Rate the series - Home consoles

[pook99]

Sonic 2 is almost always near the top, and Sonic 3/Knuckles only has a few detractors. I’d say those two are, if not unanimous, at least majority top picks. The rest is very due to who has played what.

Yeah, I think my biggest surprise was that Sonic 2 was not at the top of everyones list, it is near the top of most people's but I was always under the impression that 2 was the universally accepted best sonic game.

[samsonlonghair]

Sonic 2 is almost always near the top, and Sonic 3/Knuckles only has a few detractors. I’d say those two are, if not unanimous, at least majority top picks. The rest is very due to who has played what.

I would call Sonic 2 a flawless game. Every aspect of this game is refined and polished to perfection. Sonic two displays perfectly balanced level design and memorable boss battles.

I would call Sonic 3 a more ambitious game, but Sonic team also made a few mistakes along the way. There are gigantic levels, but they don’t have quite as good “flow” as previous Sonic games. There are many more boss battles (and new sub-boss battles) but none quite as memorable as the boss battles of Sonic 2.

Sonic & Knuckles shows both the ambition of Sonic 3 and the execution of Sonic 2. This is overall the best game in the series, with or without the lock-on cartridges. By the way, I prefer Sonic 2 & Knuckles (or Knuckles in Sonic 2) over Sonic 3 & Knuckles.

SonicCD is a strange beast. This one is unlike any Sonic game before or since. SonicCD isn’t just a game about alternative timelines; SonicCD is an alternative timeline unto itself. SonicCD shows what direction the franchise could have gone towards in a different world. That’s why SonicCD is traditionally the most divisive game in the series.

[pook99]

I'm going to scale it back a bit for the next series. So far we have rated series with a large number of games so for the next series lets pick a franchise that is short and sweet...punch out.

With only 5 games released punch out is definitely a series that needs more entries, and hopefully we get one soon. In the meantime here are the 5 entries, feel free to rate them even if you havent played them all

The games are: Punch out (arcade), Super Punch out (arcade) Mike tysons punch out (nes), Super Punch out (snes), punch out (wii)

It really is an odd series because of the 5 games, technically they are only called either punch out or super punch out, which makes me wonder if the next game in the series will continue that tradition and just be called super punch out. This is actually a pretty tough series because all 3 console games are incredible games and even my 3rd place entry is still among my favorite games of all time, having said that here we go:

1) Punch-out (wii): This is probably the best modern day sequel/remake ever made. It takes everything great about the original and ramps it up to 1000. The characters are overflowing with personality, and I dare you to not laugh at how ridiculous super macho man is, how angry bald bull is, and how french glass joe is. The characters are all so lovable, but the gameplay is where this game shines. All 13 fighters are tough at first (well mostly) and when you beat the game you enter title defense mode where the difficulty ratchets up and I would argue many of the world circuit fighters in title defense mode are even tougher than mike tyson.

The combat in this game is so deep, when you first play you are likely to just dodge and counter punch but the more you play the more secrets open up and you begin to look for star opportunities, instant knock downs, and instant knock outs. In addition to all this there is a robust challenge mode and even donkey kong as a hidden fighter. I don't know if they are making a sequel or not but this game is going to be tough to beat.

2) Super Punch out (snes) this was a very difficult decision for me because I love the nes game so much but I feel that the snes sequel is a better designed game. There are more characters, more varied moves, and a bit more depth to the combat. My one gripe about the game is it is definitely the easiest game in the series but it is also really fun to speed run. My opinion could flip flop on this at any given time, but for right now I'm giving this game the edge over its younger brother

3) MT punch out (nes): to be clear, despite being 3rd this is still one of the best games ever made and easily one of my all time favorites. The graphics were just a marvel for its time and the fighting feels so perfect and tense. It is also home to one of the greatest final boss fights of all time.

4) Super Punch out (arcade)

5) Punch out (arcade) : I enjoy both of the arcade titles but they are definitely a huge step down from their console counterparts, less fighters, less interesting patterns, more clunky controls. They are not bad games but they don't achieve anywhere near the greatness of the home ports. I gave super punch out the edge because the duck maneuver adds a bit more depth to the combat but they are pretty close to the same level IMO

[prfsnl_gmr]

Good call. Here’s my ranking:

Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!!/Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (NES) - Such a classic. The controls are so tight, and the graphics, sound, and mechanics hold up wonderfully. The game is also overflowing with personality, and it is still so much fun.

Punch Out!! (Wii) - A very close second. Plays wonderfully with NES-style controls (but masochists like me can play it with motion controls and a balance board!). Tons of content, and a back half that’s an amazing challenge. (It is fun beating Mr. Sandman and immediately getting wrecked by Glass Joe.) Like it’s NES predecessor, the game has a ton of personality, and still looks and sounds great (a true HD version on the Switch would be great though, Nintendo!).

Super Punch Out!! (SNES) - This is a good, challenging game, but it looks and sounds very Super Nintendo-y and feels a bit off-brand. I enjoyed it and have played through it a few times, bu I don’t revisit it. As much as the NES original.

Alas, I haven’t played either of the arcade Punch Out!! games; so, I can’t rank them.

[Golgo 14]

1) Super Punch-Out!! Easily one of my top 10 favorite games of all-time. A great SNES update of the NES classic. I love the improved graphics & sound and especially the more fluid gameplay. I'll admit this version inexplicably lost some charm points by excluding Doc Louis and while I love the boxing opponents assembled here, it did kind of crap out at the end with the nearly identical twins as the top two enemies. Still, if I want some Punch-Out!!, this is the one I'm playing. The timed records added a new dimension that keep the game fresh long after you beat it.

2) Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! A close second. I'll admit that I can get to Mike Tyson, but never have beaten him. We all had the code to get to him, but being repeatedly pulverized put a bad taste in my mouth and I eventually stopped trying.

3) Punch-Out!! (Wii) I've only played this a little, but I hate that they didn't include a Classic Controller option. Turning that fat Wiimote sideways is just not the same as having a NES, SNES or Classic Controller Pro pad. I'll have to give this one another try some day.

4) (tie) Punch-Out!! & Super Punch-Out!! (Arcade) I'm old enough to remember being wowed when these showed up at the arcades. They were great in their time and if I stumbled upon them today I would sure as hell put some quarters in them, but they show their age in ways that their home counterparts do not. An early example of the home version surpassing the arcade original.

[pook99]

@prfsnl_gamer: your not missing much by not playing the arcade versions, they are fun, but I think you need a bit of nostagia to really enjoy them.

Also, as much as I enjoy super punch out I get what you mean when you say it feels off brand, no little mac, no doc louis, no round system, no star punches. I love it, but it definitely strays a bit from the other 2 games, and if nintendo ever does make a switch punch out it will be interesting to see what direction they will go, personally I would love a super punch out for switch with a all the guys from super punch out that were not in the wii version + a few new guys + gameplay similar to wii punch out.

@golgo 14: yeah, Mike Tyson is really hard, I can beat him pretty consistently now but it took some time to get there. For me the trick is to get him down to almost no life in round 1.

when r2 starts he will do quick jabs for 30 seconds, block then gut punch him, if you ended r1 correctly he will go down in one or 2 punches, now you only need to knock him down 2 more times to get the win and you should have the whole round to do it. When he gets back up he will keep doing those quick jabs and if you block, gut punch it will earn you a star. He is tricky but that is the general strategy I follow when fighting him, I dont think I ever beat him in r1(maybe once as a kid) but my r2 tkos are very consistent.

As for the wii version if the controller set up bothers you try emulating it, even though I own the game I much prefer playing it on my xbox 360 controller and the dolphin emulator is absolutely amazing, you need a decent pc to run wii games but if thats an option for you, definitely check it out at some point.

[Golgo 14]

@golgo 14: yeah, Mike Tyson is really hard, I can beat him pretty consistently now but it took some time to get there. For me the trick is to get him down to almost no life in round 1.

when r2 starts he will do quick jabs for 30 seconds, block then gut punch him, if you ended r1 correctly he will go down in one or 2 punches, now you only need to knock him down 2 more times to get the win and you should have the whole round to do it. When he gets back up he will keep doing those quick jabs and if you block, gut punch it will earn you a star. He is tricky but that is the general strategy I follow when fighting him, I dont think I ever beat him in r1(maybe once as a kid) but my r2 tkos are very consistent.

As for the wii version if the controller set up bothers you try emulating it, even though I own the game I much prefer playing it on my xbox 360 controller and the dolphin emulator is absolutely amazing, you need a decent pc to run wii games but if thats an option for you, definitely check it out at some point.

Thanks for the tips! I will have to fire up my old cart and take another shot at Iron Mike at some point.

And unfortunately, the most advanced console I own is a Wii, so I won't be emulating the Wii's Punch-Out!! any time soon. I've always hoped someone would make a hack that allows you to use the Classic Controllers, but I've never found one.

[pook99]

Next Series: resident evil

Resident evil has a pretty hefty number of entries, and it is a series that has gone through a tremendous amount of change in its life span so comparing the games in the series won't be easy. I also feel that we should probably leave out the survivor series as they are just light gun games and probably operation racoon city as well since it is more of a multiplayer game.

The games up for rating are (and as usual, feel free to add in ones that I forgot)

Resident evil 0 -7
Resident evil on gamecube (as well as the ps1 original)
RE revelations 1 and 2
Resident evil 2 remake
RE: code veronica (the one RE game I never played so I will not rate it)

This is an incredibly tough series for me to rate since I enjoy all the games but I will do my best

1) RE4 (GC) --The game that began shifting the series away from tank controls and into more of a 3rd person action/survival horror. Everything about this game was magnificent, the controls, the eerie atmosphere, suplexing zombies, it is one of my favorite games of all time and overall my favorite in the series

2) RE7: the game that returned the series to more horror than action, this game was tense, creepy as fuck, and gave me nightmares. I was very disappointed when I heard it would be first person but playing it removed all the apprehensions I had, a true masterpiece.

3) RE6: controversial opinion here, I know this game will be low on most people's lists but I loved it. Sure it is much more action than survival horror but it is pretty riveting with lots of awesome set pieces and a cool story told through several different lenses.

4) RE2 remake: I just finished this game and it jumped pretty high on my list, it takes the 3rd person perspective from RE4 but removes the action parts, you can't suplex enemies here, your knife breaks, zombies are all bullet sponges, and there is constantly a sense of tension in everything you do. An absolute materpiece and a perfect example of what a horror game should be.

5) RE revelations 1 and 2: Both these games were made in response to fans wanting a return to survival horror for the series. They have enough quality of life updates to make them very much playable today, but still retain a more tense feel than the newer entries in the series...plus you get to play as Barry and that is worth high praise in of itself

6) RE5: this is a game that gets a lot of hate, it is like RE4 in many ways and while not as good, it is still a great game. I think most people dislike it because it really started shifting the series towards a more actiony slant

7) RE 0

Resident evil (gamecube)

9) RE 2 (ps1)

10) RE (ps1)

11) RE 3

the last batch are all great games in their own right and are probably the hardest ones to play nowadays because of tank controls. I haven;t replayed them in a long time but my gut tells me this is how they should be rated.

[Xeogred]

S)
REmake

A)
REmake2
RE2
RE4
RE5

B)
RE1
RE3
RE0
Revelations 2

C)
RE7
RE6

D)
Revelations 1
CV

[Ack]

I was just gonna go like this:

RE2
RE Remake
RE1
Everything else
...
...
...
Code Veronica