Round 2: Bracket 9/16 - NUMBER NINE

[This Old Neon]

Round 2: Bracket 9/16 - NUMBER NINE

You can vote for 1-2 games in this poll. Vote carefully—you can't change your votes after submitting them. The #1 and #2 ranked games at the end of the week will move on to Round 3.

1992 - Gate of Thunder - TGCD
2003 - F-Zero GX - GCN
2003 - Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando / Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded - PS2
2005 - Psychonauts - Multiplatform
2007 - Mass Effect - PC/X360
2010 - Fallout: New Vegas - Multiplatform
2011 - Minecraft - PC
2011 - Saints Row: The Third - PC
2013 - Dr. Luigi - Wii U
2014 - Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition - PC

You are encouraged to discuss your choices and your reasons for selecting the games you did.

[Sharecrow]

Gate of Thunder is one of the most solid shooters out there. It's certainly one of the best that I got to play on the Wii VC. Lots of weapons, each with their own usefulness, and solid levels throughout. Music was great but wasn't mixed appropriately (it's too quiet in my opinion...)

[Kong Wen]

I'm shocked to see one of the biggest and most influential games of our modern era (Minecraft) ranked so low here, but it is what it is. I can't complain, because I'm not a huge fan.

My primary vote is for Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition for reasons elucidated in the previous round. It's a near-perfectly-tuned exploration-based platformer with excellently-paced upgrades, engaging characters and setting/design (great music), and butter-smooth controls that make the deep combat & combo system feel deceptively simple (which in turn makes you feel like a masterful player—a sure sign of great design).

I also cast a vote for Saints Row 3. Yep. To me, this game represents the pinnacle of the open-world sandbox genre. There are tons of things to do, but it doesn't become a mindless real-life simulation. You get to have enough fun with the world crafted around you without being so powerful that creative engagement becomes meaningless and boring. The characters are over the top, ridiculous, silly, but the dialogue and scenarios are remarkably well-written. Bottom line: it's fun.

[Pluvius]

I'm shocked to see one of the biggest and most influential games of our modern era (Minecraft) ranked so low here, but it is what it is. I can't complain, because I'm not a huge fan.

Let's just say that the only reason it's not on my troll list is because I haven't actually played it (beyond the crappy Xbox 360 demo which would be an unfair representation).

Rob

[SkyPikachu]

Spent hours upon hour playing minecragt such an enjoyable experience.

[Claytone]

F-Zero GX and Fallout: New Vegas both being in here make this perhaps the easiest BGE vote I have ever cast. None of the others make me falter at all.

[Spore]

beatles

[VictorViper]

Guacamelee! gets an easy vote for reasons detailed last round, but F-Zero absolutely deserves everyone's time, if not their votes. I'll let Clay gush on this since he'll do a better job, but this is, for me, the second-best future racer of all time... and if I'm honest and put my bias for Wip3out aside, I might just call it the best. GX is a bonafide masterpiece.

[Humphries90]

F-Zero GX. Now that is a game. A damn hard one though! I love the customisation and story mode although I never managed to beat it. Would love a HD remaster of this game.

[Kong Wen]

F-Zero GX and Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition have advanced to Round 3.