4. Mega Man 2 (NES)
Oh, how we all remember the thrilling opening and the adrenaline pumping music that accompanied it. The game made it clear from the very outset that what we were about to experience will forever be etched into out memories as one of the greatest games ever. Mega Man 2 was a brilliant game, with its high octane action, brilliant representation of a future world (though now past), and brilliant platforming, and it was declared on the day of its release as the best Mega Man game (out of two, yes), and till this day, it retains that title.
3. Prince of Persia (PC and a crapload of other systems)
The original Prince of Persia, the 1989 PC game, was a hell of a game, and those who played it fell in love with it, even before the Prince of Persia brand name became the “cool” thing. The game was an absolute revolution. Brilliant action, absolutely stunning platforming- with amazing actions such as wall walking and the like- are just a few of the things the game boasted of. The 60 minutes time limit was a great idea, always giving off a sense of urgency, and making the game seem even more thrilling. Those who play Prince of Persia will be reminded, the franchise was great long before it became “cool.”
2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)
Sonic the Hedgehog- the franchise that the cool kids played, the franchise that nearly destroyed Nintendo, that nearly destroyed Mario (hard to imagine, eh?). It was all because of Sonic the Hedgehod 2. While the first Sonic game was truly brilliant, it wasn’t until the second game that the franchise truly came into its own. The super-speedy platforming took everybody’s breath away, and what was best was that the platforming never felt jerky, or uncomfortable. It was smooth, fluid and exhilarating. It’s a shame that the Sonic franchise has fallen to embarrassing lows these days (but is on its way to a revival, hopefully), but Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will always hold a special place in our hearts.
