Top 25 Games of all Time (9-1)

9. Timesplitters 3 (PS2)
As a series I am a fan of Timesplitters. The single player game contains levels from a variety of time periods, so every level feels unique. The game also has a lot of unique challenge levels like Monkey Curling. The multiplayer maps are good and the modes highly customizable. The bot support is excellent. However, the reason why I really liked this game is because of the map maker. For a while I made a new map once a week (on Friday nights), and I have to say I made some fairly good ones (City of Ra being my best).

8. Culdcept (PS2)
I have an unhealthy love of collectible customizable games. This was awoken in middle school by Magic the Gathering, fueled by Spellfire, and then finally took full root in the Star Wars card game. The one-two hit of Decipher losing the Star Wars license (and thus ending the game) and being a poor college student broke me of that, but it flared up again Senior year with Mech Warrior, and then a couple of years ago with Attacktix. Unfortuantly, I never learned from my mistakes because each time I found my self loving a game with no one to play with. Culdcept is therefor perfect for me because it is a collectible Card Game in the form of a video game. Culdcept does things that requires it to be a video game, and there are no booster packs to buy so it is a lot cheaper. Frustratingly cheap AI in both this version and the 360 version (which the developers have admitted are programmed cheap), hold this game back from being my favorite game of all time.

7. Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)
Four Mario Karts have come out since this one, but it is still my favorite. Some of the tracks are inventive, but the reason why I like this game is the battle mode. My brother and I played this game A TON. I would guess that once we got it until I graduated high school there was not a week that went buy that we did not at least play it once. We always played battle mode one on one (or with three on the rare chance my sister played), and we had it down to an art. Screw boxing, Mario Kart is the REAL sweet science.

6. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)
I have not played this game in over 10 years, so I don't know how well it holds up, but like other games on this list coming up I have a good memory of it because the game drew me into its world and story. Zelda games are games about a grand adventure, and that is exactly what playing this game felt like.

5. Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360)
As this list no doubt confirms, I like shooting games. My favorite type of shooting games are ones that deliver a big, epic, and cinematic feel. Call of Duty 4 is the game that has managed to do that more than any other. This sounds like a marketing pitch, but to call this game an adrenaline fueled thrill ride would not be to far off the mark. It helps that the multiplayer has an addictive leveling up system and plays like a dream.

4. Super Mario All Stars (SNES)
They don't make compilations this awesome anymore. On one kart Mario, Mario 2, and Mario 3 could all be found. What made it better is that they all had updated graphics. A few years ago I played Mario 3 on the NES, and I was shocked the game did not look like how I remembered it because I had played the All-stars version so much.

3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360)
Here is what I wrote about this game when I first played it, and it is still true close to 2 years later:
"In many ways, Oblivion might be the greatest game I have ever played. The thought that stuck with me most of the week, is the fact that no one has ever played the game quite like I have. The order in which I have done quests is completely different than everyone else, and that is cool. I also like the fact that there are probably landmarks on the maps that I have discovered that thousands of other people never have, much less been inside the dungeoun of said location.

I have also given some thought to how I want to play the game. I find it truly appealing that I am effectivly writing my own story in the game. I wish that the language of the main quest was not so pressing, because I sort of feel bad putting it off. My character is definatly some sort of crusader for good. I am traveling from town to town trying to advance up the ranks of both the mage guild and fighter guild. While in town, I look for as many ways as I can help people. This morning I put a few hours in at the Gold Coast in the city of Anvil. I helped the city guard with a gang of thieves, helped a woman keep her pet rats alive, and killed a rouge mage who was killing traveling merchants. As a result of purposely wanting to play a good guy, I will probably never end up doing the thieves guild quests or the brotherhood of shadow quests."

2. Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
I like Mass Effect for a lot of the same reasons I like Oblivion. In Oblivion the "story" was mostly mine to write in my head. My characters actions only had a narrative cohesion because I liked to think they did. However, in Mass Effect the story is much tighter, while still being open to me. Mass Effect is the tale of Commander Shepherd, and I was Shepherd. My actions, thoughts, and conversations actively effected the story and it was awesome. Mass Effect truly felt like playing a movie or living a book, it is the single best narrative experience I have ever had.

1. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PS2)
I love shooting games and I love Star Wars. This game combines those two and takes the awesome battlefield capture system. On top of that, it fixed some of the annoyances of the original and added some excellent new modes (CTF, Galactic Conquest). I have put countless hours in this game, and because it is backwards compatible I will probably continue to do so. I can way that without a doubt this is my favorite game ever.