7. Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions
With so many party combinations to choose from, you could play any of the Pokémon games any time and get a slightly different experience. But if I had to choose just one to play, it would without a doubt be the second generation titles, Pokémon Gold and Silver. Most people have strong nostalgia for the original 151, but I think that second gen is where we see art designer Ken Sugimori’s best designs. Not only are the Pokémon great, but the world is as well. Johto is packed full of interesting events and characters. You can get phone numbers from enemies for repeat battles, hunt down the legendary dogs, or even try to catch ’em all. And if you are in love with Kanto and the original eight Gym Leaders, then you’re in luck; after you defeat Johto’s Pokémon League, you can return to Kanto and relive the classic Pokémon experience. Be sure to battle your way to Red for the ultimate challenge, or if you want to do something completely different you can give the Nuzlocke Challenge a shot. You might have a GBC cartridge for one of these games sitting around your house, but if not, go grab one of the fantastic DS remakes.
Fantastic list and write-ups Sam. I find myself coming back to most of these as well. My personal list would include Super Castlevania IV as well (score another for the SNES!) Like you said, “sadly, there isn’t enough time to replay everything.” Happy Gaming!
Never feel bad about telling people to play Ocarina of Time =) Dawn of Sorrow gave me a chuckle, because every time I see the box art of that game, it makes me think of Konami’s re-release of it. The cover for the re-release was… an image of the original box. Hahaha. That game is freaking awesome, though. All three of the DS Castlevania’s are out of this world. Wonderful list.