The Shadow counts 'em doooown.

#9 Starfox 64

What it's about: Giant monkey head General Andross has invaded the Lilac system again (how do I remember this stuff?) in this sequel to the SNES hit. You, as Fox McCloud, must lead your team of animal fighter pilots through a variety of missions.

Why it's here: I had played the SNES version, which seemed like a good idea but the Super Nintendo just didn't have the technology to pull it off. No such problems on the beefed up N64 - the animation is smooth as silk, the backgrounds are gorgeous, and the characters show a lot of well, character, and actually speak (including the hyper-annoying Slippy the toad, which is one of the few downsides).

But the controls are the key - Starfox 64 boasts the best controls of any video game I've ever played. Steering is fluid and responsive, simple enough to pick up but with just enough tricks (barrell rolls, loops) to make things interesting.

The missions are fairly varied (they added a tank and submarine level), plus you can take several different routes to complete the game. There are a million cool touches, from your evil counterpart Star Wolf to the ID4 level to the ending if you make it through the hard way. Plus the tank level where you attack the train is one of my favorite gaming experiences ever.

Downsides? Besides Slippy the Toad, there is the fact that game isn't very hard, and you wish it was longer. But for a game like this to have the replay value it does says a lot.

Not for nothing, this game also included the "Rumble Pack," which caused your controller to shake if you took a hit. It's a standard feature on the PS2, but this was the first to explore that technology. Warrants a mention.

Personal memories: Playing the hell out of this game in college when I got an N64. I never even owned my own copy - I think I just borrowed Ken Heffernan's and never returned it. Sorry Ken. There was also the time I shattered Dan Dancause's high score by 100+ points. Eat it bitch.