In honor of the 20th anniversary of the seminal rap and hip-hop show “Yo! MTV Raps” I have put together a top ten list of the best hip-hop video games ever to hit the streets.

Hip-hop is one of the most raw and emotional musical genres, and the same can be said about the video games that it inspires, at least some of them. Also much like hip-hop as a genre, hip-hop games have had their fair share of Vanilla Ices.

We know calling this a “top 10″ is stretching it a little bit, as that implies that these games stand out, above all other games. Hip-hop has had much more success as a musical genre than as a basis for video games.

To help frame the list, “Shaq Fu” almost made the cut.

1. Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style (PS1)
Saying that “everyone had their own fighting game back in the 1990’s” really isn’t too much of a stretch, as is proven by “Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style.” You could complete the trials of the 36 chambers in order to save Master Xin. Your weapon: the ancient form of kung fu, known as Wu-Tang. With “Shaolin Style” Wu-Tang became the first rap group to break new ground in terms of mass marketing your brand. While the game may not have been that great, it is the only game on this list to have its own awesome controller.

2. Def Jam (series spanning PS2, PS3, Gamecube, Xbox, Xbox 360, PSP)
No other franchise on this list oozes hip-hop more than the “Def Jam” series. Collectively, over 60 artists and celebrities have appeared over the course of three different fighting games. Spanning the past twenty years of hip-hop, the series let you kick some ass as everyone from old schoolers Funkmaster Flex and Public Enemy, to today’s hottest emcees, like T.I. and The Game. The series has the most complete assembly Def Jam’s classic artists. Read more…

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is great, near-perfect even… but it’s not. There are still a few things missing from it that keep it from being among my favorite games of all time.

In fact, there are 10 things missing.

I have played the game all the way through. I have unlocked all the modes, characters and almost 150 trophies. I’ve seen the best and the worst the game has to offer.

Here’s what’s missing, the 10 things that must be in the sequel. Hopefully someone will take note.

1. Worldwide Simultaneous Release
This one is key. Once the game hit store shelves a month ago in Japan, “Smash Bros.” fans like myself found it almost impossible to avoid being exposed to any of the the game’s secrets. I can just imagine what it’s like for fans in Europe who have to wait even longer. Leveling the playing field for all fans and keeping all the secrets secret until the game is actually released would be a dream come true next time around.

2. Increase the Multiplayer Number
“Resistance 2” will have 60 players online at once playing the same game, and “Smash Bros.” only has four. Even off-line, “Smash Bros.” still only has four. While it may break from the “Smash Bros.” mold, upping the overall players per game would just add to the fun. Think about playing with eight of your friends all at once on one screen. It would be crazy, hectic, and awesome. Read more…

[Note: This top ten feature is also mirrored at the MTV Games site.]

This year is looking like it is going to be another amazing year of games.

In 2008, we’ll have some of the biggest sequels ever coming out, like “GTA IV,” “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” “Metal Gear Solid 4” — the list goes on.

However, every year there are a handful of games that fly under the radar. For one reason or another, the majority of the public misses out on a great game, just because they didn’t know about it… but not this year! The list below should help keep you in the know… and maybe, just maybe, these games won’t be overlooked this year.

1. N+ (DS, PSP, XBLA)
It’s a ninja puzzle game. What more needs to be said about “N+”? What started out as a Flash game has evolved into an oncoming multiplatform sneak attack that should take the gaming world by storm. In “N+” your ninja can collect coins through hundreds of levels, and by the end, gamers around the globe will learn to love ninjas way more than pirates.

2. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
“Professor Layton and the Curious Village” is only one of two party titles to make this list, but with good reason: Much like last year’s “Hotel Dusk,” “Professor Layton” isn’t quite your average Nintendo game; testing your brain more than your thumbs, you’ll use the stylus to solve all kinds of puzzles that might be more suited for a professor than your average gamer. While it was a huge hit in Japan, it might not quite tickle the pickle of the U.S. audiences, but if Japan has taught us anything, this is one game that should not be overlooked.

3. Super Dodgeball Brawlers (DS)
The successor to one of the best sports games on the NES, “Super Dodge Ball Brawlers” is a complete throwback to the style and gameplay of the original. Almost twenty years after “Super Dodge Ball” was released, “Brawlers” will be coming out on the DS and comes complete with updated graphics and Wi-Fi play to keep balls flying across the court wherever you are.

Read more…

What I’ve got here is not a list of the greatest video games of the year. I already gave you that.

This is not a list of the 10 most amazing video game news stories or controversies.

No, instead, for the third year running I am presenting my list of the 10 Great Gaming Moments Of The Year.

(I published in full on Tuesday at MTVNews.com)

These are the 10 coolest, most interesting things I came across in the games I played during the last 12 months. Yes, I’m using really subjective criteria. I don’t care. I like making this list every year as a way to highlight some small but shining touches that pop up in great and even not-so-great games.

To give you some context — and to give time for the drumroll — there were my lists for 2005 and 2006. (Click the links for full explanations of each moment)

The Year In Video Games: 2005’s Greatest Gaming Moments

• Arguing With The Panda King: “Sly 3” (PlayStation 2)
• Assisting Digestion: “WarioWare Twisted” (Game Boy Advance)
• Battling A Virtual Chef: “EyeToy Play 2” (PlayStation 2)
• Clearing The Screen: “Lumines” (PSP)
• Climbing A Giant’s Beard: “Shadow of the Colossus” (PlayStation 2)
• Rolling A Rainstorm: “We Love Katamari” (PlayStation 2)
• Sketching One’s Own Wanted Poster: “Indigo Prophecy” (Xbox/PC/PlayStation 2)
• Feeling Guilty: “God Of War” (PlayStation 2)
• Training A Sheepdog: “Nintendogs” (Nintendo DS)
• Waiting For The Washing Machine: “World Of Warcraft” (PC)

My 10 Great Gaming Moments of 2006

• The 60-Brick Bonus: “Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy” (PS2, GameCube, Xbox 360)
• The 66-Pin Strike: “Wii Sports” (Nintendo Wii)
• Bomb the Bridge: “Marc Ecko’s Getting Up” (PS2)
• Dog Throws The Car: “Half-Life 2: Episode One” (PC)
• Jack Bauer Goes On Tour: “24: The Game” (PS2)
• “Mario” Meets “Spy Hunter” With One Giant Leap: “Pursuit Force” (PSP)
• Hearing The Sound Of Victory: “Sound Voyager” (Game Boy Advance)
• Tea Time With Mrs. Sanderson: “Chibi-Robo” (GameCube)
• The Toilet-Paper Toss: “Bully” (PS2)
• Feeling The Video Game Blues: “Defcon” (PC)

And here are my Top 10 Gaming Moments for 2007…

Read more…

Who says that you need a disk to have some fun playing video games? Sometimes all you need is a little bit of hard drive space. Ranging from updated classics to brave new takes on tried-and-true genres, here is my list of the top-ten downloadable games for your consoles.

1. Pac-Man: Championship Edition (Xbox 360)
The original “Pac-Man” was one of the games that changed the world, but the Championship Edition goes to a whole new pellet-munching level. Timed levels, crazy effects, and intense challenges make “Pac-Man C.E.” a worthy successor to the Pac-Man crown. Hopefully 2008 will bring us “Ms. Pac-Man C.E.” (I really do love her bow).

2. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Wii)
A classic finally made its way across the Pacific in its original form. The true sequel to the greatest game of all time, “Super Mario Bros. 2″ (as it is known in Japan) picks up right where the first game left off, and keeps true to the game’s 8-bit visual and audio style. Although it was released on the SNES “Super Mario All-Stars” compilation, true hardcore fans know it just wasn’t the same.

Read more…

UPDATE: For those interested in comparing scores, I’ve started a new group called on the Desktop Tower Defense” leaderboards called “GOTY” I’ll post any new scores there.

What are the top 10 games of 2007, as determined by one Stephen Totilo? (That’s me).

Over at MTVNews.com, we’re letting my opinion be known.

Yeah, I left “Assassin’s Creed” off. Sadly, I had to leave my beloved “Picross DS” off too.

My 10?

My number one is the free, browser-based “Desktop Tower Defense.” Seriously. Play it for free in your web browser right now.

You tell me why I’m wrong. But the fact is, I’m not.

Also charting are: “Crackdown,” “Halo 3,” “Rock Band” (ka-ching!), “Geometry Wars Galaxies” on the Wii and more.

Full list here.

(And for the record, this list does not reflect the judgment of MTV Games, the MTV Multiplayer blog, TRL or Tila Tequila)

Following up last weeks Virtual Console release of the heralded “Super Mario Bros. 3,” and on the cusp of the release of the next greatest thing in Mario’s world, “Super Mario Galaxy,” it’s time for the ultimate breakdown of the top 10 greatest Mario games of all time.

Right off the bat, I sense that many of you may have some issues with the order of my choices [Editor’s note: please send all hate mail to Jason], but you need to understand that I am an 8-bit, side-scroller traditionalist. “Super Mario Bros.” changed my life, and because of that, I believe that Mario should never have left his 2-D world.

Also, I just want to be clear on the ground rules of my list:

1. These are “Mario Bros.” games in the most traditional sense of the word. No spin-offs, no sports games; platformers and arcade games only.
2. Miyamoto-san is not a required component, and you will see where some of his greatest games fall.

Read more…

Super Smash Brothers Brawl easily ranks as one of the most anticipated titles of the year, right up there with Halo 3, Metroid Prime 3, GTA IV… (oh wait, nevermind that last one). But what makes SSBB stand out about the rest: you can take your favorite Nintendo characters and use them to beat the crap out of other Nintendo characters (like Jigglypuff). The last Smash Bros. title offered players one of the most robust character line-ups ever to appear in a fighting game, and SSBB is headed that way with the addition of characters from third-party publishers, like the already-announced Snake from the Metal Gear series. As for who else is in store, we decided to help out the game developers out and make a wishlist of new characters we would like to see!

Sonic
Little Mac
Ryu
Wolverine
Scorpion
Wart
Pac-Man
Simon Belmont
Shigeru Miyamoto
Mii

For more info check out The Dime.

Not every game gets a grandiose demonstration by the developer during Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony’s press conferences. There are always the little nuggets of E3 that manage to fall through the cracks as the big games dominate the attention of the press. You already know about Metal Gear Solid 4, Rock Band and Wii Fit, but what about the others? We present to you the top ten overlooked games at E3.

The List:

Echochrome
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2
de Blob
Star Wars Force Unleashed
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am
Mushroom Men
NiGHTS: Journey Into Dreams
Everyday Shooter
Patapon
The Simpsons’ DS Game

For more on each game head here.

In our previous Dime post, we gathered the top 10 most anticipated games at E3 this year. However, the list was obviously devoid of any handheld games. For that, we offer The Nickel (our Dime supplemental) which lists the top five most anticipated handheld games at E3 ‘07.

God of War: Chains of Olympus – Kratos? In portable form? You betcha, and it’s going to kick some serious ass. (Besides, it’ll have to do until we get GOW on a next-gen console).

Picross DS – Sharpen your minds with numbers. And squares. And boxes. And fruits. The puzzle game makes its long awaited return.

Contra 4 – A return to form. Contra finally goes back to side-scrolling, and it looks amazing. (Thank you. Konami.)

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – Link gets tiny again and goes sailing. This has the potential to be the biggest little epic ever.
Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice – If you missed the first one, you ‘d better take a look at the sequel. Get to fighting crime and flying from car-to-car on your PSP.