orangecrush

Welcome to round one of the Video Game Draft Tournament! 16 DVDTalkers drafted 10 console or portable video games. Now it is up you, the fine gamers of DVDTalk, to vote on which player has drafted the best collection.

Players have been randomly paired up by me picking slips of paper out of a They Might Be Giants Beanie. To vote simply post in this thread telling me who you think has the best lineup. Your vote will not count unless you vote on every pair! Your vote will not count if you edit the post where you vote!

Players in the game are encouraged to vote. Optionally, they are also allowed to post to this thread telling everybody why they think you should vote for their collection.

So, let the voting begin! Voting ends on Friday, December 19th, at the exact time of the timestamp of this post. Match-ups will be listed in post #2.

Good luck to all the participants!

orangecrush

Matches:

DVDChris
1. Legend of Zelda Link to the Past (SNES)
2. Super Mario Bros (NES)
3. Halo 3 (xbox 360)
4. Mike Tyson's Punch Out (NES)
5. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
6. Mega Man X (SNES)
7. Animal Crossing (GC)
8. Guitar Hero III (xbox 360)
9. Tetris DS (DS)
10.Wii Sports (Wii)

Vs.

Fandango
1. Chrono Trigger (SNES)
2. Super Mario Kart (SNES)
3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
4. Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
5. Metroid (NES)
6. Bionic Commando (NES)
7. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
8. Ikaruga (DC)
9. Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
10. Gunstar Heroes (Genesis)


Michael Corvin
1. Super Mario Galaxy (wii)
2. Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360)
3. Okami (PS2)
4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (xbox)
5. Mega Man II (NES)
6. Eternal Darkness (Gamecube)
7. Tomb Raider (Playstation)
8. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
9. F-Zero (SNES)
10. Bomberman '93 (Turbografx-16)

Vs.

Spainlinx0
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Playstation)
2. Final Fantasy V (Playstation)
3. Mega Man 3 (NES)
4. Secret of Mana (SNES)
5. Banjo-Kazooie (N64)
6. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)
7. Pilotwings 64 (N64)
8. Contra (NES)
9. Warioware: Twisted (GBA)
10. Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)


edstein
1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360)
2. Soul Calibur (Dreamcast)
3. Metroid Prime (GC)
4. SSX 3 (ps2)
5. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (Playstation)
6. Jet Grind Radio (Dreamcast)
7. Call of Duty 2 (Xbox 360)
8. God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
9. NHLPA Hockey ’93 (Genesis)
10. Twisted Metal 2 (Playstation)

Vs.

Groucho
1. Super Mario Brothers 3 (NES)
2. Kid Icarus (NES)
3. Earthbound (SNES)
4. Star Fox (SNES)
5. Blast Corps (N64)
6. Tekken 3 (Playstation)
7. Geometry Wars 2 (360)
8. Shenmue (DC)
9. Samba de Amigo (DC)
10. Project Gotham Racing 2 (Xbox)


The Bus
1. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360)
2. Mario Kart 64 (N64)
3. Fallout 3 (PS3)
4. Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
5. Ninja Gaiden Black (Xbox)
6. Burnout Revenge (Xbox 360)
7. Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox)
8. Metroid Prime 2 (GC)
9. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (Neo Geo)
10. PixelJunk Monsters (PS3)

Vs.

Jeremy517
1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
2. Final Fantasy III (SNES)
3. Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)
4. Pac-Man Championship Edition (Xbox 360)
5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
6. Guitar Hero 2 (PS2)
7. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
8. New Super Mario Bros (DS)
9. Battletoads (NES)
10. Gran Turismo 2 (Playstation)


Lordwow
1. Super Mario World (SNES)
2. Resident Evil 4 (Gamecube)
3. Final Fantasy Tactics (Playstation)
4. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)
5. Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES)
6. ESPN NFL 2K5 (Xbox)
7. Mass Effect (360)
8. Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (Gamecube)
9. Portal: Still Alive (360)
10. MVP Baseball 2005 (Xbox)

Vs.

Orangecrush18
1. Final Fantasy VII (Playstation)
2. Halo 2 (Xbox)
3. Rock Band (Xbox 360)
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
5. Mario Kart (DS)
6. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Dreamcast)
7. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Sega Saturn)
8. God of War 2 (PS2)
9. Tetris Attack (SNES)
10. Sonic CD (Sega CD)


Vryce
1. Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360)
2. Legend of Zelda (NES)
3. Final Fantasy II (SNES)
4. Ico (PS2)
5. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
6. Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES)
8. Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis)
9. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
10. Loco Roco (PSP)

Vs.

JasonF
1. Bioshock (Xbox 360)
2. Knights of the Old Republic (XBox)
3. Gears of War (Xbox 360)
4. Puzzle Quest (DS)
5. Final Fantasy I (NES)
6. Pikmin (Gamecube)
7. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (PS2)
8. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)
9. Etrian Odyssey (DS)
10. Dragon Warrior (NES)


Mattysemo247
1. Super Mario 64 (N64)
2. Tetris (NES)
3. Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
4. Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
5. Psychonauts (Xbox)
6. Forza 2 (360)
7. Zelda : Twilight Princess (Wii)
8. Resistance 2 (PS3)
9. Half Life 2 (XBox)
10. Resident Evil 1 (Gamecube)

vs.

cruzness
1. Metal Gear Solid (Playstation)
2. God of War (PS2)
3. Beyond Good and Evil (PS2)
4. Resident Evil 2 (Playstation)
5. Perfect Dark (N64)
6. Burnout 3 : Takedown - Xbox
7. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)
8. Dead Space (PS3)
9. Patapon (PSP)
10. Call of Duty : World At War (PS3)[/


Raul3
1. Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox)
2. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
4. Super Smash Bros. (N64)
5. Street Fighter II (SNES)
6. Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)
7. Crackdown (Xbox 360)
8. Lumines (PSP)
9. Red Faction (PS2)
10. Donkey Kong 64 (N64)

Vs.

jdpatri
1. Super Metroid (SNES)
2. Goldeneye (N64)
3. LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
4. Gran Turismo 3: A-spec (PS2)
5. Mortal Kombat II (Genesis)
6. Katamari Damacy (PS2)
7. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
8. Crystalis (NES)
9. Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS)
10.Mutant League Football (Genesis)

Shagrath

DVDChris vs. Fandando
Michael Corvin vs. Spainlinx0
edstein vs. Groucho
The Bus vs. Jeremy517
Lordwow vs. orangecrush18
Vryce vs. JasonF
mattysemo247 vs. cruzness
Raul3 vs. jdpatri

orangecrush

Fandango
Michael Corvin
Groucho
Jeremy517
Orangecrush18
Vryce
Mattysemo247
jdpatri

Reasons:

cruzness

Gamespot compiled critics score = average of all critics according to Gamespot Gamespot user score = average of all users according to Gamespot

My reasons for drafting my games Played them and enjoyed them - I only added scores to show reactions to the games.

1. Metal Gear Solid (Playstation) - The one that set the series up arguably the best game on PS1 Gamespot compiled critics score - 9.3 Gamespot user score - 9.4

2. God of War (PS2) One of the best PS2 games period. Gamespot compiled critics score - 9.3 Gamespot user score - 9.5

3. Beyond Good and Evil (PS2) highly acclaimed and inovative adventure game. Gamespot compiled critics score - 8.8 Gamespot user score - 8.7

4. Resident Evil 2 (Playstation) arguably the best in the series Gamespot compiled critics score - 9.2 Gamespot user score - 9.1

5. Perfect Dark (N64) best FPS on the N64 Gamespot compiled critics score - 9.5 Gamespot user score - 9.5

6. Burnout 3 : Takedown - Xbox the best of the burnout series pure adreniline racing. Gamespot compiled critics score - 9.3 Gamespot user score - 9.3

7. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360) Parkour action like no other game with a great story Gamespot compiled critics score - 8.2 Gamespot user score - 8.9

8. Dead Space (PS3) New GOTY contender which adds innovative elements to the survivor horror genre. Gamespot compiled critics score - 9.0 Gamespot user score - 9.1

9. Patapon (PSP) - Awesomely addictive rhythm game which is arguably the most fun experience on PSP. I dare you to try forget PATA PATA PATA PON. Gamespot compiled critics score - 8.7 Gamespot user score - 8.7

10. Call of Duty : World At War (PS3) Awesome intense WW2 shooter on COD4 engine set in new settings. Great multiplayer action. Gamespot compiled critics score - 8.5 Gamespot user score - 9.0

Vote for me

BlueCC

DVDChris
Michael Corvin
Groucho
Jeremy517
Lordwow
JasonF
cruzness
Raul3

Chris_D

If I may ask a question.. it might seem a fine line but should we trying to vote based on the classic status of games, or how well they hold up today (basically would I still want to play them)? It would make a difference to my voting.

Canis Firebrand

I guess I'll jump in with the reasoning behind my choices.

I didn't bother with any of the game ranking sites or sites like that. I went, instead, with games that I enjoyed playing and that helped shape my game playing habits. For the most part, you will notice that I stuck with older consoles. That is not to say that the three major and 2 handheld systems do not have any great games. Clearly, looking at all the lists, there are some great games out there. And while many of those current games are enjoyed by me, the just did not rise up to the levels that some of the older, nostalgic titles did.

1. Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360) - Call of Duty 2 was a major success but it followed in the existing setting of WW2.. When Call of Duty 4 was released, it was set in the future, with some interesting locations and features. It unseated Halo 3, which is a major force with 360 owners, for a long period as the top game being played on the Xbox 360.

2. Legend of Zelda (NES) - One of my first video games ever played. It holds a special place for me as being one of the first video games ever purchased that I played for hours on end each day. It also has that musical tone, when you discover a secret, that everyone can probably hum.

3. Final Fantasy II (SNES) - I think this was one of the games that really hooked me in playing RPG games. The sheer amounts of time to explore and complete them seemed to blend together and you could become lost in the game.

4. Ico (PS2) - In the age of Final Fantasy games on the PlayStation consoles, it was a breath of fresh air to get something so totally different.

5. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) - Similar to my reasoning for choosing Ico, Shadow of the Colossus was another title that was an awesome experience to play through.

6. Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) - My other current system pick. Resistance was a launch title with the release of the PS3. While many launch titles do not seem to be worth noting, Resistance was something special. It had that familiar feel to it while at the same time bring us something new to the table. It was a game that upon completing, left me wanting for more. The story was interesting and at its conclusion, you are left wanting to know what happened to the character that you spent the last days playing as. Luckily, Resistance two came out recently and picks the story right up.

7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) - After the success that was Super Mario Worls, the 2nd offered more stunning visuals with some great gameplay. It also added in the character Yoshi which, love or hate, is a pretty instantly recognizable character.

8. Sonic the Hedgehog (Genesis) - My first, and still favorite Sonic game. It was a solid release on the Genesis and I cannot count the number of hours I spent playing through this game. I still wish that I had my Genesis at times just to play this again. I know I can get it other places and in other game compilations, it just does not feel the same as playing the original.

9. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS) - My first exposure to Animal Crossing came on the DS. While everyone says that the version to get is the Game Cube, I spent so much time in the DS version and loved every minute of it. Adding in the ability to visit or have other people visit your town was icing on a perfect cake. The handheld, play in limited doses, fit this release perfectly for me.

10. Loco Roco (PSP) - I love new and quirky games. When I first heard of this release I was very intrigued. Once I got my hands on this game, I was hooked. the gameplay was infectious and the music just lulled you into its grip. before you knew it, you had spent hours playing the game without realizing it.

Groucho

My votes are for the bolded names:

1. DVDChris vs. Fandango --> I ultimately went with DVDChris because I've played more games on his list and there wasn't a stinker in the bunch. But Fandango's choices were solid as well.

2. Michael Corvin vs. Spainlinx0 --> Good matchup here. Very subjective vote: Michael Corvin's games suit my personal preferences a bit more.

3. edstein vs. Groucho --> Tough vote since edstein has the second best collection in the bunch.

4. The Bus vs. Jeremy517 --> I liked Jeremy517's collection just slightly better overall, but Zelda Toot sealed the deal.

5. Lordwow vs. orangecrush18 --> Very tough! Lordwow's earlier picks are better, but Orangecrush18 came back in the second half. Since it's a lot harder to pick good games in the latter part of the game, I went with orangecrush18.

6. Vryce vs. JasonF --> This could have gone either way. I'm currently playing Bioshock, so my bias fell there.

7. Mattysemo247 vs. cruzness --> I almost didn't vote for cruzness for choosing the PS2 version of BG&E over the GCN version ( ) but I had to admit that I liked his collection better and vote that way.

8. Raul3 vs. jdpatri --> Uncharted in the second round? Really?!?

Groucho

As I said in the other thread, I think people should vote based on whatever criteria they'd like. After all, everybody had different criteria for picking games during the draft itself.

Fandango

I say vote however you like.

Larry C.

No Pong?

cruzness

And everyone has different criteria for picking games off the shelves.

spainlinx0

Here's why I picked my games.

Spainlinx0
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Playstation) - I didn't pick this game, and I never played it.

2. Final Fantasy V (Playstation) - I didn't pick this game, and I never played it.

3. Mega Man 3 (NES) - I didn't pick this game. I actually think I prefer 2.

4. Secret of Mana (SNES) - Epic RPG that I especially enjoyed due to the multiplayer aspect. The music was also incredibly haunting in areas, and all of the different places you went to were so colorful and fun.

5. Banjo-Kazooie (N64) - I love this game, and felt it was a good platformer after the brilliance of Mario 64. It was probably better actually, but doesn't get as much love because it was second.

6. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES) - Really fun RPG. How can you go wrong with Square and Nintendo?

7. Pilotwings 64 (N64) - Addictive, fun, replayable game.

8. Contra (NES) - I have beaten this game countless times, even a few times without dying. My brother and I used to play this game constantly.

9. Warioware: Twisted (GBA) - The best Warioware game without a doubt, and I played them all. You would think just twisting would get tiresome, but the execution is so perfect that it is incredibly addictive and fun.

10. Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox) - So beautiful when it first came out. It was a mesmerizing experience. The final boss was a nightmare.

lordwow

My Picks:
DVDChris
Michael Corvin
Groucho
Jeremy517
Lordwow
Vryce
cruzness
jdpatri

orangecrush

I simply voted for which list I liked better. You may have different reasons for liking certain games more (nostalgia, played it for 100+ hours, etc.)

Michael Corvin

1. DVDChris
2. Michael Corvin
3. Groucho
4. Jeremy517
5. Orangecrush
6. Jason F.
7. mattysemo247
8. Raul3

Canis Firebrand

DVDChris vs. Fandando - Both had some good choices, I just happened to like Fandando a bit more. Plus, he had Ratched & Clank. I love those games.
Michael Corvin vs. Spainlinx0 - Solid choices and his 1-3 choices really are hard to beat
edstein vs. Groucho - edstein a little to heavy on the sports type titles.
The Bus vs. Jeremy517 - Came down to which list had more games I played and enjoyed
Lordwow vs. orangecrush18 - Halo 2 was the game that broght me back into gaming strong. Plus his list has many other great pics.
Vryce vs. JasonF - Tough choice, but I think I have to side with Vryce in this one.
mattysemo247 vs. cruzness - For Twilight Princess, Psychonauts and Super Mario 64
Raul3 vs. jdpatri - Super Metroid, LittleBigPlanet and Goldeneye 64 are a hard combo to beat.

mattysemo247

Here is the reasoning behind my picks:

Super Mario 64 (N64) – Launch game for N64 and paved the way for 3D gaming.

Tetris (NES) – An all time classic. Countless kid hours wasted in a fun (but learning) way.

Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) - A model for sandbox games. If this game was never made, who knows what kind of crap we would be playing today.

Kingdom Hearts (PS2) – One of my favorite role playing games ever. Adventures with the Disney characters bring the kid out in everyone.

Psychonauts (Xbox) – One smart and edgy platformer. Don’t know how this one missed everyone’s radar.

Forza 2 (360) – The best simulation racing game to date (IMO). Over 80 hrs into career mode and I’m still playing it a couple times a month.

Zelda : Twilight Princess (Wii) – Launch game for the Wii and GOTY for many people/reviewers. The reason a lot of people bought a Wii.

Resistance 2 (PS3) – Sequel to the best exclusive FPS on the PS3. Multiplayer is a blast (up to 60 people and campaign modes)

Half Life 2 (XBox) – Port of the 35 award winning game of 2004, Half Life 2 is flat out one of the best games ever made. Huge campaign, great environments, and a deep story.

Resident Evil 1 (Gamecube) – The “remake” of the best survival horror game ever. Scared the shit out of all of us at one time or another.

Raul3

DVDChris vs. Fandando
Michael Corvin vs. Spainlinx0
edstein vs. Groucho
The Bus vs. Jeremy517
Lordwow vs. orangecrush18
Vryce vs. JasonF
mattysemo247 vs. cruzness
Raul3 vs. jdpatri

mdc3000

DVDChris - Zelda, Mario, Halo and GH sealed this one

Michael Corvin - Mario Galaxy, Prince of Persia, Mega Man II and Rock Band 2 make this list almost unstoppable.

edstein - tough to call because I liked Groucho's NES/SNES lineup but he didn't have much current gen that would balance it out IMO.

The Bus - another close one but Mario Kart, Burnout, fallout 3 and Donkey Kong Country = pure gold.

Lordwow - Mario, Sonic and Portal made this one pretty easy for me.

JasonF - I love CoD4 but Bioshock + Gears trumps it.

cruzness - another close one, but this time I gave the edge to CoD.

jdpatri - This is probably the hardest match up for me... Street Fighter II, Smash Bros and Left 4 Dead are all amazing...but so are Mortal Kombat II, Little Big Planet and GOLDENEYE.... Goldeneye remains one of my favourite games of all time, so it seals the deal.

edstein

Here are my reasons for my picks.

1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) - Most expansive sandbox game ever created. Graphics, voice talent, story line, this game has it all.
2. Soul Calibur (Dreamcast) - Launch title for the Dreamcast and probably the best fighting game ever.
3. Metroid Prime (GC) - Best FPS game on the Gamecube. Brings the old school into the new school.
4. SSX 3 (ps2) - Arcade snowboarding at it's best. Great graphics and a lot of fun to play.
5. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (Playstation) - The best skating game only got better with this version. Great music and great gameplay.
6. Jet Grind Radio (Dreamcast) - Cel shading graphics at its best and original gameplay.
7. Call of Duty 2 (Xbox 360) - Best WWII game ever. COD4 would be nothing without this game.
8. God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) - Possibly the best game on the PSP. Graphics really push the limits of the PSP and the gameplay is fantastic.
9. NHLPA Hockey ’93 (Genesis) - Who doesn't like fighting and blood in there hockey games?
10. Twisted Metal 2 (Playstation) - Blowing up other cars with rockets, guns and ice cream. It doesn't get any be better than this game.

Raul3

I just saw that in reasons for number 5 I put "Lordwow's list just didn't make it for me.", so that means that my vote is for orangecrush8. But somehow I bolded Lordwow, since edits are not allowed, sorry orange!

aktick

DVDChris
Michael Corvin
edstein
Jeremy517
Orangecrush18
Vryce
Mattysemo247
jdpatri

I personally voted based on games that I played the most and have the fondest memories of. NES classics hold the most weight in my decision...which is why DVDChris (Mario) and Vryce (Zelda) will be hard to beat (for my 1 vote, anyways).

jdpatri

PSA for jdpatri...

For the most part I picked benchmarks in my own gaming past and present.

1. Super Metroid (SNES) - #1 on my list and in my heart (awww). Any top ten list that doesn't include Super Metroid just can't be taken seriously.

2. Goldeneye (N64) - The game that singlehandedly got me put on an academic warning list my freshman year of college. No game consumed more hours and damaged more grade point averages than Goldeneye. (I managed to come back up to hit 3.7 by my senior year. So no hard feelings.)

3. LittleBigPlanet (PS3) - The best thing to happen to platform gaming since Super Mario. And it still doesn't seem to get the respect it deserves. (Stop hatin' on the PS3 - but feel free to hate on Home all you want.)

4. Gran Turismo 3: A-spec (PS2) - Rewrote the racing manual. Days, nights, more days, more nights were spent perfecting S-curves and collecting digital cars in my make-believe garage that I'd ever like to admit.

5. Mortal Kombat II (Genesis) - Nobody's every going to forget the way they felt when they first FINISHED! a friend by ripping their spine out.

6. Katamari Damacy (PS2) - Someone told you about this game. You were skeptical. Finally you get a chance to play. You're like, what the hell is this? I'm really skeptical. Seventeen hours later you're still rolling that ball but now you're rolling up cows.

7. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES) - The widely accepted #1 Castlevania is SotN. But before Castlevania became Metroidvania... and before SotN, Dracula's Curse was the undisputed Castlevania. Plus, he may have sucked in the game, but who didn't want to play Grant DaNasty?

8. Crystalis (NES) - NES had it's share of role-playing greatness, but Crystalis was the one I remember rushing home to play and play and play... it seems like most people either ignored it or wrote it off because it wasn't Final Fantasy, but in my book, Crystalis tops any 8-bit FF quest.

9. Advance Wars: Dual Strike (DS) - I wanted to round out my list with a little handheld goodness. This tiny little cartridge logged more hours on my DS than anything else. It probably won't win me too many votes, but it makes me happy.

10. Mutant League Football (Genesis) - Don't like the call? Kill the referee. They don't make sports games like this anymore. And my question is, why the hell not?