Sorry I was gone for so long. I started a new job and didn't have the time to update. Hopefully I can work on the blog with something resembling regularity now.

#4 Super Mario Brothers 3 (NES - 1989)

What it’s about: Come on, you know. King Koopa has kidnapped the Princess, and you, courageous plumber Mario (or Luigi), have to rescue her. Well, there’s a bit more this time, as Koops has stolen seven magic wands and given them to his kids, each of whom have taken over seven different areas, each with their own characteristic (Grass World, Water World, Plant World, etc.)

Why it’s here: After a strange detour in Super Mario Brothers 2 (where you fought a big frog in Dream Land), SMB3 brings the franchise back to basics while at the same time pushing the boundaries of what you could do in an NES game farther than anyone could have thought. Seriously, if I listed everything innovative and/or cool about this game, I would be here all day. Just as a sample, there’s raccoon tail flying (handled perfectly), the warp whistles, the airships, pipe elevators that go up, the Hammer brothers suit, the gambling mini-games, the ability to carry items around the board, Chain Chomp, sliding on your ass down a hill, the creepy music in the castles, the joke at the end, that fish that ate you whole in World 3, and most importantly, Kuribo’s Shoe.

Downsides: Maybe the final battle was a little anticlimactic, but beyond that, not a goddam thing.

Memories: Tracking down a copy of this at an old store called the Fair and playing it for about 10 hours that day. Finally beating it on the fourth of July, maybe 1990? Watching some guy beat the game online in like 11 minutes.

Next: the only convicted rapist on this list (I hope).

And we’re back. Happy New Year, all.

#5 Grand Theft Auto III (PC – 2002)

What it’s about: You, as the main character (unnamed, and you never say a word through the whole game) are left for dead after your partners turn on you during a robbery. The police van escorting you to prison crashes, leaving you loose in the fictional burg of Liberty City. Now you work your way up the ranks of crime, dealing with the Mob, the Yakuza, a crooked cop, and plenty of gangs, and maybe get some revenge on your ex-partners.

Why it’s here: God, where to start? This game totally blew me away when I picked it up on the PC (didn’t have a Playstation then, and got so used to the controls I picked up the sequels on the PC as well, even after buying a PS2).

GTA III created its own interactive world. You hear that a lot with game, but Liberty City was a real place. Time would pass and it would be day or night, depending on the time. It could rain or be a sunny day, and the weather would affect your driving. Liberty City was filled with traffic lights, bad drivers, and pedestrians walking the streets (and streetwalkers too). If you pissed off a gang and wandered into their territory, they would open fire on you. You could listen to different radio stations, complete with DJ’s, or load your own MP3’s. Punch a cop and your wanted level goes up.

Missions vary from beating up pushers, planting car bombs, assassinations, car theft, and so much more, each mission different from the last. You can also collect special tokens throughout the city, try to pull off special jumps, and race obstacle courses. This isn’t a game you beat in a weekend.

If you didn’t feel like committing crimes, you could just hop in your car and explore the city and try to do crazy tricks with your car. Or you can create mayhem and just open fire into a crowd of people and see how long you can avoid the SWAT teams (I would spend hours doing this).

Downsides? Not much. There were a few minor problems they improved a few things in the later sequels (letting you swim, adding better music, importing well known actors for the various characters), but the game is pretty flawless.

Personal memories: Playing the game for the first time. Finally beating El Burro’s race after a thousand tries.

Next: The most popular video game character ever.