8 - Silkworm - NES (or Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore64)
OR 
Why not both?
Ok, I've been getting dangerously recent lately, so time to take it back to the roots! The No save function roots! The sidescrolling arcade shooter roots that is. With one of the best dam games of the genre, SILKWORM!
Now, you may not be familliar with the game. That's because you had no friends and could never play two player. The games awesome co-op mode is where it trancends a normal gaming experience. One player takes a helicopter, the other player a jeep that can jump. It's teamwork that will get you through this game. Teamwork and shooting every god damned thing that moves (even the floating silicone breast implants, and don't you try and tell me that's not what they are!)
What made the game even greater was it's wonderfully predictable bosses.
Level one, a giant tank.
Level two, a giant helicopter.
Level three, a giant tank
Level four, a giant helicopter
etc, etc, etc on and on and on and on!
This game ate up way too much of my life. I beat it playing with Pat. I beat it playing with Derek, and I even beat it playing with Andrew (ok not really, but it's not my fault the guy's crappy in a helicopter).
Find this game, play this game, and only then can you try and tell me that Gears of War, God of War or any other GOW is an intense game!
I'm a mod, come to me if there's mod'n to do.
Chrizum is the best thing to happen to the internet, Period.
Serves me right for challenging his sales predictions!
Bet with dsisister44: Red Steel 2 will sell 1 million within it's first 365 days of sales.
