For Your Viewing Pleasure, Chicken Man and Thrasher Present: Our Top Ten Video Games, Analysis and More

Now that our lists have concluded, it's time for some perspective.

Thrasher's Top Ten:

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS2)
TimeSplitters 2 (PS2)
WCW/NWO Revenge (N64)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1)
Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)

Chicken Man's Top Ten:

Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Genesis)
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (PS2)
Splinter Cell (PS2, Xbox 360)
TimeSplitters 2 (PS2)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360)
Rise to Honor (PS2)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Hitman: Blood Money (PS2)
Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2)
The Sims (PC)

Obviously, several patterns emerge when our lists are cross referenced. First is the overwhelming prevalence of the PS2. Five out of the ten games on my list, as well as seven of the ten games on Chicken Man's list, were selected for that system. That's 60% overall. Not at all strange considering the cultural and market prominence of the PS2 during our adolescence. Yet despite such statistical domination by the PS2, we didn't forget about the classics. I picked out games from the Genesis, SNES, PS1, and N64, all of which predate the PS2. Chicken Man, meanwhile, chose titles from the Genesis, PC, and Xbox 360. Interestingly, he was the only one to select something from the current generation of consoles. Two, as a matter of fact. What accounts for this? For one thing, I take to new games very slowly. I own a 360, but the games I play for it are all about three or four years old. I get pretty stubborn about new things sometimes, kind of like an old man. Bad habit, I know, but a few of them have grown on me enough to warrant honorable mentions. More on that in a bit.

As for overlap, both Chicken Man and I picked TimeSplitters 2 and Everything or Nothing. Unsurprising, especially when you understand that these are two games we mutually chose to win awards for Best Multiplayer and Best Co-Op Multiplayer, respectfully. Most of the fondness I feel for these two games is irretrievably mixed up in memories of massive multiplayer and co-op sessions with Chicken Man. Furthermore, the rest of his list is full of games I love, including some that have earned an honorable mention below.

Speaking of honorable mentions, I forgot all about them since my first pick. Allow me to get caught up.

Thrasher's Honorable Mentions:

The World is Not Enough (N64), GoldenEye 007 (N64), Tiny Toons ACME All-Stars (Genesis), NBA Jam T.E. (Genesis), Winback: Covert Operations (PS2), Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Championship (Genesis), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (PS1), Mirror's Edge (Xbox 360), Skate (Xbox 360), Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition (Genesis), Rise to Honor (PS2), TimeSplitters (PS2), and Nightfire (PS2)

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Ten

Today we wrap things up for both of our countdowns. Speaking for myself only, I think this has been a really interesting experience, and I've enjoyed the challenge of picking out just 10 games to take with me on that metaphorical deserted island scenario. Join us tomorrow for a critical analysis/post-game show/breakdown of our selections and a bonus look at some games that just missed the cut. First, let's take a gander at my nine previous picks:

TimeSplitters 2 (PS2)
WCW/NWO Revenge (N64)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
THPS 2 (PS1)
Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)

TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (PS2)

Notice I said TimeSplitters 2 was "almost" peerless yesterday. Not surprising, though, that its only peer is the sequel. Hard to say which is better, really. I wouldn't want to do without either one, so if I could someday get both TS2 and TSFP on the same disc, I would be happy as a clam. TSFP clearly has the better Story mode and single-player experience, including a co-op Story option, and the multiplayer is on point as usual. This is what Chicken Man and I have been talking about these past few days; even though TSFP had online play, Free Radical didn't skimp on the offline options. If anything, they embellished them. I personally don't care nearly as much for the maps in this one as opposed to TS2 or even TS1, but they are still very good, not to mention head-and-shoulders above modern shooters. Map Maker has been improved as well, though fewer bots can be used in custom maps than in normal circumstances. You also get blood, which seems odd at first in the TimeSplitters universe, but eventually you become inured against it. Again, it's tough to decide between them, and even though I'm inclined to pick TS2 over this one, I'm including both in my top ten because they tower over any other choice I could make.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Nine

Take a look at my top ten so far:

WCW/NWO Revenge (N64)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
THPS 2 (PS1)
Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)

TimeSplitters 2 (PS2)

The first TimeSplitters was something of a revelation to me. I had never seen a first-person shooter move as fast and as fluidly as that one. Not only that, but the number of computer-controlled bots you could use to fill out your deathmatches was something else. As Chicken Man smartly pointed out when he inducted TimeSplitters 2 into his own pantheon of great games, modern shooters seem to forget about the offline experience, and for me that most obviously manifests itself in the almost universal lack of bots to practice against. Everything has moved online, which sadly leaves us offline players by the wayside. Once you beat the single-player campaign, it's time to put that game back on the shelf. TS2 wouldn't dream of doing that. TS2 took everything that TS1 did and made it bigger, better, and prettier. Not only is the pitch-perfect multiplayer back and in rare form (these are some of the best maps in the series, I'd wager), but the single-player is just as satisfying, both in the main Story mode and in the numerous Arcade challenges and leagues. This is also a phenomenal co-op game. Further still, the Map Maker feature is deep and intuitive. There are very few games that have a shelf life as long as TS2. I don't just pop this game in once in a while for a nostalgic good time; I play it for hours still, trying to get the last of those platinum brass rings and working out the kinks in my new maps. No wonder we gave it the awards for Best Multiplayer and Best PS2 Game. TS2 is not only endless, but almost peerless.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Eight

Here's a look at what's gone down so far in my countdown:

Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1)
Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)


Goldberg! Goldberg! Goldberg!

WCW/NWO Revenge (N64)

This is probably the oddest pick I've made yet. Nevertheless, Revenge represents the pinnacle of my shamefaced, lifelong love for the absurd pseudo-sport of professional wrestling. For many people, wrestling is grotesque and idiotic, but for me, it's high theatre. I find it simultaneously hilarious and intriguing, and in 1998 my fandom reached its apex. Everything coalesced in one summer, and I can still vividly recall the moment when Goldberg defeated World Heavyweight Champion "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan live on TNT. I wasn't even past my tenth birthday when that happened, but watching that video brings all those memories back to me. Revenge is the game that captures all that drama in one cartridge and, if you're like me, all those memories too. For me, there's nothing like seeing Sting rappel down from the rafters to interfere in your contest. To this day, I consider this to be one of the most enjoyable multiplayer ever made. The controls are fluid and easy to learn, and the matches are as entertaining and dramatic as many of the televised bouts. Furthermore, each wrestler feels unique but balanced. Some excel at brawling with stop signs and briefcases, while others prefer to jump from the top rope and perform all kinds of acrobatic maneuvers, but one never becomes dominant over another. In my mind, no other wrestling game can touch this one for depth and accessibility.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Seven

Tough choice today between two of my favorite brawlers. Still, I feel comfortable with my pick. First, though, let's recap my picks to date:

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1)
Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)

Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)

It's tempting to include this one on my list for sentimental reasons alone. Any other game and I'd feel guilty about that kind of blind nostalgia, but Streets of Rage 2 is different. Despite this being the first game I ever owned, it's still one of the best. I can probably beat it with my eyes closed (on Easy or Normal difficulty, anyway, I'm only human) but it continues to grow on me. This is the archetypal beat-'em-up, and everything that followed fell short of its mark, including Streets of Rage 3. I can find absolutely no fault in this game whatsoever. It's just silky smooth to play, especially co-op. You know it's a classic, and you know it's an indelible part of your childhood, when the soundtrack continues to loop endlessly in your head, even as an adult. Streets of Rage 2, I love you.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Six

A quick recap of my picks from last week:

Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)

Everything or Nothing (PS2)

Freedom Fighters (PS2)

Crazy Taxi (PS2)

NHLPA '93 (SNES)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (PS1)

Another skateboarding game, I know, but both this and Thrasher are irreplaceable in my eyes. THPS2 won our award for Best PS1 Game because it's probably the deepest game ever put together for that system. This sequel took everything that was great about THPS (and there was so many great things about that one) and refined it a thousand times. This game is a diamond.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Five

This pick is a very special one for me, as you'll soon find out. But let's recap first:

Everything or Nothing (PS2)
Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)

(Needless to say, this is not from the PS1 version of Thrasher. Did you know there was a Game Boy Color version that got dusted before it could be released? Me neither, and it's too bad.)

Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (PS1)

I believe I covered this one in depth for GameFAQs when I was 13. Honestly, with an opening salvo like "I am a true diehard skater," how could you not want to read on? Furthermore, what I liar I was at that age. I couldn't even ollie. Still can't. But I did know every inch of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Thrasher was an awesome alternative to its outlandishness. This was the Skate 2 of its day. Where THPS went over-the-top, Thrasher pushed for realism. Tricks needed to be planned carefully in Thrasher, as opposed to the more accessible THPS, where slaming the buttons would more often be rewarded than penalized. Both have their own place in my heart, truly, but this game had a few things going for it, principally the old-school hip hop soundtrack, which was presented with an honorary Code Redd Net Award. Bails were humorous things to see as well, especially when Chicken Man and I hooked up for a multiplayer mode called Sick Fix, where we competed to land the most impressive slams (most involving an oncoming subway train). And those were good times, breaking bones in deserted stations. THPS made me a fan of skateboarding, but it was Thrasher that got me on a skateboard for the first time, and it was Thrasher that got me into Run DMC. Plus, I got my alias from this game. Big surprise, I'm sure.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Four

Looks like the old Code Redd Net synchronicity is kicking in today. Earlier, Chicken Man picked Everything or Nothing as his next game of choice before I could. I would cry copycat, but the truth is we spent almost as much time playing that game together than we did individually. Hopefully this won't be the only time our picks match up.

A recap of my choices so far:

Freedom Fighters (PS2)
Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)


What a dumb question.

Everything or Nothing (PS2)

Talk about accolades; EoN won our awards for both Best Bond Game and Best Co-Op Multiplayer, and was also nominated in the crowded, highly-competitive Best PS2 Game category. In many ways, EoN is like the Citizen Kane of Code Redd Net. It's the rubric by which we judge other Bond games. It's canonical. As I stated in my review, no game with the license to kill can touch this one in terms of, for lack of a better term, 007ness. This game feels like James Bond, especially, as Chicken Man so precisely observed, in the hand-to-hand combat, which perfectly captured the brutality and creativity of the films. And Chicken Man will attest to this, some of our fondest memories are of playing co-op together for hours. I may have to go back and play a round or two of this tonight. I assuaged my own Curse of Completionism with this game last year, and consequently I haven't had a reason to pick it back up since. This seems like the perfect opportunity to do so.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Three

Moments ago, Chicken Man picked the Hitman series in his own ongoing video game countdown. Within that piece he astutely highlighted the excellent soundtrack for those games, composed by the great Jesper Kyd. In keeping with that theme for today, I'd like to continue the trend by inducting another game scored by Kyd into the Thrasher Canon, so to speak.

But first, a quick review of the games I've selected thus far, and then on to today's pick:

Crazy Taxi (PS2)
NHLPA '93 (SNES)

Freedom Fighters (PS2)

And if I had to, was forced to, choose just one game from my list, if I was the kind of fellow to rank 'em, this just might be number one. No wonder I gave it the coveted Thrasher's Choice Award and unapologetically gushed over it in my review. Everything about this game amazes me. From the aforementioned soundtrack, to the level design, to the controls, to the atmosphere, to the simple/complex dynamics of the squad combat, this very well might be my all-time favorite. Unsurprisingly, the people over at Io Interactive (the same people who put out those top-notch Hitman games Chicken Man so understandably loves) know what they're doing.

Thrasher Presents: Thrasher's Top Ten Video Games, Part Two

Let's recap my choices so far, huh?

NHLPA '93 (SNES)

Strange start, I admit, but trust me on this one, it's a great game. And they'll just keep getting better. As you may have noticed, I have followed Chicken Man's lead and dropped the process of ranking my picks. That's truly a bunch of rubbish. How could I pick a favorite? I love them all for different reasons, I'm telling you. Keep that in mind as I reveal my next choice:

Crazy Taxi (PS2)
It certainly helps that this one has all original music, instead of the neutered soundtrack that popped up on my recent 360 purchase. Besides all that, though, this is one of the best, most complete arcade games ever put together. The whole package is unified nearly to the point of perfection, and that is precisely why I put such a high premium on the Offspring/Bad Religion soundtrack. When you remove one of those highly integrated components, you lose a significant element. PS2 and Dreamcast got it right the first time. Not only do you get the full arcade game, but you have an additional city to cruise, and a full set of Crazy Box challenges to complete. Quite simply, this game is the total package.