My Top 10 Video Games of All Time

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge gamer and have been almost all my life. These games have been a huge influence to me, and in particular my affinity for storytelling. Now, I am trying to limit myself to one game per franchise, though I do make a couple of exceptions if the particular titles chosen are different enough to warrant them both for different reasons. Please bear in mind that this list is highly subjective and only represents the opinion of one individual - me. That being said, I'd love to hear what you think, so please don't hesitate to reach out with your top games or thoughts on my list. Now, on to the ranking!

#10 – Rise of the Tomb Raider (Multiple systems)

The Tomb Raider franchise is one of the longest-running franchises in video games and has come to define the 3rd person action/adventure genre. Sadly, the earlier entries were hampered by the portrayal of Lara Croft, the protagonist. She did, admittedly, have very unrealistic body proportions early in her existence, but the most recent reboot of her character has remedied that. Lara now has much more of a natural “girl-next-door” sort of look to her while still being feminine and strong at the same time. This has allowed the recent games to focus on the incredible stories and puzzles, which have been the strength of the series for years. Rise of the Tomb Raider is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of the franchise, bringing Lara Croft into a pseudo open-world adventure with all the thrills of a summer blockbuster film and some brilliant puzzles and exploration. And while the combat isn’t perfect, it’s still quite fun, especially with the varied weapons to choose from. You may not be able to use her dual pistols, but Lara’s bow and arrows are a very fun and innovative replacement. To this day, the series remains a standard-bearer in action-adventure gaming, though one new kid has managed to outdo it.

#9 – Pokémon Red/Blue (Game Boy)

You want a phenomenon? Here’s a phenomenon for you. When Pokémon hit the United States back in the mid 90s, an entire generation of young gamers’ lives changed forever. I was in fourth grade when I first played these games, and I still play the franchise to this day. As I’ve grown older, the battle system in the games has grown more complex and varied, allowing for many different styles of play. For so many gamers, Pokémon was their first real RPG. Are Red and Blue low tech? Yep. Are they glitchy and buggy? Very much so. But that just adds to their charm. After all, this was most kids’ first exposure to an epic cheat code or glitch in the famous MissingNo glitch. I can’t tell you how many times I used that incredible exploit as a kid! So while these games may not be technological marvels, the franchise they started, which continues to be the most profitable franchise of any medium in the world as of this blog post, justifies their spot on this list with ease.

#8 – The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Nintendo Switch)

I love the Legend of Zelda series. Like, frickin’ love it to death. And this one, while not one that most people might think of in the series, is the enduring cult classic that so many gamers go back and play again and again for years. It’s odd, no doubt about that. It stars the same Link from A Link to the Past, but puts him in a weird setting completely separate from his usual adventures in the kingdom of Hyrule. Where this game succeeds is that they stayed true to their old Zelda formula in the important parts, controls, dungeons, etc., but changed up just enough to make the game feel unique all on its own. For example, it’s a top-down Zelda game with the ability to freely jump. THANK YOU! I’ve been wanting this in Zelda games for YEARS! So far, this is the only one I’ve played that does this well. But best of all, the remastered Switch version introduces many wonderful upgrades that held back the original Game Boy version, such as the sword and shield always being equipped and more fast-travel points. Even with this being a 2D Zelda game, the puzzles are some of the trickiest in the series. Don’t even get me started on Turtle Rock… that level is a beast, even to this day. But yeah, best 2D Zelda game. Sorry, A Link to the Past.

#7 – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (SEGA Genesis)

Poor Sonic. He had the video game world in the palm of his hand, but it was all downhill after this game. Sure, Knuckles was a fantastic addition to the series in the next two games, but after that? Yikes. Sonic never has made the transition to 3D well. Still, this game is an enduring classic. It took everything the first Sonic game did well and improved on it. It’s still an incredible side-scrolling platformer with the same emphasis on speed, but now, you get a choice between Sonic or Tails. While Tails has the ability to fly for short periods, Sonic can eventually become Super Sonic, a gold-colored hedgehog with godlike powers. A rip-off of Dragonball Z? Perhaps, but it’s done well, and you have to work very hard throughout the game to get this ability. It’s a true reward for completionists. Plus, this game features arguably the hardest pair of final bosses I’ve ever played in Metal Sonic and Dr. Robotnik. A fun, challenging game and an instant classic if there ever was one.

#6 – Batman: Arkham City (PS3)

Hands-down the best superhero game ever made, and believe me, many have tried. Superman 64? Garbage. Countless movie rip-offs? Not worth my time or money. But this one? Holy. Crap. This is the ultimate Batman simulator. You’ll feel incredibly powerful as the Dark Knight, able to take down hordes of baddies at a time, yet you still have to use his skills and weapons properly to do well. Combine the tight and intuitive combat system with the incredible open world, the fun cast of characters, all of which are perfectly cast, and you’ve got a top ten game of all time. I mean, seriously, Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are simply the most perfect Batman and Joker of all time in any medium. The game does have some imperfections, as do all games, (Riddler trophies, anyone?) but the overall presentation as the ultimate Batman simulator is so much fun that those small hiccups just don’t matter. Because… I’M BATMAN!!!

#5 – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

Remember how I said that Lara Croft had been outdone by a new kid in the 3rd person action/adventure genre? Meet the new kid, Nathan Drake. I love the hell out of this entire series. First game? Charming and funny. Second game? The best 3rd person shooting experience I’ve ever had. Third game? A step back, but still epic and enjoyable. But this game just takes the cake. Yes, I do believe Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a better Uncharted game, if only slightly, but the final game in the franchise makes this list for one reason: presentation. This is the most cinematic and movie-like game I’ve ever played, not just in the action set pieces, which are stunning, but also in the overall story. This story just makes me cry every time I play it, and I’m man enough to admit it! It’s about brotherhood, family, and sacrifice. I already thought of this amazing cast of characters as real people before this game, but their final adventure took that sentiment to new heights. And that ending… well, I won’t spoil it, but I completely lost it the first time I watched the ending. Simply amazing.

#4 – Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (SNES)

Remember that time Nintendo and Square collaborated on a game? Totally off the wall idea, right? Take Mario, put him in a turn-based RPG, add in some new characters, maybe even have Bowser as an ally… it’ll never work, right? Wrong. This game is my second-most-played game from my childhood, and I still go back and play it at least once a year to this day. This game was a beautiful melding of Mario characters with Final Fantasy gameplay, and it remains my single favorite RPG to this day, with respect to Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI and VII. Those games are epic, yes, but there’s just something about the charm of this game that keeps me coming back to it. In addition, Square’s other RPG games did not begin to sell well in America until they released this one in 1996, helping to turn more Americans on to RPG games. From the great item and equipment system to the timed hits in the turned-based battles, this has all the elements of a great RPG. Best of all, this game laid the groundwork for two of the most popular Mario spinoff series in recent years, Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi. Both of these series would not exist were it not for this game, and having played them all, the first one did it best. I simply love this game, and it’s my Darkhorse top 5 pick.

#3 – Mega Man X (SNES)

You want challenging platforming? Mega Man has you covered. The series has been Capcom’s workhorse going all the way back to the original NES. But it was the SNES that brought us the greatest iteration of the Mega Man franchise with a new character: Mega Man X. This sequel to the original character took everything the original series did well and amped it up. Beautiful character designs? Check. Fun and challenging boss fights? Check. Incredible gameplay that’s both intuitive and fair while remaining interesting? Check. For more on all this, go watch the “Sequilitis” video on YouTube explaining all about Mega Man X. Warning: the video has much adult language, but the points it makes are brilliant. The X series has become the greatest series of Mega Man games ever made, and this is the one that did it best, in my opinion. From its design to its addictive boss fights and emphasis on growth, I could play this game forever.

#2 – Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)

This was such a hard call. Not in if this game was 1 or 2, but in which Mario game to choose for this slot. There’re so many great ones, and I swore I’d only pick one. Super Mario Brothers 3 is a classic, and Super Mario World is the one that brought us Yoshi. Then, you’ve got Super Mario 64, which cemented Mario’s stranglehold on video games for all time with his transition to 3D, and now, the newly-released Super Mario Odyssey has an open-world feel. Still, Galaxy just takes the cake for me. Why? It’s hard to say, because I love all the aforementioned games. I think it’s the gravity-based puzzles and platforming that I find so unique and addictive; no other Mario game has done this, aside from Galaxy 2. But the lack of Rosalina in the sequel eliminated it from contention for me. Yes, I think Rosalina is one of the best new characters to the Mario series in a long, long time. This one is so subjective, but I just enjoy the hell out of Galaxy.

Before we get to the top pick, a few honorable mentions.

-Spider-Man 2018 (PS4): A true spiritual successor to the Batman Arkham series, but I’ll always be Batman over Spider-Man.

-Kingdom Hearts (PS2): Another strange melding of Square game mechanics with another franchise, Disney, that works incredibly well.

-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch): I almost put this game number one for so many reasons, but it ultimately lost out to…

#1 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64/3DS)

Is anyone surprised? If you know me, you shouldn’t be. This game is far and away my most-played video game growing up. You say the graphics haven't aged well? So, what?! That, in my view, doesn’t detract from the sheer perfection in the game’s design and execution. This is the quintessential grand adventure and the single best Zelda game of all time. Do I enjoy aspects of other Zelda games? Sure. I love the music in Windwaker. I love the dungeons and bosses in Twilight Princess. I love the characters and story in Skyward Sword. But all of those games fall short in other respects when compared to this game. This game redefined gaming for the 3D era with one concept: Z-targeting. The lock-on system used in this game was the first time I actually got the feeling of being in an epic sword fight like in a fantasy film. And the re-release for the Nintendo 3DS? Just as good, but with better graphics and the ability to replay boss fights! Sign me up! After all these years, not even the dreaded Water Temple could keep me from playing this masterpiece over and over again.