Proof that not every RPG had to have a fantasy setting, the epic science fiction of Phantasy Star (despite its deceptive title) set a new precedent for the genre. As the first 6-megabit cartridge ever made (as it proudly displayed on the cover) it retailed for a staggering $69
Devil May Cry is one thing, but Bayonetta is another beast altogether.
Hideki Kamiya, director of DMC (as well as Resident Evil 2 and Okami) took his famous "extreme combat" action title, a game which favored stylized action over substance, and make it even more over the top and insane.
Just take main character Bayonetta, the high-heels wearing, four-gun p
"I'm selling these fine leather jackets." If you don't know that line, or about Guybrush Threepwood, or insult sword fighting, you don't know love.
Ron Gilbert is one of the few designers out there who understands humor and how to inject it into a video game, and his titles are among the most consistently funny around
A platforming game in the vein of Out of This World, Oddworld tells the story of a slave called Abe who's working at a meat processing factory on Oddworld.
After finding out that his people are going to be incorporated into the corporation's latest line of meat popsicles, he breaks out and brings as many of his buddies along
The second installment of the series known in Japan as Mother, Earthbound is an RPG about a group of American kids trying to stop an alien bent on dominating the universe.
It feels like it was made with only a passing idea of US culture and what it's like to be a child there, which somehow only adds to the charm
Mentioned in every "video games as art" argument, Shadow of the Colossus is a stunning experience no matter what your opinion is on the debate. After ICO, we knew game developer Team ICO was one to watch, and thankfully Sony threw a ton of marketing might behind this title, making it successful both critically and commercially
Scott Pilgrim wouldn't exist if it weren't for River City Ransom. The comic took a lot of its style from the game from the super-deformed anime characters to the way that enemies explode into coins
Burnout has consistently been the most entertaining racing game around. Burnout Paradise takes racing one step further and gives players boosts for reckless driving and slow-motion footage of crashes that are almost poetic in their destruction
Without F-Zero there'd be no Wipeout or Daytona USA. Undoubtedly the fastest game of its time, F-Zero made you feel like you were flying around a 3D environment at the speed of sound with its innovative "Mode 7 Scrolling
The epitome of "just one more game," Trials HD took the Xbox 360 by storm when it was released in 2009. A motorcycle game in the style of Excitebike, it boasted great graphics, insane obstacles and a level of difficulty that made you curse the game while smashing the button to try it again
