In honor of my 40th birthday last month, I’ve spent some time reflecting on my 40 favorite games of all time. I’ve owned nearly every console released, the Nintnedo, Super Nintendo, Dreamcast and Original Xbox.
After much debate and deliberation, my 40 all-time favorite games, and the primary console I played them on, are:
- WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game (Sega)
- Dark Souls (PS4)
- NBA Jam (Sega, PS3)
- Uncharted (PS3)
- WWF Raw (Sega)
- Warcraft 2 (PC)
- Final Fantasy IX (PS1)
- Starcraft (PC)
- Torchlight (PC)
- Grand Theft Auto III (PS2)
- Red Dead Redemption II (PS4)
- Marvel Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)
- Shadows of Mordor (Xbox 360)
- Metal Gear Solid 5 (Xbox One)
- Final Fantasy XII (Switch)
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS4)
- Darkest Dungeon (Xbox Series X)
- Bloodborne (PS4)
- Final Fantasy XIV (PS5)
- Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II (Xbox 360)
- Diablo (PC)
- World of Warcraft (PC)
- Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
- Tecmo Super Bowl (Sega)
- Witcher 3 (PS5)
- Divinity: Original Sin (PS4)
- Pillars of Eternity (PC)
- God of War (PS4)
- Control (PS4)
- WWF No Mercy (Sega)
- Defenders of the Crown (PC)
- Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Xbox 360)
- Marvel Spider-Man (PS4)
- Dragon Age Origins (PC)
- Diablo II (PC)
- Borderlands II (PS3)
- Ultima Online (PC)
- Baldur’s Gate (PC)
- Xenoblade Chronicles (Switch)
- Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)
Reviewing this definitive list, a few things stand out:
So Many Wrassling Games….
From a young child up until college, I loved wrestling and video games. I think it’s the mix of athleticism and scripted drama of the ring that drew me in. I loved my wrestling games on the Sega Genesis, and I came across this awesome history of Sega Genesis Wrestling Games.
….And Not a Single Legend of Zelda
This actually surprises me quite a bit. I love the Zelda franchise. I own many, if not most, of the games but the only one I have played to completion is the original Legend of Zelda. If I was ranking gaming franchises, it would surely be near the top of the list, but I guess none of the individual titles has grabbed me and blown me away,
What a Bunch of Recency Bias on this Garbage List
I know people love classic games and retro titles, but lets face it: new games are awesome. Having just played a handful of Sega Genesis Spider-Man games, there is no doubt that every aspect of current generation games is superior to eight or 16-bit entries. Old games were great, and I’m glad they can transport you to a certain time and place.
For me, I love experiencing stories in as smooth and visually spectacular a way as possible. You can keep your beloved experience, and I’ll keep exploring what’s new. Then let’s come back to the OiO Discord and talk about it.
With any good list comes a good debate. I’d love to hear your Rushmore of gaming via email or twitter. Until next month – stay inside!
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