neiname

In no particular order:

Civilization (and also the underappreciated Master of Magic) - Such a wonderful strategy game.

X-Com: UFO Defense: Takes squad based combat to a new level while mixing in pretty much all Alien mythos (including the cow autopsy). Plus you can name all your squad and it hurts when one of them dies.

Master of Orion - Simply a great game for me as it combined the strategy of Civilization with Star Wars

X-Wing/Tie Fighter - Simply the best Star War flight simulations out there. I remember loading up X-Wing and I couldn't hit a Tie worth shit to taking down an Imperial Star Destroyer with an A-Wing. (This is before Star Wars was lessened for me by the prequels or I grew up)

Wing Commander - One of the first games I played on my 486/33 and just an awesome experience killing the Kilrathi and tree story mode (nod to Privateer for coming up with the coolest game idea ever and almost executing it, also nod to Elite)

Summer Games/Winter Games on C64 - It was just great playing against my family and smashing their world records

Street Fighter II - The most unbelievable fighting experience when it first came out and ushered in the era of the competitive arcade (nod to joust)

World of Warcraft - I have never played a game that took such a strangle hold on me. All I ever wanted to do was to play this game, sell shit at auction, make gold, gain a level. I never tried another class, I was strictly a Priest.

Final Fantasy II/Final Fantasy VII - VII was an amazing game with great graphics and will stand test of time. II introduced me to an RPG with a compelling story and numerous surprises.

Phantasy Star/Phantasy Star II - I originally saw Phantasy Star for sale for $89.99 and it was worth every penny plus I owe my username to one of the characters in PS II.

Edited to add:
Warcraft - First RTS game my brother and I played against each other through a cable. (Warcraft II just elevated it so much higher) (nod to Dune II)

zero

This is tough so I'll do my best. In no particular order...

1) Super Mario Bros. 3
2) Street Fighter III-Third Strike
3) Soul Calibur (series)
4) Guilty Gear XX-Accent Core
5) Samurai Showdown Series
6) Resident Evil-Series
7) Street Fighter Alpha 3
8) Castlevania Series
9) Ratchet and Clank Series
10) Crazy Taxi (Dreamcast)

Honorable Mentions

Mortal Kombat II (Arcade/SNES)
Final Fight CD
Rocket Knight Adventures
Ikaruga (Dreamcast/Gamecube)
Star Fox (SNES)

taffer

In no specific order:


1. Mike Tyson's Punch-out (NES) - My favorite NES game of all time. Super Punch-out on the SNES was far inferior. My tastes for Nintendo games have died as I grew older, but I still love Punch-out and play it on an emulator on my PC. If Nintendo would make a new Punch-out game, that would be the sole reason I would buy a Wii.

2. Doom 1 and 2 (PC) - These were the games that got me into PC gaming.

3. Lucasarts SCUMM series (PC) - Monkey Island, Manic Mansion, Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max, Full Throttle, the list goes on... These games were all amazing. The image of nuking a hamster in a microwave is firmly ingrained in my memory, and I don't think I will ever forget it.

4. Fallout 1 and 2 (PC) - These were the first RPGs I ever played. The humor combined with the post-apocalyptic future setting was awesome. The games were the very definition of "role-playing" too as you could literally play however you wanted. For the first game at least, it was possible to beat the game without even killing a single person.

5. Thief series (PC) - I typically hate stealth games, but these games were amazing. The storyline was very thrilling and kept me on edge the entire time. The cutscenes were done in a very stylized fashion, and it never got old watching them.

6. Deus Ex (only the original on PC) - The sequel sucked ass, but the original Deus Ex combined FPS and RPG beautifully.

7. Rollercoaster Tycoon (PC) - I don't know why, but this game is so addicting. You wouldn't think a game about building amusement parks would be entertaining, but RCT is like crack.

8. Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 (PC) - I am a huge D&D nerd, and the Baldur's Gate series was not only the best D&D ever made, but they were the best RPGs ever in my opinion. Avoid the Baldur's Gate console games though. They are an utter bastardization to both the name of Baldur's Gate and D&D.

9. No One Lives Forever 1 and 2 (PC) - These are my favorite FPS of all time. If Austin Powers was made into a video game, it would be a NOLF clone.

10. Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) - The best hack-n-slash action game ever bar none. This game actually required skill to be able to finish it. I would almost call it a ninja simulator because it teaches you to play skillfully instead of random button mash. Except it isn't a ninja simulator because as far as I know, magic and demons never existed...

naitram

No order really:

1) Chrono Trigger, SNES - still my favorite RPG, but I usually don't have the patience to play through RPGs

2) Ridge Racer/Rage Racer, PS - RR was first PS game I played, was floored. The driving game I'd waited for since 1979. Rage Racer was better, of course.

3) River Raid, Atari 2600 - The game that got me into shooters, played it so much over the years.

4) Samurai Spirits II, Neo-Geo - The game that got me into Neo when it released, still the best fighting game ever.

5) Final Fantasy VII, PS - Actually played through the whole thing in Japanese first before the US version hit. Don't know a lick of Japanese, but it didn't stop me (but damn was that hard). Still have that version if anyone wants a free gift.

6) GTA: Vice City, PS2 - Sniper rifles, motorcycles, the 80s...I like playing out the stuff I should have done then.

7) Resident Evil 2, PS - Still my favorite RE, the ending sequence was so great.

8) Metal Slug 3, Neo-Geo - The game that got me back into Neo again. Just perfection.

9) Ikaruga, DC - Almost a religious experience.

10) Shenmue, DC - Never been to Japan, but feel like I almost have after this game. Great experience.

wild card) DOA Volleyball, XBOX - I like boobies, even polygonal ones. Spent way too much time with this.

chess

1. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

Best game EVAR!

Hyperbole aside, this is so absurdly fun...virtually every level is better than the last. SMG represents my love for 3D platformers (Mario, Crash, Gex, Sly, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider etc.)

2. Resident Evil 4 (Wii)

Brilliant on Gamecube and PS2...mind-blowingly good with Wii controls.

3. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Beaten in most technical ways by Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, but neither really captured the magic in quite the same way. Would love to see this remade with Twilight Princess tech.

4. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES)

Best 2D Zelda. Improved on the original in every way. Finished it the first time in one exhausting weekend.

5. Super Mario World (SNES)

I love 2D Mario, and this is the best of the bunch for a whole variety of reasons. Edges out Mario 3 and New Super Mario Bros.

6. Super Metroid (SNES)

Representing my love for all things Metroidvania (Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Zero Mission, Castlevania SoTN, HoD, DoS, AoS and PoR). Super Metroid was first and was never really improved upon.

7. Gran Turismo (PS1)

Best. Driving. Game. Ever. The sequels improved on the graphics, but never on the actual game. Represents my love for racers and combat racers (Need for Speed, WipeOut, Mario Kart etc.)

8. Gran Theft Auto 3 (PS2)

My first true "sandbox" game, and aside from graphics, it hasn't been done better since.

9. Ratchet and Clank (PS2)

Take your pick from the series. R&C is a perfect blend of platformer and shooter...a formula I never get bored with.

10. Space Megaforce (SNES)

Represents my love for old school Shmups (Zanac, Ikaruga, Raiden, Axelay etc.)

Honorable Mentions: Metroid Prime, Twisted Metal 2, Ace Combat 4, Wii Sports, Advance Wars, Tetris

darkside

1) Snatcher - Best use of a lightgun ever. Kojima classic that needs a new release on the Wii
2) Grim Fandango - Speaking of point and click adventure, this is the best one I ever played. Another game screaming for a Wii remake.
3) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - An amazing gaming experience. Played this one recently and it is still a perfect 10.
4) Super Mario 64 - Rarely have I cared enough to try and find every secret in a game. This game captured me and kept me going long after I found all 120 stars.
5) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - I loved the "Metroidvania" style of gameplay, but not even Super Metroid nailed it as well for me as this game. I was blown away the first time I stepped into the upside down castle.
6) Super Metroid - Might as well mention my second favorite of this genre. Easily my favorite Super Nintendo game.
7) Final Fantasy VII - Have a hard time choosing either this one or VI, but for whatever reason this one stayed with me the longest after I finished it. Not a flawless game, but the journey was among my favorite as a gamer.
8) Grand Theft Auto III - I discovered this game before most people I know even heard of it and I still feel kind of proud of enjoying this game before the hype. Vice City is probably my favorite one to replay, but this one was such a departure from anything I had experienced as a gamer that it gets the nod as one of my all time favorites.
9) Final Fantasy Tactics - Strategy RPGs are my favorite genre and this one is my favorite of all the different ones I have played. Masterpiece.
10) Star Control II - The Grand Theft Auto of its day. Another game screaming for a remake. The scale of this game is simply breathtaking.

BTW, I have to give an honorable mention to College Hoops 2K3 on the GameCube and 2K5 on the Xbox. I put at least 500 hours into each game and only MLB 06 The Show comes close to total hours I have spent on a single game. Got my money's worth out of those titles.

fujishig

And you just reminded me of the game before FFVII where a main character died. I didn't like PS1 all that much, having played it after 2 on that Genesis/Master System converter (and hating the dungeons... man I used a lot of graph paper), but Phantasy Star 2 was incredible. Amazing that they fit 1, 2, and 3 on a GBA cartridge, and then all 4 plus more on the PSP/PS2 Genesis collection. Sad to see that the series became pretty much online-only, you'd think Sega would still have it in them to make another great RPG.

Superboy

I like your list because you acknowledge how many games transcend time, but also how some genres of games are home to many titles that cannot all be put on the same list. I'd love to see a "best of" list of games that rank the game genres.

outer-edge

Some of the influential and favorite games in my life:

• The Legend of Zelda (NES) -- Easily my favorite game of all time. I was very addicted, but more importantly, it opened me to the idea of games could be greater than running and shooting.
• Contra (NES) -- I still enjoyed running and shooting however and this game set me up for a future of many shooter games, as well as co-op play.
• Super Metroid (SNES) -- Just a fantastic game and one that completely absorbed me. Like the original Zelda, I spent hours searching for every secret and replayed it many times.
• Baldur's Gate (PC) -- While not my first RPG, Baldur's Gate somehow took my casual love for RPGs and turned it into a passion. Bioware continues to be one of my favrite developers as well.
• Planescape Torment (PC) -- Black Isle Studios built upon what Bioware was doing, and while Bioware continued to do excellent stuff, Black Isle's Planescape was a truly great entry into the other worlds of DnD, a great storytelling vehicle and plenty of atmosphere to be absorbed in.
• Rollercoaster Tycoon (PC) -- Addicting, addicting, addicting. I spent hours upon hours with this game, and its sequels.
• Neverwinter Nights (PC) -- It was the toolset that made this game for me. I quickly learned to build my own worlds and tell my own stories, joining with like-minded individuals to build an online world for a couple years.

argh923

I can't put these into a specific order, but...

Super Mario 64
Halo 2
Grand Theft Auto III
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
WWF No Mercy
Super Mario World
NBA Jam

I would pick up all of these games today and play them again without a moment's hesitation.

Silt

X-Com: UFO Defense - There's a reason this game is in every top list created. Came out in 1994 and it's still better than most of the games developed today.

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss - Loved the atmosphere in this game. First first-person game I ever played.

Everquest - Started playing this after my divorce at the suggestion of a friend at work...figured it would be a good way to kill some free time. Killed my entire life. Something like 160+ days /played during my addiction...and that was nothing compared to some of the folks I knew playing.

Might and Magic III/IV/V - Wanting to play RPGs is what prompted me to buy my first PC(486sx-25) and games like M&M is why. Fond memories of all night gaming sessions with these titles

Warcraft 2 - Once I discovered Kali, I couldn't stop playing this game online. The sounds of bloodlusted ogres, I'm sure, was hated by the people that lived in the apartment next to mine.

Duke Nukem 3D - Another game Kali made great. I've got balls of steel!

Baldur's Gate 2 - Best RPG series ever

Jagged Alliance series - Squad based gaming goodness. I rarely replay a game once I beat it...I've replayed JA many, many times.

FIFA Soccer '96 - countless hours playing friends via direct modem connection...and we aren't talking cable modem here you youngins!

Nobunaga's Ambition - Me and my best friend would stay up all night playing this on my NES. ~20 years later we now stay up late playing Lord of the Rings Online together and still talk about our crazy 12 hour marathon sessions with Nobunaga's.

Probably a handfull of others I could list here as well...Red Baron, Sierra's Aces series, Madden series, Civ series, Doom, Ultima series, Wizardry Series, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father, Barren Realms Elite, Interstellar Annihilation, Tecmo Bowl, R.B.I., PGA Tour Golf, Company of Heroes

Good memories listed here.

cleaver

I've been working on my top 10 video games list for a while, but the problem was defining the criteria. Of course I'd rather play Halo 3 right now instead of the original Zelda, but Zelda's greatness in unquestioned. So as a video game addict, I'm defining greatness as to what degree I'm chasing the feeling I got when I first played these games. For example, when I play any new hockey game I'm hoping to achieve the same kind euphoria I got when I played the original NHL Hockey on Sega Genesis. I'm strictly a console gamer, so PC games were excluded.

1. Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Entertainment System. I don't remember whose house it was, but I was at someone's birthday party when I caught a glimpse of a television on top of a dresser between a wall and a closet, across from the foot of a twin bed. This kid had just gotten the Nintendo Entertainment System Deluxe Set, bundled with Super Mario Bros. and two other titles. It was unlike any toy I had ever seen. With it's bright colors and large characters, it made Atari and Commodore 64 games look archaic. It wasn't long before I got my own, as my other toys went the way of Woody in the first two thirds of Toy Story.

2. Final Fantasy VII. Sony PlayStation. With over 40 minutes of still gorgeous full motion video and the biggest virtual world ever seen, this 4 disc behemoth redefined the epic. Friends of mine would sit in my room and watch me play. As a cheer emanated from my room as I neared the end, my neighbor in college burst through my door draped in a towel, as his obviously frustrated girlfriend followed a few minutes later in an oversized t shirt.

3. Tetris. Game Boy. I was skeptical about Nintendo's cartridge based handheld system when it first came out, until the first time I played Tetris not tethered to a television. Sorting the endless stream of blocks was incredibly addictive, and led to the incredible lifespan of the Game Boy.

4. Grand Theft Auto III. PlayStation 2. It set the standard for sandbox gameplay, which basically refers to the unlimited freedom you have to continue the game's narrative or to just wreak havok as you see fit. There was just so much more to do in the world of Liberty City than in any other PS2 game, and numerous imitators were spawned.

5. The Legend of Zelda. Nintendo Entertainment System. The first game which featured an internal battery to save your progress (previously games used passwords or started you at the beginning when you turned the system off), it was also the first true adventure game, with never-before-seen nonlinear gameplay and equipable weapons and items.

6. Super Mario 64. Nintendo 64. The third launch title on this list, this silky smooth 3D platformer set the standard for all 3D games at the time, as well as the proper use of an analog stick on a console. Tomb Raider was released on PlayStation as a competitor, but the controls of Mario 64 set it apart.

7. Super Mario Bros. 3. Nintendo Entertainment System. The moment it was revealed in the climax of The Wizard, it became the most anticipated game of all time and it did not disappoint. The best selling non-bundled game of all time, the graphics were unlike anything anyone had seen, and the gameplay was deep, althought the story wasn't.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Nintendo 64. When OoT came out, the question most commonly asked was "How is anyone going to improve upon this?" The most revolutionary aspect of the control scheme was the "Z targeting," where you could hold a button to strafe an enemy. The number one reviewed game of all time according to gamerankings.com.

9. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Sony PlayStation. This old school 2D adventure game proved that you didn't need a third dimension for a good time. The role playing aspects had been done before in Super Metroid, but this title featured amazing animations and an all time soundtrack.

10. Soul Calibur. Sega Dreamcast. Widely considered the greatest fighting game of all time, the graphics were such a cut above anything seen of PlayStation or Nintendo 64, and the 3D gameplay was also next generation. The number four reviewed game of all time according to gamerankings.com.

Honorable mentions: Chrono Trigger, Contra, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Final Fantasy III, Gears of War, GoldenEye 007, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Halo, Halo 2, Herzog Zwei, John Madden Football, Metal Gear Solid, NHL Hockey, Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic, Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Metroid, Tecmo Super Bowl, Tekken 3

CreatureX

My top 10 of all time:

1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
3. Super Metroid
4. Super Mario World
5. Metroid Prime

6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
7. Super Mario 64
8. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
9. Wario Ware, Inc (GBA)
10. Mario Kart DS

xmiyux

Loom – My favorite of all the point and click adventure games. Full of style, good art, good story, and the implementation of music for spells was great.

Wasteland – My fav PC RPG. I loved the burnt out world and extremely dark storyline.

Animal Crossing – Like others have said it was ridiculously entrancing. I never thought I would sit for hours fishing and shaking trees for fruit. It was also a game that my wife really got into playing as well.

Super Puzzle Fighter II – The best puzzle game ever. I was ecstatic when it hit the Live marketplace.

Bushido Blade – The best 2-D fighter ever. I loved how balanced the characters were with their speed and weapons. The game was more realistic than most other weapon based fighters (one good slash with a bladed weapon would fully kill). The environment interaction and stances for the sword characters were all pretty fun as well. It was a game that my friends and I (who all extensively trained in various martial arts) would play for hours and then discuss the realism, or lack thereof.

Thief II – The best in the series. Actually, as far as I’m concerned the stealth genre had it’s apex with Thief II. It has only went downhill from there. I also really dug the world created – a blend of fantasy and steam-victorian technology.

Seaman – Quirky. Odd. Not even really a game. It was the first time I had ever used a microphone to interact with a game and the snarky bitchy virtual pet was awesome. My wife still laughs about the time we went to Moab to visit Arches National Park and I took my Dreamcast because if I didn’t log into the game every 12 hours to adjust the humidity and temperature my virtual pet would die. Then when you log in he would make fun of you and fling poo. I really dug that it remembered your answers though. It would ask if you were married, then days later would make some sarcastic comment about your marital status. It cracked me up how it harvested information to use against you.

Halo 2 – It introduced me to online gaming on a console with friends. Before that I played some DC online (Chu Chu Rocket and PSO) with a single friend but Halo 2 brought the concept of clans to my console world. I made many friends through H2 and continue making new friends. I have gamed more with my clan than I ever have with any other group. For that Halo 2 gets <3.

Scorched Earth – Before Worms, there was Scorched Earth. I love the game. I would still play the game. Every time I boot up Worms I remember my little tank being buried underneath an earth bomb.

Age of Empires II – This was a tough one because I wanted to say Starcraft for best RTS but when I really thought about it, and ignored the storyline, AoEII was the game that I would sit down and just play skirmishes for hours. All the units were so well balanced.

metalhead212

Hahaha...classic.

Better than when I played I suppose. It went more like this: I got turned on to the game about a month after it came out. A friend of mine had completed the game and was notorious for spoiling plots in games so I didn't tell him I was playing and every time he wanted to talk about the game I told him I didn't give a crap about the game and to stop talking about it. I got right up to the point where dies and he walks in to my room as my mom let him in and literally right before the scene unfolds goes . She and I threw the controller at him.

Lastblade

Nintendo Fanboy!!!

You really like Mario and Zelda hehe. No problem with that, but I think Super Mario Galaxy is the best Mario yet, and Yoshi's Island is also one of the best. Tetris on Gameboy is one of the weaker ports of the game....

ytrez

Pong (old school!)

Adventure (Atari 2600)


NHL Hockey (Genesis)

metalhead212

That is BLASPHEMY son.

DRG

Rally X (Arcade) - The first game I remember being hooked on, at the arcade. This helped start my fascination with video games.

Parsec (TI-99 4a) - My first gaming device was the TI-99 4a computer, and I felt it should be represented somehow. This was probably the game I played the most.

Yie Ar Kung Fu (Arcade) - I played this constantly, and it was perhaps the first arcade game I was fairly good at. Also started a love of fighting games, although I don't play them as much these days.

Super Mario Bros. (NES) - Opened my eyes to the depth a game could achieve. The game that made me beg my parents for my first gaming console. The multiple scrolling levels blew away the static screens of the past, and the game was just fun.

The Legend of Zelda (NES) - My first real adventure game, and the first where I felt like I was actually exploring a new land.

Lakers vs. Celtics (Genesis) - The first sports game I got hooked on, and it coincided with a time when I was really into the NBA. I played this constantly, I actually held mock tournaments with brackets and kept my own 'seasons' tracked. What a nerd.

Resident Evil series (PS1, etc.) - I have always been a huge horror movie fan, and this was the first game I played that perfectly captured everything I love about horror films in a gameplay style I could enjoy. By far my favorite game franchise of all time. RE1 is the reason I bought a PlayStation.

Grand Theft Auto 3 series (PS2, etc.) - The freedom, the exploration, the openness of this game appealed to everything I love in games. As someone who liked to 'screw around' in gaming worlds, I was thrilled to have a game that not only allowed me to do this, but encouraged it.

Dance Dance Revolution (PS1, PS2, arcade) - I was a huge fan, although I've slacked on it lately, but started a love of rhythm games that goes into things like Rock Band now.

Dead Rising (360) - This was a 360 system seller for me. Took the horror love (see Resident Evil comment) with diverse gameplay (see GTA3 comment) and combined them into a best of both worlds of sorts.

Lemdog

1. Final Fantasy VII (PSX) – Nothing compares. Nothing will ever compare.
2. Shining Force I, II (Genesis) – First RPG I ever played. Classic
3. Mario Cart 64 (N64) – Epic battles at 2 a.m. have taken place on this game.
4. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (SNES) – Just when you think you are done, you find out you just begun.
5. Mortal Kombat II (SNES) – More epic battles, some lasting 14-16 hours without stopping.
6. NBA JAM TE (SNES) – To this day I still have not lost one game of TE.
7. Mega Man II (NES) – I still remember the fist time I beat this game. It felt like I was a gaming god.
8. Final Fantasy X (PS2) – After spending over 100 hours on this puppy I realized how good a game could be.
9. Phantasy Star Online (Dreamcast)– Although a flawed game it was really fun. I still remember my brother hacking the crap out of this game. HP+++ bonuses and Spread needles that could clear a room in one shot.
10. Civilization II (PC) - The time I spent on this game … ugh.

stingo

Wow, now that is impressive. Very few who are willing to play Priests as main characters, let alone their ONLY character.

metalhead212

Very good choice. DDR is really one of the game responsible for bringing rhythm type games to the mainstream. Even if it isn't DDR when someone sees someone at the arcades dancing around on a rhythm game they always call it DDR.

maxfisher

Honorable Mention: Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando - PS2 - The Ratchet & Clank games are my favorite 3D platformers, hands down and this is my favorite entry in the series. It, my #9 and my #10 were pretty close to a three-way tie.

10. Earth Defense Force 2017 - Xbox 360 - It's not for everyone and the graphics are more PS2 than Xbox 360, but I got completely addicted to this game. It's simply fun as hell, in a very cheesy, arcade-y way.

9. Alien Trilogy - PS1 - Sometime around my sophomore year of high school, I fell out of playing games. I got sucked back in when I got a Playstation and Alien Trilogy for Christmas my freshman year of college. This was hands down the most fun I ever had playing a game based on a movie.

8. Shadow of the Colossus - PS2 - So many game concepts sound great and then fall short of expectations. Shadow of the Colossus is one of those rare games where the premise sounds fantastic and then the execution surpasses your expectations.

7. Jet Moto - PS1 - A friend and I played this so much in college that we had all the tracks completely memorized, to the point that we would often race all ten courses and only have a second or two's difference between our cumulative times.

6. Resident Evil 4 - Gamecube - It always seemed like there weren't that many good games for the Gamecube, but the ones that were tended to be truly great. Resident Evil 4 is the epitome of that phenomenon.

5. Medal of Honor - PS1 - It spawned countless sequels and imitations, but I have yet to play one that's quality has surprised me as much as the first. Far too many hours of my senior year of college were spent killing Nazis.

4. Super Mario World - SNES - Mario has to be on the list and I favor this one over other entries for the simple fact that it was the first game I ever bought with my own money. I earned about $350 in a magazine selling drive in 8th grade and used it for a Super NES, which I proceeded to play the hell out of for the next several years.

3. Contra - NES - During summer break when I was a kid, my friends and I had a near daily routine. Play basketball, go swimming, ride our bikes and play Contra.

2. Gears of War - Xbox 360 - I had absolutely no interest in online play before trying the co-op mode on Gears. Now an old friend and I will almost automatically buy any highly rated 360 game that has online co-op. Toss in that it looks amazing, has great mechanics and can be incredibly hard without feeling like it's cheating and it's one of my favorite games ever.

1. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - N64 - There's good reason that it's almost always in the top 3 of any list of the best videogames of all time.

xmiyux

Gears was great for online co-op. I really enjoyed having someone online to help me out and supplant the brain-dead friendly AI.

matome

Games that affected me the most in no particular order

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 (PC)
Resident Evil (PS1)
Dead Rising (360)
Perfect Dark (N64)
Grand Theft Auto 3 (PS2)
The Sims 2 (PC)
Condemned (360)
Guitar Hero (360)
GRAW 2 (360)
Tomb Raider (PS1)