To start this off I want to set aside the guidelines because hey even though its my own personal list, you probably wanna know why some titles were excluded. The only major limits on configuring this list is that Franchises are allowed only one title unless a said game used a varied formula and I had to actually play the game in question. The first one is a pretty complicated rule while the second is just common sense. Now ashamedly some new games have come out (Halo3, Bioshock, Mario Galaxy, etc.) that I have yet to play because I dont have any real money to speak of so forgive me for not being able to put them in the list. So I guess with that we'll kick this bad boy off.


50: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast)

The Tony Hawk series has pretty much become a yearly staple much like Madden that fails to do anything substantial with the series. Thats why we go back to the first sequel of the game. Tony Hawk Pro Skater gave us a true 3d skate boarding game. Then, the second game gave us all the features we could want for it. If I as a player got tired of Tony Hawk and Bob Burnquist I could use my own avatar in Create A Skater. Seemingly this isnt a big deal for players now but at the time character customization was minimal at best on consoles. The levels were some of the best design layouts for 2:00 minute runs and we were finally given the manual which completely changed how I thought about HORSE as I mocked my friends with 200,000 point runs or was shamed in defeat every time I fell trying to achieve it. Add in a Skate Park Editor and we have all the elements to make a great if somewhat unrealistic skating game.


Played games in the series that lost to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2:
Tony Hawk Pro Skater
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Underground
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49: Crash Bandicoot (Playstation)

Lets face it. These new Crash titles are not the same as the Naughty Dog Crash Bandicoot. In a time where loveable mascots defined consoles this was what the PlayStation stood for. Crash was a solid platformer in an age where having a 3d platformer on a console was a necessity. Predating Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot was a great platformer for those of us who got the playstation early in its lifespan. The setting and the atmosphere was fresher than most games with its tropical locale which had yet to be as overused as it is now. Also lets face it, nobody knew what the heck Crash actually was. I still say he's a dog. All this added to the zaniness that was refreshing from the Mario/Bowser fights or Zelda/Ganon that we had experienced with the last generation.



Played games in the series that lost to Crash Bandicoot:
Crash Bandicoot 2

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48: Counter-Strike (PC)

What is needed to be said about Counter-Strike. It is the ultimate example of user created modified content. The first time I played the game was overseas in an internet cafe in Turkey with my cousin and it blew my mind at how much time we spent playing it instead of enjoying the sites. Truly my first real experience with the FPS genre outside of the 2d-ish Doom 2 and with online support it introduced me into the world of the LAN party. This game was my introduction into the world of online gaming.



Played games in the series that lost to Counter-Strike:
None
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47: Disney's Aladdin (SNES)

Back in the 8bit/16bit gaming days we were all spoiled as kids. If I were to go up to any gamer today and tell them I've got a new Disney video game I would get laughed at. If I told any gamer today that I had a video game based on a movie I would get laughed at. So how is it that the gaming world has come to this. Aladdin was at its core a platformer reminiscent of any other platformer. It followed the story of the movie just like every other platformer. I guess the thing that seperates this game from the others is one thing: Capcom. Thats it. For some reason Capcom made this game everything you could want Aladdin: the Video Game to be. Capcom was also responsible for the excellent Goof Troop adaptation as well at the time.



Played games in the series that lost to Aladdin:
Aladdin (Genesis)
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46: Samba de Amigo (Dreamcast)

My how we all love the Dreamcast. At its heart it was just a means of putting SEGA's arcade games into homes across the world but who would of thought that this game would catch my attention. First I'll have to say that this score may or may not have been higher with the Maracas attachment. I have never owned a pair of the Dreamcast Maracas so I am stuck only using this as a rhythm game. Second I will say that I personally have the timing of a chimp and yet this fun rhythm game while assumingly difficult at first sans Maracas is a blast with many fun and engaging songs. Even if you hate Ricky Martin you have to admit that his Cup of Life and Livin La Vida Loca were perfect for this. Using a series of poses with timed button presses this game was perfect for me. Add the fact that the characters and the backgrounds were as entertaining as the game itself. If only I had known before the system died that you could hook this up to the internet to download extra songs, I would have tried to engineer putting the Dreamcast online.



Played games in the series that lost to Samba de Amigo:
None
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45: Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (Dreamcast)

Lets face it. This game probably killed the 2d fighter. Any 2d fighter standing next to this was left in the dust. As with all fighters nobody cares about the story and nobody has any idea who Ruby Heart and the Plant guy are, but other than that this is a comic book nerd/gamers wet dream. A fully customizable 3 person team with so many characters to choose from it just makes all other 2d fighters obsolete and shows what care can be put into this genre. Plus if you dont like any of those characters there are Ken, Ryu, and Akuma to keep you happy.



Played games in the series that lost to Marvel vs Capcom 2:
Capcom vs SNK
Capcom vs SNK 2
SNK vs Capcom: Match of the Millenium
X-men: Children of the Atom
Marvel vs Capcom
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44: PLOK! (SNES)

Finally a game that will definately set my list differently from any other list you will find out there. PLOK is like Rayman but cooler. Stylewise this was as fun visually as you could get in the SNES days and with its weird story really set this game apart from the numerous other platformers. Really what other game has you throwing all of your limbs as your main weapon to fight Fleas. Its not a game that set the world on fire but its one of those personal favorites that I just couldnt forget.



Played games in the series that lost to PLOK!:
None
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43: Capcom vs SNK: Card Fighters Clash (Neo Geo Pocket)

I'll admit that I'm a huge Magic the Gathering fan, at least up until they redesigned the cards then it was lost on me. As a gamer as well I look foward to these card games that come out and am always crushed by some pretty pathetic games. I'll start by saying that the Neo Geo Pocket without this game was a huge failure. So then whats so different about this game? Well for one thing, I have to say that simplicity is the best thing going for it. This game is in no means hard to understand. The battle system is addictive with limits which add to the strategy of decks. Paired with a Super Deformed style of some of the best characters in gaming that looked fantastic on the handheld and it is truly the only card game to date that I've played and would recommend to anyone. Sadly with Wizards of the Coast patent out there new card games are forced to think of new strategies of gameplay outside of the fundamental which really results in alot of good ideas but not enough implementation.



Played games in the series that lost to Capcom vs SNK: Card Fighters Clash:
None
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42: Mutant League Football (Genesis)

If you owned Madden or any other football game at the time your itch was satisfied. For me though it was all about Mutant League Football. Mutant League was made by Electronic Arts (the creators of the Madden juggernaught) and it created a fresh take on the sport. To this day this is the only Football game where I've had a player die by running into a fire pit. Bribing referees to call penalties or killing the same referee always put this game above Madden and made it a great game to annoy friends with. Interestingly this series was spun-off into a cartoon that I did indeed watch not because it was good but because it was a cartoon and I was a kid.



Played games in the series that lost to Mutant League Football:
Mutant League Hockey
Madden Football 1995
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41: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness(PS2)

This game is fanboy delight all over. The only thing that is different gameplay-wise than that of any other Tactical RPG is its throwing system which I have to say I'm not a big fan of. But with that out of the way everything else is the definition of what you want in this genre. Whether its the insanely fun storyline or the fact that your character can actually reach level 9,999 shows this genre was sorely missed in the last generation. Atlus did a great job translating and the acquisition of Tsunami Bomb put some great music onto the soundtrack. I've got to say the best part of this game was my soft spot for the fun way that the characters were displayed. From the egotistical Laharl with his weakness for beautiful women and optimism, to the devious Etna supreme sidekick of Laharl this game was ripe with possibilities for spinoff. Sadly though the manga and the anime really failed to grab the humor and wit of the game.



Played games in the series that lost to Disgaea: Hour of Darkness:
Disgaea 2
Phantom Brave
La Pucelle Tactics