So I've Been Thinking... : Best Games P1

Let's get this clear at the start: I play video games like I get paid to play them; I easily put in 20+ hours a week into the vast library of games that I own. With years of experience in the gaming world, you (YES, YOU!) would think I would have a well thought-out list of, according to me, the best games I've played.

But I don't.

"Well why don't you have such a list, Michael?" The answer is simple: I just haven't thought about it that much... until now (kinda)!

I asked myself the very same question 10 minutes ago before I sat down and started typing away at this piece. What I'm going to do is scribble down some of the best games I have ever played, throw some reasons behind them, and then add what could have been better.

Ready?

1) Pokemon Gold/Silver

I could easily put any of the Pokemon games here (up to Gen 3). I loved each and every game as a kid. Even today, I'll load up some old save files and enjoy reliving some of the fun that I had as a kid.

This particular version stood out the most to me, because it did so many things right without detracting from the Pokemon experience. 

Firstly, the social aspect of playing alongside my brother, but at our own paces, was so key to not only my enjoyment of the game but my relationship with my brother. The game promoted playful rivalries through battling and cooperation through trading for version-exclusive (Matthew, if you're reading this, I will never forget that Alakazam you had in Ruby/Sapphire. To this day, I regret making that trade with you required for the evolution into that Pokemon.).

Secondly, the designers at Game Freak did a fantastic job of improving on their original concept. They made the right choice of keeping the original Pokemon around while managing to add a good number of new, unique Pokemon to the new game. On top of this, they made a few quality of life changes that made the game play much better. Namely, they adjusted some stat types (ie: Bug became "not very effective" against Poison) and made the inventory much easier to use. On top of adjusting current content, the brand-new content was done well. Of the many additions to the series, my favorite few features were the addition of time, the breeding system, Bug-catching contest, and the ability for Pokemon to hold items.

Finally, the communication of these new features were communicated perfectly to the players. Let's take breeding, for example. At the very beginning of the game, Game Freak introduces the concept but it is unknown to the players at the time. The tree-named Professor (Elm) gives you your first Pokemon and sends you on your way to retrieve this egg. He then encourages you to hold onto the egg in your party. Sure, this sounds like a neat little plot point, but what are the designers actually doing? They are teaching you, very subtly, how to properly breed your Pokemon. They tell you that it came from the Daycare center and that it is VERY IMPORTANT. Not only this, but you receive the egg at a time where you'll only have around three Pokemon. This fact makes it so you'll hold onto the egg without sacrificing a party slot. All in all, breeding was communicated perfectly.

Now, what could have been done better?

I honestly cannot think of anything other than I dislike how the designers effectively made Poison type worthless by only making it super effective against Grass type and including the new type Steel that it could not harm.

So there it is, my first look back at one of my favorite games! I'll be sure to add to this blog more often with my thoughts.