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I fucking love lists. I will make a list about anything. That being said, why don't we post about our favorite video games ever. I admittedly typed this up for somewhere else and am copy-pasting it here. That doesn't make it any less true or from the heart however! I admittedly don't play many video games and feel free to mock my list, I don't care! Here it is, with some words for each:

1) Smash Bros Melee(GCN)
There's no other game that can be #1. I knew this would be #1 the second I saw Grayson's thread posted. I probably have played this for more time than the rest of the top 5 combined. That's not the ONLY criteria for my list, but it can't be ignored. This game quite possibly ruined my life. Second semester, Freshman year, I continually chose to play Melee over going to class and ended up with a 0.5 GPA for that semester and lost all my free ride scholarship money. It's my favorite fighting game of all time, by far, and definitely the most replayable game I've ever played in both multi-player and singleplayer.

2) Super Mario 64(N64)
Coming home with a Nintendo 64 and playing this game for the first time remains my favorite single gaming experience ever. The jump from Super Nintendo to N64 was just tremendous. I was amazed and wide-eyed the entire time exploring the 3D world and seeing the gorgeous and vivid world of this game. I loved the way this game was linear, and you could get X stars to go to the next level, but at the same time, you could go back and have so many different things to do on each individual level. I loved the hunt for the 126 Stars(might have that # wrong)

3) Mega Man X(SNES)
I loved the NES Mega Mans too, even though I had to get my mom to beat Mega Man 2. HOWEVER, X is definitely my favorite Mega Man ever. The upgrades were such a cool thing. The dash and ability to quickly change between weapons was awesome. I loved looking for all the Heart and Sub tanks. All the boss fights were incredibly fun. I don't know what else to say! I still replay through this game on a fairly regular basis. It's always a lot of fun for me, and I always feel a sense of accomplishment at the end after I blow Sigma into smithereens. Only thing holding this back is no Dr. Wily to shoot in the face.

4) Goldeneye 007(N64)
To be completely honest, I barely remember anything from the single-player of the game. I think there was a train level, there was a really long and boring jungle level, and I believe the final fight with Trevelyn is really awesome. This game is #4 because of the Multiplayer. It was the first FPS I ever really got into, and I had a large group of friends that would play all day every weekend. I remember so many sleepovers and birthday parties that were just 100% Goldeneye playing. The different modes and weapon sets made each match really different. We could play proximity mines for a long time, then switch to pistols and license to kill, and the different levels were incredibly varied. Despite a finite group of settings and not that many different characters to play, every single game felt a little different.

5) Metal Gear Solid(PS, GCN)
This game is probably the best, and my favorite, at combining a pretty intresting and cool story with great gameplay seamlessly. I felt so fucking slick every time I would practically dance around a patrol. This is one of the few games where I would probably never skip cutscenes, even during replays through. It's just really fucking cool, and well-done. The boss fights of this game are also tremendous. It's been a while since I played through, but I can still remember everything vividly about each one. I listed it as Playstation and the Gamecube Twin Snakes "remake", because I probably played both equally. This is another game getting ranked up high because I have played through it again a whole lot of times.

6) Tetris(NES)
Tetris is just a great game. Solely because it's so simple, yet so perfect. It's easily the most basic game on the list here, but it's still not getting old in any way. I like this game since it's still the only game I know of that my mom can beat the shit out of me at, every time. I'm a huge fan.

7) Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past(SNES)
This is one of the few RPGs I've actually finished. I also am pretty sure it was the first RPG I finished without help from my mom or reading strategy guides in any way. It's also the last Zelda game I've completed!

8) Super Mario Bros 3(NES)
Maybe it's sacrilege to have this here, and no mention of the first Mario, or Mario World. But this game took what was great about the first one, and expanded on it greatly. I loved the different goofy suits you could get, too. This is my favorite Mario side-scroller out of the pre-64 days.

9) Madden 08(360)
I said it was incredibly lame to put a whole series under one heading. But I think it's okay with the Madden series, because of how similar each one is. I picked this one partly because 09 and 10 were incredibly disappointing, and partly because Vince Young is on the cover. This was the last Madden of the streak of each game being better than the last.

10) Rock Band 2(360)
My undying love of rhythm games has been well-documented, and this is the head of the pack by far. Guitar Hero 2 almost snuck into the list too, but Rock Band 2 put everything together with a great set list, endless waves of DLC to make the game nevr get boring or old, and the best set of plastic instruments to date.

11) Super Punch-Out!!(SNES)
Super Punch-Out!! is definitely simple. It really isn't much more than having good timing and memorizing patterns. But it's just a really fun game with goofy characters that I really can't stop myself from playing over and over again. Sometimes I take it easy and just cruise through beating everyone, sometimes I get really obsessive and go for the time trials, but every time I play through this game I have a lot of fun.

12) Mario Party 5(GCN)
Another game solely on here for the multiplayer. I played this relentlessly through college, and it's one of the few games that came dangerously close to starting fights and getting things broken because of how insane and goofy it can be. I loved all the twists they through in the game, and it's gloriously insane that you can play the best game and get screwe by chnace in the end.

13) Pokemon Red/Blue(Game Boy)
Gotta catch 'em all. This game was pretty fun, but I put it so high because of how it introduced a new form of multiplayer, and was the first time I remember using my gameboy with the connector cables. Trading pokemon during lunch at middle school was just hella fun and social.

14) NBA Jam: Tournament Edition(SNES, Arcade)
This is the goofiest sports game ever, I won't argue this. I love it. I loved the arcade style, playing 2 on 2 was just perfect enough to still kind of be basketball and still be fun for someone that knows fuck all about strategy. All the cheat codes were hilarious and awesome, the celebrities showing up to play as, the mascots. This game was just so fucking fun.

15) Star Fox 64(N64)
Another great game that really used the N64's new capabilities to the max. Just a fun shoot 'em up flier. The boss fights were all really great. The ending was incredibly epic. The duels with Star Wolf were really great fun. This getting rereleased on the Wii definitely has bumped this way up, since I played through it another many times. Multiplayer was also really great on this; it managed to knock Goldeneye out of the system on occasion.

16) Super Mario RPG(SNES)
This game was a really fun and uniquely "Mario" take on the RPG. It largely worked, and I was impressed with its ability to introduce a few new characters into the mix without being just Mario vs Bowser.

17) Mario Kart 64(N64)
The Mario Kart series was really great. And this one was my favorite! It had the best lineup of tracks by far, and Rainbow Road was a fitting, epic, and FUCK YOU final track that made every playthrough of the Special Cup an adventure.

18) Halo 2(XBox)
I openly hated most of the single player of this game. But that doesn't matter one bit. It rules solely on the multiplayer. For a bit in college, I managed to put down Smash Bros and frag some bitches on the campus network. The headsets were great for shittalking, and this even got me to pay money for XBL and play online with 13 year olds that love the word "******". I never really got that good at Halo 2, but I always had a bunch of fun with it.

19) Mortal Kombat II(SNES)
I don't even like 2D fighters that much, but Mortal Kombat II has to get a pass and has to be on the list for being just so cool. The Fatalities and everything made it so taboo and edgy to play. This was my equivalent of smoking in the boys' room after school. I was one of the coolest kids in school for actually owning this game. It gets the nod over the first one due to all the improvements in pretty much every area of the game.

20) Excitebike(NES)
Excitebike has a definite soft spot in my heart. It's a fun game period, just starting off. BUT what definitely gets it on my list is how it was one of the first games I remember with any sort of "Create A ____" feature. I spent more time building tracks in this game than I ever spent actually riding and controlling a bike. Lots of fun.

21) Marvel vs Capcom 2(Dreamcast? other systems? not sure)
Only game on the list that I never owned at all. I still played this game a bazillion times at friends' houses. It's another rare 2D fighter that manages to completely draw me in. I love all the characters, the huge number of recognizable people you can fight with. This game is just gonna take you for a ride.

22) Maniac Mansion(NES)
Probably the first/only game you might see and not recognize at all. This was a quirky, weird RPG type game. I don't think I even played through it that many times, but it is getting one the list because of all the fond memories playing it with my cousin when he lived with us. We were a great team and somehow we were able to figure this whole game out collectively.

23) Final Fantasy 7(PS)
This wasn't a game, it was an event. I almost left this game off because of how it broke my heart, BUT I did sink a lot of time into it and get pretty invested in the story. The breaking heart part - I got to the last boss, all leveled up, all ready to really kill him to death, and saved. Then I waited for Friday night, made an event of it. Had a 2-liter of coke, and a pizza all ready. Then I go to load the game and "SAVE FILE CORRUPTED". I eventually watched the ending at a friend's, but it wasn't the same.

24) Turtles in Time(SNES, Arcade)
Tell me you never had a bunch of fun throwing foot soldiers at the screen. Go on, tell me. The boss fight where you have to do that to hit Shredder in the face is the best ever. Lots of insanely fun boss fights, insanely fun to play through multiplayer, I love the Ninja Turtles. Bury my shell at wounded knee.

25) WWF No Mercy(N64)
Best wrestling game of all time. A huge leap in the Create-A-Wrestler mode. And you could fucking frog splash off the top of a ladder through a table. Who needs anything else?

Charlie Dont Surf said:

23) Final Fantasy 7(PS)
This wasn't a game, it was an event. I almost left this game off because of how it broke my heart, BUT I did sink a lot of time into it and get pretty invested in the story. The breaking heart part - I got to the last boss, all leveled up, all ready to really kill him to death, and saved. Then I waited for Friday night, made an event of it. Had a 2-liter of coke, and a pizza all ready. Then I go to load the game and "SAVE FILE CORRUPTED". I eventually watched the ending at a friend's, but it wasn't the same.

Click to expand...

Multiple saves my friend. Saved my butt more than once on the PS.

Charlie Dont Surf said:

5) Metal Gear Solid(PS, GCN)
This game is probably the best, and my favorite, at combining a pretty intresting and cool story with great gameplay seamlessly. I felt so fucking slick every time I would practically dance around a patrol. This is one of the few games where I would probably never skip cutscenes, even during replays through. It's just really fucking cool, and well-done. The boss fights of this game are also tremendous. It's been a while since I played through, but I can still remember everything vividly about each one. I listed it as Playstation and the Gamecube Twin Snakes "remake", because I probably played both equally. This is another game getting ranked up high because I have played through it again a whole lot of times.

Click to expand...

The Psycho Mantis boss fight is still by far the most original, challenging and mind-screwing boss fights of all time.

pfft of course I fucking know what Maniac Mansion is.

Charlie Dont Surf said:

7) Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past(SNES)
This is one of the few RPGs I've actually finished. I also am pretty sure it was the first RPG I finished without help from my mom or reading strategy guides in any way. It's also the last Zelda game I've completed!

Click to expand...

FYI

LoZ: LttP is not an RPG

It's weird, there are a lot of games that would have topped my list years ago, that I don't think would be in my top 20 today. Goldeneye would be one of them. TMNT 2 another.

Yeah I actually just found out recently that Maniac Mansion was actually a huge popular game. At the time my friends thought it was terrible and I hadn't heard anything about it for a while.

And also it's an Adventure game. I have no clue about genres most of the time. I am admittedly pretty clueless about video games.

I'll do one, but it'll be a struggle for me to not make the whole list Zelda, Mario, Metroid and Final Fantasy games. Maybe I'll just set a personal policy to list only one game per series.

I'll have to start working on this. Like Piotyr I will try not to have my list be Zelda and Mario games.

25) Final Fantasy 9 - They went back to the more fantasy setting with this one after 7 and 8, and I just loved playing it
24) Ikaragua - Black and white colors completely revitalized a genre.
23) Contra 3: the Alien Wars - fuck you, it is awesome. Where the series moved towards more insane boss fights, and introduced the dual weapons.
22) 1944 - Classic schmup. Any of the capcoms WWII actually fall here.
21) Warcraft 2 - one of my first rts games, I rmemebr playing it on old 486's we had lanned in the pc lab in high school
20) Godzilla 2 - why this is here...i could not tell you. the game was strange, and my love of godzilla dragged me in. And the tunes of it still stick with me, even thoguh I knwo they are bad.
19) Super Mario 3 - Man,t he hours spent on this fucker when it came out. Toss up between this and super mario world.
18) Starcraft - I need to explain this!?
17) Diablo - Now this...this was a fucking experience. the late nights in a darkened room, head phones on, being immersed with demons and horror. And battlenet really just showing us what a good online system can be. Ah, fresh meat indeed.
16) TMNT: The Arcade Game - COWABUNGA!!! Kicking ass throguhout with my brother and our friends in the arcade was never more fun as a kid.
15) Legend of Zelda - being so young and playign this, and kicking ass. Only to find the second world after all was said and done. Shit, I love this game.
14) Castlevania 3 - Castelvania at its best on the NES. Multiple paths, addition characters, nutso diffuculty..fuck, its great.
13) Marvel vs Capcom 2- yeah, best fighter ever.
12) Urban Strike I loved these games on my genesis. Take that copter and goign throguh all the different cities and zones, bombing throguh vegas, flying around manhatten. shit, even my father loved this game when it came out.
11) Tribes 2 - Actually get it to work, and the fun had with this game was fucking intense. Many an hour wasted freshman year in college.
10) Alien vs Predator (1 or 2) Like diablo, this was great immersion in the single player. Playing late intot he night, noise cancelling headphones, motion sensor my only guide, like in the movies. they got it right. And the multiplayer, shit, I still play it to this day!
9) Half Life (and its subsequant mods..CS, DoD, TF) - yeah, if I have to explain this, i am talking to the wrong people
8) Heretic 1 & 2/Hexen 1 &2 first person fantasy shooter with multple classes!? Kill the four horsemen!? Sign my fucking ass up!!!
7) Super Metroid - One of the greatest games...ever. period.
6) Phantasy Star 4 - I renteed this game so much to play it throguh, is houldve jsut boguht it. Chaz and Alys and Rune, kicking ass, and the twists and turns throguhout until the end when you have to finally take out Darkforce was awesome. Combos in rpg combat...FUCK YES!!!
5) Xenogears - deep fucking philosophical story, amazing rpg game play (the combat system was amazing). Following Fei throughout this long long game was jsut a blast.
4) Star Ocean: the Second Story - I love..LOVED this game. the moving combat, the multiple characters and interactions, all the weapons and styles, and endings. not to mention all the different skills and techs. Shit, all the voices in this too. So goooooood.
3) Final Fantasy 1 - Classic.
2) Castlevania: SOTN alucarsds adventure here is the best ps1 game. Period. the Metroid map system and rpg elements and weapons that were introduced with this game are still around today. It drew you in, and you had to unlock everything. I love it, still have it, and still play it.
1) Blaster Master - I can pick this up at any time, any where, and play it through. I love it so much. the opening intro builing up to the launch, all the way throguh until Final Boss. the music of this game, the sounds, the controls, the graphics...it was waaaaay ahread of its time. And it was hard as fuck, but in a good way. playable, and great.



I would put wow on here, but for soem reason I just cannot bring myself to do so.

These are in no particular order
1) Blaster Master- I loved loved LOVED that game.
2) Marvel Vs Capcom 2- No explanation needed that hasn't already been said.
3) Sonic 2- More refined than the first, less crappy than the 3rd.
4) Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest- I liked the blend of action and RPG
5) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time- I'm only putting one per series, and this was actually my favorite Zelda Game
6) Super Metroid- It was glorious.
7) Warcraft 3- I actually loved the addition of hero units and even though it's cliche and lifted directly from multiple other stories, I love Arthas' fall from grace.
8) Starcraft- no explination needed
9) Curse of Monkey Island- Best adventure game EVER.
10) Pac-Man- The granddaddy of all games. It is so great that it's still being played and copied even to this day.
11) FF8- Fuck you, I loved that game.
12) Day of the Tentacle- Maniac mansion was good, but the sequel was awesome.
13) Street Fighter Alpha 2- All the old school SF goodness without the bad taste that SF 3 left in my mouth.
14) Heretic 2- I still play that game.
15) Sacrifice- Really took the RTS genre and turned it on it's ear. It was revolutionary at the time and is probably where they got the inspiration to do hero units in WC3.
16) System Shock 2- Again, trail blazing in it's merging of RPG and FPS elements and still creepy as all hell.
17) Dungeon Keeper 2- The first game to really prove that evil can be more fun than good.
18) Super Mario Bros 3- I still think it's the pinnacle of the series.
19) The Elder Scrolls: Morrowwind- Still beats out Oblivion in depth.
20) Prince of Persia: Sands of Time- It really stands out in my mind as an example of the exact right way to revitalize an old series.
21) Diablo 2- Yes, it was totally worth the wait.
22) X-Men Legends- One of the first comic book games to not totally suck.
23) Half Life 2- I debated whether to put HL1 or 2, but technically, HL2 was a better game.
24) Grim Fandango- Third best adventure game EVER
25) Full Throttle- Second best adventure game EVER

1) Super Smash Bros. Series--the latter two, especially.
2)Ghouls N' Ghosts--I could beat this game every other day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it. Super Ghouls N' Ghosts gets lauded more, but I think most of it's difficulty is from it's bullshit second jump and inability to shoot down or up.
3)Sonic the Hedgehog 2--I thought the 16-bit platforming era could do no better than this fucking fantastic romp.
4) Super Mario World--And then there was this little platforming gem.
5) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time--I could never get into any of the Zelda games pre-Ocarina, probably because I started the Zeldas with Ocarina of Time...it's got a sentimental streak as well as just one of the most fun, epic and re-playable games I've ever had the pleasure of playing.
6)Parasite Eve--I never played, nor play, RPGs. Parasite Eve hit a sexy sweet spot in between.
7) Time Splitters 2 / Future Perfect--They were just funny and pretty fun, at a time when Halo was dishing out multiplayer badassery, TimeSplitters was reminding me why I got into videogames in the first place--fun and sassy, and with enough multiplayer to keep me and my friends occupied.
8 Pokemon Red / Blue--I toiled over this game for years, and then toiled again Fresh. year of college with Leaf Green.
9) Banjo Kazooie--my favorite of the next-gen platformers...I think Banjo Kazooie blew Mario 64 away. Though Mario's 64 romp probably deserves a spot in my list 10+
10) Left 4 Dead--I haven't run into a game that gave that visceral thrill and fun like Left 4 Dead did when I got it for Christmas last year. We haven't played as much since we moved out of our old place in the summer, but it's still a blast. Playing the infected with some buddies is ~amazing~.

Ok, I compromised with myself. I'm rating the top 25 Video Games of all time, with only one game per series making the list. However, I will rank all the games in that series (that I have played) in the spot occupied by the best game.

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) -
   Spoiler

   Never before and never since has there been a game that I always want to pick up and play, and when I do pick it up to play, I never stop. When this game came out, I didn't own an SNES, so I talked my mother into renting one each month for a couple days, just so I could play this game. It took 5 rentals worth of play time for me to finally get through this game.
   
   Once I finally got an SNES, I played this game over and over again to the point of obsession, even getting to the point where I would attempt to complete the entirety of the game without taking a hit, and restart from the beginning when I did.
   
   This game, to me, has perfect pacing from start to finish, plenty of varied gameplay options, numerous challenges and variety of bosses, and just enough story to keep the player hooked from start to finish.
   
   The rest of the series, in preferential order:
   

   • The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (GCN) - The only Zelda since Link to the Past to really capture that feeling of exploration and openness, even when you know what to do next. Only thing that really bogs this one down is the triforce hunt at the end, which could have been paced better. Really missing two dungeons, as well.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GCN/Wii) - Everything Ocarina of Time was, refined to the Nth degree. A couple of the items were really only narrowly used outside of their dungeon, and the wolf portions were oddly paced, and then nonexistent, while the second half of the game was mostly one dungeon to the next.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64) - The most successfully unique Zelda, and although there were only 4 dungeons, they were amazing, and some of the best in the series. The guidebook was a great idea that was executed wonderfully, and the timing mechanism was never overly overbearing, but still enough to keep things interesting.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords/Four Swords Adventures (GBA/GCN) - I had (and have) the luxury of a full setup of 4 players with these games, and this is, by FAR, the best four-player coop experience ever. Tons of fun from beginning to end. FSA was the better and more refined game, but both were a blast. If you ever have a chance to play through this, DO IT. Only below the rest because of a complete lack of story and exploration. Still, a classic game.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB) - The best handheld game of the bunch, the story was a departure from the vast majority of Zelda games, and the world was laid out very well, similar to Link to the Past. I used to go to a department story to play this almost every day before I got a Game Boy. Someone would inevitably delete my save on it before I would be able to finish the game, and whoever that is I must eventually find and destroy.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest (N64) - This may seem low for this game, but I really enjoyed it a lot. The graphics actually hold up surprisingly well for a first-gen 3D game (sure, it is blocky, but nowhere near as bad as FF7 holds up). Really missing a dungeon or two, and the first game that tried to up the ante as plot was concerned.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) - I actually love the control scheme in this, especially with a couple of the items and bosses. The repeated dungeon is a huge drawback, though, and every time I play through it I dread that portion of the game.
   • The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA) - An enjoyable game, that kind of loses focus at some point and drags towards the end. Hard to describe, except that it's really not paced well. Really liked the kinstone mechanic.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/Ages (GBC) - Separate games with different bosses, but best played together. I really enjoyed the final portion after completing both games, and I also really enjoyed the play on the original game's bosses in Oracle of Seasons, but much of both games felt...off, somehow. Just not a lot of exploration, weakly defined villains, little NPC interaction, samey items.
   • The Legend of Zelda (NES) - Weird to see this game so low, but it really is the game that created the formula and started it all. If a subsequent game were below this, it would mean it somehow did something worse, and nearly all of the games managed to improve on the basic formula created here somehow.
   • The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link (NES) - Now, this doesn't mean I didn't like this game. Far from it. I actually really liked the advancement mechanic and experience system to make this the closest to an RPG a Zelda game has ever come. However, the dungeons, bosses, items, and gameplay were clearly inferior to the initial game.
   • The Legend of Zelda: Link's Crossbow Training (Wii) - This one hardly counts, as it's a cash-in franchise tie, but at least it was developed by Nintendo. It's not a bad game, per say, but there's not much to it, either.
2. Super Metroid (SNES) -
   Spoiler

   Another game that is easy to pick up and play, start to finish, in one sitting. Easy to get immersed in the atmosphere of the game, and the sense of exploration is amazing from start to finish. Item upgrades were all useful (well, the Ice Beam did make every enemy take twice as long to kill, but it had uses), and bosses were unique and numerous. Always fun to try to see how fast I could 100% it.
   
   The rest of the series:
   

   • Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA) - Technically the same story and game as the original Metroid, but it's really a completely different experience. Wonderfully done, and really feels as close to Super Metroid as any entry in the series. Probably the best example of a good and worthwhile remake. If you haven't played any Metroid games and want to start at the beginning, go with this and not the original Metroid game.
   • Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) - The best of the 3D experiences, IMO. I liked the bosses in this one best, and I really did enjoy the interactions with the other bounty hunters.
   • Metroid Prime (GCN/Wii) - The jump to 3D first person seemed odd, but this game pulled it off beautifully. Truly the first really good first-person adventure/platform game. I think it was the double-jump that pulled it off.
   • Metroid: Fusion (GBA) - The series tried to go in a different direction with this one, and the SA:X was really awesome. Some of the item upgrades didn't really work for me, and the pacing was off a bit after you got the ability to go everywhere, but still a great game and worth playing.
   • Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GCN/Wii) - The weakest of the 3D Metroids, but still a very good game in its own right. Also,it had probably the best boss encounter of any Metroid game. If only the rest of the game was that fun.
   • Metroid 2: The Return of Samus (GB) - A creative departure from the original game, it's probably the only Metroid game that actually focuses on the Metroids. Really in line for a remake, though, as it hasn't aged particularly well.
   • Metroid (NES) - Odd that the original game would be the worst, but although the game was fun when it first game out, it didn't age well at all, and is nearly impossible to play by today's standards. Needed to be remade, and was into one of the best games of all time.
3. Chrono Trigger (SNES) -
   Spoiler

   This one was actually surprisingly difficult because I loved both Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross for completely different reasons, and both were masterful games start to finish. CT edges out CC ever so slightly due to better pacing through the game.
   
   There is no RPG I would rather pop in and play start to finish than Chrono Trigger. Combat was innovative for the time, with the dual and triple techs, and the ability to avoid any enemies on screen. Well-defined characters, both protagonists and antagonists, and the game managed to make you somehow care about all of them and their plight.
   
   

   • Chrono Cross (PS1) - This one was actually ever so close to overcoming CT, because it, quite frankly, has the best music ever in a game, overall. A few too many characters to keep track of, although each had their own story hook, but I really found the main plot enjoyable and even surprising at times, even if it did get a little convoluted at the end (I mean, it's a Square game, and hardly the worst offense of it). The gameplay was very original, and I thought it worked out really well.
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) -
   Spoiler

   SNES Combo breaker! This is, by far, the best Mario game. And, by Mario game, I mean Mario platformer, not sports, not RPG (maybe later), not party game, not fighting game (again, maybe later), not music game, and not any other spinoff game. Great atmosphere, the closest thing to a plot that a Mario game (again, PLATFORMER) ever had, and enough varied gameplay to keep things interesting beginning to end. Good pacing, and moderately challenging.
   
   As for the rest of the series:
   

   • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES) - Why this one? I absolutely loved the level design and bosses, and the game mechanics were the most unique of any Mario game (even though it could probably be classified as a Yoshi game). Heck, I even enjoyed Baby Bowser in this one.
   • Super Mario Bros 3 (NES) - The essential classic platformer. Introduced the Koopalings to add a bit of variety to the boss fights, and added plenty of variety to the different worlds.
   • Super Mario World (SNES) - Tons of secrets, new powerups, and a needed graphical upgrade to the NES series makes this the closest thing to SMB 3 that existed. Well, until SMW 2.
   • Super Mario Sunshine (GCN) - This one gets a bad rap because of the water pump, and lack of variety. However, it's still a lot of fun to play, and those pack-less platforming sections are really challenging and top-notch.
   • Super Mario 64 (N64) - Defined the 3D platformer, literally. Tons of variety in the levels, and introduced the idea of the hub world. Down this low simply because those other games were simply better to me.
   • Super Mario Bros (NES) - The game that started it all. Still a blast to play in the Virtual Console. However, not a lot of variety in the game, and would rather skip 90% of it to win than play through the whole game.
   • Super Mario Bros 2 (NES) - This really wasn't supposed to be a Mario game, and it showed. Gameplay was completely different from any of the others, and it didn't really work for me. Every time I try to play it I get through about 4 levels (not worlds, just levels) and get bored.
   • New Super Mario Bros (DS) - This one is largely an incomplete grade since I really haven't played it much. However, when I did try to play it initially, it didn't really do anything to keep me playing past the first couple levels.
   • Sorry, haven't played any of the other portable Mario games.
5. Final Fantasy VI (SNES/PS1/GBA) -
   Spoiler

   If you get a chance, grab the GBA version, as its the most full featured and complete. Skip the PS1 version entirely, as the load times will be frustrating to the point of making the game virtually unplayable.
   
   However, the game itself is a masterpiece. There isn't really a single protagonist so much as a collection of characters that are mostly well developed. Everyone has their favorite protagonist to use, and the story keeps you hooked in from start to finish, with perhaps a bit of a pacing issue after the World of Ruin is created.
   
   Also, it contains what I think is the best villain. And he actually wins, for a while. Certainly more accomplished than that stereotypical "badass", Sephiroth.
   
   As for the rest of the series:
   

   • Final Fantasy IV (SNES/DS) - Get the DS version if possible, as the remake really adds a lot of plot and character development that the original is lacking. Really enjoyable story and characters in this one too, although the plot gets a bit convoluted near the end (this will be said a lot during this list).
   • Final Fantasy X (PS2) - I have to admit, the voice acting adds a lot to this. I don't think Tidus's voice actor is nearly as bad as many do, and I liked that most of the protagonists are together basically from the start, as that gives them more time to develop them all. Kimahri is still a weak douche, though.
   • Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - Really graphically showing its age, but they somehow manage to make an emo protagonist that somehow makes emotional progress throughout the story, rather than an abrupt change to try to make him likable. Sephiroth was a pretty slick character, at the least, even if he was a glorified emo with mommy issues. The sword aesthetics were a bit ridiculous in this one, though.
   • Final Fantasy IX (PS1) - This would have been my favorite, probably, if it ended after disc 2, or even just before the final battle. Kuja was very feminine, for sure, but he was at least capable as a villain, and somehow still managed to be intimidating. Zidane was a character I really liked as a protagonist, the opposite of the typical emo personality, aside from a brief 5 minute emo episode near the end. The last boss, however? Completely inexplicable, and completely non-existent in the plot. Terrible decision.
   • Final Fantasy XII (PS2) - Tried to be different with the real time fighting and no random monsters, but all it did was make the game drag on FOREVER while the gambits played the game for you. This was a 70 hour game with about 5 hours of plot. Sure, the plot was enjoyable, but it took so long to get to the next point that the greatness of the game was really lost. However, I still managed to finish the game, which is the last on this list I can say that about.
   • Final Fantasy V (GBA/PS1) - I tried, tried to play this game on the PS1, but the load times just ruined the experience for me. I haven't been able to find this game for GBA, but what I did play was actually quite enjoyable.
   • Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2) - Ok, this is nothing like any other FF game, which isn't all bad. The all-female cast isn't bad, but it is a bit lacking in variety. I got to chapter 2 in the story before running out of steam a bit, just getting bogged down by the gameplay.
   • Final Fantasy I (NES/GBA/DS) - I have actually played this game many times. Never finished it, but played it a lot. Recently got it on DS, but haven't been able to stick with it. Lots of RPG conventions were established in this game, but pretty much every game since has done it better.
   • Final Fantasy II (NES/GBA/DS) - I just really don't like the levelling/experience mechanic in this game, and haven't been able to play more than an hour of it.
   • Final Fantasy III (DS) - I actually just got this game, and can't say much of anything about it yet.
   • I never played FFXI, and probably never will. I consider the Tactics and Crystal Chronicles series totally separate.

I'll get to the rest later. I really have to get some work done this afternoon.

Other than the top 5 or so, this list isn't really in any particular order. These are just basically 25 of my favorite games of all time.

1. Star Control 2 (PC, 3D0)- A top down space combat exploration RPG. Yeah. Star Control 2 pretty much throws everything but the kitchen sink and the result is one of the most amazing games of all time. It follows your adventures as the only free human gathering allies to defeat your conquerers, the Ur-Quan. I have bought multiple 3D0s in order to play this game (they break fairly easily) and now that it's available for free online for PC (with all the 3DOs recorded dialogue) anyone can and fucking should try it.



2. Planescape: Torment (PC)- My favorite pure RPG of all time. Black Isle took one of the hardest to fathom, let alone implement Dungeons and Dragons settings and churned out the most original and amazing RPG ever made for PC. The game is incredible, and even though it's dated, it's very intricate sprites (it looked tons better than Baldur's Gate 1 or 2) don't look too bad even today. If you don't try this game at some point in your life, the Lady of Pain will come for you.



3. Fallout (PC)- The original (or the spiritual successor to Wasteland if you want, I never played Wasteland) is easily the best of the Fallout series. It had the best mix of humor (not over the top like 2) and grittiness and story. It had it's share of problems (like Ian with an SMG) but it doesn't stop it from being one of my favorites.



4. Castlevania 3 (NES)- I remember one November back when I was a wee lad, my mom asked me if I liked Castlevania. I had no idea what Castlevania was at this point, so I told her it looks neat. Well, that Christmas I got Castlevania 3 and my love affair with the series began. Castlevania 3 is probably one of the hardest games by a mile that I can beat in my sleep. Though I still need Sypha to kill Dracula, one day I will beat it with Grant or Alucard. It's unfortunate that this version of the game lacked the extra chip that was in the Japanese version of the game which upgraded the music to levels the Nintendo would never see again. Even with it's handicap, the game has probably the best music on the NES.



5. Mega Man 2 (NES)- I harped on my parents for weeks to get me this game. It was the beginning of summer and there were no gift days in sight so I had to count on pure dedication to annoying them to get it. Mega Man 2 is, in my opinion, the apex of the series (with the first X game being maybe the only exception). Mega Man rules.



6. Super Mario 3 (NES)- I don't think I've sunk more time into any game more than Mario 3. I loves it.



7. Super Metroid (SNES)- Man, I remember buying this game with some birthday money at Toys'R'Us because it was on sale for 20 bucks. Best 20 bucks I've ever spent on a game.



8. Final Fantasy 3/6/whatever (SNES)- I rented this game probably 6 or 7 times before I finally got it for Christmas. Yeah, it was rad. My favorite Final Fantasy to this day.



9. Street Fighter Alpha 3 (PS1, DC, Arcade, etc.)- When I bought this game in the summer of 99, I had no idea that it would inevitably turn into what my best friend and I would spend hundreds of hours of our year doing. Street Fighter Alpha 3 might not have been the best Street Fighter, but it's definitely my favorite.

10. Baldur's Gate (PC) - I was so reluctant to play this game when a couple of my friends insisted I play it (I was too into Japanese style RPGs and the like...) that when I finally broke down and did, it was it. I was too into the story of the Baalspawn to ever stop.

11. Baldur's Gate 2 (PC) - I was first in line to pick this one up the day it came out. I was in love. Jon Irenicus is awesome.

12. Fallout 2 (PC) - I love Fallout 2, but I think it went too far with the goofy pop culture humour and the evil President of the former United States is not nearly as awesome of a villain as the Master.

13. Morrowind (PC, XBOX) - Funny story, once again, this one was forced on me by my PC RPG friends after I claimed I could never get into a first person RPG. I was really into it, but I never beat it on PC. I blame this on modding. I spent more time on TESNexus and TESSource than I did actually playing the game. By the time I was done, the game barely resembled the game Bethesda put out. It was only after my PC exploded and all I had were consoles that I actually sat down and beat the regular story mode of the game on Xbox.

14. Castlevania 4 (SNES) - This game..is..well...pretty much a perfect game. It improved on the old Castlevanias in every conceivable way. It also served as a glorious tech demo of everything the SNES was capable of. Also, the music was out of this fucking world.

15. Chrono Trigger (SNES) - I wanted this for Christmas so bad one year, but my mom couldn't find it, so I had to steal it from a rental store. True Story. Chrono Trigger was the Supergroup of videogames for the SNES, made by all the most influential people from Square and Enix long before Enix would devour Square to make one supreme Japanese RPG Megalopoly.

16. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) - Another game I was waaaay late to the party to. I hadn't heard of it till long after it was released and had to resort to once again stealing it from a rental place in order to get my hands on a copy. Then like a month later the Greatest Hits version was released and I had to commit a crime for nothing. Metroidvanias rule.

17. Mega Man X (SNES) - The first and best of the X series (though 2-4 weren't bad games, they just were not quite as good). Brought me back to why I loved Mega Man.

18. Tie Fighter (PC) - A genre I miss so badly right now, the space combat sim, was never as good as it was when Tie Fighter was released. It put you in the cockpit of a lowly, non-shielded, 2 puny laser spouting twin ion engine fighter. A game as hard as it was immaculatly crafted.

19. Metal Gear Solid (PS1) - Man, I was so hyped for this thanks to EGM. From the story to the amazing little touches (You like Castlevania, don't you? Yes Psycho Mantis, yes I do.) it was truly a work of love from Kojima.

20. I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream (PC) - Based on Harlan Ellison's (who also wrote the script for the game as well as voicing the evil AM) short story of the same name, it allows you to choose from one of the only 5 remaining humans left alive on Earth about a hundred years after the AI AM became self aware and Skynetted us into non-existence save for 5 people whom it has tortured perpetually since then. It's not for the faint of heart for sure.

21. Hero's Quest, Quest for Glory 1 (PC) - One of (if not THE first) first Sierra adventure games that places you in the village of Spielberg and you set out on an adventure to become a hero. It will always hold a dear place in my heart.

22. Xenogears (PS1) - I always felt when playing it that it was sort of a spiritual (TO THE MAX) successor to Chrono Trigger. I loved the combat system and the story (which during my sensitive formative teenage years I felt I could TOTALLY RELATE TO FEI AND ELLIE'S LOVE! TO THE MAX) and all the achingly over the top religious overtones and even despite the second disc of the game being about as finished as the Venus De Milo I was there eating up every single page of text (all 5000 of them) while Fei rocked back and forth in a chair. I know this doesn't really sound like a glowing review but somewhere, somehow I still always think very fondly of it and always will.

23. Mass Effect (PC, 360) - I have almost every other Bioware game on here (HOME TEAM ROCKS) so why not Mass Effect? If anyone has played both Mass Effect and Star Control 2 you could see where I come from where I say that Mass Effect feels a lot like a psuedo successor to SC2. Planet Lander = MAKO etc. I just love me some Sci-Fi RPG, what can I say? I am eagerly awaiting ME2 (which comes out right around my birthday, yay!).

24. Silent Hill 2 (PS2, Xbox) - Here's a game which I would never group with the rest of the series, since it is light years better than all of them. This is the Silent Hill I like, the one that molds itself after the person it's punishing. The twists and turns in SH2 are some of the most dread inducing in any game ever made. If you feel comfortable while playing this game, I think something is wrong with you.

25. System Shock 2 (PC) - Terrifying, in a word. Broken without mods in 3 more. Nevertheless I love it. If anyone liked Bioshock, I wholeheartidly wish you would go back and try to get ahold of and try SS2. This should probably go higher on this list, but I just thought of it at the end and I am far too lazy to go back and reorganize this list now.

Frankie said:

21. Hero's Quest, Quest for Glory 1 (PC) - One of (if not THE first) first Sierra adventure games that places you in the village of Spielberg and you set out on an adventure to become a hero. It will always hold a dear place in my heart.

Click to expand...

Well, it was certainly the first Sierra adventure game that places you in the village of Spielburg.

There were actually 50+ Sierra games released prior to Quest for Glory 1 in 1989, including four Kings Quest games, 2 Space Quest games, 2 Leisure Suit Larry games, and 2 Police Quest games. I think their first adventure game was Mystery House, released in 1980.

I only care because I'm currently making a list of them for somewhere in my top 25 spot.

There you go, I had no idea that the rest of those were prior. I was only 6 years old when it was released.

Frankie said:

There you go, I had no idea that the rest of those were prior. I was only 6 years old when it was released.

Click to expand...

Sierra was like the EA of the 80s. Every other game that was released was from them.

It was the first to me.

And definitely one of the best. Actually, if you never got a chance to check out Quest for Glory 2, there was an indie dev team that remade it for free (with permission from the creators, so it's legit).

Is that the one with the Liontaurs and the Africa-esque setting or the one with the more Persian setting? I can't remember?

Frankie said:

Is that the one with the Liontaurs and the Africa-esque setting or the one with the more Persian setting? I can't remember?

Click to expand...

Persian setting. My favorite one of the franchise.

1. Vampire Savior/ Darkstalkers 3: It has what fighting games should have. I like that it doesn't actually use rounds, which contributes to the game feeling fast. The game has systems in place to give the player options on offense and defense. I could play it for years and not get bored.

2. Persona 3: One of the few games that had me addicted from beginning to end. 4 fixed some of my complaints about the system, but 3 is the one that had me hooked.

3. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Parries changed fighting games. Many fighting games made after 3 had parry analogues, most of them making parries less of a safe option. Sure, getting your supers parried felt bad, but it was a fun game.

4. Final Fantasy Tactics: Fun game. Felt like probabilities were inaccurate, but that didn't stop me from playing the hell out of this game.

5. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town: There was a period of time where this was all I played. I don't know why I found it fun. I did.

6. Okami: One of the prettiest games I've played, and the Celestial Brush system led to some fun puzzles. Also, the enemies all had some specific brush effect that they were weak against. It was fun figuring out what that was.

7. Team Fortress 2: I'm bad at it, but I keep playing. Also, I liked that you could be bad at aiming but could pick Medic and still be helpful.

8. Subterranean Animism: The wide variety of options and shot types gave it replayability. Even though some of the shot types were terrible while others were too good. The bosses relied more on patterns this time around rather than being all about dodging skills, and it led to some memorable boss batles.

9. Garou: Mark of the Wolves: SNK's answer to Street Fighter 3, the Just Defend system was a decent parry clone. Also, the cancel system felt rewarding to learn and integrate into your game.

10. Arcana Heart Full: It was fun.

11. Immaterial and Missing Power: One of the most different fighting games released, it is hard for new players to learn and get into, but fun and rewarding once you got past the very steep learning curve. It does a great job at emulating a shooting game.

12. Akatsuki Blitzkampf: Very accessible, it was a fun amateur fighting game. Also remarkable was that it was based more off of Street Fighter than Guilty Gear.

13. God Hand: Ridiculous. In a great way. If you like beat 'em ups, play it.

14. Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core: Wide variety of characters, complex fighting system, fun. Done.

15. Final Fantasy X-2: Had a great fighting system and the job system was really well done. I know people criticize it for the story and for being Guide Dang It, but I was playing it for the combat, not the story, so I never cared.

16. Metal Slug 4: I liked shooting things. Would have been 6 if not for the third stage's boss battle.

17. Mushihime-sama: If you've seen videos containing a SHMUP with the title "Hardest video game boss ever", it was probably Mushihime-sama. I can respect a shooter that shoves so many bullets on screen it slows down the system.

18. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness: It was basically Final Fantasy Tactics turned up to 11.

19. Tales of Symphonia: Some of the dungeons weren't that great, but the combat system was fast-paced and there were a wide variety of characters to choose from. Also, ability to play combat multi-player.

20. The World Ends With You: RPG that really takes advantage of the DS's systems. Very well done.

21. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Fighting game with some ridiculous combo possibilities. Being a fan of the original series probably doesn't hurt the game either.

22. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening: The game that got me into video games. Have many fond memories of playing this one.

23. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine: I enjoy competitive puzzle games. Made the Sonic Mega Collection worth having.

24. Amplitude: A great rhythm game made by a pre-Guitar Hero Harmonix. Had the tracks of the different instruments in the song laid out before you, and clearing an entire bar made the track play for a while so you could focus on other instruments.

25. Melty Blood: Act Cadenza: Not the best fighting game, and something feels off when a character's best move is down jab. However, the ability to cancel most any move into any other move led to some interesting combo possibilities. If I knew people who played it or the sequel, this would probably be higher on the list.

Sonovabitch posted tvtropes.

Nintendo:Super Mario Brothers and Mario3, Legend of Zelda.
Nintendo 64:Goldeneye,Starfox,Smash Brothers Ocarina of Time.
Gamecube:Twilight Princess,Bounty Hunter.
PCiablo II, Starcraft, Tie Fighter, X-Wing Alliance, Knights of the Old Republic:best damn video game character ever: Hk-47, Bioshock, Team Fortress 2, Battlefield 1942 and 2, Fallout 3: knew of the first 2 so thought it was fun and okay, Mass Effect.
PS3:Uncharted 1 and 2, Infamous, Rachet and Clank: A Crack in Time, Arkham Asylum, Battlefield Bad Company: fun story and great multiplayer.

I wanna see more lists.

I have my lists, but they would be for each console. This is gonna take awhile.

Damn. I'm always suprised at how many people seem to make these lists by just listing anything with FF, Mario, or Zelda in the title. None of those three series would have even one spot in my personal top-25....admittedly, partially because I play PC exclusively. Even so, though, I never understood the love for the Mario games...Some were original and/or good, but the majority these days....Ugh.

Anyway, can't make a full list right now, but I can already say that one game definitely very high up that hasn't been mentioned yet, is The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall. It did everything Morrowind or Oblivion did, but bigger, better, deeper, and 5 years earlier.

Bubble181 said:

Damn. I'm always suprised at how many people seem to make these lists by just listing anything with FF, Mario, or Zelda in the title. None of those three series would have even one spot in my personal top-25....admittedly, partially because I play PC exclusively. Even so, though, I never understood the love for the Mario games...Some were original and/or good, but the majority these days....Ugh.

Anyway, can't make a full list right now, but I can already say that one game definitely very high up that hasn't been mentioned yet, is The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall. It did everything Morrowind or Oblivion did, but bigger, better, deeper, and 5 years earlier.

Click to expand...

Well, I don't have any PC games since I have never played them.

I can probably name 3.

Wipeout XL
Ghouls and Ghosts.
Sonic the Hedgehog.
R-Type.
Alex Kid in Miracle World (

Notes:

1) well, that's 2 more than 3, one fifth of what the OP asked for. hmm....

2) I can't for the life of me remember why I liked that last one, especially the annoyingly annoying Rock-Paper-Scissors matches that would simply kill your progress - halfway through the game, no saving! - until you figured out the pattern

3) You'll notice there are no new games on this list. The closest one that would make it on would be Need For Speed: Most wanted but I left it off because it was too easy for me so I felt very little sense of accomplishment when beating it. Indeed, of the games I listed, the only two I did manage to complete were Alex Kid and Ghouls and Ghosts.

4) I occasionally think that the save feature killed the greatness of video games. But then, I rather hated playing Alex Kidd the last time I tried, so what the heck do I know?

5) I'm rather confused by the strange omission of Frogger, Pacman, and Loderunner from my list.

In absolutely no order:

1. Planescape: Torment. I lied, this one actually is my #1 game of all time. Where do I even begin... The story was clever, original, and well written; the characters were interesting and well developed, and the gameplay... Well, it served to carry the story and the characters, which is what this game was about. Also, the Longing sequence is one of the very few scenes in a video game to make me cry. Absolutely amazing.

2. Fallout 2. While the gameplay may not have been as fun as its successor, the story more than makes up for it. The sheer depth and number of sidequests available is absolutely astounding. You WERE the catalyst of change for the Wasteland, and you knew it. The main villain may have been less memorable than either of the other installments, but nonetheless, this one stands out.

3. Starcraft. I don't even know how many hours I've wasted playing this game. That you could play as any of three races, get a distinct experience, and still have a viable chance to win, is still amazing. Tons of fun.

4. Bioshock. The game might have been easier than I would've liked, but godDAMN it had an amazing atmosphere. "A MAN CHOOSES! A SLAVE OBEYS! OBEY!" is still one of my favorite moments of anything, ever. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel, which hopefully finds a way to make it a bit more difficult than "Smack Big Daddy with wrench, get sent to Vita-Chamber, repeat." (Also, the end boss was kind of lame.)

5. Mass Effect. Simply an amazing game all around. Besides, it had Wrex! Any game would be better with more Wrex. And one of your main allies is Goliath! How could it not be awesome?

6. Left 4 Dead 1+2. Again, I'm not sure how many hours I've spent playing this game. And how many other games allow you to reimagine the cover for London Calling?

7. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Horribly glitchy game, yes, but it pulled off one hell of an atmosphere. Also, you could be a Malkavian. Which was awesome.

8. Half Life 2. Just... Half Life 2.

9. Portal. Short, but very good fun while it lasted.

10. Team Fortress 2. I play primarily as a Scout, my friend plays primarily as a Spy. I was not pleased when the Meet the Spy video came out.

And that's all for now, I'll finish it out later.

I had shit to do so I left this incomplete but I think they all explain themselves.

1.Morrowind (PC)
This is without a doubt the greatest game of all time and the one that I am 100% confident with its place on this list. I played this game for a full year before doing the main quest and I still play it regularly. The only flaw with this was its combat system but you leveled fast enough for it to be a minor issue. With the amount of mods I have installed on this game it's easily three times the size of the original install.
2.Starcraft (PC)
Here is a game I have played countless matches on against my friends. Whether it was a casual game or a game against any koreans that I know (I didn't win those) it was always fun. I played Terran like a good American, just waiting for Boxer to make his comeback. A few times I hung out with friends until 2 AM to watch Jae-dong vs. Stork or whoever was playing.
3.Half Life (PC)
This entry includes the expansion packs and doesn't require much explanation. The storyline and the games intensity as you fight aliens and men through the facility is at this point legendary. The G-man is a terrifying person to this day.
4.Diablo II (PC)
I put Diablo II on here rather than the original because this was the game where I would get together with my friends (After arguing about who plays what class) to run through the game. I don't know how many Bhaal runs I went on or how many times I have slain the cow king but it still isn't old. I don't know what's crazier, the elation at beating Diablo the first time or the rage when your hardcore character dies because someone calls you on the phone.
5.Half Life 2 (PC)
A continuation of the first epic game, I waited for this for a long time and wasn't disappointed. The Gravity gun is widely recognized as one of the greatest guns of a video game history and I probably tried to use it as a weapon far more than the game expected.
6.Portal (PC)
Despite being extremely short there was more character and story in this game then there is in the epically long (and for some reason popular) Halo trilogy. THE CAKE IS A LIE is a tribute to people recognizing a great game right off the bat. To use that now annoyingly quoted phrase, "This was a triumph."
7.Goldeneye (N64)
Although I barely recall playing this game (Instrument closet of the Band room) I do remember it being a shit ton of fun. Particularly being forced to play Oddjob due to my short stature.
8.Team Fortress 2 (PC)
According to Steam I have played this game for 20 hours in the last two weeks and played the Spy class for a total of 28 hours since its release. This is a really well balanced game that I can call up my old friends to play for a few rounds and it fills everyone's wants. The art style is genius and with only a few short videos and a couple of one liners it features a great "cast."
"Entire team is babies!"
9.Left 4 Dead (PC)
I don't really play this anymore but for several weeks following this release I remember nothing but hordes of zombies flowing at me and three friends. This really is the perfect co-op and I'm planning on getting a few rounds in over New Years during an annual "reunion" or sorts.
10.Counterstrike (PC)
11.Medieval II (PC)
After beating this game as every country it kind of loses its value but that's still a good year or so if you made the game last longer by messing around with the game files.
12.Psychonauts (PC)
13.Red Alert 2 (PC)
14.Warcraft II (PC)
15.Call of Duty 2 (PC)
16.Civilization IV (PC)
17.Lighthouse (PC)
18.Nox (PC)
19.Super Smash Bros. Melee (GC)
20.Knights of the Old Republic (PC)
21.Age of Empires II (PC)
22.Max Payne (PC)
23.Baldur's Gate II (PC)
24.Grand Theft Auto III (PC)
25.Simcity 3000 (PC)

Bubble181 said:

Damn. I'm always suprised at how many people seem to make these lists by just listing anything with FF, Mario, or Zelda in the title. None of those three series would have even one spot in my personal top-25....admittedly, partially because I play PC exclusively. Even so, though, I never understood the love for the Mario games...Some were original and/or good, but the majority these days....Ugh.

Anyway, can't make a full list right now, but I can already say that one game definitely very high up that hasn't been mentioned yet, is The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall. It did everything Morrowind or Oblivion did, but bigger, better, deeper, and 5 years earlier.

Click to expand...

I have to add on to my lists. I mean, with all the games they put out, odds are good they'd strike gold at least once, which is why I have one game from each series in my top 5.

I've also never been much of a PC gamer outside of Blizzard and Sierra titles. Not a twitchy kind of gamer.

Piotyr;311015][quote=Bubble181 said:

Damn. I'm always suprised at how many people seem to make these lists by just listing anything with FF, Mario, or Zelda in the title. None of those three series would have even one spot in my personal top-25....admittedly, partially because I play PC exclusively. Even so, though, I never understood the love for the Mario games...Some were original and/or good, but the majority these days....Ugh.

Anyway, can't make a full list right now, but I can already say that one game definitely very high up that hasn't been mentioned yet, is The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall. It did everything Morrowind or Oblivion did, but bigger, better, deeper, and 5 years earlier.

Click to expand...

I have to add on to my lists. I mean, with all the games they put out, odds are good they'd strike gold at least once, which is why I have one game from each series in my top 5.

I've also never been much of a PC gamer outside of Blizzard and Sierra titles. Not a twitchy kind of gamer.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. That's why it's an "of all time" list. Each of the Nintendo cash cows at one point or another put out games that were innovative, enjoyable, and just plain awesome. Hence why they are cash cows now.

My SNES list is pretty short because I was a Sega fanboy in that generation.

Bubble181 said:

Damn. I'm always suprised at how many people seem to make these lists by just listing anything with FF, Mario, or Zelda in the title. None of those three series would have even one spot in my personal top-25....admittedly, partially because I play PC exclusively. Even so, though, I never understood the love for the Mario games...Some were original and/or good, but the majority these days....Ugh.

Anyway, can't make a full list right now, but I can already say that one game definitely very high up that hasn't been mentioned yet, is The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall. It did everything Morrowind or Oblivion did, but bigger, better, deeper, and 5 years earlier.

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It's not surprising, considering PC gaming has always been far more popular overall in Europe than it has ever been in North America.

I also like to think that my list is pretty God damn varied.

Also, point of order, the Mario/Zelda games show up all the time, and multiple times, not because they have Mario/Zelda in the name, but because they kind of are all some of the greatest games

Threads like these make me mad that I've never found a copy of Planescape: Torment.

1) Baldurs's Gate 1&2

I love RPGS (you'll see a lot of them) and this is the best one ever. With the mods, it's just awesome.
I count both as 1 because i still replay the whole thing at least once a year.

2) Heroes of Might and Magic 3

Best game in the series. i love turn by turn, i love medfi settings, the game was pure joy to play in hot seat or on the internet when it was new to play online. Necro Rules <3

3) Civilization IV.
the best game of the series and so fun and complex. I still can't beat deity

4) Planescape Torment:

Best story driven rpg ever

5) Fallout 2

Fallout 1 but bigger, better, faster, stronger which leads to...

6) Fallout

I Love the universe, the humor, the characters, i love everything about that game.

7) Daggerfall
Great sandbox RPG which i played a whole year despite the legion of bugs. Without the bugs, it might have been N°1

8) Jagged Alliance2: Guerilla
Turn by turn strat game where you hire mercs to overthrow the evil queen of a country. Mercs do level up which makes it some sort of rpg TbT game. replayed at least 10 times. I can still list my 10 fav mercs without even thinking.

9) Half-Life.

1st FPS of the list. Nuff said.

10) Knights of the old Republic.
It's a shame i couldn't put it higher really.

11) Kick Off 2
i loved playing this game on the amiga 500 with my best friend.

12) Shinning Force 2

<3 Bleu the dragon. funny yet very (at the time) strategically sound game.

13) Dungeon Keeper
Peter molyneux at his best

14) Mass Effect
yeah i know side quests suck. Still, the story and the universe is awesome. can't wait for 2

15) Soul Calibur IV
imo, the best fighting game ever made

16) Dawn of War
Space Marines own. W40K owns. as far as RTS are concerned, i don't think you can top that one.

17) Dawn of War 2:
i like the direction for the sequel a lot but online play has suffered a lot due to that.

18) Moonstone
On the Amiga 500, fun fights, gore and 4 players. what's not to like. could have been higher but the game was buggy.

19) Tekken Tag
imo, the second best fighting game ever made

20) Dragon Age
another masterpiece crafted by Bioware but not BG2

21) Fallout 3

Thanks Bethesda for restoring my faith in you after the pile of shit that olbivion was

22) Morrowind.
Great game. Honestly, it should be in the top 10 somewhere but i just thought about it and i'm not changing everything.

23) Privateer

Great game. Too bad they went crazy with the II who was probably one of the worst sequels ever.

24) Chrono Trigger

I don't like Jrpgs that much except this one.

25) Deus EX

Another game that should be higher.

ok. FUCK IT i give up. I forgot Xcom which should be N°1 or 2.

i also forgot company of heroes.

and Diablo II and Vampire the masquerade Redemption and Might and Magic VI. AAAAAAAAAH
Head asplode.

Dude, Privateer 2 had fucking Christopher Walken. Christopher effing Walken!

i'm trying to forget here. and you're not helping

Instead of a top 25 list, I went my top 10 and then my bottom 10.

10. Ogre Battle/Ogre Battle 64 (tie) - A FANTASTIC series of games that goes criminally overlooked. It combines war strategy with RPGs, allowing you to build armies of knights/wizards/fantasy creatures all with experience points and levels. You then march them on the field of battle against opposing armies. There are also unique hero characters that are recruitable throughout the game, most of which are badasses. The music is also outstanding and I regularly listen to both soundtracks.

9. Secret of Mana - Yay for RPG-action! Although I still refuse to believe the Sprite is a guy, look at the thing. Anyways, definitely iconic for any number of reasons. The combat, the music, the story, the music. Did I mention the music was awesome?

8. Baldur's Gate II - The single definitive PC role-playing game. It's almost comical now how every game after it hasn't even come close to scratching the surface of how good Baldur's Gate II is. Engaging characters (even the annoying ones have engrossing stories), your typical D&D PC game combat, a great atmosphere, side-quests and party interaction up the wazoo, and a great overall storyline.

7. Halo - Let me be upfront: I hate FPSes. Why? Sniping. I'd love to be able to play these games but the second I join, I'm sniped. Fuck snipers and fuck sniping. That said, Halo was AMAZING. Immense maps that you could explore every pixel of, an easy learning curve for chumps like me combined with the insane Legendary difficulty for people who can actually play, SUPERB music, and best of all: NO ONLINE MULTIPLAYER! Thank god! When this game came out, it was quite often the activity of choice after 501st Legion meetings. A couple TVs, couple XBoxes, all friends and no XBox Live jackasses with sniper rifles. Just plain fun.

6. Mass Effect - I tend to lower my nose at modern things. It's a conceit of mine, being a history guy who is also easily prone to nostalgia. But Mass Effect was an instant classic. Let me just get this outta the way, yep it has great music. Both Halo and ME surprised me with their soundtracks, as I normally loathe techno/electronica. But while Halo at least makes it sound symphonic, ME's sounds pretty much pure techno but the soundtrack is great. The combat is fun for a FPS hater such as myself; my "canon" run Shephard is a soldier with the Singularity power, allowing me to toss enemies into a mid-air black hole while I pump assault rifle rounds into them. Also, unlike apparently everyone else on the planet, I had zero issue using the Mako. It's just hover-and-shoot, easy as pie. And then, of course, there's the story. Love it, love it, love it and the conservation wheel/branches just makes things even better. I can't wait to see the improvements in ME2.

5. Earthbound - Quirky. Fun. Bats and frying pans as weapons. Hippies, fat kids, and zombies as enemies. Catchy soundtrack. For as negative and angry and abrasive as I am, Earthbound is the total opposite. It's the video game equivalent of a hug from mom, or homemade dinner from grandma. And it's awesome.

4. Final Fantasy IV - I have this theory about Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI, which stems from both their amazing soundtracks. It really comes off like 4 is a re-telling of some mythological Celtic/Gaelic folk story while 6 is these giant sweeping epic opera. Anyways, 4 was my introduction to the Final Fantasy series as I never played 1 on the NES. Opening the game with a cutscene of airships to that badass pounding "Red Wings" theme was probably the best way to get me hooked, and I stayed through the whole story. And what a story it was. It still outshines 99% of video games nowadays for scope and storytelling.

3. Chrono Trigger - Magus. Frog. Ayla. The mute main character whipped by his love interest. There's really nothing I can say about CT that hasn't been said millions of times already. Love the story, love the characters, love the music, love the time-travelling airship, love it!

2. Seiken Densetsu III - A odd one to get to play, as you need to emulate it with the translation patch, but it's totally worth it. The ensemble of main characters are each gripping in their own way (though I've never chosen Carlie the cleric, and the knight from Fortuna is always my main), the music is second only to Final Fantasy 6, the gameplay gets a nice twist with the good/evil class leveling that allows for some nice party customization, and the story is stellar. It's much like a Mass Effect predescessor in that the story molds itself around the characters you choose/way you play. Amazing game that unfortunately never got to see American soil.

1. Final Fantasy VI - The single greatest video game of this or any generation. Bar none. Best soundtrack. Best characters. Best plot. This game, when I wasn't debating or preparing for the Marines, was my life during high school. There has never been a villain like Kefka, before or since. There has never been as many epic moments accompanied by appropriately epic music, before or since. There has never been such a deep, compelling ensemble of characters with no real main, before or since. And the story is so rich, deep, nuanced, it almost defies any explanation of its greatness. Simply the best.

Honorable Mention goes to basically every Zelda game out there, and Super Metroid, which are all clumped together after 10.

The Bottom 10, or Games Everyone Loves That I Hate

10. Gears of War - "GR HI I'M YOUR HERO WE'RE ALL SQUINTING HERE GRRGH."

9. Metal Gear Solid 2 - After reading multiple, multiple essays and dissections on Kojima's "artistic" bent and "plan" for the game.....yeah, it still sucks and still doesn't make any gah-damned sense. The fucking tanker bit in the beginning is the only part worth playing. The rest is idiotic (a gah damned VAMPIRE!?) and completely batshit insane.

8. Quake - Brownbrownshoothingsbrownjumpmissclimbbackbrownshootjump.

7. Kingdom Hearts/Kingdom Hearts 2 - My hatred for these games really lies in the rabid fanbase they've garnered, and the fact they worship and adore the shit-tastic Playstation Final Fantasy games while shoving the classic SNES ones aside. Fuck you Kingdom Hearts.

6. The Metroid Prime series - Metroid is not a first person shooter. Metroid is not a first person shooter. METROID IS NOT A FIRST PERSON SHOOTER!

5. Katamari Damacy - Rolling over crap with a ball to annoying ass music is not a good time. Also the space king dad person is creepy.

4. World of Warcraft - You mean I can pay 30 bucks a month to endlessly grind a character, participate in a dick-comparing contest of grabbing the best loot, deal with the no-brained mouth-breathing online community, and have the privilege of needing to shell out more money for each expansion just so I can keep up with the Jones'?? Where do I sign up?!

3. Assassin's Creed - I'm sick and damned tired of medieval Christian Europe, the Crusades, and specifically the Knights Templar being portrayed as one-dimensional out-and-out "bad guys" in everything. History doesn't work that way, not even in World War II where you had Hitler and Stalin (both "evil") on opposing sides. There is so much more to the Crusades, to the Templars and Hospitaliers, than "olol killz and plunder dem muslimz" but the fact this gets ignored drives me up a damn wall.

2. Chrono Cross - For as great a game as Chrono Trigger is, Chrono Cross is the total opposite. It's the floater your fat friend leaves in your toilet before he goes home.

1. Final Fantasy VII - The single most overrated piece of shit that gets polished of all-time. To start with, the plot itself completely rips off 6. Evil empire siphoning off magic from the world? Check. Amnesiac hero who gets used by said evil empire? Check. A "surprise" real villain who supplants the evil empire? Check. Gigantic natural "weapons" created from the planet to fight? Check. The quiet loner ninja, prince/princess, lifelong soldier, and sentient animal all in your party? Check.

Basically the only thing original 7 has going for it is killing Aeris. Because that's fucking dumb and wasn't used in any of the previous FFs! She got stabbed; your party is repeatedly stabbed in combat. Use a Phoenix friggin' Down. Now in 4, there are in-game character "deaths" but they make sense. Porom and Palom turn to stone, the party tries the anti-petrify items and spells but they don't work. Cid and Yang both appear to sacrifice themselves, which seems no different from Aeris being stabbed at first but in both situations your party can not go back and reach them to cast or use anything. They are out of reach, and so out of care. Cloud's dumb ass is standing RIGHT. THERE. It's ridiculous.

Then, there's Sephiroth. A worse villain has never been conceived, and yet looking at the public reaction to Twilight I guess he hits a cord that resonates in society; America loves pale, thin emo douches. Why the hell is he a villain again? He wants to destroy the planet for mommy? Seriously?! That's all ya got? "Oh man this dude's dressed in black, walking out of a fire, and has a katana! Pants, wet." Give me a break.

The only bone I throw to 7 is, yep, it has great music. And it's here that I think people allow themselves to believe 7 is a good game. Most places and situations are surrounded by some damn good music, and as they remember the music was good they associate the event and then eventually the game as good. Oh, and FMVs. People love shinies. 7 to me basically says, give the people pretty pictures and they'll love it unconditionally.

I could not disagree with you about 7's music more. Most of it is absolutely awful midi garbage and completely inferior composition-wise to 4-5-6's music. If it wasn't for One Winged Angel's Carmina Burana knockoff no one would give a crap about FF7. 8 and Chrono Cross and even Xenogears and 9 had far superior music.

Fun Size said:

Threads like these make me mad that I've never found a copy of Planescape: Torment.

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Just pirate it. No one will blame you for not coughing up $200 for a game you've never played. And once you're done playing, if you ever see an opportunity to get it for 20 or 30 bucks, you can pick it up.

Frankie said:

I could not disagree with you about 7's music more. Most of it is absolutely awful midi garbage and completely inferior composition-wise to 4-5-6's music. If it wasn't for One Winged Angel's Carmina Burana knockoff no one would give a crap about FF7. 8 and Chrono Cross and even Xenogears and 9 had far superior music.

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Oh, 4/5/6 definitely have the superior music by far. In fact most of the soundtracks I gush about in my top 10 have better music. But I think 7's is good music too, just not the best. I'm a big fan of the regular boss music, the Shinra theme, that Sephiroth stalking theme, Jenova's theme, and obviously One Winged Angel (as much as that pains me).

Actually you can pick up Planescape Torment right now on eBay for like 20 dollars (it's the DVD reprint from a little while back).

Get it while it is hot.

Qonas said:

3. Assassin's Creed - I'm sick and damned tired of medieval Christian Europe, the Crusades, and specifically the Knights Templar being portrayed as one-dimensional out-and-out "bad guys" in everything. History doesn't work that way, not even in World War II where you had Hitler and Stalin (both "evil") on opposing sides. There is so much more to the Crusades, to the Templars and Hospitaliers, than "olol killz and plunder dem muslimz" but the fact this gets ignored drives me up a damn wall.

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You must not have played this game as it's completely the opposite of what's going on in it.

Glad to see someone mention Jagged Alliance 2 and Shining Force. I used to go over to my friends place just to play it. Great games.

I have a copy of Planescape: Torment around somewhere. I don't think I've played it for more than 10 minutes. However, I'm going to go dig it out right now. Thanks guys

I totally forgot to mention how awesome Metroid Prime works as a Metroid game. Those are definitely up there, too!

ElJuski said:

I totally forgot to mention how awesome Metroid Prime works as a Metroid game. Those are definitely up there, too!

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I'm hoping to get the trilogy on Wii for Christmas. I played through the first two already, but hell, I'll play 'em again with Wiimote!

escushion;313165][quote=ElJuski said:

I totally forgot to mention how awesome Metroid Prime works as a Metroid game. Those are definitely up there, too!

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I'm hoping to get the trilogy on Wii for Christmas. I played through the first two already, but hell, I'll play 'em again with Wiimote![/QUOTE]

I'm hoping to get this myself. I think the only reason I never finished the first metroid prime is because I found the controls cumbersome, not so Metroid prime 3

Bowielee;313168][quote=escushion;313165][quote=ElJuski said:

I totally forgot to mention how awesome Metroid Prime works as a Metroid game. Those are definitely up there, too!

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I'm hoping to get the trilogy on Wii for Christmas. I played through the first two already, but hell, I'll play 'em again with Wiimote![/QUOTE]

I'm hoping to get this myself. I think the only reason I never finished the first metroid prime is because I found the controls cumbersome, not so Metroid prime 3[/QUOTE]

I never finished it because they make you search for all those stupid pieces of whatever at the end so you can get to the final boss. I hated that in MP2, but I did it anyway. MP1 (I actually played it second), I just didn't have the stomach for it. However, if I get the trilogy, the new controls will make up for having to treasure hunt through most of the maps.