1. Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Complete Edition; Does it really need an explanation? :>
2. Quake 3; Same as above
3. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault; - Spent over 3 years of daily gaming in its MP, vanilla 1.11 is still one of the best MP shooters out there
4. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast; - Best Star Wars game ever released and best game Raven ever made, i would kill for a sequel
5. EVE Online; Best MMO to date. I tried it for a first time in 2005, but started playing after in 2007 and spent more than 3500h in it
6. Max Payne; I'm BIG Matrix fan, so this game was like dream come to life and it had Matrix mods
7. Counter Strike Source; Played for at least 3-4 years, mostly on Dust 2 and Office
8. Need for Speed: Underground; The best NFS to date for me
9. Command and Conquer Red Alert 2; One of the better strategy games i've played, for best it would be Total Annihilation Spring, but time is not exactly correct
10. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; I love GTA 3, but Vice City just improved on so many levels, so it takes a cake. Played for many, many hours.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3; Play Station 2, still the best MGS game, the lack of MGS traditional radar forced you to actually use the goggles and be aware of your surroundings, which improved MGS's stealth a lot. And then there's the more grounded story, excellent bosses and the introduction of CQC. 2. Final Fantasy XII; Play Station 2. 3. Devil May Cry 3; Play Station 2, I always liked the first DMC game, but 3 is what really made me love the genre, still waiting for an action game to top this game's bosses. 4. Metal Gear Solid 2; Play Station 2. 5. Half Life 2; PC, I was in high school, had to sell my cell phone to get a graphic card which can run this game, still one of the best decisions I ever made. 6. King of Fighters XI; Play station 2, I was still stuck playing KoF2000 when this came out 7. Time Splitters 2; Play Station 2. 8. Shadow of the Colossus; Play Station 2. 9. Dragon Quest VIII; Play Station 2. 10. ICO; Play Station 2, Bought this while knowing nothing about it, the store guy told my this is the next big RPG, I've never been so grateful for being scammed.
Honorable Mentions.
x. NeoGeo Battle Coliseum; Play Station 2.
x. Capcom vs SNK 2; Play Station 2.
x. Devil May Cry; Play Station 2.
x. Resident Evil 4; Play Station 2.
x. Soul Caliber 2; Play Station 2.
x. Tekken 5; Play Station 2.
x. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2; PC.
x. Wind Waker; NGC.
x. Gran Turismo 4; Play Station 2.
x. Warcraft III; PC
x. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; Play Station 2.
x. Max Payne 2; PC.
x. Baldur's Gate 2; PC.
x. King of Fighters 2000; Play Station 2.
anyway, up through page 5. i'll let page 6 play out before i start contacting the people who really just obviously didn't read. gotta answer some questions too.
right now metroid prime is still not #1. actually the #1 spot hasn't changed in a long time, but it's been close to #2 (within a vote of tying) pretty much the whole time. #3 is usually not far behind #2 either.
honorable mentions might make the difference in several close calls. at least, that's what it looks like will happen as of now.
1. Persona 4; Having to choose between my favorite Persona games and my favorite mainline SMT is almost impossible, but I'll give the top spot to P4 because the cast, story and music just elevate it above everything else.
2. Persona 3 FES
3. SMT Nocturne
4. Half Life 2; Sometimes a game comes along that just raises the bar not just for a genre but for the industry as a whole.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3; The best MGS. Replacing the sterile environments of the previous games with an organic environment that truly feels alive and woving it into the gameplay with the introduction of camo and hunting elevated the MGS formula to another level. Unforgettable boss fights and a touching story portraying the tragic relation between Snake and his mentor raise it to masterpiece status.
6. Shadow of the Colossus; There's nothing like it and there probably never will be.
7. Resident Evil Remake; The RE formula refined to absolute perfection.
8. Resident Evil 4; A masterclass in pacing and game design.
9. Digital Devil Saga 1&2; 2 parts of one game so I'll include both in one entry.
10. God of War 2; The first game redefined the word epic and the second took it even further.
Before I vote I just wanted to ask, seeing as how Half Life 2 and Counter Strike Source were sold together as a single retail release (essentially CSS being the games multiplayer component), can they also be included together in a vote?
if they don't list the correct console, or if they specifically mention ones that aren't allowed (both have already happened), the votes aren't counted.
anyway, through page 3, and the top 3 spots are starting to solidify, but the top 5 is still rather fluid.
okami being lost to time warms my cold black heart.
1. God Of War 2; A followup to the brilliant and epic God Of War an absolutely amazing game, and one of my favorite games of all times. The scale, art direction, gameplay, music, and just pure epicness floored me.
2. God Of War
3. Devil May Cry 3; The best action game i have played so far.
4. Red Alert 2; I spent so many hours playing against my friends. Brilliant strategy game.
5. Prince of Persia: The sands of time; This was the first game i played on my PS2. Great platforming/hack and slash game, with amazing level design.
6. Prince of Persia: The warrior within
7. Burnout 3: Takedown; The best arcade racer i have ever played.
8. Diablo 2;
9. Jak and Daxter: The precursor legacy;
10. Half life 2;
1. Resident Evil 4; Not much to say that hasn't already been said, it completely redefined itself and changed the gaming world forever. It did almost everything amazing, and it still remembered today for just that.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2; The reason I have MGS2 over MGS3 in the 2 spot is because of the social significance of the game. MGS2 predicted the nature of our world a decade before we even realized it, and has been a post-mortem study machine for just how amazing and right Kojima was able to call out the downsides of the internet and the "trite accumulation of junk data".
3. Halo 2; SIngleplayer may have been "meh" in the clifhanger, but it's undeniable that Halo 2 kick started the online play for consoles. It wasn't the first, but when you match the popularity of Halo along with some of the best FPS mechanics on a console WITH it's stelar online play, you make a game that changes the online console scene and was most likely responsable with the popularity of console online services (For better or worse).
4. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistance; Simply an amazing game with great gameplay that finally ditched the static camera that had plagued MGS3. While technically released in 2006 in the West, it was a 2005 release for Japan, so I'm sneaking it in.
5. SOCOM II; While Halo 2 was the game that launched online gaming to the stratosphere, SOCOM was the PS2's own online smaller version. It wasn't as big or popular, but those who played it usually loved it, and it still holds a following that has kickstarted a spiritual successor.
1- Silent Hill 2; Best Storytelling, Ambience and Soundtrack in a video game, great pace on character development. 2- Shadow of the Colossus; Unique experience, art, amazing Soundtrack and best ending in a videogame. 3- Metal Gear Solid 2: The Sons of Liberty 4- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City; I love the 80's. 5- Silent Hill 3 6- World of Warcraft 7- Final Fantasy X 8- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 9- Ico 10- Grand Theft Auto III
I feel the same pain, but for Wave Race. Looks like Nintendo has been justified for going 13+ years without a new title being announced. At least there seems to be a sizable audience for a new F-Zero.
if they don't list the correct console, or if they specifically mention ones that aren't allowed (both have already happened), the votes aren't counted.
anyway, through page 3, and the top 3 spots are starting to solidify, but the top 5 is still rather fluid.
okami being lost to time warms my cold black heart.
There's so damn much to choose from, thinking about what I'm going to write for this thread is giving me a seizure. I already know what I'm putting in the number one spot, but everything else will be such a hard pick.
if they don't list the correct console, or if they specifically mention ones that aren't allowed (both have already happened), the votes aren't counted.
anyway, through page 3, and the top 3 spots are starting to solidify, but the top 5 is still rather fluid.
okami being lost to time warms my cold black heart.
Unless I'm misunderstanding you, this is kind of unfair. You can't expect people to have to indicate that they played the original version. Since the thread is about the games of the generation, you have to assume that they're talking about the original release, as it was released in that generation. If not, that be as silly as counting Snake Eater and Subsistence as different games. You would be basically throwing out a crapload of votes that don't deserve to be.
Unless I'm misunderstanding you, this is kind of unfair. You can't expect people to have to indicate that they played the original version. Since the thread is about the games of the generation, you have to assume that they're talking about the original release, as it was released in that generation. If not, that be as silly as counting Snake Eater and Subsistence as different games. You would be basically throwing out a crapload of votes that don't deserve to be.
To be fair, Snake Eater and Subsistence were released on the same system so it would still count despite the changes.
I mean, yes, for example RE4 for Gamecube and RE4 Wii Edition are mostly the same game, but it could be argued that the alternate control scheme makes the game a different experience than it was originally.
Ditto for Metroid Primes 1 and 2. Gamecube control and Wii control feel completely different.
1. Metroid Prime ; I'm still amazed how they managed to so perfectly keep the essence of Super Metroid while bringing so much new to the table, and doing it all as an FPS. The world is one of the best in all of games, the atmosphere, music, visuals; everything works together perfectly to make a game that's pretty close to flawless for me.
2. F-Zero GX ; For me this is the best racing game ever made by a pretty wide margin. It's one of the most satisfying feelings ever going at ridiculous speeds around gravity defying tracks, and pulling off times you would have thought were impossible when you started playing. The amount of content and challenges in the game is pretty staggering, and kept me busy for months of playing the game non-stop. And it's got that song about Captain Falcon and the lunch and the punch and whatnot.
3. Super Smash Bros.: Melee ; My favorite multiplayer game ever, and the one I've spent by far the most time with. The mechanics were so satisfying, and were unlike anything you could get in other fighting games. It was a huge step up from N64 game, and still has some of my favorite single player modes that haven't returned in later entries.
4. Resident Evil 4 ; One of very few "traditional campaign-style" single-player games that I've beaten, immediately played through again, beaten, immediately played through again, and then again, and then played Mercenaries for hours and hours on end. Great pacing, really satisfying combat, rewarding upgrade mechanics, and best merchant.
5. DoDonPachi: DaiOuJou ; The sequel to one of my favorite games ever. It's a "safe" sequel, but one that's really successful. It takes everything from DDP and takes it to the next level. In the end, it's not quite as good as its predecessor, but its still pretty amazing, and probably my second favorite shmup.
6. Final Fantasy 12 (International Zodiac Job System) ; Stuffed with content, and very little of it feels like filler. What I like most about the game is that I was travelling all over the world, and getting to places it felt like I "shouldn't be" before even starting with the very earliest story beats. The game allows you a lot of freedom, and if you can exploit the combat system smartly, you can do things that seem impossible at first. That's not something I expected from an FF game, especially in that era, and I was just really impressed by the whole game.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; This is the best looking game on this list. It's also a really good game, though unfortunately a somewhat average Zelda game. But it's pretty unique in a lot of ways, so it's hard to be disappointed in it. The major problem for me was the difficulty. The cut dungeons and Triforce hunt didn't bother me that much. And you stick a sword in Ganondorf's head. I remember jumping up out of my seat when that happened.
8. Mother 3 ; This is probably the best paced RPG I've ever played. There's never a dull moment, and yet you never feel like you're being rushed through the game. It's an incredibly charming game with a great cast and wonderful story. The mechanics are solid, and the button-timing in battle is a really smart addition. In the end I still prefer Earthbound, but Mother 3 is the better-playing game. Huge thanks to Tomato for doing the translation, I wouldn't have played it without that.
9. Baten Kaitos ; This is a really personal choice. If this were a list of "10 games you must play" it wouldn't be on the list, but as my personal top 10, it easily makes the cut. I begrudgingly bought this for $10, thinking that any game based on cards must be crap. I was completely wrong. It's my favorite turn-based battle system in any RPG. Origins is also really good.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess ; I originally played this on the Wii, but I did actually prefer the GC version when I played it. This is a better Zelda game than WW, but lacks the charm and novelty of that game. It also drags at some points. But other than that, it's exactly the sort of game I love playing. I really enjoyed the wolf mechanic, and most of the dungeons were great.
Honorable mentions: Too many, but these are the ones that were really hard to cut:
Okami
MGS2
DQ8
1. Gothic II ; The essential action RPG for me. Pleasent complexity, lots of detail, lots of content, absolutely addictive gameplay. Replayed many times. 2. Final Fantasy X ; One of my favorite JRPGs. Fell in love with the setting and story, battle system is also one of the best. 3. Shadow of the Colossus ; Soo atmospheric! Even though the world doesn't have any NPCs it still is the most joyful to explore I can think of. 4. Gothic ; Just as Gothic II but with less content (and less "polish", if you can even call it that for these games ) 5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Probably my least favorite home console 3D Zelda, but still a fantastic game. 6. Gran Turismo 4 ; Loved the driving physics and the tons of content, especially because it had more than the usual sports cars. 7. The Longest Journey ; One of my favorite p&c adventures. Great story and characters, lots of play time. 8. God of War ; This one really surprised me because until I played it I never paid any attention to the genre. Fun and challenging gameplay (I know others will disagree), especially on the higher difficulty levels. 9. Metroid Prime ; Didn't think it was that special at first, but it grew on me. Great adventure, interesting mechanics. 10. God of War II ; Just as GoW1, but I liked the story a bit less, 1 was more like a classic tragedy.
Would have added Zelda:TP but only played the Wii version. Even if its almost identical to the GC version I'm not sure it would be okay to add here..
Unless I'm misunderstanding you, this is kind of unfair. You can't expect people to have to indicate that they played the original version. Since the thread is about the games of the generation, you have to assume that they're talking about the original release, as it was released in that generation. If not, that be as silly as counting Snake Eater and Subsistence as different games. You would be basically throwing out a crapload of votes that don't deserve to be.
i'm not tossing out everything. i'm only not counting votes when people say they played metroid prime on the wii first or something. like, there have been people who have put in effort to say they didn't play the original release. to go back a generation further, if your only experience with chrono trigger was the playstation game, you may have enjoyed the akira toriyama cutscenes while loathing the game for its absurd and frequent load times. it paints the game in a different light than if you'd played it first on the super nintendo.
and it isn't a matter of playing it first on something. i played both the gamecube twilight princess and the wii twilight princess, and the wii version left me with a much better impression. i would probably place the wii twilight princess on the top 10 of the 360/wii/ps3/psp/ds gen while right now it's not going to make my top ten in this thread.
because we're defining the generations by hardware and not years (with the exception of arcades and pc), i feel this is an important distinction to make.
the only ballots i have thrown out so far are the ones without comments (no one just voted one game and left it there like has happened so much in the past).
but it turns out that metroid prime appears on most of those lists.
also, god damn people - i'm counting the honorable mentions thrown at me so far, but these lists of 20+ are insane, especially when they don't have comments.
i'm not tossing out everything. i'm only not counting votes when people say they played metroid prime on the wii first or something. like, there have been people who have put in effort to say they didn't play the original release. to go back a generation further, if your only experience with chrono trigger was the playstation game, you may have enjoyed the akira toriyama cutscenes while loathing the game for its absurd and frequent load times. it paints the game in a different light than if you'd played it first on the super nintendo.
and it isn't a matter of playing it first on something. i played both the gamecube twilight princess and the wii twilight princess, and the wii version left me with a much better impression. i would probably place the wii twilight princess on the top 10 of the 360/wii/ps3/psp/ds gen while right now it's not going to make my top ten in this thread.
because we're defining the generations by hardware and not years (with the exception of arcades and pc), i feel this is an important distinction to make.
the only ballots i have thrown out so far are the ones without comments (no one just voted one game and left it there like has happened so much in the past).
but it turns out that metroid prime appears on most of those lists.
also, god damn people - i'm counting the honorable mentions thrown at me so far, but these lists of 20+ are insane, especially when they don't have comments.
That's a shame haha, as I (obviously) feel it deserves to win. But I can't blame you when people ignore bolded text in the OP. Also, I'll edit out all but the most important honorable mentions... It's just hard not to give props to all these games, as we ARE doing it for a whole generation.
That's a shame haha, as I (obviously) feel it deserves to win. But I can't blame you when people ignore bolded text in the OP. Also, I'll edit out all but the most important honorable mentions... It's just hard not to give props to all these games, as we ARE doing it for a whole generation.
the only ballots i have thrown out so far are the ones without comments (no one just voted one game and left it there like has happened so much in the past).
but it turns out that metroid prime appears on most of those lists.
also, god damn people - i'm counting the honorable mentions thrown at me so far, but these lists of 20+ are insane, especially when they don't have comments.
Alright, will try to make a list, already having a hard time with it in my head.
Halo Combat Evolved; Had zero intentions of ever playing this game, but ended up getting a great deal on a lightly used XBox less than a week after launch and needed something to play. The story was impressive to me, as I was expecting just a lame shooter that looked pretty, sort of like Turok 2 the previous Gen. It isn't Shakespeare, but the fact that I actually cared about the world and characters at all got me to be a fan of the series. Always liked the way the game would go from cutscene to gameplay without a transition, and having few loads when playing kept everything flowing like very few other games I had played until then. After the campaign, when we could get the equipment together, playing 8 or 16 player kept this off the shelf for a long time.
Metroid Prime; Still amazed this game is fun. Could have been so easy to fuck up, but somehow it isn't. Took everything that I like about Metroid and put it in first-person. Spent a lot of time playing trying to find the secrets before just going online and getting most of them. It is also one of the prettiest games that came out on consoles at this time.
Dragonquest VIII; This is one of my favorite RPGs of the era. Level 5, did a great job on the graphics for this game, was almost like playing a cartoon. Was impressed everytime I made it to a new town, something that hasn't happened to often since then. The voice work was pretty good, IMO. After playing VII the previous generation, I didn't expect VIII to look anywhere near as good as it did and it still delivered a long quest with plenty to do.
Shadow of the Colossus; Really was caught off guard on this. The game is phenomenal at scale and climbing up each colossus was amazing. The thing that really got to me was the ending
questioning if I was a 'good' person. Did I really need to take down ask of the colossi?
The biggest strikes against it for me are the frame rate and the last colossus. Every other one was amazing to look at, but the last one really just felt out of place.
Resident Evil 4; Still remember the weekend this came out and I went to a friends house and played it all weekend with him. Somehow they kept tank controls, but made it make sense with the shooting. Don't think I like this game as much as some people, but I really did enjoy everything about it.
Shenmue; My first totally open world experience. Being able to go through everything everywhere somehow kept me from spending to much time away from the main story once I spent the first few hours trying to find stuff. I could go to the docks, then go play a couple games at the arcade and then carry on looking for Ryo's dad or just spend a night play playing games, in the game. The graphics really still wow me when I think of when it came out. It's a shame we may never find out how it was supposed to end, especially with Sega's current situation.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron II Rogue Leader; I will always think of this game first when it comes to this generation. Remember working at TRU and playing the demo for this every day on ask my breaks up til the day it came out, then taking that Sunday off so I could get my Gamecube and go home and play this and Luigi's Mansion. When I read about this, I was a little upset since so much was recycled from Rogue Squadron 1, but the way they looked and the sound effects, this was like the remaster of that game. This game also led to me being hyped for PS3's Lair, and leading to me getting a PS3 well before I would have anyways. Wish Factor 5 was still around.
Metal Gear Solid 3; The second best MGS game after MGS. From the great opening song til the final scene of the game, I really found myself enjoying every moment. Still need to try a new version, since it is supposed to control even better, but had plenty of fun with the original.
Honorable Mentions
X. Grand Theft Auto III; Remember reading about this game and being so hyped. Would go to Babbages everytime they updated the release date at opening hoping that was the day, and being let down so often. When I finally got it, it was a fun game, but didn't really grab me. I never did more than a couple story missions I think, pretty much always just put in the code to unlock everything and would have rampages. With friends it was fun to have high score competitions, but couldn't get into the story. The other games were better, but none of them have kept my interest for long enough to beat them. Wish they would just try to tell little episodes throughout the cities, instead of long stories that make me question the characters in playing as. So, for the game giving me some fun and it actually living up to everything that was promised (get in any car, having Taxi, Ambulance, etc. missions, bringing GTA to life in 3D) it holds a spot in my heart.
X. Disgaea; One of my favorite SRPGs. So much to do in this game, going through the Item worlds and everything else.
Know I have a few more, hopefully I think of them soon. Played so many games this Gen that it really is hard for me to think of my top 10, but the above are games that came right to mind. Maybe looking at others' lists will give me an idea.
awesome. thanks. i actually really have enjoyed reading the comments. right now i'm doing a lot of compiling information (systems, genre, etc) but i want to go back and start responding to things later.
also i'm using a spreadsheet for the first time instead of a txt file. man it makes things a lot easier.
i'm not tossing out everything. i'm only not counting votes when people say they played metroid prime on the wii first or something. like, there have been people who have put in effort to say they didn't play the original release. to go back a generation further, if your only experience with chrono trigger was the playstation game, you may have enjoyed the akira toriyama cutscenes while loathing the game for its absurd and frequent load times. it paints the game in a different light than if you'd played it first on the super nintendo.
I can't commit to the time it would take to research and create my list (I was pc only then so it's not easy to identify which games qualify from memory), but I'm super interested in the outcome.
also, god damn people - i'm counting the honorable mentions thrown at me so far, but these lists of 20+ are insane, especially when they don't have comments.
I can't commit to the time it would take to research and create my list (I was pc only then so it's not easy to identify which games qualify from memory), but I'm super interested in the outcome.
1. GTA San Andreas; Still is the best open world action game. I don't think Rockstar is going to top this anytime soon. 2. Resident Evil 4; This is the real "World of Survival Horror". From graphics to storytelling, a true spectacle of gaming world. 3. Legend of Zelda: Windwaker; Not the greatest Zelda title but among the best and easily one of the best experiences of 6th gen. A proof that gams can't be judged by their looks. 4. Kingdom Hearts; Action RPG done right. I don't remember ever enjoying a video game like this one. Soundtrack is top notch. 5. Final Fantasy X; One of the greatest JRPG's. Best story in any video game. Best opening theme in any video game. 6. Civilization III; A Civ game can't go wrong, additions are perfect, gameplay is perfect. 7. Metroid Prime; What a majestic return. A proof that 2D to 3D transition can be perfect. 8. Advance Wars; A little, cute turn based strategy game but balanced perfectly. Deserves all the 10's it got when it released. 9. Shadow of the Colossus 10. Soul Calibur 2; I thought fighting genre was dead by year 2000 but namco proved me wrong. Thank you for that Namco.
i didn't use to have to deal with reserved spots. this was actually the first time i did a thread like this where people were reserving spots, so i wasn't prepared. for edits, i would request they send me the original list and the changed one so i knew where to take points away and where to add them.
basically by around the last day i have a pretty good idea of what the results are going to look like. that means i can put up the 'awards' very shortly after the voting closes.
i used to make the results public as they were being tallied, but i think it encouraged people to modify their posts so their favorite games could beat out others. right now the top three spots are all really close so i could see something like that happening, actually.
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube) ; It might be everything a gamer could want in a sequel. It takes the original concept and makes it bigger and better. The game is fast and intense while remaining simple enough for casual players to enjoy. With or without items, this game is a ton of fun to play. Best of the generation. One of the best of all time.
2. Jet Set Radio Future (Xbox) ; At one point, my Xbox was pretty much a JSRF player. This game diverts from the stop-and-go, race against the clock style tagging of the original and is more of an open, free-flowing game. JSRF generally lets you explore at your leisure by giving you all sorts rails, billboards, etc. to do tricks off of. It is also is a solid multiplayer game. Combine all of this with an awesome soundtrack, you've got a great game.
3. Unreal Tournament 2004 (PC) ; The core gameplay is great. Fast movement, varied weapons, good maps for multiple game modes. However, the community is what really made this game shine. Crazy maps that can turn Assault mode into obstacle courses. Mods that can add RPG elements to Invasion. There are even total conversion mods that can turn this arena shooter into a sports game like Deathball. There might just be too many ways to enjoy this one.
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Gamecube) ; Probably the most interesting interpretation of Zelda. Graphically, it might be the most drastic change the series has made outside of making the jump from 2D to 3D. The cel shading ended up creating a VERY pretty looking game. With a sea to sail on and islands to explore, this game creates a feeling of adventure without being overwhelming.
5. Kingdom Hearts (PS2) ; Who knew that mixing Disney with Final Fantasy into an action RPG would work? The gameplay is simple but fun. The story hadn't gone off the deep end yet. And it let you see Disney characters in a new way.
6. SSX Tricky (Gamecube) ; I don't think many arcade sports games match this over-the-top snowboarding game. A cast of unique characters speed down tracks that have as much personality as the cast. Not to mention you can make your character perform some of the most insane acrobatic feats your imagination can think of.
7. Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (Gamecube) ; Forget the haters. This game is as fun as it is flawed. Of course the speedy hedgehogs have the best levels, but the other characters have solid levels for the most part. And raising Chao is more fun than it should be. Plus, a guy took the time to write and spit raps from the perspective of Knuckles. How could you hate on that?
8. NBA Street Vol. 2 (Xbox) ; Once you hear that T.R.O.Y. instrumental, it's game time. This game is combination of streetball and NBA Jam. You can do crazy tricks to knock defenders on their ass, insane dunks or make a splash from behind the arc. You can even unlock 3 different versions of Michael Jordan! Hit your homeboy with with the Dinner's Served on game point, break the rim, and tell him to get the fuck off the sticks!
9. Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst (PC) ; Even though it is a port, it adds some new content to the game. The gameplay remains the standard PSO style. Running around, fighting monsters, and helping the three people you came with off the ground after they got smacked in the face, while trying not to die yourself, is just fun for some reason.
10. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (PC) ; Back when WWII shooters were a thing, this game (and it's expansions) were good fun. Solid campaign and great multiplayer. I spent a lot of time online with this.
Honorable Mentions
x. Mario Kart: Double Dash (Gamecube) ;
x. NFL Street 2 (PS2) ;
x. Powerstone 2 (Dreamcast) ;
x. Viewtiful Joe (Gamecube) ;
x. Pokemon Emerald (GBA) ;
1. Shadow of the Colossus; A beautiful game centered on vanquishing giant monsters.
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee; Probably the game I played the most in my life. Childhood.
3. Kingdom Hearts II;
4. Diablo II;
5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door;
6. Kingdom Hearts;
7. World of Warcraft; The BEST MMO even today.
8. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess;
9. Pokemon Emerald;
Sorry for "reserving", I thought a parser was gonna take care of it as usual and I was still drafting my list and organizing it. I can understand this trend being annoying if you're counting by hand. ^^ It's long finished since, now (I'm post #193 on page 2), but just making sure.
1. Super Smash Bros. Melee; This game man. As someone who doesn't care for its competitive scene, this game's replayability is insane. It was my first game, and the game I basically played nonstop for the first two years of my video gaming life.
2. Civilization IV
3. Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal
4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
5. Pokemon Emerald
6. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
7. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
8. Super Mario Sunshine
9. Kingdom Hearts 2
10. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
1. Halo: Combat Evolved - I'd never played anything like Halo back when it released. Not only were the visuals better than anything i'd seen on my PS2, but the levels seemed massive. Playing back through it on MCC it is admittedly dated in parts, however levels like Halo & Silent Cartographer still stand up to anything today. 4 player splitscreen was the tits too.
2. Metal Gear Solid 2 - The whole Raiden thing is a non issue to me. MGS2 has the best gameplay in the series, the best setting in Big Shell and and a story that is just so insane that you can't help but love it.
3. Final Fantasy XII - I really didn't like this game at first but it grew big time. Ivalice is always great and I especially liked how big and alive the cities felt in this game compared to the smaller ones we had in X.
4. Devil May Cry - I was pretty young when this came out so I couldn't appreciate the intricacies of the combat, but still, juggling marionettes with pistols was really friggen cool.
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I love Star Wars, I also love RPGs, so yeah I loved this game. The story was better than Lucas' efforts in the prequels by some distance.
6. GTA: Vice City - Love the 80s theme in the game, all the neon and Hawaiian shirts etc give the game a certain charm that the other games in the series lack for me, and the soundtrack was obviously killer.
7. Metroid Prime - I was never a Nintendo kid so didn't have expectations from the 2d games. What I got was a game with tremendous atmosphere and sense of exploration that made me want to go back and play the old games to see what i'd been missing for years.
8. Project Gotham Racing 2 - Best arcade racer ever
until PGR4 came out
9. Halo 2 - Campaign wasn't as good as CE but the mp was special.
10. Suikoden V - A return to form after the disappointing IV. A great instalment into one of my favourite series.
i used to make the results public as they were being tallied, but i think it encouraged people to modify their posts so their favorite games could beat out others. right now the top three spots are all really close so i could see something like that happening, actually.
Sorry for "reserving", I thought a parser was gonna take care of it as usual and I was still drafting my list and organizing it. I can understand this trend being annoying if you're counting by hand. ^^ It's long finished since, now (I'm post #193 on page 2), but just making sure.
