Summary
It’s one thing for a developer to churn out games that, while of high-quality, simply follow an already proven framework to appeal to an already established gaggle of adoring fans. It’s another thing entirely for them to throw caution to the wind and carve out their own lane in an established genre, or to even create their own.
These kinds of games follow a mentality that was popularized by the rise ofpunk rock.A genre that is more thanjust the music, but also the raw attitude and independent spirit that fans all over the world have come to embrace. Whether through gameplay or aesthetics, games that have commandeered this philosophy have proven themselves to be some of the most adored.
Sonic Adventure 2
In the fight between heroes and villains, will you choose to save the world or conquer it?The hunt for the Chaos Emeralds is on and battle lines have been drawn between Hero and Dark. Experience two unique adventures featuring both long-time heroes and new and returning villains as they battle for the fate of the world!Save the day as heroes Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles or cause chaos as Shadow, Dr. Eggman, and Rouge, utilizing each of their unique skills and abilities!Take a break from the main story and challenge a friend in two-player across kart racing and other competitive modes!Raise your own pet Chao, improve their statistics, and compete with them in unique mini-games!Challenge yourself to complete over 150 unique missions across 30 action filled stages!
How Does This Game Embody A Punk Rock Mentality?
Sonic Adventure 2further solidified the blue blur as one of the most iconic faces in games, period. While 3DSonicgames have gotten the short end of the stick over the years, this one sees much of the good in them. It’s all wrapped up in an endlessly cool package with one of the most unforgettable set pieces in gaming, the City Escape mission.
The game plays with its own format by assigning each playable character their own style of objectives. For instance, Sonic’s levels see him racing to the finish line, while Knuckles' search for the chaos emeralds finds him gliding around and climbing rock faces to dig them up. While this gameplay is admittedly nothing special, it has a killer soundtrackto elevate it, highlighted by fan favorite tracks likeEscape From The CityandPumpkin Hill.
The look and style ofJet Set Radiohas been sought after by fans for the past two decades, but it turns out that nobody could do it quite like developer Smilebit.Jet Set RadioFuturedid come out for the Xbox a few years after the original and is considered thebetter game by some, but it’s hard to understate just how timeless this first outing is.
Gameplay consists ofrollerblading around a leveland completing objectives within a time limit, a-laTony Hawk’s Pro Skater,all the while avoiding the cops (who are trying to stop the player’s flagrant vandalism), as well as rival gang members. The game has an incredibly gorgeous cell-shaded art-style, and an exciting drum and bass soundtrack that plays to accentuate the action as the player leaves their mark around the stage.
Upon its initial release, “boring” was the resounding adjective that was heard the most when describingDeath Standing.Withno true combat to speak of, the bulk of the game sees players traversing a vast empty landscape to deliver packages. Over time, though, the game has garnered a following, as more aspects of director Hideo Kojima’s vision of a “strand-type” game have come to be understood.
It’s hard to imagine that this wasn’t Kojima’s goal in the first place. Being one of the most well knownvideo game auteursthere is, everything he works on tends to be layered with touches that are uniquely his own. It’s something that even the game’s star-studded cast noticed, many of whom have gone on record singing the praises of their illustrious director.
Tough as nails games are not a new concept, but it’s rare that this aspect absolutely takes over a developers identity like it did when FromSoftware releasedDark Souls. What started withDemon’s Souls’no-holds-barred difficulty was evolved by this game’s master class in exploration and world building, and single-handedlyspawned an entire genre.
In terms of accessability,Dark Soulsdoesn’t win any points, but the developers clearly had no intention for this game to be for everyone. FromSoft set out to do something specific, and they did it by being determined in the game’s intentionally obtuse design. In doing so, it has proven the formula to be wildly successful and has started a trend as many more games try to emulate its style.
Crude and Violent
Mortal Kombat (1992)
PREPARE YOURSELF… The #1 arcade hit is here!- Deliver Cage’s patented shadow kick!- Liu Kang’s fireball!- Let the tournament begin!
Few games exude a “don’t care” attitude like theMortal Kombatseries. However, as one of the games that spawned the ESRB rating system, NetherRealm (formerly Midway) created its own brand of glisteningly-gory fighting game with the firstMK.Since it’s inception,Mortal Kombathas blossomed into one of the most surprisingly interesting worlds to spend time in, and it all started with the bloody words “Finish Him” scrawled across television screens back in 1992.
The series has spent years developing a cast of dozens of characters, each with a rich backstory thatfans have been able to latch on toover the years. From Scorpion to Sub-Zero to Melena to Raiden, none of them would have had the time to reach their iconic status if parents had had their way.
