[General Discussion] Games you consider "Perfect"?

Originally Posted by evilboris

Ikaruga.
Ikaruga is something where professional level design cannot apply (because otherwise it would surpass the aformentioned Metal Slug). Ikaruga is, ladies and gentleman, not a video game. Ikaruga is a form of art.
Ikaruga uses the simplest tricks to achieve its high value, and is a prime example on why the small things matter. It features the tinyest gameplay twist that I ever witnessed (the Polarity System), and it is combined with such an artistic, almost mathematical design (the combo system) that turns simple brainless shooting into a taxing mindgame. It relies on quick thinking like nothing before and nothing after, and without it you will see Ikaruga as a huge, mindless chaos. But there is an order in this chaos, and what an order it is: underneath the chaos, every level is logically, mechanically flawless. The level design is not just in order, it is plain perfect.
Ikaruga is extremely minimal, and focuses on gameplay. It focuses on gameplay so extremely much that you will find satisfaction just by watching superplay movies of the game. Thus, the game itself is really an artistic tool.
Ikaruga is so perfect that it exceeded the videogame genre itself.

Yes! Even though i have never played it long enough to get past level 3, i totally agree with you. This is like seriously the most amazing shooter that i have ever encountered.

But otherwise, Zone of the Enders the 2nd runner.

It was AWESOME! Aumaan gate was like the most amazing 15 minutes of my entire video gaming life! Like the sheer terror that befell me when i watched that first wave of raptors fly at me. (Than i figured out they weren't taht hard to kill....) And the desperation you felt as you tried to fly all over the place to try to save your buddies, and as they fell right in front of your face it was like NO!!!!!! If only i was a little bit faster, if only i could have killed that raptor a little bit faster....

The rest of the game was amazing too, but Aumaan gate... Aumaan gate brings back memories.

Jam it back in, in the dark.