This is something I've been thinking to myself: which games have the best shotgun ever? It can be pretty difficult to answer that question since everyone has their own experience with different games and we all have our own taste of what a real boomstick should be.
 
This is my personal pick:   
 

1. Doom: What can I say? the shotgun from the original Doom is the best.  No matter if the enemy is near or far, nothing can stand in the way of this shotgun. It's just so satisfying to pump those shells all around you without having to worry about reloading.
2. The House of The Dead III: Believe it or not, I think HoTD3's shotgun is mind-blasting because it's so fast-paced and powerful. The reload time is really fast and you can shoot hordes of zombies from every angle and distance.
3. Quake II: While the shotgun may not look that strong but once you actually start using it, it immediately becomes your best friend. One blast results to enemies being blown into chunks. I love this shotgun.
4. Left 4 Dead: It's a tough call but between Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, I would say that the first Left 4 Dead has the best shotgun. It's range is simply out of this world.
5. Counter-Strike
6. Duke Nukem 3D
7. Resident Evil 4

Halo shotgun? Pre-patch model 1887's?

"Pre-patch model 1887's? "

I don't know if this counts, but I have a pretty awesome Hunter's Bulldog shotgun in Borderlands.

You had me at Doom.  Doom 2 multiplayer and the double-barrel shotgun.. yummy.  That's where I cut my teeth in online multiplayer though, so it's hard to match that first impression.

Serious Sam, baby.

" Halo shotgun? Pre-patch model 1887's? "

Gears 1 shotgun. 

No Gears of War. Invalid!

serious sam first + second encounter, hands down

Gears of War is the best.

The original Halo shotgun was no joke. That thing was beastly.

Half-Life 1.

Doom.  End of story.  Most iconic shotgun EVER!

Definitely needs gears of war, and if deadly premonition has one, then I bet it should be here too.

The Half Life 2 shotgun was the shit.

Killing Floor's shotgun is pretty fun.

"

Oh, sorry. I think I misread the thread title "

" Gears 1 shotgun.  "

Doom double barrel.
 
Or the Slug shottys from Bad Company 2.

Doom 3's shotgun is pretty cool too but if only the sound effect  is a lot better. It sounds really weak in the game.

You actually have it all wrong. It's Half-Life 2. That shotgun is amazing. It's powerful, tight, it's got range, and the shots don't spread a whole lot. That is a mo' f'ing combat shotgun right there. Worst shotgun? Bioshock. That thing has a range of, like, two feet. It's garbage. The shotgun in Resistance is pretty good as well.

Gears of War shotgun is the most effective shotgun.  It's the only game I can think of where the shotgun is most people's main weapon.

I've never played the first Gears of War, but people say that shotgun is more powerful and has more range than the Gears 2 one sooooooo... 
 
Gears of War? Definate answer: Killzone 2 or Halo, it's a tie.

pumpkin launching shotgun

I'm going to have to agree on the shotgun from Doom.  You can basically use it the whole game.  When I used to play Half Life 1 DM(Not CS.  Actual HL1 DM) you could get that jump enhancer.  That + shotgun is insane.  You would jump 20 feet up to somebody and just destroy them with that combo.  Good stuff.

my favorite would have to be the automatic shotgun in Golden Eye 007

The Suffering had a great sounding shotgun, looked awesome too.

" Half-Life 2 shotgun is pretty insanely good. "

I am going to have to go with everyone else that says Half Life 2.

HL2's Shotgun, Halo's Shotgun, SPAS-12 in MW2 (and pretty much every other time it appears), the M3 Super 90(I think that's the name) from Counter-Strike: Source.  Bad Company's shotguns are pretty awesome as well.

F.E.A.R 2 had a pretty darn good shotgun.

Either Gears of War or Resident Evil 2 or 3.  Actually using the shotgun has to be satisfying.  In gears people fucking assplode.  In resident evil you can line zombies up and blow them in half.  Then their top halves crawl for you, leaving their heads open for a POP!  
 
 
Doom was good.  But I kinda feel like it would be a insult to all other shotguns.  The game is way to old to compare with new games.  It would be like saying shotguns were like they were 20 15 years ago.  But they sure in fuck are nothing like that anymore.   
 
Doom or Duke Nukem would win if this was 1999.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Butcher's Bay (and Dark Athena)

models 1887 before the patch. u could shoot someone across the map like an assault rifle. 
 
just something to say, infinity ward should have made the spa the automic spa. they could have made the pumping a little more better.

Left 4 Dead auto-shotty hands down (the one that's in both 1 and 2).

" @Djeffers03 said:

" Halo shotgun? Pre-patch model 1887's? "

Oh yes, Halo. How could forget Halo? :P "

" Half-Life 2 shotgun is pretty insanely good. "

When I first picked up the Super Shotgun in Doom 2,
Oh baby.