What are your top 10 games of all time?

[Gamerforlife]

A top ten list for me would have to be games that are essentially PERFECT 10s in my eyes, or damn close to it. I don't really have a full 10 in mind at the moment, but here's a few that would make the cut

Starfox (SNES)
Viva Pinata
Mark of the Ninja
Journey

[PinkPanzer]

I feel like my answers could change at any given time. Nice to see a lot of variety in some of these responses which is great! My top ten is:

10) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
9) F-Zero X
8- Grandia
7) Final Fantasy VII
6) Super Mario 64
5) Panzer Dragoon Saga
4) Xenogears
3) Chrono Trigger
2) Super Mario Bros 3
1) Chrono Cross

[dogman91]

Starfox (SNES)

Perfect 10 even with the slowdown? BTW Have you ever played the Star Fox 2 repro?

[wclem]

It is always interesting to me what games people like. Sometimes I see things that surprise me. A game I thought was crap may be someones love affair.

[dogman91]

Btw, here's my (actual) top 10 and I'll actually explain WHY:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
A lot of people think this is overrated, but no game has ever pulled me into the 'world' as this one has. The music, graphics, and the way everything is put together conjured up this atmosphere that just inspired the hell out of me. Especially as everything turned 'dark' with adult Link with the abandoned Hyrule Market and the re-deads, plus the taken over Hyrule Castle of Ganon's. It's just packed with so many interesting varied locations and things to do that I can't see how anyone can hate this.

2. Banjo-Tooie
3D platformers are probably my favorite genre. The whole 'explore the world' aspect, meeting and helping quirky characters, learning new movesets that lead to new in-game mechanics in the levels, AND collecting crap are all what I love about the genre. Banjo-Tooie is the pinnacle of this. It's a HUGE game that's packed to brim with everything you can ask for in a 3D platformer. Memorable boss fights, varied locations, mini-games, transformations, multiple characters to control, excellent music/sound... you just have to play it to understand. PS, you can turn into a giant T-rex in this game!

3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
The pinnacle of 2D platformers IMO. I heard people say this game feels "busy" over DKC 1, but to me that means it has variety in the levels over just going straight and battling one enemy at a time with an occasional platform to jump on here and there, like a lot of other platformers.
This time, the game has a dark pirate atmosphere that you either love or hate. I loved it (obviously). The game has some of the BEST and most memorable tunes I ever heard in a game. Diddy and Dixie are simply better characters to play as over Donkey Kong of the first game, who was heavier and slower.
Every level has it's own 'gimmick' persay that makes the levels all feel different from one another. Beyond the usual platforming, for example one level you're riding balloons over lava, the next you're underwater, one you're riding on a parrot shooting projectiles at enemies, next on a rollercoaster jumping over hazards, next traversing up a castle as you're trying to escape green toxic water slowly fills up the screen; all this while using your animal buddies, which whom basically 'add' movesets to the game beyond your main characters, Diddy and Dixie. It's great.

4. Pokémon Red Version
On here for nostalgic reasons. As a kid playing this game on my Game Boy Color, with the worm-light attachment, I was transfixed and COULD NOT stop playing. Pokemon was something I was obsessed with, and everyone else I knew was obsessed with too. When I was supposed to be in bed sleeping, I secretly played this instead under the covers.
For anyone unfamiliar, I think the appeal of Pokemon has to do with the Pokemon themselves you can catch and train. Your team can be entirely different at any time, and there's over 150+ to choose from, technically. All the Pokemon have different types (water, electric, fire, etc.) that they're weak to or resistant against, so that's where it derives it's strategy. As you train them they can evolve into different, more powerful Pokemon. There's other stats that affect them as well that I won't get into (check out the Bulbapedia site).

5. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
The game everyone hates in the Together Retro. See the thread there; all the reasons they hate it is basically why I love it. That should fill up some several pages.
To sum it up, it's the natural progression of Sonic IMO. Sonic 2, except, with more platforming, more exploration, different movesets with DIFFERENT characters (like Knuckles gliding/climbing & Tails flying), shields that grant you abilities like double-jump and protection from water/fire, the most memorable/creative bosses of the series (IMO), the best music, etc. Yes, there's actually challenge to this so boo hoo that you can't run straight without thinking and beat the level (to all you naysayers).

6. Claw
Seriously, this game is severely overlooked. Why hasn't anyone played it? Well, it's PC-exclusive for one. It's an action platformer with gorgeous graphics where you're a swashbuckling pirate cat using his sword, dynamite, and pistol to dispatch dog pirate enemies. Check out some gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okketk-9t9c

7. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Here's one I actually did not play in my childhood. It's a beautiful cinematic platformer that feels like a grade A CG Hollywood movie. Beyond the scope of the gameplay, it just feels like it has a soul. As for the gameplay itself, beyond avoiding hazards of the typical cinematic platformer variety, you rescue characters all trapped in the factory you're enslaved to work at by solving environmental puzzles. In that sense it's more like a mix of cinematic platformer and games like Lost Vikings (except hell of a lot better). As you progress through the game, you can ride animals, possess enemies and make them kill each other through your powers, and a whole lot more. It's heavily based on trial and error, but it's fun to do so and you have unlimited lives. I heard the sequel, Abe's Exoddus, is even better but I have not played it yet.

short blurbs for the rest:

8. RollerCoaster Tycoon
Designing your own theme park captured my imagination as a kid. This game is addicting as hell.

9. SimCity 4
Same as above, except with cities. The music is great.

10. Diablo II
A game I have not finished, but I have beaten Diablo 1 and I prefer the mechanics of this game (has a lot more to it with the abilities your class can potentially have with the skill trees and whatnot). I like that you can actually explore the world beyond only delving down a dungeon floor one at a time like the first game.

bare list:
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Banjo-Tooie
3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
4. Pokémon Red Version
5. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
6. Claw
7. Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
8. RollerCoaster Tycoon
9. SimCity 4
10. Diablo II

There you have it!

[Gamerforlife]

Starfox (SNES)

Perfect 10 even with the slowdown? BTW Have you ever played the Star Fox 2 repro?

I don't recall any slowdown when I played it(which was many times), and I generally don't care about technical stuff like that anyway unless it's really bad

I mentioned Starfox because it is still, to date, the best (in my opinion anyway) rail shooter I've ever played (and Mark of the Ninja is the best stealth game I've ever played)

I loved Starfox 64 too, but upon revisiting both games not long ago, I find I like the original better.

No bad voice acting
No stupid stages that take you out of the Arwing
The original had a simpler, better scoring system
The original had a better soundtrack

[Luke]

I can't argue against Starfox being one of the greatest of all time. Fun from start to finish in every aspect, and still holds up extremely well in my eyes. It really makes you feel like you are on a space adventure, something that previous Star Wars games missed the mark on.

[Sano]

Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
Lufia & The Fortress of Doom
Final Fantasy VII


I will add to my list when I can think of more games

[Nintendork666]

You know, you don't hear of people saying that Chibi-Robo is in their top 10 every day, but I must say, it does make mine as well. It has a certain charm and oddness that I love; it is such a wonderfully quirky, fun game. I don't think it has the most replay value, which some find important--I generally don't find this important, because I have only limited time and more games than I ever could play.

How I discovered the game is kind of funny and memorable for me too. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I were in Gamestop, and she came up to me to show me this game she thought was cool (she's not a "gamer", aside from liking Mario somewhat). It was Chibi-Robo and the game was on clearance: $10 new. I thought the game looked kind of dumb, but I loved the Gamecube, so I bought it and we took it home; for a tenner, I thought, "why not?, if it's something she'll actually play". Well, we did play, and played it for days and days together until we had beaten it, which was a lot of fun, and provided many memories that we still share. So, maybe a bit of rose-colored glasses and nostalgia are involved with my opinion of the game, but I still think it is deserving.

That's a cute story, and a fine explanation. I'm really going to have to give my copy a proper go one of these days.

I loved Starfox 64 too, but upon revisiting both games not long ago, I find I like the original better.

Starfox 64 3D is the way to go if you can track it down. The 3D element really pops with that one and adds so much to the experience, that and the improved graphics of course. I've heard that physical copies are growing scarce however.

[Gamerforlife]

I loved Starfox 64 too, but upon revisiting both games not long ago, I find I like the original better.

Starfox 64 3D is the way to go if you can track it down. The 3D element really pops with that one and adds so much to the experience, that and the improved graphics of course. I've heard that physical copies are growing scarce however.

Really? Good thing I have one. I generally don't like 3D on the 3DS because it's so unstable, though I don't have the newest model, which supposedly made the effect more consistent. I'd love to get my hands on one of those and maybe replay some games with the 3D turned on.