With the new generation almost completely here worldwide, it had me reminiscing of last generation, which was definitely one of my favorites. All platforms produced great games in multiples.

I actually stopped gaming for the majority of Gen 6--Dreamcast, PS2, GCN, Xbox, GBA. Great games no doubt, but I lost my interest.

However, what are the games of last generation (Gen 7) that you consider the top tier representatives of last generation as a whole.

For this discussion last generation will be defined with the following platforms DS/PSP/360/Wii/PS3 and PC era gaming from 2005-2012. Let's not get into semantically definition of generations. That would just be an annoying derail.

List why as well. One sentence is fine or an essay. Choice is yours. Just anything but a straight list.

I'll start in no order.

Elder Scrolls IV-Oblivion

My first foray into WRPGs, yes the characters are ugly and the main quest a bit tedious, but the assassin guild quest was one of my favorite scenarios last generation. It made the game for me.

Super Mario Galaxy.

The beginning of Mario's 3D revival after the lackluster Sunshine, which it found inspiration in the the FLUDD less levels. It was just a playground of sorts, each level being very unique. It's sequel polished this further, but the original's impact was greater.

SFIV and iterations

I played this game hard from Vanilla all the way to AE 2012. It revived my interest in fighting games and got me into watching streams and majors with same anticipation as some real sporting events--seriously.

Ace Attorney (series)

Such a fun series. Definitely a different type of game, more in line with a visual novel with some detective elements. The music, characters, twist and turns and hilarity of the series keep me going and made me a fan. I hear good things about AA5, which is on my to play list. I know the series originated on GBA, but the DS games were when they were first made available outside of Japan, garnering many fans internationally.

Mega Man Powered Up

The game sold me on the PSP. Sad it flopped because we never got MMPU2, which would've have been amazing. The PSP's widescreen panel was perfect for this game. This game was a textbook example on how to a do an 8/16 bit remake. It's definitely a labor of love. Sad that the game never became a series. It was a much more careful and considered remake than Maverick Hunter X.

Uncharted 2


The first game was rough around the edges, but I really enjoyed it. It was one of my first PS3 games and it was a nice exclusive. The second just blew it away and I was totally shocked. The pacing was perfect and ND learned a lot of the original, which while solid, had many problems.

Geometry Wars 2

The first game was addicting, but part 2 took that formula to the next level. It's leaderboard features were unique at the time as it showed the next friend you needed to best, making it very compelling to compete with your friends list.

Honorable Mentions
Demon's Souls-Fun and sadistically challenging
Ouendan/EBA/Ouendan 2-One the best implementations of the stylus
Canvas Curse-Ditto
Journey-Very unique experience. We need more of these.
Braid-Very satisfying puzzle platformer, before the genre got overdone
Bayonetta-Best character action game; surpassed some of my favorites in the genre. Space Harrier level docks it some percentage points, though.

I l-o-v-e lists!!

My PS3 collection ended up like this (pardon the numbering):

PS3

31) Last of Us
32) Uncharted
33) Uncharted 2
34) Uncharted 3
35) inFAMOUS
36) inFAMOUS 2
37) God of War: Origins
38) God of War 1-2
39) God of War 3
40) Bayonetta
41) MGS 2-3 + Peace Walker
42) MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots
43) Red Dead Redemption GYE
44) Grand Theft Auto V
45. Final Fantasy X HD Collection
46) Final Fantasy XIII
47) Final Fantasy XIII-2
48. Lightning Returns: FF XIII
49) Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
50. Ultra Street Fighter IV

PS3 PSN

51) Metal Gear Solid
52* Castlevania: SOTN
53* Final Fantasy VII
54* Final Fantasy IX
55. Okami HD
56* NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
57* Burnout Paradise: Complete Ed.
58* Street Fighter III HD Online
59* Soul Calibur 2 HD Online
60* Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

I may make some changes as I play threw these games but that's my current collection plan. I'm trying to keep it at 30 games though.

Neo Zuko said:

I l-o-v-e lists!!

My PS3 collection ended up like this (pardon the numbering):

PS3

31) Last of Us
32) Uncharted
33) Uncharted 2
34) Uncharted 3
35) inFAMOUS
36) inFAMOUS 2
37) God of War: Origins
38) God of War 1-2
39) God of War 3
40) Bayonetta
41) MGS 2-3 + Peace Walker
42) MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots
43) Red Dead Redemption GYE
44) Grand Theft Auto V
45. Final Fantasy X HD Collection
46) Final Fantasy XIII
47) Final Fantasy XIII-2
48. Lightning Returns: FF XIII
49) Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
50. Ultra Street Fighter IV

PS3 PSN

51) Metal Gear Solid
52* Castlevania: SOTN
53* Final Fantasy VII
54* Final Fantasy IX
55. Okami HD
56* NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
57* Burnout Paradise: Complete Ed.
58* Street Fighter III HD Online
59* Soul Calibur 2 HD Online
60* Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

Click to expand...

Tsk tsk.

Didn't read the, OP.

Just a sentence for each title and why.

entrement said:

Tsk tsk.

Didn't read the, OP.

Just a sentence for each title and why.

Click to expand...

Indeed. I skim. It's dangerous I don't recommend it!!!

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor

The fact that it exists is a miracle in its own right. Love this game like a son.

There are a lot of top shelf games, but these are just the ones that will more than likely not get mentioned by anyone other than me.

Resonance of Fate

The best JRPG since Persona 3/4. Nothing this generation (within the genre) was this satisfying. When the gameplay clicks, there's nothing like it. The difficulty (Unforgiving), the characters (Nolan North character), the music (Composer of One Piece & Gravity Rush), the atmosphere (Steam punk), the guns, the customization. Nothing about this game isn't amazing. Except for maybe the story.

Tomb Raider & DmC

I'm not one for reboots, especially when done like the superhero movies of today, redone every 4-5 years, but these two, despite not being movies, are amazing. They surpass their predecessors in almost every way. Gameplay, characters, and origin stories that actually make sense. At least more so than the originals.

Far Cry 3

This game almost single-handedly got me into the FPS genre, with this and Bioshock (And Portal 1 & 2, if you count those) being the first games I ever played in it. The island was huge, and unlike some open world games, there was so much to do, and none of it felt like work or tedious labor. Some people have a problem with Jason Brody and his "ludonarrative dissonance", but I personally found him to be one of the most likable and real protagonists in recent memory.

Saints Row The Third

The 4th entry was a bit much with it's superpowers basically making customizing and driving cars obsolete, but the 3rd was just right. Me and my bro would play this in co-op for hours, the last game we did that with was Super Smash Bros, and that was about 3 years ago. Customizing cars was just plain fun, and the game's humor was the most entertaining thing I played that year. There will more than likely be more in the series, but I doubt they will ever capture the magic of the Third, mainly because going in, I had no expectations.

And last but not least:

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

There is a reason this game gets 1 LTTP thread per week. Nuff said.

Xenoblade Chronicles is center piece on top shelf.

It's not perfect in anyway shape or form, but it's just so well pieced together

Burnout: Paradise because DJ Atomika.

The World Ends With You

Not my favorite RPG of the gen, but it brought something new to the table with the two-screen combat the linked directly to the overall theme of the game in an important way. On top of that, it's a stylish modern RPG with a bangin soundtrack.


Xenoblade Chronicles

Wiped the floor with all other console RPGs this gen in scope. Beautiful open world, sniper rifle healing,


Devil Survivor

Plot was all anyone can hope for from an SMT game in a neat SRPG/RPG crossover package. Plus gravity defying boobs.

XCOM: Enemy Within made my favorite game even better. I never tire of it, and time just melts off the clock while playing it. I have nothing but praise for it.

The Mass Effect Trilogy is a great combination of plot and characters I enjoyed immensely. The ending being "pick a color" was dumb, but over-all the series is awesome.

As far as online console gaming goes, Call of Duty 4 is up there with Halo 2 in my "most played ever" category. It had a good campaign and revolutionized multiplayer for me. Unfortunately, its prowess ushered in the era of the dude bros...

While it was only on PC, Empire: Total War must be mentioned! I sank over 200 hours into it on Steam.

I like this type of topic, so I will participate.

Of my current PlayStation 3 collection:

1. Mass Effect 2: Although not a completely superior sequel to the original because Shepard no longer has the ability to perform a quick 180-degree turn and sprint as well as the infinite ammo clips and their Mass Effect lore being revised, it is the best game in the trilogy overall and one of the most exciting titles of the seventh generation.

2. Devil May Cry 4: Great hack and slack games are few and far between and Devil May Cry 4 impresses with a new main character and an improved version of the original. It has its flaws, but the fighting system never fails.

3. Uncharted 2: Surprisingly good visuals and camera angles create a movie-like experience while playing this game. There is never a dull moment.

4. Batman Arkham City: To play as Batman in a more open setting than Arkham Asylum with many of the villains of the DC universe all planning nefarious deeds is epic. This is the standard for superhero games.

Castle Crashers
I love 2D. I have fond, early internet memories of newgrounds, but what I have much more fond memories of is Guardian Heroes, and this felt like both a renaissance of great 2D games, and a spiritual successor that did it's own thing... the local & online play, the replay value, the game in general. It's everything I wanted.

Fallout 3
I just love that world and design, and it sucked me in. My attempts at making the perfect build and the perfect run to be as completionist as possible with everything in the game... I don't know how many times I did that and never finished, but it never got old. I still have things I want to do it, and I'll never concede that Vegas is better.

LittleBig Planet 1 & 2
I really enjoy story mode, and have played through it many times... it hits a soft spot and gives me major nostalgia. The music, oh man. I started creating within the first month, got into the community and got lost for years in it. I put in work... serious work. Made some really ambitious stuff and played thousands of great levels from serious creators. I made a lot of friends, and the social aspect of both play, creative cyphers and just hanging out was a second life. Alot of my friends went on to get jobs working on LBP and other games... but many are still around. It's something I was glad to be a part of, and connected to for better or worse for several years.

Demon's Souls & Dark Souls
Holy fuck was Demon's a surprise, and my god were these games engrossing. I'm not a masochist, there was nothing painful about it, it was fun and exhilarating, intense, and sometimes jawdropping. These were games I could play forever like I did Symphony of the Night as a teenager, and almost everything recalled something I loved about many games in the past.

Mark of the Ninja
My name is Ninja. This was 2D stealth perfected, ninja personified, and saturday morning cartoon/animated DVD feature at it's best. Without a doubt, one of my favorite games of the generation and something that deserves any praise it got.

Tokyo Jungle
This felt like a long lost Dreamcast game, running on a Dreamcast 4. I love the levity and variety, the progression and surprises, the arcade-style design given to a life sim, the game world and it's 90's style back story delivery. It was just pure fun and playability. Animals <3

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
The use of music and message in this game blew me away. My initial impression, in the first 15 minutes, was that it was going to be a lot of lowbrow humor but it did so much more. I put the "intent" up there with Flower and Mirror's Edge. The only way I can describe the game is the original Flashback meets Half-Life 2 meets Metal Slug. I'm sure that oversells it, but that's how it feels to me.

I also want to give a shout to Mirror's Edge, Portal, MGS4, Pixel Junk Shooter 1/2, and Civilization V, but I'd need to think about them more. Blood Dragon and Dragon's Crown are a couple games I need to let marinate a little longer.

NinjamicWZ said:

LittleBig Planet 1 & 2
I really enjoy story mode, and have played through it many times... it hits a soft spot and gives me major nostalgia. The music, oh man. I started creating within the first month, got into the community and got lost for years in it. I put in work... serious work. Made some really ambitious stuff and played thousands of great levels from serious creators. I made a lot of friends, and the social aspect of both play, creative cyphers and just hanging out was a second life. Alot of my friends went on to get jobs working on LBP and other games... but many are still around. It's something I was glad to be a part of, and connected to for better or worse for several years.

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken
The use of music and message in this game blew me away. My initial impression, in the first 15 minutes, was that it was going to be a lot of lowbrow humor but it did so much more. I put the "intent" up there with Flower and Mirror's Edge. The only way I can describe the game is the original Flashback meets Half-Life 2 meets Metal Slug. I'm sure that oversells it, but that's how it feels to me.

Click to expand...

Sometimes I feel like I am the only person that loved these two games. Rocketbirds especially is one of the most underrated games of this generation. If you look up the history of that game you can see it is a real work of passion. I can't wait for the sequel.

Advance Wars: Dual Strike - My favourite DS game. RTS at its finest.

Bioshock - My game of the generation. Brilliant everything.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - I'm not sure we'll ever see another FPS with as much impact on the genre.

Elebits - Nothing has come close to the creativity and charm of this game, even if it was flawed.

Last of Us - See Uncharted 2.

Mass Effect Trilogy - Easily the deepest and most involved narrative last gen. Loved the universe.

Super Mario Galaxy - This game brought back that sense of awe from SM64. Nothing does that except a Mario game.

Tomb Raider - This game is a showpiece. Beautiful environments and just plain fun.

Uncharted 2- Naughty Dog being Naughty Dog.

WipEout HD - Best racing game of all time.

Notable Mentions:

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - A modern, more accessible FFT that I actually finished.

The World Ends with You - The finest example of "A for effort."

***Edit: I should note that I haven't played The Last Story or Xenoblade Chronicles yet. There's a very sad absence of JRPGs on this last. This was the dark age.

The Last of Us.The Last of Us.The Last of Us.

A game has never had a lasting impression on me as The Last of Us has. Excluding when I was 11 years old and played Mortal Kombat for the first time.

Portal 2 - the perfection of Portal, a brilliant problem solving game and one of the best and most creative endings ever

Uncharted 2 - things that previously only happened in cutscenes were amazing playable set pieces, my jaw was on the floor for ten hours straight

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - all the craziness of Kojima AND Platinum in one package, my favorite action game

The Last of Us - amazing combination of gameplay and story, perfect pacing

Ghost Trick - great touch screen mechanics, incredible animation, charming story and characters (<3 Missile - one of the best, most gallant protagonists ever)

For me Red Dead Redemption will always stick in my mind and is a game I'll always keep in my collection.

This game had a profound impact on me, from the story, to the setting, to the sound. I was totally blown away.

I had many a favourite game last gen but RDR just rises above the rest.

EDIT: honourable mention to Fallout 3 coming a close second for same reasons as above.

The Last of Us
Demon/Dark Souls
MLB The Show (they've all been great)
Skyrim
Red Dead Redemption

These are all games that I'll probably never get rid of, because I know that, one day, I'll want to play one of them again.

DarthOrange said:

Sometimes I feel like I am the only person that loved these two games. Rocketbirds especially is one of the most underrated games of this generation. If you look up the history of that game you can see it is a real work of passion. I can't wait for the sequel.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Rocketbirds is never mentioned along side any of the indie/2D staples, or even in the benchwarmers... the game just resonated with me intensely. A lot of it's tone reminds me of great western animated films like Plague Dogs or When the Wind Blows. You're the only other person I've seen give it props, so +bro points.

shampoowarrior said:

The World Ends With You

Not my favorite RPG of the gen, but it brought something new to the table with the two-screen combat the linked directly to the overall theme of the game in an important way. On top of that, it's a stylish modern RPG with a bangin soundtrack.


Xenoblade Chronicles

Wiped the floor with all other console RPGs this gen in scope. Beautiful open world, sniper rifle healing,

Click to expand...

I always found it funny (but refreshing) that the spunky girl with the sniper rifle was the healer, and the graceful maiden with the wand is your artillery hax dmger.

Batman Arkham Series: Im a huge Batman fan and this games are great, you really feel like Batman.

Mario Galaxy 1&2: Best Wii games, pure fun and amazing level design.

Xenoblade: I was really impress with the vast world and no loadings, also very fun to play.

World of Goo: I just really liked it, fun and creative.

Portal 2: excellent puzzle game and really funny.

Bioshock: Great atmosphere and gameplay, reminds me to Metroid Prime and Resident Evil 4.

Radiant Historia: Is like im back to the glorious SNES JRPG days.

Monster Hunter Tri: I put 500+ hours on it.

Vanquish: Pure action fun.

There are maybe more but thats it for now

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer - Deep characters and engrossing story beyond anything Bioware could hope to do.

Fallout 3 and NV - 3 for mindless shoot bang and NV for a wonderful set of factions and memorable quests.

Dark Souls - This is the type of game that I started with and it is always great. Reminds me of the first game I ever bought. Ninja Gaiden (NES).

Blood Bowl: Chaos Edition - Super addictive turn-based strategy that is easy to learn and difficult to master.

Orcs Must Die! 1&2 - Planning out locations for traps and what weapons to use is fun, and killing Orcs never gets old!

Alpha Protocol - The game seamlessly weaves a new story based on your decisions.. what Mass Effect should have been.

Walking Dead & Wolf Among Us - Telltale has created a new genre of media that is an addictive blend of animated movie, graphic novel, and adventure game.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent - Reminded everyone that survival horror doesn't need constant action and shoot-bang gameplay.

This list isn't comprehensive my library of games is very limited.


EDIT: How could I forget Super Mario Galaxy! Spent many hours goofing around with my niece in this game. Awesome platforming that is as much fun to watch as it is to play.

Arkham Series - great combat system, voice acting and Batman !
Saints Row The Third - over the top gameplay and really good humor

Mirrors Edge - the sense of speed and overall look are amazing to me

The Witcher 2 - CD Projekt knows how to make really good games

Sleeping Dogs - Wei Shen and I thought the story was pretty good

Portal 1 & 2 - Awesome puzzles and really great humor

The Walking Dead - Got really attached to some of the characters and that ending hit me right in the feels.

Burnout Paradise - Open world burnout provided for so many amazing gameplay moments

Mass Effect series - Despite the problems with 3 I still love the majority of characters throughout the whole trilogy