2015 "BEST GAME EVER!!!" Nomination Thread

[link64]

Wario Land 2 and 3 (GBC)

[Forscyvus]

I think I'm going to keep my list of noms pretty short, both because there's not much time left and because already the idea of nominating more than one game seems weird if I have a personal fave! Anyway here goes:

Team Fortress 2 - the best shooter ever
Super Smash Bros Melee - the best official fighter ever
Project M - the best fighter ever
The World Ends With You - a personal favorite for just about every reason. Best rpg battle system I've ever played
Metroid Prime - Omazing exploration, atmosphere, design (nothing ever goes obsolete!)
Pokemon HeartGold/Soulsilver - If only I could nominate the whole series! This is the clear winner since Johto is the best region and has the best music, but it's at least gen IV (dat physical/special split)
Prince of Persia (2008) - I nominate this because I personally love it so much. I don't expect it to win, but I love this game, the characters (even the stupid nolan north prince), the music, the visuals, the story (really underrated story!)

And I think I'll leave it at that! I really don't want to dilute my nominations by picking a lot of games, plus the bracket's probably gonna be preeeeeeeetty full already.

[Kong Wen]

Prince of Persia (2008) - I nominate this because I personally love it so much. I don't expect it to win, but I love this game, the characters (even the stupid nolan north prince), the music, the visuals, the story (really underrated story!)

Foooooooorks!!! I was just talking about this game in the chat. I love it so much. I actually thought they did a really great job with the Nolan North Prince. He started off being kind of an abrasive wit-dick, but as the game progresses he really starts to grow on you. I found the atmosphere to be just perfect. Nice and peaceful but dark and creepy. I liked the focus on exploration and climbing rather than combat. It just feels like a good solid running around game. Beats out any Assassin's Creed I've played in that regard.

[Claytone]

Wario Land 2 and 3 (GBC)

How could I have forgotten?!

I also nominate Wario Land 2 (GB).

This was one of my earliest games. Consequently, it's one of the ones I've poured the most time into. More than nostalgia, though, it's simply one of the finest platformers I've ever played, and I'm lucky that I was able to play it at such a young age, when my game selections were made entirely by the occasional game my parents brought home to me.

Edit: To hell with it, I checked other people's nomination lists, and mine is still not even close to the largest, so let me go ahead and do the deed.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty [Substance] (PS2/Xbox): I can't nominate 1 and 3 and just leave this one out. I flip constantly between naming 1, 2, and 3 as my favorite Metal Gear. I'll nominate them all.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX): This game is probably the most impressive 8-bit game I've ever played in terms of narrative. Like I mentioned last BGE, it's a game that did a lot of the things MGS did, but since it didn't get a Western release until much later, it didn't get any credit for it. Had *this* game been released on NES instead of the two awful Metal Gear games the NES saw, I'm confident it would have gone down as an absolute must-have.
Persona 4 Golden (Vita): Great game. Responsible for getting me into Persona, even if I prefer 3. Can't not nominate it.
Strider (Genesis)- One of my first Genesis games and one of the best. I also have half a mind to nominate its XB1/PS4 sequel, which I thought was excellent, but I'll hold off.
Space Channel 5 (Dreamcast): My favorite non-instrument-based rhythm game. It was a brief, weird romp, but something about it really stuck with me. I'm a big fan.

[Drauks]

Duck Hunt (NES): I know what you're thinking, but bear with me (rawr! That's right, I went there). Hours were spent with this game and 2 light guns. Repetitive, but with a family member or friend, maybe a few drinks, and this game was all I could look forward to for hours of just goofing around. And really, what villain was more nefarious than Laughing Dog?

Final Fantasy VI (SNES): The characters, oh man, the characters. While on some levels goofy, there was enough tragedy and drama in this game to grasp me for years to come (to some that might be simple and sad, but to a little boy, it was enough). The plight of the Returners, the calamity at Doma, and the evolution of twin brothers pulling through a tumultuous relationship are just a few kernels in a delectable fruit. Then there's the music. No other game to this day has so utterly taken over my mind to such an extent. Every single song can and will pop into my mind at random at some point during the week. To make it better are the actual concert recordings with Nobuo Uematsu heading them up. I will always and forever count this game as a blazing sun among shining stars.

X-Wing (PC): There may be flashier titles as far as space sims go, but this one really felt alive... because Star Wars. Yeah, that's it. Play it (again).

Gears of War (Xbox 360): No, not the story. The multiplayer of the first entry in this series was amazing, and it was tacked on more or less willy nilly. Before the developers got mad at everyone not playing tactical like they wanted all paintball arena style, and after they'd fixed some bugs (attaching grenades to someone from 30ft away, though a bug, was admittedly glorious), there was no other game out there for me where I actually felt in tune with my on screen avatar. The body placement and positioning were key, especially in close-range combat where shotguns ruled the day. Hell, this might be because I played the game so much, but it got to the point where once somebody had the sniper rifle picked up I could feel the pressure when they were going to shoot. Visceral, gritty, and in your face, the most beautiful part of this game was when the party system showed up. 4v4 death match in a map with some kind of circle? You're damn right we had gladiator fights. One on one shotgun fights that fired up the machismo and the shit-talking. I know most people consider this a "bro"-game, and to be honest it was. Damned if it wasn't the most adrenaline pumping shotgun roller coaster simulator, though.

Mortal Kombat 2 (Arcade/SNES/SEGA Genesis): My favorite fighter. So fast, so simple, so ridiculously fun. The characters really made this shine. The Fatalities were fun to pull off, a final seal on top of the victory.

[Claytone]

Duck Hunt (NES): I know what you're thinking, but bear with me (rawr! That's right, I went there). Hours were spent with this game and 2 light guns. Repetitive, but with a family member or friend, maybe a few drinks, and this game was all I could look forward to for hours of just goofing around. And really, what villain was more nefarious than Laughing Dog?

Mortal Kombat 2 (Arcade/SNES/SEGA Genesis): My favorite fighter. So fast, so simple, so ridiculously fun. The characters really made this shine. The Fatalities were fun to pull off, a final seal on top of the victory.

I dig both of these nominations. Duck Hunt was one of the few games I was able to play with my dad as a kid, since it was simple enough for him to get the hang of. I have fond memories of that.

Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat 2 was probably the first "adult" game I ever got away with playing, way back in elementary school. I loved the gory fatalities and the feeling that I was getting away with something. It always stuck with me because of that, and I'm still a big fan of the series today. Somehow I still haven't grabbed X yet, though. Definitely on the to-do list.

[Kreegs]

Because I have not seen them yet:

Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat 2
Mortal Kombat 3

(all Genesis versions, but I dont think it matters)

[IMessYouUp]

First post ever on the TONe forums so here we go with my nominations!

Final Fantasy X
I honestly I have put more of my life into this game than I care to admit. First Final Fantasy with voice acting, rock solid story, and a progression system that was as simple or complex as you wanted it to be. Add in the most insane super boss in a FF with Penance and you've got a winning combination.

Dark Souls (PS3)
Demons Souls was a great game, and Dark Souls took everything that was great and made it all the better. This game punished you until you loved it, but was never really unfair even if it felt like it sometimes.

Grand Theft Auto 3
This game changed everything. I don't particularly enjoy the GTA games, but the jump to 3D and open world in GTA3 laid the groundwork for basically everything Rockstar as done since and was simply a marvel at the time. I don't much care for the game, or open world games in particular, but I can't deny this game certainly deserves a nod.

[Mrs. Kong]

-Super Mario Bros 3
-Dark Souls (PS3)
-Excitebike
-Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (NES)
-Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)

[The Shoemaker]

Wario Land 2 and 3 (GBC)

How could I have forgotten?!

I also nominate Wario Land 2 (GB).

This was one of my earliest games. Consequently, it's one of the ones I've poured the most time into. More than nostalgia, though, it's simply one of the finest platformers I've ever played, and I'm lucky that I was able to play it at such a young age, when my game selections were made entirely by the occasional game my parents brought home to me.

Edit: To hell with it, I checked other people's nomination lists, and mine is still not even close to the largest, so let me go ahead and do the deed.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty [Substance] (PS2/Xbox): I can't nominate 1 and 3 and just leave this one out. I flip constantly between naming 1, 2, and 3 as my favorite Metal Gear. I'll nominate them all.
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (MSX): This game is probably the most impressive 8-bit game I've ever played in terms of narrative. Like I mentioned last BGE, it's a game that did a lot of the things MGS did, but since it didn't get a Western release until much later, it didn't get any credit for it. Had *this* game been released on NES instead of the two awful Metal Gear games the NES saw, I'm confident it would have gone down as an absolute must-have.
Persona 4 Golden (Vita): Great game. Responsible for getting me into Persona, even if I prefer 3. Can't not nominate it.
Strider (Genesis)- One of my first Genesis games and one of the best. I also have half a mind to nominate its XB1/PS4 sequel, which I thought was excellent, but I'll hold off.
Space Channel 5 (Dreamcast): My favorite non-instrument-based rhythm game. It was a brief, weird romp, but something about it really stuck with me. I'm a big fan.

Lol at vowing to only nominate 1 game from each franchise only to nominate 4 Metal Gear games

Also, since we're all drunk on the last few hours of voting - I nominate Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday for the SNES. I'm still waiting for it to finally hit the virtual console so I can beat Yo Sammity Sam once and for all.