March 10th, 2010 by dace

1. Half Life 2
Publisher: Vivendi Games
Developer: Valve
Platform: PC

It was a long time in coming, but Half-Life 2 delivered everything it promised and more. Between the level design, multi-layered characters, stunning visuals (remember going up the citadel spire for the very first time?) and the impact of the physics-based gameplay, HL2 displayed just how involving a first-person-shooter could be.

2. World of Warcraft
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC

Like it or not, World of Warcraft brought the MMO genre to the masses with its easy-to-play-but-tough-to-master game mechanics, astounding art direction (even by today’s standards) and unparalleled support. Ever since its release, other games have claimed to be the “WoW killer”, and yet still it stands, strong as it was in 2004.

3. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami JPN (KCEJ)
Platform: PS2

A franchise prequel, Snake Eater sets most of the events of the Metal Gear series into motion and redefines its stealth action gameplay. The player’s environmental surroundings were vital in this Cold War tale set on the brink of nuclear war.

4. Ninja Gaiden
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
Platform: Xbox

It’s one thing to bring back a classic. It’s another to re-invent the game entirely and set a new standard for an entire genre. Ninja Gaiden could be soul crushing in its difficulty, but this was due to lightning fast gameplay and incredible AI. Tomonobu Itagaki made a game that was better than you, and he wanted you to know it.

 
5. Halo 2
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bungie Software
Platform: Xbox

Xbox Live ushered in a new era of online console gaming, and Halo 2 helped Microsoft lead the charge. In addition to its high-octane single-player campaign, Halo 2 allowed gamers to compete online for glory. It was an instant success, and Bungie rode the wave to online multiplayer stardom.

6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Platform: PS2

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas gave you everything the other GTA titles did, but then it added in about 400-percent more. Now you could eat fast food to become fat, workout to get jacked, ride bikes, fly planes, date, skydive, and get lost in the story of Carl Johnson’s return to Los Santos and all of the headaches that came with it. The story, violence, and open world of GTA was back, and it was amazing.

 
7. Rome: Total War
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Creative Assembly
Platform: PC

Creative Assembly has proven in the past that it could fuse turn-based strategy gameplay with large-scale, real-time battlefield management, but never before was the chaos of battle brought to life as it was in Rome. Buoyed by a number of gameplay refinements and a massive graphical upgrade over previous series entries, Rome proved to be one of the prettiest, deepest, and most satisfying gaming experiences ever made.

 
8. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios, Inc.
Platform: GameCube

While developer Retro Studios may have fallen short of expectations set by the first Metroid Prime, the team’s sophomore effort, Prime 2: Echoes, remains an impressive, landmark release in the GameCube library. Retro’s talents in marrying classic gameplay appeal to modern presentation and immersive environments evolved with Metroid Prime 2 to stunning, if not revolutionary, effect.

 
9. Burnout 3: Takedown
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Criterion Games
Platform: PS2 , Xbox

Criterion took everything we never knew we wanted from a driving game and stuffed it all into Burnout 3: Takedown. In Crash mode, we used cars as virtual weapons, destroying our surroundings. In Road Rage, we took out our latent driving aggression, pushing cars off the road with manic glee. Fantasy fulfillment at its finest.

10. ESPN NFL 2K5
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Visual Concepts
Platform: PS2 , Xbox

As a slap in the face of EA’s Madden series, ESPN NFL 2K5 managed to grab and hold onto a firm legion of NFL fans. The game, which – you know – involves two teams on a field running headlong into each other while carrying a synthetic ball, remains as playable and enjoyable as ever – even if the presentation has taken a hit over the years.

March 10th, 2010 by dace

1. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: BioWare
Platform: PC , Xbox

There’s a reason legions of fans put another Knights of the Old Republic game at the top of their dream wishlists. The original from BioWare is magnificent in every sense of the word. An epic storyline, fantastic characters, and two drastically different ways to play (Light or Dark) made this one RPG for the ages.

2. Call of Duty
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Platform: PC

Launching one of the greatest and most successful of all World War 2 shooter franchises, the original Call of Duty combined a high level of authenticity, great visual presentation, and powerful scripted elements to put players in the midst of the War. Best of all, you got to feel like you were part of a battle and not just some lone super soldier.

3. Price of Persia: The Sands of Time
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform: GameCube , PC , PS2 , Xbox

Prince of Persia went from deviously clever platformer to rollicking 3D adventure with a then-fresh time reversal mechanic that let you undo mistakes. Sands of Time lead to a rebirth for the series, which is about to be revisited in this years Forgotten Sands. Hopefully, lightning will indeed strike twice.

4. Viewtiful Joe
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Platform: GameCube

Capcom’s Viewtiful Joe took a side-scrolling action platformer and injected so much personality and originality into the mix that it immediately captured a legion of fans. The blend of cell-shaded comic book aesthetic and time-warping beat-em-up remains challenging, hugely entertaining – and most importantly, incredible fun.

5. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Platform: GBA

Wario’s always been the bad boy of the Nintendo bunch, but this extremely creative Game Boy Advance game gave him a new role at the company: a helmer of experimental videogame experiences. Wario Ware isn’t much more than a string of quick-fire challenges that require nothing more than a single D-pad or button push, but playing them, one after the other while the pace increases, offered up something we hadn’t ever seen before.

6. Rainbow Six 3
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform: PC , Xbox

Like him or not, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise spawned some of the best tactical first-person shooting available. Rainbow Shield was no exception; the blend of then-topical oil control and terrorism was blended with (on the original Xbox) Xbox LIVE multiplayer and outstanding Unreal Engine 2.0 visuals.

7. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: GameCube

Many Zelda fans freaked when Miyamoto introduced the new toon-shaded Link for GameCube (especially after that 2000 “realistic” Link peek), but such petty grievances were blasted aside by yet another epic, engaging adventure that kept the Zelda batting average better than any game franchise in history.

8. Jak II
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Naughty Dog Software
Platform: PS2

How do you break the mold of the platformer genre? In Jak II, you take the game’s tone much darker, subjecting the main character to torture and unleashing him on a quest for revenge. Adding new vehicles, weapons and abilities, Jak II was a vast improvement over the original.

9. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami TYO
Platform: GBA

Before Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania was primarily a platformer with gothic tendencies. With this handheld reworking though, Konami switched up the formula adding exploration and RPG elements best known from Nintendo’s Metroid series. It’s spawned numerous sequels in the same vein but this vast, beautiful whip-cracking adventure is still an absolute highlight.

 
10. Panzer Dragoon Orta
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Smilebit
Platform: Xbox

Let’s be honest. We all loved this Xbox title because – in lieu of a Neverending Story game – this was the closest we’d get to flying about on the back of a Luck Dragon. Oh sure, the art direction was fantastic and the gameplay was fast and frenetic, but still… Luck Dragon. More

March 9th, 2010 by dace

1. Battlefield 1942
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Digital Illusions CE (DICE)
Platform: PC
Judged purely by the amount of time we spent playing, there are few multiplayer games that were as popular among the IGN staff as DICE’s intense online shooter. Combining land, sea and air combat with lots of vehicles and different infantry kits, Battlefield 1942 brought World War 2 to life in a way that no other game ever has.

2. Metroid Prime
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Retro Studios, Inc.
Platform: GameCube
Whether you call it a shooter or adventure game there’s no denying Prime’s place in the history of gaming. Retro Studios did what no gamer could have expected, merging the moody atmosphere, visuals, and sound design of one of Nintendo’s top franchises with a first-person perspective. It was a gamble, and it paid off big time.

3. Kingdom Hearts
Publisher: Square
Developer: Square
Platform: PS2
In a move that incited quite a few chuckles in the gaming community, Square Enix teamed up with Disney to create a brand new action RPG featuring both Final Fantasy and Disney characters. Kingdom Hearts quickly became a global sensation, as its excellent gameplay and nostalgia-inducing story hooked countless gamers around the world.

4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North
Platform: PS2
One year after GTA III changed what we knew about the PS2 and invented the 3D sandbox, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City arrived with a bigger city, better soundtrack, more cars, and Ray Liotta voicing the main character. Yatchts, the horribly awesome color scheme of the ’80s, and everything you loved about GTA was in one game, and it was good. Very good.

5. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Silicon Knights
Platform: GameCube
Before Silicon Knights bolted for seemingly greener pastures at Microsoft, the development team produced an absolutely epic GameCube game that really screwed with the mind. The story spanned centuries and offered unique experiences in each time period that intersected each other. It was an intense and haunting experience, enhanced with creative insanity effects that made the player rethink his own reality.

6. Splinter Cell
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform: Xbox
Ubisoft Montreal offered up Splinter Cell and suddenly the Xbox had a game that could compete with, and in some ways, surpass the mighty Metal Gear Solid franchise. The stealth combat, making heavy use of dynamic lighting, ushered in a whole new wave of clones and wannabes while Sam Fisher watched from the top.

7. Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos may not have broken any conventions of the genre, but good luck finding a smarter, cleaner real-time strategy game in 2002, much less 2009. Like Diablo II, Warcraft III was built to be played online, but Reign of Chaos’ strong single-player campaign (thanks in part to a great story) makes it one of the decade’s best.

8. Virtua Fighter 4
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: SEGA-AM2
Platform: PS2
In 2002 it was Virtua Fighter 4 that ruled the brawling roost, and while SEGA has since bettered the formula with the all-conquering fifth installment, it was this game that refined the pugilism into an art form. Its battles were tense and brutal, and its fighting was more technical than anything that had come before.

9. Animal Crossing
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Platform: GameCube
Nintendo’s ‘communication game’ might look woolly and lovable but Animal Crossing is one of the most perversely addictive time-sinks ever made. Move into Animal Crossing’s idyllic universe, meet the neighbors and you’ll never escape. It’s all about trading hard graft and menial labour – from fishing to apple picking – for a scant offering of miniscule materialistic pleasures and, assuming you’re not instantly lobotomised by the experience, you’ll quickly realise its absolute evidence of Nintendo’s true evil.

10. Ratchet & Clank
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Insomniac Games
Platform: PS2
Insomniac’s classic helped change the way that we look at the classic platforming genre by mixing in a ton of action with a deep weapons system. The fantastic art direction, stellar animation and intricate level design gave us an awesome playground to dive into, and it kick-started one of thebest PlayStation franchises.

March 8th, 2010 by dace

1. Grand Theft Auto III
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: DMA Design
Platform: PS2
As genre-defining moments go, few could argue against the indelible mark that Grand Theft Auto III left on PlayStation 2 owners in 2001. Rockstar North, through the combination of tight script, intense action, freedom and violence, gave players a revolutionary new way to experience mature-targeted action games.

2. Halo: Combat Evolved
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bungie Software
Platform: Xbox
With its new Xbox console on the way, Microsoft needed a killer game. They found it in Halo, a first-person shooter set in an engrossing sci-fi world. With its cutting-edge graphics and addictive run-and-gun gameplay, Halo set a standard for the genre that’s still in place today.

3. Ico
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCEI
Platform: PS2
Saving princesses is a traditional game device, but Ico was beautifully unique. Players solved puzzles, defending princess Yorda from shadowy figures with little more than a stick. A gorgeous game from start to finish, Ico proved you didn’t need tons of dialogue to present a fabulous and memorable adventure.

4. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Konami JPN (KCEJ)
Platform: PS2
MGS2 was an unusual sequel because Solid Snake took a back seat as the main character in favor of the more controversial Raiden. However, the refined stealth mechanics, such as squad based AI, and non-violent weapons like tranquilizer darts, had a significant impact on future games in the series

5. Super Smash Bros. Melee
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Platform: Gamecube
Sure, being able to pit Mario against Samus is a Nintendo fan’s dream come true, but that’s not what makes this game so great. When you get down to the actual fighting mechanics and move sets, there’s an incredible amount of depth here, and it’s all set up around the same basic input scheme across each character in the huge cast. It’s a remarkable achievement of balancing accessibility with a distinct, multilayered combat system.

6. Advance Wars
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Platform: GBA
Advance Wars turned a traditionally complex and stuffy genre on its head, making turn-based strategy accessible to the masses. Its missions, pacing and difficulty curve are a master class in game design, and while it’s wonderfully easy to pick up, don’t be fooled by its cartoon-style presentation – there’s a stiff challenge waiting for even the most seasoned strategist.

7. Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Publisher: Rare
Developer: Rare
Platform: N64
After so much time developing sickly sweet, albeit excellent, games for the N64, the team at Rare clearly relished the chance to work on something so deliberately base as Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and produced a great game brimming with ideas, pop-culture homages and body fluids. So many body fluids.

8. Devil May Cry
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4
Platform: PS2
Devil May Cry had some serious competition during its dawn in 2001, but this Capcom-born action franchise hit the ground running. Right off the bat players came to grips with not only one of the most stylistic and jaw-dropping action games out there, but also one of the toughest.

9. Max Payne
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Remedy
Platform: PC
He may have had a facial expression like he sat on a carrot, but Max Payne is the business. Hot off the back of the ‘bullet time’ craze, this noir action thriller took a bereft Payne through a seedy underworld of thuggery, gunfights, sex panthers and glorious one-liners. The sequel, The Fall of Max Payne, is still one of the finest noir games out there.

10. Gran Turismo 3 A-spec
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Platform: PS2
Polyphony Digital’s king of racers made its debut on the PlayStation 2 in a big, big way. It was breathtakingly beautiful for its time, showcasing the PS2’s graphical powers like few games before it. While the first two PSone titles proved that simulation racing could work on consoles, GT3 really made the genre popular and opened the future for other realistic racers.

March 5th, 2010 by dace

Its another new decade,its 2010 now,the past 10 years have given us a wide variety of memorable gaming moments:World of warcraft,Age of Conan,Aion online.Yeah,there’ve been plenty of choice  games released since the year 2000 launched us into the new millennium.So let’s take a look at what’s the most popular games in the past decade.Data from ign.

Best games o f Year 2000:

10. Perfect Dark

Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Rare
Platform: N64

Rare ended its Nintendo 64 run with a huge bang with its original IP follow-up to its critically acclaimed GoldenEye first-person shooter. The development team took everything it learned from its movie tie-in                                                                         and created a new FPS experience in a futuristic setting, building up a                                                                 fantastic single and multiplayer experience as a final hurrah for                                                           N64  owners. And it’s the only game where you can shoot Matt                                                                             Casamassina in the face, so there’s that, too.
9. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Platform: N64

What was created for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was used as a foundation for an incredibly creative storyline. The game put Link in a crazy and fantastical adventure that featured both character transformation and time travel. As wild as the situations were in this epic                                                             experience, the weird and wonderful story and the challenging puzzles                                                               combined to make something truly extraordinary. It’s hard not to see this                                                           game as one of the best Zelda games ever produced.

8. Chu Chu Rocket!
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Sonic Team
Platform: Dreamcast

ChuChu Rocket doesn’t make the list because it’s the greatest puzzle game – though there’s no doubting that Sonic Team’s multiplayer game of cat and mouse is a good one, and it’s certainly one of the most frantic. Being the first major online game available on a home console, its real legacy is the new age of gaming that it ushered in.

7. Diablo II
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Platform: PC

There is no better game about the simple addictiveness of hoarding stuff than Bizzard’s Diablo II. That gimme-gimme mechanic was bolstered to the extreme by online play, which also popularized PvP play. After ten long years, Blizzard is finally poised to release Diablo III, which is sure to please with more of those sweet, sweet loot drops.

6. Baldur’s Gate II
Publisher: Interplay
Developer: BioWare
Platform: PC

Baldur’s Gate II was a nerd’s wet dream – a 200 hour fantasy joygasm that took place in a compelling world filled with fantastic characters, and powered by great mechanics and incredible customisation. AD&D RPGs truly reached a new level with this title, and some would say it has never been bettered.

5. Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 1
Platform: Dreamcast

With the near simultaneous release of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in arcades and on Dreamcast in 2000, Western arcades, the forgotten centers of competitive gaming, resurged, if only for a couple of years. Marvel 2’s team-based strategies and creative combos keep the game exciting and relevant ten years later. The game still gets international tournament play.
4. The Sims
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Maxis
Platform: PC

Few games in the PC catalog have had as much mainstream appeal as The Sims. And while that may invite derision from the hardcore crowd, there’s no denying the spectacular popularity of Maxis’s life simulator. Giving players a chance to tinker with the day to day lives of ordinary people was the ultimate power trip.
3. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft Entertainment
Platform: PSX

Many consider Tony Hawk 2 to be the best entry to the series, and it isn’t tough to understand why. Expanding on the mechanics of the first game and adding in a revolutionary park editor into the mix, Hawk 2 pushed the series to a whole new level without needing to include street racing, billion point combos, open world skating, or Bam Margera’s fat ass Uncle Vito.

2. Deus Ex
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Developer: Ion Storm
Platform: PC

Many developers are still fumbling with the concept of the “do everything” shooter. Giving players multiple options on how they approach a level can water it down and even detract from the importance of your actions. That’s why it’s amazing to think that Deus Ex got so much right way back in 2000. At the time, it was a revelation. An indefinable experience that bordered on role playing.
1. Counter-Strike
Publisher: Sierra Studios
Developer: Valve
Platform: PC

It’s still one of the best online shooters around. Though other games have passed it by in terms of graphics and the range of options, few have even come close to capturing the near-perfect pacing and balance of this online FPS. Ten years later, people are still playing this one.