Opinion of my Top 15 video games

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

PC

Micro Machines
Civilization II
Sim City, Sim City 3000, Sim City 4
Europa Universalis I, II, and III
Myst

Nintendo

Super Mario
Super MarioKart
MarioKart64
MarioKart Double Dash
Donkey Kong Country

Multi-platform

Tetris

Yes... the whole trilogy was an undisputed classic. 

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Super Mario

Which one?

I'm not sure I can get 15, but here's my list.  If this seems too Nintendo-heavy, sorry.  I played a lot of Nintendo games, so this list is almost entirely Nintendo stuff:

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Mario 64
Mario Kart Double Dash (the definitive Mario Kart game for me)
Pokemon Stadium 2
Pokemon Snap (the first real video game I ever played)
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
Pokemon Puzzle League
Mario Party 7
Super Mario Strikers

If I can think of any more, I'll add them in a future post.  Feel free to look any of these up if you aren't familiar with them.

[The Mikado]

Honestly, if you like Mario games, you should probably just play 2010's Super Mario Galaxy 2.  It's basically the best 3D platformer ever made, and it knocks the socks off of the other Mario games.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Honestly, if you like Mario games, you should probably just play 2010's Super Mario Galaxy 2.  It's basically the best 3D platformer ever made, and it knocks the socks off of the other Mario games.

I really need to get on playing Galaxy and Galaxy 2.  I'm not the biggest Mario fan in the world, but I loved 64 and Sunshine, so I'm not sure what I'm waiting for. 

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Honestly, if you like Mario games, you should probably just play 2010's Super Mario Galaxy 2.  It's basically the best 3D platformer ever made, and it knocks the socks off of the other Mario games.

I'd have to disagree. The level format felt far too linear compared to the original SMG, Super Mario 64, and especially Super Mario Sunshine (a terribly underrated game which barely gave you a set path to follow). Kind of a weak soundtrack compared to the first SMG, too. The best 2D platformer is still Super Mario World thanks to all the secret exits and the fact that Mario has a goddamn cape. Bonus points for all the awesome ROM hacks done of Super Mario World, too.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Honestly, if you like Mario games, you should probably just play 2010's Super Mario Galaxy 2.  It's basically the best 3D platformer ever made, and it knocks the socks off of the other Mario games.

I'd have to disagree. The level format felt far too linear compared to the original SMG, Super Mario 64, and especially Super Mario Sunshine (a terribly underrated game which barely gave you a set path to follow). Kind of a weak soundtrack compared to the first SMG, too. The best 2D platformer is still Super Mario World thanks to all the secret exits and the fact that Mario has a goddamn cape. Bonus points for all the awesome ROM hacks done of Super Mario World, too.

Indeed.  Super Mario World >>>> any other Mario. 

[Insula Dei]

Age of Empires 2? anyone?

[Frodo]

Has anyone ever played either Warriors: Legends of Troy or the Cursed Crusade?

------------

I am guessing the answer is 'no'. 

[Bacon King]

My own top fifteen games in terms of NOSTALGIA, in no particular order:

Super Smash Bros Melee
Super Mario World
Super Mario 64
Starfox 64
Goldeneye
Perfect Dark
FF VII
Pilotwings
LoZ: Ocarina of Time
LoZ: Majora's Mask
Age of Empires 2
Victoria
Sim City 2000
Civilization 3
Star Wars Battlefront 2

[The Mikado]

I don't know, I really think you should rank games based on what you'd want to sit down and play at the moment, and with a rather small number of exceptions (Chrono Trigger, possibly, and Starcraft: Brood War is another possibility) most of the 1990s  (and especially 1980s) games really just don't hold up to their successors.  A game like The Binding of Isaac manages to take the basic formula of the original Legend of Zelda and, by having randomized items, dungeons, bosses, a charming score and a unique (disturbing, disgusting, yet bizarrely charming) graphical style, ends up far better than its predecessors.

[fezzyfestoon]

PC

Micro Machines
Civilization II
Sim City, Sim City 3000, Sim City 4
Europa Universalis I, II, and III
Myst

Nintendo

Super Mario
Super MarioKart
MarioKart64
MarioKart Double Dash
Donkey Kong Country

Multi-platform

Tetris

Fantastic

[© tweed]

I wrote this in early 2005

Ten Greatest Games

1. Vs. Oakland Raiders, AFC Divisional Playoffs, 2008

This game has to be the greatest of the franchise.  The defending Super Bowl Champions, the Ravens were riding high on a cold night in Baltimore.  This all changed when star QB Dexter May was injured with a badly bruised right elbow in quarter two and could not return.  The backup was Johnathan Kent, a rookie second round pick out of Notre Dame.  Known as a runner rather than a thrower, Kent did a lot of both while leading the Ravens back from a late seven point deficit and eventually breaking the hearts of Raider Nation with a  long Matt Stover field goal in Overtime.  The Ravens would go on to repeat in the Super Bowl, beating Tampa Bay three weeks later.
Result: Ravens 31, Raiders 28 (OT)

2. Vs. Indianapolis Colts, AFC Championship Game, 2005

Tom Brady had won fifteen straight since coming over from New England in a blockbuster trade, but the hated Colts were his toughest opponent yet.  Brady threw two picks, but led a fourth quarter drive that clinched the game in dramatic fashion for Baltimore.  In what some now term “the greatest play ever,” Brady faced fourth and fourteen with time dwindling.  Faced with pressure, Brady rolled right and threw a laser to the front right pylon where unknown rookie Ricky Roberts made a jumping catch in traffic and came down in bounds.
Result: Ravens 16, Colts 13

3. @Indianapolis Colts, AFC Divisional Playoffs, 2006

This would easily be the greatest game ever had the Ravens prevailed.  A loss earlier in the year with Punter Hunter Smith quarterbacking the decimated Colts clinched home-field for Indy.  This time, Peyton Manning was back and the Ravens were on the road.  The game seemed over, or at least close to it, when Tom Brady hit Todd Heap on a fourth down, play action pass with thirty seconds left.  Peyton Manning responded with a Hail Mary, eighty-nine yard completion to Patrick Adkins to win the game, 21-17, for the Colts.
Result: Colts 21, Ravens 17

4. Vs. Miami Dolphins, Week 17, 2004

The Ravens needed a win over Miami and a loss by Cleveland to lowly Houston to win the AFC North.  All seemed lost when The Dolphins jumped out to a two touchdown lead in the first quarter.  Josh Harris fought back and threw two touchdown passes before leading the Ravens on a last-second drive that ended on a Matt Stover field goal.  The ravens then watched Houston rally from ten point back in the final quarter to beat the Browns, 13-10.  The ravens then clinched the AFC North in what seemed like a dream to most Ravens fans.
Result: Ravens 17, Dolphins 14
5. Vs. San Diego Chargers, AFC Championship Game, 2009

Baltimore had made a habit in 2009 of blowing great teams out of their shoes, like they did to the Chargers earlier in the season with a 35-7 rout in San Diego.  With snow falling and the Chargers coming into town, it looked like a lock for a third straight AFC title to come home to Baltimore.  Unsurprisingly, the ravens jumped out to an early two touchdown lead when Dexter May fired two more touchdown passes, one to Todd Heap and the other to Reggie Williams.  Philip Rivers wouldn’t give in, though, and clawed and clawed until somehow the Chargers tied in at 21.  A great drive through the elements by May set up David Akers, in his first clutch field goal as a Raven, and put the Ravens in the Super Bowl once more.
Result: Ravens 24, Chargers 21

6. @Indianapolis Colts, Week 15, 2007

Dexter May had led the Ravens to an improbable run, but the final challenge of the regular season was quite daunting: beating the Colts, in the RCA dome, which the Ravens had never done in the “dynastic era.”  Peyton Manning was lost for the season from week one, but that didn’t bother the Colts, who won ten of thirteen heading in to the game with Jonathan Quinn at the helm.  Patrick Adkins had 211 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns, but it was in vain after a fourth down pass, on play action, from Dexter May to Todd Heap.  The Ravens would go on, to win their first of three straight Super Bowls.
Result: Ravens 21, Colts 20

7. @Oakland Raiders, Week 13, 2005

This game would be higher on the list, but it proved to be relatively meaningless in the long run.  The Ravens came in with a sizeable lead in the division over Pittsburgh and were fighting primarily for home-field advantage as they traveled to the left coast.  Rebuilding Oakland intercepted Tom Brady three times, but couldn’t stop him on a fourth down touchdown pass to Ricky Roberts that eluded both Philip Buchanan and Charles Woodson.  Brady leaped into the arms of Robert and both were soon thrown to the ground by Jonathan Ogden, which soon because an image of Ravens team unity.  The photo still stands in the signatures of Ravens message board posters to this day.
Result: Ravens 20, Raiders 17

8. Vs. New England Patriots, AFC Wild-Card Playoffs, 2004

After an emotional victory over the Dolphins, the Ravens had a tough task: defeat the defending champion Patriots in the playoffs.  The Ravens did prevail earlier in the season at Foxboro, 31-22.  This time, the Ravens were home, and got off to a quick start before Tom Brady worked his magic and got the Patriots back in it.  The last two minutes of the game saw three lead changes, and a Matt Stover field goal as time expired sent the Pats home.  The Ravens went on to beat the Titans a week later but lost to Oakland in the AFC Championship game.
Result: Ravens 23, Patriots 21
9. @Seattle Seahawks, Week 1, 2007

Dexter May lone truly terrible game was his first game, at Seattle, where he “simply wasn’t seeing things,” or so said Phil Simms.  Nevertheless, the Ravens found themselves in the ball game despite giving up two early touchdowns.  On third down with less than a minute left in regulation, May found Todd Heap in the endzone to tie the score and send the game to overtime.  The Ravens forced Seattle to go three-and-out and soon got May the ball back, needing a score.  May drove them down to the Seattle 45, but a costly interception that was returned for a TD by Marcus Trufant ended the game.  May finished with only one touchdown and four interceptions.
Result: Seahawks 20, Ravens 14 (OT)

10. @Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 12, 2006

This wasn’t a very good game, but its ramifications were huge.  The Steelers came in at 9-1 and looked to put a virtual lock on the division with a win over defending champion Baltimore, at Heinz Field, on a chilly Pittsburgh afternoon.  The 6-4 Ravens simply dominated, leading 28-0 at halftime.  Tom Brady fired three touchdowns against only one interception as the Ravens won their second in a row.  Pittsburgh would go on to lose both rematches: 31-27 at Baltimore in Week 16, and 24-10 at Baltimore in the Wild Card Playoffs.
Result: Ravens 31, Steelers 3

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

A rough list of my personal favorites:

Team Fortress 2
Half-Life 2
Super Mario World
Super Mario 64
Portal
Super Mario Bros. 3
Kirby Super Star
Donkey Kong Country 2
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
World in Conflict
Mario Kart 7
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Super Smash Bros. Melee

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

No Mario games at all? Terrible list. I agree that RES4 and Goldeneye were awesome.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

No Mario games at all? Terrible list. I agree that RES4 and Goldeneye were awesome.

Mario just never tickled my fancy like Metroid and Castlevania did in my early gaming days.  They're great games, but they just can't break into my Top 20 or so.  Super Mario World comes very close. 

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Yeah, you're missing a lot of great, highly influential games because you started the clock at 1990.

The best games of all time would likely have to include the original Legend of Zelda (for being groundbreaking -- I still play it today). I'd also include Mega Man 2, Super Mario Brothers 3, Mario Kart, Super Mario World (as best in the series), Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, and Phantasy Star. SimCity and Civilization are huge for the PC, as would be World of Warcraft.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Yeah who could forget Simcity!

And the original Starcraft which revolutionized RTS games. Its predecessor also remains the only video game I play today

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Not one mention of Legend of Zelda:  A Link to the Past?  That game was awesome.  Until last year, it was the latest Zelda game I had played, so I'm kind of biased.

[Incipimus iterum]

a list of My Favorite Video Games
1.Fallout New Vegas
2.Team Fortress 2
3.Fallout 3
4.Far Cry 2
5.Mount and Blade:Warband
6.Mario Kart Double Dash
7.Far Cry 3
8.President Forever 2008 + Primaries
9.Medieval 2 Total War
10.Simcity

[Marokai Backbeat]

I'm generally not a fan of populating top ___ video game lists with old games because, in my view, seniority does not suddenly act as a trump card in ever situation ever. Mr. Moderate's examples are great games, for sure, but coming first or being the best in your class two decades+ ago doesn't grandfather you in.

The order of my favorites change often from month to month, and sitting down and crafting a top ___ list would take too much time and agonizing for me, but it's not somehow childish or unreasonable to include newer (or, hell, just post-1998) games in favorites or best-of lists. Too many lists just look like they're made by crotchety 30-somethings or 14 year olds.

[Psychic Octopus]

1. Mass Effect Trilogy (PS3/Xbox 360)
2. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube)
3. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64/GameCube)
4. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
5. Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
6. Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
7. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando (PS2)
8. Portal (PS3/Xbox 360)
9. Assassin's Creed (PS3/Xbox 360)
10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)

[Bacon King]

I'm generally not a fan of populating top ___ video game lists with old games because, in my view, seniority does not suddenly act as a trump card in ever situation ever. Mr. Moderate's examples are great games, for sure, but coming first or being the best in your class two decades+ ago doesn't grandfather you in.

The order of my favorites change often from month to month, and sitting down and crafting a top ___ list would take too much time and agonizing for me, but it's not somehow childish or unreasonable to include newer (or, hell, just post-1998) games in favorites or best-of lists. Too many lists just look like they're made by crotchety 30-somethings or 14 year olds.

I just figured this thread was more about NOSTALGIA GAEMS than trying to post a list of objectively best games. Of course I'd include more recent titles if the thread was different, although it probably would still skew a bit towards older games as that's when I played them the most.