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GAF Games o' the Generation (DC/PS2/GBA/GC/Xbox/PC 2000-2005) Voting Closed
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
Pretty formatting but its going to get disqualified. Read the rules again.
it just won't go through parser. i am doing this manually so there won't be any pretty and neat extra stuff in the recent goty threads.
The top-8 are pretty much interchangeable in any way depending on a moments feeling, so its tough to order them, but I gave it a go anyway.
1- Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Easily one of my all-time favourites, I have never gotten tired of playing it. The core gameplay is simply too strong. The potential of emergence in interactivity at its finest. That the visuals, music and content depth complement it this well is the cherry on top.
2- MegaMan Battle Network 3 ; This is one of my favourite franchises of all time and that game is one of the first I think about when I recall this generation. The gameplay is pure bliss. I would never get tired of facing new AI, learning patterns or netbattling friends. I love the storys core theme (which is still relevant today) and character/navi designs. The soundtrack. The aesthetic. I simply love the whole package.
3- Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 ; I think this is the first game from that generation that I spent a lot of time with. Played it a ton and again, solid gameplay is king. Soundtrack is, once again, quality and appropriate.
4- Stronghold ; My favourite real-time strategy game of all-time. Its gameplay is different from all the other RTS games I had played prior. Its fun and deep. Complex yet simple. The soundtrack complements the game very well. I spent so much time making custom missions in this game that I probably couldve created a few more Stronghold campaigns.
5- Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 ; Easily one of my favourite FPS of all time. Makes great use of strategies involving squad-leading, flanking, suppressing and such. On top of loving the gameplay, I loved the story and the characters. Its funny, its harsh, I was involved from the beginning to the end.
6- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; My favourite GTA game of all time. The atmosphere was perfect. The gameplay was awesome. A varied sandbox filled with content. One of the generations defining game for me yet again. Played this a lot with my friends.
7- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ; Turn-based strategy gameplay perfection. World-building is top-notch. Memorable characters, plot and themes. Great soundtrack. Lovely art and I wish modern FE games still used that style. I dont think I can find anything wrong with this game. Its greatness at its core.
8- Halo 2 ; This was one of the staples for late in that generation at my place (and my friends). We played this a lot and never got tired of it as we kept switching up game modes (campaign co-op and numerous gameplay variations we made for multiplayer).
9- The Sims ; Loved it, spent a lot of time just building houses and the actual day-to-day gameplay was real fun too. Had many memorable moments playing this with my family and friends.
10- Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire ; This was a big jump for Pokémons already great gameplay systems. I played a lot of it with my friends and its one of the 10 games that most defined that generation for me, even though its real tough to choose.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; Loved this game but I did have a few issues with it that I didnt have with Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask. Its still amazing but I will give my points to some other games.
x. Persona 4 ; While Persona 4 Golden is one of my all time favourites and would be around the top of my list, Ive never played vanilla Persona 4 and I feel my points should go towards games I played during that generation.
x. Persona 3 FES ; Unlike Persona 4 Golden, I did play this as a PS2 game, except it was a PS2 classic on PS3 and I didnt play it until last year. I wont list it for similar reasons.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ; Again, I played this on Wii and so felt I should leave my spots to games I played on that generations hardware and during that generations duration.
x. Call of Duty 2 ; I played this on Xbox 360 in 2006. So, same reason as the three other games above. Theres too many great games I want to put on my list that I have to find reasons to leave some off of it.
x. Animal Crossing ; This games systems are it was just so different from anything I had played. Its a soothing gem.
x. Empire Earth ; I loved playing this game, making custom missions and spent a lot of time with it when I was younger.
1- Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Easily one of my all-time favourites, I have never gotten tired of playing it. The core gameplay is simply too strong. The potential of emergence in interactivity at its finest. That the visuals, music and content depth complement it this well is the cherry on top.
2- MegaMan Battle Network 3 ; This is one of my favourite franchises of all time and that game is one of the first I think about when I recall this generation. The gameplay is pure bliss. I would never get tired of facing new AI, learning patterns or netbattling friends. I love the storys core theme (which is still relevant today) and character/navi designs. The soundtrack. The aesthetic. I simply love the whole package.
3- Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 ; I think this is the first game from that generation that I spent a lot of time with. Played it a ton and again, solid gameplay is king. Soundtrack is, once again, quality and appropriate.
4- Stronghold ; My favourite real-time strategy game of all-time. Its gameplay is different from all the other RTS games I had played prior. Its fun and deep. Complex yet simple. The soundtrack complements the game very well. I spent so much time making custom missions in this game that I probably couldve created a few more Stronghold campaigns.
5- Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 ; Easily one of my favourite FPS of all time. Makes great use of strategies involving squad-leading, flanking, suppressing and such. On top of loving the gameplay, I loved the story and the characters. Its funny, its harsh, I was involved from the beginning to the end.
6- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; My favourite GTA game of all time. The atmosphere was perfect. The gameplay was awesome. A varied sandbox filled with content. One of the generations defining game for me yet again. Played this a lot with my friends.
7- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ; Turn-based strategy gameplay perfection. World-building is top-notch. Memorable characters, plot and themes. Great soundtrack. Lovely art and I wish modern FE games still used that style. I dont think I can find anything wrong with this game. Its greatness at its core.
8- Halo 2 ; This was one of the staples for late in that generation at my place (and my friends). We played this a lot and never got tired of it as we kept switching up game modes (campaign co-op and numerous gameplay variations we made for multiplayer).
9- The Sims ; Loved it, spent a lot of time just building houses and the actual day-to-day gameplay was real fun too. Had many memorable moments playing this with my family and friends.
10- Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire ; This was a big jump for Pokémons already great gameplay systems. I played a lot of it with my friends and its one of the 10 games that most defined that generation for me, even though its real tough to choose.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; Loved this game but I did have a few issues with it that I didnt have with Ocarina of Time and Majoras Mask. Its still amazing but I will give my points to some other games.
x. Persona 4 ; While Persona 4 Golden is one of my all time favourites and would be around the top of my list, Ive never played vanilla Persona 4 and I feel my points should go towards games I played during that generation.
x. Persona 3 FES ; Unlike Persona 4 Golden, I did play this as a PS2 game, except it was a PS2 classic on PS3 and I didnt play it until last year. I wont list it for similar reasons.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ; Again, I played this on Wii and so felt I should leave my spots to games I played on that generations hardware and during that generations duration.
x. Call of Duty 2 ; I played this on Xbox 360 in 2006. So, same reason as the three other games above. Theres too many great games I want to put on my list that I have to find reasons to leave some off of it.
x. Animal Crossing ; This games systems are it was just so different from anything I had played. Its a soothing gem.
x. Empire Earth ; I loved playing this game, making custom missions and spent a lot of time with it when I was younger.
Jimnymebob
Member
OK, I'll try to limit franchises as best I can because otherwise my top 10 will be from like 3 series.
1. TimeSplitters: As I said, if I was listing games from multiple franchises then the top 6 would be full of games from this series and my number two choice series. I love all three of the TimeSplitters games, for different reasons mainly, and I'd probably be one of the few people who would rank the series 1>3>2. That being said, even though 2 was the first one I played, the original is the one I have the fondest memories of; co-op bagtag, Planet X, Chinese without the shortcut connecting the basement and the alley, twin miniguns, the awesome character animations when selecting your character, and not having like 50 soldier characters are just some of the reasons why I love it so much.
2. Jak II: Renegade: The Precursor Legacy was an incredible game that still holds up perfectly today, but the sequel outclassed it in my opinion. The game definitely had faults, certainly, but to me it came together for an experience that took from so many different genres and ideas, and came together to form something completely unique.
3. Crash Twinsanity: It wasn't a Naughty Dog Crash game, and it didn't try to be. However, aside from the surrealist humour of the game, in my opinion it's the third best Crash game, only surpassed by 2 and CTR.
4. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle: It was the last of the three GC 3D Sonic titles released that I played, but it's certainly my favourites. The multiplayer was awesome, so was the soundtrack, and the story mode, while it had it's bad levels, it had a load of memorable ones.
5. GTA San Andreas: This is basically the only game in my list that I'd expect to make top 10 in the overall list, but it definitely deserves it. San Andreas was a huge, ambitious game, filled with awesome details, and possibly the greatest licensed soundtrack in a game.
6. Guilty Gear X: My favourite fighting game of all time. The characters introduced in X2 onwards never did anything for me except Slayer, and I personally preferred the sort of synthesised OST compared to the actual guitar version.
7. Second Sight: One of the greatest stories in gaming in my opinion. I don't want to go into to much detail for this, due to not wanting to mention spoilers. So I'll give a recommendation to go buy Second Sight right now if you haven't played it before.
8. Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance: Probably my favourite RPG behind FFIV and Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen. It was a great co-op game, and it's a shame there's not really anything like it of the same quality nowadays.
9. Jak & Daxter The Precursor Legacy: I know I said I was limiting it to one game per franchise, but I couldn't leave this out. This game defined the PS2 for me. It's just a shame it's a bit too short and easy.
10. Pokemon Leaf Green: A remake of my favourite Pokemon game that improved the hell out of it, and added new features too. It took until the next remake, Heart Gold, for a Pokemon game to surpass it. Even then, I still prefer LG due to nostalgia sake.
x. Sly 3: The only Sly game I played, but I'll be damned if it wasn't awesome.
x. Jade Cocoon 2: Not as good as the original, but still a great, unique RPG. Shame the chance of a sequel is slim to none.
x. Kya Dark Lineage: A really odd game. I could never get into it, then got completely hooked. It was definitely unique.
x. Viewtiful Joe: HENSHIN A GO-GO, BABY!
x. Metal Gear Solid 2: The best MGS game, with one of the greatest title sequences ever. The only negatives was Rose and "EMMAWR! EMMAWR! EMMAWR! EMMAWR!"
x. Ty the Tasmanian Tiger: Probably the only 3rd party collectathon I really enjoyed. The soundtrack was catchy.
x. Bloody Roar 3: It had Stun, the greatest fighting game character design of all time.
x. Ratchet Gladiator: I honestly think Ratchet works better in a more combat focused game. Considering most of the platforming in the main games is jumping over moving platforms, bounce pads, and using a grappling hook, focusing on it's main strength, the gunplay, was a genius idea.
x. Devil May Cry: I never beat the first fight against Nelo Angelo, but the little bit I played was utterly fantastic.
x. Gungrave: Made mashing square hype as hell. Tried watching the anime a while after playing it, and couldn't stand it.
x. Mortal Kombat Deception: Shaolin Monks was a better game, but I loved that stupid Konquest mode with Shujinko.
x. Psychonauts: A crazy odd game filled with bizarre humour. Certainly a one of a kind experience.
There's probably a lot more that I could mention, but I'm getting bored of typing now.
1. TimeSplitters: As I said, if I was listing games from multiple franchises then the top 6 would be full of games from this series and my number two choice series. I love all three of the TimeSplitters games, for different reasons mainly, and I'd probably be one of the few people who would rank the series 1>3>2. That being said, even though 2 was the first one I played, the original is the one I have the fondest memories of; co-op bagtag, Planet X, Chinese without the shortcut connecting the basement and the alley, twin miniguns, the awesome character animations when selecting your character, and not having like 50 soldier characters are just some of the reasons why I love it so much.
2. Jak II: Renegade: The Precursor Legacy was an incredible game that still holds up perfectly today, but the sequel outclassed it in my opinion. The game definitely had faults, certainly, but to me it came together for an experience that took from so many different genres and ideas, and came together to form something completely unique.
3. Crash Twinsanity: It wasn't a Naughty Dog Crash game, and it didn't try to be. However, aside from the surrealist humour of the game, in my opinion it's the third best Crash game, only surpassed by 2 and CTR.
4. Sonic Adventure 2 Battle: It was the last of the three GC 3D Sonic titles released that I played, but it's certainly my favourites. The multiplayer was awesome, so was the soundtrack, and the story mode, while it had it's bad levels, it had a load of memorable ones.
5. GTA San Andreas: This is basically the only game in my list that I'd expect to make top 10 in the overall list, but it definitely deserves it. San Andreas was a huge, ambitious game, filled with awesome details, and possibly the greatest licensed soundtrack in a game.
Vice City's is just as good; combined they're unbeatable.
6. Guilty Gear X: My favourite fighting game of all time. The characters introduced in X2 onwards never did anything for me except Slayer, and I personally preferred the sort of synthesised OST compared to the actual guitar version.
7. Second Sight: One of the greatest stories in gaming in my opinion. I don't want to go into to much detail for this, due to not wanting to mention spoilers. So I'll give a recommendation to go buy Second Sight right now if you haven't played it before.
8. Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance: Probably my favourite RPG behind FFIV and Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen. It was a great co-op game, and it's a shame there's not really anything like it of the same quality nowadays.
9. Jak & Daxter The Precursor Legacy: I know I said I was limiting it to one game per franchise, but I couldn't leave this out. This game defined the PS2 for me. It's just a shame it's a bit too short and easy.
10. Pokemon Leaf Green: A remake of my favourite Pokemon game that improved the hell out of it, and added new features too. It took until the next remake, Heart Gold, for a Pokemon game to surpass it. Even then, I still prefer LG due to nostalgia sake.
x. Sly 3: The only Sly game I played, but I'll be damned if it wasn't awesome.
x. Jade Cocoon 2: Not as good as the original, but still a great, unique RPG. Shame the chance of a sequel is slim to none.
x. Kya Dark Lineage: A really odd game. I could never get into it, then got completely hooked. It was definitely unique.
x. Viewtiful Joe: HENSHIN A GO-GO, BABY!
x. Metal Gear Solid 2: The best MGS game, with one of the greatest title sequences ever. The only negatives was Rose and "EMMAWR! EMMAWR! EMMAWR! EMMAWR!"
x. Ty the Tasmanian Tiger: Probably the only 3rd party collectathon I really enjoyed. The soundtrack was catchy.
x. Bloody Roar 3: It had Stun, the greatest fighting game character design of all time.
x. Ratchet Gladiator: I honestly think Ratchet works better in a more combat focused game. Considering most of the platforming in the main games is jumping over moving platforms, bounce pads, and using a grappling hook, focusing on it's main strength, the gunplay, was a genius idea.
x. Devil May Cry: I never beat the first fight against Nelo Angelo, but the little bit I played was utterly fantastic.
x. Gungrave: Made mashing square hype as hell. Tried watching the anime a while after playing it, and couldn't stand it.
x. Mortal Kombat Deception: Shaolin Monks was a better game, but I loved that stupid Konquest mode with Shujinko.
x. Psychonauts: A crazy odd game filled with bizarre humour. Certainly a one of a kind experience.
There's probably a lot more that I could mention, but I'm getting bored of typing now.
ok, here it is. I'll be very short with the descriptions
1. Metal Wolf Chaos ; it is an amazingly stupid and hilarious game. FromSoftware made it, by the way. just play it, or at least, watch a speedrun like this one. it's probably not going to get more votes so I'll give it my 1st place.
2. SMT 3 ; easily the best jrpg on PS2.
3. Okami ; beatiful and incredibly well crafted game. if you have some knowledge of Japanese literature, mythology and/or history you'll recognize some stuff. it's a very long game but I never found it to be poorly paced, I really enjoyed it from the beginning to the end.
4. Diablo II ; I only played this game for the first time a couple of years ago and I had a blast with it. all of that praise was surely deserved.
5. God Hand ; another Clover Studio game which I really enjoyed.
6. TES Morrowind ; the last good TES, and a very good one I might add.
7. DQ 5 ; there is a PS2 version of this, which came out in 2004. I consider DQ5 to be the best DQ game, out of the ones I've played anyway.
8. SotC ; yes, it's better than ICO.
9. Pokémon Gold/Silver ; this is my favourite pokémon game, followed by Yellow. 2nd gen still holds the crown.
10. MGS3 ; not a huge fan of MGS series but this game deserves to be in a top ten list such as this one. gotta eat dem snakes
fin~
1. Metal Wolf Chaos ; it is an amazingly stupid and hilarious game. FromSoftware made it, by the way. just play it, or at least, watch a speedrun like this one. it's probably not going to get more votes so I'll give it my 1st place.
2. SMT 3 ; easily the best jrpg on PS2.
3. Okami ; beatiful and incredibly well crafted game. if you have some knowledge of Japanese literature, mythology and/or history you'll recognize some stuff. it's a very long game but I never found it to be poorly paced, I really enjoyed it from the beginning to the end.
4. Diablo II ; I only played this game for the first time a couple of years ago and I had a blast with it. all of that praise was surely deserved.
5. God Hand ; another Clover Studio game which I really enjoyed.
6. TES Morrowind ; the last good TES, and a very good one I might add.
7. DQ 5 ; there is a PS2 version of this, which came out in 2004. I consider DQ5 to be the best DQ game, out of the ones I've played anyway.
8. SotC ; yes, it's better than ICO.
9. Pokémon Gold/Silver ; this is my favourite pokémon game, followed by Yellow. 2nd gen still holds the crown.
10. MGS3 ; not a huge fan of MGS series but this game deserves to be in a top ten list such as this one. gotta eat dem snakes
fin~
Lostconfused
Member
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I can't take it. I'm getting the hives.
Hobbestetrician
Member
1. Resident Evil 4 ; A perfect game, not a thing I would change. Impeccable pacing, strongest collection of bosses ever in a game. Not much else to be said about this masterpiece. The game I have played through the most amount of times.
2. Beyond Good & Evil ; A game full of heart and soul. A wonderfully realized world with a core cast of characters as good as any game. Would buy a full game of just the hoverboat races or of photographing the wildlife. My favorite game soundtrack.
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Such a beautiful game, in both visuals and personality. Loved the new takes on Ganondorf and Zelda. Sailing the open ocean captured the true sense of adventure like never before.
4. Timesplitters 2 ; I am not sure how many hours my brother and I put into playing Virus in the Hangar with rocket launchers but it is a lot. No FPS has yet matched this game for multiplayer options, not to mention Arcade mode and a really fun single-player. Future Perfect has the better campaign but 2 is the ultimate Timesplitters. Loved the style and all the characters.
5. Silent Hill 2 ; Still the best story ever told in game because of the way it uses enemies, your abilities, those you meet, the atmosphere, and the world. Silent Hill 2 accomplishes so much that can only be done in a game. Horrifying in so many different ways.
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ; A dream-like magical game. Each room being a self-contained puzzle that required breath-taking acrobatics to solve and advance. Rewinding time after falling to your doom (No, thats not how it happened!) is a tremendous mechanic.
7. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; The greatest Metal Gear game. The Boss is perhaps the greatest character in a game ever and the rest of the cast is also strong from top to bottom. A more grounded story, relative to other Metal Gears, that is a love-letter to older spy movies.
8. Eternal Darkness: Sanitys Requiem ; Great premise having lots of playable characters throughout different eras of history. Color-coded enemies and magic were interesting mechanics. Fourth Wall-breaking sanity effects remain amazing.
9. Burnout 3: Takedown ; Such an incredible feeling of speed. Car carnage at its finest.
10. Project Gotham Racing 2 ; Kudos!
x. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
x. F-Zero GX
x. Half-Life 2
x. Metroid Prime
x. Okami
x. Pikmin 2
x. Resident Evil
x. Soul Calibur II
x. Super Smash Bros. Melee
x. Timesplitters: Future Perfect
2. Beyond Good & Evil ; A game full of heart and soul. A wonderfully realized world with a core cast of characters as good as any game. Would buy a full game of just the hoverboat races or of photographing the wildlife. My favorite game soundtrack.
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Such a beautiful game, in both visuals and personality. Loved the new takes on Ganondorf and Zelda. Sailing the open ocean captured the true sense of adventure like never before.
4. Timesplitters 2 ; I am not sure how many hours my brother and I put into playing Virus in the Hangar with rocket launchers but it is a lot. No FPS has yet matched this game for multiplayer options, not to mention Arcade mode and a really fun single-player. Future Perfect has the better campaign but 2 is the ultimate Timesplitters. Loved the style and all the characters.
5. Silent Hill 2 ; Still the best story ever told in game because of the way it uses enemies, your abilities, those you meet, the atmosphere, and the world. Silent Hill 2 accomplishes so much that can only be done in a game. Horrifying in so many different ways.
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ; A dream-like magical game. Each room being a self-contained puzzle that required breath-taking acrobatics to solve and advance. Rewinding time after falling to your doom (No, thats not how it happened!) is a tremendous mechanic.
7. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; The greatest Metal Gear game. The Boss is perhaps the greatest character in a game ever and the rest of the cast is also strong from top to bottom. A more grounded story, relative to other Metal Gears, that is a love-letter to older spy movies.
8. Eternal Darkness: Sanitys Requiem ; Great premise having lots of playable characters throughout different eras of history. Color-coded enemies and magic were interesting mechanics. Fourth Wall-breaking sanity effects remain amazing.
9. Burnout 3: Takedown ; Such an incredible feeling of speed. Car carnage at its finest.
10. Project Gotham Racing 2 ; Kudos!
x. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
x. F-Zero GX
x. Half-Life 2
x. Metroid Prime
x. Okami
x. Pikmin 2
x. Resident Evil
x. Soul Calibur II
x. Super Smash Bros. Melee
x. Timesplitters: Future Perfect
disappeared
Banned
Dreamcast:
1. Phantasy Star Online ; put nearly 400 hours into it. My first true online gaming experience. Like no other.
2. Power Stone ; virtually the perfect game for four players. Friendships nearly ended.
3. Jet Set Radio ; let's take a minute to reflect on the fact that no other game has successfully recreated this concept.
PS2:
1. Silent Hill 2 ; released in 2001, and no other game to date has superseded its narrative.
2. Grand Theft Auto III ; literally changed the way we played three-dimensional games. Its success spawned a thousand imitators.
3. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; a post-modern tale that divided fans of its predecessor; its game mechanics and overall themes are still debated to this day.
4. SSX ; you might be surprised, but extreme snowboarding was once a popular thing. Then this game happened. And it was a fucking launch title.
GameCube:
1. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; this was the last Zelda game I ever finished. Since then, more recent entries in the series have released, and they have all seemed incredibly dull.
2. Pikmin ; who would have thought that Miyamoto would create a real-time-strategy game with primary-colored expendables that would challenge your OCD tendencies?
3. Rogue Squadron II ; a fun game and a visual overdose. Factor-5 got at least one thing right.
Xbox:
1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; this was Bioware before the band broke up. A great game set in a familiar universe complimented by an enjoyable narrative and likeable party members. Nothing beats the Dark-Side ending.
2. Halo ; I played many-a-16-player LAN Team Deathmatch. Good fun, but it's a shame the sequels never replicated the intensity of the original. Blood Gulch is the only map you need. Or Hang-em-High with Rockets.
3. Jet Set Radio Future ; didn't quite live up to its predecessor, but there was still a detectable trace of effort that Smile-Bit put into it.
PC:
1. Half-Life 2 ; utter perfection.
2. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory ; if UbiSoft did one thing correctly, it was focusing on pure stealth, and Chaos Theory pays off in spades.
3. Postal 2 ; because, why not? It was a stupid game with a stupid premise with a stupid narrative, but the game was fun.
1. Phantasy Star Online ; put nearly 400 hours into it. My first true online gaming experience. Like no other.
2. Power Stone ; virtually the perfect game for four players. Friendships nearly ended.
3. Jet Set Radio ; let's take a minute to reflect on the fact that no other game has successfully recreated this concept.
PS2:
1. Silent Hill 2 ; released in 2001, and no other game to date has superseded its narrative.
2. Grand Theft Auto III ; literally changed the way we played three-dimensional games. Its success spawned a thousand imitators.
3. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; a post-modern tale that divided fans of its predecessor; its game mechanics and overall themes are still debated to this day.
4. SSX ; you might be surprised, but extreme snowboarding was once a popular thing. Then this game happened. And it was a fucking launch title.
GameCube:
1. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; this was the last Zelda game I ever finished. Since then, more recent entries in the series have released, and they have all seemed incredibly dull.
2. Pikmin ; who would have thought that Miyamoto would create a real-time-strategy game with primary-colored expendables that would challenge your OCD tendencies?
3. Rogue Squadron II ; a fun game and a visual overdose. Factor-5 got at least one thing right.
Xbox:
1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; this was Bioware before the band broke up. A great game set in a familiar universe complimented by an enjoyable narrative and likeable party members. Nothing beats the Dark-Side ending.
2. Halo ; I played many-a-16-player LAN Team Deathmatch. Good fun, but it's a shame the sequels never replicated the intensity of the original. Blood Gulch is the only map you need. Or Hang-em-High with Rockets.
3. Jet Set Radio Future ; didn't quite live up to its predecessor, but there was still a detectable trace of effort that Smile-Bit put into it.
PC:
1. Half-Life 2 ; utter perfection.
2. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory ; if UbiSoft did one thing correctly, it was focusing on pure stealth, and Chaos Theory pays off in spades.
3. Postal 2 ; because, why not? It was a stupid game with a stupid premise with a stupid narrative, but the game was fun.
you're welcome.
lol; I swear that I didn't see your post, when I read that this was about the Xbox/PS2 gen MWC came to mind and well, I had to do it.
Nocturnowl
Member
Always nice to see some Virus Love, that was the go to multiplayer mode back in the day.
I went back over some of the campaigns for TS2 and Future Perfect in the last month, you know I used to figure that FP had the slightly stronger campaign in the end since it seems more fleshed out but really upon revisiting both at the same time it was interesting to see how you can see the shift in FPS campaign style despite initially seeming similar.
TS2 just throws you into stage with a little briefing in the menu and objectives and leaves it up to the player to progress through slightly more open stages, while feeling a bit barebones there's a stronger sense of discovery on the players part and it takes greater advantage of the time travelling theme aesthetically. Meanwhile Future Perfect is a lot more guided from its NPC supports to the level structure which leaves little for the player to figure out themselves and many more objectives basically just come up when deemed applicable to the current situation, feels more like a series of events and set pieces strung together at points for both better and for worse, though it gives the player more reason to care through its plot and characterisation that might as well have been absent in TS2.
I'm not sure which one has the better campaign now, I think TS2 actually has the bigger highs, Siberia is such a strong opener while Future Perfect's opener is dare I say dreadful so I instead like to pretend Scotland the Brave is the real first stage.
At the same time TS2 might have some of the more notable duds, Return to Planet X and Space Station are a bit bland if I recall so FP may still win on overall consistency, just a shame that it's so funnelled at times that they can take a haunted mansion stage and make it completely linear like a ghost train ride albeit a memorable and still enjoyable one.
In any case it's been fun seeing how revisiting these games with my modern preferences has shifted my thoughts on them just a little bit.
Then when it comes to Arcade TS2 easily takes it, I'll always feel like FP dropped the ball there.
1. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind; Still the best Elder Scrolls game, and best open world, single player RPG. The lore, character development, World design, and overall story is fantastic. Solstheim and The Tribunal add a ton to this game, it can be modded to be visually impressive and highly playable, even today. There is no better Single Player Open World RPG than Morrowind. Either on Xbox or PC, I had Xbox for this gen, it was unmatched.
2. Halo CE; Halo CE for the Xbox is a landmark achievement for Console Shooters, and the console FPS genre as a whole. The core mechanics of moving and shooting with Dual Thumbsticks on a controller was finally perfected, and is still the best console FPS engine to this day, imo. Halo 1 has large, expansive levels with beautiful graphics and assets, its enemy AI is still impressive to this day for FPS games. It's a timeless singleplayer/co op classic. Multiplayer is brilliant in its simplistic design, it's the medium paced Quake game that no one thought to make for Consoles. Brilliant maps, for 1v1, 2v2, 4v4 and Sidewinder/Blood Gulch for those large epic LANs that the Xbox showcased.
3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; San Andreas took the GTA formula that GTA3 pioneered to insane heights. It was the culmination and full realization of that engine, for this generation of consoles. It had everything you loved about all the games before it, and so much more that it was unbelievable. The world was remarkably huge and ambitious, the gameplay was much better, the mission diversity and character development was surprisingly diverse and fully fleshed out. Rockstar made sure to fully explore and develop a GTA game that was all-encompassing for this generation.
4. Ninja Gaiden: Black; This is the greatest 3D Action Game ever made, only rivaled by the Bayonetta series. The Xbox showcased the ambition of Team Ninja and Itagaki, the gameplay was unrivaled in its depth and difficulty, it was a complex fighting game, built into a single-player 3D action game. NG:B added so much to the original, improved it, and is truly a killer app for the console.
5. Halo 2; Personally, Halo 2 was a pretty big letdown from the blissful gameplay and design of Halo CE. But, its impact for Online Console MP can not be understated, it is the most influential game for online MP for Consoles. It made the experience of playing with friends in online MP as simple as joining a lobby/party and pressing A to go find a game. The Ranking, playlists, competitive MP and stat tracking for a console game at the time, and even now, is remarkable. Bungie crafted an amazing online MP experience that defined the Xbox Live Platform. Single-player was good, disappointing sure, but Halo 2's online MP is a legendary achievement.
6. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec; The Gran Turismo Series was still the definitive Simulation Racing experience at this point. GT3 shrunk down the ambition and bloat of GT2 into the next gen for the PS2. It was remarkably beautiful, and played like you wanted it to, better even. Gran Turismo 3 was one of many reasons to own a PS2, if you loved cars and racing, you had to have it. I got hosed on so many Endurance races, the car payout disappointed every time, I digress though, this was a must have for the PS2.
7. Twisted Metal: Black; TMB, to me is the ultimate Twisted Metal experience, David Jaffe's twisted stories and characters, the excellent car combat design of Scott Campbell and the rest of the Incognito team. All of these elements, refined and expanded into a very deep, and very dark Twisted Metal, car combat game. TMB was one of my most played games of this gen, it plays so well, the levels, the cars, secrets and weaponry, it's just top tier game design all around.
8. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; My favorite MGS game to play, it's got a ton going on, a lot of which I didn't experience until further playthroughs and watching streams. MGS3 is very deep and very good, some may prefer the more absurd MGS2, and its time period, but overall, MGS3 is more fun to play, and more impactful for this gen.
9. Grandia 2; I tried a good amount of JRPG's this gen, but Grandia 2 had the combat system that I respected the most. I became invested in the game, and therefore the story had more impact. I was actually upset when Mareg sacrificed himself. For Active Time Battle RPG games, Grandia 2 was my favorite of this gen, and the one with the most impact, story-wise.
10. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution; This is the greatest 3D Fighter of this gen, bar none, no argument. I never got amazing at it, and I am not much of a fighting game player myself, but this game is remarkable. I had to put it on my Top 10, even though I only really played it solo against AI, just because of the respect I have for this series, and this particular entry. Virtua Fighter is a legendary franchise, and is the best 3D fighting franchise ever, no contest. VF4: Evolution, is an excellent, massive and comprehensive game for the series. For this gen, it's unmissable, must be played, by everyone.
Honorable Mentions.
X. Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Best looking Xbox game for me, one of my favorite single player FPS games of all time. An absolute gem, and surprise from an IP that was unreliable. Play this game.
X. Timesplitters 2. The quintessential Goldeneye sequel, a fantastically fun and zany FPS for the PS2. Split screen MP with a friend holds a special place in my heart for this game.
X. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. One of the first and most impressive Xbox Live games, 16 player Multiplayer flight combat over XBL with little to no lag. Single Player is damn good too, also this is practically Drake from Uncharted, as a main character. FASA studios pioneered early XBL with this game and Mech Assault, fantastic MP experiences on consoles.
X. GTA3/Vice City. GTA 3 blew my mind for 3D open world action this gen, Vice City took it to another level, both of these GTA entries are worth mentioning, I spent a ton of time playing them, and they influenced plenty of experiences, Must plays for this gen.
X. Dark Cloud 2. This game had the right amount of character and story, combined with unique and interesting JRPG mechanics, to keep me hooked for the several dozen hours I played it. Taking pictures to build items, forging houses/etc and the fun but complex Active Time Combat, kept me playing this game to the end. Great JRPG for this gen.
X. Return to Castle Wolfenstein. RTCW was one of my first XBL experiences, and one of my favorites, the massive scale for FPS combat, the Beach siege level, just great for online MP. Pre-Halo 2 FPS MP on XBL was pretty hardcore, little to no aim assist, they didn't slow the games down at all, so you had to cut your teeth on the Thumbsticks and learn how to aim. It was unforgiving, raw, and amazing, a MP experience that used to be only playable on PC, was now on Xbox Live.
2. Halo CE; Halo CE for the Xbox is a landmark achievement for Console Shooters, and the console FPS genre as a whole. The core mechanics of moving and shooting with Dual Thumbsticks on a controller was finally perfected, and is still the best console FPS engine to this day, imo. Halo 1 has large, expansive levels with beautiful graphics and assets, its enemy AI is still impressive to this day for FPS games. It's a timeless singleplayer/co op classic. Multiplayer is brilliant in its simplistic design, it's the medium paced Quake game that no one thought to make for Consoles. Brilliant maps, for 1v1, 2v2, 4v4 and Sidewinder/Blood Gulch for those large epic LANs that the Xbox showcased.
3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; San Andreas took the GTA formula that GTA3 pioneered to insane heights. It was the culmination and full realization of that engine, for this generation of consoles. It had everything you loved about all the games before it, and so much more that it was unbelievable. The world was remarkably huge and ambitious, the gameplay was much better, the mission diversity and character development was surprisingly diverse and fully fleshed out. Rockstar made sure to fully explore and develop a GTA game that was all-encompassing for this generation.
4. Ninja Gaiden: Black; This is the greatest 3D Action Game ever made, only rivaled by the Bayonetta series. The Xbox showcased the ambition of Team Ninja and Itagaki, the gameplay was unrivaled in its depth and difficulty, it was a complex fighting game, built into a single-player 3D action game. NG:B added so much to the original, improved it, and is truly a killer app for the console.
5. Halo 2; Personally, Halo 2 was a pretty big letdown from the blissful gameplay and design of Halo CE. But, its impact for Online Console MP can not be understated, it is the most influential game for online MP for Consoles. It made the experience of playing with friends in online MP as simple as joining a lobby/party and pressing A to go find a game. The Ranking, playlists, competitive MP and stat tracking for a console game at the time, and even now, is remarkable. Bungie crafted an amazing online MP experience that defined the Xbox Live Platform. Single-player was good, disappointing sure, but Halo 2's online MP is a legendary achievement.
6. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec; The Gran Turismo Series was still the definitive Simulation Racing experience at this point. GT3 shrunk down the ambition and bloat of GT2 into the next gen for the PS2. It was remarkably beautiful, and played like you wanted it to, better even. Gran Turismo 3 was one of many reasons to own a PS2, if you loved cars and racing, you had to have it. I got hosed on so many Endurance races, the car payout disappointed every time, I digress though, this was a must have for the PS2.
7. Twisted Metal: Black; TMB, to me is the ultimate Twisted Metal experience, David Jaffe's twisted stories and characters, the excellent car combat design of Scott Campbell and the rest of the Incognito team. All of these elements, refined and expanded into a very deep, and very dark Twisted Metal, car combat game. TMB was one of my most played games of this gen, it plays so well, the levels, the cars, secrets and weaponry, it's just top tier game design all around.
8. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; My favorite MGS game to play, it's got a ton going on, a lot of which I didn't experience until further playthroughs and watching streams. MGS3 is very deep and very good, some may prefer the more absurd MGS2, and its time period, but overall, MGS3 is more fun to play, and more impactful for this gen.
9. Grandia 2; I tried a good amount of JRPG's this gen, but Grandia 2 had the combat system that I respected the most. I became invested in the game, and therefore the story had more impact. I was actually upset when Mareg sacrificed himself. For Active Time Battle RPG games, Grandia 2 was my favorite of this gen, and the one with the most impact, story-wise.
10. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution; This is the greatest 3D Fighter of this gen, bar none, no argument. I never got amazing at it, and I am not much of a fighting game player myself, but this game is remarkable. I had to put it on my Top 10, even though I only really played it solo against AI, just because of the respect I have for this series, and this particular entry. Virtua Fighter is a legendary franchise, and is the best 3D fighting franchise ever, no contest. VF4: Evolution, is an excellent, massive and comprehensive game for the series. For this gen, it's unmissable, must be played, by everyone.
Honorable Mentions.
X. Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Best looking Xbox game for me, one of my favorite single player FPS games of all time. An absolute gem, and surprise from an IP that was unreliable. Play this game.
X. Timesplitters 2. The quintessential Goldeneye sequel, a fantastically fun and zany FPS for the PS2. Split screen MP with a friend holds a special place in my heart for this game.
X. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge. One of the first and most impressive Xbox Live games, 16 player Multiplayer flight combat over XBL with little to no lag. Single Player is damn good too, also this is practically Drake from Uncharted, as a main character. FASA studios pioneered early XBL with this game and Mech Assault, fantastic MP experiences on consoles.
X. GTA3/Vice City. GTA 3 blew my mind for 3D open world action this gen, Vice City took it to another level, both of these GTA entries are worth mentioning, I spent a ton of time playing them, and they influenced plenty of experiences, Must plays for this gen.
X. Dark Cloud 2. This game had the right amount of character and story, combined with unique and interesting JRPG mechanics, to keep me hooked for the several dozen hours I played it. Taking pictures to build items, forging houses/etc and the fun but complex Active Time Combat, kept me playing this game to the end. Great JRPG for this gen.
X. Return to Castle Wolfenstein. RTCW was one of my first XBL experiences, and one of my favorites, the massive scale for FPS combat, the Beach siege level, just great for online MP. Pre-Halo 2 FPS MP on XBL was pretty hardcore, little to no aim assist, they didn't slow the games down at all, so you had to cut your teeth on the Thumbsticks and learn how to aim. It was unforgiving, raw, and amazing, a MP experience that used to be only playable on PC, was now on Xbox Live.
Cow Mengde
Banned
1. Super Smash Bros Melee; What can I say? It's fast, it's furious, it's fun. Even the single player mode can be played to death due to the modes and collectables. It gets even crazier with 4 players.
2. Fire Emblem Path of Radiance; It's been god knows how many years since the last console Fire Emblem. They brought back a lot of great features from the console games, and made some great improvements too. Has some of the smarter map designs since Thracia 776. The maniac mode in the Japanese version is a real hardcore Fire Emblem challenge.
3. Super Mario Sunshine; Bigger and better version of Super Mario 64.
4. Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess; I actually love the length of the game, and how well designed the dungeons were and the world is not as restricted as Wind Waker. Plus, horse sword combat. I wanted that since OOT.
5. Street Fighter 3d Strike; The fact that Capcom can count to 3, and also because 3rd Strike was the most balanced of them all. This is the arcade version.
6. Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga; I really want to stop listing all these Nintendo games, but I can't!!! The combat is fun, and the world map feels like what a Zelda RPG would be like. You learn new abilities, and also use them to discover secrets and new areas with it! Golden Sun is similar, but they're not as well designed, and also employ random battles.
7. Metroid Prime; First Metroid in 3D and a first person shooter. I was skeptical too at first.
8. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat; Platformer using bongo drums. Only problem is it can tire out your hands. Also a precursor to Super Mario Galaxy. BTW, I'm voting the Gamecube version of course.
9. Civilization III; Don't know if it was ported to other platforms, but I'm naming PC just in case. It was either this or SimCity.
10. Resident Evil 4; First Resident Evil game I can stomach. The controls aren't terrible, and the pacing is almost perfect. This is the Gamecube version.
2. Fire Emblem Path of Radiance; It's been god knows how many years since the last console Fire Emblem. They brought back a lot of great features from the console games, and made some great improvements too. Has some of the smarter map designs since Thracia 776. The maniac mode in the Japanese version is a real hardcore Fire Emblem challenge.
3. Super Mario Sunshine; Bigger and better version of Super Mario 64.
4. Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess; I actually love the length of the game, and how well designed the dungeons were and the world is not as restricted as Wind Waker. Plus, horse sword combat. I wanted that since OOT.
5. Street Fighter 3d Strike; The fact that Capcom can count to 3, and also because 3rd Strike was the most balanced of them all. This is the arcade version.
6. Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga; I really want to stop listing all these Nintendo games, but I can't!!! The combat is fun, and the world map feels like what a Zelda RPG would be like. You learn new abilities, and also use them to discover secrets and new areas with it! Golden Sun is similar, but they're not as well designed, and also employ random battles.
7. Metroid Prime; First Metroid in 3D and a first person shooter. I was skeptical too at first.
8. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat; Platformer using bongo drums. Only problem is it can tire out your hands. Also a precursor to Super Mario Galaxy. BTW, I'm voting the Gamecube version of course.
9. Civilization III; Don't know if it was ported to other platforms, but I'm naming PC just in case. It was either this or SimCity.
10. Resident Evil 4; First Resident Evil game I can stomach. The controls aren't terrible, and the pacing is almost perfect. This is the Gamecube version.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
No pictures, but I will come in and put more text in once I get more time and desire.
1. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne ; (PS2) One of the greatest RPGs ever made
2. SoulCalibur ; (DC) Spun the paint off this one.
3. Virtua Fighter 4: Evo ; (PS2) Just short of the other greatest fighter ever above it.
4. World of Warcraft ; (PC) During it's greatest era, and long before the rot set in after BC.
5. Digital Devil Saga 1 ; (PS2) Atlus' idea of "normal" JRPG still has cannabalism, Hindu mysticism, and post-apocolyptic wastelands.
6. Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter ; (PS2) A brilliantly executed veteran's RPG.
7. Persona 4 ; (PS2) Happy and full of subtlety, with alot of whirring parts.
8. Makai Kingdom ; (PS2) Nippon Ichi's best game. Goofy, wildly creative, and smooth.
9. Gran Turismo 3 ; (PS2) Not quite as fleshed out as GT2, but a system-seller with major tech chops.
10. Ico ; (PS2) Wonderfully holistic game.
HMs:
X. Digital Devil Saga 2
X. Persona 3
X. SoulCalibur 2
X. Tales of Symphonia
X. Viewtiful Joe 1
X. Skies of Arcadia
X. Shadowbane
X. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
1. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne ; (PS2) One of the greatest RPGs ever made
2. SoulCalibur ; (DC) Spun the paint off this one.
3. Virtua Fighter 4: Evo ; (PS2) Just short of the other greatest fighter ever above it.
4. World of Warcraft ; (PC) During it's greatest era, and long before the rot set in after BC.
5. Digital Devil Saga 1 ; (PS2) Atlus' idea of "normal" JRPG still has cannabalism, Hindu mysticism, and post-apocolyptic wastelands.
6. Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter ; (PS2) A brilliantly executed veteran's RPG.
7. Persona 4 ; (PS2) Happy and full of subtlety, with alot of whirring parts.
8. Makai Kingdom ; (PS2) Nippon Ichi's best game. Goofy, wildly creative, and smooth.
9. Gran Turismo 3 ; (PS2) Not quite as fleshed out as GT2, but a system-seller with major tech chops.
10. Ico ; (PS2) Wonderfully holistic game.
HMs:
X. Digital Devil Saga 2
X. Persona 3
X. SoulCalibur 2
X. Tales of Symphonia
X. Viewtiful Joe 1
X. Skies of Arcadia
X. Shadowbane
X. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Ok Here goes:
1. Final Fantasy XI; I still think about the amazing times I had in this game and lite to the OT on a weekly basis. The punishing yet rewarding world of FFXI has yet to be matched in ANY MMO
2. Metroid Prime; the atmosphere in this game is unparalleled.
3. F Zero GX; GRaphics. SPeed. DIfficulty. COntrols
4. Super Smash Bros Melee; duh
5. Shadow of the Collossus; Still remains as a pinnacle of minimalistic and impactful game design.
6. Shenmue; The world seemed so REAL and massive at the time. I was entrenched in the story and collecting all the trinkets. I spent hours playing theold school classic in the game. I thought that was amazing.
7. Phantasy Star Online; This game ushered in a new era for me. I still play it once a year on gamecube.
8. halo 2; Still the pinnacle in online matchmaking. Why cant more games just ape the way matchmaking was done in this game? perfection
9. Eternal Darkness; Dyack for life!
10. Project Justice; The sequel to rival school. Probably the best fighting game franchise ever made in existence
x.resident evil 4
x.ReMake
x.Twilight Princess
x. Wind Waker
x. San Francisco Rush 2049
1. Final Fantasy XI; I still think about the amazing times I had in this game and lite to the OT on a weekly basis. The punishing yet rewarding world of FFXI has yet to be matched in ANY MMO
2. Metroid Prime; the atmosphere in this game is unparalleled.
3. F Zero GX; GRaphics. SPeed. DIfficulty. COntrols
4. Super Smash Bros Melee; duh
5. Shadow of the Collossus; Still remains as a pinnacle of minimalistic and impactful game design.
6. Shenmue; The world seemed so REAL and massive at the time. I was entrenched in the story and collecting all the trinkets. I spent hours playing theold school classic in the game. I thought that was amazing.
7. Phantasy Star Online; This game ushered in a new era for me. I still play it once a year on gamecube.
8. halo 2; Still the pinnacle in online matchmaking. Why cant more games just ape the way matchmaking was done in this game? perfection
9. Eternal Darkness; Dyack for life!
10. Project Justice; The sequel to rival school. Probably the best fighting game franchise ever made in existence
x.resident evil 4
x.ReMake
x.Twilight Princess
x. Wind Waker
x. San Francisco Rush 2049
Hobbestetrician
Member
Yeah, I agree with pretty much everything you say here. I give the campaign edge to FP simply because it is more cohesive with Cortez actually being a character that jumps from era to era and gets lines (hilarious lines, too). Siberia is soooooo good, though.
1. Resident Evil 4 :: The unrivaled experience of the generation. Within the first three minutes of playing the game I knew it was going to be an incredible experience, and the feeling lasted through another half dozen playthroughs.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty :: The Tanker alone gave me a lifetime love of the MGS series.
3. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos :: Deserves a high place on my list if only because it's the game of its gen I've spent the most time playing, by far. I've probably spent a thousand hours playing its campaign, multiplayer, and designing/playing custom maps. WCIII abandoned some of the [positive] simplicity of WCII, and the path it put the series' lore on eventually led it into ruin in WoW, but WCIII is, to me, infinitely replayable in an endless number of ways.
4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City :: GTA III showed a lot of promise, but Vice City really delivered. Without a doubt the most successful use of raw style in a game to date.
5. Final Fantasy X :: Replayed it last year. It's an amazing game, the last un-reservedly good mainline Final Fantasy to date.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Subsistence) ::
7. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas :: Improved upon Vice City's gameplay and provided a more compelling story in the early sections, but could not compete with VC's incredible atmosphere.
8. Knights of the Old Republic :: The first non-space battle Star Wars game to truly impress me.
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee :: Had a great time with this in high school.
10. Half-Life 2 ::
2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty :: The Tanker alone gave me a lifetime love of the MGS series.
3. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos :: Deserves a high place on my list if only because it's the game of its gen I've spent the most time playing, by far. I've probably spent a thousand hours playing its campaign, multiplayer, and designing/playing custom maps. WCIII abandoned some of the [positive] simplicity of WCII, and the path it put the series' lore on eventually led it into ruin in WoW, but WCIII is, to me, infinitely replayable in an endless number of ways.
4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City :: GTA III showed a lot of promise, but Vice City really delivered. Without a doubt the most successful use of raw style in a game to date.
5. Final Fantasy X :: Replayed it last year. It's an amazing game, the last un-reservedly good mainline Final Fantasy to date.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Subsistence) ::
7. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas :: Improved upon Vice City's gameplay and provided a more compelling story in the early sections, but could not compete with VC's incredible atmosphere.
8. Knights of the Old Republic :: The first non-space battle Star Wars game to truly impress me.
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee :: Had a great time with this in high school.
10. Half-Life 2 ::
Xilium
Member
1. Final Fantasy XII ; It's my all-time favorite RPG/game. I really like this game's setting, combat, characters, and story (up until the end). I really wish more modern games would utilize the gambit system as I think it should become a standard for any RPG that isn't turned-based and has a party system. Also, Judges.
2. Final Fantasy X ; My second favorite RPG/game. While I ultimately like XII better, I do think that X has the better cast of characters and story. It's an incredibly iconic game.
3. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines ; This comes with the huge caveat that I played this game in like 2011/2012 using a number of mods, most specifically the unofficial patch by Wesp5. Nevertheless, the game had amazing writing, a fun mix of RPG and FPS mechanics, and the Malkavian playthrough.
4. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time ; This is by far and away my favorite Star Ocean game. Despite its ending, it was my favorite story, had the most memorable characters, a really fun (if spam-y) combat system, and a crazy crafting system. This game was just pure fun for me.
5. Tales of the Abyss ; Similar to Star Ocean, this is my favorite game in the Tales of... series. This is mostly due to the characters, which I feel is the driving force behind this series of games. I really liked the fall and retribution arc of the main protagonist and the general tension between the party during the first half of the game.
6. Suikoden V ; I really just like the Suikoden series in general and it's a shame that the series is gone now and there's really not anything out there to fill the void. The game's unique system of building an army, of combatants and non-combatants, is really fun and interesting. Suikoden V specifically is just a culmination of all the refinement of the previous games into a very solid package/swan song.
7. Kingdom Hearts II ; When I first heard of KH, the idea of a Square and Disney collab sounded both amazing and utterly dumb. Then the first game came out and proved that the formula could work. KH2 then took that formula and refined it into a great game. This game still has one of my all-time favorite combat systems..
8. Final Fantasy X-2 ; Take FFX, throw out the drama, pour in the pure fun, and you FFX-2. Despite the hate this game gets, I found it thoroughly enjoyable and it has one of the best combat systems in the series.
9. Radiata Stories ; I don't know, I just really like this game. It's probably the first game I played that had a legitimate branching narrative (a la Tactics Ogre LUCT or Witcher 2). The game also had a huge cast of recruitable characters (a la Suikoden or Chrono Cross). Ultimately, I really liked a lot of the characters, the story, and the combat system was passable.
10. Suikoden III ; Basically the same as Suikoden V but with less refinement. That said, this one stands out because of the unique way in which the story is told, through multiple lead characters representing different factions (in some cases, opposing factions)
Honorable Mentions:
x. SSX Tricky ;
x. Tony Hawk's Underground ;
x. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising ;
x. Advance Wars ;
x. Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica ;
x. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 ;
x. Rogue Galaxy ;
x. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht ;
x. Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse ;
x. Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra ;
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ;
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords ;
x. Power Stone ;
x. Power Stone 2 ;
please don't reserve spots. but since you have, let me know when you've updated this post so i can add it.
1. Metroid Prime ; My favourite game of all time, so it's obviously going to top the list. My friends don't mention this game around me anymore, because every time I hear the name I have to ramble on for 2 hours about how great this game is. Metroid Prime is everything I search for in a game and then some more, amazing atmosphere, story that gets told just by looking (and enhanced by optional scanning), tight gameplay, amazing bosses, etc etc etc. Metroid Prime nails the feel of a living planet, of the feeling of being alone on this planet that has a new discovery at almost every corner. The game is filled with so much love and little details, some of which you will only notice a third time through or when someone has to point it out to you. The first time landing on Tallon IV will forever be ingrained into my mind, the music, the beautiful landscape and the rain falling on your visor. Then you are off into the unknown, ready to explore, just you and your thoughts, the game gently leading you the way. Off to places that continue to impress, time after time.
Reading back, I feel like I've gone a little overboard with the hyperbole, but Metroid Prime deserves every ounce of it. It is an experience that I will always hold dear to my heart. Now excuse me, I have to put the title theme on for the 1000th time, which has made me a bit teary eyed every single time I listened to it.
2. Resident Evil 4 ; The perfect mix of action and survival horror, so many memorable moments.
3. Persona 3 ; Very stylish game, see my LTTP
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Love the style and atmosphere in the game, always a joy to play.
5. Mother 3 ; Emotions, this game pretty much makes you feel every single emotion thinkable. This game is so unique in everything it does and is only rivaled by the other Mother games. One moment you're laughing at how silly something is, while a few seconds later you realize how horrid it actually is. A very charming game, just thinking about Negative Man makes me crack up every time.
6. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ; Solid SRPG, with good balance and plenty of challenge. Also has a pretty generic, but effectively awesome antagonist with the Black Night.
7. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ; Very funny game, can't help but have a smile on my face all the time while playing it.
8. Metroid Fusion ; Great and smooth Metroid game, could do with a bit less handholding. I loved the little bits of horror they managed to put into the game.
9. Ever 17 ; Great VN with amazing writing, atmosphere, twists and heartwarming feelings.
10. Super Smash Brothers Melee ; Still my to go to party game, maybe the game I've put the most time in ever (and I still suck ass).
This gen was so good, and I barely even scratched the surface of it. I only had a GC when I was younger, so my list has a fair bit of GC exclusives. I'm still playing catch up with this gen, but just the sheer amount of must-play titles is overwhelming.
Also, making this list it became very apparent what kind of games I like; games with a lot of style, atmosphere and charm.
Reading back, I feel like I've gone a little overboard with the hyperbole, but Metroid Prime deserves every ounce of it. It is an experience that I will always hold dear to my heart. Now excuse me, I have to put the title theme on for the 1000th time, which has made me a bit teary eyed every single time I listened to it.
2. Resident Evil 4 ; The perfect mix of action and survival horror, so many memorable moments.
3. Persona 3 ; Very stylish game, see my LTTP
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Love the style and atmosphere in the game, always a joy to play.
5. Mother 3 ; Emotions, this game pretty much makes you feel every single emotion thinkable. This game is so unique in everything it does and is only rivaled by the other Mother games. One moment you're laughing at how silly something is, while a few seconds later you realize how horrid it actually is. A very charming game, just thinking about Negative Man makes me crack up every time.
6. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ; Solid SRPG, with good balance and plenty of challenge. Also has a pretty generic, but effectively awesome antagonist with the Black Night.
7. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ; Very funny game, can't help but have a smile on my face all the time while playing it.
8. Metroid Fusion ; Great and smooth Metroid game, could do with a bit less handholding. I loved the little bits of horror they managed to put into the game.
9. Ever 17 ; Great VN with amazing writing, atmosphere, twists and heartwarming feelings.
10. Super Smash Brothers Melee ; Still my to go to party game, maybe the game I've put the most time in ever (and I still suck ass).
This gen was so good, and I barely even scratched the surface of it. I only had a GC when I was younger, so my list has a fair bit of GC exclusives. I'm still playing catch up with this gen, but just the sheer amount of must-play titles is overwhelming.
Also, making this list it became very apparent what kind of games I like; games with a lot of style, atmosphere and charm.
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
I updated my post. I know you're doing this by hand so felt I had to put a poke in the right direction.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=149717612&postcount=507
1. Shadow of the Colossus ; Possibly the greatest game of all time. The closest gaming will ever get to true art. Every time I play it I'm in awe and the everything from the epic soundtrack to the sense of scale is unparalleled. Truly one of a kind.
2. Half-Life 2 ; Best FPS ever. The story and the world is fantastic. A example of an all round perfect game.
3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; Very prophetic in terms of its predictions about our current world state of control and censorship in the digital age. The meta commentary elevates this from all the other games in the series to actually give a real message behind what is essentially just a game.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Mikami made the king of all action survival horror games. The pacing and gunplay are as good as ever.
5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; Still my favourite GTA. I love the all the crazy missions (which sadly has been lost in modern GTA) , the jet packs and incredible stunts.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; Technically in terms of game mechanics and design this is Kojima's best work. The Boss battle and that ending still packs the emotional punch.
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The art style make it all. Looks just as good as it did.
8. Ico ; So much influence in the industry in terms of art and storytelling. That ending still brings a tear.
9. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within ; Best of the series with the time mechanics used to give incredible platforming. Being chased by the Dahaka is unforgettable.
10. Jak and Daxter ; The only playstation game that has been close to challenging Nintendo's 3D Mario's in terms of platforming.
2. Half-Life 2 ; Best FPS ever. The story and the world is fantastic. A example of an all round perfect game.
3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; Very prophetic in terms of its predictions about our current world state of control and censorship in the digital age. The meta commentary elevates this from all the other games in the series to actually give a real message behind what is essentially just a game.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Mikami made the king of all action survival horror games. The pacing and gunplay are as good as ever.
5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; Still my favourite GTA. I love the all the crazy missions (which sadly has been lost in modern GTA) , the jet packs and incredible stunts.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; Technically in terms of game mechanics and design this is Kojima's best work. The Boss battle and that ending still packs the emotional punch.
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The art style make it all. Looks just as good as it did.
8. Ico ; So much influence in the industry in terms of art and storytelling. That ending still brings a tear.
9. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within ; Best of the series with the time mechanics used to give incredible platforming. Being chased by the Dahaka is unforgettable.
10. Jak and Daxter ; The only playstation game that has been close to challenging Nintendo's 3D Mario's in terms of platforming.
Dr. Feel Good
Banned
Will the format of the results be similar to how the GOTY threads are presented?
crazy monkey
Banned
1. Resident evil 4 : perfect pacing, perfect everything. I love zelda games to death but I had to give this to RE4
2. Zelda Twilight princess: my second favorite zelda after oot. it was just so beautiful and huge. i spent 100 hours just running around and finishing game.
3. metroid prime
2. Zelda Twilight princess: my second favorite zelda after oot. it was just so beautiful and huge. i spent 100 hours just running around and finishing game.
3. metroid prime
1) Half-Life 2.
Still the most living, intelligent FPS game I've ever played. 11 years later and no game in it's genre has touched it's use of physics. Still has some of the best companion AI in gaming. Episode 2 is the near flawless refinement of everything here, but seeing as how it doesn't qualify, the original game is my number one.
2) Resident Evil 4
If there's a single-player action game that's paced better or has more replay value, I've never seen it. The village is one of gaming's all time great settings. It felt so advanced, so fresh that even though it came out at the tail end of it's generation, it felt a generation beyond most of what we were seeing on consoles.
3) Grand Theft Auto 3
You can argue that it's not nearly as advanced as it's PS2 sequels, but GTA 3 was such a leap forward for gaming it's hard not to give it the spot. It also has, in my opinion, the coolest atmosphere and most intriguing take on storytelling. It was like a Scorcese film seen through the prism of Dan Hausers' irreverence, before the series intentionally veered into self-parody and headline baiting controversy.
4) Psychonauts.
Tim Schafer's best game IMO. Smart, funny, deeper than you'd expect from one of his games. It's the best action-platformer of it's generation, ahead of Mario or Ratchet and Clank or any of the more lauded games across the generation. I really need to replay this soon.
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Wind Waker is a highly imperfect game but what it did well, it did so well. Beautiful artistry, wonderful sense of humor, tremendous sense of exploration. In spite of it's obvious design flaws, it was as fun and memorable as any of this list.
6) Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Dated visuals, stiff controls and relatively short. Still belongs on this list as one of the creepiest, most original games ever made. Silicon Knights never lived up to this game. Everyone who likes survival horror should go back and play this one. I hope it's remastered some day
7) Metroid Prime
One of the most atmospheric games ever. Tremendous sense of exploration. Another one that just felt like it was a generation ahead of everything else out there.
8) Persona 4.
A smart, progressive storyline with great characters. Highly addictive. It's flawed dungeon crawler design is easy to overlook because there is nothing quite like Persona 4 out there.
9) Beyond Good and Evil
I couldn't bring myself to put this over Wind Waker, but it was close. What Wind Waker has in artistry, Beyond Good and Evil takes in thoughtful game design. It felt less superlative, but had fewer issues. You can say the same thing, I think, about Ratchet and Clank vs Super Mario Sunshine, but these games are better.
10) Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within
I might get shit for this one, especially above games like Shadow of the Colossus or Sands of time, but I can overlook the embarrassing, immature attempt at edginess and see a game that improved on it's predecessors combat engine without losing any of it's well designed traversal. The Dahaka sequences are some of the best, most intense sequences of any action game ever.
(X) Honorable mentions: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, FarCry, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Final Fantasy X, Goldensun, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and Skies of Arcadia.
Still the most living, intelligent FPS game I've ever played. 11 years later and no game in it's genre has touched it's use of physics. Still has some of the best companion AI in gaming. Episode 2 is the near flawless refinement of everything here, but seeing as how it doesn't qualify, the original game is my number one.
2) Resident Evil 4
If there's a single-player action game that's paced better or has more replay value, I've never seen it. The village is one of gaming's all time great settings. It felt so advanced, so fresh that even though it came out at the tail end of it's generation, it felt a generation beyond most of what we were seeing on consoles.
3) Grand Theft Auto 3
You can argue that it's not nearly as advanced as it's PS2 sequels, but GTA 3 was such a leap forward for gaming it's hard not to give it the spot. It also has, in my opinion, the coolest atmosphere and most intriguing take on storytelling. It was like a Scorcese film seen through the prism of Dan Hausers' irreverence, before the series intentionally veered into self-parody and headline baiting controversy.
4) Psychonauts.
Tim Schafer's best game IMO. Smart, funny, deeper than you'd expect from one of his games. It's the best action-platformer of it's generation, ahead of Mario or Ratchet and Clank or any of the more lauded games across the generation. I really need to replay this soon.
5) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Wind Waker is a highly imperfect game but what it did well, it did so well. Beautiful artistry, wonderful sense of humor, tremendous sense of exploration. In spite of it's obvious design flaws, it was as fun and memorable as any of this list.
6) Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Dated visuals, stiff controls and relatively short. Still belongs on this list as one of the creepiest, most original games ever made. Silicon Knights never lived up to this game. Everyone who likes survival horror should go back and play this one. I hope it's remastered some day
7) Metroid Prime
One of the most atmospheric games ever. Tremendous sense of exploration. Another one that just felt like it was a generation ahead of everything else out there.
8) Persona 4.
A smart, progressive storyline with great characters. Highly addictive. It's flawed dungeon crawler design is easy to overlook because there is nothing quite like Persona 4 out there.
9) Beyond Good and Evil
I couldn't bring myself to put this over Wind Waker, but it was close. What Wind Waker has in artistry, Beyond Good and Evil takes in thoughtful game design. It felt less superlative, but had fewer issues. You can say the same thing, I think, about Ratchet and Clank vs Super Mario Sunshine, but these games are better.
10) Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within
I might get shit for this one, especially above games like Shadow of the Colossus or Sands of time, but I can overlook the embarrassing, immature attempt at edginess and see a game that improved on it's predecessors combat engine without losing any of it's well designed traversal. The Dahaka sequences are some of the best, most intense sequences of any action game ever.
(X) Honorable mentions: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, FarCry, Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Final Fantasy X, Goldensun, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and Skies of Arcadia.
sleepydeer
Member
1. Unreal Tournament 2004 ; PC. Still my favourite game of all time. The high level of defensive options and weapons that feel overpowered yet difficult to use well make kills incredibly satisfying. Huge amount of content provided by the developers, including decent bots. The massive mapping scene and good community (partly by virtue of the classic level playing field design and player-run servers) kept me playing a long time. Such a great game that it outcompeted its own sequel.
2. Soul Calibur ; DC. This was a revelation of speed and fluidity after Tekken 3. Also has the single-player mode I've enjoyed the most of any fighter, I spent a huge amount of time on the single-player.
3. N ; PC. Fantastic and demanding mechanics, and again great community maps. In a lot of ways this game now feels to me like the beginning of the modern indie scene. Unbelievably good for a free game and still entirely worth playing right now. http://www.thewayoftheninja.org/n.html
4. Rez ; DC. So beautiful...
5. Resident Evil 4 ; GC.
6. Guitar Hero 2 ; PS2.
7. Shadow of the Colossus ; PS2.
8. Tekken 5 ; PS2.
Those are the only games of that generation to make my all-time classics list, so the rest are honourable mentions:
x. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising ; GBA. I spent a lot of time with my GBA so it deserves a mention even if nothing on there quite achieved perfection like the games above.
x. Unreal Tournament 2003 ; PC. Its big brother stole its lunch money but still a great game.
x. Ikaruga ; DC.
x. Civilization IV ; PC.
x. Counter-Strike ; PC.
2. Soul Calibur ; DC. This was a revelation of speed and fluidity after Tekken 3. Also has the single-player mode I've enjoyed the most of any fighter, I spent a huge amount of time on the single-player.
3. N ; PC. Fantastic and demanding mechanics, and again great community maps. In a lot of ways this game now feels to me like the beginning of the modern indie scene. Unbelievably good for a free game and still entirely worth playing right now. http://www.thewayoftheninja.org/n.html
4. Rez ; DC. So beautiful...
5. Resident Evil 4 ; GC.
6. Guitar Hero 2 ; PS2.
7. Shadow of the Colossus ; PS2.
8. Tekken 5 ; PS2.
Those are the only games of that generation to make my all-time classics list, so the rest are honourable mentions:
x. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising ; GBA. I spent a lot of time with my GBA so it deserves a mention even if nothing on there quite achieved perfection like the games above.
x. Unreal Tournament 2003 ; PC. Its big brother stole its lunch money but still a great game.
x. Ikaruga ; DC.
x. Civilization IV ; PC.
x. Counter-Strike ; PC.
yes, but not as fancy as the ones since 2009.
did you have 9 games before or did you kick out an old #10 for transformers?
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Kick out the old 10 and put in Transformers.
Dangerblade
Member
This is way too hard for me to do a top 10, so I'll do a top 5, with 5 honorable mentions (it makes sense in my head...)
1. Shadow of the Colossus ; I was *really* looking forwards to this after the experience I had with Ico, and it didn't disappoint. The boss battles were on a scale unlike anything I'd ever seen at the time, and I don't think, even to this day, my jaw has dropped as much when playing a video game.
2. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King ; Aside from Ni No Kuni, this is probably the most stylish and beautiful JRPG I've ever played. Endless character with so much to do, I'll never forget the time I spent with Hero, Yangus, Jessica and Angelo.
3. God of War ; This game came out of NOWHERE to me. I remember the first I'd ever heard of it was a review from IGN, which gave it a freaking 9.6. That got my attention, as did the style and setting. The gameplay was so much fun to me; not the greatest combat system but the visceral and epic nature of it all solidified this as one of my favourite PS2 games of all time.
4. Fatal Frame ; The most terrifying game I've ever played. Few games have such atmosphere, and if there's a better game out there involving ghosts I'd love to see it (the sequels don't count). The adrenaline pumped at so many points throughout this game, and defeating a particularly difficult ghost was incredibly rewarding.
5. Burnout 3: Takedown ; Definitely the most fun I've ever had with an arcade racer. The crashing mechanic was so satisfying, and getting the top medals kept me coming back for more for months. Burnout: Revenge got a lot of things better, but this one sunk its teeth in for longer.
x. Okami
x. Resident Evil 5
x. Killer7
x. Unreal Tournament 2003
x. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
1. Shadow of the Colossus ; I was *really* looking forwards to this after the experience I had with Ico, and it didn't disappoint. The boss battles were on a scale unlike anything I'd ever seen at the time, and I don't think, even to this day, my jaw has dropped as much when playing a video game.
2. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King ; Aside from Ni No Kuni, this is probably the most stylish and beautiful JRPG I've ever played. Endless character with so much to do, I'll never forget the time I spent with Hero, Yangus, Jessica and Angelo.
3. God of War ; This game came out of NOWHERE to me. I remember the first I'd ever heard of it was a review from IGN, which gave it a freaking 9.6. That got my attention, as did the style and setting. The gameplay was so much fun to me; not the greatest combat system but the visceral and epic nature of it all solidified this as one of my favourite PS2 games of all time.
4. Fatal Frame ; The most terrifying game I've ever played. Few games have such atmosphere, and if there's a better game out there involving ghosts I'd love to see it (the sequels don't count). The adrenaline pumped at so many points throughout this game, and defeating a particularly difficult ghost was incredibly rewarding.
5. Burnout 3: Takedown ; Definitely the most fun I've ever had with an arcade racer. The crashing mechanic was so satisfying, and getting the top medals kept me coming back for more for months. Burnout: Revenge got a lot of things better, but this one sunk its teeth in for longer.
x. Okami
x. Resident Evil 5
x. Killer7
x. Unreal Tournament 2003
x. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
disappeared
Banned
Will do Ani. I'll pm you when I finish it up.
yog-sothot
Member
1. Deus Ex ; To this day, this remains my favourite game of all time, all platforms. The themes, the atmosphere, the gameplay. Magnificent.
2. Baldurs Gate 2 ; So many hours poured onto that glorious RPG. These memories will last until the day I die. Or lose my mind.
3. Half-Life 2 ; Maybe the biggest visual shock of my gamers life. Definitely the best FPS Ive played. And Episodes were great too. Wish they finally released that goddam sequel !
4. GTA San Andreas ; Sure GTA3 was the real revolution but San Andreas was so good. Still is actually. It would take another generational leap for me to find a better open world game, but it does not belong to the period covered here.
5. Okami ; I first thought it was some overhyped pretentious game, and then I played it and I understood.
6. Psychonauts ; So funny and full of surprises, with a fantastic level design.
7. Shadow of the Colossus ; Beautiful and original.
8. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Probably the best game in that weird series. So much love-hate there.
9. Final Fantasy 9 ; my favourite JRPG in the period allowed in here
10. God of War 2 ; because I fear what Kratos might do if he does not appear in my list
2. Baldurs Gate 2 ; So many hours poured onto that glorious RPG. These memories will last until the day I die. Or lose my mind.
3. Half-Life 2 ; Maybe the biggest visual shock of my gamers life. Definitely the best FPS Ive played. And Episodes were great too. Wish they finally released that goddam sequel !
4. GTA San Andreas ; Sure GTA3 was the real revolution but San Andreas was so good. Still is actually. It would take another generational leap for me to find a better open world game, but it does not belong to the period covered here.
5. Okami ; I first thought it was some overhyped pretentious game, and then I played it and I understood.
6. Psychonauts ; So funny and full of surprises, with a fantastic level design.
7. Shadow of the Colossus ; Beautiful and original.
8. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Probably the best game in that weird series. So much love-hate there.
9. Final Fantasy 9 ; my favourite JRPG in the period allowed in here
10. God of War 2 ; because I fear what Kratos might do if he does not appear in my list
SkylineRKR
Member
1. Half Life 2 ; Its probably my number one. Bought a Radeon for it and was amazed by everything it offered.
2. Resident Evil 4 ; One of the best games I have played and actually held up better than HL2. I still greatly enjoy RE4
3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; Ballsy game, by omitting Snake himself. But it paid off. The game is still being talked about, its not exactly your cheap sequel.
4. Skies of Arcadia ; Probably my number one Dreamcast game. It was great all around, world map et al slightly edges out FFX. Overworks are gods.
5. Project Gotham Racing ; This was to me the perfect racing game when it came out. 60fps, great visuals and perfect drift controls. On top of all this was the addicting kudo sound.
6. Final Fantasy X ; Great game and I actually felt emotional at times. The HD version confirmed to me that this simply is one of the best games ever made.
7. Shadow of the Colossus ; Impressive game. There was nothing like it. Artistically brilliant.
8. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 ; This deserves to be here. I played it for many, many hours across 3 platforms.
9. Ninja Gaiden Black ; One of the finest crafted combat systems and balance I've experienced. This is a masterclass in game design. I don't think any other slasher comes close. The second game when fine tuned perhaps. But it was never so.
10. Metroid Prime ; I was completely sucked in, played it for many hours. One of those games you thought would never work in first person yet here we are. It IS a bit slow though, but for the rest its damn good bang for your buck.
x Silent Hill 2
x Soul Calibur 2
x VF4 Evo
x GT3
x REmake
x F-Zero GX
x Zone of the Enders 2
x Ace Combat Zero
2. Resident Evil 4 ; One of the best games I have played and actually held up better than HL2. I still greatly enjoy RE4
3. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; Ballsy game, by omitting Snake himself. But it paid off. The game is still being talked about, its not exactly your cheap sequel.
4. Skies of Arcadia ; Probably my number one Dreamcast game. It was great all around, world map et al slightly edges out FFX. Overworks are gods.
5. Project Gotham Racing ; This was to me the perfect racing game when it came out. 60fps, great visuals and perfect drift controls. On top of all this was the addicting kudo sound.
6. Final Fantasy X ; Great game and I actually felt emotional at times. The HD version confirmed to me that this simply is one of the best games ever made.
7. Shadow of the Colossus ; Impressive game. There was nothing like it. Artistically brilliant.
8. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 ; This deserves to be here. I played it for many, many hours across 3 platforms.
9. Ninja Gaiden Black ; One of the finest crafted combat systems and balance I've experienced. This is a masterclass in game design. I don't think any other slasher comes close. The second game when fine tuned perhaps. But it was never so.
10. Metroid Prime ; I was completely sucked in, played it for many hours. One of those games you thought would never work in first person yet here we are. It IS a bit slow though, but for the rest its damn good bang for your buck.
x Silent Hill 2
x Soul Calibur 2
x VF4 Evo
x GT3
x REmake
x F-Zero GX
x Zone of the Enders 2
x Ace Combat Zero
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Lol, over half the entries on this page use improper formating.
Colons, no colons, DOUBLE colons, no semi colons, no space between word before and after colon/semicolon. Geeze.
Colons, no colons, DOUBLE colons, no semi colons, no space between word before and after colon/semicolon. Geeze.
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; Perhaps my personal favorite game of all time, let alone from the 2000 to 2005 time period. I was actually late on playing this one, and didn't get to it until about 2008 but I LOVED the political themes and undertones in it, how often it breaks the fourth wall and it just blew my mind the first time I played. Never really minded Raiden as a main character, and it was interesting seeing a MGS game from a non-Snake character. Have since gone back to replay it once every couple years or so.
2. Tales of Symphonia ; My favorite JRPG of all time. I adore the characters (Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos, etc.), story, plot twists, soundtrack, almost everything about it is so good. I've played multiple Tales of games (Grace f, Xillia) since but they don't have the same charm as this one.
3. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ; I think more highly of this game than most, it might be my favorite 3D platformer ever and probably my favorite work that Naughty Dog has put out. Always found collecting all the precursor orbs and power cells addicting, and like the banter and complaining from Daxter.
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Was the first game I got with my GameCube along with Super Mario Sunshine. Haven't played it in several years but I still think highly of it. Lots of memories of going to my friend's houses and whatnot and playing it for hours on end back in elementary/middle school.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; In a lot of ways I found this game to be the anti-MGS2 but I still enjoyed it thoroughly. One of a few games that actually felt like an epic adventure or journey, encountering eccentric bosses and characters, going from place to place in the jungle to the swamps, to the mountains and finally to a Russian military base. Really liked how creative you can get with some of the bosses in this one, particularly when fighting with The End.
6. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The last released game in the mainline Zelda series that I beat to completion, I believe. Replayed it on the GC in 2012 and it still looks so good, the cel-shaded art style goes a long way. It is definitely a game on the easy side but I still liked the last few dungeons and boss battles in it too.
7. Ico ; I liked the lonely, dreadful atmosphere and soundtrack in this one. I always have felt like this is one of the most 'Japan' games ever made, not sure how to describe it but I think highly of it.
8. Final Fantasy X ; Always found this game similar to Tales of Symphonia, the whole grand journey to "save the world" with a girl who is humanity's last hope, or whatever. I wasn't that big on Tidus as a protag, so if it weren't for that that game this game would be higher on my list. Auron and Wakka carried this game for me, two of my favorite JRPG characters ever for different reasons of course.
9. Kingdom Hearts 2 ; Okay, I should probably say that I really liked KH1, but this one remains my favorite game in the KH series and playing it in the 2.5 HD remaster only cemented that again. Really liked the flashy combat and most of the Disney Worlds (The Lion King and Nightmare Before Christmas worlds in particular) in this one.
10. Dynasty Warriors 3 ; Hah, its possible I put more time into this game than any other on this list because of it's mass re-playability of dozens of characters and numerous stages, but I would feel a little dirty ranking it higher above some of the games on this list. Bit of a rough game going back to now having played the newer games in the series, but I have lots of memories playing this with my brother and cousin on split-screen. Pretty sure the Christmas I got this as a gift (2002?) that this was all I did that day lol.
Honourable Mentions:
x. Shadow of the Colossus ;
x. Zone of the Enders 2 ;
x. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil ;
x. Okage: Shadow King ;
x. Gitaroo Man ;
x. Dark Cloud ;
x. Jak II ;
x. Luigi's Mansion ;
x. Super Mario Sunshine ;
2. Tales of Symphonia ; My favorite JRPG of all time. I adore the characters (Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos, etc.), story, plot twists, soundtrack, almost everything about it is so good. I've played multiple Tales of games (Grace f, Xillia) since but they don't have the same charm as this one.
3. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ; I think more highly of this game than most, it might be my favorite 3D platformer ever and probably my favorite work that Naughty Dog has put out. Always found collecting all the precursor orbs and power cells addicting, and like the banter and complaining from Daxter.
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Was the first game I got with my GameCube along with Super Mario Sunshine. Haven't played it in several years but I still think highly of it. Lots of memories of going to my friend's houses and whatnot and playing it for hours on end back in elementary/middle school.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; In a lot of ways I found this game to be the anti-MGS2 but I still enjoyed it thoroughly. One of a few games that actually felt like an epic adventure or journey, encountering eccentric bosses and characters, going from place to place in the jungle to the swamps, to the mountains and finally to a Russian military base. Really liked how creative you can get with some of the bosses in this one, particularly when fighting with The End.
6. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The last released game in the mainline Zelda series that I beat to completion, I believe. Replayed it on the GC in 2012 and it still looks so good, the cel-shaded art style goes a long way. It is definitely a game on the easy side but I still liked the last few dungeons and boss battles in it too.
7. Ico ; I liked the lonely, dreadful atmosphere and soundtrack in this one. I always have felt like this is one of the most 'Japan' games ever made, not sure how to describe it but I think highly of it.
8. Final Fantasy X ; Always found this game similar to Tales of Symphonia, the whole grand journey to "save the world" with a girl who is humanity's last hope, or whatever. I wasn't that big on Tidus as a protag, so if it weren't for that that game this game would be higher on my list. Auron and Wakka carried this game for me, two of my favorite JRPG characters ever for different reasons of course.
9. Kingdom Hearts 2 ; Okay, I should probably say that I really liked KH1, but this one remains my favorite game in the KH series and playing it in the 2.5 HD remaster only cemented that again. Really liked the flashy combat and most of the Disney Worlds (The Lion King and Nightmare Before Christmas worlds in particular) in this one.
10. Dynasty Warriors 3 ; Hah, its possible I put more time into this game than any other on this list because of it's mass re-playability of dozens of characters and numerous stages, but I would feel a little dirty ranking it higher above some of the games on this list. Bit of a rough game going back to now having played the newer games in the series, but I have lots of memories playing this with my brother and cousin on split-screen. Pretty sure the Christmas I got this as a gift (2002?) that this was all I did that day lol.
Honourable Mentions:
x. Shadow of the Colossus ;
x. Zone of the Enders 2 ;
x. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil ;
x. Okage: Shadow King ;
x. Gitaroo Man ;
x. Dark Cloud ;
x. Jak II ;
x. Luigi's Mansion ;
x. Super Mario Sunshine ;
i don't know what the old 10 was
kinoki
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey.
Fifa 2001.
thanks. adjusted.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Your name has Nosgoth in it, but you don't have a single Legacy of Kain title in your list? ;_;
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; an incredible game and one of the only games to make me cry
2. Shadow of the Colossus; it was close between this and MGS3 but at the end of the day MGS3 won out. Still SOTC is incredible a beautiful piece of art with an intriguing world and many unforgettable moments
3. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door; the best RPG on the Gamecube and one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Memorable party members, characters you care about, humor, and an engrossing world all lead to an amazing journey
4. Metroid Prime; proved the Metroidvania formula could work in 3D and blew everyone away. The trademark Metroid sense of isolation and a minimalist story told through scan logs create one of the greatest games of the sixth generation
5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; originally one of the most divisive Zeldas, now considered one of the most revered. Its incredible Cel-Shaded graphics are almost impervious to aging over a decade later
6. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; after playing MGS1 I wasn't impressed and almost didn't play MGS2. That would have been a colossal mistake. MGS2 bests its predecessor in many ways and was one of the PS2's earliest hits
7. Kingdom Hearts II ; took everything about KH1 and made it better. More Disney worlds, better graphics, more Mickey, a more complex story, new battle systems.
8. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; much darker take on the prime formula with new dark/light beams and one of the most complex maps in the history of metroidvania.
9. Super Smash Bros Melee; my most played Generation Six game. There's nothing quite like getting four friends and playing smash for hours upon hours.
10. Ico, like SOTC a beautifully artistic game. The core gameplay is less enjoyable than SOTC, but the overall game is still great.
2. Shadow of the Colossus; it was close between this and MGS3 but at the end of the day MGS3 won out. Still SOTC is incredible a beautiful piece of art with an intriguing world and many unforgettable moments
3. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door; the best RPG on the Gamecube and one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Memorable party members, characters you care about, humor, and an engrossing world all lead to an amazing journey
4. Metroid Prime; proved the Metroidvania formula could work in 3D and blew everyone away. The trademark Metroid sense of isolation and a minimalist story told through scan logs create one of the greatest games of the sixth generation
5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; originally one of the most divisive Zeldas, now considered one of the most revered. Its incredible Cel-Shaded graphics are almost impervious to aging over a decade later
6. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; after playing MGS1 I wasn't impressed and almost didn't play MGS2. That would have been a colossal mistake. MGS2 bests its predecessor in many ways and was one of the PS2's earliest hits
7. Kingdom Hearts II ; took everything about KH1 and made it better. More Disney worlds, better graphics, more Mickey, a more complex story, new battle systems.
8. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; much darker take on the prime formula with new dark/light beams and one of the most complex maps in the history of metroidvania.
9. Super Smash Bros Melee; my most played Generation Six game. There's nothing quite like getting four friends and playing smash for hours upon hours.
10. Ico, like SOTC a beautifully artistic game. The core gameplay is less enjoyable than SOTC, but the overall game is still great.
1. Halo: Combat Evolved- brought me back from PC to console. One of the most entertaining games ever created. I made countless friends in HS playing this game. It can be best described " as the 16 hour siege scene from Terminator 2"- Gamespot. "its easily one of the best shooters ever on any platform."
2. Shenmue- first actual "open world" JRPG I got lost in. Loved the music and the setting. When QTE's were new and exciting.
3. Baldurs Gate 2- Bioware's first masterpiece(before KOTR, Mass Effect 2 and DA:I)
4. Star Wars: KOTR- Biowares 2nd masterpiece.
5. Morrowind- best open world game ever created. Before Bethesda held your hand. Screw quest markers.
6. Wind Waker- Link on a boat. It wasn't as good as OOT.
7. Halo 2- Online multiplayer was coo.
8. Links LS series from 2000-2003-still the best golf games ever made. Avid golfer approved.
9. World Of Warcraft- I didn't get into it until Cataclysm but its an awesome MMORPG.
10. Grand Theft Auto Series- I can't pick between Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 3.
2. Shenmue- first actual "open world" JRPG I got lost in. Loved the music and the setting. When QTE's were new and exciting.
3. Baldurs Gate 2- Bioware's first masterpiece(before KOTR, Mass Effect 2 and DA:I)
4. Star Wars: KOTR- Biowares 2nd masterpiece.
5. Morrowind- best open world game ever created. Before Bethesda held your hand. Screw quest markers.
6. Wind Waker- Link on a boat. It wasn't as good as OOT.
7. Halo 2- Online multiplayer was coo.
8. Links LS series from 2000-2003-still the best golf games ever made. Avid golfer approved.
9. World Of Warcraft- I didn't get into it until Cataclysm but its an awesome MMORPG.
10. Grand Theft Auto Series- I can't pick between Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 3.
Edited my post, thanks for the heads up.
thanks!
Dion Blaster
Member
I don't think it matters that much. And why would we put a space between the title and the semicolon
Mass Effect
Member
I'm betting it does, because they probably use a program to gather the votes.
have you not paid any attention to the GotY threads that timetokill and Cheesemeister put up?
Ani's not using a parser tho. I think all he cares about is proper numbering from 1-10 and at least one comment
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Because you are supposed to read the OP before posting in ANY thread, not just this one.
This is by far my favorite generation of gaming. It had a great balance of Western and Japanese development, actual third party exclusives, and the last generation before DLC, micro transactions, and day 1 patches became the norm.
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) ; I have no idea how many hours I spent playing Melee, but it is easily my most played game of the generation, having launched shortly after the Gamecube. Melee sowed seeds of things we'd com to expect in future entries, like adventure mode, multiple songs per stage, and newcomers ranging from fan favorites to obscure Japan-only characters.
Every new Smash Bros entry feels like a party, a celebration of all things Nintendo. Over a decade (and three new entries) later, the party is still going strong in the tourney scene. While I have largely moved on to Smash 4, I'll never forget the tense 1v1s in Hyrule Temple, Final Desination, Fountain of Dreams, and Poke Floats.
2. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) ; Shadow of the Colossus is the purest video game. In an era where developers would toutu just how many generic enemies could be on screen, SotC pulled a 180 - consolidating the traditional dungeon -> boss game structure into 16 distinct enemies.
The soundtrack features many classics, evoking very specific emotional responses. No player can forget the menacing tone of (song), or the triumphant relief when Revived Power begins playing signally the ensuing death of a giant.
In some ways, I am said that this game was never really copied, but I have to assume that other devs looked at this and didnt even bother trying to recreate the Mona Lisa.
3. Kingdom Hearts (PS2) ; This is the game that sold me on a PS2. While the system never lived up to graphics worthy of Pixar's Toy Story, Kingdom Hearts perfectly captured the beautiful art of classic animated Disney films while still crafting a world where Squall Leonhart and Goofy could exist simultaneously.
4. Metroid Prime (GCN) ; Metroid Prime was my entry point to the Metroid series. Prime knows how to tell a story in an organic way. Even without scanning everything, the superb soundtrack and design cues your mood exactly as Retro intended. The screech of the ghosts in Chozo Ruins is scarier than any other gaming moment I've experienced.
Even the standard sets of environments benefit of top-tier art direction and environment design. You know a game is great when i is fun to simply traverse the world aimlessly, taking in the breathtaking sights.
5. Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II (GCN) ; I never actually played PSO online on Gamecube. Adapters were expensive, and I couldnt pay the monthly fee. Thankfully, I had a large group of friends that made multiple quests through Forest, Cave, Mines, and Ruins a blast.
Let's not forget the soaring opening theme and all-around stellar soundtrack.
PSO is the only MMO-like game I have ever been able to get into, but I am glad to have had the experience even without ever going online.
6. Baten Kaitos Origins (GCN) ; RELAY COMBO
Seriously, more RPGs should have announcers during battle. BKO was overlooked for being on Gamecube and having card mechanics (even though they could have been gems or souls or any other thing and still made sense)
Usually, turn-based RPGs are slow, but BKOs timer forces quick decisions, which makes pulling off powerful combos even more satisfying. I can only hope that Monolith returns to this series once they finish Xenoblade Chronicles X
7. Animal Crossing (GCN) ; Animal Crossing began the great "non-game" forum debate that followed Nintendo as it doubled down on nontraditional game design choices for DS and Wii, but only because Animal Crossing succeeded so well in making a peaceful, fun world where chores and paying off crushing debt are fun.
The NES classics allowed me to play retro games I had only read about online up to that point. Becoming filthy rich from Kap'n island, collecting fossils, and spending the holidays with the townsfolk were all great experiences. Of course no mention of Animal Crossing is complete without its superstar musician, K.K. Slider.
8. Advance Wars (GBA) ; My introduction to Intelligent Systems. This is the gen where they made a name for themselves, crafting some of the best strategy game experiences ever since.
The lighthearted warfare was a bit silly, but he simple, distinct art design gave the game a ton of charm.
9. Fire Emblem (GBA) ; 2 years passed between the North American introduction of the Fire Emblem world in Super Smash Bros Melee and the release of Fire Emblem for GBA. Even though Marth and Roy were MIA, The stories of the three lords, combined with top tier SRPG gameplay led to my favorite FE until the 3DS' Awakening.
10. Viewtiful Joe ; Th best of the Capcom 5, VJ introduced me to the fun yet challenging design choices of the team that would go on to be Platinum Games.
Honorable Mention
Space Channel 5
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Pikmin
Tales of Symphonia
Soul Calibur 2
DDRMAX 2
Timesplitters 2
Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Lost Kingdoms
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Final Fantasy X-2
Kingdom Hearts 2
SSX Tricky
Civilization IV
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) ; I have no idea how many hours I spent playing Melee, but it is easily my most played game of the generation, having launched shortly after the Gamecube. Melee sowed seeds of things we'd com to expect in future entries, like adventure mode, multiple songs per stage, and newcomers ranging from fan favorites to obscure Japan-only characters.
Every new Smash Bros entry feels like a party, a celebration of all things Nintendo. Over a decade (and three new entries) later, the party is still going strong in the tourney scene. While I have largely moved on to Smash 4, I'll never forget the tense 1v1s in Hyrule Temple, Final Desination, Fountain of Dreams, and Poke Floats.
2. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) ; Shadow of the Colossus is the purest video game. In an era where developers would toutu just how many generic enemies could be on screen, SotC pulled a 180 - consolidating the traditional dungeon -> boss game structure into 16 distinct enemies.
The soundtrack features many classics, evoking very specific emotional responses. No player can forget the menacing tone of (song), or the triumphant relief when Revived Power begins playing signally the ensuing death of a giant.
In some ways, I am said that this game was never really copied, but I have to assume that other devs looked at this and didnt even bother trying to recreate the Mona Lisa.
3. Kingdom Hearts (PS2) ; This is the game that sold me on a PS2. While the system never lived up to graphics worthy of Pixar's Toy Story, Kingdom Hearts perfectly captured the beautiful art of classic animated Disney films while still crafting a world where Squall Leonhart and Goofy could exist simultaneously.
4. Metroid Prime (GCN) ; Metroid Prime was my entry point to the Metroid series. Prime knows how to tell a story in an organic way. Even without scanning everything, the superb soundtrack and design cues your mood exactly as Retro intended. The screech of the ghosts in Chozo Ruins is scarier than any other gaming moment I've experienced.
Even the standard sets of environments benefit of top-tier art direction and environment design. You know a game is great when i is fun to simply traverse the world aimlessly, taking in the breathtaking sights.
5. Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II (GCN) ; I never actually played PSO online on Gamecube. Adapters were expensive, and I couldnt pay the monthly fee. Thankfully, I had a large group of friends that made multiple quests through Forest, Cave, Mines, and Ruins a blast.
Let's not forget the soaring opening theme and all-around stellar soundtrack.
PSO is the only MMO-like game I have ever been able to get into, but I am glad to have had the experience even without ever going online.
6. Baten Kaitos Origins (GCN) ; RELAY COMBO
Seriously, more RPGs should have announcers during battle. BKO was overlooked for being on Gamecube and having card mechanics (even though they could have been gems or souls or any other thing and still made sense)
Usually, turn-based RPGs are slow, but BKOs timer forces quick decisions, which makes pulling off powerful combos even more satisfying. I can only hope that Monolith returns to this series once they finish Xenoblade Chronicles X
7. Animal Crossing (GCN) ; Animal Crossing began the great "non-game" forum debate that followed Nintendo as it doubled down on nontraditional game design choices for DS and Wii, but only because Animal Crossing succeeded so well in making a peaceful, fun world where chores and paying off crushing debt are fun.
The NES classics allowed me to play retro games I had only read about online up to that point. Becoming filthy rich from Kap'n island, collecting fossils, and spending the holidays with the townsfolk were all great experiences. Of course no mention of Animal Crossing is complete without its superstar musician, K.K. Slider.
8. Advance Wars (GBA) ; My introduction to Intelligent Systems. This is the gen where they made a name for themselves, crafting some of the best strategy game experiences ever since.
The lighthearted warfare was a bit silly, but he simple, distinct art design gave the game a ton of charm.
9. Fire Emblem (GBA) ; 2 years passed between the North American introduction of the Fire Emblem world in Super Smash Bros Melee and the release of Fire Emblem for GBA. Even though Marth and Roy were MIA, The stories of the three lords, combined with top tier SRPG gameplay led to my favorite FE until the 3DS' Awakening.
10. Viewtiful Joe ; Th best of the Capcom 5, VJ introduced me to the fun yet challenging design choices of the team that would go on to be Platinum Games.
Honorable Mention
Space Channel 5
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Pikmin
Tales of Symphonia
Soul Calibur 2
DDRMAX 2
Timesplitters 2
Baten Kaitos Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Lost Kingdoms
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Final Fantasy X-2
Kingdom Hearts 2
SSX Tricky
Civilization IV
Dance Inferno
Unconfirmed Member
I was hoping to write out a long description for each of the games on my list but alas life got in the way and I didn't have the time to do that. I'm just pasting my list as is in order to get it in on time. Needless to say it was very difficult to whittle the list to a top ten but here is my attempt.
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty; One of the defining games of my childhood was the original Metal Gear Solid. I never owned a PS1 so I only ever saw this game in short spurts when I was over at a friend's house, and I would be lying if I said that those small glimpses didn't totally blow my young, undeveloped mind. That first cutscene where Snake enters the elevator and changes out of his wetsuit, with the industrial espionage music playing and the large stylized Metal Gear Solid logo up on the screen, will forever remain etched in my memory. Fast forward a few years and my parents bought me a PS2, the first console I ever owned. The single game that I really wanted, the game I waited years for, was Metal Gear Solid 2. I had never been able to play and finish MGS1 so this was my chance to recapture the magic; to experience an MGS game all the way through. Boy did it deliver.
There are so many phenomenal moments in this game that will never be forgotten. The initial level on the tanker gave you so many options for getting through that I must have replayed it over 20 times. You can tranquilize or kill guards. You can stick them in lockers or dump them into the ocean. You can work your way through the hallways or climb and shimmy across ledges. Then you add onto this the gameplay mechanics that were introduced: guards can spot your shadow from around a corner, guards need to use the radio at their hip before reinforcements show up, there was a new (although somewhat clumsy) first-person perspective for aiming. The game was firing on all cylinders.
Moving from the Tanker to Big Shell was somewhat jarring as you start to realize that you control Raiden, not Snake, for the majority of the game. But slowly it dawns on you how interacting with Snake actually allows him to seem like more of a badass than playing as him. Where you're fumbling around trying to avoid flying Cyphers, Snake takes out a squadron of them with a single pistol shot each. While you're falling into traps and getting out of fights by the skin of your teeth, Snake is creeping around in his cardboard box being a boss. And the mission design is also some of the best of any generation, constantly switching things up and never outstaying its welcome. I still have very vivid memories of defusing bombs around Big Shell by using my radar, swimming through an underwater section of the facility, and using a metal detector to track a pacemaker in a room of hostages. It really is quite an incredible game, and deserves nothing less than to be crowned GOTG.
2. The Operative: No One Lives Forever ; NOLF is the cure for the common FPS.
While most FPS games today are brown and grey and involve some combination of gritty warfare, modern weaponry, and war-torn locales, NOLF took place in a super-colorful 1960s setting with a wide range of real-world and more fantastic locales. In one mission you were navigating Berlin by night to get a series of codes from foul-mouthed informants, and in another you were infiltrating a rocket facility to sneak your way onto a rocket headed for the moon. The game is brilliant like that, always throwing you around from one amazing location to the next, and arming you with exploding lipstick and robotic poodles on the way. With all the fantastic FPS games I've played throughout my years, NOLF is by far the best and most memorable. If any game needed an HD remake it's this game. Newer generations need to experience the magic that is NOLF.
3. World of Warcraft ; What can I say that hasn't already been said. WoW took 2 years of my life and I don't regret a second of it (OK that's a lie, I do regret some of it). When a game comes along that is so engrossing that you can't help but sink hour after hour, day after day, and week after week into it, you know it's special. When you sink years into it is when you know you've come across a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don't think WoW will ever be topped as far as MMOs go. The world is beautiful, the gameplay is sublime, and the community was fantastic. It really is a wonderful place to visit.
4. SSX ; The first game that I bought for my PS2, and the single racing game that I've enjoyed the most throughout the course of my life. This was more than just a game I enjoyed, this was a game that my whole family enjoyed. My sisters never play video games and they would fight me to get a chance to play this. My mom even sat down at one point and tried to play a round. This game is pure distilled fun, with a slick and streamlined combination of racing to the finish line while trying to be as stylish as possible. The Tony Hawk games never appealed to me because they were more about the tricks than the races. There was no impetus to move forward, and it was very much about perfecting your technique at the expense of everything else. SSX allowed you to make decisions on the fly: are you far ahead in the race that you can afford to pull off some intricate jumps? Are you trailing and needing to build up your boost meter by pulling off some safe tricks at every junction? It's a mesmerizing game with a lot of heart and personality, and one that I hold dear in my heart.
5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ; The PS2/GC/Xbox generation was certainly not short on great platformers, but the best of them by far was Sands of Time. No one really knew what to expect of this game since it was a recreation of an ancient 2D platformer, but this game delivered some sublime animations, fantastical level design, and a wonderfully transcendent atmosphere. I was replaying this game last year on my Wii and I couldn't believe how well the game still holds up. Sure it's a little grainy due to the lack of HD resolutions back then, but the game still moves as fluidly as it ever did, and it still works your brain as much as it ever did. The time rewinding mechanic was a genius addition that made a typically trial-and-error genre less frustrating, and with the exception of some wonky combat here and there, the game did everything right.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; The RPG that started my love affair with WRPGs in general and BioWare games in particular (until Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition wiped out any and all goodwill... but that's a topic for another thread). Up until KOTOR, no games really did moral choices very well. In fact, no game had ever allowed me to feel so in control of the plot as KOTOR did. It was an incredible sensation seeing my decisions throughout the course of the game leading up to an epic finale, one that changed entirely when I replayed the game and made different decisions. The major twist in the game was stunning the first time I came across it, and it was one of the few games that actually built a believable explanation around the XP and leveling mechanic. In hindsight combat was a little wooden, with lots of pausing and issuing orders while also trying to run around in real time, but it never got in the way and was truly the first Star Wars game to ever engross me in the universe.
7. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos ; I spent months upon months of high school just sitting at my computer playing custom games of WarCraft III. I didn't have a good enough internet connection to play online but I played every map against every combination of AI opponent. I played through the campaign multiple times, I researched and perfected build orders, I dove into the expansion, and even dabbled in some mods. Warcraft is by far my favorite of Blizzard's IPs, and while I'm sure Starcraft 2 is a great game, I literally will squeal like a little girl when WarCraft IV is announced.
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Best fighting game of the generation. No more needs to be said, because very few people will disagree with that statement. When you think about the best party game of the generation, Melee is on that list. When you think of a game that non gamers would play, Melee is on that list. It's got the trademark Nintendo charm but also the brutal and competitive edge of a fighter. It's a perfect mix of fun and competition that elevates certain games into legendary status.
9. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; GTA3 was the first GTA game I really enjoyed, and Vice City was the first game I actually loved and played all the way through. Alas, no other GTA game since has really caught my attention. Fortunately, Vice City was so much fun that it doesn't matter. The lively 70s setting was a wonderful departure from the drab dark dungeons and battlefields of most games, and the Miami aesthetic is unfortunately one that has gone woefully underused in the industry. Thankfully it was brought to life by the artists at Rockstar and transformed what could have been a middling game into an open world treasure. Driving around on the beach with the sun setting and Michael Jackson songs blasting on the radio is nothing short of a revelation. An HD remake of this game is something that I would jump on in a heartbeat.
10. God of War ; The first "cinematic" or "filmic" game that I ever played, and one that explored one my favorite legends of all time: Greek mythology. Seeing Ares from a distance stomping over a city was awe inspiring. Fighting harpies and cyclopes was exciting and novel. Entering legendary locations like Pandora's Temple, and seeing the way it sits atop the back of a chained titan was nothing less than grand and impressive. A lot has happened to this series since the first installment, but let it be known that the first game was fantastic and introduced us to a whole new way of thinking about games. If only more games tackled mythology with as much flair and panache as God of War, the world would be a better place.
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty; One of the defining games of my childhood was the original Metal Gear Solid. I never owned a PS1 so I only ever saw this game in short spurts when I was over at a friend's house, and I would be lying if I said that those small glimpses didn't totally blow my young, undeveloped mind. That first cutscene where Snake enters the elevator and changes out of his wetsuit, with the industrial espionage music playing and the large stylized Metal Gear Solid logo up on the screen, will forever remain etched in my memory. Fast forward a few years and my parents bought me a PS2, the first console I ever owned. The single game that I really wanted, the game I waited years for, was Metal Gear Solid 2. I had never been able to play and finish MGS1 so this was my chance to recapture the magic; to experience an MGS game all the way through. Boy did it deliver.
There are so many phenomenal moments in this game that will never be forgotten. The initial level on the tanker gave you so many options for getting through that I must have replayed it over 20 times. You can tranquilize or kill guards. You can stick them in lockers or dump them into the ocean. You can work your way through the hallways or climb and shimmy across ledges. Then you add onto this the gameplay mechanics that were introduced: guards can spot your shadow from around a corner, guards need to use the radio at their hip before reinforcements show up, there was a new (although somewhat clumsy) first-person perspective for aiming. The game was firing on all cylinders.
Moving from the Tanker to Big Shell was somewhat jarring as you start to realize that you control Raiden, not Snake, for the majority of the game. But slowly it dawns on you how interacting with Snake actually allows him to seem like more of a badass than playing as him. Where you're fumbling around trying to avoid flying Cyphers, Snake takes out a squadron of them with a single pistol shot each. While you're falling into traps and getting out of fights by the skin of your teeth, Snake is creeping around in his cardboard box being a boss. And the mission design is also some of the best of any generation, constantly switching things up and never outstaying its welcome. I still have very vivid memories of defusing bombs around Big Shell by using my radar, swimming through an underwater section of the facility, and using a metal detector to track a pacemaker in a room of hostages. It really is quite an incredible game, and deserves nothing less than to be crowned GOTG.
2. The Operative: No One Lives Forever ; NOLF is the cure for the common FPS.
While most FPS games today are brown and grey and involve some combination of gritty warfare, modern weaponry, and war-torn locales, NOLF took place in a super-colorful 1960s setting with a wide range of real-world and more fantastic locales. In one mission you were navigating Berlin by night to get a series of codes from foul-mouthed informants, and in another you were infiltrating a rocket facility to sneak your way onto a rocket headed for the moon. The game is brilliant like that, always throwing you around from one amazing location to the next, and arming you with exploding lipstick and robotic poodles on the way. With all the fantastic FPS games I've played throughout my years, NOLF is by far the best and most memorable. If any game needed an HD remake it's this game. Newer generations need to experience the magic that is NOLF.
3. World of Warcraft ; What can I say that hasn't already been said. WoW took 2 years of my life and I don't regret a second of it (OK that's a lie, I do regret some of it). When a game comes along that is so engrossing that you can't help but sink hour after hour, day after day, and week after week into it, you know it's special. When you sink years into it is when you know you've come across a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don't think WoW will ever be topped as far as MMOs go. The world is beautiful, the gameplay is sublime, and the community was fantastic. It really is a wonderful place to visit.
4. SSX ; The first game that I bought for my PS2, and the single racing game that I've enjoyed the most throughout the course of my life. This was more than just a game I enjoyed, this was a game that my whole family enjoyed. My sisters never play video games and they would fight me to get a chance to play this. My mom even sat down at one point and tried to play a round. This game is pure distilled fun, with a slick and streamlined combination of racing to the finish line while trying to be as stylish as possible. The Tony Hawk games never appealed to me because they were more about the tricks than the races. There was no impetus to move forward, and it was very much about perfecting your technique at the expense of everything else. SSX allowed you to make decisions on the fly: are you far ahead in the race that you can afford to pull off some intricate jumps? Are you trailing and needing to build up your boost meter by pulling off some safe tricks at every junction? It's a mesmerizing game with a lot of heart and personality, and one that I hold dear in my heart.
5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ; The PS2/GC/Xbox generation was certainly not short on great platformers, but the best of them by far was Sands of Time. No one really knew what to expect of this game since it was a recreation of an ancient 2D platformer, but this game delivered some sublime animations, fantastical level design, and a wonderfully transcendent atmosphere. I was replaying this game last year on my Wii and I couldn't believe how well the game still holds up. Sure it's a little grainy due to the lack of HD resolutions back then, but the game still moves as fluidly as it ever did, and it still works your brain as much as it ever did. The time rewinding mechanic was a genius addition that made a typically trial-and-error genre less frustrating, and with the exception of some wonky combat here and there, the game did everything right.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; The RPG that started my love affair with WRPGs in general and BioWare games in particular (until Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition wiped out any and all goodwill... but that's a topic for another thread). Up until KOTOR, no games really did moral choices very well. In fact, no game had ever allowed me to feel so in control of the plot as KOTOR did. It was an incredible sensation seeing my decisions throughout the course of the game leading up to an epic finale, one that changed entirely when I replayed the game and made different decisions. The major twist in the game was stunning the first time I came across it, and it was one of the few games that actually built a believable explanation around the XP and leveling mechanic. In hindsight combat was a little wooden, with lots of pausing and issuing orders while also trying to run around in real time, but it never got in the way and was truly the first Star Wars game to ever engross me in the universe.
7. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos ; I spent months upon months of high school just sitting at my computer playing custom games of WarCraft III. I didn't have a good enough internet connection to play online but I played every map against every combination of AI opponent. I played through the campaign multiple times, I researched and perfected build orders, I dove into the expansion, and even dabbled in some mods. Warcraft is by far my favorite of Blizzard's IPs, and while I'm sure Starcraft 2 is a great game, I literally will squeal like a little girl when WarCraft IV is announced.
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Best fighting game of the generation. No more needs to be said, because very few people will disagree with that statement. When you think about the best party game of the generation, Melee is on that list. When you think of a game that non gamers would play, Melee is on that list. It's got the trademark Nintendo charm but also the brutal and competitive edge of a fighter. It's a perfect mix of fun and competition that elevates certain games into legendary status.
9. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; GTA3 was the first GTA game I really enjoyed, and Vice City was the first game I actually loved and played all the way through. Alas, no other GTA game since has really caught my attention. Fortunately, Vice City was so much fun that it doesn't matter. The lively 70s setting was a wonderful departure from the drab dark dungeons and battlefields of most games, and the Miami aesthetic is unfortunately one that has gone woefully underused in the industry. Thankfully it was brought to life by the artists at Rockstar and transformed what could have been a middling game into an open world treasure. Driving around on the beach with the sun setting and Michael Jackson songs blasting on the radio is nothing short of a revelation. An HD remake of this game is something that I would jump on in a heartbeat.
10. God of War ; The first "cinematic" or "filmic" game that I ever played, and one that explored one my favorite legends of all time: Greek mythology. Seeing Ares from a distance stomping over a city was awe inspiring. Fighting harpies and cyclopes was exciting and novel. Entering legendary locations like Pandora's Temple, and seeing the way it sits atop the back of a chained titan was nothing less than grand and impressive. A lot has happened to this series since the first installment, but let it be known that the first game was fantastic and introduced us to a whole new way of thinking about games. If only more games tackled mythology with as much flair and panache as God of War, the world would be a better place.