60. Halo 3System: Xbox 360
Developer: Bungie
Release date: September 25, 2007
Set shortly after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2, Halo 3 follows super-soldier Master Chief in his campaign to reclaim Earth from the Covenant, a confederation of hostile alien species, stop a parasitic life form from ravaging the galaxy, and prevent a vast array of “Halos” from annihilating all living matter in the universe. Although the single-player campaign never reaches the levels of excellence established in the first two Halo games, Halo 3 boasts addictive, customizable, and community-oriented multiplayer modes that give it immense replay value. Halo 3, for the first time, allows players to use special items in addition to weapons, grenades, and melee weapons. These include deployable cover, regenerators, flares, and “bubble shields.”
System: Microsoft Xbox
Developer: Team Ninja
Release date: March 2, 2004
Developed by Team Ninja, the development team behind the Dead or Alive fighting games, Ninja Gaiden has a sophisticated and fluid combat system, one of the best on the Xbox or any other system. Ninja Gaiden is the story of ninja assassin Ryu Hayabusa, the hero of all three NES Ninja Gaiden titles, and his quest to avenge the slaughter of his clan. The game is divided into sixteen chapters which take place in a variety of environments: villages, cities, catacombs, even an airship. Ryu begins the game with few offensive and defensive tools, but can upgrade his arsenal, appearance, and inventory by defeating enemies, solving puzzles, and buying items and upgrades at shops scattered across the map. Ninja Gaiden is famous for its high level of difficulty.
System: Playstation 2
Developer: DMA Design (Rockstar North)
Release date: October 22, 2001
Open-ended action games existed before 2001, but none revolutionized or popularized the “sandbox” game more than Grand Theft Auto III, the first three-dimensional Grand Theft Auto game. Not only did GTA III breathe new life into the franchise, it became the standard for mature-themed nonlinear action-adventure games. It spawned a half dozen sequels and prequels and influenced an entire generation of video games. GTA III follows an unnamed criminal who attempts to climb the criminal ladder in Liberty City, a metropolis more or less modeled on New York City. Players have the option to accept missions from several shady contacts or simply explore the streets, alleyways, and suburbs of the city.
System: N64
Developer: Rare
Release date: November 24, 1999
Of all the Rare Nintendo 64 titles, Donkey Kong 64 probably polarizes fans to the greatest degree. Criticized, sometimes justifiably, for tediousness and excessive emphasis on backtracking, Donkey Kong 64 remains a game of epic proportions and one of the greatest platform games to grace a Nintendo console. The game follows Donkey Kong and four of his simian relatives, all of whom have unique (and upgradable) abilities. Each of the eight levels contains items or enemies that can only be collected or defeated by a certain member of the Kong family; consequently each level must be examined and reexamined. Donkey Kong 64 also, surprisingly, boasts a multiplayer mode, which features several environments, modes, and all five Kongs as playable characters.
System: PC
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Release date: November 23, 2004
MMORPGs are a tricky bunch, dangerously addictive and never-ending, but World of Warcraft is so polished, so engaging, and such an enjoyable social experience that any minor problems are obscured by its obvious greatness. Although it belongs to the Warcraft franchise, World of Warcraft is a role-playing game and not a real-time strategy game like the previous three installments. Players begin the game by selecting a faction, Alliance or Horde, then choose a race, a class, and finally make superficial alterations to their avatars. World of Warcraft is a superb one-player experience, but it shines brightest when played with others via the internet. Players can form alliances with strangers or friends and even challenge other players to duels.
System: PC
Developer: Valve
Release date: November 19, 1998
The years between 1997 and 2001 were pivotal years for the first-person shooter (FPS) sub-genre; titles like GoldenEye 007, Halo: Combat Evolved and Half-Life changed the rules by which shooters had previously played. Set in the Black Mesa research facility, Half-Life follows theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman as he attempts to escape the facility after a portal opens between Earth and an alien dimension. Half-Life was the first FPS to make use of scripted sequences, predetermined events that occur throughout the game which are activated by Freeman’s proximity to a person or place. Described fondly as “the thinking man’s first person shooter,” Half-Life often asks the player to solve puzzles, navigate mazes, and destroy enemies by cleverly manipulating the game environment.
54. New Super Mario Bros. System: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release date: May 15, 2006
Even though Mario’s 3D adventures are some of the best of the Super Mario franchise, the mustachioed plumber was born in two dimensions and continues to thrive there. New Super Mario Bros., as its name implies, is a new take on the old-school classics that appeared on the NES, SNES and Game Boy. Taking full advantage of the horsepower of the Nintendo DS, New Super Mario Bros. introduces three-dimensional polygonal renderings into the mostly 2D game, enhancing its graphical appearance. It also features several ingenious deforming effects: platforms warp and hills heave, something that would be impossible on the traditional 2D platform games. Although it’s neither the most innovative nor the most sophisticated Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. is a must-play.
53. River RaidSystem: Atari 2600
Developer: Activision
Release date: 1982
Very few great games were released before the advent of the NES, but River Raid stands as a classic of the early 1980s and one of the best reasons to own an Atari 2600. In River Raid, players control an airplane that flies vertically along a river shooting down enemy planes, helicopters, and boats; players can refuel by slowing down over refueling stations that appear along the river. While its graphics, sound, and control scheme seem antiquated by modern standards, River Raid was technologically advanced for its time, featuring a huge amount of fixed, non-random terrain. River Raid was designed and programmed by Carol Shaw, a trailblazing woman in the video game industry and, by some accounts, the very first female video game designer.
System: PSP
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Release date: October 31, 2006
Set two months after the criminally-underrated Killzone, Killzone: Liberation shifts the franchise from a first-person shooter to a third-person shooter, a move that works especially well on the smaller screen of the Playstation Portable. Unlike the previous game, Liberation only offers players a single-playable character, but he is often joined by "buddies," fellow soldiers who can be ordered around. In addition to its intense action, the game provides online multiplayer (servers have since been shut down), and challenge games. The latter are mini-games with timed objectives like target practice, base defend, object course, C4 course, etc. Earning medals on challenge course unlocks special abilities for the player to use in the main campaign.
System: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release date: November 19, 2006
After its experiment with The Wind Waker, it was perhaps inevitable that Nintendo would opt for a more conventional Zelda adventure. Originally planned for a late 2005 release, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was postponed a year and released in November 2006 alongside the Nintendo Wii, making it the first Zelda launch title. Twilight Princess is a loving tribute to Ocarina of Time, and pays homage to its precursor throughout the game. It is one of the most ambitious Zelda games ever made and easily the largest, taking some 60 hours to complete. Twilight Princess marks the first appearance of Midna, one of the all-time great Zelda supporting characters, and several innovations, including horseback swordfights, Wii remote swordplay, and Link’s ability to transform into a wolf.
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