what are the top 10 games you think a person should play to be considered a gamer.  it doenst matter the order, just the top 10.  try not to pick your 10 favorite games, but the 10 games that have pushed the boundaries of gaming or are just so memorable it would be shameful not to play them.  it was pretty tough for me to decide actually.  heres mine:

1. sonic 2

2. super mario bros.3

3. final fantasy 7

4. zelda: ocarina of time

5. tetris

6. metal gear solid

7. tomb raider

8. mortal kombat

9. megaman 2

10. heavy rain

1. Goldeneye (64)

2. Mariokart 64

3. At least one civ game

4. Super Mario Bros 3

5. Pokemon red/yellow/blue

6. Half life

7. Super Metroid

8. Resident evil 4

9. Portal

10. World of goo

You had me until the last one. It's not a classic or cultural game like the others. Want a classic in that mold, try Myst.

Meh, you should really just call this a personal top 10 list.

While some games on there are pretty universal like Super Mario Bros 3 and Tetris, other ones like Sonic 2 (too hard for a lot of people), Final Fantasy 7 (not everyone enjoys RPG's and I'm not even going to get into the best or most accessible FF argument), Metal Gear Solid (again, not for everyone), or Heavy Rain (lolwut?) just aren't games everyone should play.  You love them and that's cool, but people's taste a pretty varied and it's incredibly difficult to find a game even most people would enjoy.

A better question would be what are the 10 most influential games (and leaving influential vague for a reason)?

other then number 10. My list is essentially the same as yours in a slightly different order. I would add super metroid instead of heavy rain.

well i wanted to put at least one current gen game on there, and i didnt to put 2 of the same series on so thats why i decided heavy rain

1 Tetris

2 Super Mario Bros. 3

3 Donkey Kong Country 2

4 Civilization 2

5 Super Smash Bros Brawl

6 Mario Kart Wii

7 Wii Sports Resort

8 Grand Theft Auto 3

9 Mindsweep

10 Age of Empires 2

I just took your list and modified it a little

1. Super Mario Bros 3

2. Super Mario 64

3. Final Fantasy 8

4. The Legend of Zelda; A Link to the Past

5. Tetris

6. Super Metroid

7. Portal

8. Half Life

9. Doom

10. Gran Turismo

I'm in somewhat of a rush right now, but before I read any of these posts I was thinking, Heavy Rain and Resident Evil 4 definitely changed my view on gaming and I've been gaming since 1995 when I was 8 years old. So as of right now I have a 1 and 2. 

1. Heavy Rain

2. Resident Evil 4

The current gen is too soon to call any essentials that have proven themselves.