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[Springy]

Thanks for doing this, AniHawk. I had a blast reading through the Gen 6 voting and results.

My favorites (changes pending when I remember stuff):

1. Metal Gear Solid ; I don't try to think too hard on what my favorite game is, but MGS gets an annual replay and that's hard to ignore. It's an incredibly well-made game: the production values blew my mind at the time, the mechanics still feel tight and the core gameplay is still wonderful fun. I love it so damn much.

2. Resident Evil 2 ; Much like my number one, RE2 just feels like the perfect package. I struggle to come up with any legitimate negatives; it achieves everything it sets out to do near flawlessly. Another game which remains undulled by time,

3. Grim Fandango ; My favorite adventure game. The characters, world and story are sophisticated, and the writing is excellent. I don't often find myself caring about atmosphere in a game, but that's because few have any worth noting in comparison to Grim Fandango.

4. Freespace 2 ; I had a hard time stopping myself putting more than one space sim on here. Thanks to X-Wing and Wing Commander, the mid-to-late nineties was jammed with incredible games in the genre. Freespace 2 remains the best space combat simulation to this day. It floors me that this was made nearly two decades ago and I'm still twiddling my thumbs, looking at a gigantic wave of new and upcoming space games that don't seem as good as Freespace 2.

5. Command & Conquer: Red Alert ; It took everything that had blown me away with C&C and cranked it up: better cutscenes, cooler units, expanded base and combat options. Nukes. It's the first game I remember double-dipping on. I bought a PlayStation mouse for this. Worth it.

6. Quake II ; The second ever double-dip. It's the first game I remember modding, getting new skins and sounds from PlanetQuake. I also had upgraded to a 33k modem at this point, so multiplayer was actually a thing for me. The PS version ended up providing some great split-screen deathmatch. Never owning an N64, this was my first taste of multiplayer console shooters before Halo blew that up for me a few years later.

7. Future Cop: L.A.P.D. ; Future Cop is still such a cool concept. It was cool when I was a teenager, it's cool now. A transforming hovercar/mech that's got a flashing cop light on it and missile launchers, used to enforce the law in what I can only imagine is L.A. in the Robocop universe. It played great, too. It also had incredibly good multiplayer.

8. WipEout 2097 (a.k.a. WipEout XL) ; Taking WipEout and making it bigger and brighter. I played far too much of this for my own good. It also has the best licensed soundtrack of any game ever.

9. MechCommander ; My favorite MechWarrior game is just too young for this generation, but I want to give some time to this criminally oft-forgotten gem of a strategy game. I remember playing this not too long after Total Annihilation, and, where TA went macro, MC went micro. You controlled only a handful of mechs and support units in missions and had a great deal of options with them. Mech-on-mech combat was intense and tough, and often had an element of risk/reward as you debated trying to disable your foe so you could salvage their mech later. I also think it still looks beautiful.

10. Ridge Racer Type 4 ; R4 is, among many RR games, the best. It's possibly the best arcade racer (if WipEout's combat mechanics disqualifies it from the genre). Looking at my list, R4 still plays well today, and looked phenomenal to me at the time. It sounded good and had a ton of content, and I still have a blast going back to it now.

x. G-Police
x. Grand Theft Auto
x. Half-Life
x. Quake III
x. Age of Empires
x. Tomb Raider II
x. Colony Wars: Vengeance
x. V-Rally
x. Starlancer
x. Destruction Derby
x. TOCA Touring Car Championships
x. The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall
x. The Curse of Monkey Island
x. Star Wars: Dark Forces
x. MechWarrior 2
x. Baldur's Gate

 

[timetokill]

My bad, I read right over that. But I did edit in my real list immediately after, so I don't think it will be a problem. So for others who missed it and are reading this, don't do what I did and reserve a post!

<3

 

[Decado]

Does op have the years that make up that gen? I dont see it so i have no idea. Mainly for PC gamers

 

[AniHawk]

Does op have the years that make up that gen? I dont see it so i have no idea. Mainly for PC gamers

check the list of platforms.

 

[Zophar]

In the interest of representing a wide variety of genres and franchises, I tried to keep them to a minimum, otherwise this Top 10 would be all Final Fantasies and Street Fighters. I also made sure it was stuff I could go back to today and still enjoy to mitigate nostalgia (Sorry, Goldeneye).

1. Final Fantasy VII; Final Fantasy VII was the first legitimate jRPG I had ever played, and I was Final Fantasy obsessed after my first weekend with the game. The game came along at a massively formative period in my life and turned me on to an entire genre practically overnight. It's the title on this list that's the most tidally-locked with nostalgia, but returning to it on those grounds is one of the best reasons it holds up for me.
2. Metal Gear Solid ; I still think this was the first -truly- cinematic action game that lived up to the promise of CD and 3D technologies. It's also a really strong game, even today.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Not much can be said about OoT that hasn't been said a million times before, but its reputation is well-deserved. The game deeply rekindled my love of Zelda after I had lost track of video games as a hobby for a couple years. It was also part and parcel with my discovery of the internet, and part of that first experience was extensive internet spelunking, looking for hints and secrets, and speculating on the deeply hidden stuff in the game that may or may not exist.
4. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; I actually got to SOTN pretty late in the PS1's life, after the PS2 had already launched and game stores were clearing out their PS1 stocks. I snatched it up on a whim and it ended up being an all-time favorite. I still replay SOTN every year or so.
5. Unreal Tournament 1999 ; This was my first foray into online gaming and the mod community. When UT99 came out I was -dying- for it. I was already addicted to the original Unreal's botmatches and when I got this title you couldn't pull me away from it. I lost days and days and days of my youth to CTF-Face.
6. Pokemon Red/Blue ; Similarly, I lost an entire family vacation to Oregon to Pokemon Red. From sun-up to sun down I was obsessed all summer long. My grandparents even caved and bought my little brother a Gameboy and a copy of Pokemon Blue all of his own because I refused to share it with him.
7. Super Mario 64 ; Seeing Mario 64 for the first time was a revelation. It was the future in a way no other game I had seen before had felt like. Revolution though it was, the gameplay was also top notch and addicting. Crash 2 was my other choice for an amazing platformer from this era, but it's not a contest to be honest.
8. Street Fighter Zero 3 ; Even though SFIII: Third Strike came out in this timeframe, I generally see it as a 6th generation game instead. SFA3 also deserves some recognition, too. The Alpha series had fantastic presentation and felt way tighter than the SF2 series, so I've always preferred them to other iterations for casual pick-up and play.
9. Valkyrie Profile ; I wanted to include some other non-FF RPG on this list, since this generation is so tightly connected with the genre. Though I had just as strong of love affairs with Lunar 1/2, Chrono Cross, Legend of Mana, Vagrant Story, and countless others, this is the one that sticks out the most for how much it stood out from the pack. It had mechanics completely unlike other jRPGs I had loved up until that point and its whole plot involving collecting, training, and sending off warriors to fight at the end of the world was awesome.
10. Resident Evil 2 ; Resident Evil 2 was the first game I ever bought for the PS1, and it was breathtaking. I had played the original on the Saturn but RE2 was a gigantic leap over it. Survival horror was the new hotness and I had never really experienced how a game could build atmosphere and tension like this. It was almost overwhelming to play.


My god, what a list. All of those games are legendary at this point. Looking back now it's clear to me that 1998 was the year I was doomed to be trapped by this hobby forever.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Gods, this will be so hard. I expect my honourable mentions list to be staggeringly high.

Question about Shining Force 3: can I count the 3 games as 1 game, or must each scenario disc be counted separately?

 

[AniHawk]

My god, what a list. All of those games are legendary at this point. Looking back now it's clear to me that 1998 was the year I was doomed to be trapped by this hobby forever.

1998 is the year in which all other game years are judged.

 

[ike_]

I can't believe how many pivotally important PC franchises managed to rise and fall in a single "generation." I was raised on consoles, but from this list you wouldn't know it.

1. Quake ; QuakeWorld made multiplayer shooters a thing. Team Fortress made FPS gameplay modes a thing. This game might have been one of the most important games of all time.
2. Half Life ; There are moving things in this game I'm not supposed to shoot? And a story? And it's interesting?
3. Diablo ; A smaller slice of what made Diablo II soooooo good. One of a kind back then.
4. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Maybe you heard of it? The game that brought me back to consoles. A level of quality and breadth pretty rare in games back then.
5. Doom II ; I can't explain why this game was more fun than the first, but I ended up playing it way more.
6. Command & Conquer ; The first large scale strategy game I ever saw that wasn't turn based! And I could play competitively with friends over the phone line? NO.
7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; Circle of the Moon was actually the first of this style of game that really really hooked me but that is no doubt thanks to the legacy that was SoTN.
8. Grim Fandango ; Has such a stylish and well done story, better even than a lot of games today.
9. Full Throttle ; Coming off my love of the Monkey Island games, this was amazing.
10. Longest Journey ; I was a sucker for adventure games.

If ten were thirteen, these games would have ranked:
x. Master of Magic
x. Tomb Raider
x. Descent

Games I would have loved if I had played back then:
x. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
x. Gran Turismo

 

[entremet]

Cracking down on reserved post is great.

Keep up the good work, Anihawk and Timetokill. Hopefully, this will be standard for all GOTY (GOTG) threads going forward.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

1998 is the year in which all other game years are judged.

And found wanting.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

1. Final Fantasy IX ;
My absolute favorite game of all time. Final Fantasy IX is very dear to me. It was given to me by unconventional means and ended up becoming the game that made me so interested in video games in the first place. Final Fantasy IX showed me what video games can provide beyond gameplay and it made an impact on my life, that I'm not even sure what I would be doing right now if I never played it. Final Fantasy IX is the reason why I want to own a game company, it was the reason I took up writing, it was the reason I took up drawing, and it was reason why I am into music as much as I am. I owe a lot to this game. This game has been duly noted from both Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu as their favorite entry in the franchise and frankly it's mines as well.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ;
This is my favorite Legend of Zelda so far. While Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time were my introduction to the series, this game resonated with me so well because of the amount of side quests in the game and the mask transformations that added a lot of diversity to the gameplay. The world of Termina is one of the few games that felt real. Characters had personality and they all changed and attended to their daily lives sometimes interweaving with each other and you also had an impact on the effect of all of them.

3. Final Fantasy VIII ;
I think this was the third Final Fantasy game I played. I remember there being a lot of issues the first time around that I played it. I borrowed it from a friend at Middle School. I got to the part of the invasion and then the game froze. I went to school the next day to tell my friend that the disc was scratched, but I came to find out that he switched schools. I had to get my mother to get his info because I had let him borrow my Game Boy Color/Advance in exchange for VIII. Went over his house,there was a strange exchange, but I got my Game Boy back and gave him his copy of VIII back. I think a year or two later I was able to buy my own copy and I got to fully appreciate the game. I loved the environment, the characters were okay, but I grew attached to Squall loved the moments when shit really went down, liked Laguna, and the end sequences of the game. Ultimecia's Castle is still among my favorite final dungeons. This is overall a great game.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ;
The first Zelda I actually got to have my hands on. This was a magical experience for me. I still remember playing the opening sequence for the first time. The dungeons in this game are designed so well. The combat is simplistic, but efficient. This game really shines in the atmosphere and level design department. Rightly deserved of the many game of the year and all time awards out there.

5. Banjo-Kazooie ; This was my first 3D platformer. Most people's were probably Super Mario 64, but mine's was this game right here. This game was silly and weird. It had some great level design challenge and those fun transformations. I'm disappointed I never got to play Banjo-Tooie, the spin off Conker game, and that the series died, but at least we're getting Yooka-Laylee. A great game.

6. Diddy Kong Racing ;
Other people had Mario Kart 64, I had Diddy Kong Racing. While to be fair, I didn't even know there was a Mario Kart game for the 64 until years later, but this was the number one racer for me for quite a while. It's more balanced than Mario Kart since all the weapons are not randomized and I like how they power up by getting multiples of them like in Firepower 2000. The game was also very fresh to me coming off of Super Mario Kart. You had an open world campaign, mirrored tracks, secret characters, different takes on battle mode, Rare characters, and multiple vehicle types. I say that this is still one of the best racers out there.

7. Tekken 3 ;
One of the best entries in the Tekken series. I started with the first but Tekken 3 was first one I owned and this game was exceptional coming off of the og and the Tekken 2 demo I played a lot. The game was faster a little prettier and it gave me my main Hwoarang who I never dropped. He was reduced to my 2nd main when 5 came out, but I never got rid of him. The game was a blast to play and one of the best fighting games ever made. I'd be hesitant to play it now though. I can't go from playing 6 or Tag 2 to 3.

8. Threads of Fate ;
My, my, my. Threads of Fate is a special little gem for me. I first played a demo of it at a Game Stop when Game Stop didn't have the monopoly on the used game market and this little game I had find quite intriguing it was colorful and the first action rpg that I played. It wasn't not long after that I got a chance to play it as it was part of the bundled set that my brother's father had bought out of some man's car trunk. The game was contained in this mystical world that had its share of dark secrets and you get to play through the tale as one of two people. Rue, a shapeshifter with a troubled past and armed with a pizza cutter sword and you had the rambunctious and spoiled Princess Mint who was a spellcaster. The two characters played wildly different from each other and there was one dungeon unique to each of them. Though you were playing mostly the same game as them, you weren't because Mint and Rue's stories were different from one another and you truly see how different things become in the story for each towards the end. This offers a lot of replay value and if you beat the game with both of them you are given a special ending that hints to a sequel. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be seeing it. This game would benefit hugely from a sequel.

9. Perfect Dark ;
I played Goldeneye first, but I had only played a little bit of the multiplayer and just watched other people play parts of the campaign, but I did however get to play the sequel (from a gameplay perspective) Perfect Dark. This game had style. You got to play as bad ass Joana Dark who was basically a female James Bond, but in the future. The environments and setting was great. You had a great arsenal of guns to choose from. I personally liked the blue shotgun and the phoenix pistols. My brother and me never did beat this game back in the day. When you got to the part where you had to fight that four legged alien queen/king on another planet we had no idea what to do because the alien was impervious to all types of ammo and melee attacks. We thought we have had to cut off the head, but that didn't work and gave up. Years later I replayed it and looked it up and turned out you had to shoot the pillars in the room. I was like "the fuck?", but I did end up beating the game finally though I can't quite remember what the concluding level was. This is a terrific game however with a stellar campaign and multiplayer to boot.

10. Resident Evil 2 (N64) ;
This game is getting a remake.

x. Super Mario 64 ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game K.
x. WCW vs nwo Revenge ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game L.
x. Dino Crisis 2
x. Super Smash Bros,
x. Resident Evil 3
x. Yukon Trail
x. Pokemon Silver
x. Metal Gear Solid

 

[AniHawk]

halfway through page one and it's clear that the combo of the gen was playstation and rpg.

 

[Zach]

1. Paper Mario ; "What a beautiful game. I can't imagine anything looking better than this. And playing it is like butta. It just feels right."
2. Metal Gear Solid ; "Look at these cutscenes! It's like I'm in a movie! I wonder if they'll ever make a sequel that blows my mind and a prequel that will be my favorite game of all time. Hmmm..."
3. WCW/nWo Revenge ; "Oh my god, guys. Let's play this all night, over and over again."
4. WWF No Mercy ; "Even more modes than Revenge?! Buckle up, fellas!"
5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; "This castle is so biiig. And some of the music is incredible!"
6. Bushido Blade ; "What the...?! This is unlike anything I've ever played! It's so realistic, man!"
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; "Okay, okay, my turn -- I can totally beat that combo..."
8. Driver ; "Is this real life?!"
9. Resident Evil ; "What the fuuuuuh..."
10. Gran Turismo ; "I don't even love racing, but man, look at all of those cars... and those graphics!"

 

[randomkid]

instead of 10 games i picked ten pairs of games and then also 1 game to rule them all, p. sure this vote will count

0. revelations: persona; the best there is
1. metal slug and strider 2; gorgeous arcade perfection
2. final fantasy 9 and final fantasy 7; my sentimental favorites
3. grim fandango and the last express; classy pointy adventuring
4. um jammer lammy and l.s.d. dream simulator; playstation innovation
5. innocent sin and soul hackers; just more megaten
6. dezaemon kids and harmful park; comedy shooting joy
7. harvest moon 64 and boku no natsuyasumi; what garbage nowadays anime calls &#8220;slice of life&#8221;
8. legend of mana and saga frontier 2; squaresoft audiovisual masterpieces
9. saturn bomberman and devil dice; wonderful puzzle action
10. tomba and klonoa; heartful playstation platforming

honorable mentions i couldn't squeeze into a gimmick pairing:
x. majora&#8217;s mask
x. mario golf gbc
x. parasite eve
x. xenogears
x. final fantasy tactics
x. final fantasy 8
x. valkyrie profile
x. persona 2 eternal punishment
x. dungeons and dragons: tower of doom and shadow of mystaria

~~bonus list~~
contenders that i&#8217;m sure i&#8217;ll love when i play them, so other ppl should vote for these:
fallout 1 & 2, planescape torment, system shock 2, deus ex, panzer dragoon series, nights, radiant silvergun, battle garegga, twinkle star sprites, parodius anything, ganbare neo poke-kun, last blade 1 & 2, mischief makers, goemon series, silent hill, megaman legends series, mr domino, incredible crisis, silver case, mr driller, oreshika 1, legend of sword and fairy, moon remix rpg adventure, front mission 3, x-multiply, princess crown, tengai makyou 4

i liked this generation!

 

[megalowho]

1. Sid Meier's Civilization II ; My go to PC game of the generation. For a long time, it was the perfect game. Engrossing, endlessly replayable strategic bliss. Video clips for building wonders. Live action council members. Motherfucking throne rooms.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Great expectations fulfilled and then some. A brilliant, confident reinvention of the series for a new era and a classic since day one.

3. Super Mario 64 ; Nintendo showing everyone else the way forward with the whole 3D thing. Technologically impressive, impeccably designed video game magic.

4. Vagrant Story ; Ambitious, elegant and unique. Tactical and rewarding gameplay systems. Striking cinematic presentation, compelling world building and a memorable villain.

5. The Last Express ; Mystery and murder on the Orient Express. Real time multilingual eavesdropping. Rotoscoped animation and non-linear storytelling. Ahead of its time.

6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; Another successful series reinvention. Excels at action, RPG and exploration equally, just a high quality production all around. Beautiful and detailed 32bit sprites. Still holds up.

7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 ; Adding manuals was a game changer, allowing for even more trick chaining craziness to the fundamentals of the original. 1-3 are all great but I spent the most time with 2. And only THPS 2 had unlockable Spiderman.

8. Planescape: Torment ; Thematically rich, thought provoking, humorous and grim. My favorite of the Infinity Engine RPG's, a masterpiece that stays with you long after it's over.

9. Bushido Blade ; One hit kills in bamboo forests and snowy mountains. Shines when played with others but just practicing weapons in endless mode felt satisfying. Endearingly reverential to the Samurai code referenced in its name.

10. Grim Fandango ; The definitive noir adventure epic through the Mexican land of the dead. As inspired as it gets when it comes to characterization, setting, puzzle setup and dialogue exchanges.

Honorable Mentions:
x. Final Fantasy Tactics ; 10a. The best Final Fantasy related game on the PlayStation.
x. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
x. Diablo
x. Metal Gear Solid
x. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
x. Half-Life
x. The Curse of Monkey Island
x. System Shock 2
x. Gran Turismo
x. Full Throttle

 

[CJCW]

Took some time to whittle down, and even more to type up my feelings on each, but I've got a list I like.

10. Metal Gear Solid; Plugging my controller into the second port, being told to look at the back of a CD case by the game itself: MGS was crazy, man. I hadn't played a game with such good voice acting, or that dealt with it's subject matter at all, let alone in such heavy detail. Solid Snake is probably my favorite video game character, because in MGS, he was just such a badass; 9 year old me wanted to be him so bad.

9. Star Fox 64; It's short but oh, so very sweet. Multiple paths give you a reason to come back, as well as its buttery-smooth controls and intense dogfights. Bosses are fun and funny ("Cocky little freak!") and levels are varied in a desert-world/water-world/lava-world way that's contrived enough to work in its favor. The game knows it's a silly Saturday-morning cartoon and revels in it. The fact that we're just now about to get a true follow-up is criminal.

8. WWF No Mercy; Wrestling games today can learn from No Mercy: for one, it's actually fun, and it controls extremely well, as well as having plenty of creation features for its time. Wrestling fans keep clamoring for something like this game to return because, while it doesn't play like an actual wrestling match, it a near-perfect 3D fighter.

7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night; A 2D game when everyone else was chasing polygons, SOTN is about as good as you can expect a game to be. I'll admit it's the game on my list I've spent the least amount of time with, but it earns its spot based on how perfectly polished and balanced the whole thing is. Oh and the music is fantastic.

6. Final Fantasy 7; My introduction to "traditional" RPG's, but still pretty different than the ones before. It took a risk with a different kind of setting than others in the genre, and had an interesting story and solid gameplay, but the most memorable are the characters, who impacted my young self pretty strongly. I would agree that it's somewhat overrated, but it's still an incredible experience through and through.

5. Super Smash Bros.; I know that the sequels are better, but I've still put more time into the original than all the others combined. My brother and our two friends would play 4-player free for all every day after school for about 2 years, and it was still as fun after all that time as ever. Nostalgia puts this over better games, but I'm okay with that, as it may be the most fun I've had playing a game with other people.

4. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; While Link's Awakening was my first Zelda, this was the one that cemented the series as legendary in my mind. Never had a game felt like such a vast, incredible adventure. There were people to talk to, extra things to do, and beautiful landscapes, and not only that, but the dungeons and boss fights are some of the best in gaming, even today. There's a reason it's still so well regarded today, because it's such a polished, well-designed game from beginning to end.

3. Pokemon Red/Blue; Easily my most played game ever: between Red and Yellow, I've put more than 1000 hours into Gen 1 Pokemon. This was actually the first RPG I had ever played, and was made simple and intuitive enough for a kid to understand everything that was going on. Catching, raising, and battling Pokemon might be the most addictive thing in all of gaming, and something I can always come back to, and I think I'll always prefer the simplicity of the original.

2. Resident Evil 2; My introduction to maybe my favorite genre, and to Resident Evil as a whole. For most of this generation, my family didn't own a Playstation, and few of my friends did, so I hadn't even heard of Resident Evil before my brothers rented the N64 version one weekend. At first, the game absolutely terrified me as I watched them play (especially when they couldn't figure out how to aim and shoot and died within a minute), but curiosity kept my attention, and soon I was playing it myself, a game that played unlike any I had seen before. I fell in love with it quickly and still adore it today. I just hope that the remake doesn't suck.
PS: tank controls are awesome fuck the haters

1. Super Mario 64; My favorite game ever made, and the reason I like games as much as I do today. Keep in mind, I was around 5 years old when it came out, and while I had played a few games before it (some even 3D), I had never seen anything like Mario 64 before. The level of control and freedom were far beyond anything else, especially in a 3D space. It's challenging when it needs to be, incredibly intuitive, and just really fun overall. When people talk about how some older games don't age well, I think of how miraculous it is that this game still feels so good almost 20 years after its release. The only flaw it might have is its camera, but being an early 3D game its understandable, hell, it helped define how cameras would work in all games going forward! It's an absolute masterpiece that every person who even sort of likes games should play, and clearly 5th gen's best.

 

[thesaucetastic]

Ahh, is it that time of year again? I'll have to compile my list later (in a separate post, obviously), but it'll take a while. Thanks for setting this up again, Anihawk!

instead of 10 games i picked ten pairs of games and then also 1 game to rule them all, p. sure this vote will count

Sorry to say, this vote will most likely not count. If it does, he'll probably just pick the first game listed, and ignore the other paired game...

 

[Yoshi]

halfway through page one and it's clear that the combo of the gen was playstation and rpg.

It certainly was not N64 and RPG .

 

[Lain]

1. Vagrant Story ; For me, the best Playstation 1 game I played, with a deep customization system for your gears and weapons, a complex fight system that allowed you to pick which part of the enemy body to hit where timing chaining the hits mattered as well and a graphic style that I still consider great all these years later. If that wasn't enough, the game also had a great story, a tale of loyalty and betrayals, where things aren't exactly like they appear, with some really charismatic characters, the first of which ends being the main antagonist himself. Truly a gem of a game.

2. Final Fantasy VII ; My first Final Fantasy and I loved it. I remember thinking how awesome the game looked, how cool the graphic effects were, and the CG looked great! Something that doesn't hold up anymore nowadays, but the fun part is still there, just like the story and the music and the characters,

3. Blood Omen : Legacy of Kain (PS1) ; Legacy of Kain, one of my most beloved games. I still remember being hyped for it since reading previews for the game. When the game got released, my favorite magazine gave it a 6, which would have made everyone else write the game off, but I cared about the review text, and the review text painted it as a really interesting game with flaws. I knew I was in for a great experience after reading that review and I wasn't disappointed. The game had technical flaws, the slowdowns were deeply annoying. It didn't look good and the CGs were laughable already when it got released but damn if it wasn't fun to go around charming people, turing into a werewolf, fighting enemies, finding new weapons, new armors, new powers, learning about that world and the story of the characters and all around being a badass and vengeful vampire. I loved the game so much that once I started playing, I kept playing it for 2 days straight until I completed it, only taking breaks to go to the bathroom.

4. Diablo (PC); The first time I got to play this game, something really shitty was going on in my life. The place I was staying at had PCs with some games, and for a little fee you could play for some hours, so I spent a couple hours dicking around with Diablo. It was love. The UI wasn't the best, the graphics weren't the best, but the music and atmosphere were pretty nice and clicking on stuff and grabbing loot was pretty enticing. Once I came back home I bought my own copy of the game and I spent a good time with it. I still boot it up from time to time, since the game works on Win 7 64, though the CD check at the start is annoying cos I have to go grab the CD every time.

5. Final Fantasy IX ; My second most liked Final Fantasy of the generation. For some things I probably liked it even more than 7. The game looked great, had nice characters, a funny Italian localization (which some people highly disliked but I loved) but, mostly of all, after Final Fantasy VIII which was a disappointment for me, it felt like I was once again given a real Final Fantasy game. The game didn't feel as disjointed as VIII felt to me.

6. Ridge Racer ; I bought a PlayStation 1 for this game. I was coming back home at night, walking through the streets, when I passed by a closed videogames shop which had a rolling demo playing and one of the games shown was Ridge Racer. Love at first sight. It was at this time that I spent my afternoon at the arcades playing Ridge Racer so a Ridge Racer machine right at home? I had to have it.
Ridge Racer was a great arcade racing game. The drifting system was fantastic. Learning where to drift, how to do it, when to do it, it was throughout a great experience and the PlayStation port was damn good. I've loved Ridge Racer since all those years ago, though Namco managed to kill the series.

7. Quake 2 ; My first online multiplayer game. Bought the game when I bought all the parts for my new PC, complete with a Voodoo 2 card and my first modem.
The single player was alright, though it's in the online part that the game shined. I started out with some CTF and DM, finding the Capture The Flag mode more to my liking but it's the Rocket Arena 2 mod the real star of the show for me. Once I got into that there was no coming back. It made me love using the rocket launcher and using it I learned the need to predict where people would have jumped, or where they would drop, or where they'd move, because you have to aim at where they would be, not where they were, to hit them for massive damage. Great, great game.

8. Chrono Cross ; I had to import the American edition to play this game, since it never came out in Europe/Italy. What I remember most fondly about the game is the music and Harle. I really liked ze Harle. The gameplay during battles was a bit weird at first for me, but it quickly grew on me. The big cast of characters that you could recruit and how certain choices would make you ecruit different characters played a big role in making the game feel way more charming.
Many people disliked the game because it wasn't Chrono Trigger 2. Me, I thought it was a great game exactly because it wasn't just Chrono Trigger 2.

9. Xenogears ; Another game I had to import to play because it never came out in Europe/Italy. The "anime" look for the characters, the sci-fi look, the SE name behind it, everything played a role in me wanting to play the game, though I wasn't prepared for how great the game was.

10. Ultima Online: The Second Age ; My first MMO. Started playing because my Quake 2 buddy kept singing its praises, so much so that I bought it and started playing with him, his wife and some other people. It was an eye opening experience thanks to the sense of freedom, the sense of fear of meeting other people in the outside fields but, mostly of all, the deathly lag that plagued this fucking game. Playing during the day was almost impossible. Still, it was a great experience with a really simple but open gameplay that allowed people to create the type of character they were most comfortable playing, since what you did in the game shaped how your character grew. I still look fondly at this type of experience in a MMO and it is a bit sad to think that there is still no MMO that allows the kind of deep freedom UO allowed back then, despite all the technology advancements.

x: SaGa Frontier 2
x. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
x. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
x. MediEvil
x. Syndicate Wars
x. EverQuest
x. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
x. Planescape: Torment
x. Threads of Fate
x. Crash Bandicoot
x. Super Mario 64
x. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
x. Final Fantasy VIII
x. Legend of Mana
x. Final Fantasy Tactics
x. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
x. Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
x. Rayman
x. Suikoden
x. Tekken 3
x. Puzzle Bobble 2 / Bust-A-Move 2

 

[Lavitz Slambert]

The lack of love for Link's Awakening in this thread is disappointing. I will have to change that with my list, once I'm at a computer.

Actually looking at the allowed years it seems at least the original wouldn't count. Maybe thats part of the reason. I have only played the DX version.

 

[Yoshi]

The lack of love for Link's Awakening in this thread is disappointing. I will have to change that with my list, once I'm at a computer.

Link's Awakening counts in here? This is really strange, because it's from 1993, well before the PS1/SAT/N64 generation and clearly in parallel to the SNES...

 

[Zalman]

1. Super Mario 64 ; Being an influential game is one thing, but still holding up to this day is another. Super Mario 64 accomplishes both with tight controls, timeless level design and fantastic music. While I do think it has been topped since then by its sequels, it does provide a unique experience that very few games do today. No one can deny how special this game is.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Widely regarded as one of the best games of all time. It’s crazy to think that they nailed 3D on the first try not only with Mario, but also Zelda (and later Metroid). The game has some of the most iconic moments in all of gaming, leading up to a stunning finale. I really can’t say enough about this game.

3. Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal ; I’m assuming these three count as one game. If not, my vote goes to Crystal. I don’t think these are the best games of all time. In fact, they’re pretty flawed. That said, Pokémon had a huge impact on me as a kid, and it’s probably one of the biggest reasons why I’m so into video games today. On top of that, they’re probably the best examples of what sequels can do. I don’t think my experience with Pokémon can ever be topped in gaming.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask ; For years, this was black sheep of the franchise and in some ways it still is, but I see people speak more fondly of it as time goes on. It was a shock 15 years ago, but today I can appreciate what it tried to do. They had the same engine as before, so they needed to drastically change the game for it to surprise players. I think it did that successfully. And it’s not just different, it’s actually good, and probably the most emotional of all the Zelda games.

5. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped ; I was debating whether to put the second or third game here, but ultimately it comes down to the fact that I found 3 to be a more memorable game. Honestly, it might just be the catchy theme song. My point is that Crash Bandicoot was, and still is, something special, and even to this day I find myself booting it up every now and then.

6. Metal Gear Solid ; I was very late to the Metal Gear party, but I’m glad I eventually played this game. I am not a fan of cinematic games, and I don’t like it when games try to be like movies, but there’s something special about Metal Gear Solid. It’s a serious game, but it’s not afraid to have a little fun. That’s something I really appreciate. Plus, it’s arguably one of the most interesting sagas in all of gaming.

7. Paper Mario ; This game proved how flexible Mario can be. I know it wasn’t the first Mario RPG, but to me this was the first one that really knocked it out of the park. It has a unique style, and the humor is top-notch.

8. Banjo-Kazooie ; This was Rare at their best. Banjo-Kazooie has a certain charm and a certain type of humor that just clicks with me. It’s a shame we don’t really get these kinds of games that often anymore.

9. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; The classic Castlevania games were cool, but this is the game that really put the franchise on the map for me. I don’t think it’s up there with Super Metroid, but it’s still an incredible game. When I think of the best 2D games of all time, this is one of the games that come to mind.

10. Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow ; I’ve already said how much Pokémon did for me, so not much for me to add. I felt the franchise deserved two spots on my list. I think I know every little bit of detail about this game, and I could probably draw the entire map on a paper.

 

[Lavitz Slambert]

Link's Awakening counts in here? This is really strange, because it's from 1993, well before the PS1/SAT/N64 generation and clearly in parallel to the SNES...

I edited the post. The DX version would count, though even people who only played that version might save it for Gen 4 voting.

 

[Earthpainting]

I edited the post. The DX version would count, though even people who only played that version might save it for Gen 4 voting.

I cut it from my list because I don't think of it as a game that fits the time frame, even though DX would technically count. DX is pretty much a remaster, and I'm going to try and avoid those to keep things simple.

 

[PositiveYorae]

1. Breath of Fire IV - Breath of Fire IV is one the best games ever for me, although I've played a few games before this, this game is what made me fall in love with jrpgs. Great battle system wherein you can use your whole party via in-battle swapping, combo system and dragon transformations, great story that is not all black and white and one of the best antagonist ever in fou-lu. I also really enjoyed almost all of the mini games especially fishing and fairy village. Navigating in the environment also have twists with each characters having specific functions that you can use. Graphics is also a strong point with wonderful sprites and great pastel atmosphere And that wonderful OST.
2. Chrono Cross - While the ost is enough to plummet chrono cross to the top of most jrpg list, the other aspects of chrono cross are also worth mentioning. Although some characters lack depth because there many of them, they're still endearing and adds a lot of variety and depth to the gameplay. And I'm just a sucker for games where you can recruit a lot of characters. The story is also great with nice plot twists and connections to trigger (although you need to research a bit to completely grasp the connection). I also like the duality of the atmosphere and theme with home world and another world element. The battle system is also great using stamina points, variety of normal attacks and using elements and field effects for magic and special attacks. I hope to see this kind of battle system again. Graphics and character designs are also great and the amount of attention to detail is much appreciated.
3. Vagrant Story - one of the best stories told in a game, vagrant story is part of my holy trinity of this generation. A bad ass protagonist in Ashley, also one of the best antagonist in Sydney. Great atmosphere comparable to the souls game and oh how i love the name of each room. The battle system is great but I believe not for everyone, lots of micromanagement (which I really love). It's quite hard, it took me a few tries before I managed to beat the game but in the end it's all very satisfying. Oh and the intro of the game, goodness, one of the best ever. How badass can Mr. Riot be? "Reinforcements? I am the reinforcements."
4. FF VII - A very important game in the history of video games, it's a blockbuster hit and will always be square's crowning achievement.
5. Suikoden II - The game that establish suikoden as one of the greatest jrpg series. Great story and gameplay.
6. Pokemon RGB - One the most addicting experience I've ever had.
7. Grandia - One the best (if not the best) battle system ever. No game has ever gave of that sense of adventure as much as grandia did. Justin and feena , one of the best (love) team ever!.
8. FF Tactics - Also one of the best stories ever told. Lots of grey and twist. Delita is such a complex character for a video game. I'm also a sucker for sjrpg.
9. Valkyrie Profile - Great story and gameplay. Very unique. And the recruitment part. Nibelung Valesti!!!!!
10. Legend of Mana - One sets this game apart is its music, atmosphere and graphics. I also love the episodic story telling. I hope they make another game with the same art style as this game...

Will add details later..too tired...

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

I got to get around to playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

 

[themagicalkitsune]

Okay I think I have an ordered list.

1. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64, 2000); The first game that really felt alive to me. The darkest (and best) Zelda that wholly took advantage of the time mechanics introduced in Ocarina of Time. This time-dependent design doesn't work for everyone, but for those who 'get it' it's a magnificent epic. Probably my favorite game of all time.

2. Breath of Fire 3 (PSX, 1998); A beast of an jrpg that stood out from the others due to its thematic approach to the formula. It's pretty straightforward in terms of turn-based battles and generic storyline, but the constant themes of moral ambiguity and the way Capcom crafted the characters made me fall in love with the game. Decently long, absolutely charming and pretty challenging if you don't make strategic plans in battling.

3. Banjo - Kazooie (N64, 1998); This is Rare at its best. It took the best out of Mario 64 and elevated it to the nth degree. It also struck a perfect balance in the amount of collecting and main story progressing (that was soon to be lost with the ridiculously bloated Tooie and DK 64). It is still fun to play in this day and age and it still makes Mario 64 look like a joke. Also the finale is still one of the best in my book, senator armstrong be damned. I don't think I've uncovered all of Grunty's Castle secrets either.

4. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (GBC, 1999); The ultimate game boy platformer, I'm still amazed at how much it is brimming with content. You don't get only the 1985 game port (which is updated with a map and a harder mode), you also get a Challenge mode where you collect red coins and yoshi eggs. I lost an entire summer to this. But there's more - you can unlock a mode where you race against a Boo ghost and you can unlock the Super Mario Bros 2 (JP) game. I haven't even talked about the multiplayer, the loads of mini games or the collectibles available. Due to the game boy screen the game had to be cropped, but it was my first time playing the game so I didn't notice it.

5. Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (GBC, 1998); The colors and the new dungeon are enough for me to make this game count. Besides, it's so good. As a portable Zelda game it remained unmatched until Link Between Worlds 15 years later ... I even think it's better than LttP. Something about Koholint Island makes me feel all nostalgic. Sadly its charm was somewhat lost on the Oracle games.

6. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998); My first Zelda game and an amazing experience at that. Probably the one Zelda game I'd recommend anyone to start with. I replay it almost yearly.

7. Wario Land 3 (GBC, 2000); A fantastic blend of platforming and metroidvania. The game is really massive and you need to explore every nook and cranny to discover new items, keys or entire levels. The sense of backtracking is sublime and the final twist was unexpected. Also best nintendo credits theme, and that's saying a lot.

8. Crash Bandicoot: Warped (PSX, 1998); The game took the best out of Crash 1 and 2; it serves as a textbook case of a perfect Crash game (or a perfect platformer game). I even liked the Time Trials and I normally hate that thing in games. Shooting for that 105% is insane, as are the secrets this game has. I thought Crash 2 was crazy with the hidden warp room but damn.

9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (GBC, 2001); Did you know that the first Harry Potter game boy game is actually one of the best pocket rpgs around? It may start slow but it's a charming little game that soaked up my time. Liking Harry Potter helped.

10. Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite! (GBC, 2001); I never thought I'd like a game where all you do is run around and talk to hamsters. But I need to let everyone know how amazing this game is. Not only does it look great and sounds great, it makes something boring on paper work so well in execution. Kinda like Animal Crossing. Believe me, you will want to explore everything in this game. I should make a thread sometime to vouch for its greatness.

Honorable Mentions:

x. Super Mario 64 (N64, 1996); As much as I think this game is overrated, I can't undermine its importance and replay value. Getting lost in the castle can still make me feel like a kid.

x. Crash Bandicoot (PSX, 1996); A very underrated and difficult platformer that feels much more 2D than 3D. As rough as it is I liked it more than the second entry!

x. Super Smash Bros. (N64, 1999); Gotta rep my favorite fighting series even though the first game was too barebones to earn a spot in my top list.

x. Rayman (PSX, 1995); As much as I dislike the game nowadays because it's too frustrating, I admire its rough beauty. If it weren't for some stupid difficulty design choices, this would be the 2d platformer of the generation (seeing how Mario and Sonic were somewhat MIA in the genre at that time).

x. Wario Land 2 (GB, 1998); A superb platformer in its own right and kinda similar in style to Wario Land 3. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's one of the best entries in a series that's the savior of handheld platforming in my eyes.

 

[AniHawk]

here is what has been voted on, as a reference for those who need one!

1080 Snowboarding
Age of Empires
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Akuji the Heartless
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
Alundra
Ape Escape
Arc the Lad 2
Armed Police Batrider
Armored Core Master of Arena
Armored Fist
Army Men: Sarge's Heroes
Athlete Kings
Bad Mojo
Baldur's Gate
Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Tooie
Battle Garegga
Beetle Adventure Racing
Beneath a Steel Sky
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces
Bishi Bashi Special
Blade Runner
Blast Corps
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Bomberman 64
Brave Fencer Musashi
Breath of Fire III
Breath of Fire IV
Brigadine
Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror
Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars
Bubble Memories
Burning Rangers
Bushido Blade
Bust a Groove 2
Castlevania Chronicles
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Championship Manager 2
Christmas NiGHTS
Chrono Cross
Colin McRae Rally
Colony Wars
Colony Wars: Vengeance
Command and Conquer
Command and Conquer: Red Alert
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Counter-Srike
Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot 2
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Crash Bash
Crash Team Racing
Crazy Taxi
Croc
Cruis'n USA
Crusader: No Regrets
Curse of Monkey Island
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution Konamix
Dangun Feveron
Dark Arms
Dark Messiah
Darkstalkers 3: Vampire Savior
Daytona USA
Deception 3
Deep Fear
Delta Force 2
Descent
Descent 2
Descent Freespace: The Great War
Destruction Derby
Diablo
Diddy Kong Racing
Die Hard Arcade
Digimon World
Digimon World 3
Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis 2
Discworld II
Discworld Noir
DoDonPachi
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong Country
Doom
Doom 64
Doom II: Hell on Earth
Dragon Quest 1 + 2
Dragon Quest 3
Dragon Quest Monsters
Dragon Quest VII
Dragon's Lair
DragonForce
Driver
Duke Nukem 3D
Duke Nukem: Time to Kill
Dungeon Keeper
Dungeon Keeper 2
Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara
Earthworm Jim 2
Echo Night
Ecstatica
Einhander
Elevator Action Returns
Enemy Zero
EverQuest
Excitebike 64
F-Zero X
F1 World Grand Prix II
Fallout
Fallout 2
Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition
Fear Effect
FIFA 99
Fighter's Destiny
Fighters Megamix
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy Origins
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Flying Corps
Formula One
Freespace 2
Front Mission 3
Full Throttle
Future Cop: LAPD
G-Police
Galerians
Garou Mark of the Wolves
Gauntlet Legends
GEX 3: Deep Cover Gecko
Goemon's Great Adventure
GoldenEye 007
Gradius Gaiden
Gran Turismo
Gran Turismo 2
Grand Theft Auto
Grandia
Grim Fandango
Guardian Heroes
Gunners Heaven
Half-Life
Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harvest Moon 64
Harvester
Heart of Darkness
Heroes of Might and Magic II
Heroes of Might and Magic III
Hexcite
Hexen
Hogs of War
House of the Dead
Hybrid Heaven
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Imperialism
intelligent Qube
iS: Internal Section
ISS Pro 98
ISS Pro Evolution
Jade Cocoon
Jazz Jackrabbit
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
Jet Force Gemini
Jonah Lomu Rugby
Jumping Flash!
Jumping Flash! 2
Killer Instinct
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Kishin Douji Zenki FX: Vajra Fight
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
Konami Antiques MSX Collection
Koudelka
Langrisser IV
Last Blade
Last Blade 2
Last Resort
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Legend of Dragoon
Legend of Mana
Legend of Oasis
LEGO Racers
Libero Grande
Liero
Little Big Adventure
Little Big Adventure 2
Loaded
Lords of the Realm
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Marathon
Marathon 2
Marathon: Infinity
Mario Golf
Mario Kart 64
Mario Party
Mario Party 2
Mario Party 3
Mario Tennis 64
Marvel Super Heroes
Marvel vs. Capcom
Master of Magic
MDK
MechCommander
MechWarrior 2
Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries
Medal of Honor
MediEvil
Mega Man 8
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man Legends 2
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4
Mega Man Xtreme 2
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
Metal Slug
Metal Slug 2
Metal Slug: First Mission
Micro Machines V3
Micro Maniacs
Midtown Madness
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Mischief Makers
Mole Mania
Monster Rancher Battle Card
Mortal Kombat 4
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Mr. Driller
Mystical Ninja starring Goemon
Myth: The Fallen Lords
NBA Hangtime
Neo Drift Out
NetStorm: Islands at War
NFL Blitz
NHL 99
Night Warriors
Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge
Nightmare Creatures
NiGHTS into Dreams...
NOTAM of Wind
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
Oddworld: Abe's Oddyssey
Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber
Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke
Pandemonium!
Panzer Dragoon
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Panzer Dragoon Zwei
Paper Mario
Parappa the Rappa
Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve 2
Perfect Dark
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Phantasmagoria
Pilotwings 64
Pitfall 3D
Planescape: Torment
Pokemon Gen I
Pokemon Gen II
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge
Pokemon Puzzle League
Pokemon Snap
Pokemon Stadium
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Pokemon Trading Card Game 2
Powerslave
Prop Cycle
Pulstar
Puzzle Bobble
Puzzle Bobble 4
Quake
Quake II
Quake III Arena
Radiant Silvergun
Rage Racer
Rayman
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 3
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer Revolution
Ridge Racer Type 4
Rival Schools: United by Fate
Riven: The Sequel to Myst
Road Rash
Road Rash 3D
Rocket: Robot on Wheels
Rollcage Stage 2
Rollercoaster Tycoon
SaGa Frontier
SaGa Frontier II
Samurai Showdown II
Samurai Showdown IV
San Francisco Rush 2049
Saturn Bomberman
SCARS
Scud Race
SEGA Rally
Sengoku Blade
Shantae
Sheep Raider
Shining Force III
Shining the Holy Ark
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier's Civilization II
Silent Bomber
Silent Hill
Silhouette Mirage
Sim City 2000
Sin
Sin & Punishment: Successor to Earth
Skullmonkeys
Slam Tilt Pinball
SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters Clash 2
SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Milennium
Snowboard Kids
Sonic Pocket Adventure
Soukyugurentai
Soul Blade
Space Squash
Space Station Silicon Valley
Spider-Man
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage
Spyro 3: Year of the Dragon
Spyro the Dragon
Star Control II
Star Fox 64
Star Ocean: Second Story
Star Wars Episode I Racer
Star Wars: Battle for Naboo
Star Wars: Dark Forces
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Starcraft
Stars!
Starsiege Tribes
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha
Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Strider 2
SubSpace
Suikoden
Suikoden II
Super EF2000 Tactcom
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Bros. DX
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Super Smash Bros.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle
Syndicate Wars
System Shock
System Shock 2
Tactics Ogre
Tales of Phantasia Remix
Team Buddies
Team Fortress
Tear Ring Saga
Tekken 2
Tekken 3
Tekken Tag Tournament
Tempest 2000
Tempest X3
Tenchu 2
Tengai Makyou: The Fourth Apocalypse
Terra Nova
Tetris: The Grand Master
Tetrisphere
The Adventure of Little Ralph
The Dig
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall
The King of Fighters 98
The Last Express
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
The Longest Journey
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne
The Neverhood
The Ocean Hunter
The Outfoxies
The Settlers II: Veni, Vedi, Vici
Theme Hospital
Thief: The Dark Project
Threads of Fate
TIE Fighter
Time Crisis II
TOCA Touring Car Championshops
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation
Tomba
Tomba 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Toonstruck
Total Annihilation
Turok
Twisted Metal
Twisted Metal 2
Twisted Metal III
UFO: Enemy Unknown
Ultima Online: The Second Age
UmJammer Lammy
Unreal Tournament
Urban Chaos
V-Rally
V-Rally 2
Vagrant Story
Valkyrie Profile
Vandal Hearts
Vanguard Bandits
Vigilante 8
Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense
Virtua Fighter 2
Warcraft II
Wario Land
Wario Land 2
Wario Land 3
Wave Race 64
WCW vs. nWo Revenge
WCW vs. nWo World Tour
Wild Arms
Wild Arms 2
Windjammers
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom
Wip3out
WipeOut
WipEout 2097
Wipeout 64
World Driver Championship
Worms Armageddon
Worms World Party
WWF No Mercy
WWF Smackdown 2: Know Your Role
WWF Smackdown!
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
Xenogears
Yoshi Story
Yukon Trail
Zanac X Zanac

 

[Wazzy]

Oh god both OST and this at once. Alright, time to write a huge post about VIII again.

1. Final Fantasy VIII; Final Fantasy VIII was one of the first JRPG's I ever played and the one I have the most fond memories of. Following VII's lead was no easy task but it came out strong and determined to set it's own place in gaming history with it's groundbreaking visuals and FMV's. One of VIII's newest introductions was Junction, a system allowing you to equip magic to the desired stats of a character thus boosting them. What also came with that was a GF ability and Refine system introduced allowing players to refine items into magic thus achieving powerful spells much faster. VIII also brought in one of the most addicting minigames ever to exist in the Final Fantasy series, Triple Triad. Triple Triad was a card game where you would challenge NPC's to try and win using your hand of cards against there'a thus rewarding you a card of your choice. The game also implemented rules that could spread throughout regions of VIII either making TT easier or that much harder. Triple Triad also tied into the refine system where you could take your winning cards and refine them into powerful items or spells. VIII's new system allowed the player to decide the pace and how they wanted to play the game, much like a job system. The characters in the game are some of the most fun and endearing party you'll experience. You follow a trouble teenager who struggles to adapt to new situations with other people and the emotions that come with them. We experience his thoughts and growth throughout the entire game leaving him as one of the most developed protagonists in the Final Fantasy series. The game contrasts his character with that of Rinoa, a upbeat and forward young girl who pushes Squall to grow. She isn't without her flaws and growth as the game watches her fall and fail as she tries to adapt, much like Squall, to her new situations. The game is supported by a wonderful cast of different personalities with goofy Laguna and his tragic love stories or Cid's dark secrets that control the flow of the characters path.

We also can't forget VIII's beautiful prerendered towns and locals that are supported by a lively world that feels alive and connected with train systems running constantly as transportation and cities full of active people. VIII's OST is beastly with every sound perfectly fitting the mood of the current scene and making sure to bring out the desired emotions from the player.

Overall one of the greatest experiences I've ever had with a video game and still my number one to this day.

2. Final Fantasy Tactics; A world full of medieval war and politics, what's not to love? The game mixes fantasy and realism perfectly with a deep story about betrayal and corruption. The Job system combined with Tactic's Tactical battle system leaves you addicted and playing non-stop. The music in this game is also incredibly gorgeous with each track capturing the atmosphere of Ivalice. The cast of characters are mature and complex supported by a story that has tragedy and justice blurred constantly. This is an amazing game and not one anyone should skip over.

3. The Legend Of Zelda Majora's Mask; This game was quite dark and I never understood a lot of the implications it gave out when I was younger. The side quests added so much to the world and the people within in it that it really made you feel for everyone involved in the horror of the three day cycle. The addition of the masks to the gameplay and the 4 wonderfully designed dungeons really made this one of the greatest Zelda games out there. Zelda music is always fantastic so it's no surprise this games OST is gorgeous.

4. Xenogears; I've always been a fan of mecha type entertainment so I was easily hooked to Xenogears. The game's plot is full of complex subjects like religion and comes mixed with politics as well. Everything happening is brutal and yet at the same time very touching, especially with Elly and Fei's growing relationship throughout. There's a lot of anger and sorrow in Xenogears making it an extremely emotional game but that doesn't stop it from being fun with it's Gear battle system or combo attacks and wonderful OST making it the perfect combo of everything. The game does have flaws like it's second disc being rushed and poorly done but the game is still great and absolutely worth the play time.

5. Ocarina Of Time; The first Zelda game I ever played. This was such a magical game for me growing up and really got my imagination going. I loved Hyrule and everything surrounding it. The first time you walk into the Deku Tree is one I'll never forget. The music, figuring out your way around the inside and navigating through webs, broken paths and learning just how to properly get through a dungeon was amazing and such a great feeling when I was younger. The saddness of when the dungeon is over and you're journey begins as you Link leaves his home and the twists and turns thrown at you made this one of the best games of all of time. We know it's great and it doesn't even need to be said but that doesn't stop me from wanting to acknowledge it. Any time an ocarina melody is played it's stuck in your head instantly and the explorations and awe of this world really stands out.

6. Parasite Eve; So this was my first horror game and of course it's one that has RPG elements with it's ATB system. I was stunned by the opening of the game and how dark it get's right off the bat. You're forced to watch cruelty and pain take place while things begin to get serious. The music is haunting to match it's dark opera sound and the games atmosphere is tense as you pursue your target. Parasite Eve manages horror and tragedy well and it's entire story is intriguing yet horrifying. It's also got a fantastic soundtrack and one of the best opening tracks ever with Primal Eyes. Aya Brea is a strong and well written lead and a nice female representation for many which makes this a well rounded and fantastic game.

7. Chrono Cross

8. Final Fantasy VII

9. Metal Gear Solid

10. Pokemon Silver

Honourable Mentions:
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Pokemon R/Y/B
Super Smash Bro's
Diddy Kong Racing
Pokemon Snap
Paper Mario

 

[SunBroDave]

10. Pokemon Puzzle League

9. Star Wars Episode I Racer

8. Super Smash Bros

7. Star Fox 64

6. Super Mario 64

5. Final Fantasy VII

4. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal

3. Banjo-Kazooie

2. Paper Mario

1. The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask
Nintendo still hasn't put out a Zelda game as good as this one.

 

[AniHawk]

be sure to check out the NeoGAF's Soundtracks of the 5th Generation Voting Thread when you're done voting!

 

[Retromelon]

Honorable mentions: pokemon silver, f zero x, paper mario, ff9
10. Pokemon blue - fuck charizard
9. Banjo kazooie - more mario 64 level goodness
8. Conker's bad fur day - some of the finest graphics of the gen, amazing levels, characters and humor. I love this game to pieces.
7. Super Smash bros - unique take on the fighting game genre, simple inputs, highly varied gameplay. Fun as hell
6. Mario Kart 64 - finest kart racing game ever made, play block fort anyone that disagrees
5. Panzer Dragoon Saga - amazing rpg
4. Suikoden II - see above
3. Super Mario 64 - progenitor of the 3d platformer
2. Final Fantasy 7 - iconic story, characters and music.
1. The Legend of zelda ocarina of time - perfection of the 3d action game

 

[Kallor]

1. The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; The darker and more emotional sequel to the generation defining Ocarina Of Time that released right at the end of its generation. Every bit as good or better than OoT it kept me coming back to the N64 even after the beast that was the Playstation 2 had entered the world of gaming bringing on the sixth generation. The unforgettable quests and brooding atmosphere will stay in my gaming memories forever. The 3DS re-master is one of the best things to happen to this handheld generation and this year.

2. Age Of Empires 2 ; The game that literally keeps on giving; this fall 16 years after the release of the game a new expansion The African Kingdoms will drop. Introduced to me when I was still just a kid who cared for little that didn't brand the Nintendo name, I've easily sunken 600-700 hours and will probably end up with another 600 hours in it over the next 16 years.

3. Banjo Kazooie ; For everything Super Mario 64 did for gaming and platforming in its day, Banjo Kazooie perfected it. The music, the fun characters and dialogue and smooth gameplay make this one of my all time favorite platformers and the best of its generation. The Donkey Kong country of its' generation. I continue to play this, only on the Xbox360 these days.

4. Final Fantasy 7 ; The IT game for the legendary PlayStation . One of those rare games that nail everything it tried to do, the music, gameplay, The characters and the atmosphere. Along with Majora's Mask and Age Of empires 2, 2015 is a big year for this Gen5 game, we finally got confirmation that FF7 would be getting the hugely desired remake treatment. Can't wait to play it in 2025

5. Super Mario 64 ; Pretty much the tutorial on how to make a 3D games that generation. It taught millions of us how to play 3D games too and still felt every bit as magical and fun as every Mario game before it. Hundreds of hours and memories up late with friends or family playing it.

6. The Legend Of Zelda Ocarina Of Time ; The 'Holy shit I think I'm a gamer now' game. I'll bet its topped more top ten games lists than any other. Enough said? The graphics, the gameplay, the story and characters made nearly every other game on consoles at the time seem amateurish. I remember asking mom for a Mario or Donkey Kong game, she brought this beauty home instead and I wasn't at all disappointed. Its' remake was another highlight of this handheld generation and the very reason I purchased a 3DS early on.

7. Fallout 2 ; Hilarious, serious, wacky open ended RPG that still hits near the top of 'best rpg' or game' lists. One of the greats that has me comparing new rpgs to it every time. Cemented the franchise as one of gaming's finest and got an amazing sequel in 2010: Fallout New Vegas. Certainly one of the few to get real lols out of me.

8. GoldenEye 007 ; So fuckin' many hilarious long nights spent on the 4 player split screen multiplayer. The game that introduced me to this kind of multiplayer. And just as many all day plays or "sick" days from school playing the single player.

9. Tactic Ogre Let Us Cling together ; Such rich stories and characters that make me wish more games could capture its quality. The gameplay and depth of mechanics, memorable music and great look made this the best SRPG of its generation. I've probably sunk 200 hours into and never finished the story all the way.

10. Pokemon Gold/Silver ; "Well shit, this was an awesome game but it was a little short. Time to go beat the elite four. Wait, I have to go through Kanto now too? holy fuck!"

x. Conkers Bad Fur Day ; Hell of a way to end that generation.
x. Rayman 2 ; We need another Rayman game like this, bad.
x. Planescape Torment ; Haven't finished this one yet, but I've played enough to know I love it.
x. Mario Kart 64 ; Dat 4 player split screen was the only thing to rival Multiplayer in GoldenEye for friends and I.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

here is what has been voted on, as a reference for those who need one!

You left out Threads of Fate.

 

[AniHawk]

You left out Threads of Fate.

no one voted for it on page 1.

 

[Bishop89]

1. Ape Escape - This game is fantastic. I rate it even higher than mario 64. It is just soo much fun and unique. THe gameplay, the music, the universe. Its all so good.

2. Pokemon Red/Blue (If I technically have to count only 1, then just put red. its the same shit anyways)

3. Gran Turismo 2

4. Tekken 3

5. Tenchu 2

6. Digimon world 3

7. Spyro the dragon

8. Armored Core Master of Arena

9. Metal Gear Solid

10. Crash Bandicoot 3

My votes.

 

[NipplesAndToes23]

no one voted for it on page 1.

But why are two Harry Potter games listed and they're not on page 1 either?

 

[ohlawd]

But why are two Harry Potter games listed and they're not on page 1 either?

uhh it's called 100 posts per page. my ballot is post <100

 

[SteHitch]

1. Goldeneye 007 ; The single best couch multiplayer I have ever experienced. I can't even count the amount of hours we sank into it, staying at each others houses on weekends/schoolnights etc. Such a laugh was had coming up with our own rules, handicap matches, back-stabbing etc. And the single player was amazing too, just taking it in turns to try 00 Agent levels etc was a blast.
2. Metal Gear Solid ; Started my obsession with one of my favourite game series of all-time. A true masterpiece and still holds up to replays to this day. Fixing to start playing it soon for the 1-5 run through now I have Phantom Pain.
3. Super Mario 64 ; The greatest 3D platformer of all time, it blazed the trail and hit it out of the park on the first try. Stunning depth and replayability made Nintendo ever more popular and rightly so. They quietly had the best console of that generation.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ; Truly a great update in every way to the already revered Zelda series. Gave up so much that we still use today and was a pioneer in it's own right. A fantastic game that I should go back to in the next year or so.
5. Mario Kart 64 ; People slate it but I still maintain it is the best Mario Kart game of all time, well, maybe tied with Double Dash but it was great fun in between Goldeneye sessions.
6. Resident Evil 2 ; Kind of in the same vein as MGS, gave me an introduction to one of my favourite games series as I never played the original on the PS1 (kinda glad of that fact, thanks Re:Make). I remember I rented it one weekend and friends were all watching me play it, not really sure of the appeal but it worked. Looking forward to the remake.
7. Final Fantasy VIII ; My favourite Final Fantasy game so far. I have tried VII and I just hate it, tehre is something about VIII that appealed to me more. I love everything about it, and at the time it was breathtaking in looks, etc.
8. WWF No Mercy ; The greatest Wrestling game of all-time. Yet to play Fire Pro series but for me and my experiences, me and my brothers would love playing the shit out of this game. Coming up with your own rosters etc added a lot to it and all the N64 AKI developed wrestling games were great.
9. Tekken 3 ; Probably the best 3D fighting game up to the PS1 and just looked so flashy. Again, great multiplayer memories and the fighting mechanics worked really well. A fun set of characters.
10. Colin McRae Rally ; One of the best driving experiences for the time and I still maintain that these types of races are the best, point to point with pressure from other drivers times. It just pushed you to focus and make up for mistakes and when you did, amazing feeling.

It was a great generation of multiplayer games and just one of the best in general really. A tough feat after the Mega Drive/SNES era.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

UFO: Enemy Unknown
X-COM: UFO Defense

These are the same game btw (british/american releases had different names)

 

[myco666]

Pokemon Gen I
Pokemon Gen II

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

Why Pokemon games are paired as one but LoZ Oracle games aren't? They have basically the same concept and IMO should be counted as one game.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Why Pokemon games are paired as one but LoZ Oracle games aren't? They have basically the same concept and IMO should be counted as one game.

Huh? The pokemon games are close to identical while the Ages games are completely separate games that use a few codes to enable secrets in the other

You are supposed to play both zelda games. You are supposed to play one pokemon game and trade with friends for the differences.

 

[myco666]

Huh? The pokemon games are close to identical while the Ages games are completely separate games that use a few codes to enable secrets in the other

You are supposed to play both zelda games. You are supposed to play one pokemon game and trade with friends for the differences.

Pokemon games still have different content and are not same games. I just feel like Oracle games are one big game instead of two separate games. More or less like RE2 Leon disc and Claire disc.

 

[tapedeck]

1. Super Mario 64; Still to this day the game that had the most genuine 'jaw dropping' effect on me upon first seeing it running. How fitting that while blowing my mind visually it turned out to be basically one of the greatest games ever made and a timeless classic I still replay about once every year or so.

2. Goldeneye 007; The game that introduced me to competive shooters is my most played game ever. Such fantastic map design and gunplay perfectly wrapped up in a robust and feature stuffed multiplayer mode unheard on consoles for its time. Also fun as hell.

3. Final Fantasy VII; In my youth I was a Nintendo fanboy, bought a PS1 just for this game, an absolutely engaging story, gorgeous CGI, and the best battle system in an RPG ever, the Materia system has yet to be topped. Obviously I cannot wait for Remake.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time; What needs to be said other than its the greatest pure adventure game ever made, fantastic level design combined with intuitive weapon and item usage.

5. Tekken 3; Mind blowing graphics for its time and one of the top 3D fighters ever made.

6. Gran Turismo 2; Amazing sequel to the ground breaking first game. 2 added a ton of cars, tracks and features that really filled out a great racing experience for the time.

7. Resident Evil 2; Another fantastic sequel that did everything better than the first game. Great setting, story and sense of accomplishment.

8. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night; 2D platforming perfection combined with some of the greatest art direction and level design ever in a videogame.

9. Guardian Heros; One of greatest 'beat em ups' ever made, gorgeous sprites, addicting gameplay, Treasure at their best.

10. Mario Golf; My most played 'Sports' game to date, and I love football. Mario Golf is a perfect example of taking something that sounds boring and making it magical. Relaxing multiplayer was great for when me and my friends didn't know what game to play, we always defaulted to a couple rounds of Mario Golf. I really would love if Camelot came back to make an all new next gen one for NX.

X: Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2
X: Xenogears
X: Perfect Dark
X: Pokemon Red/Blue
X: Mario Kart 64
X: Diddy Kong Racing
X: Wip3out
X: Metal Gear Solid
X: WCW/NWO No Mercy

Edit: didn't realize arcade games counted, whoops lol
Let me add these coin-ops to my honorable mentions
X: Killer Instinct
X: Street Fighter III: 3rd Srike
X: Time Crisis II
X: Marvel Vs Capcom

I'll stop there lol.

 

[Secret Character]

Goodness. I knew what the top was going to look like, but I'm so surprised at some omissions from the voting public already.

1. Super Street Fighter II: Turbo (Arcade, 1994)
Super Turbo is the final product of years of tweaking and adjusting the Street Fighter II formula. Not only does this version have a gigantic roster (33 characters counting "Old" versions), but it is still played very regularly today all over the world. Very few games, if any, can claim the highest number of games played over their lifespan quite like super turbo can.

2. Suikoden 2 (PlayStation, 1998)
Suikoden 2 is, in my opinion, the greatest JRPG in existence. The story, gameplay, and graphics are all top notch and has always left me wanting to come back. Few JRPGs warrant multiple play throughs with the time constraints of modern life, but i find a way to get to Suikoden 2 once a year. It's just that good.

3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Saturn, 1997)
A lot has been said about this title already, but the Saturn version is something I specifically mention. If you haven't played the Saturn version, do yourself a favor and do it. You won't be disappointed.

4. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings (PC, 1999)
The finest RTS of the era, no question. The best PC game of the era, too. No question.

5. Tony Hawk's Pro Skate 2 (various, 2000)
Extremely fun game with a killer soundtrack to boot. The enhancements over the first THPS were huge and the level design was on point.

6. Tekken Tag Tournament (Arcade, 1999)
Better than 3, better than 4. This game still gets a lot of love, but the arcade scene exploded when this first came out. So spectacular.

7. Resident Evil 2 (PlayStation, 1998)

8. Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64, 1996)

9. Final Fantasy Tactics (PlayStation, 1997)

10. Time Crisis II (Arcade, 1998)

x. Crash Team Racing
x. Pokemon Gold/Silver
x. Gran Turismo 2
x. Virtua Fighter 2 (Arcade)
x. Silent Bomber
x. The King of Fighters '98
x. Metal Gear Solid
x. Radiant Silvergun
x. Grim Fandango
x. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
x. Street Fighter Alpha 2
x. Panzer Dragoon Saga

 

[trh]

1. Diablo ; precursor to what I often consider my favorite game of all time.
2. Quake 3 Arena ; arena FPS perfection.
3. Counter-Strike ; tactical FPS perfection.
4. Final Fantasy VII
5. Half Life
6. Baldur's Gate
7. Super Mario 64 ; its level design pales in comparison to most modern platformers, but that's only because modern platformers have built on what SM64 introduced.
8. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri ; my first foray into a genre that I have sunk so many hours into.
9. Metal Gear Solid ; it's a crazy game in a crazy serie made by a crazy person and it's glorious.
10. Perfect Dark ; the stats, man. I loved all the stats.

x. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ; I can't decide if I prefer MM or OoT, but I think I'm quite fatigued on the N64 Zelda games overall.
x. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
x. Starcraft: Brood War : For me personally it is probably the game that has the biggest ratio of time spent watching versus time spent playing.
x. Dungeon Keeper
x. Fallout 2
x. Age Of Empires 2


Baldur's Gate 2 is listed on the big list of games, but it was released in 2000 so it shouldn't be eligible, right? 2000 was a crazy year for PC so my list would probably change quite a bit if it was allowed.

 

[braves01]

Tough list. It easily could have been all cpsii/neo geo games. Truly a golden age for the arcade at least in terms of quality. I'm sure if you asked me back at the end of gen 5, my list would have been substantially different. However, time has not been as kind to these early 3D games. I think that's a testament to how great the ones that still hold up are.

1. Ocarina of Time ; Playing it again on 3DS a couple years ago confirmed it's not just nostalgia. This is a fantastic game. Even with the original N64 performance hiccups, I think it's still great.
2. Vampire Savior/Darkstalkers 3 ; The pinnacle of Capcom's CPS II output. Pioneering mechanics, superb animation, and just plain fun,
3. Metal Gear Solid ; I didn't play this until nearly a decade after it came out. Even then I was shocked something with production and narrative this great came out on psone.
4. Super Mario 64 ; The 3D template.
5. Majora's Mask ; I also recently replayed this on 3DS and enjoyed it much more than the first time around. It manages to be great on its own merits and in a way completely different than Ocarina despite using the former game's assets.
6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night ; I loved the art and music, but the Metroid-style progression was a nice bonus.
7. Metal Slug 2 ; I was torn between this and 1, but I enjoyed the stages in this one more notwithstanding the slowdown (which I view as an opportunity to view the great animation more closely).
8. Tekken 3 ; Maybe the goldilocks phase of Tekken. Not as primitive or basic as the earlier entries, but not as weighed down with the complexity of the later ones.
9. Paper Mario ; I love the style of RPG this helped pioneer. Cute but impressive visual style, lots of fun dialogue, and a slightly more engaging battle system that felt refreshing.
10. Samurai Shodown IV ; I love the style, and it's my favorite of all of these games that came out during this period.

xx. Super Smash Bros.
xx. Street Fighter Alpha 2 and 3, 3rd Strike
xx. Last Blade 1 and 2
xx. Magical Drop 3
xx. Samurai Shodown II
xx. Garou
xx. Metal Slug 1 and X
xx. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
xx. Final Fantasy IX
xx. Pokemon Puzzle League
xx. Pokemon Gold/Silver

 

[AniHawk]

Pokemon games still have different content and are not same games. I just feel like Oracle games are one big game instead of two separate games. More or less like RE2 Leon disc and Claire disc.

oracle of ages and oracle of seasons are literally different games. they came out on the same day, but they have different level design, game mechanics, and stories. pokemon games have barely anything different between them. yellow and crystal are the ones with the most content changed, and even then it's more like 'game of the year edition.'

 

[Dion Blaster]

1. Super Mario 64 ; the michael jordan of video games

2. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal ; ho-ohs before slowbros

3. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow ; this song

4. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

6. Mario Kart 64

7. Banjo Kazooie

8. Mario Golf [GBC] ; loved the mix of golf and RPG aspects

9. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater ; that soundtrack

10. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX ; the added color made it way more enjoyable

x. Metal Gear Solid

x. Pokemon Snap

 

[AniHawk]

it's a good thing i put all those platforms in the first post, because sfii turbo qualifies for six of them (playstation, saturn, 3do, amiga cd32, pc, and arcade).