Favorite Albums of 1965

Starting today, I plan to, once a week, release a list of top ten albums by year, starting with 1965 and going through this year by the end. Hopefully you can discover and rediscover some forgotten classics through these lists. I realize


10. Them - Them

This is an amazingly underrated album to start the list. Easily one of the heaviest and grungiest ever released at that point. Imagine Black Sabbath playing Chuck Berry and The Beach Boys, and you have a good idea of the unique sound generated by Them. Every track is a solid, dirty rock tune and you won't hear another band that sounds just like these guys. This is really a stunning piece of work considering the time, and is woefully underappreciated for everything it contributed to the genre. From keyboard solos, deep lyrics mixed with rock flavor made popular by Zeppelin years later, and possibly the earliest tinges of Grunge. The only reason this album isn't much higher is that I've only recently discovered it. It's obviously better than maybe half of the albums on this list, but I have a good bit of personal attachment to all the others.


9. Four Tops - Four Tops' Second Album

The Four Tops are one of my favorite Motown groups. Unfortunately though, they're typically one of those groups that makes a few good songs per album. But their second album, creatively titled "Four Tops' Second Album" has the best and most consistent listing of their career. Just about every song is classic 60's Soul. "I Can't Help Myself", "Something About You", "Love Feels Like Fire" are all great, energetic love songs. In short, the defining moment of one of the great Motown acts in history.







8. The Beach Boys - Today!

The Beach Boys are one of those seminal classic rock bands that everyone knows. Surf rock incarnate. But this album is a bit different, but in a good way. The first half is basically typical Beach Boys and the second half emanating lyrical and musically soulful experimentation by Brian Wilson and the rest of the band. Amazingly enough, this is pulled off at least as well, perhaps better than the Surf Rock the band all but created. The album doesn't contain as many  It's the perfect blend of party rock and soulful ballads and the highlight of their career in my opinion.





7. Roy Orbison - Orbisongs

Another career highlight in my eyes, this time that of Roy Orbison. This one includes most of his best tracks, including "Oh, Pretty Woman", "Let the Good Times Roll". "Nitelife", and "(I'd be) A Legend in My Time". I honestly don't have a whole lot to say, he's one of the most well-known rock acts of the 60's and this is his best work in my opinion.










6. The Zombies - The Zombies

The Zombies are one of the best groups 60's and no one ever talks about them. They're critically acclaimed, but socially, no one recognizes them. They're one of those bands I think many people have heard once or twice, but never known who sings that song. There are varying opinions on their best album, but this is definitely their most well known. It features many of their best known tracks and for good reason. I love the ambient, but energetic tempo and Colin Burnstone's amazing vocal range. The man could read the instructions from the back of a condom wrapper over the sounds of a flock of geese and make it sound awesome.I command you to check these guys out if you haven't.

5. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
THE Classic Byrds album. Every song is high quality, and some of their most beloved songs are on this album. This is one of classic rocks shining moments, one of those albums that defined rock in the mid to late sixties. laid back but energetic, fun but soothing, it's well-crafted throughout. One of the definitive albums by one of the most renowned bands of their generation.











4. Otis Redding - Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

This is widely considered the best album by maybe the greatest voice in soul. I honestly love Otis Redding, but his songs tend to either fall flat or absolutely destroy to me, but that's not really the case here. There are a couple songs that don't quite hit the peak that others do, but they're all good. The greats are some of his best as well, such as his absolutely stunning versions of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" and "Wonderful World", as well as "Ole Man Trouble", "I've Been Loving You too Long", and his defining version of "Mr. Pitiful". If you get the chance, snatch this one up. I don't love it as much as I should because some of these songs are still new to me and some aren't as good as others, but the best songs are some of the greatest you'll ever hear.



3. The Yardbirds - Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds

Every track here is stunning Blues Rock. Two of the greatest guitarists working together on the same album. Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton absolutely shred and Keith Relf, Jim McCarthy and the rest all add underappreciated support to every song, and keep you entertained throughout. This is one of the great albums of its decade. The only reason it's so low, is one Empire dominating the music world at the time, and I can't help but give them the top spots.








2. The Beatles - Help!

The Beatles. The Beatles. The name of this album encompasses the feeling every other band got when they learned The Beatles would be releasing an album in the same year as them. "You're Going to Lose that Girl", "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", "Ticket to Ride", "I've Just Seen a Face", as is tradition with The Beatles, every song is great. Every song is fun, every song has a message, and every song is well-constructed. It's simply an amazing album. But I think it's easily their second best album of the year.






1. The Beatles - Rubber Soul

Yep, the only group that could top The Beatles in 1965, was The Beatles. Rubber Soul is one of my favorite albums of all time and maybe my favorite Beatles album, if not my second. Every song is a magnificent piece of music. From the fun and high-paced "Drive My Car", to the mellow love song "My Michelle", The introspective and beautiful "In My Life", and the angsty, jealous, kind of messed up "Run for Your Life". I love every single track on this album, and if you haven't heard it, you simply haven't experienced the best that music has to offer.








Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment on how much you agree or disagree with me. If you agree that Them and The Zombies are underrated, or that I'm an idiot for leaving "The Who Sings My Generation" or any of the three Rolling Stones albums. Also, follow me @SycoMantis1991 on Twitter, and yeah. Thanks again.

Why the Nintendo DS is the Best Console of the Soon-to-be-Previous Generation

Yep, I said it. Nintendo's portable offering into this (practically the last at this point) console generation is the best amongst all of them. Better than the 360, the Playstation 3, and their own Wii. I know what you'll say, "But all-knowing master of all things gaming and otherwise, those graphics suck and Pokemon is old, that's all they made for the DS, right?!" To that I say "who cares?" and "you're a moron" respectively. Unless of course, you didn't say that, then I guess I'm the presumptive prick in this case. No matter, point is, I believe the Nintendo DS to clearly be the most superior console of the soon-to-be-dead longest-running console generation.

How can I say this when something like the Xbox 360 is so graphically superior, as well as having the capability to produce almost Michael Bay-level explosions and movie-quality sound design? Well first of all, any comparison to Michael Bay knocks points off in my opinion, but that's besides the point. On a more related note,  none of these are things that make a game good. Albeit, if it's done well, something like high-quality voice acting can improve a game to some extent, but a game isn't shit if it doesn't have it. Same with graphics, if done right, a better looking game can make it more enjoyable. But when people talk about the greatest games ever made (or at least people who know what they're talking about), what are the first games that get mentioned? Super Mario Bros., Castlevania, Mega Man, Tetris, Legend of Zelda, and the like. Now there are two key components that make these very convenient to my point. They're all NES games, 8-bit, two-dimensional games, as well as all being under the Nintendo banner. Maybe Nintendo themselves didn't create Castlevania and Mega Man, but they recognized the quality of what Konami and Capcom respectively were creating, and made sure to secure the right to those two titles at the time. If there's a company that excels not only in recognizing greatness in gaming, as well as working with what they have, it's Nintendo. And I think they proved that here more than ever before.

Not only did Nintendo make something great despite limitations, they did it while charging less not only for their console, but for the actual games themselves. The average brand new Nintendo DS game ran for $39.99, twenty bucks less than the average Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 game. Their online services were also better. Of course, you couldn't watch Netflix or update your facebook on your DS, but if you're reading this, you can probably do those things on your computer anyway. Besides, it was free, and no one's credit card information was ever stolen.Connecting was quick, easy, and low on lag, which no other system could say.

All of this is nice, but there's only one thing that really pushes the DS above the competition in my opinion. The games. The DS is pretty much the only thing with exclusive licenses anymore, and they have so many great ones. The Pokemon series, every Shin Megami Tensei game released on this generation's consoles (the PS2 isn't this gen), Phoenix Wright, Professor Layton, Ghost Trick, Dragon Quest, Mega Man: Star Force, Mario & Luigi: Partners in TIme/Bowser's Inside Story, the 2D Castlevanias, Golden Sun, Radiant Historia, Rune Factory, Advance Wars, The World Ends With You being just a few. Not to mention new iterations to classic series' like Mario Party DS, the aforementioned Castlevania games, Kirby Mass Attack, Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros., Contra 4, Digimon World: Dusk/Dawn, Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns, and Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks/Phantom Hourglass. AND ports of classic games like Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario 64, Tetris and Disgaea. I love games like Metal Gear Solid 4 and the Mass Effect series, but there's so much more to do with a Nintendo DS and at a fraction of the cost. That's why it's by far the best investment of any console of its generation.

Top 8 Disney Animated Movies.

Not based on quality or significance, this is my favorite animated disney movies. Not including Pixar or anything like that, just the typical 2D animated flicks. Why eight? because it's hard after these eight!


8. The Sword in the Stone:

This is an amazing movie. It has so much going for it. Great animation, a simple but enjoyable story, funny, great characters, and a setting you can do anything with. The problem is, a lot of that potential went to waste.First of all, this movie is only 75 minutes long. That's not a horrible run-time, but it's very disappointing when it takes about 50 minutes for the movie to really get going. It's fun and interesting throughout, but nothing happens with the story between about the 10 and 50-minute marks. There is so much they could have done with the movie that just didn't happen. Everything important takes place suddenly then ends in no time, feeling nothing like a true end, and I was honestly shocked when the credits stopped rolling. It's a fabulous and fun movie, with potential to be my favorite Disney flick ever, but so little was done with such a promising and strong combination characters, humor, and story.


7. 101 Dalmatians:

This definitely isn't a common one. At least from what I can tell, a lot of people find this to be quite the bore. While I can definitely see why, I thoroughly enjoy it. It's a more mellow and relaxed movie than most Disney animated features, but I enjoy that. I think it does a good job of moving along without forcing anything to happen to fast or leaving the viewer behind. It also adds more depth to the characters than most Disney movies. You feel like you know many of the puppies, the parents, and the humans, as well as some of the side characters fairly well by the end of it all. This also adds to the movie because you care more about what comes of them more than usual. It's a comfortable yet energetic journey with characters you grow attached to, and it, it just feels good to watch it.


6. The Jungle Book:

I shouldn't have to say anything about The Jungle Book. It's hilarious, the characters are memorable, the songs are great, and it has one of the most intriguing stories and villains in Disney history. With the first two I tried too hard to be spoiler-free, but screw it. It's The Jungle Book and you've all seen it! The idea of a human growing up among animals is a very intriguing prospect. We see Mowgli both kinder and more loyal as a result, but also more dimwitted and ignorant. He isn't an ape amongst apes or a man amongst apes, he's a blend of natural human instinct and the survival instincts learned from life in the wild. All the animals embrace primal isntinct a little more than he does, while he tries to see the good in all and it creates a great dynamic. Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan (KHAN!!!), Louie, and the underappreciated Kaa are all awesome, hilarious, and make the movie what it is. It's a decently accurate recreating of a late 1800's novel, but Disney's character writing is what makes it a classic of its own as opposed to a lazy rehashing. It's fun, hilarious and engrossing.


5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame:

Another very underrated flick. Mostly, I feel, because it radiates a more serious tone and the main character is a human male with an abnormality. This is possibly the most powerful and emotionally-charged Disney movie out there. Yes, I did include a gunshot in the middle of an empty forest landscape once in Bambi. It's a story of oppression, acceptance, and surprisingly blatant religious corruption. Quasimodo is a very lovable and relatable character, especially to the socially abnormal like myself. The love interest is strong and realistic, and she takes a surprise turn at the end. But the best part is Frollo. He's the definition of a villain you love to hate. He's so tyrannical and cruel, so manipulative and cunning, and so insane. He also gets one of the best songs in all of Disney. Also, the gargoyles are fairly amusing so it's not all super serious and mopey.


4. Hercules:

First of all, this isn't a very good movie. The plot is nonsensical, and the love interest and main character are both bland, but I love it. I love the animation, the action, the Greek mythology, and Hades. James Woods as Hades may be my favorite Disney Villain ever. He's maniacal, smart, and hilarious. I honestly don't have a whole lot to say. It's great fun even though it's not particularly well-crafted.


3. The Great Mouse Detective:

THE Most underrated Disney movie ever. Bar none. One of the best adaptations of Sherlock Holmes. Basil is a smart, witty, hilarious Sherlock character and Dawson provides a great counter-balance as his Watson. The movie begins with one of the most shocking scenes in any Disney movie that leads to the two investigating a crime that quickly grows into a national crisis. This is truly engrossing due to the villain, another who's among my favorites. Ratigan is a delightfully twisted mad genius voiced by Vincent Price. I don't think I need to say more than that. A lot of you haven't watched it, but it's a necessity to your quality of life that you do.


2. The Lion King:

It's The Lion King. If you need me to explain it, go out and buy your first TV. It's the most popular Disney movie for a reason. It's a great story, emotional yet funny, serious but light-hearted, and great in almost every way. there are too many memorable characters to list. Mufasa, Simba, Timon, Pumba, Rafiki, and the epic Scar. I'm grasping for things to say. It's Lion King, watch it again.


1. Aladdin:

PRINCE ALIIIIIII, FABULOUS, HEEEEEEEEEE, ALI ABABWAAA!! I mean, yeah, favorite Disney movie. It's a Disney movie where the romance is there but takes a back seat, the main character is shown as a flawed person and isn't immediately cleansed by the things that happen but still grows in a believable manner. The villain is awesome, intelligent, capable, and comes closer to winning than I believe any has, except maybe Satan in Fantasia. Iago and Genie are two of the funniest characters in Disney, and the plot takes so many twists and turns, leading to an epic conclusion. It's, it's just great. And that music. I'm gonna stop myself before I can't stop. If you haven't watched Aladdin, your life sucks and you need to.



Sorry it took so long. I moved and stuff, and also I'm lazy. Anyway, follow and share, let me know if you have ideas, my twitter is @SycoMantis1991, and I have a Tumble I kind of use. http://sycomantis91.tumblr.com/. I do mostly 30 Day Challenge crap and random shares on it, nothing special but it's there. Anyway, thanks for reading and discuss if you'd like.

Why Rikku is a Better Love Interest than Yuna

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! SO YEAH, THAT.

First of all, I love Final Fantasy X. It's very possible that I've sunk more hours into Final Fantasy X than any other game in existence. The story has so many layers, the characters are all complex and interesting, the combat is smooth and fast while doing nothing but adding strategy, and the art design is absolutely sublime. That being said, one thing always plagues me whenever I play through one of my favorite games. I want to get with Rikku, dammit!

For the record, because people will say this, you may think I wanna get with Rikku because she's "hot" and wears that frilly outfit in the second game. First of all, I much prefer her first game attire, the completely concealing shirt, the hair tied up, though to be fair, those shorts don't exactly hurt. The thing is, her personality is just better in every way. Maybe this is subjective, but I think it's also pretty blatant, at least from my point of view.

Yuna's definitely not a bad character. She's young and beautiful, driven and strong, naive but always learning and growing. She tries her best to be strong and defiant in the face of overwhelming odds for the benefit of her compatriots, and she'll throw herself in front of anything for anyone. But she's also rather bland, she's held on this deity-esque pedestal from the moment you meet her, and she has pretty horrible taste in clothing. Outside of the river scene, her attempts at insulting Seymour, and the trial in Bevelle, you really don't see much personality from her at all. They try to make her more edgy in X-2, but like most of that game, it just doesn't work, it's not her. You can't help but feel for her, but at the same time, who really wants to be with a bland person with such a clouded, and some think nonexistent future to boot? Be honest.

Rikku on the other hand, is very different from her cousin (told you there'd be spoilers). She's also strong-willed and selfless, but not at the expense of actual character. She's excitable, quirky, sweet, smart, much more level-headed, she questions the whole "throw summoners at Sin every decade and it'll be cool" thing like any sensible person should, and she's so damn adorable. Yeah, I said it, and I said it like a man! She's as cute as video game characters get. She has gorgeous eyes, a great smile, may sound weird, but, nice facial structure, and an adorable voice. Oh yeah, datassdoesn'thurtIguess. She's better looking, has a great personality, and she has another thing going for her. SHE'S NOT EXPECTED TO DIE! She's better (at least more desirable to me) AND she's going to live through it all, or at least if she doesn't it's likely because you all suck and got killed, but even if you succeed, Yuna's probably boned.

Anyway, point is, Rikku's one of my favorite video game characters, and the only thing that would make the inevitable remaster worth buying is if you can choose to mack Rikku instead (which won't happen). I was going to do a "Top Love Interests Thingamajig" but I really didn't feel like it, so deal.

Hope you liked it, follow me and stuff, I'm gonna really try to have a lot more going on on my blog, and I do have a lot of ideas. I'd greatly appreciate if you commented, shared, followed, all that stuff. If you want to see me cover anything, let me know. And if you wanna see me tweet, follow @SycoMantis1991. You can follow someone else if you want, but it won't help you see my tweets.

Why I Can't Stand COD and Halo

First of all, let me say this I used to love these games. Halo was THE reason I bought an original Xbox, and Halo 2 is the reason I bought Xbox Live. I grew up playing Duke Nukem and Doom on my computer. Not to mention that when deciding which next-gen (now current obviously) console to go with, Halo 3 is what pushed the 360 over the edge for me. And I also always liked COD 1-4. They were all so fun at the time. But let's be fair here; of all these games, the latest came out when I was barely 16. I'm 21 and I'd like to think I've grown since then. I'm not as easily manipulated into squandering 60 bucks for slightly improved graphics. Nor am I quite as entertained by running into a house, shooting 5 guys, running out, shooting 5 guys, running down the road, shooting 5 guys, riding in a jeep for 5 minutes, shooting 5 guys, and that's it. Oh, some poorly-written war movie cliches thrown in between. To be quite honest, I'm far past boredom with these games. It's to the point where I would literally rather sit and do nothing. And Halo, while a little more purely fun, has also more than overstayed its welcome. But personal opinion (though fact-based) aside, these are not my biggest gripes with these kinds of games. There is one concern that far overshadows everything else.

These are killing the video game industry! I know that sounds extreme, but think about it for a second. What were the biggest-selling games of the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube generation? Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, Jak and Daxter, Halo, Sonic Adventure, Splinter Cell, Fable, Knights of the Old Republic, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Mario Sunshine, Wind Waker. How many of those are first-person shooters? ONE. Look at that variety. It's... it's beautiful, man. Now let's look at this generation, by system. Xbox 360: Kinect Adventures, Black Ops, Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3, Skyrim, Gears of War, Gears 2, GTA 4, COD: MW. PS3: Gran Turismo V, God of War III, MW2, Uncharted, Black Ops, MGS4, MotoStorm, LittleBigPlanet, Resistance, Killzone 2. Wii (refuse to count gimmicks) Donkey Kong Country Returns, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Super Paper Mario, Epic Mickey, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. You see what I'm getting at? he PS3 offers a little more variety, and you could argue the Wii is very anti-FPS but both of those systems still fall into the habit of taking one or two franchises and hammering them down our throats as opposed to being creative. Besides, once the "ooh!" of the Wiimote subsided, the FPS systems started dominating. Personally, I think the DS is the best system of this generation, but that's a different article. (SPOILER ALERT!!)

I think these statistics are a very bad sign, hence the entire paragraph dedicated to them. We used to have Metal Gear, Kingdom Hearts, God of Warm Jak and Daxter, Splinter Cell, KOTOR, Mario Sunshine (a new kind of Mario), Windwaker, Smash Bros. Now we have rehashed Mario, war shooters, post-apocalyptic shooters, and almost everything that isn't that is feeding off of past-generation success. Like God of War III, MGS4, Metroid Prime 3, Gran Turismo V, and Uncharted basically being a AAA version of Tomb Raider. Where's the creativity? It's there, but it's scarce and no one wants to market it if you can't shoot something through a red dot sight. Where's Alan Wake, Enslaved, Gun, Earth Defense Force 2017, Tales of Symphonia, Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire, Endless Ocean, Zack and Wiki, Blue Dragon, Muramasa, The Club, I could go on. The point is, while less in number, there are still many great games that I believe would be much more known and loved if not for COD and Halo destroying the non-FPS market.

Call of Duty is the Michael Bay of video games. Taking everything gamers (not people that call themselves gamers and list every COD as their favorite games) love and turning it into the same indistinguishable shlock. All we get now is gray and brown FPS games, and everything in space (including turtles) in movies. I for one will NOT be buying any next generation console until they've proven they can offer some damnshitassfuckingballspiss variety! You all should too. As long as you all keep eating this shit up, it will never change. Every game will be COD or space marines, and we'll never have a unique experience again. In games, in movies, in music, in books, anywhere. Stop it!

Why Disney Buying Lucasfilms Isn't That Bad

       

          For those of you that have no internet access, no television, no magazine subscriptions, no newspapers, and no associates with any of the aforementioned, here's the short version. Disney Corporation purchased Lucasfilms from, wait for it, George Lucas, and announced that they will be beginning work on a new Star Wars trilogy, beginning with the release of Episode VII scheduled for some point in 2015. A lot of people, understandably so, seem to think that this is basically a deathblow to the Star Wars series. I personally, don't think it's all that bad, and in fact, think there's a chance that it can even be a good thing for the property as a whole.

          First of all, I am a huge Star Wars fan, before I'm accused otherwise. Though I am admittedly also a huge fan of Disney. They haven't made a whole lot of amazing shit recently, but overall they've created some of the most memorable films in history. I realize most of those were animated movies, but it's not like Disney has never made a live-action flick before. Just look at Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Davy Crockett Films, Old Yeller (Old fucking Yeller!), The Three Musketeers, Homeward Bound, Remember the Titans, the Narnia movies, and one of my favorites, John Carter, which is also an over-the-top Sci-Fi movie. Point is, Disney knows how to make anything great, they may not always give it their all, but when they do, they can make anything look good. Who's to say they won't do the same with Star Wars? And since when do we think Lucas was doing so much good with the series lately?

          So many people were crying out, praying someone, anyone, could take the franchise away from George Lucas. Now that it's happened, it's a travesty and Star Wars is going to be destroyed. Why? Why is it so bad? Disney has a reputation of quality film-making like few others, and anyone who thinks that most of their great films are mainly child-oriented is clearly ignorant. I'm one of the few people that actually enjoyed every single one of the prequels (though obviously they don't hold a candle to the original trilogy), but even I think if someone was to work on new movies, it couldn't be Lucas. What's more, guess what Disney did three years ago? They bought Marvel! How's Marvel doing? Marvel's great, some would argue they're experiencing a renaissance of sorts. So many classic series' gaining new life and some great offshoots such as the Avengers vs. X-Men series. So who's to say a company that's used to movie properties is going to fuck up a movie property after doing so well with comic books? They know who to hire, and why they need to be hired.

          Also, let's say Disney keeps making all of these Kingdom Hearts/Avengers vs. X-Men collaborations. Who's to say we wouldn't see Darth Vader and Sephiroth go head to head, or Boba Fett vs. Deadpool (holy shit, I just came)? There is so much they can do with Star Wars, and no company has the resources that Disney does. It's clearly not obvious that it will be good, but if anyone has the flexibility to take a new trilogy to its greatest heights, it's Disney. I do have one idea that would guarantee greatness for these new movies. Who here has played Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic? Greatest story ever told in the Star Wars universe, yep, even better than the original trilogy. The two co-founders of Bioware, Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuck recently left Bioware less than two months ago. If Disney could find a way to get those two 

to head this new project, I think the new trilogy would have the potential to easily compete with Episodes IV, V and VI. But I guess we'll see in three years or so where exactly Star Wars goes.

Thanks for reading. Comment below and/or follow/tweet me @SycoMantis1991 with your opinion or anything you'd like to see me cover in future blog posts. Or just to see me be a dipshit.

My 10 Favorite (not best!) "Party" Game Developers

Basically, what I mean here is companies that have never published games for themselves, at least without (or prior to) merging with someone else (I'm lookin' at you, Square!). So the companies that did it best while having to rely on publishers giving their games a shot every time. I made the list beforehand, but I kind of just wrote the paragraphs and posted them, so sorry if it isn't the most linguistically superior list you've ever witnessed.




10. Double Fine - Founded in 2000 by former LucasArts phenom, Tim Schafer, Double Fine has easily one of the most creative and, quite frankly, insane libraries of games. I'm going to take a minute to be a fanboy here. I fucking love Tim Schafer. The man is a genius. Let me count the ways, er games that he was the lead or one of the lead men in creating: The Monkey Island games, Maniac mansion: Day of the Tentacle, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, Brutal Legend.

All except the last are widely considered masterpieces, and the last caters more toward a specific taste, but if you appreciate it the way I do, it too is amazing. The point is, the man is a genius. The thing is, only those last two were made under Double Fine, but they're still great enough to push the company to my top 10. They have made many highly praised Windows/Xbox Live Arcade games, but due to cash and space on my Xbox, I have yet to play any of them, but they definitely deserve mention. If they get the funding, they can soar up this list because Schafer is the seminal mad genius of video games. If you see anything with this logo or his name on it, BUY IT!

Necessary Double Fine Games: Psychonauts, Brutal Legend (if you're a Metalhead and/or Jack Black fan)

9. Clover Studio/Platinum Games - I put these together because when Clover Studios died, most of the members, including the two heads of Clover moved right on to Platinum and continued making similarly-styled games. Their products are some of the easiest to identify in gaming. Epic scaling, cell-shaded enough to be stylized, but not enough to look overly-cartoony, slick controls, and gorgeous environments. In both studios, the team has created some of the most beloved "cult classics" in the industry. Pretty impressive/complex resume for what's essentially an eight-year lifespan for both studios combined.

Necessary Clover Studio Games: Viewtiful Joe, Okami, God Hand. 

Necessary Platinum Games... Games: MadWorld, Infinite Space (unless you don't like Strategy/RPG games or space), Bayonetta.

8. id Software - id Software isn't what they used to be, but what they used to be is one of the biggest, best, and most important companies in gaming. They started with a now forgotten but groundbreaking and highly praised side-scrolling game franchise titled Commander Keen and went on to change gaming forever with Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. Back when shooters weren't flooding the market and providing creativity and unique experiences, these games changed the way games were themed and introduced both the FPS and computer gaming to the masses. And I haven't even mentioned Quake, the first competitive multiplayer game that also included the greatest graphics engine to ever grace video games at the time, not to mention Trent Reznor creating the soundtrack and even effect sounds for the game. 

They were the starting point for some of the biggest names in gaming, including John Romero and American McGee. What drops them for me is that after 1999 they pretty much haven't done jack shit worth mentioning. Rage was decent enough, and Doom 3 started off amazing but got pretty average quickly. Their first decade is amazing, but since then they haven't done much of anything. But I grew up on that stuff, playing Doom and Wolfenstein since I was 5 so maybe I just expect more. Whatever.

Necessary id Games: Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Doom II, Quake, Quake II.

7. Game Freak - I know, I know. They've basically made their cash off of one franchise. But what a franchise! I've been playing the Pokemon since I got my first Gameboy with Pokemon Blue for my 7th birthday. It's safe to say these games have played a big part in making me the nerd I am today. Blue was the first RPG I ever played, and the anime was the first anime I ever watched. I very well may not be me if not for Pokemon. 

Nostalgia aside, the games are great in their own right. They challenge but rarely anger, they motivate but never push, the team building aspect as addictive as fuck, and every game is different enough to keep them highly entertaining, not to mention the literal impossibility of playing through the same way as the time before. Did I mention the music? I literally have it stuck in my head as I type. But Game Freak IS in fact, pretty much just those games, and they could easily do a lot more with the franchise. There are definitely developers I have a lot more respect for and would get psyched to see doing something different, whereas I'd be very skeptical if Game Freak made anything that doesn't involve capturing monsters in balls and training them.

Necessary Game Freak Games: Pokemon Red/Blue, Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal, Pokemon Emerald, Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen, Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver

6. Crystal Dynamics - One of the most underrated developers in gaming in my opinion, Crystal Dynamics is responsible for some of the most overlooked franchises in gaming. The Gex series is one of the most underappreciated platformers ever, along with one of the wackiest, most unique platformers in Pandemonium. Not only that, but they developed the entirety of the Legacy of Kain series:  Blood Omen 1 and 2, Soul Reaver 1 and 2, and Defiance. All 5 great games and one of my favorite series' in all of gaming. They haven't done much in the last decade or so, but I still love what they've already provided. Also, did I forget to mention that in 1998 they released the first action-adventure game to feature a black main protagonist in Akuji the Heartless? That's a pretty good game too. Also, how about that logo? CD. Get it?! Because a CD is, a thing... that exists... Nevermind, it sucks.

Necessary Crystal Dynamics Games: Gex: Enter the Gecko, Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, Pandemic, Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

5. Naughty Dog - Naughty Dog is the definition of platforming genius. but before their commercial success, I need to mention a game that came before the glory for the 3DO entitled "Way of the Warrior". Released in 1994, this game was beautiful for its time, one of the first and still one of the only fighting games with deep characters and storylines, and gore that put Mortal Kombat to shame. What's more, its soundtrack was White Zombie's "La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1". Violent, darkly beautiful and intricate fighting game with LA SEXORCISTO in the background? You couldn't go wrong if it played like a rotted turd, which it doesn't.

Ok, back on track. These guys are beastly platforming machines. I grew up with and loved the Crash Bandicoot series, and it's still amazing today. It's the pinnacle of Playstation platforming, only even rivaled by the aforementioned Gex, and Jersey Devil (underrated classic in my opinion, check it out). Smooth controls, interesting but not complex story, creativity out the ass, the perfect amount of challenge, and just plain fun, I love them. They also created the almost as loved Jak and Daxter series, bringing platforming back the the Playstation 2 generation and keeping it there. Oh, they also made Uncharted which is supposedly great, but I don't have a Playstation 3 so fuck if I know. But it still gets credit for it.

Necessary Naughty Dog Games: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2, Way of the Warrior, Jak and Daxter, Jak II, Way of the Warrior (I can't suggest Uncharted when I haven't played it, so don't get on my ass, bitch).

4. HAL Laboratory - Now we're getting to the cream of the crop. The true greats among greats in my humble (not to mention infallible) opinion. HAL Laboratory. No, not that HAL (I'm afraid I can't let you make that pun, Dave). HAL Laboratory is so good. You say you don't know them? Oh, you know them you just don't know it yet. Let me throw out some titles. Earthbound? Kirby?! SUPER SMASH BROS.?! Yep, they made 3 of Nintendo's great franchises and you didn't even know it. For shame.

Maybe you don't know Earthbound, but you should. It as well as the other 2 Mother games (it's Mother 2 in Japan, also the only Mother game officially released in the States) are all excellence, and you can find them in English if you look. Easily one of the great RPG franchises. Kirby and Smash Bros. you should all already know are franchises of the highest order, some of the most fun games ever created. They also made some great titles outside of these, such as the Adventures of Lolo series on NES, Defender II, Hyper Zone, and Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2. So good. Amazing so few actually know their name, huh?

Recommended HAL Games: Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Land 3, Mother 2/Earthbound, Mother 3, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Hyper Zone, Pokemon Stadium 2.

3. Squaresoft - I know this may be sort of cheating since they're now a major developer/publisher in the form of Square Enix, but hear me out here. The greatness that was Squaresoft (Square Co., whatever) basically died when they partnered with Enix. Of course, the Kingdom Hears games are good, as are the recent Star Ocean games (though more credit goes to the developers than to Square Enix), but for the most part, neither company has been the same since. I mean, literally the moment they joined with Enix they started fucking up FInal Fantasy. How do you do that when you made over 10 straight great games? Squaresoft was a juggernaut of RPG-creating mastery. 

They obviously made their name with the Final Fantasy series. As Squaresoft, they created I-X, Tactics, Mystic Quest, and many more spin-offs. Not to mention three of the other greatest RPG's in existence, Chrono Trigger (and Chrono Cross), Secret of Mana, and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. They made countless other great RPG's such as Breath of Fire, Vagrant Story, Secret of Evermore, Xenogears, and Bahamut Lagoon (Originally a Japanese-only release that made its way to Wii Virtual Console in the '09). S damn good! They could have stopped there and made my top 4, but they didn't stop there.

But Squaresoft wasn't just RPG's. They could have not made one RPG and still be an amazing company. They tackled all genres and excelled at every one. Bushido Blade, Parasite Eve, Tobal No. 1, Rad Racer, Front Mission and The Bouncer are just some examples of high-quality non-RPG games Squaresoft created. It's really too bad, because Squaresoft's last big release (X-2 doesn't count), Final Fantasy X, is arguably my favorite in the entire series, which is saying a shit ton. Uniting with Enix (who was a good developer in its own right) and ruining all their biggest franchises, especially Final Fantasy (I tremble thinking about those new games) definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth and probably contributes a bit to them not being higher.

Necessary Square Games: Final Fantasy VI (III on the SNES), Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy IV, Busgido Blade, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, Xenogears. (Yep, I didn't say Final Fantasy VII, because at least half the first 10 are better, so BLOW ME. Also, it's the first one I played so there's no bias in that comment)

2. Rareware - I honestly debated a long time over putting these guys anything but number one. I fucking love Rare. For two console generations, they were arguably the best company in gaming, and made some of my favorite games. They tackled every genre with absolute aplomb and it seemed like they could do anything and make it perfect. Their games are some of the greatest in their respective genres. Maybe the greatest side-scrolling series in Donkey Kong country, easily one of the greatest fighters ever in Killer Instinct, the 3D platforming kings that are Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie, one of the most enjoyable, best constructed and most unique games ever in Conker's Bad Fur Day. Oh, I have yet to mention the seminal console shooter, Goldeneye 007, and its (in my opinion) superior spiritual successor, Perfect Dark. I haven't even touched on Battletoads, Jet Force Gemini, Diddy Kong Racing (Mario Kart but superior in every way), Blast Corps, fuck, even Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run is still one of the best baseball games ever made. Also, every game has awesome music, but that's for another list (hintidy hint).

As you can see, I have APT FUCKING REASON to adore Rare like I do. I spend so much time with their games as a kid, and still do now, that I genuinely feel like I wouldn't be totally who I am, and I definitely wouldn't have such a love for video games if I'd never played a Rare game. Unfortunately, they pretty much died off with the Nintendo 64. Though through no fault of their own. Microsoft purchased them in 2002, forced them into mediocrity, and eventually most of the integral parts abandoned the company with good reason. For that decade that they were great, they were the best. If Microsoft never interjected, the Gamecube may have ended up competing with the Playstation 2 in terms of quality and the whole outlook of Nintendo could be different. And they may have even locked up the top spot on this list. 

Also, please, as a favor to me, follow Mingy Jongo (@MingyJongo) or support them some other way, a bunch of old Rare team members created that company and are working to bring that old Rare style back to gaming, which is something we should ALL want to see and do our part to see happen (no, I did not receive penny one for this).

Recommended Rare Games: Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie, Killer Instinct, Diddy Kong Racing, Donkey Kong Country series, Jet Force Gemini, Conker's Bad Fur Day (You throw toilet paper... at an opera-singing literal pile of shit. Nuff Said), Perfect Dark (it's aged so much better than Goldeneye), Blast Corps.

1. BioWare - Mmmmmmm BioWaaarreeee. *drools like Homer Simpson over a donut* I can't describe how much I love BioWare. They're the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the coupe de gras, the better of the really goods and stuff. They're truly RPG-making perfection (just block Dragon Age II out of your memories for now, please). Almost every game they made is among my absolute favorites, which is something even Rare can't say (though the game/favorite ratio is still pretty fuckballs high). They're story-telling genius mixed with almost flawless design, grade-a delivery, and fun, strategic gameplay (NO, DRAGON AGE II DOESN'T COUNT!!). 

Anyway, as I said, they've made some of my favorite games ever. Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, Baldur's Gate 2, as well as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic are all pretty much guaranteed top tens of all time for me. KOTOR and Mass Effect 2 are two of a few that are in a never-ending competition for #1 in my heart. Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect 3 (yep, that ending drops it), and Dragon Age: Origins (the ONLY Dragon Age that matters) are all fairly close to aforementioned list too. Meaning if I ever listed my 20 favorite games, it'd be about 1/3 or so BioWare.  Did I mention Jade Empire and MDK2 are also amazing games? Well, I just did! 

Unfortunately, the two co-founders have recently retired (after that one game about Dragons and the Mass Effect 3 ending, I can't blame them for being worried about their company's direction under EA's tyrannic rule) so I have no clue what to expect in the future, but here's hoping it's good. But here's hoping even more that Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk get back in the gaming foray some time and give us what EA will likely kill soon in BioWare-level godliness. Dragon Age II kinda sucked...

Necessary BioWare games: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 2, Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Neverwinter Nights.

Well, there's my list. Comment and such, I read them all. Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter @SycoMantis1991 and/or subscribe to this shiz, or not, your choice. But it'd be pretty sweet. I'm trying to do these things a lot more than I have lately. If you have an idea for something gaming/movie/tv/music/comic/etc. related that you'd like to see my tackle, comment or tweet me, I'm very likely to at least attempt it.