Top 100 Video Games: 60-51

60. Halo 3
System: 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.”

59. Ninja Gaiden
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.

58. Grand Theft Auto III
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.

57. Donkey Kong 64
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.

56. World of Warcraft
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.

55. Half-Life
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 Raid
System: 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.

52. Killzone: Liberation
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.

51. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
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. 

Top 100 Video Games: 70-61

70. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
System: Game Boy Advance
Developer: Capcom
Release date: November 12, 2004

Capcom’s gaming portfolio is one of the best in the business; it owns the single-best fighting franchise, the greatest survival-horror franchise and even has had its hands in the development of three The Legend of Zelda games, including The Minish Cap. In The Minish Cap, Link has the brand-new ability to shrink down to microscopic size, helping him explore every inch of the game world, find secret items, and interact with the Picori, a friendly, mousy race of tiny creatures. Allowing Link to minimize his dimensions is a magical and very funny green hat named Ezlo, who becomes Link’s sidekick throughout the game. The game also features “kinstones,” two-part artifacts that produce items when matching pieces are combined.

69. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
System: Microsoft Xbox
Developer: BioWare
Release date:July 15, 2003

There are a lot of great Star Wars video games but Knights of the Old Republic, a role-playing game set 4000 years before the Galactic Empire, might be the best. Designed by BioWare (Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights), Knights of the Old Republic asks players to create and customize a character who is then thrust into a galaxy-wide struggle between the forces of good and evil. Throughout the game, which takes place across several planets, the main character is joined by up to nine party members, all of whom can be equipped, customized and upgraded. Knights of the Old Republic also features an alignment system, whereby the main character’s actions and words determine whether he or she walks a path toward the light side or dark side of the Force.

68. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
System: Playstation 2
Developer: Rockstar
Release date:October 29, 2002

It didn't take long for Rockstar to deliver a sequel to its hugely successful and controversial hit game Grand Theft Auto III. Taking place in a fictionalized version of Miami in 1986, Vice City borrows from TV shows like Miami Vice and movies like Scarface. Like its predecessor, Vice City features open-ended gameplay where players can tackle missions or simply wander around the city at their own leisure. Apart from its brilliant gameplay, which allows players to drive all manner of vehicle around a fully-realized virtual city, the game provides a unique glimpse into 1980s American culture, including fashion, music, and consumerism.

67. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
System: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Retro Studios, Nintendo
Release date:August 27, 2007

The final chapter of the Metroid Prime trilogy, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, is certainly the most ambitious of the series and the first to appear on the Nintendo Wii. Set several months after Metroid Prime 2, Corruption is the story of Samus Aran’s continued fight against the Space Pirates and her nemesis, Dark Samus. Unlike the previous two Metroid Prime games, which took place across several environments on a single planet, Corruption allows players to travel from planet to planet via Samus’ ship. The Wii remote and nunchuk are incorporated masterfully into Corruption: the nunchuk operates mostly as Samus’ left hand, controlling her grapple function; the Wii remote largely has the same function as a mouse in a computer first-person shooter.

66. Diddy Kong Racing
System: N64
Developer: Rare
Release date: November 24, 1997

Many gamers point to Mario Kart 64 as the pinnacle of N64 racing, but it’s not nearly as good as Rareware’s Diddy Kong Racing. Unlike similar kart-racing games, Diddy Kong Racing allows players to choose from three vehicles, karts, hovercrafts and airplanes, although some vehicles are proscribed on certain courses. All tracks are laid out along a similar model, with boost markers and floating balloons that award players with various power-ups. What makes Diddy Kong Racing particularly engaging is its one-player adventure mode, in which Diddy travels among worlds, competing in races, unlocking battle stages and ultimately racing against a world boss. Several characters from Diddy Kong Racing, including Banjo and Conker, would later star in their own action games.

65. Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention
System: Sega Genesis
Developer: Climax Entertainment, Sonic! Software Planning
Release date: July, 1993

Why do RPGs always have the most awesome subtitles? March of the Black Queen, Person of Lordly Caliber, and of course The Legacy of Great Intention. Whatever The Legacy of Great Intention means, it's a terrific game, an influential turn-based strategy role-playing game, and one of the very best Sega Genesis titles. Players control a silent protagonist as he recruits a small army of fighters to push back against the evil Darksol who wants to conquer the world. Battles in Shining Force take place in square grids, on which players move units strategically to outflank and overcome opponents. There are over two dozen unique and colorful characters to recruit during the game, all of whom can be be promoted to a higher class.

64. Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of The Movie
System: Gamecube, PS2, PC, Xbox
Developer: Ubisoft
Release date: December 21, 2005

Most lists of the greatest first-person shooters of the 2000s wouldn’t include Peter Jackson’s King Kong, but in reality it stands up favorably to its contemporaries. Peter Jackson’s King Kong is a collaborative effort between director Peter Jackson and one of the video game industry’s best designers Michel Ancel (Rayman 2, Beyond Good & Evil). The game is divided between first-person shooting stages and third-person action stages: in the former players control New York screenwriter Jack Driscoll; in the latter players control Kong. Although Peter Jackson’s King Kong closely follows the storyline of the movie, it features several embellishments and detours significantly from the action seen onscreen, focusing on action events that ostensibly occurred off screen.

63. Tempest 2000
System: Atari Jaguar
Developer: Atari, Llamasoft
Release date: 1994

The Atari Jaguar was a commercial and critical failure, but it supported a few great games in its short lifespan. Its greatest game is Tempest 2000, a reimagining of the 1981 arcade classic Tempest. Enhanced with smooth graphics and a techno soundtrack, Tempest 2000 boasts three one-player modes: Traditional Tempest, Tempest Plus, and Tempest 2000, which is a complete remake of the original coin-op classic, featuring new enemies, weapon power ups and a brand new jump move. Tempest 2000 also features a terrific two-player mode called Tempest Duel, in which players control ships at either end of a web and try to blast each other to smithereens. Each ship is equipped with a mirror that reflects enemy shots.

62. Street Fighter Alpha 3
System: Arcade
Developer: Capcom
Release date: June 29, 1998

The third game in the Street Fighter Alpha series, Alpha 3 is a huge, sometimes daunting fighting game with an amazing amount of customization available to players. The game features over 25 playable characters, including some Street Fighter II fighters making their Alpha debut: Blanka, Vega, E. Honda. When it arrived in arcades, Alpha 3 completely overhauled the fighting mechanics of the Alpha series, introducing three different playing styles called "isms." The default playing style, A-ism, is based on the previous Alpha games, in which players have a three-level Super Combo; X-ism is a style based on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, in which the player has a single-level Super Combo; and V-ism is a style that allows players to perform custom combos similar to those in Street Fighter Alpha 2.

61. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
System: Gamecube, PS2, PC, Xbox
Developer: Ubisoft
Release date: November 12, 2003

The original Prince of Persia was a different take on the platform game, one which put a special emphasis on solving puzzles and avoiding traps. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time recaptures the elements that made the original game so unique and adds several innovations, not least of which is an epic story of heroism, betrayal, and sacrifice. Although the Prince occasionally engages in swordfights with ferocious enemies, his greatest antagonist is the environment. Using his agility and acrobatic skills, the Prince must run, jump, swing, and climb across catwalks, castle walls, broken pillars, and suspended platforms. Negotiating these hazards is a dangerous game; luckily the Prince has the “Dagger of Time,” which allows him to travel backwards in time, erasing a single mistake.

Top 100 Video Games: 80-71

80. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Infinity Ward
Release date: November 10, 2009

Controversy aside, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is simply one of the best first-person shooters of the twenty-first century. The development team at Infinity Ward worked its magic once again with this sequel to the smash hit of 2007, Call of Duty 4. The game excels at all three main components of video gaming: single-player, cooperative play, and multiplayer. In fact, one could argue that Modern Warfare 2 represents the very best package of those three components ever in a video game. The single-player is short and somewhat convoluted, but it's thrilling and tons of fun to play; the new cooperative mode offers 23 bite-sized missions for two players at once; and multiplayer is even deeper and more rewarding than in the previous game.

79. The Secret of Monkey Island
System: Mac
Developer: LucasFilm Games
Release date: October, 1990

Point-and-click adventure games have become an endangered species in 2012, but once upon a time they dominated home computers. One of the most successful was The Secret of Monkey Island, a brilliant and hilarious send-up of stories like Treasure Island. It all revolves around would-be pirate Guybrush who, in his eagerness to become a swashbuckler, finds himself in the middle of a plot involving ghost pirates, health-conscious cannibals, and rubber chickens. It's a purposefully silly, over-the-top story with plenty of sight gags, parodies, and one-liners. In fact, the writing in Monkey Island, along with its brilliant "pirate reggae" music, is the main attraction. It's one of the funniest games ever made.

78. Mario Tennis
System: N64
Developer: Camelot, Nintendo
Release date: August 28, 2000

Mario’s tennis career began on the short-lived Virtual Boy, but the first truly great Mario tennis game was the N64 classic Mario Tennis. Featuring over a dozen playable Nintendo mascots, including Waluigi (in his first video game appearance), Mario Tennis is a blast to play in single-player mode and insanely fun in multiplayer mode; up to four players can play in singles and doubles matches. Game modes include standards like Exhibition and Tournament and novelties like Ring Shot, Bowser Stage, and Piranha Challenge. In Bowser stage, players can gather items by striking item boxes with a tennis ball and then use the collected items against their opponent. Mario Tennis was followed five years later by Mario Power Tennis on the Nintendo Gamecube.

77. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
System: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release date: December 7, 2009

Invariably, Spirit Tracks will be compared to its older DS brother, Phantom Hourglass. Both are great games, but the edge goes to Spirit Tracks, one of the best handheld titles in the long history of Zelda. Set roughly a century after the conclusion of Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks returns the franchise to terra firma. As with all Zelda titles, the dungeon design, graphics, and music are all masterful in Spirit Tracks; what sets it apart is the role of Zelda. In this game, she is very much an equal partner to Link. And it's this partnership that makes Spirit Tracks such a special game, in terms of story and gameplay. Never before has her personality shone so brightly.

76. Tetris DS
System: Nintendo DS
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: March 20, 2006

Although some worthy successors to the original Game Boy classic Tetris have appeared on home consoles, Tetris has and always will belong on handheld systems. One of the best handheld Tetris titles is Tetris DS, an amazing package of puzzle games and not merely a reiteration of the classic puzzle game. Tetris DS features six game modes, Standard, Mission, Push, Touch, Catch and Puzzle, all of which have a classic Nintendo theme. Not all modes are created equal, however; Touch mode, which allows players to move blocks with the DS stylus, is not nearly as engaging as Push mode, which frantically pits the player against a rival player or the CPU. Standard, Mission and Push mode each have multiplayer modes which can be played online (with as many as ten players).

75. Quake III Arena
System: Dreamcast
Developer: id Software, Raster Productions (Dreamcast)
Release date: October 22, 2000

Very few ports made this list, but Quake III is unlike most ports. Originally released for the PC, Quake III made its way to the Dreamcast one year later complete with excellent sound effects, ambient background noise, graphics, and high frame rates. It is considered by many to be one of the very best PC-to-console ports of all time, mostly because of its smooth framerates and online play. As in the original Quake III, the action in the Dreamcast version revolves around multiplayer. There is a single-player mode of sorts, but it's just a series of winner-take-all shoot-outs with computer controlled bots. The action is intense, frantic, and incredibly addictive.

74. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
System: Playstation
Developer: Konami
Release date: October 2, 1997

Every now and then a long-standing franchise will reinvent itself, and the gaming world gets hugely important titles like Grand Theft Auto III, Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. For the Castlevania franchise, that reinvention was Symphony of the Night, a 1997 game that breathed new life into the series and influenced a generation of Castlevania games. SOTN established a new gameplay style for the Castlevania franchise that in many ways resembled Super Metroid, which led critics to coin the terms “Castleroid” and “Metroidvania.” Instead of the linear levels that largely defined the series before 1997, SOTN drops players into a huge castle, sections of which are inaccessible at first. As players explore monster-filled rooms, uncover secret passageways, and discover hidden relics, more and more of the castle becomes available. The best part of SOTN, however, is its music. It has, arguably, the best video game soundtrack of all time. Each track is unique, gorgeous, catchy, and flawlessly orchestrated.

73. Animal Crossing
System: Gamecube
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release date: December 14, 2001

Originally an N64 title in Japan, Animal Crossing was remade for the Nintendo Gamecube and eventually translated for English-speaking audiences. Nintendo calls Animal Crossing a "communication game," but "social simulation" would do just as well. In the game, players control a young boy or girl who moves into a town populated entirely by anthropomorphic animals. There are very few preset objectives and challenges; rather players are encouraged to play the game as freely as they wish. Buy a house, go fishing, visit neighbors, hop a train to a nearby town, do whatever. The game is played in real time, and is linked to the Gamecube's internal clock. This means that the game will continue playing itself, so to speak, even when the player has turned off the system and gone to bed. Animal Crossing is slow-paced and open-ended, and thus not for everyone. But those who give it a try will find one of the very best Gamecube games, and an unforgettable experience.

72. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
System: Microsoft Xbox
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Release date: November 17, 2002

As a series, Splinter Cell pales only in comparison to the stealth franchise par excellence Metal Gear; otherwise it’s as good as it gets in terms of stealth action. In the first Splinter Cell, players take on the role of Sam Fisher, a retired black ops specialist who reenters life with the NSA when two CIA agents go missing in Georgia. Although Fisher is well-armed, he is strongly discouraged from discharging his firearms; stealth and camouflage are the name of the game in Splinter Cell. Particularly important are areas that are bathed in light or shrouded in darkness. Players have access to a “light meter” which informs them to what degree Fisher is visible to the enemy. Splinter Cell features a training tutorial that helps players familiarize themselves with Fisher’s stealth moves.

71. Super Mario Bros.
System: NES
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: 1985 [exact date unknown]

It’s difficult to believe that the financial juggernaut that is the video game industry was once in such dire straits that many business analysts doubted the long-term viability of North American video games, but it's absolutely true; in 1983 the Atari “crash” bankrupted several video game companies and almost destroyed the young industry. The game most responsible for resurrecting the video game industry was 1985’s Super Mario Bros. which, along with the NES, boosted game sales in North America and shifted the balance of power from America to Japan. Super Mario Bros. is the story of the titular character and his quest to rescue Princess Toadstool from Bowser. It established Mario and Nintendo as household names and has since spawned multiple sequels, spin-offs, and dozens of imitators.

Top 100 Video Games: 90-81

90. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure
System: Wii
Developer: Capcom
Release date: October 23, 2007

In an industry dominated by fast-paced action games, adventure titles like Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure are rare indeed. In Zack & Wiki, players control Zack, a young boy whose aspirations stop at nothing short of being the greatest pirate in history, and his magical sidekick Wiki, a golden floating monkey capable of magically transforming living items into objects useful for solving puzzles. Early in the game, Zack and Wiki discover the talking skull of the famous pirate Barbaros, who promises guidance to Treasure Island should the would-be pirates collect the rest of his scattered bones. The puzzles in Zack & Wiki, which require cleverly using the Wii remote, become progressively more difficult as the game moves on; the penultimate level is insanely tough.

89. Gran Turismo
System: Playstation
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release date: May 12, 1998

Racing games can be neatly divided between arcade titles with exaggerated physics and simulation titles that feature vehicles that perform like their real-world counterparts. Gran Turismo is the grandfather of the latter category: rich in detail, exhaustive in its customization and second-to-none in terms of car selection. While Gran Turismo features an arcade mode, the core of the game is simulation mode, in which players earn driver’s licenses to qualify for events, earn trophies (and credits), and unlock cars. Credits earned by winning championships can be used to purchase cars and replaceable parts. Gran Turismo features eleven tracks and 178 cars, all of which are modeled on authentic high-performance vehicles.

88. Final Fantasy II
System: SNES
Developer: Square
Release date: November 23, 1991

The real Final Fantasy II never made the journey from the Super Famicom to the Super Nintendo; what is called Final Fantasy II on the SNES is really the fourth Final Fantasy game. Set in a fantasy world on the brink of chaos, Final Fantasy II unites heroes from different backgrounds who fight against an evil sorcerer trying to destroy the world. Although it’s not as masterful as its younger brother Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI in Japan), Final Fantasy II is one of the most important RPGs of its or any generation. It largely introduced the idea of dramatic storytelling in an RPG, which has since become one of the genre’s defining characteristics. Final Fantasy II also features an incredible musical score and an Active Time Battle (ATB) system in which players input commands in real time.

87. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
System: Playstation
Developer: Neversoft
Release date: August 31, 1999

The Tony Hawk series of skateboarding games have now become a video game empire, but the franchise began rather humbly in 1999 on the Sony Playstation. Players skate through several single-player and multiplayer modes as one of ten celebrity skaters, including Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska and, of course, Tony Hawk. The single-player career mode includes nine open-ended environments in which players perform stunts, tricks, jumps and all manner of daredevil maneuvers. In six of the nine stages, skaters are asked to collect five tapes, some of which are unlocked by achieving high scores, some of which are hidden somewhere in the environment. The physics engine in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is really something of a miracle, allowing players to do everything a real skater can do.

86. God of War
System: Playstation 2
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release date: March 22, 2005

Greek mythology gets a bit of a facelift in Sony’s God of War, a dark and bloody tale of war, revenge and betrayal. Players control Kratos, a Spartan warrior who once swore allegiance to Ares, the Greek god of war, but who now seeks to destroy his former patron. Aided by other Olympians, Kratos embarks on an odyssey that brings him into contact with mythological beasts, deadly traps, and horrible memories from his past. Although players must use Kratos’ formidable fighting skills to defeat hordes of nasty enemies, God of War is not merely an action game; it features adventure elements, like puzzle-solving, and platform elements, like scaling vertical cliffs and swinging between ropes hanging over the burning ruins of Athens.

85. Doom 3
System: PC
Developer: id Software
Release date: August 3, 2004

The Doom franchise has a strong legacy to uphold, considering the first installment is largely responsible for the popularity of the first-person shooter. Doom 3 builds on the foundation built by Doom and Doom II, surpassing both in terms of atmosphere, graphics, gameplay, and pure horror. Not necessarily a continuation of the storylines of the first two Doom games, Doom 3 is more a retelling of the events of Doom, in which hell literally breaks loose in a human research facility on Mars. Apart from its graphics and sound effects, which are superb, Doom 3 is a truly scary game, featuring lots of chills, thrills and spills. Adding to the sense of apprehension in the game is a weapon system which allows the hero to carry either a firearm or a flashlight, never both simultaneously.

84. Borderlands
System: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Developer: Gearbox Software
Release date: October 20, 2009

Gearbox calls Borderlands a "role-playing shooter,"and it's a rather apt description. The game has the look, feel, and mechanics of a high-octane first-person shooter, but the structure and progression of Borderlands resembles a role-playing game. Players choose from four playable characters at the beginning of the game, and go on to complete quests and side-quests on the planet Pandora, rumored to conceal a mysterious vault filled with alien technology. Although players can choose only one "vault-hunter," up to four friends can play the game cooperatively. Borderlands features a "procedural content creation system" that creates weapons and items with randomly-generated statistics and attributes, resulting in over 3 million variations so far.

83. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
System: Playstation 2
Developer: Naughty Dog
Release date: December 3, 2001

From the creator of the best-selling franchise Crash Bandicoot comes one of the best platformers on the Playstation 2, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Following in the footsteps of some of the greatest platform games ever made, Jak and Daxter opens up for players large, diverse environments littered with nasty enemies and tons of collectable items: power cells, “Precursor orbs,” etc. The story is representative of its genre and thus not especially deep; best friends Jak and Daxter trespass on Misty Island, run afoul of an angry “Lurker,” and Daxter is thrown into a pool of “Dark Eco,” transforming him into a furry “Ottsel” (think otter meets weasel). Soon after the dynamic duo are searching for a cure, exploring richly detailed environments, and gradually becoming real heroes.

82. Mass Effect
System: Xbox 360
Developer: BioWare
Release date: November 20, 2007

Mass Effect, the first episode of BioWare's three-part space saga, is one of the best RPGs on the Xbox 360 and another gem from BioWare which has produced some of the finest role-playing games on the computer and for console systems in the last two decades. With its engaging plot line, deep mythology and focus on interactive storytelling, Mass Effect follows in the tradition of earlier BioWare projects Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. Like previous BioWare games, players throughout Mass Effect must make minor and major decisions which affect gameplay and which alter two morality scales: "paragon" and "renegade." Past choices will affect how new characters interact with the hero Commander Shepard.

81. NiGHTS into Dreams...
System: Saturn
Developer: Sonic Team
Release date: August 31, 1996

Sega may not design their games for everybody, but they know their audience and produce games accordingly. One of their sleeper hits (forgive the pun) is NiGHTS into Dreams, a magical journey into the dreams of a young girl and boy, whose real-world insecurities are affecting the fabric of the dream world. In the many stages of the game, Claris and Elliot become NiGHTS, a genderless aeriel acrobat who seems to be the personification of courage. As NiGHTS, the youngsters fly through the dream world, avoiding enemies, collecting blue orbs, and rescuing “Ideyas” from “Ideya captures.” At the end of each stage is a dream boss. Players can play through NiGHTS into Dreams as both Claris and Elliot; finishing the game with both characters unlocks a very moving ending.

Top 100 Video Games: 100-91

100. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
System: NES
Developer: Nintendo R&D3
Release date: October, 1987

Anyone who has ever played Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out (also known as Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream or simply Punch-Out!!) will never forget it. Punch-Out is one of those rare games thats triggers almost immediate nostalgia; it belongs in the conversation with Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda not only because it’s a great NES game but because it acts as a miniature time machine. In Punch-Out players control Little Mac, an amateur boxer who rises in the professional boxing circuit as he tackles tougher and tougher fighters. His opponents, who sadly appear in hindsight as unapologetically stereotyped, are perhaps the most memorable part of the game: who can forget Piston Honda, Von Kaiser, and King Hippo?

99. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
System: SNES
Developer: Square
Release date: May 13, 1996

One of the most unique games on the SNES is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, an RPG developed by Square with direct guidance from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Super Mario RPG begins like most Mario games: Princess Toadstool is captured by local tyrant Bowser and mustachioed Mario flies to her rescue. The rescue attempt is interrupted, however, when a giant sword crashes through Bowser’s keep. As the story progresses, players learn that much more sinister forces than Bowser are attempting to overrun the Mushroom Kingdom. Although developed by Square, Super Mario RPG is a much simpler RPG than any of the games in Square’s Final Fantasy series. The battle sequences are less complicated, the inventory less robust, the playing time significantly reduced.

98. Bionic Commando Rearmed
System: Xbox 360, PS3
Developer: GRIN
Release date: August 13, 2008

It's not an easy thing to re-imagine a well-known NES classic, but the developers at GRIN made it look easy with Bionic Commando Rearmed, an enhanced remake of the 1988 game Bionic Commando. Featuring improved graphics and sound, re-engineered boss battles, and never-before-seen challenge rooms, Rearmed is a significant improvement over the original. GRIN also scrapped the old health and continue system, making Rearmed more approachable and less frustrating. Co-op, competitive multiplayer, and the aforementioned challenge rooms provide plenty of replay value. It's one of the very best games available on Xbox Live Arcade -- if not THE best.

97. Rayman 2: The Great Escape
System: N64
Developer: Ubisoft
Release date: October 31, 1999

The first three-dimensional outing for the limbless hero Rayman is an excellent platform game with terrific graphics, sound, and play control, one that ranks among the very best Nintendo 64 games. Rayman 2 is the story of an evil invading army of robotic pirates who are enslaving the population of Rayman’s home world. Equipped with powerful fists, which can fire charged projectiles, and aided by a group of friends, Rayman jumps, runs, and floats through gorgeously-designed environments (aided by the expansion pack), defeating the minions of Razorbeard. Although Rayman 2 embraces traditional platform elements, the developers at Ubisoft added several unusual features, including waterskiing and riding “shells,” mule-headed missiles that can gallop or fly through the air.

96. Super Street Fighter II Turbo
System: Arcade
Developer: Capcom
Release date: February 23, 1994

The Street Fighter II franchise, which is largely credited with popularizing the fighting game genre, came to a close in North America in 1994 with the release of Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Super Turbo), an updated version of Super Street Fighter II. Although the SNES port of Super Street Fighter II is a better overall package than Super Turbo, the latter tops the former in terms of graphics, sophistication, and balance. Super Turbo is the first arcade Street Fighter to feature adjustable game speed, special moves called “Super Combos” and a hidden player named Akuma. Considered by many hardcore fighting fans to be the series’ ultimate accomplishment, Super Turbo is still played in worldwide competitive tournaments.

95. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Infinity Ward
Release date: November 5, 2007

The Call of Duty games have long dominated the pool of World War II shooters, but in 2007 developer Infinity Ward fast-forwarded to the not-too-distant future when American marines and British Special Forces are pitched in a global battle against Russian ultranationalists and Middle Eastern radicals. Because of its emphasis on the rules of modern warfare, Call of Duty 4 introduces weapons and technology which never before appeared in previous installments: soldiers can fire high-powered sniper rifles, use night-vision goggles and call in air strikes on unsuspecting targets. The multiplayer modes in CoD 4 are especially good, rivaling Halo 3 in terms of replay value and intensity. In each match, players can select one of several classes of soldier, each with its own weapons and “perks.”

94. Gears of War 2
System: Xbox 360
Developer: Epic Games
Release date: November 7, 2008

Although not quite as good as the first game in the series, Gears of War 2 stands as an extraordinary third-person shooter, a thrilling experience from beginning to end, and one of the best games available on the Xbox 360. The game picks up where the original left off: humans are in a desperate fight for survival against an army of subterranean monsters. Gears of War 2 covers all its bases: it provides an epic single-player campaign that can be played alone or cooperatively with a friend, plus several multiplayer modes, including the addictive Horde mode, which asks players to survive wave after wave of enemy forces. Gears of War 2 is a must-play for action fans. It's probably the second-best third-person shooter ever made, after the original Gears of War.

93. Street Fighter Alpha 2
System: Arcade
Developer: Capcom
Release date: March 6, 1996

Although it bears the number two, Street Fighter Alpha 2 is essentially a remake of Street Fighter Alpha, which had been rushed to market prematurely in 1995. Alpha 2 is, in every way, an improvement over its predecessor -- more characters, more moves, more options, and more detailed stages. Super Combos, Alpha Counters, and mid-air blocking all return from Alpha, along with all-new custom combos, which allow players to create their own combination maneuvers using the super combo gauge. It's the fighting stage backgrounds, though, that set Alpha 2 above and beyond the first game. Richly-drawn, deeply-layered, and dynamic, they rank among the very best ever produced.


92. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
System: SNES
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Release date: October 4, 1995

It may share a name with Super Mario World, but Yoshi’s Island has little to do with the premiere game on the SNES. Set years before Super Mario World and all other Super Mario games, Yoshi’s Island follows a clan of noble, friendly dinosaur-like animals called Yoshis who help the infant Mario find and rescue his kidnapped twin brother. Yoshi’s Island represents a high watermark in the platform genre, containing what one would expect from a well-designed platform game along with several unanticipated features, including mini-games, an innovative scoring system, and stages that require as much foresight and strategic thinking as good timing and quick reflexes. In some stages Yoshis gain the ability to transform into a number of vehicles, including a helicopter and submarine.

91. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
System: Playstation 2
Developer: Insomniac Games
Release date: November 3, 2004

Whereas its cousin series on the PS2, Jak and Daxter, seemed to decline in quality over its run, Ratchet & Clank only got better. The third and final PS2 Ratchet & Clank game (excluding the port of the PSP game Size Matters) is the very best. Aside from several new weapons and gadgets, Up Your Arsenal features refined mechanics, a deeper weapons upgrade system, more varied missions, and a brand-new multiplayer mode, the first of its kind in the Ratchet & Clank franchise. Add to that some fantastic graphics, physics, voice acting, and a new addictive mini-game with 2D sidescrolling action, and you've got one of the true gems of the Playstation 2 library.