#35 Silent Hill 2 played on ps2, released 2001

My favorite horror game. Silent Hill 2 has the perfect balance of exploration, puzzles, suspense and action. You never feel safe and you're never confident in encounters which is essential for horror games. It has great atmosphere right from the beginning, entering the town in the fog is really well done. The game made excellent use of shadows, I would say better then you get nowadays.
I also love the use of the map with little notes scribbled on top when you find clues. The music and sound effects were excellent as well, the static crackling in the radio still haunts me.
The developers really knew how to screw with your mind. Little touches like "Would you like to reach your hand in this hole yes/no" Nooo, but I have to find the key. A long animation follows showing what's happening on the other side while your heart beat is getting louder over the speakers, and nothing happens, this time. Having something finally happen is actually as much relief as it is frightening. That's great build up of suspense.
This gen only Siren blood curse came close for me as a good horror game. Amnesia the dark descent didn't grip me, but that's probably my fault for trying it behind a 19" pc monitor with crappy sound. Alan Wake is a great game too, but doesn't offer much in terms of horror or suspense.

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You did say that (well except for not beating Ocarina of Time, which has a wicked end of game battle). You said you felt N64/PS1 gen was a transition period, and I told you I disagree. Zelda was best on N64 (IMO) same with Mario Party, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Yoshi, Super Mario, and Starfox (PS1 also has MGS, Final Fantasy, Twisted Metal, and other examples, but it's less clear cut as Nintendo).

Every game since the masterpeices Nintendo made on the N64, I feel just try to mimic the gameplay and quality of the N64 games. Very little has been brought to the table since. Smash Bros, and Mario Kart follow almost identical gameplay mechanics as the N64 versions, except they offer more content on Wii (but not that massive of a graphical bost in the decade of age between them). Zelda, and Super Mario have been relativly unchanged, the core gameplay is the same as it was on N64. Other franchises like Mario Party and Starfox have actually gone downhill since the N64 gen.

I mean, I dare you to say Starfox Assult was better then Starfox 64.

I can't say the N64 generation was particularly better then any other gen, but for Nintendo it was their hallmark generation. SNES is my favorite console, and PS2 did offer a lot of JRPG's. This gen also probably has more AAA titles then any gen prior.

38 - Valkyria Chronicles (ps3)
37 - Conker's Bad Fur Day (n64)
36 - Bayonetta (ps3)
35 - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (ps2)

Mass Update:

48. Age of Empires III (& Expansions) (PC)

Third game in the Age of Empires series of RTS games (fourth if you include Age of Mythology). This one added some new gameplay ideas such as adding mecenaries, fixed trade routes and a levelling home city. Some of these ideas can be seen in the recently released Age of Empires Online.

47. Tekken 5/Dark Ressurection (PS2/PSP, also on PSN)

One of only 2 beat-em-up on my list. I could never get on with the 2D fighters (partly because I sucked... well, mostly). In Tekken, everything just seemed to click and this represents one of the best in the series. I haven't got 6 mind and the new Street Fighter/Tekken games looks to have potential...

46. Prince of Persia (PS3, also on 360 & PC)

I've always felt this game got an undeservedly hard time. Yes, it's not as hard as the previous games, the enemies are a bit dull and fights a bit repetitive, but platforming mechanics were just a joy that few games can replicate. The sheer perfection in the platforming mechanics combined with the impressive art and intriguing characters are what made this game great.

45. Duke Nukem 3D (PC, also on iPhone, Xbox Live and N64)

Going down my list I think this is the only 2D shooter. At a time when FPS' were taking themselves too seriously, along came Duke, his babes and 80's one liners. Beyond that though the guns were fun, levels huge/inventive and boss battles epic. Really should have stayed in the 90s though.

44. Tomb Raider Legend (PC, also on PS2, Xbox, PSN, XBL, and in the HD Trilogy)

In the last gen, Tomb Raider and Lara Croft needed a makeover (like this gen actually). They got it in spectacular form in Tomb Raider Legend. The mechanics were vastly improved so they were more in-line with Prince of Persia, but it kept the puzzles and Indiana Jones-esque feelings of adventure.

43. Age of Empires: Online (PC)

The new free-to-play Age of Empires game takes some of the best aspects of the series and places into an online environment. The basic AoE gameplay is still there but with more customisation, odd cartoony graphics (that somehow work) and an RPG-like levelling system.

42. Final Fantasy X (PS2)

This felt a bit linear for a FF game but the story and new strategic battle system kept me plugging through the game and I'm glad I did. The graphics at the time were pretty good too.

41. Bomb Jack (Amstrad CPC 464, also in Arcade, also on Commodore 64/16, Atari ST, Amiga, Game Boy and now on Wii Virtual Console)

This is the only video game my mother has ever played. Younger posters are probably thinking 'WTF?' but this game is pure platforming brilliance. Someone has planted 24 bombs in 5 high profile locations and it's up to Bomb Jack (with his impressive jumping and gliding ability) to collect and defuse them. Collect the bombs in the right order (denoted by the order the bombs sparkle) and get a massive bonus. But watch out for those fast moving robots! Now on Wii's Virtual Console if anyone wants to give it a go.

40. Neverwinter Nights 2 (+ Mask of the Betrayer & Storm of Zehir) (PC)

This game modernised Neverwinter Nights to some extent whilst still retaining much of what made Neverwinter great. A solid RPG with some interesting characters if a little stereotypical. Was also nice that you could control multiple characters in your party rather than just having a single henchman. Mask of the Betrayer added extra story whilst Storm of Zehir added some old school adventure seperate from the rest of the game.

39. Unreal Tournament (PC, also on DC and PS2)

This game was a revolution; the first game marketed as a pure online shooter. Fast paced action, multiple game modes, superb level design and a plethora of weaponry made this game sublime. Unreal Engine and Epic would never have been so big if it hadn't been for this game's success.

38. Tekken 3 (PS1)

Perfected the fighing mechanics in Tekken 1 & 2, mechanics that haven't changed a whole lot since. All the Tekken games since have replicated the mechanics of Tekken 3 only adding small evolutions to a brilliant game.

37. Assassins Creed II (PS3, also on 360 & PC)

The first game was a bit boring and repetitive. The sequel completely changed that with a massive playable world but with interesting quests and just generally filling the game with some superb content.

36. Age of Mythology & Titans Expansion (PC)

Brilliant Age of Empires gameplay combined with creatures of myth/legend and powers given by the gods. Was also the first 'Age of' game to go 3D. It worked and I still enjoying playing 2-player with my girlfriend.

Really? I thought it was brilliant. It was a time of great innovation and experimentation whilst developers got to grips with how to build games in 3D. Every game that came out was a fresh take and were attempting things that had never been done before. Some of the biggest franchises in the world started that gen.

35. Championship Manager 97/98

Here's one that'll no doubt confuse some people (Americans), but it's probably one of my all time most played games. Pick a team to manage, buy/sell players, stick 11 of them in a team and watch events unfold via a text based screen. It might sound a little odd that you just watch in that way rather than playing it out yourself like you would in FIFA games, but it's actually incredibly addictive and I'd often find myself completing a season (or more) in one play session.

Managerial sims will be few and far between in this top 50 of all time chart me thinks. I was actually convinced me having player manager 2000 as my #43 would be the only entry, way to prove me wrong :D

So basically everything Japanese at that time translated well into the third dimension?

Also new titles like Metal Gear Solid were pretty damn good on PS1.

Only games that didn't translate will IMO are Resident Evil and GTA, but honestly I like the old school Resident Evil controls.

#35 Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle Cars PSN/3

35.

As much as I love horror games this is the only horror game on my top 50. Not that there is not many good horror games but no horror game was as memorable and executed so well as Fatal Frame. The game sells you on everything and knew how to do more then a cheap scare now and then and even when you knew a scare was coming it would still somehow take you by surprise. Combat with these ghosts still worked so well and it was actually a game with a lot of content. Fatal Frame 2 and 3 were both excellent sequels and games in themselves but nothing can match the wow factor of part 1. If you like horror games and have never played this game you should be ashamed of yourself and signing up for a Ebay account shortly after reading this, you will thank me later.