Usually, this spot is a list of the best games on a particular system as voted on by the members of RFGen. It was a project I had hoped would get members of the site talking about their favorite games, and the support it has received has been everything I hoped for.

This month, because of some major personal changes in my life, I knew I wouldn't be able to put the proper time into compiling a list. So I thought it would be fun to reflect on the experience for me, as well as share the surprises that I encountered through making it so far.

The lists will continue next month as we look at Sega Saturn and TurboGrafx 16. Join us here: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=19360.0

Participation has really influenced certain lists, causing major swings at the last moment. That became apparent with the first list, the NES, when the last member to submit a list put TMNT II at #1. Before that vote, the game was looking to destined for an honorable mention, but with the #1 vote it climbed all the way to #11. But that's been one of the awesome parts of doing these lists for me. With a few lists submitted, it seems like things are starting to fall into place, and a few times they have, but other times it seems like the list flips on itself. A fun example of this is Blast Corps place on the N64 list. After the first three lists were in, that was sitting at #1 overall. Obviously it didn't hold, but it did make it fascinating to watch its movement for the rest of that month. It also shows how important the votes are.




It also became apparent with the NES that members were right away getting the point of the lists, as the lists coming in were (and have continued to be) a good mix of voting objectively with the head and nostalgically with the heart. While it can compromise the quality of the lists if nostalgia is the only factor involved, personally it means a lot more to me when I see a fond story attached to a game of note (call me a hopeless sentimentalist). It really personalizes what games are important to people and why. There have been plenty of examples:

On Rampage: World Tour (N64)

"Rampage is the first game I ever played on an arcade cabinet. At 8, my mom would let me have a buck in quarters, and go to the 7-11. It was there I would discover and fall in love with this strange game, that let you play as a monster, destroy a city, and eat people. It was a double whammy, as I was discovering Kaiju at the same time. Flash forward 10 years or so, and Midway would give me Rampage:WT. Same concept but so much better."

On FIFA '95 (Sega Genesis/MD)

"hours playing this with my Dad, who was cheating git who figured out your free to foul any player after they pass the ball. Fast paced and fun."

On Final Fight (SNES)

"This game may not even appear on most peoples snes list, but it is without a doubt a top 3 video game for me (across any console)... It just brings back so many great memories, both at home and at the arcades. I have beaten this game more times (well over 100) than any other game, no other games even comes close. I would play this game alll the time at the arcades, or whenever my family would go to pizza hut on the weekends and I was never able to beat it... Finally being able to play it at home and master it on the SNES was pure joy! Best Game Ever!!!"

Part of the point of this series is to get members talking about the games they love, and why. Quotes like these add character beyond the objective analysis in looking at graphics and gameplay. For many, these games have helped shape memories and personality, and it's great seeing those games shaped the opinions of those voting on them.


The mainstays have risen to top, but there have still been plenty of surprises. Every month, there's always been a few games that have come in either significantly above or significantly below expectations. For every Zelda game that you'd expect to see on lists of this sort, you get games like Heiankyo Alien, a lesser known title that came in at #18 on the Gameboy list.

And that has been the other super-gratifying experience in putting these lists together. "Hidden Gem" is a way overused term anymore, but there are plenty of great games on every system that deserve some exposure, and we all have different games that we want to give that little bit of extra love, even if we know we're probably the only one that will be touting it. The recent PS1 submissions were filled with examples of this, as the following quote for Tail of the Sun was one of many that had a similar nostalgic tone-

"This most certainly will not make it on the front page, but I love it so much that I have to mention it.  This game is proof positive that if you never shelve a title, you could potentially NEVER see the flaws, despite other people pointing them out (sometimes quite vigorously).  The music is excellent (the CD can be played in a CD player) and the game is weird and almost without any sort of point or direction, but maybe that is part of the charm.  Ostensibly the game is about building a tower of mammoth tusks to touch the tail of the sun, but really it is about eating everything you find on the ground then suddenly falling asleep, only to slide down a mountain and drown in the sea."

That's been the most gratifying part for me in putting the lists together. There are so many great games to explore, for me personally there are a few jumped way up my wishlist after seeing the support they received. As much fun as it is to talk about games that everyone has a history with, the Mario's, the Zelda's, the Metroid's, the Final Fantasy's, it's more about giving people a chance to discuss their favorites and potentially expose those favorites to new audiences.

For me personally, I feel like I have to play Trax and Vandal Hearts the first chance I get. And every time a new list comes out, I find myself wondering which games have put those types of thoughts into those who looked the lists over, and possibly helped contribute to them. Hopefully it's as enjoyable to follow these ranks as it put together.

I want to again thank everyone who has been involved with the lists so far:

singlebanana
MetalFro
Lendelin
Crabmaster2000
Disposed Hero
Normatron
Mr. Stubbes
Douglie007
Bickman2k
Misto
shaggy
Focusricerocket
EngineerMike
Seno
blcklblskt
Schlibby
bombatomba
Wempster

And another special thanks to the work Wempster and Disposed Hero do on the companion videos. You guys are awesome.

Again, hope we get as much participation we can for the upcoming lists, starting with the current submission forum of Sega Saturn and TurboGrafx 16!

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