The Grumpy Old Gamers

Editors note here…at Brents request, as he did not feel he’d played enough games this year to fashion a Top 5 list, this list will be a Top 5 of ALL TIME! Please enjoy!

Number 5

In the bygone days of yore back in 2004, the PlayStation 2 was taking the world by storm. 

With a stellar and growing lineup of games the system was on top console heap.

It had games for everyone…but it was lacking something…something PlayStation had never had before. A first person shooter.

With the huge success of Halo, PlayStation needed a first party shooter. And KillZone was the answer. Not the Halo killer it was talked up to be, but still an amazing game on it’s own

The Helgast, a group of exiles sent far across galaxy, have returned centuries later to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs. And you must stop them.

Dark, moody and action packed. KillZone brought the feel of fighting a war to frightening reality. Digging into the trenches and fighting tooth and nail with your enemy, while smoke blinds you and explosions rock the ground you stand on.

Spanning 6 games on various PlayStation systems, KillZone was always an experience to be had, but none of the later ones could hold a candle to the first game. It was truly something unique and I’m disappointed there has not been a KillZone game in almost a decade.

Number 4

Def Jam Fight For NY

I never really was into fighting games until Fight for NY was released. I took a chance getting it and was not disappointed. The game had me hooked. The music, characters, variety of fighting styles and great environments had me looking to play every chance I could. 

The real draw for me was how vastly different and unique it was from any previous games I had seen in the genre. 

With 60+ playable fighters it had more than any other game at the time. 

And man, beating the crap out of someone as Snoop Dog and tossing them in front of a train for a K.O. was way more fun than it should have been lol. And the spectators handing you weapons and getting in on the action just added more little nuances to the game that truly made it special.

EA was hitting as hard as the Def Jam characters with games at the time, and this one should be played by anyone interested in fighting games. We definitely need a remake or rebirth of the series for modern consoles.

Number 3

Persona 3 Portable

I keep going back to the PS2 era here lol. I guess it was a good time for gaming.

I bought Persona 3 on the PS2 per a recommendation and after 20 min of playing I asked myself what the hell is this crap lol. 

And had forgotten about it when I picked it up again on the PSP and ended up asking myself the same thing, and never going back to it. 

Fast forward to 2023. P3P and Persona 4 were on sale in a bundle for a great price…

So I bought Persona 3 yet again lol. But this time something was different. The different thing was me, having played a lot of and developed a big love for JRPGs in the time between, I had a much different perspective on P3. After playing for a few hours I was completely hooked and now absolutely love the Persona series lol.

P3 had a slight darker tone than what came before or after it. Dealing with life, death, self worth and growth. The characters had deep pasts and dark secrets and struggled with themselves at times. Definitely drawing you deeper into the story and wanting to see where it would go. 

It was shocking and almost painful to lose some of them…

P3 was the first in the series to introduce a social system that has become the mainstay of the Persona series. The more you interact and spend time with characters in the game world, the higher your rank with them becomes. Many of these characters are associated with a persona, the powers you are able to conjure and use in the game.So the higher your rank with an individual, the more powerful that persona becomes. And you will definitely need this in the later stages of the game. The social encounters run from simple meetings to mini adventures. 

The game is packed with content that’s surprising for a portable title, there is never a lack of something to do. 

But be mindful of how you play. Everything you can do will benefit you in the end. So don’t skip past things and play the game.

Explore, do quests, socialize and train. 

I didn’t realize this on my first playthrough and couldn’t beat the final boss as my level was no where close to high enough. 67 hours in and I had to start a new game lol.

Lesson learned and this also applies to all persona games.

I’m so looking forward to Playing the Persona 3 remake that will be out soon, I will definitely have a better appreciation for it.

Number 2

Silent Hill 4: The Room

SH4 is considered to be one of the least liked and most controversial games in the series. 

Dealing with very uncomfortable themes, cults, sacrifices and alternate worlds. For me though, this is what made it the most terrifying in the series, and my favorite.

Playing the character of Henry Townsend you wake up in your apartment to find yourself locked in…from the inside. With little memory  and random notes slipped under your door but neighbors, you try to piece together the events that would have lead you to barricade yourself inside. Until a mysterious hole appears in your bathroom wall and begins to grow, becoming a portal to the world of Silent Hill.

Traversing many worlds through the portal you will encounter people who seem to know you and offer guidance. The undead, various new creatures and the mysterious to whom you seem to have some connection.

SH4 is a roller coaster of encounters of encounters that focuses less on puzzle solving of previous games and more of a Resident Evil style gameplay of collecting and using gear to fight enemies.

A must play for any fan of horror games if you haven’t already!

Number 1

Advance Wars

WAR! What is it good for!

Seems it’s good for hundreds of hours of tactical turn based fun. Actual Japanese military strategists were consulted when making Advance Wars because they wanted the best tactical experience possible and it definitely shows.

I picked this game up on the same day I bought final fantasy tactics advance. And fell in love with them both. And they both fought hard for my #1 spot.

Advance Wars was the first of the “Wars” to be released in North America and on a Nintendo handheld system. And even then, we almost didn’t get it because it was believed to be too complex for a western audience.

You play as a fresh faced CO of the Orange Star army learning the ropes in the battle against the forces of the invading Blue Moon army. 

With a brilliant battle system that set a standard for tactical games that came after it, you and sadly your enemies, will learn to use the surrounding terrain to your advantage. 

As you progress you will find that some units have a tactical advantage over others. This in conjunction with the terrain can give you the upper hand during a battle.

In Advance Wars you will fight across many maps and other nations. Each with their own level of difficulty and obstacles for you to overcome.

I spent so many hours deep into this game and still have no idea where the time went lol. I even bought a GameBoy Micro so I could take the game to work and anywhere else that I could find time to play.

If you’re looking for a fun and engaging game Advance Wars is definitely worth checking out. If you don’t have a GBA, Advance Wars 1 & 2 have been remade in all their glory for the Nintendo Switch.

Can you fight your way to victory!?!