Top 5 NON-Nintendo Games of All Time (spin off)

[Raider 88]

A spin off from ExCeL's "Top 7 Favorite Nintendo Games of All Time", what is everyone's top 5 favorite games of all time, excluding Nintendo titles. Any game can be included, whether it's on XBOX, Playstation, PC, Sega...anything but Nintendo systems.

Points will be taken off for those who don't read the thread and post Nintendo games

Mine:

5. Astro Warrior (Sega Master System) - My first video game console ever, and the first game I ever was truly addicted to. It's kinda a poor man's Galaga, but with bosses (Galaga doesn't have bosses....right?). As far as I know, there are only 3 levels in the game, but after you beat the 3rd level, you start over and it is MUCH harder. I don't think I've ever beaten the 2nd run through.

4. Roller Coaster Tycoon (PC) - Spent countless hours on this. So much fun back in the day. I think I only had one more park to unlock, then my data got erased. Best part of this game was that you could customize tons of stuff. Names of the food stands, names of rides, colors of rides....back then that was totally awesome. I made a Johnny Bravo themed park back in the day, where every bathroom, ride, and food stand's name was a reference to a Johnny Bravo episode. I was so proud of it...kept the game save until the data got toasted.

3. Vandal Hearts (PS1) - This actually was my first M rated video game. I loved everything about this game...the characters, the battle system, the storyline. I always thought Xeno and Kane were awesome...always hated Dolf though (lol Dolph Lundgren). Actually...I think I'm going to go play through it again right now...

2. NHL 95 (Sega Genesis) - A lot of people thought other versions were better, but this is the game I knew and loved. The Red Wings were beastly in this game, but I was usually Quebec (Joe Sakic!) since the Avalance didn't exist back then. Game was all about the multiplayer experience though. Me and my cousin played at least 200 games over the course of one summer. Just too much fun

and #1 is....

Final Fantasy VII (PS1) - yeah this isn't even close. It's most likely my favorite game of all time. Epic story, a very LONG game (always a plus for me), and maybe the most badass villain of all time, Sephiroth. I've played the game all the way through at least 3 times. I still have never gotten Omnislash.

Honorable mention: Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine.


So...list your five favorites and feel free to write a little bit about them explaining why.

 

[unknownPresence]

5. Final Fantasy series- i cant rlly chose one, so i chose the series bc a lot of them are alike, the gamestyles, just the story and characters (i know thats a big difference), its only number 5 for some reasons, including but not lilimted to, 1 player game, once u reach a certain lvl everything is ez to win, every1 is obsessed with how powerful with sephiroth is when in reality the villians in the previous ones would have destroyed sephiroth.

4. Halo series. i know im cheating again with the series but i will tell u why. 1 one of the greatest story lines for a game of all time, as well as great graphics when it was released. Halo 2 bc it takes the multiplayer to a new lvl makes way for more fps's. Halo 3 bc it makes the multiplayer of halo become more skillful, and so that u have to practice to become good and not rely on ez headshots with sniper rifles, lock on rockets, double shot//bxr.

3. Soul Caliber 1- this to me is the building block of all fighting games. Every fighting game b4 this was either very few combos, or not even in characters. This game allowed for more soul calibers as well as made it so every fighting game after has something to compare it too. Also this is one of the few fighting games with human characters mixed with other, it has weapons, as well as a strong story. This is one of if not the best fighting game of all time.

2. the original doom, there are of course many more games that are "better," but this and wolfenstein are the first fps's. I chose this over wolfenstein because id rather shoot deformed monsters than nazi's. At the time it came out, by far the best graphics of any other game, fun multiplayer, long and intersting story as well as many weapons to use. Even today the newer ones have great story lines, doom 3 hell was proven to exist how much more beastly does it get.

1. as if there is any doubt, STARCRAFT + STARCRAFT BROOD WAR, this is the iconic game, perfect story line, great graphics, nation wide tournaments that has a fan base equal to that of american baseball, blizzard girls, crazy announcers, requires skill so no s**t talking noobs, great multiplayer, thousands of variations of the game, i can go on forever.

honorable mention-morrowind,would have made it but lost points for making a game at the end of every series containing all of em. other blizzard games warcraft (NOT WOW THO), etc. who can forget pong and pac man, the games that started it all. Some sports games, didnt mention them bc although they are fun to play with friends etc, its a lot more fun to actually play the sport in real life with friends.

there are other games but i feel these are the best and the ones woorth mentioning

 

[Lord Viper]

Weird thread.... ok. ^_^;

1) Puyo Puyo 15 th Anniversary(It's on PS2 as well as the Wii)- One of the most finest puzzle games that Sega ever builded, if you get Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine or Kirby Avalanche, that's only less than 1/4 of a great gaming experience this game has to offer. The sound track is the greatest, the game play is awesome, and of course, Fever mode is still a **** feast in this game. This game is my most favroite Sega game ever. Sorry Sonic, Amitie and Raffine took my heart when I first play this game series. I'm still very mad that they no longer sell this series in the US, I have to import this great game just like Panel De Pon.

2) Soul Caliber IV (PS3 & Xbox 360)- My most favroite Soul Caliber, Amy is still my sexy **** sause baby that I always know, and she talks as well as her sword. I just love going to tourenys with this game, it's always a fun experience.

3) Puyo Pop Fever 2 (PS2)- Though not as great as 15th Anniversary, (I blame Strang Klug for being too broken and can't change the BGM or Puyo's), but I still love this game and it brings great memories.

4) Chu Chu Rocket (Dreamcast)- People say this is the best Sega puzzle game ever, I kind of belive them... except that I love the Puyo seires more. When I played Dreamcast, I always played this game first, it was fun while it lasted... for me. ^_^;

5) Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)- My most favroite Sonic game, the reason why... the Chao's for making the game endless. Also I love the Sonic stages, the on thing Sonic new games need is to bring back the Chao's so it can be more addictive. :D

That's all for me.

 

[The Real Gamer]

These are the main 5 that stick out in my mind.

5. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic series (Xbox) Defiantly one of the greatest RPG's ever made, and my personal favorite RPG's

4. Guitar Hero/Rock Band series (Multi) IDC what anyone says. These two games are some of the most fun you will ever have with friends or even by yourself. The music genre wasn't getting enough rep until GH finally came out, and now it's one of the most popular games in gaming history.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) Anyone who has played it understands. I went into detail on why I liked it so much in my game of the year thread, and I'm too lazy to go into detail about this one. Basically the greatest game I've ever played offline.

2. Halo series (Xbox-360) DON'T EVEN TRY ME WITH THIS ONE, CAUSE I WILL DEBATE YOU UNTIL YOUR FINGERS FALL OFF. Halo has too many haters, and it's one of those games with so much hype that too many people see it as all hype and no substance. Halo basically defines the pinnacle of competitive online FPS's. It's the 2nd most popular game on 360 behind CoD4 and is basically the face of MLG.

1. Call of Duty 4 (Multi) Simple. Greatest FPS ever. If anyone can actually give me a legit reason on why it isn't the greatest FPS ever then I will back down. Common. I dare you.

 

[trueganon]

5. Dynasty Warriors series (PS2, Xbox360) - Mindless hack and slash at its best. Like many of my favorite games, you either love this one, or hate it. I love to grind through the countless waves of soldiers and work my way to the number one, head honcho of the enemy army. After throughing back and forth some smack talk, I charge in like a good ol' Officer should to claim victory. Leveling up to boost your stats, gaining new weapons and items, unlocking a ridiculous amount of characters, these games dragged me in from the first time I played them. There is an old saying, to know Dynasty Warriors, is to fear LuBu.

4. Disgaea series (PS2, PS3, PSP) - A turn-based RPG players fantasy. With a level max at 9999, nearly endless dungeon designs, ability to level up weapons, the Court System, the Geo Panels, the insane storyline, and its random humor, it's very hard to pick out one great aspect from this game for me. I know countless many who dont appreciate this game, but it is one of the few that meets nearly all of my expectations in an RPG game. Once you get into it, you just cant put it down.

3. Metal Gear Solid series (Playstation, PS2, PS3) - I really cant say much here. If you know the game, you either hate it or love every last fiber of it. Pure genious in its highest calibur. The story, the gameplay, the characters, humor, the action. Its all there.

2. Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) - As an online and co-op addict, this game just tops nearly all others. Built from the ground up with a massive emphesis on co-op play, this has everything I could want. Work with up to three others to try and survive the zombie apocylpse. Spliting yourself away from your partners means certain death and will greatly cripple the rest of your team. The loss of a single player can greatly hinder a team. With the Versus mode, you can also join with up to three other players and play as the "Boss Infected", or the head honcho's of the zombie mobs, giving the game even more depth.

1. Persona 3 (PS2) - I laugh at the obscurity of it all. The tiny amount of people who actually know of this game. The game has the player take the role of a male highschool student who joins up with other members of SEES—the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—to attack Shadows and other beings that emerge during the "Dark Hour", a time period between each day which only few humans are aware of. The player uses weapons and magical abilities gained by the use of "Personas" to defeat foes in a turn-based combat system. An iconic feature of the game is the method by which the members of SEES release their Personas: by firing an Evoker, a gun-like object, at their head. In addition to typical RPG elements, the game includes elements of dating sim games as the player character progresses day by day through a school year, making friends and relationships that improve the strength of his Personas in battle. My number one by a Loooooong shot.

 

[Gates]

In no particular order:

Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy X
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Resident Evil 4

 

[Scott!]

5. Okami. I am playing it on my Wii at the moment, but since it's just a port, and I love it so much, I had to include it. It's just beautiful.
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Of the Sonic games I've owned (Only Genesis ones, and not all of them), this one was by far the best. Just an amazing game overall.
3. Sim City 3000. My favorite Sim game. It was just a lot of fun, and I always enjoyed unleashing a few riots or tornadoes just for kicks.
2. Soul Calibur 2-4. It's in 2 where I built most of my skill, though 4 is what we play these days. Soul Calibur 2 has the 2nd most number of hours logged by me of any game, after Brawl. Plus, it had Link for the win.
1. Katamari Damacy + We <3 Katamari. No way anything touches them. Perfect, with an excessive replay value. Love incarnate. Plus, record scratching as words for the King? Win in a cup.

 

[Pas]

Gates, aren't FF6 and Chrono Trigger SNES games?

Here are mine, in no particular order. These are completely tainted by bias and nostalgia.

We <3 Katamari / Beautiful Katamari: I'm with scott! on this one, they're like everything that is happy and good printed on one disc. Sometimes I still find myself arranging things mentally IRL in order of size...

Shadow of the Colossus. Is incredible.

Micro Machines V3: Something of a guilty pleasure of mine.

Final Fantasy X: Arguably not the best FF game, but I just connected with this one in a way I rarely connect with games. I still think it's beautiful.

Battlefield 2: I had some fantastic times with this game online. My style was to run around on foot, hiding from vehicles and choppers and just fully going commando style. I pioneered the one and two man buggy rush, and was dangerous with the heavy assault class. Dangerously incompetent in any vehicle on wheels or in air, for that matter.


Others that came to mind: Okami, Psychonauts, Halo 1/2/3, Unreal Tournament, Geometry Wars (no really), Crimson Skies, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, C'n'C Generals Zero Hour and Ninja Gaiden XBOX.

 

[Jimnymebob]

1. Crash Bandicoot 2- I spent too long playing this game, and I sticked with it to the end without hardly playing any other games. It was also the first game I ever fully completed (106%). This is probably the best Crash game, and possibly the best platformer.

2. Timesplitters Series- These are my favourite FPS games. They have amusing stories, cool levels, hundreds of characters, and great game modes. The games are more about killing and running around rather than making strategic approaches, but you can't get any better than throwing a brick at a Gingerbread Man.

3. Streets of Rage 3- Although Streets of Rage was the first one I played on, this is definitely my favourite. The game is a lot longer than Streets of Rage 2, which was the worst in my opinion, and the difficulty is quite high. I could never finish it when I was younger, but when I played it a few years back I actually managed to get the Good Ending, although it was incredibly difficult.
Roo, anyone?

4. Sonic The Hedgehog 2- Both versions of this game are brilliant, but I think the Mega Drive version is the better one. This is the ultimate Sonic game, and definitely the highlight of the whole franchise. It has memorable levels and music, and a good difficulty level. You'll fly through the first levels in under 30 seconds, but by the time you are at the end, the difficulty is increased significantly. It was a massive improvement from Sonic The Hedgehog, and the Special stages were great.

5. Jak And Daxter Series- All of these games have their strong points. It went from an entertaining kiddy platformer to a menacingly difficult action- adventure game, then to a racing game. At least one of the games from this series could appeal to anyone, as it combines so many different genres in such a clever way. The highlight of the series was definitely Jak II, with it's humorous story, great cutscenes, and memorable characters.
The last two games have the most replay, but the first two are definitely the better games.

Honourable Mentions- Superfrog, Jade Cocoon, Psychonauts, Zool 2, Gauntlet Legends.

 

[Minato]

Gates, aren't FF6 and Chrono Trigger SNES games?

He can always cheat and say the PSX ports, but those ports were terrible.



My favorite games would be (in no particular order)


1) Metal Gear Solid (It's a classic. Although 1 and 3 are tied in my book)

2) Persona 2 (A MegaTen game that involves a lot of mysteries. P4 just might beat it)

3) Final Fantasy VIII (Story is great. I like it more than VII, but that's just personal preference)

4) Mega Man Legends 2 (Inafune, make Capcom green light a third one!)

5) Tales of Destiny PS2 Remake Directors Cut (Best. Tales. Game. IMO.)


So my favorites involve 4 PSX titles and 1 PS2 title which is really a remake of a PSX title.

 

[Raider 88]

3. Streets of Rage 3- Although Streets of Rage was the first one I played on, this is definitely my favourite. The game is a lot longer than Streets of Rage 2, which was the worst in my opinion, and the difficulty is quite high. I could never finish it when I was younger, but when I played it a few years back I actually managed to get the Good Ending, although it was incredibly difficult.
Roo, anyone?

Forgot about the Streets of Rage series! What could be more awesome than a boxing kangaroo? I'm not sure I ever beat this game...can't remember. But I do remember in either 1 or 2 (heck maybe it was 3...i dunno) that when you get to the final boss in a co-op game, the boss asks you some question, and if you give the answer he doesn't like, you have to go back like 4 levels. Total BS

But yeah awesome series.

 

[Gates]

Gates, aren't FF6 and Chrono Trigger SNES games?

They are. I misinterpreted the thread topic as "games that weren't published by Nintendo" instead of "Games not on Nintendo systems".

In that case, my list is:

FFX
MGS2
MGS3
RE4
Soul Calibur 2

 

[Jimnymebob]

Forgot about the Streets of Rage series! What could be more awesome than a boxing kangaroo? I'm not sure I ever beat this game...can't remember. But I do remember in either 1 or 2 (heck maybe it was 3...i dunno) that when you get to the final boss in a co-op game, the boss asks you some question, and if you give the answer he doesn't like, you have to go back like 4 levels. Total BS

But yeah awesome series.

That was the 1st one. If you chose to join Mr. X it'd send you back to level 6 I think it was. That was both single and co-op.

The worst thing was when he asks you to join him, and one of you chooses yes, and the other chooses no, and he makes you fight each other, then you had to fight the final boss alone.

I only beat Streets of Rage 3 once, because I only used to play on easy, and it finishes after Robot X on easy mode. When I found out how to unlock Shiva the 3rd game became broken XD.

 

[airsmasher]

5. Tekken 3. A great fighter, with fun movesets and characters.
4. Banjo-Kazooie. One of the best 3D platformers of all time, this game had great levels, graphics, and music for its time. Some funny dialogue as well!
3. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. The best non-Smash fighter in existence.
2. Banjo-Tooie. Took everything that was great that Kazooie did, and made it even better. The addition of great bosses also attributed to this. This game had me hooked from the very first time I played it.
And the #1 non-Nintendo game of all time, imo, is...
Conker's Bad Fur Day!
You haven't lived until you've played this game. You will laugh your *** off playing this game, I guarantee it.

 

[Minato]

Conker's Bad Fur Day!
You haven't lived until you've played this game. You will laugh your *** off playing this game, I guarantee it.

Have you seen the commercial for this game? It's pretty hilarious as well. It's a little risque so I won't post a link...

 

[CodeBlack]

In no particular order:

Sonic CD: In my opinion the best Sonic game ever made, even beating out (but only just) Sonic 2.

Civilization II: Really, a couple of the Civ games could have fit here, but Civ II holds a special place in my heart.

StarCraft: Should speak for itself. It had a N64 port, but since it's mainly a PC game, I think it should be here regardless.

Mafia- The City Of Lost Heaven: This is one of the best games of it's type I've ever seen, and was definitely better than GTA 3 in terms of storyline and attention to detail. However, it had a horrifically bad Playstation 2 port that shouldn't be referred to beyond this warning.

Marvel vs Capcom: Should also speak for itself. Considered one of the best fighting games ever made. 'Nuff said.

 

[Wolfgang457]

Wait so they can't appear on a Nintendo console either? That's too restrictive so I'm going to ignore that clause.

Metal Gear Solid- IMO the best MGS in the series so far (still need to play IV). To me 2 overdid things with the cutscenes while 3 made the gameplay a bit too complicated. MGS seems like the perfect balance to me.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time- One of the better recent platformers to come out having you do some pretty cool stuff, especially towards the end. That plus is had an alright story with GREAT characterization. The only real issue I see with this title is the combat.

Shadow of the Colossus- This game is just such an experience, all I'm going to say is that if you haven't played it yet do so ASAP.

Smash TV- One of the hardest shmups I've ever played, but is also quite fun, the first boss has like 6 forms for god's sake.

Ikaruga- such a well designed shmup known for its brutal difficulty, this game is a masterpiece with an amazing dramatic score. Now if only me and my friend could finish up our stand design, because believe me, this game is mindblowing with progressive scan on a sideways HDTV.

While they didn't quite make my list I'd also like to give a nod to Viewtiful Joe, Alien Hominid, and Persona 3: FES.

 

[Raider 88]

Wait so they can't appear on a Nintendo console either? That's too restrictive so I'm going to ignore that clause.

If they were ported or multi-console or whatever like the Resident Evil games or Madden it would be fine. I just wanted to avoid stuff like Mario games, Smash, and stuff like that.

 

[SharkAttack]

In No particular order:

Twisted Metal 3 (PS1) -Played this game for so many hours back in the winter of 1999. Thumper was my best because he was well balanced and that music special he had always pulled through against creating distance from someone. Also fun to music wave Primevil into the pit on the blimp after freezing him when hiding behind the ramp waiting for him to come down.

Metal Gear Solid 1 (PS1) -One of my favorite action games of all time. Played this alot at the end of 1999 and was so addicted to it. Played for so many hours until I beat the game and then later on beat it on all difficulties

Madden 99 (PS1) - I know this games on Nintendo as well but the Playstation version was likely much much better. Madden 02 on Playstation is way better than Madden 02 on N64 because Madden and Summerall will actually state the players when speaking and the gameplay and graphics were better. Anyways I played this game all the time in the summer of 1999 as the Detriot Lions in Franchise mode. I went 13-3 for the first season and beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Barry Sanders was a beast! My favorite Lions players of all time are on this game to like Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, Johny Morton, Germain Crowell, Luther Elllis, Robert Porsche.

Frogger (PS1) -Good puzzle game that had me stumped for a while on some courses. I never could beat the canyon course because the camera angle was horrble and as a result couldn't see the beetles coming on the narrow cliff. I liked the sewage and factory levels though.

NHL 99 (PS1)- Put alot of hours into this game as well. The Ducks were awsome in this game with the 1-2 punch of Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. Funny thing about it was Dave Karpa and that team always got into a fight.

Overall I'd probabally like alot more games than these five but I've had Nintendo systems all my life so I've never gone outside it all that often. I also don't play video games like I used to. 1999 was the year I mostly just played Playstation.

 

[Wolfgang457]

If they were ported or multi-console or whatever like the Resident Evil games or Madden it would be fine. I just wanted to avoid stuff like Mario games, Smash, and stuff like that.

Fair enough, I figured you were mainly looking for non-Nintendo developed/published games anyway so I went along those lines.

 

[Pas]

Fair enough, I won't be a douche and pull anyone else up for it then, not even airsmasher who put down Conker's Bad Fur Day.

Props go to airsmasher anyway for listing Tekken 3. That was such an awesome game.

 

[unknownPresence]

this is a good thread, but no1 has debated any of the decisions.
XD i will start by saying im seeing soul caliber 2-4 a lot, im not saying they are bad games, but i said 1 and gave a reason as to without that game, soul caliber 2-4 wouldnt be here as well as many other fighters.

 

[Chris Lionheart]

5. Ninety Nine Nights (XBOX 360)- This game is severely underrated. It may have had terrible voice acting on 2 characters, but otherwise it is a great game.

4. Jade Cocoon (PS1)- Pokemon meets Final Fantasy. The combat is turn based and you fight using your character's weapons and the abilities of the forest monsters that you tamed with your special ocarina. The artwork is absolutely AMAZING for its time, and there isn't a doubt in my mind that if this game were made with today's graphics processors, it would be a masterpiece. If this game were made for the PS3, then I would finally have a reason to get one. The storyline is incredible. If you can find a copy of this epic game, then there is no reason not to play it.

3. Star Wars Battlefronts 2 (XBOX)- An epic... epic shooter with lots of enemies to destroy.

2. Tales of Vesperia (XBOX 360)- If its a Tales of game its going to be epic.

1. Guild Wars (PC)- Great MMO. Great co-operate mode. Awesome PvP. The best part is that you can choose what you want to do, either raising a PvE character or going directly into the PvP with a max level and equipment already available. In PvE there is some grind if you want the finer things, but generally, grind is completely optional.

 

[The Real Gamer]

this is a good thread, but no1 has debated any of the decisions.
XD i will start by saying im seeing soul caliber 2-4 a lot, im not saying they are bad games, but i said 1 and gave a reason as to without that game, soul caliber 2-4 wouldnt be here as well as many other fighters.

I'm also surprised nobody has debated me on Halo or CoD being the best FPS's yet...

They know they don't want to mess with this

 

[Chris Lionheart]

I'm also surprised nobody has debated me on Halo or CoD being the best FPS's yet...

They know they don't want to mess with this

In gameplay, maybe.... Storyline wise.... NO

 

[Jimnymebob]

4. Jade Cocoon (PS1)- Pokemon meets Final Fantasy. The combat is turn based and you fight using your character's weapons and the abilities of the forest monsters that you tamed with your special ocarina. The artwork is absolutely AMAZING for its time, and there isn't a doubt in my mind that if this game were made with today's graphics processors, it would be a masterpiece. If this game were made for the PS3, then I would finally have a reason to get one. The storyline is incredible. If you can find a copy of this epic game, then there is no reason not to play it.

Jade Cocoon is definitely one of the greatest PSone games. I never finished it, because I got stuck against Kikinak at the end of the second Eternal Corridor road.

You forgot to mention the merging, that was one of the best parts of it. It was a shame they took the visual side of merging out of the second one, which wasn't as good in my opinion, but was a very good looking game. That fairy was the best thing about the second game.

If you can find the music that plays when

Spoiler

all the villagers turn to stone

could you send me a link to it please ?

 

[knightzy]

-Nights (sega saturn) I never had a saturn and played this once one word,epic.

-Sonic 2 (mega drive) this game was sooo good me and mates played it for countless hours.

-Doom,awsome game i remeber this pow,pow.

-any FF

-any tales games

 

[Red Arremer]

If they were ported or multi-console or whatever like the Resident Evil games or Madden it would be fine. I just wanted to avoid stuff like Mario games, Smash, and stuff like that.

D:
You mean, I can't do Parodius games, Mischief Makers or newer Sonic games either? Darnit. ;-;

Okay, uhm... I'll try.

1.) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Sony PlayStation)
Easily one of the best Castlevania games ever made, SotN has a (rather) good story, great gameplay and was the first "Castletroid" or "Metroidvania", a style of Castlevania where you just explore Dracula's Castle. It also has great music and a nice graphic style.

2.) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)
The first Sonic game I ever played and definitely my personal favourite of the whole series. It's fast, it has good bosses, great music (Chemical Plant, mang!) and wasn't too hard but not too easy either.

3.) Border Down (Sega Dreamcast)
One of the best shoot'em'ups I've ever played. Being the one of the last games released on the Sega Dreamcast, it has a unique system of playing through (friggin borders, mang), and it's very challenging yet very very good. A real GEM among games.

4.) Super Dodge Ball (Neo Geo)
Dotshi Boru! Easily one of the most fun NeoGeo games and one of the few Sports games I enjoy. It's funnily anime-ish, challenging and really awesome. So many anime cliché characters, it's awful.

5.) Naname de Magic! (Arcade)
A cute but very hard (in the later stages) puzzler, where you have to shoot magic at the enemy player. The character are really sweet and the sounds and music are cute, as well. One of my favourite Puzzle games ever, even if it's Japanese only.

 

[GreenKirby]

The Nintendo hardcore play more than Mario and Zeld *gunned down*

1. Sonic the Hedgehog series- It's ****ing Sonic. That's reason enough alone
2. Super Monkey Ball series- Sega series needs more game time
3. Banjo Kazooie series- No explanation. I just think it's jawsome
4. Pac Man 2: The New Adventures- I like how they gave the guy a 'mind' of his own
5. Sonic Riders- Better than Mario Kart.

 

[Raider 88]

4. Pac Man 2: The New Adventures- I like how they gave the guy a 'mind' of his own

Really? This one? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_2:_The_New_Adventures

It's gotta be one of the weirdest games I've ever played. I totally didn't understand it at all, and didn't even come close to finishing it. Actually, I don't know if I even got Pac-Baby his milk or whatever the first quest is.

Did you end up beating this?

 

[GreenKirby]

Yeah I beat the game

And to get the milk. You must make Pac Man try to reach the empty bottle. And then you shoot the crow. The crow will then pester Pacman and knock the bottle off the pedestal. Thus, you can milk the cow and get the milk.

Chapter 2: Involves getting mountain flowers for neighborhood friend
Chapter 3: Is about getting Pac Jr's guitar back from the ghost
Final Chapater: Stopping the ghost witch from releasing her bubble gum monster

 

[unknownPresence]

In gameplay, maybe.... Storyline wise.... NO

halo has one of the best storylines in the gaming series, halo one was popular mainly for the storyline and not the multiplayer, the following halos were, COD no argument multiplayer good story its just history with some extra.

 

[Stahls]

5. Civilization III- It was the first Civ I bought and I was addicted for so long. I still go back and play it every now and then although I'm not terribly good at it.

4. SOCOM II.
This was the first console game I played online seriously. I had the clan with all my friends and everything. As soon as school was done we'd all run home for clan wars. It had, in my opinion, the best maps in the series and kept the SOCOM 1 maps as well. There were teams of 8 and it was before games got so big in SOCOM III that you needed vehicles to get anywhere. Being the last man alive on your team with 2 or more enemies still alive got my adrenaline pumping more than almost any other game does.

3. Final Fantasy Tactics- I love the Final Fantasy series, and this is one of my favorites because it was such a change of pace. I had never really played a game like this before and I was immediately drawn to the depth of the customization of each character and the awesome storyline.

2. Final Fantasy IX- While many will argue it's not anywhere near the best, it is the first FF game I ever played. It got me into RPGs in general. It's still the only FF game I beat. I got up to the final bosses on VII, X, Tactics and XII, but I couldn't ever bring myself to actually finish them. I love FF IX so much that I actually beat it.

1. Starcraft- The game I play the most, it's been the only game I have played consistently for the past year although I played on and off since it came out. I love the pro scene and watching the commentaries on Youtube just as much as I love playing. SC BW, 'nuff said.

 

[Raider 88]

2. Final Fantasy IX- While many will argue it's not anywhere near the best, it is the first FF game I ever played. It got me into RPGs in general. It's still the only FF game I beat. I got up to the final bosses on VII, X, Tactics and XII, but I couldn't never bring myself to actually finish them. I love FF IX so much that I actually beat it.

This is definitely #2 on my favorite Final Fantasy list. A big gripe for me though was that it was too easy. You can easily make Steiner extremely broken, making the big boss fights near the end of the game really easy.

Spoiler

I did love fighting Deathguise and Kuja...but still don't get what was up with the final boss. It just comes out of nowhere.

 

[Stahls]

Agreed, I was just like wtf? The difficulty doesn't really bother me as long as I'm not going to finish the game in less than a week. If I buy a game, I expect it to last me a good amount of time.

 

[BloodyPuppy]

Oh this is an easy one.

6. Roller Coaster Tycoon- Alright so it's 6th but I like this one so much I had to get it on here. Not only does this have nostalgia on its side but I played the first and third recently and I still love both of them. I'm a big roller coaster fan so this game has always been pretty classic for me. Making your own roller coasters never gets old, and the graphics have aged great, looking technically unimpressive but aesthetically kick ***.

5. Deus Ex- This game is just fantastic. Great story, great voice acting, pretty much flawless execution of FPS RPG, and there are so many approaches to the game. If it was open world as opposed to linear and just as good it would probably rank higher, but doing that really risks screwing the game up so I'm fine with how it is now (besides linear can be fine too).

4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.- Easily the most immersive and atmospheric game ever. I've never been so worried for my survival when wandering around in a game until S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and no other game has ever really made me manage my ammo quite like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has. Not only that, but it's hard, a trait that games seem to lack these days which is sad to me.

3. Guilty Gear- Best figthing game ever hands down. No other fighting game is even half as good as this game is, and it's actually come pretty close to being somewhat balanced which is impressive. I pretty much have to put it on this list.

2. Fallout 1 and 2- These games are probably the best wRPG's out there right now. Both have flaws in them, such as combat that pretty much boils down to aiming for the eyes each time, riddled with bugs, and the second game tried to take too many characters and creatures from the first game just for nostalgia's sake, but despite this they are both fantastic and enjoyable all the way through. The environment it takes place in is unique, the writing is absolutely fantastic, the number of approaches you can have towards beating the game is astronomical, there are no gimp characters (I have seen someone get through the game after editing all stats to one and tagging the most useless skills possible), it's part of the dying breed of real wRPG games, and it's just a unique experience that most other games can't match. And at the risk of this dragging on, I hate Bethesda for what they did to Fallout 3. If they were going to make it an FPS they should have been aiming for something like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

1. Half-Life 2- A lot of people like Half Life 1 better, but those people are wearing rose tinted glasses (and keep in mind this is coming from a NMAer so I don't throw that comment out there often having had it directed at myself several times before). Half-Life 2 was an upgrade in just about every area. The shooting was greatly improved from the previous game, the graphics are great, they didn't add in Xem (thank god), the story is better explained, and you really feel like you are experiencing the story as Gordon Freeman, not just having it told to you while controlling the good doctor. There's something to be said for a game as linear as Half-Life 2 that I have the urge to play through over and over again. The game is not only just plain fun, and easily accessible, but also excels in so many areas of game design. Even the driving sections which piss most people off are better than a lot of other games. Also the game is easy enough that it doesn't detract from the experience. I know I said I liked S.T.A.L.K.E.R. because it was hard, but in Half-Life 2 I think it would detract from the experience if I were dying a lot because of how hard it was, and this was in fact the case with Half Life 1 (which I still liked).

Hm, well that was a little long but there it is.

 

[Illomatic]

These are the main 5 that stick out in my mind.

5. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic series (Xbox) Defiantly one of the greatest RPG's ever made, and my personal favorite RPG's

4. Guitar Hero/Rock Band series (Multi) IDC what anyone says. These two games are some of the most fun you will ever have with friends or even by yourself. The music genre wasn't getting enough rep until GH finally came out, and now it's one of the most popular games in gaming history.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) Anyone who has played it understands. I went into detail on why I liked it so much in my game of the year thread, and I'm too lazy to go into detail about this one. Basically the greatest game I've ever played offline.

2. Halo series (Xbox-360) DON'T EVEN TRY ME WITH THIS ONE, CAUSE I WILL DEBATE YOU UNTIL YOUR FINGERS FALL OFF. Halo has too many haters, and it's one of those games with so much hype that too many people see it as all hype and no substance. Halo basically defines the pinnacle of competitive online FPS's. It's the 2nd most popular game on 360 behind CoD4 and is basically the face of MLG.

1. Call of Duty 4 (Multi) Simple. Greatest FPS ever. If anyone can actually give me a legit reason on why it isn't the greatest FPS ever then I will back down. Common. I dare you.

i agree with you on the halo part, i couldn't have said it better myself
i cant really make 5 games at the top of my head, your list looks good, though i would personally switch cod4 and halo but thats just me ..

 

[Lore]

Here's my list.

1. Ever 17: Out of Infinity-great freaking visual novel with an amazing storyline. One of my favorites.

2. Tsukihime Series-2 more great visual novels, with a few fighting games (mainly just different versions) to top it off.

3. Yume Miru Kusuri-yet ANOTHER great vn, but I'm not even through with it and its on this list. Pretty good.

4. Command and Conquer series-it's c&c. 'nuff said.

5. Ambiguous 5th spot-constantly switching. XD

 

[Deleted member]

I play almost nothing but Nintendo, but...

5. Okami (PS2)
4. Odin Sphere (PS2)- No one's ever heard of this but me
3. Civ III (PC)- best Civ game I've played, just so deep.
2. Metal Gear Solid (PS1)- This had great gameplay but a weird story prevented it being #1
UNO: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night- Anything need to be said?

Honorable Mention: 6. Sonic 2 7. Chrono Cross 8. Pole Position (2600) 9. FF VII 10. Call of Duty 5/4

 

[Minato]

I actually owned Odin Sphere. I returned it the following week since I really couldn't get into it. The 2D sprites were gorgeous, that's for sure.