My 5 Desert Island/Forever Games

 

We’re lucky to live in a time where we have access to a seemingly unlimited amount of games at any moment. Whether it be via our consoles, handhelds, or PCs; we can access any number of games both old and new at any moment. But what if we were put in a position where we were limited in that regard?

The idea of having 5 desert island/forever games has been discussed online for a while now, though the main thing that brought my mind to this question was watching Scott the Woz’s video on the subject recently. The question never really gets uninteresting. If you could only play 5 games and those 5 games only for the rest of your life, what would they be? What makes this hypothetical different from just asking someone for their 5 favorite games is that it asks a person to consider what games they find to be infinitely replayable. A game being in a person's top 5 might not automatically be the best possible choice when you can only play 5 games forever. Say someone’s favorite game ever was Pac-Man World 2, would they consider it to be a game that they could pick up and play forever? Maybe the games' shorter length could lead to them finding it stale much more quickly than they would another game. Then again, a shorter game with an emphasis on things like many hidden collectables and replayability for speedrunning could prove to be a more reliable source of long-lasting enjoyment compared to a longer game. The nuance of the question asks people to take a look at what aspects of different games they consider infinitely enjoyable, and to think about what small number of games they could play forever without tiring out on them quickly. So for fun, I decided to create my own scenario and ruleset for the question of 5 forever games and answered it for myself. 

Why Yes, This is A Spongebob Screencap

THE SCENARIO:

You’ve woken up one day to find that you’re inside a random house on a random island. This house is fully functional and has an infinite amount and variety of your favorite foods, drinks, etc. In the living room there’s a tv along with a fully complete gaming set-up. Suddenly, an unknown voice rings out inside your head. It’s revealed that you’ve been plucked from your daily life and placed onto this island for the rest of time by the powers that be. You’ve been provided food, water, shelter, and clothing that will never run out. As for entertainment, the voice states that you are allowed to pick 5 video games to be provided to you that you’ll have permanent access to for the rest of time. The gaming setup in the living room will have all of the systems necessary to play these games and they are special versions of each system that will never die out. The games as well will never stop functioning. The catch is that the 5 games of your choosing are the only games you’ll have access to for until the day you die. The special versions of these consoles only contain the games of your choosing, and no other games can be added via other means. You’re also not allowed to swap out games at any point, so you must commit to the 5 of your choosing. The island has no internet and you can't ever leave, though to prevent you from going completely insane due to isolation you’re allowed to transplant people you want to and from the island to hang out with in intervals.

THE RULES:

1. You must choose 5 video games

2. NO swapping out any of the 5 at any point for any reason. No ifs, ands, or buts.

3. You can pick any video game for any system. They will be provided to you and you have permanent access to the game and the system needed to play it forever, so you never have to worry about losing access for any reason.

4. NO internet and NO online play capabilities.

5. For games with multiple re-releases/versions, you must specify which version for which system you want (for example: if you want Super Mario Bros. 3, you must specify between the NES original, the Super Mario All-Stars SNES collection that contains it, or the GBA port Super Mario Advance 4). 

6. Mods aren’t allowed, though fan translations are fine.

7. If a game chosen is currently in early access, choosing it will grant you the fully completed game, with all content that would be accessible offline available.

8. Only 1 game collection/compilation is allowed. If a compilation has multiple volumes then you are only allowed one volume. (for example: if you wanted the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection you must specify if you want Vol. 1 or Vol. 2)

9. Friends can be transplanted to the island for 2 days, though they can’t return until after a 2-week buffer period. Your friends can’t bring you additional games.

10. For games with DLC, the DLC will be provided to you in its entirety. Any DLC pertaining exclusively to online play will be inaccessible as you don’t have internet.

Rule Explanation:

The first five rules are self-explanatory, you need 5 games and swapping them out isn’t an option. The whole point of the hypothetical would be ruined if you could just constantly change which 5 games you have access to. Rule 3 mainly places emphasis on the fact that there’s no game you can’t choose for this. It could be an NES game, a PS5 game, a Windows game, etc. If it exists and was released in some form, you can pick it. The later part of the rule mainly serves as insurance that you will have these games forever. There’s always the fear of a console or physical cart/disk ceasing to work properly. In this scenario, there’s no risk of that happening. As for rule 4, the existence of online and online play causes really weird loopholes in the scenario for multiple reasons. If you have online, you could just download as many games as you wish for any systems that support it. You could also just pick games with strong online scenes to always have something new. These two examples ruin the fun of trying to parse out which 5 games someone believes that could derive enjoyment from even after seeing all they have to offer, so online in any capacity is not allowed. Rule 5 mainly exists for games with multiple versions such as the given example of Super Mario Bros. 3. I have it specifically worded that you must choose a specific version to prevent confusion on if picking a game with many rereleases would give you every version of the game. This isn’t the case.

Rules 6 and onwards were stipulations I really had to give a lot of thought into. Many games have incredibly strong modding communities that consistently breathe life into already released games. Giving people unrestricted access to mods was never in the cards, but did I want to give them some leeway and say they could have a small number of them? There’s a decent chunk of mileage that could be gotten from even just a small chunk of mods, but if I extended too much of a hand people might end up taking the whole arm and going wild with mods, once again risking the thinking of the question. There’s also the question of whether fan translations counted as a mod. It wouldn’t feel right to bar someone from a game they genuinely think can last them forever just because the only version of it in their language was made by fans. With that in mind, I decided on just banning any mods besides fan translations. There's just too many ways allowing mods can go overboard, and I wanted people to have access to games in their language.

Rule 7 touches upon early access games. These lie within a weird realm where they’re released but still not complete. When I sent the original set of rules to some friends to see how they answered, one asked how I’d handle games like Deltarune. I debated between two options, having the game be given to them as it is at that very moment or giving them a theoretical “complete” version of the game. It can be hard to imagine just how different a game would be from early access to release, many concepts and ideas could change with time. But, I wanted people to have access to as full and complete of an official version of a game they chose as possible. It’s why rule 10 grants a person all the DLC for a game they chose if the game has DLC. With that in mind, I went with the latter option so people who chose a game in early access aren’t left with something potentially lesser for eternity.

Rule 8 pertains to game collections/compilations. These also toss a loophole into this scenario, though for different reasons compared to online play and mods. Game compilations allow you to get multiple games in one, so unrestricted access to them for this idea wasn’t in the cards. But I didn't exclude them from this outright for a number of reasons. Firstly, while collections due have multiple games in them, they often have their own unique attributes and features that give them standalone value in their own right. They often have custom UI and bonus features such as an art gallery and music player. Kirby’s Dream Collection comes with multiple new challenge stages based off of Kirby’s Return to Dreamland that are unique to it and it alone. Locking people out of that for this challenge just because it’s in a compilation seemed like an overreach.

 Not only that, but there are also rare cases where a compilation is the only way to access a game or content in a game. The Gradius Origins collection that was released last year came with Salamander III for the first time, and that collection is the only way to access that game. While that specific case isn’t common, it’s still something to consider about game collections for this exercise. With all that in mind, plus input from some friends, I decided to allow exactly 1 of the 5 games to be an official compilation/collection. It grants more options while also having people think on just what compilation provides the most to them, assuming they want to choose a compilation at all.

Finally, rule 9 addresses that point about bringing friends over near the end of the scenario. Complete isolation will objectively drive a person insane, so I allowed friends to hop on over for a brief period to avoid some worst possible outcomes. To not make things too easy though, I added a buffer of two weeks to each visit and of course banned friends from being able to bring you new games. If I didn’t, a lot of loopholes would appear and I want to dodge as much of those as possible.

While there could probably be much more debate over the rules and the finer details of them, for the scope of this post I find them sufficient enough. What’s allowed and what’s off-limits are clearly stated and they should be enough to really get someone to challenge themselves on what 5 games they’d like to choose. Now then, what were my picks for my 5 desert island/forever games?

Sky’s First Choice: Panel de Pon (SNES):

Greatest Puzzle Game Ever

Being a puzzle game already gives Panel de Pon a lot of value for a list like this one as those generally are meant to be played for as long as you want, but there’s just something about Panel de Pon specifically that really manages to keep me engaged more than most other puzzle games like Tetris or Picross. I just find Panel de Pon to be such an easy game for me to zone in on and sink tons of hours into. The core loop of flipping two blocks to match 3+ of them in a line/column is simple but effective, especially as more and more blocks begin to fill up the screen. I find it incredibly easy to get lost in the process, and that in combination with the game's cozy aesthetic make for a game that I keep coming back to over and over again. Besides the endless mode which is what I would spend the most time on, there's also modes like score attack and puzzle, which gives you a limited number of moves to clear the entire screen. There’s a decent chunk of meat in the game if I want something different, which only really enhances the game's value to me. Panel de Pon is an easy puzzle game for me to sink my teeth into for hours without ever feeling bored, so for a desert island game it’s a no-brainer for me.

Sky’s Second Choice - Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King (3DS):

My Personal Favorite DQ

I knew at least 1 or 2 of my choices would be JRPGs, the question was which JRPGs I’d choose to take with me. A Dragon Quest game was one of the first to come to mind, as that’s a JRPG franchise I’m quite fond of with mainline entries that are mostly standalone. Of the entries I had played, the main ones I debated between in my head were the recent Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined (DQVII) and my personal favorite Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (DQVIII). With DQVII, that game has a rather extensive job system that lends itself well to replayability with systems like moonlighting. Challenge runs with different restrictions on how I interact with the job system could really change up how I play the game even after I’ve beaten it multiple times. DQVIII on the other hand doesn’t have a class system, but the skill points are a unique alternative. After each level up you get a set number of skill points to allocate to a different weapon type to give characters more skills with that weapon when they have it equipped. You could also allocate the points into a unique attribute for each character like “Courage” for the Hero or “Charisma” for Angelo. While not as open ended as a traditional class system, there's still a lot you can toy with each playthrough to make them different from the last. Between the two, I decided to go with DQVIII. I can still find ways to make each playthrough unique and it’s got an overall better narrative and cast than VII in my opinion.

As for why I went with the 3DS version specifically, the main reason is that it’s the one I’m most familiar with. I haven’t actually touched the PS2 version for myself yet, though I do plan to do so at some point this year. DQVIII has latched itself into my mind since I first beat it late May last year. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about its characters and story, and that’s exactly the type of game I’d want to have access to until the end of time.

Sky’s Third Choice - Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection (Nintendo Switch):

A Recent Addition and a High Quality One

The most recent release on this list, and my dedicated compilation choice for this list. While recency bias might be tinting my decision here, the amount of love and care put into the Star Force collection can’t be ignored. Capcom managed to take arguably Mega Man’s most overlooked sub-series and put it back in the limelight in the best possible way. Not alone have all the games been faithfully ported to the RE Engine with Japanese exclusive content officially localized for the first time, there’s also a plethora of QoL features to adjust each game and playthrough to your liking. There’s an art gallery, characters are interactable on the home screen, achievements, the whole package. All of this is backed up by the fact that the games included are of an incredibly high quality already.

I had played the fan made DX rom-hack of Star Force 1 (SF1) last year and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, and that sentiment now extends to both Star Force 2 (SF2) and Star Force 3. Star Force 2 is often considered the weak link of the trilogy, and while I do consider the narrative a step back from SF1’s, I found the game no less charming and fun in its own way. The different tribe forms are fun to play with and the battle system is no less engaging to me. Star Force 3 on the other hand is a game of incredibly high quality. The amount of tweaks and adjustments made to every aspect of the formula, all the while managing to wrap up the trilogy in a way that’s satisfactory and brings Geo’s arc to a perfect conclusion. My new favorite Mega Man and a top 5 game ever for me. Folder building gives the entire trilogy a constantly new way to be experienced and the collection comes with every version of all 3 games, so there’s a lot for me to engage with. A quality compilation if I’ve ever seen one, and the one I’d gladly take with me forever.

Sky’s Fourth Choice - The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (GC):

A Timeless Zelda For Me

This one might come as a bit of a shock to those who read my post on A Link Between Worlds (ALBW) back in February. While that game is one I do see a lot of potential for experimentation and replays in, when thinking of a Zelda game to bring on the list I often found myself thinking more of Twilight Princess (TP). My personal favorite 3D Zelda, Twilight Princess has a lot of great aspects going for it. This iteration of Hyrule, while a bit derivative of Ocarina of Time, stands out due to concepts like the Twilight Realm and a character like Midna at the forefront of the narrative. Plus, the dungeon design. Just, wow. The most consistent set of high quality dungeons 3D Zelda has seen, and that’s saying a lot since you can find great dungeons in almost every 3D Zelda. The team just nails the aesthetics and puzzles in all of them. I have to think, but I don’t feel I need a guide on hand at all times to parse them out as long as I do some thinking.  

While its take on Hyrule might be smaller than Breath of the Wild, but there’s still a decent chunk of space to play around in and I could see myself just turning the game on to relax and just mess around in for a bit. I know I can turn to TP for a good time when I need one, so I’d say I would take it with me as a forever game.

Sky’s Fifth Choice - Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (PS5):

I Love This Game, Even If I Don't Talk About It Much

My final pick might come as a shock since I’ve never talked about Devil May Cry 5 (DMC 5) on this blog up to this point. I am a casual among casual DMC fans, with DMC 5 being the only game I’ve beat among them. That being said, I’ve played the main campaign and Vergil's campaign and I can’t recall the last time an action game hooked me like 5 did. If I’m stuck on this island forever, I want to have at least one game that just lets me go out and cause a decent chunk of rampage. Luckily Dante, Nero, V, and Vergil all feel enjoyable to control and fight with. The story's enjoyable and the levels all have their own unique strengths and weaknesses that give them identity.

Going with the special edition of the game gives me every difficulty option, all the costumes for every character, every Nero arm weapon, and even the Bloody Palace mode. I could spend my time mastering all the characters, getting the best times and combos on every stage, trying out different challenge runs, etc. DMC 5 has a lot to offer and could last me longer than I might expect while giving a hint of variety to my existing line-up. A fine final choice to bring to the desert island.

Reflection/Conclusion:

The list I made, while probably not the most optimal or perfect, has games that I’ve either visited multiple times (Panel de Pon) or games I’ve heavily thought about that still resonate with me long after I first completed it (DQVIII). Maybe a game with a seemingly endless open world like Skyrim would be a better fit for this scenario, but I love every game I chose on this list and don’t want to just abandon them due to not having as much meat to them. Though obviously, with only 5 spots to fill there are a decent chunk of games that got left out that I would miss. Trails to Azure is my favorite JRPG period and I thought about putting it in the list a lot, but relented. One of the best aspects of Azure comes from how well it follows up on the plot threads left behind in Trails from Zero, another phenomenal game. If I took Azure, I’d want to take Zero as well to have the complete Crossbell duology with me. The problem would be that two of the five spots would essentially be dedicated to one story, which would feel limiting to me. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance was actually on the original list I made when planning this piece, though I took it off after putting in DQVIII and the Star Force collection. I didn’t want to overcrowd the list with just 1 genre of game since variety has a lot of value in a situation like this, so I made the unfortunate choice to cut it. The most glaring exclusion to me was the lack of any Sonic game. Sonic Mega Collection was another game that was on my original list, but after playing through the Star Force collection and placing the “1 compilation per list” rule I decided to cut it. While it has more games than the Star Force collection, most of the games included I likely wouldn’t touch much, if at all. Did I really want to prioritize the mega collection just because there were more games in it? The answer was no. If I had more space to fit it in, then I absolutely would.

That’s the thing with this type of hypothetical; while there’s a lot to think about and consider, you’ll always be left with some regrets no matter how you slice it. Games you left behind because you think they're too short, games you wanted to take but couldn’t prioritize them over other games you felt you had to bring. We’ve got a lot more than 5 games we adore, so we’re inevitably going to make some cuts that sting. A desert island games list is all about trying to pinpoint just what you can get away with bringing with you, knowing how much you're about to leave behind.

Realistically though, in this type of situation 5 games probably wouldn’t be enough. Even if you bring friends, eventually the same 5 games will grow tiring and lose their luster. It may take longer for some than others, but eventually you’ll start craving something different. 10 or even 15 games would probably make for a better fit for a forever home situation, along with other forms of art and entertainment like tv shows and music. Maybe around a year from now, I could revisit this topic as an expanded concept, with more emphasis on what I’d truly bring with me to make a desert island/forever home something that could truly last with me for all of eternity. For now, the list I made for this exercise works well enough for me. The games I listed today I know I’ll come back to again and again as time passes, and I don’t mind bringing them with me to a desert island.