Qualifying Poll 8/10: The Seventh Son

[This Old Neon]

You can vote for 1-3 games in this poll. Vote carefully—you can't change your votes after submitting them. The top 3 games at the end of the week will earn a spot in the Top 128.

1985 - A Mind Forever Voyaging - PC
1988 - Pool of Radiance - Amiga/PC
1993 - Doom - PC
1994 - Donkey Kong Country - SNES
1995 - Suikoden - PS1
1996 - Super Mario 64 - N64
2004 - Unreal Tournament 2004 - PC
2014 - Destiny - PS4

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

[Humphries90]

Suikoden as per.

Super Mario 64. The game that revolutionised 3D platforming and games in general.

[Spore]

Oh wow. Didn't see Mario 64. I'll rest assured that it won't need my help.

[evildevil97]

While I don't personally like SM64 too much, I had to give it a vote here. It's pretty much a fact at this point: It launched the entire 3D platforming genre. Without it lighting the way, would we have Banjo-Kazooie, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and such? Heck, even the more "adult" games (like Assassin's Creed) took some inspiration from the 3D platforming trope. While the 3D style of platforming would've likely existed by now regardless, I really don't think it would've had such an impact on gaming without SM64's shining beacon.

[Kong Wen]

Super Mario 64 was the first to an inevitability. It was also a good game, but it wasn't necessary for 3D worlds to come into existence. Walking around in 3D worlds is natural human behaviour/environment. We would have come up with it, whether Mario went there first or not. I'm not trying to take away from its legacy, I just don't think innovation (getting there first) necessarily equals influence.

A Mind Forever Voyaging, Pool of Radiance, Doom, and Suikoden are all high on the list for votes from me.

I also gotta say, Destiny is one of the best games I have ever played. It has flawless gunplay/gun-feel. The setting/world/story/lore is amazing and engaging. It has tons of engaging game modes (strike playlists, nicely-built raids, and a few fun PvP modes) and the community aspect is better than any other game I've played. It's refreshing to see a shooting game with a multi-year commitment from the publisher. Since they're not cranking out a new game every year, like Call of Duty or NHL, the community is actually still going really strong even after over a year. Millions of players! And you can see it in game. The lobbies are all well-populated, and there are always people to pick up and play with. I've never really been a big shooting fan, but this game surprised me with just how well it plays and how engaging the world is. I have a lot of fun playing it. (It also has the honour of having been the biggest launch of a new IP in video game history.)

[The Shoemaker]

Super Mario 64 is aging, but it's still solid. The worlds are so colourful with little things to do and running around Peach's Castle is still a joy.

[Spore]

Super Mario 64 is aging, but it's still solid.

Aside from the poopy "First foray into 3D" camera, I don't think Mario 64 aged poorly at all. Hell, the game has more movement options than recent 3D Mario games. It can be pretty technical. Only Mario Sunshine really has it beat in that department.

[The Shoemaker]

Super Mario 64 is aging, but it's still solid.

Aside from the poopy "First foray into 3D" camera, I don't think Mario 64 aged poorly at all. Hell, the game has more movement options than recent 3D Mario games. It can be pretty technical. Only Mario Sunshine really has it beat in that department.

The camera is exactly what I mean, and to an extent, the level design. The level design isn't bad, I just think through more recent titles Nintendo has found more ways to fill in their levels with cool stuff and make the levels flow a little better. It hasn't aged, it's just aging.

[Drauks]

I also gotta say, Destiny is one of the best games I have ever played. It has flawless gunplay/gun-feel. The setting/world/story/lore is amazing and engaging. It has tons of engaging game modes (strike playlists, nicely-built raids, and a few fun PvP modes) and the community aspect is better than any other game I've played. It's refreshing to see a shooting game with a multi-year commitment from the publisher. Since they're not cranking out a new game every year, like Call of Duty or NHL, the community is actually still going really strong even after over a year. Millions of players! And you can see it in game. The lobbies are all well-populated, and there are always people to pick up and play with. I've never really been a big shooting fan, but this game surprised me with just how well it plays and how engaging the world is. I have a lot of fun playing it. (It also has the honour of having been the biggest launch of a new IP in video game history.)

This is really par for the course for popular console online multi-shooters, in as far as how full the lobbies will be even for years to come. To me where Destiny shines is the multiplayer as a whole. From co-op to deathmatch, it's been a lot of fun, though I still wish they'd added a competitive raid, a sort of race to the finish. It is a great game, but I can't commit to voting for it strictly because the story was not engaging enough. It didn't draw me in and overall most of the experience felt empty for me with every repeated mission or raid not able to sit right. Granted,some of the boredom is to be expected with a linear story and an mmo-inspired format, where the end-game becomes the game at a certain point. With the story as it stands, however, I can't justify voting for it. I do look forward to the next one, where maybe they'll actually keep the writers this time.

Doom and Suikoden, though, will be getting my vote. This might be the last round I push for Suikoden, however.

[The Shoemaker]

I also gotta say, Destiny is one of the best games I have ever played. It has flawless gunplay/gun-feel. The setting/world/story/lore is amazing and engaging. It has tons of engaging game modes (strike playlists, nicely-built raids, and a few fun PvP modes) and the community aspect is better than any other game I've played. It's refreshing to see a shooting game with a multi-year commitment from the publisher. Since they're not cranking out a new game every year, like Call of Duty or NHL, the community is actually still going really strong even after over a year. Millions of players! And you can see it in game. The lobbies are all well-populated, and there are always people to pick up and play with. I've never really been a big shooting fan, but this game surprised me with just how well it plays and how engaging the world is. I have a lot of fun playing it. (It also has the honour of having been the biggest launch of a new IP in video game history.)

Is there a big difference from coming out with a new game each year and putting out enough DLC a year later to add up to the price of a whole new game? I guess the big thing is that everyone continues to play on the same game so you're not splitting the audience.