So my previous Top 50 list started to feel really strained and like it was missing a lot. So, I decided to expand it to a borderline Top 100. I've played many video games and I'll probably play so many more that a game making it into such a large list is still such an accomplishment, to the point where I can't not look at any of these games as anything other than something truly special. And because I feel there's so much negativity as far as gaming discourse is concerned, I decided that in addition to updating my list, I'll be slowly writing posts about why I each of these games rank as one of my favorites, starting from 100th place and working my way up to 1st. These won't be general reviews like I've done for several of these games, instead they'll focus on the things I love of them and why they stick with me as some of the best the medium has to offer. No game is perfect and if you really wanted to, you could find tons of nitpicks for every single game on this list, but for me, these are titles that are more than the sum of their parts and all ended up making some sort of positive impact on me.
- Super Mario Galaxy Duology
- Kirby And The Forgotten Land
- Klonoa Duology
- Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Freedom Planet 1/2
- Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky
- Celeste
- Kirby's Return To Dream Land
- Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Trails In The Sky Trilogy
- Sonic Adventure Duology
- One Step From Eden
- Banjo-Kazooie
- Chrono Trigger/Cross
- Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- Super Paper Mario
- Densetsu No Starfy 3
- Ape Escape Trilogy
- Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
- Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia
- Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism
- Undertale
- Ace Attorney Trilogy
- Ys Origin
- Pokemon Emerald
- Spyro The Dragon Trilogy
- Mega Man X4
- Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood
- Panel De Pon
- Metroid Dread
- Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
- Pikmin 3 Deluxe
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
- Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
- Kirby's Epic Yarn
- A Hat In Time
- Super Metroid
- Drill Dozer
- Sly Cooper Trilogy
- Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure
- Ico + Shadow Of The Colossus
- Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- Paper Mario: The Origami King + The Thousand Year Door
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Portal 2
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate
- Phantasy Star Online
- Super Monkey Ball 2
- Sonic Rush
- Umihara Kawase (Shun)
- Katamari Damacy Duology
- Kirby Triple Deluxe
- CrossCode
- Parasite Eve
- Mario Party 3
- Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
- Hollow Knight
- Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
- Ristar
- Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
- Super Mario 3D World & Bowser's Fury
- Touhou 18: Unconnected Marketeers
- Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
- Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver
- Touhou Luna Nights
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Donkey Kong Country Trilogy
- Mega Man Battle Network 3
- Nights Into Dreams
- Penny's Big Breakaway
- Crash Bandicoot Trilogy
- Touhou 8: Imperishable Night
- Resident Evil (2002)
- Einhander
- Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
- Omori
- Ape Escape: Million Monkeys
- Hamtaro: Ham Hams Unite/Heartbreak
- Touhou 14.3: Impossible Spell Card
- Mario Party 6
- Rayman 2 & 3
- Mushihimesama
- Threads Of Fate
- Poinie's Poin
- Final Fantasy V
- Kururin Squash
- Wii Sports (Resort)
- Sonic 3 & Knuckles
- Radiant Silvergun
- F-Zero X
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
- Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
- Napple Tale: Arsia In Daydream
- Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap
- Wario Land 3
- Jack Bros
And here are a few more honorable mentions I just couldn't fit onto this list:
- Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective: I haven't actually finished this one, but what I had played has been absolutely phenomenal. Definitely need to get back to it and then it could be an easy Top 100 candidate.
- Bayonetta Origins: A beautiful and creative ode to Clover Studio with a surprisingly effective story, stunning visuals, and one hell of an ending. It may not be like the other Bayonetta games, but it does what it's trying to do perfectly.
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2: This game made me a fan of skateboarding games. It's got the best levels, the best music, and pretty much perfected the Tony Hawk formula.
- Mega Man X: A damn near perfect platformer that hasn't aged a day. Every level is memorable and fun, the secrets will always be rewarding to discover, the music slaps, just simply brilliant.
- Live A Live: In a console generation ripe with very similar fantasy RPGs, Live A Live broke the mold by offering eight entirely unique RPGs spread across a variety of settings. Each chapter is unique but equally fun, and the ending bridges them all together with one of my favorite twists in any video game.
- Metroid: Zero Mission: Certainly the most accessible Metroid
game, and I am a sucker for its brutal Shinespark puzzles, just wish it
was a bit longer.
- Twinkle Star Sprites: Super inventive fusion of shmup and puzzle gameplay that gets really tense and competitive, all tied together by a wonderful 90s anime aesthetic. Even if Touhou's Phantasmagoria games took inspiration from it, I think I still prefer the original.
- Soulcalibur: The port that finally showed consoles could catch up to and even exceed the arcade cabinet. One of the smoothest and most polished 3D fighting games I've ever played, with one of the best fighting game campaigns ever and a metric ton of content outside of that.
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