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Top 20 Games of All Time

20) Resident Evil 2 (PSone/N64)

19) River City Ransom (NES)

18) X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES)

17) Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)

16) Goldeneye (N64)

15) Super Mario Bros. 3 (SNES)

14) Super Punch Out!!! (SNES)

13) Contra III: The Alien Wars (SNES)

12) Batman (NES)

11) Super Mario World (SNES)

10) Tekken 3 (PSone)

9) TMNT: Turtles in Time (SNES)

8) Mario Kart 64 (N64)

7) Super Mario 64 (N64)

6) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)

5) Final Fantasy VIII (PSone):
I played multiple RPGs when I was little but could never truly enjoy them. Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII were fun, but I couldn't play more than 15 minutes without switching to a platformer or action game. For some odd reason, I decided to purchase Final Fantasy VIII after a couple weeks of its release. I was hooked on the game for months. The story was easy follow, Squall seemed like a total badass and the whole battle/leveling-up system was very friendly to me. After playing FF VIII, I realized that RPGs have so much more play value than most arcade games. I'm sure the game's not the best in the franchise or genre, but FF VIII is the game that sparked my appreciation for RPGs. Later on, I decided to try a lot of the PSone RPGs along with the popular SNES titles. If it wasn't for FF VIII, I might not have enjoyed KOTOR and Mass Effect as much as I did.

4) Resident Evil 4 (PS2/GC/Wii):
I remember catching my first glimpse of RE 4 while a buddy of mine played it on his GameCube. I only caught about 5 minutes of play, but I thought to myself, "This isn't Resident Evil. Those aren't zombies. What's up with the camera being behind you?" I decided to buy Resident Evil 4 shortly after and I was completely blown away. Capcom did an amazing job taking the series in a new direction. Replacing zombies with Las Plagas, giving the player free aim and providing an over-the-shoulder perspective are the main reasons why the game was such a success and a milestone for a growing-stale franchise. Though the game may not provide as many scares as its predecessors, it balances itself with memorable moments and tense battles. Resident Evil 4 will stand as a perfect example of a franchise successfully heading in a new direction.

3) Super Mario Galaxy (Wii):
Galaxy. Is. Spectacular. The game truly shines in every category. The beautiful level designs, colorful graphics, tight motion controls and awesome soundtrack will keep your butt on the couch and jaw on the floor for days on end. The game gave me the same feeling Mario 64 did, and then some. I felt like a kid again with Galaxy, but I didn't want to complete the game because I wanted to remain a kid forever. It was truly a sad moment after collecting all the power stars and visiting all the various levels. The game builds upon the Super Mario 64 formula with great success. The implementation of gravity gameplay works extremely well, giving you this innovative and fresh yet nostalgically filled platforming experience. Mario has had some awesome adventures, but this intergalactic emprise is one of Jumpman's finest. Super Mario Galaxy is, in my opinion, the best Wii game available and definitely one of the best games this console generation.

2) Super Mario Bros. (NES):
Not only is Super Mario Bros. the first game I ever played, its one of the few games my parents enjoyed playing (even my grandparents). The one thing that would immediately cause my family to like you sharing all of your known multiple secrets like warp zones and 1ups. If you could teach my family a new secret, you were basically given a key to our house. We eventually made it into our own game. Someone might say, "I bet you can't beat this level in under a minute while staying in the upper half of the screen." I played the Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt cartridge constantly for over 10 years until my parents insisted the NES be moved to my grandparents house. Anytime a thanksgiving dinner or gathering is held, we all boot up the ol' NES for some good ol' multiplayer platforming (and Wheel of Fortune). I honestly can't imagine myself disliking Mario, or Nintendo for that matter, because of the early and primary gaming experiences.

1) Metal Gear Solid (PSone):
Oh boy, where to start. The first time I heard about Metal Gear Solid was reading a preview in GamePro magazine. I was interested but not really motivated to try this game out. During the PSone days, my local Pizza Hut would attach PSone demo discs to certain orders (friggin' awesome), and included on one of my many received discs was the demo for Metal Gear Solid. The demo included gameplay from the infiltration to the meeting with the DARPA Chief, which was more than enough to get me hooked. After sampling the game, I couldn't compare it to any other. It was probably the first time I watched cut-scenes in excitement; like watching a deeply conspired James Bond movie. The gameplay is what really caught my attention. I'm sure we all had a similar experience when we first set foot on the Shadow Moses snow and hear the phrase, "Huh? Whose footprints are these?" ZOMFG really!?!? Don't even get me started with Mantis' memory card tricks (I'm a very prudent man). Metal Gear Solid is quite possibly the most innovative and groundbreaking game I've ever played. The story was a little over-the-top (it got crazier with SoL and GotP), but very thought provoking and engaging. The experience is like a giant casserole filled with action, suspense, stealth, horror (there were some pretty scary moments), sadness, inspiration, hope and broken necks. I don't see Metal Gear Solid loosening its grip on my #1 spot anytime soon.