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[TreasureHunterG]

1. Resident Evil 4 (GCN) - Simply the best shooter/survival horror I've played on my life. Capcom never managed to repeat the same magic further on. Controls, difficulty, design, ambience, gameplay, design, replay, everything was very well balanced. GCN hardware was really pushed to the limit here as it one of the best looking game of it's generation. PS2 version it's nowhere near close despite the extra content. It was a mindblowin' experience when it came out. Very few games in gaming history could provide such.
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN) - A giant step ahead of it's predecessor in pretty much every single way. Perhaps one of my most console played game ever. Oh... the hours spend I had with it. Not only one of the best multiplayer games ever as an exccelent single player experience due to it's gigantic offering, you can spend hours and hours playing it to do unlock everything. Despite some weak characters (Pichu... sic!), it's still, IMO, the best Smash Bros. game.
3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (PS2)
4. Counter-Strike (PC)
5. Soul Calibur 2 (GCN)
6. F-Zero GX (GCN)
7. Metroid Prime (GCN)
8. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
9. Max Payne (PC)
10: Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (PS2)

x. Halo: Combat Evolved (XBX)
x. Unreal Tournament (PC)
x. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 / Yuri's Revenge (PC)
x. Need for Speed Underground (PS2)
x. SSX Tricky (PS2)
x. NBA Street Vol. 2 (GCN)
x. Tales of Symphonia (GCN)
x. Pikmin (GCN)
x. Battlefield 2 (PC)
x. Skies of Arcadia (DC)
x. Jet Set Radio (DC)
x. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
x. Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
x. Resident Evil Remake (GCN)
x. Final Fantasy X (PS2)
x. Advance Wars (GBA)
x. Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
x. Age of Mythology (PC)
x. Half Life 2 (PC)
x. Metroid Zero Mission (GBA)
x. Metroid Fusion (GBA)
x. Eternal Darkness (GCN)
x. KOTOR (PC)
x. Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (PS2)
x. Onimusha 2 (PS2)
x. Resident Evil: Code Veronica X (PS2)
x. Fire Emblem (GBA)
x. TimeSplitters Future Perfect (PS2)
x. God Hand (PS2)
x. Sonic Adventure 2 (GCN)
x. True Crime: Streets of L.A. (GCN)
x. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (PS2)

 

[Farks!]

GAF should have a "Best Game of All Time" poll like this that runs every year.

 

[KooopaKid]

With so many great games, I decided that the way to make my list would be to list the games that still are the best of their kind, at least in some aspect. The games that I can point to today and without hesitation say to play them before any other games in their series or maybe even genre.

Good list. I applied the same logic.

 

[Andrain18]

Game A: Half Life 2
Game B: GTA Vice City
Game C: Halo 2
Game D: Knights of the Old Republic
Game E: Jade Empire
Game F: Shadow of the Colossus
Game G: Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater
Game H: God Of War
Game I: GTA San Andreas
Game J: Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

All games are good, but Half Life 2 revolutionized the FPS Genera which is why it is my Game of the generation.

 

[Spieler Eins]

GAF Games o' the Generation (DC/PS2/GBA/GC/Xbox/PC 2000-2005)

Oh snap, how did I miss this.

I might actually still finish a few games of that gen until feb 28 (although even if I did, there's unfortunately not enough time to properly deliberate).

 

[timetokill]

Good list. I applied the same logic.

Advance Wars is a great pick, by the way. I just had too difficult of a time deciding on a favorite of the series, which hurt it as far as my list-making goes.

 

[Majestad]

Remember the GOAT:

 

[Choomp]

Ah, the time has come, hasn't it.

1. Super Smash Brothers Melee; probably the most fun I've ever had in a video game. Roster was great, lots of great memories, kind of set the path for current smash, it was really amazing.
2. Metal Gear Solid 3; Snake Eater: Probably my favorite formula for Metal Gear, great bosses to add to the already exceptional cast of characters, gameplay was very enjoyable as well.
3. Animal Crossing; See now this would probably be number one but in reality I knew Melee and MGS 3 have a better chance at winning whatever, ok, AC has an extremely special place in my heart, not only is it calm, wonderfully made and could be pretty addictive gameplay wise, it was around in the best time of my life.
4. Legend of Zelda; Wind Waker: A wonderfully crafted Zelda game, fun, interesting puzzles, and I don't know if it was apparent to me in the HD version, but it is extremely atmospheric, and really nice.
5. Shadow of the Colossus; Such a great game, fights were exhilarating, really nice world.
6. Super Mario Sunshine; Fun game, story even got me back then, fun to play.
7. Paper Mario and the Thousand Year door; Fun RPG elements, good worlds, wonderful game.
8. Metroid Prime; again with the remaster thing, but the game holds up, visually great, fun to play.
9. Pikmin
10. Luigi's Mansion

 

[TreasureHunterG]

I find interesting many people mentioning Super Mario Sunshine despite being regarded a disappointment and the worst Mario game by many.

 

[Majmun]

1. Half-Life 2 ;
I’m not a fps fan, and the game doesn’t have fleshed out characters or an amazing story. I’m a sucker for those when it comes to an adventure. But the game still managed to captivate me. The setting, level design and atmosphere made me fall in love with it. It’s one of the best games ever, with many memorable moments that will always stay in my mind.

2. Resident Evil 4 ;
One of my favorite franchises doing something else, and it worked. The pacing is excellent making the replays not a chore. I think I’ve finished it over 10 times spanned over the NGC, PS2, Wii and PSN versions…

3. Shadow of the Colossus ;
That music. The game doesn’t have the best gameplay, but the total package is amazing. The presentation is godly. THAT MUSIC. The forbidden land is barren, but still feels alive. The battles with the colossi are iconic and I will never forget my first encounter.

4. Final Fantasy X
5. Metroid Prime
6. Ninja Gaiden
7. God of War II
8. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
9. Metal Gear Solid 3
10. Silent Hill 2

Honorable mentions

x. Halo
x. Dragon Quest VIII
x. Kingdom Hearts II
x. Final Fantasy XII
x. Dark Cloud 2
x. Shadow Hearts: Covenant
x. Siren 2
x. Fatal Frame II
x. Eternal Darkness
x. Persona 4
x. Burnout 3
x. Super Monkeyball 2
x. Maximo: Ghost to Glory
x. ICO
x. Resident Evil Remake
x. Ape Escape 2
x. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
x. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
x. Gran Turismo 4
x. Beyond Good and Evil
x. Katamari Damacy


Yeah, I absolutely loved this generation.

 

[Floridian]

I find interesting many people mentioning Super Mario Sunshine despite being regarded a disappointment and the worst Mario game by many.

Are you sure the many isn't just a minority? That's how I see it.

 

[Puflwiz]

Here goes nothing

1. Metroid Prime - Possibly one of my favorite games ever. Perfect atmosphere, amazing music and a perfect example about how to transition a 2D series to 3D and nail the landing.
2. Persona 4 (I hope this counts since it was released in 2008)- I never had a PS2 while it was in it's heyday (got one just a few years ago for cheap) but one of the first games I jumped on was Persona 4. Boy was I missing out. This game is my personal favorite JRPGs. Amazing music, great characters, great writing and mixed up traditional JRPG gameplay mechanics just enough to make it exciting again.
3. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - I played this hot off the heels of Persona 4 and I do not regret it for a second. Great art style, great soundtrack, and amazing gameplay. The whole Press Turn gameplay system as spoiled me and I can't enjoy most JRPGs without it anymore.
4. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - My favorite Zelda game, I love the ocean exploration and that art style just strikes the right cord with me.
5. Half-Life 2 - One of the best first person shooters ever made and a perfect example about they should be made.
6. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistance - As I said earlier, I didn't have a PS2 back in the day. This game is simply incredible; if you have not played it, please consider doing so.
7. F-Zero GX - Basically the best racing game ever made. Fast speeds, high risk high reward gameplay, rock solid performance, and a story mode for some reason.
8. Okami - It's a Zelda game without being a Zelda game. And as with Wind Waker, that cell shading graphical style just struck a cord with me. Game still looks incredible to this day.
9. Mother 3 - An amazing example about how to make a story in a JRPG. I don't know if I've ever experience anything else that has made me feel as much as Mother 3. I wish Nintendo would allow me to give them money for it.
10. Pikmin 2 - It essentially improved just about everything from the previous game, more types of Pikmin, a larger world, no more time limits, and was just an overall better game that its predecessor. That being said Pikmin was an incredible game.

Honorable Mentions
x.Persona 3 FES
x.Super Smash Bros. Melee
x.Luigi's Mansion
x.Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
x.Metroid Fusion
x.Metroid Zero Mission
x.Jet Set Radio
x.Halo 2
x.Fable: The Lost Chapters
x.The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

 

[neogaffer1]

1. Halo: Combat Evolved ; Halo isn’t my favorite game. It isn’t even my most loved game of this list. In fact, if I were to make a top ten list listing my favorite games of all time, it probably wouldn’t even make the top five. And yet, it’s at the top of my list here. The original Halo started out with a generic, 90s-esque sci-fi premise. There is evidence of a rushed dev cycle as the player is made to repeat levels, only in reverse, and the lack of online play in the original Xbox release is jarring. But despite all of this, it’s hard to find flaws with the game. The story, while a bit boring at first, builds up and up, accentuated by the environment and the sense of the unknown that permeates throughout the campaign. Both of the twists introduce even newer enemies and style of play, as you come to grip with a parasitic opponent in the Flood and then face betrayal by the flying Sentinels. Even The Library, easily considered to be the hardest and most unforgiving level in the game, does not detract from the overall experience. The mechanics and weapons are incredibly well-tuned, with most weapons giving enough punch to feel like real firearms. The progression and levels in the game work together to keep things changing and not repetitive. Modern trends in the genre have led to an almost universal agreement that mechanics have started to decline, an over linearization ruining today’s games. Replaying the first Halo, a sense of a golden era of sorts is experienced. There is a feeling that this was the peak of the genre, and that from Halo’s release onward, it was only down from the top. Recently, I was reading through some of the Edge 10s (reviews for the handful of games that Edge Magazine rewarded a 10/10 to) and I came across the Halo: CE review. The finishing quote is quite resonating and completely encapsulates the Halo experience (emphasis mine): “It doesn’t mean the XBox will succeed, but it does mean that, if it fails, it will leave videogaming with one perfect, eloquently coded moment.” Perfect. That’s Halo. That’s why, despite the fact it may not be my favorite game, it is at the top of this list. I don’t have much nostalgia nor good memories associated with this game, but I cannot argue that it isn’t the best game of its time. It’s just a fact.

2. Star Wars: Republic Commando ; Republic Commando is my favorite game on this list. While I do admit Halo is the better game (and by a large margin), Republic Commando still holds a special place in my heart. Released towards the end of the OG Xbox’s lifetime, this first person shooter has many flaws. The squad system is rudimentary at best. The game is incredibly linear, especially so for its time period. And yet, it manages to go past all of that and provide one of the best experiences of the Star Wars universe. The short, but unforgiving, campaign takes you from Geonosis, to an abandoned Republic starship, to Kashyyk. The game manages to sidestep the mess created by the prequels and yet still be able to take general concepts and the same period and excel. Instead of meaningless pawns, clones are given their own personalities, their own voices, their own attachments. Even the very end holds meaning as one of your squad is left behind as you are forced to lead the charge in the Battle of Kashyyk. The weapon system is also one of the best seen in a very long time. Instead of limiting the player to two weapons or letting them carry every weapon they’ve ever touched, you get one standard blaster that can be changed into a grenade launcher or a sniper rifle, a pistol, and one extra slot for one weapon that an enemy has dropped. The squad commands, while limited, add more variability and tactical complexity to each enemy encounter. The droid hierarchy of battle droid, super battle droid, droideka, and then spider droid is well balanced and leads to ruthless encounters, with countless supers marching towards the player while droidekas hang back to provide fire support. The wookies of the game are wonderous allies, proving once again why they are the best race in Star Wars. And while this game isn’t perfect, it has very much implanted itself in my memory as my second favorite game of all time.

3. Star Wars: Battlefront ; The bitter, cutting cold of Hoth. The dense foresty hell of Endor. The beautiful chaos of Naboo’s green plains. Battlefront, to this day, holds a special place in the hearts of many. It was able to take the majestic and incredible locations of the movie and convert them into playable battles with great mechanics and insane replayability. Yes, it was unbalanced and lacked some of the new features introduced in Battlefront II, but the difficulty caused by the unbalance only increased satisfaction once victory had been achieved and created some great scenarios where the Republic is lead to victory after a long struggle on maps like Geonosis and Rhen Var. While its successor may enjoy the spotlight and leave the first out in the cold, I find the original to be superior in many ways. Droidekas aren’t totally gimped. Incredibly fun maps like Rhen Var’s second map, Bespin’s second map, and Naboo’s second map are still in the game. Ground maps still have aerial vehicles for dogfights above a raging battle. But most important in my eyes, the one-sidedness on many maps and between many classes adds to the experience, rather than detract. Battlefront II’s attempt at rectifying this went too far, and gimped some of the best scenarios possible. The hope now is that DICEfront is able to live up to its legacy.

4. The Simpsons: Hit and Run ; Hit and Run is one of the unexpected gems of this generation. A GTA knock-off made with The Simpsons license? If pulled off, it could be great. If not…well, it would just join the droves of licensed shovelware pushed out over the years. But surprisingly enough, it hit it out of the park. While the story wasn’t especially memorable, the kookiness of Springfield lived through the actions of the main character. The city of Springfield is recreated with all of the major landmarks in a better way than most games were able to. Because of the art style, unlike many open world games of the time, it still looks nice and not at all dated. The quips of each character, while repeated many times over, still bring a chuckle. The secret cars in each area added even more ridiculousness to the equation, from the rocket car that exploded in one hit in the first level to the monster truck in Bart’s area to the toy car in one of the last areas. The Treehouse of Horror level takes it another level, adding a Halloween theme to the town and replacing models with horror-inspired alternatives. This is one of the few games that still holds up as pure, unadulterated fun.

5. Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse ; Your thoughts on Game D.

6. Star Wars: Battlefront II ; Your thoughts on Game E.

7. Crash: Tag Team Racing ; Your thoughts on Game F.

8. Star Wars: Empire at War ; Your thoughts on Game G.

9. Jet Set Radio Future ; Your thoughts on Game H.

10. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic ; Your thoughts on Game J.

x. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game K.

x. Halo 2 ;

Still a WIP.

 

[eternalb]

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but this what pops to mind first and I'm gonna stick with it.

1. Super Smash Bros Melee
2. Crimson Skies
3. SSX Tricky
4. Metroid Prime
5. Ninja Gaiden Black
6. Half-Life 2
7. Resident Evil 4
8. Shadow of the Colossus
9. Kingdom Hearts
10. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

x. Suikoden III
x. Zone of the Enders

 

[Fredescu]

I find interesting many people mentioning Super Mario Sunshine despite being regarded a disappointment and the worst Mario game by many.

It wasn't as genre defining as 64, or as joyful as Galaxy, but it was still a fantastic game that reviewed extremely well. On forums, people like to make broad statements like "worst <x> ever" and while technically it might be true for some that Sunshine is the worst 3D Mario, where it ranks on a list with an extremely high bar is irrelevant to how it compares to other games in a generation.

 

[Notorious_Roy]

Oh my, I really need to think about this.

 

[tav7623]

1. Resident Evil Remake (GCN); It's been about 12 years since I first played this game on the Gamecube and I still feel that this game is THE best Resident Evil game to date. I'm also glad that the game is finally getting the love it deserves thanks to the wide release of the HD remaster.
2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2); I remember getting this game as a Christmas present, popping the disc into my PS2 for the first time and instantly being blown away by the opening cinematic. In fact the only parts of this game that I remember distinctly hating was the "epic" ladder climbing sequence, though I did also find the parts of boss fights that were dependent on you having mastered CQC (such as The Boss boss fights) to be a bit frustrating at times.
3. Silent Hill 2 (PS2); I played the Greatest Hits version of this PS2 classic back in the day and I still feel that this is a pretty good game overall. It's just a shame that the series went down hill after SH 4 and that this game (along with SH 3) was essentially shat upon by the makers of the terrible Silent Hill "HD" "Collection".
4. SSX 3 (PS2); I loved playing this game as it expanded upon the things I loved about SSX Tricky including my favorite character, the psychotic Psymon Stark.
5. Half - Life 2 (PC); I missed out on the original Half - Life when it first came out on PC and didn't care for the PS2 port. In early 2004 I got bit by the Half - Life 2 hype bug and decided that I wasn't going to miss out on the sequel. So later that year I ended up buying this game a week after release using b-day money I had saved up (my copy had Alyx on the box, which fyi I still have in good shape) and man am I glad I did.
6. Onimusha Warlords (PS2); I have a lot of fond memories playing this game and loved how it mixed historical facts, locations, & people within a fictional story. It also didn't hurt that this game was essentially Resident Evil set in feudal Japan and that it as well as it's sequels (imo) essentially helped pave the way for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series a few years later.
7. Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2); I first heard about this game after receiving a free demo disc from Playstation Underground and I enjoyed it so much that I bought the full game when it came out. Out of the three PS2 Jak & Daxter games this one is (imo) by far the best game in the series and is a pretty good 3D platformer.
8. God of War II (PS2); This game imo follows in the traditions of great game sequels providing a bigger and arguably better story than it's predecessor.
9. Final Fantasy X (PS2); I've never been a big fan of RPG's and most of the time I tend to get bored playing them early on (about 2 -3 hrs in and it's mostly due to the slow as molasses turn based battle system and the excessive amount of text), so much so that I rarely finish playing them. Final Fantasy X was so good when I first started playing it back in the day (mostly because it was the first RPG I had played that had spoken dialogue) that it became one of the few turn based RPG's that I put more than 15 hrs into which is why it made it onto my list.
10. Metroid Prime (GCN); I have a confession to make,when I first played this game back in 2003 it was the first time I had ever played a Metroid game and it would be the only one I would end up playing for another 8 - 9 years. This game was just wow beautiful and was for me a new way to think of as well as experience first person games.

x. Return to Castle Wolfenstien (PC); This game was the first M-rated PC game I ever bought and was my introduction into the world of Wolfenstien.
x. Tekken Tag Tournament (PS2); This PS2 launch title for the longest time was (and still is) one of my favorite Tekken games next only of course to Tekken 3.
x. Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within (PS2); I was not a big fan of Sands of Time, but decided to give the sequel a go when it came out on the PS2 and ended up enjoying it a whole lot more than the first game.
x. Luigi's Mansion (GCN); I ended up getting this game shortly after getting my Gamecube back in early 2003 and while I for the most part enjoyed the game there was just something odd about it that I couldn't put my finger on.
x. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (PS2); Of the 3D Mortal Kombat games this PS2 game is my favorite one and while it is far from perfect it had the balls (at the time at least) to kill off a beloved series character in intro movie no less.

 

[Violet_0]

This is a DS game. Great game, but doesn't qualify.

right, I changed it to Black Hole Rising, the second-best AW game

I find interesting many people mentioning Super Mario Sunshine despite being regarded a disappointment and the worst Mario game by many.

I always rate games based on how well-liked they are by other people

 

[Sotha_Sil]

1. Morrowind - one of the most flawed games I've ever played, yet one of the most deepest and rewarding. It literally just throws you into this alien world and says go explore. There's zero hand-holding. There's no compass telling you where everything is. There's tons of secrets to discover with no reference to them anywhere in the game, rewarding you for your efforts. Wonder art direction. Overall, perhaps the best game I have ever played.

2. Deus Ex - another strong contender for my GOAT, Deus Ex does what I wish more games would do: RPG that takes you to set locations that serve as mini open-worlds. There's so many different directions you can complete your objectives, optional objectives, upgrade paths, etc. Even better, they realized that it's GOOD to not be able to level up every skill and become a badass at everything. Throw in a cool cyberpunk story with some good characters, and you have one of gaming's best.

3. Shadow of the Colossus - normally this isn't my type of game, but Team Ico thankfully didn't bloat the game with cutscenes. Instead, we have an admittedly empty open world that is a joy to ride around (thanks to the cinematic way you ride Argo) with its beautiful art direction and great music. The bosses themselves are all easy to figure out (time trials are more difficult). It's all about the adventure with this one, and the story even gets interesting at the end. While easy, the game doesn't hold your hand much, which is appreciated.

4. Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords - the beginnings of my favorite developer, Obsidian Entertainment. Kreia rightfully won many character of the year awards, but any number of characters in this game could have gotten such accolades had they been focused upon as much as Kreia was. Chris Avellone's writing is in full force here, and he did nothing less than write the greatest Star Wars story ever told. The RPG mechanics were bolstered from the original KOTOR, the story and characters were even better, and the game took you to many interesting locations. Sadly, the game was unfinished upon release, but when things are this good, I find it hard to knock the game much for that.

5. Ninja Gaiden Black - the only Japanese action game I have ever been able to get into. Excellent difficulty, 60fps, and graphics that hold up. The story is trash, like so many Japanese games, but also completely irrelevant.

6. Splinter Cell III: Chaos Theory - one of the best examples of stealth gameplay. With finely tuned level design, this game was an easy favorite to list.

7. Halo 2 - it changed the way MP was viewed on consoles with Xbox live.

8. Baldur's Gate 2 - I think this title is slightly overrated, but nonetheless one of the best RPGs of all time.

9. Half Life 2

10. Super Smash Brothers Melee

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

I'm kinda surprised at the lack of Halo votes to be honest.

I would have thought a game that influential and responsible for the Xbox brand even existing would have more votes.

 

[Arthea]

1. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri ; This is my perfect Civ, terraforming made all the difference in the world, shaping landscape to meet my needs was more satisfying than anything, not to mention that a game is great in any aspect and extremely addictive.
2. Suikoden V ; I didn't expect this to be so good, on the level of Suikoden 1-2 good. It had some flaws, unlike the best Suikodens which were more or less flawless, but those were easily forgiven for an amazing cast, great story, minigames and being as much Suikoden as one would want.
3. Heroes of Might and Magic III ; one of my most played games ever, not sure what to say else, it's fun and Necropolis rules!.
4. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura ; the best WRPG ever, for me that is. It did everything right, the world and gameplay are perfection nobody managed to repeat until now.
5. Mana Khemia ; Inspite of being 5th on the list, it's top 3 material for me, it's only this low because of being extremely low budged and lacking greatly in graphics department, other than that, it's a game I enjoyed most, at least my favourite comedy game for sure, it's most fun to play of all games too.
6. Homeworld ; It was one of a few games that impressed me a lot when it came out, it's overly very impressive game and a great strategy-space sim too, the best even.
7. Final Fantasy X ; another game that was very impressive, it has quite a few flaws too, but it is unforgettable and Spira is one of most interesting gaming worlds.
8. Suikoden III ; It was not exactly what I expected from my Suikoden game, but it's still one of games with very original structure, great characters and interesting story.
9. Unreal Tournament ; the best FPS of them all.
10. Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana ; a great game that never gets recognition it deserves. Can be amazingly complicated if you dig deep enough, but also very fun.

I decided to forgo honourable mentions, as there are too many I would like to mention.

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

Damn, this is tough.

1. Metroid Prime; One of my favorite games of all time. Retro nailed it on their first try. Despite the hardware limitations, the game still looks fantastic to this day, and the music hasn't aged at all. And that's just the surface level stuff before you even get into the game itself, which I could write an essay on. Amazing level design and awesome bosses are just two of the things that make this game special. And the scanning was a brilliant mechanic that I wish more games would adopt.

2. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes; Not only did Retro nail it on their first try, they nailed it on their second try as well. Echoes featured a bigger world with better graphics and more great music. There are a few minor issues that keep it from ranking above the first Prime, but the two games are very close in my book.

3. Metroid Zero Mission; I know this is kinda sacrilegious to say as a Metroid fan, but I never liked the original Metroid. Zero Mission fixed that and delivered what is, in my opinion, the best 2D game of the series. Yes, even better than Super.

4. F-Zero GX; Perfectly tight controls, mind-bending tracks, and a sense of speed that has yet to be matched make this simply the best racing game of all time.

5. Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy; In my opinion, this is the best Banjo-styled collectathon 3D platformer.

6. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow; My first Castlevania game, and still my favorite.

7. Metroid Fusion; Despite being one of the weaker Metroid games due to its linearity and unskippable cutscenes, this is still a great game with some of the best bosses in the series.

8. Resident Evil 4; I was never a fan of classic Resident Evil games, so this one surprised me. I wouldn't really consider it a horror game anymore, but it sure is a great shooter.

9. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; I have fond memories of my mom watching me play this game. She would gasp as the Prince made death defying jumps, and even say, "No!" if he missed a jump and plummeted to his doom - only to be quickly revived by the time reversing powers of his magical dagger.

10. Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory; One of the best stealth games ever. I love the feeling pushing the analog stick just slightly enough to sneak up on a guard, but not so far that you make a sound and give away your position. I also loved all the different routes you could take through most levels.



x. God of War 2; This game took everything the original God of War did, except bigger and better. It seemed impossible that the first game ran at 60fps on the PS2. How did the second game manage to look even better?

x. Sly Cooper and the Thevius Racoonus; One of the most fun 3D platformers ever.

x. Jak 3; Despite the departure Jak 2 took from the original game, I thought it was still a good game hampered by a handful of small issues. Jak 3 fixed all of those issues and simply delivered an excellent action-platformer.

x. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones; I had trouble deciding whether to put this one or Sands of Time on my list. I wound up going with Sands of Time because I think it was the more innovative game, but Warrior Within was excellent in its own right, with some fun additions to the platforming, improved combat, and stealth kills so you can simply skip a lot of the combat.

x. Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Microgames; This game deserves a mention just for how absolutely bonkers it is. It shouldn't work. Playing a bunch of tiny 3-5 second long microgames in quick succession shouldn't be fun. But it is, somehow.

x. Wario Land 4; Short but sweet, this was an excellent little platformer that all GBA owners should play.


I'm sure I forgot something.

 

[theprodigy]

I find interesting many people mentioning Super Mario Sunshine despite being regarded a disappointment and the worst Mario game by many.

Sunshine is better than 3D World

fight me

 

[Zophar]

There's tons to love from the sixth generation, and I played tons of games. To get on this list I had to have sunk a lot of time into either playing or thinking about/appreciating in retrospect, and would still be interested in coming back to today (I think I've revisited all of these at least once in the past year). There were a lot of games that might be more deserving that I just don't think I dedicated the time to, but these are the ones I know I remembered loving.

1 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Between this and RE4, no action games had more love and attention to detail thrown into the mix. I still think of both as high watermarks that games being released even today struggle to match. MGS3 gets the edge because of its stronger narrative and my greater fondness for the franchise - I also find it more compelling to go back and try different play styles and difficulties. Subsistence makes it even better.

2 - Resident Evil 4 - That's no slight to RE4 though, which always felt like a next-gen game that fell into the sixth generation. MGS3 refined the gameplay from its predecessors but RE4 felt like a totally new thing. It's still a blast.

3 - Shadow of the Colossus - SotC did everything Bioshock aspired to thematically earlier and better. While it's not the first real art game it's certainly one of the best examples of a postmodern narrative using the medium to its advantage (along with its trailblazer generational partner MGS2: Sons of Liberty). SotC is the game I point to *first* as an example to others when it needs illustrating that games can make statements other mediums cannot.

4 - Ico - Like MGS3/RE4 my choices between #3 and #4 are so close it's practically a tie. Ico doesn't have the same gravitas and degree of accomplishment in its ideas and goals as SotC does, but it's a fine test run for what was then a new idiom for games. Contemporaries like Fez and Monument Valley owe a huge debt to Ico.

5 - Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition - More than any other action game I just really loved *playing* this one over and over. It's seared across my college memories because I played through it about five times in a single semester. I never got tired of the action.

6 - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - GTAIII might be more important and San Andreas might arguably be a better title, but I absolutely had the most fun and investment in Vice City. I lost a whole summer to the game back in 2003 (a little late to the party), which I can't say about many games. It's a sterling example of faultless commitment to recreating the aesthetic and feel of a bygone era. Very few games come close.

7 - Unreal Tournament 2004 - This is on here largely because I can't vote for UT99, but it's absolutely still one of my favorite shooters of all time. I still play it frequently, and to this day it's the definitive "arena" shooter IMO.

8 - The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Oblivion and Skyrim have both come and gone and neither of them lived up to Morrowind. The game is infinitely replayable, and with some modification stands up admirably against its contemporaneous clones.

9 - Silent Hill 2 - It's the best Silent Hill there is, and horror games still have yet to match it. Honestly SH2 is so well written and executed it can be mentioned in the same breath as many of the greatest psychological horror films and novels. I feel like later entries kept trying to fix what wasn't broken.

10 - Persona 3 FES - Persona 4 probably belongs here more, but I sadly only found time to play through half of it. However, I can say that I completely lost myself in P3 to a degree that only a couple games have ever done to me before or since (Dark Souls being the last game that truly consumed me the same way). I loved the characters, I loved the music, the art, everything about it. The gameplay was completely original to me and it never got tiresome.

Honorable mentions: too many to count. Okami, God Hand, Rez, Final Fantasy X/XII, Gradius V, Capcom VS SNK 2, Zone of the Enders 2, Dragon Quest VIII, Katamari Damacy, Gran Turismo 4, Kingdom Hearts, God of War 2, Ninja Gaiden Black, Halo 2, Super Mario Sunshine, Metroid Prime, Tales of Symphonia, Half-Life 2, Counterstrike: Source, Street Fighter III: 3S, Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Guilty Gear X2, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, I could go on for days.

 

[Dion Blaster]

Sunshine is better than 3D World

fight me

They are neck and neck for 4th place in the 3D Mario standings.

 

[kasatka]

10. Persona 3 FES (PS2) ;

I really hope you didn't just spoil P3 without warning.

 

[Endo Punk]

I hope people remember that Godhand existed

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Oh sweet JAYZUS this will be hard and painful to do; I know #1, but after that will be a bloodbath.

 

[Fjordson]

1. World of Warcraft ; still playing this a decade later. Still paying to play this a decade later. Insane to think that it's been 10 years, but I haven't been able to give it up. Blizzard's world has always been so engrossing and took out a lot of past frustrations that come with playing an MMO while still maintaining plenty of depth and content variety.

2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; was when Rockstar really hit their stride and took their role as the best open-world developer in the business. Their commitment to time and place (1980's Miami) coupled with really fun mission design and side activities was an unbeatable combo.

3. Grand Theft Auto III ; this blew my mind. The completely open city, the attention to detail, the freedom, the fake radio commercials: it was incredible. Completely changed games and an entire genre. Change that's still being felt and emulated today.

4. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ; maybe my favourite Metal Gear. Far superior to the first MGS mechanically with even more craziness.

5. Diablo II ; incredibly addictive. Many hours were lost playing this on Battle.net with friends from school. Of course little did I know that my obsession with this game's multiplayer was only a precursor to the behemoth that was World of Warcraft.

6. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

7. Max Payne 2

8. Halo: Combat Evolved ; This was the first multiplayer shooter after Counter-Strike that I really got into in a big way. Local splitscreen with friends lasted us months and months, though I think the campaign is also classic in its own right. It's still the best campaign of the series to me.

9. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

10. Mafia


Man that was difficult. What a ridiculously great era for games.


edit: one observation after thinking about this: I used to play way more multiplayer with friends from school. And some of the games we played didn't have any sort of online play (like Halo). One of the many advantages of being a kid. My gaming habits are basically 90% single-player these days.

 

[randomkid]

"The greatest games from the DC/GC/XB/PS2 era to play today" is a lot more interesting and valuable than listing games because you had a fun weekend with them when you were 14, or because they had a now mostly-irrelevant impact on the industry.

Are you sure "interesting" was the word you were going for there? Cuz that sounds like it would make for some really really boring lists that aren't worth reading unless the prose is off the charts.

Nobody wants to read Kill Screen-style nonsense but GG-style "objective" feature-list writing isn't the right approach either, I really don't need to hear about how Twilight Princess has good dungeons fifty times. Contextualizing + design analysis + idiosyncratic personality makes for the best lists.

Anyways, shouts to Anihawk for coming up with a set of rules that will produce some pretty good reading. I'd also like to encourage use of Cheesemeister's parser to get more detailed stats at the end, would be cool to see results without ports/remakes, games with the most #1 votes, etc.

 

[theecakee]

Starcraft - For being an incredibly competitive strategy game that's STILL relevant. People are doing custom AI tournaments on this game. Made people count APM.

Journey - Successful manifestation of 'art' into video gaming. Wonderful music, wonderful graphics, and wonderful experience.

Braid - Made thinking into an enjoyable video game. And the underlying story. And twist. Seriously, this rosy cloudy peaceful game is about nukes?

Honorable mentions for doing the same things as above
- Dark Souls - for what I mentioned on NGB but minus style for lore and online community.
- Portal - should replace Braid but this got me motion sick in 15 minutes....

They're all not from 2000-2005 or on last last gen consoles.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Resident Evil 4 so has this in the bag.

 

[Jucksalbe]

Resident Evil 4 so has this in the bag.

Hard to tell. Just from glancing over the posts so far, I'd say Metroid Prime has a better chance.

 

[Arthea]

I'm somewhat confused, even after reading OP, do we go by year or by generation of hardware, because there are quite a few PS1 games released in this particular time frame, also a lot of PS2 games released after 2005. Someone clarify this for me kindly, please.

 

[Captainbojanglesiii]

Awesome. Can't wait to create my list.

 

[Grief.exe]

I'm somewhat confused, even after reading OP, do we go by year or by generation of hardware, because there are quite a few PS1 games released in this particular time frame, also a lot of PS2 games released after 2005. Someone clarify this for me kindly, please.

PC is the only platform governed by year as it doesn't have a generation, the rest are platform specific.

 

[Jucksalbe]

I'm somewhat confused, even after reading OP, do we go by year or by generation of hardware, because there are quite a few PS1 games released in this particular time frame, also a lot of PS2 games released after 2005. Someone clarify this for me kindly, please.

The specific years are only for platforms that don't have "generations", so only for PC and arcade. For everything else it's everything released on that console no matter what year and no older consoles, so no PS1 games.

 

[mazpratim]

I'd love to vote in this, but I know I missed a lot of PS2 games cause I didn't have one as a kid and only got one last month for the first time

 

[Zemm]

1. World of Warcraft ; played for so long and met and made some good friends
2. Return to castle wolfenstein ; the best multiplayer fps game ever released. As close to a perfect game I'm likely to play.
3. Call of Duty 1 ; not on the same level as rtcw but still the best cod game.
4. Metal gear solid 2 ; the best metal gear game by far
5. Championship manager 01/02 ; still the best football management game to play
6. Shenmue
7. Gran Turismo 3
8. Project Gotham racing
9. Ready to rumble boxing
10. Tony hawks pro skater 3

 

[Stallion Dan]

Doesn't have any mention in OP so:

Do mods count? Especially ones that changes games into something that could be taken as a different game.

 

[Game4life]

Hard to tell. Just from glancing over the posts so far, I'd say Metroid Prime has a better chance.

Nah MGS3 has this locked.

 

[Tricky I Shadow]

Hard to tell. Just from glancing over the posts so far, I'd say Metroid Prime has a better chance.

From this post Resident Evil 4 is in the lead....by quite a lot. Unless it loses steam it's going to win comfortably.

Rightfully so too. It's a very deserving winner and worthy of all the praise. The game is a timeless masterpiece.

 

[Grief.exe]

Nah MGS3 has this locked.

I wonder how many votes will be cannibalizing by MGS2 in that situation, similarly to Demon Souls cannibalizing votes from Dark Souls when we come to last-gen's GOTG voting process.

 

[The Silver]

1.Metal Gear Solid 2; it was hard to choose between this and MGS3, a few years ago it would easily have been the latter but as time goes on I find myself appreciating MGS2 more and more. MGS3 may have made a bigger initial emotional impact on me but I believe the divisive MGS2 is Kojima's true masterpiece and is a game that I'm not afraid to say is a work of art

2.Devil May Cry 3:SE; to this day I'd still say DMC3 is the king of its genre, the most pure gaming bliss is the only way I can describe this game. It's the total package baby, let's rock.

3.Persona 4;

4.Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic 2

5.Shadow of the Colossus

6.Onimusha 2:Samurai's Destiny

7.Vampire: The Masquarade - Bloodlines

8.Resident Evil 4

9.Ninja Gaiden Black

10.Jade Empire

 

[ViewtifulJC]

Sunshine is better than 3D World

fight me

Why? That's already a L on your part

 

[Game4life]

I wonder how many votes will be cannibalizing by MGS2 in that situation, similarly to Demon Souls cannibalizing votes from Dark Souls when we come to last-gen's GOTG voting process.

Yeah this is a strong possibility as well. But I still think based on my casual observation of the thread so far MGS3 is surprisingly holding its own. RE4 will most likely win out in the end but I would not be surprised if MGS3 manages to edge past it ever so slightly. Lol just as you made that comment here we have a perfect case in the next post. Maybe I will be wrong about MGS3 winning after all

1.Metal Gear Solid 2; it was hard to choose between this and MGS3, a few years ago it would easily have been the latter but as time goes on I find myself appreciating MGS2 more and more. MGS3 may have made a bigger initial emotional impact on me but I believe the divisive MGS2 is Kojima's true masterpiece and is a game that I'm not afraid to say is a work of art

 

[dr3upmushroom]

(I'll try to stick to one entry per series)

1.Metal Gear Solid 3; The first time I played this game, I went through it in two days, 17 hours in total. Every minute was incredibly addicting, and I don't know if it counts but I am one of the few that enjoyed MGO on the Subsistence version.

2.Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal; Another game that I played straight through, felt like the sweet spot for the series. Incredibly addicting, wonderful worlds and a fun online mode.

3.Shadow of the Colossus; Amazing atmosphere, great new take on gameplay and how a game should be (no need for minions), a truly wonderful journey.

4. Silent Hill 2; I remember the day I picked this game up, I must have been 12 at the time. It was between this and Luigi's Mansion... boy am I glad I picked this one. One of the best Survival Horror games.

5.Grand Theft Auto:Vice City; This one really had a unique vibe to it, and had the best main character out of the GTA3 trilogy.

6.REmake; I still consider this one of the best remakes ever, it really enhanced the original content with having some new great addition.

7.Jak & Daxter; Another game with a wonderful and charming world, was personally impressive to me in many ways (No load times in the world).

8.Devil May Cry 3: I don't remember which one I played more between this one and the special addition. I can tell you that it was countless hours though of some great action gameplay.

9.Burnout: Takedown; Intense fun. Before this game, I was never really interested in racing games. But after a few minutes with the demo, I just had to get this game.

10.Smackdown: Here Comes the Pain; I know this one probably won't get much love. But man did I spent countless hours playing this game alone and with friends. This was my reason to have the PS2 multitap.

 

[Stove]

The PS2 was the first console I owned, and I wasn't to keen on what games were good and what games weren't during that time. Therefore, most of this list comes from going back and playing those games, and there are plenty that I would love to play but haven't yet. However, I still played enough great games to make a Top 10.

1. Shadow of the Colosus ; I honestly believe that Shadow of the Colosus is the greatest game ever made. The story is the right amount of abtuse and minimalist. You are given motivation, but nothing is over explained to you. I'm one of those who believes that all control issues and minor (or major) annoyances that people have with the game are done intentionaly to emphasize the fact that your character isn't a perfect hero from a physical sense. This might make me a crazy person, but I don't really care. Even if this wasn't the case, it still couldn't take away from the amazing score and the awe inspiring scope.

2. God of War II ; Speaking of scope...God of War. I hate the word epic, but it really does apply here. Also, speaking of Colossus...the Rhode's Colossus fight is still one of the best openings in video game. This is a sequel that expands upon everything the first game did and does it better. It was also the perfect send off for the PS2.

3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Out of all the games on this list, none of them hold up as well as Wind Waker does. The art style is still one of the best ever, and it is by far the best representation of those characters (especially Ganondorf). This game has a charm that not many others do, and I'm glad that the HD remake has given more people the chance to play it.

4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City ; In my opinion, this is still the best GTA game. That's mainly because Vice City is the best location for any GTA. This game features the open world chaos that we all expect from the series while also giving us a setting that oozes style.

5. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; I have yet to play Smash Wii U, so I can't comment on wether or not this is the best game in the series. However, I can comment on how awesome of a game it is. This series could have simply been a bunch of dumb party fighters with out much depth, but the way this game is featured on the tournament scene proves that they are more than that. That being said, they're still all you need for a kickass party

6. Rome: Total War ; The original Rome is still probably the best game in this franchise, despite how great Shogun 2 is. The feeling of commanding Roman armies to victory is amazing for a history major like myself, and the strategic depth is nearly unmatched without every being overbearing.

7. Sid Meier's Civilization IV ; I like the Civilization series more than the Total War one, but I bumped Civ IV down due to the fact that I find Civ V to be a better game (post-expansions). However, it still offers great turn based strategy and the best at the time. Also, interacting with some of the greatest figures in world history is a lot of fun. This game is an addiction that has cost me countless hours of sleep.

8. Katamari Damacy ; This is one of the first games I remember playing. I played it at my cousin's house and was just taken in by how incredible it was. When I finally got my console, it was one of my first games. It's an incredibly dumb game, but there is so much enjoyment to be had rolling around on a ball and picking up everything in your path.

9. NBA Street v3 ; Every now and then, my friends and I pop this game in and play it. It's just a lot of fun, and it was probably my favorite game at the time. The ridiculous combos, the exaggerated physics, and the incredibly long career mode. This game was NBA Jam for a new generation

10. Halo: Combat Evolved ; This game is last on my list due to the fact that I never played the full retail version of it. During my sophmore year of high school, my friend found a demo for this game online that came with one map. We all downloaded it to our schools computers and would play local multiplayer after school. I don't have much to say about its quality, but this was one of my favorite gaming memories

 

[Refreshment.01]

1. Resident Evil 4 ; PLAYED ON: GAMECUBE. BEST VERSION: PC
If Super Metroid is as close to perfection as an action 2D game has come, then RE4 does the same thing for the action 3D genre. It's general influences touched every action game after it's release and so far no game can match it's clever set pieces.

2. Ico ; PLAYED ON: PS2. BEST VERSION: PS3 COLLECTION
Fumito Ueda an Ico Team have created the best exclusive Playstation game ever released, to me it's slightly edges Shadow of the Collosus. A game that sincerely and TRULY pushed forward video game story telling through traditional cinematics methods as well as interactive ones through gameplay.

3. Metroid Prime ; PLAYED ON: GAMECUBE. BEST VERSION: WII

Retro did a commendable job in translating and aproximating the Metroid formula to a 3D environment. A shame they couldn't expand on this foundation and progressivly get closer in the sequels.

4. Baldur's Gate II; PLAYED ON: PC BEST VERSION: PC ORIGINAL.

Considered the pinnacle of cRPG's, that's a the biggest compliment you can shower the game with as it came back in the golden age of this genre.

5. System Shock 2 ; PLAYED ON: PC. BEST VERSION: PC.

This game polished what was already great in the first entry. It is to this day one of the best survical horror FPS games ever created. Bioshock simplified the formula with good results, but even with this fact System Shock remains relevant today as it hasn't aged much.

6. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory ; PLAYED ON: XBOX. BEST VERSION: PC

The Splinter Cell series made stealth games more aproachable, fun and "cool". The most complete and round up of Xbox games is also the best game in the series and the best game Ubisoft has published.

7. Civilization IV ; PLAYED ON: PC. BEST VERSION: PC

The best Civilization game so far.

8.Devil May Cry ; PLAYED ON: PS2. BEST VERSION: PS2

Revolutionized the action genre for generations to come.

9.Hitman 2: Silent Assassin ; PLAYED ON: XBOX. BEST VERSION: PC

Not only a competent stealth games but it also accomodates a more action oriented style of play.

10. Half Life 2 ; PLAYED ON: PC. BEST VERSION: PC.

A worthy follow up to the legendary game.

PARSER VESION

1. Resident Evil 4 ;
2. Ico ;
3. Metroid Prime ;
4. Baldur's Gate II ; I love the 80s.
5. System Shock 2 ;
6. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory ;
7. Civilization IV ;
8. Devil May Cry ;
9. Hitman 2: Silent Assassin ;
10. Half Life 2 ;
x. Game K ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game K.
x. Game L ; Your thoughts on Honorable Mention Game L.

 

[Sojiro]

1. Jet Grind Radio (DC) ; Simply put, nothing but shear fun. The first time I popped in JGR a huge smile ran across my face and I was hooked. Everything just feels great about the game, the music, the colors, the game play, wacky overzealous cops, its nothing but pure, unbridled fun. Along with Shenmue, its one Sega's finest games.

2) Final Fantasy XI (PC) ; Yes, WoW made the biggest impact on the MMORPG genre, and is a damn fine game as well, but FFXI is still my favorite MMO to this day. As a Final Fantasy fan the idea of an FF game that you could play online with other people was surreal to me, when it came out it was a lot different than I imagined it would be, but the game is simply amazing, and I spent countless hours in the world of Vanadiel.

3) Unreal Tournament 2004 (PC) ; My favorite arena shooter, yes even over Quake 3! So many hours I spent in this game, and it offers incredible game modes, like Assault, Invasion/Invasion RPG, and Onslaught, not to mention DM and TDM are still really great. I absolutely love this game, and still play it today with some friends on specific communities that still have servers hosted for it.

4) Halo: Combat Evolved (PC) ; I can't even count the number of hours I put into Halo PC. Its actually where I met a few of my friends that I still keep in regular contact with today. Awesome game, that really did redefine the FPS genre. Many fond memories playing in TCLN ladder leagues with clan mates. Did I mention it has a great campaign as well? Such a solid game all around.

5) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) ; The best game of the series for me, I loved the tale of Big Boss, and the overall story is pretty good (doesn't get anywhere as wonky as MGS2 did). Awesome game play, great and memorable bosses, and I loved the introduction of the camo system. Kojima's best game imo. Also, that final fight is just pure badass...such an awesome conclusion to this incredible game.

6) Shenmue (DC) ; I remember the time leading up to the game, and the hype surrounding it was unreal. I didn't really know what to expect when I first played it but man did it blow me away. Its such an ambitious title, doing things that had not been done before in a game. Such a memorable experience, and a shame we didn't see Yu Suzuki finish the series out.

7) Metroid Prime (GCN) ; Wow, just what a game. Quite possibly the most atmospheric game (along with Super Metroid) i've ever played, Tallon IV literally feels alive, and exploring it is a wonderful experience. Add onto that, the game play and music are sublime, and you have an incredible game. Very much looking forward to picking up the Prime Trilogy on Wii U VC here soon.

8) Warcraft III (PC) ; I admit, it hasn't been until recently (about a couple years) that I went through the campaign, to play catch up to the events that preceded WoW, and man what I had been missing (i've had the game even longer, but mostly played the AMAZING custom maps). Awesome RTS game, and the introduction of the "hero" unit that can gain levels, equipment and stats was a very welcome addition (also led to the amazing DOTA custom map). The campaign is awesome, with some very impressive cinematics, and don't even get me started on the custom maps...no seriously I know i've dumped thousands of hours into the custom maps...so much good stuff, that friends and I frequent every once in a while. Imo the best RTS game ever made.

9) The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind (PC) Bethesda at its finest here. From the moment you land on Morrowind, you are embraced by an incredible island, that is quite large and filled with things to explore. I love nothing more than to just walk in a direction, and seeing what I come across. Morrowind also boasts a good main story, memorable characters, and some great side quests. The expansion adds even more greatness to an already great game.

10) Pikmin (GCN) ; I remember seeing this strange creation around the launch of the Gamecube and was instantly intrigued. When I finally got to try it myself, I instantly fell in love with the charming characters and the adorable Pikmin, not to mention the game played incredibly well. Such a great game, that constantly tugs on your heart when you hear one of your little Pikmin cry his last breath. Such a great way to kick off the Gamecube, and the series remains one of my favorite Nintendo franchises to this day.

Honorable Mentions:

Phantasy Star Online
Skies of Arcadia
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess
Devil May Cry
Dark Cloud 2
Sly Cooper
Final Fantasy X
Return to Castle Wolfenstein/Wolfenstein Enemy Territory
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Resident Evil 4
Kingdom Hearts
Maximo