The Best Fan Made Games You Can Watch On Youtube

I’m not one of those guys who, when they play a crappy game, goes “ah…I could’ve made something better in my sleep.” Creating anything is tough work, and I think games are the toughest medium of all. For most games (lets ignore sports games and classic Nintendo games for the purpose of this article) to be successful they need to meet three criteria: 1) A solid plot with relatable and memorable characters 2) Graphics that are as good, if not better than their competition 3) Fun game play that doesn’t become boring but also isn’t too complex. If you fail at just one of these objectives, you’re dead in the water. Sure, you can have a great story with amazing graphics, but if no one can figure out how to play the damn thing, who cares? And since the time of Super Nintendo, we usually demand some kind of story to go with our games. That’s why even though the game I get with my Happy Meal may suck, I know my effort would be worse. But there are fans out there with some real talent and a passion for games, and sometimes that passion and talent lead to a fan made game. Usually the fan made games are only okay, but sometimes they’re just as good as a team of paid develops could make. Games like:
 

Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes

Chrono Trigger was an RPG for the Super Nintendo. It was about a boy named Crono, his brainy best friend, and a feisty princess being thrown through time. Along the way they are confronted with the apocalypse, caused by an alien named Lavos, and have to choose whether to go back to their time and live happily, or risk their lives and save the world from a threat that won’t happen for thousands of years. Because they’re heroes, they chooses the latter. With its three dimensional characters, shocking plot twists, and clever side quests, Chrono Trigger ranks high on most “Best Games” lists, which goes to show graphics aren’t everything. Since it’s release, fans have been clamouring for a sequel, and we finally got one called Chrono Cross. Unfortunately, it was a sequel in name only, with only vague references to past characters and locations. People were disappointed, and with the odds of another sequel getting slimmer every year, some fans took it into their own hands, creating Crimson Echoes. The game is a direct sequel, with the same characters and locations. The designers could only use the same graphics that appeared in Trigger, which could’ve made the game dull, but instead made it on par with the original. With sensible character development, new twists on time traveling, a fantastic new villain, and a heartbreaking ending, any Trigger fan would die to play this game. Unfortunately, Squaresoft sent a cease and desist order when Crimson Echoes was 2% away from being completed. Fortunately, you can watch the whole thing on Youtube, and vigorously petition Squaresoft.
 

Super Mario Bros: Revenge of Bowser

Super Mario is a classic franchise that still remains popular today, so it’s pretty hard to top the legitimate games. Not that people haven’t tried. Not that a lot of people haven’t tried. The results have varied, but some excellent counterfeits have emerged, one of them being Revenge of Bowser. The reason Revenge of Bowser stands above the crowd is the way it was designed. It wasn’t a whole new Mario game, it was the best of all the Mario games smashed into one. You have the classic mushrooms, the rarely seen enemies from the second game, the warp whistle, the frog suit, and even some voice acting. Sometimes the best results don’t come from your own genius, but a bunch of other people’s geniuses mixed together. Warning though, I’ve heard this game is unbelievably hard, so prepared to be frustrated.
 

Final Fantasy 7: NES

Final Fantasy 7 is often called the best RPG of all time. The plot is unbelievably dense and anything less than a full page summary would leave you confused and bothered. Quick version: Boy tries to save world, hijinks ensue. Final Fantasy 7 really stands out for two reasons. It featured cutscenes, which was a novelty back in the day, and (SPOILERS!!!) a main character was brutally murdered halfway through the game, which was unheard of when Final Fantasy 7 first came out. The NES version is less of a remake and more a “demake.” A bunch of Chinese developers want to see if they could fit Final Fantasy’s 3 disc Sony Playstation game into a Nintendo game. It worked! And bonus: a fun game was made. It’s in Chinese, but an English patch is rumored to be floating around somewhere.
 

Sonic the Hedgehog: Retro Sonic XG

Sonic has been going through a bit of an identity crisis lately. For some reason his games have been less about breakneck speed, and more about werewolves, and princesses, and guns. To put it bluntly, the general consensus is that Sonic sucks now. Which is sad, because back in the day he was close to being the most popular character in gaming history. With his lovable sidekick and levels that passed by so fast you barely knew what was happening, everyone loved Sonic. With Retro Sonic XG you can return to that simpler, better time. There’s no werewolves and no princesses, just golden rings and the feeling you might be getting a little sick.
 

Chrono Resurrection

It may seem weird that I’m putting two Chrono Trigger games up here. Or, I should say, it may seem weird to anyone who has never played Chrono Trigger. Fans will understand right away why Trigger is so beloved and so many people dedicated to continuing the franchise. Resurrection is different from Crimson Echoes because it’s not a sequel, but a remake. And, from the looks of it, the best remake ever conceived by man. I said graphics aren’t everything and I stand by that. If you have a solid story with strong characters, you can get by on mediocre graphics. But…did you look at that demo up there? Holy Gods! Exploring the different variations of the Chrono world is 3-D could’ve been amazing. Chrono Trigger has some classic scenes that have become a source of nostalgia for an entire generation (the black wind blows.) Now imagine seeing those same scenes in that kind of detail. It would’ve been mind blowing. But it was too good for this world, and once again Squaresoft sent out a cease and desist order. Given the amount of effort that was put into Resurrection, that’s almost criminal. Sigh…I’m starting to depress myself here. Lets move onto a game you can actually play.
 

Super Mario Crossover

I don’t care if you’ve only played on video game in your life, if you think they are nerdy, if you think they’re a gigantic waste of time, you will love Super Mario Crossover. It is like Christmas, your birthday, Halloween, Easter, and your wedding all rolled into one. The game is set in the Mario world, but you can play as six classic characters, all with there own skills and abilities. The characters are Mario, Link, Bill R. (from Contra), Simon (from Castlevania), Megaman, and Samus. Mario is the only character who can run, and he can also shoot fireballs once he gets the flower (although I’m not sure why you would play Crossover as Mario.) Link has his sword and boomerang to take out the Kooplas. Bill R can shoot in multiple directions and can get a pretty sweet power up. Simon seems to have the most skills, as he has his whip, can double jump, and throw axes once he gets a mushroom or flower. Megaman (my personal favorite) has his cannon blaster and can slide. Samus also had a blaster, with the added addition of bombs. What could make Mario better? Guns!
 

Pokemon Emerald 386

Pokemon may seem like a childish game, but it’s actually really fun, no matter how old you are. Sure, the storyline isn’t exactly HBO quality, and it might be difficult for some people to understand the simple joy of catching bastardized versions of real life animals and forcing them to fight with their magical powers, but there’s a reason about 20 Pokemon games have been made. It’s escapism at its best. The only problem I can find with the games is the way they’re designed. Certain Pokemon aren’t available in every game…actually, most Pokemon aren’t available in every game. You are supposed to trade with your friends, but where exactly is a 20-something supposed to find people to trade with Pokemon with? 386 does what we wish every game would, allowing us to capture every Pokemon available (at least up to that point.) You can finally have all the starters (yay!) and don’t have to suffer through all the lame Pokemon you catch in the beginning. Also, it’s a little harder, which is nice.
 

Are there any fan made games you’ve played and enjoyed?