All-Time Favorites
Updated May 2024*
List items
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I think this is the first game I ever played. All of the early Humongous Entertainment games (Putt Putt, Freddi Fish, Pajama Sam, Spy Fox, Buzzy, Backyard Sports) are the formative games of my life. Without them, I don't know that I would be the video game enthusiast I am today.
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If I could only play one game for the rest of my life, that game would unquestionably be Star Fox 64. It's criminal that we've never gotten a true Nintendo developed Star Fox sequel to this game.
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I can't describe how much I love this game. It's more or less an RPG dream of mine that came true. Fantastic story, characters, graphics, combat, music, etc. Probably my favorite game of all time aside from Star Fox 64.
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Spy Fox was a much more mature title than Freddi Fish and it had a sense of humor that I completely fell in love with. I played all three of the core Spy Fox games equally, but this first game was the one I played the most. Even my parents fell in love with this game and my father still quotes the poker playing pig in the bar to this day. "Go fish, Mr. Fox!"
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People that say the Genesis version is better are crazy. It's a great game in its own right, but the SNES version is the way to go. I still play this game every couple years or so to completion and love it every time.
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Even when I was younger, I knew Psychonauts was one of a kind. I was one of the very few folks who bought this game when it originally came out on Xbox for $50 around launch (which was more a coincidence of the game's release date being so close to my birthday) and I must have played through 4-5 times at least. The blend of style and humor captivated me and the platforming was some of the best I'd played since the N64 days. I know many folks now consider this game one of the best of all time, but I will always remember the blank stares I got when I would rave about it at the elementary school lunch table.
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Playing Oblivion for the first time was one of the few times I've ever really felt like I was playing a game that was truly next-gen. Playing this game on a HDTV with my new Xbox 360 for Xmas 2006 was the moment for me and I would not be shocked to learn I dumped 500+ hours on this game. Never had I played a game so expansive and open and I think every Bethesda game released since has been in the shadow of Oblivion. Always something new to find or a a dungeon to explore with hundreds of meaningful side quests to complete. The Dark Brotherhood is the greatest series of quests I've ever played.
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POW! My baby army was awesome. I've never really ever appreciated any RTS games after this one. One of the first games I can remember playing and just breaking everything with cheat codes.
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Some levels are extremely challenging, but I never once could blame the controls. 2D platforming at its pinnacle. We used to have an old SNES console at the daycare I attended when younger and play this game non-stop, but funnily enough, I didn't actually own it myself until around I was a freshman in high school. Buying this game for $10 in that Play N Trade back in 2008 kickstarted a retro video game collection spree that is continuing to go strong 16+ years later.
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Blue and Red are great, but Kanto AND Johto?!?! Nothing can beat it. To this day I still find myself sinking hundreds of hours into the latest Pokemon releases when they come out. As much as games like Pokemon Scarlet/Violet are a mess from a performance perspective, they still captivate me with a sense of the wonder and discovery of finding new Pokemon and the strategies involved with VGC.
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I remember to unlock Ness you had to play on normal with 3 lives and use no continues. I thought that you couldn't lose a life in doing so. I eventually unlocked him without losing a life, but damn was it tough for 7 year old me. I feel like I've slowly grown to disdain later titles in this series after Melee on the Gamecube (which is another game that should probably be on this list), but I will always love this game.
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I still have my action figures of Guile and Sagat from 15 years ago. I've never been great at Street Fighter, but I will always love it. Just the other day I was playing this on a SNES mini someone had brought to work and hit them (literally) with E. Honda's hundred hand slap. My favorite fighting game ever.
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I first played this game around a time when I was obsessed with war movies. Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, etc were just a few of the movies I was actively enamored with and this game came along and completely captivated me. The gameplay mechanics of being able to explicitly direct your squad and flank the enemy were so engaging. That on top of some of the best voice acting (Troy Baker's first game!!) and story beats I can think of. Both this game and Earned in Blood were fantastic.
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Mass Effect is the greatest Sci-Fi universe of all time. The first two Mass Effect games were amazing, but I have to go with the game that kicked off that universe and sucked me in completely. I played through this game on Xbox 360 a dozen times or so and the conversation system blew my mind.
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My favorite part is how Dark Souls grows on you. When I played Dark Souls at first, I hated it. I thought the camera was shit and the enemies were too tough. It only took around 100 hours to see how shortsighted I really was. It's a fantastic game, and I'll never play anything quite like it again.
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Hardest game I ever played when I was a kid, but I always came back for more. I thought I'd beaten the game after Lynn's story line at first, but .... I was wrong. I truly believe this might be my favorite Nintendo game series of all. I think Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the true pinnacle of this series now, but playing this on GBA kick started my love of the series.
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I played both 2 and 3 in equal amounts, but 3 had the better levels. I think the soundtracks of these games influenced my taste in music more than anything in my life. When I was in my teens and others were beginning to discover bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, I had already been there and was discovering Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat. Rare example of a game shaping not just my video game taste, but musical taste as well.
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Many people who were old enough for the N64 launch will tell you that Super Mario 64 was the game that reinvented what they though was possible with 3D gaming. 5 year old Elyk247 however, played DK 64 for the first time on his Jungle Green N64 and had his mind totally blown. I don't think I ever finished the game, but I sunk (maybe?) thousands of hours into this game. It remains my favorite Rareware game to date.
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Blowing through a checkpoint with 1 second remaining. Amazing soundtrack as well.
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FIFA/EA FC has all the clout these days, but Winning Eleven was the king in the mid 00's. One day I picked the team Tyneside on a whim, not knowing that was just the unlicensed name Newcastle United. I won more times than not with the team and began to pick it most of the time. When I got back in to soccer after the 2010 World Cup, I wanted to follow a premier league team and finally learned the true name of Tyneside. I've fallen in love with Newcastle United in the years since and am forever grateful of that decision I made so many years ago.
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Another game bought for around $10 at the local Play N Trade when I was in high school. Easily my favorite beat-em up of all time and a game with one the best soundtracks ever to boot.
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The first time I ever saw this game was at a friend's house in 4th grade and he was playing the Tokyo Megaplex level and grinding all up on the rails in the air like a maniac. I knew immediately the game was awesome and this is probably my favorite game over on the Gamecube.
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Probably my favorite PS2 game of all time. I loved the gameplay for sure, but the set pieces were something to behold in 2005. I remember the first time I saw Ares in the distance when entering Athens for the first time and dropping my jaw even farther after it still being open from the opening fight against the Hydra. Played through this game countless times. God of War 2 is just as good if not better, but I was obsessed with this first game.
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The first game I played in the Resident Evil series was RE4 on the PS2 back in the mid 00's and were it not for Resident Evil Village, I think that would be the game on this list. One it's face, I think RE Village is pretty short game and definitely loses steam near the back end of the game (most RE games do) but the color/character and atmosphere that exists within this game is incredible. I love the floogan character of Ethan Winters tied to the FPS style introduced in RE7 and think the juxtaposition of his cluelessness/seeming indifference to the insane shit he sees on the regular is so stupidly awesome. I sincerely love this game and how comfortable it is being different.
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I remember picking this game out of the Funcoland bin of SNES cartridges back in the early 00's and being astounded at how much fun they were. This and the SNES version of Aladdin were for long stretches the only SNES games I played. DKC 1/3 were great too, but this 2nd title was easily my favorite.
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The SNES version has always been a personal favorite of mine. The Genesis version is just weird by comparison. Dual joystick shooters have always been one of my favorite genres, and other than Geometry Wars, I can't think of any other that comes close
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Best NES game? Maybe. It's really more of a puzzle game than anything else and I think that's the secret to it's brilliance. There's so many little secret moves/actions you can take as well to OHKO certain fighters. Mike Tyson >>> Mr. Dream
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It feels like a bandwagon game to some degree, but it's a bandwagon I feel okay about riding. I also like how it tackles a lot of taboo topics without ever feeling forced.
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The first Tetris game I've ever fallen in love with and the first game that makes me excited about VR.
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I really like a lot of Neo Geo games, but I'm absolutely crazy about Garou: Mark of the Wolves. I think this is one of the best playing fighting games ever and it's an extremely simple game to pick up and play. The fluid 2D art style goes a long way too and is a sensory delight to look at.
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I don't believe I played this game until I bought a refurbished NES system in the late 00's. I paid $5 for the game in a retro gaming store and had my mind blown. It was difficult, but I saw something really special in the game after realizing I couldn't jump and would need to rely on arm slinging platforming to complete the game. Extremely re-playable and a prime example of a game that stands up in spite of time.
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Half rail gun shooter, half rhythm game. Rez is one of a kind.
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Killer grind, but has the one of the craziest stories of any video game. My favorite soundtrack ever too.
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Probably the best 2600 game out there.
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Incredible game with the best story/gameplay loop from a video game design perspective I can think of. Run after run, slowly getting better, making progress, and an amazing narrative all in one.
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I honestly for the life of me can't remember which TMNT Arcade game it was that I played obsessively at the Chuck E Cheese. All I know is I sunk some damn tokens in that machine.
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Extremely difficult game, but an awesome and interesting experience that plays well with the Atari 2600 paddle controller.
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Gore Mode.
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