My Top 25 Games of All Time

As an avid game for over 21 years, I have often pondered what if I could only play 25 games for the rest of my life. The list is a tough one, as I have played thousands of games. However, certain great games to come to mind almost immediately. Here is a list of my favorite 25 games of all time, in no real particular order.

25. Dynamite Headdy (Sega Genensis)  Crazy Treasure developed platformer that is too weird not to love
24. Dungeons and Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara (Arcade) Great brawler, like Golden Axe on steroids

23. Metal Gear Solid 3 (PS2)  Metal Gear + the Cold War = one brilliant game

22. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)  The best Sonic game ever also has a wonderful soundtrack
21. Street Fighter 3: Third Strike (Arcade)  Still stands as the best 2D fighter, seems to be made for combo and parry experts

20. Super Street Fighter 2 (Arcade) Almost as good as Third Strike, great for nostalgia

19. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)  My favorite game as a child that made me a gaming nut for life
18. Final Fantasy Tactics (PSX)  Maddeningly deep strategy RPG with an epic story and great cast

17. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX) Greatest Castlevania game, Alucard is such a badass
16. Final Fantasy 6 (SNES)  Excellent Final Fantasy with some of the best graphics on the Super Nintendo
15. Chrono Trigger (SNES)  Great story, beautiful music, cool bosses, and plenty of replay value

14. Mother 3 (GBA)  Quirky game with an oddly compelling storyline and many emotional moments
13. Mushihimesama Futari (Xbox 360)  Bullet hell shooter from Cave, masterful stage and boss design
12. Mega Man 2 (NES)  Tough as nails, but so satisfying...I also love this soundtrack for some reason
11. Marvel vs. Capcom (Dreamcast)  The original one felt so perfect and kinda balanced, I still love the graphics
10. Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis)  The greatest run and gun shooter on the Genesis with a unique sense of humor and a flare for the dramatic

09. Powerstone 2 (Dreamcast)  One of the best multi-player games ever mad, so many items to be crafted
08. Guardian Heroes (Saturn)  Beat-em up with multiple endings and tons of characters to choose from
07. Earthbound (SNES)  The precursor to Mother 3, hilarious and endearing plot, another 16 bit triumph
06. Super Metroid (SNES)  The best Metroid with one of the greatest final battles of all time

05. Mega Man X (SNES) The natural evolution of Mega Man 2, the perfect Mega Man game
04. Persona 4 (PS2)  Teens going inside of a television to find a mad serial killer, count me in
03. Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360)  Life on the frontier was hell, but man was it pretty, best video game ending ever as well

02. Super Mario World (SNES)  The Mario game that introduced Yoshi and the cape, it has so many secrets
01. Final Fantasy 4 (SNES) The first real J-RPG in my opinion, a classic in every possible way

Honorable Mentions: Suikoden 2, Lunar Silver Star Story, Persona 3, Snatcher, Policenauts, Sonic CD, Ninja Gaiden, Shenmue, Crazy Taxi, Final Fantasy 7, Deathsmiles, Sexy Parodius, The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, Mass Effect 2, Valkyria Chronicles, and Gitaroo Man.