30 Days of Video Games

[Shane]

I love the Super Smash Bros. series, too, but the series I'm using needs some recognition and it looks like half of you guys chose Brawl, so I'm going with this:

TimeSplitters.

I've seen Goldeneye being thrown around for this question a lot, and a lot of you know Perfect Dark as the spiritual sequel to Goldeneye. After Perfect Dark was finished, the Goldeneye team left Rare to form their own company, Free Radical Design. This company is now known as Crytek UK ever since Crytek bought them out, and their latest game, Haze, wasn't as good as the older games, but the TimeSplitters series continues where Goldeneye and Perfect Dark left off, with charming atmospheres, great music, and extra humour. Playable characters include snowmen, dinosaurs, monkeys, gingerbread men, and countless other "joke" characters alongside the series' regular humans. The first TimeSplitters is a PS2 exclusive while TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect are also on GameCube and Xbox.

TimeSplitters is my go-to game for multiplayer and while I love Goldeneye and Perfect Dark, I can safely say Future Perfect is my favourite first-person shooter. Most fans of the series seem to prefer the second game, though.

Of course, I've never had a PC capable of playing Team Fortress 2 so I can't say whether I like it better or not.

[KHCast]

DAY 5:FAVORITE MULTIPLAYER GAME

It's a close tie between those two.

Seriously these two games Are just a bunch of fun to play with friends. Local Co-op both game are alsoo super fun and the online for sonic and sega is just pure fun. And people still play it. Super smash i want to play online but lags. Sonic and sega has that charm that keeps pulling me back. It's already in the few years it's existed became nostalgic. Super smash also has a lot i can do with it. Larn to play with other characters,Tourny's with friends, make your own level, But SASASR I think has it beat out as my fav. Sorry!still good though.

[Autosaver]

Day 5 - Favorite Multiplayer Game

One of my favorite multiplayer games has got to be Monster Hunter Tri. I never tried out the series before and a lot of the games haven't been brought over to America so I was essentially taking a risk when I first bought it. I don't regret it one bit.

Monster Hunter Tri is a Wii exclusive developed by Capcom. In this game, you take out on tasks that require you to defeat a specific monster or get a certain item. No, you can't load up a bullet and hunt it that way. It is set in the past where people would use gigantic swords (what?) to slay monsters. Though, there is a bowgun class (Which I use!) if you prefer to shoot. This game is very challenging and dying is very easy if you aren't equipped right. This may even cause frustration to some players as having a game over after 20 minutes is NOT fun.

I've got to say, this is one of the prettiest games I've ever seen on the Wii. All the textures are very detailed and the models are surprisingly high. It is such a shame that most Wii games don't even come close to this game. Even in multiplayer the game runs smooth with all these graphically pushing models running across the screen.

Now to actually get on with the multiplayer part that I love.

There are two forms of multiplayer in this game. One is Splitscreen Arena and the other in Online Monster Hunting. In Splitscreen, you and a friend are stuck in an arena trying to take down a monster. You are given preset armor and weapons so there isn't a need to use your in-game (sucky probably) character. You have to skillfully and cooperatively work together to even stand a chance against these strong beasts. You'll use an assortment of gadgets such as bombs, flash confuse, nets, traps, and more to get an advantage against the monsters.

Now on the biggest and most famous multiplayer portion, online monster hunting.

I think I just **** my pants.

In Online Multiplayer, you are given a server screen. You can pick any server you want (Though, some may be level specific) and then you are placed in a town. You can do Arena or Missions from there. After that, you are placed deeper in the town with 3 other players. You can buy armor, arm wrestle, drink, upgrade your house, etc from here. There is a bulletin where you can select what mission you want to do. When you choose your mission, players can opt in to join. Once you are ready, you head out to whatever area your task takes place in.

Please don't hurt me. I have a wife and 3 kids!

In these missions, you explore gigantic areas to find a certain monster. Since you have more people, the monsters have been beefed up to make it more challenging. You have a set amount of lives before the mission is over so don't die too often. Communicating (Keyboard and MIC support!) is essential in this game. Who is going to distract the monster? How about setting up traps and bombs? Where is the monster? You level up by doing a # of tasks. As you level up, you unlock more challenging and rewarding missions.

Along with the normal missions, Capcom does routine "DLC" missions that offer new monsters and event specific rewards. This gives an incentive to come back to the game.

A # of games from the Monster Hunter series are also on PSP. Unfortunately, there is no Wifi support so I don't recommend them. Monster Hunter 3G for 3DS also doesn't have Wifi (Enhanced Port of this game) so I don't recommend that either. Hopefully, 3G has Wifi when (if ever) it is brought over to the states. I hope Monster Hunter 4 (3DS) has Wifi.

Great game that focuses heavilly on Multiplayer. Try it out sometime!

[Tori Himemiya]

Day 5 is favorite multiplayer game eh?

I'll say Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

I remember waiting for this game to come out since it was announced and I finally got the chance to play it and I do admit it was fun but I did enjoyed playing with other people. Not only we got Sonic fighting Mario but now we can fight with anyone around the world which is pretty cool. And it does make a good party game. I will remember when Snake totally owned everyone even after getting smashed across the place. Ah good times.

Ps. My internet is going to be down for a couple of days so I'll try to do my best to partcipate in this.

[Mandyrobin]

Funny enough, my boyfriend just started playing Moster Hunter Tri. I'm not too keen on it though. I'm interested in Team Fotress 2, but since I haven't played it at all yet myself, my vote goes to:

I loved the first two games, so I naturally gravitated to Brawl. It is still one of my all-time favourite fighting games. This is also one of the few games that I don't mind playing online a lot in because it is so much fun and I have gotten so many laughs out of this game. The clash of the characters and abilities can have some really fun results. Overall, the characters seem to be balanced and solid, and you're only major advantage is your experience with the game and characters in question (though at times it may seem otherwise). It's an excellent game to play both online and locally with friends.

[\gunther]

Day 5: Favorite Multiplayer

Aiyeeee.... tough call. I'm likely going to change my mind later, but for now, I'll go with Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.

I've wasted so many hours on this game, and I'd recon that maybe half of that time was spent on the multiplayer. The game's multiplayer kicks so much ass, and no other Sonic game has topped it since.

Treasure Hunting and Mech Battling were pretty fun, but like with the main story, the Speed Characters' levels stole the show. Whenever me and a friend wanted to play quickie in SA2B, 9 times out of 10 we'd go for one of the Races. That feeling of adrenaline that pumps through your veins during a close race to the finish is most satisfying.

I don't remember doing the Kart Racing that much, usually me and the other person would rather play Mario kart when we'd try. lol I didn't get in many Chao matches, but I'd usually get my ass kicked. Those other two modes were decent, but really, it was the other three modes that took up most of my playtime.

Oh, and spamming Amy's special attacks like a little asshole is also a plus.

Some honorable multiplayer mentions include...

Super Smash Bros Melee and Brawl, Mario kart 64, 007: Nightfire, Pokemon, and Kirby's Dream Land 3.

[azoo]

Day 5 - Favorite Multiplayer Game

It's a five-way tie, really.

Halo series

Smash Brothers series

Soul Calibur IV

SSX Tricky

Sonic Adventure 2 : Battle

Halo series: This one is just about on top, just *right* above the SSB series. I've had one too many afternoons rocking large areas like 3's "Sandtrap" stage with 300% speed and 50% gravity, in a full-out SMG / Gravity Hammer / Energy Sword only fest. I can't tell you how much fun it is whenever you actually pick up an FPS that features fun multiplayer, let alone a fun FPS. I mean yeah, TF2 and all, but honestly I don't have the time or the good internet connection (or attention span) to get into it. Would love to someday, but you know..

Smash Brothers series: I know everyone else and their grandmother has said this, but I have to give some cred to this franchise. In fact, let me throw people into a tumble: the first one is the most fun to have multiplayer with. That's right, SSB64. It's much easier to jump into than the two sequels. It has an equal balance of heaviness and floatiness that Melee and Brawl both seem to miss (both in the reverse directions). Also the simple comical setup and low character roster make it easy for anyone to jump in and find who they have their forte with.

Soul Calibur IV: This is another game me and my friends spent ages on. We loved tinkering with the character creation system and getting all the great weapons and looks mixed around, as well as taking control of all the canon SC characters (and Yoda & the Apprentice..!). Plus, the combat in SCIV is really simple-yet-complex, and the way it allows you to interrupt anyone's gameplay anywhere to ambush battle. So yeah, SCIV is a great game and it's gave me a wonderful time with it's multiplayer.

SSX Tricky: Holy crap you have no idea how good this game is with friends. SSX is already an incredible series, and Tricky is definitely the best in series (maybe beside SSX3 and the upcoming title); so taking all that into multiplayer racing and/or trick trialing was something unreal. Playing dirty on the track, popping those uber-tricks and wowing the people watching you and the other go head-to-head.. yeah. SSX Tricky. Something special right there. Moreso with friends.

Sonic Adventure 2 - Battle : My first constant multiplayer bouts with my friends. As much as I seem to consider SA2 as a slightly-over-par Sonic game in terms of quality, the multiplayer is a blast. It's replayability knows no bounds, and just seeing that multiplayer menu with all the characters standing there makes me giddy. Them grinding stages and boarding stages were the best against others though. Nothing beats those.

If I could think of some runner ups, they'd probably be back when I took on people on with PKMN Red/Blue/Yellow on my Gameboy Color.. but it didn't get up there because I lost often.

[HunterTSF]

Whoops! Apparently I've missed the first five days of this thing. Can I play ketchup? No? Well, too bad! I'm doing it anyways!

The First Game I Ever Played

That title goes to Yoshi's Island. Oh, what a splendiferous game this was! Just looking at the cover art gets me all fuzzy (and therefore dizzy) with nostalgia. I was but a very wee lad when I first got this game, and it was a perfect fit for me. It had that beautiful cutesy pastel-aesthetic, those fantastically catchy and upbeat tunes, and days upon days of fun platforming goodness. It's no surprise that this game is what started my foray into being a Mario fan, which lasted... well, until a few years after I found Sonic. Go figure. Never played its spiritual successor, Yoshi's Story, though. feelsbadman

I remember the Shy Guys, the castles, the quirky boss battles, and these very thoughts fill me full of fond memories. It really was a fun game.

Also Kamek is one of the best Mario antagonists ever and Petey Piranha can go suck it. Nintendo, throw me a bone and give him some more playable appearances, kthx?

Favorite Game

Oh snap, oh snap son! Favorite game?! You can't ask me a question like that! That's like asking me to choose my favorite child or something! I don't have any... but yeah, you get the point.

Hrm. Well, if I were hard pressed, I'd say... uhhhh... oh lawdy, can't even do this.

I'd suppose it's a tie between a lot of Sonic games. Specifically, Sonic Rivals 2, Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic World Adventure, and Mario & Sonic at the Vancouver Olympics. Okay, SWA might win.

The atmosphere of Sonic World Adventure is positively splendiferous. You're put into Sonic's shoes on a mad race to re-energize the Chaos Emeralds and save the day before Eggman conquers the world with the endless evil energy of the ancient god Dark Gaia under his control... but in the meantime, you have the time to take things slow and intermingle with the people that you encounter in this realistic world... one that feels alive, full of people going amongst their daily lives. Each and every one of them were unique; individuals rounded with real dreams and goals that they wished to aspire to, and real flaws and fears that they needed to address first hand.

As you advanced through the game, they advanced through their lives. Whether it being the loss of a multi-million dollar job to bring themselves closer to earth and help out their fellow man, the quirky romance between two delightfully awkard students, or the long-awaited reuiniting of a troubled child and the father that he thought he lost, they all had their own story to tell. I spent more time interacting with the citizens of the countries I visited than actually playing the game, and several of them remain as my favorite characters in the entire series. Sure, this game did a lot of things wrong... but in this aspect, it was brilliant.

Least Favorite Game

Hrm? That's a tough one. I've played loads of horrible MMOs over the past few months, so my standards for "what is good" has dropped considerably. So, I'm pretty much okay with eve-OH!

Wait. Yeah, I know what it is.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Ohhhhh, this game. This freakin' game! The ear bleed-inducingly bad MIDI music that disgraced the original tunes from which they were derived, the arrogant asshattery of the out of character Sonic and friends, the complete disregard of the previously established series canon, and the God awful overtly Western abstract art style that would not look out of place when put aside the point-and-click PC adventure games of the 90s.

It was everything that Sonic was somewhat half decent at... done horribly, horribly wrong. I'm glad that it's not getting a sequel, but it's very existence still manages to ruffle my feathers a bit... it did end up tainting my beloved Mario & Sonic series, after all. If you need further elaboration upon my distaste, please read Verte's post.

Favorite Video Game Series

Why, gee! Not surprise here as to what that may be... the Sonic the Hedgehog series! Having become hooked on it with Sonic & Knuckles Collection as a wee lad, I quickly became quite the collector as I experienced each and every one of Sonic's new forays over the years. I've been there for the good, the bad, and the ugly. But as to why I hold this series to close is an enigma to me... is it the vast and colourful cast of unique and entertaining characters? Is it the positively eargasmic music that's been a constant since a very beginning? Is it the ZOOM ZOOM FAST FAST adrenaline rush at traversing hundreds of miles of land within a handful of minutes?

It's a lot of things! But most importantly I suppose, it was the story. Sonic was my first real experience to a video game with an actual story, and it continued to be so until... very recently, actually. Well, for whatever reason, I like Sonic a whole bunch, and I hope the series will continue to be one of my cherished favorites for years to come.

Favorite Multiplayer Game

God damn it. This fantastic bastard of a game. Oh, how I hate it. It's a freaking drug that I've become horribly addicted to. You know why I don't post here anymore? IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU, GABEN!

Team Fortress 2 is so much fun. Too much fun, actually. If you don't already have TF2itis, then I suggest never playing this game ever ever ever.

Okay, so the game sounds simple right? It's literally a game a red versus blue, between one company that owns one half of the world and the other company that owns the other half, and they both have a team consisting of nine mercenaries each blowing each other to smithereens for complete dominance of the world's economy.

...and why, yes! It actually is that simple! It's got all the basics you'd expect from a first person shooter; capture the flag, arena... all that fun stuff. But it's the class mechanics, art style, and comedic genius that sets it apart from the rest.

These nine classes are so much more than just a skinned lame excuse for someone to just weild another big gun for no reason whatsoever. Whether you like the stealthy espionage of the backstabbing Spy, or the in-your-face explosiveness of the Soldier's Rocket Launcher, Team Fortress 2 has a class for you. The beautiful thing is that there is no "best" class... every single one has their advantages and distadvantages, and you are perfectly capable of killing anybody as anybody else. When it all comes down to the nitty gritty, despite being a simple game on the surface, your success ultimately depends on your skill and your skill alone. Easy to play, difficult to master.

Unlike being another boring cardboard brown photorealistic warfare simulator like the rest of the garbage that the mainstream gamers just can't get enough of, TF2 is different in that it is lively, colorful, and cartoony. Instead of a grenade's detonation near your feet resulting in a gory realistic dismemberment of your limb resulting in you having to hobble to your nearest infirmary, you'll just simply explode into a bunch of assorted limbs and internal organs with a festive bloody cloud arisen in your place of death to commemorate your early demise. Which, of course, is so much better.

And finally, each of the aforementioned classes are just fantastically characterized in a hilarious manner. You've got the complete madness of the insanely patriotic Soldier, the drunken black Scottish cyclops that is the Demoman, and the suave and handsome rogue, the Spy... just to name a few. There's a very good reason there's so many YouTube Poop videos showcasing these characters. They're just so endlessly entertaining.

Edited January 21, 2012 by HunterTSF

[SonicHOG]

Favorite Multiplayer Game

The Super Smash Bros. games are just a blast to play with friends. I first started playing them with Melee, not the N64 game. Oh, the memories I had battling with my close friends and how one of them ALWAYS picked Corneria (which got annoying after a while) to the wait for Brawl's release. Speaking of Brawl, that one happens to be the one I like the most, notably for Sonic's inclusion. While I liked the Smash Bros. games before, throwing Sonic into the mix made me fill with glee. To this day, the blue blur is my prefered character when playing Brawl. Fanboyism aside, the Smash Bros. series brings a unique twist to fighting games and never fails to throw some fan service in as well.

[The Kid]

Favorite Multiplayer? That would have to be the Halo Series. Although I'm not a big fan of shooters sitting down with a bunch of friends and shooting the crap out of each other in hilarious ways never gets old. Not only is there always someone that tries to be a dick and betray their teammate, but also there is always someone who has to snipe from the very back of the map. It just makes it much more satisfying when you run a half-destroyed warthog into them, ending their spree. There are the online free-for-alls, the different game modes (Infection is so addicting!), even co-op challenges. Despite my rather lackluster appreciation for the Halo trilogy in terms of the solo campaign and the Bungie universe overall, I can't help but come back again and again for more Halo.

[Swiss]

I'd love to say Super Smash Bros. or Left 4 Dead, but since they've been mentioned already I think I'll go with my new favourite...

New Super Mario Bros. Wii was frustrating fun. Fun, but still annoying at the same time. Rayman Origins took that same formula and made a game that multiplayer worked with, rather than detract from the fun. Obviously it goes without saying that Rayman is a nigh-on perfect game (I'll save my detailed thoughts in case we have a "Your Favourite Game of 2011" day) and the multiplayer part of the game is some of the most hilarious fun I've ever had. I've heard 2 players is the sweet spot, but I'd take four any day.

Simply put, a hilarious yet fulfilling dose of multiplayer goodness. I suggest everyone try it at some point in their lives.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Swiss

[Diz]

Day 5 - Favorite Multiplayer Game / Component.

Left 4 Dead

Oh boy, times have changed. I used to hate anything related to zombies, and they would always creep me out ... until I became used to this game. In Left 4 Dead (and its amazing sequel, which I mostly play,) a zombie apocalypse has made an outburst. A small group of four entirely different individuals realize they may be the only ones not yet infected, even potentially immune. They grab whatever weapons they come across and fight themselves through various levels in hope to reach the final level of each campaign, a rumoured evacuation spot. You can play alone as one of the characters, having bots control the remaining three characters, or you can play with up to three friends (seven friends in a special Versus mode).

This game is known for being excessively dynamic. Each campaign the game has to offer can be played through relatively fast. However, the gameplay changes every time. Weapons, helpful items and objects are placed and hidden a little ahead of you, and often depending on how well you play, the game spawns certain bosses without any kind of warning, and if you do not react and think quick, your entire team may be wiped out in a matter of seconds. There are also specially mutated infected that have special abilities, which mostly pin down one character and render them helpless. Save them quick, or you will not only lose the in-game life of your friend, but you will also stand less of a chance surviving till the end. Watching each others' back is a must in this game, and if cooperation fails, your team is torn to shreds and you will be left for dead!

Boss Theme (Finale Version)

The game acts as if it was a movie, and thus it features an amazing soundtrack which really complements the mood and feel of the game. If you become used to the music and its patterns, you can tell what is going on, even what might happen in a few seconds. I really enjoy this game as it brings cooperation and fun to a whole new level. There is no rushing off, and there is no camping a spot. You have to balance things evenly if you want to survive until being rescued. I play the game a lot, and it never bores me. Even if you primarily do not like games featuring zombies, I can recommend this game to anyone who do not mind shooting away at countless of horde rushing to you, at the same time as you sneak past dark and sometimes silent levels, taking care of your teammates and hoping to be rescued soon. Are you and your friends up to the challenge? >=3

[\Lennox]

Day 5 - WHATS YO FAVORITE MULTIPLAYAH VIDYA

Oh, hell yes, do you know how easy this is? As said, I'm quite the fanboy, therefore, you'll see this a lot.

You guys know how Pokémon, other than being one of the flagship RPG's of the world is known for their extensive usage of real-world, social interaction, console-to-console connectivity that gives this an edge over several other role-playing games in the entire world that only make use of a single-player experience. Pokémon is therefore, a huuuuuuuuge exception and this trait gives the franchise an extra push.

Having utilized almost all methods of communication and inter-game connectivity in order to promote an awesome, extraordinary and overall godlygameplay experience, the Pokémon franchise has stepped up on the gaming ladder as one of the most profitable, praiseworthy and consistent game series in the entire industry. A particular entry in the franchise, Pokémon Black and White, has made use of several connectivity methods in order to branch players across the entire universe, including IR transmissions between games, console-to-console ad hoc wireless and even the goddamn Internet.

Many wireless play features make use of these connectivity methods, such as Random Matches--being able to jump in and battle people from anywhere within the world at anytime, the C-Gear--an in-game device built to detect others for wireless gameplay with its own Xtransciever video chat client, the Entralink--yet another wireless function of the C-Gear where you can actually enter the worlds of other Pokémon Trainers and mess with them, the Dream World--able to send Pokémon to and from the Internet in order to recieve rewards and more Pokémon in the process, and of course, the ever popular Global Terminal--a way to trade Pokémon over the Internet, without having to add those tedious fucking Friend Codes, and what you could get online could end up being a surprise.

In short to its extensive use of wireless connectivity, the mainline Pokémon series continues to surprise me (positvely) at how seriously it takes in order to have fun playing with others. Pokémon isn't just games to play by yourself, its meant to bridge people and make them have fun together, in order to promote the spirit of friendship and adventure among mandkind.

[tldr]Pokémon has awesome multiplayer and it will always be that way kthxbai.[/tldr]

Edited January 21, 2012 by Madame Amano

[Carbo]

Day 6 - Favorite Level / Area / Stage in a Video Game.

[Solkia]

Favorite level/area/stage?

Probably Niflheim from Tales of Symphonia

Excuse the really annoying commentator :U

Holy shit, this level was really hard as a kid, but the area effects make it so challenging and so fun. I can't really describe very well what makes it my favorite, so just watch some videos I guess.

[Starman Swift]

Day 6: Favorite Level/Area/Stage in a Video Game

The only level that really comes to mind is Veo Lu Sluice from Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles

It looked interesting when my brother and I got to it, reminded me of that third level in Pikmin. And then the music started to play, and we exchanged glances.

I love the music in this game, but out of all of it, this is one of my favorite themes. The rest of the level was pretty standard fare, a few switch puzzles that had a twist to them, some decent monsters, but sometimes standard is ok. At least it wasn’t one of the levels that take you a long time just to find the exit. (I’m looking at you, Conall Curach, Rebena Te Ra, and Lynari Desert.)

The boss was also one of my favorite bosses in the game, a robotic golem that had rocket hands, lasers, and span around. Certainly one of the more interesting bosses, and unlike some of them, (Looking at you again, Conall Curach and Rebena Te Ra.) It didn’t have any annoying twist, like having to coordinate a holy spell in order to hurt it, or henchmen that stunned you when they hit. Overall a very nice, no-bullshit level that I really, really liked.

[Chooch]

If you don't know what stage I'm going to pick, you haven't seen me post long enough. I don't think any even talks about this stage more than I do. I present to you all, the best fucking stage.

Didn't quite get that? Let's try again.

..Still no? One more time.

It's the essentially the beginning of the climax of the Death Egg saga.

The stage starts with the Death Egg rising out over the cloud cover, taking its place back in the sky, floating ominously over the beautiful landscape. It starts to send out Egg Robos to terrorize the place. The misunderstanding between Sonic and Knuckles has finally resolved and the two have them have set aside their differences to team up, defeat Eggman, and get back the Master Emerald.

Sonic is speeding his way up Sky Sanctuary, a place that has long been unseen and untouched by people other than Knuckles for a great number of years. He makes his way up higher and higher, destroying Egg Robos as he makes his way up using various teleportation devices before reaching the final one.

Mecha Sonic zooms by and destroys the teleportation device, a message to Sonic that 'There is no escape'. They fight one last time and he's incapacitated. The ground beneath Sonic begins to crumble and in a mad dash for the Death Egg he uses his amazing speed to climb up the tallest tower and infiltrate Eggman's mighty, Star Wars inspired stronghold.

[...]

Sky Sanctuary is fucking epic, tragic, and beautiful all at the same time. It's the best Sonic stage. Okay? Okay.

The correct answer.

[JezMM]

The following choices are chosen for aesthetics rather than gameplay:

Spagonia/Apotos/Comet Observatory/Spectacle Isle/Shooting Star Summit

Can't choose between Spagonia and Apotos. Both are just so pretty. Spagonia is a romanticised version of Europe, taking influences from France and Italy with London's Big Ben. Just listen to this beautiful music too:

Apotos is also super pretty, if slightly less relatable. Based off the Greek island of Mykonos which... well, look up some photos. It looks this gorgeous in real life too. I would love to live a perfect life in a perfect city such as Spagonia, though I do adore the seaside too.

Comet Observatory from Mario Galaxy... while not as intricate and secret-filled as Peach's Castle and Delfino Plaza in the previous two games, it made up for it with pure atmosphere. I particularly love the luxurious library area in this screenshot and deliciously cosy study within the doorway there.

Spectacle Isle is an odd one. Again I love my cosiness, this island is so small and cute! It has a little beach, a little hill, a tree, a little bridge, a little cliff... if only that tower was enterable (which it must be somehow for the NPCs right?) with equally cosy dwellings inside, it'd be an amazing personal hideaway. And the nearest town is only a 1 minute boat ride away if the wind is good! Some slight ghost ship sightage on nights with an upward facing crescent moon but you'd be used to that after the first year I'm sure.

And Shooting Star Summit. An even odder one... I don't know, this particular area with the house here and the picnic bench outside is just somehow uber nostalgic to me. I think Paper Mario's simplistic scenery really made my imagination run in terms of what these locations look like in non-everything-is-made-out-of-paper-on-a-little-stage-vision. This area really reminds me of being a kid - when being out at night with friends or family was a magical, rare, yet safe feeling experience. Don't ask me how I get that vibe from it, as said, this is a very strange personal one.

I might just post again with what my choices would be based on gameplay alone rather than the sense of place.

Edited January 21, 2012 by JezMM

[Marcello]

There are quite a few, but for now, I'll stick with this:

Mushroom Hill Zone

I've said before that MHZ has a special place in my heart for being a level I played so often as a kid and it still is. I just love the stage. The mushroom forest is a cool spin on the Hill trope, one that in my opinion really separates it from the others, and I adore the music in the stage. As a kid I was amazed how the seasons were changed by Robuttnik. Just seeing the stage go from summer to fall to winter is really cool. And for some reason, I still think the background is one of the nicest in the series.

This is also why I was one of the few sort of happy about it getting into Generations xP

[Burnt Ash]

Day 6: Super Paper Mario's Flopside Pit of 100 Trials

So the first time I posted this...it didn't show up.... Anyway, yeah. I loved this level to bits, despite the fact that I had to go through it two times, and it was difficult...very difficult. However, I enjoyed the challenge this level brought and I liked the design of the enemies (shadowy enemies). It was slightly easier to go through as Bowser and Barry though (spin to kill and breath fire to kill). The final boss of the level, after doing the whole thing twice was pretty fun...dark versions of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser. And the reward was even better! (Catch cards for Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser. I think the Mario catch card doubled your attack and let you be in 3D for an infinite amount of time, and the catch cards for Luigi, Peach, and Bowser just doubled attack.) So yeah...it was an awesome level. But for whatever reason, I stopped playing after this....

[Semi-colon e]

Don't think any of these are in a particular order.

Phendrana Drifts, Metroid Prime.

This image does it little justice tbh, but I couldn't be bothered to find many more. This is mostly going to be a repeat of SuperStingray's post in favourite game, so I won't go too in depth as it won't be as interesting to read. Basically you come out into this beautiful icy wasteland with beautiful music. It seems vast, but there's one room so far. Then, as you explore, it gets bigger and bigger. It also has possibly the most powerups in the game, as well as some challenging foes. It also features an old icy temple, with a sub-boss in. Exploration is vastly rewarded and the desolate atmosphere is fantastic, but it just gets bigger and bigger as you explore. Then, you go into the Space Pirate base and now shit's on and they mean business. After a BRUTAL slog, you come back out into here, and fight the area's major boss, which is fucking epic. You may think that is all, as you then have to go elsewhere, but no. You're forced to come back later, and there's a whole new area of this place, very vertical and platformy, with a BITCHIN' techno remix of the original theme. Just outstanding, it really is.

It's such a shame the ice area with a vague remix of this theme in the third Prime game is so small and so brief, as it would have been a hell of a lot more interesting than most of the full areas that we got (thorn jungle especially).

Crisis City, Sonic Generations (Act 2 mainly, but Act 1 has some awesome tornado platforming segments, but other than that not really worth going into for me).

I've gushed about this level a lot, but I can gush again I suppose. Is this level linearish and not as open as it could be? Yes, yes it is. Is it full of Homing Attack and bottomless pit stuff? Yes, yes it is. Does it lack slopes? Yes, yes it does. Does it detract from the level itself that much? To some, yes. To me, certainly not. You may disagree with this choice, but at the same time I don't really feel like arguing about Sonic in a thread like this. I'll probably be mocked for a choice like this anyway.

This level already had a great concept and setting in 06, but was near enough broken to play. Generations makes this much more interesting in my opinion. It's the first level in Generations that is particularly difficult. It's got the ridiculously awesome violin music. It's got platforming. It's got the cinematic events. It's got a playable version of the tornado throwing cars at you sequence, and despite it being a short finale part and an otherwise simple quick step segment, it has several layers to it. I also think the pacing of this level is just so good, I mean it lacks slopes, but to me it feels like you're thrown from one area to the next. It also has the right frantic and tense atmosphere, as well as loads of fiery gimmicks compared to the original, really making it's own. I mean it's far from a perfect level, but in terms of how much I like to play it, how it made me feel like OH SHIT at every turn on my first playthrough, and how much fun it is to speed run this bitch, it's a winner. It's a favourite level of the moment as it were (as I love LOADS of Sonic levels, even within Generations), but this is the one that keeps me coming back and I can't quite justify it entirely. It probably won't become my favourite level of all time after a few years or months or whatever, but in terms of how it made me react when playing it, it's one I'll never forget.

Oh yeah, and I really love how they made the sky a more eerie pinkish/purple colour, makes it more surreal and I suppose, more Sonicy.

Other great levels include Hydrocity, Chemical Plant, a lot of classic Sonic levels you know, Sanctuary Fortress in Metroid Prime 2, some of the areas and cities in Pokemon, and many Castlevania levels/areas, especially the clock towers (which almost always offer the trickiest platforming challenges in the Metroidvania entries as well as great soundtracks) and Order of Ecclesia's library area, with books strewn around the place and epic music.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Semi-colon e

[JezMM]

Okay, did some thinking, here's my follow-up post of favourite stages from a gameplay perspective:

Spirit Temple from Zelda: Ocarina of Time

What a gorgeous place for the final "main" dungeon. I love that it requires both Child and Adult Link, has some real story and personality go into characters WITHIN the dungeon rather than on the overworld, and... THAT MUSIC. <3 Q_Q

East District from Beyond Good & Evil

A.K.A. The third, final, and AWESOMEST chase sequence in the game. It's a shame it's short and relatively easy because no time with this will be quite as special as the first time you play it.

This Vortal Coil from Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Damn, it's so hard to talk about Half-Life 2 because I really think everyone should play it and I don't want to spoil anything. Anyone who has will know why this chapter was so amazing. From the holdout at the start, the panic-riddled guardian chases, the co-op exploration with your Vortigaunt buddy, and THAT SCENE at the end - this whole sequence of events just utterly stuck with me. I love it. And it's the one chapter that Alyx is absent! Who'd have thought.

Rooftop Finale from Left 4 Dead

This is just such a cool finale map. I mean all the finales are good but damn. Not a single one has SUCH an ideal layout that can lead to so many situations for both camping or running all over, and it's one of the few that REALLY encourages the entire team taking up different spots (which is probably half of what causes the chaos when things go wrong), and the visuals are gorgeous. It's hard to believe they blow the coolest finale on the very first campaign (though in a nice bookending sense, I do find Bridge, the final map of Left 4 Dead 2, pretty close in terms of fun value, thankfully).

As for my final choice...

Well, normally I'm not a fan of horror in games to be honest. Even though Ravenholm in Half-Life 2 is a beautifully designed stage the fact that it scared the pants off me first time means I just can't bring myself to include that. Despite this, my choice here is probably one of the most pant-wettingly terrifying stages for most people. I've heard people who call themselves men weep openly about it. Can you guess what it is?

...

OH YES.

This is my favourite final stage from a Sonic game. It's long and epic, a base truly as grand in scale as Eggman should have. In a modern era of Sonic games it brought back the sense of marathon that was the Scrap Brains and Metropoliseseses of yesteryear. It was brutally challenging without being cheap (from a design perspective - I consider the horrible Werehog pipe traversing camera work in section 4 an external problem from the stage itself). It was sprawling, uninterrupted, and Sonic's section had some DAMN thrilling set-pieces, in particular the rollercoaster which alone was pretty damn fast and awesome, but combined with the flying-off when the tracks break was just an utter thrill-ride I hadn't had since first laying eyes upon Green Forest in Sonic Adventure 2. While I don't think it would have quite worked length-wise without the Werehog sections, which is a game thing, not a level thing, I believe Eggmanland is exactly what a final Sonic stage should be. Threatening, intense, and damn motherfucking cool.

If you hate Eggmanland, then Eggman WON and Sonic is ashamed of you.

EDIT: Eggmanland is so badass it inexplicably messed with the paragraphing of my rant just to fuck with your head.

Edited January 21, 2012 by JezMM

[Echidna Adventurer CC14]

My favorite stage has definitely got to be this bad boy:

City Escape from Sonic Adventure 2/Sonic Generations

Out of all the stages in the Sonic series, none of them brings me as much happiness as City Escape. I love how the opening of the level ties into the game's opening by having Sonic skydive into a busy street while clinging to a steel plank, I love the final chase at the end, and most of all, I LOVE THE MUSIC. Escape from the City is one of the catchiest level themes I've ever heard and it just adds to the level's energy. I just can't help but hum along to it as I play through, it's such an addictive tune. Plus, Generations only amped up this level's awesomeness by implimenting the boost, adding several alternate paths, making it feel more deep and expansive than ever before, giving Mighty, Nack/Fang, Ray, Bean, and Bark a nod with some awesome cameos, and updating its graphics to make it look slick, crisp, bright, and beautiful. All of this combined with some good memories associated with it easily makes City Escape my favorite stage in a video game.

Edited January 21, 2012 by chaoscontrol14

[Commissar Hurricane]

Day 6.

Launch Base Zone.

This is not really about level, it is more about seeing the Death Egg in the background of act 1 or watching it fall at the end.

its something nice that I always remember.

I guess it just has to do with the Death Egg, saying Sky Sanctuary would have also worked.

Just another nice memory.

[Emmett L. Brown]

Sixth: Favourite level

Sonic has been missing out on my list of choices so far, but when it comes to favourite single level out of any game, then Sonic wins the prize.

Launch Base Zone

It has to be the Sonic 3 version and not the Sonic3&Knuckles one, because the latter leaves out my favourite boss in the entire Sonic series, Big Arm!

This level has great platforming, catchy music, nice visuals, and a sense of progression as you play through it that's rare in any platformer. The first few screens of the first act show your ultimate destination in clear view: the Death Egg is floating in the middle of a big lake surrounded by ruins that've been converted into one of Eggman's fortresses. Once you get to the second act, the direction changes from runing along the edge of the lake to moving towards the centre of it across the fuel pipes connected to the Death Egg itself (notice the disconnected tubes hanging from the Death Egg during the launch sequence - that's nice attention to detail).

Like many Sonic 3 levels, this one changes in Knuckles's playhtrough. With the Death Egg gone the lake's water level has lowered, exposing large underground areas that were underwater and unreachable for Sonic. Again, that's just impressive attention to detail, and more proof of a level that got a lot of love and thought put into it by the developers.