Part two of the list is today. We’ve got gaming firsts, gaming worsts, and… I… couldn’t think of anything else that rhymed.
On to games 11-20!
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Dance Dance Revolution |
| Rhythm based game that has taken the new gaming generation by storm. The game has an extremely small learning curve, but is difficult to master. Watching people play the game is almost as much fun as playing the game itself.
Responsible for, among other things, weight-loss success stories. More information than you probably want to know about the game is available at DDR Freak. |
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Donkey Kong |
| Breakout game for Shigeru Miyamoto who is probably one of the most well known people in the video game industry. This game was also the debut of video game icons Donkey Kong and Mario (then known as Jumpman).
exitzer0 adds: “A great game that gets even better when you realise the name originated from a translation error for Stupid Monkey, the supposed original title for the game.” I couldn’t find anything to prove or disprove that, but there’s also the idea that the name came from a garbled communication regarding the name Monkey Kong. Neither story has apparently been proven. -Ed. More information can be found at the KLOV. |
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Donkey Kong Country |
| One of the first games developed that used 3D rendered sprites and converted them to 2D animations to provide a unique graphic quality on the Super Nintendo that is still impressive today.
I couldn’t find a review, but I managed to locate a speed run. |
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Root Beer Tapper |
| Notable for the unique control, the machine actually had beer tap controllers and a rail to rest your foot on to simulate a real bar.
You can play an online version here. |
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E.T. The Extra Terrestrial |
| Notable as being probably the worst game ever made. The game was confusing and the game play was disorienting. I played the game for many hours when I was younger and never could figure out if I was making progress or not. The game was so abominable that millions of unsold copies were buried in a landfill.
exitzer0 adds: “Worst. Game. Ever.” More information is available at Atari Age. |
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Everquest |
| Everquest is not the first MMORPG to come around, but it is one of the very first to bring them to the mainstream. Apparently very addictive, it has garnered the label ‘Evercrack’ by the media and has been connected to at least one suicide.
exitzer0 adds: “The first great MMORPG and also the first great geek breeder.” More information is available at the official site. |
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Final Fantasy |
| Popular lore goes something like this: Square was in dire straits, tottering on the edge of bankruptcy and was only going to produce one more game that would either make or break the company. That one game ended up being Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy not only managed to help to bring the struggling Square back from the brink of oblivion, but it also changed the face of the typical RPG.
exitzer0 adds: “This one is the only game right? You know, the ‘final’ one.” More information is available at FF Classic |
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Goldeneye |
| This is the first must have game for the N64, selling almost as many copies as Super Mario 64. It went platinum (sold one million units) in less than four months and reportedly sold around 8 million units total. Goldeneye is considered by many to be the best game for the system, and some still consider it the best game of all time.
And I never got a copy… exitzer0 adds: “Nothing like the real Bond, but still an addicting game.” More information is available at Goldeneye Forever. |
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Hologram Time Traveler |
| I was never… uh… fortunate enough to play Hologram Time Traveler when it was available in arcades, or when it was rereleased in DVD format. A very very odd game, it only gets a mention here because the arcade unit showed the gameplay using holograms.
More information is available in this review. |
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Maniac Mansion |
| Quirky game in it’s own right, Maniac Mansion has a large cult following, but that’s not why it’s getting mentioned here.
Maniac Mansion marks the first usage of the SCUMM Engine, which was one of Lucasarts’ workhorses. SCUMM been used in such Lucasarts games as Zak McKraken, Sam and Max, The Dig, and the Monkey Island series. More information is available here(Maniac Mansion) and here(SCUMM) |