Volume 4, No. 1 November 7, 2003
Are you game for top 10? By Elizabeth H. Raley Video games have entertained the young and old for more than two decades now. There are so many games, game consoles and genres of games, it is almost overwhelming. Here are the 10 that hold special places in my mind and heart. 10. “Sim Ant” (1991, PC) “Sim Ant” is a game of survival where the black ants must defeat all of the red ant colonies in the yard and take over the house. This is my favorite “Sim” game because you can actually finish it. Most other games like this, such as “Sim City,” “Sim Life” and, most recently, “The Sims” go on forever with no distinct goal other than not failing. 9. “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998, N64) Link is once again called upon to save Princess Zelda from the hands of Ganon. This time, the game is in 3-D and includes lots of weapons and other tools to aid in the quest. I love this game because it has great graphics and music that create a sense of magic and fantasy that makes this role-playing game great fun. 8. “Oregon Trail” (1985, Apple IIe) When compiling this list, “Oregon Trail” was one of the first things that popped into my mind. It is an educational game where players navigate a family on the Oregon Trail in a wagon with oxen and must barter and hunt to survive. I played it in my early elementary school computer classes, as did many of my friends. Reminiscing about this game, we came to the general consensus that the part we loved most was hunting for food. 7. “The Black Cauldron” (1986, PC) In 1985 Disney released a movie version of Lloyd Alexander’s classic novel, “The Black Cauldron.” The following year, a computer game hit the shelves. Not having read the book, I only know that the game follows the storyline of the movie very faithfully. I never finished this game, but enjoyed every second that I played it. You play as Taran, the assistant pigkeeper and must find Hen Wen, your kidnapped oracular pig before the Horned King can use her to discover the location of the Black Cauldron. 6. “Galaga” (1981, Arcade) A classic space shooter, this game maneuvers more easily than “Galaxian” and has slightly better graphics. This game can provide hours of simple, yet precise game play either in the arcade or at home as it is included in the “Namco Museum” collection which is available for a variety of modern consoles. 5. “Gauntlet II” (1987, Arcade) This classic game allowed simultaneous four-player action both in the arcade and on the PC. The warrior, wizard, elf and valkyrie make their way through mazes collecting magic potions and other items while destroying enemies and the generators that produce them. 4. “Quake” (1996, PC) My favorite first-person ultra-violent shooter game, “Quake” paved the way for all other 3-D shooters that came after it. Exploding victims, an arsenal of weapons, Nine Inch Nails logos on ammo crates (Trent Reznor wrote some of the music for the game) made this game a perfect release for teen angst. 3. “Diablo” (1996, PC) This is an action-based RPG where you get to choose a character to play and your ultimate goal is to defeat your nemesis, Diablo, at the end of the game. Each hero/heroine you choose has different strengths and can change how you go about the game. Play is set in underground dungeons that are mazes, along the lines of those in “Gauntlet.” 2. “Mario Kart 64” (1997, N64) Players can choose to race as a variety of Nintendo characters on numerous tracks or go head-to-head in the battle mode. This game has excellent controls and allows up to four people to play simultaneously for tremendously fun competitive races. I would play it for hours with my best friend, her brother and their father during my senior year of high school. It is still a favorite among my friends today and probably always will be. 1. “Ultima VII Serpent Isle” (1993, PC) Finally, my most favorite RPG to date. As the Avatar, you must stop the Guardian from destroying Britania, help your companion Iolo find his wife and restore balance to the Serpent Isle. I love everything about this game, the music, the over-head view of the playing area, the dialogue between characters, the magic flying carpet and story itself. This game and its predecessor, “The Black Gate,” created an interactive fantasy world that before I only had access to in books. It is a medieval world of casting magic spells, sword-fighting and completing quests that holds the top spot in the gaming part of my heart. Raley is archivist/photographer in campus photography.
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