This is it. What you've all been waiting for. The #1. My favorite videogame of all time. I must warn you that this might be a bit surprising.

Let me just refresh your memory with the list so far:

10. Halo: Combat Evolved

9. Golden Sun

8. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

7. Pokemon Gold

6. Guild Wars

5. KOTOR 2

4. Super Smash Bros. Melee

3. Golden Sun: The Lost Age

2. Metroid Prime

1. ???

If you have not read the posts of earlier games on the list, feel free to scroll below and read (only if you want to).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#1

When asking someone about their all-time favorite game, it's usually a game played during their early childhood. A game that was played when "all was good", and there was little to do but play videogames. A game that brings a nostalgic feeling just thinking about it. I was just like that, after I played Metroid Prime. Prime's atmosphere and unique qualities just dazzled me even years after playing it. It was my favorite for a LONG time. That all changed once I played a game this summer. A game called Chrono Trigger.

Chrono Trigger

It was in this summer that I returned to Gamespot, after a long hiatus. I was surfing around, and I discovered this well-made union called The RPG Temple (join now!). Throughout the union board, there were numerous references and reccomendations for Chrono Trigger, and as I was in desperate need of a good game to play, it felt like the perfect thing.

I was lucky enough that my uncle had the game on the SNES, and since he was completely out of gaming, he sent it to me right away.

The first thing I noticed while turning it on and watching the intro was the main theme music. I am VERY musical. Like, I am NOTHING without music. So when a game has good music, it means a lot to me.

Let me just tell you right now- Chrono Trigger has one of the best soundtracks ever offered on a videogame cartridge or disc. Whether it's sad, cheerful, epic, or mysterious, all songs take you to another place and fill your head with colors (yes, just like a drug).

While delivering a musically perfect game, Square put the same efforts into graphics too. The game is simply beautiful. It has such a unique color palette, using varieties of shades and colors. Even graphically, Trigger can stand up to most DS and GBA games today.

The story develops from a simple "save a princess" quest to a larger, more widspread plot, dealing with various emotional sidestories, and an overall drive to stop a parasitic beast from sapping all DNA from the world.

The gameplay delivers just as well, moving from exploration to battle UNNOTICEABLY. The dungeons are laid out with perfect design, and battles are given at a perfect pace. The active time battle system works well, and special techniques look beautiful. The main attraction of gameplay are the double and triple techs, that use two to three people to deal out massive, overwhelming, and incredible attacks.

I've been noticing this year that Gamespot has been on the easy side. They've lost all their rock hard editors, and they've been giving a lot of these:

10

"Perfect"

As far as I'm concerned, the only game that deserves a perfect score is Chrono Trigger. There are absolutely ZERO faults with this game, and it's the only game I would EVER rate a 10.

I'm so ashamed that I was THIS late to this game. It came out in 1995, and has lived 13 years right under my nose. I always thought it was one of those Japanese RPG's with cheesy stories, so I tried to avoid it. Only now have I played it, and I don't regret playing it ONE BIT.

There is a line that only few games cross. A line that divides "just games" from actual, beautiful, true art. Only a small number of games cross this line, and these timeless games are remembered even decades later.

Chrono Trigger is one of those few games.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, that wraps it up. My first top ten. Please, if you have any suggestions or comments, write them below.

My next list is going to be a top FIVE on my favorite videogame characters. Before then, there are probably going to be a couple regular posts.

Thanks for reading,

SilverRao