Opinions On Various Popular Games/Franchises

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I've noticed that here at AR the niche titles are really more popular among us and with the exception of stuff we grew up with like Sonic, Mario, and  Zelda, most of the big games out there these days aren't looked at too fondly for some of us. I just thought it'd be interesting to see what everyone thinks about various really popular games or series/franchises, whether you love, find it absurdly overrated, or are just plain indifferent towards it. Now to be specific I'm talking about the really popular games that sell millions of copies with each release within the first week, rather than just well-received games in general. Anyways, here are some of my thoughts:

Mario- Its probably one of the best gaming franchises in existence. There are mediocre to bad games within the lot for sure, but the ratio of good to bad games when it comes to Mario is almost entirely in favor of the good. That is to say that over its 25+ year history it has spawned very few bad games,  but a plethora of great titles. While I haven't experienced much of Mario's output on the Wii, I can say that even up to the N64 and on handheld systems the red plumber has had the fortune of having numerous great titles to grace his name. To me Mario just about defines great gaming.

Sonic- The classic games are great, though I still have yet to play CD, and while Sonic has always has considerably less content to offer than the average Mario title, I would say that on a level of strict quality both series are equal when it comes to their 2D platformers, with Sonic 3 and Knuckles being the pinnacle of Sonic's 2D side-scrolling gameplay. Unfortunately Sonic didn't necessarily make the most graceful of leaps into 3D, but even though most of his games have sucked over the past decade, I'll go on record for saying that I still think that the Adventure games are really entertaining and I don't mind the other playable characters at least in the first Adventure game. Also Generations has breathed new life into 3D Sonic as it plays just great, IMO. So, overall the series does still deserve to be as popular as it is, IMO.

Zelda- While I haven't even come close to playing them all, I do think that this is hands down one of the best franchises of all time in gaming. I think that whether one prefers 2D or 3D Zelda largely depends on what they grew up with when it comes to this series. I was introduced to Zelda through Ocarina of Time, so naturally my tastes tends towards 3D Zelda as I feel it has tighter mechanics than the 2D games, but that's not to say that I don't love the 2D games for what they do right as well, but I do have my preference set on Link's 3D adventures. Overall, though, I think that this is a series that has well-earned its glory, and its honestly the main reason that I still want to get a Wii, since I've missed out on Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, so far.

Halo- I will fully admit that the series is overrated in this day and age, but really only by critics. As far as ordinary gamers go, it has its fair share of haters and skeptics who don't necessarily bash it but are indifferent towards it. I do like these games myself, though, and part of the fun does come from playing multiplayer with friends. But I like them moreso for their campaign modes, precisely because the Halo games are among the few FPS games left that give me what I want in an FPS game, which is good AI, big environments allowing for lots of strategy and tactics, and a good variety of weapons to use. And while Halo 2 and 3 are a lot lighter on those elements IMO, the 1st game, ODST, and Reach give me enough of that to warrant good replay value on their part. So, overall, I think its a solid franchise, even if it gets a bit too much praise for playing it so safe and essentially giving us less than the first game on the single-player front for so many years.

Grand Theft Auto- I used to be big into this franchise when GTA3 came out, and I loved Vice City as well, but to be honest the formula got worn out on me by the time that San Andreas rolled around. I don't think its bad or anything, but I guess I just stopped caring for the whole open-world experience of "go anywhere you want and do anything you want at any time." That's all fine and nice, but personally I came to realize that I prefer a more focused experience that focuses on a few key mechanics but excels at those, rather than a game that tries to give you everything but ends up being only sub-par at all of its elements. But that's just how I feel about it, personally.

[gunswordfist]

Mario- WAY behind. I don't think I've beaten a single Mario game expect New for the GBA and maybe Super Mario Land 2. I've barely gotten anyway in the Super Mario World games and 64. Oh and I beat 2 but that doesn't really count.
Sonic- Still think 3 & Knuckles is very overrated. Sonic 1 is good despite some problems and Sonic 2 is of course the greatest 2D game of all time
Zelda- God, I just didn't grow up playing Nintendo. I love Link's Awakening and have also beaten Oracle of Seasons...that's it though. I've NEVER played Ocarina of Time, believe it or not. I only got to borrow a N64 for a few months. I played very little of Majara's Mask and none of Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. Also none of the game's on DS. I also never played Minish Cap (got it on my computer though) Or Four Swords. Or Oracle of Ages (also on my laptop)
Halo- Fell back in love with the first one when I saw my Grandma had it. 2nd one still pisses me off and besides the Reach demo, haven't played past two.
GTA- Love the series despite the flaws the last gen games had in their controls. I played little to none of GTA 4 yet.

[Foggle]

Added 3 more to think about.

Mario: Haven't played a single Mario game I didn't love. Keyword is "played;" I haven't played shit like Hotel Mario or Mario Is Missing.
1, 3, NSMB Wii, and Galaxy 2 are my favorites.

Sonic: Love every 2D game (all of them), Colors, Generations, and Sonic's/Shadow's levels in the Adventure titles. The rest are worthless pieces of shit with the exception of Unleashed which merely defines mediocrity.
2, 3, and Colors are my favorites.

Zelda: I don't love this series nearly as much as everyone else, but I still think they're some of the absolute best games of all time. With the exception of Zelda 2 and the CD-i turds.
Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, and Link's Awakening are my favorites.

Halo: Love the first game and 2's multiplayer, don't care for 2's campaign or 3 at all, think ODST is fairly decent, haven't played much of Reach.
1 is by far my favorite, and a very important release as far as FPS games go; it's as important to consoles as Catacomb 3D, Wolfenstein 3D, and Quake are to PCs.

Grand Theft Auto: Love all the 3D ones, never cared for the top-down installments. I actually really like GTA 4 because it's so different from the previous ones and thus other sandbox games (such as Saints Row and Crackdown).
San Andreas and Ballad of Gay Tony are my favorites.

Call of Duty: I respect the first four games (well, maybe not 3) and can appreciate that the newer ones are still well-made despite my finding them overrated.
The first two are my favorites.

The Elder Scrolls: I love Morrowind and Skyrim, Oblivion is good too but underwhelming. I'll be lynched for this, but I couldn't get into Daggerfall. And I've never played Arena.
Morrowind and Skyrim are my favorites, no contest.

Final Fantasy: The 2D ones are great, 7 is still excellent but grossly overrated, everything after that is hit or miss (mostly miss). The only good spin-off (that I've played) is Crisis Core.
4 and 6 are my favorites.

[Avaitor]

Mind if I add a couple more, as well?

Mario- The platformers are some of the greatest games ever made, no question. Well, I'd take Sunshine out of the equation, but you can't deny the importance of SMB and 64, the perfection of 3 and Land, and the brilliance of the Galaxys.

Sonic- 2D Sonic>2D Mario
3D Sonic<<<<<<3D Mario

Zelda- I think you guys know of my undying love for Zelda, but I just want to say that while I'm enjoying it, I just can't get into playing Skyward Sword as much as I want to. I'm only partway through the first dungeon, but I honestly haven't been able to pick it up in about a week.  I don't know why, but I just can't get into it as much as Twilight Princess.

Halo- I really like the first 2 games, but since I don't have a 360, I haven't been able to play any more of it, some Reach with my friends aside. I do agree that 2's story is crap, but I still enjoy the campaign itself.

GTA- I never was able to get into 3 when I played it. I understand it's significance, but I'm in the crowd that thinks Vice City and San Andreas are major improvements. They get tiresome, yes, but I think the writing in the games is really sharp and the stories are fun, if overlong and convoluted as fuck.

Call of Duty- From what I've played of it, I think that Modern Warfare is a damn fine shooter, and one of the most important games of our generation. I haven't played anything before, and everything after is consistently weaker, based on what I've played and what I've heard from my friends.

The Elder Scrolls- I have played none of these, sadly. Although I'm considering looking for a used copy of Morrowind somewhere and possibly trying out Skyrim in the summer, when I have the time and possibly if the hype dies down on it.

Final Fantasy- The last one I really enjoyed was IX. VII and VIII are good games, but also grossly overrated, while everything after IX is meh in my eyes. And while II blows by any standards, I do think that I, III-VI and the Tatics are still classics.

Metal Gear- One of these days, I'll try out the pre-Solid games. But I still love the original MSG, and like what comes after, although I can't defend their stories.

Dragon Quest- From what I've played of them, I greatly prefer DQ to Final Fantasy. I should try to get more into the franchise.

Metroid- I'm not sure which I prefer, the 2D side scrollers or the 3D first person adventure games. The franchise usually is very well-made in whichever format it goes with, but at the same time, I do get bored with them all faster than I do with a lot of games. I can't really explain why, either.

[Rosalinas Spare Wand]

Super Mario Bros - My favorite series, so I'm unbelievably biased with these games. Sill love em as much as I did when I first picked up an SNES controller.

Sonic the Hedgehog - I like the Adventure games, and enjoyed the Genesis entries, but other than that, I don't hold any interest towards the rest of the series.

Legend of Zelda - I have tried multiple entries in this series, and I just can't get into it. I do like the lore and respect what its brought to video games though.

Halo - Never played it, Halo fanboys in my middle and high school years really tainted my view of the series.

Grand Theft Auto - It's okay, but the recent entries look and feel like Rockstar Games is just patting themselves on the back with what they can accomplish. San Andreas and Vice City were fun as fuck though.

Call of Duty - It's not a terrible series, but its the one that defines Generic World War Shooter. I had more fun with Doom and Turok than I ever had with Modern Warfare 3 or Black Ops.

The Elder Scrolls - This series really snuck up on me, and I've been meaning to pick up a cheap version of Oblivion at some point. No thoughts so far.

Final Fantasy - Never really enjoyed it, and the current games in development tell me Square Enix is so far removed from today's audience they'll probably never stop what they're doing to this once-respected series.

Metal Gear - Never had the patience to finish an MGS game. I did enjoy Portable Ops though.

Dragon Quest - I only own the first NES entry, and I thought it was a decent early RPG. I really should give the recent ones a try since I'm sure its changed a lot more.

Metroid - Fuck yeah, I love this series. The only games I didn't like were the DS entries since they were pretty far removed from the rest of the series.

[Commode]

Gonna try and keep these as frank as possible since I'm posting from my phone.

Super Mario Bros - Love the series.  Still haven't played Galaxy 2 yet, and have only played about ten minutes of Sunshine.  I'm not really a fan of 64 and, strangely, SMB1.  I know it's a classic, but after playing it and beating it a kajillion times it loses it's magic.  The same can't be said with SMB 2, 3, and World, my favorite titles, because no matter how many times I play them I don't tire of them.

Sonic the Hedgehog - Only ever played the Genesis classics, Colors, and Generations.  I don't know how it happened, but I largely was unaware and uncaring of all Sonic games this past decade until Colors.  Some might say I'm lucky, I dunno.  I do have the Adventures games on my list though, now that I'm getting into the Dreamcast.

Legend of Zelda - Love LttP, LA, and more recently Minish Cap, but everything else kind of bores me. Outside of the ones I already mentioned, the only others I've finished are Oot and TP, and I've never played MM, WW, or the Oracle games(I'm currently on the lookout for these two though, since I do want to play them).

Halo - I actually like Halo.  Haven't played it in years, but I always did have fun with it.  I've been thinking about picking up that Anniversary Edition and getting back into it.

Grand Theft Auto - Only ever played 3, VC, and about half of SA before I just got bored with it, and have zero interest in playing any GTA anymore.  I actually prefer GTA clones like Simpsons Hit and Run more than the actual series.

Call of Duty - I played a little bit of MW2, but the way it's always being put on a pedestal as being the greatest thing ever has turned me away from it.

The Elder Scrolls - Never played them. Should I?

Final Fantasy - Only ever played II and one of the PSX ones.  Not really a fan.

Metal Gear - Haven't played one since the PSX, and honestly haven't thought about the series in years.  Perhaps I'll give it another look sometime.

Dragon Quest - I've only ever played Dragon Warrior Monsters on the GBC, and while I like that title, I always perceived the main series as similar to Final Fantasy, so I never really looked at it.  Once again, should I?

Metroid - Only ever played Metroid, Metroid II, Super, and Fusion.  I love Super Metroid to death, but as far as more modern titles go I do have interest in them, but Prime Trilogy is so hard and expensive to find these days, and I don't feel like tracking the games down individually.  My buddy has advised me to stay away from Other M, I guess he hated it, but I honestly have some interest in it as well.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Call of Duty- As far as the first 3 games go, I haven't played that much of them in all honesty, so I can't share my opinion on them. I tried both the single-player and multiplayer of the 4th game (the 1st Modern Warfare), and it was alright, but its not really my kind of FPS game, especially on the multiplayer front in which it basically boils down to whoever shoots first wins. That said I don't really hate this series even though it may seem like I do sometimes. I'm just more indifferent to it than anything else. I can understand its appeal, but its not really my type of game, so that's all there is to that. My only hate related to CoD is really just how many clones that MW games have spawned. I just hate how so many FPS games are trying to be pale imitators of that rather than trying to do something unique with the genre. The games themselves are fine, though, I suppose.

The Elder Scrolls- Alright, so I did my fair share of hating on Bethesda before, but as far as this series and Fallout go, I can respect them, now. I'm not really into RPGs anymore, but I will say that these games probably deserve their popularity since the developers clearly put a lot of time and effort into them. That said I can't help but get bored by this genre, now, so while I respect it, its not really my cup of tea, much like CoD.

Final Fantasy- Just like with The Elder Scrolls, RPGs aren't really my thing and JRPGs are no exception. That said I can at least respect the older titles in the series, back when the company making them was Square Soft. After it became Square Enix, though, the games had some sort of quality to them that made me realize that I would probably hate them if I played them, more than just get bored by them. I'm not sure why, but something about how Square Enix handles FF characters or any characters in any games that they make for that matter (thought 99% of their output IS basically just Final Fantasy) really just ticks me off. That said I basically ended up watching a friend play through FFXII, and at least gameplay-wise its not a bad game by JRPG standards, but like I said, its not really my thing.

Dragon Quest- I've never played a single Dragon Quest game in my life, but I was just wondering if this series is really considered that popular in the West? Well, I guess it still qualifies for this thread since it is tremendously popular in Japan and some other countries, but I always thought that in the states, at least, it was more of a niche title. At any rate, I could probably respect it well enough, but I doubt it would get me into JRPGs.

Metal Gear- I probably sound like a broken record by now, but once again this is a series that I can fully respect, but can't really get into, myself. I will say that Kojima really deserves a lot of credit for taking risks and trying to innovate with each and every entry in the franchise. Other developers would just cut and paste the same gameplay formula and add 1 or 2 new gimmicks and call it a day, but even I know how very different each game in the series plays from one another.

I'll add 3 more titles to this list:

Pokemon- Its a JRPG and it shamelessly relies on a dated formula which generally encourages you to grind and basically go through tons of repetitive battles. This is the type of game that I should personally hate, yet....I have to admit I get addicted to it, or at least the first 2 generations worth of games. To be honest, I don't really think that the core game is very good, but I do have to admit that just the idea of capturing as many monsters as I can and raising a team of my own just really gets me hooked. Its as simple as that. To be fair, though, one good and somewhat underrated highlight of the game is actually its competitive aspect. I couldn't even dream of being able to go toe-to-toe with one of the pros at Pokemon games, and I have a feeling that most people don't even realize how much skill and strategy goes into battling another serious opponent in a game like this. Its almost mind-boggling how much thought goes into a battle against another human player, and the combat system is really deep even if it may seem shallow in single-player mode.

Gears of War- Alright, let's get this out of the way: the story in these games are horrendous and the writing for the characters and general dialogue is hilariously awful. Now as for the gameplay....honestly, you may expect me to trash a game like this, and it is a border-line movie game in many aspects, but I find this series to be....solid. That's it. Its not great, but I don't necessarily dislike it either. I have fun with it, and there is some level of strategy at least to the gameplay, and contrary to how it may seem just staying in cover all the time is not really how the game is played, as you have to constantly move around if you don't want to get taken out, at least if you're playing on Normal difficulty or above. I think its an OK series and its entertaining for what it is. Its not great by any stretch, but for what it is I do find it to be enjoyable enough, and if I had to pick, the 3rd game is probably the best and most refined of the trilogy, but overall their all about equal. Now, that's just regarding the campaign mode. As for the multiplayer, I can't for the life of me find out what could appeal to anyone about it. I mean if you like it, then that's great, but personally its some of the worst multiplayer I've ever experienced, and to be fair I don't play a lot of MP to begin with, but this is by far the most boring MP that I've ever tried.

Resident Evil- Yes, I do believe that this series is still popular enough to qualify for this list (I'm pretty sure that RE5 sold millions of copies shortly after its release, though I have no idea how much ORC will sell when it releases in just another month or so), and no, I haven't really played any games in this series outside of RE4. The only reason I listed down RE was really to share what I think of RE4, which is the only game in the series that I have played a lot of and in fact beaten, and IMO its one of the best games that I have ever played to date. Keep in mind I went into it with reasonably high expectations after all of the hype, and for me at least it exceeded my expectations. Its already better than any TPS game that I have played this gen. That's all I really have to say about that. I'd like to try out other games in the series, at some point in time.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention anything about Metroid, but honestly I haven't played any of that series outside of a little bit of Super Metroid and Other M. I know that everyone and their grandmother seems to hate Other M, and I can understand why, but being judged strictly on its own....from what I've played of it (which was actually a couple of hours....which is probably about half the game given how short I heard it was) it feels like a solid action game. I mean, maybe its bad by Metroid game standards, and I have nothing to compare it to so I can't really say anything more about that, but I don't think that there are any elements to its gameplay that are that bad. Its story is kind of shitty, but to be honest so are most of the stories in games that I play, so that really doesn't offend me as much as it probably does other people. At any rate, if I were to just judge Other M as its own game, I'd say that its at least a passable game, and certainly not a terrible one by any stretch. Maybe if I ever get around to playing the Metroid Prime games, though, it'll put things into perspective for me. That said I don't mind the hate that Other M gets, too much, simply because I find it easy to hate the current Team Ninja, myself, after how much they've been butchering their own IPs now that they're done with Metroid.

[gunswordfist]

Metroid: Haven't beaten a single Metroid game in my life. The games I've played FAR outweigh the games I've beaten. I started Metroid Fusion again last week. I like the narrative, but from what I remember, the bosses are SERIOUSLY lacking and I'm sorry folks but the GBA could have used more buttons. Of course the atmosphere and presentation are completely through the roof. Oh and Super Metroid is easily my favorite Metroidvania so I don't need to say anything else.

Call Of Duty- Only played 2 *shock and awe!* Not bad.

The Elder Scrolls- After countless hours of playing, Oblivion pissed me off and a glitch that I'm sure scratches from the pawn shop edition game I had made it unplayable (at least for a side quest but whatever) so I gave up on it and sold it back to the bastards.

Final Fantasy- My experience with the games aren't perfect..but still mostly good and they are...were one ofmy favorite series. I have yet to play the pre-7 games or 7 itself, shockingly enough, thanks to it being sold out at the store when me and my brothers wanted it for Christmas so we got VIII instead. VIII- great adventure, underrated cast (except Rinoa, she's overrated as hell.) but I already pointed out all the flaws in another thread (the junction system, towns are way too small and lack of secret quests and mini-games.) IX's gameplay is pretty much flawless for a FF game and the venues are good but boy does the cast stink. I'm sorry but only Zidane (DAMN good main character by the way) and Vivi are good. Everyone else is shit. Oh...I've also played X. *sighs* It started out great but then it became flat after what's his name meets Wakka (Wakka's good though) Anyway, I'd KILL for the World Map to return. Y'all bastards need to recommend me some modern turn based RPGs that have world maps.

Just remembered that I played the first FF a year or two ago. Too much grinding for me and I hate that I had to visit like 6 different places to cure everything.

Dragon Quest- Ugh, first one is too much of a grind. I think I may have played bits of the beginning of other ones.

Pokemon- I ws insanely addicted to this series. It can possibly happen again. I'll ask for an order in the Pokemon thread one of these days.

Metal Gear- Played a bit of the original. Can't say much from that. Nevber actually played the original. Just the demo of the first area...and part of that from MGS4...oh and MGS4 is my absolute favorite game. I love 3, best motorcycle sequence ever in that game. 2 is flawed but the hilarity of Clearing sequences is vastly underrated. Me and my brother used to crack up when guards came in the room all dead serious only to be blown up by a Claymore. I wish the sequences had clearings like that. Also, MGS4 would have been better with more open area stealth missions. And you bitches need to know what a skip cutscene button is. It's only your fault if your dumb ass sits there and watches all of that.

Gear Of War- Only played 1...yeah, now I think it's too short. I like the multiplayer, despite it being so simple. And I've only played one.

Resident Evil- I've only played 1 disc of 2 and Nemesis. Nemesis was my first exposure to the series and I still like it more than 2 but of course I've only played 1 disc from that game. Never played 4 and only played 5's demo. I wanted Code Veronica and REmake badly. Anyway, I'd probably still be in love with the tank controls. I just love the atmosphere so much. Still would prefer if they had regular TPS aiming, just maybe have the characters move a bit slower so you can't easily blast through zombies.

[Avaitor]

Chalmers, you might as well just pick up the Metroid Prime games separately. They're cheaper by themselves than they are with the Trilogy set, even before it went out of print.

As for the others

Pokemon- I quite enjoy the mainline Pokemon games, although I've been out of date ever since Ruby and Sapphire. I actually borrowed a friend's old copy of Red a few months ago and really enjoyed plowing through it again, although I never did get to beat the Elite Four.

Gears of War- I've played a little of the first, both in versus and in co-op. It's fun from what I've played, but not exactly my favorite type of game.

Resident Evil- I've only played the first 20 or so minutes of the Gamecube remake of the first, and the demo of 4. I like what I've played of both, but I really can't say anything about the franchise otherwise.

[gunswordfist]

I keep on forgetting that you and EK are kids.

[Foggle]

Metal Gear: I love stealth games, so of course I'm going to greatly enjoy this series. I think Thief and Splinter Cell are better, though.
My favorites are 1 and 3, by far.

Dragon Quest: Never played a DQ game. Don't really plan to, either.

Metroid: Every Metroid is amazing, except Other M, which is still passable. It's not so much the gameplay in that one which sucks, it's the godawful writing/voice acting shoehorned into lengthy, unskippable cutscenes.
My favorites are Super Metroid, Zero Mission, and Prime 1.

Pokemon: They're fun, yeah. I absolutely loved these games growing up, but I'm not so into them anymore.
The first two gens are the only ones I ever really had much of a connection with.

Gears of War: I really like the first two, but I wouldn't call them excellent by any means. 3's multiplayer beta was hilarious (RAMMING SPEED!!), but I haven't played the released version.
Can't say I have a favorite.

Resident Evil: Every main series title is at least good. I'm not a big fan of 0 or 5, but they're still decent. Not the strongest horror franchise (far from it, in fact), but each game has at least one "OH SHIT!" moment. Well, not 5.
My favorites are REmake, 2, and 4.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

God of War- Personally, I find this series to be very overrated. As far as the gameplay goes, there's nothing outright bad about it, but I do find the combat system to be shallow in comparison to games like DMC and Ninja Gaiden, and honestly, while it has some sharp controls to support it, the combat itself feels as derivative as any standard hack n' slash game. I think the reason that its more popular is really just because it has way higher production values than any of its competition, and I think a lot of gamers are more impressed by that than a really well-balanced and deep combat system. At any rate I can understand its popularity if people like that, but the one thing that I really hate about the game is its main character. How anyone can call Kratos a well-written character if the player is actually supposed to sympathize with him is beyond me. I have never seen a bigger ass-hole in all of fiction, and that's saying a lot. That's the only thing that I really hate about these games. Other than that they are OK on the gameplay front, but like I said I've been spoiled by what I consider to be the far superior combat systems of games like Ninja Gaiden, DMC, and Bayonetta.

Batman: Arkham Asylum/City- I find that these games have become big and popular enough to qualify for this thread, which is why I'm listing them here. So, to be frank, I like these games, but they are also vastly overrated. I think that they have competent and somewhat fun combat systems, good stealth mechanics, and a nice sense of exploration with some puzzle solving thrown in. To be honest, though, nothing that these games do is really all that stand-out to me. I feel that if they weren't using the Batman licensed and were just about some original game hero that the developers came up with but with all of the same mechanics, they wouldn't get nearly as much praise. I mean, like I said they are good games and I like them (I wouldn't have bought them, otherwise), but I don't really see what makes them so much better than any other action game with exploration elements. Much like Gears of War, I simply find this series to be solid. Nothing about it stands out to me as great, but to be fair nothing about it is bad to me either. Its all just above average but not really excellent. That's my opinion, anyways.

[gunswordfist]

God Of War- Only played the PSP game. Can't say much about it.

Batman Arkham Asylum- Great writing and a pretty solid game. Only complaint is the combat makes you sit back and watch too much.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Super Mario Bros - The series that saved the hobby. What more can be said? About the only games I'm not crazy for (that are made by Nintendo) are 64, Sunshine, and Land 2. Everything else is excellent.

Sonic the Hedgehog - This is probably the most divisive series of all time as far as old school franchises go, and I can perfectly understand why. That said, the old school 2D games are classics, the Adventure games are solid, the Rush games are sort of underrated, and the two most recent games (Generations and Colors) have brought the series back in a big way. I just sort of hope now that the series is past the dark times that it can get a fairer shake from people.

Legend of Zelda - Like Avaitor, I also sort of stopped the game at the same point. I just realized that the 3D games just aren't really up my alley. That said, just about every 2D game Nintendo has made in the series is top notch and really makes me crave for another. I really hope Nintendo ditches the Phantom Hourglass formula and gives us 2D Zelda games again. It's been a LONG time.

Halo - The first game was perfect for its time and has aged surprisingly well, the sequels felt like Bungie didn't quite get what people liked about the first one, though they were fun. ODST was a fun experiment that was too expensive for what it was and Reach was on par with the first game. An interesting series, but I'm not all that eager to see what Halo 4 will do.

Grand Theft Auto - The 2D games were okay, and I was addicted to 3 when it came out. Then I bought Vice City and I was done. Not only with GTA, but all open world games feel stale to me. It's very similar to what happened to me with Animal Crossing.

Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 1 is the best movie shooter ever made and every game made after fails to understand what made it work. The COD games after it either try to make it too gritty or cartoony and use WAY too much of the walls of death that they never improved on after that game. The pre-MW COD games were just average WWII shooters to me.

The Elder Scrolls - WRPGs have always put me to sleep for the most part. There's just nothing about this series that grabs me.

Final Fantasy - I, IX, and III-VII are the only games that matter. Just before RPGs got full of themselves and forgot why people enjoyed them in the first place.

Metal Gear - LOVE the 2D games. There's no real game like Metal Gear. I still wish we could get a Metal Gear 3. Metal Gear Solid was great for its time in bringing the 2D games to 3D, but unfortunately Kojima completely lost his mind and made the story not only completely overshadowing gameplay but making it extraordinarily stupid. There's a reason no one has wanted to or offered to make a Metal Gear film since the first game came out. Also, the Gamecube remake completely lost all the charm of the original.

Dragon Quest - You know why these are still popular in Japan? There's no pomp. Just pure gameplay.

Metroid - What's to be said? Metroid is pretty much its own thing. I'm still waiting for that Metroid 2 remake and a Metroid 5.

Pokemon - I enjoyed the Gold/Silver remakes quite a bit, but I'm not sure if I'll ever really get pulled into a new entry unless there's something to hook me.

Gears of War - Decent enough third person shooters, but I'm just so done with this genre.

Resident Evil - I loathe tank controls, so I could never get into the series. Then they made them into third person action games, and well, I'm not really into those anymore.

God of War - Everything I dislike about modern gaming is in this game! I never though about it before, but geez, that explains a lot. They're not badly made games, but it doesn't really change my point.

Batman: Arkham Asylum/City - Not bad! The problem with them is that they're merely good for one playthrough. There's just not really any replayability. That's actually my biggest problem with the series. It's a rental.