Banks

This is terrific news. Currently replaying the Jiggies of Time mod on polymega and it’s superb. Genuinely feels like a crossover between the two companies that could’ve been.

@Sketcz stack up is okay but gyromite is definitely the superior game - feels more complete and less a series of mini games. Get it if you can for a good price, but I wouldn’t despair over it!

@Sketcz I love my ROB - lucky enough to have a complete set and both games. But as you aren’t really hands on with him it felt more like an accessory to me. I’ll admit though - it is brilliant fun. And very loud.

@NewBond sucks that it wasn’t a case of just swapping - figured that wouldn’t work for link and his sword (have you played TP on GameCube? Totally trippy if you’re used to the map on wii) but surprised about Metroid, etc. How do you get on with regular game pads?

@gojiguy trackballs we’re on the long list. They are odd for sure and fun too!

@Gs69 it’s not fantastic - but it’s a fun novelty. Particularly if you’re a fan of the series. Can pick it up for pretty cheap.

@Poodlestargenerica I still think wii version is the pinnacle

@calbeau I think things like this are at their best when they bring people together who wouldn’t normally share games

@-wc- durable and they work brilliantly. Fantastic bit of kit.

@somnambulance labo is an excellent shout. It was on the list for a while but I felt like they were more peripherals built around a clever controller. Insane fun the first time you play with them.

@_NetNomad paddles are super weird but fun. And I never got the wiimote hate, genuinely never had a problem with them and loved the absolute wizardry they came up with for some games.

@Mgalens choice is definitely the best way to go. I love weird and whacky inputs but fully understand people that just want a standard controller too.

@Poodlestargenerica the joycons are certainly technically superior but I love the wiimote. Honestly wish they were still compatible tbh. I think the fact it had a speaker on it was such a cool touch that made things just that little bit more immersive when it was used well. Felt like you were genuinely holding a thing - not just a controller.

@Gs69 the rod made the long lost - I just had to narrow it down and I never felt it was as much fun as the others that made it here. Guitar hero remains awesome. Did you ever try the weird DS one?

@NewBond oh no! Such a shame when things can’t be switched around. I would’ve thought the prime trilogy and largely wii games would’ve been okay as you could swap the wiimote and nunchuck between hands? Was that not the case for leftys?

@ParadoxFawkes I LOVE the super scope. I didn’t include any light guns here as point and shoot is so commonplace, but had I included one the super scope would’ve been my pick. It’s a bazooka, for goodness sake.

@-wc- I think suggesting that touch screen was ‘completely in the bloodstream’ because of the game.com is a bit of a stretch. And it doesn’t have to be the first to qualify. The DS easily had the most prolific and extensive catalogue of touch screen games that utilise it in brilliant ways. It was a cultural behemoth whose at the time unusual control input reached audiences across all spectrums. Everyone can wield a pencil. It’s genius.

@MSaturn I think Virtual On feels pretty standard? Steel Battalion is a thing of brilliant madness, but is largely sticks and buttons too. Another on the long list that didn’t quite make it. I’ve had a go with one but don’t own one, sadly.

@-wc- the fishing rod was on the long list, I just didn’t feel it was ever as much fun as the others that pipped it.

@Daniel36 it was absolutely fantastic to use with the Metroid trilogy. Wii sports is an absolutely flawless pack in title too. Genuinely felt like magic.

@mattesdude I certainly wouldn’t argue that. I think the openness and creative engagement of playdate makes it a unique console experience and the games that use the crank well are fantastic. Have you got one?

@Soupbones that’s a good shout about golden axe, could definitely see that happening. A sega side scrolling remaster collection would be awesome too. We can dream!

@Soupbones hard agree. It’s hard to top someone with wrist cannons and a legzooka, to be fair. Would you want to see the series return or happy to remain a classic of its time? I’d love an update but would be curious to see what someone would do to push the series on.

@RetroGames That's rough if it's a deal breaker for you, particularly as you're clearly a fan of the series. I think it's difficult to draw a comparison with TMNT as that has vastly more source material to pull from and it certainly isn't a case of liking whatever was offered, if it had looked like Castle Crashers or Scott Pilgrim - both striking but a very different vibe, it wouldn't have gelled. If you can get past it there is a fantastic game under the hood there - and who knows, maybe we'll see a fifth installment more aligned with what you hoped for. I certainly hope the series continues.

@RootsGenoa SoR4 pips it for me, though I understand people's preference for 2 - it's a classic. Unsurprisingly almost all the ones that people have listed in the comments were on the shortlist, just the nature of it that not everything can make the cut. And part of this is tied into trying to go for a good range of games that offer different experiences - something very important to me when I read a list like this.

The preference for complex inputs or a wide variety of moves that you have, for example, may not appeal to someone else. Final Fight and The King of Dragons may be much simpler - but this simplicity allows other qualities of the game to be pulled into sharper focus, and other players will enjoy those elements more. I think you'd be hard pushed to argue the list isn't balanced in that respect, and for that I stand by it.

On your recommendation I'll give Die Hard Arcade another go. That's one I know people really enjoy but it never quite sat right with me.

@HoyeBoye Happy to be of service. It's great!

@zgillet I've never been fully convinced by 3d beat 'em ups. Happy to have my mind changed though. What's your top three?

@Soupbones damn right. Favourite character?

@RootsGenoa I don't think it's necessarily a risk to talk about things you enjoy, particularly if you can justify why you enjoy them. And of course if it prompts discourse that's a brilliant gateway to discovering more things you may have missed. Clearly you've a keen interest in the genre, I'd love to know how different your list would be?

@MontyCircus Every list is subjective, of course. There'll be entires on all of those lists that aren't here and vice versa. We did also specify that we only wanted to include one entry per franchise. - you have Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2, for example - and we have opted for Streets of Rage 4. A lot of the games you've listed simply have a different franchise entry on ours, I think there's only 7 on your list that don't - and almost all of them made the shortlist.

@WhiteTrashGuy It was on the shortlist. Love that you played Sailor Moon with your daughters - hopefully I can do that myself one day!

@bippity_bop very impressive!

@RetroGames It's difficult when it boils down to art, as it's entirely subjective. I love the art for SOR4, I think it's clean and it pops and is how I imagined the games when I was younger. As an experience it's all a little tighter than 2 for me, though I do absolutely adore it.

@sdelfin Love ninja Baseball Bat Man, wish more people had the opportunity to play it. We had a big long list for this and whittling it down was tough. It's hard to cut down with so much quality in the genre, but I like to think there's something for everyone here.

@Zeldork Literally everything you mentioned made the short list. Capcom were so excellent - wish they made more.

@somnambulance It's awesome. Never fail to have a fun time playing it.

@SonOfDracula I wouldn't argue with you about Dragon's Crown not being the most fluid, but I do think it's a very interesting and different beat 'em up that does a lot to combat the tedium that lesser entries fail to tackle.

@bryce951 agonised over this one. I love 2 - it's excellent, we just think 4 does it all a bit better and is more engaging. No one would bat an eyelid if 2 topped a poll, though.

@Tasuki FF3 kicked my arse so much but I love it.

@MSaturn I love Simpsons Arcade, but I think because it's The Simpsons and I adored them when I was younger, not because of the game itself. It was on the shortlist though.

@Ade117 Absolutely worth picking up. Shredder's Revenge has nice achievements and collectibles and I'm having a blast playing through the campaign as each character. You can find them both for a pretty low price out on the high street now, too.