Games' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Players, Pawns, and Power-Ups

31. Fantastic Electrons

238 31 Fantastic Electrons Computerized fantasy role-playing debuted in the early 1980s and has been a strong staple of electronic gaming ever since. Computerized RPGs comprise a majority of video games produced over the last few decades. Their staying power and popularity is due to a combination of innovative game mechanics, deep settings, involved storytelling, and satisfying game experiences. Not all of the games listed here are of the generic “sword and sorcery” variety, but all are considered great computer RPGs. 1. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST Considered one of the SNES’s bestselling games, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is also one of the best games of the Zelda franchise. The game was the first to use an 8-bit cartridge, allowing developers to create a gigantic world for Link and his friends to inhabit and explore. The game used a top-down viewpoint and mirror worlds (the Light World and Dark World, two identical settings with only textural differences to distinguish them) in telling the prequel tale of Link and his adventures in saving Hyrule from the evil wizard Ganon . The game follows a series of quests as Link gathers the various objects needed to gain the only weapon forged to defeat the wizard. Fantastic Electrons 239 A Link to the Past proved so popular that Nintendo released a twelve-part comic book adaptation and two additional manga stories shortly after its 1991 release. Because it has been on several “top game” lists for over a decade , A Link to the Past was rereleased on other platforms, including the Wii, for a new generation of gamers to enjoy. 2. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME Originally released in 1998 on the Nintendo 64 system, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is argued by a large number of players to be one of the top epic fantasy games produced to date. It was the fifth in the Zelda series released and the first one to use 3-D graphics. It introduced features such as a target lock and button layouts used for contextual play, features that eventually became standards within 3-D adventure games. The game uses a third-person view in three-dimensional space, where the player controls Link—the primary hero of the Zelda series—in his grand quest to thwart the evil Ganondorf ’s plans for Hyrule. The player progresses through the story with a mix of combat, stealth, and exploration. Players need to undertake side quests and adventures to unlock necessary items and levels for Link’s success. The game’s setting and ease of play has made it a classic adventure game that Nintendo has rereleased for other platforms in subsequent years. Ocarina of Time is the game that shaped future RPG video games in both storytelling and game mechanics. 3. ULTIMA III: EXODUS Released in 1983, Ultima III: Exodus is the precursor to later computer RPGs. The game utilized a 3-D aspect for the dungeon portions of the game and denied players the ability to “see” beyond mountains and other land features on the main map. This brought an element of surprise to the player, enhancing their gameplay experience, along with the use of secret pathways, informants, and hidden treasures. 240 Games’ Most Wanted™ Ultima III’s setting was the world of Sosaria, with the plot revolving around stopping the evil ruler Exodus. The game’s quest sent the player’s party to islands, dungeons, lost lands, and the lair of Exodus himself. Players needed more than just powerful characters to defeat the enemy and his hordes. There were also puzzles to solve through putting together various clues discovered throughout the environment. The depth of gameplay was immense as compared to other games released during its time. As a result, Ultima III maintained popularity with critics for several years. 4. ULTIMA VII Released over a year as a two-part series (1992’s The Black Gate, 1993’s Serpent Isle), Ultima VII found critical and commercial success as an isometric RPG. (An isometric game depicts three-dimensional objects in two dimensions, giving the player a third-person point of view.) Many experts consider Ultima VII to be the best of the Ultima line. The game was entirely mouse driven—with some common hot keys for keyboard assistance—and had an easyto -use drag/drop system for items, movement, and...