Collection Cornerstones

[turf]

This is just my 2 cents, but here it goes.
The cornerstone of a building is where the construction started.  It's not a building without a cornerstone.  Just like this you can't call yourself any kind of NES collector without SMB3.  It was the most popular game on the system.  With that said:

Atari 2600: Pacman
NES: Super Mario Bros. 3
Sega Master System: Alex Kidd
SNES: Super Mario World or Donkey Kong Country
Sega Genesis: Sonic 2
N64: Mario 64 or Goldeneye
Saturn: uhhh... I don't know NiGHTS into Dreams?
Playstation: Final Fantasy VII
Dreamcast: Soul Caliber maybe?
Xbox: Halo

[soera]

Dreamcast - Dont think I could list a single DC game if I tried

Bad soera... bad!

Well, according to @soera's logic: N64 < DC & 360 < Jaguar & Virtual Boy

The problem with the 64 is there is simply nothing unique/new about it other than the controllers ... and those were mostly a flop to me. Same deal with the Dreamcast. Nothing really new or special and horrible controllers. Why someone would want to play with a controller that is the same size as a pizza with weird options is beyond me. And since it keeps getting requoted, Ill name the one Dreamcast game I care about : MK gold.

[psydswipe]

I'll try to stick to significant games, rather than just my favorites. I've also not played much on Nintendo systems so I'll stick to the systems I've got good experience on.

Atari 2600: Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pitfall!, Adventure, Missile Command (those are mostly the classics, but one of my favorites is MegaMania)
Intellivision: Utopia (I'd say this is the first world building game), Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Sea Battle (I consider this the first real-time strategy game), Major League Baseball (digitized speech)
Sega Master System: Phantasy Star, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Shinobi
Sega Genesis: Phantasy Star II, Strider, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, NHL Hockey (sure it's a sports game but it's a classic), Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, Mortal Kombat (kind of significant)
Sega CD: Snatcher, Lunar: The Silver Star, Sonic CD, Night Trap (it sucks but it's significant in the part it played in the media and the impact on the ratings system)
Sega Saturn: Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Virtual On: Cyber Troopers, Virtua Fighter 2, Nights Into Dreams...
Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, Soul Calibur, Crazy Taxi, Skies of Arcadia, Jet Grind Radio, Seaman (not for everyone but it's unique)
PlayStation: Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania: Syphony of the Night -- maybe Tekken, Twisted Metal, Tenchu
PlayStation 2: Grand Theft Auto III (and probably Vice City & San Andreas), God of War, SSX (maybe, I bought the PS2 for it) -- PS2 is tough, lots of sequels to PS one games
Xbox: Halo, Fable, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell -- not sure what else, there are some PC ports and one of my favorites is Hitman 2

It's tough to pick out the significant games without simply picking my favorites. I certainly don't like all of the games I listed.

[psydswipe]

Dreamcast - Dont think I could list a single DC game if I tried

Bad soera... bad!

Well, according to @soera's logic: N64 < DC & 360 < Jaguar & Virtual Boy

The problem with the 64 is there is simply nothing unique/new about it other than the controllers ... and those were mostly a flop to me. Same deal with the Dreamcast. Nothing really new or special and horrible controllers. Why someone would want to play with a controller that is the same size as a pizza with weird options is beyond me. And since it keeps getting requoted, Ill name the one Dreamcast game I care about : MK gold.

I like the Dreamcast controller but then I kept using the original Xbox controller even after I got a Controller S. My hands really aren't big either, maybe even a bit on the small side. I've got very little experience with the N64 and I didn't care for the GameCube controllers. I've always found the PlayStation controllers uncomfortable too but people love them. The Xbox 360 is most comfortable thus far I'd say. Of course the comfort level is really going to vary from person to person.

[jcalder8]

I liked the Dreamcast controller and for me there is nothing better than Crazy Taxi for the system. I had it down to almost a  science at one point where I almost ran out of passengers. If only they could have used the same music for the 360 version I'd still be actively playing it.

[scott]

These may include my personal bias and reflect parts of my personal collection that I feel are important. Though, I don't own some of the game's I've mentioned here, the ones I am missing are sort of goals for me to work toward. I'm not mentioning the 360, PS3, Wii or 3DS in the list at all

NES - Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Batman, Mega Man 2, SMB3, Castlevania III, Dragon Warrior IV

SNES - Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Chrono Trigger, FFII & III, Secret of Mana & Super Mario RPG, Castlevania: Dracula X, LoZ: Link to the Past

N64 - LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Castlevania, Goldeneye, Conker's Bad Fur Day

GC - Animal Crossing, LOZ: Wind Waker, LoZ: Twilight Princess (The true version of the game), MGS: The Twin Snakes, Super Mario Sunshine

Game Boy - Tetris, Super Mario Land 2, LoZ: Link's Awakening, Final Fantasy Legend 1,2 & 3, Metroid II, Pokemon: Red/Blue/Yellow

GBC - LoZ: Oracle of Ages/Seasons, LoZ: Link's Awakening DX

GBA - Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, LoZ: Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion or Zero Mission, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

DS - Animal Crossing: Wild World, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow & Order of Eccelsia, Radiant Historia, Dragon Quest V.

Genesis - Shining Force 1&2, Sonic 2-3 & Knuckles, Castlevania: Bloodlines

Saturn - Guardian Heroes, Panzer Dragoon, Zwei & Saga, Dragon Force, Albert Odyssey & NiGHTS into Dreams... (and Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams...) & Retranslated Shining Force III (and parts 2 and 3)

PS1 - Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VII & IX, Legend of Dragoon, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.

PS2 - .hack//G.U. trilogy (The original .hacks are good too, but G.U. upped the quality), Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, ICO, Shadow of the Colossus.(I don't own either of the last 2, but have played some of them. They are both works of art)

PSP - LocoRoco 2, Patapon, Daxter, Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Xbox - Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theroy, Halo 2

[scott]

I've always found the PlayStation controllers uncomfortable too but people love them.

I've played a lot of PS2 and I really liked the controller and never felt uncomfortable. I actually preferred it over anything else when playing Tony Hawk games, due to the flat buttons. The Xbox's domed buttoned made fast combo presses slower and as such I didn't play much of American Wasteland on Xbox. BUT when I got my 360 and started playing on that most often and went back to the PS style controller, I found it slightly less comfortable than I remembered it being. I wouldn't say it is the most uncomfortable controller ever, but I also wouldn't list it on the top of the ergonomic list, ha.

Also sorry for the double post, I didn't read everyone's replies until after I posted.

[teknophyl]

These may include my personal bias and reflect parts of my personal collection that I feel are important. Though, I don't own some of the game's I've mentioned here, the ones I am missing are sort of goals for me to work toward. I'm not mentioning the 360, PS3, Wii or 3DS in the list at all

NES - Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Batman, Mega Man 2, SMB3, Castlevania III, Dragon Warrior IV

SNES - Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Chrono Trigger, FFII & III, Secret of Mana & Super Mario RPG, Castlevania: Dracula X, LoZ: Link to the Past

N64 - LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Castlevania, Goldeneye, Conker's Bad Fur Day

GC - Animal Crossing, LOZ: Wind Waker, LoZ: Twilight Princess (The true version of the game), MGS: The Twin Snakes, Super Mario Sunshine

Game Boy - Tetris, Super Mario Land 2, LoZ: Link's Awakening, Final Fantasy Legend 1,2 & 3, Metroid II, Pokemon: Red/Blue/Yellow

GBC - LoZ: Oracle of Ages/Seasons, LoZ: Link's Awakening DX

GBA - Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, LoZ: Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion or Zero Mission, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

DS - Animal Crossing: Wild World, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow & Order of Eccelsia, Radiant Historia, Dragon Quest V.

Genesis - Shining Force 1&2, Sonic 2-3 & Knuckles, Castlevania: Bloodlines

Saturn - Guardian Heroes, Panzer Dragoon, Zwei & Saga, Dragon Force, Albert Odyssey & NiGHTS into Dreams... (and Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams...) & Retranslated Shining Force III (and parts 2 and 3)

PS1 - Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VII & IX, Legend of Dragoon, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.

PS2 - .hack//G.U. trilogy (The original .hacks are good too, but G.U. upped the quality), Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, ICO, Shadow of the Colossus.(I don't own either of the last 2, but have played some of them. They are both works of art)

PSP - LocoRoco 2, Patapon, Daxter, Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Xbox - Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theroy, Halo 2

JRPG much?

[madmax]

SNES: Final Fantasy III
N64: Goldeneye

[scott]

These may include my personal bias and reflect parts of my personal collection that I feel are important. Though, I don't own some of the game's I've mentioned here, the ones I am missing are sort of goals for me to work toward. I'm not mentioning the 360, PS3, Wii or 3DS in the list at all

NES - Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Batman, Mega Man 2, SMB3, Castlevania III, Dragon Warrior IV

SNES - Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Chrono Trigger, FFII & III, Secret of Mana & Super Mario RPG, Castlevania: Dracula X, LoZ: Link to the Past

N64 - LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Castlevania, Goldeneye, Conker's Bad Fur Day

GC - Animal Crossing, LOZ: Wind Waker, LoZ: Twilight Princess (The true version of the game), MGS: The Twin Snakes, Super Mario Sunshine

Game Boy - Tetris, Super Mario Land 2, LoZ: Link's Awakening, Final Fantasy Legend 1,2 & 3, Metroid II, Pokemon: Red/Blue/Yellow

GBC - LoZ: Oracle of Ages/Seasons, LoZ: Link's Awakening DX

GBA - Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, LoZ: Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion or Zero Mission, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

DS - Animal Crossing: Wild World, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow & Order of Eccelsia, Radiant Historia, Dragon Quest V.

Genesis - Shining Force 1&2, Sonic 2-3 & Knuckles, Castlevania: Bloodlines

Saturn - Guardian Heroes, Panzer Dragoon, Zwei & Saga, Dragon Force, Albert Odyssey & NiGHTS into Dreams... (and Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams...) & Retranslated Shining Force III (and parts 2 and 3)

PS1 - Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VII & IX, Legend of Dragoon, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.

PS2 - .hack//G.U. trilogy (The original .hacks are good too, but G.U. upped the quality), Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, ICO, Shadow of the Colossus.(I don't own either of the last 2, but have played some of them. They are both works of art)

PSP - LocoRoco 2, Patapon, Daxter, Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.

Xbox - Splinter Cell, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theroy, Halo 2

JRPG much?

A little.

[ffxik]

Some people ask the damndest questions.    This one was really hard, but after standing in front of my game shelf for 45 minutes. I think I may have narrowed it down to (almost) one per system.  I have the headache to prove it.

NES: Crystalis
SNES: Illusion of Gaia
N64: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
GC: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
SMS: Phantasy Star
Genesis: Gunstar Heroes
32X: Kunckles Chaotix
Sega CD: Lunar (Either one)
Saturn: Panzer Dragoon Saga
DC: Skies of Arcadia
TG-16: Y's Books I&II
PSX: Valkyrie Profile
PS2: Suikoden V
Xbox: Kingdom Under Fire (Either one)

[kingrat101]

I think for dreamcast either Soul Calibur or Jet Grind Radio and SNES... Super Metroid

[kirbysuperstar]

NES - Kirby's Adventure
SMS - Phantasy Star
SMD - Sonic 2 & Thunder Force IV (Lightening Force)
SCD - Snatcher
SNES - Yoshi's Island
PSX - Metal Gear Solid
N64 - Star Fox 64
Saturn - Panzer Dragoon
Dreamcast - Jet Set Radio & Shenmue
PlayStation 2 - Dragon Quest VIII & Digital Devil Saga 1/2
Xbox - Metal Wolf Chaos
Gamecube - Metroid Prime
Wii - Xenoblade Chronicles & No More Heroes
PS3 - Uncharted 3
PC - The Ultimate Doom
PSP - Ys Seven
GBA - Metroid Fusion

Can't really think of anything in particular for 360, GB, DS and 3DS.