The Greatest Video Game Of All Time

Ever been asked that question? I know I have. In the late 80’s I would have said something related to Nintendo. In the 90’s I would have said something related to Playstation. As time progresses, and our shelves pile up with the ‘NEW-IMPROVED-IT-EVEN-MAKES-COFFEE’ consoles to replace our old ones, I would venture to say that age-old question is impossible to answer. So I decide to ask The Unpaid Gamers crew to pick that ONE game that they couldn’t live without per system. So the new question goes:

If you had to pick the one game you could only ever play for the rest of your life, per console, what would it be?

Game Boy

Jon – Tetris!  With the complete lack of great games for Gameboy…..need I say more?

Reid – Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins – After playing Tetris for the millionth time I was needing a new game. Luckily my mom bought this at a garage sale because she recognized Mario’s fat little face. Great music, and a totally different Mario experience that neither my friends or I had seen.

Richard – Tetris.  Classic, simple game. I would have made this my choice for NES if not for Mario.

NES

Jon – Super Mario Bros… I can play world 1 for hours on end and never get tired of repeating them.  With Hidden Warps, The Game Plus Mode, and potential for speed runs I would get the most play out of this one.  One memory I have early on was getting my brother’s (much older) friend to come and beat the castles for me.

Reid – TMNT II – The Arcade Game. The music alone for this game still gets stuck in my head. It had all my favorite characters, and something about riding skateboards in the game just sealed it for me.

Richard – Super Mario Bros. 3 is my pick for the NES as I remember spending a lot of time playing this as a kid before my parents sold my NES.  It was very innovative for its time.

Rob – Castlevania II Simon’s Quest – This game was classic and I can’t help but still play this game over and over. It is what introduced me to the Castlevania series.

SNES

Jon – My flagship console, this makes the choice extremely hard for me.  If I had to pick given the above circumstances, I would have to choose Sim City.  I remember playing this game to death.  The infinite possibilities makes this one a perfect choice.  I was never one to build a city and then destroy, I took good care of my sims.

Reid – Super Mario World. Has to be. I’ve played a lot of SNES games, but this one I still play over and over again…much like everybody else I’d say. Do I even need to explain why? 🙂

Richard –  I haven’t played many games on the SNES, but I enjoyed Super Mario World much for the same reason as Mario 3;  it was innovative and a very enjoyable experience that never seemed to get old.

Rob – Final Fantasy III. For me it still has to be one of the best Final Fantasy games of all time and has such a great replay value to it.

Game Gear

Jon – Limited experience with this system regardless of owning one, but I would have to choose NBA JAM.  I don’t have a version of this title on my list and no classic library would be complete without it.  He’s On Fire!!!!!!

Reid – Road Rash. Nothing like staying up all night with your friends upgrading bikes and chain-whipping bikers to death…all while plugged into the wall because your batteries never lasted. GRRR!

Sega Genesis

Jon – Mortal Kombat!  Blood. Yes I said blood!  Let us never forget how Nintendo dropped the ball with this one.  When it comes to the first MK, Sega actually did what Ninten-didn’t.

Reid – NBA JAM. Secret codes, crazy dunks, SCOTTIE PIPPEN FOR THREE! Is it the shoes? I’ll never forget how astounded my friends and I were at how you could see the reflection of the lights on the court. The Nail in the coffin!

Richard –  Out of all the games I played growing up, I probably spent the most time playing Sonic 3 and Knuckles.  For some reason, going back and getting all the emeralds and beating all the levels over and over again never got old.

Rob – Golden Axe. I will never forget the soundtrack to the opening level. This game introduced me to the fantasy genre and I never left it.

Sega Saturn

Jon – While it may not be the best port, and since I don’t have it on any list thus far I must go with Doom.  This version has a few graphical glitches, but featured all of the levels from the PC version.  I believe the only large change was to the soundtrack.  Following the trend of Doom 64, this one went with a more atmospheric approach.

Reid – Although I didn’t play much of this system, the game I always played the most was D. This was the game that introduced me to the horror franchise. I always like going back and replaying it, though with NO PAUSE in the game I have to block off some time for this one.

Richard – Much like the N64, I never had much access to the Saturn.  In fact, I probably only played two games on it, one of which was Panzer Dragoon. If anything, I will list this only because I wouldn’t mind going back and playing it again.

Nintendo 64

Jon – Goldeneye without a doubt.  As much as I loved Doom 64 and some other great titles, there really shouldn’t be a debate.  I don’t care if I had to play all four players myself I would dive into the multiplayer.  For you fellow Goldeneye Lovers…..How many times have you played the Dam level?

Reid – Wave Race 64. I know I know, it’s far from even being considered in the top few for this system, but for some reason I can’t get enough of that crazy jet ski action.

Richard – I never owned a N64, but I do remember playing Goldeneye at a friend’s house and finding it a very enjoyable experience.

Rob – Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time. This was the only reason I wanted a N64 in the first place, and boy was I glad to play this game.  It still brings back some epic memories.

Playstation 1

Jon – The hardest choice so far for me…..I would have to go with Wing Commander 3.  I mean Mark Hamill, great FMV sequences, different dialog choices, and classic Wing Commander gameplay leaves me with no regrets.  I think my favorite in the series is actually the first one, but I remember completely enjoying myself with this one the entire play through.

Reid – Metal Gear Solid. No-brainer for me. I can’t even tell you how may times I first played it on that crazy demo disc. Ok, 2343 million times, but who’s counting? Still play it all the time.

Rob – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The best Castlevania game and would probably be one of the few on  top of my list for favorite game of all time!  The replay value to this game just blows my mind away, and no matter how many times I play it I can’t help but come back and enjoy it again.

GameCube

Jon – Resident Evil 2…..You see what I did here?  This should really be my choice for PS1, but with so many better games on that system, I will simply use up the survival horror masterpiece.  Still the best entry in the series if you ask me.

Reid – Man. Resident Evil 4. Or should I say LONGEST GAME EVER. Love this game, still gives me the creeps. (but seriously though it’s pretty long. I mean, how many times can Ashley get kidnapped in one game???)

Richard – Due to the lack of money at the time, I didn’t get many games for the Gamecube.  But, I do remember replaying Resident Evil 4 over and over again, mostly due to infinite rocket launcher.

Rob – Resident Evil 4. I love Resident Evil and although it’s story line has been really odd as of late, this game was just so full of great style I had to put it as my favorite for Gamecube.  The game just had so much to it and had a great story line.  Not to mention I love the customizable guns.

Dreamcast

Jon – There is one series that I found one of the most compelling of this generation.  It spawned a sequel that surpassed it in every way.  Not to mention years of rumors that a third one would come to pass.  Shenmue without a doubt was one of our first glimpses into a living breathing environment.

Reid – Tokyo Xtreme Racer. Man was I into that game. I had never seen a free roaming racing game, not to mention the great mechanics that went along with it. Oh yeah, and I’m terrible at it. Fun though!

Richard –  I will make Marvel VS Capcom 2 my choice for Dreamcast…mostly because I remember being cheap and using Mega Man and beating almost everyone with him.

Rob – Record of Lodoss War. An odd choice for sure but I remember spending hours playing this game, it had a Diablo like feel to it but the funniest part was killing the goblin hirelings if they didn’t bring back what you wanted.

Xbox

Jon –  The first time I played Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, I didn’t like it at all.  I really wanted to, but I guess my impatience got the better of me.  Right before the launch of the Xbox 360, I gave the game a second go round and I am glad that I did.  My love for this series surpasses every other franchise for me.  The freedom that comes with these epic masterpieces will keep me busy for years.

Reid – Sorry to be ‘That guy’ but the original Halo still holds a place in my heart. The multiplayer in that game was and is  so good. Many 3am killings on Blood Gulch will always stay in my memories.

Richard – I’ve had many fond memories with Halo 2 and have spent a lot of my time refining my skills on this game.

Rob –  Fable. I didn’t have much when it came to Xbox but Fable still holds in my mind, although it wasn’t quite what was promised, it still had some great playability and fun story.

Playstation 2

Jon – There is a large debate on which entry to the series is the best, but I would have to go with GTA: Vice City.  Creating a “Scarface” type of setting, combined with Rockstar’s excellent game design gave this game a life of its own.  Purchasing properties was probably one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had in a game like this.

Reid – This console was at a weird time in my life where I took a little break from gaming. And though I did play A LOT of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, I found the most enjoyable game for me to be Onimusha. Intense story line and great level designs. I absolutely love this game.

Rob – Demon Stone. Now I’ve been a Dungeons and Dragons fan for quite a while and this game brought me to Forgotten Realms much closer.  The style of play and the story line was awesome.  Not to mention you were able to play as Drizzt for half a level which pretty much sold me to this game.

Xbox 360

Jon – A lovely follow-up to the last choice would no doubt be Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.  I actually had a tough time picking this one due to the countless hours I poured into Oblivion.  But with some of the best improvements to the franchise to date, I have to choice to go with its successor.  (At least I stayed in the franchise).

Reid – Gears of War. By far one of the coolest games I have EVER played. I can play that one over and over.

Richard – It was a very tough choice for the 360, but I’m going to go with Halo Reach due to my love for the series and, at least right now, is the pinnacle of Halo.

Rob – Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. I’m a Castlevania fan and I was afraid of disappointment when this came out but it was so fresh and so well designed I couldn’t help but make it my favorite, I don’t care what other Castlevania fans say, this game had some great story.

Playstation 3

Jon – Ok…my friends will probably call me out on this one since I have never actually played it.  But if there is one game I would buy a PS3 for, it would no doubt be Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.  I absolutely loved the first MGS on PS1.  In fact it was probably one of the first cinematic experiences that I got into and immediately wanted to dive into the next one.  (Of course then, we only had the first one.  Not counting the Original Metal Gear).  I keep hearing I have to play this game and really….what better chance?

Reid – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. If you do not skip the cut-scenes, this is for sure the longest game I have ever played. (yes even longer than RE4). For me, it is the text-book example of how to end a HUGE series perfectly while tying in EVERY aspect a fan could want. I play this game at least once a year.

Rob – Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game that started it all for me, this game was great and still has great replay value to it as well.  Definitely my favorite Call of Duty game to date so far…..

Nintendo Wii

Rob – Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. One of the best Zelda games since Ocarina of time.  The game was paced really well and had some great fun.

Reid – Donkey Kong Country Returns. Probably the greatest franchise continuation I have ever seen, keeping in exactly what the original fans wanted, and yet expanded the game-play perfectly.

Well, there you have it. What’s your picks? Leave your comments and let us know!