Your Top Ten of the PS3/Wii/360 Generation (2005-2013)

With the last major exclusives from the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii nearing two years old, it's (past) time for TNL to once again show the rest of the internet how a Top Ten list is done. In some ways, it's hard to believe that Gears of War: Judgment, Gran Turismo 6 and Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword are as old as they are. In others, it's hard to believe that generation lived as far past its prime as it did. That longevity should in theory lead to more diversity in our collective opinions.

Please rank your top 10 games on the three platforms listed plus PC that were released between 4th quarter 2005 and 4th quarter 2013. In a week or two, I'll tally the results using a system of 10 points for 1st through 1 point for 10th. Replies with less than five ranked games will be ignored. If you change your mind, please edit your post instead of re-posting.

I'll get us started, though I reserve the right to edit this until I do the tally:

10. The Last of Us
9. Red Dead Redemption
8. BioShock
7. Mass Effect 2
6. Fallout 3
5. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
4. Demon's Souls
3. Gears of War 2
2. Uncharted 2
1. Deathsmiles

Honorable Mentions:
Alien Isolation (excluded as cross-gen)
Dishonored
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Evil Within (excluded as cross-gen)
Portal
Super Mario Galaxy 2

DS and PSP count, right?

This should be interesting. I will have to think for a while.

Alien Isolation came out in 2014. Or are cross gen games from post 2013 okay if they're the PS3/360 versions?

Please don't be a GAF member and number gaming generations. There isn't a universally agreed upon number of them and it gets confusing.

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

DS and PSP count, right?

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I don't believe we included portables last time, as they tend to straddle console generations.

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Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

Alien Isolation came out in 2014. Or are cross gen games from post 2013 okay if they're the PS3/360 versions?

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Oops. Good catch. The intent was not to include those. I just blew it when brainstorming my list.

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Please don't be a GAF member and number gaming generations. There isn't a universally agreed upon number of them and it gets confusing.

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I'm not a fan of the numbers either, but I thought it may be better than just listing the consoles.

edit: Fixed.

Nintendo
Super Nintendo
N64
GameCube
Wii
Wii U

I count six.

Deathsmiles is #1?

really?

I have to think about my (slanted to shooters and racers) list if I provide one.

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Originally Posted by Joust Williams

Deathsmiles is #1?

really?

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The relative ranking is damn near impossible, but my logic there is that I would (and will, Steam allowing) buy that one a third time, whereas I've thus far passed on the remasters of other games.

edit: Along the same lines, I Platinumed Uncharted 2 but not The Last of Us. I may have ME2 too low, as I beat that on two platforms and Platinumed it.

edit2: I bumped it up a couple. I feel like I have too many RPGs in there, but I also have trouble not including Skyrim.

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

DS and PSP count, right?

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Back to this, I'm perfectly willing to do a dedicated poll for those once I figure out what the hell my list would be.

Oh, lists.

Platform-agnostic, whichever version goes when you push the button.

Cross-generation seems to mean 'the games that end up on the PS4 were made for the PS3, enjoy our additional painstaking 'trash blowing around' effects and additional light bloom, here's a sneeze of an FPS boost so you don't feel like a chump, now shut up'.

1. Super Meat Boy
2. Dustforce
3. Catherine
4. Super Street Fighter IV
5. King of Fighters XIII
6. Pac-Man CE
7. Alien Isolation
8. Punch-Out!! Wii
9. Mirror's Edge
10. Metal Gear Solid IV

side-props: Mark of the Ninja, Castle Crashers, Diablo III, Street Fighter III Third Strike Online Edition, Afterburner Climax, Outrun Online, Dragon's Crown, Metal Gear Rising Revengerancination, Mega Man 9

Based on the list you provided above, it would consist of nine mainstream soccer mom games and one outlier.

I haven't even finished ten games from that generation yet.

Rough draft:

1. Vanquish
2. Metal Gear Rising
3. Bayonetta
4. Mass Effect 2 or 3 (probably 2)
5. Mirror's Edge
6. Portal 2
7. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
8. Assassin's Creed 2
9. X-COM: Enemy Unknown
10. Diablo III

Leaving out stuff that was cross-gen makes it hard, as I really want to add things like Dragon Age: Inquisition. I also know I'm forgetting so much.

[edit] Memory dumping for future debating of inclusion: Nier, Xenoblade, Sin & Punishment 2, The Last Story, Pandora's Tower, Last Remnant, Resonance of Fate.

Only the first is ranked

Journey
Dark souls
Skyrim
Portal 2
Borderlands 2
Uncharted 2
Last of us
Street Fighter 4
Limbo
Resistance 2


Lot of sequels.

1 DJ hero 2
2 Rock band 3
3 Deathsmiles
4 Soul Calibur 5
5 Tekken 6
6 Super SF 4
7 Sonic generations
8 Punch out
9 Nba jam On Fire Edition
10 Madden 12

Espgaluda 2. Muchi Muchi Pork. Pink Sweets (Arrange). Ketsui. Geometry Wars 2. Wipeout HD. Resonance of Fate. Rock Band 2. Valkyria Chronicles. Eschatos.

Phew, that's ten games, didn't even need to resort to naming Guwange, good, moving on.

(though if I can name some shit like MMP then shouldn't Raiden Aces be eligible? eugh fuck it whatever nobody cares)

edit(s): Honors to Mirror's Edge. Maybe I'd have put Transistor somewhere in there if I had taken the time to play it through.

I think I'd find it easier to make a list dedicated to a single platform rather than a generation. The PC straddles console gens too, but computer games are in your list, and they'd definitely be in mine. In fact, mine would probably be mostly PC and handheld stuff.

What about ports/remakes? Some remasters, etc. seem justifiable, but I imagine they'd have to be held to their original release date all the same.

I can do a top-ten of the year list, but these generational lists are too tough for me right now. I feel like I can't do everything justice, lol.

This is tough. I haven't played a lot of the games on other people's lists, but here's mine in no particular order:

Super Mario Galaxy
MGS Peace Walker
Punch Out
Bayonetta
Rock Band 2
Uncharted (2 seems to be better, but haven't completed it)
Max Payne 3
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter 4
MGS 4
Tomb Raider

I left out most of the Cave 360 ports, as most of them were originally designed for hardware much older than the 360. Had to put Deathsmiles up though..

Xenoblade chronicles
Shadow complex
Bulletstorm
Endless Ocean Blue World
Kingdom of Amalur
Burnout Paradise
House of the Dead Overkill

edit: Removed Shovel Knight and added Bulletstorm.

01. Mass Effect 2
02. Skate 2
03. Gears of War
04. Grand Theft Auto IV
05. Bulletstorm
06. Burnout Paradise
07. Civilization V
08. Bayonetta
09. BF Bad Company 2
10. Crysis

HM: Dead Space 2, PGR4, Geometry Wars 2, Call of Duty 4, Shadow Complex, Street Fighter IV, Batman AC, Halo 3, Portal 2, Resident Evil 5

10 - Dirt 2
9 - StarCraft II Wings of Liberty
8 - Dead Space
7 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
6 - Skyrim
5 - Grand Theft Auto V
4 - Mass Effect (yeah, I liked all of the hidden story stuff and driving around on the planets)
3 - Uncharted 2
2 - The Last of Us (I've played through this game on PS3 and PS4)


1 - Fallout 3: I'm currently playing this game (played it on 360 way back when) on my PC in the living room. This game is even more amazing than I remembered it being. All of the add-on content provides a huge of amount of gameplay. There are so many cool stories that the added content provides, and it really fills in the little details that the bare bones release doesn't provide. I can't wait for Fallout 4.


Honorable mentions

La Noire
Pac-Man CE
Mass Effect 2
Bioshock
Killzone 3
Heavy Rain
Crysis 3
Far Cry 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Batman Arkham Asylum

My list of games probably won't appear in many top 10. Many of the games are up there because of the multiplayer aspect, and the sequels I like better than the original. I tried to include games that I have finished (or close to it anyway, like Dark Souls 2).


1) Gears of War 1
2) Bioshock 2
3) Xenoblade Chronicles
4) NHL 13
5) Dark Souls 2
6) Geometry Wars Evolved
7) Bullet Witch
8) Lost Odyssey
9) Rock Band 2
10) EDF 2017


So close list, in no particular order:

Red Dead Redemption
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Last of Us
Diablo 3
Mass Effect 1-3
Rock Band 3
Forza 3
Skate 2
Left 4 Dead
Pac-Man CE
Rainbow Six
Bioshock
Gears of War 2
GTA V
Bayonetta
Afterburner Climax
Borderlands
Demon Souls
Skyrim
The Show 13
Fallout, NV
Yakuza 3
Metal Gear Platinum games

Max Payne 3 getting an honorable mention for me

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Originally Posted by gamevet

4 - Mass Effect (yeah, I liked all of the hidden story stuff and driving around on the planets)

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gross

I kinda like exploring the planet too, it reminds me a bit of Moon Patrol. If they had only made it more interesting instead of just finding ways around terrain, it would be cool (and not so many of them).

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

I kinda like exploring the planet too, it reminds me a bit of Moon Patrol. If they had only made it more interesting instead of just finding ways around terrain, it would be cool (and not so many of them).

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The downside for me was the bases and stuff looking like everyone in the Galaxy had ordered their equipment and materials from ACME. They all looked the same.

I'm surprised nobody has listed Just Cause 2 yet.

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Originally Posted by kingoffighters

I kinda like exploring the planet too, it reminds me a bit of Moon Patrol. If they had only made it more interesting instead of just finding ways around terrain, it would be cool (and not so many of them).

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I would've liked it if it was good too.

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Originally Posted by kedawa

I'm surprised nobody has listed Just Cause 2 yet.

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Yea I forgot that one.

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Originally Posted by kedawa

I'm surprised nobody has listed Just Cause 2 yet.

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I never played 2, I did like the first one very much and deserves an honorable mention.

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Originally Posted by Joust Williams

Max Payne 3 getting an honorable mention for me

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I can't believe I forgot Max Payne 3!

1. Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword
2 Punch Out Wii
3. Super Mario Galaxy 2
4. Bayonetta
5. Uncharted 2/3
6. Metroid Prime 3/Trilogy
7. ESP Galuda II
8. Guacamelee
9. Batman Arkham City
10. Do Don Pachi Resurection

1. Xenoblade
2. Fallout 3
3. Portal 2
4. Raiden Fighters Ace
5. Little King Story
6. Death Smiles
7. Shovel Knight
8. Silent Hill Shattered Memories
9. PAC Man CE
10. Forza Horizon

I've seen Shovel Knight on a couple of lists. I think it was released too late for Yoshi's guidelines.

It'd be up there on my list too if it was eligible.

Shovel Knight can't carry Super Meat Boy's shoes, it's doesn't do enough on it's own. It's fun, but a little bland.

1. Battlefield 2142 (PC)- Battlefield 2 would've been here but it came out in spring '05
2. Super Street Fighter 4 (360)
3. Poker Smash (360)
4. Team Fortress 2 (PC)
5. Guild Wars 2 (PC)
6. Battlefield: Bad Company 2(PC/360)
7. Diablo 3 (PC)
8. Super Mario Galaxy 2(Wii)
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC)
10. NHL 13 (360)

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

Shovel Knight can't carry Super Meat Boy's shoes, it's doesn't do enough on it's own. It's fun, but a little bland.

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I don't think Shovel Knight and Super Meat Boy have much to do with each other, but I agree.

I knew none of you really liked The Club.

I can't believe that I forgot StarCraft II. I've added it to my list.

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Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name

I knew none of you really liked The Club.

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I haven't made my list.

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Originally Posted by MechDeus

I don't think Shovel Knight and Super Meat Boy have much to do with each other, but I agree.

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Shovel Knight is to Duck Tales, as SMB is to Super Mario Bros. I think they both carry forth something else's legacy directly, I just think Super Meat Boy had more to say about that instead of just trying to do the same sort of thing again. It took an idea and refined it into something else instead of just repeating.

I feel like Mario Maker's 'who died where' notifications were learned directly from the Super Meat Boy death replays.

If only SMB's graphics didn't completely turn me off.

The aesthetics are awful but that programming's tight, yo. I didn't like the Meat Boy flash game at all, they stepped it up significantly.

Beating 'Cotton Alley' was my favorite insane-bullshit-tough video game feat from that generation, easy. Tough, but fair.

SMB is a very worthy top 10 game. It's the best platformer of the gen.

10. X-COM
9. Braid
8. Metal Gear Revengeance
7. The Pinball Arcade/Williams HoF
6. Stuntman Ignition
5. Rhythm Heaven Fever
4. Gears of War
3. KoF XIII
2. Kororinpa: Marble Mania
1. Culdcept Saga

I considered Culdcept Saga, but I didn't like it as much as the PS2 version so it was kicked to the curb.
(and I had a feeling Marble Mania would come up and you'd be the guy that made it so.)

Man, I thought about putting Culdcept Saga on my list. It's a really great game.

If it had a better card economy and match making, it would have been #1. But it's still #1.

I really wanted to include Boom Blox Party and some racers (NFS: HP, RR7, Burnout Revenge), but none of the games I listed can't not be there. Would've been even tougher admitting portable games.

And yeah Marble Mania is a miracle.

I swear every time someone posts a list it makes it harder. I can't believe I didn't think of Stuntman.

I can.
It didn't appear on nearly as many Game Informer covers as the rest of your list.

I really liked Limbo too.

Also Hotline Miami and Papers, Please! I haven't seen those three mentioned yet.

It's probably
X-com
Demon's Souls
FTL
Braid
Limbo
Batman Arkham Asylum
Resident Evil 5/6 co op
Bioshock
Fallout 3
Pax Man C.E.
Skyrim

Hon. Men.
Gears 2
Halo...4? Was that the good one?
NHL 13
Battlefield 4

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Originally Posted by Some Stupid Japanese Name

I can.
It didn't appear on nearly as many Game Informer covers as the rest of your list.

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Yeah, I think Demon's Souls, Deathsmiles, and The Witcher 2 were on like three each.

You really dug deep for three EA games, two Nintendo games and an Epic game.

Shots fired!

Dark Souls
Portal
XCOM
Rock Band
Hotline Miami
FTL
Journey
Bioshock
Bayonetta
The Last of Us

Deathsmiles at the top of Yoshi's list is hilarious.

He likes some dork-chan bullet hell games, that's his thing.

Yeah I can't hate. Pac-Man CE is up there for me.

It's not even a great bullet hell game, it's just okay.

Hotline Miami and Journey were both pretty awesome, but I don't know if they'd make it in my top ten. Definitely top twenty. I'd like to squeeze Remember Me in there if only for theme and art design, but the gameplay is just okay.

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Originally Posted by YellerDog

He likes some dork-chan bullet hell games, that's his thing.

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The comedy has nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the clingy hate bubble he lives in.

Not numbered because I don't know yet.

GTA5
Forza Horizon
Left 4 Dead 2
Bioshock 1 or 2 2 is really good, but I think the original holds the title
Starcraft II WoL
Skate 2
Mortal Kombat or DoA 5
Blur
Batman AA or AC, not sure. Leaning to AC
Gears of War 1 or 2. I think the first was more holy shit.

On the cusp: The Witcher 2 (I'll probably bump something for this), Halo 4, Mass Effect 2, Portal, Pac Man CE, Geo Wars 2, Alan Wake, Pure, Company of Heroes, Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Burnout Paradise. Rock Band 2, Rayman Origins, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, I remember liking one of the Prince of Persia games a lot too, but it's been so long.

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Originally Posted by FirstBlood

The comedy has nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the clingy hate bubble he lives in.

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It was also kinda funny that he made the bold claim that we'll "show the rest of the internet how it's done" and then listed nine of the most pedestrian, safe picks you could possibly make. Pretty sure he's got his fingers on the internet's pulse, if anything.

10.) Hotline Miami
9.) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
8.) Bayonetta
7.) S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
6.) Dark Souls
5.) The Witcher 2
4.) Journey
3.) Portal 2
2.) The Void (Pathologic is better, but missed the cutoff by a few months)
1.) NieR

Edit: As much as I love Demon's Souls, it's insane to me that anyone would pick it over Dark Souls.

This is an impossible task. Kudos to all of you for coming up with something.

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Originally Posted by Yoshi

You really dug deep for three EA games, two Nintendo games and an Epic game.

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Because last gen saw a diverse amount of publishers appear on the scene, instead of imploding so there's like a dozen left to choose from, especially in the console arena. 505 Games and Mastiff didnt come through for me this gen.
But anyway, you can add Sega to that list. 3 spots left.

Totally forgot Forza Horizon. Most played racer in years.

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Originally Posted by No One

It was also kinda funny that he made the bold claim that we'll "show the rest of the internet how it's done" and then listed nine of the most pedestrian, safe picks you could possibly make. Pretty sure he's got his fingers on the internet's pulse, if anything.

.

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1. Gears of War 1
2. All-Pro Football 2K8
3. Rock Band 1
4. Spelunky
5. Super Meat Boy
6. NHL 09
7. Trials HD
8. Monday Night Combat
9. Forza 2
10. Geometry Wars 2
11. UNO
12. Happy Wars
13. MLB Bobblehead Pros

If somebody told me Pac-Man CE wasn't in their top ten games of last gen, I'd say, "What are you, some kind of jerk?"

But I didn't list it.

Jerk

That's fair.

Is it just pac man? What makes it CE?

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Originally Posted by icarusfall

Is it just pac man? What makes it CE?

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It's Pac-Man on steroids. Tons of ghosts, many different strategies and a lot of different objectives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvXz_Qvecpw

Ew, that's DX. No where near as good as the original CE IMO.

I like both versions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqvD-tORkjg

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Originally Posted by Rumpy

I remember liking one of the Prince of Persia games a lot too, but it's been so long.

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There were two last generation, the 2008 reboot and Forgotten Sands. I liked both but it seems most people disliked the former and enjoyed the latter.

CE is a genius new spin on what makes Pac-Man great. DX is similar but a bit unrestrained.

I like them both but I'd put CE on my list. That is, if I wasn't a jerk.

I like DX a lot, it's got a lot of options to play around with. I was going to mention UNO too. They need to get that on One.

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Originally Posted by MechDeus

There were two last generation, the 2008 reboot and Forgotten Sands. I liked both but it seems most people disliked the former and enjoyed the latter.

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Yeah, I think I remember 2008 more. It got a lot of hate because there was no penalty for death. That shit was fun though, neat levels.

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Originally Posted by FirstBlood

CE is a genius new spin on what makes Pac-Man great. DX is similar but a bit unrestrained.

I like them both but I'd put CE on my list. That is, if I wasn't a jerk.

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I think the restraint in CE puts it over the top.

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Originally Posted by MechDeus

most people disliked the former and enjoyed the latter.

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The inverse of this was true for me as well. The most visually striking game Ubi had for a while there.

This is a tough list to make. These may not all be in the exact right order, but for now it'll do.

1. Dark Souls
2. Dark Souls 2
3. Demon's Souls
4. Skyrim
5. Fallout 3
6. Dishonored
7. Oblivion
8. Super Street Fighter 4
9. Trials Evolution
10. Heavy Rain

Too many honorable mentions to mention them all, but:
Bayonetta, Super Meat Boy, God of War 3, Tomb Raider (newest one), Deathsmiles 2X, Burnout Revenge, SSX, Beyond: 2 Souls, MGS4

Accidentally deleted my first post trying to edit it on the mobile skin last night.

1. XCOM Enemy Unknown
2. Fallout 3
3. Pac-Man CE
4. Borderlands 2
5. Black Ops II
6. FTL
7. Mass Effect 2
8. Skyrim
9. GTA V
10. Left 4 Dead 2

HM: Civ V, Solforge, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Fallout New Vegas, Rock Band 2, Rogue Legacy

I thought Pacman CE DX had the original CE maps and gameplay as an option.

So it's nice that there's a really good game hidden in there somewhere.

I didn't like the 'Ghost Conga Line' thing at all, it's like thirty steps removed from what CE was doing. All the other bonus modes were pretty cheesy too.

Since the past gen was jammed with games I found worth playing, I'll try to keep it to 10 by picking ones I still play today, or spent a ridiculous amount of time on.

(in no specific order)

• Super Mario Galaxy
• Fallout 3
• Punch Out!!! (Wii)
• Geometry Wars 2
• Dark Souls
• Ultra Street Fighter 4
• Burnout Paradise
• Xenoblade
• Lost Odyssey
• Little King's Story

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Originally Posted by kedawa

I thought Pacman CE DX had the original CE maps and gameplay as an option.

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Yeah, so did I. It's been a long time since I've played the games, with CE on the 360 and CE DX on the PS3. I seem to recall DX having the original game, along with the additional challenges and mazes.

10. Max Payne 3
9. Lollipop Chainsaw
8. DmC
7. Uncharted 2
6. Black Ops
5. Fez
4. Bioshock Infinite
3. SSX
2. Grand Theft Auto IV
1. Dark Souls

my no doubt Yoshi-approved list full of Nintendo Wii games in no real order

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
The Last Story
Pandora's Tower
Rhythm Heaven Fever
VVVVVV
Steins; Gate (the 360 version was first in 2009)
Zelda Twilight Princess
Nier
Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters (was released in 2014 on Vita as well but it's pretty clear the PS3 version is the one they intended you to play, was in development hell for a while or it would've been earlier)
Xenoblade


I was mostly playing PSP, DS, PS2, a few GC games for most of it. It started off promising, became really boring when everyone was playing it safe in the middle, and had some really interesting stuff towards the end. I'll probably add Bayonetta, Something Souls, Captain Rainbow, Fatal Frame 4 in a hundred years when i get to them.

Hyper Dimension Neptunia Mk. 2 was on there before i thought Xenoblade would be a better choice

I need to give Rhythm Heaven another shot now that I've got the Wii on a CRT screen, it was really bad on a laggy HDTV.

Lots of people who don't have rhythm said that...

I really did enjoy all the mario galaxies.

1. Demon's Souls
2. Dark Souls
3. Bioshock
4. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
5. Lost Odyssey
6. Dead Rising
7. Resonance of Fate
8. XCOM: Enemy Unknown
9. Dead Space 2
10. FEAR

oo FEAR is a good one

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Originally Posted by No One

2.) The Void (Pathologic is better, but missed the cutoff by a few months)

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This is the most interesting pick in the thread. I got stuck and couldn't beat The Void but it was one of the most surreal gaming experiences I have had.

I tried to like The Void, but The Void didn't try as hard to like me :(

10. F.E.A.R. 2

The first F.E.A.R. has really great AI, the best bullet time in games, and satisfying weapons. But it often forgets that it is trying to be a horror game, meaning you only get occasional reminders of the supernatural via flickering lights or shaking doors. The level design is also godawful, combining all the dullness of real offices and warehouses with all the idiocy of "game" architecture like rotating bridges that have no logical reason for existing.

But F.E.A.R. 2 solves all of that. It retains the AI and gunplay of the original while also maintaining a much more consistent horror atmosphere. The levels are much better designed, so even though they evoke real places they eschew that when it wouldn't make sense within a game. It's a wonderful, near-faultless FPS and my pick for the best of that genre for the past generation.

9. Super Mario Galaxy

I really like this game for both how classically Nintendo and yet how un-Nintendo it is. The controls are spot-on, each level is bursting with creativity, it runs and looks great for the Wii... so far, basically Nintendo doing what they do best. But it also ditches the sequenced music (often using ancient, circa-1996 samples) that Nintendo relied upon to this point, it has a more detailed story than Nintendo ever puts into their non-RPGs (without forcing you to sit through long cutscenes), and shows remarkable restraint about shoehorning the motion gimmick into the game.

I was trying to choose between this and the sequel, which is basically just a more refined standalone expansion. The Doom II to Doom. I decided on this because I realized I had completed it twice while I had only finished Super Mario Galaxy 2 once. That staying power is something to be respected.

8. Pac-Man Championship Edition

Pac-Man modernized. The split board setup that prevents any downtime is a brilliant design decision, and the three minute time limit motivates the most efficient scoring you can manage. Top it off with great leaderboard integration, and you have the textbook example of how to bring a classic arcade game into the modern era without losing anything.

7. GRID

One of my favourite racing games. It's somewhere between arcade and sim and succeeds incredibly well. No tuning or car tweaking. Just get out there and race. And once you're on the track, the slightly exaggerated arcadey handling encourages you to try daredevil manuevers while the simulation elements of realistic damage and traction keep you constantly tense and on your toes. One little thing that this game does that almost no other racing game has even attempted is the idea that you don't have to win every race. The game's goal system pushes you towards doing the best you can with what you have (and consequently the game doesn't ever baby you and let you win races that your car can't possibly win), rather than trying to place first every single time.

6. ilomilo

It's a beautiful little puzzle game. A little reminiscent of Binary Land but is most definitely doing its own thing. The presentation is top-notch (I especially like the "flawed" music and the creature designs) and the puzzles iterate on concepts in a really satisfying, always challenging way.

5. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Not much to say about this one. It's the pinnacle of modern twin-stick shooters. Six different modes requiring different approaches, perfect controls and enemy spawn patterns, great leaderboard integration. It's simple and perfect.

4. Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar's best open world game. A lot of the usual Rockstar systems (wanted level, civilian reaction to gunfire, transportation theft) make a lot more sense in this setting than in modern day. On top of that, the story is great, the action feels super solid, and all of the side activities both make sense and are enjoyable.

3. Fallout 3

Bethesda's best RPG. It's clunky (but far less so than most of their other efforts) but, as usual, the mostly-realized ambitious design outweights the flaws. The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and the use of "normal" experience points is something I like a lot more than the Elder Scrolls method of leveling up. VATS is simple but never gets old. The world is interesting to explore and filled with a lot of things to do.

But what puts it over the top for me are all the little stories embedded in the world. Subtle things, like the position of skeletons or stacks of debris give you things to ponder as you ransack the Capitol Wasteland for weapons and items.

2. Space Giraffe

Don't feel bad if you aren't able to understand the greatness of this shooter. Few people are enlightened enough. Behind the psychedelic visuals and animal noises is a deep, complex, brilliant game. There are so many variables to track. Bulling enemies off the web. Juggling shots. Tending flowers. It's insane and wonderful.

1. Crusader Kings 2

Both one of the greatest strategy games and one of the greatest RPGs ever made. Complete freedom to do whatever you want within the social constraints of medieval Europe... and India, and Central Asia, and the Middle East. Take control of a historical dynasty and see if you can do as well as they did. Take control of a nobody and see if you can change history. Or just do silly things like try to breed (even more) physical deformities into the Hapsburgs. Crusader Kigns II was a great game at release and has only gotten better with the many expansions fleshing out different areas and cultures within the time period.

Bioshock
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Street Fighter 4
Portal
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Red Dead Redemption
Left 4 Dead
Fallout 3
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Forza Motorsport 4

I'm only thinking of nine... Feel like I lost out a lot not owning a Wii. For all the poop it got, there were maybe more games I'd like to try on it than PS3 in retrospect. Hoping the next Nintendo console is backwards compatible with Wii and Wii U (I know it won't be).

Nier Replicant
The Last of Us
Dark Souls
Deadly Premonition
Stuntman Ignition
Steins Gate
Portal 2
Red Dead Redemption
Kentucky Route Zero

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NeoZeedeater

This is the most interesting pick in the thread. I got stuck and couldn't beat The Void but it was one of the most surreal gaming experiences I have had.

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Ice-Pick Lodge is the very definition of a niche developer. I'm a huge fan of their stuff.

There's a mod floating around that greatly increases the amount of color you're able to harvest. The game is a lot easier to enjoy with it in place.

I've been busy as heck recently, so I didn't get this tabulated as quickly as I thought I would. Please try to get your lists and updates posted ASAP, because I hope to have this knocked out this weekend or next.