It'll be fun to see what the results are gonna be for this. Loving all the Phantasy Star mentions so far
My list:
1. Phantasy Star 2 - my favorite RPG ever. The amazing ending and dystopian future storyline, the insanely difficult dungeons, addicting plot twists, great music and art style.
2. Phantasy Star 4 - the biggest and baddest RPG on the platform. The manga-influenced cinematics still look great, the electronic inspired soundtrack was awesome, and the characters were memorable. Only problem is that it was a bit on the easy side compared to the other PS games.
3. Gunstar Heroes - may very well be my favorite run n gun ever... it's just oozing with creativity. From the dice maze, to the memorable boss battles (Seven Force) to the frantic 2 player mode...
4. Sonic 3 and Knuckles - the height of the Sonic series, some of the most amazing visuals and music on the platform.
5. Streets of Rage 2 - I'm not really a beat-em-up guy but this game is spectacular... such a great leap over the original, and one of the greatest soundtracks in gaming history. I'm willing to bet it's because of the SOR series that I love house music so much.
6. Shining Force 2 - the original was my intro the SRPGs, this game takes everything great about the first one and adds to it. Creative battles (like the battle on the chess board), a long quest, with plenty of characters to join you and a story filled with twists and turns.
7. Landstalker - challenging isometric platformer with tons of great puzzles... felt extremely satisfying when I finally beat it.
8. Rocket Knight Adventures - best game starring Sparkster, it's got great boss fights, catchy music, clever level design (the level where you need to use the reflections of the platforms to guide you is great), and a unique steampunk aesthetic.
9. Shinobi 3 - aesthetics are on point, and the game ditches the slower-paced style of the others for a more nimble and agile character that is very fun to play.
10. Air Buster - a fairly orthodox shooter, but it's got an appealing atmosphere and soundtrack.
Runners up: Warsong, Shining Force 1, Alien Soldier, Sonic 2, Crusader of Centy, Traysia, Alisia Dragoon, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Contra: Hard Corps, Shadow Dancer, Ranger-X, Thunder Force IV
One of my favorite libraries of all time and seriously underrated.