Top Four Movies

Hmm... Well, I would like to put series in, so I could just say Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, X-Men and 1/3 of the Matrix.  Still There are a lot of other movie experiences that are truly wonderful, and several that I think are great that wouldn't count in my top faves (The Godfather for instance) 

Well, here's my attempt at quantification

4. Saving Private Ryan - It's just good movie-making.  Action, Emotion.  I make sure to watch it at least once a year.  A great representation of what war is.

3. Tombstone - Fantastic dialogue.  Some of the finest lines ever.

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Melodrama. pure and simple.  It's a damn good movie.

1. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back - Yeah, it's that good.  This should be at the top of the AFI film rankings.  It's practically perfect in every way.

Top Four Books

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

3. Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa

2. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher

1. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn

Top Four Video Games - man, there's no way to really narrow this down.  If I were to make this list tomorrow, I'd probably have Street Fighter Alpha, SSX Tricky or any other number of games.  Star Wars: Battlefront or Star Wars: Republic Commando are also games that would do well on this list too.  Depends on my mood. And then there are the old school games like Whip Rush and the Hiryu games.  Plus Twisted Metal 2 or Jet Moto. And Lord knows that Metal Gear Solid has stolen many an hour from me. NCAA Football and NHL by EA Sports aren't slouchers either.  Anyway, try these on for size.

4. Medal of Honor: Frontline (PS2) - The opening level alone is worth the price of admission.  Remember the first 20 or so minutes of Saving Private Ryan?  Well, imagine being part of that.

3. Tobal 2 (Playstation) - Only available in Japan. I modded my Playstation and imported the bugger just to play it.  I loved the original and the sequel is 7 and 3/4 times better.  Fighting game excellence.  It came out in 1997 and I still play it once in a while.

2. Final Fantasy VII (Playstation) - The selection of characters here stays with you.  The story, though convoluted, is gripping, and at many points moving as well. 

1. Tekken Tag Tournament (PS2) - This game is just plain fun.  Aside from the entertainment of the video endings, the gameplay deep and rewarding.  With the Tekken series, I've enjoyed going into the practice mode and just sparring against opponents, real and CPU, without time or energy limits.  Tag is the best of the series in my opinion.