11. Age of Empires + Rise of Rome Expansion (PC)

The original Age of Empires is my highest rated RTS game. It might not have been as amazing in multiplayer as Age 2 and it might not have the outrageous units of Age of Mythology but there's an old school charm to this game... or maybe it's just because it was my first RTS! This and the original Starcraft came out at similar time, and they were both fantastic introductions into the RTS world.

Part of what made me enjoy this so much though was the setting. Guiding a civilisation from its early roots to the height of an empire really struck a cord with me, more so than the sequels. It is part of a small collection of games that must always be installed on my PC for instant access when I have that nostalgic feeling and it actually still holds up pretty well for a game that is over 13 years old. The graphics are obviously dated (although not as much as you might think) and the AI frustrating by todays standards but the solid balanced gameplay of the Age of Empires series doesn't age.

The Rise of Rome expansion also added 4 new civilisations including Rome and Carthage, some extra defensive units to balance the game further and upped the population limit for multiplayer to 200 from 50.

10. Dragon Age: Origins + Awakening expansion (PC also on 360 & PS3)

Spiritiual successor to Baldurs Gate, 5 years in the making and with a unique twist with the 6 different Origin stories. Last year this only made no. 15 but I had yet to play all the origin stories. Seems I had left some of the best until last because the Dwarven commoner storyline was one of the best origin story in the game and has helped to push this game to no. 10. I've also had a chance to play the Awakening expansion which was good, although not quite as entertaining as the main game and Dragon Age II, which was pretty poor and actually helped highlight everything the makes this game great.

The story is your basic modern fantasy fare; Tolkien-like but much darker (characters would frequently get covered in masses of blood to the point of looking like Kratos). However, what it lacks in orginality it makes up for in old-school gameplay and a mix of interesting characters ranging from the sterotypical (Alistair) to the bizzare (Morrigan, Zevran). The Origin stories were an especially interesting route with some rather unique twists for each one. A great RPG from Bioware. I really hope Dragon Age 3 takes more from this than Dragon Age 2.

Looks like a lot of people have a kart racing game in/near the top 10.

#10) Crash Team Racing (PS/PS3)

I'm not the biggest fan of the fifth generation of video games, (a fact which I have broadcasted on numerous occasions over the course of this list) but there is a handful of games from that period that I still enjoy, namely most of Naughty Dog's output.

CTR contains some (Oh, who am I kidding?) most of the most memorable and well-designed tracks in the history of the genre. It's excellently balanced, infinitely replayable, and it has the best controls of any kart racer I've played in my life. (And the game was made in an era where awkward controls were the norm, no less)

Maybe I'm looking though rose-tinted glasses. But over the years, I've grown to hate just about every other game I grew up with, so I don't think it's just simple nostalgia.

Pokemon Gold and Silver (but mostly Silver :P) at number 9. This being the Pokemon game that looms largest in my imagination

#10: Conker's Bad Fur Day (Nintendo 64)
Release Date: March 4, 2001
Last Year: #10

Conker's Bad Fur Day came out in a time where the Nintendo 64 was old news. The next generation was already on the forefront with new games (with better graphics!), but if you paid attention you noticed that Rare released their final game on Nintendo's aging system... and to me it was their greatest achievement. Conker's Bad Fur day is a brilliant game for a multitude of reasons. The constant morphing gameplay styles (from Platformer to Racer to Third Person Shooter and everything else you can think of. And every single part is as fun as the other), the awesome and addictive multiplayer modes, and the fantastic humor made this a game unlike any other. The game is so unique and well done that it's simply an unforgettable experience. There's been so many smiles, laughter, and screams (those Zombie Squirrels scared me!) while playing this game... and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Favorite Boss: The Great Mighty Poo
Favorite Satire: The Matrix

#9: Metroid Prime (GameCube/Wii)
Release Date: November 17, 2002
Last Year: #9

Metroid Prime is one of the most (if not the most) atmospheric games I've ever played. I've never felt so alone in a game before... on a planet that is filled with crumbling ruins, beautiful landscapes, deadly flora and fauna, and a secret that will change the course of the universe. The game's brilliance comes from it's ability to merge you as the player with the protagonist Samus Aran, to the point where it really feels like you are the one who is investigating this long forgotten planet. Every corner holds a secret, every boss encounter is incredibly intimidating, every new area takes your breath away (looking at you Phendrana Drifts). Metroid Prime was actually my first Metroid game, and it turns out that it's also one of the most brilliant games I've ever played. Truly a classic.

Beautiful Music?: Look no further
Hooray For: Added WiiMote functionality in Metroid Prime Trilogy

9.

Start of the best multiplayer game ever.

This game already crept from the 30's to nr 19 on my list while posting my top 50. I have a feeling it will only get higher as it ages. This is for sure the best rpg this generation. Stan and Morrigan were hilarious together. I hope that future RPG's can have more party members active at once, the interactions between them are great and makes the game so much more human.

#8: Pokemon Red/Blue (GameBoy/GameBoy Advance)
Release Date: September 30, 1998
Last Year: #8

I remember reading my issue of Nintendo Power (now you're playing with Power!) and coming across an advertisement for something called Pokemon. It showed a bunch of monsters that actually looked pretty cool, and a saying of "Gotta catch 'em all!". From then on I was intrigued by this Pokemon. In fact, my friends would want to play Pokemon at recess (where we would actually be the Pokemon. Yep, nerd.) and I wanted to be Charmeleon because he sounded cool (no idea what he looked like, but that's okay). Fast forward to Christmas, where I finally got a GameBoy Color and... you guessed it: Pokemon Red. Once I started, there was no end to this amazing adventure of a young Pokemon trainer named Red/Ash/_____. Raising your Pokemon was much more fun than it had any right to be, and there was always something to do while exploring the world of Kanto. By the time I finished the game... it was time to play again! I played this game so many times and had so much fun doing it (Missingno. is the greatest glitch ever!) that to this day I am a full fledged Pokemaniac. But this is the game that started it all, and I will be forever in it's debt! FOR POKEMON (yeah...)!

My first Pokemon: Squirtle (and thus began my tradition of Water Pokemon)
Gary MotherF&*^ing Oak: Has an awesome boss theme

9: Persona 4 PS2

Great game, puts Final Fantasy to shame, would have been higher on my list if it wasn't for the silly amount of false endings.


Heck, even the soundtrack is one of the best in gaming history. Far removed from the typical RPG fest.

#8 Baldur's gate played on PC, released 1998

Baldur's gate is the rpg with the best memories for me. The gameplay mechanics were firmly rooted in the tabletop AD&D ruleset, and it was all the better for it. Magic was still something special instead of repeatedly flinging firecrackers at the enemy. Each character could only memorize a few spells each day and using the right spell at the right time could turn the tide of a losing battle.
The battles were far fewer then in todays games and all the more memorable because of it. They were a tactical affair, with boss fights turning into delicate puzzles of who to position where and what ability to use at what specific time. Being able to pause the action and cue actions ahead was essential and added a lot of depth to the gameplay. The overhead view was also perfectly suited for this group based gameplay style.

The story was great with lots of twists and turns. The sword coast is a beautiful place to explore. The city of Baldur's gate is initially overwhelming in it's size. There are lots of things to do and tons of places to visit. Truly one of the greatest cities in rpgs.

The characters in the game are well written. You're always looking forward to who you'll meet next and try to get them to join your party, then feeling an emptiness when they decide to leave you again. Since it was based on AD&D you always had to take the characters alignment into account, which added another interesting layer.

Baldur's gate is still the best full rpg experience for me. It was the start of a great run of rpgs including Icewind Dale, Planescape torment, Neverwinter nights and eventually leading to Dragon Age: Origins. Hopefully Dragon Age 3 will go back to a more tactical approach instead of the misstep that DA2 was. Dragon Age: Origins was already a bit too heavy on the action side for me. Slow it down, loose the cannon fodder, make the battles more memorable again please.

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