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5 Favorite Game Franchises


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these are in no particular order

1. Jak and Daxter

An action platformer 3rd person shooter series with a racing game in there somewhere, this franchise makes up 5 of the best games ive ever played (but mainly the first 3)

Favourite Entry: Jak 3

2. Fire Emblem

I'm here aren't I? Of course I love this series! Started off with Awakening a couple years back, then played Fates on release day and have since begun to play the earlier entries

Favourite Entry: Fates: Conquest

3. Star Wars Battlefront (no not that disgrace of a game EA made)

The original 2 Star Wars Battlefront games for the ps2 took up countless hours of my time when I was younger, and to this day I still pull out the dusty old copy of BF2 from time to time

Favourite Entry: Star Wars Battlefront 2

4. Ratchet & Clank

A series very similar to Jak and Daxter, just substitute a good story for more humour and bigger guns (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Regardless, the 3rd instalment in this series was one of my first ever ps2 games, which led to playing other games in the franchise. Unfortunately I didn't end up with any more Sony consoles after the ps2, so I havent played the more recent entries, but when I finally get around to buying a ps3/4 its good to know I'll have a lot to catch up on 

Favourite Entry: Ratchet & Clank: Up your Arsenal

5. Assassin's Creed

A series I've prided myself on keeping up with over the years. The gameplay is great, the story is great, the aesthetics in the series have always been amazing. To this day even the first game in the series still looks good. So whats not to like? 

Favourite Entry: Assassin's Creed: Unity

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  1. Fire Emblem: This series is really important to me and helped me a lot in my hardest moments of my life, as silly as It sounds. Plus, the characters and the game play are just excellent.
  2. Rhythm Heaven: a colorful, fun rhythm game with extremely silly minigame. How can one not love it?
  3. Drakengard: this series is overall not that great. But I still enjoy it a lot thanks to the characters and OST.
  4. Final Fantasy: a series full of great entries. Also, It has my 2nd favorite game of all time.
  5. Klonoa: A fun 2.5D Platform. It Always let me relax like no other series can.
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#5: Lego Star Wars

Call me an eight-year-old, but I have so many great memories of these games. As a child, Legos and Star Wars were my two favorite things, so the games were a natural fit. Even though the simple gameplay of the originals has lost its appeal as I've aged, the nostalgia alone has been enough to keep me playing to this day. Now I get to show my younger siblings all the secrets!

#4: Super Smash Bros

I think everyone has already given all the reasons I love this game. When you grow up with a lot of brothers, fighting games are the standard fare. And Smash Bros is the best fighting game. Ever. Period.

#3: Legend of Zelda

This series also brings me a lot of nostalgia. Majora's Mask is my favorite, because of its immersive feeling of impending calamity. However, Wind Waker and Link's Awakening have both been great experiences to play through as well.

#2: Final Fantasy

The story, the characters, the gameplay... but most importantly, the music! You're a genius, Nobuo Uetsamu. No matter how many cliches or flaws a game might have, the music always draws me in, allowing me to empathize with the characters and feel what they are feeling. 

#1: Fire Emblem

Every entry has more than its share of flaws, but the strategic, turn-based RPG gameplay is the only kind of gameplay that I've ever truly enjoyed. The characters, while often cliched, always have the ability to make me feel for them (especially when they die). 

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I love all the shout outs for TWEWY, cause, like, so many yes haha.

This is a good question though, hmm.

Well, in no real order:

1) Fire Emblem - This is a series which got me into Nintendo, really. I mean, I played the other games listed here first, but those (among some others) were just the only games I played. I only ever really watched my brother play games on our N64 or PlayStation. I had never played many myself. (again, other then Kirby and Pokemon). One Christmas my mother randomly got me a purple GBA and a copy of Fire Emblem, and I was hooked. I have since played ever single FE game, maybe not all the way for some one the Japanese ones, but I've loved it. It got me into Tactical RPGs and that is my favorite kind of game now.

Favorite Entry: Fire Emblem 7: Blazing Sword

2) Pokemon - Okay, this one is short and sweet. The second game I've ever played. I grew up on this with my twin brother. For the first two games we got the oppsite games. I got Blue, he got red, I got Silver, he got Gold. It really brought us closer together and it helped me fall in love with RPGs. Since then I've played ever single game and know way, way to much about this series.

Favorite Entry: Pokemon Sapphire

3) Kirby - Kirby's Dreamland was my first game ever. I didn't even own a Kirby game till Dreamland 2. I was in a speech class, and every time we passed a test, the highest score would get an hour of game time on the GameBoy. I got the highest score twice and I saw Dreamland, put it in and was hooked. This is my favorite non RPG game. I mean look how cute Kirby is. I have a few Kirby plush toys around my room haha.

Favorite Entry: Kirby's Dreamland 2

4) Tales of Series - The first non Nintendo game! This is a series I have been playing with my brother and my best friend for a while. Every time a new game comes out, we get together, no matter what, and play it, beat it and have a great time. This is an amazing RPG with normally great stories and characters.

Favorite Entry: Tales of Vesperia

5) Silent Hill/Resident Evil - Okay, this one is a tie. I had a hard time picking and since, at least for now, it seems like the Silent Hill series is sleeping, I gave it to RE too. I love horror. I'm a comic book writer, which is my paying job...I know, lucky haha, and I focus heavily on horror and murder. I love horror movies, comics and games. RE 7 has been a blast to play and I've always loved both Silent Hill and RE. They both have their own since of horror and different styles too them, and what can I say, I love a good scare!

Favorite Entry: Silent Hill: Downpour and Resident Evil 7

Edited by Dylan Corona
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Not in order of preference:

- Fire Emblem: Generally good writing and OST; the permadeath factor, variable stats through growths and [loads of] character Supports that make you care about them are a big factor on replayability. I also like strategy games, preferably those who don't rely far too much in luck.

- Zero Escape: Probably one of the best stories that I've read on videogames. I think my words can't give it enough justice.

- Ace Attorney: Good writing, characters, OST and mystery along with well used humor. It's always fun reading through its lines, no matter how long they are, and figuring out the cases on the get go.

- Mega Man X/Zero/ZX (honorable mention to the first Mega Man series, whose games I have mixed feelings about): I daresay Mega Man X was revolutionary on quick platformers with focus on good reflexes and maneuvering, which is why I love it (you can say Sonic does something similar, but... it's different). Dashing along the stage while blasting anything on your way and listening to a catchy, often rocky soundtrack, is awesome. It is a shame that they won't continue the X or the ZX series (the latter had a lot of opportunity for a sequel).

- Paradox Grand Strategy games (Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis IV, Victoria II, Hearts of Iron IV, Stellaris): I still stick with the theory that Paradox made an alternative universe simulator that changes history on other universes as we play through their games. They're those kind of complex games that have a tough learning curve (with the exception of HOI4 and Stellaris), but oh boy is it worth the time to learn. I put them on a series because they're [indirect] continuations of one another, as you can keep playing from 600-ish A.C up to World War II on a single, transfered file (hi Byzantines on 1969). They're all amazing, but I think my favorite has to be Crusader Kings 2 for the sheer amount of content and roleplaying opportunity. In that game, every character has traits associated with their personality that might change with time (for example, a gregarious person becoming shy or a brave warrior becoming a craven), specific events and education, and those traits reflect their opinions of other characters and base their actions on (a greedy vassal might like receiving gold more than a content one, while an ambitious vassal might hate their liege for being in position of power). Basically, it is a Game of Thrones simulator of sorts, rich in scheming and characterization. And yes, there is a faithful GOT mod.

PS: And the sixth ranger, because screw the rules I can't miss this one out.

Spoiler

- Mother/Earthbound series: I had to break the rules for this, my bad. The setting, writting, eerie atmosphere and immersive scenarios made me a big fan of that game, despite its simplistic gameplay. My words can't do it enough justice.

 

 

I could keep going on and on about series like Castlevania, Sonic the Hedgehog, the Arkham Series, Elder Scrolls (if only for Oblivion and Skyrim - Morrowind and below are unplayable to me) etc., but that's the limit, I'm afraid.

Honorable mention to the Rune Factory series, although I could only get into 3 and 4. The first two suffered from bad design choices, in my opinion, because they fail to introduce the player to the world and instead leave him to his own to discover essential things needed for a proper playthrough. 3 and 4 at least give you some direction and help to get started and explore it by yourself - 1 and 2 are merciless and don't care about that. It's a shame that series won't continue (apparently) Lord of Magna doesn't exist, play Stardew Valley instead.

edit: Oh and the Mother/Earthbound series too. How could I forget it? Adding it as a post scriptum now.

 

 

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1. Vampire: the Masquerade

I never played that game. In fact, I've only watched a LP of it, but it was enough to see how awesome it is. I really want a modern [World of Darkness] game that follows its style. The characterization, voice acting, immersion and story are impressive. I'd throw my credit card at the screen nonstop if there was a modern VtM Bloodlines or a Changeling the Lost game.

 

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Summon Night - Swordcraft Story:

This one too, although I've only liked the second and I've only played the first two (didn't know there was a third until I googled some hours ago). Swordcraft Story 2 was really good and enjoyable.

 

Edited by Rapier
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Neversoft era Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

THPS 1-4  and THUG 1-2

Tony Hawk is one of two games that made me buy a console for the first time. And I still love it. I even get to share it since it's Mike Hommel's inspiration. The game's music sticks with you. The gameplay- the best. I think that the GBA and DS ports were done well too, but Vicarious Visions and THQ just had too limited resources (especially sound) compared to the consoles. They're playable and fun, but don't become legendary in the way of the main games-

Donkey Kong

Debated calling the series Donkey Kong Country, but to be honest- I like DK 64 and Jungle Beat more than DKR and DK3,  and I also like the mario vs donkey kong titles, so I went with something more inclusive. I've played the GB downports (land) even-  But yeah, I think I've played more DKC2 than almost any game period. I never find things "too big" As long as I'm platforming, I'm happy, Rareware (and Retro) never felt like they were going out of line to me.Temple Challenges are fun I swear

Banjo Kazooie

I adore Banjo. I'm still in awe of Tooie to this day. Mostly regarding the stuff Kazooie says when talking to babies. But also the way the levels are interconnected in a way beyond their main entrance- it just adds so much, even though functionally it probbably only means 2 jiggys per world are only accesible through the adjacent world. But the appearance of a single interconnected island pays off. Gruntilda's Revenge on the GBA is alright- compared to the Rayman and Spryro GBA games it makes a better "approximation" of the 3D platformer. And I actually like Nuts and Bolts- This is probably because I played lego racers/ vigilante 8 / and twisted metal a lot, but I was in a position to appreciate it for what it is when it came out. I do think that a lot of the humor from Tooie carries over well though. I do feel some things are on the nose but work enough of the time (the soundtrack kind of draws you into a game where you identify sections of music track in N&B remixed from 5 separate worlds EACH on n64)

Descent

I played ace combat and rogue squadron before ever encountering the venerable descent- but when I finally did try it out, I fell in love instantly. 6 degrees of freedom is probably my favorite control scheme for anything ever. These games have scale in the outer space levels, claustrophia in the indoor levels, fast, arcade style gameplay, great music, my favorite explosions of all time. Proper difficulty modes. I can think of little else to ask for. The Descent games, along their spirtual succesors (Freespace), the reboot (underground) and their clones (forsaken/colony wars/G Police, etc) are like all mandatory for me to replay once a year in a crazed marathon.

These series stand above the rest, but picking a 5th one is hard for me because so many series are so close. I can think of a few that are easy to disqualify because of "only really liking 1-2 games in the series and actively shunning the sequels" but their are other franchises that I love wholesale. I'd say mario/timesplitters/rampage probably stand above the rest, but I can't say for certain.

This is an overkill list, don't open if you don't need to know.

Bomberman

I like multiplayer, and thus bomberman- I do think that the solo mode of the strict 2-d games up to Super Bomberman work really well, and I will admit to having fun with the platformer-lite 1P mode of bombermans on n64 and GC. (although both feature slightly obnoxious multiplayer maps due to their gimmicks/power up frequency compared to SNES bomberman).

MDK

Only 2 games, but what games they are.

Worms

Every Worms game is great. The only problem with liking it as a series of course- is that Armageddon upstages the other games to such an absurd degree-. 

Mario Tennis/Virtua Tennis

I picked up the real sport because of mario tennis GBC. Really. I played tons and tons of mario tennis n64 and GCN in multiplayer, although I do prefer virtua tennis when I have the tennis itch and only computers are available.

Mario Party

More childish than pokemon :D Most of my console experience was multiplayer oriented, so naturally I like these games. I prefer the n64 games to the GCN games because they have less platforming minigames- which might sound odd, but I found that they simply gave me too much of an advantage. It's always better not to know who's going to win in advance...

Twisted Metal

I love car-combat in general, but for me personally the classic twisted metal were always outclassed by its gen-5 peers and I only really care about twisted metal black and 2012.

Lemmings

Lemmings 1 is so strong on its own, but as a series.... Lem 2 and 3D just let me down. I just want to make-believe that Troddlers and Putty are the sequels. Lemmings and the Oh No Lemmings expansion themselves are perfect. 

Adventures of Lolo /The Incredible Machine/ Puyo Puyo / Xi Jumbo / Boom Blox / Lost Vikings

Puzzle Games master race

Sly Cooper

I do feel 1 and 2 are the high point, but they fall a tad short of the heights of rayman, banjo, mario, and then the games starting from 3 on have inferior level designs and are kind of minigame heavy... 

Rayman

A bad but pretty 2d game, 2 good 3d games, 2 good 2d games. I haven't played Rayman's spinoffs, but I love the art and music of every main game in the series with origins and great escape probably being my favorites. Unfortunately, I've only played through rayman 3 twice, while with mario 64, rocket on wheels, sunshine,psychonauts, and banjo I can easily say I've gone through 5 files each, so it's pretty clear that I don't give the series the attention of others. I will admit to liking Rayman R as a guilty pleasure though. 

Mario

I like 1986 (the GBA delux cart probably biases me) , mario 2 is decent as a "slower" more puzzling game, although it doesn't do as much with the ability to pick up enemies as something like klonoa GBA or mischief makers. lost levels introduced the physics change that allowed you to gain height after stomping enemies, which totally redeems it and lets it shares in the glory of the sequel. mario 3 is perfect. I've spent more time with smw than it though. the 3d games are literally catered to me in every way. I found the new supers and 3d world to be pretty good too. Heck I'm fine with Land and 6 golden coins. After all if it doesn't have bottemless pits in it, it isn't a real video game

Wario

Wario Land 3 was one of my first GBC games, and I still kick a kick out of its animations. Wario Land 4 is legitimately superb. Wario Land 2 is about equal to 3 considering it's technology. I do feel like Treasure's Beat em up, the overly simplistic wii game and DS hurt my idea of the series. As for wario land 1, it doesn't do as much to stand out from generic 4th gen platformers in the way the GBC games do with the more limited amount of power ups and puzzle variety. Still, I have a lot of respect for 2-4. they are kind of short compared to my other favorite platformers though.

Warioware

I only really like the original on GCN, Twisted, and Touched. I could probbably revisit the handheld ones tomorow, but GCN got oversaturated in my case- I couldn't understand why my friends liked it more than mario party.

Game and Watch Gallery

I adore these. I prefer them to wario ware as a minigame collection, and I really feel the advantage of portability during some mario parties. I think the GBC and GBA selections are about even, although the overlap is a little annoying.  

Zelda

I'm really fond of Zelda, although I don't really think that the 3d ones succeed as a game even though they work really well as an experience. Awakening and Oracle are probably my favorites, even if rhetorically I think that zelda 1 and 2 are the most gamelike in the series. Mostly put it low because my ability to enjoy 3D  greatly decreased starting with twilight princess, and I have problems replaying it, which is slowly also infecting my enjoyment of the 2d zeldas. 

Metal Slug

I prefer these games to Contra Hard Corps and gunstar heroes. 

Mega Man

I prefer mega man's classic games to the series X overall... But I'm rapid for all platformers, so I could probbably go with either. I might be overly polarized by the more cutscene heavy X games and the snowboarding sections.  but I just miss things from the older games while replaying the X series.

aki corpoaration's wrestling games

never watched the wcw or nwo shows in my life, but my god. Even compared to mario party and Super smash Bros. These games were flat out BETTER for a multiplayer experience with perfect strangers/young siblings, and just like those games, you didn't need to explain the rules to everyone to have fun or anything. 

Battletanx

BT, Global Assault, and World Destruction League are all really fun, really fast tank games. They aren't balanced, and they aren't realistic, but they "GET" arena based combat. They are like my private version of Mechwarrior. Sadly most modern tank games are sim-based instead of arcade based, although I have fun with the few that buck the trend.

Star Control

2 gets all the praise, and it's my favorite too. I don't hate star control 3 as much as the open source community does though. I think that it's setting actually has lots of really great ideas, and if it had the new races only they would probbably have reigned themselves in better, but it is clunky as all hell both in gameplay, and in making the conversations somewhat more exposition-y than star control 2. super melee can entertain for hours on end on its own. I like thrust-style momentum physics in general, but SC1 (and 2) take it to next level. 

Roller Coaster Tycoon

I love the first two games and their expansions. I don't like 3 (combination of factors, my first computer couldn't handle it, and when I got one capable, it just disappointed me) The first two games are easily my favorite games of their type, easily outstripping railroad tycoon, startopia, and sim city.

Timesplitters

Does it leech off of the good times I had with goldeneye/perfect dark? A little, but nevertheless, I like timesplitters 2 and future perfect MORE than Perfect dark. Goldeneye is still king (multiplayer wise). My opinion of FPS comes from half college invite overs (which weren't available at the time I had timesplitters admitedly) and half forcing my young relatives in front of the tv when I babysit them. Much as I love UT, timesplitters 2, and  Halo, your niece can't just pick it up the same way and unexpectedly mow you down like in goldeneye. But as for timesplitters own merits- I like the visual aesthetstics, the humor on the charather/mission descriptions, and most of all the goldeneye style gameplay. 

Ridge Racer

The way this series handles powerslides is just too good. The smallish map selection in most ridge racers doesn't even hold it back- the physics are that much fun.

Micro Machines

I've always loved super sprint and it's derivatives, and I think Micro machines is the highest it's got. I like the weird checkpoint scoring system too- I found against human opponet's people not used to the top-down view would end up a lap behind and just let me trivialize the rest of the race, but in micro machines they could keep going.

Mario Kart

Everyone I knew loved it, and eventually my brother surprised me by making it his favorite game. I like the drifting mechanic and most levels in the series. Not sure if GBA, double dash, n64, or 8 is my favorite. I got a lot of playtime out of Wii and DS as well. I ended up getting Looney Tunes Space Race, Crash Team Racing, and Diddy Kong racing and the... less impressive imitators, but we still played mario's franchise the most.

Rampage

Mostly played World Tour and Universal Tour. Got some fun out of Total Destruction as well. World and Universal have great aesthetics and are good for mindless fun (although it can be hard to keep up with the game's pace after it starts throwing in tanks and stuff) but the real reason they are so good is split screen - They essentially devolve the same way portal 2 co-op does- the human's are technically on teams but the game's bonus's and the fun of screwing with each other always win out. In a good way.

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1: Monster Hunter (big surprise, not)

2: Halo (used to be my #1, but personal burnout and IRL situations generally keeping me away from the TV and Xbox have taken it down a notch)

3: Fire Emblem (why would I be on this forum if it wasn't up there?)

4: Inti Creates action-platformers (catch-all for Mega Man Zero/ZX/ASG)

5: Either Etrian Odyssey or the Warriors franchise (I've played and beaten at least one game in both and am quite familiar with the series as a whole, but haven't experienced enough of their scope to fully decide who's on here)

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1. Ogre Battle

Favorite franchise, period. Everything about it is good, but the unique thing about Ogre Battle is the gameplay. Command an army and put together a squad of up to 5 units, equipping each character individually, and set their battle orders as combat autonomously takes place. Customizing such a large army is a daunting task, but it is so rewarding at the same time.

A part of me really dislikes the fact the franchise was thrown to the wayside ever since Square Enix bought them out and shifted Quest employees to work on Final Fantasy, but then again some key Quest members left to join up with Square. I would really like to see more Ogre Battle games, but it will never happen...

My dream game would combine Ogre Battle's customization and map screen with Grandia II's battle system. However, I don't see this happening any time soon since it will likely be "too complex" to play.

2. Command and Conquer

A franchise dear to me, even after Electronic Arts guttered it and left it for dead. The series quality dropped starting with Red Alert 3, and C&C 4 killed what was left of the franchise.

Specifically, I loved the C&C and Red Alert universes, as well as their experimental shooter C&C Renegade. I never got the chance to really play Generals.

Nowadays, C&C is kept alive by the fans with various mods or open source projects. These days I play OpenRA to experience classic Red Alert and Command and Conquer, while I watch videos on Mental Omega (a Red Alert 2 mod) and Twisted Insurrection (a Tiberian Sun mod, featuring a "what-if" scenario featuring Nod winning the first game). Then there's also Renegade X which improves on the original Renegade's multiplayer.

3. Warcraft RTS (I-III)

Good ole Warcraft RTS. Most of my time would be messing around in the map editor of Warcraft II when I was younger, and then Warcraft 3 was my main game of choice due to all of the different custom games available. I had plans to work on Warcraft 3 maps, but could never develop the proper skillset or the time to fully take advantage of the editor.

These days though Warcraft is mostly done through World of Warcraft, an MMO that I no longer play. The stories also seem to have gotten worse over time as well, and I am not really a huge fan of modern Blizzard despite playing their products. I guess their games just really don't appeal to me any more, and the nolgastic factor or "Blizzard Polish" is not enough to make me come back and play. The exception to this would be Starcraft II and it's Co-Op mode, which is actually somewhat fun when I am not messing around in the Starcraft II Arcade with all of its custom maps.

4. Mario Party

Ah, Mario Party, a game that has a stark difference compared to the games I listed above. I absolutely loved the series and even went out of my way to pick up every single title when I was really into it (I own Mario Party 1-7 as well as Mario Party DS, skipping Advance). However, my enthusiasm for the series faded starting with 8 (I did not like the "host"), and it was completely annihilated with Mario Party 9 and all later installments as they went for the "car system"...

The last good Mario Party game was Mario Party DS, back in 2007. It may even be the best Mario Party game ever made. Sure, the other Mario Parties have their good points (Loved 1's "Adventure Mode," 3 was fantastic all around, and 7 may have been the overall best out of the console releases), but the fact Mario Party DS was portable and captured the magic of the original titles really appealed to me.

I sometimes dream of an "Ultimate Mario Party" game that combines all of the mini-games and boards together into a single package, updating visuals and the like as needed. Alas, I doubt this will ever happen, especially with the current direction Mario Party is heading in.

5. God Eater

Probably only making this list because it is the current game I am playing, God Eater is similar to Monster Hunter in a lot of ways in terms of gameplay. However, what God Eater has over Monster Hunter is an actual story and characters to go along with it (alongside some minor gameplay differences).

Granted, the story is not the best thing ever, but it is passable and offers some motivation to continue playing and fighting monsters. I think I prefer God Eater over Monster Hunter since single player is much better with actual customizable characters instead of the companions one has in MH (3's were all right, but the original on the Wii and the Ultimate for the 3DS were the only MH games I played.)

Honorable Mentions (Here be a long list)


Zero Escape - While I personally never played it, I did watch a playthrough on a whim after hearing how good the story was on these very forums. Shortly thereafter, I marathoned through 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors (999), Virtue's Last Reward (VLR), and Zero Time Dilemma (ZTD). The stories and characters are amazing, and the music is good too!

I have to say though, the first game, 999, feels like the best one. Virtue's Last Reward is epic in scope, and perhaps too much so even though it had my attention throughout. ZTD had some nice moments in it, but overall felt underwhelming. Perhaps ZTD has "complex motives" that my simple mind cannot comprehend.

I cautiously look forward to 999's "updated port" because the original made excellent use of the DS's dual screens. I'm not sure what is included in the new VLR port, so I have no opinion on that.

Steins;Gate - Another franchise I did not "play," as it is a visual novel, but for a time I was completely immersed into the Steins;Gate universe. I sat through the entire VN playthrough, watched the anime, and even started researching the "side VNs" and "drama CDs." Why this crazed obsession? I absolutely loved the characters, the setting, the storytelling, and the music... Then there is the humor, the horror, the tears, and the science... I thought I loved Clannad and its After Story (although I only experienced the anime and not all the VNs and sidestories), but Steins;Gate blows it out of the water.

I still love the franchise and look forward to looking at Steins;Gate Zero at some point, but right now the series is on my backlog. If anyone is interested in Steins;Gate, I recommend watching the anime (Sub or Dub, they both are good). It's a slow burn so do not expect to be latched on immediately, but when it hits it hits hard and will carry through the rest of the anime. (Save for one episode, but I just don't care much for that particular character.)

Grandia - While Grandia II is one of my favorite games of all time, the reason this franchise only makes an Honorable Mention is because I never played I or III. I now got II on PC and plan on eventually replaying it.

Why Grandia II? Besides the usual spiel of story, characters, and music, the main takeaway is the battle system. I love Grandia II's battle system and do not see it anywhere nowadays (save for a watered down system in Child of Light). 

Valkyria Chronicles - I technically have the first one and played some of it, but in truth I watched a playthrough first of I and II before purchasing it myself. It may seem light-hearted and all sunshine and rainbows, but beside its aesthetic does lie some deeper stuff that are not always touched upon "World War" type games.

Now, technically there is an anime adaption, but I highly recommend playing the game for the story or at the very least watch the "Game Movie" version on Youtube instead of the anime version. The anime is much weaker and changes some stuff around that was not in the original game. However, I will give the anime props for implementing a certain scene and some followups better than the game itself. Other than that, the game is superior in almost every way.

Souls Series (Dark Souls) - The Souls games are amazing for their difficulty, gameplay, and hidden lore. However, while I like the games and enjoy my time with them, I am in no rush to pick up the next title. I only played Dark Souls I & II, and even then I did not touch the DLC for II or the remastered version Scholar of the First Sin (which I plan to at some point).

Ys Series - The music gets me, every time. While I own several Ys titles that have been put on PC, they do not drive me to play them immediately. I enjoy my time with them, but right now the Ys games I do have are on my backlog (notably II, which was in progress, and VI, which I have not touched).

Paper Mario - Loved the original and Thousand Year Door. Super Paper Mario, while different, was fun enough on its own and had a decent story. What came afterwards tanked my enthusiasm for the franchise, but I am willing to give Color Splash a chance - provided I ever get around to buying and playing it.

3D Mario Titles (64, Sunshine, Galaxy) - I was always a fan of the 3D mario titles, but did not pick up the Wii U version (was it 3D World?) because it did not interest me that much. Now, Mario Odyssey for the Switch looks intriguing, but I need to know more about it and pick up a Switch first...

Xenoblade Chronicles (including X and the upcoming 2) - These are awesome open world games with fun gameplay and beautiful environments.

Professor Layton - While I personally have never owned a Professor Layton game, I really want to get into the series and puzzles myself instead of always just watching all the cutscenes. After all, it is what a proper gentleman would do.

Ace Attorney - Add this to the list of games I want to play, but do not own.

X-Men Legends - Awesome gameplay with X-Men characters and setting. I know there is an epic "Game Over" cutscene for the first game if one loses to the final boss, but there does not seem to be a video of it anywhere. Why do I know? Because I have my save file and it is there in the cinematic selection!

Warriors Series - More leaning towards Samurai Warriors, but sadly as I do not have a Playstation, I have to deal with a limited selection. Warriors Orochi 3 and Hyrule Warriors were fun titles too.

... and likely more franchises I missed. I could have swore there was a topic like this back in the day. I should have dug through my old posts and simply pasted some of this stuff over...

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In no particular order:

Final Fantasy: I have always love this RPG series. It is absolutely fantastic. Even better to replay some of them (although i have only finished 3 funnily enough).

The Legend of Zelda: I would buy every game at release if i could. Honestly.

Metal Gear Solid: mainly the PS1-PS2 games since those are the ones i have actually played. 

Pokemon: Because no matter what i always end up paying attention to one gen or another. It comes in waves, but i really enjoy it while it lasts.

Fire Emblem: Mainly speaking of PoR and RD... Awakening and Conquest left me wishing the Gamecube/Wii era of Fire Emblem. I don't want an avatar that can be used, or to make children armies, or a game that doesn't actually end... Just remake radiant dawn for 3ds and i will be happy.

Edited by SlayerX
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In no particular order:

1. Fire Emblem: I mean, I wouldn't be here if I didn't love this game. (Favourite game-Sacred Stones)

2. Spyro The Dragon: My introduction to gaming. I love these games and the characters. Sadly of course, Spyro has been lost to Activision. While the first Skylanders game wasn't bad, every thing else past it was sadly. (Favourite game-Spyro Year of the Dragon)

3. The Legend of Zelda: The game series that made me think about games more seriously. Because of these games, I started 100% games. (Favourite game-Majora's Mask)

4. Final Fantasy: These games are full story and character and I just love them so much. (Favourite game-Final Fantasy X)

5. Paper Mario: Just a great bunch of games (Except Sticker Star) with fantastic characters. (Favourite game-Super Paper Mario)

Edited by Azz
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1st Place: Legend of Zelda/Fire Emblem (they tie): I have played Zelda games almost as long as I can remember, and they have always been some of my favourites (except Majora's Mask, which I found a bit eerie... I was 6). But then my family found Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and it quickly became quite possibly my favourite video game of all time. Ever since, it has been almost impossible for me to say which one I like more.

The other three:

Super Smash Bros.: My favourite fighting game franchise (although For Honor is quite fun; but right now it's just the one game and not really a franchise).

Pokémon: I would not necessarily say a favourite when compared to Fire Emblem and Legend of Zelda, but I have played quite a few of them and really enjoy them.

Dragon Age: I actually have only played Inquisition, but it was really fun; I especially liked the worldbuilding and that the combat was somewhat similar to that of Xenoblade, but gave me more control over the team and made it more strategic in my opinion, and, as can be evidenced by my other favourites, I do like games with strategy. Though one thing I would say for any potential dragon age 4: it should have fewer branching options (ex: save Templars or save Mages), and more main quests where you can choose the order in which you complete them.

...To be completely honest, another reason Dragon Age is on the list is because I play a lot of Nintendo games and I wanted one franchise on this list to not be Nintendo.

EDIT: Ah! I forgot about Megaman... This is awkward... Well, perhaps I would remember it if they made a new one already! How long has it been since Megaman Starforce ended? 5-6 years? Anyway, in all seriousness, Megaman should be on my five favourites list. But who should I remove...? You know what, Megaman should be on the list; Dragon Age is an honourable mention.

Edited by vanguard333
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  • 4 weeks later...

5. Mario- I've been getting out of Mario since the 3DS era, due to lacking difficulty, but it's still fun. Multiplayer Mario games are a lot of fun with a lot of people.

Favorite title- Mario Kart 64

4. Fire Emblem- Why would this not be on the list if I'm on this website? I've only recently gotten into this franchise, but it's been fun so far, with a seemingly small, but devoted, fanbase.

Favorite title- Awakening

3. Pokemon- Been a fan since Pearl, and I've enjoyed it since. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Sun as I hoped I would, and I'm starting to fall out of the series. Even though I've memorized all 801 Pokemon, their types, the generation they were introduced in, and evolutionary lines.

Favorite title- tie between Pearl and Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

2. Xenoblade Chronicles- I watched a walkthrough of the first game after Shulk was announced for Smash, and I though it was amazing. I am now super interested in philosophy and Gnosticism, have both titles, and eagerly await the next installments.

Favorite title- Xenoblade Chronicles

1. The Legend of Zelda- The series of my childhood. I've always loved it, grew up with it, will (hopefully) always enjoy it.

Favorite title- Ocarina of Time

Edited by Rex Glacies
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No particular order, because it's already a pain to decide which would make the list:

Fire Emblem: Serenes Forest is a forum for Fire Emblem specifically, so its quite a no-brainer that it should be in all our lists, or at least on the honorable mentions.

Devil May Cry: Just... Dante. Also, don't play that thing that tells you it's a Devil May Cry game, it might have tons of references to DMC and it even dares to call itself DMC, but I'm quite certain it was a mistake of someone oblivious. The best one is the third one, specially the special (specialception!) edition, where you get to play as Virgil, so its worth.

Bioshock: You know that moment where your mind explodes out of awesomeness and WTFness? Well, Bioshock. And Bioshock Infinite solves all that could be wrong in the previous ones. Now let's just completely ignore that part where you impersonate a Big Daddy, and imagine that the world is a happy place.

Guilty Gear / BlazBlue: Guilty Gear is so nostalgic to me, and BlazBlue ties, because I just tend to draw many parallels in my mind between the two. They are also unique fighting games.

Kingdom Hearts: Final Fantasy x Disney, yeah, I know it sounds like the creators had a burning garden with exotic chemicals in it close by, but the plot of Kingdom Hearts (not the things that are completely unrelated that happen in the Disney worlds) is stupidly deep, confusing and overall mind-blowing.

 

Honorable mentions: Tales series, Souls series, Tekken, F-Zero, Disgaea, Xenoblade, Wild Arms, TLoZ, Smash, Ratchet, Monster Hunter, Etrian Odyssey, Kirby, Mega Man, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Battle Network (Even though Lan is...), Castlevania, Metroid, many, many, many other franchises I'm too lazy or oblivious to type.

Standalone titles: The World Ends With You (my favourite ever, but it's sadly not a franchise, so...), Jump Ultimate Stars (Even though I couldn't find something that patched more than just the tutorial), Lufia II Rise of the Sinistrals (Sadly, I find this one to be a masterpiece, while the rest of the franchise is... not so masterpiece), inFAMOUS Second Son, Dofus (do MMORPGs count?), Sigma Harmonics, Soma Bringer, et cetera.

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1. Legend of Heroes Series

Story is so well written sometimes

2. Fire Emblem

Love all strategic battles

3. Zelda

Tough puzzles to some, to me harder in 3D

4. Golden Sun

WANT 4

5. Elder Scrolls

So much complexity, but fun to kill everything

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Hmmm... I tend to change it around every so often, but here's the current list: 

1. Fire Emblem - This never changes. My friend introduced me to it in... I think 2006 (maybe 2007) and I never looked back. I bought FE7 and 8 practically together (since my first 'FE7' was actually just the box with FE8 inside) and bought FE9 the next time I was able. I finished those and replayed them multiple times, before waiting eagerly for FE10. Whilst awaiting that, my friend showed me how to patch emulators to play the older games in English fan-translated, so I got into that too. I love every single game in the series (yes, including the new ones) for what it is and always look forward to the next ones. I'm so glad the series continued! 

2. Tales. When I originally tried to get into the series, I couldn't work out the shift from turn based to action based in my mind. Tales of Symphonia gathered dust for years. I can't remember what finally unlocked that gear, but when I did, I got really into Tales of Abyss, and then later Tales of Xillia and found myself massively enjoying them. Tales of Xillia is still one of my top rated games, and one of the few I have finished in a long time (Fire Emblem notwithstanding). 

3. SMT. It might be cheating to list this under one branch, since it's lots of different games (including persona and many others), but I'll count them all as one since they envelop the same universe and have many of the same demons. I will admit to liking SMT over Persona, despite having only played IV since I believe that's the only one to have come over here, but SMT IV and its sequel, Apocalypse (the current game I am playing) have me absolutely hooked. Great concept, often a great cast, and great storytelling. I couldn't be happier :D 

4. Suikoden. Man was I disappointed when the latest one didn't get released over here. I love big casts, especially when they're all unique, and to me, Suikoden 1, 2 and 5 are some of the best gaming experiences I have had. 3 and 4 are a tad more lackluster, but still very enjoyable, whilst I highly enjoyed tactics and the 3DS one. Definitely a series worth getting into, and I believe it is available in the playstation store (number 2 is, at least... I think?) 

5. Pokémon. This grabs me a lot less than it used to. Pokemon was my number one game for many, many years, to be overtaken by Fire Emblem but still remain in firm second place. However, since Pokémon Black, I've found the game has just meant less and less to me. I love Black and White the most - the story and the characters, particularly N - and I enjoyed the continuation in Black 2. However, Omega Sapphire was just a remake of a game I'd already spent most of my childhood on, so it was hard to retread pretty much the same ground (despite improvements everywhere), and I just haven't been able to get into Sun at all... I've given it my best shot, but I've lost it. But this is the game series for me that led me to get a GameBoy, DS and Gamecube, all of which led me to finding many other game series I highly enjoyed and went on to love. I believe this is the series that kept me as a gamer and it will always hold a dear place in my heart, even if it doesn't hold the same place in my games systems. 

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Yes, TWEWY shoutouts. My favorite game of all time!!! But in no particular order: 

Pokémon: This is the franchise that got me into gaming and gave me a lot of comfort during the darkest points in my life. Pokemon is basically a lifestyle for me at this point. 

Fire Emblem: A given I believe seeing as this is a fire emblem forum. I first got into the series with awakening and loved it and am going back and playing the older games. I love how this series requires thought rather than speed and love the immersive story telling. 

Zelda: No series captures my love of fantasy and wonder at the big wide world quite as much as this one. 

Zero Escape Series: I know this is technically a finished trilogy but my god the story telling and puzzles were top notch. Not nearly played by a wide enough audience. 

MegaMan: I love this franchise and hope to see it rise to it's former glory again. Mega Man is my personal favorite platforming series and I adore the game play of it. 

Honorable Mentions: Kirby, Mario, Super Smash Bros, Sonic, Kid Icarus. 

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On 19/04/2017 at 8:22 PM, Cute Chao said:

since I believe that's the only one to have come over here

SMT: Nocturne was also released on the UK, under the name Lucifer's Call. If you have a ps3, you can get it on PSN.

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Just now, Nobody said:

SMT: Nocturne was also released on the UK, under the name Lucifer's Call. If you have a ps3, you can get it on PSN.

Lucifer's Call? I actually do have that one already on PS2 xD Is it part of the SMT main franchise (like none of the spin-offs?). I've not actually got round to playing it just yet. 

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2 minutes ago, Cute Chao said:

Lucifer's Call? I actually do have that one already on PS2 xD Is it part of the SMT main franchise (like none of the spin-offs?). I've not actually got round to playing it just yet. 

Yeah, it's a part of the main series. It's SMT 3, they just didn't put the 3 in the title when they localized it because they previous ones hadn't been localized, but its Japanese name is Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.

Edited by Nobody
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Just now, Nobody said:

Yeah, it's a part of the main series. It's SMT 3's, they just didn't put the 3 in the subtitle when they localized it because they previous ones hadn't been localized, but its Japanese name is Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.

Oh cool :D Thanks for letting me know ^.^ I'll give it a shot once I've finished setting up my ps 2 :D Everything's still in boxes from a move four months ago xD 

SMT has become one of my top series - especially the main branch. I just love it :D 

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  • 3 weeks later...

My favorites:

1) Megami Tensei (specifically the main series), mainly for the challenging gameplay and demon fusion, but also the generally thought-provoking nature of its stories and its tackling of difficult subject matter

2) Fire Emblem, again mainly for the strategy gameplay and other mechanics, though I often have to resort to grinding or Arena Abuse

3) Ratchet & Clank, as the series that truly got me into gaming in the first place when I was little

4) Ape Escape, with its unique gameplay and controls making it a criminally underrated series considering that it introduced the world to the legendary DualShock line of controllers

5) Kirby, largely for the cute character designs and stories, which have since gone on to influence my own art style and preferences

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