List Your Top Favourite Games of ALL TIME!

I love lists like this. They really give me a chance to get my thoughts together and actually reflect a little.

1. Shenmue
I've never been so invested in a fictional character's story and world. I was hyped up for at least a year before finally getting to play it, and it was more than I hoped for.

2. Yakuza 2
The original Yakuza was a disappointment for me, but I had faith in its gameplay mechanics and direction. The trailer for Yakuza 2 sold me, and it improved upon almost everything that I had an issue with originally. *I'll also reserve this spot for Yakuza Kiwami 2.

3. Resident Evil 2
This is THE game that did it for me. Before this, I was only casually playing beat'em-ups and wrestling games as a kid, but my interest in video games was cemented when I first laid eyes on this. Scared me to death back then, but I couldn't get enough of it. This is my favorite game in the series, and it's the reason this series is one of my favorites in gaming. *Like with the number 2 spot, I'll also leave this open for the Resident Evil 2 remake.

...I originally wanted to list my top five, but really, after doing the first three, it just became difficult. So I'll leave it at this :cool:
 
Persona 5 is now won the list. Never heard of this series before January this year. I then realised it was made by the same people who done Catherine which was a random game I bought and ended up loving (such a game would usually not grab my attention). I got this game around May, took a two month break around 1/3 in and continued playing it a couple weeks ago.

More than 105 hours it took me to complete. Towards the end of the game I started to have enough but now that it is complete, I can't help but think back to what an epic and special experience it was.
 
So like a few of you, I can't really list them in a specific order as I reckon my taste's pretty diverse in that one day I could wanna get engrossed in a rich story, and on another I just wanna shoot the shit outta everything. Doesn't mean I prefer one over the other, just different moods equals different games.

With that said, here are what I consider my ten favourite games atm.

Batman: Arkham Knight


As much as I love City and Origins, this one has the best gameplay simply because there's more in it. You can't really seem to go anywhere without having something fun to do, and that it is the sign of a brilliantly designed game. Sure, the tank battles aren't for everyone, and it doesn't exactly have a brilliant story, but there hasn't been a moment where I haven't loved playing this game. Even just gliding around the city doing absolutely fuck all is a joy. And it's Batman.


The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim


So why you'd watch a video of someone playing Skyrim is beyond me (or any game for that matter if I'm being honest), because it's probably boring as fuck. Playing it though? Jesus fucking Christ, if I had half a clue just how amazing this game would be I woulda played it years earlier. The odd thing about it is that whilst there's a lot of combat (or stealthing it to the point where you're practically cheating), that's not what it's about. It's exploring, it's the characters, it's the fucking little notes and letters that you find. I've never really been into the Myths & Magic type of game in the past, but the time I've sunk into this game feels like it was actually a part of my life. That's how damn immersive it is. Sure, it has a lot of problems, but it's just so easy to forgive its numerous shortcomings for everything that makes it so great. Like Neloth. What a legend.


Football Manager 2012


I never actually intended on settling on this version, it just kinda happened. Anyone who's played the Championship/Football Manager games can tell you that each "year entry" (as opposed to sequentially numbered/sequel entries) only have minor little tweaks, and you have to wait til the end of the season for half of the game-breaking bugs to be fixed. Anyway, this is the one for me simply because I'm in the year 2036 and don't really wanna start my legacy all over again from scratch. Sure, it's annoying every time I lose my place in the hall of fame due to reinstalling it (seriously, whose fucking idea was that?) but it's still more addictive than posting smartarse replies on Facebook posts, and that's saying something. Also, if you've never played these games before, please don't. It will consume your life.


Mario Kart: Double Dash!!


It's simply the best one there is. Sure, Super Mario Kart's a classic, and there's more racers in the later entries, but honestly this got everything balanced so well. The AI wasn't a massive challenge in 2-player, and that's how it should be. An annoyance to fuck you up in order to add a twist on head-to-head games. The items were varied, but not too overpowered for it to be imbalanced. Going back to the number of racers thing... I reckon they got it just right, as from the Wii version onwards it just got too chaotic with that many items knocking about. On top of that, dual racer aspect also added a tactical element, which was fucking brilliant. The number of weekends me n our kid sunk into this game (even last summer!) is unreal. It still holds up and always will do, as it's simply the best Mario Kart there ever was. Not that the others are shite. Well, MK64 is, but that's another story entirely.


Minesweeper (Win7 version)


Yes, there are Minesweeper videos on YouTube. Who knew? Honestly though, I often joke about how Minesweeper is the best game ever, but that doesn't mean it isn't one of my favourites. It's almost as addictive as Football Manager, but it's worse in that I can open it in no time (or I could do, now I've upgraded to Windows 10 that thankfully isn't an issue anymore!) The reason I've opted for the Windows 7 version is because it simply looks better, and it doesn't have that stupid "mines are generated before you click" mechanic. I have to admit though, there is nothing more infuriating than being down to the final four tiles, in a square, and two of them are mines in opposite diagonal positions. At least one of you knows what I'm talking about, and if you don't, then you're not playing Minesweeper enough!


Shenmue


I mean, what is there to say, really? Well, first off, this is without doubt my favourite part of the game (the part in the video, that is) and I always make sure I trigger it at that time of day, as the late afternoon sky just works so well with it. Anyway, what I loved most about the first game is just how mundane it is. It seemed to perfectly capture living in that suburban type area that isn't one of those typical middle class American perfect garden types with stupidly massive homes. No, it was representative of every day life, yet your character somehow found himself in the kinda situation you only see in films. I remember being completely taken aback by how similar 1980s Japan felt to 1990s Manchester. There were still huge differences of course, but the similarities made me start to see things in a completely different light. I've played the game to death and really want to leave it alone for as long as possible though, as the magic's unfortunately started to wear off. Also, despite wanting to love it just as much, Shenmue II couldn't hold a candle to the first, and was slightly edging away from everything I adored about it. I fear that Shenmue III will go even further.


Sonic Adventure


People keep telling me that this is a bad game, but almost twenty years on I still don't see it. I completed it for my nephew just last year for the umpteenth million time, and I still find it enjoyable. Moan about the voice acting and controls all you like, I fucking love this game, and it's everything I wanted from a Sonic game when I was a kid. All I wanted after this was more of it. More Mystic Ruins with it's top music, more ancient civilisation and slightly serious (for a kid's game) Saturday morning cartoon-esque storylines. This is mint, Generations is shit, fucking deal with it.


Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360 version)


However short, that moment is hands down one of the best I've played in a video game. Anyway, I struggled with this one. Splinter Cell being my favourite series, it was always going to be difficult leaving out Chaos Theory, and the sheer amount of fun I've had with Blacklist means it was also in for a shout. For me though, Double Agent on the 360 represents the direction I was hoping the series was going in. More of the same stealth gameplay, with lots of added fluff like the hacking mini games, the choices, the extra interactivity, etc. It also had some fun levels, and I remember it being the first time I actually paid attention to the story (previously it was just "play mint stealth game, enjoy humorous dialogue") I fucking love this series and desperately want it to come back. Soon.


Titanfall


I've never been one of those annoying cunts who go "shooters are for sheep" or summat daft like that. You know the ones who I'm talking about. The type who call out anyone who likes an FPS as a "CoD fanboy". That said, I was never interested in Call of Duty. Sure, the Battle of Stalingrad mission in the original is still to this day one of the best moments I've played in a video game (yes, it's up there with that Shanghai moment in Double Agent), but it just never really appealed to me. Neither did most FPS games after Die Hard: Vendetta. Then one day, shortly after getting my Xbox One, I redeemed a week long trial of EA Access (or is it Vault Access? I don't fucking know...) and, as I didn't have many games, took a chance on Titanfall. I remember briefly playing it a couple of years beforehand with @Duchess May and stomped the shit outta some players, so thought "yeah, I can see it being a fun way to kill a week". Three years on and I'm still playing it. Without any doubt in my mind, this is not only the finest shooter I've played, but the best (online) multiplayer game I've played. Simply brilliant!


The Wolf Among Us


Honestly at this point I'd swap saving The Wolf Among Us: Season 2 for Shenmue III in a heartbeat. I don't care. The cast in this game is... beyond anything I ever could've expected. Mr. Toad in particular is just... *sigh* I really can't find the words to express myself with this one, because they're not great games, but massively enjoyable stories with characters I don't wanna have to say goodbye to. And for some reason, an animated series just wouldn't cut it. There's something special about actively choosing to piss someone off rather than it just being in someone's character. To pour a drink, light a cig, and offer neither to Colin (the fat freeloading cunt) Seeing the teaser for the second season got more of a reaction outta me than Arkham Knight, Blacklist, and even Shenmue III, and it's subsequent cancellation deflated me more than a balloon at a Joker parade. I truly hope that WB Games steps in to save the day, but I just can't see it, unfortunately. Such a sad, sad fate to befall this potential series, and a sombre way to end this list...

Btw, for anyone who watched the entire Football Manager video: LOL!
 
Mittens2317 said:
Football Manager 2012


I never actually intended on settling on this version, it just kinda happened. Anyone who's played the Championship/Football Manager games can tell you that each "year entry" (as opposed to sequentially numbered/sequel entries) only have minor little tweaks, and you have to wait til the end of the season for half of the game-breaking bugs to be fixed. Anyway, this is the one for me simply because I'm in the year 2036 and don't really wanna start my legacy all over again from scratch. Sure, it's annoying every time I lose my place in the hall of fame due to reinstalling it (seriously, whose fucking idea was that?) but it's still more addictive than posting smartarse replies on Facebook posts, and that's saying something. Also, if you've never played these games before, please don't. It will consume your life.
Click to expand...

Can definitely confirm the addictive nature of this game. Only until this year did I stop playing it and decide to give a new one a try. Took a team from non-league football to winning record trophies and whatnot, had the stadium named after me while I was still managing the club like some sort of mad footballing dictator. It's just so easy to fall into the mindset of "one more match" and then before you know it, the time is about 3 in the morning. But you beat Stoke away from home so maybe it was all worth it.

And infinitely still better than FM2018 for the simple fact that 2012 doesn't open with a really annoying song that takes over your PC until the game is loaded.
 
Don't know if I can think of a top 15. Let's see. I'll put in one game per franchise and put my personal order of preference within franchises in brackets to avoid repetition. Please note that from number 2 down the order can change from time to time so it's not absolute and it is sometimes also really hard to pin down which game I actually like more than the next. So here goes.

1. Shenmue 2 - Dreamcast (Shenmue 2 > Shenmue 1)
2. Life is Strange - PS4 (LiS1>Before the Storm)
3. Persona 5 - PS4 (Persona 5 > Persona 4)
4. Yakuza 0 - PS4 (Yakuza 0 > 6 > 2 > 1)
5. Uncharted 4 - PS4 (Uncharted 4 > Lost Legacy > 3 > 2 > 1)
6. Sid Meyer's Pirates! Gold - Mega Drive
7. Phantasy Star 4 - Mega Drive (PS4 > PS1 > PS2 > PS3)
8. Skies of Arcadia - Dreamcast
9. Streets of Rage 2 - Mega Drive (SoR 2 > SoR 1 > SoR 3)
10. Sonic 2 - Mega Drive (Sonic 2 > CD > 3 & Knuckles > Mania > Adventure 2 > the rest)
11. Jet Set Radio - Dreamcast (JSR 1 > JSR Future)
12. Ninja Gaiden - Master System
13. Golden Axe 3 - Mega Drive/Arcade/PS2 (GA 3 > GA 2 > GA1)
14. Capcom vs SNK 2 - Dreamcast (CvS 2 > CvS 1)
15. Rez - Dreamcast
 
1. Shining Force III
2. Panzer Dragoon Saga
3. Shadow Hearts: Covenant
4. Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?
5. Skies of Arcadia
6. Shadow Hearts
7. Shenmue II
8. Trails to Azure
9. Shenmue
10. Shadow of the Colossus
 
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My era was the original xbox and to this date I never get the feeling back then for games now, majority of the games now I get bored within an hour

Below are my favourites:
- Shenmue series
- SSX3
- Kung Fu Chaos
- Fable series
- Grand theft auto series (to the extent of the GTAV is enjoyable but could say for example, have a lot more fun in the likes of San Andreas compared to GTAV)
- Serious Sam
- Panzer dragoon
- Def Jam
- Burnout Revenge
- Spy Hunter
- Original Red Dead
- Timesplitters
- Neighbours from hell
- Crash Bash (Specifically this one)

Too many to name!!! Though I have to give a shoutout to a game outside of xbox and that is Professor Layton, I could pick that up anytime and have tons of fun!

I think the only game recently that I started to get into and started to really enjoy was Xenoblade Chronicles 2, haven't played it in a while because I can never be bothered to charge my Switch but maybe this weekend I'll have a blast

I've got my eye on a few games people have posted as their favourites, definitely looking to pick some of them up!
 
Damn there's a lot to pick from. I've been gaming since the NES, this brings out many years of reflection. I'll try to limit my list to 10 and put my favorite game in the respective series. Also I'll mention some honorable mentions that I've played recently that could end up in my top 10 over time. This is a hard list to make

1. Shenmue II(Sega, DC)
2. Yakuza 2 (Sega, PS2)
3. Twisted Metal 2 (Singletrac, PS1)
4. Megaman X4 (Capcom, PS1)
5. Fighter's Megamix (Sega, Saturn)
6. Metal Gear Solid 4:Guns of the Patriots (Konami, PS3)
7. WWF No Mercy (AKI, N64)
8. Astro Bot:Rescue Mission(Sony Japan Studio, PS4/VR)
9. Snatcher (Konami, Sega CD)
10. Resident Evil:Code Veronica (Capcom, DC)

Honorable Mentions
Grandia 2 (Ubisoft, DC)
Gran Turismo 2(Polyphony Digital, PS1)
Die Hard Arcade (Sega, Saturn)
Life Is Strange:Before the Storm (Square Enix)
The Punisher (Capcom, Arcade)
Victorious Boxers (PS2)
Maximum Carnage (LJN, SNES)


I want to put the Silver Case on this list, but I was intrigued to see The 25th Ward on this list so I'm going to hold off on putting it on here. Just got the 25th Ward in the mail and can't wait to play it. Silver Case is an amazing VN that's up there on the levels of Snatcher.
 
The best games I have ever played are:

Shenmue1 and 2
Red Dead Redempion 2
Zelda Breath of the Wild
Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater

Those are my favourites.
Even tho many games are fun to play, and you may remember them later on, (like Jet Set Radio or Mario odyssey) nothing can compare to the level of immersion those 4 titles provide!
 
Shenmue -- Come on...I'm on a Shenmue forum...do I really need to explain this one? :) Okay...I was a huge Virtua Fighter fan. The idea of Virtua Fighter RPG appealed to me massively. Yet what I got was something so much more special than I ever expected. The crazy ambition that fueled this game always blew me away. Coming from PlayStation, there was just nothing else like it. The world felt more alive and more full of character then I had seen in any other game at that point in time. And even to this day, there still isn't really anything else like it. I was hooked from day one.

Shenmue II -- It took everything that I loved about the first game and blew it out even further with more to see and do. But it also made me appreciate the first game and its intent even more. To go from the quiet 'burbs where everyone knows your name to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong where anyone can rip you off at any time was pretty damn awesome. Shenmue, to me, has always been a coming of age tale and that's what I loved about going from 1 to 2. You were no longer under the watch of those who know and love you. Ryo was no longer a child in the safety of his own backyard but now becoming a man thrown into the big bad scary world. It made me appreciate the intent of the first game so much more.

One of the things that I always liked about the first two games was that sense of epic journey. To go from Yokosuka to Hong Kong to Kowloon to Guilin was a real journey that was incredible to behold. And that's a part of what I look forward to with Shenmue III...I can't wait to see the next leg of the journey as we spend time at Bailu Village.

Anyways, yeah, no big surprise about these two so let's move on, shall we :)

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Shadow of the Colossus -- First time I played it; it brought me to tears. As the end credits rolled, I sat gut punched and in tears. It was powerful. There is absolutely nothing else like it and I just flat out love it. It's a masterpiece. Truly a masterpiece in every way.

Resident Evil 2-- I have played the original more times than I care to admit. I absolutely love this game (and subsequently I really love the remake as well)

Resident Evil 4 -- THE game that made me buy a Gamecube back in the day...and I don't regret it one little bit. One of the best action games I've ever played.

Final Fantasy VIII -- My first ever Final Fantasy and the one that took my heart in the process. I know to many that this is the red haired step child of the series but I love it none the less. I quite like the Junction System. I really like the way that the game caters to your style of play. I like Squall. I like Rinoa. I like the bonkers storyline. I even like the crazy fan theories that Squall is actually dead after the first disc. I just loved everything about this game. It was my FFVII.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 -- The best of the Tony Hawk series. Bar none. I remember spending hours of my youth mastering skate lines and racking up combos in the millions of points.

WWE Smackdown Here Comes the Pain -- I was never a Nintendo kid so I never knew the joys of the AKI games until much later (my first Nintendo console literally was the Gamecube; I was a Sega kid who graduated into PlayStation.) So the Smackdown series was the best I had and this was the best the Smackdown series ever offered. The roster was incredible and the gameplay was so much fun (still is.) The career mode was also pretty damn good too.

Fire Pro Wrestling D -- I was a kid of the 90's and I loved Wrestling :) But good wrestling games on the Dreamcast were few and far between. Thank crap for Fire Pro Wrestling D. My first exposure to this franchise but not my last. Frustrating to learn at first, but damn rewarding once you did learn how to play it. Made me a fan of the Fire Pro series.

NBA Jam (Mega Drive) -- BOOM SHAKA LAKA! It was the pack in game that I received with my Mega Drive. From memory, it was a package that included a Sega Sports watch, NBA Jam and the Mega Drive itself. It stayed in my Mega Drive for a LONG time. It's the game that made me a fan of NBA (about the only sport I do follow) and it's a game I often find myself going back to when I fire up a Mega Drive emulator. (because I no longer have my original Mega Drive...sadly)

Grand Theft Auto 3 -- Technically Vice City is the better game of the PS2 series (in terms of pace and story, I think it's the best of the PS2 games) but I really love III. I mean it has Chatterbox, that alone makes it always worth a replay for me.

Persona 4 -- A random blind buy based only on the fact that it was getting great reviews and I thought that the PAL copy would become rare and that I most well buy it before it went out of print. But a blind buy that I'm very glad I took a chance on. I adore everything about this game. It's one of the few games where I actually got a little sad that I had to leave those characters behind when I finally beat the game. I was THAT invested into those characters at the end of my initial 90 hour play through.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves -- My personal favorite of the Uncharted series.

Burnout Paradise -- It's really tough because I love both Burnout 3 and Paradise about equally, but I've spent so much more time with Paradise thanks to its brilliant online multiplayer so I guess I have to go with Paradise based on that.

Quake III (Dreamcast) -- Quake III was my first online shooter experience back in the day...Granted it was laggy as all hell at times, but I do have a lot of fond memories with it. I also spent a LOT of time in Single Player in that game for whatever reason. I just loved playing that game with the keyboard and mouse back in the day.

Jet Set Radio -- Truth be told; I didn't like it the first time I played it. I was so into Tony Hawk at that time that I kept trying to play JSR as if it were another Tony Hawk game. But over time, I came to realize that it is less Tony Hawk and more so a platformer and I really grew to love it once I started to master it. Fantastic soundtrack; awesome visual style and gameplay that is fun once you learn to not treat it like it's another Tony Hawk game. It's a Dreamcast game I do find myself going back to quite a bit now days.

Virtua Fighter 2 -- For its time, it was a damn masterpiece. Sure, VF4 or VF5 are technically better and more well rounded but for its time, nothing could compare to Virtua Fighter 2 (sorry Tekken, you just didn't even come close at that point in time)

Mortal Kombat -- In hindsight it's no match for Street Fighter 2 in terms of gameplay, but I will never forget seeing both my first upper cut and fatality and being left in awe. Also, I really love the lore behind the entire franchise. For me, the lore was always the most compelling thing about Mortal Kombat.

Yakuza 2 -- I've been a fan of the series since the original game on PS2 but at the same time, I remember thinking that while I enjoyed the first game, it did have its problems. Yakuza 2 addressed those problems and made for a better game as a whole. Not to mention the story is perhaps one of the best in the entire franchise (even with the gonzo ending.) Yakuza was a good foundation but Yakuza 2 was another level (for that time)

Metal Gear Solid 3 -- In my opinion, the very best of the MGS franchise...hands down. From top to bottom, it's my favorite installment of this franchise.

Silent Hill 2 -- Man I could very easily go for a Resident Evil 2 style remake of this game....sadly it will probably never happen due to Konami's BS. But damn this game was something else. Haunting; especially those final revelations.
 
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danielmann861 said:
Yakuza 2 -- I've been a fan of the series since the original game on PS2 but at the same time, I remember thinking that while I enjoyed the first game, it did have its problems. Yakuza 2 addressed those problems and made for a better game as a whole. Not to mention the story is perhaps one of the best in the entire franchise (even with the gonzo ending.) Yakuza was a good foundation but Yakuza 2 was another level (for that time)
Click to expand...

Hehe, it absolutely is not.

But that's all I'll say; that's a great list you have there! :)
 
Truck_1_0_1_ said:
Hehe, it absolutely is not.

But that's all I'll say; that's a great list you have there! :)
Click to expand...

Bah! :)

I still think it was better than the bloated mess that was Yakuza 5 though...the game that literally has you waiting for everyone to play catch up to what is a very simple plot. (can you tell I didn't care much for Yakuza 5 and thought it was kind of too bloated for its own good.)

To each their own I guess.

Although I would still say Yakuza 0 is technically the best of the entire series, but yeah, I have a lot of love for Yakuza 2 for whatever reason. Even with the gonzo ending that makes little sense in retrospect, I still really enjoy Y2 for whatever reason though. I really like Ryuji Goda. I really liked the love story between Kiryu and Kaoru. And I like some of the major twists and turns.
 
Goda is the best thing to come out of that game, I feel.

I liked the whole Jigweon plot, but absolutely HATED the stupid coincidences and the direction they went with, in the end.

5 is still the best game in my eyes and that story is pure awesomeness (its written very well), so indeed, to each their own! ;)

0 is the most beloved, by far, but I wouldn't consider it the best. In the Yakuza thread (heading there now, as I saw you posted there), we've discussed the best in the series at length, so I will transport myself there!
 
danielmann861 said:
Shadow of the Colossus -- First time I played it; it brought me to tears. As the end credits rolled, I sat gut punched and in tears. It was powerful. There is absolutely nothing else like it and I just flat out love it. It's a masterpiece. Truly a masterpiece in every way.
Click to expand...
I've felt the same after playing The Last Guardian. Not a game I'd love to replay though because of its physically and emotionally draining gameplay mechanics, yeah..
I didn't play Shadow until when the remaster came out on ps4. I didn't like it after TLG, didn't feel anything
 
No order

Shenmue 2
Skyrim
Mass effect 2
Red dead redemption 2
The witcher 3
Bioshock Infinite
Yakuza 0
Metal Gear Solid 3
Valkyria Chronicles 1/4 (cant pick)
Grand theft Auto San Andreas
Detroit become Human
Hades
Firewatch
Persona 5 royal
Guardians of the galaxy

Mentions:
The wolf among us
Va11 hall a
Gears 5
FVII Remake
Pentiment
The outer worlds
Gran Turismo 2
Sonic 1 Megadrive
Syphon Filter 1
God of War 2
Prince of Persia two chrowns
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Winning Eleven 2002
 
Cool thread to bump up! Something I realized when I put together this list is that so many of my favorite games got kind of solidified during my formative gaming years (as a kid through my early 20s). I imagine that's the case with many of you, and I would guess that it's partly because you feel that you've played something that wasn't able to be done before and you've experienced certain stories and emotions through a game medium for the first time.

While I enjoy playing games today, I think it'll be harder for any new game I play to fit into my favorites of all time, if that makes sense. I guess I'd describe it as it's harder for something to surprise you when you've been gaming for a while. Say for example, if someone's 40 years old and they play the PS1 version of FFVII for the first time, it wouldn't be the same as playing it in 1997 when they would've been 14.

The first 3 are in order of my top 3 favorites, then I'll just list whatever comes to mind. I'll write a blurb for games that probably wouldn't be listed too often or if I otherwise feel the need.

Shenmue II (#1)
Metal Gear Solid 3 (#2)
Mass Effect 2 (#3)
Halo: Combat Evolved
Sonic 3 & K
NFL2K5 - The pinnacle of the NFL2K series that combined the stellar gameplay and franchise mode the series was know for with some great presentation due to the ESPN license. It was also one of the last times that Sega was out for blood, when they released the game new for $20 so that they could break into Madden's market share.
Chrono Trigger
Skies of Arcadia
Shadow of the Colossus
Persona 5 - Probably the only new-ish game on this list, or at least from its generation. I just loved the whole hybrid JRPG/Social simulation combo and felt it was a step above P4, which was also amazing.
The Last of Us
Rocket Knight Adventures - I first played this game at a friends house when I was a kid, and you could tell within the first 10 seconds that it was an amazing game due to the graphics, music, and gameplay. I had to beg him to borrow it right away, haha. Arguably the best non-Sonic platformer on the Genesis.
Streets of Rage 2
Sonic 2 - I tried to avoid having multiple games per franchise, but this was too important for me to not list it, even though I like Sonic 3&K a bit more.
Front Page Sports: Football Pro '97 - An awesome sim on the PC that was way ahead of it's time. It had a comprehensive play editor that allowed you to draw up any formation and play you'd like (offense, defense, special teams), a full-on franchise mode that tracked players careers and even had a hall-of-fame, and you could choose to upgrade position groups in training camp by focusing on improving certain attributes. Looking back, the gameplay was just "ok", but I really enjoy building a team in my sports games and being able to create my own plays on top of that was just extremely satisfying.

Special Mentions:

I wouldn't say these would be the ones I would rank just under the 15 I listed above, but maybe this can be a fun trip down memory lane for me.

NHLPA 93 - Not the best in the series, but the one I owned. I played it like crazy and always destroyed my friends by like 20 goals.

The Legend of Zelda - The original NES game was so much fun to jump in and explore.

Super Mario Bros 3 - When the Mario series just laid it down and showed it was here to stay. This was one of the first major gaming phenomenon's I can remember, just an absolutely blockbuster/juggernaut/whatever term you'd like.

Dragon Warrior - The first RPG I ever played and one of my earliest memories I had of beating a game.

Tecmo Super Bowl - All-time classic sports game with incredible pick-up-and-play gameplay, the NFL license, and a full-on season mode that tracked season stats.

Tiny Toon Adventures ACME All-Stars - Tiny Toons was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid, and this multi-sport game is pretty fun and underrated. Soccer and Basketball are the main draws, they have an arcade feel and are even lowkey streetball at some points (you can punch other players to knock them out)

Phantasy Star IV - I only played this recently, but I thought it was great! If I played this when it was first released it might've made the list.

Shining Force 2 - Same as above

Snatcher - Same as above, and above ;)

World Series Baseball (Genesis series) - I don't have a favorite in this Genesis series (I played '95 most), but this is the first game I can remember where you had the catchers view and had the strike zone represented as a rectangle. Essentially this means that you could pitch high/low in addition to side-to-side, whereas all the other games I played before only let you pitch side-to-side. High/low also means you can have pitches break downward and out of the strike zone.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert + Expansions - I didn't play too many PC games, but this was addictive as hell and was the only RTS series that I got into.

Gunstar Heroes - An insane run-n-gun styled game that I had discovered when emulators first started popping up on PC. I have no idea how me or my friends had never heard of this game. I suppose it was the later release date and kind of a Japanese/Anime aesthetic? Anyways, this game isn't an unknown anymore.

Phantasy Star Online - It felt like I was playing a game from the future, was just mind-blowing stuff. This got me so excited to see where gaming could go in the console space.
 
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