Toon's Top 10 Comfort Games!

Mr. Toontastic
Aug 2, 2024
26 min read

An Entire List Dedicated to the video games that comfort my soul.

INTRODUCTION

First off, what is a COMFORT GAME?

A Comfort Game is like Comfort Food. It’s something that you can always come back towards, whether they’re good or not. These games may not often be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re that game. That SPECIFIC game that takes you to a place in your younger days. Or they’re a game that made you a gamer, especially when you finally master it and 100% everything.

With that said, here’s Mr. Toontastic’s Top 10 Comfort Games! (In No Particular Order)

NUMBER 10 – Donald Duck Goin’ Quackers (2000)

Better known in Europe as “Donald Duck: Quack Attack!”, Donald Duck Goin’ Quackers is a Ubisoft-developed title where you play as Donald Duck. It takes place in the Carl Barks’/DuckTales Universe as you begin a quest to save Daisy Duck from Merlock: The Terrible Magician.

Before we begin, I have to say… Donald Duck is my SECOND most-favorite character in the world. And if you’ve known me for a while, then you know who my top favorite character is…

Anyway…

Donald, along with the bumbling Gyro Gearloose (not the madman from the 2017 reboot), and the always-lucky, always-greedy, Gladstone Gander, work together to travel the four lands to make their way to Merlock’s hidden lair. Along the way, they (mainly Donald) fight colorful bosses hired by Merlock to make Duck Soup out of them and rule the world.

The game is basically a lite version of Crash Bandicoot. And if you don’t know Crash Bandicoot, its simple. You run across a series of linear platforming levels. All of which challenge your platforming skills, depth perception, and ability to find secrets without losing track of time. You occasionally switch from 3D levels and 2D levels, but the main goal stays the same throughout. You only have one (or two) hit points per level. Get hurt once (or twice), then you die and return to the last checkpoint until you run out of lives.

The game is represented on multiple platforms of the time, all of which have their own unique quirks, special moves, and special levels. In short, the game was released on:

PS1
N64/PC/Dreamcast (built using the Rayman 2 engine)*
PS2/GameCube*
Game Boy Color*
Game Boy Advance (known as “Donald Duck Advance”)

“*“ = The versions I happen to own.

For a detailed explanation about these different versions, check out these videos here:

Donald’s take on Crash isn’t the hardest game in the world (in fact, it’s almost very easy), but it does offer enough fun, and is a good representation of Carl Barks’ world that isn’t just Ducktales or Quackshot. I say where you find it, give it a shot! It even got a deep-cut callback in Crash 4 when Crash gets chased by that giant dump truck.

Plus, I like it way better than the “Lilo & Stitch” attempt on Crash.

NUMBER 9 – Perfect Dark Zero (2005)

Be in my shoes for a moment…

It’s 2005. You’re still lovingly invested in the godlike console known as the PLAYSTATION 2 (as well as kick around with the GBA and Nintendo GameCube.) You’re wholly invested in these games all the way until Sony announced the PLAYSTATION 3. Now, the PlayStation 3 had all these promises, but it was still a year away. Then, here comes the XBOX 360, a console that evaded you originally despite the sharper PC-like graphics that drew you to your Windows 98. It was a Christmas gift as everyone was rolling in for one, and we were a year away from the massive game-changer known as the Nintendo Wii. So, you get it. You mess around with the newfound menus on this glorified PC box, but realize you needed a game to play.

Thankfully, the first Xbox 360 I ever owned was PERFECT DARK ZERO, a sequel (prequel) to the original Nintendo 64 classic… which I wouldn’t get to play until the eventual Xbox Live Arcade Remake. This game was originally poised for the Nintendo GameCube, and later the original XBOX. But some long development time, and a couple of team member changes, and being forced to be a launch title for the new XBOX 360. Then, boom. Here comes PERFECT DARK ZERO.

So, what’s the game like?

Perfect Dark Zero follows the exploits of Joanna Dark, daughter of a bounty hunter and looking to continue the family business. Joanna’s got that fire in her spirit, and she cleans up quite nicely even before she gets the spy jumpsuit she’s known for wearing.

The story is about how DataDyne grew from a company that hosted electronics and an entire league based on Online Deathmatch Matchmaking to a giant megacorporation that deals with alien societies. The overall story… does not really lean into the mainline game. But being that the game is set in the year 2020, it’s a few years away from the main game.

Oh, my God… we live in Perfect Dark’s timeline. It’s time for the hieroglyphs of the Graal, and soon the invasion of aliens to come, LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Story aside, the game is weird. Its controls are a bit slow. There’s odd jank. The difficulty and level-design are a stumble, yet its mechanics are quite robust. But when you get deeper into the game, it’s actually quite good. I love the odd mechanics of this game. The choice in speed depending on the weapons you hold (or lack thereof). Somehow they innovated on the mechanics that started in the original and Goldeneye that it’s a shame that the game was rushed as it was. Dude, you can even slap the guns out of your opponents and steal them as your own! The game NEVER teaches you this (probably due to the rushed development), but when you figure it out, it changes the gameplay tremendously.

The music is top-tier stuff. Every single song in the OST is just a headbanger. Heck, even the songs that AREN’T present in the game are a wonderful time. Heck, the multiplayer menu them is a sexy rock-styled remix of Perfect Dark N64’s End Credits theme. The game’s got this weird, cheesy charm. It’s not trying to be stupid, but it’s also not trying to be serious. It was the mid-2000s, we still had action-packed games that knew to crack a joke every now and then long before the MCU ruined that kind of style. The multiplayer announcer sounds like he smoked 30 packs of weed before entering the studio, and boy I love it. I will now quite a few of my favorite one-liners/quotes from the game.

“You lost, little girl?”
“Move Yo’ Ass!” – “No Sweat!”
“Back off, Jack! I’m running Mission Assist, not a complaints line.”
“No more Xbox for me…”
“Ahh… the thrill of combat. Primal and pure, and all so human. THIS is the birthright of man. The fight is virtual, but the pain is REAL!”
“Can you even lift that cannon?”
“KEEP YOUR GUN ON THE EXIT.”
“I got your number!”
“I’ll never complain about garbage again…”
KILL-TASTIC!
“Ain’t that nice. You made a friend.” – “Not really. She’s way high maintenance.”
(Every single line from “The Brothers”, and the HQ announcer in the level “Trinity | Infiltration”)
“Asshole. What’s he brown-nosing for?”
“Didn’t anyone tell you? Smoking kills.”
“Shut up. Or I’ll drop you like a bad conversation.”

The difficulty modes range from “Very Easy” (Agent) to “Very Hard” (Dark Agent). To unlock Dark Agent, you have to beat the game on “Hard” (Perfect Agent). That’s a struggle enough, but Dark Agent takes it a step further and ensures that your health bar’s “Shock Damage” does not regenerate whatsoever, meaning that bullets that deal heavy damage to your opponents will do the same to you… including HEADSHOTS!

And if you’re playing Co-Op, then every time you revive your partner, they steal some of your life from you. You have to be on your toes, be aware of the game’s way of mixing up its level structure each time you restart, and always have some kind of ammunition loaded regardless of the weapon you use. And don’t forget the slap feature, that’s saved me big time on certain missions. I had just recently completed the entire game (including the BRUTAL “Dark Agent” mode), and boy. That’s a 19-year goal that was begging to be completed.

The story mode was MADE for co-op. Whether you’re experiencing it online, or with a couch buddy, the story’s maps and missions are tailor-made for a co-op experience that feels more fun to play than even the original Perfect Dark. Heck, the missions (regardless of difficulty) will change themselves to suit the campaign co-op. For example, if player 1 or player 2 collects an important item, then the respective partner has to open doors and sequences so the important player can progress. Heck, specific levels like the ROOFTOPS separate the players from each other. So, if one player dies, the mission fails for everyone. You gotta be on your toes! You’ll never know what’ll happen!

Multiplayer in this game has a lot of great features. You may be familiar with FPS staples like INFECTION, right? Well, that’s here! Including Traditional & TEAM-based Deathmatch. Not to mention the extra modes that force teams to buy weapons and earn more credits with each round won. There’s also a DARK OPS mode where the goal isn’t just to kill your opponents, but to destroy their weapon cache. Admittedly, I never understood this mode (probably because I couldn’t find the weapon caches or defend them properly), but I would love to see it return in another FPS. I’d even take it as a new game mode for TEAM FORTRESS 2. Heck, if you can’t play online, the bots are well robust. Sometimes I play the game just to fight the bots a few times, then leave.

Back to mechanics, I forgot to mention it, but they have this funny weight mechanic where the men run faster than the women. However, if the men carry heavy guns, they’re as slow as a tank while the women casually stroll like it’s a walk in the park. Or there’s a huge deal at Sephora, I dunno. I love the fact that this sequel/prequel is so robust in weapons and design that I almost felt disappointed that the original game never included these features even in the XBLA remake. Sure, Zero’s got no bonus mission mode, cheats, unlockable, or training section for me to test my skills, but it at least had a robust multiplayer scene.

Long before Call of Duty, Halo 3 or Gears of Wars stole its thunder, Perfect Dark Zero had a large player-base. Even though the game had a steady drop off in players by the time Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 released, my best multiplayer memories came from this game. And those are experiences I will never forget.

This game was going to get a lot of cool DLC updates, but sadly, those were cancelled after the game’s first bugfix patch/map pack. We would’ve seen a BROADCAST feature called DATADYNE TV. It was going to be like Twitch before Twitch existed. Counter-Ops from the original Perfect Dark was going to be included. There would be new maps, weapons, and possibly even maps ripped straight from the original Perfect Dark. I’d love to have seen a possible update where it emphasized the game’s vehicular combat. I would play this game even more if they included unlockable cheats in a future patch/update of the game… like PAINTBALL MODE.

And to kick my shins even harder, the multiplayer never got revived at all. I still remember the day when RARE REPLAY was announced. The fact that Perfect Dark and Perfect Dark Zero were going to be included meant that I could experience the multiplayer properly again. The servers are still active, and with them being on Xbox One, that meant everyone would be playing! So, imagine my disappointment when I got my Xbox Live membership renewed, I opened up Rare Replay during launch week. Started both games’ multiplayer modes… only to find out that no one was playing. Alas, that was a sad day indeed. Oh well… at least the remasters look and feel very clean. If only Rare Replay got a PC port or a STEAM release. I know there’s some crazy individual looking to tweak and remaster/remake Perfect Dark Zero into the game it should’ve been. I’ve seen even the critically worst games of larger franchises get unofficial fan revivals/remasters with reinstated multiplayer. Why can’t Perfect Dark get the same treatment?

I sure hope the new game is good.

Not a lot of people like this game, and its certainly aged due to how clunky the game can feel at times. However, much like say… Crash Twinsanity, there’s enough here to give it a unique feel that stands on its own two feet, even from the original. I love this game, and I’ll never let anyone forget it. And with the upcoming reboot still being ways away, its enough time for me to continue spreading the word about the merits of Perfect Dark Zero.

Perfect Dark Zero, you are an intriguing game. And while you weren’t received the best after your initial release, you’re still a charming game to me. Not only did you act as my Halo, but you opened the door to the wonderous world of Xbox, Rareware, and First-Person Shooters in general. And to that, I say...

“Thanks, Joanna. No matter what they say… you’re still Perfect to me.”

NUMBER 8 – Super Monkey Ball Deluxe (2005)

So, SEGA thought it was a good idea to stick monkeys in a ball and make them roll around some dangerous mazes…

Well, if that isn’t a good idea for a game, I don’t know what is…

Super Monkey Ball is a great game series. Specifically, the first two entries are the best of the bunch, and things could have been greater if the series official third entry didn’t jump to the Wii. (Granted, that third entry is on Switch now, and honestly, that game feels somehow worse to play than the original Wii version…)

But we didn’t get a third official game for quite some time. In fact, we had to wait for another console generation to make our dreams come true. So, what did we get to tide our needs? SUPER MONKEY BALL ADVENTURE.

Haha, just kidding. It’s SUPER MONKEY BALL DELUXE, a compilation of both Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2 (long before Banana Mania), Deluxe includes all of the stages from the original game, the stages + story mode of the sequel, and a swath of levels exclusive to the Deluxe version. Now, here’s the thing. Before BANANA MANIA, you could only play Deluxe if you owned a PS2 or Xbox. It never came to GameCube because, well… we already had two games individually for that specific console. And while the collection is a nice touch for everyone who wasn’t a Nintendo kid of that era, the PS2 version suffers from SEGA’s quirky way of developing for that platform. It’s not game breaking, but let’s just say that you’re not going to get that necessary 60 Frames Per Second action needed to play Monkey Ball just right. The Xbox version does come close, but it’s still slightly inaccurate in terms of control inputs.

Regardless, Super Monkey Ball Deluxe is a great collection, and much like Monkey Ball itself, is worth a play. You can even do so currently with the BANANA MANIA remake… which includes all the stages from DELUXE! Just do yourself a favor and don’t play the remake version of the mini games. I don’t know what happened there, but they went from smooth to really jank…

NUMBER 7 – Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (2001)

Now we’re getting into some more jank… Good Jank!

Back in my day, a little British company became my best friend. That friend was Travellers’ Tales. Travellers’ Tales (best known now as TT Games) made licensed titles to a collection of games I love and adore, including franchises I first knew on PC such the Sonic the Hedgehog games. In the 2000s, they had their hand in developing major titles to a franchise that inspired my gamer-loving hands today… CRASH BANDICOOT.

Crash Bandicoot, first created and developed by Naughty Dog, made the leap to the PlayStation 2 under the same publisher, but with a new developer at the hand. At first, people were skeptical yet cautiously excited… only for the new outing bring out more skepticism. And skepticism it brought! The game was called a lot of things, including essentially a reskin of Crash’s third outing, Warped. But to me, I didn’t know any of that. In fact, I didn’t even see what the character/franchise was until I opened a random Pre-Owned PS2 Game case that had the disk. And then… it transported me to this colorful world with a funny-looking animal I never heard of.

And then the music blasts the iconic “Warped” theme, and I started to realize that the compositions sound similar to some very old Travellers’ Tales games that I played before. When I looked into who composed the games, it was (to my surprise) Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra. The same guys who made the OSTs for two specific games I listen to NONSTOP!

Back to the gameplay, it’s the typical Crash fare we’ve gotten, but a bit heavier/slightly slippery, and a bit wider than Warped. It’s got more vehicles, and a new baddie in the form of Crunch Bandicoot. Crunch is cool because he can harness the power of the elements AND has this cool robot hand that I wish we got to see him use. And while future Crash games don’t utilize him or his powers, I do hope we get a future entry that has him do something useful.

I like this game for the fact it was the first official Crash Bandicoot game I’ve ever played. After playing out Donald Duck Goin’ Quackers for the umpteenth time, I prayed that Ubisoft would make a sequel. We got one in the form of the PS2/GameCube remake of Goin’ Quackers, then PK: Out of the Shadows later on, but that honestly wasn’t enough for me. So, finding this dedicated franchise that “played just like Donald” was perfect for four-year-old me. It also helped that this game was slightly on the easier side compared to the prior entries, so as a fresh Crash-head, I’m happy that this game exists as it did. I do pine for what would have been when I look at the game’s beta content/lost footage. But for what we did get… I’m fully happy to pop this sucker in and play it again and again.

The game is not the best Crash game, in fact its missed opportunities really show. But I really enjoy this game. It may be slower than the original trilogy, but it introduced ideas that would both carry over into its sequel, Twinsanity, but also act as the basis for the recent Crash game, “It’s About Time.” Essentially, everything I enjoy about Wrath of Cortex (the original Crash 4) was carried over and more fleshed out this time around.

This one was difficult since it was a choice between Wrath or Twinsanity since I LOVE Twinsanity. But Wrath edged out since without it, I wouldn’t have such a love for Crash as I do now. And it’s been super nice to see him have his resurgence again.

NUMBER 6 – Rayman Raving Rabbids (2006)

Bwah-Bwah…

Bwah-Bah…

BAH-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!

They’re tiny. They’re Furry. They Scream A lot… and they took over Rayman’s world. It’s those tiny, bug-eyed freaks from 2006’s Rayman Raving Rabbids. I owe a lot to these guys. Not only did they bring loads of fun to my Nintendo Wii, but they also helped introduce me to the entirety of the Rayman franchise proper. Previously, my only experience with the series is with the multiplayer title, Rayman Arena (Rayman M in other countries). It was multiplayer-focused, and featured characters from Rayman 2: The Great Escape. I never played Rayman 2 until after the first Rabbids game released. In fact, once the Raving Rabbids games started releasing, a flood of Rayman games invaded GameStop. From the original game (via Game Boy Advance) to Rayman 2: Revolution (a remake of Rayman 2 for PS2) to Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. And even though the Rabbids games continued, it did lead to two incredible future titles, Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends.

The premise of the original title is quite simple. The Glade of Dreams is invaded by vicious, idiotic bunnies hellbent of taking over Rayman’s World, getting revenge on its inhabitants for years of abuse, and turning a bubbly world into an industrial society. The Rabbids were well-designed and had quite the underlying intelligence under their… idiotic exterior. Ok, maybe it’s like a nugget of intelligence hiding inside a peanut shell. You, as Rayman, are stolen by the Rabbids and must free yourself (and your band of Baby Globoxes) and hopefully… HOPEFULLY find a way to stop the spread of the Rabbids. Or not.

It's well-known that this game was originally intended to be RAYMAN 4. Heck, in some respects, this game already IS Rayman 4, as it’s the only one of the Rabbids Wii trilogy with a proper story. The payoff may not be the usual happy ending, but for what it does instead, it’s quite the fun game. The mini games were quite the challenge even if they got repetitive after a couple hours. What made this game fun (even over the sequels) was the fact that the mini-games not only had a fun payoff to near every joke, but also helped you (Rayman) boost his popularity with the bunnies. Eventually, they grew tired of wanting you dead, and instead saw you as their superstar. They couldn’t get enough of you! Sure, there was still that set of bunnies that tried to kill you, especially their leader, Pink (and later Professor Barranco III), but you at least got on the others’ good graces.

If there’s one thing, I will fault this game for, it’s how the ending of the game… really was the ending of the game. No, really. I was hoping that there’d be some bonus platforming missions or a sequel that was a fully-fledged platformer that Rayman 4 was originally intended to be… but nah. The sequels (and most of the franchise) was handed off to other Ubisoft studios, which ended up giving us the games we have today. And while I enjoy those games, they’re not the sequel I want. Heck, we don’t even see unique-looking Rabbids again until the Mario + Rabbids games. The studio of the original game DID get to make the highly underrated Rabbids Go Home, and that game was excellent from top to bottom. But just like the original Rayman Raving Rabbids, we didn’t get a sequel as intended, and instead went back to the usual party game format.

Despite the passage of time, I’m still fond of these little freaks. From the games to the TV show, the bunnies provide a lot of joy and laughter than most weird diminutive freaks in other media have brought before or after. The other games may vary in quality, but it’s the original Rayman Raving Rabbids that keeps me coming back. As long as they’re still around, I’m happy. Plus, they’re finally going to team up with Rayman again in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. That was a happy day when that was announced, I felt like I was going to cry. Hopefully this crossover is the step we need to a brand new 3D Platforming Rayman game.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE [10/20/2023]: The DLC was short, but Rayman plays amazingly. He's got movement skills like Donkey Kong, and man. They don't need upgrades. Their moves are perfect. and having him team up with two rabbids essentially gave me a spiritual Rayman Raving Rabbids 4 AND a better-realized version of Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party. The game was also pretty funny. To the guys who made this awesome game... thank you so much!)

NUMBER 5 – Earthworm Jim (1994)

If you found a supersuit that fell from space, would you wear it?

Ok, well, what if that supersuit fell on you, and the impact not only messed up your brain, but also gave you superhuman abilities? And… what if you were a mere earthworm?

That’s the premise and origin of Earthworm Jim, a measly earthworm-turned-studly-superhero. He saves the galaxy from the Evil Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed, Slug-for-a-Butt (or Queen Slug-for-a-Butt for short). He saves also saves her “ugly” sister, Princess Whats-Her-Name, while launching cows, shooting crows, butt-ugly mutants, and riding his pocket rocket through some weird planets. This game makes NO SENSE, but that’s also its charm. Earthworm Jim is quite the platformer. Developed by Shiny Entertainment, the game oozes with a unique charm that little games could replicate... except some of Shiny's own library of games and The Neverhood. The game basically carved its own niche that still rings true to this very day. The game is a classic that should continue to be respected. It’s a difficult game, but once you get past some of its rough edges, you’re in for a blast.

Earthworm Jim has been ported to multiple systems since its original 1994 release. My experience with the series was the Gameloft port on Nintendo DSi, and eventually the HD Remake* on Xbox 360. Then, I eventually got my hands on the original Genesis version, as well as Earthworm Jim 2, via the SEGA GENESIS MINI. I also have the PC/DOS version of the game(s) which include high-quality music and better-animated sprites. The only gripe I have with future EWJ ports is the difficulty. Future releases made the “DIFFICULT” difficulty feel like “Normal”, which doesn’t fully provide that Original experience people remember. It’s not a huge gripe, but it’s a glaring issue. And that’s especially when these future ports are missing the “Who Turned Out the Lights?” level from the main game. It’s not a bonus level created for the SPECIAL EDITION. It’s a mainline level that Gameloft seem to keep erasing from all these remakes of the original game.

Earthworm Jim just keeps finding playtime, even when I’m not fully interested in playing. Even for a moment, I’ll play the first two levels of the game and I’ll have my fix for the day. Jim is such a great time to be around. I got the chance to meet his creator, Doug TenNapel, a couple times, and I was one of the first people to back those graphic novels (Launch the Cow!, Fight the Fish!). And his spirtual successor, Bigfoot Bill, is a great read that should be out in stores instead of being a Kickstarter launch. That guy’s crazy when it comes to his stories. He’s a busy man, but in a world of all these false starts of a true Earthworm Jim revival in the video game or television world… the new graphic novels are the best thing I could ever ask for. Thanks, Doug! Keep up the insanity, you crazy, crazy man. And thanks for the story advice too.

When we’ll get a NEW Earthworm Jim game is far beyond me. But if Crash Bandicoot and Rayman can come back, there’s still a chance for Jim. I’ll even take fan hacks/mods for goodness sakes. We just need SOMETHING game related. We Need You, Earthworm Jim.

NUMBER 4 – Team Fortress 2 (2007)

The Most Fun You Can Have Online… is FREE!

Nine distinct classes provide a broad range of tactical abilities and personalities. They fight, they run, and they’re the most meme’d set of characters on the internet. It’s the RED & BLU mercenaries of Mann Co., and their game is called TEAM FORTRESS 2.

Now, overall, the TEAM FORTRESS series is a great collection of games. All of them from Quake Fortress to even FORTRESS FOREVER provide fast-paced, strategic, first-person action. SCOUT, HEAVY, DEMO, SOLDIER, ENGINEER, SPY, SNIPER, MEDIC, AND PYRO are the nine playable classics. They all have unique and distinct personalities thanks to Valve’s unique sense of writing. It’s no wonder they don’t make games anymore, they spent the late 2000s and 2010s carving out their best writing talent on this game (and other Valve games of course).

The gameplay is a mix of your classic arena shooter mixed with team-based combat as you and your teammates complete specific objectives to DOMINATE the work industry. Based on the artwork of artists like Normal Rockwell, the game takes on this exaggerated style that reminds me of a mix of 1940s Screwball Looney Tunes and 1950s/1960s spy-centric intrigue. And being a game that takes place in the 1970s, the inspirations really mesh. Heck, back during its NINE-YEAR DEVELOPMENT, people complained that the game looked too much like The Incredibles. I don't know why that was a complaint, but when you remember the complaints thrown on The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, you tend to laugh in the end.

The game itself has had a couple famous updates from SNIPER VS SPY, GUN METTLE, TOUGH BREAK, JUNGLE INFERNO, THE CLASSLESS UPDATE, to SCREAM FORTRESS! And while the game took a huge hit due to the hilarious failures known as The Invasion Update and The Competitive Update, the game continues to be one of Steam's highly-played games to this day. The game's even suffered a serious BOT infestation that worked hard to try kill the game. Thankfully, the fanbase for this game is.... insane and won't let this game die. We've gone through several yearly Call of Duty games, half a dozen "TF2 Killers", and even the death of OVERWATCH 1 (and disappointment of OVERWATCH 2), yet people are STILL playing Team Fortress 2.

If it wasn't for discovering the game through a couple of GMOD videos on YouTube in 2011 (specifically through the work of animator, Crispy Toast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARhQNM4OTPI), I don't think I'd have gotten into the game at all. Demoman just sounded so ridiculous, I just had to get to know what he was about.

Team Fortress 2 is one of my favorite games of all time. It's high on this list for a reason. And if it wasn't for this game specifically, I wouldn't have returned to PC gaming at all. To those crazy mercenaries, as well as their legions of fans, thanks. So, who wants to go a few rounds on Uncletopia?

Oh, and if you're asking, my favorite class to main is the Soldier.

NUMBER 3 – Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000)

What happens when you take Buzz Lightyear's famous lines, rants about Zurg, and his allegiance to the Galactic Alliance and are told to create a cartoon? You get BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND. And what happens when you're a studio who made the successful tie-in game to a previous Pixar movie? You hire that same studio to create DISNEY'S ACTION GAME: Buzz Lightyear of Star Command.

Ahhh... Travellers' Tales. You were my Rareware. You made a whole host of games of different kinds and introduced me to various franchises that seemed to stick with me for a long time. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, based on the hit television series at the time, is an action game where you play as Buzz Lightyear in a unique way of platforming. Rather than traversing a series of free-roaming levels that make use of Buzz's various abilities/add-ons, this time, the hero of the galaxy runs down linear paths a la Crash Bandicoot and shoots everything on sight. No, really. Buzz doesn't use his laser in this game. He uses a BIG FREAKIN' CANNON.

The objective of the game is simple. Run down the hallway levels chasing criminals to their getaway spot while shooting everything on sight. It's certainly a different kind of game compared to what I wanted as a kid. I won't lie and say I wasn't somewhat disappointed that the levels were so straightforward. But I also was a kid that didn't realize that the levels DID open up, but they were still confined to the "race and chase" behavior. You also had missions that required you to find pieces of XR (the Xperimental Ranger) scattered along the track, as well as time trials to test your speed. The enemy variety is ripped straight out of the TV show, with most of the major villains that's appeared through half of the first season. The game DID come out at the same time the Direct-to-DVD movie, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, released, so characters like Anti-Buzz nor anything relating to Buzz powering a giant robot to fight kaiju (yes, that was a real episode) appeared in the game. If the game released around the show's second season, I would TOTALLY love to see that.

I love the TV show as much as I do the Toy Story movies, so everyone that I am familiar with from the show makes at least one appearance (Booster, XR, Mira Nova, Torque, Commander Nebula, Nos-4A-2, ZURG, LGMs, Grubs, Brains in Jars, Warp Darkmatter, and that one space monster from the ice planet episode). While XR is relegated to you finding his body parts (a running gag in the show), Booster and Mira Nova are quite the helpful sort. Booster stomps enemies when you collect a Booster Token somewhere on the track, while Mira is there to weaken enemies/bosses if you reach their getaway spot faster than the baddies. Guns are color-coded, which is necessary to learn when taking down certain enemies or bosses.

Did I mention the bosses are always there? Yes. Unlike, regular platformers, bosses are on each level as the main bad guy to catch. You must chase them (or beat them) to their getaway spot to where you face them in a battle of guns and maneuverability. The, uh.... the bosses are nothing special. They don't change up the pattern or have special moves that take you off guard, they just... run around and shoot you. It's literally the definition of "The Journey is more important than the Destination." The level design though, is top notch. You may not have a huge host of moves, but you sure have a lot of free range to jump, swing, somersault, fly (somewhat), and even drive vehicles! There's even a single underwater level where you must swim, and it’s the shortest level of the entire game too (haha)!

You really work up the ladder too, fighting petty thugs to corrupt traders, robot vampires, robot werewolves, terrorists, and rogue agents before leading up to the big bad of Star Command... THE EVIL EMPEROR ZURG. You fight Zurg TWICE in the game. The first time is more of a gauntlet that puts your chase-platforming to the test. The second time is a final boss that is a lot better than the other bosses, but still isn't much to write home about. Regardless, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Game is worth a play. It's best if you're a fan of Buzz as a character but works better if you have fond memories of the TV show. I come back to it for both reasons, and for when I want an experience that does something a little different from the usual platforming experience.

If you're ever confused about the game's playstyle, just imagine Crash Bandicoot with a gun. You're welcome.

NUMBER 2 – A Bug’s Life (1998)

Hitting off with another Travellers' Tales highlight is 1998's A Bug's Life.

Shoutouts to this classic commercial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niyl19t4D_8

Based on the hit PIXAR film and the second PIXAR film to release right after the original Toy Story, A Bug's Life follows the exploits of a plucky inventor ant named Flik. You play as Flik across 15 levels of puzzle platforming action. Using both the living world and a collection of powerful berries, you help Flik travel from Ant Island and back to recruit warrior bugs willing to help defeat the dominance that the grasshoppers hold on your island.

Save the colony!

Playing this game is still as fun as it was when I played it back in 1999 (I got it through the mail when Disney used to send packages to members who registered their games to Disney Interactive), and I always found the game charming. Unlike another game of TT's this one gets you to think about your actions like how Flik does in the movie. He may not have a lot of acrobatic abilities, but he can jump, kick, and stomp foes with his abdomen. Flik (like real ants) is very strong, allowing him to carry seeds over his head like they were nothing. You collect tokens to change the color of seeds, allowing Flik to perform different abilities. Whether you need to fly, reach higher platforms, jump higher, or even protect yourself, there's a token for it. Most levels are straightforward "get to the end" affairs, while others are based on finding specific collectibles or semi-large boss arenas. The game’s even got three bonus levels that can only be found once specific actions are found.

Almost every voice from the movie is in this game, with Flik taking the starring role. Flik does talk alot though. He's not GEX or Bubsy levels of a chatterbox, but he does spout something every now and again. Some of my favorite lines of his include hits like:

Heh... you're probably mad, aren't you?
Mosquitos... why did it have to be mosquitos?
Hopper -- or as I call it -- Bird Food!
Whoa! Acorns!
To the Riverbed & Beyond!
YEAH!
OH YEAH!
Progress!
MEGA HOMING BERRY!!
GOLD BERRY! I can do some damage with this!
Note to self: STOP VOLUNTEERING.

This game is easygoing platforming fun. It may not be one I replay THAT constantly, but when I do replay it, I always feel like going on a jungle-like adventure. The sights, the sounds, Flik's voice, it just makes life feel like a huge journey. I'll always appreciate the game's more puzzle-like and adventurous elements compared to hardcore platforming. I think that it, like the film itself, shines the brightest. Heck, you could say that a Bug's Life was the bedrock to another Traveller's Tales title. One that was bigger, louder, and a bit more spacefaring than a jungle bug. But first... some honorable mentions.

SIDE NOTE: Would you believe that the N64 version has an exclusive challenge mode? The PC and PS1 versions don't have a challenge mode. I wonder what that's all about.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Now, there’s a lot of games out there, and certainly ones that I’ve played more than others on this list. But to keep it short and sweet, here’s the honorable mentions of games I still go back to, even without going in great detail:

Julianna's right! If you want to see all the honorable mentions, click here: HONORABLE MENTIONS

When you're done, come back here. Because its... NUMBER 1!!

NUMBER 1 – Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue (1999)

This is one banger of a game commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezPmMgCkykc

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. But Toy Story 2 (Action Game/Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue) is one of my favorite games of all time. It’s also the most comfortable game that I can look back on. Hey, think of it like this. Some people have Doom. Others have Mario 64. Crazies have Rayman 2. And the “inspired folk” have Mother/Earthbound.

Without repeating myself too much, this game is about Buzz Lightyear during the events of Toy Story 2 as he makes his journey to rescue his pal Woody. You play as Buzz as you travel through 15 Levels of Wonderfully Toyetic Platforming. Buzz has everything from his laser to his wings as standard attacks, as well as additional power-ups such as a grappling hook, a super laser, and a disc launcher.

Buzz never backs down from a fight, so you better do your best to keep his batteries plugged in. The platforming is a lite version of Super Mario 64 (the style at the time), but rather than most other clones, this is one of the few that works that isn’t associated with a Bear or a Bird. Travellers’ Tales really hit it out of the park with this game, and that says a lot when it gets more re-releases than their prior game, A Bug’s Life. A Bug’s Life does a lot of things right, but Toy Story 2 sprays out some of that game’s rougher features. I do somewhat prefer the linear levels of the previous game, but when it comes to that one level where you build the bird… yeah. They pretty much laid the groundwork that would become Toy Story 2.

I have Toy Story 2: Action Game downloaded on nearly every system I own. I have a COLLECTOR’S EDITION of the PS1 version, the ACTION GAME PC Disk (and the same Action Game embedded into my hard drive), the crummy-yet-charming Game Boy version, and the game is downloaded into my PS3/PS4/PS Vita systems.

Between Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, A Bug’s Life, and Toy Story 2… Toy Story 2 still tops out the trilogy of 3D Pixar games and has become the Comfort Game I will always replay.

CONCLUSION

Haha, wow! That was actually quite nice. Now, to be fair, that isn’t every game I’ve played. Heck, there’s some games that, even in the honorable mentions, I had a hard time putting on the list. I’ve played so many video games growing up, and a lot have stuck around in more ways than others. If they weren’t in lists, they were used as inspirations for my main work. Heck, some of them have even made their way in my works as quick cameos or references. I’m as much of a gamer as I am an artist, so wherever my art goes, my games follow suit. As the days go by, there’s enough games out there that I can happily retire from new entries just to revel in these titles from arcade classics to console/PC highlights. And if there’s a way to ensure they’re playable on every new computer available, by gosh I’ll find a way to play it.

But hey, what’s your comfort game? If you have one, let me know in the comments or shoot me an email. I’d love to know the games that you come back to the most. They might even be ones I’ve never heard of. Let’s have a discussion and enjoy this medium together. Until next time, you wonderful Toon-a-thons, don’t forget to…

BE TOONTASTIC~!

~Mr. Toontastic

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