[Question] Top 20 Games of the last 20 Years?

I guess I should lead by saying that I'm heavy into platformers and RPGs. I also realized as I looked at the list, that its rather unoriginal and conforms with a lot of entries in the "top ten lists of all time" lists. That being said, there are definitely a handful of entries that are near and dear to my hearts.

Donkey Kong Country
I remember trading in two games at the now defunct Funcolalaynd to get this game back in 1st grade. Graphically, it was unlike anything else I had seen before. Revolutionary two-player co-op, incredible music, awesome game play. It also had a minimalistic approach to its interface. No life bars and other counters like lives and bananas only stayed on screen temporarily. This is a game I still come back to.

Final Fantasy VI
An obvious entry into the list and also one of my first RPG experiences. I don't know what to say that hasn't already been said about this game.

Earthbound
A cult classic and personal favorite. From its unusual style to wacky writing, it was unlike anything else I played at the time. I have so many fond memories of playing and replaying this game. Its charm is undeniable and its legacy lives on today giving life to fan projects and having its characters featured in the Super Smash Bros universe.

Chrono Trigger
An easy choice. Great music, memorable characters, and time travel.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
I will go on a limb and say that I liked Yoshi's Island better than Super Mario World. The game had an impeccable art style and animation that still holds up today. The game also introduced Baby Mario, Baby Bowser, egg throwing, made Kamek a central character, revived the shy guys, introduced red coins (correct me if I'm wrong on any of these). Similar what Wario Land did to Mario Land, Yoshi branched off the main franchise and created its own franchise.

Super Mario 64
A game that pretty much wrote the handbook on 3D platformers.

Mario Kart 64
My favorite entry in the Mario Kart franchise before the blue shell was a broken nuke from hell. Seriously.

Final Fantasy VII
It's easy to lampoon this game now for many reasons, but I only have fond memories of playing this game. It's also a game that I go out of my way to replay every couple years.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
"What is man but a miserable pile of secrets."

Metal Gear Solid
I haven't played 4 so the jury is still out on the entire series, but this is definitely my favorite entry I played in the series. Gamers claim it as the godfather of the stealth genre. For me, I'm all about its ridiculous plot and insane villains. And Kojima trolling the gamer with Psycho Mantis.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Similar to FFVII, another easy entry that I have no shame including. I even played Master Quest (although I suppose you could consider that a whole different game if you'd like.)

Xenogears
My favorite RPG of all time. I should also say that Evangelion is also my favorite anime of all time. I played it at a time when I was also questioning religion (I was raised Catholic) so I honestly attribute my current state of agnosticism to playing this game. Literally, this game changed my life.

Unreal Tournament
Dual firing weapons, quick frenetic gameplay, capture the flag, online matches. Good stuff.

Jet Set Radio
I have a soft spot for this game. Me and all my friends back home passed the disc around and bonded over this game. It was so cool. And the music was awesome. And the plot wasn't bad either.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
I've logged more hours into this game than any other game on my list. While I'm not a competitive gamer, this is the fighting game I'm the best at. I definitely prefer Melee to the original and brawl. Brawl's introduction of Smash Balls didn't really do much for me and the slip mechanic killed it for me. I thought Melee had the tightest controls and the best roster of characters.

We <3 Katamari
I thought about this entry pretty hard because I wasn't sure I was going to include it but I had to go with my gut. I more expansive game than the first, the second entry featured more level designs, secondary objectives, dozens of playable cousins, and more zany music. This game has also helped me introduce many non-gamers to the world of gaming.

Shadow of the Colossus
A artful masterpiece with an immense sense of scale. The feeling of isolation. And the larger than life boss battles.

Portal
Formerly known as Nerbacular Drop, this student project turned Orange Box game brought me back into PC gaming and solidified for me Valve's position as a dominant force in the gaming industry. I know everyone loves the music (which I love), but I fell in love with the atmosphere.

Grand Theft Auto IV
Torn between this and the original GTA 3, however going back and playing GTA 3 it didn't hold up to the test of time. There was just so much to do in GTA IV. Not to say quantity is quality, but the level of polish and immersion in GTA IV is unreal it had me completely absorbed.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Just beat this the other day. Wow. Talk about nostalgia.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Q, you know that Ico has multiple endings, right? :3

:watermelons:

Also loving your list of honorable mentions.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Obviously I need to learn how to read better from my phone. I suck.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.