Image result for top 100 video games of all time

(Totally random stock image of top games that has nothing to do with my list. But it looks cool.)

Welcome to my much more than top 100 games of all time list. Why is it not 100 because I found a way for my list to not be all Zelda, MGS or Mario games. I also hate the idea of only putting one or two per franchise, this is about individual games and some franchises are so good all their games are in the top. But that makes for a boring list so I wanted more games in.

The compromise I came up with is to bunch similar quality games together as one entry (example Galaxy 1 and 2). There could be two, three, maybe six games in one number. The idea being they are very close in quality so no reason to break them into separate ranks. I will order them from least favorite to favorite within that rank.

This is also a favorites list meaning if one game is ahead of another it does not necessarily mean I think its a better game, I just might have a deeper history with that game. Now toward the top of the list my favorites and what I believe to be the best games ever made are one and the same. It was not easy to pick the games I did, I constantly removed some games, put others in, rearranged the ranks many times. Ive always known my top 25 or so but the rest has been fun to explore and figure out which games have been my favorites over all these years.

Its actually kind of late so I will start officially tomorrow. But before I go I'll leave you with a few games that just missed the list.

Image result for toejam and earl

So funky and fresh but didn't make it.

Image result for splatoon 2

The splatoon games, one of the best online competitive "shooters" I've played. Slightly out of the splat zone.

Image result for FTL

FTL, such an addicting simple yet extremely deep game. A classic but just missses the mark.

Image result for longest journey

The Longest Journey, Incredible story and the best traditional point and click adventure game I have ever played. Excellent game but lets be real, adventure games aren't my thing.

MASTER LIST

  • 100. Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil Outbreak
  • 99. Rogue Squadron 2
  • 98. Nights
  • 97. Destiny
  • 96. Astro Bot
  • 95. Pixeljunk Eden
  • 94. Tomb Raider 2
  • 93. Sim CIty 2000
  • 92. Splinter Cell Blacklist
  • 91. Panzer Dragoon 2 and Panzer Dragoon Saga
  • 90. Shenmue 1 and 2
  • 89. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 and 3
  • 88. Nioh
  • 87. Tetris
  • 86. Darksiders
  • 85. Assassin's Creed 2
  • 84. Portal 1 and 2
  • 83. Dragon Quest 8
  • 82. BloodBorne
  • 81. Ecco the Dolphin 1 and 2
  • 80. Dead Space 1 and 2
  • 79. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
  • 78. Kingdom Hearts 2
  • 77. Mortal Kombat 1, 2 and 9
  • 76. Uncharted 3, 4 and Lost Legacy
  • 75. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
  • 74. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • 73. Rayman Origins and Legends
  • 72. Castlevania Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow
  • 71. Crash Bandicoot 2
  • 70. Silent Hill
  • 69. Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite
  • 68. Bayonetta 1 and 2
  • 67. Donkey Kong Country Returns
  • 66. AM2R, Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Zero Mission
  • 65. Final Fantasy 6 and 12
  • 64. The World Ends With You
  • 63. Hollow Knight
  • 62. Chrono Trigger
  • 61. Metal Gear Solid Ghost Babel
  • 60. Dragon Age: Origins
  • 59. Sonic Adventure 1, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors and Sonic Adventure 2
  • 58. Mega Man 2
  • 57. Halo 1 and 2
  • 56. Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga and Paper Mario 2
  • 55. Devil May Cry 1 and 4
  • 54. Horizon Zero Dawn
  • 53. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
  • 52. Tie Fighter and X-Wing Alliance
  • 51. Gran Turismo 1 and 3
  • 50. Tekken 3
  • 49. Legend of Zelda A Link Between Worlds and Oracle of Ages/Seasons
  • 48. Sonic 1, 3 and Knuckles
  • 47.  God of War 3
  • 46. Super Smash Bros. Melee, Brawl, Wii U and Ultimate
  • 45. Metroid Prime 3
  • 44. Ratchet and Clank Going Commando and A Crack in Time
  • 43. GTA 3, 4, 5 and Red Dead Redemption
  • 42. Mass Effect 3
  • 41. Super Mario Bros, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 3D World
  • 40. NFL2k1 and ESPN NFL 2K5
  • 39. Ninja Gaiden
  • 38. Deus Ex
  • 37. Shadow of the Colossus
  • 36. The Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion and TES5 Skyrim
  • 35. Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution and Virtua Fighter 5
  • 34. Okami
  • 33. The Last of Us
  • 32. X-Com UFO Defense
  • 31. Fallout 3 and New Vegas
  • 30. Resident Evil, Resident Evil Remake and Resident Evil 5
  • 29. God of War 2 and God of War 4
  • 28. Red Dead Redemption 2
  • 27. Metal Gear Solid 2
  • 26. Devil May Cry 3
  • 25. Batman Arkham Asylum, City and Knight
  • 24. Legend of Zelda Wind Waker and Skyward Sword
  • 23. Final Fantasy 7 and 8
  • 22. The Witness
  • 21. Phantasy Star Online
  • 20. Half-Life 2
  • 19. LittleBigPlanet 1 and 2
  • 18. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
  • 17. Doom
  • 16. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
  • 15. Super Metroid
  • 14. Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3
  • 13. Uncharted 2
  • 12. Castlevania SOTN
  • 11. Resident Evil 2, Code Veronica and Remake 2
  • 10. Metal Gear Solid V
  • 9. GTA Vice City and San Andreas
  • 8. Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World
  • 7. The Legend of Zelda,  A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening
  • 6. Mass Effect 2
  • 5. Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2
  • 4. Metroid Prime
Posted by Dvader Wed, 16 Jan 2019 06:47:24 (comments: 456)
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Sun, 31 May 2020 02:03:15
One of these days I'll play a Metal Gear Solid game. Not today, but one day.  Then I'll look back and appreciate these reviews.
 
Sun, 31 May 2020 02:54:42

MGS3 is the best of the series.  It's has my favorite story, bosses, music and ending.  I loved that ending so much.  It even has an amazing theme song.

 
Sun, 31 May 2020 02:57:54

Let's not forget one of the most ridiculous parts of MGS.

 
Sun, 31 May 2020 05:00:17
travo said:

MGS3 is the best of the series.  It's has my favorite story, bosses, music and ending.  I loved that ending so much.  It even has an amazing theme song.

Best. Ladder. Climb. Ever.

Snaaaaaaaake Eateeeeeeer

 
Thu, 18 Jun 2020 23:55:44

2. Resident Evil 4

Resident Evil 4: Nintendo GameCube: Computer and Video Games ...

Daily Reaction: Do We Need a Resident Evil 4 Remake?

There are no perfect games... but the closest one to perfection is Resident Evil 4. Coming off the heals of RE0, a series low point, a series seemingly stuck in its ways came a vision of a game unlike any other. Then it was canceled. Then months later it resurfaced again on the cover of Game Informer magazine revealing to the world the bold new take on Resident Evil. Gone are the static camera angles, the pre rendered backgrounds and the survival gameplay that made the series popular. This new RE was going to be about unrelenting terror, what do you do when you are always being assaulted by monsters at every turn?! You SHOOT EVERYTHING!!!

Yes RE4 went full on action and revolutionized the third person shooter in the process. The first thing that stood out to me in the GI article was the camera, tight and right above the shoulder of Leon at all times, aim and you get a pefect view to aim at specific parts of the enemy. In reality RE4 controls exactly the same as past RE games, its still tank controls, the camera is simply different and that makes all the difference in the world. Sure Leon cant move and shoot but the entire game is built around that premise, every single time you decide to fire you are weighing that choice against the ability to move.This means the game becomes about choosing your spots to fire, using the environment to create space between you and the enemy. This is no cover shooter, you don't get generic waist high walls all over; instead you get intricately designed combat arenas that make perfect use of all of Leon's moves. When you do fire EVERY SHOT COUNTS. Every shot can slow down an enemy with a perfect shot to the leg or head, it can be your defense by knocking away a weapon, it can save your ass by opening an enemy up to a melee attack. This is a game where every action you do feels important, you dont just get to hide behind cover and spray on a whim.

RE4 had a demo, some Gamestop pre-order bonus thing that I was all over. The demo was of the opening of the game through the village. That village I will hold up against ANY video game first level as the best intro level in game history. Screw 1-1, the RE4 village presents everything you need to know about the game in a 5 minute sequence that is more intense than practically every RE game that came before it. Enemies rushing from all sides (but never hitting you off screen without a verbal warning, essentially giving you a radar), a bunch of buildings to jump into, windows and doors to barracade, shotguns to find, ladders to kick down, chain saw man breaking through doors to kill you, jumping out of windows like a badass. Throwing grenades into crowds, killing chickens for health, finding secret rooms with locked chests, finding a secret second chainsaw man, learning that killing the chainsaw guy gives you a bonus. All this happens in 5 minutes in what is probably the best designed section of the entire game and maybe the entire series. I could not stop playing that demo, it was a revelation, action games would never be the same again.

Yet the game was just getting started, for all the groundbreaking mechanics, the perfect feel of every gun; it is the pacing and non stop insane encounter design that makes this the greatest designed action game ever made. Every single location introduces something new, and it does not stop for about 12-14 hours of PERFECTION. New enemies come just at the right moment. A new weapon is introduced with an amazing level that makes perfect use of it. A memorable boss fight hits just when the game needs it. New traps around every corner, crazy new locations, an endless parade of incredible setpieces. Never for a second was I bored. Never for a second did I stop and think, man I wish something new would happen. Cause this game NEVER STOPS. I can do an endless list of memorable moments, but it would just be a list of every room! The cabin defense! The battle against del lago! The village at night and finding out what lives inside the heads of the ganados! Maning huge catapaults! Doing a creepy hedge maze! The gigantic open hall of the castle where you must protect ashely while battling hordes of enemies! A crazy lava room! I can go on and on and on. There are some that say the island is not as good as the rest, to them I say sure, there has to be a ranking and one location has to be the worst but the island is still filled with incredible moments, dare I say the best moments of the game. Fighting the regenerators for the first time! The incredible IT boss battle! MIIIIIIIIKE!!!! The best boss in the entire game and one that rivals MGS boss battles, the fight with Krauser.

Playing the game I could not believe how good it was, how every room I was like "OH MY GOD". To this day RE4 has ruined every action game for me because none of them can match what was achieved in RE4. And its not just in the gameplay that this game excels. When this game hit RE4 was up there as maybe the best looking game ever. It was a graphical marvel, totally bug free, polished to perfection. When you beat the perfectly lengthy campaign you unlock Mercenaries mode which that alone was better than many full games. Mercs was mindblowing with this combat system! WIth five characters to unlock, four levels and WESKER! There was Assignment Ada, a pro mode and later the Ada expansion, the game just kept on giving. Its a perfect package. Oh and the story was straight enjoyable cheese, all the voice actors making their best hammy action movie impressions and it worked perfectly. It wont win any story awards but it was a fun time.

One day I plan to do a massive breakdown of every aspect of this masterpiece. Shinji Mikami can never top this, he should have just retired, once you do this your job is done. RE4 set every standard that action games should strive to be and no game has matched it since.

 
Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:03:23

I remember snickering when Iwata said "Don't pee your pants!" during an E3 preview.  I thought there was no way this game was that good.  It was also released in January past the Christmas season.  A sign to me that it wasn't good enough.  I was so wrong.  The game was truly revolutionary and so fun.

 
Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:46:09

Great game, but far from perfect. I wonder if I'd have been more impressed if I'd played it with the worse aiming of a thumb-stick, though.

 
Fri, 19 Jun 2020 02:49:57
Despite the reviews, I had no interest in this when it was first released. Then I was at GameStop and played the Village demo. Yep, I was fucking sold. That was an amazing experience. The way it ramped up as you had to run into the first house was artful. One of my favorites without question.

Also, it was the winner of the 2007 Gamespot General Forum players choice award.
 
Fri, 19 Jun 2020 04:16:17
robio said:
Despite the reviews, I had no interest in this when it was first released. Then I was at GameStop and played the Village demo. Yep, I was fucking sold. That was an amazing experience. The way it ramped up as you had to run into the first house was artful. One of my favorites without question.



Also, it was the winner of the 2007 Gamespot General Forum players choice award.

A game from 2005 won a 2007 award! awesome! Nyaa

It won neogaf game of the generation award when they did a poll for the best game of that gen.

 
Thu, 09 Jul 2020 01:02:28

1. The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Wikipedia

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Master Quest | Nintendo 64 ...



We made it! It ends with my holy triforce of gaming, my biggest love, Zelda. Zelda was the game that cemented my love for gaming when I was a wee lad and then as I was a teen it was Resident Evil and MGS that made realize this medium is going to grow with me. While those games showed the potential of story, when Ocarina of Time hit I saw the potential of the gameplay. Sure there were already some complex 3D games, it's not about how deep gameplay systems go, it's how many interesting ideas and situations can you get through compelling gameplay. Ocarina of Time checkmarked every box that I care about when playing a video game. I want to feel like I can get lost in a world, not just a big empty world but one where I know I will find something fun or unique on my own. The thrill of falling into a hole and wondering what secret will I find. Seeing that heart piece in a tree and not exactly knowing how to get there. Talking to a colorful cast of NPCs that don't do the usual fetch quest but act as a sort of puzzle on their own, naturally leading to side quests and the like. For it's time Hyrule field felt like a monster sized playground, it was 3D gaming coming to its own and saying I can make a big world to explore and make it feel lived in, like it was all carefully crafted and for OoT it was.


I did not get to play Ocarina at launch, as you know, it was about 3 years later than I finally gifted an old used N64 and got to play OoT. On paper it sounded like my dream game and when I finally got to sit and lose myself in Hyrule a found it it was my dream game. Action, puzzles, exploration, my three pillars of gameplay. Those three elements are my favorites. Usually games focus overwhelming on one or two of those, but Zelda manages to hit all three. Sure the action is normally no where close to a pure action game but Zelda combat is never a pain in the ass and rarely feels like its pointless busy work. New enemies adorn every new area. New items open up new strategies to battling them. Many times they are used in ways that are more puzzle like. Boss battles are some of the best in the medium with massive screen filling epic battles that make use of new items and strategies making them an absolute joy. OoT was filled with incredible bosses, mini bosses, enemies and the z targetting at the time was revolutionary.  I get what I need out of my Zelda combat mainly because it works in tandem with the other aspects.


Puzzles are the my favorite aspect of these games in general, in OoT Nintendo was basically flexing its muscle in the 3D space. It opened up such a massive world of potential simply with the ability to go into first person and look up! Or look around you. How do I get this to that? A game that engages the mind keeps me fully engaged. The dungeons are the perfect encapsulation of everything I want in a game in a perfect hour long segment. You have the action with enemies in every room. Puzzles to solve all over, many times with brand new gameplay mechanics that keeps the variety up. And exploring a maze like area always making you think of where to go. Some are more linear than others, but the really devilish ones like the water temple are the ones that stick out to me. The ones where you can manipulate an entire level just to solve puzzles and proceed. There is no better design to me than the 3D Zelda dungeon, and OoT set the standard for those dungeons going forward.


Then there are all the other aspects that help fill out the massive treasure trove of mechanics and situations that make up these games. Loads of mini games with great upgrades to win, I love me some mini games. Side quests with quirky characters that help bring the world to life like the story of a horse farm in Lon Lon Ranch. A glorious 40 hour adventure with little to no downtime, a game that keeps pushing forward with a totally new dungeon, new gameplay mechanics every few hours. A game you can lose yourself in and just relax listening to the iconic music, or just wandering around the mememorable locations. OoT stays with you in ways most games never do, it captures the essence of the grand adventure better than any game.

Amazon.com: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess: Artist Not ...

Twilight Princess HD GamePad Vs Wii U Pro: What's The Best ...



All three of these games I love for the reasons I explained above. OoT was the first and I feel is the most solid overall but doesnt exactly excel in each area. Twilight Princess is probably my most hyped game ever, in 2004 E3 I was one of those practically crying at the screen when they revealed adult looking link in this incredible massive hyrule. It was delayed for the launch of the wii and I was obssessed with every aspect of that game. Somehow TP didn't disappoint. In terms of main quest Twilight Princess is easily the best and most involved, incorporating what would normally be side quests and mini games into the main story. I go 100% in Zelda games so while yes exploration took a hit because all these events happen when the game wants it to happen rather than when you find it on your own, I still got to enjoy all the variety I love in Zelda games. Twilight Princess does so much! From being able to turn into a wolf, MM style and enter a different dimension, ALTTP style. Getting into joust battles on a massive bridge. Going river rafting down some rapids. Escorting a horse and carriage from a goblin attack across hyrule field. Flying a dragon over a river. Getting into an old west shoot out in an abandoned town overrun by cats. TP is massive in all the right ways, it kept me in awe from location to location, always something fun and interesting to do as you reach the next dungeon... the best dungeons in the series.


Twilight Princess took the dungeon formula to a whole new level by creating bold new locations and ideas to create the best collection of dungeons the series has ever seen. It starts off great with the monkey filled dungeon and awesome gale boomerang. Yes a lot of these dungeons got a bit more linear but it came with a better focus on making each room a unique challenge. The third dungeon, the water dungeon allowed you to rotate a massive staircase that redirected water, an homage to the Water Temple and giving the player one of those manipulate a central component dungeon that I love so much. Arbiter's Ground blew my mind away and it was in the middle of that dungeon that I realized I was playing a 10/10 masterpiece. When I got that spinner and now you are riding along rails, dodging enemies by flipping from one rail to another, I could not belive the variety, so cool! It culminates with a mindblowing boss against a gigantic dragon skeleton as you ride down an endless shaft, moments like that fill this game. Then you reach snowpeak and enter a house? The house is the dungeon, once again playing with the perception of what a dungeon could be in one of the most memorable levels I have ever played. The temple of time was a genius design level where you climb up get a new skill and use that statue moving skill to solve puzzles all the way back down, excellent design. The city in the sky gave you one of the coolest items in Zelda history with the dual clawshots making Link feel like a second rate spiderman. I also found the final areas to be extremely exciting and the multi tiered Ganon fight to be one of the best in the series.

Twilight Princess gets some hate from some but I will forever defend it. Yes it was traditional Zelda to a fault but the most interesting and most fleshed out that formula ever got to be.

Longplay of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - YouTube

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS) Screenshots

And finally, we make it to my all time favorite game, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.  I never owned it on the N64. I was gifted OoT with the N64 and I fell in love with it, my favorite game ever. It was only about a few months later in the summer of I think 2001 or 2002 where I had this blockbuster game pass that basically let me rent as many games as I wanted all summer long. I used this to play some N64 games I missed out on like Perfect Dark. In the middle of that summer I found Majora's Mask for rent, and so I rented it and for the next two weeks my life was in Termina. Summer time so I didnt have classes, I spent way too many hours playing this incredible game. It hit me in ways few games ever did, that complete encompassing feeling where all you want to do is be in that world and explore every inch. I felt at peace, a level of joy would wash over me, I feel like this game was my zen.

So why did it work it's magic on me, for one the way the game world is presented in such a way that you the player can control not just time but how all these NPC inhabitants can succed or fail in life, it was mindblowing. Majora's Mask has the best NPCs ever put in a game, no they aren't particularly deep or interesting, its how the side quests are all designed around the lives of these people. MM is groundhog day the game, you relive the same three days over and over and so do these NPCs, so you learn each of their stories during these three days and a large selection of them have quests designed around them. The bombers notebook is a thing of genius, an excellent log that breaks down the schedule of every NPC quest line to make sure you are aren't just randomly trying shit, it focuses the player perfectly to play with time and how you can change their actions to lead them to benefit their life.

That is the beautify of Majora's Mask, its a Zelda game that takes place in a dark twisted world that is about to end and all these people have regrets, or have dreams that have yet to be fullfilled before the end and you help them achieve that. Link is not just saving the world but bringing peace and happiness to the citizens of Termina. This is not a game where you find a random NPC, click a few lines of dialogue, get a waypoint and do a quest that gets checked off. Instead you learn about the lives of these people, you have to literally stalk them, learn when they are out and about, watch their life unfold and figure out the key moments that can change their life. This ranges from quests as complex as rescuing a man who has been cursed the night before his secret wedding to elope with the love of his life to something as simple as a disembodied hand that desperately needs toilet paper. Some are funny, some are heart breaking, I have never felt a connection to a world and it's people like Majora's Mask.

Majora's Mask Walkthrough - Zelda Dungeon

The crazy thing is all of that is mostly optional! There is still the same amazing Zelda adventure that took everything OoT did and add new gameplay elements with the masks. There are three masks that turn Link into new forms which give him all new powers and abilities, this adds so much variety to the gameplay. Each dungeon is themed around these new forms and skills, it does suck there were only four of them but they are all of extremely high quality, not the linear style dungeons found in TP but the more complex you are in control of a central mechanism dungeon that I feel are the best. The way the game is structured is that you go to one of the four corners of the world, find a new location with a new species or race of people that have a major calamity befalling the kingdom and you have to solve that problem and defeat the dungeon in three days. Now some complain that this game is on a time limit, and its stressful. No, you have control over that time, you can slow it down enough so that the three days are basically three hours worth of time. Each area has a ton of checkpoints that basically save your progress so that if you do reset the time you can pick up from that point meaning you have plenty of time to reach those checkpoints. No dungeon takes even close to three hours, you do not run out of time. The brilliance comes in being able to use that time in the puzzle solving with the side quests. It gives a level of world control that is far greater than the simple traveling to adult link of OoT.

As I played I was beyond enthralled with all of it. I wanted to help every NPC, wanted every heart piece, wanted to find every mask. I loved that there were like 30 collectible masks each with a special power that came into play in solving the quest lines of the NPCs, it was like putting together a massive jigsaw puzzle. I would split my time between sie questing and doing the main quest. I loved exploring the four different parts of the world, each one more intersting than the last. But the moment I knew this would be my favorite game was when I reached Termina Bay, something about the idilic beach front that was tainted that connected to me. When I cured the area of the curse and it became a beautiful colorful beach and ocean to explore, it was everything a game world should be. Turning into a Zora and diving into the waters, just pure gaming joy and freedom, it's perfect Zelda.

That's this game, it is almost everything I could ever want in one game. It has extremly varied gameplay, fun combat that makes use of many skills and a great mix of enemies, subbosses and major bosses. Exploration of the highest order that is not just random walking across a huge map but a dense world where every NPC matters, every crevase a secret. A game with fantastic puzzles, fun mini games, memorable music (only 3D Zelda with the main theme in the overworld!), it is unforgettable. When I play a video game that wants to throw into a world and capture my imagination I hold them all up to this game. Zelda games have been better in individual aspects but no game puts them all together quite like this one, Majora's Mask is for now the closest to my dream game.

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