WALL OF TEXT EXPLAINED: What you're looking at is an episode of Countdown w/ Defunct Games published before 2006. As you can tell, something has gone horribly awry. I won't bore you with the technical details, but it has to do with the old layout being incompatible with the new. Eventually, we would like to retrofit these old episodes of Countdown, but that will require a significant amount of time. As Defunct Games has only a limited staff, we aren't sure when we'll have the chance to fix this article. If you absolutely need to know what this article said, get a hold of us on Twitter or leave a message in the comment section below. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you will enjoy the episodes created post-2006.

#10 Delta Warp Okay, okay, you may have an excuse for not owning this, but you should. This may have never been released In the U.S., but it's readily available. I've seen it in numerous local game stores, and yet none of my Neo Geo Pocket Color friends showed any interest. They said, but it's a puzzle game, but it's much more than that. And really, what if people said that about Tetris?? But I digress, Delta Warp is a rock solid game that needs to be owned by every Neo Geo Pocket Color gamer. #9 Vagrant Story This is one of Square's greatest achievements, but because it wasn't called Final Fantasy or Chrono Cross it just couldn't do much business in the U.S. Not only a solid role playing adventure, but one heck of a great story, and a very unique way of telling that story. It also has some of the best sounds I've heard in ANY Square game to date. Why was this game ignored?? What does Square have to do to get you people to buy this stuff??? #8 Poy Poy Series While Konami bravely released the first game, it's the sequel gamers really should have paid attention to. It's funky name, and silly box art, didn't make enough people interested, even though it's probably the best four player game on the PlayStation. It's easy to sit down and learn, and just like dodge ball, it's really just about throwing stuff at people. But since nobody bought this game, even with my prodding, it just faded out. No Poy Poy 3 for us. Sigh. #7 Three Dirty Dwarves There's something about dwarves that just turns people off. I can't explain it, but I have them until I say the name of the game. Just as long as I don't say the name everything seems to be fine. "It's a three player action game, and you even get to play little mini games, and it looks just like a cartoon", I'll say. And they'll be eating out of my hands until I mutter "Dwarves". Heck, I can't even get it out of my mouth fully before they've tuned out. You'd think I suggested the English Patient videogame or something. What's wrong with dwarves?? And they are even dirty!! Maybe I'll never figure it out. #6 Mickey Mania When you're young it's okay to love Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. But when you're young nobody listens to you. Now that you are older and you don't like Mickey and his funky animal friends anymore, what are you supposed to do when you actually like a Mickey Mouse game? You'd think that now that you are an adult people would listen to you, but I swear to God they don't. I have tried to explain that Mickey Mania is actually a competent side scrolling console game. And frankly, you can't do much better than Mickey on the Sega CD. I fear Kingdom Hearts will fall on similar silence. #5 Power Stone 2 When the first generation of Dreamcast games was unveiled gamers bought Soul Calibur's ultra realistic visuals, heart pounding sound, and rock solid control. But many completely ignored Capcom's ode to Poy Poy, Power Stone. And even with a new combat system, four players instead of two, and levels that break apart, move, and do all sorts of wacky stuff, even fewer people bought into the sequel. Why? This is one of those mysteries. And Strangely enough I couldn't even get my friend interested, even though it was one of my all time favorite party games. Some of those levels are a blast with four players, and you'll have a blast looking for all the secreets. #4 Landstalker I tell them that it's Zelda for the Genesis. I tell them that it has a unique combat system and a rock solid story. I tell them that it's really long and has good graphics. But you know what they hear? No, I'm asking you. What do they hear, because what I just said doesn't seem to register for a moment. I could show them all the great reviews in the world it wouldn't make a difference. This game proved to me that people don't really listen to my opinion early on. No matter, I played the heck out of it, anyway. #3 Cannon Spike When Cannon Spike was first released it was $29.99. Yet, even twenty dollars cheaper than your average new game I couldn't convince any of my friends it was worth it. Later it went down to $19.99, and still I couldn't get any takers. Now the thing is like $5 and none of my friends own it. Why? Because it's a fairly addictive arcade-style two player action game? Because it has characters you know and love from other Capcom games? Who knows. But I still say it, you need to pick up Cannon Spike. #2 Ico This game is so beautiful it almost brings me to tears. And it breaks my heart to know that State of Emergency can sell more copies in one business day than Ico did in an entire run. And thanks to you, that's right, you people that didn't buy Ico, I won't be able to enjoy a sequel. Now that might sound a tad selfish, and I admit, it is, but you really don't know what you have missed out on. It is a life altering game that will have you always questioning game stories. It's one game that shouldn't have been missed in it's first run, and should not now that it's easy to find used. Yet I'm STILL the only one of my friends to own it. This game is as close to a religious experience you can have in a game without naming your lord. #1 Laser Squad Nemesis I've tried, Lord only knows I've tried, and you know what I get? I get people who say they are too busy. I get people who say they are already playing too many Real Time Strategy games. I get people who tell me that they'll think about it (only to flake out). And worse yet, I get people who just ignore my advances. Like I'm handing out pocket size bibles on the street corner or something. You don't have the time? This game takes about five minutes per turn, and you can play at your leisure. Don't like Real Time Strategy Games? That's fine, it's actually not a real time strategy game. Listen, there's no reason not to try this. I mean, even if you don't like it, there's no commitment, it's free (there is a subscription service that is recommended, but you can try it out for free nonetheless). With more and more reasons to play this game, there just is no excuse. And no reason to completely ignore my advances, that just makes me cry. And to add salt to the wound, many of them have recently picked up more than ONE strategy game recently AFTER I talked LSN up. What else can I do or say guys??? (Make sure you go and sign up on the Laser Squad Nemesis Home Page. It really is a great game.) Question: You seem a little bitter, man. What's with all the bitterness? Does it have anything to do with Laser Squad Nemesis?? Why yes it does. You see, every day I get people messaging me wanting to talk about what they are currently playing. I don't mind it, in fact, I actually really enjoy it, but you see, they never want to talk about the games I want t o talk about. Laser Squad Nemesis, for example, has been ritualistically ignored by just about all of my friends and on line buddies. And not just brushed off, but in a lot of case COMPLETELY IGNORED when I bring it up. Other people have some pretty stupid reasons not to play, and some times they really insult my intelligence. Don't believe me, I've talked to 19 of my friends about Laser Squad Nemesis, I've explained it, did everything I could, yet only ONE has signed up. ONLY ONE!! Now that's not a very good average. Most don't take the time to even look at it, let alone say they want to or not. And like I said, many people are ready to just completely ignore me. A couple have said they were going to play, but they never do. So what is it? Is the game like crawling into your own grave??? This is my final plight, go to the Laser Squad Nemesis Homepage and sign up. Even if you don't pay, sign up, check it out, play it, love it, and quit making me talk you into it!! AND STOP INGORING ME DAMMIT!!