I originally was going to do the typical "top 10." But I absolutely couldn't decide - I was having to eliminate some awesome games that I didn't want to. So I expanded to 15 games so I could get just a few more of my favorites on the list. Before you comment and say I left off some great game; obviously, if I haven't played a game it can't make my list. And there are TONS of great games I haven't played. The Sega Genesis was, for all intents and purposes, last video game console I owned. After that it was all PC for me. And even then, I purchased and played very few games. Although 2 years ago we did buy a Nintendo Wii so we could play a select few games. So my list is heavily weighted on games around the late '80s and early '90s.
Without further ado, here is my Top 15 Video Games of All Time (any platform)
15. Phantasy Star 2 (Sega Genesis)
We start off the list with a heavy-hitter in my book. I love role-playing games (RPGs), and Phantasy Star 2 is among the best. Even though this game is at 15 on my list, it's easily one of the games I played the most hours on. The perfectionist in my wants to "max" everything out. So I played this game to the point where all of my characters were completely maxed out at 9,999,999 experience points - which took a long time to do!
14. Ghouls and Ghosts (Sega Genesis)
Ghouls and Ghosts is a classic arcade game from the late '80s. Whereas this game was ported to every single console and computer at the time, I'm giving the award to the Sega Genesis version. It's true the Genesis version doesn't have the best graphics or sound, but it has the best controls making the game the most fun to play. The arcade and all console ports of the game do not accept diagonal input on the controller - only up, down, left, and right. The Genesis version allows diagonals which makes playing the game much easier and more enjoyable.
13. Phantasy Star 1 (Sega Master System)
The original Phantasy Star is a game I never owned, but I did borrow it from a friend back in grade school. This is the game that started my love affair with role-playing games. This game has everything, awesome graphics, great sound, and a story line that keeps you coming back for more. I feel this is the single best game on the Sega Master System.
12. Command and Conquer (PC)
Command and Conquer is another long running game series with many sequels and spin-offs. The original C&C is one of my favorite games. With a wide variety of units and other build options, plus a good number of levels to play through, what's not to love about this game? Although C&C was ported to many systems, I have to give the award to the PC version. Having a mouse to control game play is so much easier than any other method.
11. Sonic 2 (Sega Genesis)
Nintendo had Mario and Sega had Sonic - and they battled it out in the 90s. Whereas the original Sonic was a great game, I always like Sonic 2 the most. The graphics and colors were more polished, they added the spin-dash move, and the speed was increased even more. The only thing I don't like about Sonic 2 is this annoying Tails character. Fortunately you can turn him off and play with just Sonic on screen.
10. Phantasy Star 4 (Sega Genesis)
Phantasy Star 4 is a game I never played until about 2 years ago. As previously stated, Phantasy Star 2 was one of my favorite games. But Phantasy Star 3 was a huge disappointment. It was vastly different - the story didn't seem to connected at all. The graphics were, at best, slightly better. But the battle mechanics were totally different and just didn't work for me. So I avoided Phantasy Star 4 when it came out. Boy was that a mistake. This game is a true sequel to Phantasy Star 2. Taking everything that was great about the previous 3 games and taking it up another level!
9. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 (PC)
Red Alert 2 was a sequel/spin-off in the ever popular C&C franchise. To me this is where C&C got it right and it went downhill from here. Newer games focus on graphics and lack the game play of Red Alert 2. Red Alert 2 had the perfect balance of offense to defense, amount shown on screen versus graphical detail, and fun versus challenge. One of my favorite features of this game was the random generation of maps - which means each time you play things are a little different, which makes the reply value very high.
8. Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Genesis)
Streets of Rage 2 on the Sega Genesis is the best beat 'm up game I've played. The first SoR was a good game with awesome music, and SoR 2 took it too the next level. The characters are larger and more of them, more moves and weapons, and the graphics and music as even better than the first. Sadly this was the pinnacle of the series as SoR 3 tried too hard to innovate and missed the mark. If you love SoR 2 as much as I do, be sure and check out Streets of Rage Remake v5.
7. Unreal Tournament 2003 (PC)
UT03 blew me away when I first played it. The graphics were incredible for the time. But the action is so fast and the game play so intense. Never before or sense has there been such a perfect game strictly for deathmatch. One of the things that's so awesome about this game is how good the computer A.I. is. It doesn't matter how good you are, you can always increase the skill of the "bots" to ensure a challenge for you. Of course, you can always play over the Internet or LAN with a friend. I know this game was followed quickly by UT04, but I prefer 2003. The main addition in 2004 was vehicles, but I prefer the strict foot combat.
6. Super Mario World (Super Nintendo)
From a sheer "fun" aspect, Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo is one of the most fun games of all times. It's by no means a hard game. But Nintendo hit the sweet-spot with this game. Lots to explore with tons of hidden items and levels. What's even more impressive is that this game was a lunch title - heck the pack in game. Usually games for a system get better with time as the programmers learn how to take advantage of the new system's capabilities. So the fact the best game in the Super Nintendo's lineup was the first game created on the system is a credit to the programmers - and a sad note to all Super Nintendo games to follow. I'm still shocked that Nintendo never released a successor to this game on the Super Nintendo.
5. Battlefield 2 (PC)
BF2 is one of those mixed bag games for me. So much fun, yet at the same time so much frustration. As such, I have a lot to say about it. As FPS combat simulator games goes, this one is tops. Oh, the hours I've spent fragging people (and being fragged). There's nothing quite like the feeling of a great sniper shot from far away, or finishing a map in first place. But this game has a lot of problems too. It took a number of patches before EA/Dice got it right. There were so many bugs such as the infamous blue/red name bug in which the identifier of friends and foes would get switched causing you to frag a teammate. There were also a lot of people who would exploit bugs in the game to dominate a map. Or they would use special cheating software to auto-aim the gun for more accurate kills. EA/Dice tried to fix these, but it still happened. In the end, your best bet was to find a server where the admins actively kicked and banned users who ruined the experience for the rest. Another complaint I have with this game was the aircraft. If you joined a team without a good pilot in the and the other team had a good pilot, you didn't stand a chance. As a ground troop your chances of shooting down a jet were very slim. Even if you jump into AAA or a ground vehicle with a machine gun. As a result, I primarily stuck to maps/servers without vehicles. And my final complaint with this game is one that's valid of so many new games these days. Once EA/Dice turn off the BF2 servers, you can't really enjoy the game anymore. Classic games like this will ALWAYS be fun, regardless of how advanced the current generation of computers/consoles are. But online games like this, once the servers are down you can never go back. Yes, you can still play BF2 locally on single-player mode, but it's not the same. All weapon upgrades are gone, and this game has horrible bot A.I. But despite all these flaws, BF2 is still one of my favorite games of all time!
4. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Nintendo Entertainment System made a lot of people take a second look at this aging system. SMB 3 came out late in the NES life cycle, and newer systems like the Sega Genesis were already released so graphically the NES was looking very dated. But SMB3 proved the system still had great game play to deliver. The original SMB was a great game, and anyone who knows the back story behind SMB 2 knows why it was such a radically different game. But SMB 3 returned to the great game play of the first one and adds so much more! This is still one of the games I pull out and play on a regular basis. This game is the sole reason why I bought a Nintendo Entertainment System 20 years after the system was retired. This game was a home run and everyone should play it, young and old, male and female, gamer or not!
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo Wii)
From SMB 3 fast forward about 20 years to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I've long felt that graphics do not a game make. Newer games with "cool" graphics does not mean it will be more fun that games of old. But New Super Mario Bros. Wii proves that you can have both. This game takes what was great about SMB 3 and Super Mario World and builds upon it, adds in modern 3D graphics carefully rendered to give it that old-school 2D look. The result is one of the best games ever! As far as I'm concerned, if you like platforming games, and especially if you like SMB 3 and/or Super Mario World, this single game is worth buying a Wii for. There is a successor to this game on the Wii U but I haven't played it. I really want to, but Nintendo made a stupid design decision with the Wii U. I refuse to buy a Wii U because I don't want a huge game pad with LCD screen while playing games on the TV.
2. Doom / Doom2 (PC)
Ah Doom, how I love thee! Back when computers and consoles were only powerful enough to play 2D games, when a fully immersive 3D game like this comes along it just blows you away. The graphics were incredible for the time. But it had game play to match the great visuals. And with deathmatch over the modem or LAN with friends made for great fun. I'm giving the award to both Doom and Doom 2 as they are really just the same game. Few improvements went into Doom 2, just more levels of the same great stuff. These two games defined my college life my freshman and sophomore years. Like other popular games, Doom was ported to every major console and computer of the time (and since). I'm considering the PC version to be the best. Using a keyboard to control Doom just feels more natural than video game controllers.
1. Street Fighter 2 (Sega Genesis / Arcade)
The best game of all time, in my opinion, is Street Fighter 2. It is amazing how perfectly balanced Capcom got this game. With over a dozen fighters they are all well balanced. Any one fighter can be used to defeat anyone else. There is no character that has an unfair advantage over the others. Just a perfect fighting system that allows the skill of the player to shine through. This game was originally an arcade game, but was also ported to every home console. My favorite version would be the Sega Genesis version. Whereas the graphics and sound of the arcade were better, if I played this game in the arcade I would have spent countless thousands of dollars on quarters. That's how much I played this game. If Doom was my college life, then Street Fighter 2 was my high school career. I also liked the six button controllers on the Sega Genesis, much better control than the shoulder buttons on the Super Nintendo. Whereas I was skilled at using all characters in the game, my favorites were Ken, Ryu, Guile, Chun Li, and Dhalsim. I got to be so good at this game that my friends accused me of reprogramming the game so that I could cheat and always win.
There you have it. My top 15 video games of all time! It's sad to think how much time of my life has been spent playing the above games. But at the same time, video games are the reason why I studied Computer Science in college which turned into a long and successful career.
We start off the list with a heavy-hitter in my book. I love role-playing games (RPGs), and Phantasy Star 2 is among the best. Even though this game is at 15 on my list, it's easily one of the games I played the most hours on. The perfectionist in my wants to "max" everything out. So I played this game to the point where all of my characters were completely maxed out at 9,999,999 experience points - which took a long time to do!
14. Ghouls and Ghosts (Sega Genesis)
Ghouls and Ghosts is a classic arcade game from the late '80s. Whereas this game was ported to every single console and computer at the time, I'm giving the award to the Sega Genesis version. It's true the Genesis version doesn't have the best graphics or sound, but it has the best controls making the game the most fun to play. The arcade and all console ports of the game do not accept diagonal input on the controller - only up, down, left, and right. The Genesis version allows diagonals which makes playing the game much easier and more enjoyable.
13. Phantasy Star 1 (Sega Master System)
The original Phantasy Star is a game I never owned, but I did borrow it from a friend back in grade school. This is the game that started my love affair with role-playing games. This game has everything, awesome graphics, great sound, and a story line that keeps you coming back for more. I feel this is the single best game on the Sega Master System.
12. Command and Conquer (PC)
Command and Conquer is another long running game series with many sequels and spin-offs. The original C&C is one of my favorite games. With a wide variety of units and other build options, plus a good number of levels to play through, what's not to love about this game? Although C&C was ported to many systems, I have to give the award to the PC version. Having a mouse to control game play is so much easier than any other method.
Nintendo had Mario and Sega had Sonic - and they battled it out in the 90s. Whereas the original Sonic was a great game, I always like Sonic 2 the most. The graphics and colors were more polished, they added the spin-dash move, and the speed was increased even more. The only thing I don't like about Sonic 2 is this annoying Tails character. Fortunately you can turn him off and play with just Sonic on screen.
Phantasy Star 4 is a game I never played until about 2 years ago. As previously stated, Phantasy Star 2 was one of my favorite games. But Phantasy Star 3 was a huge disappointment. It was vastly different - the story didn't seem to connected at all. The graphics were, at best, slightly better. But the battle mechanics were totally different and just didn't work for me. So I avoided Phantasy Star 4 when it came out. Boy was that a mistake. This game is a true sequel to Phantasy Star 2. Taking everything that was great about the previous 3 games and taking it up another level!
9. Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 (PC)
Red Alert 2 was a sequel/spin-off in the ever popular C&C franchise. To me this is where C&C got it right and it went downhill from here. Newer games focus on graphics and lack the game play of Red Alert 2. Red Alert 2 had the perfect balance of offense to defense, amount shown on screen versus graphical detail, and fun versus challenge. One of my favorite features of this game was the random generation of maps - which means each time you play things are a little different, which makes the reply value very high.
8. Streets of Rage 2 (Sega Genesis)
Streets of Rage 2 on the Sega Genesis is the best beat 'm up game I've played. The first SoR was a good game with awesome music, and SoR 2 took it too the next level. The characters are larger and more of them, more moves and weapons, and the graphics and music as even better than the first. Sadly this was the pinnacle of the series as SoR 3 tried too hard to innovate and missed the mark. If you love SoR 2 as much as I do, be sure and check out Streets of Rage Remake v5.
7. Unreal Tournament 2003 (PC)
UT03 blew me away when I first played it. The graphics were incredible for the time. But the action is so fast and the game play so intense. Never before or sense has there been such a perfect game strictly for deathmatch. One of the things that's so awesome about this game is how good the computer A.I. is. It doesn't matter how good you are, you can always increase the skill of the "bots" to ensure a challenge for you. Of course, you can always play over the Internet or LAN with a friend. I know this game was followed quickly by UT04, but I prefer 2003. The main addition in 2004 was vehicles, but I prefer the strict foot combat.
From a sheer "fun" aspect, Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo is one of the most fun games of all times. It's by no means a hard game. But Nintendo hit the sweet-spot with this game. Lots to explore with tons of hidden items and levels. What's even more impressive is that this game was a lunch title - heck the pack in game. Usually games for a system get better with time as the programmers learn how to take advantage of the new system's capabilities. So the fact the best game in the Super Nintendo's lineup was the first game created on the system is a credit to the programmers - and a sad note to all Super Nintendo games to follow. I'm still shocked that Nintendo never released a successor to this game on the Super Nintendo.
BF2 is one of those mixed bag games for me. So much fun, yet at the same time so much frustration. As such, I have a lot to say about it. As FPS combat simulator games goes, this one is tops. Oh, the hours I've spent fragging people (and being fragged). There's nothing quite like the feeling of a great sniper shot from far away, or finishing a map in first place. But this game has a lot of problems too. It took a number of patches before EA/Dice got it right. There were so many bugs such as the infamous blue/red name bug in which the identifier of friends and foes would get switched causing you to frag a teammate. There were also a lot of people who would exploit bugs in the game to dominate a map. Or they would use special cheating software to auto-aim the gun for more accurate kills. EA/Dice tried to fix these, but it still happened. In the end, your best bet was to find a server where the admins actively kicked and banned users who ruined the experience for the rest. Another complaint I have with this game was the aircraft. If you joined a team without a good pilot in the and the other team had a good pilot, you didn't stand a chance. As a ground troop your chances of shooting down a jet were very slim. Even if you jump into AAA or a ground vehicle with a machine gun. As a result, I primarily stuck to maps/servers without vehicles. And my final complaint with this game is one that's valid of so many new games these days. Once EA/Dice turn off the BF2 servers, you can't really enjoy the game anymore. Classic games like this will ALWAYS be fun, regardless of how advanced the current generation of computers/consoles are. But online games like this, once the servers are down you can never go back. Yes, you can still play BF2 locally on single-player mode, but it's not the same. All weapon upgrades are gone, and this game has horrible bot A.I. But despite all these flaws, BF2 is still one of my favorite games of all time!
4. Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo Entertainment System)
Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Nintendo Entertainment System made a lot of people take a second look at this aging system. SMB 3 came out late in the NES life cycle, and newer systems like the Sega Genesis were already released so graphically the NES was looking very dated. But SMB3 proved the system still had great game play to deliver. The original SMB was a great game, and anyone who knows the back story behind SMB 2 knows why it was such a radically different game. But SMB 3 returned to the great game play of the first one and adds so much more! This is still one of the games I pull out and play on a regular basis. This game is the sole reason why I bought a Nintendo Entertainment System 20 years after the system was retired. This game was a home run and everyone should play it, young and old, male and female, gamer or not!
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo Wii)
From SMB 3 fast forward about 20 years to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I've long felt that graphics do not a game make. Newer games with "cool" graphics does not mean it will be more fun that games of old. But New Super Mario Bros. Wii proves that you can have both. This game takes what was great about SMB 3 and Super Mario World and builds upon it, adds in modern 3D graphics carefully rendered to give it that old-school 2D look. The result is one of the best games ever! As far as I'm concerned, if you like platforming games, and especially if you like SMB 3 and/or Super Mario World, this single game is worth buying a Wii for. There is a successor to this game on the Wii U but I haven't played it. I really want to, but Nintendo made a stupid design decision with the Wii U. I refuse to buy a Wii U because I don't want a huge game pad with LCD screen while playing games on the TV.
Ah Doom, how I love thee! Back when computers and consoles were only powerful enough to play 2D games, when a fully immersive 3D game like this comes along it just blows you away. The graphics were incredible for the time. But it had game play to match the great visuals. And with deathmatch over the modem or LAN with friends made for great fun. I'm giving the award to both Doom and Doom 2 as they are really just the same game. Few improvements went into Doom 2, just more levels of the same great stuff. These two games defined my college life my freshman and sophomore years. Like other popular games, Doom was ported to every major console and computer of the time (and since). I'm considering the PC version to be the best. Using a keyboard to control Doom just feels more natural than video game controllers.
The best game of all time, in my opinion, is Street Fighter 2. It is amazing how perfectly balanced Capcom got this game. With over a dozen fighters they are all well balanced. Any one fighter can be used to defeat anyone else. There is no character that has an unfair advantage over the others. Just a perfect fighting system that allows the skill of the player to shine through. This game was originally an arcade game, but was also ported to every home console. My favorite version would be the Sega Genesis version. Whereas the graphics and sound of the arcade were better, if I played this game in the arcade I would have spent countless thousands of dollars on quarters. That's how much I played this game. If Doom was my college life, then Street Fighter 2 was my high school career. I also liked the six button controllers on the Sega Genesis, much better control than the shoulder buttons on the Super Nintendo. Whereas I was skilled at using all characters in the game, my favorites were Ken, Ryu, Guile, Chun Li, and Dhalsim. I got to be so good at this game that my friends accused me of reprogramming the game so that I could cheat and always win.
There you have it. My top 15 video games of all time! It's sad to think how much time of my life has been spent playing the above games. But at the same time, video games are the reason why I studied Computer Science in college which turned into a long and successful career.
You probably know this but Phantasy Star 4 has multiple endings. An amazing game.
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