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The DS had plenty of fantastic games, but when it comes to a game I feel had the most beautiful example of using the controls in a creative way, I’d say The World Ends With You takes the cake.
I’ve literally never played a game that needed such a high degree of multitasking, not just for mental multitasking, but also hand-eye coordination. Playing that game on Hard mode felt crazy, and I literally never unlocked Master mode. Balancing between the top and bottom screen characters was such a challenge, especially if you’re actually trying to make use of the green puck for more damage. The fact that each partner has their own battle method is fantastic too, as you never get too comfortable with one character until you finish the game.
Add in fantastic art design, catchy soundtrack, funny & memorable main cast, and you get absolute peak. I can’t believe Square let that game rot for more than a decade. The Neo TWEWY sequel was pretty good too, but nothing will literally ever compare to the original’s controls. It’s just so addicting man.
Supergiant games’ holy trinity: Bastion, Transistor and Pyre.
Also, the only Borderland games 1 and 2; don’t believe the lies there are no more true Borderlands games and no there most certainly is no movie.
There’s also one other, but you’ll need a crowbar or a gravity gun in hand for me to tell you about it.
Feels odd to include Pyre over Hades.
Bastion and Transistor, sure. Without a doubt, imoactful clever stories that were well delivered.
Pyre always felt like a buggy mess tho. I tried multiple times to get into it but it’s just not on the level of the first two.
You are wrong about borderlands as there is one more and it is pretty muc h perfect.
Tales from the Borderlands.
Shame they never made a sequel for it but the artistry, music and story are all so well crafted. Someone loved Borderlands making that.
Zelda: A Link to the Past
It took a while to get there, but Cyberpunk 2077.
Dragon Age: Origins and Bioshock
Yes to both of these.
Portal/Portal 2
Deus Ex (the original)
Minecraft
Stardew Valley
Terraria
Mirror’s Edge
Chrono Trigger
Cyberpunk 2077
Hades
Subnautica
A Short Hike
Donut County
A short hike! Very pleased to see this one mentioned. What a game. The best kids game IMO
I’m shocked to see Donut County mentioned. But you’re right, it’s a perfect pleasant game similar to the perfection of the first Portal. In fact, it’s my son’s favorite video game, by far.
The worst thing about it is that there isn’t more.
I was expecting to disagree with the list at some point, but I’m finding it increasingly hard to find a reason to
The Witness
Shadow of the Colossus
We actually got two masterpieces out of this one title. The remake was an absolute perfect remake.
Doom (93) I guess ?
Also HL and HL2
I’d say games that have set the standard for their genre, and have not been surpassed, would be the only ones that count.
- Half Life 1 and then again with 2
- Half Life Alyx
- Age of Empires II
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Warframe
- Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
- Knights of the Old Republic
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Crash Bandicoot: Warped
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and then again with Tears of the Kingdom
- Elden Ring
- Hollow Knight
- Dirt Rally
- The World Ends With You (the original NDS version)
Super Hexagon
It’s about as simple as a ‘modern’ game can be (I read there was even a port of it to Commodore 64.) but it’s a finely tuned machine. When you lose - and you will, a lot - it feels like mostly your own fault and not the game’s.
The difficulty levels very accurately start at Hard for the easiest one. There are 6 total levels, the next 5 difficulties are Harder, Hardest, Hardester, Hardestest, and Hardestestest.
With much time and luck I can beat the first level (unlocking the 4th). On a lost save I had unlocked the 5th level by completing the 2nd, and have only ever seen the 6th in videos from other people. I would have to beat the 3rd to see it myself, and that’s not happening.
The criteria to beat a level is “last for 60 seconds”.
It’s really good, I played it again recently after not touching it for maybe 10 years, and finally beat the last difficulty in an attempt to prove to myself I’m still not old
I thought at first you guys were thinking of this, and I was puzzled. Then I looked it up.
Crivens, it’s like a combination of Tempest and Flappy Bird, but since it’s a Terry Cavanagh game it’s also been whacked over the head soundly with VVVVVV.
Super. Hexagon.
It’s hard to explain the relief I felt upon beating the last level. I can fairly easily survive for 300s in the first one, but I’ve never gotten close to beating the last one again.
The most important tip I can give: if you have a 60Hz monitor, turn off VSync. Makes a huge difference.
There’s also a “spiritual successor” called Open Hexagon that’s extendable by the community if you want more, though I haven’t played it myself.
I’ll have to try that vsync thing when I get a new PC (laptop). I’m playing stuff on my phone or Android tablet lately
The Spyro the dragon trilogy for me is just an absolute masterpiece.
Final Fantasy VII, IX and X are three master pieces
Metroid prime and fusion
Fatal Frame trilogy on the PlayStation 2, Forbidden Siren, Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 2 are amongst the best of the best
I do think the Spyro games are probably the absolute best of the collect-a-thon genre. Joyful and fun and with fun puzzles. I am worried I am too biased to say it though since I have 120%/100%/117% beat the games multiple multiple multiple times.
Hey, you and me man xD
Elden Ring
Minesweeper.
Simple, endlessly playable.
What’s left of edith finch.
Such an amazing game. Absolute masterpiece.
This is the game I used to convince my film nerd friends that games can be art too. They really enjoyed playing through it!
