3. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: This is without a doubt my childhood speaking, but I grew up a geek and this was one of the few games that my grandparents had for the system that I immediately clung to. Sadly, it did not cure me of being a geek and has, over a long span of time, contributed to me being a bigger geek than many of the people I know. While the game can never be as open or fluid as sitting down with the actual Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual and Player’s Handbook – for the time this was the next best thing. I can remember just exploring every facet of the map to my hearts content and to this day, I can never recall a time the game genuinely made me bored. I could probably sit down today and still enjoy the hell out of it, which is why it needs to be in my Game Room. Roll for initiative, Microsoft.
2. Q*bert: Besides Frogger, this was easily another early platform title that probably takes the definition a bit further than it should. Watching that little Martian looking creature jump from step to step was always fun and while being in 2D and built on the design of isometric platforms, the game was still extremely popular in its day. Despite being tracked by a plethora of enemies, the game has an inherent wackiness that holds your attention in a vice grip and really does keep it enjoyable despite all your doing is jumping up and down. Yet another platformer that games like Mario owe their existence too – here’s hoping it makes it to the Game Room.
1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: Simple is always the best and no game does it better than Empire Strikes Back. Instead of having multiple levels, it gave you one level with varying degrees of difficulty and what better level than destroying wave after wave of Imperial Walkers. That’s the entire point of the game. Destroying Walkers. You can have your Jedi and drama, but I’ll take my speeder any day of the week, taking down those Imperial bastards as they try to get to the energy field. They can invade my base when I damn well say they can and not a moment before.
