Your favorite game ever

[Crystal Kingfisher]

the music is about the only 3D Sonic game to actually be good

SA2 had a better soundtrack IMO, but SA1 had a badass soundtrack too.

Beyond this game, there are just way too many games for me to choose from, so I could never make an official second- or third-favorite list. Honorable mentions go to Ape Escape, Mario & Luigi 3, Super Mario Bros. 3, Yoshi's Island, Disgaea, Phoenix Wright, Persona 3, Kirby's Dream Land 3, Wario Land 4, Paper Mario, EarthBound... See? Impossible to choose. So fuck it.

Lots of fun games there in that list, but I personally think Disgaea 2 was better than Disgaea 1 (please don't laugh), and I never played Persona 3 or Paper Mario, but I've played Persona 4 and I love it.

It runs at full speed my small laptop (and Looks wonderful since I connect my laptop to my TV via VGA cable). You just need a decent GFX card, a processor higher than a pentium III (at 600 Mhz or better), and the latest version of Direct X. Also I recommend getting a nice game-pad. Or getting it on the virtual console if you got a Wii lying around.   

Thanks. Now I can finally play it and see what I'm missing out on.

[Glamour Angel]

I'm a bit of a Metal Gear Solid girl <3 I just can't say no to Snake

Resident Evil series

Devil May Cry series

Tekken series

Soulcalibur series

Persona 4

Disgaea 2

Odin Sphere

Some Final Fantasies

That's about all I can come up with atm

[Super Yoshi]

Mine would have to be Sonic 3 and Knuckles because it has the best of two games locked into one. It has something that is just never going to get old. I do like Sonic 2 as well, so I would have to say these 2 in the Sonic series. But my all time favourite game ever would have to be Pokemon Silver because it has such charm and a lot of good Pokemon compared to the other games.

[Solid SOAP]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This is my all time favorite piece of fiction I have ever put my time into ever, it clearly isn't a game, it is so much more than that. At first glance The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is a cheap OoT sequel with a time and mask gimmick, but deep within that is so much more than you can ever possibley even dream of handling. One does not "play" The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, when I find myself popping in the cartrige, disk, or clicking on it's Virtual Console icon (Yes, I bought all 3 versions of the game, despite them being exactly the same), I know I'm in for a treat each and every single time I experience this work of art. Each and every single character you talk to in this game is fully realised and has their own stories, each and everything you can do has some effect on the world around you, and... I really, truly can't describe what makes this game so fantastic. I've been sitting here for about 10 minutes trying to put down what makes this "game" so good, but I can't. You truly have to play it yourself to understand why this is one of the greatest pieces of fiction ever created. Majora's Mask made me realised the untapped potential video games have to create art that probably will never be attempted again. Go play this game, it's more than just a "game" and has more than just a "good story", I will tell you that much.

[BlueFlare]

I can't just pick one favorite game but here're some of my all-time favorites:

Castlevania series

Sonic The Hedgehog 1, 2, 3&K and CD

Pokémon (all generations)

Halo series

Resident Evil series

[Meow]

I would love to say my fave game ever (as of right now, future games could always change this remember!) is Sonic 3 and Knuckles, but I'd have to say that game - which held the top spot for me for a long time- has been bumped down to a very close #2. So is my favourite game ever then another one in the Sonic series? Nope.

BlazBlue right now is my favourite game of all time. Sadly I have not been able to play it a whole lot because of the last month of college being crazy hectic, but this game just did everything right in a fighting game imo. It had a wonderful cast of characters, that even though there are a few I don't like, are still very balanced out and each one can do something cool. It has a very excellent soundtrack with a surprising amount of variety in the sounds of the songs, despite being primarily metal based. It had a quirky, though somewhat cliche/confusing story at first glance but was fun to play through all the same. The game has a lot of replay value, and is one that I cherish out of my games collection. It also brought me Taokaka, who also happens to be tied with Sonic for my favourite videogame character (because I can't decide between my childhood icon and this new fave D:!!). It is such an amazing game and I urge anybody who is a fan of fighters to pick it up and play it. It is amazing! Looking forward to Continuum Shift so much now!

[Covskin]

Super Mario Bros. 3

Now, admittedly, part of the reasoning for this could be the nostalgia factor. I mean, I had it when I was only a small boy, before even my fifth birthday. But even back then, I knew I SMB3 was something special.

For me, the very first hint that you're playing something incredible is the method in which you get that first Warp Whistle. Falling behind the scenery to get that power-up, which will let you skip a lot of the game? Mental. Genius.

So you've got that, you've got your classic Mario gameplay, and you've got that wide range of levels and styles. Dodging that Sun, storming any of the Flying Fortresses, Giant Land! Its just smegging awesome.

[lounge]

Ocarina is really dated today, but back then, I was in 2nd grade, and this game made me live and dream of those child-like wonders. Lots of baked nostaglia. Even though Majora is miles better.

Super Mario 64 is still great to this day. And no Mario Galaxy can beat it in my eyes. The setup is so clever. And I loved Mario's model back then. Nowadays, his design just doesn't hold that charm. The physics and worlds are just so damn fun to explore and play with.

For handhelds, definetly the Zelda Oracle of Ages. When I was in 5th grade, my friend got Oracle of Seasons, and we just had so much fun with those games. They were challenging and so fun. We even wrote stupid fan fiction.

[edge.]

One of my favorite games off all time is Starfox Adventures.

Everything in this game is damn near perfection, down to the single layers of graphics, which is one of the aspects of the game that is acclaimed. This game has a high replay value IMO, and it is just so fun and addicting to play, despite the gameplay being Zelda-based. My favorite aspect of the game is the music because it connected to the areas where you could play at, especially Thorntail Hollow.

[Crystal Kingfisher]

After reading all of these posts, now I REALLY need to play Majora's Mask.

[Mort]

I'm going to refrain from saying any Sonic games (Which should be a given) I'm going to say Jet Grind Radio but particularly Jet Set Radio Future.

[Crystal Kingfisher]

I'm going to refrain from saying any Sonic games (Which should be a given) I'm going to say Jet Grind Radio but particularly Jet Set Radio Future.

JSRF is epic. Best game on the old Xbox. (yes, even better than Halo) I feel like re-playing it soon.

[Mort]

JSRF is epic. Best game on the old Xbox. (yes, even better than Halo) I feel like re-playing it soon.

I asked for an XBox1 this christmas simply so I could play that game, and just that game. Easily one of my favorite game franchises. I think it was wasted on the Xbox. It would have done much better one the game cube or the PS2 where the target demographic would have been more likely to give the game a chance(Although I'm unsure if it actually needed the XBox's superior processing power) . They would come out with a new one for Wii.

[Roareye Black]

... Looks wonderful since I connect my laptop to my TV via VGA cable....

*vomits and dies a painful horrific death at the use of evil VGA cables* lol

As for favourite game? There are so many classics since 1982 to pick from, but my all time personal favourite is still The New Zealand Story. Amazingly hard, stupidly addictive and just a downright awesome game. Taito's best game IMO, simply because their other titles also were exceptional but this one was the one that kept me hooked the most. Kept me hoooked for 8 damn years! Hard for a game to keep that kind of pulling power on me! You play as a Kiwi bird called Tiki, who's whole family (Including one smoking a cigarette ) gets kidnapped to be eaten by Wally the Walrus. As the last surviving bird, you must rescue your family with just your platforming skills and your trusty bow and arrow. You could get weapon upgrades such as bombs, or vehicles such as the Hot-Air Balloon or the laser cannon tank. Cutesy through and through yet all the weapons made it somehow very boy-oriented while still appealing to girls from it's bright visuals. Excellent stuff.

Close runners up have to include;

Ocarina Of Time - Despite badly dated graphics, I still have yet to find any form of adventure game that matched the scope of OoT. Twilight Princess missed the point in it's attempt to match this game because TP had multiple smaller forestry areas to travel through. OoT was so epic because Hyrule Field was just a full-on open expanse to explore where you could practically see from the far north to the far south. The grand scope of seeing Hyrule Field is a legend in gaming, and has yet to be matched.

Shenmue - Seemingly dead, and unfortunately seeming to mark the smacking of confidence of one of gaming's greatest visionaries, Yu Suzuki, Shenmue stands as one of the greatest labours of love Video Gaming has ever had. Shenmue was at it's time the most expensive video game ever made, in development for over 5 years. Outside of raw development facts however was a game which had it's own heart beat. There was loving care given to each character and walking through Shenmue's streets was like marching through a breathing living world. The combat was excellent as well as you went looking for sailors (Oh check you Ryo ;p). Unfortunately it's one of the greatest games made, and also happens to be unfinished. A great shame, I still wanna smack up Lan-Di.

Jet Set Radio - One of the most stylish games of all time. This was pure SEGA. Colourful, bright and cool but a downright unique title that you will come back to. It is a shame it has had a 7 year hiatus, due to Sammy's merger plan, because this needs an HD update to give the current generation something cool and stylish to gape over. To put it on the Wii would be a waste.

Sonic CD - Arguably the best Sonic game ever, for me this game stood out because it just had so many darn unique bosses! No other Sonic game was this original consistantly. And the original Jap/Euro soundtrack was just so uniquely cool!

Perfect Dark - Just the best FPS ever made. Superb array of playable modes, innovative multiplayer, sublime single player, out-of-sight graphics and some of the most fun I've had for an epic length of time. Nothing since has touched it. Not Halo, not Half Life, not Killzone. Nothing. When you think Perfect Dark was released in 2000, and then the fact it's 2010, it shows that having a wealth of games in a genre doesn't necessarily evolve it. As much as this was a direct influence and offshoot from the Goldeneye engine, this was a little better and would definately be my Desert Island FPS. We need more evolution and revolution in the FPS genre methinks, or at least a game that capitalises on the successes of past FPS' and gives it a fresh spin.

Shining Force 2 - The best in the series, which is the best RPG series I've ever played. I'm sorry, I played FF7 and it is undeniably a great game. But compared to Shining Force? Nah FF7 is too linear with it's gameplay and nowhere near as tactical as SF. That's not the point of FF I know, but that is why I prefer SF. Out of the whole series (I've played almost all of them, including Shining Force, Shining Force CD, Shining Force 3, Holy Ark, Dark Dragon etc) before the GBA versions which were by different people and sucked, number 2 was the best. They need to make a new Shining Force that follows the original formula and allows for the great exploration you got in 2. Unfortunately for 1 and 3, they were great games but the only free exploration areas were basically linear hubs between battles. In number 2 the open world was almost a game in itself!

Super Mario 64 - One of the best in the series, if not re-released to death. This is still one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made.

[Mort]

Jet Set Radio - One of the most stylish games of all time. This was pure SEGA. Colourful, bright and cool but a downright unique title that you will come back to. It is a shame it has had a 7 year hiatus, due to Sammy's merger plan, because this needs an HD update to give the current generation something cool and stylish to gape over. To put it on the Wii would be a waste.

Considering the PS3 and the XBox360's target demographic and what tends to succeed financially and not on those platforms putting it on those systems would be a waste because the market for a game like Jet Set Radio is much much smaller compared to the Wii. Look what happened to JSRF on the XBox, it failed financially despite being a critical success almost universally because the vast majority of XBox players have no interest in a colorful cel shaded almost animesque style. The poor financial reception of JSRF is obviously the reason for the franchise being put on hiatus, not the merger. Sega isn't interested in another JSR that doesn't sell. At least the Wii's larger user base could help pad the chances against another poor reception regardless of the fact that Wii gamers would be more likely to purchase a goofy brightly colored game about skate punks graffiti-ing things.

Before you berate me for this, I'm going to say that well rounded gamers like you and me, who are open to anything that promises to be a fun experience if you go at it with an open mind, are in the minority and right now councils are so niche driven that there isn't any place a game like Jet Set Radio could go to in order to truly fit and do well. Nintendo doesn't really care about us, they're only focused on targeting the twin cash cow consumers of generation nes die hards, and now their moms. Microsoft and the developers for it are aiming solely at the sons of Master Chief. Sony's market is made up mostly out of MGS die hards as well as Square Enix / final fantasy die hards. An HD JSR would be great, but the overwhelming majority of PS3 and 360 owners are going to look at its unique style and declare it "Ghey" like last time.

If they were to make one for this generation, there really isn't anywhere else it can go other than the Wii, where it's demographic is more likely to like the cosmetic style and theres a much larger playerbase for it. Not to mention that developing for the PS3 and X Box360 costs a considerably higher amount that it does for the Wii and if it were to be released on one of those councils probably wouldn't sell enough copies to cover the production costs if JSRF's sales were anything to go by. And in the end, I'd rather have another good JSR that does well enough to ensure future ones even if it means lesser graphics compared to what it could and should have, than the last hurrah thats in high definition.

[SuperStingray]

Super Mario 64 - One of the best in the series, if not re-released to death. This is still one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made.

Re-released to death? It's only been remade once for the DS and ported to the Wii's virtual console.

[Rabbid A]

Without a doubt, Power Stone 2

I play TvC a lot on my Wii, I revisit Street Fighter 2 on my ol GBA now and then too. But there's nothing like Power Stone 2 out there. Go Capcom~! <3

Edited January 4, 2010 by FreeloadeR

[JezMM]

I really can't choose between Super Mario 64 and Majora's Mask. They're both such beautiful games to me. My only dissapointment is I love them so much, I've played them to the point they're barely a challenge anymore. What I'd give for a re-release of either with an extra hard mode...

Honourable mentions also go to Sonic 2 8-bit and Mario 2, which I equally have trouble deciding which I love more.

[Crystal Kingfisher]

Without a doubt, Power Stone 2

I play TvC a lot on my Wii, I revisit Street Fighter 2 on my ol GBA now and then too. But there's nothing like Power Stone 2 out there. Go Capcom~! <3

Power Stone 1 was way better.

[Agent York]

Power Stone 1 was way better.

Power Stone 2 though had 4-player, which for me at least made them equal. Power Stone 1 and 2 were both great though.

[Pelly <3's U]

So much replay value

[T-Min]

I know, I know, list topics aren't allowed, but that's why this isn't going to be a list topic. Be sure to explain why you chose the games you chose so we have something to discuss and stuff.

Anyway, in no particular order...

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Whereas the original Galaxy innovated with its unique gameplay mechanics, Super Mario Galaxy 2 innovates with its infinitely creative and varied level designs. Super Mario Galaxy 2 has easily the most inventive, crazy and most importantly fun level designs seen in the series thus far - and that's saying a lot. Each of the 120 stars offers a new, interesting and unique challenge. Even when it uses mechanics seen in an earlier mission, it puts a cool and creative spin on it. It is a virtually perfect game - there are very few legitimate criticisms to be leveled against it that amount to more than nitpicks. If there is something I could see someone genuinely finding fault with, it's that some of the bosses can be a bit too easy, but even then, they are a LOT of fun to fight. Playing it last spring when it came out was like learning the reason why platformers exist, and replaying it recently, I've been having just as much fun.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time has the benefit of being nostalgic yet at the same time genuinely amazing even today, especially thanks to the updated 3DS rerelease. The only aspects of the game that are dated are purely aesthetic; gameplay-wise, it's good as new. Each of the game's dungeons are beatifully designed, each featuring unique mechanics and clever puzzles. The game's world also provides no shortage of secrets or extras. Unlike some later Zeldas (...Twilight Princess), it never relies on padding to extend its length, and the pacing is pretty much flawless. Other Zeldas may have done a few things better, but this one did everything else perfectly.

Metroid Prime/Super Metroid (tie)

Super Metroid pretty much perfected the Metroid formula, providing a 2-D perspective but offering plenty of non-linear exploration and back-tracking. Metroid Prime pretty much took Super Metroid and put it into 3-D, and combined it with a more engaging (but optional to experience) storyline and actually told you where you need to go, making it more accessible to new players. Yeah...really can't think of much more to say about these games than that they're amazing. XD

Sonic 3 & Knuckles

This list wouldn't be complete without a Sonic game. Sonic 3 & Knuckles took everything that was great about Sonic 2 and made it better, and got rid of everything that sucked (mainly the poor enemy placement). It combined that with far larger and longer levels, a storyline that managed to be interesting despite the lack of voice acting, and my favorite special stage in the series thus far. I also absolutely love how the experience changes while playing as Knuckles. Oh, and lest we forget that it had a true final boss that you fought as SUPER SONIC! (Or Hyper Sonic, if you prefer) Yes, it had the barrel, but I can't friggin' care less while I'm gushing. XP

Alan Wake

The oddball here, not being made by Nintendo/SEGA, but regardless, I played through the game earlier this summer and it completely amazed me. The gameplay is great and unique amongst third-person shooters, but the main reasons why I love it so freaking much are the storyline and atmosphere. The storyline keeps you on edge, wondering what's going to happen next, and it makes it very hard to put the game down, and the atmosphere really makes it feel like an interactive horror movie. All of these elements come together to create a highly engaging experience that deserves to be had by any Xbox 360 owner.

So yeah, those are my favorite games. What are yours?

[pppp]

Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Zelda Ocarina of Time.Those are the only games i ever played that i can call perfect.

[Sean]

Topic merging madness 2

[Tori Himemiya]

This gotta be one of my all time favorites. It has beautiful 2D graphics, interesting story, and good gameplay. This game really stands out mostly since I spent a lot of time fighting drunk giant viking Robotnik.