The Tuesday 10s - The Titles That Shaped My Gaming Tastes

The Tuesday 10s return with a very special unordered (other than by A-Z) list, and I don't mean a Full House-style "very special episode" type of list either. No, instead, it's something near and dear to me, something I used to look back on my gaming history and do my best to properly analyze and identify those games that influenced and shaped who I am. These ten titles made me the type of gaymer I am, molded my tastes, and in part, made me who I am today, if we want to get utterly philosophical about this.

After you've checked out and hopefully read my ten picks, I'd be eager to read what some of your games that shaped your tastes (no need to post ten), if you'd be so kind to do so in the comments section below.

Banjo-Kazooie (N64)

Let's start off with a 3D platformer that takes claim as my favorite 3D platformer ever made. It's Banjo-Kazooie, featuring a robust repertoire of moves to learn, delightful and expansive worlds to explore, copious amounts of colorful characters to meet and engage with, and a plethora of secrets hidden inside Gruntilda's Castle and the worlds within. While Super Mario 64 innovated and revolutionized the gaming world, it's the iterative Banjo-Kazooie that has since stuck with me. It took the remarkable foundation that Mario 64 laid down and went to town on it. It presented me with my love for collectathon platformers in three dimensions (especially when they don't overwhelm the player--sorry, Donkey Kong 64) and continues to bring me joy. 

Breath of Fire (SNES)

One of the first role-playing games I ever played was a wondrous introduction to the genre for me: Breath of Fire. It was an albeit rather basic RPG, but a perfect intro to what the genre was all about. You had your turn-based battles, a sprawling world to explore, an engaging enough story, and one of the more important aspects of games that I've grown to greatly appreciate: a sensational soundtrack. Really, Breath of Fire was the beginning of my love for RPGs, and also one of the first games to make me shed tears due to a certain combo of story and music, showing that I could connect with games on an emotional level. Truly something special to me.

Final Fantasy II (SNES)

We move from one Squaresoft-published game to another with Final Fantasy II, at least that's how it was numbered back then. I'll spare you the well-known details on the numbered entries in the franchise. Regardless, Final Fantasy II started my love for the Final Fantasy series, opening me up to various aspects and constants in the series that I would discover myself appreciating to this day--whether that's familiar summons, items, monsters, places, characters like Cid, etc. And although the mainline games are not the ones I stick with, rather it's the spin-offs that I adore--and that's been a thing for as long as I can remember--Final Fantasy II was essentially the gateway game into the Square's role-playing world.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Honestly, so many early games within The Legend of Zelda series could take a place on this list, but no doubt the one that bestowed its most influential impact on me was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I recall and remember fondly thumbing through each issue of Nintendo Power leading up to the game's release--heck, back when the game was simply titled Zelda 64 and Link still had his traditional green tunic with brown undershirt as opposed to the white undershirt he'd don in-game. I'd obsessively soak in every detail from every screenshot, every preview prose written in the magazines. 

Ocarina of Time was the first instance I can remember of a game living up to my seemingly impossible hype. It opened me up to the concept of a living, breathing world; thinking in a three-dimensional space to solve puzzles; thinking outside of the box for said puzzles; and falling in love with the mysteries and urban legends within Hyrule. Ocarina of Time persists in my mind to this day, living rent-free, as it's my favorite game ever made. Sure, I prefer the 3DS remake nowadays, but that doesn't take anything away from this highly important and influential Nintendo 64 gem.

Mario Kart 64 (N64)

While I played a fair amount of Super Mario Kart and F-Zero on the Super Nintendo, it wouldn't be until Mario Kart 64 where my love for arcade racing games--particularly the cartoon-y, wild and wacky style--would take shape and plant its foot in my heart, much like one would plant their foot on the pedal. Mario Kart 64 nowadays is my least favorite in the Mario Kart franchise due to lack of content, slippery steering, and such (though--to be fair--it's still enjoyed by me), but at the time I was absolutely addicted to the game. Between aiming for first place in each race of every cup on every difficulty, to meticulously exploring each track, even going backwards down tracks to see what sights I could discover (which no doubt annoyed Lakitu according to his constant holding up his "Reverse" sign), Mario Kart 64 was such an eye-opener for me. It definitely planted the seed of racing game love that would take root, grow, and prosper to this day.

Mega Man X (SNES)

There are plenty of platformers that shaped my love for the genre--my favorite gaming genre, might I add, at that--and Mega Man X is the one that brought forth my desire for lots of action while doing all the running and jumping the genre is primarily known for. It also gave me my adoration and appreciation for Capcom's Blue Bomber. Mega Man X was introduced to me by Nintendo Power. It was the first issue my older brother and I ever received via subscription, and it was an impressive silver cover commemorating the magazine's 50th issue. I was amazed by the Robot Maverick designs, how cool everything seemed, and just how much I wanted to freaking play this awesome-looking game! Needless to say, I soon was able to, and thus, my love and respect for Mega Man began, as did the continuation of my passion for platformers.

Resident Evil 4 (GC)

The most recent game that shaped my gaming tastes is one that I didn't think I would have bothered with. Perhaps I wouldn't have if I hadn't been quite a bit of an overzealous Nintendo fan back in the GameCube era. Fortunately, that zeal lessened in a toxicity sense to more of an enjoyable fandom. Regardless, Resident Evil 4 was once a GameCube exclusive--or at least planned that way. Without both its exclusivity and the copious amount of coverage in Nintendo Power, I no doubt would have been delayed to my Resident Evil fandom. I would have also missed out on one of my favorite games of all time. Really, Resident Evil 4 was an entry point to Resident Evil, horror games, and heck, even cosplay as I would go on to dress up as the debonair protagonist Leon S. Kennedy on streams and such. As such, in a bizarre way, perhaps I can thank my Nintendo fanboyism at the time for introducing me to one of my favorite games ever made.

RPG Maker (PS1)

This next game, or rather software for the purpose of creating your own RPGs, RPG Maker was one that turned me on to the idea of making games and doing so for fun. It taught me the basics of scripting and if/when statements, but in a visual form that was easy enough for even my simple mind to pick up on. I learned that I really love making and designing game worlds, building stories in games, and concocting all of the bits and pieces that make up the genre that so many love. Of course, the PlayStation 1 entry was as basic as all get out, not offering much, especially compared to what we see on PC nowadays, but it was a nice and pleasant start for my hobbyist game-creating career. It also taught me the utter importance of not utilizing third-party memory cards, lest you find 50 hours of work corrupted. Yeah... A lesson learned the hard way, unfortunately, with lots of tears from middle school-aged me.

Star Ocean: The Second Story (PS1)

If Breath of Fire and Final Fantasy II opened my eyes to the world of role-playing games, titles on the PlayStation like Wild ARMs and Star Ocean: The Second Story cemented my love and passion for the genre. The latter especially brought forth to my attention the idea of dual protagonists and real-time action combat. It also introduced me to composer Motoi Sakuraba whose Star Ocean: The Second Story soundtrack remains one of my favorite game soundtracks of all time. Essentially, the concepts that I was taught from Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy, and Star Ocean would go on to influence how I design my own RPG that I'm currently in the process of developing. So, if the game finally launches (who knows when that will happen, as RPGs are quite the time investment) and players end up disliking it, we now have some martyrs to blame.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

It wouldn't be a list of games that shaped this gaming superhero as a gamer without mentioning one of the very first titles I ever remember playing. That was Super Mario Bros. 2 (the Western release and not what's known as The Lost Levels here). Perhaps Super Mario Bros. 2 was an early example in my life that taught me that I could persevere and overcome challenges with enough persistence and patience. I recall struggling with the game considerably--understandably so considering my age and it being my first game--but slowly making progress with each attempt. 

Eventually I hit a roadblock with the ice world and dealing with a combination of slippery platforming and those white enemies that would skate across the ice. For months I battled that level, always taking too much damage or falling into the abyss below, but eventually I did it--I made it to a new screen--one with whales. I cherished that moment. Making it to that new screen was my white whale as a kid, funnily enough, and making it was one of my proudest moments growing up. I would eventually clear the game, but nothing compared to pushing through and smashing through that earlier roadblock.

Not only did Super Mario Bros. 2 show me through sheer will and determination that I could overcome that kind of challenge and be proud of myself for it, but of course, it also introduced me to a little known plumber named Mario. I wonder whatever happened to that guy...

Top Ten Sky-Themed Areas in Video Games

For this Tuesday, the sky is the limit for this special top ten list. I initially planned for this list around The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's release due to the sky islands that game possesses. Seeing as it's more than year since that time, I think I'm a bit late to the party. Instead, we're just going to talk about some of my favorite sky-themed areas, levels, tracks, places, etc. in video games for no real reason other than why the heck not! After you've checked out my choices for top tier sky areas in gaming, I'd love to read your thoughts on what places that you feel I should give proper props to!

10) Tengu Man's Stage - Mega Man 8 (PS1, SAT)

We begin this journey through the skies and levels adjacent with Tengu Man's Stage from Mega Man 8. Not only is the Robot Master cool in general in his design, but his stage is also rather enjoyable, taking place high up in the air among floating and hovering platforms--the latter of which bob and undulate under the Blue Bomber's weight. The level is so high up in the sky that at one point Mega Man must call upon Rush to stand on and ride via Rush Jet mode, turning Mega Man 8 into a light shoot-em-up as the pair slowly maneuvers through the hull of Tengu Man's aircraft. Pitting Mega Man against wind, an armada of enemies, and gravity itself, Tengu Man's stage is a wonderful one and highlight of Mega Man 8's first four Robot Master levels.

9) Pirate's Isle - Skies of Arcadia (DC)

The opening isle of the overlooked, underrated, and severely needing a modern remaster game, Skies of Arcadia, Pirate's Isle is a quaint and cozy place. However, underneath, buried under the surface in its core rests the home of the secret base and headquarters of the Blue Rogues. Heck, to the unbeknownst (i.e. pretty much everyone outside of the isle), it's known as Windmill Isle. This titular windmill actually powers the underground port where the Blue Rogues' Albatross airship lays. That said, the island's covert nature eventually gets alerted to by the evil Valuan Empire who proceeds to lay siege to it. Upon progression in the game, the protagonists of Skies of Arcadia not only vow revenge but also assist in rebuilding the town. Whether you know it as Pirate's Isle or Windmill Isle, the chill nature of the island at the start of the adventure and the subsequent rebuilding from the ashes later in the game makes it a memorable location to all who have had the privilege to play this underrated Dreamcast gem.

8) Floating Continent - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

We move from an underrated RPG to one well loved for great reasons: Final Fantasy VI. An insanely cool concept for a dungeon as well as one that is incredibly important to Final Fantasy VI's story as well, the Floating Continent is the final dungeon played during the World of Balance portion of the game. To say that the story takes a notable pivot here would be an understatement. Non-story-related, though, the place is just an awesome dungeon in general, full of powerful enemies to defeat, quite unstable terrain that deforms, shifts, and collapses as Terra's party progresses through it, and mounds that create tunnels which transport players from one area of the island to another. It's not only a cleverly designed, brutal skill check for players, of course, but the Floating Continent serving as the moment where the proverbial sh-t hits the fan makes it one of most memorable in a game full of notable moments.

7) Cloudtop Cruise - Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

Take a cruise aboard the clouds in, coincidentally enough, Cloudtop Cruise debuting on the original vanilla Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U. As expected, though, with a course from Mario Kart, this won't be any Sunday drive. You have twists, turns, and multiple opponents ready to give you a cruisin' for a bruisin' in the sky. Set on a windy, snaky, fluffy white cloud road that eventually leads to the top of an airship's deck before launching players directly into a thunderstorm, Cloudtop Cruise serves as the starting track of Mario Kart 8's Special Cup. It certainly doesn't ease players into the action, offering quite an amount of turbulence, but also a highly entertaining track, too. In fact, it remains one of my favorites from the base game. For good reason, too, it's just a lot of sky high fun.

6) Skyloft - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

We talked a little bit about quaint and cozy spots and towns with Skies of Arcadia's Pirate's Isle. We move to a place that's even more so those with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's Skyloft, the opening area of this early timeline series adventure. For me, Skyward Sword successfully made a stellar sense of space and place with Skyloft, bringing its inhabitants and series of islands set in the sky to life in a way that some previous Zelda games failed to do for me. Many notable locations rest in the rather expansive set of isles that make up Skyloft, including the Bazaar, the Knight Academy, Beedle's Shop, a Waterfall Cave, and the Statue of the Goddess. The people of Skyloft utilize winged bird-like creatures known as Loftwings to travel through the sky and surrounding islands, and they're a major part of the opening of the game. Skyloft is a common place to return to throughout Link's adventure, growing more and more like home with each and every visit.

5) Palace of Winds - The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)

It's difficult to mention The Legend of Zelda series without making note of a major element in the games: its dungeons. With dozens upon dozens of dungeons in the series' history, no doubt there have been ones set in the sky. In fact, it was quite a challenge to choose between Twilight Princess' City in the Sky and this selection: the Palace of Winds from The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. In the end, what makes the Palace of Winds more memorable and enjoyable for me is multifold. For one, its dungeon item is one of my favorites in any 2D Zelda: the Roc's Cape. It allows Link to leap into the air and glide across gaps and chasms with ease. It makes Link's mobility and where he can go open up immensely. The dungeon itself is one of the final trials within The Minish Cap itself, making for potential brain-stumping puzzles, some of the most difficult enemies in the game, and a multiple tiered structure. It's essentially a two part dungeon with the climax of both being a super exciting boss battle aboard the backs of flying creatures in the sky. All of this makes for a gloriously unforgettable dungeon within this underrated Zelda game.

4) Sky Land - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

Speaking of places in two parts, the fifth world--commemorating the back half of Super Mario Bros. 3--Sky Land is deceivingly small when Mario and/or Luigi first arrive. For one, where's the dang sky? As players find themselves on a map on the ground. It's only until players scale and complete the absolutely tall tower--a bridge between areas, essentially--that they're led into a land above the clouds and the massive amount of more levels to complete! What's even cooler is being on the map and seeing the land on the ground below that players had just finished. Having this latter portion of levels taking place in the sky, no doubt you can imagine myriad moments to fall via large swaths of bottomless pits, enemies like Lakitu and the nightmare-inducing Fire Chomps to contend with, and loads of challenging platforming trials to take on. 

3) Gusty Garden Galaxy - Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

 We're still not quite through with Mario's adventures yet. While his last entry on this list saw him taking to the skies, Super Mario Galaxy's Gusty Garden Galaxy takes him to the outer reaches of space and all the lovely gravity gimmick goodness that goes with it. Filled to the brim with bountiful flowers--some of which can be grabbed and used as a means to gain altitude--beautiful blue skies, and plenty of platforming potential in the form of garden mazes, thorns to evade, Piranha Plants and moles to take on, and one of the coolest challenges--using Ice Mario to wall jump up the faces of waterfalls. Gusty Garden Galaxy is one of my favorite levels in any Mario game. Between the boisterous orchestral, moving melody of the level, to the absolute enjoyable way Mario can move about the level's many planetoids, worms, Wigglers, and vines, Gusty Garden Galaxy never fails to make me smile when I enter into its atmosphere. It always is a level I eagerly anticipate returning to in any repeated Super Mario Galaxy playthrough.

2) Columbia - BioShock Infinite (PS3, 360, PC)

While time hasn't been kind to my thoughts on BioShock Infinite as a game (various reasons there), I cannot say that my opinion of the game's major locale, Columbia, has diminished in any way whatsoever. In fact, it's possibly only increased over time. This essential continent in the clouds contains many sights to see, lavish locales, and is a testament to incredible architecture, chiefly that of Neoclassical works (look at me knowing something small about architecture!). This massive city-state floats in the sky, creating some drop-dead stunning environments practically at every turn. One of the coolest parts of Columbia in a gameplay sense is the ability for the main character to grapple and attach to various overhead rail systems, grinding through the skies from island to island in this open and expansive locale. 

1) Sky Sanctuary Zone - Sonic & Knuckles (GEN)

One of the most memorable and entertaining sky-themed areas and levels in gaming to me is none other than Sky Sanctuary Zone from Sonic & Knuckles. An ancient series of ruins set in the sky, Sky Sanctuary is one of the final zones for Sonic within the game while the final destination for Knuckles during his story. Either way, players will discover riches in platforming goodness as they scale the scared sanctuary to reach the top. For Knuckles, it's to protect the Master Emerald. For Sonic, it's to reach Dr. Robotnik's Death Egg space station before it fully reaches into space. 

In Sonic Generations, Sky Sanctuary is one of the returning zones in the game, featuring multiple paths to take, platforms that wind up and move with Sonic's dash, plenty of perilous opportunities to fall into the bottomless depths below, and bridges that collapse one panel after another upon receiving a step from Sonic. Sky Sanctuary is popular throughout the Sonic series and even some spin-offs as well where it's appeared in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Bring them on, I say, as it's definitely a remarkably cool area to explore, platform, and sometimes race in, whether in 2D or 3D.

Top Ten Nintendo GameCube Games

Today is the 20th anniversary of the GameCube, Nintendo's proud, purple console's North American launch. While the console didn't sell to its full potential (and that's somewhat of an understatement), it did lay down the foundation for the publisher's future consoles, starting with the revolutionary Wii, dipping severely with the failure that was the Wii U, and then rebounding in a remarkable way with the Switch.

SPC celebrates this auspicious occasion with a look at ten of the best games that launched on Nintendo's colorful lunch box-like console. From titles that changed the gaming world forever to games that simply brought lots of joy into those who played them, this list of ten games shows why the GameCube absolutely rocked.

After checking out these picks (including the honorable mentions at the tail end), be sure to let the community know which ten GameCube games you'd include in such a list.

10) Luigi's Mansion

No doubt Nintendo fans were both disappointed and stunned when the tradition of a Mario game launching alongside a new Nintendo console didn't happen. We're no stranger to this now, but back then, it was a big deal. Instead, Mario fans saw the portly plumber's brother, usually in Mario's shadow, take on the role of hero with Luigi's Mansion. More than just a tech demo to show off the technological capabilities of the GameCube hardware and the console's controller, Luigi's Mansion was a stellar game, offering a ghost-busting adventure through a multi-floor haunted house equally full of puzzles to solve as it was infested with paranormal activity! 

While the game ends up being a bit of a brief one compared to a more meaty Mario adventure, Luigi's Mansion would go on to have Luigi see lengthier adventures, including his most recent starring role in the Switch's Luigi's Mansion 3, what I think is one of the Switch's best exclusives, apart from being a 10-million seller. We can thank the not-so-humble beginnings of this success story in huge part to Luigi's lovely GameCube launch title.

9) Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

With the hotness that is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still burning rubber on sales charts around the globe, it goes to show that Mario Kart as a series is as beloved as ever. That entry introduced anti-gravity sections of tracks to it, and the Mario Kart series has never been shy about introducing new mechanics to the foundation that Super Mario Kart originally laid down. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! remains one of my favorite entries in the series (and really, there isn't a poor entry to be seen) due to its bold and innovative dual-kart mechanic. 

Two players rode in the same kart, one steering and one utilizing items. Both could switch positions on the fly. It made for an interesting and incredibly entertaining mechanic that hasn't really been copied aside from Crash Tag Team Racing, and that was a bit of an altered version of the mechanic. Regardless, with a great lineup of tracks, an impressive roster of characters, and magnificent multiplayer mayhem, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! brings double the amount of fun. 

8) Animal Crossing

Going back to playing the original Animal Crossing, an updated version of the Japan-only Nintendo 64 game Animal Forest, brings with it a ton of nostalgia for me. When the game launched in 2002, I played daily for literally a year, and after the fact, if I missed a day, I'd feel tremendous guilt from doing so. I would have dared someone to have said, "It's just a game" to me back then. Animal Crossing was the entry that would set the building blocks of the series, growing and expanding to what we know now with the mega-hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Switch. While the original Animal Crossing is quite dated nowadays, it does possess plenty of uniqueness to it, such as NES games to collect (and play), villagers with much more attitude (if you're into that sort of thing), and a simple elegance that worked well for the premiere entry in the series.

7) Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II

From Factor 5 came this amazing GameCube launch title that still looks absolutely jaw-dropping. You really have to wonder what kind of tricks and sorcery Factor 5 used to get Star Wars Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II to look so phenomenal. Plus, it was just a well crafted game, putting players in the cockpits of X-Wings, Y-Wings, Snowspeeders, and more within and outside of battles from the original trilogy. From Bespin to the Battle of Hoth, the environments and battlefields lending themselves to epic dogfights and confrontations made for one heck of a way to kick off the GameCube's launch. The sequel, Rebel Strike, also on the GameCube, would even allow two players to play through the entire Rogue Leader campaign together exclusively in co-op. Though the added on-foot missions brought down the experience, being a bit too ambitious for their own good.

6) Soul Calibur II

The soul still burned, and after Sega parted ways with its console development and manufacturing, the Soul Calibur series went multiplatform and in a big way. Each console that received the game: PlayStation, Xbox, and of course the GameCube, saw an exclusive character added to the roster of this excellent 3D arena fighter. While PlayStation received Heihachi of Tekken fame, and Xbox received comic book anti-hero Spawn, GameCube owners got the best end of this deal with the inclusion of The Legend of Zelda's Link, donning his Ocarina of Time tunic and attire. One could argue this addition alone makes the GameCube version the most worthwhile of the trio. Regardless, Soul Calibur II remains one of the more enjoyable entries in the Soul Calibur series, now having released six numbered entries, and stands as one of the best games within the GameCube's incredibly awesome library. 

5) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Although I would argue that the Wii U's HD remaster of Link's ocean-traversing adventure stands (or would it be "sails"?) as the definitive version, there's no doubting how great of a game the original The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker truly was and still is, for that matter. Though sailing the ocean waves of the Great Sea is more taxing than it needs to be, the late-game Triforce Quest is a pacing-stopper, and other issues that were remedied with the Wii U version exist, the brilliance and beauty of the Great Sea is immense to this day through the GameCube original's wondrous cel-shaded glory. This of course was hated by the most ardent and passionate of fans upon reveal back at a Spaceworld showcase. The meltdowns and madness over "Celda" have since died down, offering a perspective for most that The Wind Waker shows Link at his most expressive, most charming, and just most darned adorableness, too.

4) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The sequel to the Nintendo 64's Paper Mario unfolded into a galactic adventure against the dreaded X-Nauts, complete with outrageous humor, memorable characters, incredible environments to explore, and an updated timing-based battle system that fans of the Paper Mario series up until that time had grown to expect and love. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door delivered RPG action, hilarious moments by the minute, and enough charm to make it a much beloved classic for both Mario and RPG fans alike. While I do enjoy the modern takes on the Paper Mario series, it's a shame that Nintendo hasn't returned to the classic Paper Mario formula since The Thousand-Year Door. At least we do have two games that take on the classic-style mantle, right?

3) Resident Evil 4

Now released on pretty much every platform under the sun (including even a VR version!), it can't be understated how much of an event for GameCube owners Resident Evil 4 truly was. It was a massive and magnificent entry in the Resident Evil series that was specifically built for Nintendo console owners, and it did NOT disappoint. It made this writer a fan of the franchise, and breathed new life into Resident Evil as a whole. 

The three acts of Resident Evil 4 (the village, the castle, and the island) brought with them an immense amount of action, moments of suspense and horror, and plenty of thrills and chills in equal measure to make for one intense and pretty much perfectly paced game. Resident Evil 4 still remains one of my favorite games to date, and I've purchased it on more platforms than I'd care to realize. But, that says more to the excellent quality of the game. Few titles can be called this, but Resident Evil 4 is a definite masterpiece.

2) Metroid Prime

Speaking of masterpieces, Metroid Prime's excellence came from an unlikely place: a studio plagued with disorganization and mismanagement prior to Nintendo stepping in and sort of salvaging it. Retro Studios is now one of Nintendo's premier Western studios, and the start to the developer's rise in Nintendo's ranks can be traced right to Metroid Prime. Creating a Metroid game, a series that had been stuck to 2D for the longest time, and moving it to the third dimension would be a most impossible task for many developers. However, with Nintendo's help and guidance, Retro Studios not only managed to make it work, but also make one of the series' best entries, one of the GameCube's greatest titles, and one of my favorite games of all time. Not bad for a first go-round with Nintendo, was it!

Between the immersive environments absolutely dripping and oozing with intense atmosphere, the brilliant combat and shooting mechanics, and the masterful approach to level design showcased by the developers, Retro Studios absolutely SMASHED expectations. A truly fantastic game in every aspect, Metroid Prime is a masterclass in how to take a 2D series and retool it into 3D.

1) Super Smash Bros. Melee

Speaking of smashing, we have this launch window title for Nintendo's GameCube: Super Smash Bros. Melee, a game that pits Nintendo's all-star arsenal of characters in a fighting game--one perfect for parties or even competitive play. The facelift that the Smash Bros. series saw between the Nintendo 64 original Super Smash Bros. and Melee is just astounding to me. It can't be understated just how much of a markedly improved sequel from top to bottom Melee was, offering better fighting mechanics, more characters, more stages, more modes, more items, more options, and just more goodness than ever before at the time of its release.

The addition of more compelling single-player content like the awesome Adventure Mode, All-Star Mode, more characters and stages to unlock, and the inclusion of collecting trophies: models of Nintendo characters, places, and more detailing the history of the company. 

Super Smash Bros. Melee still stands a popular game within the Smash Bros. series, even as bigger and arguably better sequels have since released. It's a highly competent and capable fighter for competitive play, offers a wide roster of strategies and combat abilities, and is just to this day, a blast to pop in play, whether you're a serious player or just casually want to smash with your bros. 

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Honorable Mentions: F-Zero GX, Super Monkey Ball 2, Super Mario Sunshine, Viewtiful Joe, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II

Top Ten Nintendo Switch Games Featuring Mario

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, an enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch of the original Wii U 3D World, launches in exactly one month on February 12th. Ahead of the release, Nintendo published a new trailer for the game featuring its all-new Bowser's Fury mode--you can see it as published on SPC. With a new Mario launching in a month's time, it seems like a grand opportunity as any to look back at Mario's past Nintendo Switch exploits and see which games come in at the top with this countdown of the ten best Switch games featuring the Big N's mascot, the portly plumber Mario, in a playable capacity. After you've scoped out the top ten, which games would you put on your list of faves?

10) Mario Tennis Aces

We begin this countdown with a game that was much maligned in the SPC review. However, with various free updates, Mario Tennis Aces turned a match that it was down two sets by and managed to eke out a victory in the end. With a grand assortment of playable characters releasing each month up until about a year or so ago--making the count at a nice and even 30--and adding an abundance of new modes and content, Mario Tennis Aces became a vastly improved game than what was offered at launch. It made for a tennis game that was just as sound content-wise as it was mechanically and structurally, creating an overall thrilling game of tennis that allowed me to finally fully enjoy the game.

9) Super Mario Bros. 35

Available for a limited time (up until March 31st, 2021), Super Mario Bros. 35 is a battle royale-style romp that sees 35 players taking on one another simultaneously as they each play through one of 32 levels in the original Super Mario Bros. As enemies are defeated on your screen, they drop in on another player's screen. However, the exact opposite can and DOES happen quite a lot, resulting in some incredible insane and hectic moment-to-moment gameplay where a well-timed cash-in of coins for power-ups is the difference between victory and an early defeat. It's an absolute shame that Super Mario Bros. 35 is only going to be available for a short while longer, as it is one definitely clever and ultra-addicting take on an old classic.

8) Paper Mario: The Origami King

Listed on SPC's Games of 2020 list, Paper Mario: The Origami King surprised me with just how much I enjoyed it. While some might stick up their nose at the game not fully returning to the turn-based, experience point-earning battles of the original two Paper Mario games, Origami King managed to amaze regardless with a clever battle system that utilized a puzzle-based ring system to organize enemies into rows and batches to take them out. Boss battles involved further innovation, as well, delivering more puzzle-solving and the occasional trial and error to take down. Between the marvelous exploration, locales, characters, story, writing, humor, and music, Paper Mario: The Origami King is an absolute delight to play.

7) Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

Ubisoft Milan's colorful Mushroom Kingdom take on the XCOM series, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle brought with it much mockery and skepticism when it was originally leaked. However, once the game was revealed in an official capacity, a lot of crow was had--as the game looked positively remarkable, creative and fun. Fortunately, the end result for when the game finally launched was a successful one, being greeted with great reviews and high sales alike. The strategic grid-based battles in Mario + Rabbids were a mix of melee and ranged attacks, having Mario, Luigi, and the gang use gun-like weaponry of all things to battle Bowser's forces. It's a concept that under less cautious and more reckless hands would have been a disaster, but Ubisoft Milan certainly pulled it off.

6) New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Arguably--and I will argue this to the day I lose my last 1-Up--two of the greatest 2D Mario adventures, able to be compared favorably design-wise to greats like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. U and its much more difficult New Super Luigi U DLC were combined into one nice and tidy package on the Nintendo Switch. That package was none other than New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, offering more than 100 combined levels of 2D platforming greatness. Whether it's the more relaxed (though it does get quite hard in later worlds) pace of New Super Mario Bros. U, or the bite-sized, highly challenging levels of New Super Luigi U, this pair placed in this platforming package is more than worth playing, no matter if it's alone or locally with up to four friends. 

5) Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Speaking of platforming packages, we turn our attention to Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection of three 3D Mario games put in one collection. The games included go from good (Super Mario Sunshine) to masterful (Super Mario Galaxy), and players can revisit--or explore them for the very first time--the games that solidified Mario as a force to be reckoned with in not only the 2D space but also the 3D one. Starting with Super Mario 64, making the leap to Super Mario Sunshine, and then reaching for the stars with Super Mario Galaxy, these three remastered games never looked or played better. Yes, the collection itself is relatively bare-bones feature-wise, but overall, when you have games this good in one package, it's hard to resist recommending Super Mario 3D All-Stars regardless.

4) Super Mario Maker 2

Childhood me adored making maps and level designs on the back of blueprint paper that my mom brought home from her work. I'd doodle for hours on end, making levels and maps for games like Mega Man, The Legend of Zelda, and yes, even Mario. So, when Nintendo initially announced the original Super Mario Maker on the Wii U, you can bet I jumped at the chance to play the released game and make a metric ton of levels in it. With Super Mario Maker 2, not only did Nintendo listen to fans on adding new features and content, such as the often desired slopes, but eventually with the game's final update, a world maker was available. This mode allows creators to make their own games, essentially. Throw in highly accessible creation tools and controls, a helpful Story Mode that serves as a tutorial in creating competent levels in the Maker Mode, and online multiplayer that was beefed up since release to make for an overall better playing experience, and you have one of my favorite Mario games on the Nintendo Switch.

3) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The Nintendo Switch is of course no stranger to getting content from the much less successful Wii U. Essentially an entirely sizable new audience is getting a chance to play a smorgasbord of new software because Nintendo is porting much of its Wii U catalog to the Switch. The earliest game on the hardware that raced in from the Wii U was Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Not just a simple port, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe featured all of the DLC tracks from the original game--for an impressive 48 track total--as well new characters, an updated and enhanced Battle Mode that had more traditional arenas, and lots of quality of life additions. Speaking of the latter, racers could utilize steer assist to keep them on the track, and auto acceleration so one less button would need to be held down during races. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains one of the best multiplayer games on the Switch to date, and it continues to be one of the best kart racing games ever made. Some might even say it leaves the rest of the competition in the dust.

2) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Though Mario may not act as the actual star of this penultimate game on this top ten countdown, he is a major part of the all-star ensemble of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. What a game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is, with battles being fierce and frenetic, with the game possessing a bounty of content, characters, stages, and modes (many of which return from past Smash Bros. games), and so much TLC poured into the game by Masahiro Sakurai and his unwavering team. The game continues to see updates, as it's knee-deep in the second Fighters Pass, which just saw Sephiroth of Final Fantasy VII fame, of all characters, swoop onto the roster, and the support for the game keeps impressing! Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is truly a celebration of all things gaming, wrapped neatly together by expansive content and magnificent fighting mechanics. 

1) Super Mario Odyssey

It certainly isn't the first time this game has arrived at number one on a SuperPhillip Central countdown, and by golly, it probably won't be the last either. Super Mario Odyssey is just that good of a 3D platforming adventure, inviting Mario and players to explore its robust and wide open platforming playgrounds, hunting high and low for Power Moons. Each kingdom that players arrive in is brimming and utterly bursting with creativity and genius design, whether it's running and jumping through a realistic city or taking on a giant cockatiel bird in a blazing hot, gargantuan-sized roasting pot. Cappy adds to Mario's already impressive move set, offering more freedom in the portly plumber's platforming abilities than ever before. Furthermore, the ability to capture enemies and objects, temporarily possessing them opens up some insanely creative scenarios, interesting platforming and environmental challenges, and new ways to get around the expansive levels, as well. Super Mario Odyssey isn't a perfect Mario adventure, but I'd be absolutely lying if I said it wasn't close!