Pete's top 25 videogame random award show!

[Pete for President]

#13:

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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

Tony Hawk was too cool to pick up the following awards:
‘Least realistic skateboard game’
‘Most epic 900’
‘Best hidden tapes’

When my brother and I finally got our hands on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater all our friends came over and we took turns just free skating the first level for hours straight. Who can forget getting the hidden tapes, S-K-A-T-E, the high scores and gold medals in the competitions?

Could objectives get more punk than this? I mean, smash the boxes!

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It’s probably more nostalgia than technically a good game, but the fond memories of passing on the controller and searching hidden tapes put this game on #13.

I tried to find a good picture of the warehouse but failed. Oh man, that first jump. Straight through the window! It was madness.


What happened to the other games?

THPS2 introduced the level editor and it was awesome. After that things went downhill with the series. Bad case of same old and too many. I enjoyed some of them, but the magic of 1 and 2 was never surpassed.

[Jiro]

Yeah man, I liked some of the later Tony Hawk games but none of them were as magical as the first two. I don't remember which one it was, but that smurfing school level was so great for some stupid reason. And the mall. Man. smurfing Tony Hawk, so good.

Also MGS3 was the first one I played and it was uncontrollable and I quit. I played the first one at a friend's place and then sometime after that picked up MGS4 which was alright. Several years later played MGS3 in that anniversary pack or whatever and actually understood the controls. Now that I have a feel for MGS games generally I can appreciate how awesome it is.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is so good. The first one will always be my favorite just because that's the one I owned and played the most, but the second one is fantastic too.

I also want to bring up the soundtrack in this game. I've always loved it quite a bit. Especially this song:

[Slothy]

MGS1 is a game that still plays almost perfectly. There are very few games with controls that tight and gameplay that well refined. The later games are cool in how much you can actually do and how expansive they are, but as a smooth refined play experience, none of them top the first game.

As for using CQC against the boss, I only know it can be done. I never bothered to do it myself, and as I understand it, she will counter quite a bit, but it can be done.

[Ayen]

Metal Gear Solid 1 has definitely aged on the visual side of things, but I would hardly call it unplayable. Though I find it interesting that games that are said to have bad controls are things I immediately picked up on as a child.

[Jiro]

Metal Gear Solid 1 has definitely aged on the visual side of things, but I would hardly call it unplayable. Though I find it interesting that games that are said to have bad controls are things I immediately picked up on as a child.

It doesn't look great but dude I played it like 2-3 years ago and it was great so it's hardly unplayable. It was just really foreign to me at first.

[Slothy]

It really is one of a pretty small number of 3D games from that era that still plays amazingly well. Probably because the gameplay is more 2D than 3D, but still very, very playable. Few games ever hold up that well.

[Pete for President]

Yeah man, I liked some of the later Tony Hawk games but none of them were as magical as the first two. I don't remember which one it was, but that smurfing school level was so great for some stupid reason. And the mall. Man. smurfing Tony Hawk, so good.

Oh yeah, the school level was awesome. i think that was 2. I remember "wallride the 5 school bells" as an objective, it was super hard. Sick level though, probably the one I free skated most in 2. The mall was 1 right? Kinda like a downhill, pretty sick too!

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is so good. The first one will always be my favorite just because that's the one I owned and played the most, but the second one is fantastic too.

I also want to bring up the soundtrack in this game. I've always loved it quite a bit.

I think the soundtrack is the one department THPS was never a letdown! Nostalgia man, nostalgia!

[Jiro]

I spent last night listening to both games' soundtracks

[Scotty_ffgamer]

It's hard for me to remember what levels I liked best. I think there is a school level in both games. The bell thing sounds like it's in the second game. The second game also has a cool hanger area you could find if I remember right, and I liked that a lot.

The first game has Roswell which I was obsessed with as a kid. The only other level that really sticks out in my mind right now is Downhill Jam, and that's just because that level is so hard to get all the secret tapes for.

[Quindiana Jones]

THUG was always my favourite Tony Hawks game.

[Pete for President]

It's hard for me to remember what levels I liked best. I think there is a school level in both games. The bell thing sounds like it's in the second game. The second game also has a cool hanger area you could find if I remember right, and I liked that a lot.

The first game has Roswell which I was obsessed with as a kid. The only other level that really sticks out in my mind right now is Downhill Jam, and that's just because that level is so hard to get all the secret tapes for.

Ohyeah, the hangar with the secret room that had the helicopter which would take off when you grind it. Pretty epic!

THUG was always my favourite Tony Hawks game.

I think I enjoyed THUG too but I don't remember much of it. Was that the fifth game? I believe it has a song of one of my favourite underground bands in it; Hey Hey Hey by the Riverboat Gamblers, that was a cool surprise.

[Pete for President]

12:

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Hitman: Blood Money


The cold killer took these awards without anyone noticing:
‘Best suit’
‘Most lethal Santa Claus’
‘Most perverted guard’
‘Most furious rise from the dead’
‘Most satisfying ending’

I only picked up Hitman: Blood Money about a year ago in anticipation for Absolution. While technically not the most solid game in the top 25, Blood Money has enough soul to rank among the best.


Comedy, tragedy, creativity and exploration is what makes this installment great. Every mission is very unique in setting and situations, and the total freedom of however to complete it makes every single one a joy to play. Possibilities are often only limited to your own imagination and whether you want to be the badass sniper, a spy in disguise or make throwing kitchen knives your signature kill: every option is satisfying to explore. Walking around the levels scoping out the possibilities just sparks this gamer enthusiasm in me. You never know what you’ll find: a useful object, unique dialogue, an awkward situation or a panty sniffing perv guard.

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To be honest, if I were to play a Hitman game again it would probably be Absolution. But what pulled Blood Money higher up the list is the ending.


Spoiler section


Killed with an injection by your own employer as part of her grand scheme, you lie on your death bed as a trophy of your enemy. Surrounding you are all the people who plotted so hard to have you dead. Ready to get cremated, your former boss and killer who only pretended to have defected places your signature guns on your chest, and secretly injects the antidote.

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As the credits roll and the exit music plays, your heartbeat gets stronger with every move of the joystick. It gets stronger and stronger until the iconic contract killer finally wakes up from the dead with guns in hand. Being in the heart of the enemy and furious about what has been done to you, you leave no witnesses.



A phenomenal ending and one of my most memorable moments in video game history.

[Jiro]

Blood Money is my favourite Hitman game for sure. So awesome. That ending.

I think my favourite mission is a toss up between the theatre and that christmas party. Shooting the glass bottom pool and tossing the dude off the balcony is great, and the whole switcharoo with the prop gun is just excellent.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I've never played the Hitman games. This is making me think I should try them out though!