1. ET the extra terrestrial (atari '82)

2. Custer's revenge (atari 2600 '82)

3. Smurf rescue (atari 2600 '82)

4. Make my video (sega '92)

5. Shaq Fu (snes '94)

6. Daikatana (pc '00)

7. Big rigs over the road racing (pc '03)

8. Aquaman battle for atlantis (xbox '03)

9. Elf bowling (DS '05)

10. Leisure suit Larry: box office bust (pc '09)

Not in any order:

1. Deus Ex (just amazing and has to be played for it's depths and amazing game world)

2. Super Mario World (or any 2D Mario really)

3. Zelda (again, any really, your first will usually hold a special place)

4. Street Fighter II/ Tekken 3 (couldn't decide which beat-em-up to put in but I think these are the best of 2D & 3D)

5. Half-Life/Half-Life 2 Counterstrike (revolutionised SP FPS and storytelling in games)

6. A Bioware RPG (the RPG depends on your personal tastes)

7. An Elder Scrolls game (prefferably Morrowind, Oblivion or possibly Skyrim when it's out)

8. GTA: Vice City/San Andreas (pure open world fun)

9. Starcraft (the game's a national sport in Korea!)

10. Uncharted 2 (has aspects of multiple genres so there should be something there for most people)

"pushed the boundries of gaming" really rules a lot of the games out listed here. That means it would havew to do things games before have not done. I mean most of the games in the OP list are sequels, and not even sequels that did much that their predecessors didn't do.

I would give Ocarina, as Z-targeting showed how combat in polygon graphics didn't have to be ruined by the camera (although games like Kingdom Hearts show you can still even screw that up). I wouldn't give Heavy Rain, as it's basically a visual novel with loads of quick time events... which even some visual novels already do.

-1- warcraft 3: the forzen throne.

-2- pokemon blue

-3- half life

-4- counter strike

-5- red alert 2

-6-  gta:vice city

-7- super mario brothers

-8-  gran turismo

-9- need for speed

-10- psychonauts.

1.  A great 1 on 1 fighter.  Street Fighter 2 (or Street Fighter 4) would be a good game to show the fundamentals that most every fighting game follows.

2.  A great sidescrolling platformer.  Probably Super Mario Bros. 1 (All Stars Version).  Simple enough to show the basics but fun enough to be enjoyable.

3.  Tetris.  The king of all puzzle games.  Every gamer should feel the sensation of being one with the controller in a zen-like state.

4.  Super Monkey Ball is a great game for teaching users the finer details of analog control.  It starts off simple enough but by the time the game is over, controlling a character in 3D is second nature.

5.  Call of Duty Modern Warfare is one of the best selling games of all time for a reason.  Once you get a taste of online multi-player done right, you're hooked.  So many modes and weapons, you can't help but love it.

6.  There's a stigma that video games are for kids.  Even in this day and age where the average user is over 30, this stereotype still exists.  That's where Heavy Rain comes in.  You have a "game" that manages to suck you in and fill you with emotion in a way that no movie possibly could.

7.  The one that started it all for many gamers just keeps getting better.  My latest addiction is Pac-Man Championship Editon DX.  Simple addictive twitch gameplay.  I choose it over the original because it's the best implementation of the original formula.  It's a nice intro into the world of downloadable games, too!

8.  Is motion control here to stay?  Well, I played Sports Champions for the Playstation Move today and I hope the answer is YES!!  Wii Sports is the game that started motion controls (in its current form, anyway) and would serve as a nice tutorial and a gateway drug to the genre.  Simple and fun.

9.  I'm sure there are better games but this is MY list so it's my pick!!  I like customizing my game experience.  Sure, a game like Little Big Planet lets you customize pretty much every aspect of the game but sometimes that can be a little overwhelming.  Smackdown vs Raw 2011 provides just the right amount of customization to be simple yet deep and very satisfying, too.  Plus the characters are familiar to the gaming demographic.

10.  Valkyria Chronicles just barely edges out my sentimental favorite, Gears of War 2.  The game combines third person shooting, rpg elements, strategy elements, and an endearing artstyle to become something truly special.  I wanted to go with Gears 2 for the co-op gameplay experience (it's top notch!) but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't go with Valkyria.  Plus there's a bathing suit scene!!

Heavy Rain has to prove it stops people from thinking that games are for kids. You can't just declare it does when it's been out for a year and the stigma is still there.

And this applies to other games as well, just this game gets the most declaration of it, when the declariation is clearly not founded.

Hmmm...let's see...not in any order, and doesn't mean necessarily they're the best games ever

Final Fantasy VII
Quake
GTA: Vice City
Portal
Metal Gear Solid
Shadow of the Colossus
The Sims
Civilization (any)
Prince of Persia (the original)
Pokemon Red/Blue/Gold/Silver

EDIT

I can't pick just ten. I just can't.

Which developers? I don't see loads of announcements from developers, known for the same old, same old, of games that are breaking that mold. Just saying it inspired is not the same as actually doing it. That's not a spin, unless you think "talk is cheap" isn't true.

And it's not as though risk taking has been on hold this generation.

EDIT: That's not to say that this game can't inspire more, just that it's easy to praise something and not follow up.