- Nox ; Some of the most multiplayer fun I've ever had in a game; Nox had split-second action, rewarded creativity, allowed for emergent gameplay, and was playfully hilarious.
- Deus Ex
- Resident Evil 4
- Burnout 3
- Max Payne 2
- Baldur's Gate II
- Final Fantasy X
- Diablo II
- Grand Theft Auto III
- Persona 4
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
GAF Games o' the Generation (DC/PS2/GBA/GC/Xbox/PC 2000-2005) Voting Closed
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
1. Silent Hill 2 ; The greatest experience I've ever had with the Horror genre. The best example of a game that can achieve true unnerving horror without relying on cheap scares.
2. Shadow of the Colossus ; You wouldn't think a game about riding from place to place and stabbing something would be so effective but the tone and the tightness of the mechanics really helps the concept shine throughout the game.
3. Persona 4 ; Persona was the first RPG series besides Pokemon that I got seriously invested in. The way it blended everyday Japanese life with a unique take on real world mythos and legitimately mature themes works extremely well. Aside from the dungeons, it's a damn fun RPG too.
4. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; While I was a Splinter Cell fan first and foremost, MGS 3's engaging take on jungle sneaking and survival combined with the best example of storytelling done right from Kojima have drawn me in more than any Sam Fisher romp to date.
5. Halo: Combat Evolved ; If I were to pick something that changed what video games could be to me, it would be Halo. It was the first time I had experienced such a vast, varied adventure through a 3D space and while it has its share of problems with reused levels and backtracking, I can still fire up the highs of the campaign and enjoy them easily.
6. F-Zero GX ; This is the best racing game ever released under the Nintendo name. GX's refreshing approach to blistering speed with its added drift and boosting systems is so much more satisfying than any traditional kart or sim offerings I've played.
7. Crazy Taxi ; There aren't many time attack games that can hold my attention but Crazy Taxi's frantic style, quick pace and deep controls allow for a level of engagement you don't get from most score based games.
8. God Hand ; I've only gained an appreciation for the character action brawler recently (thanks to Metal Gear Rising) and I'm glad I gave this a shot after I found that appreciation. God Hand's camp filled parody of a Fist of the North Star style Wild West dystopia is fun enough on its own but when you add an extremely tight and accessible combat system, it becomes one of the greatest action games I've ever played.
9. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory ; The best Splinter Cell has to offer. While it no longer stands at the top of the stealth podium for me, it's still the best example of lighting based stealth as opposed to positioning and camouflage of other major series.
10. Jak and Daxter
x. Persona 3 ; My introduction to the series, I enjoyed 3 immensely when I first played it but my impression has not held up over the years. The thing that holds 3 back most of all is its horrible AI combat system. It is a stain on the fantastic Press Turn system of the SMT series.
x. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne ; This would probably be on my list if I was further in. The style, music and combat combine to make this a fantastically mature RPG.
2. Shadow of the Colossus ; You wouldn't think a game about riding from place to place and stabbing something would be so effective but the tone and the tightness of the mechanics really helps the concept shine throughout the game.
3. Persona 4 ; Persona was the first RPG series besides Pokemon that I got seriously invested in. The way it blended everyday Japanese life with a unique take on real world mythos and legitimately mature themes works extremely well. Aside from the dungeons, it's a damn fun RPG too.
4. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; While I was a Splinter Cell fan first and foremost, MGS 3's engaging take on jungle sneaking and survival combined with the best example of storytelling done right from Kojima have drawn me in more than any Sam Fisher romp to date.
5. Halo: Combat Evolved ; If I were to pick something that changed what video games could be to me, it would be Halo. It was the first time I had experienced such a vast, varied adventure through a 3D space and while it has its share of problems with reused levels and backtracking, I can still fire up the highs of the campaign and enjoy them easily.
6. F-Zero GX ; This is the best racing game ever released under the Nintendo name. GX's refreshing approach to blistering speed with its added drift and boosting systems is so much more satisfying than any traditional kart or sim offerings I've played.
7. Crazy Taxi ; There aren't many time attack games that can hold my attention but Crazy Taxi's frantic style, quick pace and deep controls allow for a level of engagement you don't get from most score based games.
8. God Hand ; I've only gained an appreciation for the character action brawler recently (thanks to Metal Gear Rising) and I'm glad I gave this a shot after I found that appreciation. God Hand's camp filled parody of a Fist of the North Star style Wild West dystopia is fun enough on its own but when you add an extremely tight and accessible combat system, it becomes one of the greatest action games I've ever played.
9. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory ; The best Splinter Cell has to offer. While it no longer stands at the top of the stealth podium for me, it's still the best example of lighting based stealth as opposed to positioning and camouflage of other major series.
10. Jak and Daxter
x. Persona 3 ; My introduction to the series, I enjoyed 3 immensely when I first played it but my impression has not held up over the years. The thing that holds 3 back most of all is its horrible AI combat system. It is a stain on the fantastic Press Turn system of the SMT series.
x. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne ; This would probably be on my list if I was further in. The style, music and combat combine to make this a fantastically mature RPG.
1. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault ; The only FPS I ever really got into, had tons of fun online.
2. Dark Chronicle ; aka Dark Cloud 2: tons of fun, so much to do, great graphics, lighthearted and putting it up here because it deserves a remake!
3. Final Fantasy XI ; Happy I quit after 'only' two years, but I still put a lot of time into it and had tons of fun, even though the grind was insane.
4. Diablo II
5. Mario Kart Double Dash!!
6. Final Fantasy X
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
8. Kingdom Hearts
9. Battlefield 1942
10. Super Smash Bros. Melee
x. Shadow of the Colossus ; played it on the PS3, not the PS2
x. Championship Manager Season 01/02 ; Actually the entire series, but I believe I played this one the most
x. Gran Turismo 3
x. Final Fantasy XII
x. Commandos 2: Men of Courage ; Forgot this one, thanks FliXFantatier. First game I played online a lot, great music, lots of fun.
2. Dark Chronicle ; aka Dark Cloud 2: tons of fun, so much to do, great graphics, lighthearted and putting it up here because it deserves a remake!
3. Final Fantasy XI ; Happy I quit after 'only' two years, but I still put a lot of time into it and had tons of fun, even though the grind was insane.
4. Diablo II
5. Mario Kart Double Dash!!
6. Final Fantasy X
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
8. Kingdom Hearts
9. Battlefield 1942
10. Super Smash Bros. Melee
x. Shadow of the Colossus ; played it on the PS3, not the PS2
x. Championship Manager Season 01/02 ; Actually the entire series, but I believe I played this one the most
x. Gran Turismo 3
x. Final Fantasy XII
x. Commandos 2: Men of Courage ; Forgot this one, thanks FliXFantatier. First game I played online a lot, great music, lots of fun.
anonymous_abc
Member
1. Deus Ex ; Nothing before it or after it has come close the world building and story mixed with a variety of game mechanics. My game of forever
2. Thief II: The Metal Age ; Trying to perfect every level without being seen or noticed and stealing every valuable in sight is just fantastic in this game. Steam punk world and atmosphere are top notch. If only we got a genuine new entry to the series.
3. Hitman: Blood Money ; Similar to Thief insofar as it is very pleasing to replay missions over and over to figure out the perfect way to kill your target. Love it!
4. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 ; Many hours were spend playing this in my youth, especially in combination with the expansion the multi player matches were a blast!
5. Commandos 2: Men of Courage ; A fantastic game, at the end of the day it's a puzzle game trying to figure out how to clear a map and finish all objectives.
6. Diablo 2 ; The one and only Dungeon Crawler, nothing else comes close to the addictive nature of this gem.
7. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast ; One of the best entries in the best Star Wars series ever. Raven brings it all to the updated Jedi Knight series.
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; After 1 and 2 the first narative driven GTA that I played. Loved the world and story from start to finish. And nothing is better than public radio in GTA games.
9. Command & Conquer: Generals ; Bringing CnC into the 21. century. Modern warfare with a great selection of different fun Generals. Airforce- and Superweapons-General ftw.
10. Gothic
unfairly snubbed
x2. System Shock 2 ; A close second to Deus Ex in story world building and atmosphere. I would give my soul for a Human Revolution style new entry to this series! And no Bioshock is like fast food in comparison.
2. Thief II: The Metal Age ; Trying to perfect every level without being seen or noticed and stealing every valuable in sight is just fantastic in this game. Steam punk world and atmosphere are top notch. If only we got a genuine new entry to the series.
3. Hitman: Blood Money ; Similar to Thief insofar as it is very pleasing to replay missions over and over to figure out the perfect way to kill your target. Love it!
4. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 ; Many hours were spend playing this in my youth, especially in combination with the expansion the multi player matches were a blast!
5. Commandos 2: Men of Courage ; A fantastic game, at the end of the day it's a puzzle game trying to figure out how to clear a map and finish all objectives.
6. Diablo 2 ; The one and only Dungeon Crawler, nothing else comes close to the addictive nature of this gem.
7. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast ; One of the best entries in the best Star Wars series ever. Raven brings it all to the updated Jedi Knight series.
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; After 1 and 2 the first narative driven GTA that I played. Loved the world and story from start to finish. And nothing is better than public radio in GTA games.
9. Command & Conquer: Generals ; Bringing CnC into the 21. century. Modern warfare with a great selection of different fun Generals. Airforce- and Superweapons-General ftw.
10. Gothic
unfairly snubbed
x2. System Shock 2 ; A close second to Deus Ex in story world building and atmosphere. I would give my soul for a Human Revolution style new entry to this series! And no Bioshock is like fast food in comparison.
Sidewinder
Member
1. Shadow of the Colossus ; For me this game represents the pinnacle of the PS2 generation. Huge landscapes to explore and never before seen gigantic boss battles. The music was spot on, one of the few OSTs I own. But most of all, the intense fights and the real emotions (sadness, shame) that ensued after slaying these beautiful creatures, is what sets this game apart from anything else.
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; Best open world game ever made till GTA V. The countless hours I played just cruising around aimlessly, jumping over roofs, highways, killing civilians, cops and thugs...that was pure videogame bliss! Loved the film references and the OST, best among all GTAs for sure.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Best of the lovely MGS franchise, that game just got better and better until the thundering finale, some of the best story and ending in any game.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Best action game of the generation and probably still among the top 3 to this day.
5. Yakuza 2 ; That's how you make a cinematic game, the brilliant cut-scenes, voice acting, the story, all these elements blend together to form an immensely engrossing gaming experience. The brawling is fun too
6. Persona 4 ; When I thought I was done with JRPGs this game hit me like a freight train. The last hurrah of this generation. It felt like a kind of Stephen King's IT in videogame form, fing brilliant!
7. Deus Ex ; Fascinating game, it felt like playing one of the big SciFi classics like Blade Runner.
8. Shenmue ; That huge living and breathing world was fascinating. Best Dreamcast game for me.
9. ICO ; Lovely scenery, mysterious atmosphere and such a simple gameplay mechanic like holding a little girl by its hand made me emotionally attached to her. Beautiful game with yet again a very good soundtrack.
10. Halo ; Best console FPS of the generation, didnt have so much fun since Golden Eye in Multiplayer on a console.
x. Half Life 2
x. Final Fantasy X
x. Zone of the Enders 2
x. Zelda Wind Waker
x. Star Wars Rogue Leader
x. Mercenaries
x. Gran Turismo 3
x. Knights of the Old Republic
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; Best open world game ever made till GTA V. The countless hours I played just cruising around aimlessly, jumping over roofs, highways, killing civilians, cops and thugs...that was pure videogame bliss! Loved the film references and the OST, best among all GTAs for sure.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Best of the lovely MGS franchise, that game just got better and better until the thundering finale, some of the best story and ending in any game.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Best action game of the generation and probably still among the top 3 to this day.
5. Yakuza 2 ; That's how you make a cinematic game, the brilliant cut-scenes, voice acting, the story, all these elements blend together to form an immensely engrossing gaming experience. The brawling is fun too
6. Persona 4 ; When I thought I was done with JRPGs this game hit me like a freight train. The last hurrah of this generation. It felt like a kind of Stephen King's IT in videogame form, fing brilliant!
7. Deus Ex ; Fascinating game, it felt like playing one of the big SciFi classics like Blade Runner.
8. Shenmue ; That huge living and breathing world was fascinating. Best Dreamcast game for me.
9. ICO ; Lovely scenery, mysterious atmosphere and such a simple gameplay mechanic like holding a little girl by its hand made me emotionally attached to her. Beautiful game with yet again a very good soundtrack.
10. Halo ; Best console FPS of the generation, didnt have so much fun since Golden Eye in Multiplayer on a console.
x. Half Life 2
x. Final Fantasy X
x. Zone of the Enders 2
x. Zelda Wind Waker
x. Star Wars Rogue Leader
x. Mercenaries
x. Gran Turismo 3
x. Knights of the Old Republic
Wiktor
Member
Both SWAT3 and SS2 are 1999
anonymous_abc
Member
But but, there is a link to 1999 games in the OP.
[fake edit] oh 2000 onwards only...
er ok. Will change it later.
Wiktor
Member
Yeah. It's not that I wanted to nit pick, but your votes wouldn't count this way and it's almost over.
anonymous_abc
Member
I just saw Quake 3 is also 1999... :-/
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
1. Zelda TP ; My number three Zelda, very difficult decision to put it on top, bascially because even beyond my top ten, a lot of games could take the top spot. TP is the Zelda with the most expertly crafted dungeons and offers a lot of incredibly well-designed content. I've played through it twice, on GCN and Wii, and it would also be in my top ten the gen after...
2. Pikmin ; wonderfully creative, fantastic atmosphere and a gorgeous gameplay, timeless.
3. Metroid Prime ; prime example for incredibly outstanding world design, Metroid Prime is the first first person game I ever had fun with. I was extremely sceptic beforehand but extremely happy to have played it.
4. F-Zero GX ; just the best racing game ever made, fast, simple, brutally difficult. If Nintendo were to make a level pack and otherwise rerelease the game as is, I'd gladly pay 60 again.
5. Super Mario Sunshine ; Blue coins suck, but other than that, this is the most agile, most fun to be controlled Mario ever and I've never played a game again where just the basic act of moving the character (and the camera at the same time if needed) through a world was this much fun
6. Sonic Adventure 2 ; 180 hourse spent, I must put this on my top ten list. Sonic's levels are so incredibly well-made that playing them well north of a hundred times well made up for the bad time spent with anyone else and in particular those nasty Chaos.
7. Fire Emblem PoR ; My first strategy RPG and to this day my favourite one. Especially love that there is an option for static attribute progression instead of random. Amazing game!
8. DK Jungle Beat ; A platformer with bongos? A platformer with bongos! EAD Tokyo's first game may be weird, but it's addicting as hell and one awesome idea.
9. Super Monkey Ball ; the most difficult game I have ever completed and the most simple idea a game probably ever had. Pure unparalleled arcade fun.
10. Paper Mario Thousand Year Door ; Disregarding that nasty fetch-quest at the end, it's one of the best traditional rpgs I've played. Particularly great: The fighting system.
x. Metroid Prime 2
x. Pikmin 2
x. Wario Land 4
x. Vexx
x. Zelda TWW
x. Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
x. PoP Sands of Time
x. PoP Warrior Within
x. Zelda Minish Cap
x. God of War 2
x. Conker: Live & Reloaded
x. Yoshi's Universal Gravitation
x. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
x. Fire Emblem
x. Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
x. Metroid Fusion
x. Metroid Zero Mission
x. Beyond Good & Evil
x. Rayman 2
x. Sonic Heroes
2. Pikmin ; wonderfully creative, fantastic atmosphere and a gorgeous gameplay, timeless.
3. Metroid Prime ; prime example for incredibly outstanding world design, Metroid Prime is the first first person game I ever had fun with. I was extremely sceptic beforehand but extremely happy to have played it.
4. F-Zero GX ; just the best racing game ever made, fast, simple, brutally difficult. If Nintendo were to make a level pack and otherwise rerelease the game as is, I'd gladly pay 60 again.
5. Super Mario Sunshine ; Blue coins suck, but other than that, this is the most agile, most fun to be controlled Mario ever and I've never played a game again where just the basic act of moving the character (and the camera at the same time if needed) through a world was this much fun
6. Sonic Adventure 2 ; 180 hourse spent, I must put this on my top ten list. Sonic's levels are so incredibly well-made that playing them well north of a hundred times well made up for the bad time spent with anyone else and in particular those nasty Chaos.
7. Fire Emblem PoR ; My first strategy RPG and to this day my favourite one. Especially love that there is an option for static attribute progression instead of random. Amazing game!
8. DK Jungle Beat ; A platformer with bongos? A platformer with bongos! EAD Tokyo's first game may be weird, but it's addicting as hell and one awesome idea.
9. Super Monkey Ball ; the most difficult game I have ever completed and the most simple idea a game probably ever had. Pure unparalleled arcade fun.
10. Paper Mario Thousand Year Door ; Disregarding that nasty fetch-quest at the end, it's one of the best traditional rpgs I've played. Particularly great: The fighting system.
x. Metroid Prime 2
x. Pikmin 2
x. Wario Land 4
x. Vexx
x. Zelda TWW
x. Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy
x. PoP Sands of Time
x. PoP Warrior Within
x. Zelda Minish Cap
x. God of War 2
x. Conker: Live & Reloaded
x. Yoshi's Universal Gravitation
x. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
x. Fire Emblem
x. Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
x. Metroid Fusion
x. Metroid Zero Mission
x. Beyond Good & Evil
x. Rayman 2
x. Sonic Heroes
ninjablade
Banned
1) Ninja Gaiden Black : One of the greatest action games of all time.
2) Resident Evil 4 : enough said
3)Devil May Cry amazing game
4)rallissport
5) Metal Gear Solid 2 : Deserves to be in top 10 for graphics alone
6) onmushia.
7) GT3 just out of this world amazing graphics and fun on ps2.
8) Halo : Pioneered the console FPS and single handedly pushed the Xbox.
9)splinter cell choas theory, a true stealth game
2) Resident Evil 4 : enough said
3)Devil May Cry amazing game
4)rallissport
5) Metal Gear Solid 2 : Deserves to be in top 10 for graphics alone
6) onmushia.
7) GT3 just out of this world amazing graphics and fun on ps2.
8) Halo : Pioneered the console FPS and single handedly pushed the Xbox.
9)splinter cell choas theory, a true stealth game
SolarPowered
Member
01.Super Smash Bros. Melee; I don't know how they did it, but Melee may be THE perfect fighter to me. It's like the BTAS of FGs as far as I'm concerned.
02.Halo 2;
03.Resident Evil 4;
04.The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker;
05.F-Zero GX;
06.Resident Evil: Remake;
07.Metal Gear Solid 3;
08.Silent Hill 2;
09.Metroid Prime;
10.ICO;
x. Ninja Gaiden;
x. Halo CE;
x. Metal Gear Solid 2;
x. Okami;
x. Soulcalibur 2;
x. Half-life 2;
x. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle;
x. Jet Set Radio;
x. Jet Set Radio Future;
x. Phantasy Star Online: Episode Iⅈ
02.Halo 2;
03.Resident Evil 4;
04.The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker;
05.F-Zero GX;
06.Resident Evil: Remake;
07.Metal Gear Solid 3;
08.Silent Hill 2;
09.Metroid Prime;
10.ICO;
x. Ninja Gaiden;
x. Halo CE;
x. Metal Gear Solid 2;
x. Okami;
x. Soulcalibur 2;
x. Half-life 2;
x. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle;
x. Jet Set Radio;
x. Jet Set Radio Future;
x. Phantasy Star Online: Episode Iⅈ
Reisläufer
Neo Member
1. Shadow of the Colossus ; Pretty much my favourite game of all times. This game was ahead of its time: the lighting is just fantastic, the dynamic collision detection grid on the colossi outstanding. I can't think of another game that has had comparable boss fights of this scale since its release. The overworld is my favourite overworld by far. It was the beauty of the world that made the search for the next colossus so memorable and enjoying. There are a lot of games that perfectly channel the feel of exploration but there is only this game that makes one explore the world, not in search of better gear or items, but just in order to look for new vistas. There are so few focused games like this. Every action you take, every item you possess, every enemy you fight is meaningful.
2. Final Fantasy X ; One of my favourite Final Fantasies. I really enjoyed the unity of story and gameplay where the journey of playing is in parallel to the journey told through the story. Auron's backstory is one of the best in any Final Fantasy.
3. Odin Sphere ; The Story and especially the characters are just amazing (Ingway is my favourite). The item system is another place where this game excels. One has to manage ones items all the time by growing plants from seeds and mixing potions. No other item system kept me invested in the way Odin Sphere's does it.
4. Killer7 ; Suda 51 at his best: crazy story and a cast of stylish characters, all carefully distinguished via animation, abilities and attitude. On rails gameplay but I liked the necessity of carefully aiming where to shoot at. Unforgettable lines: "Destiny.", "Laaaater!", "Don't make me say it again, I'm a cleaner!" etc.
5. Okami ; The perfect adventure. So much to do, so much exploration. Some might say it was too long, but for me I didn't want it to end. They really nailed the brushstroke look with the artstyle.
6. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; My favourite MGS game. I really loved everything this game had to offer. The whole story of this game, or rather the part that was told directly, took place on the big shell. The Backtracking made sense since it lead to a feel of place. The opposite of the rollercoaster ride that was MGS4.
7. Persona 3 ; Loved the dating-sim elements. Loved the whole style of the game. Outstanding designs by Shigenori Soejima. I think I like it a bit more than P4. I think they did the transformation of the Personae into their higher form a lot better by synching it with the story.
8. Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner ; One word: Zero Shift! My favourite mech game with stellar designs by Yoji Shinkawa. One of my favourite things in games is when you get abilities at the end of the game that make you super strong. ZOE 2 is certainly one of the games that achieved this the best.
9. Kingdom Hearts II ; Nomura's designs mesh so well with the Disney universe. Last boss fight was epic. I really like Sora as a character. He's cheerful nature and carefreeness are just so charming. Really looking forward to what he'll be up to in KH3.
10. Devil May Cry ; I was never into DMC because of the fight system per se. The 3rd entry may have the most complex one but I think the artstyle, the devil form, enemy and weapon designs and the overall mood were just absolutely the best in DMC 1.
x. Ico ;
x. Persona 4 ;
x. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra ;
x. Resident Evil 4 ;
x. Rule of Rose ;
x. Soul Reaver 2 ;
x. Silent Hill 2 ;
x. God Hand ;
x. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ;
x. Drakengard ;
x. Metal Gear Solid 3 ;
x. Onimusha 2 ;
2. Final Fantasy X ; One of my favourite Final Fantasies. I really enjoyed the unity of story and gameplay where the journey of playing is in parallel to the journey told through the story. Auron's backstory is one of the best in any Final Fantasy.
3. Odin Sphere ; The Story and especially the characters are just amazing (Ingway is my favourite). The item system is another place where this game excels. One has to manage ones items all the time by growing plants from seeds and mixing potions. No other item system kept me invested in the way Odin Sphere's does it.
4. Killer7 ; Suda 51 at his best: crazy story and a cast of stylish characters, all carefully distinguished via animation, abilities and attitude. On rails gameplay but I liked the necessity of carefully aiming where to shoot at. Unforgettable lines: "Destiny.", "Laaaater!", "Don't make me say it again, I'm a cleaner!" etc.
5. Okami ; The perfect adventure. So much to do, so much exploration. Some might say it was too long, but for me I didn't want it to end. They really nailed the brushstroke look with the artstyle.
6. Metal Gear Solid 2 ; My favourite MGS game. I really loved everything this game had to offer. The whole story of this game, or rather the part that was told directly, took place on the big shell. The Backtracking made sense since it lead to a feel of place. The opposite of the rollercoaster ride that was MGS4.
7. Persona 3 ; Loved the dating-sim elements. Loved the whole style of the game. Outstanding designs by Shigenori Soejima. I think I like it a bit more than P4. I think they did the transformation of the Personae into their higher form a lot better by synching it with the story.
8. Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner ; One word: Zero Shift! My favourite mech game with stellar designs by Yoji Shinkawa. One of my favourite things in games is when you get abilities at the end of the game that make you super strong. ZOE 2 is certainly one of the games that achieved this the best.
9. Kingdom Hearts II ; Nomura's designs mesh so well with the Disney universe. Last boss fight was epic. I really like Sora as a character. He's cheerful nature and carefreeness are just so charming. Really looking forward to what he'll be up to in KH3.
10. Devil May Cry ; I was never into DMC because of the fight system per se. The 3rd entry may have the most complex one but I think the artstyle, the devil form, enemy and weapon designs and the overall mood were just absolutely the best in DMC 1.
x. Ico ;
x. Persona 4 ;
x. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra ;
x. Resident Evil 4 ;
x. Rule of Rose ;
x. Soul Reaver 2 ;
x. Silent Hill 2 ;
x. God Hand ;
x. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ;
x. Drakengard ;
x. Metal Gear Solid 3 ;
x. Onimusha 2 ;
Why would you do that?
Member
Looking through a couple of pages, I've noticed that everyone I've seen who mentioned F-Zero GX and wrote comments about it wrote that it's their favorite racer ever.
As someone who shares that opinion, it makes me happy to see, but then it makes the fact that we don't have a new F-Zero all the more sadder...
Looking forward to seeing where it places in the final list!
As someone who shares that opinion, it makes me happy to see, but then it makes the fact that we don't have a new F-Zero all the more sadder...
Looking forward to seeing where it places in the final list!
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; This game has to be first because it utterly floored me when I first completed it. I'm one of the vocal masses who thinks videogames can be so much more than they currently are (my university dissertation was about interactive storytelling and the weaving of gameplay and narrative). It's Kojima, so of course it's overblown and a bit insane, but the DEPTH of the metanarrative and everything regarding genes/memes (before image macros were a thing like they are now), social concepts and the so-perfect-its-untrue timely release after 9/11 skyrockets this game into just *something else* for me. It's art, pure and simple, and I urge you to watch this critical analysis of it if you haven't already. It made a game that already totally shook me into something that I hold in my highest pantheon of artistic honours, and I believe its one of the few videogames to do something truly interesting with the unique concepts of the medium.
2. Final Fantasy X ; It's impossible for me to be objective about FFX. I was obsessed with it as a kid, knowing people who had PS1s and raved about 7,8+9, I knew when I had my PS2 and read every week's issue of Official Playstation Magazine UK that I HAD to have the new Final Fantasy game. Most likely the first game I ever bought Day One at full price (even though I was merely eight years old), I spent hours drawing fan art, writing fiction with poorly ripped-off characters and playfighting as characters from the game. Playing the HD remaster last year made me realise how much I love the world of Spira and every character in the game, flaws and all. The idea of a pilgrimage to collect summons is my favourite idea for an RPG plot, as I always found Summons to be the coolest part of that kind of game. FFX is an epic to me, and will always make me feel like a kid again. The music, the locations, the characters, the battle system, the boss fights. It's all so perfect.
3. Shadow of the Colossus ; Most of this game I played with a group of friends watching on, glued to the spectacle. I specifically remember the whole room gasping at
. There definitely isn't another game like it that captures loneliness and desolation, and tells such an interesting story about monsters in utter poignant silence.
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords ; I was glued to this on my GBA as a kid. It kickstarted my love of Zelda, and will most likely always be my favourite game in the series. Some of the best value for money as well, the Four Swords mode was BRILLIANT with a few friends if you could get all the cables. I'm dying for FS Anniversary to be available on 3DS again in Europe.
5. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 ; I always see people in threads asking where to start with Persona to just go ahead and play 4, but I highly disagree. P4 might be a bit more polished and refined (I still haven't finished it), but to not play P3 first seems like a disservice. It's darker and different, but it's still a hell of a game that you absolutely must play. It's shaped my concepts of the SMT series and it's one of the msot finely crafted RPGs I've ever had the pleasure to play.
6. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 ; So difficult to order B3 and THUG2, because I love both games for the same reasons. They introduced me to bands and music that would then shape my whole life experience for years and throughout my teens (for better or worse), and were my first foray into alternative music and something that wasn't on the radio. The first tracks I ever loaded onto my first iPod (the 4GB 1st gen iPod Mini) were albums by bands from the soundtracks of these two games. They both represent a style of game I think this generation and the last were missing. Fluid, "extreme", silly and fun as hell. I'd do anything for another proper Tony Hawk and Burnout game. The only reason THUG 2 is slightly above is because I think it has aged better.
7. Burnout 3: Takedown ; (see above)
8. TimeSplitters: Future Perfect ; This was MY FPS. Sure, we played Halo and Call of Duty and stuff, but the humour and pure frantic FUN of the TimeSplitters series was a staple of my childhood. I used to talk for hours with my friends about what we'd like to see in TS4 at sleepovers and breaktime at school. I dream we'll get to see it one day.
9. Rez ; I always wanted a Dreamcast, but my brother and I received a PS2 for Xmas one year. I'm not complaining, I think it's the best console ever made, but I'm just glad I still got to experience some of the little gems it had to offer like Rez. Pretty sure I bought it after being mesmerized by a demo disc, and it really is a special little game. It's influenced a lot of my design aesthetic as a graphic designer now, and the music still stands up as some of my favourite game music of all-time. It's a shame we don't really get this level budget game as a boxed title any more, but there are some indie games living up to its legacy.
10. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil ; My first console game ever. It's a magical little platformer and I don't think there's anything quite like it. Also the first game I ever fully completed (I don't count Pokémon Red as I didn't catch all 151).
x. Resident Evil 4 ; Just superbly put together game. The atmosphere is stunning.
x. Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire ; Still my favourite Pokémon game. Wailord 4 life.
x. Halo 2 ; If we were going on hours played, this or TimeSplitters:FP would probably be #1. Would play hours and hours of multiplayer with my brother and the neighbour boys after school. Unfortunately I've cooled on FPS games in the last 5 years or it probably would have made the list.
x. Zone of the Enders; Coolest mech design ever. I dream of a ZoE 3.
x. Guitar Hero ; I still remember my first time playing Guitar Hero, on a double date in the shopping district when I was about thirteen. I sucked, as we all did. But I kept going back every week to try it again until I had the money to buy my own copy.
x. Katamari Damacy ; I'll always love Katamari. I'm so glad we have people making games like this.
x. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; It's a phenomally fantastic game with so many memorable parts, but with the period setting and more straightforward plotline, it just doesn't compare to MGS2 in my eyes.
2. Final Fantasy X ; It's impossible for me to be objective about FFX. I was obsessed with it as a kid, knowing people who had PS1s and raved about 7,8+9, I knew when I had my PS2 and read every week's issue of Official Playstation Magazine UK that I HAD to have the new Final Fantasy game. Most likely the first game I ever bought Day One at full price (even though I was merely eight years old), I spent hours drawing fan art, writing fiction with poorly ripped-off characters and playfighting as characters from the game. Playing the HD remaster last year made me realise how much I love the world of Spira and every character in the game, flaws and all. The idea of a pilgrimage to collect summons is my favourite idea for an RPG plot, as I always found Summons to be the coolest part of that kind of game. FFX is an epic to me, and will always make me feel like a kid again. The music, the locations, the characters, the battle system, the boss fights. It's all so perfect.
3. Shadow of the Colossus ; Most of this game I played with a group of friends watching on, glued to the spectacle. I specifically remember the whole room gasping at
Agro's apparent death
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords ; I was glued to this on my GBA as a kid. It kickstarted my love of Zelda, and will most likely always be my favourite game in the series. Some of the best value for money as well, the Four Swords mode was BRILLIANT with a few friends if you could get all the cables. I'm dying for FS Anniversary to be available on 3DS again in Europe.
5. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 ; I always see people in threads asking where to start with Persona to just go ahead and play 4, but I highly disagree. P4 might be a bit more polished and refined (I still haven't finished it), but to not play P3 first seems like a disservice. It's darker and different, but it's still a hell of a game that you absolutely must play. It's shaped my concepts of the SMT series and it's one of the msot finely crafted RPGs I've ever had the pleasure to play.
6. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 ; So difficult to order B3 and THUG2, because I love both games for the same reasons. They introduced me to bands and music that would then shape my whole life experience for years and throughout my teens (for better or worse), and were my first foray into alternative music and something that wasn't on the radio. The first tracks I ever loaded onto my first iPod (the 4GB 1st gen iPod Mini) were albums by bands from the soundtracks of these two games. They both represent a style of game I think this generation and the last were missing. Fluid, "extreme", silly and fun as hell. I'd do anything for another proper Tony Hawk and Burnout game. The only reason THUG 2 is slightly above is because I think it has aged better.
7. Burnout 3: Takedown ; (see above)
8. TimeSplitters: Future Perfect ; This was MY FPS. Sure, we played Halo and Call of Duty and stuff, but the humour and pure frantic FUN of the TimeSplitters series was a staple of my childhood. I used to talk for hours with my friends about what we'd like to see in TS4 at sleepovers and breaktime at school. I dream we'll get to see it one day.
9. Rez ; I always wanted a Dreamcast, but my brother and I received a PS2 for Xmas one year. I'm not complaining, I think it's the best console ever made, but I'm just glad I still got to experience some of the little gems it had to offer like Rez. Pretty sure I bought it after being mesmerized by a demo disc, and it really is a special little game. It's influenced a lot of my design aesthetic as a graphic designer now, and the music still stands up as some of my favourite game music of all-time. It's a shame we don't really get this level budget game as a boxed title any more, but there are some indie games living up to its legacy.
10. Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil ; My first console game ever. It's a magical little platformer and I don't think there's anything quite like it. Also the first game I ever fully completed (I don't count Pokémon Red as I didn't catch all 151).
x. Resident Evil 4 ; Just superbly put together game. The atmosphere is stunning.
x. Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire ; Still my favourite Pokémon game. Wailord 4 life.
x. Halo 2 ; If we were going on hours played, this or TimeSplitters:FP would probably be #1. Would play hours and hours of multiplayer with my brother and the neighbour boys after school. Unfortunately I've cooled on FPS games in the last 5 years or it probably would have made the list.
x. Zone of the Enders; Coolest mech design ever. I dream of a ZoE 3.
x. Guitar Hero ; I still remember my first time playing Guitar Hero, on a double date in the shopping district when I was about thirteen. I sucked, as we all did. But I kept going back every week to try it again until I had the money to buy my own copy.
x. Katamari Damacy ; I'll always love Katamari. I'm so glad we have people making games like this.
x. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; It's a phenomally fantastic game with so many memorable parts, but with the period setting and more straightforward plotline, it just doesn't compare to MGS2 in my eyes.
Aeriscloud
Banned
1. Metroid Prime ; First person metroid? Who would have thought? But damn was it ever a continuation of greatness.
2. Final Fantasy X ; Ha ha ha ha ha. Imo, one of the highest replay value in the series.
3. Knights of the Old Republic ; I only wish it was longer, still amazing.
4. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess ; My opinion is constantly changing on my favorite Zelda, and I would definitely rank this near the top, beginning aside of course.
5. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Hours upon hours upon hours of fun and replay.
6. Grand Theft Auto Vice City ; I don't run so far away from this one.
7. Final Fantasy XI ; I put many years into this absolute masterpiece.
8. Warcraft III ; Greatest RTS? Maybe not, greatest new addition to RTS gameplay? Definitely
9. The Sims ; Sim Human
10. Soul Calibur ; It's strange to think this was a Dreamcast launch title, or that it's 16 years old, simply amazing.
2. Final Fantasy X ; Ha ha ha ha ha. Imo, one of the highest replay value in the series.
3. Knights of the Old Republic ; I only wish it was longer, still amazing.
4. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess ; My opinion is constantly changing on my favorite Zelda, and I would definitely rank this near the top, beginning aside of course.
5. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; Hours upon hours upon hours of fun and replay.
6. Grand Theft Auto Vice City ; I don't run so far away from this one.
7. Final Fantasy XI ; I put many years into this absolute masterpiece.
8. Warcraft III ; Greatest RTS? Maybe not, greatest new addition to RTS gameplay? Definitely
9. The Sims ; Sim Human
10. Soul Calibur ; It's strange to think this was a Dreamcast launch title, or that it's 16 years old, simply amazing.
Really hard list to make, but I feel good about the top 6 especially.
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; The greatest achievement of the gen in my mind, on both a technical and artistic level.
2. Metroid Prime ; On another day, this could be number one. Like MGS2, it was so far beyond everything else out there when it was released.
3. Resident Evil 4 ;
4. Halo ;
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ;
6.Super Smash Bros. Melee ;
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 ;
8. Persona 4 ;
9. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ;
10. Metroid: Zero Mission ;
x. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures ;
x. WarioWare: Mega Microgames ;
x. REmake ;
x. Animal Crossing ;
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ;
x. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time ;
x. NFL 2K5 ;
x. Mario Kart: Double Dash ;
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ;
x. Metroid Fusion ;
x. NBA Street Volume 2 ;
x. The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap ;
x. Splinter Cell ;
x. Madden NFL 2002-2005 ;
1. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; The greatest achievement of the gen in my mind, on both a technical and artistic level.
2. Metroid Prime ; On another day, this could be number one. Like MGS2, it was so far beyond everything else out there when it was released.
3. Resident Evil 4 ;
4. Halo ;
5. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ;
6.Super Smash Bros. Melee ;
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 ;
8. Persona 4 ;
9. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ;
10. Metroid: Zero Mission ;
x. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures ;
x. WarioWare: Mega Microgames ;
x. REmake ;
x. Animal Crossing ;
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ;
x. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time ;
x. NFL 2K5 ;
x. Mario Kart: Double Dash ;
x. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ;
x. Metroid Fusion ;
x. NBA Street Volume 2 ;
x. The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap ;
x. Splinter Cell ;
x. Madden NFL 2002-2005 ;
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who likes GX but doesn't love it. It's just too damn hard, but its sense of speed is certainly unparalleled.
Barry Burton
Member
Honorable Mentions
I felt bad about leaving each of these games off of the list, but that just speaks volumes about how amazing this generation of consoles was. Each of these were truly great games, and certainly deserve recognition for that.
10. Super Mario Sunshine
It's probably the worst of the 3D Mario games, but that's more of a testament to how great the others are rather than a slight against Sunshine. In spite of its roughness around the edges, I found the game incredibly fun and addicting and it was an absolute joy to play all the way through. It's also a game that feels strange in several regards, which is an element that has stuck with me over the years. But what stands out the most about Super Mario Sunshine are the brilliant secret stages, which were pure-platforming bliss, and foreshadowed the direction that the 3D series has moved in ever since. (2002, Nintendo)
9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
This is Hideo Kojima at his absolute most, batshit insane. And that's what makes Metal Gear Solid 2 such an incredible achievement. What it does from a storytelling angle is so incredibly bold and ambitious that over a decade later, it's still almost hard to believe anyone had the stones it took to pull it off. It's not the best-playing Metal Gear game (though the stealth mechanics are quite an improvement over the first game), but it's the most memorable one. It was a wild ride that I never wanted to see end. Even today, it still feels ahead of its time. (2001, Konami)
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee
It's almost hard to describe just how much better Melee is than the original N64 game; as a (for all intents and purposes) GameCube launch title, it was simply mind-boggling at the time. In terms of the number of modes, characters, stages, items, so on and so forth, Melee made the previous game look tiny in comparison -- it turned a fun party experience into both a celebration of all things Nintendo, and one of the most competitive fighting games out there. It runs smooth as silk and still remains the Smash Bros. game that feels the best to play. There was no game I spent more hours playing during this generation, and there was never a moment where I wasn't having a ton of fun. (2001, HAL Laboratory)
7. Grand Theft Auto III
I must confess, I don't believe I ever played a single story mission in GTA III -- I just ran around killing everyone and blowing stuff up. And it was AWESOME! It doesn't seem like much of a big deal now, but back then, it was an element of freedom in a realistic setting that I never got from a video game up to that point. And certainly not one that allowed you to carry out this extreme level of chaos. GTA III is a tremendous achievement that still has its fingerprints all over many of today's new releases. (2001, DMA Design)
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
MGS3 is the most different of the Metal Gear Solid games, and that's primarily why it's the best. The storytelling manages to still be strong in spite of its weirdness, but there's an aspect of brevity(!) to Snake Eater that allows the narrative to be told without needing to rely on the absurd to be memorable. And the gameplay and level design is so much stronger here than in other MGS games that the storytelling doesn't have to go out of its way to carry it. Where MGS3 becomes a classic, however, are the boss fights. They are the strongest in the whole series, and a few of them are among the most unique and creative encounters in any game that I've played. (2004, Konami)
5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Echoes is oftentimes considered the black sheep of the Metroid Prime series, and I'm still flabbergasted as to why. Sure, it's not as memorable or as innovative as the first game, but how many games are? What Echoes does bring to the table are some of the most complex and inventive level, boss and puzzle designs that I had ever seen in a game. It was the first game I ever played where I paused it and said to myself "Holy shit. The guys who came up with this are geniuses." It's one of the most creatively designed games I've ever played, and I've got to think it's also the most underrated. (2004, Retro Studios)
4. Resident Evil 4
Looking back on RE4 is always bittersweet. On the one hand, the departure from survival horror into full-blown action took away nearly everything I loved about the Resident Evil series, and started the franchise down a path where it has eventually descended into mediocrity. On the other hand, it's only the best third-person shooter I've ever played and one of the greatest overall action games ever made. I don't have to like everything about it, but I can't take anything away from it. It is that damn good. Supported by its tremendous pacing and intense combat, RE4 delivered an unforgettable initial playthrough that was so good, I've probably beaten it a dozen or more times since then (far more times than I've played through any other game). The village, in particular, is arguably the strongest 5 or so hours of any video game. Ever. (2005, Capcom)
3. Half-Life 2
Unlike RE4, Half-Life 2 is a game that I only had the good fortune of playing once. Most games, I only play once and even ones that I've played in the past few months, I only remember the strongest bits and pieces. But yet, I could probably describe to you in detail just about everything that happens during the Half-Life 2 campaign. That's how memorable it was. Every single moment in Half-Life 2 felt as if it were crafted under a microscope by the guys at Valve, and even if a specific moment wasn't great or fun, it was something I would remember. Most often, it was because it was something that I had never seen or done before in a game. And from the beginning of Half-Life 2 up until the very end, there were moments like these one after the other. (2004, Valve)
2. Resident Evil
The word "masterpiece" gets thrown around a bit too often, but it deserves its place here. Because that's what the 2002 Resident Evil remake is: a true masterpiece. It is near-perfect in just about every regard. Whether it's the incredible atmosphere, the well-balanced gameplay, or the ever-present feeling of dread that comes over you as you're about to turn each corner or open every door, REmake always hits the mark. It's the best Resident Evil game, it's the best survival horror game, and it's one of the best games ever made, period. Few video game experiences have ever stood out more than my time spent in the Spencer Mansion, allowing myself to become lost inside of its walls, my nerves always on edge in anticipation of what may or may not happen next... (2002, Capcom)
1. Metroid Prime
Nothing really needs to be said about this one, but I'll say a few things anyways. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was and still is the greatest game ever made, but in the 15 years that have passed since Majora's Mask closed the book on the N64-era, Metroid Prime is the only game to seriously contend for that crown. And to think that not only was this the first ever 3D Metroid game, but the debut game by a first-time developer, very few things have ever happened in the game industry that are either more remarkable or as surprising. No game in the last 15 years has impressed me more, and in as many different ways, as Metroid Prime. Where do I even start? The level design? The immersive atmosphere? The boss fights? Art style? Soundtrack? All masterfully done. If any one thing deserves to be called out above everything else, it's how they took the platforming and shooting of the 2D Metroid games and recreated it in first-person, while retaining that same sense of exploration in third-person, and that the two can be alternated between at any point and it all feels seamless.
No game is perfect, but there are a handful of games that are close enough where it's totally okay to call it that. Metroid Prime is one of those games. (2002, Retro Studios)
Condensed List:
1. Metroid Prime; Metroid's 3D debut is every bit as impressive as Mario and Zelda beforehand.
2. Resident Evil (REmake); The pinnacle of the RE series as the survival horror standard.
3. Half-Life 2; One of the most memorable single-player FPS campaigns ever crafted.
4. Resident Evil 4; Still the best third-person shooter I've played.
5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; Underrated gem that is even better than the first one in some respects.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; Kojima's greatest game, and the one MGS that delivers in all areas.
7. Grand Theft Auto III; Absolute mayhem in 3D for the first time. It changed everything.
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee; No sequel has ever been this much better than a preceding game which was also great.
9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty; I need scissors! 61!
10. Super Mario Sunshine; Worst 3D Mario game; still awesome.
x. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
x. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
x. F-Zero GX
x. God of War II
x. Ico
x. Killer 7
x. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
x. Shadow of the Colossus
x. Timesplitters 2
x. Viewtiful Joe
I felt bad about leaving each of these games off of the list, but that just speaks volumes about how amazing this generation of consoles was. Each of these were truly great games, and certainly deserve recognition for that.
10. Super Mario Sunshine
It's probably the worst of the 3D Mario games, but that's more of a testament to how great the others are rather than a slight against Sunshine. In spite of its roughness around the edges, I found the game incredibly fun and addicting and it was an absolute joy to play all the way through. It's also a game that feels strange in several regards, which is an element that has stuck with me over the years. But what stands out the most about Super Mario Sunshine are the brilliant secret stages, which were pure-platforming bliss, and foreshadowed the direction that the 3D series has moved in ever since. (2002, Nintendo)
9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
This is Hideo Kojima at his absolute most, batshit insane. And that's what makes Metal Gear Solid 2 such an incredible achievement. What it does from a storytelling angle is so incredibly bold and ambitious that over a decade later, it's still almost hard to believe anyone had the stones it took to pull it off. It's not the best-playing Metal Gear game (though the stealth mechanics are quite an improvement over the first game), but it's the most memorable one. It was a wild ride that I never wanted to see end. Even today, it still feels ahead of its time. (2001, Konami)
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee
It's almost hard to describe just how much better Melee is than the original N64 game; as a (for all intents and purposes) GameCube launch title, it was simply mind-boggling at the time. In terms of the number of modes, characters, stages, items, so on and so forth, Melee made the previous game look tiny in comparison -- it turned a fun party experience into both a celebration of all things Nintendo, and one of the most competitive fighting games out there. It runs smooth as silk and still remains the Smash Bros. game that feels the best to play. There was no game I spent more hours playing during this generation, and there was never a moment where I wasn't having a ton of fun. (2001, HAL Laboratory)
7. Grand Theft Auto III
I must confess, I don't believe I ever played a single story mission in GTA III -- I just ran around killing everyone and blowing stuff up. And it was AWESOME! It doesn't seem like much of a big deal now, but back then, it was an element of freedom in a realistic setting that I never got from a video game up to that point. And certainly not one that allowed you to carry out this extreme level of chaos. GTA III is a tremendous achievement that still has its fingerprints all over many of today's new releases. (2001, DMA Design)
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
MGS3 is the most different of the Metal Gear Solid games, and that's primarily why it's the best. The storytelling manages to still be strong in spite of its weirdness, but there's an aspect of brevity(!) to Snake Eater that allows the narrative to be told without needing to rely on the absurd to be memorable. And the gameplay and level design is so much stronger here than in other MGS games that the storytelling doesn't have to go out of its way to carry it. Where MGS3 becomes a classic, however, are the boss fights. They are the strongest in the whole series, and a few of them are among the most unique and creative encounters in any game that I've played. (2004, Konami)
5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Echoes is oftentimes considered the black sheep of the Metroid Prime series, and I'm still flabbergasted as to why. Sure, it's not as memorable or as innovative as the first game, but how many games are? What Echoes does bring to the table are some of the most complex and inventive level, boss and puzzle designs that I had ever seen in a game. It was the first game I ever played where I paused it and said to myself "Holy shit. The guys who came up with this are geniuses." It's one of the most creatively designed games I've ever played, and I've got to think it's also the most underrated. (2004, Retro Studios)
4. Resident Evil 4
Looking back on RE4 is always bittersweet. On the one hand, the departure from survival horror into full-blown action took away nearly everything I loved about the Resident Evil series, and started the franchise down a path where it has eventually descended into mediocrity. On the other hand, it's only the best third-person shooter I've ever played and one of the greatest overall action games ever made. I don't have to like everything about it, but I can't take anything away from it. It is that damn good. Supported by its tremendous pacing and intense combat, RE4 delivered an unforgettable initial playthrough that was so good, I've probably beaten it a dozen or more times since then (far more times than I've played through any other game). The village, in particular, is arguably the strongest 5 or so hours of any video game. Ever. (2005, Capcom)
3. Half-Life 2
Unlike RE4, Half-Life 2 is a game that I only had the good fortune of playing once. Most games, I only play once and even ones that I've played in the past few months, I only remember the strongest bits and pieces. But yet, I could probably describe to you in detail just about everything that happens during the Half-Life 2 campaign. That's how memorable it was. Every single moment in Half-Life 2 felt as if it were crafted under a microscope by the guys at Valve, and even if a specific moment wasn't great or fun, it was something I would remember. Most often, it was because it was something that I had never seen or done before in a game. And from the beginning of Half-Life 2 up until the very end, there were moments like these one after the other. (2004, Valve)
2. Resident Evil
The word "masterpiece" gets thrown around a bit too often, but it deserves its place here. Because that's what the 2002 Resident Evil remake is: a true masterpiece. It is near-perfect in just about every regard. Whether it's the incredible atmosphere, the well-balanced gameplay, or the ever-present feeling of dread that comes over you as you're about to turn each corner or open every door, REmake always hits the mark. It's the best Resident Evil game, it's the best survival horror game, and it's one of the best games ever made, period. Few video game experiences have ever stood out more than my time spent in the Spencer Mansion, allowing myself to become lost inside of its walls, my nerves always on edge in anticipation of what may or may not happen next... (2002, Capcom)
1. Metroid Prime
Nothing really needs to be said about this one, but I'll say a few things anyways. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was and still is the greatest game ever made, but in the 15 years that have passed since Majora's Mask closed the book on the N64-era, Metroid Prime is the only game to seriously contend for that crown. And to think that not only was this the first ever 3D Metroid game, but the debut game by a first-time developer, very few things have ever happened in the game industry that are either more remarkable or as surprising. No game in the last 15 years has impressed me more, and in as many different ways, as Metroid Prime. Where do I even start? The level design? The immersive atmosphere? The boss fights? Art style? Soundtrack? All masterfully done. If any one thing deserves to be called out above everything else, it's how they took the platforming and shooting of the 2D Metroid games and recreated it in first-person, while retaining that same sense of exploration in third-person, and that the two can be alternated between at any point and it all feels seamless.
No game is perfect, but there are a handful of games that are close enough where it's totally okay to call it that. Metroid Prime is one of those games. (2002, Retro Studios)
Condensed List:
1. Metroid Prime; Metroid's 3D debut is every bit as impressive as Mario and Zelda beforehand.
2. Resident Evil (REmake); The pinnacle of the RE series as the survival horror standard.
3. Half-Life 2; One of the most memorable single-player FPS campaigns ever crafted.
4. Resident Evil 4; Still the best third-person shooter I've played.
5. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; Underrated gem that is even better than the first one in some respects.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; Kojima's greatest game, and the one MGS that delivers in all areas.
7. Grand Theft Auto III; Absolute mayhem in 3D for the first time. It changed everything.
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee; No sequel has ever been this much better than a preceding game which was also great.
9. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty; I need scissors! 61!
10. Super Mario Sunshine; Worst 3D Mario game; still awesome.
x. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
x. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
x. F-Zero GX
x. God of War II
x. Ico
x. Killer 7
x. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay
x. Shadow of the Colossus
x. Timesplitters 2
x. Viewtiful Joe
astrogamer
Member
1. Pikmin 2; My favorite game of all time. Beautiful and amazing amount of content
2. Resident Evil 4; While technically I played this on the Wii, I realize the game's merit and it's cheesy writing
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; First Zelda I ever properly finished. Some amazing dungeons and great bosses and some good music
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee; This game was my childhood. Many good memories playing with my brothers.
5. Rogue Galaxy; Pretty good rpg with a lot of content. Some really interesting locales and somsolid combat
6. Pokemon XD: Gales of Darkness;
7. Custom Robo;
8. Star Wars Battlefront 2;
9. Pokemon Firered/ Leafgreen;
10. Mario Kart: Double Dash;
x. Star Fox Assault
x. Super Mario Strikers
2. Resident Evil 4; While technically I played this on the Wii, I realize the game's merit and it's cheesy writing
3. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; First Zelda I ever properly finished. Some amazing dungeons and great bosses and some good music
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee; This game was my childhood. Many good memories playing with my brothers.
5. Rogue Galaxy; Pretty good rpg with a lot of content. Some really interesting locales and somsolid combat
6. Pokemon XD: Gales of Darkness;
7. Custom Robo;
8. Star Wars Battlefront 2;
9. Pokemon Firered/ Leafgreen;
10. Mario Kart: Double Dash;
x. Star Fox Assault
x. Super Mario Strikers
Astral Dog
Member
MGS 3 has the crown assured its going to be prom queen.
i really didn't want to make this post but, after looking at this thread every day, i had to do it because of one game that deserved more points...
1. F-Zero GX ; if you have played and understood GX, you know that, even if the best team at Nintendo decided to develop another one, a new F-Zero game would be worse. That's the only downside of playing GX. And if you played GX, but found it frustating because the CPUs knew more about the game physics that you, there's still an irreplaceable and rewarding experience waiting for you to discover
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; if you have only played the newer smash bros games, i'd suggest you trying this one.
3. Shadow of the Colossus ; that's it!! we have a valid list This game deserved so much better, i know. But how can you describe it!? it's so unique.
but, after looking at this thread every day, i had to do it because of one game that deserved more points...1. F-Zero GX ; if you have played and understood GX, you know that, even if the best team at Nintendo decided to develop another one, a new F-Zero game would be worse. That's the only downside of playing GX. And if you played GX, but found it frustating because the CPUs knew more about the game physics that you, there's still an irreplaceable and rewarding experience waiting for you to discover
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; if you have only played the newer smash bros games, i'd suggest you trying this one.
3. Shadow of the Colossus ; that's it!! we have a valid list
This game deserved so much better, i know. But how can you describe it!? it's so unique.dancrane212
Member
I've done it all, opened boxes, skimmed through memory cards and game carts yet I know there is a least one game that will go on missing this list that shouldn't. That copout aside...
1. Metroid Prime ; I used to prefer third person for my games, moving the player character in ways to make the camera present them in the coolest way possible. Metroid Prime changed that. The game put me in the role of a character that made you really feel like an explorer, digging up logs and unlocking secrets in a way that I had never done before. To save me anymore writing, I think this game is genius.
2. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader ; My favorite toys growing up were the Star Wars micro machine line of starships. I would spend so much time acting out the battles from the movies as best I could. You can imagine my excitement years later when not only I was playing a sequel to one of my favorite 64 games but one that made the movies feel so real. It's a game I make a point of going back to every year, it's a crime the series ended.
3. Battle for Middle Earth; While this team would go on to revitalize my favorite strategy series with C&C3 their work on this licensed game was incredible. There was so much love and detail put into this game. The most poignant example was how Trolls would cause soldiers to cry out in fear and back away.
4. Halo: Combat Evolved ; While not my favorite Halo I still have a place on this list for CE, it introduced me to a combat sandbox that, in either multiplayer of solo, would always be hard for me to step away from.
5. Golden Sun ; My time with SNES games usually didn't include RPGs and if they did it never lasted long. Golden Sun was the first RPG to grab me in such a way that not only did I have to see it to competition I had to do it 100%. It opened me up to an entire genre in the way no JRPG had done before.
6. Half Life 2 ; A big story driven, cinematic adventure. Much like Metroid you fell like an actual person in Half Life 2, the fantastic gameplay is just icing on the cake.
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap ; It's charming, fun, gorgeous and not a crazy time investment. Sprite-based Zelda games couldn't ask for a better send off.
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; I love this game for all the reasons the completive scene doesn't. The insanity of 4 player brawls with items flying everywhere was always a popular attraction for my family. The fantastic solo options also kept me coming back, Smash 4 should take note!
9. Beyond Good & Evil ; Replaying this a couple years ago reminded me just how much I loved the world of BG&E. It's just a wonderful game, I hope to someday see it continue.
10. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; Much like BG&E I didn't want to let this game go when the time came for it to end.
x. Wind Waker ; The amazing end dungeon helped balance out the horrifyingly slow pace that game crawls to in the latter bit.
x. Paper Mario 2; A blast to play even now, no other Mario RPG comes close.
x. Eternal Darkness ; Played this game years after the fact and still loved it!
x. KOTOR ; I just wish my friend hadn't spoiled the twist.
x. Second Sight ; Speaking of twists! Wow, still can't get over what a ride this game was.
x. So many more but writing on a tablet is miserable so I quit.
1. Metroid Prime ; I used to prefer third person for my games, moving the player character in ways to make the camera present them in the coolest way possible. Metroid Prime changed that. The game put me in the role of a character that made you really feel like an explorer, digging up logs and unlocking secrets in a way that I had never done before. To save me anymore writing, I think this game is genius.
2. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader ; My favorite toys growing up were the Star Wars micro machine line of starships. I would spend so much time acting out the battles from the movies as best I could. You can imagine my excitement years later when not only I was playing a sequel to one of my favorite 64 games but one that made the movies feel so real. It's a game I make a point of going back to every year, it's a crime the series ended.
3. Battle for Middle Earth; While this team would go on to revitalize my favorite strategy series with C&C3 their work on this licensed game was incredible. There was so much love and detail put into this game. The most poignant example was how Trolls would cause soldiers to cry out in fear and back away.
4. Halo: Combat Evolved ; While not my favorite Halo I still have a place on this list for CE, it introduced me to a combat sandbox that, in either multiplayer of solo, would always be hard for me to step away from.
5. Golden Sun ; My time with SNES games usually didn't include RPGs and if they did it never lasted long. Golden Sun was the first RPG to grab me in such a way that not only did I have to see it to competition I had to do it 100%. It opened me up to an entire genre in the way no JRPG had done before.
6. Half Life 2 ; A big story driven, cinematic adventure. Much like Metroid you fell like an actual person in Half Life 2, the fantastic gameplay is just icing on the cake.
7. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap ; It's charming, fun, gorgeous and not a crazy time investment. Sprite-based Zelda games couldn't ask for a better send off.
8. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; I love this game for all the reasons the completive scene doesn't. The insanity of 4 player brawls with items flying everywhere was always a popular attraction for my family. The fantastic solo options also kept me coming back, Smash 4 should take note!
9. Beyond Good & Evil ; Replaying this a couple years ago reminded me just how much I loved the world of BG&E. It's just a wonderful game, I hope to someday see it continue.
10. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; Much like BG&E I didn't want to let this game go when the time came for it to end.
x. Wind Waker ; The amazing end dungeon helped balance out the horrifyingly slow pace that game crawls to in the latter bit.
x. Paper Mario 2; A blast to play even now, no other Mario RPG comes close.
x. Eternal Darkness ; Played this game years after the fact and still loved it!
x. KOTOR ; I just wish my friend hadn't spoiled the twist.
x. Second Sight ; Speaking of twists! Wow, still can't get over what a ride this game was.
x. So many more but writing on a tablet is miserable so I quit.
Eolz
Member
Reminder that the OST of the generation voting thread is also finishing soon.
You still have time to make a quick list!
You still have time to make a quick list!
iconoclast
Member
1. Dodonpachi Daioujou ; I wasn't sure about the order of the rest of my list, but it was very easy to pick Daioujou as my #1. A true masterwork.
2. Fire Pro Wrestling Returns ; A decade after its release and FPR is still in a league of its own, as far as wrestling games are concerned. The huge roster, perfect grappling system, and endless customization has made it all but impossible for anyone to top.
3. God Hand
4. Ninja Gaiden Black
5. OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
6. Halo 2
7. MechAssault
8. Steel Battalion
9. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
10. World of Warcraft
x. Espgaluda
x. Ikaruga
x. Jet Set Radio
x. F-Zero GX
x. Contra: Shattered Soldier
x. Earth Defense Force 2 (aka Global Defense Force in Europe)
x. Viewtiful Joe
x. Metal Slug 3
x. Resident Evil
x. Yakuza 2
I went with one game per series for a little more variety. I'm also too lazy to write anything about most of these games, especially since I haven't played some of them in such a long time. It's obvious why most of them are great, anyway. (´・ω・`)
2. Fire Pro Wrestling Returns ; A decade after its release and FPR is still in a league of its own, as far as wrestling games are concerned. The huge roster, perfect grappling system, and endless customization has made it all but impossible for anyone to top.
3. God Hand
4. Ninja Gaiden Black
5. OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast
6. Halo 2
7. MechAssault
8. Steel Battalion
9. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
10. World of Warcraft
x. Espgaluda
x. Ikaruga
x. Jet Set Radio
x. F-Zero GX
x. Contra: Shattered Soldier
x. Earth Defense Force 2 (aka Global Defense Force in Europe)
x. Viewtiful Joe
x. Metal Slug 3
x. Resident Evil
x. Yakuza 2
I went with one game per series for a little more variety. I'm also too lazy to write anything about most of these games, especially since I haven't played some of them in such a long time. It's obvious why most of them are great, anyway. (´・ω・`)
1. Metroid Prime 2 ; Metroid Prime but better, even more lore and really great game all around. Challenging and beautiful too.
2. Romancing Saga PS2 ; Tied with MP2 but seriously best RPG I've played, plenty to discover. Not too obtuse, gorgeous and fantastic music.
Rather hard too.
3. Metroid Prime ; Basically my second goto game from the GC, Prime time every day with this one.
4. Zone of the Enders 2 ; Late discovery for me, beautiful and really captured everything I love about mecha.
5. Golden Sun Lost Age ; Follow up to the surprise Golden Sun game, better and bigger, with nearly everything fixed and a huge map to show for it, and the music!.
6. Castlevania Double pack; 2 fantastic Castlevania games packed into it, horrible boxart, awesome everything else.
7. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle ; A fantastic game that kept me going and going, with surprisingly good music, characters. Surprisingly deep tale, probably one of my fav game ever.
8. Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess ; Finally a Zelda game with an overworld that's not utter crap in a long time, great battle system, good dungeons. A bit on the easy side but really great.
9. Kingdom Hearts ; Simple tale but fantastic game, good story, awesome music.
10. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance ; FFT with judges and way easier, a battle system that's so awesome I couldn't quit till I was thoroughly finished .
Honorable 1. Fire Emblem Path of Radiance ; A fantastic game that kept me going and going, with surprisingly good music, characters and va that are not that offensive.
Honorable 2. Final Fantasy XII ; Everything I wanted in a modern FF with maybe a little issue with the plot. It's rather too bad that I can't go back to it after Xenoblade since it has my fav character Gabranth.
Honorable 3. Pikmin 1
2. Romancing Saga PS2 ; Tied with MP2 but seriously best RPG I've played, plenty to discover. Not too obtuse, gorgeous and fantastic music.
Rather hard too.
3. Metroid Prime ; Basically my second goto game from the GC, Prime time every day with this one.
4. Zone of the Enders 2 ; Late discovery for me, beautiful and really captured everything I love about mecha.
5. Golden Sun Lost Age ; Follow up to the surprise Golden Sun game, better and bigger, with nearly everything fixed and a huge map to show for it, and the music!.
6. Castlevania Double pack; 2 fantastic Castlevania games packed into it, horrible boxart, awesome everything else.
7. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle ; A fantastic game that kept me going and going, with surprisingly good music, characters. Surprisingly deep tale, probably one of my fav game ever.
8. Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess ; Finally a Zelda game with an overworld that's not utter crap in a long time, great battle system, good dungeons. A bit on the easy side but really great.
9. Kingdom Hearts ; Simple tale but fantastic game, good story, awesome music.
10. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance ; FFT with judges and way easier, a battle system that's so awesome I couldn't quit till I was thoroughly finished .
Honorable 1. Fire Emblem Path of Radiance ; A fantastic game that kept me going and going, with surprisingly good music, characters and va that are not that offensive.
Honorable 2. Final Fantasy XII ; Everything I wanted in a modern FF with maybe a little issue with the plot. It's rather too bad that I can't go back to it after Xenoblade since it has my fav character Gabranth.
Honorable 3. Pikmin 1
JehutyRunner
Banned
I will be heartbroken if MGS3 isn't the winner. It really is the GOTG. Nothing against RE4, it's a good game, but MGS3 really was a massive special game that as of late became an even more special game for me in recent months.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
God bless friend Owl, and great list
Myself, I'm just too damn lazy to write about video games right now, lol. RE4, NGB, Viewtiful Joe, something something, etc.
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Metroid Prime has a shot as well. Any of those three games are more than deserving of the title.
SunBroDave
Member
Calling it now, the top spot 5 are gonna be some combination of Melee, MGS3, Prime 1, RE4, and Shadow of the Colossus.
1. Valkyrie Profile 2 : Silmeria; Incredibly beautiful graphics for the system with a killer Sakuraba soundtrack, and the game retained a strong feeling of the original even though it moved away from the Einherjar vignettes and the battle system moved into much more complexity. Such a great game. Fuck Square-Enix why do you hate me for not releasing this on PSN or ever giving tri-Ace the sequel it deserved?
2. Baten Kaitos Origins ; Great battle system, art and more Sakuraba GOODNESS! Actually it is probably my favorite soundtrack from him. I still think I preferred the battle system of the first game but this was still sogud. Great A+++ localization too, such a huge difference after the shitty first one. I can't believe Nintendo have never wooed Namco on an entry for 3DS/Wii U with Monolithsoft.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; It captured my imagination like no other game and perfectly reflected my feelings of how a Zelda game should look and feel.
4. Jak II ;The sequel to Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, and prequel to Jak 3, the aptly titled Jak II needs no introduction of incredible tight gameplay and design for Anihawk, he knows just how good it is.
5. Odin Sphere ; Mindblowing 2D graphics with an awesome Sakimoto soundtrack and another brilliant localization. The gameplay may have been repetitive but the way the story unfolded was an experience unlike any other for me, and it was such a great story too. I got captivated by this game big time my first time through.
6. Final Fantasy XII ; Unreal art direction and graphics with a first-of-its kind Sakimoto mainline soundtrack, and one of the best English dubs ever put to disc. The gameplay was addictive, the wealth of side-quests was magnificent, the design of the world and the well realized geography were perfect, it's such a great game, it's just a shame the story never comes together and isn't particularly well paced.
7. Tales of Symphonia ; INferior beeeings
8. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance ; My go to hack'n'slash game for the generation though I played many more. I probably played it through 4 or 5 times and always had a blast on every playthrough in the co-op.
9. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles ; Great art and graphics and a great soundtrack from... someone or another (I have no idea who did the FFCC soundtracks now that I think of it). I played it single-player and didn't much care for it then played it 2-player and found myself enthralled with the world and the design. Wish I could have played this 4-player once
10. Super Monkey Ball ;The best single player design of the franchise and even though it had the fewest minigames it still probably had the best minigames of the franchise (I vaguely recall some minor changes in the sequel but can't remember them to be honest). Super excellent game.
Honorable Mentions
x. Viewtiful Joe
x. Steambot Chronicles
x. Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
x. Champions of Norrath (somewhat had series representation due to BGA, even though they're two franchises)
x. The Bard's Tale
x. Fatal Frame/Project Zero 3 (I always liked the third most, don't ask me why)
x. Castlevania Aria of Sorrow (kind of would be cheating as I just played it last year on Wii U VC)
x. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
x. Ico
x. Shadow of the Collosus
x. SSX Tricky
2. Baten Kaitos Origins ; Great battle system, art and more Sakuraba GOODNESS! Actually it is probably my favorite soundtrack from him. I still think I preferred the battle system of the first game but this was still sogud. Great A+++ localization too, such a huge difference after the shitty first one. I can't believe Nintendo have never wooed Namco on an entry for 3DS/Wii U with Monolithsoft.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; It captured my imagination like no other game and perfectly reflected my feelings of how a Zelda game should look and feel.
4. Jak II ;The sequel to Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, and prequel to Jak 3, the aptly titled Jak II needs no introduction of incredible tight gameplay and design for Anihawk, he knows just how good it is.
5. Odin Sphere ; Mindblowing 2D graphics with an awesome Sakimoto soundtrack and another brilliant localization. The gameplay may have been repetitive but the way the story unfolded was an experience unlike any other for me, and it was such a great story too. I got captivated by this game big time my first time through.
6. Final Fantasy XII ; Unreal art direction and graphics with a first-of-its kind Sakimoto mainline soundtrack, and one of the best English dubs ever put to disc. The gameplay was addictive, the wealth of side-quests was magnificent, the design of the world and the well realized geography were perfect, it's such a great game, it's just a shame the story never comes together and isn't particularly well paced.
7. Tales of Symphonia ; INferior beeeings
8. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance ; My go to hack'n'slash game for the generation though I played many more. I probably played it through 4 or 5 times and always had a blast on every playthrough in the co-op.
9. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles ; Great art and graphics and a great soundtrack from... someone or another (I have no idea who did the FFCC soundtracks now that I think of it). I played it single-player and didn't much care for it then played it 2-player and found myself enthralled with the world and the design. Wish I could have played this 4-player once
10. Super Monkey Ball ;The best single player design of the franchise and even though it had the fewest minigames it still probably had the best minigames of the franchise (I vaguely recall some minor changes in the sequel but can't remember them to be honest). Super excellent game.
Honorable Mentions
x. Viewtiful Joe
x. Steambot Chronicles
x. Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits
x. Champions of Norrath (somewhat had series representation due to BG
A, even though they're two franchises)x. The Bard's Tale
x. Fatal Frame/Project Zero 3 (I always liked the third most, don't ask me why)
x. Castlevania Aria of Sorrow (kind of would be cheating as I just played it last year on Wii U VC)
x. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
x. Ico
x. Shadow of the Collosus
x. SSX Tricky
1). Resident Evil 4; Of all of the games I've had the pleasure of playing throughout my life no other game has the ability to still make me say, "I fucking love this game," after a year or two, let alone a decade later. What makes this game so incredible is literally everything that you do feels amazing. Reloading a gun, opening (or kicking) a door open, head shots, suplexing the zealots on the staircase, etc... I could keep going here. The gameplay was sensational and the pacing in the game has made it one of the most beloved games of not this respective generation, but of all time. The replay value of the game is also a great feature with the new game plus feature and also the lovely Mercenary Mode which only added to one of the most memorable games I'll ever play.
2). Metroid Prime; Spectacular first person adventure game with a great sense of exploration and progression. Although I've only beaten it at most twice, it's still an incredibly memorable experience that after a decade is still fresh in my mind.
3). Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; Even though I profoundly love MGS2: Sons of Liberty, I still love Snake Eater just "this" much more. I loved 60's spy espionage feel that Kojima was going for and also the how simple and clean the story this time around was. While the MGS story has gotten a wrap for being fairly convoluted (which I can't disagree at all) Snake Eater's story was so game and memorable that I won't be forgetting the journey through the game and the ending as well. It's one of the few times that a game had actually made me realize that life isn't so black and white. I appreciated that at the time and it still resonates with me.
4). Super Smash Bros. Melee; The first game I ever got for this generation was this beauty of a fighting/party game that anyone can jump in and smack someone with a baseball bat out of the stage. This game is so attached to my childhood that when I watch the intro I get a bit emotional of just how much time I've invested along with my brothers. The fun times of unlocking the characters, beating Master/Crazy Hands, playing my brothers to a 100 stock 300% fight in the Temple stage where fantastic times.
5). Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King; My favorite RPG of this generation was a game that I had no hype about, simply picked it up because I was bored. The game has a fun and simple story to go along with a great cast of characters that strays away from the recent (at the time) RPG design of a lot characters to chose from to use four cool and versatile characters. The voice work was surprisingly well done as well as the top notch score for the game. I easily put in beyond 100 hours into this game and still didn't do every thing, which makes it worthy of a top 10 candidate.
6). Grand Theft Auto Vice City; There's something about the 80's as to why we keep going back to it through media. This game is a prime example. The game was GTA 3 in Miami during the 80's, but that's made it so special. The atmosphere, the music, the voice over work and also the typical GTA gameplay made this game something that can be revisited and you can fall right back in love with it again.
7). God of War;
8). Okami;
9). Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening ;
10). Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal ;
Honorable Mentions:
x).Burnout 3: Takedown
x).Devil May Cry
x).God of War 2
x).Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
x).Kingdom Hearts
x).Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
x).Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
x).Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
x).SSX Tricky
x).Viewitful Joe
2). Metroid Prime; Spectacular first person adventure game with a great sense of exploration and progression. Although I've only beaten it at most twice, it's still an incredibly memorable experience that after a decade is still fresh in my mind.
3). Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater; Even though I profoundly love MGS2: Sons of Liberty, I still love Snake Eater just "this" much more. I loved 60's spy espionage feel that Kojima was going for and also the how simple and clean the story this time around was. While the MGS story has gotten a wrap for being fairly convoluted (which I can't disagree at all) Snake Eater's story was so game and memorable that I won't be forgetting the journey through the game and the ending as well. It's one of the few times that a game had actually made me realize that life isn't so black and white. I appreciated that at the time and it still resonates with me.
4). Super Smash Bros. Melee; The first game I ever got for this generation was this beauty of a fighting/party game that anyone can jump in and smack someone with a baseball bat out of the stage. This game is so attached to my childhood that when I watch the intro I get a bit emotional of just how much time I've invested along with my brothers. The fun times of unlocking the characters, beating Master/Crazy Hands, playing my brothers to a 100 stock 300% fight in the Temple stage where fantastic times.
5). Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King; My favorite RPG of this generation was a game that I had no hype about, simply picked it up because I was bored. The game has a fun and simple story to go along with a great cast of characters that strays away from the recent (at the time) RPG design of a lot characters to chose from to use four cool and versatile characters. The voice work was surprisingly well done as well as the top notch score for the game. I easily put in beyond 100 hours into this game and still didn't do every thing, which makes it worthy of a top 10 candidate.
6). Grand Theft Auto Vice City; There's something about the 80's as to why we keep going back to it through media. This game is a prime example. The game was GTA 3 in Miami during the 80's, but that's made it so special. The atmosphere, the music, the voice over work and also the typical GTA gameplay made this game something that can be revisited and you can fall right back in love with it again.
7). God of War;
8). Okami;
9). Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening ;
10). Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal ;
Honorable Mentions:
x).Burnout 3: Takedown
x).Devil May Cry
x).God of War 2
x).Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
x).Kingdom Hearts
x).Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
x).Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
x).Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
x).SSX Tricky
x).Viewitful Joe
1. Halo: Combat Evolved ; There really isn't much more I can say about this game. It opened my eyes to what games were capable of, and this series has become my life ever since. All of the friends I've met and memories I've created have all come from this series and without this game none of it would have happened. It did for console shooters what Doom did for PC. It didn't invent the genre, but it made it feel at home there. The controls were perfect. The story was so mysterious and intriguing. The setting and visuals were gorgeous and awe-inspiring. Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori's music is second to none. Above all of that though is the multiplayer that stands among the best of all time. It is the most well-rounded game I've ever played, and convinced me to pursue a career in game development so that could make an experience that great myself some day. If I could sum this whole game up in two words it would be "beautiful simplicity".
2. Star Wars: Battlefront II ; This series was the first games I ever truly loved. They were the first ones that I couldn't wait to get home from school to play everyday. I mark it as the time when gaming started to become much more than just a hobby to me. This is something that only a Star Wars game could have done being the massive fan that I was. Taking inspiration from the PC-only Battlefield franchise at the time and giving it a Star Wars twist was one of the best hookups in the history of gaming. While I personally preferred the first installment the most, the sequel made enough refinements and additions to make it the most complete game of the series even though some of the rather unnecessary changes still annoy me today. I figured every one else would be voting for this one over the original as well so I thought I should too to get at least one of them some recognition. It still pains me that we never got a true sequel last gen, and I fear DICE's reboot of the series with feel more like their own franchise than this one. I still can't wait to play it though.
3. Half-Life 2 ; Now that I'm done talking about my favorite games, its time to start talking about the best games, and you really can't get much better than Half-Life 2. Its use of physics is still ahead of even most games today. The gravity gun is still one of the best weapons ever seen in a game. Alyx is still one of the best companions ever, and it always felt like the game took a nose dive whenever she left. Valve did a masterful job of making the player feel connected to her so whenever she got hurt it would be devastating to the player. The game does have its downsides though. The vehicles sections felt like they would drag on at times, and it never felt as challenging as the original game. I rarely died on my playthrough. I would say that I personally preferred the first game over its sequel, but it remains as one of the greatest games of all time, and its impact on the industry is apparent in nearly every game released today. Now if we could just get a third installment after that cliffhanger ending at the end of Episode 2 then all would be right in this world.
4. Shadow of the Colossus ; I know what you're thinking. I've got way too many shooters on my list already. Now its time to change that. I technically still haven't finished this game, but everything I've played of it so far is so good that I just have to include it on my list. I hear it only gets better and better as I continue on so I'm anxious to get back into it so I can finally finished. It has this sense of freedom to it that is unlike any other game I've ever played before. You feel so at peace when playing it. Then you encounter a colossus and things just get even better. The story seems pretty uninteresting so far, but I hope that it turns around as I get further into the game. If not then it isn't too big of a deal because it seems like an afterthought to everything else at this point.
5. Guitar Hero ; Ah, Guitar Hero. I've still got all of my old plastic guitars in my closet and break them out every once in awhile to jam out. Harmonix revolutionized rhythm games with this series. Heck, I didn't even know it was a genre before Guitar Hero came along. It will never be the same without Harmonix at the helm though, and I don't see it happening anytime soon either. After all, Rock Band has pretty much made it obsolete at this point, but Activision seems determined to ride out its success for as long as they can. Back in the day, they were just the best party games. Get some friends together with a couple of plastic guitars and just have some fun until your hand cramped up or you just couldn't get passed that one song and felt like you were going to throw your guitar at the television. Also, if you could hear the clicking of the guitar with each strum then you didn't have the volume up loud enough.
6. Resident Evil (2002) ; I'll be honest here. I never actually owned a GameCube
or any other Nintendo console for that matter
7. Halo 2 ; While the campaign is probably the weakest in the series, the multiplayer stands among the best of all time. This game remained at the number 1 spot on the 0G Xbox Live charts from the day it released until the day the servers were shut down just a few years ago. Its probably the best console shooter of all time in regards to competitive multiplayer, and the loyal community that has sprung up around it through the years just confirms that statement. It is the bar by which all console shooters are judged nowadays, and we'll never get another game quite like it again. It was difficult dealing with the server shut down for these last few years. None of the other Halos could ever scratch that itch that 2 had. If only 343 could fix MCC so I can get back to playing again.
8. Call of Duty 2 ; To me, it is easily the best CoD game after Infinity Ward's next installment started the series down a dark path full of kill streaks, perks, randomness, dumbed-down levels, etc. But enough with those games. I want to talk about the single best WWII FPS ever made, CoD 2. It was technically a cross-gen title at the time, but the PS2/Xbox version was a much different game than the PC version which would later become a launch title for the Xbox 360. While the series is known for its overabundance of scripted events to push its cinematic style, CoD 2 had just the right amount mixed in with its refined gunplay. The Battle of Point du Hoc remains one of my all-time favorite levels in games.
9. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory ; Another game on my list that haven't gotten around to officially finishing yet. I never would have tried this game out if a friend hadn't recommend it to me at the time. I'm glad that he did, but it is an amazing stealth game. Its pretty much the gritty realistic equivalent to the Metal Gear series. Its use of lighting, gadgets, and interrogation only helped solidify that. However, the game does have a lot of pacing issues to me. I've started and stopped this game so many times because I just keep getting burned out after awhile. This usually leads to me putting it off for awhile, forgetting what happened, and having to restart it again only for the process to keep repeating itself again and again. One day I will finish it. I swear.
10. Need 4 Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 ; I had a lot of debate with myself over what to put in my final spot. There are so many games I played from this gen that deserve a spot on this list, and so many other games that I haven't gotten around to yet either that settling on 10 just seemed impossible. I went back and forth on so many options, but always ended up on Hot Pursuit. It is probably my all-time favorite racing series, and I have lots of fun memories playing with my family in it. We'd take turns playing as the cops trying to arrest the racer. I never got around to playing the original, but as soon as Criterion's reboot arrived I knew I had to pick it up. It never really felt the same though. The memories are what really take me back to it now.
Honorable Mentions:
x. MLB 2006 ; The final entry in 989 Sports' MLB series before it rebranded itself into The Show under their new identity, San Diego Studio. It was the best sports game back then, and this series hasn't looked back since. It is consistently the best sports franchise on the market year in and year out.
x. God of War ; I finally got around to playing this series last year and I can see why so many consider it among the best from this gen. It has an amazing sense of scale and brutality, but the QTEs and button mashing turned me off after awhile.
x. Tony Hawk: Pro Skater 4 ; This was the first game I played from the Pro Skater series, and I had a blast with it. There isn't much to it when you think about it, but it was a fun playground to just skate around in trying to do cool tricks.
x. Star Wars: Republic Commando ; I just finished this game up this week, and I loved it. Its grittiness is such a different take on Star Wars in terms of style that felt refreshing. The squad mechanics were great as well. I only barely got to try out the multiplayer before the Gamespy shutdown.
x. Destroy All Humans! ; A fun little game that I had a blast playing back in the day. Its not the greatest game ever made, but it got me to laugh and have a blast just leveling towns in my ship or throwing things with telekinesis. I was a violent kid.
x. Super Smash Bros: Melee ; I only occasionally played this title whenever I went over to a friend's house, but it was a blast nonetheless. An all-star cast of gaming icons together in the same game alone was enough to pique my interest.
x. Battlefield: 1942 ; Although I vastly preferred the Battlefront games to Battlefield, those games just wouldn't exist if it weren't for this one. This game marked the future of shooters where small arena games would be phased out for large scale online battles.
x. Aliens vs Predator (2000) ; I had actually played the sequel before I had ever touched this game, but both were amazing. Its an Aliens FPS done right that threw Predator into the mix and all hell broke loose for a 3-way multiplayer experience unlike anything I had ever played before.
Games I haven't gotten to yet:
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight series
- Resident Evil 4
- Max Payne 1 & 2
- Psychonauts
- Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2
- Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
- Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
- Ico
- Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3
- Silent Hil 2 & 3
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Burnout 3
- Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
- Metroid Prime series
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Jet Set Radio
- SWAT 4
- Quake 3
- Deus Ex
- Unreal Tournament 2004
- F.E.A.R.
- Battlefield 2
- Ninja Gaiden: Black
- Bully
- GTA series
- Okami
- Ratchet & Clank series
- Jak & Daxter series
- Sly Cooper series
- God Hand
- No One Lives Forever
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Half-Life 2 has a shot at the top five as well I think.
SmackAttack
Member
I completely forgot when the voting for this ended and seeing as it's today, I made it just in time. Man, this was not easy. So many fantastic games during that gen and to narrow my favorites down to 10 is just madness. Honestly, I could switch out a couple with any of my other favorites and I would be just as fine with that as a list but I feel this one is solid enough for something like this and I want to be apart of this (even if I make my posts about these games shorter than I would like) so here I go. Also, if box arts are too much, I could edit them out, just thought I'd post them too.
1. Silent Hill 2
What can be said about this game that hasn't already been said? This game is psychological horror at its best. The atmosphere that surrounds the town of Silent Hill is second to none is making you feel both isolated and watched, mostly due to your own imagination wondering what is behind that fog. You truly feel like there is something always around you, trying to torment you while you play. No other game has made me feel so unsafe and scared not by what I see but what I don't want to see.The story in this game is one of the best and the way it is told should be a textbook example of how to tell a story in video games. People can hate on the voice acting too but I always felt it had an almost dream-like sound to it, like something wasn't quite right - or normal about what was going on. I could go on an on but I'll keep these mostly short. Silent Hill 2 is one of the few games I will call a masterpiece and a game that will never be outdone.
2. Fire Emblem (7 GBA)
AKA The best blind purchase I ever made. I knew nothing of the Fire Emblem series when this game came out or when I bought it but that changed very shortly. I was immediately hooked for several hours learning how to keep my units alive and trying not to get overwhelmed. This game clicked right away and has introduced me to one of my favorite series in gaming, with it remaining my favorite game in the series. The characters, the sprite art work, the animations, and so many things about this game keep me coming back for yearly playthroughs.
3. Burnout 3: Takedown
The best racing game I've ever played. I never shut up about it. The speed, the sound, the soundtrack (which introduced me to Motion City Soundtrack, one of my favorite bands), the amazing crashes. What's not to love? Burnout 3 was unlike anything else and the thrill that this game provides has still not been replicated by any racing game since. Criterion Games at their best.
4. Resident Evil 4
One of the best paced and designed games of all time. Resident Evil 4 changed the RE formula a lot but still kept that B-movie level of cheese alongside a dark and scary setting that blends to great together. Leon's mission through rural Europe was tense and memorable, and one of those games you just don't forget.
5. Animal Crossing
Very likely my most played game of the generation. Animal Crossing sounds boring on paper and I can fully understand why some people don't care for it, but me, this game hooked me in. I scheduled an entire year around this game from the summer I got it. I would wake up earlier on some days and stay up later on others. I wanted to catch all the bugs, fish, find all the fossils, and have all my neighbors like me. Not to mention the game being there for me during some tough times, like losing family or being bullied. I could go on about why I love AC so much but I'll leave it as it is.
6. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
One of the funniest games I ever played. Superstar Saga is filled with charm and unique characters. Fawful alone could be half the reason this game is so good but that lies in the gameplay and dialogue. Various attacks you learn become moves used to traverse areas and again, the humor is just the best. I absolutely adore this game.
7. Shadow of the Colossus
A boy who travels to a forbidden land agrees to slay 16 colossi in hopes of reviving a dead girl. That's all you get in this game as far as story goes. You, your horse, and nothing but boss fights, yet the game works incredibly well. Where some might see n empty land, I see a place lost in time, a place that tells a story in its ruins. Why are these colossi here? Where did they come from? What was here before, if anything? The colossi are varied (in size and design) and each one must be tackled in different ways. SOTC is a wonderful game that left me in awe after I finished it, and again, after I explored further.
8. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
This theme, sailing the open seas, that final boss fight. The Wind Waker is one of the best LoZ games and my personal favorite. Link displays more emotion in his facial expressions in this game than many other in realistic games. The look of this game has not aged nor will it. It's still a great looking game and to think how up in arms people got over it (which justifiably so back then) when Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing crafting such a beautiful game. Also, it has the best version of Ganon. One that has a story and motivation.
9. Viewtiful Joe
Movies, comic book, superheroes, the best action gameplay around, and a difficulty that ramps up to be hard as ball. Viewtiful Joe is a game that has style mixed with substance. Learning how and when to time your powers in combat or to solve puzzles is most of the fun and when you master it (which you'll have to do if you want to see the end of this game), the game plays like something all new. This was the best game (or series with its sequel) we saw from Clover and I wish Capcom would just give it to Platinum to we can finally get a third game and find out what happened after 2.
10. SSX 3
1. Silent Hill 2
What can be said about this game that hasn't already been said? This game is psychological horror at its best. The atmosphere that surrounds the town of Silent Hill is second to none is making you feel both isolated and watched, mostly due to your own imagination wondering what is behind that fog. You truly feel like there is something always around you, trying to torment you while you play. No other game has made me feel so unsafe and scared not by what I see but what I don't want to see.The story in this game is one of the best and the way it is told should be a textbook example of how to tell a story in video games. People can hate on the voice acting too but I always felt it had an almost dream-like sound to it, like something wasn't quite right - or normal about what was going on. I could go on an on but I'll keep these mostly short. Silent Hill 2 is one of the few games I will call a masterpiece and a game that will never be outdone.
2. Fire Emblem (7 GBA)
AKA The best blind purchase I ever made. I knew nothing of the Fire Emblem series when this game came out or when I bought it but that changed very shortly. I was immediately hooked for several hours learning how to keep my units alive and trying not to get overwhelmed. This game clicked right away and has introduced me to one of my favorite series in gaming, with it remaining my favorite game in the series. The characters, the sprite art work, the animations, and so many things about this game keep me coming back for yearly playthroughs.
3. Burnout 3: Takedown
The best racing game I've ever played. I never shut up about it. The speed, the sound, the soundtrack (which introduced me to Motion City Soundtrack, one of my favorite bands), the amazing crashes. What's not to love? Burnout 3 was unlike anything else and the thrill that this game provides has still not been replicated by any racing game since. Criterion Games at their best.
4. Resident Evil 4
One of the best paced and designed games of all time. Resident Evil 4 changed the RE formula a lot but still kept that B-movie level of cheese alongside a dark and scary setting that blends to great together. Leon's mission through rural Europe was tense and memorable, and one of those games you just don't forget.
5. Animal Crossing
Very likely my most played game of the generation. Animal Crossing sounds boring on paper and I can fully understand why some people don't care for it, but me, this game hooked me in. I scheduled an entire year around this game from the summer I got it. I would wake up earlier on some days and stay up later on others. I wanted to catch all the bugs, fish, find all the fossils, and have all my neighbors like me. Not to mention the game being there for me during some tough times, like losing family or being bullied. I could go on about why I love AC so much but I'll leave it as it is.
6. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
One of the funniest games I ever played. Superstar Saga is filled with charm and unique characters. Fawful alone could be half the reason this game is so good but that lies in the gameplay and dialogue. Various attacks you learn become moves used to traverse areas and again, the humor is just the best. I absolutely adore this game.
7. Shadow of the Colossus
A boy who travels to a forbidden land agrees to slay 16 colossi in hopes of reviving a dead girl. That's all you get in this game as far as story goes. You, your horse, and nothing but boss fights, yet the game works incredibly well. Where some might see n empty land, I see a place lost in time, a place that tells a story in its ruins. Why are these colossi here? Where did they come from? What was here before, if anything? The colossi are varied (in size and design) and each one must be tackled in different ways. SOTC is a wonderful game that left me in awe after I finished it, and again, after I explored further.
8. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
This theme, sailing the open seas, that final boss fight. The Wind Waker is one of the best LoZ games and my personal favorite. Link displays more emotion in his facial expressions in this game than many other in realistic games. The look of this game has not aged nor will it. It's still a great looking game and to think how up in arms people got over it (which justifiably so back then) when Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing crafting such a beautiful game. Also, it has the best version of Ganon. One that has a story and motivation.
9. Viewtiful Joe
Movies, comic book, superheroes, the best action gameplay around, and a difficulty that ramps up to be hard as ball. Viewtiful Joe is a game that has style mixed with substance. Learning how and when to time your powers in combat or to solve puzzles is most of the fun and when you master it (which you'll have to do if you want to see the end of this game), the game plays like something all new. This was the best game (or series with its sequel) we saw from Clover and I wish Capcom would just give it to Platinum to we can finally get a third game and find out what happened after 2.
10. SSX 3
The best extreme sports game ever. All I can really say right now.
Primethius
Banned
1. Resident Evil 4; A drastic departure from the previous Resident Evil games but absolutely fantastic pacing and encounters made this one of my top games of all time.
2. Metroid Prime; Metroid in 3D. Fantastic atmosphere, great music, level design and just an overall memorable experience. I did not expect such a flawless 2D to 3D transition.
3. Half-Life 2 ; A game I replay every now and then because its just such a fantastic experience. The puzzles, the gravity gun, the face models the lack of Half-Life 3
4. Halo: Combat Evolved; Single-handedly made me like FPS games on consoles and made me buy the OG Xbox. Fantastic campaign and endlessly repayable MP.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3; Somehow Kojima managed to top MGS2. The ending in particular was extremely well done.
6. World of Warcraft; The world is one of the most beautifully realized and just begs to be explored. 10 Years later and Im still playing the game. I think that speaks for itself.
7. Viewtiful Joe; This game had fantastic combat, oozed style and begged for repeated playthroughs. Beating the Fire Leo on Ultra V Rated (and the entire playthrough in general ) was one of the most satisfying things Ive done in gaming.
8. Persona 4; This is the standard by which I compared JRPGs too. Loved the characters, the social aspect and even the dungeons.
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee; The game that occupied 99% of my GC time. Still remains my favorite Smash, with some absolutely amazing stages and music tracks to boot.
10. Tales of Symphonia; This game got me on the Tales train. The combat system filled with different characters using different styles of combat made me spend way too much time just experimenting. Regal for life.
x. Ninja Gaiden Black
x. Splinter Cell - Chaos Theory
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
x. Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
2. Metroid Prime; Metroid in 3D. Fantastic atmosphere, great music, level design and just an overall memorable experience. I did not expect such a flawless 2D to 3D transition.
3. Half-Life 2 ; A game I replay every now and then because its just such a fantastic experience. The puzzles, the gravity gun, the face models the lack of Half-Life 3
4. Halo: Combat Evolved; Single-handedly made me like FPS games on consoles and made me buy the OG Xbox. Fantastic campaign and endlessly repayable MP.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3; Somehow Kojima managed to top MGS2. The ending in particular was extremely well done.
6. World of Warcraft; The world is one of the most beautifully realized and just begs to be explored. 10 Years later and Im still playing the game. I think that speaks for itself.
7. Viewtiful Joe; This game had fantastic combat, oozed style and begged for repeated playthroughs. Beating the Fire Leo on Ultra V Rated (and the entire playthrough in general ) was one of the most satisfying things Ive done in gaming.
8. Persona 4; This is the standard by which I compared JRPGs too. Loved the characters, the social aspect and even the dungeons.
9. Super Smash Bros. Melee; The game that occupied 99% of my GC time. Still remains my favorite Smash, with some absolutely amazing stages and music tracks to boot.
10. Tales of Symphonia; This game got me on the Tales train. The combat system filled with different characters using different styles of combat made me spend way too much time just experimenting. Regal for life.
x. Ninja Gaiden Black
x. Splinter Cell - Chaos Theory
x. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
x. Legend of Zelda: Windwaker
Terareflection
Member
- Virtua Fighter 4 Evo - Best fighting game tutorial ever, also a really good fighter in it own right, but the tutorial stands out.
- Tekken 5 - Can't do T5DR, so T5 it is. Still a great fighter that went back to the classic Tekken fomula.
- Final Fantasy X - Personally think the game falls apart after you become you turn a certain age, but it's a trip when you are young. Best use of summons in the series to me.
- Resident Evil 4 - It's wouldn't be right to not list this game even though it would likely win this.
- Dragon Quest 8 - Long, fun RPG with a fun cast and an interesting plot. Can be difficult at times too, which I liked.
1. Final Fantasy X - This was my first Final Fantasy and JRPG so I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I don't think any JRPG i've played since has topped it. I loved how it told such a grand story and the artistic design of the game really blew me away. I never got bored over the 50 hours I played the game because I always wanted to find out what happened next. I also had no idea turn based games could be so rewarding.
2. Silent Hill 2 - The way Silent Hill 2 told its story may never be topped. It really ushered in a new era that used the video game medium to tell mature stories. SH2 gets second place only because its over in 10 hours or so and the gameplay mechanics are a bit finicky, but everything else about this game is just incredible, genius even. The game is scary enough that people don't want to play it, yet force themselves to because they want to know what happens next. What other games have the ability to do that? The game is also exponentially scarier with the lights off in the middle of the night. Amazing in every way.
3. God of War - This is an incredible achievement on the PS2 on what amounts to about 32MB of system ram. This game is gorgeous and the action is fast and furious. But what sets this game apart from your average action game is the story and sense of scale. It feels like a grand adventure on a topic (greek mythology) that hasn't been used much in gaming. Climbing onto the cronos' back, going inside his body that is set out like a giant maze to uncover Pandora's box was epic.
4. SSX 3 - I'll give the nod to SSX 3 even though I loved the first SSX and probably one of the greatest launch games of all time. In SSX 3 you could ski down the whole mountain and it was so satisfying to do so. The last great game of the SSX series and still one that plays amazingly well today.
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 - This was probably the pinnacle of the series right here. (For the record, I played PES1,3,5,6, 2008, 2010, 2012). There was endless fun in the Master League even though it hadn't changed very much since PES 1. But the gameplay was much more polished than the slightly clunky movement of PES 1.
6. Halo - This game showcased the power the Xbox had over the PS2, and it felt next gen. This was my first console shooter, and I don't normally play them because of nausea. But I powered through this one because the story was engaging and the gameplay was tight. It's also the best multiplayer experience of all time. Going LAN with 8+ people all in the same house sharing TVs was just something you had to be there to appreciate.
7. Project Gotham Racing 2 - This was probably the best racing experience of the generation. It had so many locations and the locations were exciting - Washington, Chicago, Barcelona, Stockholm, Sydney, Hong Kong, Yokohama, Florence, Nurburgring. You could rip your own CDs and play them while racing including whether to keep the radio DJs from that particular country. It also had online racing which actually worked.
8. Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore - The best casual fighting game of the generation. You just had to know that throws beat holds, attacks beat throws, and holds beats attacks. I loved playing the survival mode, collecting the drops and trying to see how long I'd last. The multi tiered stages in this game are still unrivalled.
9. Yakuza - Its a game where you get to visit the red light district in Japan, trying to discover random quirky things, like eat at a noodle shop, play little arcade games and get into street brawls with hoodlums. The story links the whole game incredibly well and I loved the english dub of the game. This is just a great game despite minor inconveniences like the clunkiness of the combat, the loading screens and the random encounters. The series also just keeps getting better and better.
10. Civilization IV - I have to admit I haven't played this as much as I should have. Just one fully completed game, but its always 'next' on my to play list. This is so much improved on the previous Civs and the additions they've made to this game made it pretty much feature complete for me. It's timeless and I think there's still a lot of fun to be had even now 10 years down the track. Despite Civ V being out for a number of years now, I still want to go back and play Civ IV so I can really appreciate everything about the game.
x. - GTA III - Never finished but a seminal game in the history of video games. Even after taking off my Nostalgia tinted glasses, this was one of the first games that really provided that sandbox feel.
x. - Dynasty Warriors 4 - Probably the peak of the series where the game was still fun. Plenty of characters and plenty to unlock.
x. - Devil May Cry - I only borrowed this game and I never finished it, but it really changed the action genre into something new. The action was fast yet the player always felt in control.
x. - Gran Turismo 3 - The early part of the game is astonishingly good. It hits a wall near the endurance races, because going around a track 100 times in 3 hours is not actually that fun. Especially when you can unlock a F1 car and lap everybody after 2 laps. Still an incredible game and the graphics were so amazing at the time.
2. Silent Hill 2 - The way Silent Hill 2 told its story may never be topped. It really ushered in a new era that used the video game medium to tell mature stories. SH2 gets second place only because its over in 10 hours or so and the gameplay mechanics are a bit finicky, but everything else about this game is just incredible, genius even. The game is scary enough that people don't want to play it, yet force themselves to because they want to know what happens next. What other games have the ability to do that? The game is also exponentially scarier with the lights off in the middle of the night. Amazing in every way.
3. God of War - This is an incredible achievement on the PS2 on what amounts to about 32MB of system ram. This game is gorgeous and the action is fast and furious. But what sets this game apart from your average action game is the story and sense of scale. It feels like a grand adventure on a topic (greek mythology) that hasn't been used much in gaming. Climbing onto the cronos' back, going inside his body that is set out like a giant maze to uncover Pandora's box was epic.
4. SSX 3 - I'll give the nod to SSX 3 even though I loved the first SSX and probably one of the greatest launch games of all time. In SSX 3 you could ski down the whole mountain and it was so satisfying to do so. The last great game of the SSX series and still one that plays amazingly well today.
5. Pro Evolution Soccer 3 - This was probably the pinnacle of the series right here. (For the record, I played PES1,3,5,6, 2008, 2010, 2012). There was endless fun in the Master League even though it hadn't changed very much since PES 1. But the gameplay was much more polished than the slightly clunky movement of PES 1.
6. Halo - This game showcased the power the Xbox had over the PS2, and it felt next gen. This was my first console shooter, and I don't normally play them because of nausea. But I powered through this one because the story was engaging and the gameplay was tight. It's also the best multiplayer experience of all time. Going LAN with 8+ people all in the same house sharing TVs was just something you had to be there to appreciate.
7. Project Gotham Racing 2 - This was probably the best racing experience of the generation. It had so many locations and the locations were exciting - Washington, Chicago, Barcelona, Stockholm, Sydney, Hong Kong, Yokohama, Florence, Nurburgring. You could rip your own CDs and play them while racing including whether to keep the radio DJs from that particular country. It also had online racing which actually worked.
8. Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore - The best casual fighting game of the generation. You just had to know that throws beat holds, attacks beat throws, and holds beats attacks. I loved playing the survival mode, collecting the drops and trying to see how long I'd last. The multi tiered stages in this game are still unrivalled.
9. Yakuza - Its a game where you get to visit the red light district in Japan, trying to discover random quirky things, like eat at a noodle shop, play little arcade games and get into street brawls with hoodlums. The story links the whole game incredibly well and I loved the english dub of the game. This is just a great game despite minor inconveniences like the clunkiness of the combat, the loading screens and the random encounters. The series also just keeps getting better and better.
10. Civilization IV - I have to admit I haven't played this as much as I should have. Just one fully completed game, but its always 'next' on my to play list. This is so much improved on the previous Civs and the additions they've made to this game made it pretty much feature complete for me. It's timeless and I think there's still a lot of fun to be had even now 10 years down the track. Despite Civ V being out for a number of years now, I still want to go back and play Civ IV so I can really appreciate everything about the game.
x. - GTA III - Never finished but a seminal game in the history of video games. Even after taking off my Nostalgia tinted glasses, this was one of the first games that really provided that sandbox feel.
x. - Dynasty Warriors 4 - Probably the peak of the series where the game was still fun. Plenty of characters and plenty to unlock.
x. - Devil May Cry - I only borrowed this game and I never finished it, but it really changed the action genre into something new. The action was fast yet the player always felt in control.
x. - Gran Turismo 3 - The early part of the game is astonishingly good. It hits a wall near the endurance races, because going around a track 100 times in 3 hours is not actually that fun. Especially when you can unlock a F1 car and lap everybody after 2 laps. Still an incredible game and the graphics were so amazing at the time.
Okami
One of my all time favorite games. It's self contained, the game is so big and meaty some joke that it's Okami and a sequel in one game . The presentation is timeless, it's so vibrant and beautiful, the water color style and oh man I could gush about this game for a while. Best Zelda game IMO.
Devil May Cry
happy accident. While making what was suppose to be Resident Evil 4, gameplay inspired by a glitch from Onimusha that allowed juggling enemies. This was the start of a new genre of action beat em ups.
Smash Bros Melee
It's 14 years old and still kicking in the tourney scene. Quite the simple game on the surface but built well enough that your time spent practicing is reward and deep enough to keep you hooked.
God Hand
Fun, creative, wild. Built on the RE4 base, it's one of the most fun beat 'em ups you'll play. Tons of references and jokes, lots of replayability.
Metal Gear Solid 3
Really ramps up the MGS lore and universe. Introduces one the best characters in gaming in The Boss. Incredible gameplay and features, incredible setting,
Marvel vs Capcom 2
One of the greatest fighters ever made. Tons of freedom and creativity.
Yakuza
Amazing story driven game with a wonderful beat 'em up RPG thing going on. Tons of side content and minigames.
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution
Lol dark ages of fighting games my ass. Console port had an amazing, yet to be rival tutorial and training mode and a glossary of terms. Very thorough, you could learn fighting games, not just VF4. Quest Mode was this amazing single player mode where you travel to arcades around Japan and beat the talent there, unlocking emblems, earning currency to buy items to dress up, ranking up your title. AI was based off human players that were Star Players. Disc came with replays saved of these top players playing each other.
Honorable Mentions
SSX Tricky
NBA Street
Capcom vs SNK 2
King of Fighters 2002
Kill.Switch
Ninja Gaiden
Metal Gear Solid 2
One of my all time favorite games. It's self contained, the game is so big and meaty some joke that it's Okami and a sequel in one game . The presentation is timeless, it's so vibrant and beautiful, the water color style and oh man I could gush about this game for a while. Best Zelda game IMO.
Devil May Cry
happy accident. While making what was suppose to be Resident Evil 4, gameplay inspired by a glitch from Onimusha that allowed juggling enemies. This was the start of a new genre of action beat em ups.
Smash Bros Melee
It's 14 years old and still kicking in the tourney scene. Quite the simple game on the surface but built well enough that your time spent practicing is reward and deep enough to keep you hooked.
God Hand
Fun, creative, wild. Built on the RE4 base, it's one of the most fun beat 'em ups you'll play. Tons of references and jokes, lots of replayability.
Metal Gear Solid 3
Really ramps up the MGS lore and universe. Introduces one the best characters in gaming in The Boss. Incredible gameplay and features, incredible setting,
Marvel vs Capcom 2
One of the greatest fighters ever made. Tons of freedom and creativity.
Yakuza
Amazing story driven game with a wonderful beat 'em up RPG thing going on. Tons of side content and minigames.
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution
Lol dark ages of fighting games my ass. Console port had an amazing, yet to be rival tutorial and training mode and a glossary of terms. Very thorough, you could learn fighting games, not just VF4. Quest Mode was this amazing single player mode where you travel to arcades around Japan and beat the talent there, unlocking emblems, earning currency to buy items to dress up, ranking up your title. AI was based off human players that were Star Players. Disc came with replays saved of these top players playing each other.
Honorable Mentions
SSX Tricky
NBA Street
Capcom vs SNK 2
King of Fighters 2002
Kill.Switch
Ninja Gaiden
Metal Gear Solid 2
1. Devil May Cry 3 ; Revolutionized action games as a whole. It truly was a game changer. if Devil May Cry spawned an entire genre, DMC3 refined it. It expended things in ways we never thought possible, and was truly a leap forward for advanced combat in action gaming.
2. Devil May Cry ; 3D action games wouldn't exist without DMC. Kamiya spawned an entire new genre, with countless imitators and copycats.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Beautiful narrative, brilliant characters, and an excruciating attention to detail. It is Kojima at his finest. The ending alone will remain one of the greatest moments in gaming.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Another genre starter. RE4 is why we have third person shooters. The slick gameplay, paired with incredible pacing and phenomenal atmosphere resulted in one of the greatest games of all time.
5. Ninja Gaiden Black ; Brutal, methodical action that emphasized efficiency over style. While DMC incorporated 2D fighter elements into its combat, NGB embraced 2D fighter mechanics and platforming. It just felt good to play, through and through.
6. Silent Hill 2 ; Few games have the same level of thought and depth as Silent Hill 2. It was an instant classic, and will always be considered one of most well-crafted game of all time.
7. Diablo II ; This game was the beginning of PC online looting/RPGs. You might even call it the precursor to MMORPGs. People poured hundreds of hours into this game, and looking back, it felt like the blink of an eye.
8. Halo: Combat Evolved ; Single handedly blew up the FPS genre on console. PC gamers scoffed at the idea of an FPS on not a PC until this baby came out.
9. Shadow Hearts Covenant ; Amazingly underrated JRPG that combined humor with it's engaging storytelling and compelling characters.
10. Persona 4 ; Some would call this the pinnacle of JRPGs not called Final Fantasy. Fresh, stylish, and approachable, Persona 4 was a revolution for Atlus. It's popularity is deserved.
2. Devil May Cry ; 3D action games wouldn't exist without DMC. Kamiya spawned an entire new genre, with countless imitators and copycats.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Beautiful narrative, brilliant characters, and an excruciating attention to detail. It is Kojima at his finest. The ending alone will remain one of the greatest moments in gaming.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Another genre starter. RE4 is why we have third person shooters. The slick gameplay, paired with incredible pacing and phenomenal atmosphere resulted in one of the greatest games of all time.
5. Ninja Gaiden Black ; Brutal, methodical action that emphasized efficiency over style. While DMC incorporated 2D fighter elements into its combat, NGB embraced 2D fighter mechanics and platforming. It just felt good to play, through and through.
6. Silent Hill 2 ; Few games have the same level of thought and depth as Silent Hill 2. It was an instant classic, and will always be considered one of most well-crafted game of all time.
7. Diablo II ; This game was the beginning of PC online looting/RPGs. You might even call it the precursor to MMORPGs. People poured hundreds of hours into this game, and looking back, it felt like the blink of an eye.
8. Halo: Combat Evolved ; Single handedly blew up the FPS genre on console. PC gamers scoffed at the idea of an FPS on not a PC until this baby came out.
9. Shadow Hearts Covenant ; Amazingly underrated JRPG that combined humor with it's engaging storytelling and compelling characters.
10. Persona 4 ; Some would call this the pinnacle of JRPGs not called Final Fantasy. Fresh, stylish, and approachable, Persona 4 was a revolution for Atlus. It's popularity is deserved.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence ; My favorite entry in the Metal Gear Solid series. An amazing story, great gameplay and finally adding an unlocked camera made MGS3 one of my favorites of the generation.
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; Grand Theft Auto games were always amazing open world experiences for me but Vice City's added 80s vibe was the icing on the cake.
3. Super Smash Bros: Melee ; Improving on Smash Bros in every way, Melee's seemingly endless amount of content and multiplayer fun made this a constant presence in my GameCube.
4. Persona 4 : the best jrpg to be released in that era, Persona 4's balance of serious scenes, comedy, dungeon crawling and social linking meant this game was as much a dating simulator as it was a hardcore (sometimes unforgiving) dungeon crawling. The simulation of life in small Japanese town was amazing.
5. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War ; features my favorite campaign of the PS2 Ace Combat games, varied missions and the best music in the series.
6. Dynasty Warriors 3 ; It didn't matter that it ran terribly, the addition of coop was more than enough to keep me returning to this game.
7. Rogue Squadron: Rogue Leader ; the must buy GameCube game for me, Rogue Leader captured the look of Star Wars space battles to an insane level.
8. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault ; the Omaha beach level was well worth the cost of the game but the multiplayer kept me coming back for more every night.
9. The Sims 2 ; Take the Sims and improve on basically every basic idea and that's what The Sims 2 was. While it was missing some things from the multitude of expansion packs, the badly needed overhaul in graphics was more than enough to get me hooked again.
10. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 ; The highpoint of the classic Westwood C&C games for me. After the slow nature of Tiberian Sun, Red Alert 2 brought back faster gameplay and a not too serious storyline that really clicked with me.
x. Final Fantasy X; I always like to compare FFX to FF XIII and lament how both had similar structures but XIII's story failed to explain things as well as X did.
x. Katamari Damacy ; sometimes you need to turn off your brain and just roll with what a game is doing, Katamari was one such game for me. Very simple concepts but very addicting.
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; Grand Theft Auto games were always amazing open world experiences for me but Vice City's added 80s vibe was the icing on the cake.
3. Super Smash Bros: Melee ; Improving on Smash Bros in every way, Melee's seemingly endless amount of content and multiplayer fun made this a constant presence in my GameCube.
4. Persona 4 : the best jrpg to be released in that era, Persona 4's balance of serious scenes, comedy, dungeon crawling and social linking meant this game was as much a dating simulator as it was a hardcore (sometimes unforgiving) dungeon crawling. The simulation of life in small Japanese town was amazing.
5. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War ; features my favorite campaign of the PS2 Ace Combat games, varied missions and the best music in the series.
6. Dynasty Warriors 3 ; It didn't matter that it ran terribly, the addition of coop was more than enough to keep me returning to this game.
7. Rogue Squadron: Rogue Leader ; the must buy GameCube game for me, Rogue Leader captured the look of Star Wars space battles to an insane level.
8. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault ; the Omaha beach level was well worth the cost of the game but the multiplayer kept me coming back for more every night.
9. The Sims 2 ; Take the Sims and improve on basically every basic idea and that's what The Sims 2 was. While it was missing some things from the multitude of expansion packs, the badly needed overhaul in graphics was more than enough to get me hooked again.
10. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 ; The highpoint of the classic Westwood C&C games for me. After the slow nature of Tiberian Sun, Red Alert 2 brought back faster gameplay and a not too serious storyline that really clicked with me.
x. Final Fantasy X; I always like to compare FFX to FF XIII and lament how both had similar structures but XIII's story failed to explain things as well as X did.
x. Katamari Damacy ; sometimes you need to turn off your brain and just roll with what a game is doing, Katamari was one such game for me. Very simple concepts but very addicting.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
This isn’t a definitive list and I’ve made so many draft lists and deleted them that I can’t really settle on anything. I just wanted to get a list in to support this thread. I’ll probably look at it two seconds later and say “nah, that’s not right”, but I feel like this list shouldn’t be tiered anyway.
I did say a month ago that “I didn’t play a lot of games this generation”. Well, that’s true and false. During the generation, I barely played games from that generation at all and just stuck to PC/Arcades and bigger console RPG releases for the most part. Also I had a Wonderswan, and a GBA I barely touched outside of like… Densetsu no Stafi, Genso Suikoden Card Stories, Tales of the World: Some Name We Came Up With While High, etc. Yeah, I dunno. I didn’t really get around to a lot of the games listed until much later. The fact of the matter is that I’ve played way too many frickin’ games and choosing stuff between seven different platforms that I have experience with is super-hard.
There were a few things I had discovered this generation:
Oh, yeah: Previous lists for reference:
GotY 2011
GotY 2012
GotY 2013 post 1 / GotY post 2
GotY 2008 (2012 edition)
Also I post 4 posts' worth of words in the Soundtrack of the Year threads. They're pretty cool.
2011 Soundtrack of the Year: 1, 2
2012 Soundtrack of the Year: 1, 2, LTTP Post
2013 Soundtrack of the Year: 1, 2, 3, 4
2014 Soundtrack of the Year: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
1. Mother 3 (GBA)
2. Shin Megami Tensei 3 (PS2)
3. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
4. Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
5. Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission (PS2)
6. Metal Slug 3 (Arcade)
7. Ikaruga (DC)
8. Ninja Gaiden: Black (Xbox)
9. Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (ARC)
10. Cave Story/Doukutsu Monogatari (PC)
For AniHawk to tabulate:
1. Mother 3 (GBA)
2. Shin Megami Tensei 3 (PS2)
3. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
4. Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
5. Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission (PS2)
6. Metal Slug 3 (Arcade)
7. Ikaruga (DC)
8. Ninja Gaiden: Black (Xbox)
9. Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (Arc)
10. Cave Story (PC)
Honourable Mentions (sorry that there are so many):
x. Diablo II (PC)
x. Phantasy Star Online (DC)
x. Divine Divinity (PC)
x. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN)
x. Blue Wing Blitz (WSC)
x. Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System (PS2)
x. Gitaroo Man (PS2)
x. Oriental Blue (GBA)
x. Ninja Five-O (GBA)
x. Skies of Arcadia (DC)
x. Shadow Hearts 2: Director’s Cut (PS2)
x. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC)
x. Icewind Dale (PC)
x. Mega Man Zero 3 (GBA)
x. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)
x. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
x. Tales of Destiny R: Director’s Cut (PS2)
x. Genso Suikoden V (PS2)
x. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening SE (PS2)
x. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2)
x. Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
x. Crazy Taxi (ARC)
x. Metal Wolf Chaos (yeah, really. It makes me laugh)
x. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (DC)
I did say a month ago that “I didn’t play a lot of games this generation”. Well, that’s true and false. During the generation, I barely played games from that generation at all and just stuck to PC/Arcades and bigger console RPG releases for the most part. Also I had a Wonderswan, and a GBA I barely touched outside of like… Densetsu no Stafi, Genso Suikoden Card Stories, Tales of the World: Some Name We Came Up With While High, etc. Yeah, I dunno. I didn’t really get around to a lot of the games listed until much later. The fact of the matter is that I’ve played way too many frickin’ games and choosing stuff between seven different platforms that I have experience with is super-hard.
There were a few things I had discovered this generation:
- I had started to like shooters far less when I played more 3-D ones. I can do shmups, I can do run and guns… but I can’t do first-person shooters (get too nauseous—though I will persevere through some), and third-person shooters are a hard sell lately.
- I can no longer play games in the first-person if they are in 3D due to nausea and I don’t feel like popping a Gravol every time I play one!
- RPGs changed a lot. They’re more varied and I think we got to see further steps into genre bleeding (though not as big a leap into genre bleeding as the PS360 gen). However, since I’ve played a lot of this gen’s RPGs after the fact, it’s difficult to say how I felt about it during the gen itself.
Oh, yeah: Previous lists for reference:
GotY 2011
GotY 2012
GotY 2013 post 1 / GotY post 2
GotY 2008 (2012 edition)
Also I post 4 posts' worth of words in the Soundtrack of the Year threads. They're pretty cool.
2011 Soundtrack of the Year: 1, 2
2012 Soundtrack of the Year: 1, 2, LTTP Post
2013 Soundtrack of the Year: 1, 2, 3, 4
2014 Soundtrack of the Year: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
1. Mother 3 (GBA)
There are many, many things I love about Mother 3. I loved it so much that I ended up getting that fangamer guide after I finished the game to see what I had missed and learned that I did everything in a completely different sequence than what the guide has suggested.
I enjoyed the minor changes to the battle system whereby it became more rhythm-based and more involved. The enemy designs were pretty interesting, and no more than 3 enemies fit the screen (and if there’re more, they’ll just come filing in). The spritework is very detailed and colourful and the psychedelic backgrounds return.
The narrative is the game’s brightest spot: it begins with something so heartfelt that it brings the player to tears, and ends with something that is just heartfelt. I guess the reason why I like Mother 3 far more than Mother 2 is because it plays with your emotions so much, and because it carries a lot of themes like the issues with capitalism, individualism, accepting/ostracizing others, and the concept of death/the importance of life and explores them in detail without being completely overt about it. Mother 3 values player exploration so much that you can go back to the village every chapter and find that the NPCs have something new to say every time, and you can revisit previous locations to find something new (ex: the Osohe Castle boss). It’s one of the very few RPGs that leaves me wondering about the narrative since I’m more mechanically-oriented.
While Mother 3 doesn’t necessarily have much depth in terms of how it plays, what makes it is its narrative and general pacing. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it deals with many themes that can touch anyone who plays it.
I enjoyed the minor changes to the battle system whereby it became more rhythm-based and more involved. The enemy designs were pretty interesting, and no more than 3 enemies fit the screen (and if there’re more, they’ll just come filing in). The spritework is very detailed and colourful and the psychedelic backgrounds return.
The narrative is the game’s brightest spot: it begins with something so heartfelt that it brings the player to tears, and ends with something that is just heartfelt. I guess the reason why I like Mother 3 far more than Mother 2 is because it plays with your emotions so much, and because it carries a lot of themes like the issues with capitalism, individualism, accepting/ostracizing others, and the concept of death/the importance of life and explores them in detail without being completely overt about it. Mother 3 values player exploration so much that you can go back to the village every chapter and find that the NPCs have something new to say every time, and you can revisit previous locations to find something new (ex: the Osohe Castle boss). It’s one of the very few RPGs that leaves me wondering about the narrative since I’m more mechanically-oriented.
While Mother 3 doesn’t necessarily have much depth in terms of how it plays, what makes it is its narrative and general pacing. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it deals with many themes that can touch anyone who plays it.
2. Shin Megami Tensei 3 (PS2)
SMT3 is an excellent game and you will get your money’s worth. The dungeon design is really good; while looking very much like labyrinths, they are fairly linear in design. And even then, after the first few dungeons are done, a few interesting gimmicks are added for good measure (and I’ve stated before somewhere on this board that I am a genuine fan of gimmick-oriented dungeon design). While it’s the dungeon design that looks back on the old, it feels fairly refreshing in the face of some RPGs on the PS2. It’s like cutting into a layered cake with a bunch of different ingredients; at first it seems incredibly basic, but as you explore more and get through even more of the game, the player genuinely feels like there’s more content than meets the eye).
SMT3 is appreciated simply because it presents the player with a narrative and choices subtly and introduces some philosophical concepts without making the game feel like it drags under their weight or the player feel like these concepts are applied incorrectly. Demon recruitment serves to add to the player’s repertoire of philosophical references and religion while implementing fusion mechanics with some sort of depth and experimentation. SMT3 manages to be one of the best RPGs on the PS2, if not the best altogether for its cohesive cel-shaded art design, dungeon mechanics, environments, battle system implementation and customization, and character design. Thematically, it’s one of the better interpretations of philosophical and ethical discussion of the era.
SMT3 is appreciated simply because it presents the player with a narrative and choices subtly and introduces some philosophical concepts without making the game feel like it drags under their weight or the player feel like these concepts are applied incorrectly. Demon recruitment serves to add to the player’s repertoire of philosophical references and religion while implementing fusion mechanics with some sort of depth and experimentation. SMT3 manages to be one of the best RPGs on the PS2, if not the best altogether for its cohesive cel-shaded art design, dungeon mechanics, environments, battle system implementation and customization, and character design. Thematically, it’s one of the better interpretations of philosophical and ethical discussion of the era.
3. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
As I have previously mentioned in past Essential RPG threads, this is probably my favourite BioWare game, or at least one of the last of their games that I liked. I think at the time I’d played it, it felt like it was peerless, and it was super-long so I didn’t play many games at the same time. It recreated the feeling of playing a decent DnD game. All of the classes, races, and items are presented to every player very well and doesn’t lay tons of DnD-like rules very thick. The best thing about BG2, as I had rediscovered last summer, was that it is pretty stats-heavy! But even then, it isn’t very confusing, and even people who aren’t super-into ADnD can easily get into it without feeling deterred. Compared to BG1, it’s not click here and click there. You need to think of what spells are good for mage battles, think of how to react properly to certain situations, and think of how you can get it done faster. At the time, no other game had applied ADnD rulesets as well as BG2, and even to today, it’s still wonderful to go back and re-explore it and experience BG2’s world, its myriad of sidequests, and its interesting narrative.
4. Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
I don’t know what I can say about this game that hasn’t already been said. I was late to the party with this game, and didn’t play it until maybe 2007 or 2008. Silent Hill 2 blends good sound design with storytelling in an interesting way for the survival horror genre. Honestly, thinking about it, it doesn’t break any sort of moulds in the survival horror genre, but I think the most compelling detail is its narrative. The game exposes players to uncovering many characters’ inner secrets, even the main characters’. No one is explicitly good, and at the same time, no one is explicitly terrible. It’s an exploration of many characters’ psyches, and the most compelling one is the main character’s, particularly when revelations about his character occur. And I suppose, its storytelling and how relatable some characters can be, is clever and striking enough to make any survival horror fan enthralled. It isn’t the external boogeyman that’s out to get you; the biggest obstacle can sometimes be you. (And I guess it helps that the combat is better than the original game’s.)
5. Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission (PS2)
Final Fantasy X-2 is one of my favourite Final Fantasy games, hands-down. I’m just gonna jack this post I made a long time ago because I don’t think I can reword it better:
“Final Fantasy X-2 took Final Fantasy V's implementation of the job system and modified it to something even more special. While I liked FFV's job system very much, I absolutely loved ATB Kai and the evolutions FFX-2 made to it via the Dressphere system. The on-the-fly job switching system allowed for so much flexibility and different combinations/permutations (if you required it) of jobs between characters and across the party to modify the party dynamic and synergy... and you could add those job spheres to a garment grid sometimes separated by stat enhancers that took effect if you passed through them in order to switch jobs on the fly. Sure, you can play with three dark knights, but where's the fun in that? Making things too easy isn’t fun, and you aren’t taking advantage of the diversity of jobs you have to handle. People who say it’s merely a “dress up” game really needs to take a long, hard look at it—it’s basically Final Fantasy V with an all-female cast. Each dressphere is a job and each job gives a different appearance to each character, like how all the jobs in FF5 gave a new appearance to a character, just in sprite form. We got an interesting set of jobs in Gun Mage, Gunner, Songstress, Festival-Goer, Psychic, Lady Luck, etc. So basically, instead of just 3 people in battle, you’re getting up to 17 or so jobs with each character, resulting in 680 possible combinations without repetition, 969 combinations with repetition, 4913 permutations with repetition, and 4080 permutations with repetition. I really liked tinkering with this system and seeing what I got out of it. Beat Trema without the Cat Nip tactic by using jobs that aren't ideal for the situation was fun.
“Even under the bubblegum pop of the narrative, there's an underlying plot of different factions trying to take control over Spira for ideological reasons. Many of the NPCs explain how they feel about the political spectrum and can openly criticize certain aspects of the former political regime when the NPC talk in FFX was incredibly bound to the Yevon religion. It’s genuinely nice to see the change, and to see some familiar NPCs grow up a little.
“Just… I love Final Fantasy X-2. I’ll defend it to the end. It’s a very fun game, and it’s a Final Fantasy, much like Final Fantasy V, that I’ll eagerly return to again and again."
“Final Fantasy X-2 took Final Fantasy V's implementation of the job system and modified it to something even more special. While I liked FFV's job system very much, I absolutely loved ATB Kai and the evolutions FFX-2 made to it via the Dressphere system. The on-the-fly job switching system allowed for so much flexibility and different combinations/permutations (if you required it) of jobs between characters and across the party to modify the party dynamic and synergy... and you could add those job spheres to a garment grid sometimes separated by stat enhancers that took effect if you passed through them in order to switch jobs on the fly. Sure, you can play with three dark knights, but where's the fun in that? Making things too easy isn’t fun, and you aren’t taking advantage of the diversity of jobs you have to handle. People who say it’s merely a “dress up” game really needs to take a long, hard look at it—it’s basically Final Fantasy V with an all-female cast. Each dressphere is a job and each job gives a different appearance to each character, like how all the jobs in FF5 gave a new appearance to a character, just in sprite form. We got an interesting set of jobs in Gun Mage, Gunner, Songstress, Festival-Goer, Psychic, Lady Luck, etc. So basically, instead of just 3 people in battle, you’re getting up to 17 or so jobs with each character, resulting in 680 possible combinations without repetition, 969 combinations with repetition, 4913 permutations with repetition, and 4080 permutations with repetition. I really liked tinkering with this system and seeing what I got out of it. Beat Trema without the Cat Nip tactic by using jobs that aren't ideal for the situation was fun.
“Even under the bubblegum pop of the narrative, there's an underlying plot of different factions trying to take control over Spira for ideological reasons. Many of the NPCs explain how they feel about the political spectrum and can openly criticize certain aspects of the former political regime when the NPC talk in FFX was incredibly bound to the Yevon religion. It’s genuinely nice to see the change, and to see some familiar NPCs grow up a little.
“Just… I love Final Fantasy X-2. I’ll defend it to the end. It’s a very fun game, and it’s a Final Fantasy, much like Final Fantasy V, that I’ll eagerly return to again and again."
6. Metal Slug 3 (Arcade)
Remember when SNK went bankrupt? This was the game they released before they went broke. And it just so happens to be one of the best games in the series next to Metal Slug X. The sprite art is decent fantabulous~ ~breathtaking~ (thx, randomkid :V), and there are more weapons to choose from without throwing the balancing off. It’s also one of the few games where I don’t necessarily mind vehicular portions as much since they’re implemented fairly well and they mostly show up in areas with more enemies than normal. The branching path system in 3 makes things even more interesting since each path has a different length, different weapons, different difficulty, etc. It’s one of the more flexible run and gun games out there, and it’s filled with content to the brim so that it doesn’t get that old.
7. Ikaruga (DC)
Treasure’s Ikaruga is another one of those games that make you feel fulfilled when you’ve finally mastered something, and it’s a better game than Radiant Silvergun. I guess I’m picking this shmup out of everything else because it ended up standing out beyond everything else because of its colour palette, it actually has a backstory (even beyond this, I could have picked Espgaluda II, but that’s neither here nor there), and its polarity mechanic. The polarity mechanic set it apart from everything else (where you can shoot white/blue energy or red/black energy, and you have to choose the right polarity at the right time). The thing about Ikaruga is that it takes time to figure things out and get really good at it. It’s a lesson in learning and studying and mastering a game’s concept and learning how to execute it properly.
8. Ninja Gaiden: Black (Xbox)
Picking between DMC3:SE and NGB was a struggle. I decided to go with NGB over DMC3 just because I had more PS2 games on the list and I think both games are equally good (hence why I think they’re two of the three big pillars in character action games). This game is a crazy test of patience, but when you get through a lot of it and learning the ins-and-outs of the combat, it feels incredibly fantastic. Ninja Gaiden had set a new standard for action games in general because of its length, its combat, its speed, and how much the player can do (especially in Black). The game doesn’t overstay its welcome, and the difficulty pacing is pretty fair. Ryu being incredibly acrobatic and agile feels great, and the difficult doesn’t necessarily feel that unfair. This is a game that rewards your skill, combat analysis and combat timing. Ninja Gaiden Black channeling the spirit of its predecessors truly makes it one of the best callbacks to older games providing a fun challenge while still introducing certain aspects and setting a bar on its own.
9. Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (ARC)
This is a far, far better game than its predecessor. While it isn’t the best-looking fighting game of its era, being more dynamic and the character roster (which feels a little more balanced than MvC2 where non-top-tier characters can still pull off some spectacular stuff). It blends in a nice mechanic from King of Fighters where some characters are better gaining meters, while others should just use it. The six grooves are pretty interesting in that they determine how the character gains meter, their style, etc. It simply gives the tools to the player and it’s up to the player to figure it out themselves. This means that depending on the player, you can see some neat high-level play from a lot of people since playstyles are so different and if you practice enough, you get to see a ton of mid-tier characters get an advantage. While it has stuff like the roll cancel glitch and some could argue that higher-tier characters like Sagat are still prone to win (and people are people and will still pick high-tier characters no matter what), it’s undeniable that CvS2 is a fairly solid fighter.
10. Cave Story/Doukutsu Monogatari (PC)
Free stuff is something that’s music to every teenager’s ears. Okay, free stuff is music to anyone’s ears. Cave Story was something you could get for free in 2004 or so, and it’s by one dude! One dude doing all the level design, the music, the sprites, everything in five years! It’s a genuine product of love for games or even just sending a message to other people as to what you like about games or expressing something through the video game medium. In that time, I felt as though Cave Story was refreshing for the era. In a sea of freeware that isn’t necessarily good, it’s very nice to find something so centred on previous eras, and be good. It controls incredibly well, and is simple enough to be easy to pick up and play. The game is generally about exploration, getting weapons, upgrading your weapons, and trying to avoid getting hit by enemies (since you lose upgrade points too).
I enjoy that the story is being told fairly subtly, and the game itself is mostly mechanically-driven. It’s not the type of game that you play only once (especially since there are multiple endings). But it is very nice to see how much dedication that Pixel had to this project so much so that it’s arguably one of the best and most genuine indie games of its time period.
I enjoy that the story is being told fairly subtly, and the game itself is mostly mechanically-driven. It’s not the type of game that you play only once (especially since there are multiple endings). But it is very nice to see how much dedication that Pixel had to this project so much so that it’s arguably one of the best and most genuine indie games of its time period.
For AniHawk to tabulate:
1. Mother 3 (GBA)
2. Shin Megami Tensei 3 (PS2)
3. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
4. Silent Hill 2 (PS2)
5. Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission (PS2)
6. Metal Slug 3 (Arcade)
7. Ikaruga (DC)
8. Ninja Gaiden: Black (Xbox)
9. Capcom vs SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 (Arc)
10. Cave Story (PC)
Honourable Mentions (sorry that there are so many):
x. Diablo II (PC)
x. Phantasy Star Online (DC)
x. Divine Divinity (PC)
x. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN)
x. Blue Wing Blitz (WSC)
x. Final Fantasy XII: International Zodiac Job System (PS2)
x. Gitaroo Man (PS2)
x. Oriental Blue (GBA)
x. Ninja Five-O (GBA)
x. Skies of Arcadia (DC)
x. Shadow Hearts 2: Director’s Cut (PS2)
x. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (PC)
x. Icewind Dale (PC)
x. Mega Man Zero 3 (GBA)
x. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)
x. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)
x. Tales of Destiny R: Director’s Cut (PS2)
x. Genso Suikoden V (PS2)
x. Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening SE (PS2)
x. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2)
x. Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
x. Crazy Taxi (ARC)
x. Metal Wolf Chaos (yeah, really. It makes me laugh)
x. Garou: Mark of the Wolves (DC)
1. Metroid Prime ; One of the few games I consider to be perfect.
2. Okami ;
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker ;
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee ;
5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ;
6. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ;
7. Shadow of the Colossus ;
8. Halo: Combat Evolved ;
9. We Love Katamari ;
10. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal ;
2. Okami ;
3. The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker ;
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee ;
5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ;
6. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes ;
7. Shadow of the Colossus ;
8. Halo: Combat Evolved ;
9. We Love Katamari ;
10. Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal ;
Tyrant Rave
Banned
1. Persona 4 ; P4 did everything right and even if its not the deepest RPG and the dungeons are kinda weak, its my favorite. The cast of characters is probably the most lovable bunch Ive ever encountered in any game. Even years later, I still smile when I hear the familiar songs or now predictable character interactions in the various spin-offs and whatnot its spawned. Persona 4's combat is kind of like Nocturne-lite and that's fine, it's a good base to work off of. Like P3, the game also has an incredible art direction with an amazing soundtrack. This game has one of the best presentations I've seen-- even the menus are attractive!
2. Okami ; Okami basically changed my life. Without going too much into detail, my family was going through a rough patch when it came out and this game really helped me out. The games a bit on the easy side and the beginning is slow as molasses, but it just sucked me into its world. I felt immersed in the games story and I was blown away with each new arc the game gave me. Every time I thought it was over, it never really was. It just kept going and thats what kept me going. I'll never forget Okami, and it turned me into a lifelong fan of Hideki Kamiya after previously enjoying Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. When Clover shut down, it broke my heart.
3. Viewtiful Joe ; My love for this game is no secret, it helped shape my taste in video games. VJ cuts the crap and gets you straight to the gameplay and just wants you to enjoy yourself. While Kamiya talked about how Devil May Cry represented how he wanted to make a game that felt like showing off to the crowd at an arcade, I feel like this game did it better. The crowd roars and yells, the announcer reminds you to Just go for it!, and Joe screams and has a good time all while youre playing. Just dodging, hitting slow, then knocking enemies around feels good. This game is awesome and the amount of unlockables and the replay value in it was mindblowing when it came out. I wish we could get a third game directed by Kamiya, but I know it will never happen and that really makes me sad.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Everyone is going to say why this game rules better than i ever would. This game rules.
5. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne ; SMT3 has my favorite battle system and mechanics in any turn-based JRPG (alongside 4 that is). Im not going to go into detail, but it really is a JRPG that lets you play how you want to. Grinding isnt a thing since your party is entirely disposable and youre expected to constantly fuse them and experiment. I was able to get through an end-game boss battle by sapping away at its MP rendering it completely useless. It took a little longer than it should have, but the game always gives you a fighting chance in the strangest ways. The art, atmosphere, setting were all completely amazing as well I dont think well ever see an SMT as beautiful as this again.
6. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition ; The deepest action game made until DMC4 and Bayonetta came around, the amount of options and tools this game gives you is overwhelming. Once I understood how to enemy step cancel, the game changed. Every combat encounter changed from being about just trying to survive the encounters into something more special. It became a game about doing the coolest combos I could imagine while trying to avoid getting hit once, and I think thats just fantastic. While the enemy design and boss design can sometimes be annoying (I dont like the angelic enemies, the spiders, the centipede boss, etc.) and the level design really isnt very good, the combat is so god damn amazing that its hard to hate.
7. Metroid Prime ; The world that Retro Studios crafted is one of the best. When I first played this game I couldnt get into it, but I gave it a second shot and I was hooked. Absolutely brilliant.
8. Guilty Gear XX #Reload ; So my username is taken from a super move in this game If that doesnt give away my love for it then I dont know what will. Playing Guilty Gear is like playing the most metal game of chess you can imagine.
9. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 ; This game is a broken piece of shit, and I love it. Theres just so many weird things in the game like Ice-Man not taking chip damage, Dooms cr.HK being unblockable at a certain range, Sentinels cr.HP being unblockable in certain situations, etc. but it just makes the game so much more special. Play as a tournament viable character and learn the more advanced mechanics (SJCs, guard breaks, fly/unfly) and you'll understand.
10. Half-Life 2 ; Like RE4, this game rules, and Im sure others will put my thoughts into words better than I could.
I'm not gonna bother with listing honorable mentions because there were a ton of games that gen. Ninja Gaiden Black, Shadow of the Colossus, Dragon Quest VIII, Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door, etc.
2. Okami ; Okami basically changed my life. Without going too much into detail, my family was going through a rough patch when it came out and this game really helped me out. The games a bit on the easy side and the beginning is slow as molasses, but it just sucked me into its world. I felt immersed in the games story and I was blown away with each new arc the game gave me. Every time I thought it was over, it never really was. It just kept going and thats what kept me going. I'll never forget Okami, and it turned me into a lifelong fan of Hideki Kamiya after previously enjoying Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe. When Clover shut down, it broke my heart.
3. Viewtiful Joe ; My love for this game is no secret, it helped shape my taste in video games. VJ cuts the crap and gets you straight to the gameplay and just wants you to enjoy yourself. While Kamiya talked about how Devil May Cry represented how he wanted to make a game that felt like showing off to the crowd at an arcade, I feel like this game did it better. The crowd roars and yells, the announcer reminds you to Just go for it!, and Joe screams and has a good time all while youre playing. Just dodging, hitting slow, then knocking enemies around feels good. This game is awesome and the amount of unlockables and the replay value in it was mindblowing when it came out. I wish we could get a third game directed by Kamiya, but I know it will never happen and that really makes me sad.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; Everyone is going to say why this game rules better than i ever would. This game rules.
5. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne ; SMT3 has my favorite battle system and mechanics in any turn-based JRPG (alongside 4 that is). Im not going to go into detail, but it really is a JRPG that lets you play how you want to. Grinding isnt a thing since your party is entirely disposable and youre expected to constantly fuse them and experiment. I was able to get through an end-game boss battle by sapping away at its MP rendering it completely useless. It took a little longer than it should have, but the game always gives you a fighting chance in the strangest ways. The art, atmosphere, setting were all completely amazing as well I dont think well ever see an SMT as beautiful as this again.
6. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition ; The deepest action game made until DMC4 and Bayonetta came around, the amount of options and tools this game gives you is overwhelming. Once I understood how to enemy step cancel, the game changed. Every combat encounter changed from being about just trying to survive the encounters into something more special. It became a game about doing the coolest combos I could imagine while trying to avoid getting hit once, and I think thats just fantastic. While the enemy design and boss design can sometimes be annoying (I dont like the angelic enemies, the spiders, the centipede boss, etc.) and the level design really isnt very good, the combat is so god damn amazing that its hard to hate.
7. Metroid Prime ; The world that Retro Studios crafted is one of the best. When I first played this game I couldnt get into it, but I gave it a second shot and I was hooked. Absolutely brilliant.
8. Guilty Gear XX #Reload ; So my username is taken from a super move in this game If that doesnt give away my love for it then I dont know what will. Playing Guilty Gear is like playing the most metal game of chess you can imagine.
9. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 ; This game is a broken piece of shit, and I love it. Theres just so many weird things in the game like Ice-Man not taking chip damage, Dooms cr.HK being unblockable at a certain range, Sentinels cr.HP being unblockable in certain situations, etc. but it just makes the game so much more special. Play as a tournament viable character and learn the more advanced mechanics (SJCs, guard breaks, fly/unfly) and you'll understand.
10. Half-Life 2 ; Like RE4, this game rules, and Im sure others will put my thoughts into words better than I could.
I'm not gonna bother with listing honorable mentions because there were a ton of games that gen. Ninja Gaiden Black, Shadow of the Colossus, Dragon Quest VIII, Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door, etc.
tryagainlater
Member
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; The GameCube was the first non-portable Nintendo console I owned and I hadn't even heard of Zelda beforehand. I expected to like it when I saw a little dude with a sword on the back but I was not prepared for just how amazing this game was. What I'm about to say will be repeated about another game further down the list it must be said that this game felt like a true adventure. The world felt endless to me. It's true that there is not exactly a whole lot to do in the massive ocean but it goes a long way to making a world feel expansive. The first time I hopped in the little boat and headed out towards Dragon Roost Island, I couldn't believe that the island on the horizon kept growing bigger and bigger and clearer and clearer till I reached its shore and hopped off my boat onto the sand. I was expected a loading screen to jump up somewhere before I reached it. I had played open world games before this point like Grand Theft Auto 3 but I just could not comprehend the scale of the game at the time. Searching all the little islands dotted around the world map to find the secrets hid therein was an experience that very few games have been able to replicate.
There is likely some solace to the idea that the first game you play in a series will be your favourite. I can't deny that Zelda being new to me did heighten the excitement I had when playing Wind Waker. I was looking forward to every new item I would find in a dungeon. These days, I can tell what item I'm going to unlock in a dungeon by the first room but I didn't know anything about the series stables such as bombs and the bow. Heck, I didn't even automatically take out the dungeon item at the start of the dungeon boss because I wasn't used to the formula at that point. I didn't know to shoot the weird looking eyes in dungeons to open doors and I didn't know about lighting torches to make chests appear. Maybe Ocarina of Time nor Majora's Mask could top my introduction to series just because it was my introduction to the series. Or maybe the gorgeous (and timeless) graphics, the charming music, the expansive overworld filled with tons of secrets that are not too obscure that you wouldn't be able to find them without help, the first and possibly only decent attempt at making Ganondorf an actual character rather than Mr. Evil from Eviltown. The dungeons are far from the best in the series but I really think the overworld makes up for it. I've enjoyed almost every Zelda I've ever played and it is my joint favourite series next to Metal Gear but nothing can ever really top Wind Waker for me. Maybe Zelda Wii U will. Speaking of the Wii U, I should really but Wind Waker HD.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; There might be some spoilers in this section. The original Metal Gear Solid introduced me to video games and was one of the best things I had ever experience at the time (I was seven, cut me some slack). Metal Gear Solid was going to have to try really hard to impress me. Well, that's actually not true because I was nine by the time it came out and nine-year-olds are impressed by anything with cool spies in it. That does not take away from how great this game is. It is difficult to describe Metal Gear to people who don't know much about it but I usually start by telling them that Metal Gear Solid 2 ends with a sword fight on top of Federal Hall with the former president of the United States who is wearing an eye patch and a Dr. Octopus suit. Perhaps, it's not the best way to open a conversation about Metal Gear but that boss fight really represented everything I love about the series and encompasses why Sons of Liberty is my favourite of the series. If I'm not talking about that epic boss fight, I usually always bring up the part where the Colonel goes crazy. I hear it's amazing the the purple stuffed worm in flapjaw space does a raw blink on hiri-kiri rock, I NEED SCISSORS! 61! God damn, this game is so good.
I never really cared about the bait and switch with Raiden. It is actually incredibly clever when you think about it. Kojima was writing a game that was all about the control of information in the digital world. Hiding the existence of this character in all the preview coverage of this game is one of the craziest things that has happened in this industry. The fact that Raiden represents the player that wants to be Snake but can never be awesome. We go where we are supposed to go and kill who we are supposed to kill because that's what the game is telling us to. Raiden is even told to turn of the console at some point. This game is fucking insane. Kojima represents Raiden taking control into his own hands and breaking away from the empty shell of a character that represented the player by stripping him naked and taking away all his weapons and a number of his moves that we had been making him use the whole game. I may be over thinking the game and what I'm saying might no make much sense but that Metal Gear Solid 2 in a nutshell. Why don't we give you a long drawn out speech describing this convoluted system control and the eternal weaknesses of the human races before you have a badass sword duel. Seriously though, the game plays like a dream, gives you a number of ways to tackle a situation, has interesting boss fights, really fun to totally learn the game and speed run, and has a ton of content if you want to collect dog tags and have the Substance (or HD version) for the VR missions.
3. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within ; Yes, this is my favourite Prince of Persia. I know it's not a popular opinion and Sands of Time being my least favourite is even less popular but god damn, does Warrior Within just feel great to play. The platforming is fantastic and the combat feels great. The crappy soundtrack and the desperate attempts to make the game appeal to the 'hardcore' and 'edgy' crowd with the over-the-top violence and the barely dressed women do affect my love of this game.
You could say that it being my first Prince of Persia game, that I'm biased towards it but ultimately, I enjoy the gameplay in this the most and the Dahaka is a creature that I haven't seen anything like in video games. The story is a little goofy but I find it really memorable and I like it more than other games of this type. I feel compelled to play a small bit of this game quite a lot and I really feel the mechanics of this game have aged fantastically. It's a pity that Ubisoft seems focused on releasing twelve thousand Assassin Creed games in the next two decades and doesn't seem interested in the Prince anymore. At least I'll always have Warrior Within and Two Thrones...and oh yeah, Sands of Time is alright...it's great but it is no Warrior Within despite having a better atmosphere and characters. Warrior Within just feels so damn good...I've had this argument a lot with people...
4. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind ; If you had told me that the boring game I watched my brother play with the stupid looking main character would end up being one of my favourite games and be in my top ten list for the gen, I would not have believed you. This won't be the only game on this list where I discovered the greatness later but it definitely is the one with the largest rift between my initial reaction and my eventual love of it. Morrowind is a world that may as well be endless. I've played it a number of times over the last few years and I still continue to discover new things. I've never been into modding but I still don't feel like I need it because there's still so much to see in this world. The game is always an adventure. I'd rather talk about the greatness of this game than the weakness of others but it is unfortunate that we likely won't see Bethesda replicate what the did here. You're given a few set of simple tasks at the start and then you are sent on your way. You're are given direction of where to go. You don't follow a way point and you don't have total access to fast travel. You don't have to go to Balmora. You go straight to one of the Telvanni towns and become a badass wizard without caring about your destiny as the Nerevarine. I still have plans for what character to play next and what adventure he will go one which I'm sure I'll get to in the coming years. In terms of the open-ending RPG, this is the perfect one.
5. Silent Hill 2 ; This game has stuck in my head more than any other. It may be one of my least replayed games on this list but it is the one I have the most vivid memories of. When I first played it when I was 11, I didn't entirely understand everything that was going on but I enjoyed the spooky atmosphere and was compelled to see how the story ended. It wasn't until I played it again five years later where I began to sink my teeth into the analysis and theories surrounding the game online. I grew a deeper appreciation for the story that the developers crafted. Everything from the soundtrack to the monster designs are used to explore James Sunderland's troubled mind. There's very few games that have a narrative that can match Silent Hill 2.
6. Shadow of the Colossus ; Before moving onto to next-gen when the new consoles were coming out, I had a list of games I had to play before moving on and this was right at the top. I'm really glad I played this game when I did because who knows if I ever would have bought the HD collection if I hadn't (still need to play ICO though). This game is masterpiece and there really isn't any other way to describe. The lonely atmosphere just leaves you intrigued even if I personally was never that interested in exploring the nooks and crannies of the massive world. I was only interested in fighting the colossi and man, what fights they are. Very few games have managed to offer better boss fights than this. I remember playing it on Christmas Day and forcing myself to stop so I wouldn't just rush through all the bosses. Once I fought the eagle boss, it was solidifed as one of my favourite games.
7. Hitman: Blood Money ; If there's one thing that this game does right (and there's much more than one thing), it is rewarding the player's experimentation. I was never much of a shooter fan so I always played Hitman to be as creative and sneaky as possible with how I disposed of my target. The series up to this point was great at that but Blood Money really takes it to another level. One minute you're dressed an actor shooting your target on stage so it just looks like it's part of a play to shooting out the bottom of a poorly thought-out jacuzzi to see your target fall to his death. Sure, there's a lot of deaths that mainly involve dropping chandeliers on top of people but you can also blow up a person with a grille. I never had that many friends that played games as much as I did so I never really had the schoolyard experience of telling your friends about what you discovered in what game you're all playing the previous night. For some reason, a lot of people I know have played this game in particular and we always have something to talk about with the varied missions. Let's hope the next game can get away from whatever the hell Absolution was trying to do and try and replicate Blood Money's mission design.
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; It always takes me a while to warm up to a new Grand Theft Auto game and this was no exception. I initially found San Andreas confusing to navigate and there was no way it could top the style of Vice City. Yet a few years after I had finished the game once, I went back to San Andreas to discover what an amazing game it is. Doing a 100% run is a daunting task at the start but it truly shows you just how much content Rockstar put into this game. It may not have Bigfoot but there's a ton to do outside of the main story with the variety of collectibles and the vehicle challenges. That may be the least interesting of the content but there's too much to list. I grew to love the setting when I was motivated to explore every inch of it which became easier as I gradually unlocked all the cool rewards you get after completing various side missions. I'm not sure Grand Theft Auto can ever top this.
9. God of War 2 ; The first God of War was another game I had on my list of games I had to play before moving onto next-gen. As much as I enjoyed the first one, the second one really blew me away. I love the use of mythology in the series even if it messes with it a lot. The boss fights are really what elevates this game above the original. The story may not have been as good but the scale was something to behold particularly on the PS2 after the all the next-gen consoles had come out. The Colossus of Rhodes, the barbarian fight, the Fates; all incredibly memorable. It's also surprising just how long this game is. The length may be the reason why it's the one I've replayed the least in the series but it's certainly my favourite.
10. Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire ; This was a game that me and my friends looked forward to for months. We had no idea when it was releasing since we didn't have the internet to check so it felt like an age before we got our hands on it. This game doesn't seem that well received looking back but it was my most played GBA game. I tried endlessly to catch them all which I never managed to achieve but I still loved playing the hell out of it. I haven't touched it in years but I can still remember where my secret treehouse hideout is. Trying to catch all those legendaries was exhilarating. It was also the last Pokémon game I enjoyed so it was significant given how much of my childhood I spent playing those games.
Honourable Mentions:
x. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
x. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
x. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
x. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
x. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
x. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
x. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
x. God of War
CrackPebbles
Member
1. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition; Set the standard for the stylish action genre.
2. Devil May Cry; Invented the stylish action genre as we know it.
3. Fire Emblem 7; One of the best Fire Emblems, fairly well balanced with great scenario design and a dynamic mission structure that i'd love future FE games to return to.
4. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball ;
5. Ninja Gaiden Black; One of the best action games of all time, sheer elegance and crushing difficulty.
6. Persona 3 FES ;
7. Dragon Quest VIII ;
8. Super Smash Bros: Melee ;
9. Shinobi (PS2) ;
10. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ;
2. Devil May Cry; Invented the stylish action genre as we know it.
3. Fire Emblem 7; One of the best Fire Emblems, fairly well balanced with great scenario design and a dynamic mission structure that i'd love future FE games to return to.
4. Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball ;
5. Ninja Gaiden Black; One of the best action games of all time, sheer elegance and crushing difficulty.
6. Persona 3 FES ;
7. Dragon Quest VIII ;
8. Super Smash Bros: Melee ;
9. Shinobi (PS2) ;
10. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ;
LizardKing
Member
What generation is Twilight Princess?
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I'm hoping for a last minute flood of Okami votes.
Dark Schala
Eloquent Princess
This gen if you played it on GameCube.