"Zombie" Ben's All-Time Faves by Generation

by "Zombie" Ben Bedgood

Just the other day, my wonderful and ruggedly handsome editor (flattery will get you everywhere!) asked me to write a few paragraphs on my favorite video game of all time. As a lifelong gamer, I immediately thought this wouldn’t be a problem at all... then reality set in. I quickly realized that picking just one was more problematic than I first thought. After some thought, I realized that I can’t compare a game from NES to a game on PlayStation 4, I needed to break this down by console or even era. I know welcome you to join me on a journey not only through my nostalgia but a journey through the history of gaming. 

Third Generation 1983 – 2003

Yeah, there were more systems in Gen 3...but NES was king. 

This era was my first experience to gaming and my gateway into what would become a lifelong passion. In 1985, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System or simply the NES in the United States. It was here that I was introduced to the Italian plumber that we all know, Mario.

I believe that my first video game was Sesame Street 1-2-3 released in 1989. This may have been my first game however it wasn’t my favorite from the Third Generation of Consoles. Super Mario 3 holds that title. Released in 1990 it was praised initially by critics and has continued to withstand the test of time, still seen as the best NES game of all time.

"All the world's a stage..." Shakespeare and Mario Mario. 

Super Mario 3 showed game developers of the time (and for the future for that matter) what the progression of a game series should be . The story itself built upon the already established world and story of Mario. The game play progressed introducing new features, abilities and mini games. One of my favorite moments was the ability to turn Mario into a raccoon-dog human hybrid thing and try to maneuver Mario out of impossible situations.

"Don't forget that Tanooki Mario (the raccoon-dog hybrid suit) could turn into a statue...for some strange reason" *Editor note

Fourth Generation 1987 – 2004

In 1989, Sega gave us the Genesis, a system that seemed to build on the format of the NES. There were improvements made to the controller as well as the internal components, now a 16 bit graphics system providing clearer resolutions for the "sprites." Nintendo also put out their Super Nintendo which went toe to toe with the Genesis. Of the two systems, Sega had my favorite game.  

In 1994 we were blessed with Sonic and Knuckles. I loved this game. Knuckles was a snarky jerk that very well could be the spirit animal of one of my heroes, Deadpool. In previous games, it was apparent that Sonic was the hero and we needed to help him beat the bad guy, however this game introduced us to the anti-hero of Knuckles. He’s willing to help Sonic for no other reason that it helps him to accomplish his own goals.

The Fourth Generation of Consoles also brought us the Handheld gaming console. Nintendo, fresh off the success of the NES, gave the world the Gameboy in 1989. It was a gaming console that ran off batteries and fit in the front pocket of your bookbag! It was on the Gameboy I was introduced to Pokémon Red in 1996, a game that swallowed up my recess time, day after day. Being able to sit on the playground with all the other Pokémon kids in a circle all battling our way to become a master Pokémon trainer and catching them all is still one of my favorite memories. 

Now that I think about it, that old saying of "it only takes one kid to screw up recess for the whole class" seems strangely relevant. I feel like my generation's sneaking our Gameboys into school is probably the reason that schools started to crack down on handheld devices. So, to all the kids that cant take a handheld to school or out on the playground, I am sorry...but not really. 

Fifth Generation 1993 – 2005

The fifth generation of Consoles introduced us to the Playstation in 1995 and the N64 in 1996. The 64 was my system of choice, even though it had a controller that seemed to be designed by Salvador Dali. It was on this console, surrounded by Jolt Cola in a room of four friends that we refined the art of Gaming-Til-The-Sun-Came-Up. While there were so many incredible games on the N64, such as Goldeneye 007, California Rush, Resident Evil 2, it was Star Fox 64 that stole my heart. 

"DO A BARRELL ROLL!!" 

Star Fox 64 was a marvel of gaming technology, so much of our previous gaming experiences were playing in platforming style, or top down RPG exploration. Star Fox 64 was different. We could fly through space, up, down, left, right... the sky was the limit, literally. To this day, I can’t tell you how many hours were spent playing Star Fox 64. Whether it was in a battle royale or playing the story for the umpteenth time with friends, hundreds of hours were poured into this game...all while my friends and I destroyed our young livers with can after can of Jolt and delivery from Little Ceasar’s, It's these memories that tie into what was already an incredible game to make it my favorite. 

Sixth Generation 1998 – 2013

The Sixth Generation of Consoles brought us new and incredible innovations in gameplay as well as graphics: images were smoother and less blocky. Games were really starting to expand on the concept of what we now call "sandbox" or open world. In 1998, the Sega Dreamcast arrived in stores and only a few years later we got Crazy Taxi. If you tell me that you went to a friend’s house, saw a copy of Crazy Taxi and didn’t immediately want to play it, I assume you are lying, either to me but more importantly to yourself.  While surprisingly simplistic in gameplay, it's hands down my favorite game on the Dreamcast. The ability to pick up weird customers, drive them as fast as possible to their destination all while jamming out to a soundtrack done featuring the Offspring was something that kept me entertained for hours.

This era for me proved to be a more difficult to pick a favorite game that I expected. During this era we had four major consoles dominating the market. The competition between the Dreamcast, GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 spawned a huge surge in games including some drastic changes in game types. It is for this reason I find myself with a tie for favorite console game of the Sixth generation, Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure was released in 2006.

It was an incredible Beat ‘em up, Action-adventure game that was focused around the Graffiti lifestyle. As you played through the story, jamming out to a soundtrack I still listen to till this day, you found yourself being tutored by Graffiti artist legends. It was these legends that taught you new techniques to use while trying to bring down a corrupt totalitarian government that has taken control or your city. Between the soundtrack, story and gameplay style, this is one game that sits on the top of my wish list for a remaster on current generation consoles.

Seventh Generation 2005 – 2017

The Seventh Generation of Consoles was rung in with the release of the Xbox 360, Wii and the PlayStation 3. It was on the PlayStation 3 that I fell in love with a game called Haze. 

When asked to describe this game to people, the best I can come up with is, “Think of Halo on drugs… like literal drugs. You pull L2 to inject yourself with a drug called Nectar.” I found the story to not only be edgy but very well written, pushing you out of your comfort zone and forcing you to question to reality of the world around you.

This game also won me like so many games before it, with a killer soundtrack. The soundtrack was written by Korn, a band I have been a fan of since they released their self-titled album in 1994. Being huge gamers themselves, Korn was given a copy of the game months before everyone else so that they could tailor the soundtrack perfectly to the game. It was these factors and more that have made Haze my favorite game on the PlayStation 3.

So there you have it! Those are my favorite games for each generation. Now, our current era (the 8th Generation) has seen some amazing games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Fallout 5, Assassins Creed Origins, and more... but I find myself wanting to wait until we have moved onto the next generation to proclaim my undying love for any game of this era. To say a game is my favorite means that it has withstood the test of time and stayed true to who and what it was, and these games are all to new to be able to be graded on such a scale.