Top Ten Games I Still Have to Finish

There's a ton of games on my shelves that I haven't completed, but here's ten of them that top my 'to do' list and the reasons why. CAUTION: There may be spoilers ahead...

1. Cannon Fodder- I wrote about this in my last blog so here's the link if you missed it.

2. Pikmin 2- Captain Olimar returns to the Pikmin planet to gather treasure to save his company from going bankrupt. I was on my way to finishing this but then I bought my Wii U so it kind of got sidelined. I've only got one or two levels to go so I'm going to make sure to get it done before picking up Pikmin 3.

3. James Pond 3- Not many people know about the third instalment to the James Pond series but it was absolutely fantastic. The evil Dr Maybe has taken over the moon to control the galaxy's cheese supply, so James Pond has been called in to sort him out. The only problem is the game is massive with multiple exits in certain levels, meaning I was eventually left going around in circles.

4. Trolls- A brilliant platform game on the Amiga that sees you rescuing baby trolls in a wide variety of levels. Some brilliant animation and fantastic audio in this game, but it's so bloody difficult that after 20 years I still haven't managed to complete it.

5. Chrono Trigger- A journey through time to stop a huge disaster befalling a planet before it's too late. It's a brilliant RPG with characters designed by Dragonball artist Akira Toriyama, but I would get so far and then just drift in and out of playing it. I need to book a week off work and just sit down and play it.

6. Resident Evil: Code Veronica- Another fantastic entry to the Resident Evil series that follows Claire and Chris Redfield as they take on the evil Umbrella Corporation. I would get as far as the cargo catapult boss fight against the Tyrant but end up getting killed repeatedly. Kind of demotivating when I think about it.

7. Paper Mario- A wonderful RPG that finds Mario in a world made of paper, trying to rescue the Princess from the dreaded Bowser once again. I think I got up to a battle with a dragon but I hadn't levelled up enough so I didn't stand a chance. That dragon fried poor Mario till he was extra crispy.

8. Skies of Arcadia- I'm generally not a fan of RPG's, which may explain why there's so many I haven't finished, but Skies of Arcadia is such a brilliant game that everyone should play. Following the adventures of a group of air pirates that sail the skies in search of adventure, defying the odds as they try to stop an evil empire from taking over the world. I have actually finished the main story but I've always been meaning to back and complete it 100%, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO!!!

9. Super Mario Sunshine- Mario has been framed for vandalising a tropical resort, so he's got to clean up the mess and find out who really trashed the place. In my opinion this is the last great Mario game as it's extremely tough to beat and had huge levels to explore, unlike Mario Galaxy which is incredibly easy and I didn't like the levels broken into small chunks. I have finished the main story in Mario Sunshine but I didn't collect every Shine Sprite, and seeing as my memory card crashed and wiped my save file I won't be getting around to that anytime soon. (; _ ;)

10. Zombies Ate My Neighbours- A wonderful tribute to the horror movies of old where you play as two teenagers armed with water pistols, trying to save their neighbours from an army of terrible monsters. Don't expect the journey to be easy though, I must have played this over 100 times and thanks to zombies, werewolves, giant mutant babies and aliens; I still can't fight my way to the end.

Cannon Fodder

Cannon Fodder is an Action Strategy title that sees you leading a squad of soldiers through 72 levels, accomplishing various missions. This usually involves eliminating every enemy but can also involve destroying their bases while minimising civilian casualties. The game has been on my 'to finish' list for what must be two decades; and I still can't complete it.

The game is presented from a top-down perspective so you can get a view of your surroundings, whilst also having the opportunity to scout for enemies and develop your approach. All of your soldiers carry automatic rifles and in later levels you can pick up grenades and bazookas.

Cannon Fodder is accompanied by one of the finest and most memorable soundtracks of all time, but funnily enough it's only present during the opening title sequence and loading screens. The actual in-game action has no background music, only the sound effects, which in my opinion is one of Cannon Fodders most unique features that allow you to be immersed in the game.

Cannon Fodder also caused controversy when British newspaper, the Daily Star, denounced the game for its slogan 'War has never been so much fun.' and revealing plans to depict a Remembrance Poppy on the box art. The game was heavily criticised by politicians and the British Legion, believing the game was disrespectful and trying to make war seem humorous. The Remembrance Poppy was removed from the box art, although it was still shown in cutscenes, but developers insisted the game was an anti-war statement and there is one (iconic) scene that provides evidence of that.

Before you start any mission you're shown a grass covered hill that is surrounded by a queue of men in civilian clothing. Whenever your mission requires a larger squad, or if you lose any soldiers, whomever is at the front of the queue is taken through a door to join your ranks. The hill later becomes populated with headstones giving a visual representation of how many lives have been lost, and once you get into the later stages of the game the hill can become completely hidden.

When I think back on this scene I don't think I've ever laughed when I've watched the hill slowly disappear. I only ever felt sad as the next recruits were ushered through the doors, while the game's 'Lost in Service' theme plays in the background.

I believe Cannon Fodder did something that no game had ever done before; showing war for the miserable waste of human life and ingenuity it really is. Now we have war games being released by the barrel load every year, and Cannon Fodder paved the way for them, but I don't think Call of Duty or Battlefield will ever make a statement as poignant as Cannon Fodder.  

Note: This was originally going to be a part of my 100 Happy Gaming Days series, and even though Cannon Fodder is a tremendously fun game, I feel including it in the series distorts the message so I'll leave it as a stand alone post.