Tell me about your tastes. . .

[Radrappy]

So I've always wanted to ask everyone here what their top ten games of all time are. I'm not talking about in terms of influence, or relevance, or any other kind of "objective" factor. I'm talking about your PERSONAL favorite games of all time. It's something that really speaks volumes on what your tastes are and where you're coming from. Ranked in order of preference, here are mine:

1) Phantasy Star Online(DC)

2) Nights into Dreams(SAT)

3) Sonic 3 & Knuckles(MD)

4) Mario 64 (64)

5) Albert Odyssey(SAT)

6) Guardian Heroes(SAT)

7) Pokemon Red(GB)

8) Uncharted 2(PS3)

9) Starcraft (PC)

10) Virtual On (SAT)

You may note that the majority of my most treasured games are Saturn games. For whatever reason that was the generation that left the longest lasting impression on me. It's also worth mentioning that the only truly "modern" game to crack my list was Uncharted 2. I really believe that this the only game in the past years that deserves this kind of recognition. It's annoying to find a list like this on a major media site that is over-saturated with games that are only 5 or so years old. So there you have it. Don't you feel like you know me so much better now?

[P.P.A.]

1) Sonic the Hedgehog CD (MCD) & Super Mario World (SNES)

3) Riviera: The Promised Land (GBA)

4) OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (Xbox)

5) The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (GC)

6) Sonic the Hedgehog (MD)

7) Imperishable Night (PC)

8) Pokémon Emerald Version (GBA)

9) Team Fortress 2 (360)

10) Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne (PC)


It was difficult, but I think this is accurate; although I painfully regret the fact that I could not fit flower (PS3) into that list, it would have deserved it.
In some cases, I chose to pick the single game from a franchise/genre I like the most to represent the entire group, even if other games in the category would have been deserving of a spot in the rankings as well. In detail: Riviera is representative for the entire Dept. Heaven Episodes saga, presently including also Yggdra Union (PSP) and Knights in the Nightmare; OutRun 2006 eclipses Ridge Racer 64; Majora’s Mask has a slight edge over Wind Waker; Imperishable Night is my favourite of all shmups although WarTech: Senko no Ronde, Darius Gaiden, and most other Touhou games are also dear to me; Sonic the Hedgehog still is my second favourite from the series, ahead of Sonic R and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle; and I like Anno 1602 probably as much as EUIII when it comes to strategy games, but the latter’s “muahaha, I am the untouchable hegemon”-factor simply prevails over the former’s nostalgia and charm.

[Locit]

In no particular order:

NiGHTS
Shadow of the Colossus
Sonic the Hedgehog
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Otogi 2
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Ico
Wind Waker
Jet Grind Radio
Shenmue II

These are the the games I have spent the most time with and gotten the most out of. I can play through any of these any time and feel happy about it. The one exception is Shenmue II; I haven't played more than once, but the ending and everything else about it have stayed with me. Link's Awakening almost beat out Wind Waker, but the story and art style of the latter won the day. In fact, WW probably spoiled every entry after it thanks to its characterization of Ganon.

[Senbei]

There are a number of beloved titles that I had to cut and I feel terrible about that. It's as though I'm choosing which of my friends I would save from the apocalypse. But I have compiled the list you requested. For science. You monster.

Jet Grind Radio (DC)
Sonic Adventure 2 (DC)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (PC)
Okami (PS2)
Magi-Nation (GBC)
Pokemon Red (GB)
Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GB)
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus (PSX)
Half-Life 2 (PC and Xbox)

[Neo]

A fair list would be impossible to obtain, but here goes nothing.

Another Code R (Wii)
De La Jet Set Radio (DC)
Last Window (DS)
Ristar (MD)
Shenmue II (DC)
Snatcher (MCD)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (MD)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
Umihara Kawase Shun 2nd Edition Kanzenban (DS)

Yeah, no, 10 is way too short to be any good. Up it to 20 and we'll talk.

EDIT: aaaaaa no see what you made me do I forgot very important titles

[gr4yJ4Y]

I've thought about starting a "Masterpieces" thread here for a while. In it we would post games that we felt were near-perfect or the finest examples of the art. I had to use that kind of mindset to boil up a Top 10. I'll probably change my mind about this 15 times within the next half-hour. (In no particular order)

Jet Set Radio
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Gen/MD)
Super Mario Galaxy
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Metroid Prime
Resident Evil 4
F-Zero GX
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Gen/MD)
Elite Beat Agents

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Yoshi's Island
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Game Boy Donkey Kong (aka Donkey Kong '94)
Super Mario Bros. 2
Drill Dozer
Mega Man 3
Metroid Prime
GBC Mario Tennis (The closest thing to an RPG that'll ever crack my top ten)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Wario Land 4

Pretty quick and dirty rundown, though I suppose if it doesn't immediately spring to mind then it doesn't deserve to be listed. Games not to make the list include: Crash Team Racing for being a excellent Mario Kart clone with meaty single player mode; Super Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission (odd I ever-so-slightly prefer Prime to them when I prefer "2D" games, but there you go); The Mario RPGs (TYD in particular kept me up till five in the morning); Blaster Master not making it for being unforgivably stringent with continues; Sonic 1&2; etc.

I realize as I wrote this that I tend to like more deliberately-paced platformers. I'll show myself the door.

[MiraiTails]

It's hard to list favorites. I <3 Uncharted 2. Here's a copy and paste from Goozex:

Favorite games and gaming genre
I enjoy games that feature:
-platforming
-weapon-based or hand-to-hand fighting
-stealth
-exploration

I generally dislike:
-turn-based games
-RPG's
-strategy games
-complex driving/flying/mech piloting simulations
-sports games

[Crisis]

I guess since this is a thread about taste and not more objective takes on game design, I probably ought to list the titles with which I have the most/best experiences.

1. PC/Mac World of Warcraft (versions 1.1 through 1.12)
2. PS2 Tales of the Abyss
3. SNES Final Fantasy VI
4. PC Sonic 3 & Knuckles Collection
5. SNES Super Mario World
6. DC Sonic Adventure
7. PC/Mac Left 4 Dead/Left 4 Dead 2
8. GB Pokemon Red Version
9. GC The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
10. GC Metroid Prime

Most of the games on that list are comfort games. In a lot of cases, I've played them so much I'm actually kind of sick of them. I could probably write a short essay about each entry - and most of it would be stuff that's wrong with them. But that's mainly because I'm training myself to think critically and analytically about game design. The only game on that list that I would cite as being a particularly good example of modern game design would probably be Left 4 Dead.

[Wombatwarlord777]

Man, ordering the games I like into a sequential "Top Ten" list is hard enough for one series, let alone for all games!

#10 - Super Mario Galaxy
#9 - De Blob
#8 - Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess
#7 - Paper Mario - The Thousand-Year Door
#6 - Yume Nikki
#5 - Sonic Adventure
#4 - Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening DX
#3 - Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
#2 - Yoshi's Island
#1 - This is totally a cop out, but I'm going to say both Sonic CD and Sonic 3 and Knuckles

So yeah, nothing that fancy. Most of the games I like are colorful and flamboyant platformers.

[Radrappy]

2. PS2 Tales of the Abyss

I was actually looking into this title for a little while and may pick it up now that it's coming to 3DS. I'm not a HUGE jrpg nut but every now and then I crave one. So, I pretty much hated Tales of Symphonia because the characters were obnoxiously awful and the story was executed poorly. Is Abyss any better?

[Dr. BUGMAN]

So yeah, nothing that fancy. Most of the games I like are colorful and flamboyant platformers.

You say it like that's a bad thing.

Backpedaling a bit: Replace Wario Land 4 with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

[Ritz]

I had a precompiled list sitting right here for that fateful day where someone would feign interest over my taste in games. I could go up to 50 in approximate order of preference, if you want!

1. Radiant Silvergun (Saturn)
2. Silhouette Mirage (PS1)
3. Super Monkey Ball (GC)
4. Clockwork Knight 2 (Saturn)
5. Alien Soldier (Genesis)
6. Twinkle Star Sprites (Neo Geo)
7. Sonic Robo Blast 2 (PC)
8. Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Genesis)
9. Gex (3D0)
10. Contra Hardcorps (Genesis)

Since we're shooting for personal preference and not "objectivity", I went ahead and bumped CK2 up to 4 from 13. I don't think there's a person on this planet who's obsessed over that game as much as I have. RS and SM swap positions once every few months, but I've gotten more playtime out of the former. Hardcorps dropped three slots because I never want to play it again.

[cjmcray]

1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Sonic Mega Collection
3. Sonic Adventure 2
4. Shenmue
5. Jet Set Radio Future
6. UmJammer Lammy
7. Sonic Heroes (I know, not the greatest, but I keep coming back to it..)
8. Kirby's Adventure
9. Crash Bandicoot: Warped
10. Super Mario 64

Other games that almost made my top ten: Tiny Toons: Buster's Hidden Treasure, Super Mario Bros, Power Stone, Space Channel 5, Zelda: Wind Waker, Crash Team Racing, Mario Kart 64, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Simpsons Arcade game, Super Mario World, Battletoads, Wario Land 4, Contra, TMNT: Turtles in Time, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 & 3, Sonic Advance 1 & 2

[MiraiTails]

...2. Sonic Mega Collection...

Clever way of sneaking multiple games into one spot on your top ten.

Since RR mentioned Guardian Heroes, I thought I should briefly mention the HD remake that's coming to XBLA.
I'm waiting for that, and the port of Radiant Silvergun. It's great that I'll be able to experience these games without spending big money on the Saturn originals. I hope the remake works out. Such attempts sometimes don't...

[Radrappy]

Sonic Robo Blast 2 (PC)

I was going to poke fun about this not being a real game but decided it against it. This is your top ten after all. But then I saw this

7. Sonic Robo Blast 2 (PC)
8. Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Genesis)

unacceptable.

[Ritz]

Pretend I wrote Doom 2 instead if that's easier to swallow. On the other point, I'll not budge an inch.

[G.Silver]

These are some really good lists, it would have been easier to pick 10 if they hadn't reminded me of so many awesome games. Lately I do try to think of games that I really like that are more recent, or at least aren't 16-bit. I could make a list of 10 games just limited to the Genesis and still feel like that was a perfectly great list!

I can't say they are for sure in order or that they really are the "top," but here are 10.

Sonic 1 and Sonic CD (it's a toss up)
Virtual On Oratorio Tangram (ideally in the arcade)
Shinobi 3 (Gen)
Sin & Punishment (N64)
Gunstar Heroes (Gen)
Noitu Love 2 (PC)
NiGHTS (Sat)
Ninja Five-O (just barely edges out Umikawa) (GBA)
Outrun 2 (Arcade/Xbox)
Mr. Driller (Any)

Actually I think it might be more interesting to see people's B-lists. The games on these lists are all generally really, really good--try thinking of games that don't belong anywhere near your top 10 but that you love anyway.

Golden Axe: Beast Rider
Target Earth / Leynos
PN03
El Viento
Yoshi Touch & Go
Dynamite Cop

[cjmcray]

These are some really good lists, it would have been easier to pick 10 if they hadn't reminded me of so many awesome games. Lately I do try to think of games that I really like that are more recent, or at least aren't 16-bit. I could make a list of 10 games just limited to the Genesis and still feel like that was a perfectly great list!

Same here. Maybe our lists can be divided into a 'top ten modern' and 'top ten retro'? Since writing up my top ten I've remembered a few other gems I forgot to put on my list..

[Ritz]

Lately I do try to think of games that I really like that are more recent, or at least aren't 16-bit. I could make a list of 10 games just limited to the Genesis and still feel like that was a perfectly great list!

Man, tell me about it! I feel like such a prude with all these old 2D games dominating my list. I was bold enough to put Deus Ex at 9, but I've only beaten it once and I don't have any particularly nostalgic memories about it or anything, so it just didn't seem right to do that here. My B list would look something like:

Tempo (32X)
Astal (Sat)
Willy Wombat (Sat)
Sanvein (PS1)
Final Fantasy 8 (PS1)
Brave Fencer Musashi (PS1)
Hagane (SNES)
Noitu Love 2 (PC)

They've all got something stylish about them that I'm really smitten with, only they don't start placing on my list until the 30s. Actually, fuck it, here's the whole thing.

[Crisis]

2. PS2 Tales of the Abyss

I was actually looking into this title for a little while and may pick it up now that it's coming to 3DS. I'm not a HUGE jrpg nut but every now and then I crave one. So, I pretty much hated Tales of Symphonia because the characters were obnoxiously awful and the story was executed poorly. Is Abyss any better?

The biggest difference between Abyss and Symphonia is that the battle system is massively improved, although that only becomes noticeable over time. "Free Run" makes a HUGE difference and Mystic Artes are incredibly satisfying to pull off when you finally unlock them. Usually in JRPGs I play as stringently as possible, but once you get good at Abyss it's like being good at a fighter game, you can start showing off and playing for the spectacle rather than just trying to scrape by with minimal HP losses. Characters are a lot more self-sufficient than in Symphonia (they all have melee attacks, even the dedicated casters, and ways of restoring their HP if you care to look hard enough) which adds to the sense that you're playing a fighting game engine.

Unfortunately there are still a lot of issues with the story. The pacing is awful, as always in a "Tales" game, and everybody HATES the main character. He's pretty integral to the plot, spending the first half of the game being a whiny bitch, then the second half of the game trying to repair the damage that inevitably causes. It's supposed to be a story about character development and forgiveness, but it does rub a lot of people up the wrong way. The love interest isn't much better, probably due more to the dismal voice acting than the writing. It also has Anise, who is the super anime 8-year-old girl character who rides a giant stuffed animal into combat and is trying so hard to be Cait Sith it hurts (why Cait Sith out of all the FF7 cast? She even goes through the whole betrayal twist half way through the game, and just like in FF7 they forget about it after 15 minutes!)

So the story has serious issues, but generally it's saved by a handful of really good characters (the "black mage" Jade Curtiss shines in particular with consistently witty dialogue) and the chemistry between them makes the cast feel like more than the sum of its parts, which I never really felt was the case in Symphonia. Basically, the game is very much mired in JRPG tropes, but if you can put up with some angsty teenagers here or the occasional catgirl there then you'll probably have a good time.

[Majestic Joey]

1. God Hand
2. Jet Grind Radio
3. Skies of Arcadia
4. Super Street Fighter 4
5. Sonic 3 and Knuckles
6. Space Channel 5 vol 2
7. Phantasy Star Online ep 3 card revolution
8. Lumines
9. Valkyria Chronicles
10. shadow of the Colossus

The only game I really play right now is SSF4 just because I only have time to play like an hour a day and Street fighter is easy to get into and easy to stop playing unlike games like Skies of Arcadia where you're next week is gone. I also wish Pso 3: card revolution would be released again that game was awesome.

[Gaz]

This is tricky but in no particular order:

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Sonic 2
Ico
Revenge of Shinobi
Donkey Kong(the GameBoy one that was released in 1994)
Chrono Trigger
The Secret of Monkey Island
Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast

Just to be clear I set myself a rule that I would only include 1 game per franchise otherwise this list would end up being dominated by certain series. That said, I still stretched the rule a bit by including both Mario World and Donkey Kong but they're technically different series. I'm sure most of those choices are quite obvious but Revenge of Shinobi is probably more nostalgia than anything else. It was one of the first Mega Drive games I played and it left quite an impression. Donkey Kong is underrated classic. I've played that game so many times and it still holds up well.

[Dr. BUGMAN]

Just to be clear I set myself a rule that I would only include 1 game per franchise otherwise this list would end up being dominated by certain series

Yeah, I tried to as well. Though I'd argue that Mario Tennis isn't a Mario game at all (neither is SMB2 hur hur hur). I'm still left with a bunch of spin-offs and two Donkey Kong games.

[Senbei]

Okay, I couldn't bring myself to cut anything from my B list, so it's a little out of control. I split it into two sections: legitimately good games, and games that I like, but wouldn't recommend to everybody.

Good games:
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Kirby's Dream Land 2 (GB)
Wario Land (GB)
Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3)
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Xbox)
Skies of Arcadia (DC)
Spider-Man (DC)
Loco Roco 2 (PSP)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (PS2)
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
Psychonauts (PS2)
Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
Fallout 3 (PS3)
Snatcher (SCD)

Flawed games (annotated):
Resident Evil 5 (PS3): Not necessarily because it's a good game, though it is, but because of how many hours I've plugged into the goddamn Mercenaries. I've managed to get SS rank on every level with every character except Chris (BSAA) on Prison, which is fucking impossible.
Diablo II (PC/Mac): 'Nuff said.
Crazy Taxi (DC): Because I like imitating the announcer's voice.
Grandia II (DC): Granted, I played this game before I became exasperated by the typical J-RPG format, but even looking back at it now, it's an honestly good example of the genre. The dialogue is well-written and adqueately performed, the story and locales are compelling, and the characters are mostly original and likeable. But what really keeps bringing me back is the fantastic combat system.
Spider-Man 2 (the movie) (PS2): Almost everything about this game is shitty, from the awful combat to the sandbox structure to having Tobey Maguire as Peter (though it's amusing to hear him crack the jokes that were so desperately missing from the film). But all of that can be overlooked because the web-slinging is so much fun. That's all the game has going for it, but it's enough.
Patapon (PSP): There should be more war rhythm simulation games.
Soul Calibur (DC): The one fighting game that I'm any good at.
Gitaroo Man (PS2): Mostly for the soundtrack. There's also a lot of nostalgia here, since it's the first game I ever bought for my PS2.
Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3): I bought the special edition package before I even had a PS3. It sat, unplayed, on my shelf for three months. This is the only series I would ever do that for.
Burnout 3 (PS2): When I want to battle-race cars while moving over 170MPH, I play this game.
God Hand (PS2): Even though I still haven't beaten it.
Guitar Hero 2 (360): I really think Harmonix nailed the genre with this entry. The guitar mechanics of both Rock Band and Neversoft's Guitar Hero never meaningfully evolved past this point, and the set list is my favorite of any of the games.
Rock Band (360): Of course, you can't play GH2 four-player with your friends.
Star Wars Battlefront (PS2): Battlefront is broken, unbalanced, and probably my favorite third-person shooter ever. There is something extremely appealing about being a faceless grunt in the midst of a colossal battle. Victory tastes so much sweeter when you've achieved it from the inferior side of an unbalanced playing field using limited, low-power resources. The sequel, Battlefront II, is much more balanced and a technically better game, and is not as good.
Left 4 Dead / L4D2 (PC/360): Because I like playing video games with my friends.
Tetris (whatever): Yup.
Pokemon Stadium 2 (N64): Free Battle with a friend is great. You each make a team of three out of six random Pokemon, then battle. Type, moves, all of that is randomly determined, so you have to adapt to whatever you're given and use it to your advantage. What follows is a battle of wits, strategy, and understanding of the rules of the game. It's just brilliant.