Top 128: 15/16 - Bracket Fortress

[This Old Neon]

Welcome to the "BEST GAME EVER!!!" Project Top 128 Brackets!

You can vote for 1-4 games in this bracket. Vote carefully—you can't change your votes after submitting them. The top 4 games at the end of the week will advance to the Top 64.

15 - Team Fortress 2 - 2007 - PC
18 - Splatoon - 2015 - Wii U
47 - Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - 2013 - Multiplatform
50 - Super Metroid - 1994 - SNES
79 - Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium - 1993 - Genesis/MD
82 - Borderlands 2 - 2012 - Multiplatform
111 - Mega Man 9 - 2008 - Multiplatform
114 - Pac-Man - 1980 - Arcade

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

[Spore]

all bad games

[VictorViper]

TF2 is the best competitive multi-player shooter ever made, and this is coming from a guy who never got to enjoy the (still alive and well) mod scene and, furthermore, played on the bloody 360, largely dead community and all. That should say a ton.

Brothers is the most emotionally affecting game I've ever played and uses a physical mechanic to bolster its impact in a way I've never seen. The designers of this game have an intricate understanding of how to craft narrative in an interactive space and the results speak volumes. This is a game that everyone should play. Devastating.

[The Shoemaker]

Splatoon is a really awesome new party/shooter/turf control game. It needs a lot of improvements, but the core gameplay is so good.

[SkyPikachu]

Splat-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-toon

I've kinda stop playing it as much these days but it's still a lot of fun. Very good example of there doesn't need to be violence in video games for it to be fun.

[Humphries90]

Haven't voted, seen the votes or read the comments yet. But if Super Metroid doesn't completely walk this bracket...

[Kong Wen]

A couple easy ones out of the way first: Super Metroid is a great game. It manages to nail atmosphere in 16 bits. Great map, great pacing. Team Fortress 2 is a masterpiece. I don't even know how to describe this game anymore. It's simply the most creative PvP shooting experience I've ever had. Controls really nicely, too. I don't know how they've managed to keep it so well balanced all this time, but it's brilliant. Lots of class and loadout options, and everything feels nicely competitive.

OK, all that said, now it's time for the meat:

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is one of the best video games I have ever played. This is one of the first video games that has somehow successfully managed to make being a video game an essential part of its artistic expression. On a surface level, this is a stylish fairy tale about two kids going on an adventure through a strange world, using an interesting, perhaps somewhat gimmicky control mechanic (each analogue stick controls one of the brothers, and you use both simultaneously). But, you guessed it (or you've heard people rave about it before), it all comes together in a perfect, surprising, emotionally affecting, and yes, spoilery way. We really can't share exactly why this game succeeds so well at what it sets out to do. You have to experience it for yourself. Fortunately, the game is only a few hours long. I played it in one sitting on an afternoon off, only taking a short tea break. Play it.

[Sharecrow]

Okay I think I want to weigh in on why I have yet to support Brothers in the BGE. I did genuinely love the game and agree that it should be played by anyone who hasn't done so yet. Thanks, Spore, for encouraging me to give it a chance. It's well done and moving as others have noted. My main issue with it is that, for whatever reason, the replayability factor for it is null for me. After you've seen it and done everything, there's no compelling reason for me to come back. Its entertainment value got completely cashed. Part of that may be due to its being a puzzle kind of game. I generally don't like those much with few exceptions. But once you know how to overcome the obstacles, there's not much fun left in doing it again unless you give yourself time to forget enough.

It's also worth noting that Shadow Hearts Covenant was even more moving for me and it didn't suffer from that problem of my not wanting to experience it again - even if it makes me sad. The sadness is a deterrent for sure, but in that case it was overcome with gameplay that continues to be rewarding after you've done it once. Bittersweetness at its finest.

I also want to note that I gave Phantasy Star IV my only vote here as it's the pinnacle and crown jewel of one of my favorite JRPG series of all time.

[Ouenben]

Why the hell is Splatoon here?!?

[Kong Wen]

Why the hell is Splatoon here?!?

BGE launched right when it came out, so a bunch of the Nintendo people were playing it while nominations were on their mind. It's kind of funny that it ran up against a real team shooter in its first bracket.