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[AniHawk]

KEY RULE: You MUST put a comment for one of the choices in your ballot, or your ballot will not be counted. Ideally you will put a comment for each game, but it is not necessary. But keep in mind that these are not meant to be list threads, but threads for discussion.

This is also a companion to the NeoGAF's Soundtracks of the 5th Generation Voting Thread, so be sure to check that out too!

a special request: please don't make preliminary lists or reserve spots. i do not have parser and i will not comb this thread a second time for updated posts unless they're pointed out to me.

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GAF Games o' Gen 5 (PSX/N64/SAT and more) Voting Thread

• List up to 10 games, in order from 1 to 10.
• Your list must have a minimum of three games to be counted.
• Add your thoughts! Put a semicolon ( after each game and write what you thought. As with timetokill/cheesemeister threads, and the updated GOTY threads, I'll be using these in the awards thread. Plus, it's good reading, as timetokill and cheesemeister would point out.
• At least one of the games in your list must have a comment by you, or your entire ballot will be disqualified.
• You may list Honorable Mentions. These must be indicated by a “x.” in your ballot. You may have as many of these as you want.
• Non-numbered lists will assume the top vote is first place, then second, etc.
• Multiple votes for the same title will disqualify your entire ballot.
• Each user may only vote once, but you may edit your ballot as often as you like until the deadline. If you do make an edit, please PM me with your original list and your changed one.
• Games must have been first released in your region in this generation for them to count. You may also include imported titles.
• Ports, compilations, and remakes of games from previous generations may be included. This comes with the stipulation that ports in particular must have an explanation as to why they made your list beyond being a game you liked in a previous generation.
• Remakes of games from this generation cannot be the basis for a vote either (so no voting for Ocarina of Time if your only experience with it is Ocarina of Time 3D).
  

Voting Ends September 12th at 12:00:00 AM, PDT



Sample Ballot
You don’t have to follow this format strictly, but it will make the thread a lot easier and avoid any complications. Thanks!

1. Game A ; Your thoughts on Game A.
2. Game B ; Your thoughts on Game B.
3. Game C ; Your thoughts on Game C.
4. Game D ; Your thoughts on Game D.
5. Game E ; Your thoughts on Game E.
6. Game F ; Your thoughts on Game F.
7. Game G ; Your thoughts on Game G.
8. Game H ; Your thoughts on Game H.
9. Game I ; Your thoughts on Game I.
10. Game J ; Your thoughts on Game J.
x. Game K ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game K.
x. Game L ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game L.


Game Selection
Avoid ambiguous abbreviations if you want your votes to count. We can't read your mind, and the parser certainly can't. Some titles have the same abbreviations, so try and avoid them when you can.

• Cool: Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, Planescape: Torment
• Not Cool: FF, LoZ, PT

Scoring

1. Game A ; 4 points
2. Game B ; 3 points
3. Game C ; 3 points
4. Game D ; 2 points
5. Game E ; 2 points
6. Game F ; 2 points
7. Game G ; 1 point
8. Game H ; 1 point
9. Game I ; 1 point
10. Game J ; 1 point
x. Game K ; 0 points
x. Game L ; 0 points

Honorable mentions will not receive points, but they will be tracked, assuming you list them appropriately.

What Platforms Count?
PC-FX
Apple Bandai Pippin
FM Towns Marty
Amiga CD32
Atari Jaguar
Neo Geo CD
Sega Saturn
PlayStation
Nintendo 64
Virtual Boy
R-Zone
Game Boy 1996-2001
Game Boy Color
GAME . COM
Neo Geo Pocket
Neo Geo Pocket Color
PC 1994-1999
Arcades 1994-1999

What Games Count?

• Voting for imported titles is allowed. If you list an import game, please mention which country you are from. Otherwise I will assume you didn’t read the rules and the vote will not count.
• Remakes and significant upgrades to games from previous generations count too (Ocarina of Time 3D doesn't count for Ocarina of Time, but Lunar on PlayStation does)
• If you’re unsure about a game or platform, just ask!
• Asked about games that are allowed: system shock 2, marathon
• Asked about games that are not allowed:

here are a list of notable releases from this generation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_in_video_gaming

updated list of games that have been voted on in this thread, as a reference

 

[ULTROS!]

1. Suikoden II ; What's great about that it's serious, very dramatic, and at the same time very interesting. The concept of having a base castle, recruiting members, and even the cooking side quests were simply amazing.
2. Star Ocean: Second Story ;
3. Resident Evil 2 ;
4. Silent Hill ;
5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ;
6. Final Fantasy IX ;
7. Xenogears ;
8. Final Fantasy VII ;
9. Parasite Eve ;
10. Suikoden ;

 

[Star Falcon]

A golden era that's for sure. For me, PSX had the quantity whereas N64 had quality so my list is skewed with the 'great' N64 games. Trying hard not to let nostalgia influence my choices too much!

1. Goldeneye 007 ; This game defined that era for me. To date I can't think of a better adaptation of a movie into a video game than this. The single player missions were fantastic in depth and re-playability. From the moment you pop your head around the corner to shoot the first guard in the Arkangelsk Dam, through to the final showdown with 006 on the Cradle - the Goldeneye missions were full of challenging segments that captured the essence of Bond from the ridiculous vehicles, stealthy infiltration and guns blazing action. Plenty of unlockables and bonus levels kept you coming back for more.
To think that the multiplayer got added last minute is insane - that's the reason this game has remained the landmark that it was. At the time there was nothing like it on consoles, and unlike many modern shooters it was packed full of maps, character skins and weapons on the cart. I think i could still draw the layout of levels such as Facility, Complex and Stack on a sheet of paper even today they are ingrained so much - 4 player Goldeneye was one of the most exciting things a teenager could do back in the late 90s.

2. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings ; Command & Conquer. Starcraft. Total Annihilation. The late 90's was THE era for RTS players, with Age of Empires II being the cream of the crop for me.
I think I learnt more about Medieval history from this game than my entire time in school. This was during a time when video games had a lot more stigma than they do today. The campaigns alone told a good enough story, with tales of William Wallace, Genghis Kahn and Joan of Arc alongside less familiar names such as Barbarossa and Saladin. The Saladin campaign in particular was genius as it put you in the shoes of the arabs defending their land from the British crusaders, a side most history classes wouldn't likely take. However, it was through the details that you would then go to the library and find out more about Mangonels, Arbelests or what conscription meant. The game, maybe unintendedly, encouraged learning.
All that aside - this is the finest RTS experience. A full scale 8 player deathmatch battle would require at least a whole afternoon dedicated to it, as players grow their dark age villages into heaving Imperial Age towns with walls more or less touching your neighbours as you fight for control. With 200/200 armies marching all around the map, trading carts ferrying precious gold from marketplace to marketplace (the natural resource having long run out), and a gauntlet of castles and towers - endgame Age of Empires matches were a technical marvel.
The polish in the audio was phenomenal too. Not only is the music great, but the voice clips used by the units of each race are not only memorable but also authentic! This is a great game - i'm not sure how the HD remake of it holds up now but it's a landmark RTS that genuinely had a positive effect on my education too.

3. Pokemon Red/Blue ; The original. Can definitely see why people would hold Gold/Silver in higher esteem, but this was phenomenon that started it all. Game Boys took over the school yard and long car journeys became a pleasure with the world of Kanto explore and the original 150 to catch. This game was at the heart of a period where Pokemon took over the world - you had to experience it to know how enormous an impact this game made.

4. Final Fantasy VII ; This was the most talked about game on message boards for such a long time, and can still see why. It took storytelling in video games to a whole new level of depth and complexity, and whilst it was confusing at times especially for a young person - the narrative, world and its characters were endearing to remain some of the most iconic faces of gaming 20 years later.
Seeing the likes of Bahamut and Ifrit rendered in 3D was breathtaking, and some of the FMVs (especially the Weapon attacking Junon and Sephiroth discovering JENOVA) are great to look at even today. Highlight for me though was definitely Midgar, from the opening Bombing Mission through to your first steps outside 5 hours later and realising what little of this vast world you have actually explored, and what a long road still awaits you.

5. Banjo-Kazooie ; I've literally been replaying this game again this week. This is probably my 6/7th time through it, it gets better every time. Level design is intricate but not overly complicated like the sequel. Progression flows perfectly, with new moves introduced right on spot. Characters are friendly, fun and endearing. Soundtrack is unforgettable. Mini-games are unique and fun (Mr. Vile's game being my favourite). It's a phenomenal 3D platformer with two grand finales that are just as good as each other (Furnace Fun and the final boss fight, of course).

6. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; Following up Ocarina of Time would never be easy, but damn did Majora's Mask deliver. Dark, twisted and sinister with all kinds of questions around identity and character being thrown at the player - this episode of the Zelda series took Link through probably the most unsettling scenarios to date. OOT had already laid the groundwork with the mechanics, so Majora's Mask was able to run wild - introducing a full-on working town with loveable residents all with their own stories and problems to explore. The adventure doesn't disappoint either - with new items and the titular Masks giving new depth to the puzzles and dungeons throughout. The time mechanic may be disorientating and jarring at first, but once you sink your teeth into it it's hard not to absorb yourself in this landmark game.

7. Diddy Kong Racing ; Mario Kart eat your heart out. Diddy Kong Racing took the kart racer to the next level with an experience through a world more colourful and varied than anything else of it's day. The introduction of hovercraft and aeroplane as a race choice resulted in much more playability, and whilst they ripped off many items from Mario Kart, the presence of a full-on adventure mode with unlockable characters was more than enough to cement it as the premier-kart racer of its day. In fact, only Crash Team Racing and Sonic & Sega: Transformed have come close since.

8. Doom II: Hell on Earth ; Whilst the first Doom may have preceded the entry requirements by a year, Doom II doesn't. It's just as well, as Doom II took everything from the first game and injected it with steroids! More hellish levels, more horrifying demons and more memorable weapons - the Super Shotgun! Doom and Doom II are pretty much the forerunners of arguably the most popular genre of game (FPS) of the past 20 years, and even today with their smooth framerate and excellent pixel visuals, they have aged much better than many of their successors.

9. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Doesn't really need an introduction. The game pioneered new ways to play a 3D adventures, with mechanics such as the Z lock-on still abundant in today's games. The game was enormous for it's day, the sheer scale of Hyrule field was mind-blowing after exiting the forest area. Packed with challenging dungeons and breathtaking boss encounters throughout leading to one of the most iconic finales in video game history - it's no wonder why it is still held in such high revere today.

10. Unreal Tournament ; Epic opened my mind to the wonders of PC shooters and online gaming with Unreal Tournament. Alongside Quake, UT cemented in many ways we play multiplayer games now - offering some of the most iconic Capture the Flag (Facing Worlds), Kill Streaking (Ultra Kill!) and secondary weapon functions. It looked stunning too, maybe cheating somewhat to be on the list (although i remember in the Gen 6 vote thread i couldn't choose UT as it was 1999, so here it is). Almost as good offline as it was online, with some amazing maps, character skins and a pumping soundtrack - Unreal Tournament defined PC gaming at the turn of the millenium.

Hon. Mentions:
Was a great generation, so there are a lot. Rare at their peak, some amazing JRPGs, the launch of Playstation and possibly the greatest era for RTS fans. I was a teenager during this gen and i think it was a good time to be one.

x. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
x. Command & Conquer: Red Alert
x. Crash Team Racing
x. Diablo
x. F-Zero X
x. Final Fantasy VIII
x. Guardian Heroes
x. Metal Gear Solid
x. Mystical Ninja starring Goemon
x. Perfect Dark
x. Pokemon Gold/Silver
x. Quake
x. Radiant Silvergun
x. Starcraft
x. Starfox 64
x. Super Mario 64
x. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
x. Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness

My Gen 6 post for reference.

 

[Benzychenz]

Huh, didn't know we were doing this.
Not sure I've really played enough of this gen, but here goes:

1. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; Maybe this is nostalgia, maybe not, but fuck me I love these games. The region was stunning and the story was sublime (for Pokemon standards). The new Pokemon and mechanics were fantastic and moved the series forward in a meaningful way, and I spent well over 100 hours on my first save file. Phenomenal game.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ;

3. Pokemon Red/Blue ;

4. Paper Mario ;

5. Ape Escape ;

6. Crash Bandicoot ;

7. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ;

8. Metal Gear Solid ;

9. Super Mario 64 ;

10. Final Fantasy VII ;

x. Crash Bandicoot 2 ;

x. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ;

Will edit in some more explanations later.

 

[Nimby]

1. Spyro the Dragon ; My favorite platformer from this era. Excellent controls and level design, and a true 3D platformer without throwing 20,000 collectibles in the mix.
2. Crash Bandicoot 2 ; Another excellent platformer, from a different perspective. I really appreciate the linear design, it's the perfect representation of a 2D platformer in a 3D space.
3. Paper Mario ; Beautiful RPG with memorable characters and a charming story. I loved it back in the day, and I wish I had a GC to play TTYD.
4. Final Fantasy IX ; My favorite Final Fantasy on the PS1. Excellent cast of characters with a great soundtrack.
5. Rival Schools: United by Fate ; Only played this one recently. Underrated 3D fighter by Capcom which shouldn't have died on the Dreamcast.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; Classic and fun adventure game. This game is filled with atmosphere and I love the mask mechanic and the underlying themes.
7. Conker's Bad Fur Day ; Taboo in all the right ways. Great 3D platformer which pushed the boundaries of what is considered "platformer appropriate"
8. Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation ; Another great adventure game and Lara Croft's best outing. The Egyptian tombs are just icing on the cake.
9. Gran Turismo 2 ; Tons of unlockables and some fun racing. The best entry in the series besides GT3.
10. Banjo Tooie ; Another great 3D platformer and it's just as good as the original BK.

 

[AniHawk]

reserved for tomorrow

please. please don't do this. just post your list. i don't go back.

 

[Acquiescence]

1. Final Fantasy VII ; My all-time favourite game. I do think that, bar its lego-block character models and shoddy translation, Final Fantasy VII achieves perfection in every single way. It's just an unforgettable, iconic game in all facets, from its cast and its setting, to its soundtrack and Materia system. It's able to switch its tone between goofy humour and heartfelt tragedy on the fly and not take me out of the experience. The random battle encounters aren't problematic because the combat is always a joy to play. The pre-rendered environments give every location a sense of vivid place and character, extending even to the dungeons, which in many other RPGs are can be a chore to progress through but not this one. It's story progression and exploration are open without being unfocused, tight without being linear, and it captures a genuine sense of adventure that no other game can lay claim to. A masterpiece through and through.

2. Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars ;
3. Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror ;
4. Final Fantasy VIII ;
5. Fear Effect ;
6. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile ;
7. Vandal Hearts ;
8. Jumping Flash! ;
9. Rollcage Stage 2 ;
10. Spyro the Dragon ;

 

[miku]

1. Resident Evil 2 ; This game is GOAT. Period.
2. Parasite Eve ;
3. Resident Evil ;
4. Final Fantasy VII ;
5. Megaman Legends ;
6. Ape Escape ;
7. Pokemon Red/Blue ;
8. Pokemon Gold/Silver ;
9. Parasite Eve 2 ;
10. Final Fantasy VIII ;

 

[Arion]

1. Metal Gear Solid ; A true masterpiece that revolutionized storytelling in video games. It still holds up both visually and gameplay wise.
2. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time
3. The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask
4. Age of Empires II Age of Kings
5. Half-Life
6. Grim Fandango
7. Castlevania Symphony of the Night
8. Resident Evil 2
9. Tomb Raider
10. Tekken 3

 

[AniHawk]

1. Suikoden II ; What's great about that it's serious, very dramatic, and at the same time very interesting. The concept of having a base castle, recruiting members, and even the cooking side quests were simply amazing.
2. Star Ocean: Second Story ;
3. Xenogears ;
4. Silent Hill ;
5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ;
6. Final Fantasy IX ;
7. Xenogears ;
8. Final Fantasy VII ;
9. Parasite Eve ;
10. Suikoden ;

you listed xenogears twice

 

[Auto-Reply]

1. Super Mario 64 ; introducing perfect 3d controls and creative and clever level design all at the very beginning of the 3d era. Still the best.

2. The legend of Zelda OoT ; Was like SM64 in a different genre, day and night cycle and horsback riding. Bow and arrow, magic. Perect music.

3. Final Fantasy 7 ; Was my first FF game and the first game that had CGI implemented on a scale and quality I've never seen before. Loved the music, loved the story (didn't understand everything lol) Massive game.

4. Perfect Dark ; Rank this instead of Goldeneye, as an X-files fan this was a perfect match. The variety in weapons an gadgets, still love the music.

5. Tomb Raider ; Similar to Super Mario 64 in that it realized an interactive 3d environment never seen before, the controls didn't feel restrictive to me back then. They were different but not bad. The atmosphere was uniqe, rarely music and exploring old tombs/caves.

6. Castlevania SotN ; Was a unique game to me at the time, everything was riding the new 3d polygon trend, this felt fresh but not old, had 2d-3d combined graphics. Perfect music and the castle was vast and intersting to explore, so many secrets.

8. Resident Evil ; Felt fresh to me at the time, having a mansion that was a secret lab was very cool to explore for the first time.

9. Metal Gear Solid ; Felt fresh and mysterious to me, infiltrating a snowy military complex. Strange enemies, mechs, science babble, loved it.

10. Pilotwings 64 ; Never felt I was actually flying more than in that game, not before and not after it.

X. I left pc games out even though some got console ports like Deus Ex and Half Life. If I'd include them then the list would be different with NOLF, Homeworld etc etc.
I've chosen these games losely and on a different day it may include other games.
I often rank games like Blast Corps, Wave Race 64, Colony Wars, Abes Odyssee, Gran Turismo, Colin McRae Rally, Banjo Kazooi, 1080° Snowboarding higher than some games on that list. There are too many good games to chose from that era.

 

[SolarPowered]

01.Pokemon Gold/Silver ; Pokemon G/S took pretty much everything about R/B to the next level. Everything from sprites to environments and even the story took dramatic turns for the better. The world doubled in size thanks to the introduction of a fantastic post game that blew the minds of everyone who played Red/Blue. A new 150 creative pokemon (along with new pokemon types) were introduced and set up some of the coolest pokemon legends/myths the series has to offer. Items themselves were improved with new concepts like pokemon item holds that added all sorts of benefits in or out of battle, a day/afternoon/night system was put in place just for specific pokemon or events and shiny pokemon were newly added to this generation. It even introduced pokemon breeding as a concept which we all know as one of the most recognizable mechanics of the series. A lot of people aren't into RPGs or Handheld games or even pokemon as they get older, but damn every old codger who has played games since the SNES days can appreciate how much this title has done for handheld gaming and pokemon as a franchise. It was a real evolution (pardon the pun) in a franchise that was already rocketing in popularity.

02.Super Mario 64 ;
03.Super Smash Brothers 64 ;
04.Resident Evil 3 ;
05.Silent Hill ;
06.Half Life ;
07.Mario Kart 64 ;
08.Pokemon Red/Blue ;
09.The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ;
10.Darkstalkers 3 (Vampire Savior) ;

Honorable Mentions:
x.Resident Evil ;
x.Resident Evil 2 ;
x.Starfox 64 ;
x.F-Zero X ;
x.Metal Gear Solid ;
x.The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ;
x.Final Fantasy VII ;
x.Duke Nukem ;

 

[Xellos]

1. Super Mario 64
2. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
3. Banjo-Kazooie
4. Metal Gear Solid
5. Tekken 3: I played this so much that I burned myself out on the Tekken series. One of my favorite fighting games ever and the last Tekken game I ever played.
6. Star Fox 64
7. Wario Land 3: I just finished playing through this again on 3DS. Still great.
8. Goldeneye 007
9. F-Zero X: Hitting the cylinder in Big Blue for the first time is still one of my favorite gaming memories.
10. Super Smash Bros.

Going to have a lot of honorable mentions since there were a lot of great games that gen.

x. Parappa the Rapper: A heartwarming and memorable game. I can still remember most of the lyrics.
x. Pokemon Gold: Only Pokemon I ever got deep into. Day/Night cycle hooked me.
x. Zelda: Ocarina, Majora, and the Oracle games were all great.
x. Rage Racer
x. Megaman Legends
x. Resident Evil
x. Pilotwings 64
x. Waverace 64
x. Paper Mario
x. Jet Force Gemini: Maybe hasn't held up as well as other games of the time, but at the time I liked it enough to get all the Tribals, and I still dig the Saturday morning cartoon vibe it has going. I'd like to see a sequel someday.
x. Conker's Bad Fur Day
x. NiGHTs into Dreams
x. SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millennium (NGPC): Great portable fighter in a time when other portable fighting games were kind of garbage. NGPC clicky d-stick was a thing of beauty.

 

[Fou-Lu]

1. Breath of Fire IV ; This entry most likely comes as no surprise if you look at my user name and avatar. Breath of Fire IV took a franchise that had a lot of heart and gave it more heart, that had great soundtracks and gave it an even better one, that had beautiful environments and sprites and well... gave it one of the best art style and graphics combinations in gaming. Believe me, the animations are absolutely sublime. It felt like what you expected Breath of Fire to, but it was also new and wonderful. It is equal parts whimsical, heavy and adventurous. There is a lot of good to be said about Breath of Fire IV and very little bad. At worst it has some mildly irritating mini games. It begins on strong footing and ends on a high note. But most importantly it has one of my favorite villains of all time, who is a case of how to do a sympathetic villain properly. Oh and it's pretty damn fun to play to, a perfectly executed turn based combat system with a fun to figure out and utilize combo system. Plus it actually lets you use all six of your party members in a way very few RPGs allow you to do with instant swapping during battles. It's an incredible game that any RPG fan should give a shot.

2. Final Fantasy IX ; In many ways the ninth entry in the Final Fantasy series was a return to the classic. As someone who grew up with the series it was incredibly refreshing to have a modern Final Fantasy in a fanciful, mostly medival setting. It is a game that is a joy to play and interact with, to immerse yourself in. Zidane is likely the best main character in the series and Vivi, Garnet and Steiner are an incredible supporting cast. The plight of Vivi and the Black Mages is one of the most touching and heartfelt you can find in gaming. The relationship between Zidane and Garnet is probably the most believeable in the series and is a relationship that can actually make you smile. The world and setting is beautiful, the soundtrack is absolutely top notch and the story is a fun romp that doesn't shy from darker moments. And it all ends with what may be the single best ending in video games. I can't help but believe this game is a masterpiece.

3. Final Fantasy VII ; Almost everyone loves Final Fantasy VII. It was the first hugely popular JRPG and it was many people's first JRPG ever. For me it means a wonderful journey through a conflicted world. You are a band of eco-terrorists, yet you're the good guys because the opposition is just that bad. You have a sentient dog thing, a robot cat and a strange vampire-esqe being as party members. Them and all the other party members are incredibly memorable. The final villain is a part alien psychopath who was once the saviour and hero of mankind. There's humour, there's a cool setting, there's tons of awesome things to collect and materia to level up. And don't even get me started on the Gold Saucer. Plus once again as all games on this list share, it has a killer soundtrack.

4. Paper Mario ; Nintendo knows how to make a damn RPG. Paper Mario is one of the most well written games of all time, the humour is ALWAYS on point and it's a genuinely touching and fun romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. The battle system with its action commands makes sure even battles against trash mobs never get old. Finding the badges and working out the perfect badge build is just fun. The partners are all great, they have amazing dialogue, as does pretty much the entire cast. The game will never age because of the artstyle, which is both a breath of fresh air and whimsically beautiful. Every area, every moment of story, every battle, every secret you find is memorable. This is a game that sticks with you, this is a game that makes you feel like a kid pretending you're sick so you can stay home and play it all day. This is condensed Nintendo in RPG form.

5. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

6. Chrono Cross

7. Mega Man Legends 2

8. Legend of Dragoon

9. Final Fantasy VIII

10. Banjo-Kazooie

I'll update my other entries with reasons, but here is my initial ballot.

 

[xehanort]

1. Suikoden II ; My favorite RPG and possibly game of all time tied with Suikoden V. The story, the characters, the progression all so good. Also fuck you Konami
2. Final Fantasy VIII ; Best FF. Best minigame in all games, that Triple Triad
3. Crash Team Racing ; Maybe not the best game for me but this game gave me a lot of good memories so I will rank it high.
4. Resident Evil 3 ; People often say the evolution of RE to action started with 4, I believe it started with 3. Those intense moments of Nemesis following you. Seriously the nightmare it gave me as a kid is unforgetable
5. Brigandine ; Atlus' best game for me. This is the GOAT when it comes to SRPG. 6 controllable factions. Insane amount of units. Insane Character pool. This ia the suikoden 2 of SRPG. People really need to try this. Grand Edition is even better.
6. Digimon World 3 ; Amazing game. Kinda slow battles but otherwise so good. 2nd best minigame ever
7. Alundra ; Well my first adventure game and it was amazing
8. Duke Nukem: Time to Kill ; Shoot aliens + sexy babes = dream come true
9. Tekken 3; My favorite fighting series at its top form.
10. Smash Bros. ; Don't have a N64 but cousin have it. But all the holidays we spent there, this is all we've played.

Man, there are so many things to choose from. I'll edit later with honorable mentions

 

[Krejlooc]

OP forgot the CD32 in his "considered platforms" segment.

 

[AniHawk]

this generation is hard. with gen 6, i went from middle school to college (1999-2004), so i was able to be nostalgic for games and critical on stuff i liked all within the same period. gen 5 on the other hand has so many genre-defining classics that don't really hold up that well. and to be honest, all i have are the memories of the times i played the games from that era. there are still a couple of games i do want to give my undivided attention before voting ends though: suikoden ii and panzer dragoon saga. will be interesting to see if they can fight some of my fondest memories for a spot up on the top ten.

 

[AniHawk]

OP forgot the CD32 in his "considered platforms" segment.

added that one and so much more.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Please don't make me the only Breath of Fire mention GAF.

 

[Krejlooc]

Please don't make me the only Breath of Fire mention GAF.

This will be a disappointing game because it'll turn into a list of the games with the biggest marketing push. Consider this - NOBODY has mentioned Virtua Fighter 2 yet. Don't expect anything outside of the main games from sony and nintendo to dominate this topic.

 

[MajorTom]

1. Metal gear solid ; not just my favourite ps1 game, possibly my favourite game of all time. The graphics still hold up and I love how cinematic the game is.
2. Spyro 3 ; It takes everything that made the first two games good and refined the formula.
3. Crash Bandicoot ;
4. Crash team racing ; such a fun kart racer, better than Mario kart imo.
5. Conkers bad fur day ;
6. The legend of Zelda ocarina of time ;
7. Tekken 3 ;
8. Crash bash ;
9. The legend of Zelda majoras mask ;
10. Banjo kazooie ;

 

[ramparter]

1. Banjo Kazooie - This game is perfect. Ok maybe not actually perfect but perfect in the sense that I wouldn't change one single thing on it.

2. Ocarina of Time - Playing this as a kid back then? Oh my God. Epic, atmospheric! And the feelings!! It was the first time a game made me care about the story. The first time I felt I was there, I was not playing it, I was leaving it. And of course it helped that the gameplay was equally as great.

3. Wave Race 64 - Dear Nintendo. F.. you. It's been 20 years and we only a got a sequel not nearly as good. Just remaster this thing and put a decent online mode already.

4. Grim Fandango -

5. Goldeneye 007 -

6. Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon - I love this game! The setting, the characters, the dialogues, the humor, the Impact them, the stages, the overworld, villain's song, the robot battles, the boss battles. Everything!!!! This is a great game, they don't make games like this one anymore.

7. Pokemon Crystal -

8. Diddy Kong Racing - Multiplayer not as fun as MK64 but the single campaign was miles better, had so much to do, felt like playing an adventure game. I wish Nintendo would implement some of these ideas in the MK series.

9. F1 World Grand Prix II - Hundreds of hous spent on the first game. Not tha many on the second but it was definetely better so I picked this one. It was the only F1 game I played many full races (that means playing the same race for about an hour and a half).

10. Heroes of Might and Magic III

 

[jimboton]

This is ridiculous. We need a Top 30 for this, Gen 5 is OP.

 

[AniHawk]

This is ridiculous. We need a Top 30 for this, Gen 5 is OP.

it really is. it's probably the most important one for what the industry is today.

but only top ten. choose wisely.

 

[Popstar]

.

 

[weekev]

1. Conkers Bad Fur Day ; I love a game that makes me laugh, the irreverent humour, the parody, the fact he was a cute wee alcoholic squirrel. Still my goat and Im not even ashamed.
2. Goldeneye ; The amount of time spent playing the multiplayer of this game with friends was incredible. 1 hit kill proximity mines were hilarious.
3. Zelda Ocarina of time ; Its on just about every GOAT list, the graphics at the time were mindblowing, the story was great the gameplay was revolutionary, a phenomenal game.
4. Mario 64 ; Amazing fun, level design gameplay, full camera control. It was a game where just running about aimlessly was immense fun.
5. Mario Kart 64 ; Similar to Goldeneye, this was local multiplayer at its best. Even though it was 4 player split screen on a tiny tv it was still just so much fun!
6. Perfect Dark ; Amazing local coop missions against bots with phenomenal AI, laptop gun was awesome, Elvis the alien was awesome. Absolutely loved this game.
7. Banjo Kazooie ; Rare just know how to do platforming collectathons. Another amazing Rareware gem!
8. Diddy Kong Racing ; Had a fun story, great levels, you got to drive, fly anf boat. It was a true competitor to Mario Kart and actually the single player on this was better than MK.
9. Metal Gear Solid ; Im not a massive fan of the game series but I loved the first entry. The boss fights were awesome and the characterisation was phenomenal.
10. Gran Turismo ; Just a beautiful, tuned, incredible racing game for its time. Still remember the joy of passing the license tests to get onto the harder races.

Just looking through other peoples lists and realising how amazing this gen was. Honourable mentions to FF7, Half Life, F-Zero, Starfox 64 (known as Lylat wars in UK), Resident Evil 2, crash team racing, majoras mask, Smash and a lot of games on other lists that I have the shame of never playing.

 

[timetokill]

As with my list in the GAF Games o' the Generation for the generation following this one (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=149423657&highlight=#post149423657), I decided that the way to make my list would be to list the games that still are the best of their kind, at least in some way.

1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64) ; This game is so quintessential that it has become the template for adventure games in 3D, the one that all others must be judged against. The dungeons range from playful straightforward romps to inventive time-jumping puzzles. The soundtrack is bursting with memorable tunes and melodies. The story is as archetypal as they come, but they nail it. The characters are charming. And it has the best final boss presentation in not only the series but perhaps all of gaming.

But as staggering in its ambition and immaculate it is in its polish, perhaps the greatest thing about Ocarina of Time is that it is expertly paced, which is something later games in the series failed to live up to. Ocarina of Time introduced or pioneered some massive concepts gamers take for granted nowadays, ranging from Z-Targeting to Auto-Jumping to context-sensitive buttons... but it still gets the player straight into the fun. When your first hour with the game has ended, you're walking out of the first dungeon, having felled your first boss, and having learned a ton of game mechanics on the way without it ever feeling like a giant tutorial holding your hand. Any game designer should play this game. It's a masterpiece.

2. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64) ; If Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece, Majora's Mask is the ambitious but flawed cult favorite. Now that it's well over a decade after it's release, it's easy to think that Majora's Mask was always beloved, but it was not so. It came out late in the generation, and was drowned out in anticipation for new consoles and games. After such a long wait for Ocarina of Time, the "side-story" Gaiden moniker made people feel like it was going to be a slight effort, a quick cash-in to buy Nintendo time until the GameCube came out. Many of those that poked their head in anyway were turned off by how radically different from Ocarina of Time it was -- a timer? You lose your progress? Zelda's not even in it? You're a kid the whole time? It seemed like every decision was an affront to fans of the previous game.

Those that were willing to take the game on its own terms, however, were treated to one of the most mature and thoughtful narratives not only a Zelda and in gaming itself. Termina is still one of the most well-realized, most intimate expressions of a world yet seen in gaming. Majora's Mask is an exploration of paradoxes -- What is a hero? If saving everyone isn't an option, what constitutes true heroism? Instead of good versus evil, it became a quest of emotion. In the face of a terrible fate, in the wake of tragedy, in the depths of despair... a true hero is someone who delivers solace, understanding, forgiveness, and friendship.

3. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri (PC); The thing is, I wish this game wasn't on this list. Because if Beyond Earth had lived up to expectations, this game could be taken down, and a new champion pointed to. Alas. The worldbuilding in this game is stunning -- one of the best works of science fiction, including novels, films, and so on. The tweaks to the standard "Civ" formula worked out to be even better than Civ itself and encouraged a diverse set of playstyles. The factions made each playthrough compelling, and grounded the game in a sort of philosophical warfare. Oh, and it's better than all the Civ games. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back. The drones need me. They look up to me.

4. Resident Evil 2 (N64/PS1); As far as static-camera Resident Evil games go, this one is the crown jewel. It came in the afterglow of the amazing first game and showed what could happen in a blown out version of the series. But it came before the series got so far its own up ass that it had to be saved in a complete formula shake-up by Mikami. That puts it right in the creamy, delicious middle. What we lost in cheesy goodness (Jill sandwiches), we got in better characters and scenarios. The N64 version was suprisingly excellent, too. People literally thought it couldn't be done. I totally recommend reading the postmortem on Gamasutra. (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131556/postmortem_angel_studios_.php)

5. Super Mario 64 (N64) ; There are better 3D Mario games (several of them, actually), but this one really does hold a special place. Beyond being a mindblowing experience upon its release, its sense of control over the character is still an absolute joy, and perhaps my favorite incarnation of Mario to control to this day. It's a very different game from Galaxy and 3D World, and Sunshine showed how going further down this game's path was a dead-end, but damn if it isn't stupid fun to just run Mario around the castle garden. This is one of those games where they sat around and just made Mario feel awesome to run around with for like, 50% of the game's development, and then did other stuff. And it comes through.

6. Fallout 2 (PC) ; There's just so much here to love. The original Fallout is somewhat painful to play today, and it's only slightly less so with Fallout 2. What soothes the rough edges is the sheer amount of play there is at hand here. The ways your character is reflected in this wasted society, the world that has been aged in Americana like a fine wine. Bethesda could only hope to create a world as engaging and alive as this one.

7. Final Fantasy 7 (PS1) ; Probably the third-best mainline Final Fantasy game (after 6 and 12, respectively), this game is ridiculous in a lot of the right ways. The characters are simple like the early Final Fantasies, and the game wasn't afraid to go into absurd territory early and often. It kept much of the heart of the SNES Final Fantasies while upping the ante from those presentations. To this day I think the charm and heart of these characters is what makes the game hold such a special place in people's hearts. Unfortunately Square seemed to think it was the FMVs, because from then on the playful heart of Final Fantasy was pretty much dead and gone. Or maybe that was just the Gooch.

8. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (GBC) ; With the last Kojima Metal Gear game soon on its way, it's a good time to remember that Ghost Babel is the best Metal Gear game ever made, and Kojima didn't even direct it. Willing to bet most modern Metal Gear fans didn't even play it, too. Goddamn shame is what it is.

9. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1) ; This game is the reason we call them "Metroidvanias" and not just "Metroidlikes." That's how great this game was.

10. Excitebike 64 (N64) ; I remember thinking that at the time, Excite Truck seemed so crazy different from Excitebike that it came off as strange (I loved Excite Truck by the way). But looking back now, I can see that a lot of the key components are there. You can get INSANE air doing jumps in this game, and you get the same sort of exhilaration when landing after a jump in both games. The main thing I will say for Excitebike 64 is that it really felt more "intimate" with the bike. The trucks in Excite Truck are pretty loose when it comes to traction. In Excitebike 64, I really loved the feel of the bikes, having the tires bite into the dirt, having to finesse around tight turns, jogging the accelerator, and so on. It's also funny to think back and remember that this game had a track editor! It had an endless desert terrain mode! And for you Rocket League fans, Excitebike 64 had you playing multiplayer driving vehicles (well, motorcycles) into giant soccer balls 15 years ago.

 

[Jigorath]

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - SOTN stands with Super Metroid, Mario 3, and Mega Man 2 in the Pantheon of 2D game design. This game is nothing short of a sidescrolling masterpiece.

2. Suikoden II - Best JRPG ever made.

3. Fallout 2 - Best WRPG ever made.

4. Resident Evil 2 - This is a benchmark for how sequels are supposed to work. Everything was made bigger and better. A pure evolution of what came before. And Leon is really cool.

5. Parasite Eve - In a time when Square was rolling in cash from mainline Final Fantasy games it's amazing that we got something like this. A game set in New York city? It isn't a 40 hour epic? A battle system where you can move? Square rocked the boat with Parasite Eve and in turn created one of the most memorable RPGs they've ever released. Unfortunately the game never got a true followup as the sequel was more of a Resident Evil clone than anything else and the PSP game was... not good.

6. Super Mario 64 - Without a doubt one of the best 3D platformers ever made. Until Galaxy 2 this was my hands down favorite game in the series. Mario 64 is platforming bliss.

7. Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven - Talk about an unforgiving RPG, MMVI drops you into a large, unforgiving world and tells you to go. Not much direction or help. You move forward and figure things out the world by yourself. Games like this don't get made very often anymore and that's a shame. It is very difficult, but oh so satisfying.

8. Crash Bandicoot: Warped - I really miss this franchise

9. Final Fantasy IX - The best game in the franchise but everyone should already know that.

10. Mega Man X4 - Finally a Mega Man game that let you play as Zero from start to finish. This was so cool playing as a kid. I have a tough time to choosing between X and X4 as my favorite in the X series but X4 definitely takes the cake as the best Mega Man game of the era. Sorry Legends.

 

[AniHawk]

As with my list in the GAF Games o' the Generation for the generation following this one (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=149423657&highlight=#post149423657), I decided that the way to make my list would be to list the games that still are the best of their kind, at least in some way.

This game is so quintessential that it has become the template for adventure games in 3D, the one that all others must be judged against. The dungeons range from playful straightforward romps to inventive time-jumping puzzles. The soundtrack is bursting with memorable tunes and melodies. The story is as archetypal as they come, but they nail it. The characters are charming. And it has the best final boss presentation in not only the series but perhaps all of gaming.

But as staggering in its ambition and immaculate it is in its polish, perhaps the greatest thing about Ocarina of Time is that it is expertly paced, which is something later games in the series failed to live up to. Ocarina of Time introduced or pioneered some massive concepts gamers take for granted nowadays, ranging from Z-Targeting to Auto-Jumping to context-sensitive buttons... but it still gets the player straight into the fun. When your first hour with the game has ended, you're walking out of the first dungeon, having felled your first boss, and having learned a ton of game mechanics on the way without it ever feeling like a giant tutorial holding your hand. Any game designer should play this game. It's a masterpiece.

while i am down on oot these days simply because i think the overall package has been improved upon, oot 3d surprised me with just how smoothly the game flows from one challenge to the next. the pacing is actually really beautiful.

there are few games i can remember with such clarity that i can perfectly recall every bit of detail surrounding the first two hours of the game. it's not just a game that lived up to the hype- it was the hype.

 

[Lumine]

This is probably the generation my younger teenage self really got into gaming. Some great memories from this period with many games I still consider among the best I've played to this day.

1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; Both groundbreaking and almost perfect in its execution. Sure it might've aged a little these days and I might not put it above A Link the Past, but I loved every bit of it anyway.

2. Metal Gear Solid; Story and presentation instantly blew me away. None of the sequels ever came close. Even the stealth gameplay was excellent once you got the hang of it. Very few (action) games had so much freedom at the time.

3. Starcraft; Loved playing through the campaign and playing with/against friends. Loved the atmosphere and story despite almost all of it being told in short mission briefings. The gameplay still holds up excellently today. The sequel was a huge disappointment in comparison.

4. Final Fantasy 7; I'm a little unsure which Final Fantasy to pick honestly. I might actually prefer 9 or Tactics these days if I were to replay them. However I only wanted to list one and 7 easily had the biggest impact on me at the time.

5. Tekken 3; Best fighting game I've played to this day. Sure the sequels improve much of its mechanics and graphics, but none of them had the impact of 3.

6. Half-Life; The Quake games were great, but Half-life gave me a new appreciation for FPS campaigns. Great pacing, level design, combat, atmosphere. Just an excellent little package. It's the mods of course that brought it to another level. Especially Counter-Strike for me.

7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night; My introduction to the genre so it probably scores some points on that alone. Still it surprised me how much I enjoyed it the further I got.

8. Rollercoaster Tycoon; I was never interested in sim/building games before, but I instantly fell in love with this one.

9. Gran Turismo 2; Despite being a sim/arcade hybrid game, the driving just felt right and natural from the start. The ridiculous amount of content that came with the game blew everything else away.

10. Planescape: Torment; I was unsure if I wanted to pick this or Baldur's Gate 2, but Torment's more unique setting and story gives it the edge. It still has the best writing featured in any game.

Not the most original list I know. Anyway here are some honorable mentions I couldn't fit in above:

Vagrant Story
Final Fantasy 8,9
Final Fantasy Tactics
Baldur's Gate 2
Unreal Tournament
Xenogears
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Broken Sword
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Warcraft 2
Tenchu (2)
Thief (2)
Fallout (2)

I probably forgot a few I might add later. I might change my top 10 later as well. This always ends up being harder to do than I expected.
I realized that by far most of the games I listed were released in fall '98 with only a few slightly before or after. Greatest gaming period yet?

 

[Dad]

1. Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus ; An absolute masterpiece of a game that I think will sadly be crushed beneath more popular games. The pinnacle of the puzzle-platforming genre that takes all of the brilliant idea of Oddysee (enemy possession, gamespeak, etc) and pushes them to new heights. Coupled with foreboding industrial atmosphere, sizable length, and a constant barrage of creative puzzles and platforming, Exoddus is my favorite game of any generation

2. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings ;

3. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal ;

4. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back ;

5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ;

6. Crash Bandicoot: Warped ;

7. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee ;

8. Banjo-Kazooie ;

9. Paper Mario ;

10. RollerCoaster Tycoon ;

 

[chronic_archaic]

1. Super Mario 64: A revolutionary game that is still as fun as it was 20 years ago.

2. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2: While I prefer the DC version, this is probably the iconic one. Arcade gameplay at it's best, and what a soundtrack.

3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: A prefer the older games, but this is great too.

4. Ocarina of Time : It's a classic. Only lower here since the 3DS version is so much better.

5. Daytona USA: it's better than Ridge Racer

6. Sin and Punishment: A personal favorite. Very short but a quite like it's simplistic but deep plot.

7. Roller Coaster Tycoon: One of the few sim games I can really enjoy

8. Unreal Tournament 99: best arena shooter ever

9. Rayman: PSX version, if only for the music. Can I vote for all fifth gen versions? This was on Jag, PSX, Saturn, and PC

10. Tempest 2000: Television is the retina of the minds eye

 

[Earthpainting]

It's a really hard list to compile. This is one of the two gens I felt like games were working on my level, so I could easily list 20 to 30 games that shaped my feelings on the medium. It's possible that I feel this way because I was late to the party to this gen, and was playing catch-up, making me hop from one classic to the next, but I like to think the technology was simply mature enough to make the genres I care for shine.

1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; I was fully expecting for this one to be a little underwhelming. A lot of people warned me that it was an overrated and dull reboot of ALttP, and that this would be an even duller affair since I already had played the technically more matured Wind Waker. I still came out immensely impressed. Its design very elegant and well-flowing, and makes fantastic use of all three axes in its level, puzzle and combat design. Some parts of it aged poorly, like the molasses framerate and some technical polish that the later games would have, but I think it's a landmark title for good reason. It's a world I fully explored and pretty much know by heart.

2. Klonoa: Door to Phantomile ; Klonoa is not the most bombastic or impressive game on the surface, but it is a masterfully created game. It has a strong and unique hook, which both serves to put a twist on the combat, puzzles and traversal at the same time. It weaves its cinematics and world-building seamlessly into the flow the gameplay, which is a thing I see a lot of games attempt, but rarely succeed at.

3. Legend of Mana ; My friend dismissively described Legend of Mana is a junk yard of systems, and while that may be true, it's the nicest junk yard I've ever visited. Very little of it is actually required to look into, but all the systems allow for a large amount of customisation and replay value. Legend of Mana also is a contender of the best looking and sounding game of all time in my eyes. Legend of Mana plays very loose with shapes, colours and proportions, giving it a really striking look, and Shimomura's best sound track breathes life into it all.

4. Final Fantasy IX ; The entry that embodies the "Fantasy" that's in the title. Lovely, interesting characters, in a world that you get sucked into. A little slow at times due to the limitations of the hardware, but hardly anything that inhibited my enjoyment.

5. Symphony of the Night ; Not my favourite game in the franchise, but definitely the entry that made me pay attention to the rest. Symphony of the Night feels grander than any other Castlevania game, which I personally attribute to the music.

6. Paper Mario ; Of all the games in this list, this is the one I've played the most. There's something about its style, mood and systems that I can't get enough of. Deflating the stat numbers and introducing the flexible badge system makes this one of the cleanest console RPGs out there in terms of strategising. You know exactly how much you and the enemies will do, and so you can plan your moves pretty far ahead. Seeing your calculated risks pay off is massively satisfying. The game also employs some great overworld interaction, and is simply really clever in its gimmicks and design.

7. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; Pokémon games probably don't need much explanation. This is "one of those", except it's an absolutely massive one, that also happens to house my two favourite generations of monsters. It's the probably the best game sequel of all time in my book/

8. Dragon Quest VII: Warriors of Eden ; This game is huge, and definitely has some pacing issues, but it does what I love about Dragon Quest really well. Its vignettes are endearing, interesting, and has a fun cast to work off it.

9. Breath of Fire IV ; I really like the feel of the BoF4 world and cast, and its story is one that sparks my imagination. It has some real dips, and I strongly dislike the polygonal bosses that are in stark contrast with the gorgeous sprites, but what's there is strong enough to make up for it all.

10. Pokémon Trading Card Game ; This game gave me as much joy as it has given me frustration. I'm not really a card game guy, but this one had me hooked for months. Absolute crack.

 

[DagnastyEp]

1. Half-Life ; A big influence on my gaming, and gaming in general. Was blown away by this when I played it.
2. Goldeneye ; Probably the game with the most hours spent playing this gen. Awesome levels, weapons, and MP fun. The SP was great too!
3. Metal Gear Solid ; Another defining game of the generation - I'd never played anything like it at the time
4. WCW vs NWO World Tour ; Great MP fun
5. Star Wars Rogue Squadron ; Probably my favorite game of this type
6. Mario Kart 64 ; Fun with friends
7. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 ; Took the first and added manuals. Loved this game, amazing soundtrack too!
8. Star Craft ; Probably my favorite RTS
9. MechWarrior 2 ; Looking back I probably didn't really understand what I was doing in this game, but I still found it to be fun
10. Heroes of Might and Magic 2 ; Really enjoyed this turn based strategy game.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Star Wars Episode 1 Racer ; One of my favorite racing games, really would love to see a sequel on a modern platform
x. Gran Turismo 2 ; Was amazed by the realism and level of simulation
x. Die hard Arcade ; remember playing this at the arcade and on Sega Saturn - a highly under-rated brawler
x. NFL Blitz ; Had lots of fun with this game, though I have no desire to revisit it

 

[BLACK AMERICAN PSYCHO]

It'll either be FF7, MGS or OoT(I could Mario 64 too). Hmmmm.... I wonder which one will win? Could go either way tbh.

 

[Lumine]

It'll either be FF7, MGS or OoT(I could Mario 64 too). Hmmmm.... I wonder which one will win? Could go either way tbh.

That will very likely end up as the top 4 games I'm guessing. No real surprise there though. Looks like SoTN might come in right behind them which is only slightly more surprising I suppose.

 

[wild wild rice]

This is extremely difficult.

1. Super Mario 64 ; The most "next-gen" moment of my life and probably always will be.
2. Metal Gear Solid ; So full of mystery and surprises. Still the best MGS
3. WaveRace 64 ; Just fun and beautiful. My personal GOAT racing game.
4. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Everything they say is true.
5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; The music, art, everything. Love this game.
6. Final Fantasy 7 ; Left a very deep impression on me as a teenager.
7. Resident Evil ; Played it without a memory card from the beginning every time for weeks.
8. StarFox 64 ; A masterpiece. Very excited for SFZero.
9. WipEout XL ; Had to pick one WipEout game and settled on this.
10. Tomb Raider ; Far from perfect, best game in a series that has been on a shit slide to hell ever since. Can't wait for the re-re-reboot.

 

[ULTROS!]

you listed xenogears twice

Whoops, fixed.

 

[NahaNago]

1. final fantasy 7 ; of course this was number 1
2. final fantasy 8; just loved the world and atmosphere
3. final fantasy 9;yeah this was an awesome game as well with a very interesting world
4. tony hawk; played the demo and just fell in love with the game
5. digimon world;
6. rhapsody; just too adorable and i love musicals
7. mega man legends; yeah love the character design and it was just fun to play
8. ocarina of time; never beat but still one of my favs
9. goemon; was amusing too play
10. super smash bros; spent a good bit of time playing this

x. wild arms; that anime at the beginning
x. jade cocoon
x. legend of mana
x. crash bandicoot
x. tekken 3; can't believe i forgot this one i played it so much back then.

There were more games that i loved its just its been so many years since that gen

 

[wild wild rice]

1. 
   
   x. wild arms; that anime at the beginning

1. 
   
   Yup. Still remember the music.

 

[Dweebo]

1. The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask ; This was my first Zelda game I beat after getting OoT and being too intimidated with it as a kid. I decided to give this one a try and this truly might be my favorite game of all time. The atmosphere of the game, the giants, the masks, the themes of death all mixed together make this one of the most memorable moments I've had in gaming. Collecting the masks, the day and night system and controlling time hit every checklist for me as a kid on what I was into and even more so as an adult now looking back that this game was so odd and went all out to make an experience like no other.

2. Pokemon Blue/Red/Yellow ; Wow where do I begin. A friend in 2nd grade introduced me to Pokemon and I just thought that was the weirdest name at the time. But I was interested and had my parents take me to Toys R Us to get the game. What an experience I had with these games. I ended up getting Blue to trade with my friend who had Red and never before was there a gaming experience like that. Linking together your gameboys with cables to trade and battle. I was absolutely addicted and the original gen deserves all the praise it gets for introducing such an innovative and addictive concept. It also hit the perfect balance of extremely easy to pick up and play but much harder to master as you went on battling different friends or harder trainers in the game. This mixed with everything else that makes Pokemon what it is is why it deserves it's mind boggling success and it all started with this game.

3. Metal Gear Solid ; I first experienced this game as kid watching my dad play it and later me. When he first played it the mix of realism and very small moments of the supernatural sprinkled throughout enthralled me. The lead up to Cyborg Ninja etched into my mind as a kid as terrifying and I had to peak above a pillow during that part, unsure of what could have caused all of this. When me and dad got to the Psycho Mantis fight and

Spoiler

he read our memory card, each not knowing what was going on at first we were literally screaming. My favorite gaming moment of all time.

4. Crash Bandicoot 2 ; It was my cousin's birthday and he got a PS1. On the demo disc he had was this game and let me play it, making it the first PS1 game I had ever played. Soon after my parents got me a PS1 with this game and it's one of my favorite third person platform games of all time. The music, running from polar bears, and general goofyness of the game made it so fun. I played it a couple years ago and it still holds up extremely well.

5. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time ; After playing Majora's Mask I decided to give this one another try. I'm glad I did. If there is one game that has been so important for the post 5th gen and set so many standards it's this one. The introduction of the aiming system, the open world, and the perfectly paced dungeons. Although I prefer MM, this game without a doubt is a absolute classic and crucial to gaming history.

6. Donkey Kong 64 ; This was a hard pick between BK and this but this game was just so large, expansive, and just had so much to offer that I went with this for my #6 pick. I beat all three save files at 100% and had an aunt that would play this game too and we'd help each other. The soundtrack is so memorable and the levels and especially bosses were great. A classic 3D platformer from the 5th gen for sure.

7. Banjo Kazooie ; A bear with a bird out of his backpack was one of those fun concepts that was birthed out of this era and I think it worked perfectly. I never did get to beat it as a kid, having to go back recently with the HD remasters to get 100% and fight the final boss. It's a pretty game with a goofy fun nature to it that still holds up. Controls well and stands out to me as a collect-o-thon in every since of the word, and that was a good thing to me as a kid with the OCD-esque nature I had.

8. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; My first TH game I played and it was so good it led me to actually start skateboarding, idolize Tony Hawk himself, and go on to play the rest of the series till it crashed and burned at Proving Grounds. But before that was this game with an incredible soundtrack, addictive gameplay, and goofy unlockable characters such as Spider Man. The level design is etched into my mind and I adored this game for introducing me to the sport while at the same time being an excellent game in it's own right. The series most likely peaked at 3 but this game stands out to me above the rest.

9. Spyro the Dragon 3; I played and beat this game countless of times and was a fun collect-o-thon game. The other games are fun in the series too but I believe they peaked with this one and was a favorite in the series of mine. The gameplay of dashing and flying with the dragon was, like BK, such a fun concept and I feel with the introduction of 3D these devs all had ideas bursting at the seams for fun concepts. It showed fully with this game. I went back year after year to complete the game 100% much like MM and DK64 because I couldn't get enough of it.

10. Final Fantasy 7 ; I got a copy of this game as a kid and the third disc was broke and I also had never played any RPG before. I was confused and ended up quitting after an hour or so of playing. Because of the hype I kept hearing I found a greatest hits copy of it in middle school and decided to play. This game is another classic of this gen and deserves all the praise it can get. Mature story, extremely iconic and memorable characters, and set the standard (much like OoT did with adventure games) on RPG's in 3D from here on out. The music is great, battle system is great, story is great. Another classic from in my opinion the best generation of gaming we've ever had.



Honorable Mentions

1. Tomb Raider 2 ; My first Tomb Raider game and me and my dad loved it. Such a blast to play through but unfortunately I tried to return a couple years ago to play it and the tank controls make this unplayable. For it's time it rocked though and will always be a game close to my heart, hoping for a remake someday...

2. Super Mario 64 ; This being an honorable mention to me shows how crazy this gen was with great games. A classic platformer that was another standard setter and I enjoyed fully. Just the other games in the official list above interested me a little bit more.



Gosh this was much harder than I thought it would be. PS1 is my favorite console but looking at things as the 5th gen as a whole showed we were all spoiled. It was the birth of 3D growing up from sprites and I think devs just went wild with it. Their imaginations were the limit and we were met with so many classics that are still pitted against games of every generation since. The PS1 having so many demo discs, Pokemon with the connector cables for gameboy, and seeing our favorite genres brought to life in 3D make this a gen to never forget. Perhaps when VR is finally adopted fully in games we could have a renaissance of gaming like this gen was.

 

[Trago]

Considering that this is the generation I got my first video game console, handheld, and PC, actually trying to make a list of ten of my favorite games from this time period will be torture.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

1. Shining Force 3 ; Greatest SRPG ever. Three Scenario's connected together to tell a grand story, with saves migratable between the three. The most fun I've ever had in an srpg - the perfect blend of a great story and a great battle system. Parts 2 & 3 are import only, but we had printed out tranlations (thanks Aspinia Team!) back then, and proper patches now.
2. Panzer Dragoon Saga ; Fully voiced saturn game - even the npc's! - with an amazing battle system, which sees you with simply two characters - edge and his dragon - throughout the entire game. Battles are never boring though, as you constantly shift position to attempt to keep advantage
3. UFO: Enemy Unknown (XCOM) ; For me the finest PC game ever made, combining a compelling base management section with a very well conceived TRPG battle section.
4. Breath of Fire 3 ; BOF3 has one of my favourite video game stories ever. Whenever I replay it I find myself amazed at how well crafted the ostensibly generic plot and characters were.

To give one example, in battle each character has a battle animation for when they attack. The main character, who is a child, starts off shielding his eyes and waving his sword like a feather duster. Later in the game, after a plot twist that required him to stand on his own two feet somewhat, the battle animation changes and he attacks looking straight ahead with a standard slash.

The game doesn't make any big deal about this, it just happens in battles that come after this event. A small thing, but Breath Of Fire III excels at doing these kinds of things, and this - as well as the nature of the story - really fleshes out the characters, and kept me interested in a game with... rather horrible random encounter rates and a rather questionable design decision (desert of death).

And rei is endlessly awesome, as are Balio & Sunder.
5. Grandia ; Has an innovative battle system that actually had me looking forward to encounters, where you can interrupt enemy attacks
6. Super Mario 64 ; Nintendo flawlessly reinvents the platformer in 3D on their first attempt
7. Street Fighter Alpha 3; To this day my favourite SF game. ism ftw
8. Hybrid Heaven ; There's just something about learning the sharpshooter by having a giant mutated horseman perform it on you
9. Panzer Dragoon Zwei ; <3 Pandora's Box.
10. Starfox 64 ; superb dogfighting, branching & variety. Also a floating brain + eyes.

Golden age of the JRPG? Golden age of the JRPG.

 

[Yoshi]

1. Banjo-Kazooie ; The perfect collectathon, one of my all-time favourite games ever. Absolutely lovingly crafted worlds with an unmatched density. A timeless classic that dwarfs all competition.
2. The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask ; Fantastic Zelda game with a fantastic world, few but intense dungeons and a great use of the time mechanics.
3. Super Mario 64 ; Simply put, the most revolutionary game ever made. Miyamoto's team embarassed all others who tried to make 3D games at the same time and the combination of world design, flexible mechanics and the analog stick left an incredible impression. Holy grail of video game achievements, outclassed only by Banjo-Kazooie - which is obviously living of many, many innovations brought forward with Mario 64 - in its particular sub-genre.
3. The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time ; An outstanding achievement and a milestone in video game design. This game brought Zelda into the third dimension like only few series could be translated. Fantastic dungeon design and a memorable world are part of what made 1998 the best year in gaming ever. And this is not the last 1998 game I'll list...
4. F-Zero X ; Nintendo took a good SNES racer and made the best racing game ever conceived out of it - just in the same year as OoT and Banjo-Kazooie made me one happy gamer already. The decision to make the game ugly but run at 60 fps was golden, the trackdesign is fantastic and overall this game is a must for everyone who likes good video games.
5. Conker's Bad Fur Day ; Though the gameplay is not always top notch, it is for most of the game and the outstanding humour and huge variety within the game ensures its status as a timeless classic
6. Banjo-Tooie ; Not as great as the original, but still one of the best games in my favourite subgenre (collectathon) of my favourite genre (platformer) - too bad we never got the Banjo-Threeie promised in the ending scene.
7. Wario Land 2 ; the best Game Boy platformer with a wonderfully creative invincibility mechanic which was playfully used in the transformations. Major props for the various branching paths, too.
8. NiGHTS into Dreams ; Creative and fun game with a nice arcade-touch.
9. Diddy Kong Racing ; The combination of adventure elements with fun racing and the decision to have equal playing ground wrt weapons make this one of my favourite racing games even today.
10. Tearring Saga ; Nintendo didn't want to give us a new Fire Emblem over the span of this generation, but thankfully, there was one on PlayStation and it was a really good one. Too bad it never came out in the west.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages / Seasons ; Capcom did the unthinkable and made fantastic Zelda games outside of Nintendo. Both games are awesome follow-ups to Link's Awakening and could absolutely pass as Nintendo's own efforts.
x. Blast Corps ; Probably Rare's most creative title of the generation and one incredible game. It looks a bit boring, but it's really one hell of a game.
x. Donkey Kong 64 ; I really liked it a lot, though they definitely went overboard with the collectibles
x. Rayman 2 ; Michel Ancel's masterpiece. I've played through it completely on all platforms, PC, PS1, PS2, DC, N64, DS, 3DS and I always had a great time with it. Great pacing and ironically the prototype of modern 3D platformers which don't follow the collectathon route anymore.
x. Crash Bandicoot 2 ; The more linear approach made Crash Bandicoot look a bit old-fashioned next to Nintendo's collectathons, but the second game got a lot right - my favourite Naughty Dog game
x. Pokémon red / blue / green / yellow ; there was a time where I'd have put this in the number one spot. Not anymore, but it is still one of the games I played the most over my lifetime and it does have rock-solid mechanics
x. Star Fox 64 ; to this day the best Star Fox and a great arcade shooting game worth a replay every once and a while
x. Wario Land Virtual Boy ; Amazing 2d platformer for a strange platform. It is a true follow-up to the Game Boy classic and used the two planes in an interesting way without it seeming gimmicky. A shining gem among a scarce line-up but one I do not regret importing an expensive Virtual Boy for.
x. Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure ; A really great re-interpretation of Sonic 2 with completely new level design, tight gameplay and also Dimps' first forray into Sonic. Easily worth a purchase of an NGPC for every Sonic fan.

 

[AAK]

1: Resident Evil 2 ; This is the videogame that got me into videogaming. This is the first time a piece of entertainment instilled me with a sense of mystery and wonder of the area around me. The level of immersion was beyond anything I'd ever expect the medium to produce and I was just hooked on the entire lore and atmosphere. Definitely my number 1 for the previous generation.
2. Tekken 3
3. Metal Gear Solid
4. Twisted Metal 2
5. Resident Evil 3
6. Starcraft
7. Crash Team Racing
8. Silent Bomber
9. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
10. Dino Crisis 2

x. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
x. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
x. Tony Hawk's Proskater
x. Super Mario 64
x. Soul Blade
x. WWF Smackdown 2: Know Your Role
x. Medal of Honor

Only had a PS1 back then and a friend who had an N64 that I could play at his place occasionally, so I never got to experience any Sega console games or arcade games.

 

[petran79]

During that time I was an Arcade and PC gamer (bless those ARJ and RAR floppies and also my friend that let me borrow some of the original CD-ROM boxsets back then)
To be fair, I'll list only games I played extensively during that era and not afterwards, while digging through the classics. Hence why you may see some obvious choices missing, even the ones I had caught a glimpse off.
Still chasm betweem PC and console games was huge, as you'll read below


1. Jazz Jackrabbit (MS-DOS, 1994, 2D action platformer)
2D Shooters/Platformers on computers werent something new. Ever since the Amiga I had already experienced some unique 16-bit platformers. But by playing that game I felt this was the next step to the genre. It had an amazing soundtrack too. Such a fast-paced experience was impossible to re-enact on any console or arcade platform.
One of Epic Games best creations and a pity it is not available on GOG yet. Made me forget Sonic and Mario very quickly. You felt you were playing a genuine computer game, rather than an arcade port or a game trying to imitate console platformers.

2. Ecstatica(MS-DOS, 1994, 3D survival horror)
I had not heard about Alone in the Dark few years earlier, but reading through some computer game magazines in 1994, this title immediately caught my attention. Most survival horror games today lay much emphasis on looks, thinking they can scare you but failing most of the times. This game achieved something unique. It was tense and full of horror atmosphere with a design more fit for a children's book. Perhaps one reason it is even weirder than most horror titles. No monsters hiding in the shadows. They appear out of nowhere in the next screen. British dark humour is all over the place.
Despite being older, it also controller much better than Resident Evil. You could only pick two items and in case you wanted to wear an armor, you'd fall off and could not stand up!
Too bad that the sequel, while grander in scale (you explore a huge castle instead of a haunted village), was a tedious affair without the horror elements of the original.

3.Phantasmagoria(MS-DOS/Saturn, 1995, FMV interactive/point and click horror adventure)
2x-4x CD-ROM drives were getting cheap and popular, so were the CD-ROM games. Most suitable way to make the best use of the medium? FMV games. Adult games on consoles were just beginning to make their first shy steps. No such problem on PC. Game was like watching a horror film and you could take part as well. Sure script and acting were all over the place. But game felt like a true b-movie horror flick. Last chase sequence was perhaps one of my most tense gaming experiences. Sequel was not as memorable. It tried to be too serious for its own good. Now game may feel forgettable but for its time it was a breath of fresh air for the adult genre, produced by the pioneers at Sierra.

4. Bad Mojo (Windows 3.1/9x, 1996, Adventure)
Having watched a trailer in a PC magazine, this had to be an instant buy. Game attempted something unique. Scanning real photographs of a building and creating a huge real life maze for a cockroach to explore. They added interaction with other insects and mammals, some surreal FMV CGI sequences and a story connecting the cockroach with the human residents. Another unforgettable gaming experiences and only possible on PC. Not for the faint hearted. Haunting soundtrack too.

5. Toonstruck(MS-DOS/Windows 9x, 1996, point and click adventure)
I admit I liked this game more than Curse of Monkey Island, which was inferior to MI1 and MI2 anyway. Adding the cream of the crop of American cartoon voice actors, Christopher Lloyed and passable 2D animation and design, ensured for an experience similar to Roger Rabbit and Cool World. Unfortunately it went overbudget and 1/3 of the final product had to be scrapped. Puzzles were embedded in cartoon logic, which added an extra layer of difficulty. I felt like I was watching an animated comedy. In the 90s American cartoon series were also very popular on TV, so this game made me feel right at home. Humor was mostly for teens and adults, just like in Animaniacs. One of the experiences I'd never forget.Did not regret the purchase.

6. Little Big Adventure(MS-DOS/Playstation, 1994, isometric action adventure)
While its sequel was longer, more polished and epic, it was the original I loved more. The game featured a huge open-world, interesting, cool and loveable characters you could interact with, an interesting story, fantasy elements, 4 different character modes depending on the situation and it was perhaps the best representative of the French video game industry at that time. I felt totally immersed in the game's world and story. Every location had a mystery waiting to be explored. The annoying sound effects of the main character rushing against the wall are a stain to remain forever though. It was the first time I truly felt a sense of adventure.

7. Flying Corps(MS-DOS, Windows 9x, 1997, WWI flight simulator)
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said that only the pilots of those old planes were true pilots. The ones piloting the newer machines were not pilots but accountants. After titles like Red Baron, this was the next step to WWI simulators. Game had so many details to make the flight more realistic and it even supported 3D accelerators on Windows for a better experience. It also included rich manuals and a book written by a British RAF flight commander of that era. Manual included info about the major WWI dogfights. 90s were the golden age of flight simulators on PC. Along with Super EF2000 Tactcom, my best purchase.

8. Crusader: No RegretMS-DOS, 1996, isometric action shooter)
While the original also appeared on Playstation, the sequel was a DOS exclusive since it featured graphical and sound upgrades no PS1 could handle. A game most western console shooters took inspiration, like Halo. Frantic action, FMV scenes, explosions, cyberpunk, splatter, basically everything an action fan sought back then. Controls, bugs and difficulty were an issue, but action was so good that the already accustomed PC gamers would not mind. A truly underrated game that coincided with one of the last productions of EA's Origin brand.


9.The Ocean Hunter(Arcades, 1998, 3D action fantasy rail shooter)
Lost World for dinosaurs, HOTD for zombies and Ocean Hunter for oceans. One of the last games before the console-arcade parity with the Dreamcast. Like taking part in 3D explorations of 20.000 Leagues and Atlantis, along with other creatures of sea mythologies. I liked how they added realistic giant creatures and only added mythological elements to the last boss. One of the games that pushed 3D technology to its limits.

10.Slam Tilt Pinball(Amiga/Windows, 1996, Pinball)
Game felt like the apex of 2D PC action pinball games, which I liked more than pinball simulators. Produced by the developers of Pinball Fantasies, this was no surprise. One of the last and best games for the Amiga, though I played the Windows version, not the 1999 edition. A darker pinball game overall. Night of the Demon still remains the best 2D arcade pinball table.Windows budget boxcase is a disservice to such a great game.

Honorable mentions (wished I had also spent more time playing those games):

Dungeon Keeper (1997,fantasy RTS); Bullfrog's masterpiece
Super EF2000 Tactcom(1995, military flight simulator); most complex flight simulator of the 90s
Curse of Monkey Island (pnc adventure); one of the best Lucasarts games till GF
Little Big Adventure 2: Twinsen's Odyssey; best fantasy action adventure game on PC
Command and Conquer: Red Alert; (1995, RTS); no comment
Harvester (1996, pnc horror action adventure); reached the limits of video game censorship in graphic depiction and story telling. Too problematic as a game though.
Armored Fist (1994, tank simulator); from the creators of Comanche, a very good effort. Too bad the sequels were mediocre

 

[Jamix012]

it really is. it's probably the most important one for what the industry is today.

but only top ten. choose wisely.

This is still a bad decision, as it was with gen 6.

 

[squid]

1. Paper Mario; My favourite game. Incredibly charming game with unique gameplay, memorable characters and levels. Massive amount of nostalgia for this game, I can't even count how many times my sister and I played it growing up.
2. Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings; the best rts ever. I haven't ever really stopped playing it since it came out, and it's still a ton of fun today. The setting, the tight, balanced gameplay, the great campaigns, the music, everything about this game is spot on.
3. Freespace 2; Improved on the already amazing first game with better graphics, more in depth story, a heap of awesome mods and capital ships! Seriously, it's a game where you fly around in the middle of giant space battles between huge capital ships shooting giant lasers across each others bows, and dozens of fighters and bombers swarming around in the chaos. It's a crime there has never been a Freespace 3.
4. Descent Freespace: The Great War; Me as a ~10 year old kid was enthralled with this. The storyline really appealed to me and was very immersive. The voice acting, cut scenes, pre and post mission briefing, the run down of every ship and weapon. Even the main menu being a ship hangar... It's the small things y' know? Did a great job easing you in to the game too, slowly revealing the storyline and introducing you to the terrific space sim gameplay.
5. Banjo Kazooie; One of the best platformers from the golden age of platformers. Again, everything about this game just worked and was top notch. Graphics, music, level design, hub world, Rare showed they were as good as, if not even better than Nintendo themselves at making platformers.
6. Command and Conquer: Red Alert
7. Super Mario 64
8. Rollercoaster Tycoon
9. Mario Kart 64
10. Broken Sword

Honourable Mentions:
x. Banjo-Tooie
x. Mario Party 2
x. Midtown Madness
x. Croc
x. Donkey Kong 64

Unfortunately I only got to play ocarina of time and majoras mask recently, with their 3ds remakes. I'm sure they would both have been included in my top ten had I played them back in the day, both are awesome games. I'm sure there's a bunch of other games I'm forgetting too :-(

 

[AniHawk]

This is still a bad decision, as it was with gen 6.

people seemed pretty jazzed about the way gen 6 turned out.

 

[Yoshi]

By the way Anihawk, do you plan on doing a Gen 4 one, too? SNES / MD was a fantastic gen, too and I'd love to see the results. Also, since I was LttP in that gen, there are probably a lot of games I could find about in the thread.