86 - Metroid Zero Mission (Game Boy Advance)

I'm not a diehard fan of the Metroid series, and in fact I let it pass me by almost completely until I played Zero Mission last year. I had dabbled in Super Metroid a few times but it never grabbed me for one reason or other. Zero Mission grabbed me with both hands, and didn't let go until I'd finished it. Hell - coming remotely close to finishing any game these days is something for me, so this one did something very right.

I can only trot out the usual praises for the Metroid style: A player character whose abilities grow as she explores, thereby opening up access to previously inaccessible areas, a tremendously atmospheric and varied set of environments complemented by an evocative soundtrack, and finally a puzzle-solving aspect that covers the entire gameworld. The movement of Samus is so solid and satisfying that simply running around the levels is a pleasure - and actually alleviates what might otherwise be tiresome backtracking (though in the case of Zero Mission the back and forth is punctuated by plenty of new events and secrets).

This is my favourite Metroid game, which obviously discounts Super Metroid from appearing higher in this list. I prefer the controls and feel of Zero Mission, and that's enough to stand it apart because to be honest the Metroid template didn't change much between the two in terms of structure.

87 - Street Fighter Alpha 2 (Saturn)

This is, for me, where the Street Fighter series reached its peak. Midway between the slightly clunky simplicity of the original and the expert-centric Street Fighter III. I mostly played SFII on the SNES in its original conversion, and boy did I play it. I can't think of many games aside from RPGs that I've put so much time into, but SFII was a regular after-school feature hours every night for months.

Since that time I haven't revisited it much (it's so geared towards two-player as are all beat 'em ups), but the time I spent with Alpha 2 on the Saturn convinced me that this was as good as it got. Many would argue for Alpha 3 but I dislike the -isms, and generally found that it was there that the series started to overcomplicate (indeed, SF IIIs counter/combo system does nothing but leave me aching for simpler times).

Nice clean visuals, well animated enough and good old-fashioned, no-nonsense bonecrunching fun.

88 - Zanac Neo (Playstation)

A rather unsung gem in the realm of great shmups. Zanac Neo was Compiles last hurrah, but what a send-off it was. Anyone who's played Zanac or Aleste or most other Compile shmups will know the score as far as gameplay goes (they never strayed too far from their particular template). What Neo does is take all that and polish it to perfection. The action moves incredibly fast, and this is a game more about reflexes and pure instinct than memorization and bullet patterns.

Having said that though, it is rather easy. Extra lives stack up throughout the game and only really start to dwindle during the last stage and boss. Grabbing hold of one of the many available orange spheres grants a couple of seconds of invincibility which helps you through the hairier situations. In the end though it's just incredibly good fun to play. It's a pure arcade blaster with no regard for scenery, score systems or any of the things that a lot of modern shmups get hung up on. It's literally a blast.

89 - Final Fantasy VIII (Playstation)

Well well, what have we here. Probably one of the more controversial entries in the FF series. Coming as it did after the spectacular success and near-universal praise for VII, this one shook up the formula so much that it became very divisive. A few things factor into this: FFVII was a lot of peoples introduction to the series - particularly in Europe - so they tended not to be familiar with the fact that a lot of things change between every FF and always have, right from the start. Out went Materia and in came Junctioning, a system that baffled as much as it impressed. Secondly, cute superdeformed characters were out and replaced with realistic-looking human characters (or as realistic as the PS could manage at the time). The plot was a shambles. An ever-so-slightly mopey main character topped off the concoction, and as Metal Gear Solid 2 discovered, gamers tend to prefer liking their onscreen character.

Enough of that though, because what we have here is a magnificently flawed RPG. One that despite its faults has a heck of a lot going for it in terms of systems and structure. The plot is almost irrelevant - and indeed becomes so convoluted and unfocused that it's barely worth following - and character relationships are handled as clumsily as ever, but let's get to the nitty gritty. I play RPGs for the overwhelming reason that I like to mess about with stats and systems, and FFVIII has a great mechanic lurking beneath its surface. Character abilities and attributes can be customized on the fly and switched around at will, and the Guardian Force abilities allow for a whole extra bunch of nifty tricks. The scope for abuse is massive, and its fair to say that if you have the patience to work out how, you can be pretty much invincible from very early on. Wouldn't that spoil it, though? No... because that's why I play it - to work these things out and exploit them. It's certainly not for the story!

The funny thing is that despite actually achieving the goals of maxing the starts and essentially 'doing all there is to do', I can always happily return to FFVIII and do it again. There are very few 'big' games that I can say that about.

FFVIII was created whan Playstation development was really starting to hit its stride, and as a consequence its one of the more attractive and technically accomplished games for the system. It also features a great soundtrack. In fact it contains my favourite boss tune from the series yet - The Extreme.

The true icing on the cake is the Triple Triad card game. I spent many hours simply wandering around playing cards with NPCs in order to complete the set. I loved it so much I even pondered dropping a few hundred pounds on a real set of cards, before coming to my senses and realising I wouldn't actually have anyone to play with...

90 - The Lords of Midnight (Spectrum)

The lands of the Free are in peril, threatened by the foul Witchking of Midnight, Doomdark. It's up to the player to control and command the Lords of Midnight in an effort to both counter Doomdark's encroaching armies, and build an army strong enough to take the fight to him. That's just half of the story though: the player can also choose to take Morkin on a solitary quest into Doomdark's domain to destroy the Ice Crown - the source of Doomdark's powers. Only Morkin can do this, as he is immune to the ice fear that terrifies the Free, thanks to his ownership of the Moon Ring.

It's all a bit Tolkien, but that doesn't matter one bit. What we have here is a true classic. A sprawling epic that takes a great deal of planning and strategy to beat. Its most attractive feature is undoubtedly the first-person viewpoint, with movement through 8 compass directions and a consistent landscape with varying terrain and obstacles. As the heroes travel throughout the land they can recruit other lords and their armies, garrison soldiers at keeps and citadels, storm the enemy's fortresses and meet them in the field of battle.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that Mike Singleton squeezed this epic into a 48k Spectrum. The sequel, Doomdark's Revenge offered more tactical variety and is every bit as good, but I've been enchanted by this original since I first attempted it many years ago.

91 - Lunar Lander (Arcade)

The first of a number of entries that employ a particular mechanic that I'm a fan of, namely gravity. Delicately controlling a craft or character while working against the force of gravity and conserving fuel. This is the idea at its most basic - simply directing a landing craft onto a suitably flat section of a landscape. The smaller the section the higher the score. Coming in uneven or too fast results in a crash and failure.

Lunar Lander has been remade countless times over many platforms (I was most familiar with an Amiga public domain version until I came across the arcade original). In any incarnation it remains one of the most rewarding and nerve-wracking gaming experiences available, and proof positive of the power of simplicity in game design.

92 - Thunder Force III (Megadrive)

Some would argue for the fourth entry in Tecno Soft's shmup series, but TFIII came along at a perfect time for me. I was deeply in love with the Megadrive and this game pretty much encapsulated everything that was great about the machine. It's a stunning technical achievement - fast, furious and very challenging. It's a real old-school shmup, forcing improvement as much by memorization as reactionary skills.

The icing on the cake is the soundtrack, which is probably one of the finest ever created for a videogame. Every single stage has a fantastic, memorable tune which really made the Megadrive's FM chip sing. In my opinion few developers could get a handle on how to best use the machine's distinctive sound, but Tecno Soft certainly had it down to a fine art.

93 - Motos (Arcade)

One of the most maddeningly frustrating but hugely addictive games I've ever played. I used to have it for the Spectrum, and I poured hours into it. I even have a dim recollection of finishing it (I did used to finish games back in those days). The Speccy version was excellently done, but I'm choosing the arcade version for its smoothness and colour.

The aim of the game is simply to bump into your adversaries and force them off the edge of the playing area. They're trying to do the same to you, and there are more of them. You can get items that increase your bumping power and let you jump over gaps... aaaand that's about it! Simple stuff, but there's something uniquely compelling and tense about being in the midst of several enemies, trying to manoeuvre yourself into a controlling position.

Oh, and if you're taking too long on a screen the squares start getting destroyed one by one.

Motos is a wonderful little game, one that sprung from a simple initial idea and carried it out without overdoing things. It has that special purity that the best arcade games share.

94 - Stunt Car Racer (Atari ST / Amiga)

Racing game maestro (Sir) Geoff Crammond went a little off his own beaten track with this extremely fun game, which sees a pair of dune buggy-style vehicles competing on some truly crazy courses. Things start off fairly sedate to ease you in, but soon you're quite literally ski-jumping your vehicle around some very punishing tracks. Even these buggies can only take so much damage though, indicated by an ever-lengthening crack along the rollbar and a few popped rivets.

The key to the game is learning precisely the right speed at which to tackle every jump and bump - as well as keeping the car on the track, naturally! Stunt Car Racer has a very special feel to it... the handling of the car over the undulating track is pitched just right - a perfect balance of control and chaos. Reaching the top of division 1 was very challenging but incredibly rewarding. You could even link up two computers for head-to-head action, cross-platform.

Boom!

I wonder if anyone can actually draw a picture involving explosions, gunfire or any kind of flying vehicles without voicing the sound effects as they work. I know I'm not alone in this...

95 - Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (Various)

I'd dabbled in adventure games on the Spectrum, text-input stuff with the occasional splash of graphics, but I was never a devoted fan of the genre. That all changed when I got an Atari ST and was simultaneously exposed to Sierra and (then) Lucasfilm Games. The Sierra games captivated me for a while (particularly King's Quest III), but once I'd tasted the SCUMM system there was no going back. I was instantly smitten.

One particular thing about Zak McKracken was that it was funny. Really genuinely funny in all kinds of ways, from dumb slapstick to clever puns and sight gags. Even when I was completely stumped - and I often was - I just loved being in this world, and the great SCUMM system played a large part in that. Big, colorful graphics, smooth animation, and epic locations that spanned not only the Earth but visited space and Mars to boot. I remember being incredibly geekily impressed that you had to use the airlock properly on the Mars spacecraft!

The storyline was incredibly silly and that did impact negatively on the puzzles somewhat (some rather outlandish thinking was required in a few cases). Still, it wasn't enough to deter me from spending a large amount of time with the game, and I still give it a play through every couple of years. It's aged beautifully.

Zak McKracken began a long-lasting love affair with Lucasarts adventures. It was a terrifically fresh and entertaining start for me, but there was even better to come...

96 - Interphase (Atari ST / Amiga)

Interphase was one of the few games that tackled the Cyberpunk genre and pulled it off with complete success. While other games concentrated on the exterior world of the future, Interphase took you inside an advanced computer system - Cyberspace, to all intents and purposes. The aim of the game is to interact and modify this virtual representation of a corrupt corporation's security system, enabling a counterpart in the physical world to pass unhindered from floor to floor (12 in all) of the actual building itself, in order to retrieve and destroy a dangerous 'Dreamtrack' program - devised by the corporation to subliminally brainwash users.

Real-world doors, security cameras, lifts and the like are represented by their controlling mechanisms in the virtual space. When your partner comes up against a locked door you have to find it and disable the lock, for example. A strong puzzle element comes into play from planning a route through each floor, making sure your partner doesn't fall foul of any security measures. Of course, the virtual space is also teeming with hazards and enemies, so there is a great balance between tactical thought and straightforward action.

The game still looks great today, thanks to its simple but effective polygonal styling. A quite unique idea that still plays like a charm.

97 - Strider (Megadrive)

There's a kind of roughness to the Megadrive conversion of Strider that appeals to me. It's a bit glitchy and a bit buggy but there's something about the speed of it, the sheer abandon of the action that elevates it above its arcade parent.

Strider is one of the most intensely exciting platform arcade games ever made. It's jam-packed with cool moments and memorable environments and it moves like the wind. There's some story or other in there but who cares about that - it's all about jumping, sliding, swinging and sprinting your way around an admittedly small bunch of levels, slicing up anything in your way. This was I think the first game I played where the soundtrack cued perfectly with the action onscreen, too. That alone lends it a sense of cinematic drama that other more pedestrian platformers lack.

It's such a shame Capcom kind of forgot about this great character. The possibilities for level design alone are enticing, given the athletic abilities of the hero. A pretty decent 3D-2D sequel turned up years later but it was really no match for this short but oh so sweet experience.

98 - Galaga '88 (Arcade)

I spent many 10ps in the Galaxian machine of the local chip shop when I was a kid (standing on the stool and all that rose-tinted stuff), and although I never really got any good at the thing it always mesmerized me. A few years later Namco perfected the template with Galaga '88, which I first experienced on the PC Engine (a fine conversion indeed). The core gameplay remains the same, rows of aliens fly onto the screen and join together in a shuffling chorus line, occasionally making divebomb attacks at the player who has to simply clear them out to progress.

There are a few extra things bunged in such as bonus stages (Dimensions, as the game has it) and some modest power-ups, but it's the simplicity of that basic game that keeps it surprisingly fresh and addictive. Some obvious cosmetic additions such as more detailed sprites and a very satisfying range of sound effects are welcome and give it the slight aesthetic edge over previous incarnations.

I'm still rubbish at it, though.

Vectrex

Even though I've been a gamer almost as far back as I can remember and have been through a myriad of different machines, for some reason I never considered trying a Vectrex. Never thought about it, never looked into it or even read much about it. I am a retrogamer at heart but I do have a rather dim view of early 80s home consoles. I don't feel they've aged well at all. I recently got hold of an Atari 2600 - luckily very cheap - and spent all of 20 seconds with each game I had before consigning it to the loft.

Something that should have been very obvious occurred to me recently though... What are a few of my favourite 'things' about games? Well, for one I like old-school pixel art, and for another I love vector graphics. I've been playing things like Thrust Xtreme and Geometry Wars a lot lately, and I've always had this deep-down feeling that this is how videogames should look. The perfect simplicity of shapes built from coloured lines. It never ages aesthetically, and to this day I consider games like Tempest and Gravitron to be among the most attractive ever made.

With this in mind I turned my attention towards the Vectrex. It's an old console but being vector-based as it is it remains completely fresh. After a bit of messing about with emulators I bit the bullet and went ebaying. Picked up a bargain and within a couple of days I had it. I'm not disappointed, it really is a lovely little machine. Emulation doesn't quite do the Vectrex justice because a PC monitor can't replicate the lovely glow and ghosting effects you get from a CRT screen. In this regard it's one of the few cases where I'd advocate owning and using the original hardware purely from a playability perspective (as opposed to, say, collecting SNES stuff which is perfectly emulated).

The games are naturally centred around old-school arcade staples. Highscores are the order of the day here, which fits perfectly with my main gaming sensibilities these days. Although the machine was doomed by its untimely entry into the videogame market right before the '84 crash, it's one of the most avidly supported homebrew platforms out there. People still make games for it (the original lineup and inner working of the machine have been generously given over to the public domain by the manufacturer), and some people actually produce proper cartridges - some going as far as to lavish them with full box, instructions and coloured overlay for the screen.

I'm having a ton of fun with it and I highly recommend picking one up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vectrex
http://www.vectrexnews.com/

99 - Dodonpachi (Arcade)

Balancing precariously on the point where bullet hell shmups took over more traditional ones in the arcades, this is still my favourite from the Cave stable. From a gameplay point of view it eases you in quite gently, gradually throwing more and more at you. Unlike the ultra-niche domain the genre has become these days, Dodonpachi makes you believe you can actually crack it without spending every waking moment of your existence memorizing bullet patterns and scoring systems.

The icing on the cake is that it's gloriously noisy and it has a kind of gritty low-tech look to it that perfectly fits the no-nonsense destruction.

100 - Armada Online (PC)

I've been tooling about with the alpha version of this for a few months, but even with a severely limited functionality it makes its way into my 100. I enjoyed the Dreamcast original very much. Straightforward, fast-paced and rather addictive. Armada Online takes that and turns the pace down somewhat, focusing on a more tactical level of combat and different areas offering different objectives and play styles.

Essentially the game consists of a number of combat objectives that players can team up to take on. Alliances are formed, preparations are made, then its off to fight the bad guys. Aside from the combat there are ship upgrades, personal skills that affect your combat, mining and trade abilities, and 'influence', which allows you to purchase limited-time bonuses. There are also plans for a fairly in-depth item creation element. So it's perfect for a quick blast but promises to offer the kind of depth that keeps online gamers coming back for more.

Everything is mouse controlled, with the option to use keys for equipment shortcuts. Using your weapons wisely is important, as each one takes its toll on your ship's energy banks. As you rise up the technical ladder you'll be tougher and more maneuverable, but as with all these games you have very humble beginnings. These early parts can feel a bit slow (dare I use the fateful word grind), but it's also remarkably relaxing. It's absolutely gorgeous too, the perfect blend of 3D objects and a 2D playing field. There's a lot still to be implemented but even at this stage its an impressive piece of work.

Top 100 Games

What with everyone and their dog compiling their lists of the hundred bestest videogames ever, I thought what the heck - I love making lists so I may as well do the same. Of course the difference with this one is that it's my 100 favourite videogames. Mine all mine.

This will take me ages to do but whatever - the list is compiled already, it's just up to me to post an entry ever now and then! For the most part there is no particular order to them until I get to the very top, which is pretty much set in stone.

Transformers

I can't really say I'm disappointed with this film, because I went in with Bay - level expectations and I got exactly that. The most frustrating thing is that there's good stuff in there, but it's buried below tonnes of ham-fisted emotional efforts and clumsy, chaotic action scenes.

The good stuff being the early parts of the film. The build-up of tension and mystery as unknown assailants prey on the military, and a new car exhibits some very odd behaviour. All of this is wiped off the screen once the central device (literally) of the story comes into play and the film barrels about from set-piece to set-piece - mostly without any logical reason (why for example do the Autobots waste time creeping around Sam's garden when the item they're after is so desperately vital? With giant robots rampaging all over the place do we really care whether or not Sam's parents see them?). Later on Sam is tasked with taking the Allspark to the roof of a building on foot - something any one of the Autobots could have done in seconds.

Performances are fine... Leboeuf in particular I was impressed with. John Turturro has fun with an atypical role, providing some decent comedy. The only weak spots come with a couple of the bit parts and Megan Fox, who is vapid beyond belief. I could have entirely lived without the secondary plot involving the soldiers from Qatar, but I suppose you have to throw a bone to the US military ego when you're borrowing their stuff.

I guess special mention should go to the Transformers themselves, which are realised completely convincingly. Unfortunately for them Bay's lack of flair with action reduces most of them to a blurry mess of metal shot from handheld close-up. Everything feels too tight and if anything really needs a sense of scale it's giant robots beating the crap out of each other. I never got that tingly feeling I wanted when Prime and Megatron were set to face off (indeed, that fight kind of fizzled to a close without me even realising at first).

All in all a passable dumb summer flick, but nothing special at all and amazingly quite boring in places.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

I wouldn't consider myself an Anime nut, though I undoubtedly watch more than the average person. I am very picky though - there's an awful lot of garbage out there, like anything I suppose.

One thing that definitely is not garbage is The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which has turned out to be one of the very best Anime movies I've ever seen.

The bare bones of the plot are that a schoolgirl chances upon a strange device that grants her the power to literally jump through time. A power that she uses for various means - from simple pranks to living out perfect moments as much as possible, from matchmaking to determinedly avoiding matchmaking, and from minor selfish acts to the completely selfless.

Yep, there are lessons to be learned, but this is no bratty girl-come-good. Makoto is a thoroughly charming character from the off. Just a regular schoolkid with good friends (slightly offbeat in that her best friends are both boys), working not quite hard enough at school and doing her fair share of daydreaming.

The complete abandon with which Makoto leaps (and the resulting crash-landing) is a joy to behold every time. This film is full of great little comedy touches and perfect moments of subtle animation. Technically speaking it holds its own against the likes of Studio Ghibli's TV movies, with some of the paintings and colour choices easily matching anything I've seen.

It's pretty much everything I like about what the best Anime can be. A story for the most part grounded in some kind of reality, but with a supernatural or sci-fi twist. That dreamlike realm that's so effective in animation. Genuinely likeable characters that you can relate to in some way, and whose stories you do care about. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time follows a strong plot and wraps it up perfectly. So much Anime is wilfully obscure or baffling, meandering down vague paths or hiding behind a philosophical shield, masking its lack of focus. Here is a film that does everything right. There's no cultural barrier, and it appeals to all ages - you won't find any objectionable content here.

I'm rarely so charmed by a film, live action or animated, and I can't recommend it highly enough.