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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.

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' the Generation (DC/PS2/GBA/GC/Xbox/PC 2000-2005) Rules

• 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.
• Similarly, ports of games found in the subsequent generation may also be included (for example: Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories), so long as this is the specific version of the game you played and enjoyed. Please list the platform such a game was played on for it to count.
• Remakes and ports of games from this generation cannot be the basis for a vote either (so no voting for The Wind Waker if your only experience with it is The Wind Waker HD).
  

Voting Ends February 28th at 12:00:00 AM, PST



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, Grim Fandango
• Not Cool: FF, LoZ, GF

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 Games Count?

• New games released to your region on these platforms: Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Wonderswan, Wonderswan Color/SwanCrystal, N-Gage, GP32, Tapwave Zodiac, PC 2000-2005, Arcades 2000-2005
• Arcade games and PC games released between 2000 and 2005 are allowed.
• Can be retail or downloadable.
• 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 count too.
• If you’re unsure about a game or platform, just ask!
• Asked about games that are allowed: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Dreamcast version), Resident Evil Remake (Gamecube), Mother 3 (GBA English Patch), Counter-Strike
• Asked about games that are not allowed: Pokemon Crystal, Vagrant Story, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

Platforms allowed: Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket Color, Wonderswan, Wonderswan Color/SwanCrystal, N-Gage, GP32, Tapwave Zodiac, PC 2000-2005, Arcades 2000-2005

here are a list of notable releases from this generation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_in_video_gaming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_in_video_gaming
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
an incomplete list of the games voted on in this thread

 

[Anth0ny]

OH SHIT

This is going to take a couple of posts.

 

[The Sarcastic Dude]

1. Resident Evil 4 ; RE4 is just absolutely an incredible experience. Every aspect of this game is top notch, ranging from graphics, pacing, controls and gameplay elements. RE4 is bleeds brilliance and very few games have reached or will reach the heights that RE4 have reached.

2. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; A fighting game that easy both accessible while also being deceptively deep. From beginners to pro players, there is fun to be had for everyone and anyone.

3. Metroid Prime ; Retro Studios did a masterful job of transitioning the Metroid series to 3D. A lot of people doubted if it could work, but needless to say, Retro Studios proved them oh so wrong.

4. Grand Theft Auto III ; One of the most important games of the era, GTA III set the landmark of what an open world game can and should be like.

5. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; While WW isn't held an as high regard as some of the other games in the series, it is still a stellar game. Creative dungeon design and huge open sea to explore, WW captivated players for many many hours until the game's finale.

6. Halo 2 ; Easily one the best shooter of the generation and certainly the best multi-player shooter of the generation. It was my first online experience on console and I spent countless hours playing H2 online. The campaign, while not the strongest of the Halo campaigns, is still an enjoyable ride.

 

[JehutyRunner]

So this is happening, then?

Alright, then.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; This was for the better part of eight years my favourite game ever (until The Last of Us came out). This is honestly a game I still cherish to this day and most likely will until I go to my grave. Even recently, it helped me get through perhaps the toughest personal period of my life. It is essentially the best perfect ratio of gameplay and story you'll ever see in a Kojima game and a story that stands as Metal Gear's finest. A masterpiece.

2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; I know GTA III was the game that blew everyone's minds (and rightly so), but Vice City had a bigger punch for me because of how refined Rockstar's open-world crafting was even a year after III, how well it built 80s Miami in VC and just the incredible soundtrack. One of Rockstar's finest games ever, easily in its top three ever.

3. Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner ; Greatest game ever.

Spoiler

That isn't The Last of Us, Metal Gear Solid 3 or any other games above it on my favourite game list

4. Grand Theft Auto III ; As I said above. This was the game that changed open-world games forever. Such an eye-opening experience.

5. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; It'd be higher up, but playing through the latter half of the game as a 11-year old who goes from weirded out to scared when the Colonel glitches out to a skull face (still scarred about this as a 24-year old!) pegs it down. Still an incredible experience. Some of which holds up incredibly well today in terms of its story and real-life scenarios.

6. Persona 4 ; The gamechanger. This was the game that got me in hook, line and sinker to JRPGs (not on a hardcore level, but a lot more so than Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts ever did.

7. SSX 3 ; Open-world SSX. Need I say more?

8. Burnout 3: Takedown ; Road. Fucking. Rage. And an amazing soundtrack. Need I say more?

9. Fahrenheit ; So the final third is a pile of bollocks. And Heavy Rain is a better Quantic Dream/David Cage game. But for its first two thirds, Fahrenheit was a massively enjoyable romp. I loved it.

10. SSX Tricky ; This opened up SSX 3 to be such an incredible game, but even in its own right, Tricky was incredible. What a fantastic, fantastic game.

x. Tekken 5 ;
x. Need for Speed: Underground ;
x. Bully ;

 

[Booshka]

Wow, I'll get to this eventually.

 

[Dahbomb]

I am pretty sure Resident Evil 4 will have this on lock.

1) Devil May Cry : Invented an entire sub genre for action games. A true classic.
2) Devil May Cry 3 Special Editon : Redefined stylish action genre.
3) Ninja Gaiden Black : One of the greatest action games of all time.
4) Resident Evil 4 : Pretty much invented 3rd person shooter action but this game has the best pacing in a video game yet.
5) Shadow of the Colossus : A powerful experience to say the least.
6) Half Life 2 : A masterful FPS experience.
7) Metal Gear Solid 3 : Deserves to be in top 10 for dat ending alone.
8) Diablo 2 : Greatest loot based RPG ever made. Pure digital crack.
9) Halo : Pioneered the console FPS and single handedly pushed the Xbox.
10) Grand Theft Auto 3 : The game that truly started the sandbox open world genre in games.


Honorable mentions: Probably around 30 or more games fall in here. This generation was absolutely insane.

Zone of the Enders 2
Viewtiful Joe
Okami
Godhand
Metal Gear Solid 2
Smash Bros Melee
Ico
Soul Calibur 2
Tekken 5
Marvel vs Capcom 2
God of War 2
Prince of Persia Sands of Time
FEAR
KOTOR
World of Warcraft
Warcraft 3
REmake
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy XII
Jak and Daxter
Ratchet and Clank
Spinter Cell Chaos Theory
Otogi Myth of Demons
Halo 2
GTA San Andreas

 

[Emperor Bohe]

Damn, don't even know if I can condense it down to 10

 

[benny_a]

Please don't fucking reserve. The other thread is full of people that never bothered to update their "reservation."

 

[Mushroomer25]

Ooh. That's interesting. Especially because this is far from the generation that I expected to be voting on..

But who are we kidding. RE4's got it with a bullet. Reserving this spot for my full list.

 

[Anth0ny]

I am pretty sure Resident Evil 4 will have this on lock.

I don't think the Melee community will allow it.

We make things happen.

 

[Booshka]

I'm going to be fighting for Halo CE and Morrowind personally.

 

[AniHawk]

Ooh. That's interesting. Especially because this is far from the generation that I expected to be voting on.

there were conversations about having this thread about oh... four or five years ago, but the generation hadn't fully played out yet. i think we're another two years away from really having a good look at the generation that's currently fading out (especially since it's fading a bit more quickly).

 

[Syf]

This'll be interesting. Hope Metroid Prime does well. Wonder how Half-Life 2 will do. Will post my list in the morning!

Edit: My list

1. World of Warcraft ; The biggest game of the generation, and one of my favorite MMOs.
2. Diablo 2 ; Best ARPG ever made.
3. Warcraft 3 ; Great RTS game, also spawned DotA.
4. Half-Life 2 ; Excellent campaign, continue to replay it to this day.
5. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; My favorite Zelda game.
6. Metroid Prime ; Perfect 3D Metroid experience.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; It hasn't aged so well in my opinion, but still deserves a spot for how great it was.
8. Ninja Gaiden ; My favorite action game.
9. Resident Evil Remake ; A classic survival horror.
10. Halo: Combat Evolved ; Gotta give the last nod to this one, so many nights spent playing with my friends.

 

[ezekial45]

Do games that came out in 2006 for these platforms still count? Or is this strictly 2000-2005.

 

[Creaking]

Man, I didn't play nearly enough of the best games of that era to vote. I was young, stuck on Tony Hawk and Dynasty Warriors, with a bit of Tekken here and there.

edit: How could I forget Half Life 2? All right, I'll vote. Consider this a reservation.

 

[AniHawk]

Do games that came out in 2006 still count? Or is this strictly 2000-2005.

the only things adhering to a strict timeline are arcades and pc. everything else is fine as long as the platforms are among the ones listed in the original post. so 2008's persona 4 would count and so would 2010's mana khemia ii.

 

[Yoshi]

Too bad we didn't have a vote for the prior generations, in particular, I'd be interested in the SNES / MD generation and the N64 / SAT / PSX generation. Of course I will post a list here too . Should I then edit this post or make a new post preferrably?

 

[benny_a]

Do games that came out in 2006 for these platforms still count? Or is this strictly 2000-2005.

New games released to your region on consoles between 1998 and 2001, and handhelds released between 1999 and 2003 (note: the consoles/handhelds have to have been released in this time frame, not the games)

So yes, any game on DC/PS2/GBA/GC/Xbox counts.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

This will take some thinking. So many of these games have aged poorly.

 

[Arion]

working on the list

 

[Mushroomer25]

there were conversations about having this thread about oh... four or five years ago, but the generation hadn't fully played out yet. i think we're another two years away from really having a good look at the generation that's currently fading out (especially since it's fading a bit more quickly).

Interesting point. I'd have said 2014 would've been soon enough for a vote of PS3/360 - but I suppose perspective is a large part of making one of these voting things fair. For example, a 7th-gen vote in 2014 likely would've seen higher voting numbers for something like Dark Souls II than one done in 2016.

 

[elfinke]

Holy crap, this will be one interesting thread. I spend way too long deliberating over my GOTY thread nominations, never mind an entire generation - the PS2 generation no less!

I'll waste some time at work tomorrow working through those wiki lists.

 

[AniHawk]

Too bad we didn't have a vote for the prior generations, in particular, I'd be interested in the SNES / MD generation and the N64 / SAT / PSX generation. Of course I will post a list here too . Should I then edit this post or make a new post preferrably?

new post would be preferable.

i'm glad everyone wants to reserve their spots and they're excited and everything, but it would be better for discussion if they just posted what they were thinking as they came up with it, instead of hiding it on page one after a few days.

also, i don't think the snes/genesis or psx/sat/n64 generations would be out of the question. this particular generation was the first one that gaf was around for basically from beginning to end, so it's a little special in that way as a lot of discussion was had over the years.

i feel that the psx/sat/n64 generation would be particularly contentious and interesting given how important it was to the industry compared to other generations.

 

[Zukuu]

1. Warcraft III ; Best e-Sports game ever. Played the game in unholy amounts, watched replays and played soooooooo many fun-maps on LAN parties and in internet cafés, it should have been labeled as a drug. Just glorious fun.
2. Gothic ; To this date, the undisputed king of atmosphere and making you 'feel' like a real part of a real world and society. It's janky as fuck, but it doesn't fail to still capture that magic, as my recent playthrough has shown me. It's a masterpiece.
3. Gothic II ; Same as Gothic I, only better and bigger. I put G1 first because I like the concept a little bit more. It's just as good tho, but we can't aren't allowed a shared place.
4. GTA III ; I was blown away by this game. I spent countless hours in this game doing practically nothing but driving around and/or causing mayhem. Mile stone for the series and genre.
5. Persona 3 ; Glad I gave the game a 2nd try, after I returned it the first time around, because the gameplay and dungeon design are atrocious. However, the characters, setting and story are great and among the best the genre has to offer. Add to that a great OST and you are set.
6. Persona 4 ; Great followup after Persona 3. Much superior gameplay, still same bad dungeon design, but the characters and story are again, really great.
7. Tekken 4 ; I clocked in over a thousand hours at minimum. I played the series since 1, and Tekken 4 was perfection in my eyes. No unnecessary bloating, nice graphic jump, new animations and it took the characters a bit more seriously. Best version of Paul. Afterwards they made him into a joke. I fought so many local matches with my friends, classmates and just about everyone that went to my house. To this date, the best Tekken.
8. Unreal Tournament 2004 ; Best multiplayer FPS. I remember playing for 12 hours in one sitting (with pauses ofc), listening to Mondscheinsonate and Braincracking. lol DM-Roughinery is my favorite arena map ever. The game is the perfect arena shooter. Sadly, no friend wanted to play 1on1 against me. lol
9. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; I remember when I bought my PS2 and MGS 2 along with it and went on vacation with my family. Stayed inside the hotel and played the shit out of the game. In retrospect it's one of the weaker MGS entries, but that situation and the time I invested into the title, makes it a fond memory. Finished it soooooo often, I can still do it almost blindly.
10. Halo ; The only X-BOX game worth owning the console. Glad my brother would lent me his so I could co-op the game. It solely was defining the console FPS genre. Universe was great and the multiplayer (shared split screen ftw) was so much fun, we played nothing else for days in a row.

X. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Arguably the better game than 2, but I played MGS 2 just so much more. I will replay it sooner than later. Great presentation and bosses. Great Theme as well.
X. Diablo 2 ; Many hours spent. WAY too many hours spent. I don't need to explain why.
X. Final Fantasy X ; I couldn't wait for FFX after I played the demo and after the GOATNESS FF 7 - 9 turned out to be. Turned out to be great, but it lacked something of the 3 titles before it.
X. GTA Vice City ; Best soundtrack, and a great city as playground. Also best Scarface game out there.
X. Need for Speed Underground ; Just bought the game last year again and played through it again and against friends. Back in the day I would play nothing else, trying to scrape off a few milliseconds of my best time. It's really just the best aracde racer with the best racetracks. Also really like the tuning.
X. Silent Hill 2 ; Wow. I didn't think they could deliver such a meaningful impact with the story and characters, but they did nonetheless. And Pyramid head is among the most iconic 'evils' in gaming history.
X. Shadow of the Colossus ; It had to be mentioned for the unique and greatness it stands for. These kind of games are rare, but often turn out to be masterpieces (like Journey).
X. Kingdom Hearts 2 ; I loved the concept of FF x Disney. It's just fun to visit my favorite places and visit my favorite characters of the Disney universe.
X. Kingdom Hearts ; Same as above, but it was slightly less refined game play wise.

 

[Game4life]

Will flesh out in detail but for now

1. Metal Gear Solid 3; One of the greatest games ever crafted. Amazing level design, deep mechanics and some of the best boss fights ever. It is easily the best MGS game of all time and a perfect amalgamation of story and gameplay.

2. God of War 2; One of the best adventure games ever created. The scale, the action, the visuals, the pacing... I could go on and on. Truly an absolute masterpiece and one of the only reasons I am excited about the upcoming God of War is because Cory Barlog is returning to helm the franchise.

3. Silent Hill 2; The best horror game ever made period.

4. Resident Evil 4; What more can I say that has not been said about this game before. The most perfectly paced game of all time. There is no game with the exception of Uncharted 2 and maybe MGS3 that has the perfect pacing that this game has. Amazing shooting mechanics, superb level design and some of the best enemies ever.It is Mikami at the top of his game.

More will follow

 

[tim.mbp]

I feel bad only owning one platform during those years, a gamecube.

 

[Gonzo The Great]

I'll throw some interesting choices into the mix.

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Best fighting game ever made
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ; Best Mario RPG ever made
3. F-Zero GX ; Best futuristic racing game ever made
4. Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land ; Best Kirby game ever remade
5. Kingdom Hearts ; Best crossover RPG featuring Disney characters ever made
6. Super Monkey Ball ; Best... game about monkeys in balls ever made
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Best cel-shaded game ever made
8. Hot Shots Golf Fore! ; Best golf game ever made
9. Burnout Revenge ; Best Burnout game ever made
10. Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams ; Best 3D Donkey Kong game never made

x. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
x. Kirby Air Ride
x. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
x. Final Fantasy X-2
x. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
x. Pikmin 2
x. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
x. Super Mario Sunshine
x. Psychonauts
x. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Bam.

 

[The Xtortionist]

1. Resident Evil 4 ; My favorite game of all time. Simply the GOAT in almost every area you can imagine: pacing, encounter design, variety, boss fights, economy, aesthetics (for its time), replay value.
2. Metroid Prime ; Tallon IV is a fascinating world to explore and each area is fleshed out and a pure joy to be in. Bosses are impressive, and navigation is constantly rewarding.
3. F-Zero GX ; The greatest racing game of all time. I sweat so motherfucking hard every single time I play. Almost no game is nearly as intense.
4. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 ; What's there to say? You build a ride, set the music to Rock Style 2, and go to town. The graphics are insanely charming and hold up to this day. The level of customization is nearly limitless. My favorite sim-style game of all time.
5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ; Higher highs and lower lows than the original Prime. The level designers of this game probably came from NASA or some shit. Also one of the most challenging games I've played.
6. Halo: Combat Evolved ; The best weapon sandbox and enemies in a Halo game put this one on my list. The campaign is infinitely replayable and enjoyable.
7. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; The best playing Smash Bros. Adventure Mode is a fun addition and I love the event matches more than I probably should.
8. Resident Evil ; (The remake). Gripping atmosphere, clever level design, and breathtaking aesthetics all add up to a fantastic experience.
9. God of War 2 ; Bigger, badder, and tighter than the original in every way. The combat and (surprisingly) the puzzles kick fucking ass. Dat barbarian hammer.
10. SSX Tricky ; IT'S TRICKY...but seriously, the feedback here is insane and courses are incredibly well designed. I'm pretty sure I beat it with every character.

 

[Makareu]

1. World of Warcraft ; It is not the greatest game, but it is the game that I have the most and best memories of. Thus it is number 1.

2. Deus Ex ; Is actually the greatest game.

3. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind ; The road most travelled.

4. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 ;

5. Warcraft 3 ;

6. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn;

7. Silent Hill 2;

8. Ico ;

9. Half-Life 2 ;

10. Arcanum ; There are a lot of things wrong with this game, but no other game makes me feel like it was designed just for me.

Honorable mentions in no particular order :

x. Shadow of the Colossus;
x. Diablo 2;
x. Okami ;
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic;
x. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines;
x. Resident Evil 4;
x. Homeworld : Cataclysm;
x. Neverwinter Nights;
x. Beyond Good & Evil;
x. Fallout Tactics;

 

[Dahbomb]

Jesus Christ Diablo 2 also came out in this time period...

Sorry REmake, I gotta drop you from top 10. :/

 

[Nyx]

1. World of Warcraft ; An era of my life spent on this game, so many memories…
2. Burnout 2 Point of Impact ; The best arcade racer ever made, till DriveClub that is.
3. Super Monkey Ball ; Such a brilliant concept and so much fun.
4. Warcraft 3 ; Still my favorite RTS game ever, I loved the addition of Heroes
5. Tekken Tag Tournament ; 1000s of local multiplayer games played, all my friends loved it.
6. SSX Tricky ; The best SSX, insane amounts of fun to be had.
7. GTA 3 ; From the topdown view to a 3D open world, the beginning of a genre almost.
8. Star Wars KOTOR ; Probably the best RPG I played, loved it from beginning to end.
9. F-Zero GX ; High learning curve but when it clicked, ho-ly shit…
10. Def Jam Fight for NY ; Less played than TTT but even my non-gamer friends were all over this.

 

[Game4life]

Jesus Christ Diablo 2 also came out in this time period...

Sorry REmake, I gotta drop you from top 10. :/

Blasphemy. Remake cannot drop from this list. Do not do something that you will regret!

 

[Ein Bear]

Oh damn, we're actually doing it? This is going to take some serious thought. I could easily think of ten games on each system alone that deserve to be on the list, never mind having to choose between them all.

 

[Komo]

I thought I'd join in, my but some of my favorite games are pretty niche

 

[Dahbomb]

Blasphemy. Remake cannot drop from this list. Do not do something that you will regret!

Bro that top 10 is absurd... I can't cut anything from it!

Those games aren't just the best among that generation but they are among my Greatest of all time video games.

 

[timetokill]

Ahhhhhh shit! This is gonna be a fun one.

AniHawk, you the thread title says -2005, but you included the 2006 wiki link. I'm assuming 2006 is for late-release PS2/GCN/Xbox titles only?

 

[EdLin]

This generation had the Sony Playstation 2, the only console to sell 150 million units, and had a correspondingly high third party output. Where am I supposed to start?

 

[Burgess_101]

1. Super Smash Bros. ; Just so many hours put into this on my Aunties N64, I didn't really know who the majority of the characters were but I loved playing it and put many hours in. Never really got into Melee.

2. Silent Hill ; Now my first exposure of Silent Hill was my dad playing the demo that came with MGS and I remember being utterly terrified of the game and then I kind of forgot about it until I met my wife who is a huge fan of Silent Hill. We are playing through them all now (currently on Shattered Memories) and I think Silent Hill 1 is by far the best in the series, I think its just wonderful in every aspect.

3. Silent Hill 2 ; Silent Hill 1 just pips it due to the PS1 style which I feels just gives a much more atmospheric feel but still SH2 is a masterpiece.

4. Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3 ; The perfect DBZ game, best roster, best stages, best story mode and the amazing tournament mode all made for probably my most played PS2 game of all time, probably the only fighting game I was actually really good at (though I still play them just dont have the time to put in anymore). Fantastic game and its a shame that the newer ones haven't still given me the same feeling this one has.

5. Shadow of the Colossus ; Now I only played the HD version which I know has its issues but its the only version I really had but this game was simply fantastic every thing was magical and I truly enjoyed the time I spent with the game, it had some pacing issues with some of the fights but I can't ignore the feelings I had whilst playing this game and of course the multiple occurrences of goosebumps definitely help cement it as one of the best games ever made.

6. Silent Hill 3 ; Whilst I think 3 is more traditionally scary than its predecessor (2) it doesn't hold all of the game charm of the previous two but it is still an amazing game.

7. Oblivion ; Now I know my time with Oblivion was cut short, I played the 360 version (I had the PC version but no PC capable of running it well enough me being still rather young when it released) and the time I had was fanastic, the lock picking alone was a barrel of laughs. My brother sold my Oblivion and then deleted my game save (which I am sure was in excess of at least 50 hours). I have tried to get into it again but I can't but the game still holds a place in my heart for the fun I had.

8. MGS 2 ; MGS holds a special place in my heart, watching my father play the first from start to finish is something that I will keep with me but by the time MGS2 came out he had pretty much stopped gaming altogether, so I took the reigns and played on, it wasn't the same but it was still a fantastic game, I would im sure have put 3 on this list but I haven't played it yet, I really should.

9. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; San Andreas I just never understood, it was so boring and lifeless compared to Vice City, sure it never had the scale but it had the character and I appreciate that a lot more than some forests. The music, the characters and the setting are the best yet and I would hope that maybe one day GTA will go back to this era because I think it works best for the series.

10. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire ; Not my first Pokemon game but probably the one I put the most time into, my older brother bought Sapphire (he made me do some weird treasure hunt in the garden to find it) and I played it non stop, I had a Swampert before even the third gym (too much time as a child meant I could level it up all that way just on low level pokemon). One day I came home from school to find out he had once again sold my game and of course my save a long with it. My brother is a bellend sometimes.

x. Conkers Bad Fur Day ; Never really got to play it when I was younger but now playing through it I can appreciate it more due to all of the references and what have you, as an Englishman myself its nice to have some actual English humour in a game. If you want to see what humour in games has become nowadays I recommend you look at Borderlands and Sunset Overdrive (i.e bad).

x. Devil May Cry ; I never really got the chance to play it all the way through, I watched my brother play through it when it came out but at the time I wasn't into those sorts of games, now I am a character action junkie though and DMC is of course pretty much where it all started so it definitely deservers a mention.

 

[Anth0ny]

This generation had the Sony Playstation 2, the only console to sell 150 million units, and had a correspondingly high third party output. Where am I supposed to start?

It also had the Gamecube, which actually had a stronger software library than the Playstation 2.

Spoiler

Oh it's true, it's damn true.

And Xbox had Halo! And... Halo!

This top 10 is going to be impossible to create.

 

[Huge Succeeded]

1. Metroid Prime is my favorite game of all time
2. Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga is fresh, fun, and hilarious
3. WarioWare Twisted is pure no nonsense pick up and play fun
4. Halo: Combat Evolved was a breath of fresh air and my go-to party game besides Smash
5. Deus Ex is just damn good
6. Resident Evil 4 - I played originally on the Wii but damn if this game wasn't perfect
7. F-Zero GX is glorious, nearly perfect, i like Wipeout HD Fury more but i can't play that on PC
8. God of War 2's visuals and style blew me away
9: Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal is the first R&C game I played and turned me into a lifelong fan
10: Smash Bros. Melee is still in my cube to this day

 

[Dahbomb]

It also had the Gamecube, which actually had a stronger software library than the Playstation 2.

Spoiler

Oh it's true, it's damn true.

And Xbox had Halo! And... Halo!

This top 10 is going to be impossible to create.

Stronger line up than PS2?

Son please.

And Xbox had Ninja Gaiden Black one of the GOAT action games.

 

[KooopaKid]

Mistake?

"What Games Count?
New games released to your region on consoles between 1998 and 2001, and handhelds released between 1999 and 2003 (note: the consoles/handhelds have to have been released in this time frame, not the games)"

Gamecube released in 2002 in Europe.

 

[=GabrielKnight=]

1) Shen Mue ; it is the best videogame ever made, so it deserves to be on n.1
2) Shen Mue 2 ; of course
3) Skies of Arcadia ; had everything I love about jrpgs: exploration, turn bs, classic style
4) Dragon Quest VIII ; almost perfect
5) Tales of Symphonia ; the best Tales of, one of my favourite series
6) Pirates of the Caribbean (akella) ; don't know why, but this became one of my favourite games in that period of time. Maybe it was the caribbean setting and the graphics, but I loved it
7) Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic ; still waiting for the third episode, I did not like its sequel
8) The legend of Zelda : the wind waker ; my first Zelda game, and I love everything about it
9) Golden Sun ; could not beat the last boss, but awesome game
10) Resident Evil: Code Veronica ; best RE for me

Honorable mentions:

x) Mario Kart: Double Dash
x) Halo: Combat Evolved
x) REmake
x) Resident Evil 4
x) Dead or Alive 2
x) Dead or Alive 3
x) The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
x) Ninja Gaiden
x) Soul Calibur 2
x) Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance
x) Mortal Kombat Deception
x) Final Fantasy XII
x) Capcom vs SNK 2
x) Project Gotham Racing 2
x) Tiger Woods 2004

 

[random25]

This is interesting. I'll come up with my own lists later. I'll definitely make a vote!

 

[Game4life]

It also had the Gamecube, which actually had a stronger software library than the Playstation 2.

Spoiler

Oh it's true, it's damn true.

And Xbox had Halo! And... Halo!

This top 10 is going to be impossible to create.

No home console ever released has a library stronger than the PS2. SNES comes close but yeah thats about it. Gamecube no freaking way is fit to be in the same conversation as a PS2 and this is not a slight against Gamecube or any console for that matter. PS2 was an aberration, a freak of nature that will unlikely be ever repeated again.

 

[dark_inferno]

1. Max Payne 1 : First game that i know that broke the 4th Wall in such a godly way. Great Action, ingredible Monologues and a good story.
2. Half Life 2 : The best palance when it comes down to Action/Puzzle/Quiet moments
3. Vampite the Masquerade Bloodlines : Hands down the best atmosphere in a Vampire game ever made.
4. Ico : Its basically like a Ghibli Movie without dialogues. Beautiful and emotional.
5. Persona 4 : Great Character and basically feels like an Anime as a game.
6. Max Payne 2 : It isnt as good as Max Payne 1 when it comes down to Characters,Monologues and Story but the Action is still top notch if not even better than Max Payne 1.
7. Silent Hill 2 : Best Psycho Horror ever made.
8. Prince of Persia Sands of time : You get a real challenge here. Incredible level design.
9. Castlevania Aria of Sorrow : Best Castlevania after Symphony of the Night.
10. Shadow of the Colossus : Great Concept of just having Bossfights.

 

[AniHawk]

Mistake?

"What Games Count?
New games released to your region on consoles between 1998 and 2001, and handhelds released between 1999 and 2003 (note: the consoles/handhelds have to have been released in this time frame, not the games)"

Gamecube released in 2002 in Europe.

anything to minimize metroid prime's chances.

anything.

Spoiler

edited

 

[Anth0ny]

Stronger line up than PS2?

Son please.

And Xbox had Ninja Gaiden Black one of the GOAT action games.

I've always wanted to play this, because it's always the game people bring up when I say "the only games original Xbox had were two Halo games!"

I'll try to get my hands on it by the time the voting is up.

PS2 had more good games than the Gamecube. But Gamecube had more great games than PS2 did. And that's not knocking the PS2's library, because it's fucking legendary. That's just a testament to how damn good the Gamecube's library was, and still continues to be. A lot of timeless games on that console.

PS2... not as much. GTA III was outdated by the time Vice City was released!

 

[Dahbomb]

No home console ever released has a library stronger than the PS2. SNES comes close but yeah thats about it. Gamecube no freaking way is fit to be in the same conversation as a PS2 and this is not a slight against Gamecube or any console for that matter. PS2 was an aberration, a freak of nature that will unlikely be ever repeated again.

PS2 probably has a better line up in 3 of its years than GC has in its lifetime.

PS2 doesn't have timeless classics?

DMC1/3, God of Wars, GTAs, MGS 2/3, FF12, FFX, SotC, Tekken Tag, Tekken 5, Kingdom Hearts, Godhand, Okami, Dragon Quests, Virtua Fighter 4, Jaks, R&Cs, SMTs, Timesplitters 2 etc.

Probably like 20 other games I am missing. The library was absolutely bananas.

 

[Talax]

1. Kingdom Hearts II: Best JRPG on PS2. Great follow up to an amazing game. Not to mention a combination of two of my favourites; Disney and FF
   [*]Shadow Hearts Covenant: Brilliant game. An emotional masterpiece imo. Some of the best characters I've ever seen in gaming (I don't only mean art but personalities as well)
   [*]Final Fantasy X: FF is my favourite franchise and X did justice to FF as first FF on PS2.
   [*]Kingdom Hearts: See Kingdom Hearts II
   [*]Tekken 5: After Tekken 4, this was a godsend. Brilliant gameplay. Balanced out characters.
   [*]Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance: My most favourite MGS, although I still don't like Raiden...
   [*]Final Fantasy XII: Not too fond of the story and most of the characters but it was a small insight as to what FF can become if it were open world.
   [*]Dark Cloud 2: This one holds a special place in my heart. The town creation is actually what dragged me in initially but it turned out to be an amazing game outside of that as well.
   [*]Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater: The End. That's all I can say.
   [*]God of War II: Most graphically advanced game I saw on PS2. Best action game ever.