Your 'Best Games' of the last 20 years!

[RedStarRocket91]

So, Caboose made this thread in Offbeat earlier today, and while his suggestions were very funny, I think it's actually a really interesting topic, and one which could provoke a lot of discussion. Therefore, let's have one!

 

For the sake of convenience, '20 years' is sort of a soft limit - if you really want to say Sonic the Hedgehog 2, for example, then that would be okay even though it actually came a little earlier. You also don't need to feel beholden to just choose a single 'best' game if you'd prefer not to, so feel free to tell us your favourite games from different genres, or even just a 'top 5' list of the things you consider to be the greatest titles from the past two decades.

 

Above all, make sure to let us know why you consider these games to be the best, whether it's because they're mechanically perfect, because they're graphically beautiful and emotionally engaging, or even just because you played them during a rough time and so have a lot of personal affection for them. Once we get a few replies, I might even open up about a few of my own

 

So, what are your 'Best Games'?

[Melody]

1. Sonic Adventure 1 and 2. (I list them this way because they 'are' and always will be my #1.)
2. Power Stone (Classic retro Sega Dreamcast beat-em up)
3. Mortal Kombat (Here's a quote from one of my old guy friends "Wait! You can't like fighting games you're a girl!" then I was all like "So, what difference does it make? It's awesome!"
4. Mirror's Edge (That parkour goodness... Can't have enough of it! )
5. Pokemon Red and Blue version (I had to add this in somewhere in my top 5 because it took a big part of my childhood, and how I made such great friends playing and sharing Pokemon through a link cable that I still know and talk to today!)

That's pretty much it. Do you have a top 5 Red?

[Yoshi1176]

These aren't in any particular order, i think these are all great games.

 

1. Jak II: this game is a very simple game but I played it with my cousins who shared the same passion for games that I have. Although we never actually did a any missions because we were to busy killing the funny looking alien civilians.

 

2. Halo 3: my first game that I ever played on Xbox. All I did was forge on sandbox because I only played with my cousins at the time. All we did was spawn vehicles and run around blasting each other with hornets and scorpions. Little did I know that would lead me to were I am today.

 

3: Some metro if game: I don't know which one it is, he'll I didn't know it was a metro if game until last week when Fishy told me. I remember playing as robots while rolling around as a ball. It was so memorable because I was just so glad to be playing with my cousins, I can't even tell you how many hours laughing were spent there.

 

As you can see most of these are related to my cousins, they were the ones that showed me video games.

 

I'll add more later.

[Akali]

Jeez Red... Why five?

 

1. Ratchet and Clank - One of my childhood games, this kept me entertained and what made me start speed running games. (I need to try and speed run through some more games)

 

2. Star Wars Battlefront II - Another one of my childhood games. This was the game that brought me into the FPS genre.

 

3. The Borderlands Franchise - One of them goofy but entertaining and fun games. The drive for better loot and with me going for the best version of it has brought me hours of entertainment.

 

4. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - How could I leave this game out? The best game on the 360. Period. No other words to describe it.

 

5. Destiny - Whilst I have mixed feelings about this game (a review on this game will come out eventually), I have put in hundreds of hours into this game. I also get to play with other members of the forums like ShadowFiend, Jack, Vin and a few others.

 

Of course Halo is here but that's a little too obvious.

[RedStarRocket91]

Jeez Red... Why five?

 

Just an example! You're absolutely free to choose more or less if you'd like!

[Seigrain]

1. Halo 2

2. TitanFall

3. Kingdom Hearts 1&2

4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

5. Skyrim

 

Not in any particular order

[Helix Amell]

1. Halo

 

2. Half life 1-2

 

3. Left 4 Dead

 

4.Minecraft

 

5. Mgs saga

[Jack Of Harts]

1. Halo: CE and Halo 3 (You guys know exactly why these are highest, being on a Halo forum and all. I just love the environments in both games. CE had one of the most gripping single-player campaigns ever made. Halo 3 had my favourite multiplayer experience of all-time! It's so hard to choose between these two, so I'll place them both in this spot!)

 

2. Sonic Adventure (I'm still playing this game to date. The primitive animations, whilst horrible, are all part of this game's charm. Its level design, its soundtrack and just the variety of gameplay styles that it gets right - yes, I even enjoy Big the Cat, come at me! - just equals a game that I'll NEVER put down!)

 

3. Left 4 Dead (Who doesn't love Zombies? I've had so much fun on these games and I just couldn't leave them off the list)

 

4. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls (It's an addictive grindfest that never gets old for me. I love the varied levels, and the classes all feel like they have different purposes, unlike that other grindfest we all know... I can't really explain why I love this game, it's just fun.)

 

5.Star Fox 64 / LylatWings (I've played this game ever since I've known how to use a controller, and I'll probably be playing this until I die! It's just so simple, yet so addictive! I'll always have a soft spot for this game!)

 

6. Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies (As much as I hate the Call of Duty series, I do love me some Zambies! Please make Zombies its own game!)

 

7. Battlefield 3 / Sonic Adventure 2 (Both games have a lot of flaws but I love those games just for how much fun they are! Have you ever had a game that annoyed you so much yet you still loved it so much? These two games fall under that category for me, and I'll always love them. Whilst they are completely different games, they both fall under the same category of "Flawed but still awesome" games and that is why they're in the same spot.)

 

8. Titanfall (This game feels like Call of Duty done right! The gunplay and overall structure feels similar, yet much more balanced! Also, who doesn't love mechs?)

 

9. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (Who doesn't love a racing game in which they can just chill out and have fun? This is my favourite racing game ever, I'll take it over any Mario Kart! It's a much more skilful game and MUCH less annoying than anything in Mario Kart. Also, I just love the tracks and the vehicle designs!)

 

Well, that's all I can come up with for now!

[Connor Kenway]

hm I was waiting for someone to do an actual legit one of these thanks Red

 

well I have to say mine is in no particular order (yes really) and no not a single one of them is older than 15 years cos well, I never got to experience them

 

1. Star Wars games early 2000's onwards 

2. Crysis Trilogy

3. Assassin's Creed

4.Far Cry 

5. Spec Ops: The Line

6. Ratchet and Clank (yup I had a PS2 at one point, who didn't?)

 

oh and yeah these are all series except for Spec Ops the Line of course

[Jack Of Harts]

 

1. Sonic Adventure 1 and 2. (I list them this way because they 'are' and always will be my #1.)

 

Those games have always held a special place in my heart too. I've been playing those games since I was 7, and they're still as good today! Whilst SA2 has flaws, it's still great!)

 

[BaconShelf]

Star Wars Battlefront I and II (**** you EA)

Battlefield 4

Ratchet and Clank games

Fallout 3 and New Vegas

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

LEGO Star Wars series

Titanfall

Halo: Reach

[Yoshi1176]

 

 

 

5. Destiny - Whilst I have mixed feelings about this game (a review on this game will come out eventually), I have put in hundreds of hours into this game. I also get to play with other members of the forums like ShadowFiend, Jack, Vin and a few others.

 

Of course Halo is here but that's a little too obvious.

 

Destiny? Really? Have I fought you nothing through the whole time we have been friends?!

[Guts]

1. Crash Bandicoot 2. Polar bear missions were the best.

2. Tomb Raider 2. You have to fight a dragon. The hours I spent messing around with it...

3. Dead Rising 2. The reply value and dominating TIR online.

4. Medal of Honour: Frontlines. The ruthlessness of the AI always was a challenge. I never understood why they wouldn't accept my fake ID...

5. Call of Duty: Black Ops. Best multi player game on all platforms

6. Micro Machines. Best racing game ever. Creative tracks and highly competitive

7. Battlefield: Hardline. Finally a good Battlefield story mode and improved multiplayer

[rrhuntington]

1: The Halo Series in General.

 

I can't really separate this into specific titles. Too many memories scattered throughout all of them over the last 6 years to not include each addition to the series. A lot of Campaigns, Baby Flood Deaths, Splurt Scren games, LASO Campaigns, Co-Op Campaigns, Firefights, Custom games and MP Multi Team Games to go along with these memories. If I think back, what I have done in Halo is endless. Nostalgic Bliss does not begin to describe what I feel about. Yes, even Halo Wars is included. Halo Wars Private Matches were the Sthfi back in the day. I'll love this series till I die or Alzheimer's takes it from my memory. I know Halo 5 will continue the tradition of these Memories. At least for me, it is assured.

 

2: Kingdom Hearts Series.

 

Once again, I can't separate these games. Although mainly when I speak about the series I think of the first two games. I've actually thought about whether this should be Number 1 or not but I decided that Halo beats it by Hairs. KH1 was my First PS2 Game, KH2 I have probably played over 100 times at this point. It's one of those games that no matter how many times I play it, it still feels fresh like when I first got it. For such a simplistic game the story is Beautiful, The Gameplay is Crisp, and the Music is nearly on par with Marty and his Halo music. Ya, I know that seems like a long shot, but listen to Darkness of the Unknown and the Lingering Will theme. Whew. Godly Tracks. Lovely Lovely games. I'll never forget as well.

 

3: Team Fortress 2:

 

You should already recognize my deep affection for this Class Multiplayer title by My picture. If not, then Hi I'm the Schpy, and I bakestaybe. The Game is 8 years old, I've been playing it for 5, and it feels just as invigorating and exciting to play as the first day I got The Orange Box on my 360. Since then I've moved on to the vastly more updated PC Version. The Classes in the game, their personalities mix so damn well, that sometimes I feel like this Multiplayer only game has more interesting characters than games that actually have stories. Heavy's a funny dude. Spy's the Suave French killer for Hire. Scout's the loud mouth kid from the Bronx, and just those three you could probably make an hour long movie about and be entertained the whole way through. The Game play is fantastic, for a game with 9 classes the balancing is (Mostly) Superb. Each classes is an absolute joy to play, From the uniqueness of their play style to their personality. This game is a classic Multiplayer Titan, and probably the most fun game I've ever got my hands on. If you have Steam I beg you to try it out. It's free to play so no money out of your pocket! (Unless you want hats than that's another story)

 

4: Call of Duty World at War and Black Ops 1

 

Now before somebody bites my head off about this choices, hear me out. These choices are BASICALLY all about Zombies. I find it to be the only reason I'd ever buy a CoD these days, maybe not even that would get me to buy Black ops 3 full price the way it's looking. Anywho, World at War is absolutely my favorite CoD. It's Grit, It's Zombies, It's Reznov... The game feels Hardcore. For a long time I've been wishing for a CoD game like it again. Unfortunately, the likely hood of that happening is about the same as me getting jettisoned into space tomorrow. World at War's Zombies brought some great memories. Mechanically though, this game is flawed out the wahzoo. Nostalgia is pretty much getting it on here, because in a list comprised of all the games of the past twenty years there's no way any CoD, excpet for maybe some of the earlier entries, should make it on a list like this. Black Ops 1 is where the Zombie Train really picked up for me. Kino der Toten, Ascension, Shangri-La, Moon, the Original Maps, and Five. Many a nights have I played these Co-Op. And Damn were they fun nights. Black Ops 2 had two good zombie maps too, but definetly don't have as much to say about that game as I do the other two Treyarch entries. Great Memories those Zombies gave, Great Memories.

 

5: Sly Cooper 1-3

 

I say 1-3 because I never played the one that came after that. The Thieving Raccoon. Saying that just makes me wonder how I like this game. Well here's how I do. The Gameplay flows wonderfully. Each class you play has their own unique abilities, and you feel each of their differences when you play as them. Not to discredit the characters themselves though. Their Voice acting for Sly Cooper, Murray, and Bentley is great. You really feel the connection between all the members of the Cooper gang. The Backstory, which is also surprisingly good for a game like this, really sets the tone and makes these three pretty much brothers. Going around pick pocketing, stealing, and taking back what's yours never felt so good. These games will always get 5 Puke Burgahs outta 5 from me.  Excellent games from my PS2 Childhood.

 

6: Left 4 Dead 1 & 2

 

These two games go back a long ways. L4D1 was the First game I ever played on Xbox Live. Versus is still one of my favorite things I like to play online. Another game made by Valve, like TF2, this game is just so much fun. Left 4 Dead is what I would say, really started the Zombie infatuation in the gaming industry. The many variables they put into the game blend so well. Health Packs, Pipe Bombs, Defibrillators, Boomer Bile, Special infected. I see all of those things Having similarities to things I see in current zombie games. Left 4 Dead 2 came along and just beefed up a lot of the original games with new additions such as melee weapons, the Spitter, Charger, and Jockey. These two games provide me with a lot of memories and are Classics to me. 

 

7: Star Wars Battlefront 1 & 2

 

Once again, games on the PS2 where I spent my countless hours. I've yet to meet someone who haven't played Star Wars Battlefront if they were a gamer. A Third Person Shooter, set in this Excellent universe!? It sounded great on paper, but blew us away on the Controller and TV. Taking place in both the Clone Era and the Empire era, the gameplay widely differs from the four sides you can choose. CIS, Republic, Rebellion, Empire. And unlike the movies, the Stormtroopers can actually hit something. Another game with many memories for me, like Pushing Darth Vader and Count Dooku into the Sarllac Pit. Making Darth Vader fly off the Bespin map. MANY a games of Galactic conquest. When Star Wars Battlefront 2 came out, I was STOKED. The Ability to play as JEDI and SITH!? Sold. Just Sold. I like Battlefront 2 more because of the Mos Eisely Jedi and Sith death match I've played 100's of times. I'd always Play Sith but they'd always lose no matter what Excllent games. Love'em so much.

 

8: DragonBall Z Budokai Games.

 

The DBZ Budokai games were just awesome. Take my favorite TV show from my early childhood, (Toonami was F'in awesome BTW) and put the series into games? Sold. Again. I mainly speak about the First game here But I like the Third one too. Didn't really get to play the second one, although I still want to. The Fighting was side to side, but you weren't on a flat plane. You could move around, fly, do special moves, and a Bunch of OP Kai Attacks. I also loved doing the Hercule challenge thing near the end of the game. Nostalgia Probably puts it here, but I don't care. Great Game Budokai is.

 

9: Mario 64, Golden Eye 007, and Donkey Kong 64

 

I had to put these three in one spot. They were my Defining games of my N64 years. They were absolutely BEAST. Donkey Kong 64 was an odd game, but it was fun nonetheless. The "GET OUT" guy still scares the hell out of me. I never beat Donkey Kong 64, and I am still sort of steamed about that. Played it like 50 times never beat it. Mario 64, I've beaten that game once. And for any reason I've seen stated before, this game is a godly game. No explanation needed. I've never found a person to hate it. Goldeneye 007, was the most fun out of these three to me though. Technically my First FPS, if you could call it that. The Missions were exciting, epic, and fun. Facility was my favorite level in the entire game. The Music made you feel like the Schpy. Excellent games these three are from an Excellent era.

 

10: Max Payne and Red Dead Redemption

 

I had to choose between these two and I said, screw that, they'll both take my last spot. These games both are emotionally draining experiences. Red Dead Redemption just has probably one of the most sad endings in the 8th generation of gaming. I really need to end up playing over this game again. The Story is incredible, and it makes me wish Rockstar would make more Western games. Max Payne is emotionally draining story wise in the 2nd and 3rd games. But in the first game, it's SCARY wise. If anyone has ever played Max Payne and made it to the dream sequences, you'll know what I'm talking about. But the Gameplay is great, especially with the slo mo bullet time going on. Two great games by Rockstar. If I'd put a third San Adreas would be here but I'm tired of Typing for now.

[Twinreaper]

Hmmm...since I am like ancient....I'll just post a Top 5 for me...

 

5. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (Nintendo 64)

4. Fiñal Fantasy VII (Sony Playstation)

3. Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)

2. Conker's Bad Fur Day (Nintendo 64)

1. Metroid Prime (Nintendo Gamecube)

 

Sad to say that other than Halo, Microsoft has had no other exclusive to warrant even being in my top 5. Halo just doesnt cut it...

[Fishy]

 

 

3: Some metro if game: I don't know which one it is, he'll I didn't know it was a metro if game until last week when Fishy told me. I remember playing as robots while rolling around as a ball. It was so memorable because I was just so glad to be playing with my cousins, I can't even tell you how many hours laughing were spent there.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

[Maestro]

Darn it, the 20 year cut-off at 1995 eliminates a couple of my favourites. But with that being said, let's take a look. Expect this to change a lot as I think of more awesome games.

 

1. CHRONO TRIGGER (1995, SNES)

This is probably one of the best JRPGs ever made. It has a simple-to-understand yet compelling story, with multiple endings and New Game+ both adding a lot of replay value to the game. It has aged quite well since its release in 1995. Seriously, if you haven't played it... play it. And if you have played it... play it again.

 

2. KIRBY AIR RIDE (2003, Gamecube)

Oh the hundreds of hours I've spent playing this game. I'd literally play this and Smash Bros. Melee all summer back when I was a wee lad. Unlike Smash Bros. Melee, I still enjoy playing this game every now and then. It's a racing game that uses the analog stick and the A, L, or R button. If you wanted to, you could play it using only your left hand controlling the analog stick and the L button.

 

3. DON'T STARVE (2012, PC; 2014, PS4; 2015, Wii U)

I've blabbed about this game a lot. Cool art style, dark sense of humour, no mercy, tons of fun (especially with friends), easy controls, relentlessly difficult, highly addictive, and humourous with PC mods. Unfortunately, the bulk of my time spent playing the multiplayer version is tainted with memories of my ex. But, if the interest in a playdate is high enough, then I'll be able to replace those memories with good ones spent with you guys. Heck, I've made it farther on my own than I have playing with her. 

 

4. SUPER SMASH BROS. 4 (2014, 3DS/Wii U)

The controls in this Smash Bros. game feel just right. The characters aren't floaty (right, Brawl?), but they don't fall to the ground like stones (looking at you, Melee). It's much more satisfying when you score a hit on someone, and the characters are much more balanced than in previous installments. The game relies less on exploiting glitches (*cough* Melee) and more on skill to succeed. Bulky characters are scarier, since the new "rage" mechanic allows their weight to play to their advantage by boosting their strength and can even the odds when you are Ganondorf at >150% damage. The DLC, while expensive, will add new life to the game for quite some time.

 

5. SIMCITY 4 (2003, PC)

I like building stuff. This game is why I like building stuff. Same with Simcity 2000, but Simcity 4 looks pretty and a thriving custom content community. Simcity 2000 has aged about as well as floppy disks and dial-up internet.

 

6. HALO 4 (2012, X360)

It's about time Halo showed up on this list, eh? This game had shiny graphics for a 360 Halo game, and launched my forge career. If it wasn't for this game, I wouldn't be clad in pink right now.

 

7. HALO 2 (2004, Xbox)

I have fond memories of this game from when I was a wee lad. I remember mashing up Flood with my brother and taking potshots on enemies with Beam Rifles on Delta Halo and Regret. It may not have aged well, but it has serious nostalgia value going for it.

 

8. MEGA MAN 8 (2000, PSX)

Very fun game, and for a Mega Man game, it has aged very well. The variety of upgrades you can get adds quite a bit of replay value, since there are only 40 or so bolts you can spend on them scattered throughout each level. Once you spend them, they're gone for good! But the cutscenes are by far the biggest drawback and some of the worst cutscenes I've seen in a game. Seriously, Mega Man doesn't sound like a man at all and Dr. Light sounds like Elmer Fudd.

 

9. FINAL FANTASY VII (1997, PSX)

The story and the gameplay have withstood the test of time. Its legacy is legendary, and as such is frequently regarded as the best Final Fantasy game ever released (alongside Final Fantasy VI). It is the first Final Fantasy to have pre-rendered cutscenes {and these cutscenes don't have awful voices like Mega Man 8}. However, its graphics have not aged well at all. The 3D models look really clunky and just awful. If bad graphics don't bother you, then give this game a go.

 

10. LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK (2000, N64)

This is the darkest Zelda game made until Twilight Princess came along. It has this sense of dread literally looming over your head at all times with the moon itself giving you the stink-eye whenever you look up to the sky. There are a variety of sidequests which contain the most memorable moments. However, these are tainted with the depressing fact that you have to reset time quite often after you complete these sidequests. You will remember the accomplishments, but the people you helped will revert to their troubled selves.

 

11. LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD (2011, Wii)

Dat story tho. Zelda is not just some princess you have to save this time around; she's your best friend. That incentive alone makes it my favourite Zelda game in the entire series. You have that extra motive to save her. Picture it like this: would you rather save the prime minister, or save your best friend? I'd save my best friend because I share memories with them, whereas the prime minister just makes me lose faith in humanity. And the music is also pretty awesome. It has solid gameplay, and some cool bosses. But I digress... THE STORY IS WORTH IT.

 

12. SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD (2013, Wii U)

It's a 4-player Mario platformer that doesn't stink like New Super Mario Bros. Wii or Wii U with a terrific soundtrack and cool powerups. It addresses many of the problems that the aforementioned games have with their multiplayer modes by making players share a combined pool of lives and giving everyone access to a stockpile of spare items. Also, you don't respawn as a little guy, and can emerge from your respawn bubble when you have some safe ground underneath you regardless of whether or not another player frees you. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses, which accent each other nicely in multiplayer sessions. And might I add that it's 3D? No more 2D shenanigans!

 

Plus, you can play as Rosalina when you beat a level in World Star.   

 

 

13. SUPER MARIO GALAXY (2007, Wii)

It took 3D Mario games to the next level: space! And not only did it take Mario to space, but it brought a great soundtrack, solid gameplay, and planetary gravity into the mix! It made battles against Bowser not just a struggle to rescue Peach, but it made them a struggle to save the entire galaxy. The soundtrack really contributes to the atmosphere with its orchestrated sound. What more could you want?! Hm...

 

Rosalina   

 

 

GOLDEN OLDIES (released before the 20 year cutoff of 1995)

1. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988, NES)

2. Final Fantasy VI (1994, SNES)

3. Final Fantasy I (1987, NES)

4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992, Genesis)

5. Ninja Gaiden (1989, NES)

6. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994, Genesis)

[Azaxx]

Finally got around to editing my post here, apologies for the delay. Now I'm a type of gamer who typically doesn't buy a lot of games, due to that I play the games I own over and over gaining hundreds of hours into them. Because of this it was a lot easier for me to make a list, although I added a honorable mentions list for some games that can't fit due to age restriction or being shortlisted.

 

The top 10 for myself from 1995 - 2015

 

 

1. Halo 3 (Xbox 360 / 2007)

Although the campaign wasn't fitting as a final conclusion, with too many location changes and lack of characters being consistent to what they were set up as, the game concluded properly. The innovations made with co-op, forge, and multiplayer were console defining. Halo 3's multiplayer was easily the most fun (not the most played for me though), and the most fair. The lack of MP breaking bugs and having fair starts with all players truly made it a proper arena multiplayer.

 

2. PlanetSide 2 (PC / 2012)

Although the game now is kinda dead on PC, and the PS4 port sucks so hard. It will remain as one of my favourite games I've played on PC. Definitely a game you can't play alone, PlanetSide 2 is one of the few games to truly capture large scale war with 3 factions, over a current 4 continents with millions of permutations for character customisation. Ontop of that, the continued support the game has had, ever since alpha is crazy, you don't commonly see developers work with the community as well as SOE did for PS2. I can't remember how many hundreds of hours I put into this game by myself, let alone with friends.

 

3. Minecraft (PC (Originally) / 2011)

I understand this is a love/hate game for most people, however I joined in this game waaaaay before the world really noticed it, back in indev version of the game. So I've been able to play through the development of the game, which gives me a different perspective on how this game turned out. Although I will say the game now is nothing like how it used to be, which isn't the best thing seeing as the beta was the best period of the game. That being said, having a local server on this game over years with a small group of friends was one of the best experiences for friendly gaming I've had. So many stupid memories I've had of mucking around in normal Minecraft, modded, or server related stuff makes this a top 3 game for myself. This is probably my most played game reaching into the thousands and thousands of hours.

 

4. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo Gamecube / 2001)

In my opinion, the best fighter game to exist and one of the two Gamecube games I ever liked. Nintendo absolutely nailed the mechanics of the game, vastly improving on its predecessor on the N64. The vast amount of content and replay value allowed this game to be played constantly and further dug itself into tournaments due to how well it played, even if half the characters had to be banned from use.

 

5. Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64 / 1996)

This was one of the first games I played, but never owned. However, even if I didn't own it I played it a damn tonne and love it to this day. The whole concept of 3D worlds was revolutionary for a game such as Mario, and Nintendo absolutely nailed it. The controls were perfect, the story was well written, the level design was so diverse and there were very few poor levels. General audio and music was pleasant to the ears as well, due to better technology on the N64 the sounds were much more focused. Definitely one of the best games made to date in terms of absolute design.

 

 6. Pokemon Diamond (Nintendo DS / 2006) 

While it doesn't have the most original storyline to it (being as Pokemon's main attraction is the first playthrough of the story), it definitely had one of the best and the by far longest. The Sinnoh region as well was created perfectly to allow high diversity and replay value in its own region after the main game was over. On top of that, it had one of the best post game content (best belongs to Gen 2 due to a Kanto being unlocked) and the whole sweep of new legendaries obtainable after the National Dex was in hand was quite impressive. The only Pokemon game I ever reached 1000 hours was this title.

 

 7. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES / 199 5) 

Only game on my list that I still have not being able to complete, and I cannot ever see myself completing it due to how hard it gets at the end. That being said though, it's the perfect co-op game on the old SNES. A great comedic story takes a different path as Donkey Kong wasn't playable at all in the game, rather you take on two young Kongs who hadn't had their own main roles yet. Boss fights were designed pretty well which is why I loved the game.

8. Pokemon Red (Gameboy / 1996)

 

9. Mario Kart Double Dash (Nintendo Gamecube / 2003)

My absolute favourite co-op game for the Gamecube, while I didn't really like most games for the Gamecube, this and SSB.M made up for it here with their fantastic elements introduced into the respective games. MK;DB was the first and only MK game to have a two player kart which was a fantastic hit for the series, and it's a shame it never saw the light of day again.

 

10. Halo Reach (Xbox 360 / 2010)

The 10th and final spot here was kinda tough for me, there were others games that were very memorable for me. After thinking about it for a while I realised that this was the most played MP Halo I had, I played more matches here than any other Halo title, just because of how well the map design was and how well the vehicle play was. Alongside that the new/improved gametypes such as Infection, Invasion and the Co-op online campaign were so enjoyable.... until 343i came and ruined Infection. The customisation I see as the best in the series for your Spartan, it's a shame that Elites never got the same type of treatment due to how fantastic Invasion was. I wasn't much of a Forger, and by much I mean I was absolute garbage, but playing LAN parties on Forge were some of funnest moments I've had in the Halo experience I've had for the past decade.

 

 

 

 

 

Pre '95 and honorable mentions;

 

 

1. Super Mario World (SNES / 1990)

Easily the best game I've ever played. Massive improvements on controls in comparison to the 3 games before it. Graphical enhancements were phenomenal on the SNES over the NES. Considering the game in that early of the series wasn't a milk compared to the games these days, the story was 'new' and very comical. Level designs are easily some of the best 2D platformer levels I've played on, and the music is some of the best classic bit music. The game had next to no bugs as well, and the bugs it did have weren't gamebreaking so were considered proper easter eggs. A truly 10/10 game.

 

2. HyperZone (SNES / 1991)

Not really a well known game, similar to the F-Zero concept, this game was a rather short 3D scrolling shooter, and one of the first games made for the SNES. Mode 7's level design was amazing to my eyes back when I was a kid, everything felt so real even if it was crappy bit imagery. Although you can beat the game in 28 minutes, I was never able to beat it for 18 years, probably because I sucked so hard at it until I picked it up again a couple years ago.

 

3. Mass Effect (PC / 2007)

Mass Effect's first game is probably my 2nd favourite scifi story in a game (after Halo 2), the mystery to the whole Reaper enigma was very interesting, to only be revealed at the end with the tough choices Shepard was given regarding the final battle. The only downsides for me was the lack of proper customisation regarding a character that's for an RPG, I wanted to make my Shepard feel more like someone I could connect to, not someone who had 3 choices of backstory.

 

4. TES; Skyrim (PC / 2011)

Skyrim was an interesting one, while the story lacked in comparison to something like Morrowind and Oblivion, I felt it the most enjoyable to play through and was hooked immediately. Above all as well it was the most visually appealing and diverse I found, even if Skyrim had this overall 'feel' in terms of design to it. It's just a shame that the main story was so short, and kinda didn't make sense at the end regarding certain decisions. But I found the majority of fun in the side quests above all.

 

5. Terraria (PC / 2011)

Like Minecraft, but better regarding content. More focused on the mining and creating elements of the game, opposed to building. Terraria has one of the biggest end game content to it, partially because almost the entire game is end game content now. Patch after patch adds huge degrees of end game content to it now that 90% of the current content is/was end game content which is fantastic.

 

6. Mario Kart 8 (WiiU / 2014)

This is why I bought the WiiU, even though I don't play it much now, I had an immense amount of fun with this game. In terms of mechanics and driving control, this game has the best quality and response. I originally bought this so I could play with Ray from RT who occasionally streamed it, then was able to get into multi hundred player tournaments with it and always end in the top 1-2, so that type of fun made me decide that I should at least recognise how much fun this game gave to me in a short period of time.

 

7. Destiny (Xbox One / 2014)

Now I know the general consensus for this game, but to me I have had trouble finding a game that keeps me hooked to the PvE side of things. Halo I run through the campaign for the nice story, but as for replaying it? No thanks, there's just no replay value to it for me. Destiny changed that, while the story sucks, the end game PvE content really shined for me. Everything about the Strikes, Raids and Arena appealed to me. Although it's a shame that Destiny's PvP will never reach Halo's standard, I still find it enjoyable as I can play how I want to a lot easier with the classes at hand. Ontop of that, the first time I ran through the Vault of Glass was easily in my top 3 best experiences in a video game to date. One of if not the most played game on Xbox/Xbox 360/Xbox One I have in terms of gametime.

 

[ShadowFiend216]

Well, I figured since everyone is doing it, why not me? There have been plenty of great games in the past 20 years, and even before that. Without further adieu, here is my list of "Best Games." The only one that is in a particular order is #1. The rest aren't.

 

1. Halo 2 (Xbox / 2004)

The game that started my love for Halo. Although Halo: CE was my first Halo, it was not even close to being my favorite. First off, absolutely amazing campaign. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've been through it. The campaign went so deep into story in Halo 2, especially by letting you play as the Arbiter. It gave you a glimpse of what it was like inside the Covenant. With 60 minutes of cutscenes, how could it not develop such a deep story? Had a lot of content not been cut, there would have been even more story. As far as Multiplayer, I'd say it was pretty good, besides the little bugs like BXR. The maps were very balanced, and mechanics in general were far better than CE. I remember inviting my friends over to play Halo 2, 4-player splitscreen, and we would play for hours on end. If there was a way to find out how many hours I've actually had in Halo 2, they would definitely top out any other game I've ever played. I honestly can say my life would have been a lot different without Halo 2.

 

2. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex (Xbox / 2001)

This is one of my childhood games. Now although back then, I found the game extremely difficult, I visited it a couple months ago and dominated it. Anyways, I played this game so much as a little one. From collecting Wumpa, to running into Nitro crates, and even spinning into penguins, I found the game very amusing and entertaining. Although I never truly beat it (After completing all of the missions, you have to go back and play through them all again to beat speed runs, and destroy every crate on the level, to earn Gems and Relics.) I still felt great pride in completing the final level.

 

3. Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox / 2002)

Another childhood game, that I don't think very many people actually know about. The graphics were very interesting, everything seemed to like it was out of a comic book,  a lot like what Borderlands looks like. Anyways, the game took place in future Tokyo, where the corrupted Rokkaku corporation, pretty much has power over everything. And a group of teenagers sets out to stop them. Now in the game, you roll through Tokyo in skates, which proved to be very frustrating at times. Anyways, throughout most of the game, you pretty much tag up everything. In fact, in order to defeat enemies, you have to tag their backs. (Or put graffiti on them, for those of you who don't know what tagging is.) The game also has many geometric puzzles that can make it very hard to figure out where to go next in a particular area. Overall, it's a pretty interesting game, and I recommend everyone to play it.

 

4.Timesplitters 2 (Xbox / 2002)

One of my favorite childhood games. I spent hours on end playing this. Whether I was playing the Story, using the MapMaker, or just fighting AI in a multiplayer game, it always proved to be entertaining. The cool thing about the Story was, the harder the difficulty, the more objectives you had to complete, and the more unexpected enemies. To this day, I find the game pretty challenging on Hard. It wasn't much for show as far as multiplayer though. The teams and maps were very big, but I just didn't find it very appealing. Besides, I think a game that has bots instead of players, usually means the multiplayer isn't too great. MapMaker was amazing though. Now it wasn't as advanced as Forge was, but at the time, Forge wouldn't come out for another 5 years, so it was ahead of it's time. The thing I loved most about it was the fact that you could make your own Story missions, with working Objectives and enemy AI that would patrol the map, or not, depending on what you wanted them to do. You could give them any weapons you wanted too. I always had a big open room at the end of the mission facing you against near impossible odds, giving all the AI Heatseeking rockets. Unforunately EA had to ruin the series with a sequel that was nothing compared to it's predecessor. 

 

5. Destiny (Xbox 360/One / 2014)

Now I now this game has very mixed reviews, but personally, it never ceases to amaze me. It has been the only game in quite some time to make me actually stop playing Halo for over a month. And the only game where I prefer PvE over PvP. Although it has a lack of Story, the lore is amazing. And the DLCs just keep getting better. There's so much to do, and there's always something you haven't done. My Tuesdays are pretty much dedicated to Destiny.

 

6. Tony Hawk's Underground (Xbox / 2003)

 

I used to really be into skateboarding. In fact, the Tony Hawk games are what made me want to in the first place. But this particular Tony Hawk game, I played more than any other. I couldn't tell you how many times I played through the story. I know almost all of the cutscenes word for word, because I played it that much. Anyways, it was really just good fun. Not to mention unlocking the cheat codes after beating all of the Goals. Moon Gravity skateboarding? I think, yes.

 

7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Xbox / 2002)

 

I was never really too into Star Wars, I do enjoy the movies and all that, but I wasn't super into it. But this game, was amazing. It was the first game I played on my Xbox, when I got it in 2002. It offered so much, there were so many environments to play in, not to mention the vehicles. The majority of the game was played inside a vehicle, granted there being a couple instances when you were on foot, throwing your lightsaber at things. Hell, there are two missions where you ride wildlife ( Can't remember what the things are called.) with lasers mounted on their bodies. It doesn't get much better than that. The final boss was the biggest pain in the arse ever. It took me forever to beat the Dark Reaper, but when I finally did, the feeling was amazing.

 

This concludes my list of "Best Games." I'd say it's a pretty good one. Now I really want to play all of these again.....

[Melody]

 

3. Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox / 2002)

Another childhood game, that I don't think very many people actually know about. The graphics were very interesting, everything seemed to like it was out of a comic book,  a lot like what Borderlands looks like. Anyways, the game took place in future Tokyo, where the corrupted Rokkaku corporation, pretty much has power over everything. And a group of teenagers sets out to stop them. Now in the game, you roll through Tokyo in skates, which proved to be very frustrating at times. Anyways, throughout most of the game, you pretty much tag up everything. In fact, in order to defeat enemies, you have to tag their backs. (Or put graffiti on them, for those of you who don't know what tagging is.) The game also has many geometric puzzles that can make it very hard to figure out where to go next in a particular area. Overall, it's a pretty interesting game, and I recommend everyone to play it.

 

Omg! How could I have forgotten about this lovely gem! The memories are bringing tears to my eyes.. ;-; That was such a great game..

 

Why sony!? Why couldn't you make JSRF for the vita instead of the original one?! (No offence to the first JSR I really liked it too.)

[ShadowFiend216]

Omg! How could I have forgotten about this lovely gem! The memories are bringing tears to my eyes.. ;-; That was such a great game..

 

Why sony!? Why couldn't you make JSRF for the vita instead of the original one?! (No offence to the first JSR I really liked it too.)

 

I never actually played JSR, but I can't imagine it being too different from JSRF. I think I played the demo once, because it's on the XBL Arcade.

 

If you can get your hands on JSRF, it actually plays on the Xbox 360.