Your Top 10 Video Games of ALL TIME!!!! ^_^

[Michael J Saulnier]

Video games have inspired, and kept us entertained for hours, and in the grand scale, decades. From Pong, to Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, and Mortal Combat, to Mario 64, Final Fantasy VII, to World of Warcraft, Black Ops, and Diablo 3. They've captured our hearts, minds, and imaginations.

It's been my experience that most Role Players have, or still play video games to this day. Myself, I've stopped for the most part, and moved to playing online games like SAS: Zombie Assault 3 in my spare time. But like anyone who has had a special place in their heart for video games, I have my all time favorite games that for one reason or another I can play over and over again, will never forget, and enjoyed playing more than any others.



10. Star Ocean (PS1)
(Enix)
Fantastic example of a creative, innovative, ground breaking, and bar setting RPG from the mid-late 90's. Astonishing gameplay, riveting plot, exceptional skill system which included combining ingredients to cook dishes, writing books (which could teach other characters skills), painting pictures, etc. MUST-PLAY, if you haven't already.


9. Ogre Battle: March of The Black Queen (SNES)
(Squaresoft)
An Ode to Vintage Squaresoft. Remarkable strategic RPG. Absolutely epic and infinitely entertaining! Assemble an army of rebels. Hand pick multiple Units. Dictate character Classes. Recruit Monster characters. And orchestrate your rebel conquest to eradicate the Empire!

With lots of unique and secret characters, and an epic scale and feeling that far exceeded the SNES era, Ogre Battle is a shining example of the groundbreaking, innovative work to come of the greatest video gaming company in history.


8. Suikoden 1 (PS1)
(Konami)
One number, two words; 108 playable characters!
This game was truly epic. You assume the role of a young man and begin recruiting a small army of characters to your rebellion. With a diverse (108!!) 6-man party at your disposal, the possible combinations and strategies are almost endless. Wonderful game!!!


7. Suikoden 2 (PS1)
(Konami)
The sequel to Suikoden 1, and an even better title. Most of your old friends return to action alongside some new faces in this epic, gripping, action packed, fun filled adventure. Suikoden 1 & 2 hold a very special place in my heart.


6. GTA: San Andreas (PS2)
(Rockstar)
To sum it up beautifully;

5. Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)
(Squaresoft)
Reminiscent of Ogre Battle, FF Tactics is an extremely entertaining strategic RPG. With ability to recruit your own characters and monsters, and fine tune character Classes to suit your tastes or needs, you become more invested in these characters and their journey. Good storyline combined with depth of game systems features and functions, and customization and choice are what make games great to me. If you look at my top 10, I feel you'll see that clearly. Well Tactics delivers, on all fronts. This game is a must-play! It's available on mobile for those who rue the idea of finding or using a vintage Playstation.


4. Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)
(Squaresoft)
The best Final Fantasy ever made, pound-for-pound. And yet it takes a bad beating from fans & critics alike. :think:
No FF has ever offered a better gameplay experience, period. Unless of course, you like simplistic, 1-dimensional RPG's, skill systems, magic systems, item, & summon systems. In which case, no harm done, to each his or her own. But with the most in depth, comprehensive State, item, magic, and Summon system (and largest set of summons ever), and monsters that become stronger as you do, just to name a couple of reasons (out of the MANY), FFVIII is one of my favorite games of all time.


3. Saga Frontier 1 (PS1)
(Squaresoft)
Did someone say, "Replay Value?"

Saga Frontier is one of the most amazing games you will ever play in your life. If you missed out on it, your life is incomplete.
This game has 7 main characters, each with their own story taking place in the same universe, at roughly the same time. It spans across a galaxy, including many planets and areas within those planets. In addition to those 7 main characters, there are many supporting roles which can be found and recruited all around the galaxy. Some characters are forced to befriend some characters, others simply cannot befriend them. And skills are learned (this is the very best part) semi-randomly. It's built on a system of realistic experience. To learn gun skills, you must use a gun of some kind for a long time. Using basic gun skills leads to learning more, using those skills leads to learning even better ones. For example; using Thrust many, many times leads to learning Triple Thrust. Magic is learned via skill testing trails which include puzzles, and sometimes even bosses. And you cannot learn two opposing magics at the same time. Monster characters learn skills from other monsters you fight, and through exp can evolve into other forms, but be careful, as you never know what they'll turn into, so if you get a form you like stat-wise, hang onto it.

Such a fabulous, remarkable game. Truly none like it, even to this day.



2. Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (Xbox)
(Bethesda)
Truly engrossing. I can't even get started on Morrowind, or this thread will become "The Morrowind Thread"


1. Xenogears (PS1)
(Squaresoft)
The only reason this game topped Morrowind, was because of it's storyline.

Xenogears is, in my opinion, the greatest RPG, and video game of all time.

This is just the first 5 minutes of your Xenogears experience after hitting "New Game":

With an innovative, engaging battle system, and an epic, intelligent, convoluted plot that is so thrilling, so interesting, so ingenious and masterful, that Xenogears lands as bar-none, the greatest video game ever made by a crippling and absolute landslide (IMO).



Thank you for sitting through my list, if you have. You can see how dated my taste in games is. Hope you check some of these games out if you never have, they will not disappoint.



Care to share your own favorites Iwaku?

 

[GundamNewtype]

10. The Legend of Zelda: Links Adventure (NES)

It's a classic man! It may not be in the highest grossing games of all times, but it was one of the first games I ever played, and despite it's many flaws, I can honestly say I have many fond, if not frustrating memories of it. Hours of gameplay, it taught me patience, perseverance and prepared me for the cavalcade of games to come.

9. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (PS2)

DBZ captured me, as I'm sure it did a lot of youths. The action, the deep story line despite what a lot of people say. So a variant of the game I could get my hands on, plus it was a fighter? How could I refuse. I was not disappointed.

8. Empire Earth (PC)

Ah, the good old RTS. It taught some history as well as the pulse pounding action at seeing hundreds of units duke it out for ultimate world supremacy puts this at number eight.


7. Star Trek: Armada (PC)

Oh Star Trek. The many faced love of my early childhood and continuing friend and confidant into my adult years. As with Empire Earth, the tactical sens attracted me, but once again, seeing my favorite factions and starships duking it out really did it for me.

6. Pokemon: Red (GBC)

Does it really need a description? Classic Pokemon. Nuff said.

5. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Gamecube)

It was something no one had ever really tried before. Or at least thats what I thought. I missed out on the 64 version, but this one I sure didn't. And boy am i glad I didn't.

4. Star Wars: Battlefront(PS2, Xbox)

Not quite a classic, but Star Wars mixed with blasting rebels and troopers alike while capturing command points and playing through the universe? How could I not like it?

3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Gamecube)

My first fire emblem, and my introduction into the universe. The grid game style mixed with the deep plot and the fantasy aspect of it all once again was like a milestone in my gaming career. It opened me up to a whole new way to think about how games should be, and it re-defined my views on what I considered an in depth and enjoyable game.

2. Tales of Symphonia( Gamecube)

Just like Fire Emblem: PoR, Tales of Symphonia was the first of the series I picked up after I bought a Gamecube. It was amazing! I have beaten it roughly 14 times, and each time I find somethign different, some new way I can analyze, enjoy and re-play the game. With hundreds if not over a thousand hours on this game, I can say that it was damn hard to choose which was number one, but in the end, only one can rank as my favorite.

1. Dark Souls( Xbox360, PS3, PC)

Dark Souls. I can't even begin to describe why this game is my favorite. It's a mix of every game I have ever played in the history of my gaming career. It has a small part of everything I enjoy in a game, everything I have learned, and it still hits me with new fun. And frustration. This game will kick you up one way and slide you into another, but the reward for persevering was so great, the story so expansive and the community so diverse that I can honestly say that this game has made a mark on my...well, my soul(Ha!) that will never go away. I could write a book, or at least a novella on this game, and I can't stress enough how much you should play it if you even value story and great gameplay even one iota. Get it, play it, love it. And hate it. It's all part of the Souls experience, and you won't regret it, not once. Unless you get to Blighttown. But that's a story for another time. : )

 

[Minibit]

In no particular order:

Final Fantasy X
(PS2)
This was the first Final Fantasy I played all the way through, and I loved it. I laughed, I cried, and then I cried some more. It was a diverse, well-thought-out world with such a sad premise. People complain about Final Fantasy saying it's too much cutscene and not enough game play, but if you play it as more of a visual novel than an actual game, and the story is just so, so good.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
(N64/GC)
This is the reason Twilight Princess took so long (6 years) to come out, know why? Because they were trying to top it. This game was so huge, so revolutionary, and so engaging, that it took 6 years, even with console capabilities WAY beyond what the '64 could do, to come up with something that could even compare. This game brought us Zelda in 3D for the first time. It brought us Link as an Adult instead of a plucky kid, it brought us the hookshot and various other new tools; it is STILL widely held as the best Zelda game of all time, and I agree.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
(Wii/GC)
A tie for the best; I think the only reason I like Ocarina more is that it was one of the first games I ever played, and you can't compete with Nostalgia. But the character of Midna is one of my favourites in the whole series, the world was just made so much huger, and there were so many more hideaways and mini quests to discover than the older games offered, and best of all, we FINALLY got the nitty-gritty scary enemies and adult characters we'd always wanted. Shame they took all our letters about how much we loved the darker feel and threw them over a cliff when they made Skyward Sword.

Kirby's Air Ride
(GC)
A non-adventure game, and one highly criticised for having no plot, not that many unlockables or side games, and being super-simple in design. (Hit A for everything). But if you have two or more people in City Trial, this game is an absolute blast, it'll give Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Guitar Hero, and DDR all a run for their money. My brother and I used to make this into a freaking ART FORM. We memorized the minigame cues and which vehicles were suited to which games; we competed for high scores, and worked together for the City Events.

Pokemon: Soul Silver
(NDS)
Heart-Gold was my first pokemon game, and I bought Soul Silver not knowing it was essentially the same thing. I never finished Heart Gold though (gave it away), and so Soul Silver takes the spot for my favourite among the Pokemon series; even more than Pokemon X. It's such a huge game, the entire postgame is the FREAKING KANTO REGION, and it has some of my favourite Pokemon of all time. Plus having your pokemon walk behind you, and being able to talk to them and play with them, was one of the best features.

Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days
(NDS)
1I started the first Kingdom Hearts for PS2 before this, but frankly I sucked at it. This was the first and only KH I ever finished, and I loved it. The whole story was so sad and so engaging that I didn't even mind how corny the Disney parts were.

Rune Factory II
(NDS)
Harvest Moon with monster killing? Sign me up! I was not disappointed in this epic; I kept to my farm and completed errands to while the time away, and went a-monster-killing when I needed some excitement. This game found the perfect balance between challenging and ease, and settled into a zone I could only call comfortable

Grandia II
(DC)
A two-disc adventure, it's such a huge world and such a perfectly structured game, I was surprised it was so old! The characters captivated me, and I loved how many twists the story took; some were predictable, but most were not.

Mario Kart: Double Dash
(GC)
The best Mario Kart game of all time. Of all time.

 

[Alan]

I'm gonna keep things short, mostly because I don't want to type up a wall of text for each game. Also, this list is in no particular order.

* Castlevania II (NES) (1988_
* Legend of Zelda (NES) (1986)
* GTAIII (PC, PS2/3/4, Xbox, OSX, iOS, Android) (2001)
* Elder Scrolls: Arena (PC) (1994)
* Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter Nights II (PC) (2006)
* Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES, GBA) (1991)
* Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC,PS3, 360) (2006)
* Warcraft III (PC) (2002)
* Fallout (PC) (1997)
* Dungeons & Dragons: Baldur's Gate (PC) (1998)

A myriad of different reasons, but one common reason: The story is awesome. In many cases, nostalgia plays a good part in it as well.

Honorable mentions include Final Fantasy II, Fallout 2, Titan Quest, Deus Ex, and Half-Life.

 

[The Winter King]

My favorites, in no particular order, are:

-Metal Gear Solid (my all-time favorite)
-The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
-Empire Earth (My first RTS)
-Dragon Age: Origins
-Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-Star Wars - Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (IMO one of the best Star Wars games ever made)
-Mass Effect 2 (Mass Effect 3 would also qualify, if not for the last five minutes)
-Metal Gear Solid 2 & 3 (Yes, I cheated, but I couldn't leave either out)
-Spyro the Dragon (a childhood favorite)

 

[Levusti]

1. Tales of Symphonia : this was my introduction into the Tales of Series, an incredible series with many worlds and my, honestly, understanding of politics and the influence it has on people.
2. Final Fantasy IV - my introduction to the Final Fantasy series and always my favorite
3. Resident Evil 6 - for zombie slaying fun when I crave unrestrained carnage.
4. MarioKart: Double Dash - the most incredible MarioKart game EVAR.
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - too many memories of this incredibly fun party game! I liked Melee too but its mechanics were slightly too advanced for me to compete well with.my competitive friends.
6. Drill Milky Punch- can't find where to pirate play it anymore
7. Team Fortress 2 - sometimes mindlessly obliterating the enemy through teamwork is just fun
8. Portal - incredibly hilarious puzzle game
9. Pheonix Wright: Trails and Tribulations - this one.is my favorite out of all the Phoenix Wright series
10. Persona 4 - I just love anything from Shin Megami tensei series and this one seemed to speak to me the most as you see the interpersonal relationships and growth of the charactwrs. Also, Kanji Tatsumi isthe awesomest gay character in any JRPG . HE.IS.THE.SHIT.