, but man did it ever Limit Break its way into my heart. This is considered a JRPG classic for a damn good reason.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Do I really need to explain this one? It’s famous for being frequently cited as one of the greatest video games ever made, and like Final Fantasy VII, its hype is well-deserved and totally justified. Whether you’re playing it on the Nintendo 64, the Gamecube, the Wii, the 3DS, and hopefully the Nintendo Switch in the future, there is a magic quality to this game that permeates through every step you take in its fully 3D world. It’s a triumph that has stood the test of time, cementing the Zelda series as truly legendary.

[junker-town]

Raiders have a chance to be great, but they’re running out of time in Oakland

Derek Carr may be the brightest star the Raiders have had since Marcus Allen.

The years after Rich Gannon’s late-career revival weren’t kind to the Raiders offense. Oakland cycled through a long list of failed quarterbacks like JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter, and Terrelle Pryor as eight wins became the high-water mark for one of the league’s proudest franchises.

After nearly a decade of wandering through the AFC West’s desert, Derek Carr has led the Raiders to the AFC’s promised land just in time to give Oakland fans a glimmer of hope before departing for the browner pastures of Las Vegas. With an MVP-candidate presence behind center, Jack Del Rio’s team rocketed to the upper tier of the NFL. When Carr’s season was cut short by a broken leg in Week 16, his absence was enough to sink the team’s postseason aspirations.

The Raiders scored 27.3 points per game with Carr in the lineup. When he sat, that number dropped to 10. Carr’s passer rating of 96.7 ranked eighth in the league. His replacements, Matt McGloin and Connor Cook, combined for a 73.8 — a mark that would have ranked 29th.

A healthy Carr puts Oakland in position for its first AFC West title since 2002. The franchise is investing heavily to ensure he’s got everything he needs — at least on offense.

Marshawn Lynch leads a trio of offensive signings who could fall flat

The Raiders have given their young quarterback some extra ammunition for 2017, though their additions are not foolproof. The big-ticket acquisition was Marshawn Lynch, a five-time Pro Bowler and bonafide superstar who can add a bruising presence to Oakland’s running platoon. He’s also 31 years old, coming off a one-year retirement, and averaged just 3.6 yards per carry his last active season.

But a return to his hometown could be the motivator he lacked as his tenure in Seattle came to a close. He told reporters playing for the Raiders was “a dream come true.” He made it clear there’s a new energy flowing through his veins in the Bay Area.

“I got the whole town riding with me,” Lynch said. “So that's good what they've got going on. All that good shit you just said. But I got a whole new Oakland behind me. The way we feel just about where we're from and why we represent where we're from so hard is because we know what the struggle is and how we get down.”

Lynch will be joined by All-Pro Cordarrelle Patterson, a gifted kick returner whose receiving skills have never found a way to match his special teams contributions. The club also added Jared Cook, who used one tremendous postseason reception to erase an underwhelming 2016 season with Green Bay. All three bring value to the lineup, though none may be a significant upgrade over the team’s current skill players.

But each could thrive with fresh starts thanks to Carr and one of the league’s top offensive lines. No team protected its passer like the Raiders last fall. Carr was sacked on only 3.17 percent of his dropbacks — less than any other starter in the league. As a result, 60 percent of that unit — Donald Penn, Kelechi Osemele, and Rodney Hudson — earned Pro Bowl nods. Osemele was also named a first-team All-Pro for his work keeping Carr’s jersey clean.

That rock-solid foundation is the rising tide that lifts the rest of this team’s offense. Lynch goes from the overgrown World War I trench the Seahawks used to protect Russell Wilson to one who cleared room for the NFL’s sixth-ranked rushing offense last fall. Patterson and Cook will have extra time to create space downfield with Carr safe in the pocket. They’ll also have a new offensive coordinator in place: Todd Downing, the quarterbacks coach who helped Carr develop into an MVP-caliber passer, is now running things as offensive coordinator.

The Raiders offense will build on an already successful foundation

We can already see the effect that’s had on one of the league’s deadliest wideout pairings. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree combined for 172 catches, 2,156 yards, and 13 touchdowns last season as a pick-your-poison duo. Cooper’s sophomore season demanded double-teams, allowing Crabtree to have a renaissance performance working against cornerbacks on an island; 2016 marked his first 1,000-yard season since 2012.

When teams focused on stopping Cooper and Crabtree, Oakland doubled down on its offensive line strength to find a way to win. That was never more apparent than in Week 9, when Denver’s no-fly-zone secondary limited Carr to just 184 passing yards. Instead, Latavius Murray stepped up to score three touchdowns, and the team’s tailback platoon combined for 211 rushing yards in a 30-20 beatdown.

Murray won’t be around in 2017 — he signed with the Vikings this offseason — but Lynch’s presence ensures the Raiders will have a deep and dominant offense. Murray’s platoon mates, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, remain on the roster in case Beast Mode fails to return to his former All-Pro form.

After the first day of minicamp, Washington said he thinks the offense is “dangerous.”

“I mean, you look on paper, it’s crazy the amount of talent we got,” the second-year back told the Raiders’ website. “But, we still have to put the work in first and foremost. We definitely feel like we can score and play with anybody in this league. We got the personnel, the coaches, so it’s just about going out and making it happen at this point.”

Now, the focus will shift on a defense eager to prove it’s more than a one-man show.

The Raiders defense needs to step up

Khalil Mack made the jump from young prospect to superstar in 2016, earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in the process. However, his presence alone couldn’t keep Oakland from ranking 20th in the league in points allowed and 26th in yardage allowed. In fact, in the past 14 seasons, the Raiders have finished better than 20th in scoring defense just once.

Mack was flanked by Pro Bowl safety Reggie Nelson, but the rest of the team’s unit came up lacking. Oakland gave up 24 points or more in 11 of its 17 games last season, including a 27-point performance to open last year’s playoffs. That final performance wound up a moot point — Connor Cook completed only 18 of his 45 passes in a Wild Card loss to the Texans — but it pointed out the team’s fatal flaw. A healthy Carr would have to win a series of shootouts to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Even Nelson, who will be 34 this season, can’t be relied on to continue his late-career renaissance. Recent free agent acquisitions like Sean Smith, Aldon Smith, Bruce Irvin, and Dan Williams have produced anonymous-to-middling returns. The same goes for high-profile draft picks like Karl Joseph, Mario Edwards, Shilique Calhoun, and Jihad Ward. While that latter group still has time to develop into above-average starters, it’s clear the team needs extra help to jump from intriguing winners to true contenders.

Oakland doubled down on its defense during the draft

The Raiders chose the draft rather than free agency to replenish their defensive ranks. The team’s first three selections — and five of its first six — were defenders. Oakland was able to select a top-10 talent at the end of the first round when a sexual assault claim caused Ohio State’s Gareon Conley to drop to the 24th pick of the 2017 NFL draft. The franchise issued its own polygraph to Conley and was satisfied with the results before rolling the dice on him. But questions will likely follow him through the early stages of his career — the investigation into the alleged assault is still ongoing.

The team’s next two picks were players with big-time potential and plenty to prove. Second-rounder Obi Melifonwu stood out as the most athletic player at the NFL Combine, but he’ll have to find a way to apply his enviable talent into a coverage role in the Raiders secondary. Eddie Vanderdoes was a five-star high school recruit who never really lived up to the hype at UCLA but remains an untapped well of power in the trenches.

Conley, Melifonwu, and Vanderdoes all add value at positions of need for an underwhelming defense — if they can acclimate early.

Oakland needs more than just Beast Mode to be a Super Bowl threat

The Raiders haven’t tasted postseason success since 2002, and they’re running out of time in the Bay Area. They only have two seasons left in Oakland before a mystery bridge year (location to be determined) and a 2020 opening season in Las Vegas. With Carr behind center, the team has a reasonably long window of Super Bowl contention ahead of it — but only 16 more regular season games in front of the fervent crowds who suffered through a litany of losing seasons to get here.

Those are the fans for whom Lynch returned. He’ll have to prove he’s recharged and able to return to his 2014 form to lead a deep platoon for one of the NFL’s budding offenses.

The Raiders have the kind of offense to compete and a slipshod defense that will ensure the final, sewage-filled days of O.co Coliseum’s football hosting will be exciting. Carr is a franchise cornerstone who will be surrounded by playmaking personalities like Lynch, Cooper, and Crabtree — the perfect antidote for an AFC West schedule featuring Denver’s and Kansas City’s fearsome defenses. However, the team’s inability to craft a second front-seven star to complement Mack’s disruptive play is a major caveat for anyone picking Oakland as a world champion.

Del Rio’s Raiders could be better than they’ve ever been in 2017. An offseason focus on adding offensive help will ensure the team wins its share of firefight. But even best-case production from new additions won’t matter if the Raiders can’t ground the explosive rosters of the Patriots and Steelers in the postseason.

Mack can’t do it alone. Unless other young players on the defense live up to the hype, Oakland fans could be stuck waiting for a Super Bowl parade until Raiders ownership gets fed up with its Vegas lease in 2035.