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.

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