I had to redo my top 30 games list after realising just how many of my favourite games I had managed to miss off my original list! The only rules are that there can only be a maximum of two games from a single series and the system listed will be the one I most remember playing that particular game on. These are my PERSONAL favourites.
#30 - Donkey Kong Land III (Gameboy)
There are lots of great platformers on the gameboy. I am still currently playing this one but it has quickly become one of my favourite games on the system. The graphics are good for the era and the gameplay is just as good as the Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES.
#29 - Super Smash Bros. (N64)
Quite simply, this might be my favourite multiplayer game ever. The controls and gameplay are simple but with one or two friends this becomes hilarious and frustrating in perfect measure.
#28 - Portal 2 (Xbox 360)
You can't believe how clever some of the level design is in this game. Never before has a game made me feel so stupid at my frequent inability to solve the puzzles without hours being put in. You don't feel annoyed though because the complexity is part of the enjoyment.
#27 - Tetris Blast (Gameboy)
The first game that I ever owned on the Gameboy and my favourite incarnation of Tetris. Tetris never gets old and it never gets boring. Proof that you don't need good graphics or even a storyline to become completely absorbed in a game.
#26 - Marble Madness (Master System)
Another incredibly simple game. You literally control a marbe that has to get to the end of different courses. On paper, it sounds absolutely terrible but in practice this game has perfect balance. The only problem being how short it is to complete.
#25 - Micro Machines (Megadrive)
I've never been particularly interested in 'serious' racing games and it can probably all be traced back to my love of Micro Machines. The track design is perfect and the game keeps changing enough to maintain your interest right up until the end.
#24 -Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (Playstation)
This is another game that has a good amount of variety. It was a vast improvement on the original Crash Bandicoot and there was barely a bad level in the whole game.
#23 - Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (Gameboy)
It was impressive that Nintendo managed to make a Mario game for the Gameboy that seemed just as epic as any that had been released on consoles. Again, it was a huge improvement on the first game and all the worlds felt well thought out.
#22 - Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (NES)
Possibly the most underrated platformer on the NES. Many film/tv licence games were pretty awful but this really was an exception. The slight variations in how you needed to approach different enemies helped to keep it interesting from start to finish.
#21 - Mario Kart: Double Dash (Gamecube)
My favourite Mario Kart game was close between this one and the original on the SNES. However, Double Dash won out because I remember playing it much more than the original. I've heard it derided as the worst in the series but for me it has the most memories attached to it.
#20 - Medal of Honor (Playstation)
For me, the original is superior to all of it's sequels. I particularly loved the sound effects of the weapons which felt somehow satisfying. It had a good learning curve and nothing in the game felt as if it had been overdone.
#19 - Half Life (PC)
The game that really is as good as everyone says it is. It has an interesting storyline that progresses you fluidly through the game.
#18 - Smackdown (Playstation)
A game that I was genuinely addicted to when I first owned it. For a kid who never had Sky television this was pretty much all I knew about wrestling (along with the magazine). The gameplay was simple but as always in wrestling, the differences between the characters made it enjoyable.
#17 - Hearts (PC)
The best time waster ever to be pre-installed on windows computers. I have played this far too much in the past and at one point I was better at it than I care to admit. I was particularly addicted to it at University where it became yet another distraction to writing assignments.
#16 - Tekken 3 (Playstation)
Tekken 3 felt like a universally loved game at the time and for good reason. The gameplay was almost perfectly balanced. I wasn't actually that good at it but I had my older brother to unlock all the characters for me.
#15 - Streets of Rage (Megadrive)
The second game in the series is better but this was the only one I owned as a kid and therefore this is my favourite Streets of Rage game. I have many memories of playing this with friends and 'accidentally' punching their character. I always played as Blaze.
#14 - Wolfenstein 3D (PC)
One of the first FPS games ever made and still one of my favourites. Killing nazis is always good fun and I have lots of memories of endlessly pressing space bar against walls to try and find secret passages.
#13 - Killzone (PS2)
Another very underrated game in my opinion. I pretty much enjoyed playing it just as much as Halo and the levels had a real atmosphere about them. I don't remember binging on many games as much as I did when I first got this one.
#12 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Megadrive)
I never owned this game as a child and actually only completed it fairly recently. I would say that it is the best of the original trilogy and obviously far superior to any Sonic game that has been made in recent memory. Also, it has the best bonus levels ever.
#11 - Halo (PC)
The Halo series are all good quality games but I have the best memories of playing the original. The mechanics felt a little different to FPS games I had played previously but the pace of the game was a refreshing change to what I was used to.
#10 - Crash Team Racing (Playstation)
One of those games that never gets old. I can play this now and still enjoy it just as much as when I played it as a child. Superior to any Mario Kart game in my opinion and it is a shame that the sequel wasn't better.
#9 - Fifa 98: Road to the World Cup (PC)
I have loved pretty much every Fifa game ever. Lots of gamers don't appreciate it because it's always been a bit too mainstream for them but I quite like the universal appeal it has. You can go to almost anyones house and have a game of Fifa with them. 98 had indoor football!
#8 - Ignition (PC)
The definition of a hidden gem. If it wasn't for the lack of content in this game it would be even higher in my list. The racing mechanics are perfect and don't take themselves too seriously. We got it for a fiver when I was a kid and we definitely got more than our moneys worth.
#7 - Unreal Tournament (PC)
Another game that seemed to be universally loved at the time and for good reason. It was a brilliant time waster and had some of my favourite weapons from any FPS.
#6 - Half Life 2 (Xbox)
Just like the first Half Life, it really is as good as everyone says it is. Everything had been improved from the original and you can see why the number of people waiting the elusive sequel has become such a joke. Not a moment of boredom in this game.
#5 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
Possibly the first game that ever got me into gaming. Everything about this game is incredibly nostalgic for me. I can remember all the different worlds and enemies even though it's been a long time since I played it. Which makes me think, I should play it again!
#4 - Batman: Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360)
It was a good feeling when someone finally got the atmosphere for a Batman game right. Pretty much the only reason I got a 360 in the first place and well worth it. The gameplay is deceptively simple but, despite this, fighting enemies never gets dull.
#3 - Duke Nukem 3D (Saturn)
Probably the only game I played a lot of on my Sega Saturn. It's an FPS that doesn't take itself too seriously and is all the better for it. All the added little touches help to give it a personality such as Duke saying, 'Damn, I'm looking good," when facing a mirror.
#2 - Pokemon Blue (Gameboy)
Another game that evokes very strong nostalgia. One of those few times as a child when something seems just as good as you hoped when you finally get it. I don't think any subsequent sequel has ever quite matched the charm of the original.
#1 - Civilization II (PC)
Quite simply, the best game I have ever played. We got this for our Windows 95 computer and I still play it sometimes to this very day. Also, a game that can make winning peacefully as fun as winning through warfare has to be doing something right.
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