There are games that became classics of all time and that even have specialized stores such as the mm2 shop.
Tetris stands out among this list as an enduring classic; its wide appeal has given rise to numerous spin-offs and even Counter Strike, an esports phenomenon.
Resident Evil 4 still retains an excellent balance of pace, tension and campaign variety; along with its truly repugnant insectoids. Furthermore, it popularized an over-the-shoulder view found everywhere from The Last of Us to Grand Theft Auto.
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic is an RPG every fan of the franchise must experience. Set thousands of years before any of the films, KOTOR offers an engaging story with memorable characters. Additionally, gameplay offers beautiful planet vistas, thrilling space battles, and chaotic lightsaber duels that keep players hooked for hours on end – plus good pacing and dialogue; though its morality system may prove somewhat tedious at times.
BioWare was at its most successful during development of KOTOR, creating iconic Star Wars titles like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights that continue to stand the test of time. Although this new release may lack some bells and whistles of its 14-year-old original game version, it remains an excellent way of experiencing one of BioWare’s masterpieces that many consider one of the finest RPGs ever developed.
Sega’s Dreamcast
Sega’s Dreamcast was an ambitious console ahead of its time (prior to the PS2, XBox and GameCube releases), featuring an extensive library of games as well as offering the best online gaming experience available at that time.
Gamers were still smarting from Saturn and Sega CD/32X’s poor reception; these overpriced add-ons for Genesis/Mega Drive left Sega looking like it was in decline; plus, Sony’s PlayStation 2 was expected to become an overwhelming force.
Super Mario 64
Launch title for Nintendo’s 64-bit system, Super Mario 64 was an innovative and groundbreaking title. Breaking with tradition by moving away from 2D Mario courses towards open world environments that encouraged exploration. Pushing graphics capabilities of its time as well as including features such as water physics and ice.
“Super Mario 64 is one of the few N64 titles that hasn’t suffered as a result of time passing; still feels great to play and even reappeared on DS and virtual console, with throwbacks appearing in modern titles like Super Mario Odyssey.”
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Ocarina Of Time marked the first game in the Legend Of Zelda series to utilize three-dimensional environments and was widely recognized for its groundbreaking impact. Inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto’s childhood home of hills, forests, and caves located there, its world of Hyrule featured dungeon crawling and puzzles while pioneering features that would become industry standards such as battery saves and locking-on to enemies in 3D combat.
Link was also an exciting protagonist whose tale had an actual progression, unlike earlier games that simply provided light backstory.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
Metal Gear Solid 4 stands as one of the most significant video games released this generation, offering a monumental advancement of an already revered franchise and providing its finale in stunning fashion. While MGS4 should be essential viewing for fans of its predecessor games, its cutscenes provide players unfamiliar with its lore with all they need to know from Otacon’s mini-Metal Gear to the Foxdie virus and Patriot plot developments.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty has steadily progressed into an expansive series with multiple game modes and an expanding multiplayer component. Created by Infinity Ward – the studio that started it all – Call of Duty 2 immersed gamers in an epic narrative featuring lethal Tier One operators and freedom fighters locked in an intense struggle for freedom.
Call of Duty was expanded with an N-Gage portable spin-off, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized. Additionally, Call of Duty Mobile features as a J2ME mobile series spin-off.
Treyarch has released five World War II-based games under its Black Ops sub-series. Meanwhile, Sledgehammer Games is working on two titles outside the Call of Duty series.
Zombies
Zombies have long been a beloved and iconic enemy archetype that have become part of popular culture, making them ideal for games that need to quickly set the threat players must overcome. Their ease of recognition makes them easy to comprehend without lengthy explanation, making zombies the ideal antagonists to feature as adversaries in game titles.
Zombie games have long been used as an effective medium to examine socially sensitive issues – from rising consumerism in George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, to Umbrella Corporation’s efforts at bioweapon development and its collusion with government agencies as seen in Resident Evil series.
