Image via Complex Original
“I got the obscure games, I got the rare gems,” Mr. MFN eXquire says of his video game list selection. And he’s right. The Brooklynite rapper pulled some out of the box choices for his favorite games of all time. Much like his gaming, X’s music comes from left field. His recent project Power & Passion delivered that same level of energy heads first experienced last year with his torch single “Huzzah.” While working on his upcoming album, X checked in to discuss his top picks. All of his games are for nostalgia’s sake. They don’t make ‘em like they used to.
Donkey Kong Country
It’s gotta be the first one for Super Nintendo. At the time, I played the shit out of that game because there was nothing like it. How it looked – compared to everything else – it was just crazy. It looked like it was in 3D or something. I’m sure it probably looks terrible now, but back then it was crazy. I don’t know, it was just a good game.
NBA Live '95
Once again, like Donkey Kong Country, NBA Live 95 was really ahead of its time with all the features. Getting to do the spin dunks and all of that. They even had that “create your own player,” feature where they had a fake Michael Jordan. I think he was Number 0.
The Warriors
That game was so crazy. We were talking about it just the other night. It was one of the best games ever. People really slept on that one. You had to run through the streets of New York and rob people. The whole point was to get back to Coney Island, just like the movie. People don’t give that game enough credit. It was hella tight.
Gears Of War
I like Gears Of War…all of them. It’s a shooting game, kinda like Halo, but it’s a bit different. I think it’s better than Halo personally. Halo’s always been boring to me. I remember when that joint was real popular. My homeboy used to play it professionally. He used to go to tournaments, make money and pay his rent like that. But yeah, Gears Of War was poppin’ – you’d get to shoot people.
NBA 2K
Basketball video games to me were more fun when I was a kid, even though they look better now and look like you’re watching real basketball. With my imagination, it was more fun back then. I was really into NBA 2K. Like, "oh my god," it was crazy.
Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim was about this earthworm, who would get into a space suit with a gun and run around and shoot people. It was tight. If you go on YouTube right now I bet there’s a rapper somewhere in Kentucky named Earthworm Jim.
Mario Party
We used to get busy on that one with four of your friends. It had different games where you compete with all these Mario characters. It was like a real party, a Mario Party. Think of the Olympics, but with Mario, where they’d do all these weird challenges. It was mad ill.
Shenmue
You just live his life. His father died – I think his father was named Shenmue, but I forget. He was karate master who got killed by another master. The starts as a young boy and you gotta help him get revenge. In the meantime, you gotta go to work, get into bar fights, and look for clues for who killed your father. You’d have to feed him or he’d get weak.
It reminded me of Tomagotchi a little bit. I never beat it though. The first and second were crazy, just like a movie.
Bart vs. Space Mutants
Bart was gettin’ busy in that one. I was a Simpsons maniac. I don’t watch it anymore though because it’s not funny anymore. They did a good job staying funny for a long time. It had a good run. Too many pop culture references now. They're trying to be Family Guy now.
Mega Man X
That one was crazy. You would shoot everything up and when you finally got the new costume, you went from blue to white and orange and get all the powers. Yeah, that was a good one.
Pac-Man
I was gonna go with Battletoads & Double Dragon, but I’ma keep it G.I’d play in the arcade and then again at home. When I was about 12 or 13, me and my mother would play it every day when I got home from school and she got home from work. We were addicted. Now, whenever I got to a laundromat or a gas station and they’ve got a Pac-Man machine, I get on and amaze people by how good I am. They’re like, “How do you get so far?” It’s because I’d play it every day with my mother.