Celebration of a generation

[Wools]

Ive shamelessly stolen this from rllmuk but reading it made me feel so nostalgic and happy about some of the finest games ever made.

The next generation is coming soon but this generation have supprased a lot of people's expectations that they will only be graphically enhanced PSone games minius the game. However these consoles have sprung up some stunning games and one's that will be rembered forever. What's your finest games made on this generation of consoles?

Mine:

Halo: AI honed to perfection, graphicaly stunning enviroments and some of the most addictive and tense shootouts ever put to DVD.

ICO: Cold hearted souls still dont get it. They should. The most touching and ingenious game devices ever made.

Shenmue: A beautiful experiment and posibly the most real a game has ever come to real life.

Advance Wars: I hate chess. I adore this. Hmm... The finest stratgey game ever made.

Prince of Persia: One of the first games to make you aware of your enviroment (Along with the wonderfull ICO) and has some of the most beautiful realisations of archticture ever seen.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Takes everything that makes MGS so absorbing such as a adult and intresting plot, wonderfull graphics, tense gameplay and... An absloutly wonderfull game and will always be one of my favourite games ever made and the only one to make me cry openly. Although I admit MGS2 will probally be rembered more because of the trailer.

Animal crossing: Once you realise the game is real life and you should do what you do in real life (Espically collecting fish and dreaming about a N64 bean bag) it slowly sucks you in and you become immersed. I can guaranty I will be playing this in 20 years time.

There's lot's more but they are my favourite and in my opinion could be used as examples of this generation's best games. What's yours? *Wipe's tear*

[dataDave]

Prime 1+2 - The fresh and totally acceptable 3D perspective of the series has helped it surpass EVERYTHING that this generation has had to offer. Seriousness in a game is at it's peak with Metroid. Astonishing stuff.

Samus > Link > Mario.

VF4 Evo/FT - The deepest fighter there is, a pinnacle which this generation can be proud of. People will look back on this in 10 years like they look back on SSFIIX now, trust me, nothing will match this for a while.

Gradius V - a true return to form for the hori-shooter. I thought I'd seen the last of the genre and so started with vertical shooters (which I'm crap at), luckily this game saved my dignity in more ways than one. An underappreciated instant classic if ever there was.

That's it. Everything else has been pretty much ****e, a poor generation in comparison to the 16-bit and 32-bit eras. VERY poor infact. 95% of my money over the past 4 years has been spent on games from before the year 2000.

(I've yet to play Resi 4)

[butchcvc]

great thread!

games that stole my heart.......


dreamcast

rez - absorbing design, sound and gameplay!

shenmue 1 - such an atmosphere (i still go for a day out to the harbour now and again). The only thing i dislike about this game is ine san (ryo's housekeeper)

shenmue 2 - not as good (in my opinion), but still a classic!

zero gunner 2 - so playable!

jet set radio - great to play just for the design alone!

m.s.r - my most played dc game.

guilty gear x - everything about this game oozes greatness!


ps2

gitaroo-man - greatest music in a videogame?

project zero - i wasnt expecting it to be as good as it was!

GTA3 - a well needed game for its era.


gamecube

burnout - fantasic game, loved it to bits when it was released.

the legend of zelda (wind waker) - wow!

resident evil 4 - cinematic brilliance!


xbox

halo 2 - because of this game, i havnt had the chance to play any of these games ive bought since its purchase which include metroid prime, super monkey ball, san andreas, project zero 2, viewtiful joe, star ocean - till the end of time, ikaruga, outrun2, panzer dragoon orta, jungle beat and many others. so right now its a love/hate relationship!

project gotham 2 - one of the best xbox live games, with great features inc. my favorite, the custom soundtrack! (driving to the guilty gear x2 soundtrack)

brothers in arms - simple gameplay that makes this a must!


now looking back, the 3 main consoles (xbox/gc/ps2) sucked!

[Combination]

Of all the good games this gen, I wouldn't want to be without the following five:

01 The Wind Waker
02 Metal Gear Solid 2
03 Metroid Prime
04 Metroid: Zero Mission
05 The Minish Cap

[Lebowski]

The Burnout series on the ps2 got me back into raceing games, to many gt and sim type racers seemed to take over. This series for me made driveing games fun again with more of an emphasis on speed than stats.

Getting the Socom beta on the ps2 got me playing online and introduced me to the oap's

Socom and Socom 2 are actualy quite fun shooters, i know it got panned review wise and im normaly quie a snob when it comes to games like this, but the fact is ive never played the game offline which the majority of the reviews were based on, i wouldent normaly give a game like this a second look but i havent been able to find anything on live that has the same class of people and can handle 8 players a side.

Animal crossing is a bit of an obsession of mine too, and the main reason behind my recent ds purchase. i've spent many an hour wandering around my little village checking my post too see if that latest fossil is the one missing piece i need, or fishing for some red snappers or them liveing fossil things

Usual suspects too for me rez, panzer dragoon orta, ico, halo thanks for the hours

[anephric]

Neurodancer - 3D0.

Great boobie-rubbing, but don't venture "downstairs" or you risk the wrath of the dolly bird involved.

Groundbreaking.

[Dogg Thang]

Is the DC this generation or last generation? It's sort of in between. It's been gone so long I find it hard considering it this generation.

Dogg.

[charlesr]

Dreamcast:
Psyvariar2 - took over my life for a while. Stunning.

Gamecube:
Super Monkey Ball - a defining moment in gaming - only 1 control, the analogue stick.

Xbox:
Rallisport Challenge 2 - powerdrifts don't get any more natural than this - better than single player Halo(1 or 2)

GBA:
Bomberman multiplayer off 1 cart - oh yes!

[Wools]

Neurodancer - 3D0.

Keep games to this generation, love!

Im glad Halo is being shown some love, although it is a stunning game a lot of people seem to hate it.

Although Rallysport challenge 2 is a great racing game would it be a rembered in years to come? More ecentric games like Outrun 2 will definatly be rembered but slightly more standered games can be superseded.

[gingerj]

01. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
02. F-Zero GX
03. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
04. Metroid Prime
05. Ninja Gaiden

[RLench]

In no real order:

MGS3 - the perfect convergence of gaming and storytelling, IMO. Nothing's done it better, nothing will beat it for a LONG time

Resi 4 - just superb on so many levels. It's the most enjoyable game I've ever played

GT4 - best racer ever

PGR2 - THIS is how you do online gaming. Nothing else has come close to it

Halo 2 - owned my social life for a long time but it's been ruined by cheating and lack of DLC/support from Bungie

Wind Waker - proved to me that games are a real form of art and I really enjoyed playing it

Super Monkey Ball - proof that games don't need to be complex to be enjoyable

VF4: Evo - best fighting game ever made...easily

Rez - doesn't need a reason

[Ady]

DC:
Rez, Bangaio & the Shenmue games

PS2:
Ico, Gitaroo Man (best rhythm action game I've ever played), Gregory Horror Show

GC:
Super Monkey Ball, Paper Mario 2 (this gen's defining Mario title, imo), Resi 4, FF:CC (I don't care what the haters say, the use of the GBA linkup in this game is genius and this is such a great game to play with friends), Viewtiful Joe

Wind Waker maybe wasn't as good as it could've been but you have to give Nintendo credit for its aesthetics. It's the only game I can think of where you are literally playing a cartoon.

GBA:
Wario Ware, Mario vs DK (proper old school gaming right here), Boktai (inventive and fun), Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga

I don't own an XBox, but I've played enough Halo to know that it really is all it was made up to be.

[in5ane]

I was most excited around the DC time, that had some real great games from the off. I still remember (and post about it whenever i can!) about the 10 solid hours me and a mate spent playing Metropolis Street Racer and Shenmue the first day we got them. Then i played Bangai O constantly when i should have been revising for my degree finals -doh!

But apart from Monkey Ball on the GC, i find it hard to get excited about most games this gen tbh. Maybe Donkey Konga?! I loved Quatum Redshift, pity they never made a Live sequel

Not a classic at all, but i really got hooked on The Getaway- felt compelled to complete in a very tiring weekend!

Must get around to playing Resi4, but like a lot on this forum, i just buy games willy-nilly, they stack up, and i'm never playing them when they're new, just when i eventually get around to it!

[in5ane]

Gitaroo Man (best rhythm action game I've ever played)

Really? It;s one of those games people rave about, i buy, and it's like fun for 5 minutes. This and games like Mr Mosquito are original, initially fun, but really don't hold my attention at all.

My fave rhythm game is still the original Parappa. That and Bishi Bashi are why i love the PS2's ability to play PS1 games!

[Yoshimax]

I can't believe nobody has yet mentioned the greatest fighter we've seen to date :

DC
---

Soul Calibur (graphics still on a par with the best we're seeing in recent fighters)

Shenmue 1&2 - The first will always be special to me - running around the jap version with a FAQ to guide me (when I felt like actually progressing the story) - almost personal.

Power Stone 2 - Genius Multiplayer gaming

Rez

XBOX
-----

PGR2 - One of the best racers & one of the best live games all at once - the reason I got live! in the first place.

HALO - At first I thought it was just an overhyped FPS - about 8 months later whilst still playing legendary coop I knew I was wrong.

Quantum Redshift - A real pity most people missed this - if you never played it go search the bargain bins - a real treat for those of us hankering for some wipeout stylee and possibly still the fastest thing ever.

Jet Set Radio : Future - Perfect addition to the franchise - I know a lot of people bemoaned the changes but I still put it on from time to time. An Audio/Visual feast.

PS2
----

GTA3 - C'mon - how can it not feature - Exactly what those of us who loved the first 2 were hoping for in the 'next gen'.

GT3&4 - 4 to a lesser extent but 3 blew my socks off on arrival from Japan for weeks. Still stunning to watch it running.

ICO - Everybody should be made to play this through - it only wants about 15 hours of your time !

GAMECUBE
----------

Super Monkey Ball 1&2 - I'm not justifying their inclusion.

Zelda : WW - First Zelda I saw through start to finish without using a FAQ - loved it.

Luigis Mansion - When this arrived with my GC from Liksang there was a grin a mile wide on my face for days - don't care about lifespan etc - even today it can hold its own.

F-Zero GX - A first in terms of the SEGA/NINTENDO collaboration and they truly delivered.