Top 5 video Games in my lifetime

For today's blog, i wanted to detract from my current theme of social dissent and talk about something important to me: Videogames. It seems that my most beloved medium is tossed around and despoiled by many forces. Either some neo-facist politician is dragging her through the mud in order to bolster his own moral position, or our "benevolent corporate masters" are dressing the poor girl up to sell energy drinks and fast food to the masses. Despite all this, i still choose to appreciate games as an art form. This, however, was not always the Norm. Many things happened from the first time i picked up an NES controller and now. So today, i thought i would look back and follow the top five games that changed my perception.

Im arranging this list based on the order i played them. The reason for this: Each of these games was like a touchtone for me in how i saw the medium and i thought it important that you see the journey as I have.

5. Super Mario bros. 3- This is the earliest I can remember being obsessed with a game. this was partially due to the little secrets along the way. Many will recall, of course, the warp whistles that would "take you to a far away land" or specifically to any level you wanted to go. It was finding little things like that which truly made the game an experience for me. Furthermore, the powerups really provided a variety of gameplay options. I could pull the traditional platforming role by steping on my foes, or i could take a more direct approach by batting them with my tail. And then there was the LAkitu suit with its stone form, which still confuses me to this day, but i still love it ^__^.

4. Starfox 64- Im gonna be honest for a second. the only reason this is on here is the voice acting. It was just simply over the top and so corny, but i loved every line of it. From Falco's top Gun-like arrogance and attitude, to Peppy's now iconic request that you "do a barrel roll" by "pressing Z or R twice". And the bosses (ah! the bosses) i so adored with their faux shakespearean dramatics. My particular favorite was the first bosses cry of "MY EMPEROR! I FAILED YOU!" as his craft exploded. It was the first time I really appreciated character design in a video game, as well as the earliest i can think of where voice acting became an integral part of the gaming experience.

3. Final Fantasy VII- This was the first game that had an actual emotional impact on me. I do not recall a time before FF VII that i actually cried during a video game. This was the first time i actually considered a video game a work of art. The story, soundtrack, and design elements came together for an experience unlike any other. Whats more, this was the first time in any medium that i was face to face with a truly mature storyline. And, of course, the turnbased RPG gameplay and stat building was a draw. More importantly, i enjoyed the detail that Squaresoft put in the battles. Limit breaks and summon spells were entertaining to watch (as well as time consuming, how long does it take for Sephiroth's meteor to seriously destroy a solar system?).

2. Diablo II - This was the first time I could truly appreciate an RPG style outside the turn-based confines i was accustomed to. The real time element added a deeper immersion to the game world. As I leveled up my skill tree, i could enjoy an active change in the gameplay. Each new skill became like a freshly wrapped piece of candy i could savor. Youre probably wondering why Diablo II and not I. Well, Diablo II had the Necromancer, who was a blast to play especially at later levels. Raining arcane plagues to support your squad of skeleton shock troops never loses its appeal. I guess Diablo II appeals to the sadistic military mastermind in me ;-)

1. Bioshock - I dont even know what to say. It is truly the perfect video game. This is an example of how games can be used to tell a rich and intracate story. I would even go as far as calling it "The citizen Kane of Video games". It changes the medium that much. In particular, it finishes what Final Fantasy VII started ten years ago. Final Fantasy VII was the first step towards Video Games evolution into a legitimate art form. Bioshock completes that evolution, turning the medium of gaming into an a vehicle for expression and deeper understanding of human nature.