Desert Island Games- Redux

[Jason Tandro]

Okay folks, so here it is. The only classic Desert Island Games. However this time I'm being a bit more scientific.

My theory is that a good Desert Island mix should have a wide variety of games, and then you can further break those up into two schools of thought: Games that provide the best overall experience, or games that provide a variety of experiences within themselves.

Ever the guy who likes making lists here are my two lists. Each will contain 12 category games and a wild-card, the categories being Shooter, RPG (Traditional), RPG (Action), Sports, Creative, Adventure, Platform, RTS, Fighter, Sandbox, Action, and a Wild Card

Note: For your own list, if there's a category you truly cannot stand, you may replace that with another Wild Card, but try to be creative.


==LIST 1: The Variety Pack==

These games don't provide the best overall experience necessarily, but have a wide variety of options making them good for an extended stay.

1. Halo: Reach (Shooter)
Two words: Forge World. This alone means you can customize and create any kind of experience you want. Granted it may not be all the useful with only one player, but it will still be intriguing and when you get bored of shooting targets, you can shoot real things in the Campaign and Firefights.

2. Star Ocean: The Second Story (RPG Traditional)
Considering the game gives you dozens of options to customize your experience and craft your own items, not to mention each playthrough allows you to assemble an entirely different battle cast, you could replay this game dozens of times and never repeat yourself.

3. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Sports Game)
I love the Tony Hawks' Games. THUG 2 is particularly great as it has a wide variety of game modes. Story mode, classic mode, create-a-goal, high score, create-a-park... way too many options! Plus the levels that are included in the game are so cool I can explore them for hours.

4. Minecraft (Creative)
Really, let's face it (since this is the same in both lists). There is no other creative game that can really match the capabilities of Minecraft.

5. TES IV: Oblivion (Adventure)
The vast options of characters and quest lines; not to mention the ability to slaughter everything that moves, gives lots of options for fun.

6. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (Platform)
To be fair there really aren't a whole lot of options in this game for creating your own experience, but what is there is polished to a mirror sheen

7. Super Smash Bros Brawl (Fighter)
Not only is this one of the best fighters, but the level editor and story mode give you plenty of options.

8. Age of Empires II (RTS)
Standard Map, Campaign and Campaign Creator means there are thousands of possible game combinations.

9. Asphault Adrenaline (Racing)
Okay, I know nothing about racing games, but I have played this portable game and I love the variety of racing choices it gives you.

10. Metal Gear Solid 3: Sustenance (Action)
The game itself gives you numerous options, but this game also has like three bonus game modes and two bonus games. Honorable mention to MGS2: Substance which had the same layout, a lame skateboarding game and VR Missions. MGS3 just had more to offer overall.

11. GTA: San Andreas (Sandbox)
There are so many terrains and environments to explore that this has the most variety of any of the GTA games I've played thus far.

12. .hack//GAME (RPG Action)
This simulated MMORPG has thousands of play worlds and might even simulate enough human contact to keep you sane

13. Final Fantasy X (Wild Card)
Just a great game. Not the best Final Fantasy game, but I could play that Blitzball game for hours on end.

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I'll post my Best Overall Experience list a bit later.

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