1. Final Fantasy IX
My absolute favorite game of all time. Final Fantasy IX is very dear to me. It was given to me by unconventional means and ended up becoming the game that made me so interested in video games in the first place. Final Fantasy IX showed me what video games can provide beyond gameplay and it made an impact on my life, that I'm not even sure what I would be doing right now if I never played it. Final Fantasy IX is the reason why I want to own a game company, it was the reason I took up writing, it was the reason I took up drawing, and it was reason why I am into music as much as I am. I owe a lot to this game. This game has been duly noted from both Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu as their favorite entry in the franchise and frankly it's mines as well.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
This is my favorite Legend of Zelda so far. While Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time were my introduction to the series, this game resonated with me so well because of the amount of side quests in the game and the mask transformations that added a lot of diversity to the gameplay. The world of Termina is one of the few games that felt real. Characters had personality and they all changed and attended to their daily lives sometimes interweaving with each other and you also had an impact on the effect of all of them.
3. Final Fantasy VIII
I think this was the third Final Fantasy game I played. I remember there being a lot of issues the first time around that I played it. I borrowed it from a friend at Middle School. I got to the part of the invasion and then the game froze. I went to school the next day to tell my friend that the disc was scratched, but I came to find out that he switched schools. I had to get my mother to get his info because I had let him borrow my Game Boy Color/Advance in exchange for VIII. Went over his house,there was a strange exchange, but I got my Game Boy back and gave him his copy of VIII back. I think a year or two later I was able to buy my own copy and I got to fully appreciate the game. I loved the environment, the characters were okay, but I grew attached to Squall loved the moments when shit really went down, liked Laguna, and the end sequences of the game. Ultimecia's Castle is still among my favorite final dungeons. This is overall a great game.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The first Zelda I actually got to have my hands on. This was a magical experience for me. I still remember playing the opening sequence for the first time. The dungeons in this game are designed so well. The combat is simplistic, but efficient. This game really shines in the atmosphere and level design department. Rightly deserved of the many game of the year and all time awards out there.
5. Banjo-Kazooie
This was my first 3D platformer. Most people's were probably Super Mario 64, but mine's was this game right here. This game was silly and weird. It had some great level design challenge and those fun transformations. I'm disappointed I never got to play Banjo-Tooie, the spin off Conker game, and that the series died, but at least we're getting Yooka-Laylee. A great game.
6. Diddy Kong Racing
Other people had Mario Kart 64, I had Diddy Kong Racing. While to be fair, I didn't even know there was a Mario Kart game for the 64 until years later, but this was the number one racer for me for quite a while. It's more balanced than Mario Kart since all the weapons are not randomized and I like how they power up by getting multiples of them like in Firepower 2000. The game was also very fresh to me coming off of Super Mario Kart. You had an open world campaign, mirrored tracks, secret characters, different takes on battle mode, Rare characters, and multiple vehicle types. I say that this is still one of the best racers out there.
7. Tekken 3
One of the best entries in the Tekken series. I started with the first but Tekken 3 was first one I owned and this game was exceptional coming off of the original and the Tekken 2 demo I played frequently. The game was faster a little prettier and it gave me my main Hwoarang who I never dropped. He was reduced to my 2nd main when 5 came out, but I never got rid of him. The game was a blast to play and one of the best fighting games ever made. I'd be hesitant to play it now though. I can't go from playing 6 or Tag 2 to 3.
8. Threads of Fate
My, my, my. Threads of Fate is a special little gem for me. I first played a demo of it at a Game Stop when Game Stop didn't have the monopoly on the used game market and this little game I had find quite intriguing it was colorful and the first action rpg that I played. It wasn't not long after that I got a chance to play it as it was part of the bundled set that my brother's father had bought out of some man's car trunk. The game was contained in this mystical world that had its share of dark secrets and you get to play through the tale as one of two people. Rue, a shapeshifter with a troubled past and armed with a pizza cutter sword and you had the rambunctious and spoiled Princess Mint who was a spellcaster. The two characters played wildly different from each other and there was one dungeon unique to each of them. Though you were playing mostly the same game as them, you weren't because Mint and Rue's stories were different from one another and you truly see how different things become in the story for each towards the end. This offers a lot of replay value and if you beat the game with both of them you are given a special ending that hints to a sequel. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be seeing it. This game would benefit hugely from a sequel.
9. Perfect Dark
I played Goldeneye first, but I had only played a little bit of the multiplayer and just watched other people play parts of the campaign, but I did however get to play the sequel (from a gameplay perspective) Perfect Dark. This game had style. You got to play as bad ass Joana Dark who was basically a female James Bond, but in the future. The environments and setting was great. You had a great arsenal of guns to choose from. I personally liked the blue shotgun and the phoenix pistols. My brother and me never did beat this game back in the day. When you got to the part where you had to fight that four legged alien queen/king on another planet we had no idea what to do because the alien was impervious to all types of ammo and melee attacks. We thought we have had to cut off the head, but that didn't work and gave up. Years later I replayed it and looked it up and turned out you had to shoot the pillars in the room. I was like "the fuck?", but I did end up beating the game finally though I can't quite remember what the concluding level was. This is a terrific game however with a stellar campaign and multiplayer to boot.
10. Resident Evil 2 (N64)
The first survival horror game I've played to completion, Keji Inafune's Resident Evil 2 was a remarkable entry in my gaming journey. I didn't play much of the first Resident Evil, but I clearly saw the improvements made between the two. Resident Evil 2 looks better and plays just slightly better than its predecessor. Like the first you had the option of playing with two characters in the beginning and your choice will be locked for the duration of the game. This offered a lot of replay value as the story changes a little bit between the two. Continuing the game with one character and then replaying it with another and you can spot the differences. If you chose the machine gun over the upgraded pack as Leon then in your next playthrough, Claire will have access to the pack. It's a small feature, but the little things like this help distinguish a game. As for the horror elements, this game was one of the first I legitimately felt fear for growing up. One might remember the infamous two way mirror event or the hulking Mr.X that appeared in the Scenario B campaigns. This game has a special place in my heart and though I felt that Resident Evil 3 was a bit better mechanically, Resident Evil 2 edges it out due to atmosphere and keeping a stronger hold of the survival horror elements. This game is also getting a remake and I'm looking forward to playing it.
Honorable mentions go out to:
x. Super Mario 64 ;
x. WCW vs nwo Revenge
x. Dino Crisis 2
x. Super Smash Bros,
x. Resident Evil 3
x. Yukon Trail
x. Pokemon Silver
x. Metal Gear Solid
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