Top 100 Video Games: 100-51

We’re now halfway through the Top 100 Games list, and I’m excited about what’s coming up. In a year like 2022, where it feels like new, must-play games are few and far between, replaying some of these older games has been a blessing. And writing about them has forced me to examine them from a fresh, more-critical perspective.

When I started writing this list, I didn’t anticipate on writing one hundred 500-word entries. I originally thought I’d write longer pieces for some games, and then just little blurbs about others. But I’ve had so much fun revisiting some of these games that I just can’t help but ramble on about them. With that said, to avoid burnout (not the game, which is great), I’ll be taking an extended hiatus from this list over the summer.

Top 100 Video Games: #51

Super Mario Bros. (1985, NES)

Oh hey there. It’s been a while. I’ve taken a few weeks off of writing so that I had proper time to re-experience one of the most important games of all time, Super Mario Bros. During that time, I accomplished something that I’ve never done in the 37 years since the game’s release. I played through every level of the game, used no warp pipes, and defeated Bowser (or King Koopa) in World 8-4.

Top 100 Video Games: #52

Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA (1998, N64)

Early on when I began constructing this list, I ran into a problem. What do I do with multiple games in a series? For some series, like The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario series, the problem answered itself. There’s enough difference between those games that it’s okay to list them separately. But for other video game series, the differences aren’t really enough to distinguish one game from another. Is there really that much difference between Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 and 3? Civilization 3 and 4? So for series such as these, I simply picked the game that I thought best represented the series as a whole. This will happen a lot once we get to the Top 50. But until then, I give you Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA.

Top 100 Video Games: #53

DuckTales (1989, NES)

I briefly mentioned my love for DuckTales way back on the article for #99, but that just didn’t seem like enough spilled ink for one of the NES’ best games. Developed by Capcom and the creative team behind Mega Man, DuckTales is a charming little platformer that remains fun to play to this day.

Top 100 Video Games: #54

Peggle (2007, DS/Mobile/PC/PS3/Xbox 360)

Addiction is a strange thing. For many years, I was a smoker. And sure, I was addicted to nicotine, but I was also addicted to the ritual; smoking on the way to work with the windows rolled down, on the patio after a meal, in between every beer at the bar. To this day, when the weather drops below 60 degrees for the first time each fall, I want to go outside and enjoy what I used to call “cigarette weather.” All of these things work in tandem with the nicotine to create a powerful pull. Peggle does a lot of the same.

Top 100 Video Games: #55

Fire Emblem Awakening (2013, 3DS)

Despite having owned every Nintendo system except the GameCube, I had never heard of Fire Emblem prior to Awakening, largely because it was a Japanese-only franchise for a while, sure, but also because “medieval, high-fantasy RPG” just doesn’t tick any boxes for me. And yet, when Awakening released to almost universal acclaim, I was excited to get my hands on it. I was excited to dig into a meaty experience on my Nintendo 3DS. Fire Emblem Awakening more than delivered on my expectations and turned me into a lifelong fan of the series. And yet…

Top 100 Video Games: #56

Dead Nation (2010, PS3)

There are trendsetters and trend followers. Trendsetters are easy to spot; they’re the first person to do something so successfully that everyone else wants to do it too. In video games, they’re the PUBG or Fortnite to your Blackout, the Overwatch to your LawBreakers. But that’s not to say that every game that follows a trend is bad. Apex Legends is certainly keeping up with it’s competitors, despite being two years behind, and Valorant definitely has it’s defenders in the hero shooter genre. One of the most popular trends, not just in video games, but in pop culture over the last 20 years was zombies. Put ’em in movies! Put ’em on TV! Put ’em in your cereal! At the height of this craze came a little-noticed game, from a highly-respected developer; a game called Dead Nation.