What if someone said Shenmue?

Halo? Really?

Pong, Without it you have nothing else.

Halo was totally a love of mine when I first played it, although I wouldn't say it was a greatest game ever. It has been 'helpful' and semi-influencial for a smooth transitions of it's genre to current console fps games, but I praise it more for the attention and efforts brought to the games features from Bungie. 
 
They seem to always come up with things that I feel need to be standards of online gaming all the time, and they continue to lead in a lot of these things. The party system for instance is probably the best example, it's crazy that it's only become a 360 integrated feature just recently. 
 
This was really the first triple A developer game I played, my gaming record was a slow ramp up from a very few PS/SNES games and even at those times I wasn't 'into' gaming like all these peeps here with their japanese rpg's and love of things that look like vomit to me. I envy their investment so early into gaming.

My personal favorite will always be Ninja Gaiden (reg, black, sigma).  It just had this intensity that I've never seen matched, mixed with fun platforming, visuals that are still somewhat ok to this day, the best camera I've ever seen in an action game, and a brutal but fair difficulty level.  
 
Ninja Gaiden 2 was pretty good, and I am looking forward to Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, but that camera had a few small issues (simply due to the fact that the action was sped up, but they retained the same camera), and I ran into a few glitches (the acid worm glitch made me have to restart the entire game), so I can't remember the game as fondly.   However, the fact that they made the game even harder, while still keeping it fair, is pretty impressive.  How many other games have used regenerating health as an excuse to throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, with the exception of Yoshi's Island?
 
However, I'll still say that Ninja Gaiden is the best game on the Xbox, Ninja Gaiden Sigma is (currently) the best game on PS3, Ninja Gaiden 2 is the best game on the 360, and I'm looking forward to Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2.

No Rockstar or Valve love?

From that list I would probably say Super Mario 3 or Castlevania Symphony of the Night but usually I say either Half Life 2 or Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic when asked.  I'll be the first to admit that there are a lot of highly touted games that I have never played, though.

I certainly wouldn't accept Space Invaders.  "Only thing to play at time of release" doesn't equal "Greatest of all time"

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  Search your heart.  You know it to be true.

I'd have to go with Star Wars: KOTOR. It alone brought me into RPGs. Then again, Halo brought me into FPS's. Hmmm...and tetris is pretty good. Interesting. It's like I can pick a top for each genre, but I don't think I can pick a best out of those.

What about Zelda? It may be cliche to say Ocarina of Time, so how about A Link to the Past?

Favorite games of all time are Secret of Mana and Banjo Kazooie, but greatest game of all time? Tetris is probably it, but I'm not letting it go at that without throwing in at least one other possible alternative. Pokémon? Super Mario World? Earthbound? Donkey Kong? Super Mario Kart (ok, maybe not that version, but one of them)? Guitar Hero? Pong?
 
Can't forget the Final Fantasy VII peeps. I don't consider it the greatest game or even one of my favorites, but there's plenty of people out there who think otherwise. 
 
Unfortunatley, I agree with your current list and can't think of much beyond this scope.

Wow this list is pretty much spot on aside from the absence of any sort of early zelda game imo of course.  I remember Ocarina of Time having a huge effect on gaming during its release.  A Link to the Past was also an amazing title for its time.
 
Looks like SleepingLesson beat me to it.  I'm not surprised given his icon lol

No Half Life? I'm shocked!

SONIC CD is fucking awesome. how Team Sonic managed to completely forget what was so cool about that is beyond me. 

The problem is that people often confuse the question "What is the greatest game ever made" with "What is your favourite game ever made".

Jeff, look here. Some candidates...
 
SKATE OR DIE 
 
SPACE TAXI 
 
STREETS OF RAGE 2 
 
NBA JAM TOURNAMENT EDITION 
 
 
 
But to be honest, i would say Tetris.
 

 

Yeah...Well, FUCK YOU JEFF GERSTMANN!

Super Castlevania 4 was pretty awesome. Gran Turismo,  on account of it's impact on the driving genre.

Tetris is probably the best in the way you explain it. But I can't help but say Chrono Trigger is. That being said, Chrono Trigger could be improved(high-def, better animation, a couple tweaks to what was added in the DS version). But the pure game of Tetris isn't really something can be improved beyond cool backgrounds and various tweaks to or takes on the T-spin. 
 
Are people serious when they say KOTOR or GTA? COME ON PEOPLE! 
 
That being said, my FAVORITE game is either Okami or Mother 3. It's a tough call.

I would say that Super Mario Bros. is the greatest (not 3); however, Tetris is up there.

Dude, Sonic CD isn't even the best Sonic game. give me a break.

Surpised a Zelda game or a Final Fantasy Game are not up there. lol
 
My vote would be for Secret of Mana. But that's just me.

World of Warcraft.  If you really pushed me for an honest, 'correct' answer on this I would probably say World of Warcraft.  I would never forgive myself, but I think it's the correct answer.
 
For me personally it will always be Deus Ex, it's always my touchstone for the experience I'm trying to replicate with gaming.  I think a lot of it comes down to how old you are at the time - there's a sweetspot in your teens where you will probably discover your lifelong favourite game, movie, music, everything.  How depressing.
 
So what's your favourite Jeff?

Halo was an amazing and revolutionary game, childish fanboys give it a bad name.  Still the best of the trilogy
and definitely in the top 5 games ever with: Ocarina (obviously a masterpiece), GTA4, Super Mario 64, and StarCraft

Yeah, those are all well-known, but they're all well-known because of their extremely high quality.

If Shining Force doesn’t get put on this list at some point could you please tell me why? 

Half Life no doubt. I remember as a kid trying to solve stuff and work around stuff instead of just pumping more lead into a person. It was such an amazing game and in spite of what people say about the alien levels, I actually liked them also. Portal is another game which would be on my greatest list although I would put Half Life over that.

My answer is unacceptable 

Short list. I dunno how castlevania: sotn is pretentious though, come on, it's just a 2d actoin-RPG where you're just dracula's half-vampire son who has set out to kill his father for bizarre existential reasons partially relating to how his mother was treated by humans and his uncertain relationship with the vampire-killing clan, the Belmonts.
 
Okay never mind, I retract that. It is a little pretentious.

" What if someone said Shenmue? "

You'd accept Halo but not Goldeneye? That makes no sense.

System Shock 2

Halo? Ugh.

No Shadow Of The Colossus, eh? that's a shame.

How about Mortal Kombat 2 and FFVii. Strange combination but the fighting and rpg genre will never be the same without these games. 

My answer to the question is Starcraft.  DO YOU ACCEPT MY ANSWER, JEFF GERSTMANN?

Yoshi will never be a raccoon suit, FACT!

Damn is it nice to see someone else say that Sonic CD was the best Sonic game.

Jeff really does hate everything.

I agree with Dan_CiTi. I'd have said Chrono Trigger...... *Looks down and sighs*

Probably have to go with Super Smash Bros Melee. It improved on the N64 version without going all totally batshit like the new one did.

WOO!! Super Mario Bros. 3 made the list!

You know what. Hell yeah I was like 12 when Halo came out. And yes, I don't know any better. But ur right. It's not the best game ever. 

I can agree with Tetris as being the greatest game ever made.
 
My favorite game would be Earthbound, however.

Half-Life
Super Mario World
or Ocarina of Time
those all stand to me as being candidates and worthy answers.