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| Classy shooter Ranger X |
I think I underrated this game in my list last year, hence a hefty rise in 2012. I've had another go recently and it really is a polished little shooter.
29.Crysis 2 (Xbox 360) (New Entry)
Many decried its bland stereotypical war-torn city; personally I found the game tough to get into (for a FPS) but once I got hang of all the upgrades and stealth options, had a blast. The way you could choose different methods to approach each scene really appealed to me.
28.Flashback (Megadrive) (down 18)
Flashback is a great platformer in the mould of Prince of Persia, but the cranky gameplay is starting to creak a bit. Maybe it's because of that annoying section on the alien planet...
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Mike Posehn's classic shooter remains one of my favourite games on the Megadrive and one I'm still happy to play through. The controversial (for the time) helicopter movement suits it perfectly and kudos should go to Mike for insisting on it.
26.Metal Gear Solid (Playstation) (down 9)
Snake slips a few positions. He ain't looking as good as he used to.
25.Jet Pac (Spectrum) (New Entry)
Oh how did I miss this one last year! The XBLA remake reignited my love of Jetpac, and as good as it was, it misses out whilst the original (also included when you bought the XBLA game) shoots into the chart at number 25.
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| The Great Escape |
The Spectrum's limiting colour pallette suited it perfectly; it's open world structure was rarely seen in those days and the atmosphere was superb.
23.Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360) (New Entry)
As much as I loved the original, it's breadth of options and upgrades left you feeling exceedingly overwhelmed. ME2 simplified all that and concentrated on an intriguing plot and quite stunning opening scene. A modern day classic.
22.Jedi Knight: Outcast (PC) (up 6)
Still my favourite of all Star Wars games...except for one.
21.PGA European Tour Golf (Megadrive) (up 38)
A massive rise for this immensely playable Megadrive sports game. I bought it from a Crack Converters recently and discovered all over again how wonderful it is.
20.Bombjack (Spectrum) (down 6)
Like Flying Shark, it's a bit much to suggest it could be better than the arcade original, but it's still pretty damn perfect. The terrible C64 version is another reason to have Bombjack flying the flag for the Spectrum in the top 20.
19.Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (Xbox) (up 38)
I completed this amazing game last year and have since played it a couple of more times. Boasting an extremely tense and odd atmosphere, some compelling (and difficult) gameplay, the stealth elements and lack of, well, action, deterred many. Me, I think it's a classic.
18.Unreal Tournament (PC) (up 40)
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| Unfriendly locals in Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth |
17.Match Day 2 (Spectrum) (down 8)
Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond's Speccy football masterpiece slips a few this year as it begins to tarnish slightly in the face of superior competition. I still give it a whirl every now and then.
16.Duke Nukem 3D (PC) (up 11)
I bought this 3D Realms FPS on XBLA recently so have been enjoying it all over again! Inventive, funny and action-packed, I've always preferred it (certainly in single player) to Quake.
15.Chaos (Spectrum) (up 8)
Another Spectrum game that just never seems to lose its patina. Neverending variations of spells and an excellent multiplayer game.
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| The Joker was masterfully voice-acted by Mark Hamill |
I completed Batman: AA about a month ago. At last, fans of the Dark Knight, the coolest comic book hero ever, had a video game to really do him justice. It took me some time to get used to all the various controls (like most modern games) but it's testament to the thought that has gone into Arkham Asylum that it soon becomes second nature. A modern classic of gaming and storytelling.
13.Star Wars Battlefront (PC) (up 3)
Battlefront hangs on in there and even manages a slight rise. It's still huge fun and the abundance of fan maps means you're likely to be entertained for a long time. With the threat of more 360 games looming, however, it's position could begin to look shaky next year...
12.Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (Playstation) (down 4)
Tenchu is a hard game to like; awkward controls, dodgy camera float, terrible dialogue. Yet it still manages to create an eerie, deadly atmosphere that captures me every time I play it.
11.Jungle Strike (Megadrive) (up 7)
Less nostalgic than its predecessor, but superior in every other way. Multiple vehicles, more varied missions, hugely different objectives and locations. A shooter marvel.
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