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[Zissou]

Didn't Alpha Centauri come out in 1999?

 

[Jamix012]

I feel like we should get 15-20 votes.

While I agree, I imagine it's not fair to those who already voted and won't revisit this thread.

 

[Tookay]

1. Metal Gear Solid 3 ; Not only the game of the generation, but possibly the best game ever. Kojima merges his storytelling and gameplay into a perfect package. Snake's tale of survival is not only emotionally compelling, but integrated nicely into the gameplay. You'll trudge through swamps, trek along cliffsides, and battle through some of the most memorable boss fights ever. The next Metal Gear might be the first "open-world" entry, but this game is impressively "open-ended." There's so many ways to approach a situation or encounter... or avoid it altogether - as long as you're willing to try. Cap it off with one of the best endings ever, and you've got a classic.

2. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door ; Charming, funny, epic - often simultaneously. It's a game that's willing to tear down the conventions of an RPG while maintaining its essential dignity: a great battle system, fantastic progression, a memorable cast, and a world-spanning story.

3. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; The best multiplayer game ever. Hands down. Even with its compressed development time, there was a gameplay loop here that was so perfect that I doubt a better game could have been made with more time.

4. Final Fantasy X ; By now, we've all played through a million RPGs where you save the world, fighting against some apocalyptic demon and killing "god" or whatever. But this game has stuck with me in a way many haven't. It was so good at capturing a certain sense of melancholic adventure that few games ever tried to convey, with great world building and topped by a bittersweet ending that left you both wistful and satisfied. And it had a battle system that evolved as you did, enduring the duration of the quest and then some. Hell, I even

5. Halo: Combat Evolved ; The king of FPS. Still. Bungie nailed the movement of the characters, the feedback of the weapons, the interplay between shields and player health, and the interaction with vehicles. It realized that you didn't need to press "F to pay respects" to have a cool moment; all you needed were options to make your own badass moments.

6. Shadow of the Colossus ; I don't have an opinion one way or the other on the "games are art" debate, but this is one game I'd definitely say is a piece of art. This game has a singular unfiltered focus and executes it perfectly. It's also seemingly misunderstood by a great number of people. Not all of the boss encounters are perfect, but they are all memorable and unique, with the very best of them inspiring a sense of awe that no other game has matched since. And the control scheme is capable if unorthodox - a uniquely designed way of handling a uniquely designed game. Even the so-called "desolate overworld," serves a purpose in providing downtime and reflecting on the journey.

7. Resident Evil 4 ; A masterclass in horror and game design. It's amazing how the gameplay loop here is relatively simple, but kept on finding new wrinkles to explore different facets of it, either through new enemy types, environments, or bosses.

8. RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 ; My favorite simulation game. I can't count how many hours I spent tweaking my parks or fiddled around making the perfect coaster. Well.... perfect in my eyes, because all of the guests thought it was too extreme or something. Idiots.

9. F.E.A.R. ; This game seems to be undergoing a resurgence on GAF lately and for good reason. It has amazing gunplay with a powerful pack of weapons. And it has bullet-time so you can soak up every second of it.

10. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; A couple years ago, I might have placed this higher on my last. However, with the HD rerelease and some time, I have to admit it's a little bit weaker than I remembered. That said, even a weaker Zelda is still amazing. It has fun dungeons that feature fun items. The world is immense but intimate and inviting. I must have explored every each of its towns and islands. Finally, for all the complaints this "kiddy" reimagining got, it features a surprisingly "adult" story about regret and generational responsibility, ending on a powerful note.

 

[GungriffonEX]

1. Ico PS2
Never before or possible ever since have I felt so emotionally attached to a character than I was with Yorda. It was a relevation when you realize she isnt a nuisance but actually help you along. The atmosphere is incredible, and the ending is so satisfying. To be honest initially I felt Shadow of the Colossus was the better game, but after replaying both on the PS3, while Shadow is amazing, I fell in love with Ico all over again.

2. Panzer Dragoon Orta Xbox
This game still has a grandness and majesty to it that is yet to be matched. Loved the pacing, the system changes, the world and enemies designs, the music are all amazing. I still think its the best looking game on the Xbox. It even included a ton of extras, including the entire original Panzer Dragoon.

3. Halo Xbox
The second I got hand on with Halo in a demo kiosk I knew this was something special. Shooting and Driving had never felt so good in a console FPS imo. Some amazing levels, cool story and characters. Its Halo.

4. Shadow of the Colossus PS2
A real technical marble. Seeing the first colossus for the first time is something Ill never forget. I love the quiet exploration in between fights, and Agro is my horse bro.

5. Rez DC
This game has the ability to put me intro a trance like state with its fusion of graphics and sound. The fact that its so short, about an hour, means Ive beaten it several dozen times. The final level is my favorites of all time.

6. Otogi 2 Xbox
I really loved the original Otogi, with its ancient Japanese aesthetic mixed with mass destruction. The sequel really turned everthing up to 11, with a large cast of characters, among the best graphics on the Xbox, beautiful music, and ever more varied locations.
It may not be the most technical game, but laying wast to you enemies and their surroundings never left so good.

7. Robot Alchemic Drive PS2
This game lets you control giants robots and fight other giants robots with a very unique and cool control scheme. Plus it has rocket packs and some so-bad-its-good voice acting.

8. Shenmue DC
Every time I boot this up im still awed at the amount of detail that went into creating its world and characters.

9. Fire Emblem GBA
With my first and favorite rpg series Shining Force being MIA for years, this fulfilled that need for a great strategy rpg.

10. Castlevania Aria of Sorrow GBA
I was honestly not expecting a portable Castlevania to even hold a candle to SotN, but this little cart is every bit and good as its much lauded Playstation brother.

Honorable Mentions:

x Halo 2 - The multiplayer suite was just amazing at the time.
x Ninja Gaiden Black - One of the games that brough back difficulty in games.
x Otogi - Outshined by its sequel, but still great.
x GunValkyrie - If you can get the control scheme, you and a god.
x Star Wars Battlefront - The maps and Units were far better in the original than its sequel.
x Morrowind - Loved exploring.
x Rallisport 2 - Beautiful racer
x Ace Combat 4 - That soundtrack.
x Shin Megamy Tensei: Nocturne - Its pokemon but with demons.
x God Hand - This game is just overthetop cool.
x Viewtiful Joe - Very stylish action game.
x Soul Calibur - Mind blowing for a launch game
x Marvel vs Capcom 2 - Mahvel baby.
x Grandia 2 - I loved the story and battle system.
x Tech Romancer - The most fun ive had with a fighting games Single Player mode.

 

[AniHawk]

I feel like we should get 15-20 votes.

i considered it, but i think 10 should really make you think hard about what you really enjoyed. hopefully it leads to a lot of introspection.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

i considered it, but i think 10 should really make you think hard about what you really enjoyed. hopefully it leads to a lot of introspection.

It will only lead to me ripping my hair out and not voting at all because I can't decide what to leave off

 

[Dash Kappei]

I'll come back to it later. This is super hard, it honestly pains me to not include certain games that I loved sooo much back then.

GOTG:

1. Resident Evil Remake ;
2. Resident Evil 4 ;
3. Metroid Prime ;
4. Mother 3 ;
As far as I can remember, the only game to ever make me shed a tear since I was in my teens watching Monkey Island 2's ending. It's a work of art or, even better, a work of heart: the best jrpg I've ever played, it has my favorite story and writing ever of all things videogame; the translation work by Tomato and his talented team was so beautifully crafted and I'll never thank them enough for this gift.
5. F-Zero GX ;
Based SEGA AM2. Ultra speed, 60fps, jaw-dropping gfx, 30 simultaneous racers, hard as nails... all come together to craft the über F-Zero game. I still play this baby weekly, how crazy is that? Fuck that Story Mode's Chapter 7 at Very Hard, almost made me lose my sanity!
6. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ;
probably my most hyped game ever together with RE4. I'll never forget that trailer at E3. I loved how much character they put into Link with his mimic and facial expressions. Beauty made into videogame, timeless art meets a grandieuse adventure.
7. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty ;
8. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance ;
To this day, by far my favorite FE ever. And one of my biggest regrets in gaming... how the hell did I end up selling this game back then?! Fuckin' idiot-me strikes again, that's how.
9. ICO;
10. Grand Theft Auto III;
The game that made me buy a PS2, which was the first console I didn't own from day 1 and my first PAL console ever, I had always imported before that since the Megadrive days. The only reason I'm putting it at the bottom of my TOP10 is because this is mainly nostalgia vote, which is why I didn't put San Andreas instead; the game had a huge impact on me and the industry but to me it doesn't really hold up today, while playing my TOP9 even right now would be something that I'd be able to appreciate fully.



Honorable mentions:

x. Guitar Hero ;
x. Metroid Zero Mission ; basically my 11th spot on the list... if such thing existed. Masterpiece!
x. Shenmue 2; I wish I could've put some DC games in my list but REZ HD is a thing and Mother 3 and Zero Mission made me bump this out, I was undecided till the last moment if I had to swap GTA3 with this one instead, but as much as I loved it, if I'm being honest at the time I loved and was amazed more by GTA3. You're still my hero Yu, I'd buy anything Shenmue instantly!
x. Pikmin ; only reason I'm skipping it is because Pikmin 3 is the series' magnum opus (Piklopedia missing aside!) and because I think the NPC Wii version is better. And hey, there's only 10 spots to fill!
x. Eternal Darkness ; I absolutely adored this game. But I haven't played it since the GCN days, I'm not sure how I'd feel about it today and for now I'm content with the awesome memories.
x. Rhythm Tengoku ;;
x. Metroid Fusion ;
x. Winning Eleven 8: Final Evolution ; the undisputed KING of couch multiplayer and custom patching!
x. Star Wars Rogue Leader II: Rogue Squadron
x. Killer 7 ;
x. Panzer Dragoon Orta ;
x. Viewtiful Joe ;
x. Half-Life 2 ;
x. Soul Calibur 2 ;
x. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ;
x. Halo: Combat Evolved ;
x. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat ;
x. Gradius V ;
x. Luigi's Mansion ;

 

[SatoAilDarko]

i considered it, but i think 10 should really make you think hard about what you really enjoyed. hopefully it leads to a lot of introspection.

So I finally posted my list, post 252. I originally had a partial list up for about a minute before I edited it completely out. Do I need to still send you a PM?

 

[Jamix012]

i considered it, but i think 10 should really make you think hard about what you really enjoyed. hopefully it leads to a lot of introspection.

If there's another vote for a different generation, it really should be more than 10. I want to see all the games that people considered overlooked gems, but with only 10 choices that's less likely.

 

[Dash Kappei]

Wait a fucking second, I can vote Mother 3 even if I've enjoyed it years later on the GBA Micro when the english patch was released? Because if that's possible, I have a lot of thinking and thinkering to make on my TOP4.

 

[AniHawk]

So I finally posted my list, post 252. I originally had a partial list up for about a minute before I edited it completely out. Do I need to still send you a PM?

no, i haven't started counting it yet.

If there's another vote for a different generation, it really should be more than 10. I want to see all the games that people considered overlooked gems, but with only 10 choices that's less likely.

that's what the honorable mentions are for. you can list as many of those as you want.

 

[Megatron]

I can already see that this is going to be just like the 2014 goty thread. It's going to be heavily Nintendo-flavored. Which is fine with me, my list may well be half Nintendo also.

 

[AniHawk]

Wait a fucking second, I can vote Mother 3 even if I've enjoyed it years later on the GBA Micro when the english patch was released? Because if that's possible, I have a lot of thinking and thinkering to make on my TOP4.

i counted the english patch as a gba game in 2008 i believe. so yes. added it to the op.

 

[Dash Kappei]

i counted the english patch as a gba game in 2008 i believe. so yes.

Oh shit. Now I'm in big trouble. And Rhythm Tengoku/Metroid Zero mission!

Goddamn.

 

[Jamix012]

no, i haven't started counting it yet.



that's what the honorable mentions are for. you can list as many of those as you want.

yeah but they don't get any points so they won't show in the final results (or if you use the parser I believe they won't show up in my suggestions either.) So as a result I need to claw through everyone's voting which, frankly, I don't have the time to do.

10 is enough for a year because many people don't play much more than that in one year, but for a generation? It's too few in my opinion.

20 would be better than 10 because it'd afford a lot more variety outside of the, frankly expected, top 10 results. Heck, even the Essential RPGs vote this year did 20 maximum votes.

 

[Mrmartel]

1. Resident Evil 4; The greatest Horror/Action game ever. Really. in fact I think it's flawless, or in-so-much that it's come closer to perfection than any game I've ever played. The pacing, encounter and level design are three areas of which RE4 is critic proof. It's Mikami's 9th symphony, his Sistine chapel, his Mona Lisa. I don't know how they did it, but a perfect storm of the best minds at Capcom came together and made it happen. A Capcom that sadly doesn't existed anymore as it's talented workers have been scatter into the wind (Only to still make some of the best modern games, like Bayonetta/The Evil Within).
2. Shadow of the Colossus; A truly otherworldly experience. A game involving 16 Boss Battles. But it's so much more. The Journey to each through a desolate Land. A Horse that still to this day has the best mechanic's of any companion animal In a game. Through these mechanic's a relationship is built unlike any I've ever had with a virtual creature. The controls, at first seem floaty and unprecise. Become second nature and for me only came to there full realization on the 13th Colossus. As I stood on top of my horse racing beside a giant skimming along the surface of a desert, that moment when I jumped off and grabbed the giants wings, than Kow Otani amazing soundtrack soars in. Whoa man, whoa. Not to mention the minimal but impactful and emotional story, as well as visuals that were beyond the abilities of the PS2.
3. Half Life; 2 The greatest FPS of all time. The guns felt powerful, were unique and varied. The level design was perfect. It had a great balance between linearity and exploration. The story was expansive, interesting and well told. The characters, like Alex are some of the most memorable NPCs ever.
4. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess; This a GC game. It was made as one only to have modifications added to it in it's last year of development for the Wii. I bought it for GC and have only played it on the GC. It's Ocarina of Time expanded. Which means it's expanded on the greatest game of all time. Bigger World, More Dungeons, better Dungeons, more mechanic's, an interesting world, excellent weapons and awesome boss battles.
5. Metal Gear Solid 3; My disappointment in MGS2 was beyond anything I'd experience up to that point (other than the Phantom Menace). But MGS3 made it all better. The story although not at good or impactful at MGS1, was far beyond in quality than the messy and indecipherable plot of MGS2. The gameplay is where it really shines. I am convinced that Hideo Kojima could make the greatest game ever to exist if he would just moderate better the division of story to gameplay. MGS3 excels because of this. It has, comparatively to all the other MGS, the best story/gameplay ratio. So more time with amazing level design and the fun/clever CQC system. Which means less time to fuck up the story, or make us wallow in bad one.
6. Grand Theft Auto 3;
7.Resident Evil Remake;
8.Civilization IV;
9. God of War 2;
10. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic;

 

[AniHawk]

yeah but they don't get any points so they won't show in the final results (or if you use the parser I believe they won't show up in my suggestions either.) So as a result I need to claw through everyone's voting which, frankly, I don't have the time to do.

10 is enough for a year because many people don't play much more than that in one year, but for a generation? It's too few in my opinion.

20 would be better than 10 because it'd afford a lot more variety outside of the, frankly expected, top 10 results. Heck, even the Essential RPGs vote this year did 20 maximum votes.

i think if you think overlooked gems aren't worth making it into your top 10, they probably aren't that great. if you really believe in something, then explain why.

and the final results in the awards thread won't be a top 10.

 

[timetokill]

i considered it, but i think 10 should really make you think hard about what you really enjoyed. hopefully it leads to a lot of introspection.

I just wanted to say again that I agree with you SO HARD on this point.

 

[Jamix012]

i think if you think overlooked gems aren't worth making it into your top 10, they probably aren't that great. if you really believe in something, then explain why.

and the final results in the awards thread won't be a top 10.

It won't just be a top 10, but it'll be a list of less variety than if you allowed for 20, that's all I'm saying. Also I don't agree at all. My potential 11th pick would easily make it into my top 30 games of all time and my entire top 20 would probably be within my overall top 50 games of all time. There were so many fantastic games that generation, i just personally feel like 10 is limiting and will lead to a list mostly full of games everyone already knows about.

 

[timetokill]

It won't just be a top 10, but it'll be a list of less variety than if you allowed for 20, that's all I'm saying. Also I don't agree at all. My potential 11th pick would easily make it into my top 30 games of all time and my entire top 20 would probably be within my overall top 50 games of all time. There were so many fantastic games that generation, i just personally feel like 10 is limiting and will lead to a list mostly full of games everyone already knows about.

There's nothing stopping you from making your #11 your #10 or whatever for the purposes of this list, you know.

 

[AniHawk]

I just wanted to say again that I agree with you SO HARD on this point.

thanks... i just compiled a list of the games i really enjoyed. i have about 17 games currently as 'honorable mentions' and i'm trying to get my top 10 solidified. there's about 5-7 games in the top ten i feel comfortable with, but i don't know about the others. the dreamcast pull is really, really strong since it was my first console that generation and it's the system that had the biggest impact for me that gen.

 

[AniHawk]

It won't just be a top 10, but it'll be a list of less variety than if you allowed for 20, that's all I'm saying. Also I don't agree at all. My potential 11th pick would easily make it into my top 30 games of all time and my entire top 20 would probably be within my overall top 50 games of all time. There were so many fantastic games that generation, i just personally feel like 10 is limiting and will lead to a list mostly full of games everyone already knows about.

then we wind up with a very honest list. if we wanted to do a hidden gems list, we could have a stipulation that only new ips from that gen would count. this is a popularity contest.

 

[Tookay]

i considered it, but i think 10 should really make you think hard about what you really enjoyed. hopefully it leads to a lot of introspection.

I think it worked. Instead of just throwing them all up there without any debate because everything I wanted was safe, I had to really nail down why I liked the games I chose.

 

[Jamix012]

There's nothing stopping you from making your #11 your #10 or whatever for the purposes of this list, you know.

Ok, before I continue I want to say that I'm not saying this should be changed now, as many have already voted, but in future GotG votes 10 is far too small. And yes I can change my #11 to #10 but in doing that, i'd only be highlighting one of the problems of a smaller ballot which would be:

A) Tactical voting.

With only 10 votes, some people will be more likely to tactfully vote not nessecarily for their favourite games, but for the games they like that would be more likely to feature on the list. With more votes this is less likely to happen. Let's say, as an example, my 11th is MGS3 but none of my top 10 have a chance of winning. I bump MGS3 up to 10 or higher, and therefore not include my actual 10th pic, skewing the voting towards a homogenised list.

B) General Preference is more similar at the top

I'm not going to argue that people have the same tastes, but if you asked 100 people their top 5 games from a given time period, you'd get a hell of a lot of overlap. This is because a lot of people generally agree on the "all time greats." Now if, instead, you asked for a people's 11-20 from a certain time period, you'd a much wider variation of games. As a result, by cutting the 11-20, you cut off a lot of variety.

C) For a lot of people limiting to 10 doesn't make them think harder, it just means they arbitrarily cut off a game that they otherwise would have on.

This one is easiest to explain. A lot of people probably value their #11 very close to their number #10, possibly even as much as the #10, but their #10 is counted where the #11 is not. Even though, to the voter, they're practically identical. By having #20, you can have less arbitrary cuts.

D) People looking at the votes to give themselves ideas, are gonna see the same thing.

This ties in to number 2, and is a knock on effect. If you look through the ballots to remember what games were in that era, because preferences are similar at the top, this means the games with the most visibility will be those that feature often in top 10s and thus skew the voting even further towards a set of games everyone already knows about like Halo and such.


Simply put, you'll get less variety from having 10 over having 20.

then we wind up with a very honest list. if we wanted to do a hidden gems list, we could have a stipulation that only new ips from that gen would count. this is a popularity contest.

See above. You'll end up with a similar top 10 either way, but beyond that it's going to be less varied and interesting as a result.

Before I go I may as well discuss the advantages to a smaller ballot
There are only 2 real advantages to making a ballot smaller.

- By Making a ballot size too large you will make those who played less games have less of a voice

Which i feel is inherently unfair. 10 is a reasonable number for a year, as those who played less than 10 good games in a year are generally a minority most years, but let's say you had 50 for a year. It would mean those who played 50 games would have much more say in the voting than those that only played 12-13 good games. With a GotG those who played less than 15-20 games they consider good enough for a list are a tiny minority or didn't really game at the time.

- Making the ballot too big can intimidate people voting at all

Well this one is self explanatory, if you're allowed 100 games on your list fewer people would likely vote, but it's also a double edged sword. Making a ballot too small will also dissuade people from voting as they feel they either can't make up their mind, their vote won't make much of a difference, or that they don't have enough choice.

 

[Mr_Antimatter]

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ; Probably the pinnacle of open world design for the era, and did things others games wouldn't do for many years.
2. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ; Set big bossup as a major gaming icon, some of the best story in the series as well.
3. Metroid prime ; Revitalized the series, and an undisputed masterpiece
4. Half-life 2 ; Set the stage for the modern story based shooter, and showed the promise of physics based gameplay..
5. Shadow of the Colossus ; Proof that solid design can make something an icon.
6. Final Fantasy X ; Squaresoft at their best, in many ways.
7. Katamari Damacy ; Trippy fun, and one of the most catchy OST ever.
8. Mario Kart: Double Dash ; Petty amazing all around, fast, fun, and easy to learn.
9. Knights of the Old Republic ; One of the best, and most iconic star wars games ever.
10. Unreal Tournament 2004 ; An amazing upgrade to ut2003, and the best of the old school arena shooters.

Honorables
X. Timesplitters 2 ; Where as ts1 set the model for future FPS games, 2 perfected 1's formula in pretty much every way.

X. Amplitude ; Set the stage for later rhythm games, still one of the best song selections of all time.

X. Xenosaga ; Mystic space opera at it's finest, with a seller cast and some iconic designs.

X. Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 ; Infinitely playable, and still untouched in many ways.

 

[Dash Kappei]

Region: Turkey, Europe if it matters.

Goddamn, only 14 and already speaks a foreign language so well. Props to you!

 

[Dance Inferno]

Oh hell, we're doing a games of the generation vote? I didn't play enough games in 2014 to write up a GOTY list but I have definitely played enough to write up a GOTG list. Will have to spend some time whittling down my list though...

 

[Lostconfused]

Oh shit ah, can I vote for Tech Romancer/Kikaioh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tech_Romancer ?

Didn't realize the arcade release was so early.

 

[Jucksalbe]

Oh shit ah, can I vote for Tech Romancer/Kikaioh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tech_Romancer ?

Didn't realize the arcade release was so early.

You can vote for the Dreamcast version, you can't vote for the arcade version.

 

[Sinatar]

New games released to your region on consoles released between 1998 and 2002, and handhelds released between 1999 and 2003 (note: the consoles/handhelds have to have been released in this time frame, not the games)
Arcade games and PC games released between 2000 and 2005 are allowed.

1. Deus Ex ; On my top 3 greatest games of all time. Truly amazing in all regards and still is untouched amongst it's peers.
2. Baldur's Gate 2 ; One of the greatest RPG's of all time, Bioware's shining moment in the sun.
3. Ninja Gaiden Black ; The greatest action game of all time, brilliant stuff.
4. Half Life 2 ; Valve managed to create an amazing follow up to the seminal Half Life. One of the finest single player shooters.
5. Diablo 2 ; Click click click click click click click click
6. Rise of Nations ; Absolutely phenomenal RTS game, turned a lot of the genre conventions on their head.
7. Resident Evil 4 ; A masterclass in video game pacing. The game keeps you on the edge of your seat for it's entire lengthy runtime.
8. Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 ; The pinnacle of the command & conquer franchise. Cranked the crazy up to 11.
9. Icewind Dale ; A fantastic party pased dungeon crawler. While I might like other infinity engine games more, this is the one I replay the most.
10. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory ; In my opinion this is the finest stealth game ever made. It was between this and Thief 2 for this slot, SC slightly edged it.

EDIT: Kind of strange that we can list console releases from 98 and 99, but not PC. My list would be *entirely* different if the time periods matched.

 

[synchronicity]

1. World Soccer : Winning Eleven 6 International ; It may not be the greatest entry in the franchise, but it is the one that introduced me to the greatest video game representation of any sport. (I really want to vote for the entire franchise here, since they're more or the less the same, but if it has to be narrowed to a single entry, I'll use this, I guess.)

2. God Hand ; The greatest action game of all-time. It did it with depth, style, and over-the-top humor. I could play this forever.

3. God of War II. A big part of me has a soft spot for the original because it brought one of my favorite gaming franchises on the scene, but when pressed, I acknowledge that I prefer this entry. Kratos pure and simple rage translates perfectly to a medium that is usually about killing something, for better or worse. Kratos is gaming incarnate.

4. Shadow of the Colossus ; Ueda says more with less (dialogue) than any other developer. He simply transports you to another world that is so well realized creatively that it seems like it ought to really exist.

5. ICO ; See above. Also, regrettable cover notwithstanding, and it is perhaps cliche, but ICO is the only game to ever make me cry. I could flip-flop SOTC and ICO depending on my mood, but all the games on this list are so beloved to me that there is very little margin between them.

6. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town ; Who would have thought a game about farming could be so absorbing. This was my first experience with the franchise, and it quickly became one of my all-time favorites. There is something soothing about the routine of managing your ever-improving farm.

7. ESPN : NFL 2K5 ; I know it's a common refrain, but this is still the best gridiron game I've ever played. The online set-up deserves special mention. Having your own dedicated league page that mimicked an actual ESPN site was brilliant and made a great game all the more immersive. I was regularly ranked in the top 100 online. *shameless bragging*

8. Silent Hill 2 ; Something about the oppressive hopelessness of this franchise just seeps deep into your bones. I'm not sure why, but this game (and franchise) digs deep into my psyche, burrowing into my subconscious and manifesting itself in my dreams from time to time. (Not always a welcome thing.) It is really a magnificent horror experience.

9. Silent Hill 3 ; See above. I prefer some things about this entry, and depending on my mood this could flip with SH2- like ICO and SOTC above.

10. Virtua Fighter 4 ; I know Evolution is the superior form of this title, but this is the game that introduced me to the franchise and the joys of the depth on offer. It's so satisfying to thoroughly learn a character to the point that they are really an extension of your mind.

Honorable Mentions:

x. King's Field : The Ancient City ; I fell in love with King's Field long before the Souls series blew up. This is an amazing adventure with absolutely magical music that is worthy of any Souls' fans time, if you're able to tolerate the slow movement/pace.

x. Super Mario Sunshine ; I admittedly haven't played every Mario game, but this is my favorite Mario ever, and one of my all-time favorite games in general.

x. God of War ; This game blew my mind when it came out. It was jaw-dropping from beginning to end.

x. Metroid Prime ; My first ever Metroid game and is one of my personal all-time classics.

x. Resident Evil 4 ; I'll stop commenting now.

x. Deus Ex

x. Metal Gear Solid 3

x. Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection

x. Metal Gear Solid 2

x. Devil May Cry 3

x. Devil May Cry

x. Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga

x. MLB The Show (PS2) ; these entries were great, even before the PS3 versions.

x. Killer 7

x. Hot Shots Golf 3 (Haven't played 4)

x. Ratchet and Clank : Up Your Arsenal

x. Ratchet and Clank : Going Commando

x. SSX 3

x. Wipeout Fusion

x. Yakuza

x. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories

x. Madden ; I still really enjoyed this series during this gen, despite 2K5 stealing its lunch money.

x. GTA: San Andreas

x. GTA: Vice City

x. Resident Evil: Code Veronica

x. Black

x. Red Dead Revolver

x. Guitar Hero

x. Ratchet and Clank (the original)

x. I-Ninja

x. Fatal Frame

x. Midway Arcade Treasures ; a shout-out to my youth. Robotron, and a few others, are still great.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Ok, before I continue I want to say that I'm not saying this should be changed now, as many have already voted, but in future GotG votes 10 is far too small. And yes I can change my #11 to #10 but in doing that, i'd only be highlighting one of the problems of a smaller ballot which would be:

1) Tactical voting.

With only 10 votes, some people will be more likely to tactfully vote not nessecarily for their favourite games, but for the games they like that would be more likely to feature on the list. With more votes this is less likely to happen. Let's say, as an example, my 11th is MGS3 but none of my top 10 have a chance of winning. I bump MGS3 up to 10 or higher, and therefore not include my actual 10th pic, skewing the voting towards a homogenised list.

2) General Preference is more similar at the top

I'm not going to argue that people have the same tastes, but if you asked 100 people their top 5 games from a given time period, you'd get a hell of a lot of overlap. This is because a lot of people generally agree on the "all time greats." Now if, instead, you asked for a people's 11-20 from a certain time period, you'd a much wider variation of games. As a result, by cutting the 11-20, you cut off a lot of variety.

3) For a lot of people limiting to 10 doesn't make them think harder, it just means they arbitrarily cut off a game that they otherwise would have on.

This one is easiest to explain. A lot of people probably value their #11 very close to their number #10, possibly even as much as the #10, but their #10 is counted where the #11 is not. Even though, to the voter, they're practically identical. By having #20, you can have less arbitrary cuts.

4) People looking at the votes to give themselves ideas, are gonna see the same thing.

This ties in to number 2, and is a knock on effect. If you look through the ballots to remember what games were in that era, because preferences are similar at the top, this means the games with the most visibility will be those that feature often in top 10s and thus skew the voting even further towards a set of games everyone already knows about like Halo and such.


Simply put, you'll get less variety from having 10 over having 20.



See above. You'll end up with a similar top 10 either way, but beyond that it's going to be less varied and interesting as a result.

Before I go I may as well discuss the advantages to a smaller ballot
There are only 2 real advantages to making a ballot smaller.

1) By Making a ballot size too large you will make those who played less games have less of a voice

Which i feel is inherently unfair. 10 is a reasonable number for a year, as those who played less than 10 good games in a year are generally a minority most years, but let's say you had 50 for a year. It would mean those who played 50 games would have much more say in the voting than those that only played 12-13 good games. With a GotG those who played less than 15-20 games they consider good enough for a list are a tiny minority or didn't really game at the time.

2) Making the ballot too big can intimidate people voting at all

Well this one is self explanatory, if you're allowed 100 games on your list fewer people would likely vote, but it's also a double edged sword. Making a ballot too small will also dissuade people from voting as they feel they either can't make up their mind, their vote won't make much of a difference, or that they don't have enough choice.

EXACTLY. Do the right thing OP and give us more votes. For those that already voted, just use their honorable mentions as their additional picks. Sure, those might be out of the desired order, but it's as close as we can do to doing this thing right.

 

[loaf of bread]

1. Paper Mario TTYD

 

[Dash Kappei]

EXACTLY. Do the right thing OP and give us more votes. For those that already voted, just use their honorable mentions as their additional picks. Sure, those might be out of the desired order, but it's as close as we can do to doing this thing right.

No.
It is what it is. If you want to do it differently then ask the admins/mods to organize it yourself next time.

 

[seady]

1. Animal Crossing ; The most life changing game for me in the last 15 years. Before that, games were with characters and story bounded within the screen; but in Animal Crossing, it broke the fourth wall between the player and the game characters on screen. It used the real world clock/calendar to affect gameplay with real-life events. It used the hardware and memory cards to connect players even without online at the time. It even knew you reset or cheat the system with Mr. Resetti pop out to scold at you! Everything about the game was surreal at the time. Too bad all the sequels that came after didn't give me the same feeling again, as they all feel like the same game to me as before but without the charm and freshness.

Yes, Nook's Cranny used to be a cute little shop laying around in town and not a generic 7-11.

2. Shenmue ; Story is ridiculous but absorbing, and the life-like gameplay makes you feel like you are living in it.
3. Silent Hill 2
4. Resident Evil Remake
5. Final Fantasy X
6. Advance Wars
7. Pikmin
8. The Legend of Zelda : The Wind Waker ; The presentation was amazing. Music, graphics, gameplay and camera all came together as if I am watching a cartoon that I am also a part of.
9. Warioware: Mega Microgames ; While no one notices it, I always think Warioware is the most impactful series on the last 10+ years. It introduced mega-mini / casual game which become so popular nowadays. The series also released at launch with every new Nintendo consoles (Touched, Smooth Moves etc) and introduce new ways to control such as touch-screen and motion-sensing tech. But sadly, just like Animal Crossing, its impact is getting less and less with each sequel.
10. Katamari Damacy ; Only the Japanese could come up with such fresh and fun concept.

x. ICO
x. Shadow of the Colossus
x. Resident Evil 4
x. Metroid Prime
x. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
x. F-Zero GX

 

[Systemwarrior]

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater- Snake Eater still stands as my favorite game in the MGS series thus far. It stands the test of time as being one of the best driven titles on the PS2. The gameplay was mind blowning in its day with everything from the stealth, hunting and camo systems all being incorporated seamlessly IMO. And it still has one of my favorite final boss fight in recent history.

2. Virtua Fighter 4: Evo

3. Half-Life 2

4. Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike

5. Shadow of the Colossus

X. Ico
X. Gran Turismo 3
X. Katamari Damacy
X. Silent Hill 2
X. Soul Caliber

 

[chancellor]

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater;

This is the best game in the Metal Gear Solid series and it pushed the PS2 just as far as it could go graphically. The gameplay is tense and boss fights against the Cobra team are superb with the fight against The End being the most memorable and one of the best in gaming history. The score is terrific and sets a great tone for the game while the end sequence is also one the most engrossing and exciting 2 hours I have ever played on a console.

Overall it is a game that is a joy to play with an interesting story, great characters, solid visuals, and a great sense of humor. The game may not be perfect but it is a fantastic experience and one that I have enjoyed many times.

2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City;

Grand Theft Auto III was the game changer for sandbox games but Vice City sits so well in my memory due its brilliant story, setting and characters. Everything that was good about GTA III was multiplied exponentially by Vice City which further upped the ante for games in general. Lets not forget the soundtrack which is one of the most loved in gaming, driving around listening to Billie Jean, Broken Wings and 99 Luft Balloons was surreal. It's an ode to the 80's and I love it.

3. Persona 4;

One of the definitive JRPGs and a great experience. Over the 60 hours or so it takes to complete the game you become attached to and really care for the characters. There are some great moments to enjoy and the excellent soundtrack sets the mood. The combat system was fun while developing social links allowed you develop relationships with who you wished. The tight story was engrossing and meant I wanted to push onto the next dungeon and enjoy the next character interactions as soon as possible.

It was a tremendous send off for the PS2 and meant one the all time great gaming systems ended on a high. I would have called this a masterpiece in terms of JRPGs but Persona 4: Golden exists on Vita so I cannot but back in 2008 when I got this, it was.

4. Shadow of the Collosus;

An original and unique game which pits players with the uneasy task of defeating 15 Colossi which all rely on intelligent puzzle solving and action oriented gameplay in order to be defeated. At its most basic it is just 15 boss fights but once you have played it you realize it is an experience that lives long in the memory. The game is enchanting and a triumph in game design which few games since have managed to match.

5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ;

Probably the ultimate sandbox of the generation with so so so much to do and so so so much area to do it in. The fact the world was able to fit onto the PS2 was incredible at the time since it was so large and contained so much in it, there was quality and quantity. It further established the GTA series as being one of the pinacle franchises of gaming due to the freedom it gave in its open world.

The gameplay itself was a good development from Vice City although the story was more of a step back. It was still fantastic satire but the reason this one sits at 5 is it lacks that bit of magic the other games above it have. It's memorable but does not resonate like the others.

6. Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow ;

My favourite Splinter Cell game and probably superior to MGS as a stealth game. I loved how you had to remain in the shadows and how there were different paths available in order to complete the mission which was something not games I had played had done at the time. Also the multiplayer was an excellent addition to the series and was very enjoyable.

7. Bully ;

With a quirky and fun story that is full of humour this is yet another fantastic Rockstar game. They put GTA into a school setting and it worked really really well. The mini-games were also pretty good, fleshed the world out further and were a good evolution from what was contained in San Andreas.

8. King Kong;

This is probably the best movie tie in that I have ever played. In the game you had to survive as Jack and use your resources and the environment wisely in order to progress, it could actually get quite scary at times when all you had was a spear to fight dinosaurs with! There were also sections as Kong where you got to be a total tank and destroy the environment. These brawler sections were weak in comparison the survival horror as Jack but enjoyable nonetheless and helped break the tension. Overall though the game kept a tight story, had a good score, some of the best graphics ever on PS2 and managed to be a fantastic movie conversion.

9. Ultimate Spiderman;

Superior to Spiderman 2 for me since it managed to retain the great web slinging but had a decent story and better side missions. The fighting had a decent buzz too but this game had a traversal system that was crisp and enjoyable which made you feel like you were Spiderman. It is a shame no Spiderman game since has managed to match it. The overall presentation of the game was great since it had a great art style which suited the PS2’s power while getting to play as Venom was an added bonus which proved to be a good change of pace.

10. Grand Theft Auto 3;

With a silent protagonist the game lacks the humour and vibrancy of future titles but this nonetheless is one of the standout games of the generation. Being unleashed upon a 3D open world was thrilling and many great hours were spent at friends’ houses playing this game causing carnage around Liberty City. There have been so many “GTA clones” over the years and because this game was so good it is no wonder that people wanted to replicate it.

 

[JumpJeff84]

1. Ninja Gaiden Black ; one of the best action games ever
2. Resident Evil 4 ; played it again a year ago, and it still holds up
3. Paper Mario TTYD ; this is, in my opinion, the best JRPG ever
4. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory ; still the best stealth game
5. Virtua Fighter 4 Evo ; Logged so many hours as Shun Di
6. Knights of the Old Republic ; this RPG had me hooked

 

[AniHawk]

EXACTLY. Do the right thing OP and give us more votes. For those that already voted, just use their honorable mentions as their additional picks. Sure, those might be out of the desired order, but it's as close as we can do to doing this thing right.

i am doing this thing right.

 

[Dance Inferno]

I just made an initial list by going through the wiki pages and came up with 16 games. Argh! Gonna have to figure out which 6 to cut.

Speaking of the whole "Is 10 votes enough?" conversation, I think it is. Yes there are a lot of games in a generation but likely only a handful of truly great titles. The point of a thread like this is to figure out what those truly great titles are across a wide range of people. Giving us 20 or whatever votes would defeat the purpose, as you would get some "just OK" games on the list.

Edit: Question about voting - Will the parser be able to tell that Warcraft III is the same as Warcraft 3? The official title of the game uses roman numerals but I wonder if the parser will catch it.

 

[Xeno_V]

1. Metroid Prime (GCN) ; Nintendo proved for the 3rd time that they can handle transitioning from 2d to 3d games like no other studio can. What Nintendo/Retro achieved seems impressive even 10+ years later. Fantastic visuals, a stunning OST and a level design that no other studio could ever achieve. Entering areas like Magmoor Caverns and Phendrana Drifts for the first time was such a unique experience. This in my opinion is the best 3d game ever made and although I prefer some aspects of MP2: Echoes more, MP1 is the only game in the series that achieves such a perfect balance on every single level.

2. Resident Evil 4 (GCN) ; What a great way to revive such a strong series. The RE purists were totally against something like this but I am more than happy with what Mikami and co delivered to us. Fantastic gameplay that was quite ahead of it's time, great pacing for most of the game (things got worse towards the end) and in general the experience of going through it in a few sittings remains quite memorable until this very day. I was totally hooked, I never knew what to expect from the next chapter but the game kept on giving until the very end. What a ride that was.

3. F-Zero GX (GCN) ; For me this is by far the best racing game that was ever released. Absolutely great graphics (and frame rate), great tracks and the controls felt like they were beyond perfect. This is where the GCN pad truly shined for me. The PS2 controller could never offer the same experience with it's analog sticks. I love everything about this game, I love how good the GP / Arcade mode was and how satisfied I felt after finishing all modes on all difficulties, and I even love in a weird way the sick story mode that gave me nightmares with some of the missions there.

4. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) ; This is the first game that made me appreciate more artistic/minimalistic games and I wasn't sure if I should list this or Ico here, but I will go with SotC just because I feel that it has less flaws than Ico (which I also love btw).

5. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (DC) ; Where to start with this one.. For me it's still the king of 2d animation... Aesthetically it's great, the soundtrack was perfect and a very nice change from all similar games until then, and although it has one big flaw (character balance) what can I say about the mechanics... No other fighting game can offer more moments than this game can... Simple, fast, and mind games feel better than any other time. I could keep on playing this forever if I knew that there would always be some friends around interested for some local VS games.

6. Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2) ; For me the gameplay is flawed and not fun - I didn't enjoy it back then and I still don't enjoy it every time that I replay the game. The story and the characters though are so good that I couldn't care less for anything else that I might dislike. For me it's by far the best MGS game and probably the best scenario ever outside of RPGs at least.

7. Xenosaga Episode III (PS2) ; Imo the best jRPG of that generation. After being greatly disappointed by some jRPGs (Star Ocean 3, Tales of Symphonia, even Xenosaga II), XS Episode III came to restore my faith in the whole genre. I finally got my fix for what I was longing for since Xenogears and no other game could deliver a similar experience until XS III came out.

8. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution (PS2) ; The game is still the king of 3d fighters. Everything about it was flawless, especially the training mode which is something that maybe no other game will ever be able to surpass.

9. Shenmue 2 (DC) ; I was torn between choosing S1 / S2 but I will go with 2 just because the game's world was even more impressive. The final part felt like a fairy tale... I remember everything looking so good... And the music.. oh that music... what an experience that was.

10. ICO (PS2) ; Oh what the heck, I should also give this a vote due to what I mentioned already about SotC.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

i am doing this thing right.

Not really, but whatever haha.

 

[AniHawk]

I just made an initial list by going through the wiki pages and came up with 16 games. Argh! Gonna have to figure out which 6 to cut.

Speaking of the whole "Is 10 votes enough?" conversation, I think it is. Yes there are a lot of games in a generation but likely only a handful of truly great titles. The point of a thread like this is to figure out what those truly great titles are across a wide range of people. Giving us 20 or whatever votes would defeat the purpose, as you would get some "just OK" games on the list.

Edit: Question about voting - Will the parser be able to tell that Warcraft III is the same as Warcraft 3? The official title of the game uses roman numerals but I wonder if the parser will catch it.

parser probably won't be in effect for this, so don't worry about that.

 

[AniHawk]

Not really, but whatever haha.

i've explained myself a few times already. feel free to start up a hidden gems of the 6th generation thread if you don't like popular games winning a popularity contest.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

i've explained myself a few times already. feel free to start up a hidden gems of the 6th generation thread if you don't like popular games winning a popularity contest.

Sorry for my last post, a bit cranky today. It is what it is and I accept it. Thanks for your time put into organizing this.

 

[Khrno]

1. Final Fantasy XII ; My favourite 3D rpg and second favourite rpg of all time, the only flaw or complaint I have about it is that we never got the Zodiac version in the west, hopefully an HD/Remaster version will be made.
2. Persona 3 FES ; This was the first Persona game I played and it was amazing, all the social links, the personas fusion, the combat system, everything was great. Maybe I could have done without some of the music tho.
3. Advance Wars ; This game surprised me on how good the mechanics were, everything else was just gravy.
4. Persona 4 ; Teddy and the MC make this game not as good as its predecessor for me.
5. Final Fantasy XI ; I didn't put nearly 1000 days of gameplay time (about 15% probably AFK tho) on a game I didn't think was like one of the best games ever, so much time wasted on that game and I don't regret any single second of it. My favourite MMORPG of all time still today. Oh, but I quit when the level 75 cap was going to be raised, that was the end of that game for me.
6. Eternal Darkness ; My favourite Gamecube game, outstanding story, desgin and gimmicks.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker ; I was sceptical after the initial "Celda" unveiling, but really enjoyed the game in the end and it is my second favourite 3D Zelda after Ocarina.
8. Golden Sun ; Another surprising game on GBA, loved every single bit of it, the sequel was nice but I thought it was too short compared to the original (and the DS game was just atrocious).
9. Fire Emblem ; The first FE game I played and it was great, being a big fan of the series since then.
10. Resident Evil ; I never liked the PS1 3D, it just looked ugly, and although I loved RE2 (on N64) it wasn't until the REmake when I could enjoy this great game, and it looked amazing. The new REmaster is ok but it just not as good as it was when it came out for GC.

 

[GamerJM]

Honestly 10 votes is a lot already, anything beyond that is just kind of arbitrarily giving people even more voting power. I personally would have preferred around 15 but that's just because the games around 9-11 are really close in quality for me and could pretty much be arbitrarily swapped at any time so I really wanted to include 11 (and games 14-16 are not as arbitrarily close in quality for me), not because of any actual logical reason otherwise (since that sort of thing can still happen for other people at 15 or 20 and so on). I held a competition on another site where I went back and judged every year from 1996-2013 and only gave people three votes, and that worked well, though the community was a lot smaller than this one.

 

[AniHawk]

Sorry for my last post, a bit cranky today. It is what it is and I accept it. Thanks for your time put into organizing this.

yeah sorry for overreacting as well. i'm pretty stubborn and that doesn't always lend itself to the best conversation.

 

[emb]

1. Super Smash Bros. Melee ; (GCN) Of all games I've played, I don't think any have impacted me as much as this one. Back when Smash 64 came out, I saw it in Nintendo Power and thought, "Ok, that's the dream game, it doesn't get any better". I was sadly mistaken. Ok, wonderfully mistaken. The original laid the groundwork, while Melee took a slight turn in direction and then ran away with it. Over double the characters, smoother mechanics, beautifully obscure roster additions (I learned about new games!), long overdue roster additions (so many I had wanted!), and a breadth of modes and unlockables were all slathered on to an already amazing foundation. I got my parents to pick me up early from school the day it released. I didn't have a Gamecube. But my brother did, and I basically took over his room for most of the month until Christmas. I managed to unlock everyone before I had my own system, but just barely. Like a fool, I spent forever grinding out 700 versus matches for Mewtwo, haha. Friends and I played off and on for years to come. Melee was the perennial go-to. In fact, the main reason I started hanging out with most of my friends more was in order to go play Melee. In 2009, I started finding the local Smash community and going to tournaments. I still play this game pretty much weekly. But I digress. Back to the game itself. Melee allows for amazingly fast paced, technical play, while still being a very basic, soft, and gentle introduction to competitive fighters. Every combo exhibits creativity, both from the attacking and defending players. Rather than becoming one-sided after a hit confirm, both players are actively participating the whole way. On top of everything else, the game lets you put four minds on screen simultaneously for glorious team battles. (Also I think this game has items and free for all options too P). It does the zany side just as competently and completely as it does everything else.)

2. Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II ; (GCN) (I've only spent a bit of time with the DC version, but from what I understand, it has ridiculous drop rates. Saves also are tied to the console, which is awful. And the GC version added splitscreen. And I think it added Episode II. The Xbox version takes a step back and requires an XBL gamertag to play offline. Anyway, enough about versions.) This game is an online game done exactly the right way. In that, it can be played online, but almost everything can be done offline. Including offline split screen multiplayer. The online isn't quite done perfectly; it did require you to pay a fee. Luckily you have the network options to point the game to private server if you feel like it, meaning online bits of the game are still working today. This game molds action and RPG in a surprisingly satisfying way. The combat is just a simple 1-2-3 combo for each weapon type. There are only 4 areas per episode, and you repeat each level ad-nauseum. And somehow it's brilliant. It's mostly down to the RPG elements. There's always a carrot on a stick in front of you. Some shining reward that will make you happy to keep progressing. Level ups come in fast at first, but go up to 200. By the time you get to ~182, you're halfway there. Weapons have attack or accuracy requirements, and spells have magic requirements. You have a robotic pet Mag that you can feed. It will give you stat boosts, and evolve depending on how you feed it. You always want to level up yourself and your Mag to get stronger. And you want to get stronger to equip better weapons to get stronger. Early on you'll be shopping looking for weapon upgrades, though after a bit you find better things playing. And all this seems good at first. It's fun, simple and enjoyable. Then you get strong enough to beat the game. (I took forever to do this back then. I tried a few bosses at low levels, then took forever to think I had a shot afterward. So much excitement when I first beat it!) After that, you get hard mode. In hard mode, it turns out you can find 'rare' weapons. The game has a certain rare drop for everything, and most rares have unique looks (and some have unique abilities). Rare weapons have their own box color, and the names show up in all capital, bright yellow letters in your inventory. It's something special. There's a certain unfettered joy when you find a box with that wonderful shade of red. The way drops are handled is perfect. Every character gets 1 of 10 ID colors. They find the same things from each enemy. That way you're able to hunt for certain things if you want, or just play and see what you find. A few too many repeats for common drops on some characters, but for the most part I love how it works. Made my friends and I work together to get characters for each ID into ultimate (we didn't quite make it though.) There are still so many unique or interesting, neat items here and there I'd like to find (outside of the ridiculous, nigh impossible of course.) Another great idea this game implements; certain enemies sometimes show up in rare variations. These enemies are tougher, and drop way better items. These encounters are exciting, and I wish they were possible for every enemy.

3. Metroid Prime ; I don't think there's much to say here. Words have already been written. But I just feel like this game takes 3D Metroid down the straight and narrow path carved out by Super Metroid. It realizes everything more successfully than I thought it really could. The aesthetics are gorgeous, the environments are dense and foreboding, and each new turn feels like an adventure. Minor points off for the artifact hunt at the end. Imo it's not that bad, since you may well end up finding many of them while exploring any way. (Tangent: I played about halfway through this game in middle school before my friend came over and finished the rest for me. I claimed I had finished it. Last year I played through all the way, and it was even better than I remember. I also managed to get the early space boots. Sequence breaks are fun. Major thumbs down for Nintendo/Retro taking out glitches in later versions of the game, especially instances where they added hard locks.)

4. Metroid Zero Mission ; There's no place for this but right beside Prime. This is the game that really got me interested in sequence breaking. I love the idea of going off the intended path, even if that path happens to zigzag back and forth. This game showed me that sometimes, you should do things just because you can. Like go get the Varia Suit early, or bomb jump across the lava to Kraid. I'm still really mad about the hard lock that forces you to get power grip, but other than that, this game understands that I want to do whatever I can. I guess one issue with it, sometimes shortcuts and skips are too clearly intentional. But in general that's ok. I enjoy the shorter length for this type of game, and I was overjoyed to play the included NES Metroid game here. I'm still meaning to get the 100% under two hours endings.

5. F-Zero GX ; This games does better than almost any other at conveying a sense of speed, while still being controllable. I got this game when it released (along with Soul Calibur II a day before or after), and that day was too much fun. Racing games don't normally capture me, but this one has that spark. The game has technical depth too, watching speedruns now is still mind blowing. And this game is hard. When I was young, the story seemed daunting and impossible starting around level 3 or 4. Still I have trouble doing serial gaps in the grand prix.

Ok, I'm running short of superlatives and kinda getting tired of writing up gushing summaries. I'll keep the last half much briefer. Ordering anything also gets way harder past the top 5.

6. Viewtiful Joe ; Cool sidescrolling beat'em up with memorable style.
7. Skies of Arcadia ; An epitome of the traditional RPG.
8. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow ; Oozes pure Metroidvania love, a well implemented and realized game all around.
9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker ; Some of the best visuals in a game, still. Showed a new and totally different direction for Zelda.
10. Animal Crossing ; Speaking of totally different, this game was something I didn't even know I wanted. Sounds totally boring, but is completely engrossing and enchanting. NES games were the greatest bonus to include.

So many games I played warrant an honorable mention, so I'm sure I'll forget some. Anyway, here are some other games I wanted to shout out:
x. Mega Man Zero 2 ; (also, 3 is pretty much tied and even with it)
x. Devil May Cry 3
x. Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)
x. Mega Man Battle Network 2
x. Soul Calibur II
x. Soul Calibur
x. Resident Evil 4
x. Metroid Prime 2
x. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
x. Tales of Symphonia
x. Bangai-O
x. Shenmue
x. Halo 2

List would a ton longer if I had gotten a chance to play more of the PS2 library. MGS3 (or maybe 2) in particular would probably be up there.

 

[Dion Blaster]

Looks like it's gonna be a tight race between RE4 and MGS3 for GOTG.