Definitely the height of the series before traffic checking and removal of crash mode. I have it a couple spots higher on my list. The best arcade racer for sure. The only thing missing is being able to race in a bus, I loved that in the first one, 2 city buses battling it out in split screen :)

I did all I could with what I have... not my fault I can't edit other people's posts.

#24: InFamous 2 PS3

2 words, "Let go" They are the ones that cemented this game in my all time list, loved that moment.

#24 Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri played on PC, released 1999

Even wonder what future tech 1,2,3 etc was all about in Civilization, here comes the proper follow up. Alpha Centauri begins where civilization leaves off with the space race victory. You and 6 other factions begin colonizing Chiron in the Alpha Centauri system.
All the elements of civilization are there, plus evidence of an old alien presence and a planet that turns out to be a sentient live form in itself. The futuristic tech tree is well thought out and you can customize your own units with the technologies you discover.
A great game with an interesting back story and lots of little surprises along the way. You simply can't put it down once you start. Just one more turn, really.

List

Age of Empires 2: The Conquers gave me 100's of hours of fun playing online with my friends, Conquers gave AoE:2 three more civilaztions but also gave imporvements and tweaks to the game. AoE:TC is one of the few RTS that I loved and I doubt I'll ever feel this way towards another RTS again after what happened to AoE's creators. 

24. The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)

I love all the Monkey Island games (even the fourth one), but I could only find room for one of them in my list, so I chose the one that I love the most. This one follows Guybrush as he tries to correct the incredible screw-up that was giving Elaine a cursed ring, which turned her into a gold statue. It gets worse though, as she's also stolen fairly quckly, and LeChuck is involved as well of course. There was the usual funny dialogue, the return of insult sword fighting, and numerous memorable tasks to complete, such as getting a map off someone when it was tattooed on their back, and all of this added up to a great game.

Definetely, the best monkey island of the series. Altough I loved Monkey Island 1 and 2, but this one is incredibly fun and funny. I have it higher on my list.

25 is Super Mario Sunshine, and i forget my 24...

I love that game, why don't we get this kind of quality anymore.

Holy overly long description, Batman!

#25) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2/PC/Xbox)

It's funny. Many gamers of my age utterly dismiss games that they could possible enjoy just because their self-consciousness about their own masculinity prevents them from enjoying anything that doesn't have coarse language and excessive amounts of virtual intestines continuously splattering across the screen. But I dismissed this game for years because it had those two things.

I don't shy away from violence or swearing; I've been foulmouthed and into action movies since kindergarten. It was just that every 18-rated game I'd played before Vice City had been a shallow turd with gameplay as an afterthought, and the "edgy" subject matter (Oooooh, guns and drugs!) as the main attraction. Including GTA III. So what the Hell was I supposed to expect? Certainly not well-written (and completely skippable) dialogue, an interesting cast of characters, an even more interesting setting, a great (albeit completely licensed) soundtrack, and good controls even outside the vehicle. But that's exactly what Vice City has to offer. Well, that and ethnic stereotypes and Scarface worship. (Sorry, old habits die hard)