Hi everyone. I have changed my mind on stuff...yet again. This time it's a good thing, though. I think. Because I spent so much time getting the 1980 list out (and it is out now), I've decded that I just have one, simple goal for each following year of the list - I just want at least 50 games from that year added to the list as I make my way through, including games from that year that I've already reviewed. So, when I get to 1985/86/87 and onward, I won't have to add too many new games since I've already got a lot of stuff reviewed from that time period all the way to today. Of course I also only wanted 100 games for the initial 1980 list, and I published it with 237 games on it...so who knows how many new games I'll end up adding as I publish each year.

But anyway, that wishy-washy decision means that I'm making progress. That deserves a reward, so free to mail me a pony if you'd like. I'd prefer a pony named Johan. Johan the pony sounds like an enviable equine to have, eh? Sorry, I'll continue on.

After updating the 1980 average scores, like I mentioned last month, I also found that I never had the correct style of link in any entry...so aside from updating the scores, I found myself updating the links for every game on the list as well. I also had to re-do the Top 10, which is more detailed than the rest of the list. The new average scores meant that some games dropped out of the Top 10, and others moved in. Likewise, some variations of games took over from others. For example, I want only one variation of Space Invaders on the list. Prior to the average scores being updated, the Arcade version of the game was barely ahead, giving it the spot on the list. After the average score change, the Atari 2600 version is now ahead and the representative on the list. Space Invaders came in at number two on the list, by the way.

The one thing that did not change was the number one game. I assumed it would take the top spot in 1980, and no matter how many changes I make to the average scores, it always stays at the number one spot...and it's not even really close. Released in 1980, it resulted in one of the most recognizable video game characters in history - arguably even more recognizable than Nintendo's popular plumber. Upon its release, a song was written about the pandemic that it caused around the world....and if you're tired of me stretching out the reveal, I suppose I can just get on with it. It's Pac-Man.

Now, I'm pretty sure that Pac-Man will not continue to hold the title in 1981...but if it does, I'm pretty positive that it won't by 1982. Essentially, I'm anticipating Namco games to top the list for the next several years, though, yellow ghost gobbler or not...I'm guessing that Galaga may take 1981 and Ms. PacMan may take 1982 and 1983...with Super Mario Bros. then taking the spot away when it releases. I have absolutely no idea if it will turn out that way, mind you, I have not done the "new" average scores for any games after 1980, so I may wind up being wrong and a console game, like Pitfall!, waltzes in and takes that spot away. That's the fun of this new way of organizing the list for me...I don't really know where anything is going to end up until I compile the averages and place the game(s) on the list. And like everyone else, I'm sure I'll dislike the placements of some games...

...Which leads me to what I promised last month. The actual top 25 based on average scores versus the top 25 based on my scores. To keep it along the lines of what I mentioned above, where I don't really know what to expect, the list of my scores is based on what I gave games on a scale of 0-10. The tiebreaker will be what the average score is...so if I score two games 9.5 out of 10, then the higher average score game will get placed above it. Alright, here we go...and please note that this is only for games that I've played. So if your favorite from 1980 or earlier isn't mentioned, either it didn't make the cut or I simply haven't played it yet.

#25

Average score - Boxing (Atari 2600)

My score - Space Battle (Intellivision)

#24

Average score - Yahtzee (Commodore PET)

My score - King & Balloon (Arcade)

#23

Average score - Hellfire Warrior (Apple II)

My score - Boxing (Atari 2600)

#22

Average score - Moon Cresta (Arcade)

My score - Fishing Derby (Atari 2600)

#21

Average score - Rescue at Rigel (Apple II)

My score - Super Breakout (Arcade)

#20

Average score - Pong (Arcade)

My score - Combat (Atari 2600)

#19

Average score - Hunt the Wumpus (Commodore PET)

My score - Rally X (Arcade)

#18

Average score - Battlezone (Arcade)

My score - Boot Hill (Arcade)

#17

Average score - Fishing Derby (Atari 2600)

My score - Sheriff (Arcade)

#16

Average score - Super Breakout (Arcade)

My score - Showdown in 2100 A.D. (Odyssey2)

#15

Average score - Sea Battle (Intellivision)

My score - Cutie Q (Arcade)

#14

Average score - Combat (Atari 2600)

My score - Video Olympics (Atari 2600)

#13

Average score - Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure (Apple II)

My score - Hunt the Wumpus (Commodore PET)

#12

Average score - Breakout (Arcade)

My score - Breakout (Arcade)

#11

Average score - Escape (Apple II)

My score - Escape (Apple II)

#10

Average score - Rally X (Arcade)

My score - Missile Command (Arcade)

#9

Average score - Superman (Atari 2600)

My score - Asteroids (Arcade)

#8

Average score - Missile Command (Arcade)

My score - Zork I (Apple II)

#7

Average score - Asteroids (Arcade)

My score - Galaxian (Arcade)

#6

Average score - Zork I (Apple II)

My score - Adventure (Atari 2600)

#5

Average score - Galaxian (Arcade)

My score - Phoenix (Arcade)

#4

Average score - Adventure (Atari 2600)

My score - Hockey (Channel F)

#3

Average score - Phoenix (Arcade)

My score - Superman (Atari 2600)

#2

Average score - Space Invaders (Atari 2600)

My score - Pac-Man (Arcade)

#1

Average score - Pac-Man (Arcade)

My score - Space Invaders (Atari 2600)

As you can see, there are 8 different games in the top 25, only on one list or the other instead of both, depending on which ranking system I use. And with my scores, we get an oddball in the top 5 - Hockey for the Fairchild Channel F. As much as I think that it's an excellent game for its time, it's one of the reasons, along with Escape! for the Apple II, which came in at number 11 on both lists, that I wanted to get more scores to factor into the average. Since those games are more obscure, the average score wasn't much more than my own, personal score. As a result, they got a bit of a bump up in comparison to other excellent games of the time, which have lower scores added into the average from modern eyes, which drops it further down the list. Adding in scores that I found made Hockey drop dramatically (placed at number 30 on the "official" list as I type this, down from position 5 before that) but I only found a handful of scores for Escape!...so while it also dropped a little in its score, it didn't drop too far down the list...but it did drop out of the top 10, where it had been residing previously.

That seems to be the one flaw with my new ranking system - If I think two games are a 9 out of 10, but one of those two games is one that nobody has played, there's a good chance that the more well-known game is going to be lower on the list. Not because it's worse, but because more people have played it/reviewed it. More people playing almost always results in some lower scores being tossed in there - you've seen it on Amazon reviews and such. Some people will rate things accordingly. Other people will give an item the lowest score possible because they bought a mug and it was a slightly different shade of green than it appeared to be on the page....and because they need attention, I guess. You've also got the people that intentially give things the lowest or highest score possible to either bump/hurt the rating and/or just to be obnoxious...so there's that flaw, too. But anyway, I'll still stick with this method for now...that's the beauty of the website - as long as I'm willing to put in the work, I can always change it up at any time.

I should also note that I like Pac-Man getting the number one spot in 1980 more than I do Space Invaders. I gave the Atari version of Space Invaders a 10 out of 10 because it took a game that everyone was addicted to and added so much more to it to make the home experience even better and more varied than the one in arcades. I gave Pac-Man a 9.5, which is why it placed lower on "my" list. But the Pac-Man craze was arguably bigger than the Space Invaders craze of 1978...largely due to the fact that Pac-Man was a neat mascot that even non-gamers could and would recognize....which also led to much, much more marketing with the game, including music, cartoons, and even a breakfast cereal. So, if I'm going for an automated ranking system, I feel that I've got a good one...even if it does have its flaws.

In my collection news, it's more of nothing. The potential road trip I spoke of never happened - a mix of me being very burned out from work, not wanting to go anywhere and my bank account telling me that I should hold off for a little while. So, aside from an order from Limited Run that arrived this month, and a few pre-orders of new games that came in the mail, there's not much new in my collection. I did stop at one used game store in Arlington Heights, IL...and while it was a very, very neat store with a lot of items that I wanted, I ultimately walked out with nothing. Their prices were terrible. It's like they looked up what a game was worth, then tacked another 10-20% on top of it. In some cases, the price got bumped up even more...it just made me shake my head and quietly leave the store. At least that helped my wallet. :)

What have I been playing? Well, I finished up Animal Crossing on the Gamecube...I played it more than I normally do. Rather than do a little at a time per day, I found myself just doing whatever I could to sell stuff to Tom Nook and pay that loan off. And then, the first day after the loan was payed off....I had withdrawls. I wanted to go and visit those sassy animal folk again. So, I decided it was about time that I played the original Doubutsu no Mori instead. Animal Crossing here in the west is basically a modified/updated version of that game, so I felt like now was as good of a time as any to jump in and give the original a go. It didn't take me as long to "complete" the original...there's no museum, so rare catches/fossils are headed straight for Tom Nook instead of being donated for display, which rakes in a bit of cash. There's also not as many additions that you can apply to the house, so you need less cash overall to pay off the loans. Still, though, I despite it lacking on features and stuff that I'm used to in an Animal Crossing game (for me, half of the fun is trying to fill up the museum) I still enjoyed Doubutsu no Mori while I played it...I've already got a town full of animals that I've never had in any of my villages before (save for one, Piper, who was just in my recent Animal Crossing playthrough) and with Animal Crossing fresh in my mind, as I played through this game, I enjoyed finding the differences between this original release, and Animal Crossing. But since Animal Crossing is an enhanced version of this game, I'm not sure if I'll ever find myself popping Doubutsu no Mori back in again, now that my home loan is paid off.

I also made my way through both Dragon Warrior IV and Final Fantasy II. I didn't mind Final Fantasy II...it tried new things, not everything worked, but I appreciated the attempt to experiment. The leveling up system is weird, but not awful once you get the hang of it...and the "key word" system is interesting, but it feels like more could have been done with it. Overall, I thought it was a decent, early RPG. Dragon Warrior IV, on the other hand, I loved absolutely everything about that game. For a long time, I've considered Phantasy Star to be my favorite 8-bit RPG....I think Dragon Warrior IV has stolen that title away. Not only did I love my entire time playing the game, but part of me really wants to give the Playstation remake a go, as well as the DS emake, just so I have an excuse to play through this game all over again, but with a fresh coat of paint.

I've also started dabbling a little with Xbox emulation...I prefer using emulation to get screenshots, but the last time I checked (admittedly, years and years ago) Xbox emulation hadn't really gone anywhere. Now it seems like the original Xbox emulation is alive and well, so I've started playing some stuff on that emulator to see how well it seems to work. All of my reviews on the website have screenshots from me recording what I play through an actual Xbox, then taking a screenshot of the video clip. The difference in visual quality of those screenshots, compared to what I get via PS2 and Gamecube emulation, is pretty visible. So, I'm hoping to play some of those games again (even if just for a few minutes to get a nice screenshot) in the near future. We'll see how it goes, though. So far, it doesn't really seem to be the most stable....but that should still be fine for me to just play a few minutes to get updated screens.

Anyway, I suppose that'll do it for this loooooong entry. I have no idea what I'll do next time...we'll see how far I get in constructing the 1981 list, I suppose. If all else fails, maybe I'll revisit the top 10's of the 70's that I did a few months ago. With the average scores changing, and a few more games reviewed since then, the rankings have all likely changed from what I posted them...eh, we'll see what happens. Either way, as usual, thanks for reading. Please check out the website if you think that you'd find it interesting, as well...I honestly make it for myself, so even if nobody visits, I'll continue to work on it, but feedback is always appreciated, negative or positive, so long as it's always constructive so I know what to continue to do and/or what I can do better. Like, "Hey, doofus, learn how to end your golly darn blog and stop yappin'." Alright, alright, I get the hint. 'Til next time, sayonara.