Classics I Can Return To - Part Two

A few weeks ago I listed seven classic games that I regularly or semi-regularly return to. Today I continue with Part Two of this segment with seven more classics that beg for my attention. Let's find out what they are!

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 3DS)


What many (including yours truly) consider to be the best Zelda game of all time-- if not the best game of all time-- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time brought the series into 3D with a huge, living, breathing world to explore. The dungeon design may not be as clever as what you'd find in future 3D Zelda games, but it was serviceable nonetheless. The boss battles were intense, the final showdown against Ganondorf and then Ganon was stuff made of legends, and the amount of side content and side quests to partake in made for a memorable game. I generally play through Ocarina of Time once every year.

LittleBigPlanet 1 & 2 (PS3)


The original LittleBigPlanet was one of the first titles I got a platinum trophy on. The level design was creative, but LittleBigPlanet 2 blew the lid off the joint level design-wise with new gadgets, tools, and obstacles to worry about. Hundreds of hours were lost crafting new levels for SuperPhillip: The Game, and while I'm taking a break from LBP2 now, I'll be sure to hop back into it eventually. Jumping online and playing in a group of four is a wild and wacky situation as long as you use teamwork. For a unique and creative platforming experience, LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2 are my go-to games.

Mega Man X2 (SNES)


Last time I listed Mega Man X on my list of classics I can return to. Today I list its sequel Mega Man X2 which introduced the mid-air dash, the X Hunters, and the return of Sigma. Levels took X on platforming adventures through underwater facilities, volcanoes, crystal mines, an airship built to resemble an alligator, and many more. Players could opt to collect all three Zero parts from Agile, Serges, and Violen to receive the best ending the game had to offer. Clever players could find Dr. Light in Agile's stage and obtain the Mega Man Uppercut that could take bosses out in one hit! One of my favorite Mega Man games, Mega Man X2 is a title from a storied series.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (SNES)

Let's kick shell! I usually do when I pick up my cartridge of Turtles in Time and place in my Super Nintendo. Sure, playing along is always an option, but the real fun comes with another player. The two player cooperative action is always fun even if it does not quite rival the intensity of playing with three other people in an arcade. Beating down such savage bosses like Baxter the Fly, Bebop and Rocksteady, Tokka and Rahzar, Slash, Krang, and Super Shredder-- to name a handful-- was such a blast. The levels offered up a lot of point potential, and the visuals are crisp and colorful.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN)


It is almost a yearly tradition to take the family's data of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and delete it, only to start collecting unlockables like new karts and characters anew. The one time only All Cup allowed my brother and I either to share a kart or compete against each other in all sixteen races, one after the next. As stated in my Best of... Mario Kart ceremony, Double Dash!! features some of my favorite tracks to date such as Peach Beach, Dino Dino Jungle, Baby Park, Mario Circuit, Bowser's Castle, Mushroom Bridge and City, and Rainbow Road. Two players per kart meant more action, more havoc, and more chaos, and Double Dash!! definitely delivers every year in that regard.

Hot Shots Golf Fore! (PS2)


For when I'm wanting to hit the links but it's too cold outside, I pop in my copy of Hot Shots Golf Fore! for the PlayStation 2. While the online is now dead, the single player campaign allows players to compete against the computer in match play to unlock more characters such as Ratchet and Jak from their respective franchises. Being able to go back and take a quick glimpse at your best shots make the memories all the more palpable. Multiplayer with one of the 16+ characters across 10+ courses enables my brother and I to compete against each other to see who the most dominant virtual golfer in the family is.

Final Fantasy IV (SNES, PS1, PSP)


One of my favorite Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy IV tells the tale of Cecil Harvey, a soldier for the kingdom of Baron who after an assault on the magic city of Mysidia questions his loyalty to his king. Thus a quest to change his dark knight ways begins. The game has a revolving cast of characters who pop in and out of the party as the story permits. There's Rydia, who becomes a summoner, Kain, Cecil's best friend and dragoon, Rosa, Cecil's love interest, Edge, a prince and ninja, and several others. The story takes players from the land to the sea to the sky to the underground in one harrowing tale. It is a tale that I return to regularly regardless of what platform it is on.

===

There goes Part Two of Classics I Can Return To. What do you think about my picks? If you neglected to mention some titles that you can't quit, feel free to list them in the comments section, whether recent classics or classic classics.