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This is what I could come up with in about 30 minutes of thinking. But it's not just because I think they're all excellent, it's also because it was a game that either changed how I played games entirely or changed my perception of them. And fuck you, you're getting a brief explanation of each one.
1. Sonic and Knuckles Lock On - When played as a complete game from start to finish, this game made me feel the proudest to be a "Sega Kid." It's my favorite Sonic experience.
2. Chrono Trigger - This game got me into RPG's entirely. I've played hundreds since. So yeah, it counts for a lot.
3. Mario 64 - This was the first fully 3D game I ever played. And a good choice of one!
4. Viewtiful Joe - This was the first time I cared so much about mastering an action game that I played it way more than could be described as healthy. As a game developer, I think Kamiya might be my favorite. I've played every one of his games since.
5. Geometry Wars/GW2 - This was the XBOX 360's killer app for me at launch. I played the sequel for dozens upon dozens of hours in order to get the highest score on my friends leaderboard (a brilliant, brilliant way to integrate menus AND leaderboards all in one.) If there was one game at an arcade I'd want my name to be at the top of their High Score list, this is the one. Ever moreso than ESP Ra.De
6. Metal Gear Solid - I had never played a stealth action game before this, and this is the great grandaddy. IMO, exemplified the coming age of lots of spoken dialogue and "cinematic gaming" that the PS1's competitors were simply not capable of at the time.
7. Resident Evil 4 - The perfect marriage of suspense AND action, just like it was a good mix of the old control scheme/gameplay and the new. This was the breath of fresh air that Resident Evil AND Capcom needed.
8. Dance Dance Revolution: I lost 80+ pounds playing this game. I've played it for more than 10 years and I still play it these days multiple days a week at my local Dave and Buster's, and is probably my main form of cardio.
9. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - It's a visual novel logic puzzle adventure game with sweet chiptunes music and wacky animations. It's fun telling yourself the story and then being satisfied that what you thought had happened is proven to be what happened.
10. World of Warcraft - I have played this game for close to 8 years. It keeps changing and it keeps getting better. I think raiding and raid bosses/encounters might be my favorite element in all of multiplayer gaming.
Honorable Mention goes to Guilty Gear X. It's the only fighting game I ever bothered to really care about and practice. Props to Gitaroo Man also, but if I had to choose between music games DDR trumps it in just sheer variety.
BONUS CONTENT: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was a Christmas present when I was 13. I was bedridden at the hospital for an exploded appendix. I spent the 3 days leading up to Christmas day in agonizing, poisoned pain, but on that day I got to play it on the hospital's video game console on wheels that they bring from room to room. Maybe it was the horrible circumstance, and maybe it's because I really did love it so much, but that's probably the game I'll remember forever, if none other. So eat it Tyler, playing Castlevania: SOTN feels like Christmas!
Originally Posted by Yoshi
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