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 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 One

Listing is always an arbitrary business, but it can be done with plenty of aplomb and good humor. Like many things from Code Redd Net, you can trust that my lists will make no concessions to either comprehensiveness or objectivity. Both are, in my estimation, nearly impossible, one, and two, simply uninteresting. This way I can keep our honesty intact by continuing to call out our blatant bias, all while still having as much as possible with these silly things. Not only that, but you may learn something about the CRN staff in the process.

Now, having said that, let's get down to listing my Top Ten Video Games. First, a few 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).

NHLPA Hockey '93 (SNES)

I'm certainly not a hockey fan, but this game is as smooth as butter. Super-tight controls and varied action are the main points here, plus the fights in this game are hilarious. Not as deep as many sports games would become (you essentially have an exhibition mode and a tournament mode to choose from), but few can rival its core replayability. And I'm still trying to figure out why I keep getting called for icing.