favorite video games of all time

[kimimi]

I can do one definite one - NiGHTS into Dreams (Sat/PS2/XBLA... the ports are good enough that it doesn't really matter which version) - but after that I could list a hundred games and still wouldn't be sure I've covered everything I love

[scott]

I can do one definite one - NiGHTS into Dreams (Sat/PS2/XBLA... the ports are good enough that it doesn't really matter which version) - but after that I could list a hundred games and still wouldn't be sure I've covered everything I love

YES! When I repurchased my Saturn, that was one of the 1st games I hunted down. I've not played it on XBLA though, is it a lot better looking?

[kimimi]

It's based on the PS2 version, so it does look a lot better than the original. If you find yourself not liking the new style though there is an option to change the graphics back to the old Saturn look.

[foxhack]

The game got released on PC recently too.

[scott]

Cool! I'll check it out, soonish.

[thecollector0o7]

1: Zelda Ocarina of Time. (N64) : Played it as a kid and was just lost in its story and the land of hyrule. (Big zelda nerd >_>)
2: Super Mario World. (SNES) : Awesome graphical upgrade and smooth controls.
3: Zelda Link to the Past. (SNES) : Great story and game play which added a lot to the series.
4: Pokemon Y/B/R. : (GB) : Anyone around my age played the hell out of these games and I still go back to them today.
5: Star Fox 64. (N64) : Just love the visuals and how well the game is put together along with it being one of my first rumble pak games. (for people who games before built in rumble )
6: Road Rash. (3DO) I just loved the violance as a kid and how it had real music, now I just love the violance.
7: Banjo Kazooie. (N64) Just an all together great game and Rare knocked it out of the park with every detail.
8: Metal Gear: (PS1) it's Metal Gear what more can I say
9: Metal Slug: (Neo Geo) I love the violance thats behind the 16 bit lens and man does it get hard.
10: Pitfall (Atari 2600) : Playing it for the first time is what began my obsession with collecting.

[anton]

(3DO)

Damn 3DO, i bought one few months ago, but, it doesn't work at all.
It cost a lot but apparently you gotta be really careful when you buy one.

[thecollector0o7]

(3DO)

Damn 3DO, i bought one few months ago, but, it doesn't work at all.
It cost a lot but apparently you gotta be really careful when you buy one.

Its true I waited to get a 3DO until I started to run out of common systems to get and it took me 3 tries to get a working one >_> but when you do its worth it for some games others not so much. But they do jump up in price so you just have to keep your eye out for a good deal

[stethebubble]

here are some of mine.

metal gear solid
road rash
final fantasy VII
Time Splitters 2
street fighter 2 turbo
tekken 3
command and conquer red alert

these are the games that blew me away when i played them and i still have great memories of them all.

[burningdoom]

My Top 20 Games:

1. The Elder Scrolls Games - Particularly Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. I haven't ever played Daggerfall or Arena. Those games just give you so much freedom and exploration, and a massive yet detailed world to do it all in. And the character options are endless as well. A masterpiece of gaming with each iteration.

2. Metroid Franchise - The first one was just alright for me. The lack of an in-game map and the constant grind for health (plus only starting with only 30 health regardless of how many health tanks you have) kept it from being a masterpiece, IMO. But when Super Metroid came out, it blew me away and remains one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had to this day. And every Metroid game after it has been fantastic, as well.

3. The Legend of Zelda Franchise (2D Games) - I LOVE The Legend of Zelda series. The first game on NES is one of my first personally owned games as a little kid. I know every nook and cranny of that game by heart. The different, yet still good Zelda II on NES is another favorite of mine (but so hard at the end), and A Link to the Past was a complete masterpiece. The handheld Zelda games are on par with those console counterparts as well. But for some reason, I just can't get into the 3D Zelda games as much.

4. The Super Mario Bros. Series - Mario is a gaming icon, and as cliché as it may be, he's a gaming hero for me. Super Mario Bros. is the reason I wanted an NES so badly as a kid. And Super Mario Bros. 3 improved on perfection. Super Mario World was stunning, and even Super Mario Sunshine on Gamecube is a blast to play. The core Mario series never disappoints with it's crisp controls and perfect platforming.

5. The King's Field Series - I just love this series, and I have to be it's biggest fan out there. I've played all 3 U.S. entries so many times, that I could verbally walk you through each game. It's a 3D action-RPG played from the first-person perspective with a very heavy emphasis on exploration, a steep learning-curve, and a bit of a challenge.

6. The Resident Evil Series - I've always loved horror movies, especially zombie flicks (Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead by George Romero are MUST-SEE MOVIES for any horror-fans). And I've always been a big fan of Capcom. So it's only natural that I'd love this survival-horror series. The settings, music, sound-effects, and storyline just come together beautifully for most games in the series.

7. The Halo Series - Yeah, another cliché title in my list...sue me. I love sci-fi, and I love a well-polished game. And Halo is both. The biggest draw for me is the sci-fi universe, story, and setting. I love the epic scope of it all. And the graphics are beautiful to behold on both Xbox and Xbox 360. Plus the music is some of the best in the entire gaming world. And the great multiplayer sure doesn't hurt.

8. Castlevania Series - If I love the Metroid Series, then I have to love the Castlevania Series. From Sympony of the Night on PS1 and beyond (and on Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for NES), the series has embraced the Metroidvania style of gameplay, and executed it perfectly, which I'm a huge fan of. The music is always amazing. Plus the added RPG-elements really fleshes out the gameplay. And the platforming is spot-on (and was even before Symphony of the Night). Plus the gothic settings and cool looking creatures helps, too.

9. Neverwinter Nights (PC) - The best "Diablo-style" action-RPG ever made, as far as I'm concerned. The attention to detail is just astounding in gameplay, in stats & abilities, in character choices, in the amount of gear/spells available, and in the size of the world you're playing in. And then the sheer amount of expansions and modules available for the game just make it an amazing deal.

10. Crystalis (NES) - An 8-bit masterpiece. Easily one of the best games on the NES, and a crowning jewel in SNK's library of games. It's a damn shame that this game never received a sequel. It plays a lot like the original Legend of Zelda, but does nearly everything better than Legend of Zelda: Better graphics, better music & sound effects, bigger world to explore, more RPG-elements, and more towns and NPCs to interact with. I recommend this HIGHLY to fans of the 8-bit era, or of The Legend of Zelda.

11. Bionic Commando (NES) - Who would have thought that the addition of a bionic-arm would switch up 2D platforming so much and make a game so much fun? But it did! A must-have for the NES and a rare example of an NES version of a game being better than it's arcade counterpart (Ninja Gaiden also immediately comes to mind). Capcom really outdid themselves with this one.

12. Contra (NES) - Another rare example of an NES version of a game being better than it's arcade counterpart with added levels and even better control. The run-n-gun action is so good in this one, that it's still a blast to play to this day, and even more fun with a friend for some co-op action. Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, B, A, Start. The famous Konami code was the most useful right here on this bad-boy for the coveted 30-lives.

13. Mega Man 2 (NES) - The BEST game in the Mega Man series, bar-none. Great level-design, tight controls and 2D platforming, great boss battles, fantastic 8-bit music, and it's freaking Mega Man! Such an improvement over the original game.

14. Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of the Super Heroes (Dreamcast) - The best 2D fighting game ever made, as far as I'm concerned. Now I could be biased on this one, because I am a life-long comic book fan. But the gameplay and the amazing 2D graphics and the sheer amount of characters available to choose has to have a little to do with it. And the crisp controls and tight-gameplay that you expect from a Capcom fighter definitely has a little to do with it, as well.

15. Sonic the Hedgehog Series (2D Games) - I love me some 2D Sonic the Hedgehog platforming. The 3D games just aren't the same for me. Sonic the Hedgehog 1-4, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic: Pocket Adventure, and Sonic Advance are all fan-freaking-tastic platformers that are just plain fun to play. Sonic CD I hear is just as good, but I haven't played much more of it than the first level; which I did enjoy, though.

16. Guitar Hero Series - I'm big into metal and hard-rock. And this game let me live out my inner-fantasy of being a rockstar. Plus there's a lot of great hard-rock stuff on these games. So I'm a sucker for this music-based series.

17. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Series - Because doing a ton of tricks with crisp controls a great soundtrack is a fantastic way to waste some time.

18. Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (XBox 360) - I know, many of your are thining "Hey, that's cheating!" But I love classic game compilations. I own a ton of them. You just get so many games for such a cheap price, and I don't have anything against playing older games. Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is THE BEST classic game compilation I've seen. Just a massive amount of great Sega classics at your fingertips to play on 1 disc.

19. WWE: Smackdown Series - I like professional wrestling. (And yes, I know it's fake.)  I've been a lifelong fan since the days when Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, Ultimate Warrior, and Rowdy Roddy Piper ruled the WWF. The Smackdown series has been the best wrestling game series to date. Great controls (most of the time), lots of game/match modes, nice level of polish, and lots of fan-service in these games.

20. The Legend of Legaia (PS1) - My favorite JRPG. Good story, memorable characters, and cool abilities/spells; but most of all a unique and addicting battle-system that involves using a combination of button-commands to unlock special attacks and spells. Which kept you constantly fiddling with it to discover new attacks; which helped a lot to prevent random-encounters from getting repetitive.

[sin2beta]

I enjoyed reading these and feel like I know some of the members backgrounds a bit more. Anyway, here is my top 10:

1) Starcraft - Played this game so much in my teens. First and only time a game felt more like a sport or skill than a game. Once you get the point of having a high APM, the game changes entirely.

2) Shenmue - I couldn't believe this game when it came out. I still play it regularly.

3) Phantasy Star - My favorite old school RPG. The story and setting suck me in.

4) Crazy Taxi - Pure arcade fun.

5) Galaga - I can never resist putting a quarter in. The food court next to campus at UC-Boulder has a galaga machine that I would play almost daily. Now, the Max Retro Pub in downtown Tulsa has one along with vodka slurpees. The adult nerd rejoices.

6) Halo - I was SO late to the party on this one. I mistook it as a total bro game. But the story is so geeky and fantastic. It also plays fantastic.

7) Castlevania - The original on the NES has most of my childhood memories. It was my and a friend of mine's favorite game growing up.

8 -  Pokemon - Spent every bus ride from 5th through 6th grade catching them all.

9) Sonic 2 - The epitome of 90s platforming for me.

10) Guitar Hero - I don't care what anyone says. These games are pure fun.

[kbit]

There are in no particular order because...how could I?

Pokemon-- Blue was my first, Gold/Silver are probably my favorite. HG/SS were great remakes.
Sonic-- I guess my most played are Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure Battle 2. But love the original Sonic and Sonic 2 for the Genesis.
Halo-- Geeked out so much when the first one came out. Still a good franchise.
Legend of Zelda-- Hard to pick a favorite on this one but my childhood was a lot of Ocarina of Time/Majora's Mask.
Starfox 64-- the 3DS remake of this is fun, too!
Final Fantasy-- Still haven't gotten around to playing all of them but VII and IX are my favorites so far
Oddworld-- TOTALLY underrated but Munch's Odysee is one of my all-time favorite games. So weird!
Mario Party/Mario Kart-- Any of them. Such great games to play with friends.
Animal Crossing-- Maybe a girl game, but a great feel-good franchise
GTA-- And other Rockstar games like Red Dead and LA Noire

I'm still young and getting around to playing a lot of games though!

[sin2beta]

Oddworld is really good. When the XBox launched, that was what I wanted.

[insektmute]

Glad I did a search instead of starting a new thread...

Fallout 2 - The first time I splattered a two-headed Brahmin open, I gave a sick little giggle over the realization that I could do just about anything I wanted. Alongside Daggerfall, I consider this among the first open world/sandbox games, but unlike Elder Scrolls, Black Isle managed to fill the world with interesting characters, socio-political depth, history, and a compelling narrative. 15 years old, and it still shits all over Fallout 3.

Final Fantasy VI - The first Dragon Warrior introduced me to JRPGs, and while I played plenty of others during the NES/SNES years, this was the first that I fell in love with so much, I'd remember it vividly even decades later. Simply a great story, memorable characters, open and exotic world, and a fantastic mix of magic and technology, all wrapped up in Yoshitaka Amano's beautiful design. It's truly disheartening to see how far Square has fallen when you consider that they were once capable of a game like this.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant - Alongside Nocturne, Shadow Hearts reinvented genres and destroyed my expectations, opening my eyes to the idea that games could and should offer more mature experiences than the usual "unlikely kid saves the world" or "brutish military thugs and explosions" motifs. Great mix of exotic music, intricate Baroque design sensibilities, and a combat system that, once you adjust to it, craps all over the usual "hit X repeatedly" variety, or Square's recent attempts to add unnecessary complexity to random encounters.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - The game that changed everything about how I look at video games, and especially JRPGs. Dark as pitch, creepy as hell, challenging, philosophical, and utterly engrossing. I've seen Megami Tensei fans described as an obsessive bunch, particularly about this game, but it's one of those things where you really have to play it for yourself to understand. I've tried recommending this to tons of people, but not one of them has actually been willing to pick it up.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 - SMT: Nocturne meets slice of life stories and dating sims and some dude who looks like Jesus if he were a crazy hobo. Where Nocturne goes for the dark and apocalyptic, Persona edges more toward a stylish mix of psychedelia, pop art, and Jungian philosophy in a way that's simultaneously weird as hell, yet weirdly comforting. If Ryu Murakami made video games, he'd probably make games like this.

Super Metroid- Easily the best Metroid ever, and in my opinion, the greatest game Nintendo ever developed. The creepy, alien soundrack, the atmosphere of isolation, the bizarre environment... it's about as close to perfect as a game can get. Despite (stupidly) selling most of my SNES games when I was a kid, this is the only one I couldn't bring myself to part with, and it's still in my collection, in almost perfect shape, now that I'm in my 30's.

System Shock 2 - Take the isolation of Super Metroid, the body horror of Resident Evil, pitch it all into space on a derelict ship controlled by an insane artificial intelligence, and you have one of the scariest and most well-designed games ever created. "Look at you, hacker... " is probably permanently etched in the brain of anyone who's ever played this, and dozens of games - from Dead Space to Portal - owe SS2 a massive debt of gratitude for giving them an instruction manual.

Gotta stop here, but I'll throw in Valkyria Chronicles, Ogre Battle, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, Resident Evil 4, Fatal Frame II, Nier, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Witcher 2 as being on the list, too.

[bikingjahuty]

2.) Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - This game is quite literally one of the funnest games I've played in my life. It has an excellent story, fast paced combat, amazing art style, the only downside is that it has mediocre voice acting.

You are the first person I have ever seen or known that included a Z.O.E. game in their top ten! That automatically makes you one of the coolest people ever!

It is such an amazing game, hands down the best 3D action game I have ever played. I do prefer the first one, but both a equal in awesome!