By: Jesus Cruz Valdez
OwlFeed Journalist

Nostalgia hits like a bus and I love video games so what do you get when you put those together? You get a list of the best games from my childhood, emphasis on my!

NUMBER 5: Super Mario World

A timely classic that I played on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, SNES for short. The stereotypical Mario story, King Koopa takes Princess Toadstool and you have to save her. It was one of those casual games that had incredible music. 

It was very cartoony and very much a delight to play. On top of that, you get to have Yoshi. Yoshi is the best Mario character by far and that’s why it’s story goes to Number 4.

NUMBER 4: Yoshi’s Island

Another classic that was played on the SNES, but the story is different. Yoshi has to deliver, the annoying hero, Baby Mario to the end of each level. There are eight different Yoshis that deliver Mario.

When you get hit, Baby Mario cries and you have to stop the enemies from grabbing him by popping the bubble he’s in. Yoshi is great and is the reason Mario is alive. I don’t really care about Mario, I care about the other star of these iconic games, Luigi.

NUMBER 3: Luigi’s Mansion

The basic storyline is that Luigi mysteriously won a mansion for a contest he didn’t even enter. Even I have to admit that it was a stupid decision, but it’s a very enjoyable game. 

Luigi explores his mansion and figures out there are ghosts. He meets Professor E. Gadd who saves him with the Poltergust 3000. E. Gadd lets Luigi use it during his exploration.

As Luigi explores he figures out Mario is trapped and he has to save him and he also finds money every so often. Professor E. Gadd tells him, “Once this is all over, you’ll finally step out of your brother’s shadow and be recognized as a true hero.” I very much dislike Mario so this line really resonated with me.

After he saves Mario the mansion ends up disappearing and Luigi buys a new mansion with the money he found. As a kid, I used to play this game over and over that I ended up memorizing places where everything would be. 

NUMBER 2: Resident Evil 4

This monstrosity of a game can be played on multiple platforms including the PS2, the Gamecube, PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Zeebo and the worst systems: Xbox, Xbox 360, and the Xbox One. That topic is one for another day.

Leon Kennedy, a member of the Secret Service, specializes in close quarters combat and any weapon he can get his hands on. He has been sent on a mission to rescue the President’s daughter because she was kidnapped by a cult. 

Once you “rescue” her you have to protect her until you get to the rendezvous point, but blondes being blondes, she gets kidnapped once more. It’s a really interesting game that I would still play for the storyline, even now.

NUMBER 1: The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Majora’s Mask — I played this on the Gamecube and it was the eeriest E-rated game that I’ve ever played. This game is played on the Wii, the Gamecube, the Wii U and the Nintendo 64. 

I thought it was eerie and, despite being a kid, I loved everything about it. A fellow student here at Agua Fria, Conner Hennington, agreed and said, “I was blown away…Majora’s Mask takes so many memories.” He loved playing it as a child and has so many memories of it!

The graphics and mechanics were very intricate and, as a kid, I loved it. Once you learned to play it was fun, exciting and it helps you manage your time in-game. This game introduced a mechanic where you can time travel and it was very interesting. 

These games have really struck a chord in my heart and made me who I am today. Love me or hate me but you have to admit, these are great games.