60. Pikmin
(GCN, 2001)
There are certain games that only Nintendo could make. They always manage to pump out classics throughout the years, each charming in their own way, and most of them memorable. Pikmin was a game unlike any other when it came out in 2001. It's a strategy game where you control these little plant-like alien creatures known as pikmin, to help you find your crashed rocket ship parts to go home. During the adventure, you learn more about the foreign planet, fight enemies, collect parts, as well as food, all with the help of the pikmin. It's truly a game that stands on its own, aside from its two sequels, which are also great but I didn't find them quite as charming as the original. If nothing else, this game proves that Nintendo is not out of new ideas. Not by a long shot.
59. F-Zero X
(N64, 1998)
This was the first entry I played in the blazingly fast futuristic racing series, and is also my favorite. The hair metal styled soundtrack is fantastic and matches the fast speed perfectly. It is also notable for being the only N64 game with 60 frames per second. The gameplay is very fluid and easy to control, yet very hard to master. Not the absolute hardest game in the series (that honor goes to F-Zero GX) but overall a fantastic racing game that I could replay over and over.
58. Secret of Evermore
(SNES, 1995)
A fantastic and underrated gem I only just played about 2 or 3 years ago. Despite popular belief, it has nothing to do with Secret of Mana or the Mana series in general. It is similar in playstyle, though, and has a more contemporary theme beginning in the 90s and traveling through time from the stone age all the way into the future. The soundtrack is done by the legend Jeremy Soule, who also did the Elder Scrolls games' soundtracks. The music is much more ambient than memorable but it only adds to mysterious atmosphere of the game. The gameplay itself is nothing special and the story is your typical time traveling adventure story, but it's really the mood and atmosphere that keeps this game in my head. A true SNES gem that often goes unnoticed.
57. Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door
(GCN, 2004)
One of the best RPGs on the Gamecube, this game took the charming Paper Mario series and expanded on it. The adventure is a little more nonlinear than the original, but the story is not as memorable. Overall, though a fantastic game especially if you loved the original Paper Mario. The soundtrack is great, and the graphics are inventive and fun. Mario gains new abilities this time, such as transforming into a paper airplane to get across large gaps. Unfortunately we haven't seen a truly great Paper Mario game since then, but as it stands, this game is a classic, through and through.
56. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
(NES, 1990)
One of my absolute favorite NES games and one that is based on one of my favorite childhood cartoons. I only owned this for a brief time a couple of years ago but have played it at least a dozen times between renting it from Blockbuster as a kid and playing it on an emulator. It's such a simple game, and a pretty easy one at that, but I can't help but love this game. The music is great, the graphics are some of the best on the NES, and every level is fun and memorable. I can still remember almost every detail in the game even though I haven't played it in years. To me, it is the pinnacle of the Disney/Capcom games. My only gripe is the game is too short. But then again so is every NES game. I really hope this game gets remastered the way DuckTales did.
55. Breath of Fire III
(PS1, 1998)
The Breath of Fire series is kind of like the Final Fantasy games in that each game shares common themes, reused names, reused locations, and reused characters - but no game in the series is a direct sequel and each one showcases a brand new story. Breath of Fire III is the best of the series, in my opinion, and a true PS1 classic. I know I talk about the soundtracks in my favorite games, but it's for a reason. The music here is really great just like most of my list. The graphics are good and the story is interesting as well. It's a great turn based RPG and talking about it really makes me miss the old days of RPGs and wish the Breath of Fire series would make a return. They just don't make them like they used to. When the best PS1 RPGs are talked about, everyone mentions the iconic Final Fantasy games, Chrono Cross, and Xenogears, but I find Breath of Fire III often left out, though it deserves to be mentioned and played since it's every bit as great as a Final Fantasy game.
54. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
(N64, 1998)
You might find the game a little low on my list but considering the mass amount of games I've played in my life, just making the top 100 is a feat in itself. Ocarina of Time is often considered one of the greatest games of all time by many fans and gaming sites alike. It's not my favorite Zelda, but I do recognize the huge impact it had on gaming. It is really the first 3D open world game on a console. Really there was nothing like it before it. Not to mention it took Zelda into 3D with so much grace that it transformed the entire series because of it. Now, most people see the series as a 3D action adventure title rather than the top-down 2D games of the past. No doubt the 3D games are bigger and more popular and I feel like a lot of new fans forget where the series originated from. Even people who are just playing Ocarina of Time for the first time now don't realize how huge this game was upon its release. It was absolutely massive. And I really wasn't even into Zelda at the time. I had played Link's Awakening before this, and Link to the Past I got just after this, but Ocarina really blew me away. Upon replaying the game for the fourth or fifth time recently, I can see certain mechanics of the game feel dated, but the game design still holds up well and is one of the best games in the franchise and on the N64, which is why I had to put it in my top 100.
53. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
(N64, 2000)
Until recently, I thought Ocarina of Time was the better N64 Zelda game. As it turns out, now that I played Ocarina and Majora's Mask back to back on the 3DS, I can safely say I prefer Majora's Mask. It may not have as many dungeons as Ocarina of Time, but each one is very unique. The game is also notably dark - quite possibly the darkest in the series. Mask collecting is also very interesting and makes for a great side quest. The game may not have revolutionized gaming like Ocarina of Time did but Majora's Mask is every bit as wonderful. The gameplay carries over directly from Ocarina but the story, world, and most other elements are all brand new. The Zelda series just never seems to disappoint. Well...almost (see Skyward Sword).
52. The Walking Dead: Season One
(PS3, 2012)
As a fan of the show and the comics, I knew I had to play the Walking Dead game but little did I know it would turn out to be my favorite part of the entire franchise. The story features a new set of characters and plays like a point and click adventure. Along the way you must make a lot of difficult decisions, often determining who lives and who dies along the way. The story is an engaging and emotional one and by the time it was over I felt really attached to most of the characters. I was genuinely sad when some of my favorite characters died. I am really glad they went with this type of game for the franchise rather than a survival horror. Sure there's that crappy FPS, Survival Instinct, but years from now, this is the Walking Dead game that people will talk about. The second second finished up a few months ago, and I thought it was great as well, but Season One was far better and one of the most surprisingly fantastic games I've played in recent years.
51. Sonic the Hedgehog 3
(Genesis, 1994)
The third game in the iconic Sonic trilogy on Sega Genesis sees a shorter and easier game but one that comes with new surprises, a new character that is Knuckles, the best soundtrack and graphics in the series, and some of the best levels in the series. To me this is the last great Sonic game and the pinnacle of the franchise. I remember going over to my neighbor's house, the one with the Genesis, and going with his dad to Blockbuster to rent this game. This is the game is the one that made me want a Genesis. Unfortunately I never had my own system but my sister, neighbor, ex-grilfriend, and fiancee all had one. I was more of a Super Nintendo guy anyway, but you couldn't find Sonic on a Nintendo system. That was one thing to be jealous of.
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