all time favorite video game 2

2. Starcraft (PC)
Starcraft is the only real time strategy game I've ever loved. Warcraft II? Nah. Warcraft III? I don't like the heroes. Age of Empires? Don't get me started on much I despise the AI in that series. So here we are at the number two spot. Starcraft, for those of you who haven't played it, has a very, very, very simple premise--collect resources (minerals and gas), construct an army, destroy your enemies, and repeat. That's it. Oh, and you have to do it better than the rest of the players on the board, or you'll be dead in under ten minutes.
See in this picture how the noble Terrans (the space marine race in the game) collect minerals and construct buildings, vehicles, airships, and ground troopers in an effort to shore up offense and defense. The beauty of the game is its balance. Every unit has a weakness and strength. Properly managing these factors will lead you to ruin or victory. Take the Terrans for example. They have the strongest air unit--the Battlecruiser--and a super powerful land unit--the Siege Tank--but both are mechanical. While they can rip through hordes of opposing armies, their composition makes them highly susceptible to spells and attacks on mechanical beings. A hotkey of ten Battlecruisers can sweep the board clean, or be destroyed with a few magic casting land troops. Knowing these things are the difference between winning and losing.
This picture features the mighty Protoss (the alien/human hybrid looking race of the game) invading the Zerg (the final and completely alien race of the game). The Zerg are known for creating massive armies and descending like a black cloud over their enemies. The Protoss are the mirror opposite in that they prefer a handful of highly powerful and shielded troops to wreck havoc in an opposing armies base. Again knowing the strengths and weaknesses to all three races (as well as the technology trees) is the key to victory.
I have played through Starcraft multiple times and Brood War (the expansion) many times. The single player mission modes are believable and varied enough to keep the game interesting. They even through some infiltration missions in for good measure, allowing you a dozen foot soldiers to search around large laboratory research facilities. As great as the single player is, the multiplayer is just as good. Teaming up has always been more fun to me than going against each other, but a few memories I have to share for this game.

Once my friends Joe Yang, and Marco Dominguez were playing with me, and we decided that we would compete. Joe, by far the superior player (perhaps due to his ethnicity...), was kicking our ass until Marco and I decided that we would band together to pummel him down. As we were laying waste to his main base, as soon as he was on the ropes, in typical Cody fashion, I immediately ordered my troops to attack Marco's army. Before he knew what hit him the majority of his army was gone and I was left as the sole super power. After that it was a mere matter of picking up the crumbs of their armies. VICTORY.

Another time the three of us were playing on a team against three computer teams. My base was hit hard in the opening minutes. I was on the ropes and going down when I thought of a funny thing to do. I had just watched Star Wars Episode II and decided to build my own Clone Army to be funny. Marines were cheap to produce and as luck had it, I was the white team that game. Rather than expand or built expensive shit, I merely created and upgraded 200 grunt foot soldiers. To every one's amazement, the computer was stronger than we estimated and Joe and Marco were in trouble. Resources on the board were running out and it seemed lost...until. The Clone Army mobilized. With ten hotkeys of 12 soldiers each (and another 80 in reserve) I advanced on the opposing armies and the combined fire of 200 little space marines was just what the doctor ordered. From losing to winning in an instant, the Clone Army prevailed. It was so satisfying to see a string of troops on the mini-map stretch from one side to the other. Good stuff. Great memories. The highest ranked non-nintendo game of all.

UP NEXT: THE HIGHEST RANKED GAME--PAUL HOGAN WOULD BE PROUD...CROCODILE DUNDEE COMES TO LIFE! SEE YOU TOMORROW FOR THE FINAL ENTRY! THANKS FOR READING ANY OF THIS IF ANYONE HAS!