Hardcore gaming 101's Top 200 best games list

[Obviousplant]

Top X lists, the heart and soul of clickbait articles. Usually these lists are horrible because they almost/completely ignore even the corner stones of pre-Steam era PC gaming (while writers who are really knowledgeable of old PC games often don't know enough about the less popular side of console/Japanese gaming: imports, arcades and platforms like Neo Geo, PC-Engine, Master System&Saturn etc) and are too focused on games released during the past 10 years. Hardcoregaming101 (or more specifically, one moderator at there) just posted a top 200 games list that's by far the best and most knowledgeable and diverse that I've seen. At least 75% of the picks are ones I would've included myself on a list like this.

The book will have 250 additional "see also"/"runner-up" mentions, so I assume you'll find more old school kvlt games mentioned there.

Western RPGs

Spoiler

Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Realms of Arkania 2: Star Trail
Diablo II
Fallout 2
Planescape Torment
Arcanum
Baldur's Gate II
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic 2
The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Legend of Grimrock II
Star Control 2
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines
System Shock 2
Deus Ex

No Goldbox titles (or other 80s CRPGs), M&M WoX/MoH, ToEE or Wiz8 but no Fallout 3, Skyrim nor post BG2 Bioware titles either :mrpresident:

Japanese RPGs

Spoiler

Bloodborne
Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy VI
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Suikoden II
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne
Persona 4 Golden
Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter
The World Ends With You
Xenoblade Chronicles
Etrian Odyssey III
Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden
Terranigma
Seiken Densetsu 3
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Mega Man Legends
Nier

Strategy&Tactics games

Spoiler

X-COM: UFO Defense
Jagged Alliance 2
Age of Empires II
Total Annihilation
Homeworld
Company of Heroes
Age of Empires II
Total War: Rome
Heroes of Might & Magic III
Crusader Kings 2
Civilization IV
Alpha Centauri
Final Fantasy Tactics
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Front Mission 5
Valkyria Chronicles
Dragon Force
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
Starcraft

Adventure games

Spoiler

A Mind Forever Voyaging
Monkey Island II: LeChuck's Revenge
Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle
Grim Fandango
Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers
Quest for Glory IV
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
The Last Express
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

Shoot em ups+run n guns

Spoiler

Gradius Gaiden
Sexy Parodius
MUSHA
R-Type Delta
Batsugun
Battle Garegga
Ikaruga
Mushihime-sama Futari
Contra: Shattered Soldier
Turrican II
Gunstar Heroes
Shock Troopers
Metal Slug 3
Hotline Miami
Twinkle Star Sprites

FPS

Spoiler

Doom
Blood
Star Wars Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight
No One Lives Forever
Perfect Dark
Half-Life 2
FEAR
SWAT 4
Crysis
Bulletstorm
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl

Platformers

Spoiler

Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Donkey Kong Country Returns Tropical Freeze
Sonic CD
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Super Meat Boy
Shinobi (ARC)
Strider (ARC)
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
Bionic Commando Rearmed
Gimmick!
Castlevania Dracula X (PCE)
Demon's Crest
Mega Man X
Volgarr the Viking
Shovel Knight
Prince of Persia
Another World
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's TrapSuper Metroid
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Crash Bandicoot 3
Psychonauts
Super Mario Galaxy 2

Fighting games

Spoiler

Vampire Savior
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter III: Third Strike
The Last Blade II
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
The King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R
Super Smash Bros. Melee
SoulCalibur II
Virtua Fighter 5

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/200bestgames/200bestgames.htm

 

[spekkio]

No big surprise, HG101 is at least 100 times more l33t that Codex.



*Edit:

Diablo 2
tWicther 3
Desu Ex

Brolapsed.

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

Seems like a shitty list, although maybe less shitty than some others.

- More jRPGs than wRPGs? I am pretty open-minded and have enjoyed some jRPGs over the years, but come on now...
- KotOR2, Morrowind, and Grimrock 2 but not Fallout, Gothic 1/2, F:NV, Betrayal at Krondor?

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

No Fallout 1. No Adom. No Command Ops. Fuck these losers.

 

[GrainWetski]

There shouldn't be a single game released this year on such a list. Mere months is not enough to overcome the "new car smell".

I assume he just threw in shit like TW3 and Bloodborne to attract morons, but still..

 

[HotSnack]

It looks like the author went out of their way not to include multiple entries within the same series which might explain the inclusion of Witcher 3, thought it's still rather suspect.

Not sure why the author lists Star Control 2 as a rpg though. Seems closer to the adventure genre more than anything else.

 

[Obviousplant]

Yeah, I thought he was going to include the original Longest Journey. Some other odds choices as well (Portal 2 over Portal, Fallout 2 over Fallout, Bloodborne over Dark Souls, some missing classics that could've replaced more samey games like Q3A/UT vs 2 editions of SF3), but it's by far the most well researched and genre savvy top games list I've seen so far.

*Edit:

Desu Ex

Brolapsed.

U wot m8

 

[Siveon]

Typing of the Dead

Uh...why? On the other hand...

God Hand
Ghost Trick
Jet Set Radio
Devil's Crush

 

[pakoito]

Is Devil's Crush good pinball?

As for the lists, I don't agree with everything but they seem quite well though.

 

[Jose Cruz]

No Master of Orion 2 or 1? WTF? That's a super big omission.

 

[Siveon]

Is Devil's Crush good pinball?

It's great video pinball, at the very least. I loved the soundtrack too. There's a lot of video game stuff like moving enemies across the table and bonus stages, that I know a lot of purists might sneer at. But it fits, I think. Really good for it's time, where there was no Pinball Arcade or FX Pinball.

 

[felipepepe]

IIRC the book will have a "also check" section. So they recommend Grimrock II, then suggest Dungeon Master if you liked it, for example.

 

[mindx2]

Not sure why the author lists Star Control 2 as a rpg though. Seems closer to the adventure genre more than anything else.

So did the Codex...

 

[CreamyBlood]

Seemed like an okay list to me, I was surprised. Kind of expected the usual trash and my list would be different but it's alright.

 

[markec]

Better list then Codex top 70 RPGs since it doesnt have Mass Effect on it.

 

[ArchAngel]

No Mortal Kombat in fighting games list?! I bet it is more popular and liked than any of those non Street Fighter games on the list.

 

[Archibald]

No Mortal Kombat in fighting games list?! I bet it is more popular and liked than any of those non Street Fighter games on the list.

But its shit so who cares.

 

[Alfons]

Bulletstorm.

 

[tormund]

Seems like a shitty list, although maybe less shitty than some others.

- More jRPGs than wRPGs? I am pretty open-minded and have enjoyed some jRPGs over the years, but come on now...
- KotOR2, Morrowind, and Grimrock 2 but not Fallout, Gothic 1/2, F:NV, Betrayal at Krondor?

That site was always, at least from my experience, more focused on console games. Especially older and niche ones. So that list is at least understandable, and "official" best WRPG lists are always shitty by default.

They are a good site with tons of informative articles and reviews, and despite some expected WTF that list is still miles better than usual fare...

 

[eric__s]

Barkley's not a JRPG smdh.

 

[HotSnack]

Not sure why the author lists Star Control 2 as a rpg though. Seems closer to the adventure genre more than anything else.

So did the Codex...

I'm still salty about that. At least Hardcore gaming has the good sense to not categorise Jagged Alliance 2 as a rpg.

 

[HotSnack]

No Mortal Kombat Skyrim in fighting games rpgs list?! I bet it is more popular and liked than any of those non Street Fighter fallout games on the list.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Not sure why the author lists Star Control 2 as a rpg though. Seems closer to the adventure genre more than anything else.

I'm still somewhat butthurt about that, SC2 is hard to define in terms of genre, but probably the only one it most definitely is not, is an RPG. It's part adventure, part strategy, part shoot em up, part geopolitical sim, etc. but in absolutely no way an RPG.

For most millennial "gamers" who grew up with social justice and the facebewks and the fag-pop music, in other words the mindless and spineless drones that make up the mainstream gaming media these days, anything with character stats or an inventory is an RPG. For the Codex staff, it seems anything with Choices & Consequences™ is an RPG.

That's why the Mainstream Media™ classifies First Person Shooters like System Shock 2 as an RPG and the Dex classifies strategy/whatevers like SC2 as an RPG. Im sick of these arguments with morons, I'm off to play the latest RPG, Assassin's Creed Rogue.

 

[GrainWetski]

Not sure why the author lists Star Control 2 as a rpg though. Seems closer to the adventure genre more than anything else.

So did the Codex...

I'm still salty about that. At least Hardcore gaming has the good sense to not categorise Jagged Alliance 2 as a rpg.

Considering games with far less RPG elements(recent games by Bethesda, BioWare and the Polish division of BioWare are a few examples) are constantly categorized as RPGs, I don't see the problem with calling JA2 one.

Ideally, none of them would be, but that's not happening any time soon.

 

[felipepepe]

Bought the .pdf, reading it now.

It's an interesting read on games I know little about, but feels shallow sometimes, often telling little besides plot & general mechanics. Overall it's a very "personal" book. The guys at HG101 are telling you what they think are the best 200 games out there, without bothering much to explain why... but their choices are nice, like recommending Sonic All-Star Racing: Transformed above any Mario Kart. Could be titled "Top 200 cult classic games".

Here's a sample page:

Spoiler

I dislike the layout, there's a lot of wasted space and the huge red & black contrast diminish everything else on the page. Not a fan of the paragraph format & small screenshots as well.

But I do like the "see also" recommendations, they are mostly spot on, like Jagged Alliance 2 -> Silent Storm. Others do more of a bend, like Realms of Arkania 2: Star Trail -> Gothic 2 ('cause German). But some are just... bizarre. Like Metroid Prime -> King's Field: Ancient City. Most puzzling of all is this Arcanum article, where they actually recommend Lionheart.

At about 200 pages long - one per game -, it's a mixed product... the articles aren't indepth enough for you to really learn about the game & what makes it special, yet 200 games among ALL games is rather short. Takes like 10 minutes to read about all the RPGs on the list. Might be a good "beginner's guide into cult classics", but I prefer their other books, like the Guide to Classic Graphical Adventures, where Kurt rants for like 6 pages on why Snatcher is so cool.