Dan’s Top Ten Games of the Decade

Okay, just like Joe, I was a bit confused when I started seeing lists of ‘Top 10 Games of the Decade’. We’ve only just started a new decade, so it took some time to realise that people are referring to the previous decade in these lists. The so-called ‘noughties’ of 2000-2009 were the years when gaming truly became what it is now, so in celebration of those wonderful years, here is my own list comprising my Top 10 Games of the (last) Decade. And it really says something when only two of the games from Joe’s list even make so much as an appearance on mine.

10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PC
Yes, one of my most hated games ever starts my list off. Yes, there are some horrid problems with the multiplayer, yes my computer can’t run it very well, and yes, it proves that Infinity Ward is not the company that they used to be. But the single player is actually quite fun, even if it is short, and when the lobby that you end up joining turns out to produce one of the most exciting and challenging matches ever, this is one hell of a game. If only there were dedicated servers, this would be much higher up my list, but for now, until IW fixes the problem, it is at Number 10.

9. Sonic Heroes
Most people follow the opinion that Sega have not produced a properly good Sonic game since Sonic 3 on the Mega Drive/Genesis. I mean, Sonic Rush for the DS is okay, but that’s because it’s 2D. Sonic doesn’t really belong in 3D, hence the news that Sonic 4 will be a 2D game. However, the one good 3D Sonic game that I have played has to be Sonic Heroes. Yes there were some dodgy controls, and yes there were some characters that I’d never heard of. But this is the only game on my list that I actually had to buy from my brother so that I could play it whenever I wanted to. True story. And that is why Sonic Heroes is at Number 9.

8. Psychonauts
Want to know something that most modern games lack? Oh, I don’t know…COLOUR! Psychonauts is one of the most vibrant games you can buy, and it is truly fun. I haven’t played it much since it was on sale for £1 on Steam, but honestly, the first level alone made this one of the best single player games that I’ve ever played. EVER. Adventure games are a dying breed, but Psychonauts is one of Tim Schafer’s best efforts. Now can we see a remake of Grim Fandango? Anyone?

…

Okay. But whatever, Psychonauts is at Number 8.

7. DOOM 3

There aren’t many games on this list that are properly scary. DOOM 3 is. How scary? Well, I actually screamed out loud at one point when an alien bursts out from beneath some stairs, and this was on an early level for Christ’s sake. A massive departure from the DOOM games of old, DOOM 3 actually has a storyline for one thing, but it also has good graphics, and it still adheres to the good old rule of ‘If it moves, shoot it!’ Oh, and it still has the BFG-9000. DOOM 3 is Number 7 on my list.

6. Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader

If I could list the original Rogue Squadron game here then I would, because it was one of the best games ever released on the N64. I still play it regularly today. But it was released in 1999, so it just fails to make this list. However, the second game in the series was a masterpiece of its own. Whereas the first game was completely unrelated to the actual Star Wars movies, apart from some bonus levels that you could do at the end, Rogue Leader followed the canon much more closely. It started with the famous Death Star Trench Run, and ended with the equally as famous assault on the second Death Star. The controls are fluent, and really worked well with the Gamecube controller, and the number of ships that you could fly was just astounding. In my opinion, this game was better than its sequel, the third Rogue Squadron game, which introduced ground based missions into the mix. This kept things pure and simple, but at the same time, exhilarating and oh so fun. Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader is my sixth best game of the decade.

5. Half Life 2

Wait! Whenever Half Life 2 appears on these lists, it’s usually at number 1. You might be thinking ‘What the hell are you doing, man?!’ Well, this is my own personal list, and as such, it may contain some twists. Wait until you see what is at Number 1. Anyway, back to Half Life 2. This is a legendarily good game, whether you’ve played the first Half Life or not, and Gordon Freeman is one of the best characters there is. He beat Mario in a Gamespot survey, for heaven’s sake. He doesn’t speak, but why would he have to? His actions talk louder than words ever could. There’s no real need to describe this one. It’s just fun, exciting, and, as I said earlier, legendary among FPS games. However, this is my personal list, so Half Life 2 sits at number 5.

4. Unreal Tournament 2004

Legendary for a different reason, Unreal Tournament 2004 is the game that got me into FPS games in the first place, mainly because the demo version, which is still downloadable for free today, was so damn awesome! It contained some of the best maps, all of the guns bar 2, and best of all, it included fully-functioning multiplayer! Seriously, we used to play this demo at my school during lunch break for years, all on a LAN server, until they removed it from the computers. But by then I had purchased the full version. And what did it come with? A single player mode that was basically a massively extended ‘Instant Action’ mode, that was available on the Demo…many more maps…but honestly, you didn’t need all that. This game was sold purely on the multiplayer, and on that front, it was so damn fun you didn’t need to get the full version of the game to experience it! Just download the demo, load up the multiplayer, and play a round of Torlan. Nothing else even came close at the time. This game will always remain in my heart as helping me survive the early years of secondary school, and for that reason alone, UT2K4 is number 4 on my list.

3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

The first Call of Duty game that I ever played, and probably the best ever to have been made by Infinity Ward, COD4 is simply awesome. Seriously, there is no other game that just screams ‘finished’ like COD4. What do I mean by that? Well, I am part of a COD4 clan that runs various servers, but are they running the latest patch? Oh no, almost all of their servers are running patch version 1.6, not 1.7. And this is quite literally no problem at all, because as far as I can work out, they barely changed anything in 1.7. Anyway, back to the game itself. The single player is fun and of perfect length, with some really good plot twists, but let’s be honest. You play this game for the multiplayer, and COD4 is a true example of how multiplayer should be done. It uses dedicated servers with Punkbuster, it allows for all sorts of modifications, and the rank system is just perfect. The guns are also varied in characteristics, and which one you like best is purely down to personal choice. For a long time I loved my P90, and then I started using the Mini Uzi and Skorpion, which I now like even more. This game has something for everyone, and so Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is number 3 on my list.

2. Team Fortress 2

The original Team Fortress was the game that practically invented class-based multiplayer. It started life as a modification of Quake, and was then moulded by Valve into Team Fortress Classic, before spending 8 years in development hell. And what finally emerged was what we know as Team Fortress 2, the game that re-invented class based FPS games. Its art style is unique among games. It is deliberately cartoony, but at the same time it absolutely pops. Seriously, I played this game at a LAN party with a whole load of people from my clan, and on the hyper-powered computers that we had available, TF2 looked better to me than any other game I had ever played before. And though there are some balance issues, and some problems with some of the weapons, TF2 will remain as one of the modern day greats. Heck, they shouldn’t even make a Team Fortress 3! Just keep updating TF2 for years to come, and everyone will be happy. Team Fortress 2 is my current favourite game, but for the purposes of this list, it is at Number 2.

Okay, so here’s the moment that you’ve all been waiting for. My favourite game of the entire (last) decade. Can you guess what it is yet? Well, you don’t need to. Here we go.

1. Pokémon Silver

Yes. On a list where First-Person shooters dominate, my number one game of the decade is a role-playing game for children. But here’s the thing. In terms of pure time played, I have probably spent several months of my life playing Pokémon Silver, starting over from the start several times but always ending up loving it. In fact, I was still playing it last year, until my GBA finally decided to give out. This game was not just fun. It had an internal battery, so it could make use of night and day. It introduced an entire new region to the Pokémon series, and a whole load of new characters. It brought 100 new Pokémon to the mix. It was perfect. And I’m not talking about a gore-filled shooter with stunning graphics, I’m talking about a simple game that a child could play. When I look back on the last decade, there were many good games released, but there was only one that I can look back on today with the admiration that I do Pokémon Silver. I know all of the glitches, all of the tricks. I am a massive fan of the Pokémon series even today. I know the names of all 493 Pokémon, and have played at least one game from each generation. But this is still my absolute favourite. I cannot wait for the release of the remakes on DS. It will be one of the few DS games that I actually want to purchase.

And in a decade that brought us the Gamecube, the Wii, the Xbox and the 360, the PS2 and the PS3, and let’s not forget the GBA, the DS, and the PSP, and even the iPhone if you truly count that as a gaming platform, it might seem odd that my list of the best games of the decade ignores any of the Super Smash Brothers games, particularly Melee and Brawl. It ignores Uncharted 1 and 2. It leaves out so many incredible games, and instead features a children’s RPG at the number one spot. However, this is my list, and in my entire life as a gamer, Pokémon Silver isn’t just my favourite game of the decade. It is my favourite game of all time.

And if you want to argue, hey, just leave a comment. Or better yet, make up your own list. I’d be happy to feature it in a future post of mine. If you want to take up my challenge, send me an email. bolmedias@googlemail.com is my email address.

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