Actually Burning Crusade didn't come out until 2007. Vanilla WoW is pretty ass despite its easier/simpler take on the MMO formula. Probably does not deserve to be on the list.

SG-17 said:

2. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War

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Was this the one with Yellow 13 and the Erusians etc? Loved that game

1. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Greatest Of All Time.
2. Resident Evil 4 ; RE4 is just an effing great game. It is gameplay wise one of the most well designed games out there, has a ton of replayability and the cheesiest dialogue ever. It is also the most influential game on this list.
3. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 ; Fuck FIFA. PES6 is easily the best sports game ever made. Unfortunately it was also the last good PES.
4. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; Kojima went full on crazy mode with the plot and that's why I like the game so much.
5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The artstyle of WW is timeless and the game is good too.
6. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas ;
7. Gran Turismo 4 ;
8. Shadow of The Colossus ;
9. Metroid Prime ;
10. Battlefield 1942 ;

My humble list:

1. Deus Ex - The easiest spot to fill. It is my second favorite game of all time only behind the great Planescape: Torment. It's impressive the freedom it gives you, the map layout that allows and even encourages multiple approaches to a given problem. To this day I still believe its first level to be the greatest opening level ever developed.

2. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne - The aesthetic, the ambience, the characters, the story, the gameplay, basically everything that made Max Payne such a great and enjoyable game was made better in the sequel.

3. Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven - A great game, with unforgetable story and characters. Take notes open-world developers, you don't need a million collectables or interchangeable side-quests to make your game insteresting and fun to play.

4. Beyond Good & Evil - Fun, engaging and a refreshing new experience at the time. Sadly it never got the recognition it deversed when it released, which, fortunately, was corrected some years later.

5. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin - A trully challenging stealth game with countless ways to solve each mission. In my eyes it's the best Hitman game ever made.

6. Half Life 2 - Great world building, story telling and gameplay, only comparable with the original Half Life.

7. Freelancer - Awesome space-sim where the overly complex control scheme of its peers was streamlined in a good way, making it an enjoyable arcade-like experience. I found the story quite enjoyable as well.

8. Freedom Fighters - Not your average third person shooter. Very satisfying gunplay and general gameplay, and fun squad control mechanics. Where it trully shinned was the option to complete the missions in any order which would affect all the missions you did afterwards in a different way (ex. you could destroy the helipad in zone A so you don't have to deal with helicopters in zone B, but that would mean the B could send a lot of reinforcements to A, making your task a lot harder).

9. Neverwinter Nights - I loved the original game single player campaign. I loved the expantions. I loved the user created content.

10. Commandos 2: Men of Courage - Freedom of choice, countless ways to finish a mission and none of them could be said to be the "right way".


Honorable mentions:

x. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
x. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
x. Freedom Force
x. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
x. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield
x. Alien vs Predator 2

1. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition: Deep combat that revolutionized the whole genre, awesome protagonist, CRAZY action, memorable story and the best rival of all time.
2. Persona 4: That was a really really close call with DMC3. Seriously Persona 4 hands down is the best RPG of all time.
3. Yakuza 1: Kiryu fucking Kazuma, man.
4. Devil May Cry 1
5. Metal Gear Solid 3
6. Resident Evil 4
7. Mafia
8. Shadow of the Colossus
9. God Hand
10. God of War 2

X: Resident Evil Remake
X: Metal Gear Solid 2
X: Max Payne
X: ICO

1. Shadow of the Colossus ; A beautifully atmospheric game. The boss battles are intense and awesome, but even something as simple as traversing the landscape is great.
2. Metroid Prime ; A great transition to 3-D for the series and a truly immersive experience.
3. Resident Evil 4 ; Even as shooter design has marched no, RE4 is so well-made that it still holds up to this day.
4. Animal Crossing ; I'm a sucker for the relaxing atmosphere and the charming dialogue here; plus the drive for more fossils, furniture, and NES games is addictive.
5. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Countless hours of multiplayer mean this deserves a spot.
6. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; I typically rag on putting exploration on a pedestal, but it's the reason I enjoy this game so much, Triforce Quest be damned, the world they created for this one is fantastic.
7. Hitman: Blood Money ; The best Hitman game with the best level design and almost none of the bullshit AI.
8. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - I love the more varied approach the game lets you take; it really helps the core Splinter Cell gameplay shine.
9. Max Payne ; There's something glorious about the pure simplicity of firing a gun while jumping through the air in slow motion.
10. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! ; This quirky onslaught of amusing "microgames" was one of my most-played GBA games.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Beyond Good and Evil
x. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
x. F.E.A.R.
x. Fire Emblem
x. Half-Life 2
x. Halo: Combat Evolved
x. Hitman: Contracts
x. Ico
x. Jet Set Radio Future
x. Killer7
x. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
x. Metal Gear Solid 3
x. Metroid Fusion
x. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
x. Okami
x. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
x. Pikmin 2
x. TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
x. Viewtiful Joe
x. Wario Land 4

Narrowing down my selections so far has led me to realise that the GBA never quite took off for me, it also had a pretty short run in general.

The Xtortionist said:

Need some more votes for ROLLERCOASTER TYCOON 2

Click to expand...

Unfortunately I gorged myself on the also awesome original game and its expansions to such a degree that when RT2 finally rolled around it just looked too similar for me to invest in.
And the original misses out the PC selection by a year, curses.

Zia said:

And with that in mind I'd encourage everyone to not vote for what your favorite games was in 2002, but what your favorite game from 2002 is today. Try to revisit whatever you plan on listing, or at least think critically about what you list, and whether you'd even still enjoy engaging with it. "The greatest games from the DC/GC/XB/PS2 era to play today" is a lot more interesting and valuable than listing games because you had a fun weekend with them when you were 14, or because they had a now mostly-irrelevant impact on the industry.

Click to expand...

I'm already wrestling with this angle when it comes to Timesplitters 2, I'd be lying if I didn't think its multiplayer had seen better days and I should probably revisit its various single player content.
Gives me an excuse to bust out the old consoles again though.

1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; For me and I suspect many others, KotOR was in introduction to a different type of videogame, one that had previously appeared largely on computers and largely absent from consoles: choice-based RPGs. From stat-building to dialogue branching to party member conversations, romance, and yes even the binary morality system, KotOR represented a huge departure from what we had come to expect from the dominant RPG subgenre on console: JRPGs. The level of interactivity with the game's story, from basic sidequests to the main plot, was exemplary and something that I didn't even know I needed in a game until I played this. Gamespot said that KotOR was the best thing to happen to Star Wars since Empire Strikes Back, and I couldn't agree more.

2. Resident Evil 4 ; Revolutionized third person shooters. As much as I loved old-school Resident Evils, a breath of fresh air was sorely needed, and unlike its sequels RE4 still managed to stay true to the atmospheric horror-action of the previous titles while reworking the controls to allow far greater skill variance. Shooting dynamite out of an enemy's hand was, at the time, mind-blowing.

3. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; This game is just the total package. The story, the music, the stealth-based gameplay, even the cutscenes!

4. Persona 4 ; Some much-needed gameplay improvements from P3 FES, including controllable party members and improved dungeon design (though it's still lacking).

5. Shadow Hearts: Covenant ; This game was everything I want from an RPG that carries an M rating: good characters, solid turn-based gameplay, interesting growth system, some really fucked up story events.

6. Suikoden III ; The Trinity Sight System was an interesting method to pace the acquisition of the 100 stars of destiny, and the Suikoden castle has never been more full of life.

7. Kingdom Hearts II ; Took the good ideas from KH1 and made them better, took the bad ideas and reworked them to make them great (Gummi ships!). Still the most fluid action-RPG combat around.

8. Dark Cloud 2 ; The best collection of gameplay systems and minigames out there. From weapon-building to town building to fishing to fish farming and racing, this game has it all. It's also the only Level 5 game with an enjoyable story, so it gets points for that.

9. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War ; If you ever wondered whether story could work in a jet fighter game, look no further. With stellar Ace dogfighting and god-tier music, AC5 is the pinnacle of the series.

10. Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner ; The one and only mech game worth your time. Captures the exhilarating feel of mid-air combat and provides a serviceable story to boot.

x. Devil May Cry 3 ; The best character action game I've played.
x. Final Fantasy XII ; Combat issues and second-half story pacing keeps it from the top ten, but it's the best mainline FF from this generation.
x. Silent Hill 2 ; The pinnacle of psychological horror.

This is interesting , I have no idea how my list will end up looking like , time to do some research.

This is going to be an incredibly hard list for me to do. This is by far my favorite generation ever. Between the likes of MGS 2 ad 3, Metroid Prime, Smash Bros Melee, and Resident Evil 4, I'm not sure how I'll be able to order this properly.

Here's to the best generation!

1) Shadow of the Colossus ; An absolute masterpiece. A game that I still think about to this day.
2) Resident Evil 4 ; So many unique gameplay elements that are still used today.
3) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; What a thrill...The introduction of one of the best characters of all time, Big Boss.
4) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; Takes everything that Vice CIty did, and expands upon it. Probably my most played game of this particular generation.
5) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; Takes an incredible setting and cast of characters and combines them with fantastic sandbox gameplay.
6) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; One of the most unique games I've ever played with TONS of secret stuff to find.
7) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Quite possibly my favorite LoZ title. A great twist on the series with the awesome visuals.
8) Resident Evil Code: Veronica ; My favorite survival-horror game of all time (I do still have to play REmaster however). Truly frightening setting and cast of characters.
9) Kingdom Hearts II ; My first KH game. Knew I would love all the different settings, but had no idea how awesome the gameplay would be.
10) Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Still one of the most competitive games of all time. Many good times were had playing this game with friends.

1) Baldur Gate 2 - Best RPG of all time, and it is not nostalgia because I only played a few years ago.
2) Metal Gear Solid 3 - Kojimas masterpiece. Everything about this game is perfect, gameplay, story sound etc.
3) Resident Evil Remake - Bought a GC just for this game. Dont regret a thing.
4) Half Life 2 - Truly revolutionary. The first time I saw the water reflections....hnnnng
5) Metal Gear Solid 2 - Not as good as 3, but still have one of the most batshit insane plots in a game.
6) Silent Hill 2 - Best representation of "game as art" IMO
7) Deus Ex
8) FEAR
9) Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
10) God of War 2

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee; Easily my most played Gamecube game, and somehow the tournament scene is bigger than ever today.
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door; The best Paper Mario game, has both the traditional battle style and the humor.
3. Okami (PS2);
4. Halo 2;
5. Halo: Combat Evolved; I spent so much time playing this
6. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker;
7. Final Fantasy X;
8. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald; I first got into Pokemon with these games, and I still consider them my favorite Pokemon games, even if the later ones have better battle mechanics.
9. Super Mario Sunshine; Blue coins suck, but overall I like the mechanics of this game.
10. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance; Maybe this game would have been higher on my list if Maniac Mode didn't get cut? ....nah, that wouldn't fix the painfully slow map animations; still though, my favorite Fire Emblem from this generation .
Honorable Mentions:
x. Final Fantasy XII
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
x. Skies of Arcadia
x. Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness

Sucks that games like Godhand and God of War II are out of the running.

Edit: wait the 2000-2005 only applies to pc?

Endo Punk said:

Edit: wait the 2000-2005 only applies to pc?

Click to expand...

Arcades and PC

Reserved for quality shitposting.

Markitron said:

Was this the one with Yellow 13 and the Erusians etc? Loved that game

Click to expand...

That was 4, 5 was the Demons of Razgriz one.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; The first game in the series that feels like a true stealth game. Great prequel story setting up the rest of the series.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; This game might be the greatest piece of interactive art to ever exist and unfortunately we'll probably never see another game like this. Kojima messes with the player so much and the ending is unforgettable.
3. Star Wars Battlefront 2 ; Awesome Star Wars power fantasy.
4. Halo 2 ; One of the best online MPs ever.
5. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition ; A fun, somewhat emotional tale of two brothers. Probably the best character action game created.
6. Resident Evil 4 ; Played this for the first time last summer and was instantly able to see why this is a classic.

Endo Punk said:

Sucks that games like Godhand and God of War II are out of the running.

Edit: wait the 2000-2005 only applies to pc?

Click to expand...

Anything on the PS2/GBA/GC/XBox/DC is eligible. The year ranges are only for PC and arcades, because they don't have generational gaps to split things up easily.

This is going to be tough.

Well, I got some changing to do with my choices.

1. Shadow of the Colossus



Atmospheric, mysterious, tragic, a real masterpiece.

2. Resident Evil 4



Greatest action game of all time, amazing pace, my most replay game ever.

3. Max Payne 2: The Fall of max Payne



Amazing neo-noir with great characters, story and gameplay.

4. Grand Theft Auto San Andreas



5. Metal Gear Solid 3



6. God of War



7. Prince of Persia Sands of time



8. The Legend of Zelda - Wind Waker



9. Silent Hill 2



10. Halo Combat Evolved




x. Metroid Prime
x. Ratchet and Clank 2
x. Okami
x. Persona 3
x. Star Wars: Battlefront II

No real list yet, posting for posterity. Will edit after work.

Resident Evil 4
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Devil May Cry 3
Half Life 2
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 3
Metroid Prime
Persona 4
Super Smash Bros: Melee

TomShoe said:

Reserved for quality shitposting.

Click to expand...

You are right, this is some quality shitposting.

xyzls said:

I'm posting my list based on feedback from friends after introducing them to these games. Friends meaning guys and girls, gamers and non-gamers.

Dota 2 - This needs to be here for numbers alone. Number of people playing, average number of hours played, tournement prizepool size, the hours to learn and the insane player skill cap. Game has a good sense of the word "Synergy" and teamwork. It takes effort to learn it's obtuse skillset but it is incredibly rewarding for doing so, but this also applies for the opponent, meaning it is incredibly punishing for the uninformed. This makes you learn about teamwork the hard way, whether it would be good, bad or ugly.

Guitar Hero - made lounging around the couch with a console a mainstream hangout thing.

Dance Dance Revolution - The things this did to arcades. It gathers crowds. It makes people embarrass themselves. Its got good music.It makes gamers fit. Video captures of top players make normal people think its photoshop and video editing.

Starcraft - For being an incredibly competitive strategy game that's STILL relevant. People are doing custom AI tournaments on this game. Made people count APM.

Journey - Successful manifestation of 'art' into video gaming. Wonderful music, wonderful graphics, and wonderful experience.

Braid - Made thinking into an enjoyable video game. And the underlying story. And twist. Seriously, this rosy cloudy peaceful game is about nukes?

Pokemon Gold - After how many games and GameFreaks are STILL using the same turn-based 4 move 6 creature formula. And this thing is STILL selling like cupcakes. Made collecting and trading in videogames a thing. Gold/Silver in particular stand out aftergame, for the idea of visiting the prequal's region, almost exactly as one remembers.

Ninja Gaiden Black - This thing is gold. Polished fighting engine pumps adrenaline, incredible graphics, action has a sense of cinematic integrity (no double jump, no supermode, no special block), variety of enemies, metrovania style stage layout. And most importantly, the difficulty vs sense of achievement in this game seriously makes you feel "I have leveled up as a gamer".

Halo - Mainstreaming online and campaign coop shooters for consoles. Made people console LAN (link 2-4 consoles with router and 2-4 TV's for 8-16 mayhem).

Burnout 3 - Best arcade racer. I know people out there who think racers are boring. I've made them play this and they love it. High sense of speed and visual spectacle.

Honorable mentions for doing the same things as above
- Rockband - KARAOKE!
- Dark Souls - for what I mentioned on NGB but minus style for lore and online community.
- Portal - should replace Braid but this got me motion sick in 15 minutes...
- Shadows of the Colossus - cause GAF.

Click to expand...

Not all of your games came out in the generation listed in the title.

Easily my favorite period in gaming, condensing this down to 10 is just

Wait... GAF never voted for 6th gen GOTGs?

Why are we only just now getting around to this?

Games that defined that gen for me:

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Thanks to this game, I didn't get to play the other games released 6th gen as much as they might have deserved. That's how good Melee was, and still is.
2. Shadow of the Colossus ; Unmatched in sheer grandeur, with a simple, tragic story, SotC delivers something most games fail at. Actual art.
3. Okami ; A late entry into the generation, but what an entry! Pure charm and a fantastic "Zelda" game.
4. Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando ; Some people say that 3 is the better game. I say that the weapon selection decides, and Going Commando has that on lockdown.
5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ; Shows that JRPG's does not need to be complicated to be hella fun and rewarding.
6. Beyond Good and Evil ; Creates its own unique little fantasy universe and layers on a story that deals with authority and censorship, casting the player as an investigative journalist. And succeeds at it.
7. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ; On of the last, and the greatest of the 90's style collect-a-thons. A technical marvel at the time of its release, the game is still nothing to sneeze at.
8. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! ; First Mario Kart to feature Baby Park, and only Mario Kart to capitalize fully on the virtues of Baby Park.
9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Proved everyone wrong, except Nintendo.
10. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ; Introduced a whole new tier of smoothness in gameplay, laying the foundation for basically all parkour games to follow.


Honorable Mentions:
Ratchet & Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal
Halo: Combat Evolved
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2

1. GTA San Andreas - A masterpiece. C.J. is the best, and they put him in a big, crazy, varied world unlike anything that had ever been seen.

2. GTA Vice City

3. Dragon Quest 8

4. Dark Cloud 2

5. Psychonauts

6. Katamari Damacy

7. Midnight Club 3

8. Yakuza

9. SSX3

10. Steambot Chronicles

Honorable mentions: Sly Cooper, Okami, Bully Shadow of the Colussus, Tony Hawk Underground, NFL 2K5, Beyond Good and Evil, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Rogue Galaxy

I don't have my list ready yet, but y'all ninjas shouldn't forget about Counter-Strike. Source was released in 2004.

1. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn ; the best RPG of all time I still replay on occasion.
2. The Longest Journey ; one of my favorite adventure games, with one of my favorite game protagonists.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ; my favorite 3D Zelda.
4. Persona 4 ; the best JRPG of all time. Kind of more than the sum of its parts.
5. Syberia ; a memorable story with a very effective atmosphere.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; I just dig Bioware style RPGs.
7. We Love Katamari ; my feel-good game. Something I pick up when I need a pick-me-up.
8. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind ; immersive, memorable world to explore.
9. Sid Meier's Pirates! ; it's addictive, it's got replay value and it's got pirates. What else do you wnt?!
10. Jade Empire ; IMO a bit of a misunderstood little gem.

Love the thread! Love it!

1. Half-Life 2 ; pc/xb. It still gets a play almost annually. IMO one of the best games ever made.
2. Resident Evil 4 ; gc.
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; xb.
4. Halo: Combat Evolved ; xb
5. Shadow of the Colossus ; ps2.
6. Super Smash Bros Melee ; gc.
7. Metroid Prime ; gc.
8. Ninja Gaiden Black ; xb.
9. Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes ; dc/ps2/xb.
10. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne ; pc.

x. God of War 2 ; ps2.
x. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; ps2.
x. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory ; xb.
x. Guitar Hero II ; ps2.
x. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 ; gc/xb.
x. Halo 2 ; xb.
x. Soul Calibur ; dc.
x. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; gcn.
x. Devil May Cry 3/Special Edition ; ps2.
x. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap ; gba.

Possibles:
NFL 2K5, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Extreme G III, Frequency, God of War, Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Sly 2, Beyond Good & Evil, Jet Grind Radio, Resident Evil (gcn), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater/Subsitence, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty/Substance, SSX3, Burnout 3: Takedown, Viewtiful Joe, F.E.A.R., Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Warcraft III, Tales of Symphonia

1. Max Payne - Such an incredible game. From gameplay to story I still enjoy playing it
2. Max Payne 2 - Almost as good as the first one but it was too easy
3. Resident Evil 4 - Best Resident Evil. Love it, still today
4. Half-Life 2 - One of the best FPS games ever. It really makes FPS today still look bad. It was so superior in so many ways
5. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire - It's Pokemon!
6. Def Jam: Fight for New York - I love Hip Hop I love this game. Fighting has never been this good
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap - A little too short/easy but otherwise great
8. Red Dead Revolver - Great game. Not as good as Redemption but it's sad people like to forget about this game
9. GTA Vice City - Still the best GTA
10. GTA San Andreas

Honorable Mentions:
x. Black - Best Shooter on consoles of this gen.

Only ten?!

This is going to be difficult. That was the greatest generation of video games, in my opinion, and I've been playing since Pong. I just scanned through my list of games from that era, and I checked off 43 contenders - and I left out some amazing games. I don't know how I can get this down to 10. Maybe I'll have 20 honorable mentions. Anyway, it'll be here when I finish.

edit: here it is:

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Melee wins on hours spent, clocking in at roughly 1,000 (not sure due to multiple memory cards and friends' systems). But it also wins on pure fun. This game is magical, a once-in-a-lifetime, lightning-in-a-bottle unintentional masterpiece that will never be replicated (no, the new one still isn't as good, despite being top-notch).
2. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ; In order to get down to 10, I'm cheating and putting Prime 2 down for both games, it being the slightly better one. Retro crafted a beautiful, immersive, meticulously detailed world and seamlessly entwined a game into it - again. The Gamecube Prime games are back-to-back triumphs that are both contenders for Best Game Ever.
3. Resident Evil 4 ; It didn't exactly come out of nowhere, having been hyped for years beforehand in multiple forms, but it still hit me as if it had. The RE franchise, and the prior Gamecube entry, was all about tension and slow pacing, so RE4's fast-paced action and nonstop thrills were a shock. There are a handful out there who took exception to this change, but I wasn't one of them. RE4 is the best in the series, and one of the best games ever.
4. Unreal Tournament ; If any game can challenge Melee on time spent, it's UT - but only if the editor is included. I may have spent more hours in the editor than in the game, but I loved every minute of both. The game on its own, though, was a standout, and made me eat my angry words about a multiplayer-focused game being sold separately. UT was the ultimate LAN party game.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ; Again, I'm letting the better of the two Zelda games stand in for both. The Zelda series is my favorite, and though not without flaws, the Gamecube entries are worthy of the series' legacy. I can hardly give a higher compliment.
6. Spider-Man 2 ; Among the critically acclaimed games in this top 10, this looks out of place. It has a clunky, cookie-cutter open world, repetitive and laughable side quests (my balloon!), and quirky, sometimes frustrating combat. But dear lord, the web-swinging is sublime. A decade and 8 major games later, none have come close to matching the perfection of this single key element. I spent every second this game had to offer loving the feeling of being Spider-Man. I collected every token and crawled on every surface in Manhattan - and knew my way around when I visited New York in person! (though I had to look up a lot to get my bearings). Oh, and few moments can match the feeling of defeating Mysterio for the first time.
7. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ; Note: played this on the Dreamcast. Legacy of Kain has the best light world / dark world design of any game I've played. The real-time, geometry-warping transitions are masterful, and the world design around that is excellent and fun to explore. It also has my favorite cutscene in any game, right at the beginning. Not that it has any bearing on the game itself, but it was memorable.
8. Resident Evil ; REmake, as it is affectionately known, is unquestionably the best remake ever made. It's hard to believe there was only one generation in between, rather than two, and that's just the graphics and sound. The game itself is expanded and improved everywhere. It controls better, has better (but still campy) voice acting, more action and surprises, stunning new enemies and areas...it's a stellar game that hasn't been matched in its genre.
9. Super Monkey Ball ; This game is so much fun. It's the timeless design used by the best skill-based games: easy to play, difficult to master. It inspired me to start a website, with video how-to's showing how to beat all the levels where you can "Just Go" and win.
10. Ikaruga ; Ikaruga is my favorite "shmup" of all time. It, too, is easy to play but difficult to master. Its simple two-color system becomes a complex timing puzzle as you progress, and death after death slowly becomes triumph as you get a little further without dying (or without dying as much) each time you play. It was a difficult choice between this and Gradius V; Treasure was on a roll that generation.
x. Grand Theft Auto III ; Though it didn't make my top 10, I'm sure all the GTA games will be well-represented in the rankings. GTAIII was my favorite, and it surely had the biggest impact of any game that gen.
x. F-Zero GX ; A nearly perfect Nintendo game, made by SEGA. What has the world come to? This game is beautiful, with perfect controls, elegant design, and above all, FAST! It's the best entry in a great series.
x. Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction ; Much like Spider-Man 2, this is the closest any game has come to allowing us to truly feel what it is like to be the character, in this case, the Hulk. But it's also a good game, requiring skill and dedication to master before you feel all-powerful.
x. Guitar Hero ; The breakout hit that introduced most of us to the plastic guitar, and the amazing feeling of triumph that accompanies breaking through each successive skill ceiling or difficult song. Guitar Hero will always stand as a monument to the decade.
x. Beyond Good & Evil ; It's a testament to the generation that this amazing game is only my personal 15th best. Maybe it should be higher. But anyway, it's one of the high points of the generation, with nice, tight world and level design, beautiful graphics, excellent control, and memorable characters and story.
x. Halo: Combat Evolved ; Also holding a spot for both games, Halo was obviously one of the most influential and popular games of the generation. It was a game that shone in its moment-to-moment action. I personally thought it was often overrated, but even so, it was a very high quality game that stood out from the crowd, and I enjoyed it immensely on multiple playthroughs.


Trying to narrow down over 300 games that I own from this era wasn't easy. I left out anything that didn't immediately send me into pleasant nostalgic memories upon seeing its name, and I still had far too many to include. After painfully picking the above, I still couldn't rest without noting all of the following, and even this list leaves out so many worthy games. What a generation it was!

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance, Burnout 2: Point of Impact, Crazy Taxi, Devil May Cry, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, ICO, Gradius V, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime, Metroid: Zero Mission, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Quake III: Arena, Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Serious Sam, Shadow of the Colossus, Smuggler's Run, Soul Calibur, Splashdown, SSX, Super Monkey Ball 2, The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Transformers, Wave Race: Blue Storm, Wreckless: The Yakuza Missions

1. Final Fantasy X - My second favorite FF. Spent 400+ hours on it. Also thank you gaf for never taking your game recommendations seriously from on after reading that terrible "when did Square/soft lose it" thread.
2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - The best MGS game, one of the best games ever made. The story was amazing and the gameplay was revolutionary at the time.
3. Devil May Cry 3 - Best action game ever made. Loved the characters, the story, incredible gameplay and perfect music. When you saw that original trailer with the rock music then the woman singing, you knew it would be something special.
4. Gran Turismo 3 - Best racing game of the generation by quite a distance. They need to bring that addiction for the next GT game.
5. Call of Duty 1 - Best multiplayer FPS I ever played, best competitive FPS along with CSS.
6. Diablo II - spent too much time playing this. Incredibly addicting.
7. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - the best GTA game, arguably best open world GTA game.
8. Half-Life 2 - 8 - half life 2 = 6 / half life 2 = half life 3 confirmed
9. Halo 1- Pioneered online FPS on consoles.
10. Resident Evil 4 - again, 3rd person shooters have a lot to thank for this monster.

Honorable Mentions:
* Devil May Cry 1 - invented a sub genre as someone put it for action games.
* Jak franchise - weakest franchise by NG but still love it.
* Pokemon franchise - all of them. Main reason it's not at the top is because it doesn't evolve enough from each iteration. Story is repetitive and sucks.

If you ask me tomorrow, you get a slightly different list.

Wow this generation. So many great games... will add more as I think of them.

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; The king of local multiplayer. Not the most complete experience, but the game I played most and the one that influenced me most. The game that is so good, 14 years later some people still favor it over the most recent release. The original Smash was great, but the advancements pioneered in Melee took the series to the next level. Thanks to this game, Nintendo could only make Smash sequels and I would still buy their latest console.
2. Halo Combat Evolved ; This barely edges out my next selection, simply due to its influence. Still is, and always will be, the greatest FPS of all time.
3. Metroid Prime ; My favorite Metroid game of all time (although its sequel is close). The music, atmosphere, and immersion are unique and incredibly memorable.
4. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ; After much deliberation I think this one barely edges out Wind Waker. It has the best dungeons in the series, and if I had one word to describe the atmosphere, it would be "epic". Expands on Wind Waker's excellent combat system.
5. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The best combat exploration of the series complemented with amazing visuals and music.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; Still my gold standard for RPGs. The class system, character customization, and combat are excellent. However, its story and choice-driven gameplay are what put this one at a level above its peers.
7. Halo 2 ; Took everything great about Halo and expanded on it. One could even argue Halo 2 was more influential due to the addition of online play.

Bedameister said:

List

Click to expand...

Don't think game boy color games count.

1. MGS 3 - PS2; Amazing story, than built upon the gameplay elements from MGS 2. Cool bosses and great stealth alwayshave me replaying this every now and then.
2. MGS 2 - PS2
3. Halo - Xbox; One of the greatest FPS's of all time that has had a massive in the genre.
4. Pokemon Firered - GBA
5. GTA San Andreas - PS2
6. Pokemon Emerald - GBA
7. Gran Turismo 3 - PS2
8. Splinter Cell - Xbox; The first true stealth game I have ever played and opened me up to a new genre.
9. Halo 2 - Xbox
10. SSX Tricky - PS2

There's so many gems from that generation that I'm currently playing through for the first time (MGS 3, Final Fantasy X, Metroid Prime, Persona 4) that I don't really feel comfortable tossing in my vote, because I doubt I'll finish them all by the deadline. :/

I have to seriously sit down and actually go through a list. I'll start with the games that immediately come to mind, like say, Metroid Prime and Half Life 2, but then actually look at the whole list and analyze how they've aged through the years.

Either way, excited to participate and excited to see the results.

EDIT: Oh fuck, I just realized that P4 even counts as part of this era. Holy shit... this is going to be tough.

EDIT EDIT: OH FUCK GBA TOO?!

Top 10

1. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver ; (Dreamcast version) This was one of my all-time favourite games on the PSX and the Dreamcast version is the definite one, with superior graphics and framerate and without the glitches that plagued the PC version. This game brought the innovative spectral/material realm mechanic that allowed for amazing puzzles and exploration nuances. The atmosphere, level design, boss design, artistic design, music, voice acting and storytelling, all of that not only still holds up today, but has been rarely matched. The only dated part is the combat, but it's by no means unplayable, just a bit primitive by modern standards.
2. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 ; While I prefer the more Zelda-like structure of the first game, and I find the sheer volume of cut scenes to be a bit overwhelming compared to the superior pacing of the first, the sequel improved on almost everything else, most notably combat, graphics, puzzles and atmosphere. I'll never forget the Sarafan stronghold or its demon-infested version.
3. Silent Hill 2 ; I still played SH1 more than this one for various reasons, but I readily admit that SH2 improved on just about every aspect. Pyramid Head alone makes this game deserving of a spot in this list, has there ever been a creepier and more unforgettable antagonist? A timeless masterpiece of horror.
4. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; Engrossing and mind-blowing, with one of the best antagonists ever (the Boss) and one of the greatest video game endings ever made. I still remember spending several minutes hiding in the bushes trying not to get seen, observing guard patterns, and not even being impatient about it. I don't know if I'll ever manage that again, but I had such a blast, and being so amazed by the physics on the blades of grass (!). This game defined the "new gen" (at the time) for me.
5. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem ; Narokath Santak Pargon Pargon Pargon! The best Lovecraftian game that wasn't actually Lovecraftian. The (in)sanity system was incredibly innovative, fun and memorable, and so was the magic system with the various runes. I liked how you could craft your spells with runes and had to use good timing to cast them. This... can't... be... happening!
6. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; After I overcame my disappointment that Snake was not the protagonist, I had to admit the game was still amazingly fun. The Tanker chapter is unforgettable, and exploring the Big Shell was still an amazing experience (even if you're interrupted every minute by a codec call ). And while I usually hate escort mission, I even enjoyed the sniping version of it while you have to protect EE -- possibly because I generally enjoy sniping in general. I prefer the story in 1 and 3, but the pure gameplay in this one is probably my favourite of the series, though it has a few annoying moments.
7. Resident Evil Remake ; (Gamecube version) The timeless Spencer mansion, scarier and more gorgeous than ever? Yes please. The new additions such the crimson heads and Lisa were really frightening (Lisa felt straight out of Silent Hill, even, and that's a good thing).
8. Suikoden III ; Not as amazing as I and II, but still immensely epic and a worthy successor nonetheless. I really liked how you played the 3/4 different protagonists and brought them all together in the end.
9. Legacy of Kain: Defiance ; While the gameplay was not as good as the Soul Reaver games (combat was a bit repetitive and the puzzle design was weaker), it made up for it by having better pacing in storytelling than SR2 and, more importantly, bringing Kain back as playable character and having some of the best artistic design of the generation. I miss the LoK games so much... ;_; Since we are constantly denied new-gen sequels, I still replay all of them every now and then.
10. Guilty Gear XX ; I play very few fighting games, but GGXX is one of the exceptions, and I won't deny that it's pretty much all about the heavy metal. From the glorious music to the metal-themed characters and art design, GGXX still remains one of my fondest memories of the PS2 generation.

Honorable mentions

x. Suikoden V ; Probably the last good console JRPG for me, Suikoden V was a breath of fresh air after the disappointing IV. While not as amazing as the first two, and very much a slow burn, the epic story it told was a very satisfying pay-off.
x. Golden Sun ; After ignoring it as being generic for so long, I actually gave it another chance semi-recently, and I was pretty amazed by how good it was. The combat mechanics were just the perfect balance of innovative and simple but fun, and the dungeon and puzzle design really impressed me.
x. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon : While Aria/Dawn of Sorrow seem like more popular choices, I have fonder memories of CotM for some reason. It was maddeningly hard at times and I never did beat the last boss, but I loved the level design and OST so damn much.
x. Panzer Dragoon Orta ; I prefer Panzer Dragoon Saga out of all the games, but as far as the shooters go, Orta is an excellent entry, very worth of the name. Such a pity this franchise is so dead.
x. Resident Evil 4 ; Chainsaw maniacs, scary hedge mazes, cheesy dialogue? Fun times. Those QTEs were extra annoying, however, and heralded a particularly awful trend in modern gaming. I also have little desire to replay it, but there's no doubt that it's a really fine game.
x. Skies of Arcadia Legends ; One of the last good JRPGs, though I never got around to beating it. But I loved the setting and the sense of adventure and really need to get around to finishing it one day.
x. Odin Sphere ; One of the rare glorious 2D games made around that time (though they're making a return lately, fortunately) with fun combat and gorgeous art.
x. Splinter Cell ; Never engrossed me the way MGS did, but it had solid mechanics and was very impressive technically.
x. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time ; Charming and fun, with very nice architecture. Shame the sequels were all so terrible, this one was legit cool.
x. Beyond Good and Evil ; Charming and fun, too, though for different reasons, this game was really unique and refreshing. And I just realized my last three items were Ubisoft games; they were so strong during that generation, it's sad to see how far they've fallen.
x. Wild ARMs: Alter Code F ; Solid remake of the PS1 version, with new playable characters and a new-and-sometimes-improved-sometimes-not soundtrack. Big fan of the PS1 original and I felt the remake did the game justice, even if I probably still prefer the original a bit.
x. Wild ARMs 3 ; Never did beat it, but I enjoyed the few hours I spent with it and definitely plan on revisiting it eventually. And that Michiko Naruke OST is glorious.

I think this gen was where the action/adventure genre really shone. Most of my list is in that genre, with very few RPGs. Whereas it's the opposite for this last gen. Interesting.

sam777 said:

1) MGS 3 - PS2
2) MGS 2 - PS2
3) Halo - Xbox
4) Pokemon Firered - GBA
5) GTA San Andreas - PS2
6) Pokemon Emerald - GBA
7) Gran Turismo 3 - PS2
8) Splinter Cell - Xbox
9) Halo 2 - Xbox
10) SSX Tricky - PS2

Click to expand...

Make sure to add thoughts on at least one game and follow the formatting in the OP.

1. Persona 4 ; Even though Golden was better, P4 is still I think one of the best if not the best RPG of all time. I can't think of a single flaw for P4, Golden improved all my faults with it (like the voice acting of Chie)

2. Half Life 2 ; A game that showed that the FPS genre could have really good stories too. Yeah, it had been done before, but HL2 did it the best first I think.

3. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 ; The only game where I can be a homicidal sociopath and lead hundreds of people to their death by drowning.

4. Halo 2 ; Halo 2 was essentially just Halo:CE but vastly improved. I am pretty sure Bungie has even said they could have put a lot of stuff from Halo 2 into CE but chose not to. None the less, a game that revolutionized and introduced console multiplayer FPS games to the mainstream.

5. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ; May just be nostalgia talking, but this game was the best platformer of last last gen. Super Mario Sunshine and all was great, but the first Jak and Daxter was awesome.

6. Dark Cloud 2 ;
7. Star Wars Battlefront II ;
8. Elder Scrolls III: Marrowind ;
9. Metal Gear Solid 2 ;
10. Persona 3: FES ;

Honorable Mentions that came to mind
Kingdom Hearts 2
The Sims
Kingdom Hearts
Shadow of the Colossus
Time Splitters 2
Unreal Tournament 2004
Dragon Quest VIII
Deus Ex
Ico
Resident Evil 4
World of Warcraft
GTA III
Ratchet and Clank
Final Fantasy X
Beyond Good & Evil
Serious Sam
Counter Strike Source
Sly Cooper 1
Pokemon Emerald
Animal Crossing
Starwars Knights of the Old Republic
Metal Gear Solid 3
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory
Super Mario Sunshine
Fahrenheit
Blinx: The Time Sweeper

1| Resident Evil 4 - Not really anything more that needs to be said. I remember taking shifts with my best friend for like 2 weeks straight during one summer, just running through RE4. I'd play for like 8 hours, get really far through the game, then I'd go to sleep and he'd take over, beating it and unlocking some new badass unlockable. Then we'd go through it again. By the end we had memorized every single piece of treasure. It's just the perfect example of a game that just nails every aspect of a game. The pure gameplay was so fun that I could easily spend dozens of hour just playing mercenaries. The atmosphere and settings were so great that I wouldn't even mind if the game played like Dear Esther and all I could do was just walkthrough it. The inventory/treasure system was more addictive than any RPG I've ever played. Truly a masterpiece if such a thing exists in gaming. There's a reason its been remastered so many times.
2| Final Fantasy X - Another one of those games that is so near and dear to me because of my experience with friends. My group of friends gathered around FFX for days at a time during one summer, one guy amazing at blitzball, the rest of us crowdsourcing battles and living through the story together. It was amazing and pretty much brought us all together, despite all our differences, even moreso than something like Halo. I wish I could go back to those days.
3| Morrowind - This was my own baby. Played it all by myself. I spent over a hundred hours on this game, renting it every five days because I didn't have enough to actually buy it. Still have never beat it, but my memories of it are so great that I hesitate to go back.
4| Halo 2 - Another amazing game that sort of goes without saying. It really opened my eyes to the idea of online multiplayer, and I haven't looked back since. Just a great campaign mode as well.
5| Fire Emblem - Some people bought a gameboy for pokemon, but I bought mine for this bad boy. I was still in elementary school when I was playing this, and I remember going to the babysitter with my GBA and the guide for this game and just losing myself in this incredibly hard game. I would never let anyone die, and so I'm pretty sure this game ended up lasting me for like an entire year.
5| Splinter Cell Chaos Theory - I remember first seeing this on some magazine and I got super excited. I had just found and completed the first two when this was releasing, and when it came out I beat it all in one sitting, which I'm pretty sure solidified my love for Tom Clancy games/games with great animation.
6| Kingdom Hearts - Another game I didn't beat when I was younger but finally got around to later. I've got such great memories of this game, as it basically combined two of my favorite groups of characters. It was like a dream come true.
7| Need for Speed: Underground - We seriously need a new game in this series. The customization and the music was just top tier. I still remember the tracks by heart.
8| Chronicles of Riddick - Another game that I rented for a few weeks until I beat it. Also the first mature game I ever played because my mom liked Riddick and wanted to watch me play it! That eventually opened the door to mature games across the board. This game was just a great example of immersion and gameplay marriage, and it still holds up today. Absolutely amazing game.
9| Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - The best action adventure game I've ever played. I still remember going back in time and killing the evil old guy at the end. One of the greatest moments in my gaming career.
10| Metal Gear Solid 3 - I actually didn't even play this game until last year in the MGS collection, but it was still an amazing experience, and my favorite in the series, which I think says a lot. I plan on playing through it again before MGSV.


I've played a ton of games in 2000-2005, many of which I loved dearly and had a huge effect on my taste in games growing up. It would be a disservice to try to list honorable mentions because I'd forget some of the best.

Timeaisis' Favorite Games of the Sixth Generation

Introduction
Hello, and welcome to my list of games of the sixth generation. Far and away, this was my favorite generation in gaming ever. With an incredible console line-up with exclusives on each, a healthy PC scene, and a great little handheld that could, the amount of games put out is incredible. Striking the perfect balance between development time and graphical integrity, sixth generation games did not require insane development times or incredibly huge staff like today. All four consoles offered utterly unique experiences and exclusive content, each company competing against each other to offer the greatest games to the consumer. It was a simpler time, although a busy one, full of developers and console manufacturers that strove to grab your attention and hold onto it not with promises of things to come, but with the excitement and joy of games that you could play right freaking now.

A Special Note
I will not be including games from th sixth generation that I played after the generation had passed. Although I consider The Wind Waker and Half-Life 2 to be some of my favorite games of all time, I first played them years after the generation had passed, meaning I'm not going to be considering them for voting. I want my list to be games I played and enjoyed in the heydey of the sixth generation.

The Top 10
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; When we talk about "gameplay complementing story", we are talking about Metal Gear Solid 3. No game I've played since has blended an intriguing, heartfelt story of love, loss and redemption with thrilling narrative-driven gameplay mechanics. Survival is the name of the game, both in narrative and in mechanics, pushing you ever forward to your goal of averting nuclear catastrophe. With a '60s-inspired Cold War narrative (with some James Bond thrown in for good measure), enthralling gameplay that teeters between incredible setpieces, memorable boss battles, and subtle survival simulation, and a gripping cast of intriguing, tortured characters, Metal Gear Solid 3 is truly the greatest, most interesting, game ever made.

2. Metroid Prime; The greatest adventure game ever made, Metroid Prime somehow managed to bring the strenghts of 2D Metroid into a 3D world. Retro Studios caught lightning in a bottle, as no game has really replicated the magic and atmosphere of Metroid Prime. Never overbearing, Metroid Prime led you through it's world by showing you glimpses of what's to come. See that beautiful mountain off in the distance? You will find your way there eventually, the promise of the new and exciting subtly pushing you ever forward to solve puzzles, slay foes, and uncover the mysteries of the planet.

3. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; The fighter that won the hearts of young gamers everywhere, Melee offers that incredibly difficult balance of "easy to learn, hard to master". With unique mechanics not seen in any other fighting games, an incredible cast of characters from of Nintendo's celebrated history, and a skill ceiling higher than few games I can think of, Melee is a game that will continued to be played for years and years to come. Oh, and did I mention that with 3 other friends it's an absolute blast?

4. Mario Kart: Double Dash!! ; Love it or hate it, Double Dash took Mario Kart mechanics and shook them up. Adding two-character karts and special items for each character, Double Dash created a racing game that had never been seen before, and will most likely never come again. Flying through courses in the classic Kart gameplay everyone loves, but adding a wingman to back you up, adds a layer of even more fun to the already winning formula. Co-operative racing is incredibly addictive and fun, the courses are a blast, and the cast of characters is wacky and insane. Double Dash might be the Mario Kart people love or hate, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to grab a buddy and cause that unique Mario Kart brand of chaos.

5. Metal Gear Solid 2: Son's of Liberty; Quite possibly the most hyped game ever made, Metal Gear Solid 2 set the bar for production values in video games. With a level of detail never before seen, a twisting narrative of almost surreal insanity, and pitch-perfect stealth gameplay to boot, MGS2 proved games can be both compelling and incredibly fun.

6. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ; One of the most charming, funny, and light-hearted RPG you'll likely ever play, Paper Mario: TTYD offers players the scope an magnitude of an RPG adventure with the fun of the Mario universe. With character and scenarios you'll never forget, excellent writing and humor, and RPG mechanics that can stand up on their own, TTYD holds a unique experience to any player who wants something fresh, new and most of all, fun.

7. Shadow of the Colossus ; The minimalist masterpiece, Shadow of the Colussus only offers two things: exploration and boss fights. Each fight is a beautifully unique encounter with enormous creatures, each offering it's own puzzle and challenging you to defeat it. Exploration offers the quiet time between encounters to breathe and take in the scenery of the world around you. The story is intimate and emotional, offering glimpses of the protagonists purpose in fighting the monsters. Truly an incredible experience that is hard to put into words.

8. Resident Evil 4 ; Zombies, guns, and an incredibly paced game of action, adventure and survival. Resident Evil 4 may not have the most cerebral story or plotting, but it knows how to keep a player challenged, involved, invested, intrigued and enthralled the whole way through. With pacing unrivaled even by games of today, Resident Evil 4 offers a brisk adventure with gameplay both exciting and fun.

9. Devil May Cry 3 ; The character action game that re-defined the genre after it's predecessor defined it. Refined to perfection, DMC3 offers the player the opportunity to channel their inner high-flying martial artist choreographer, offering intense combos, challenging enemies, and surprisingly good level design. It's hard to not have exclaim profanities of joy when executing that impossibly long combo on groups of baddies.

10. Animal Crossing ; The zen garden of video games, Animal Crossing holds an alternate life for you to sit back, relax and enjoy. Build your house, make friends, and relax in this small sandbox world of charm. It's hard to quantify why Animal Crossing has such an effect on people. It's brand of game has been done before through the likes of the Sims and Harvest Moon, but AC offers something more, something better. The Nintendo charm, perhaps? The fun, unique characters you enjoy spending time with? The silly, goofy, animal world? Who knows, but it's a lot of fun.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order) [To be edited with comments]
x. Resident Evil (2002) ;
x. Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga ;
x. SoulCalibur II;
x. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht ;
x. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3;
x. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ;
x. Halo: Combat Evolved ;
x. Viewtiful Joe ;
x. Metroid Fusion ;
x. Castlevanai: Aria of Sorrow;
x. Golden Sun ;
x. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ;

Since I never had a PS2 nor Xbox, I'm going to leave out many games that I'd probably want to add here if I had played them. I'm also going to mention only one game per franchise, even though they deserve to be here too (GTA San Andreas, Max Payne 2 and Jedi Academy, for example).

Main list:
1. F.E.A.R. ; (platform: PC) This is, along with Duke Nukem 3D, my favorite FPS of all time. Monolith nailed everything here, from graphics to gameplay, including sound direction and amazing AI too. The atmosphere is incredible too, mixing what's probably the best shooting mechanics ever with a psychological horror atmosphere. The result is this masterpiece, one that I devoured in three days on my first playthrough, and replayed several times. The only negative thing I can think of is the small number of unique environments, but that never bothered me.

2. Max Payne ; (platform: PC) Due to the comic style cutscenes, this game is already a winner in my book. The New York backdrop and eternal snowstorm only help to make it better. The story isn't too original, but I love it anyway. Weapons feel good, bullet time makes the fights cooler, and the whole game has a Matrix feel that suits it perfectly. Plus Max's monologues are great.

3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; (platform: PC) This may very well be the best open world game out there. Cruisin' down the main road on a bike under the rain at night on a recreation of an 80's neon-filled Miami, while listening to "Four little diamonds" blasting on the radio, fills me with an indescribable joy. I can't praise the soundtrack and atmosphere enough. Not to mention the arcade driving mechanics, which were made a bit more realistic in the following games, losing a bit of fun in the process. The missions are good, and there's a whole cast of memorable characters. Definitely Rockstar at its best.

4. Deus Ex ; (platform: PC) Played this for the first time in 2013, and immediately gained a place on my "games of all time" list. Killer soundtrack, great plot full of conspiracy theories and sci-fi stuff, fantastic level design and complete freedom to progress however the player wants to, all of this contributed to making this a classic.

5. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault ; (platform: PC) Not gonna lie, this one's a bit flawed at times. Stealth sections suck, and some parts can only be beaten by pure luck, especially on Hard. Still, this doesn't prevent me loving it, and enjoying it a lot despite those negative aspects. The assault in Omaha Beach is still to this day one of my favorite moments in any game. Regarding the music, the main theme wouldn't be out of place in a Hollywood production.

6. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast ; (platform: PC) Maybe Jedi Academy has better combat mechanics and dual lightsabers, but Jedi Outcast wins because of the Nar Shaddaa level (both in single player and multiplayer). It's a lot harder than the former, and sometimes it's difficult to find out where to go, but it's the first game where I really felt as powerful as a Jedi (Dark Forces 2, while being a great game too, had a way crappier fighting and Force powers system). Many, many, many hours were spent playing against bots in the awesome multiplayer mode.

7. Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance ; (platform: PC) After two failed attempts which didn't last more than 15 minutes each, I finally managed to beat this gem in 2013. Mind you, I had part of the ending spoiled beforehand, back when I thought I'd never play it seriously. And yet, despite that fact, Kojima succeeded in blowing my mind with all the craziness that takes place in the final hour or two. This game took everything I liked about MGS1 and made it better, be it graphics, controls or plot. I can only imagine how it must have been to play it back when it was released, without knowing anything about it but what was advertised at the time, and regret not doing so.

8. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ; (platform: GC - played on Wii) My least favorite title from my favorite Nintendo franchise, TTYD is nevertheless an excellent game (haven't played Sticker Star yet, so the ranking may change). With a slow start which was a little boring and uninteresting, it quickly got better and funnier, making me laugh with every apparition of Luigi and his ridiculous stories. Be it fighting luchadores in the Glitz Pit as the Great Gonzales or solving mysteries in the Excess Express, this game never ceases to amaze. This is the last "traditional" RPG in the saga, as the successor Super Paper Mario became a side-scroller/3D platformer (it's my favorite and the one that introduced me to the franchise, after disliking the original many years before -something that eventually changed).

9. Half-Life 2 ; (platform: PC) Confession time: I don't like Half-Life. It may be due to playing it 11 years after it came out or maybe I have bad taste, I don't know. What I do know is that HL2 is absolutely fantastic. Love the dystopian setting and environments. And the Gravity Gun gives it an unique feel, especially near the end. It's a shame that HL3 is never coming out, I wanted to know how the story would end.

10. Psychonauts ; (platform: PC) Full of humor and charming characters, this one's a pretty solid platformer with cool psychic powers. Each mind that Raz visites is different, some weird and twisted, others organized or colorful, and every single one is a new experience. I'd heard good things about this game, but I wasn't expecting it to be so good.


Honorable mentions:
x. No One Lives Forever ; (platform: PC) Cate Archer's first adventure takes us to the 60's, in a world full of spies and secret organizations. It has a high dose of humor and parody, and doesn't take itself too seriously. Stealth mechanics are kinda bad, but it doesn't matter much when the game's so fun to play. The sequel is great too, though I think I prefer the first one.

x. Pokémon LeafGreen ; (platform: GBA) This is an excellent upgrade for the original games, providing features found in newer such as exp bars during battles, breeding and genders, while also enhancing the graphics and adding new areas in the world to discover. This and FireRed render the original RBY games obsolete, since everyting in there is improved here.

x. Star Wars Battlefront 2 ; (platform: PC) It's like Battlefield but set in the Star Wars universe, which makes it awesome. I like the sequel more due of the addition of heroes (special characters that are way more powerful than regular soldiers) and space battles, but both are good.

x. The Sims Bustin' Out ; (platform: GBA) Not only the best Sims I've ever played, but also one of my favorite GBA titles. It's an RPG-lite with quests, minigames and character improvement, where the player takes control of a single Sim and guides them through the city of SimValley. It's funny, charming and a blast to play. What I didn't like is that sometimes it can be hard to find a specific character needed to complete a mission, or to know where to go in order to advance the story. But it's so different from anything else in the franchise, and I love it. The Urbz: Sims in the City is worth checking out too, and has a bunch of recurring characters (though as far as I remember, it isn't a sequel).

x. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ; (platform: PC) A fantastic game on my first playthrough back then, a much less impressive game when I replayed it two years ago. I feel very nostalgic about it, but combat is pretty dull and annoying, with lots of enemies that never stop coming and a girl you have to protect at times. The storyline totally hooked me during the first time, with a clever ending that cemented it as a personal favorite. Upon my replay it became apparent that I had overrated it, but it still deserves a mention if only because of my initial feelings towards it.

x. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; (platform: GC - played on Wii) My favorite Zelda game (at least until I played A Link Between Worlds, now there's no way to know which is better), but since the final boss remains undefeated it didn't feel right to include it on the main list. Sailing the ocean feels so peaceful, and it makes for a nice change of pace compared to the dungeons or towns.

x. Luigi's Mansion ; (platform: GC - played on Wii) Another game I never finished, but consider to be great. It's strange but very entertaining.

tim.mbp said:

Don't think game boy color games count.

Click to expand...

Oh ok so I'll have to edit it

1. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; My personal favorite game of all time. Probably the greatest story told in video game history. The gameplay is an excellent progression of what we saw in MGS2. I could say a lot more, but simply put, it's the greatest game of last generation.

2. Tales of Symphonia ; A brilliant GameCube JRPG filled to the brim with fantastic content. My personal favorite JRPG battle system (excluding Graces f) and my personal favorite JRPG cast. The soundtrack is also phenomenal. I've played better JRPGs, but this is easily my choice from last gen, and one of the greatest games on the GameCube.

3. Super Smash Brothers Melee ; I've had more fun with this game than any other fighter. Hours and hours of fun with friends and family, and surprisingly deep systems. Still my favorite in the series, although the newest addition is very good.

4. Timesplitters 2 ; The greatest arcade shooter ever made. Maps, characters, weapons are all ridiculously good and the single player is extremely well made. Truly the most fun I've ever had with a multiplayer shooter.

5. Shadow of the Colossus ; Beautiful, innovative game that left a lasting impression on me. Scaling each colossus was like the best set piece moment from any other game. This game is truly art, and has to be played to be understood fully. The underwater colossus might be my favorite.

6. Soul Calibur 2 ; Both the best entry in the series and the best traditional 3D fighter of the last generation. Perfectly nuanced gameplay and a memorable and fun cast of characters. Also, Link in the GC version was godlike.

7. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; A brilliant sequel to the original MGS, even with the protagonist bait and switch. I actually prefer the gameplay in this one to 3, but it isn't as good story-wise. I enjoy the insanity of this entry though. Excellent, excellent game.

8. Resident Evil 4 ; The greatest surival-horror/action game of all time. Impeccable pacing, ridiculously tight gunplay, and some decently scary sequences. It's my personal favorite RE game as well.

9. Persona 3: FES ; It would be Persona 4, but I played that on Vita. Actually, I prefer the cast in this one to P4. Great story, godlike soundtrack, and a brilliant addition to the series with social links. This is the game that made me fall in love with the series.

10. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast ; Still the best Star Wars game ever made, and I doubt it will ever be beat. The saber fighting is loads of fun, and the story is quite good. The MP is where it really shines, so much fun to be had. I would love an HD remake/remaster.

x. God of War
x. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4
x. Metroid Prime
x. Gladius

Etc... The best generation of all time. It's difficult to list only 10.

Wow, didn't expect this contest already. Let me organize my thoughts about this.

1. Mother 3 ; I can't praise Mother 3 enough, this is THE GAME to show anyone that wants to see how videogames can be an amazing medium for delivering a story, the music is amazing, the gameplay is fun and the rhythm system is fantastic. Also,If you don't cry with the ending, you're not alive.
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
3. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
4. Metroid Prime
5. Super Smash Bros Melee
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
7. Resident Evil 4
8. Pikmin 2
9. Shadow of the Colossus
10.Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

Not final, will edit later.