100 Favorite Games Challenge

[Searchlike]

List your favorite games with a catch: Do not repeat developer. And no, I can't do this myself. I want to try to get out of my comfort zone of action games this year, just bought SpaceChem, hope I enjoy it. Anyone brave enough? I bet Mischief Maker could do it. Sorry guys, I know this thread sucks, it's just that I'm bored and dreading tomorrow. Give me some fun lists to read through!

[SuperDeadite]

Metal Orange EX

[BIL]

Dunno if I can quite swing it, but I like the concept. I'll see if I can make it to 50 (I say this a lot IRL!).

[BulletMagnet]

List your favorite games with a catch: Do not repeat developer.

So essentially you list your 100 favorite developers and your favorite game by each one?

Tempted to see how far I would get, though I wonder how granular you're allowed to get, i.e. if you name a "Tales of" game do you attach "Tales Studio" as the developer or do you need to put Namco-Bandai? On a similar note, are you allowed to have separate entries for devs who used to be standalone but were eventually absorbed (i.e. Enix) and the entity that absorbed them?

[DMC]

Would all SEGA development studios count as 1, or could I pick one game from AM1, another one from AM2, etc?
I guess the same question about Nintendo development studios. Could I pick one game from Nintendo R&D1 and one from R&D4, etc, which would allow at least one classic Metroid and either, but not both, Zelda or SMB
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_development_studios
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_N ... ment_teams

[BIL]

^ unironically edutaining.

I gots Overworks and Smilebit picked out for Shinobi (2002) and PD Orta

[Searchlike]

So essentially you list your 100 favorite developers and your favorite game by each one?

Tempted to see how far I would get, though I wonder how granular you're allowed to get, i.e. if you name a "Tales of" game do you attach "Tales Studio" as the developer or do you need to put Namco-Bandai?

Would all SEGA development studios count as 1, or could I pick one game from AM1, another one from AM2, etc?
I guess the same question about Nintendo development studios. Could I pick one game from Nintendo R&D1 and one from R&D4, etc, which would allow at least one classic Metroid and either, but not both, Zelda or SMB

I think it would be good for the challenge part of this to keep it to one single developer, your personal pick out of all of their studios. However, the favorite part of this excercise is also very important, so if you manage to post 100 titles and the bottom of the list looks closer to a Top 1000 than a Top 10, then I think it's alright to change the rules a bit as long as you explain your reasoning. The more actual favorites that you can post and less filler, the better.

On a similar note, are you allowed to have separate entries for devs who used to be standalone but were eventually absorbed (i.e. Enix) and the entity that absorbed them?

It would depend on whether your pick was published during the Enix or Square Enix days, so you could technically have two Enix games if you wanted to. Again, nothing is set in stone and I would hate that some harsh rule prevented someone from posting a list.

Dunno if I can quite swing it, but I like the concept. I'll see if I can make it to 50 (I say this a lot IRL!).

Good to have you on board, BIL. Shorter lists are fine, that way maybe I can post one.

[DMC]

^ unironically edutaining.

I gots Overworks and Smilebit picked out for Shinobi (2002) and PD Orta

I never went too far into the Sega subdivisions rabbit hole, but the image at the bottom here is tempting me.
https://segaretro.org/Sega_CS
It's really a mess of merged and renamed divisions.

I would think it is reasonable to pick one game per each color coded division in that one (seems more than it really is due to some focusing on hardware), but also keep it at one game per series. Still a challenge for me to do a top 100 favorites, but might have a go.

[Mischief Maker]

List your favorite games with a catch: Do not repeat developer. And no, I can't do this myself. I want to try to get out of my comfort zone of action games this year, just bought SpaceChem, hope I enjoy it. Anyone brave enough? I bet Mischief Maker could do it. Sorry guys, I know this thread sucks, it's just that I'm bored and dreading tomorrow. Give me some fun lists to read through!

Hell of a coincidence, I literally just submitted my top 20 games of 2021 to Caltrops a couple minutes ago (wasn't planning to post it here until it was frontpaged, but you're dreading tomorrow):

https://www.caltrops.com/pointy.php?act ... pid=208178

As for the actual challenge... I don't think I'd be able to pull off 100 in a single night, but I think I could give it a start:

1. Freespace 2 - Volition (Runs and looks fantastic on modern machines thanks to Freespace 2 Open)
2. Devil May Cry 5 - Capcom (oh shit, that cuts out a LOT of options there!)
3. Serious Sam 4 - Croteam
4. Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Triumph
5. Crimzon Clover - Yotsubane

Those five are the easy picks, but after them things get really muddled if we're talking about all-time favorite.

[Searchlike]

I would think it is reasonable to pick one game per each color coded division in that one (seems more than it really is due to some focusing on hardware), but also keep it at one game per series. Still a challenge for me to do a top 100 favorites, but might have a go.

Sounds great to me, hope you give it a try.

Hell of a coincidence, I literally just submitted my top 20 games of 2021 to Caltrops a couple minutes ago...

I have Loop Hero (Epic Game Store ), I'm going to start it later tonight, thanks for sharing your 2021 picks in advance, it's a nice gesture and I really enjoy reading your Caltrops articles and finding hidden gems.

(wasn't planning to post it here until it was frontpaged, but you're dreading tomorrow)

Don't pay too much attention to that opening post, I made this topic just before midnight so I could have something to look forward to and keep my anxiety levels low. I'm still very interested in your and everyone else's contributions, no matter how long it takes you to make one. Don't let the 3-digit number scare you away, you don't need to name that many titles unless you're looking to SSS rank this mission. Your list already looks very promising.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

I'm going to wimp out and just do a top 50.

Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) (Nintendo)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Capcom)
Ninja Spirit (Irem)
Friday the 13th (Atlus)
Elemental Master (Tecnosoft)
Gimmick! (Sunsoft)
Seirei Densetsu Lickle (Takeru)
Twinkle Tale (Wonder Amusement Studios)
Assault Suits Valken (Masaya)
Biometal (Athena)
Ranger X (GAU Entertainment)
Slap Fight MD (MNM Software)
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Konami)
Thunder Dragon 2 (NMK)
The Ninja Warriors Again (Natsume)
Darius Gaiden (Taito)
Doom II: Hell on Earth (iD Software)
Umihara Kawase (TNN)
Denjin Makai II (Winkysoft)
Battle Garegga (Raizing)
Osman (Mitchell Corporation)
Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru (Time Warner Interactive)
Shock Troopers (Saurus)
Half-Life (Valve)
Metal Slug X (SNK)
System Shock 2 (Looking Glass Studios)
Deus Ex (Ion Storm)
Ketsui (Cave)
F-Zero GX (Sega)
Gradius V (Treasure)
Ys: The Oath in Felghana (Falcom)
Ace Combat Zero (Namco)
Mother 3 (Brownie Brown)
Ninja Gaiden II (360) (Tecmo)
Mega Man 9 (IntiCreates)
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem (Intelligent Systems)
Dark Souls (From Software)
Bayonetta (Platinum Games)
Gigantic Army (Astro Port)
Hard Corps: Uprising (Arc System Works)
Serious Sam 3: BFE (Croteam)
Spelunky HD (Mossmouth)
Earth Defense Force 2025 (Sandlot)
The Evil Within (Tango)
Assault Suit Leynos (PS4 / PC) (Dracue)
Devil Daggers (Sorath)
Hitman (2016) (IO Interactive)
Nex Machina (Housemarque)
Streets of Rage 4 (Guard Crush Studios)
Deltarune: Chapters 1+2 (Toby Fox)

Tough... I got up to 45 or so cleanly before I had to start pulling out some deeper cuts. Tried to avoid any gray areas with subsidiaries or companies effectively owned by another but I couldn't resist putting both Mario and Fire Emblem on there in the end.

[Searchlike]

PALAZZO!! Very happy to see a list from you, since your taste in games has been such an influence in mine. Totally cool to count Intelligent Systems as separate from Nintendo, I plan to do the same. Love the Friday the 13th pick, such an unfairly maligned game and quite original.

[Sumez]

Here's my attempt. The list is only very vaguely sorted in order to filter the top 100, and it's very likely that I'm forgetting some games entirely. As in, it's very unlikely I haven't forgotten a bunch of stuff. It's based on a list of vague game ratings I've been adding to on and off over nearly 20 years, and there are definitely games I never bothered adding to it.
There was a lot more material for the list than I'd thought there would be, and there are actually a lot of devs that I feel I really like who didn't manage to make the 100 games cut-off mark.

I tried to stay off "third party" devs whenever the credits get too mixed up with their respective first party company (such as nearly all Intelligent Systems titles), though in the cases where I'd credit two companies to the game's development, that crosses both off the list. I also tried not to reuse companies that are "basically the same company with a new name".

Tetris The Grand Master 2 (Arika)
Rainbow Islands (Taito)
Dark Souls (From Software)
Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Capcom)
Akumajo Dracula X: Chi No Rondo (Konami)
Final Fantasy VI (Squaresoft) (I'm guessing that's Square Enix off the list then, but not Enix?)
The Ninja Warriors Again (Natsume)
Ibara (Cave)
Gimmick! (SunSoft)
Ninja Gaiden (Tecmo)
Lost Odyssey (Mistwalker)
Blazing Star (Yumekobo/Aicom)
Diablo II (Blizzard)
Steel Assault (Zenovia)
Metal Slug X (Nazca)
Monkey Island 2 (LucasArts)
Omega Fighter (UPL)
Contra 4 (WayForward)
Super Bomberman 5 (Hudson)
Civilization V (Firaxis)
Demon Front (IGS)
The Witness (Thekla)
Mr. Driller G (Namco)
Donkey Kong Country 2 (Rare)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Retro Studios)
Shovel Knight (Yacht Club)
Flying Shark (Toaplan)
Xeno Crisis (Bitmap Bureau)
Streets of Rage 2 (Ancient)
Streets of Rage 4 (Guard Crush)
Battle Garegga (Raizing)
Mars Matrix (Takumi)
Prince of Persia (Brøderbund)
System Shock 2 (Irrational)
Dragon Quest III (Enix/Chunsoft)
Gitaroo Man (iNiS)
Lolo 3 (HAL)
Aggelos (Storybird)
Subnautica (Unknown Worlds)
Doom (Id Software)
Ys: The Oath In Felghana (Falcom)
Freedom Planet (GalaxyTrail)
Rayman Origins (Ubisoft)
Gradius V (Treasure)
Shadow of the Colossus (Team ICO)
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda)
Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight (Bombservice)
Sonic 3 (Sega)
Blood Bros. (TAD)
Raiden Fighters Jet (Seibu Kaihatsu)
The Witcher 2 (CD Projekt Red)
Undertale (Toby Fox)
Steins;Gate (Nitro+)
Anachronox (Ion Storm)
Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar/DMA)
God of War II (Santa Monica Studios)
Rogue Squadron 2 (Factor5)
Soul Reaver 2 (Crystal Dynamics)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
Prey (Arkane)
Thief 2 (Looking Glass)
Karnov (Data East)
Kraut Buster (NG Dev Team)
Jak & Daxter (Naughty Dog)
Gears of War 2 (Epic)
Duke Nukem 3D (3D Realms)
Solstice (Software Creations)
Hades (Supergiant Games)
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Inti Creates)
Return of the Obra Dinn (3909 LLC)
Yoku's Island Express (Villa Gorilla)
Yoshi's Woolly World (Good-Feel)
Monster Boy (The Game Atelier)
Nioh (Team Ninja)
Maldita Castilla (Locomalito)
Thumbleweed Park (Terrible Toybox)
Yooka-Laylee (Playtonic)
Little Samson (Takeru)
Ninja Crusaders (NMK)
Metal Storm (Irem)
Illusion of Gaia (Quintet)
Divinity: Original Sin (Larian)
Castle In The Darkness (Matt Kap)
Celeste (MattMakesGames)
Etrian Odyssey IV (Atlus)
Deus Ex Human Revolution (Eidos)
Deadly Premonition (Access)
Odin Sphere (Vanillaware)
Dead Rising 2 (Blue Castle)
3D Dot Game Heroes (Silicon Studio)
Gabriel Knight (Sierra)
Blue's Journey (ADK)
Skyblazer (Ukiyotei)
Pang! 3 (Mitchell)
Limbo (Playdead)
Castle Crashers (The Behemoth)
Zupapa! (Face)
Puyo Puyo (Compile)
Puzzle Quest (Infinite Interactive)

[Searchlike]

I hope that was as fun to make as it was to read, Sumez. Love seeing TTGM2 at the top and Obra Dinn is one of the titles I'm looking forward to play through this year.

Final Fantasy VI (I'm guessing that's Square Enix off the list then, but not Enix?)

I even think it would be ok to consider Square Enix as a whole different entity apart from Square and Enix, the same goes for other developers which have merged together.

With a title such as Super Metroid, with credits shared between Intelligent Systems and Nintendo R&D1, as I see it, the big N could not have made the game by themselves, so it's perfectly fine to choose it as your IS pick and any other Nintendo title for your big N pick, if you're playing by the strict rule of only one major developer. And yeah, devs which simply changed names should only count as one.

Hope that makes everything clear so far, feel free to edit your posts as you see fit, just let me know if you do so. Why is that? I'll tell you why, I made a ranking system. It's inspired by the one from the Mega Man Zero series. It's divided in 5 categories and you can score up to 20 points for each one. The total average will determine your rank:

SSS - 96 to 100 points
SS - 86 to 95
S - 76 to 85
A - 66 to 75
B - 56 to 65
C - 46 to 55
D - 45 and under

Don't worry, I have a bunch of hidden bonuses to make sure no one gets a bad rank, this is all for fun after all.

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

So, Sir Ilpalazzo, here are your end results:

MISSION: 100% (20 points)
CLEAR TIME: Under 24 Hours (20 points)
NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS: 50 (10 points)
NUMBER OF TITLES: 50 (10 points)
STRICT ONE DEVELOPER RULE: YES (20 points)

FIRST POST BONUS (10 points)

TOTAL AVERAGE: 90 points

RANK: SS

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

And here are yours, Sumez:

MISSION: 100% (20 points)
CLEAR TIME: Within a week (15 points)
NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS: 100 (20 points)
NUMBER OF TITLES: 97 (19 points)
STRICT ONE DEVELOPER RULE: YES (20 points)

TOTAL AVERAGE: 94 points

RANK: SS

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

Thanks for playing!

[DMC]

Yeah, Nintendo and SEGA subsidiaries is a bit arbitrary, but I thought it was more fun to check them all out.

This was quite fun, but admittedly I had to add some fillers. I noted I am quite loyal to a few developers. In my real top 100 I would probably have included 4 Raizing games, 4 Camelot, and, of course, tons of Konami, Nintendo, and Capcom--to name a few.

R= Game & Developer R= Shining the Holy Ark & Sonic Software Planning R= Soukyugurentai & Raizing R= Super Probotector & Konami R= Heroes of Might and Magic 3 & New World Computing R= Player Manager 2 Extra & Anco R= Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Nintendo EPD R= Alien Soldier & Treasure R= Mega Man 2 & CAPCOM R= Saturn Bomberman & Hudson Soft R= Tetris &  Alexey Pajitnov  R= Sonic the Hedgehog 2 & Sonic Team R= Panzer Dragoon Saga & Team Andromeda R= Super Mega Baseball 2 & Metalhead R= Metroid II: Return of Samus & Nintendo R D1 R= Sega Rally & SEGA AM3 R= Command and Conquer: Red Alert & Westwood R= Dodonpachi & Cave R= Wonderboy in Monster land & Westone R= Outrun 2 & SEGA AM2 R= Zero Gunner 2 & Psikyo R= Robotron 2084 & Williams R= R-Type & Irem R= Mars Matrix & Takumi R= Fire Emblem: Three houses & Intelligent Systems R= Grandia & Game Arts R= Golvellius & Compile R= Pizza Tycoon & MicroProse R= Worms Armageddon & Team 17 R= Lemmings & Psygnosis R= Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze & Retro Studios R= Gremlins 2 & Sunsoft R= Ice Hockey & Nintendo R D3 R= Bayonetta 2 & Platinum Games R= Raiden 2 & Seibu R= Fire Shark & Toaplan R= Warcraft 2 & Blizzard R= G-darius & Taito R= Skies of Arcadia & Overworks R= Valkyria Chronicles & SEGA GE2 R D R= Hammerwatch & Crackshell R= Pac-Man & Namco R= Ninja Gaiden & Tecmo R= Sim City & Maxis R= NBA Jam & Midway R= Three Dirty Dwarves & Victor Entertainment R= Quake & id software R= Championship Manger 00/01 & Sports Interactive R= Legend of Oasis & Ancient R= Chrono Trigger & Square R= Theme Park & Bullfrog R= Thunder Force III & Tecnosoft R= Garou: Mark of theWolves & SNK R= California Games & Epyx R= Adventures of Lolo 3 & Hal R= Omega Fighter Special & UPL R= Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle & ubisoft R= Golf-it & Perfuse Entertainment R= The House of the Dead & SEGA AM1 R= Langrisser & Masaya Games R= Shock Troopers & Saurus  R= Fantasy Zone & SEGA R D1 R= Metal Slug & Nazca R= Alex Kidd in Miracle World & SEGA R D2 R= Broforce & Free Lives R= The Lord of the Rings: War in the North & Snowblind Studios R= Tomb Raider & Eidos R= NHL 94 & EA R= Rad Gravity & Interplay R= Wizards and Warriors & RARE R= Under Defeat & G Rev R= Shovel Knight & Yacht Club Games R= Overcooked & Ghost Town Games  R= Forza Horizon 4 & Playground Games R= Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga & Travellers Tales R= Nintendo World Cup & Technos Japan R= Dragon Quest III & Chunsoft R= Dark Souls & FromSoftware R= Payday: The Heist & Overkill Software R= Judgement Silversword & Qute R= Harvest Moon & Amccus R= Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 & Neversoft R= Magicka 2 & Pieces Ineractive R= Landstalker & Climax R= Ultima IV & Origin Systems R= Twinkle Tale & ZAP Corporation R= Touhou 11 ~ Subterranean Animism & ZUN R= Crimzon Clover: World Ignition & Yotsubane R= Alleykat & Andrew Braybrook R= Odin Sphere & Vanillaware R= Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim & Bethesda Game Studios R= Half-life & Valve R= Thunder Dragon 2 & NMK R= Karnov & Data East R= Gridrunner & Llamasoft R= Move or Die & Those Awesome Guys R= Marios Picross & Jupiter /Ape R= Snake Pass & Sumo Digital R= Recca & KID R= Dragon Force & J-force R= Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic & Bioware

[Searchlike]

This was quite fun, but admittedly I had to add some fillers. I noted I am quite loyal to a few developers. In my real top 100 I would probably have included 4 Raizing games, 4 Camelot, and, of course, tons of Konami, Nintendo, and Capcom--to name a few.

This is a huge challenge for me as well. About 1/3 of my actual Top 100 consists of titles by Sega and Capcom, in fact I could easily play nothing but games developed by those two for the rest of my life and regret nothing. Very tough indeed, but I'm glad to hear it was fun. Love seeing Harvest Moon and Tomb Raider in there.

Here are your end results, DMC:

MISSION: 100% (20 points)
CLEAR TIME: Within a week (15 points)
NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS: 100 (20 points)
NUMBER OF TITLES: 100 (20 points)
STRICT ONE DEVELOPER RULE: FOR THE MOST PART (15 points)

TOTAL AVERAGE: 90 points

RANK: SS

[BIL]

Search-kun, I hope I have not offended with my impetuous addition of rival picks. :3 Absolutely no filler. I hate filler! :O Dearly beloved, taken from own collection. Written from a Desert Island Apocalypse standpoint - this is stuff I can see myself playing when I'm 100, not necessarily the most iconic or foundational. Ignores game mods, otherwise DOOM would've been an absolute no-brainer. Mostly written off memory, apologies if I've misattributed anything.

Spoiler

1. 3D Realms: DUKE NUKEM 3D [PC]
Decades after its shock value fading, this remains the uncommonly well-designed and gratifyingly concussive solo FPS it always was.

2. ADK: MAGICIAN LORD [NEO] VS: Battle Field [AC], Ninja Commando, Ninja Master's [NEO]
A technically simpler game than Rygar/Dai/Saigo, but crisply executed. High-intensity hop/shoot.

3. Aicom aka Yumekobo: GUN-DEC [FC] VS: Viewpoint, Pulstar & Blazing Star [NEO]
A+ quality Famicom scrolling action epigone. Easy to survive, but not to style on! Here to fill in for Konami, Tecmo and Natsume.

4. AKI: VIRTUAL PRO WRESTLING 2 [N64]
Best of their classic party/hardcore brawlers. Riotous 4P! But mash on a pro, you'll be picking up your teeth with a broken arm!

5. Almanic Corporation: MAZIN SAGA [MD]
Hardass beltscroller. Though its compact sprites won't impress in stills, they're beautifully animated and facilitate some razor-sharp action.

6. Amusement Makers: SAMIDARE [PC]
Pocket-sized buzzsaw of high-intensity/high-yield time attack shooting. Thumping OST and truly punishing explosions.

7. Aprinet: ELIMINATE DOWN [MD]
Superlative 16bit hori. Rampant pace, wild stages, monstrous bosses and spirited difficulty.

9. Arc System Works: NINGEN HEIKI DEADFOX [FC] VS: Guilty Gear XX#Reload [AC]
Outstandingly good Rolling Thunder copycat, a stealth sequel to their FC port of that game. Balls-hard tactical shooting!

8. Arika: TETRIS THE GRAND MASTER III: TERROR INSTINCT [AC]
1 day: "Bro I liek a Tetris but what 2 get" "Homie get this 1 it do u rite" And so happily ever after.

10. Astro Port: GIGANTIC ARMY [PC] VS: Steel Strider [PC]
Smartly-observed Assault Suits Valken epigone - carves its own place in the subgenre with sharp scoreplay.

11. Athena: BIO-METAL [SFC]
Don't hide behind the shield! Smash skulls with it! A fiery feast of technical shooting violence. SFC ver a must for its sombre OST.

12. Blizzard Entertainment: ROCK N ROLL RACING [SFC]
Bonafide classic of isometric combat racing. I suspect Diablo II would threaten, but I've never played it. ;3

13. Capcom: DAIMAKAIMURA [AC] VS: Gun.Smoke, Final Fight [AC] Resident Evil 4 [GCN]
#2 Immortal R2RKMF. Nothing else does simmering game-length treachery like Dai.

14. CA Production: BULK SLASH [SAT] VS: Hagane, Kishi Douji Zenki: Battle Raiden [SFC]
Don't be fooled by the rough polys! Ultra-smooth pickup n' play arcadey mech action. Hair metal OST will have your mullet ablaze!

15. CAVE: DANGUN FEVERON [AC] VS: Ketsui [AC]
Atypical of them, and just right for me. Blood-simple, lightning-fast vertical shooting, emphasising quick macro sweeps.

16. Compile: GUARDIC GAIDEN [FC] VS: Zanac [FDS], Puyo Puyo Tsuu [MD], Zanac Neo [PS1]
An entirely capable straight STG via its TGL mode, but it's the surprisingly relaxing main game I keep coming back to.

17. Cyber Connect: SILENT BOMBER [PS1]
Classically tight topdown seek/destroy, given a hellacious hit of polygonal destruction. MGS1 x Bomberman: Play As Ninja.

18. Data East Corp: WOLF FANG [AC] VS: Crude Buster, Chelnov [MD], Thunder Zone [AC]
A rare and sterlingly well-done arcade outing for the Heavy Mecha Sidescroller. Technical intensity and customisability abounds.

19. Dempa/Micomsoft: BARADUKE [X68K]
A studious port of the classic Namco PCB, typical of their literary reverence.

20. Enix: ACTRAISER II [SFC] VS: Actraiser [SFC]
Wildly inventive and technically rich swordplay, plus a unique air/ground dynamic. Ignore the whiners who don't know what i-frames are.

21. Face: METAL STOKER [PCE] VS: Money Puzzle Exchanger, Zupapa! [NEO]
Capable junior member of my beloved Topdown Tankin' Seek/Destroy school.

22. Falcom: DRAGON SLAYER IV: DRASLE FAMILY [FC] VS: Ys I & II Complete, Ys: The Oath in Felghana [PC]
Felghana's chainsaw-keen ARPG slasher is ace, but DS4's easygoing labyrinth is uniquely relaxing to lose oneself in time and time again.

23. From Software: BLOODBORNE [PS4] VS: Armored Core 3 Master of Arena [PS1], Kuri Kuri Mix [PS2], OTOGI [XB]
Simple yet punishingly technical, awesomely violent action amidst bravura cosmic horror. Vast replay via glorious weapon selection.

24. G-REV: UNDER DEFEAT [AC] VS: Border Down [AC]
Meticulously tank-infested stage designs and god-hammering firepower - a latterday treat for oldschool Toaplan lovers.

25. Game Arts: SILPHEED [MCD] VS: Alisia Dragoon [MD], Grandia [PS1]
Surprisingly oldschool vert STG, married to astonishingly immense cinematic direction. Quality thrill-ride STG.

26. GAU Entertainment: EX-RANZA [MD]
Lovingly-crafted, finely technical, uproariously destructive mecha sidescroller from Toshio Toyota (GRANADA).

27. Genki: SHUTOKU BATTLE 2 [DC] VS: Multi Racing Championship [N64]
Crackpipe-addictive ARPG racer, made even moreso by a sizzling nighttime city aesthetic and hammering tunes.

29. HOT-B: KOUTETSU TEIKOKU [MD] VS: Over Horizon [FC]
Charmingly elaborate NeoVictorian style elevates a likeable, competently tight 16bit hori.

30. Hudson: NINJA FIVE-O [GBA] Soldier Blade [PCE]
A late masterpiece of grappling hook sidescrolling, Top Secret-meets-Elevator Action Returns.

28. Human Entertainment: THE FIREMEN [SFC] VS: Jigoku Gokurakumaru [FC]
Hardcore topdown seek n' destroy in a wonderfully unique concept. Getting the top rank will put a fireman's stache on yer!

31. id Software: QUAKE [PC] VS: Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Final DOOM [PC]
In un-modded state, this is my favourite thing they ever did, by far. A timeless joy of violent movement.

32. Inti Creates: BLASTER MASTER ZERO 2 [PS4]
Staggeringly improved sequel, exactly what I'd like to think Sunsoft themselves would done in the 16/32bit days.

33. IREM: SAIGO NO NINDOU [AC] VS: ImageFight, R-Type II, Geostorm [AC]
#1 Immortal Three R2RKMF. Lunar grace, explosive carnage and fiendish volatility in a no-filler necro-feudal package.

34. Jaleco: CYBATTLER VS: Yousai Monogatari Rod Land
Formidably cool Shock Troopers x Gundam shooter/slasher strafe 'em up.

35. Kaneko: SUMMER CARNIVAL '93: NEXZR SPECIAL VS: Cyvern - The Dragon Weapons [AC]
The great console-original vert IREM never made. Tough, technical checkpoints expertly tempered by generous speed and firepower.

36. KID: SUMMER CARNIVAL '92: RECCA [FC] VS: Burai Fighter, Max Warrior [FC] Kick Master [NES]
The essence of Star Soldier, given over to buzzsaw-relentless cascading hordes. Singularly visceral-yet-technical caravan STG.

37. Konami: CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT [PS1] VS: Dracula X [PCE-CD], Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 3 [PS2]
Indispensable. For all its indulgent ease, nothing combines recuperative entertainment and classical tightness like Magical Vacation Dracula.

38. M2: GAUNTLET [MD]
Like its Tengen labelmate Slap Fight MD, while the AC port is great, the almost puzzle/action Original mode is outstanding.

39. Media Vision: GUNNERS HEAVEN [PS1]
Not up to scratch with its Treasure/Konami inspirations, nor Little Ralph, but a very likeable run/gun in its own right.

40. Micronics: KYUUKYOKU TIGER [FC] VS: LMAO
Surprisingly competent translation of the arcade's slow-burning intensity, Micronics' usual failings tidily minimised.

41. Milestone: RADIRGY [DC] VS: Karous [AC]
Compile X Takumi burst invinciblity VS barrier STG. Addictively tactile, with a charming JSRF-esque style.

42. Mitchell Corp: CANNON DANCER [AC]
While I consider Capcom's 2000 Strider 2 a superb game, Isuke's unofficial sequel is by far the cooler and crazier.

43. MNM Software: SLAP FIGHT MD
The AC port is great, but the Koshiro-powered Special Mode is truly outstanding - the great console STG Toaplan never got to make.

44. Namco: LIBBLE RABBLE [AC] VS: Assault, Splatterhouse [AC].
Strange and beautiful twin-stick take on Qix. Fiendishly tricky yet irresistible.

45. Natsume: THE NINJA WARRIORS AGAIN [SFC] VS: Solbrain [FC], Kiki Kaikai [SFC], The Ninja Warriors Once Again [PS4]
While Once Again is the superior technical combo showcase, I'm ultimately more of a survivalist and so prefer TNWA's 4:3 pressure.

46. Nazca Corp: METAL SLUG 3 [NEO] VS: Metal Slug, Metal Slug X [NEO]
The deluxe triple cheeseburger of run/gun, meant for occasional, indulgent returns and exhausted sleepings-off.

47. NCS Masaya: ASSAULT SUIT LEYNOS 2 VS: Assault Suit Leynos [MD], Assault Suits Valken [SFC]
Brutally hard pick - AS trio is a perfect mecha sidescroller split in three. Went with L2's intense quasi-sim mobility.

48. NEW Corp: CHIPPOKE RALPH DAIBOUKEN [PS1]
Alongside S&P and Taromaru, a rare glimpse of arcade-calibre excellence for its gen's originals. By and for veterans!

49. Novotrade, aka Appaloosa Interactive: ECCO THE DOLPHIN [MCD] VS: Ecco II: The Tides of Time [MD]
Brilliantly uneasy 2D survival horror; intense and eccentric. Mega CD adds appropriately formidable OST.

50. NOW Production: SPLATTERHOUSE PART 3 [MD] VS Splatterhouse Wanpaku Graffiti [FC], Splatterhouse Part 2 [MD]
Smartly consolised Final Fight-esque, packing a compelling nonlinear time attack and stunning horror style. JP balance a must.

51. Nichibutsu / Nihon Bussan: TERRA CRESTA [AC] VS: Moon Cresta, Magmax, Seicross
Like the earlier Moon Cresta to Galaga, a simpler, faster, blastier Xevious. Lovely, especially in its super-catchy FM Synth revision.

52. Nintendo: SPARTAN-X [FC] VS: Balloon Fight, Excitebike [FC], Super Metroid [SFC]
Game B is one of the most paint-strippingly potent blasts of balls-hard, blood-simple sidescrolling combat ever. Immortal.

53. NMK: THUNDER DRAGON 2 [AC] VS: USAAF Mustang, Hachamecha Fighter [AC], Operation Ragnarok [NEO]
Flawlessly refined oldschool STG.

54. Noise Factory: METAL SLUG 4 [NEO] VS: Sengoku III [NEO]
Ignore the casuals turned off by its reheated pixels. A splendidly rampant mission pack for MSX/3 veterans.

55. Platinum Games: VANQUISH [360] VS: Bayonetta [360]
Not into third-person shooters but OMFG I FUCKIN ROVE THIS (◎w◎;) DMC-calibre intensity and technique.

56. Polyphony Digital: OMEGA BOOST [PS1]
A bullseye hit of 3D lockon shooting, hybridising AfterBurner and Panzer Dragoon for high-finesse score attacks.

57. Psikyo: DRAGON BLAZE [AC] VS: Strikers 1945 II, Gunbird 2 [AC]
Sublimated Psikyo. Compact, technical, bitterly hard and ultra-violent.

58. Psygnosis: WIPEOUT XL
Still the reference standard for sound barrier-shattering futuristic racing.

59. Racdym, aka Racjin: TRAP GUNNER [PS1] VS: Snowboard Kids [N64]
SEGA's Crack Down via MGS1's comfy engine. Hardcore head-to-head topdown tactical action that's also a blast in 1P.

60. Rare Co. Ltd: BANJO-KAZOOIE [N64] VS: Goldeneye 007, Jet Force Gemini [N64]
I'm not big on collect 'em ups, however, I do love this one's painstakingly handmade little worlds. Prime relax 'em up.

61. Raizing ARMED POLICE BATRIDER [AC] VS: Battle Garegga, Battle Bakraid, Daimahou Daisakusen [AC]
My heart is actually more with Garegga and Bakraid's strictures, but for sheer bottomless glass content, APB is supreme.

62. Raven Software HEXEN II [PC]
Despite so-so action, I adore the wickedly obscure, secrets-mandatory stage design and progression.

63. RED: WINDS OF THUNDER [PCE-CD] VS: Gate of Thunder [PCE-CD]
Pure feelgood. Pleasantly forgiving pointblank slasher featuring some hugely entertaining stage and enemy designs.

64. Saurus: SHOCK TROOPERS [NEO]
Topdown shooter/slasher perfected. Scoring is daft, but with stages, characters and team action this good, instantly forgiven.

65. SEGA: SEGA RALLY 1995 [AC] VS: Shinobi, Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter 2 [AC]
Eternal time-trialling masterpiece. Will never age.

66. Seibu Kaihatsu: RAIDEN DX [AC] VS: Raiden II, Zero Team [AC]
For Toaplanesque shooting plus subtly technical scoring, DX packs in quality and quantity off the scale.

67. Siter Skain: KAMUI [PC]
Masterpiece fusion of coinop scoring depth and console flexibility, juxtaposing ferocious destruction with a haunting techno-thereal air.

68. Sony Computer Entertainment: SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS [PS4] VS: ICO [PS2]
Not one I revisit often, but spellbinding every time. Here to cover for Silent Hill 2.

69. Sting: OVERRIDE [PCE]
Impressively busy little Compile-esque with a great ImageFight-esque arsenal. Go for a nomiss, it's far too generous with lives.

70. Sky Think System: HARMFUL PARK [PS1]
One of several smaller devs on this list with a sole monster hit. Best Paro Konami never made.

71. SNK: SEARCH AND RESCUE [AC] VS: Ikari [AC], Guevara [FC]
Sublimely player-friendly yet high-pressure topdown shooting. The xeno-terror aesthetic is outstanding, and perfectly tied to the relentless danger!

72. Square: EINHANDER [PS1] VS: Highway Star [FC], Front Mission 3, Vagrant Story [PS1]
Pitch-perfect consolised hori hardcore, gorgeously directed and set to a thumping techno pulse. Improbably good? Nope! Helmed by XEXEX alumni.

73. Success: PSYVARIAR REVISION [AC] VS: Guardian Force [AC]
Most of these STGs are picked for efficiency, and this is perhaps the most razor-sharp. Nonstop white-knuckle intensity via BUZZ.

74. Sunsoft: GIMMICK [FC] VS: Batman [FC]
Hard-tested by Batman's masterful walljump assault course - but it packs incredible finesse and equal craft of its own.

75. T&E Soft: UNDEADLINE [MD]
Balls-hard tactical STG, featuring a sharp blocking mechanic you'll need to use. Noobs GTFO!

76. Taito: RAINBOW ISLANDS [AC] VS: Bubble Bobble, Rayforce, Elevator Action Returns [AC]
Masterpiece balance of screen-shredding firepower to steely control. Agelessly lovely aesthetic.

77. Takeru: SEREI DENSETSU LICKLE [FC] VS: Cocoron [FC]
Rockman for people who don't like Rockmans. ¦3 Buttery-smooth handling and motoring pace.

78. Takumi: MARS MATRIX [AC] VS: Giga Wing 2 [AC]
Counterstop aside, this is a marvel of freeform yet punishingly technical shooting.

79. Tamtex: JUURYOKU SOUKOU METAL STORM [FC]
A splendiferous Shinobi x Imagefight. First loop is tastefully consolised arcade action; second is beyond AC-tough.

80. Tecmo: ARGUS NO SENSHI [AC] VS: Ninja Ryukenden [FC]
#3 Immortal Three R2RKMF. NG1 is in my bones, but for sheer excellence and a longterm scoring hook, this has to be.

81. Technos Japan: DOUBLE DRAGON II [FC] VS: Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun [AC]
Ignore the two enemies onscreen max. One of the most evilly treacherous, technical brawlers ever. FC ver max diff is mandatory.

82. Tecno Soft: HYPERDUEL [SAT] VS: Elemental Master, Thunder Force IV [MD], Blast Wind [SAT]
The scoring? Pff. Masterpiece of foot-to-floor hori Macross. Saturn ver essential for its strafe lock mechanic.

83. Telenet Japan: GAIARES [MD]
Archetypal 16bit hori with tons of flashy weapons and bosses; very decent, but shockingly so given Telenet's middling record.

84. Toaplan: HISHOUZAME VS: Same! Same! Same!, Out Zone, Snow Bros [AC]
While it's far from their most sophisticated or spectacular, few games exude such archetypal, elemental perfection.

85. TNN (Publisher): UMIHARA KAWASE [SFC]
Delightfully offbeat, rigorously technical bungee simulator. Lots to learn here!

86. Time Warner Interactive (Publisher): SHINREI JUSATSUSHI TAROMARU [SAT]
Inventive, airtight sidescrolling gem, frequently misunderstood. Play like it's Alisia Dragoon or Wild Guns, and prepare to suffer!

87. Treco: KYUUKYOKU TIGER [MD]
Crash-zooms Toaplan's slow-burning original into a relentless nose-to-nose 4:3 killing floor. I love it.

88. Treasure: SIN & PUNISHMENT [N64] VS: Alien Soldier [MD]
Flawless hybrid of Starfox rail shooter and Cabal gallery STG, exuding Alien Soldier-calibre pace, variety and intensity.

89. Triangle Service: G-STREAM 2020 [AC] VS: Trizeal [AC]
WTB XII Stag sans the annoying waggle, get this.

90. Ukiyotei: KARURAOH [SFC]
Easygoing sidescroller elevated by its exceptionally cool airdashing, wallscaling, flashkicking player character.

91. UPL: OMEGA FIGHTER SPECIAL [AC] VS: Ninja Kun II, Mutant Night, Atomic Robokid [AC]
I mostly love UPL for their offbeat yet hardcore-tight eccentricties; this OTOH is no-nonsense STG excellence years ahead of its time.

92. VIC Tokai: BATTLE MANIA DAIGINJOU [MD] VS: Whip Rush [MD]
Lovable Nagai-esque charm and monster guns narrowly beat the more formally competent Whip Rush.

93. Video System: RABIO LEPUS [AC] VS: Aero Fighters 2, Aero Fighters 3 [NEO]
While VS became known for proto-Psikyo, this is my favourite of theirs. Bizarre, balls-hard, cute.

94. VISCO: VASARA II [AC] Storm Blade [AC], Neo Drift Out [NEO]
Exceptionally visceral STG slasher whose gorily addictive scoring system demands you hack enemies down nose-to-nose.

95. WAS Studio: TWINKLE TALE [MD]
Natural rival of SFC Kiki Kaikai - mechanically simpler but much faster-paced chibi run/gunner.

96. Westone: WONDER BOY [AC]
Elemental hop n' shoot, cheerfully relentless.

97. Williams: ROBOTRON 2084 [AC] VS: Defender [AC]
As eternally immediate as shooting action gets.

98. Winkysoft: SDF MACROSS: SCRAMBLED VALKYRIE [SFC] VS: Ghost Chaser Densei [SFC]
A slightly overlong opening stage aside, my winky is never soft playing this uncommonly AC-excellent SFC hori.

99. WOLFTEAM: MANEUVER CEPTER GRANDA [MD] VS: Arcus Odyssey, El Viento [MD]
Toshio Toyota's madly creative, fizzingly intense love letter to Grobda. Insanely explosive movement techs!

100. Zyrinx: SUB-TERRANIA [MD]
Euroshump done right. Wickedly intense battle against time and inertia.

[Sumez]

NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS: 100 (20 points)
NUMBER OF TITLES: 97 (19 points)

I have no idea how this slipped, I counted them multiple times. Like I said, I had at least 20-30 more devs/games on the list, but had to cut them off to make it 100, so I just added three of them at the end.

And yes I picked Puyo Puyo for Compile over any of their shooters >_> Not a big fan of the Aleste series, and I've yet to fully delve into Zanac and Gun*Nac, but they are on my list for 2022.

[chum]

R= Game & Developer R= Double Spoiler & Team Shangai Alice R= Phantasmagoria of Dimensional Dream & Amusement Makers R= Warcraft III & Blizzard R= Twinkle Star Sprites & ADK R= Armed Police Batrider & Raizing R= Guwange & CAVE R= SeaBed & paleontology R= Money Idol Exchanger & Face R= Yume 2kki & Null R= Freedom Planet & GalaxyTrail R= Unreal Tournament & Epic Games R= Dragon Blaze & Psikyo R= Subarashiki Hbi & KeroQ R= Symphonic Rain & Kogado Studio R= Heroes of Might and Magic III & New World Computing R= Yume Nikki & Kikiyama R= Same! Same! Same! & Toaplan R= Crimzon Clover & Yotsubane R= Middens & myformerselves R= Katamari Damacy & Namco R= Naname de magic & Atlus R= Gun.Smoke & Capcom R= Super Mario 64 & Nintendo R= Darius Gaiden Extra & Taito R= DustForce & Hitbox Team R= Rocket Knight Adventures & Konami R= Within a Deep Forest & Nifflas R= Sutte Hakkun & Indieszero R= Curve Fever 2 & null R= OpenLieroX & Erik Lindroos and community R= Saya no Uta & Nitroplus R= Pig Newton & SEGA R= Quake III Arena & id Software R= Crescendo & Digital Object R= Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon & Gazelle R= Flame Zapper Kotsujin & CO2Pro R= .flow & lolrust R= Adventures of Lolo 2 JP & HAL Laboratory R= Cannonball & liar-soft R= Mecha Ritz & HEY R= Tetris The Absolute The Grand Master 2 PLUS & Arika R= Period & littlewitch R= King of Dragon Pass & A Sharp R= Alpha Centauri & Firaxis Games R= Labyrinth of Touhou & Fake British gentlemen xd R= MegaMari & Twilight Frontier R= Gundemonium Recollection & PlatineDispositif R= ring^-27 & TEMPERANCE LANCE R= Genshin Impact & miHoYo R= Mother 3 & Brownie Brown R= Remember11 & KID R= Elasto Mania & Balázs Rózsa R= Transformice & Atelier 801 R= Twinkle Tale & ZAP R= Ninja Gaiden II NES & Tecmo R= Riven & Cyan R= Raging Loop & Kemco R= Advance Wars 2 & Intelligent Systems R= Baldurs Gate 2 & BioWare R= Mars Matrix & Takumi R= Aero Chimera & SAS R= Europa Universalis II & Paradox Development Studio R= The Cat Lady & Harvester Games R= Silent Hill 2 & Team Silent R= Civilization II & MicroProse R= Arcanum & Troika Games R= Nox & Westwood R= BEVENTLAED & Null R= Samurai Shodown II & SNK R= Rewrite & KEY R= Ninja Baseball Batman & Irem R= Denjin Makai II & Winkysoft R= Gimmick! & Sunsoft R= Raiden II & Seibu Kaihatsu R= Toilet in Wonderland & Team Nonsense R= Yuque & 794810 R= Katawa Shoujo & Four Leaf Studios R= Swan Song & FlyingShine R= Among Us & Innersloth R= ChoRenSha 68k & Famibe No Yosshin R= Psi Knuckle & bunaguchi R= Kururin Paradise & Eighting R= Judgement Silversword & Qute R= Lilian Fourhand & French Bread R= Cannon Dancer & Mitchell Corporation R= Toejam and Earl & Johnson Voorsanger Productions R= Monkey Island 2 & LucasArts R= quantized blaze & keim R= Parsec47 & ABA R= Vib-Ribbon & NanaOn-Sha R= Limbo & Playdead R= Snacks n Jaxson & Bally Sente R= Dragons Fury & Compile R= Ib & kouri R= Hagane & CAProduction R= Volgarr the Viking & Crazy Viking Studios R= Cuphead & Studio MDHR R= Omega Fighter & UPL R= Granada & Wolfteam R= Dungeon Keeper & Bullfrog
I guess I like a bit of anything besides shmups

[BIL]

^^^ Silent Hill 2 and Gun.Smoke and NGII, always knew you were cool chum

This was quite fun, but admittedly I had to add some fillers. I noted I am quite loyal to a few developers. In my real top 100 I would probably have included 4 Raizing games, 4 Camelot, and, of course, tons of Konami, Nintendo, and Capcom--to name a few.

Gremlins 2! I shoulda put that on my honourables for Sunsoft, but all their late 80s/early 90s FC stuff is so good. Maybe not Dynamite Batman, but even that's merely mediocre.

TNWA

Word I had surprisingly easy time going with TNWA, despite Natsume's outstanding catalogue. I suspect Once Again is an even more replayable game, but I find the source of that replay - super technical time attack / combo exhibit - secondary to the simple 4:3 pressure of not getting clocked/pincered.

[DMC]

Gremlins 2! I shoulda put that on my honourables for Sunsoft, but all their late 80s/early 90s FC stuff is so good.

I just love all those Naoki Kodaka soundtracks for Sunsoft. For trivia enthusiasts, he currently works as a music professor at Daido University, Japan.
https://www.daido-it.ac.jp/dept/media/prof/

This interview where he talks about his interactions with late sound programmer Nobuyuki Hara is quite touching. http://shmuplations.com/sunsoftmusic/

[BIL]

Ah yes, I loved that interview. Moving indeed... great snapshot of talented guys at the top of their game, all pulling together. After reading of Kodaka's musical chops, I instantly understood why there's sheet music in the backs of certain Sunsoft manuals (Raf World's comes to mind).

[DMC]

great snapshot of talented guys at the top of their game, all pulling together.

Exactly! One get a sense of the pride that went into each little sound effect, which makes one appreciate the texture of those sounds even more.
Gotta have to play Gremlins 2 again some time soon.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

I honestly don't know if I've played games from 100 different developers. I'd have to go through my list of everything I've ever played just to see.

Double Spoiler ZUN
Phantasmagoria of Dimensional Dream Amusement Makers

ZUN was the developer of both games, Amusement Makers was (sort of) Dim. Dream's publisher.

Labyrinth of Touhou / Fake British gentlemen

I... I'd never actually translated the developer name before and realized what they'd called themselves. Hah.

Aicom/Yumekobo

I had no idea the folks responsible for GUN-DEC also did Blazing Star. Neat.

Bayonetta 2 / Platinum Games

>putting Bayo 2 over Bayo 1 or Vanquish

hello, yes, police, i'd like to report a hate crime

[DMC]

hello, yes, police, i'd like to report a hate crime

Free speech, I tell you!

It was a rather arbitrary choice but I vaguely recall that Bayonetta 1 threw in a couple of tedious stages (e.g., riding a bike for half an hour or something). I also liked the overall looks of enemy designs of Bayonetta 2. But yes, 1 seemed more balanced and challenging, but I played quite casually and didn't bother too much tbh.

[Searchlike]

Ignores game mods, otherwise DOOM would've been an absolute no-brainer.

Totally forgot to address the grey area surrounding mods and the like, glad you brought it up. I think of them as similar to the found footage genre in the realm of experimental cinema. Assemblage artist Joseph Cornell didn't shot any of the footage in his 1936 film Rose Hobart, which is made from bits and pieces from the Universal film East of Borneo and some documentaries. He did, however, make enoughs cuts and edits to make it completely his own. Similarly, if you can name a mod which significantly alters the game to the point it's basically something else entirely, then I don't see any problem with including them in your lists.

When it comes to fanmade content, such as games which let you create your own levels, sometimes it's possible to make a whole game out of those tools and one that's arguably better than the titles before it. This appears to be the case with Tomb Raider: King Arthur's Project made with the TR4 level editor. So yes, I'm willing to accept someone naming their favorite level/game over the official title in an extreme case scenario.

Speaking of Tomb Raider, I might include the TR3 expansion pack The Lost Artifact on my list, which was released on its own, so it can be considered a different game altogether. As you can see, you're given a lot of freedom when making your lists, just keep it reasonable.

If any of these points is controversial I'm happy to read your own thoughts on the matter, this is simply my take on it. Don't want too get pedantic over any of this, I trust your own judgement.

Search-kun, I hope I have not offended with my impetuous addition of rival picks. :3 ...

I not only welcome the addition of honorable mentions, I encourage it. I assume you meant the PS2 Shinobi as one of those, though I'm a big fan of both it and the 1987 game, the newer one is definitely one of my Sega finalists. I'm still not done reading the comments for all of your picks, but I'm having a blast doing so, thanks for going the extra mile. Forgive me for making you choose between Magical Vacation Dracula and Silent Hill 2, I know how special both of those games are for you. Oh, and make sure you play Vanquish's God Hard difficulty if you haven't, the final boss is a fantastic challenge. As for this challenge:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAYER: BIL
MISSION: 100% (20 points)
CLEAR TIME: Within a week (15 points)
NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS: 100 (20 points)
NUMBER OF TITLES: 100 (20 points)
STRICT ONE DEVELOPER RULE: YES (20 points)

STORYTELLER BONUS: (10 points)

TOTAL AVERAGE: 105 points

RANK: SSS (We can call it a one life clear if you want to )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no idea how this slipped, I counted them multiple times. Like I said, I had at least 20-30 more devs/games on the list, but had to cut them off to make it 100, so I just added three of them at the end.

Yeah, I was a bit confused about that, I figured maybe you wanted to keep it to just 100 developers. Anyway, I'm glad the ranking system has been of some use. Here's the updated one:

----------------------------------------------------------
PLAYER: Sumez
MISSION: 100% (20 points)
CLEAR TIME: Within a week (15 points)
NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS: 103 (20 points)
NUMBER OF TITLES: 100 (20 points)
STRICT ONE DEVELOPER RULE: YES (20 points)

TOTAL AVERAGE: 95 points

RANK: SS
----------------------------------------------------------

I guess I like a bit of anything besides shmups

Pretty sure I discovered Double Spoiler because of your posts, chum. I have loved photography games ever since Pokémon Snap, could hardly believe my eyeballs when I first saw footage of this shmup. And Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Denjin Makai II, you sure know your brawlers.

Double Spoiler ZUN
Phantasmagoria of Dimensional Dream Amusement Makers

ZUN was the developer of both games, Amusement Makers was (sort of) Dim. Dream's publisher.

I was willing to let this slide, chum, as I assumed you might have some additional info on the game's developement that I wouldn't be able to find with a simple google search. You don't have to edit your list, but do you think Roo has a point here?

I honestly don't know if I've played games from 100 different developers. I'd have to go through my list of everything I've ever played just to see.

You could always submit a shorter list or play by the multiple subsidiaries rule. Accept the challenge!

>putting Bayo 2 over Bayo 1 or Vanquish

hello, yes, police, i'd like to report a hate crime

Now you have to post a list, Roo, so that this is somewhat fair.

[Mischief Maker]

Pretty sure I discovered Double Spoiler because of your posts, chum. I have loved photography games ever since Pokémon Snap, could hardly believe my eyeballs when I first saw footage of this shmup.

You know about the Fatal Frame games?

[Searchlike]

I do, I played through the third game and absolutely love it. It's actually fairly difficult to pick Ninja Gaiden II (360) over it for my favorite Tecmo title. I think Gekibo rocks too. That's my holy trinity of photography games so far, Double Spoiler, Gekibo and Fatal Frame. Also had a lot of fun with the photography angle in Dead Rising and have considered buying Beyond Good & Evil, but I don't know if it would scratch that same itch. Let me know if you have any other recommendations.

[chum]

Pretty sure I discovered Double Spoiler because of your posts, chum. I have loved photography games ever since Pokémon Snap, could hardly believe my eyeballs when I first saw footage of this shmup. And Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Denjin Makai II, you sure know your brawlers.

I also love Capcom brawlers and had to leave some out because of Gun.Smoke!

I was willing to let this slide, chum, as I assumed you might have some additional info on the game's developement that I wouldn't be able to find with a simple google search. You don't have to edit your list, but do you think Roo has a point here?

This is simply a matter of interpretation. Developers as people or Developers as brands. I chose the latter for two reasons: Amusement Makers isn't solely ZUN, the Touhou games are his creations, while the other games have other people involved (I don't know how many other members though as I am not well versed in Seihou Project history or anything else by Amusement Makers). ZUN was a typo as the brand is Team Shangai Alice, that should make more sense according to my rule interpretation.
Other reason of course just an excuse to put in one of my biggest favourites! Nonetheless it has a minor impact on the list, as a replacement would be easy enough for me to figure out.

^^^ Silent Hill 2 and Gun.Smoke and NGII, always knew you were cool chum

The first 3 Silent Hill games are all very enjoyable to me. I think the first one is actually the most impressive in some ways, so it's a bit of a toss-up which one I choose. I think 1 and 2 have different strengths and weaknesses.
For some reason I like NGII a lot more than 1. Maybe I should play 1 again, it's been ages. For me It's 2 > 3 > 1.
I've got my eye on some games I never heard of before from your list, such as Metal Stoker, because I see you put it ahead of Money Puzzle and Zupapa, two really awesome games! Now my interest is piqued. Game seems somewhat reminiscent of Granada, and I have a soft spot for that.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

(e.g., riding a bike for half an hour or something).

Yeah, the minigame segments of Bayo 1 are pretty horrendous. It's the core combat that's ultimately better. Bayo 2 is the better casual experience if you're not super serious about it.

Now you have to post a list, Roo, so that this is somewhat fair.

I'll contribute nothing and shitpost all I like, damn it! also I'm working on a list but it's haaaaard