# Games that are the best of their genre **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333 "2003-11-10T02:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/41 "2003-11-12T00:51:08Z")
Pah. You kids and your game-console “role playing games.” A **real** role-playing game is played with a GM and paper and pencils and dice and lead figures and old rickety folding tables and great big bags of Doritos. (Not that I actually _like_ Doritos, mind you. Fritos or good old-fashioned salted tortilla chips were more my speed. But I digress.) Ahd for the **real** role-playing game genre, nothing made by the hands of Man can ever hope to approach the grandeur and majesty that is … _ **Champions!** _ The Hero System that underpins _Champions_ is, quite simply, the best RPG System in the universe. It was a generic universal role-playing system before Steve Jackson even coined the **term** “generic universal role-playing system,” let alone decided he could get away with turning said term into a registered trade mark. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/42 "2003-11-12T01:27:26Z")
RPG: Dungeons & Dragons CCG: Legend of the Five Rings Tradional card games: Euchre War games: Xeno Games’ alternate version of Axis & Allies Traditional board games: Chess Athletic games: Football ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/43 "2003-11-12T01:49:00Z")
FFVII is a console RPG Diablo II is an arcade clickfest 3X: MOO2 FPS: unreal tournament RTS: starcraft 3X space exploration 2D shooter RPG: starcontrol X-Com is the epitome of a squad level tactical turn based combat RPG RPG is perhaps too generic to use alone. how about dice & paper RPG computer RPG console RPG arcade RPG FPS RPG RTS RPG ORPG MMORPG 3X space exploration 2D shooter RPG and squad level tactical turn based combat RPG etc etc i didn’t want to hijack, so i’ve started another thread on the [best “something to take home” game awards](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=222830) ---
**Author:** ![billie\_joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@billie\_joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billie_joe)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/44 "2003-11-12T01:59:27Z")
what about football/soccer games? i think FIFA International soccer pretty much changed the football game world for rpg the final fantasy games have to be up there somewhere if its a console game or not, why should that matter? fps has got to be doom for sure! ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/45 "2003-11-13T03:54:53Z")
final fantasy as RPG is so different from say, a dungeon and dragons RPG, that there is no comparison. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/46 "2003-11-13T05:28:05Z")
RTS: Starcraft Broodwars (Medic!)…honorable mention for AoE FPS: Halo, without question Racing: Gran Turismo, without question Platformer: Grand Theft Auto Turn-Based Strategy: X-Com Football: Madden, without question Golf: Links Hockey: EA Hockey 2004 Fighting: was Toshinden, now Soul Caliber Espionage: Metal Gear Solid Puzzle: Lemmings ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/47 "2003-11-13T05:31:13Z")
Best genre-less games of all time: Populous (precursor to RTS) Star Control 2 (still available, and still holds up 10 years later) ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/48 "2003-11-13T06:16:39Z")
FPS: Deus Ex Sports: Gameday 98, though obviously dated now. Nothing beats the beastly stiffarms in this game Extreme Sports: SSX3, though NBA Street V2 would be tops if it weren’t for the Mario Kart-esque CPU… Adventure: Grim Fandago TBS: Alpha Centauri Fighting: Tekken Tag. I’m trying my best to get into Soul Calibur II, but thus far it doesn’t compare. RPG: Final Fantasy VII, though I’ve never played any other series. ---
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/49 "2003-11-13T06:41:11Z")
FPS: Half-Life. Deus Ex, if you wanna get a little more hybridy, but Half-Life is still _the_ FPS (especially including all the mods). Halo was a weak imitation, IMO. Some beautiful graphics and outdoor areas, but lazy indoor levels and lacklutre enemy AI, plus a crappy story left much to be desired. 3rdPS: Max Payne 1/2. Drooool. RPG: Fallout 2 or Baldur’s Gate 2. Yummy, the both of them. No other game comes close the epicness or character development of these two. Baldur’s Gate 2 gets the slight nod from me for its inter-party relationships and the romantic possibilities for your main character. That level of submersiveness gets me giddy. RTS: Age of Empires 2. I’m a sucker for historical games, but IMO, AoE2 and StarCraft are the two most perfectly balances RTSs ever, and in RTSs, balance IS the game. TBS: Civilization 3. It has its shortcomings, but it’s easier to handle all at once, leaving the player to concentrate on what he/she likes best, be it city building, politiking or warfare. Many other TBS games force you to micromanage other aspects of the game, and if you don’t want to… too bad for you. MMORPG: Shadowbane. This sucker wasted 4 months of my life. It’s a terrible game, really, except for the fact it’s still better than EQ. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/50 "2003-11-13T06:50:18Z")
[hijack] **ProjectOmega** , are you still playing Shadowbane? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2003, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/51 "2003-11-13T07:29:19Z")
FPS, Single Player: Half Life FPS, Multi Player: Halo RTS: Rise of Nations Adventure: Curse of Monkey Island 3X: Civilization III RPG: Planescape: Torment ---
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/52 "2003-11-14T01:42:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeadlyAccurate \* > \*\*[hijack] **ProjectOmega** , are you still playing Shadowbane? \*\* I was up until a few weeks ago, on the Mourning server. I eventually cancelled out of boredom and frustration. ---
**Author:** ![Naz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@Naz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Naz)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/53 "2003-11-14T01:56:44Z")
Since Mr. Naz and I have some differing opinions, here what we came up with: FPS: Metroid Prime. I’m not huge on multiplayer, so all I need’s a really good single-player adventure. Which MP is. (Mr. Naz nominates Doom, although he loves MP too.) Horror: My first thought was Silent Hill, and then I remembered Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. So creepy that I haven’t been able to finish playing it. RTS: I don’t really play these, but Mr. Naz nominates Starcraft. (If I had to pick, I’d choose Pikmin, although it sometimes induces psychotic hatred.) Adventure: Mr. Naz says Legend of Zelda (NES), I say Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time. RPG: Final Fantasy 3 or Final Fantasy 7. Unanimous. Multiplayer: Goldeneye (Later games may have been better, but this one really set the standard.) My vote, although Goldeneye was a great game, is Super Smash Bros. Great party game. Platformer: Super Mario Bros. 3 is Mr. Naz’s choice, and I have to agree, but I also have to put in a nomination for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/54 "2003-11-14T04:53:34Z")
> [@](#): > > RPG: Fallout 2 or Baldur’s Gate 2. Yummy, the both of them. No other game comes close the epicness or character development of these two. Baldur’s Gate 2 gets the slight nod from me for its inter-party relationships and the romantic possibilities for your main character. That level of submersiveness gets me giddy. Obviously, someone hasn’t played Torment yet. I mean this in all seriousness: How many people having played both Fallout/Baldur’s Gate and Torment think Fallout is better? ---
**Author:** ![Grousser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Grousser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grousser)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/55 "2003-11-14T09:09:10Z")
It’s a shame there are many mixtures of genres, but I’ll try my personal feelings: 3D Platform: **Super Mario 64, Metroid Prime** Adventure: **The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Grim Fandango** FPS: **Doom I & II** Multiplayer: **Quake 3 Arena** 2D Platform: **Metroid & Super Metroid** Puzzle: \*\*The Incredible Machine \*\* (this is one in its genre), **Lemmings** RPG: **Dragon Warrior** series and **Chrono Trigger** Arcade puzzle: **Tetris** Humour: **Sam & Max Hit The Road** Horror: **Alone in the Dark** And the ones I can’t classify but are ground-breaking, and heart pounding, too: **Thief: The Dark Project & The Metal Age** and **Grand Theft Auto 3** and its **Vice City** extension. Btw, This kind of threads ever have a conclusion (winners)? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/56 "2003-11-14T13:35:33Z")
FPS: Battlefield 1942 RPG: Neverwinter Nights for multi-player, Baldru’s Gate for single player RTS: Medieval: Total War ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/57 "2003-11-14T13:54:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ellis Dee \* > **Racing: Gran Turismo, without question** Thank God! I was reading through this thread, thinking I was in some sort of parallel universe. _“Mario Kart is the best racing game ever?? Have none of you yokels ever heard of GT3??”_ Luckily, I’m not insane after all. 😃 Uh, I quite like the Tomb Raider series. Is it OK to admit that? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/58 "2003-11-14T14:49:04Z")
And now for three categories that won’t get shown on the “Video Game Awards” show: Roguelike: ADoM (copyright Thomas Biskup) Sports management: _International Cricket Captain 2002_ (Empire Interactive) Gambling sim: _Hoyle Casino_ (Sierra Interactive) Never did like shoot-'em-ups, don’t have a console so racing games are pretty much out, and, though I like sports games, I’ve never played one that I would call truly “great.” ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/59 "2003-11-15T03:19:31Z")
Console RPG: Earthbound Computer RPG: Planescape: Torment FPS: Doom II (Quake I is a very close runner up, but was hurt by the enemies’ inability to navigate the environments, I thought) Adventure: Metroid Prime Platformer: Yoshi’s Island RTS: Broodwars (Starcraft expansion) RTS that isn’t really an RTS: Pikmin TBS: Moonbase Commander Fighting: Super Smash Brothers: Melee Sports: Fight of the Sumo Hoppers (Hah!) Elastic Bike Simulation (EBS): Elastomania I should justify my decision of Torment for the computer RPG position. Although it had some major gameplay flaws, the things that RPGs are supposed to do were done so brilliantly that it deserves its position at the top of my list. Fallout 2 was, I’d say, a better designed game (more interesting combat system, for example), but wasn’t as deep in conversation, story, or character design. It was still excellent in these areas, though, so gets runner up. Some of the humour was brilliant, too - I’m definately going to have written on my tombstone ‘You should see the other guy’. 🙂 Also, no, it’s completely not okay to admit to liking Tomb Raider. On the other hand, upon observing that Coldfire is a mod, I withdraw that opinion. 🙂 ~ Isaac ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333/60 "2003-11-15T03:43:02Z")
I don’t get all the hullabaloo over Half-Life. I thought the story was fairly boring, but I loved the engine and the mods (just got done playing Counter-Strike). The game couldn’t hold my interest. FPS: Goldeneye FPS Multi: Halo Sports: Tom Landry Strategy Football RTS: Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 Arcade: Galaxian 2D Platform: Super Mario World 2 (Gameboy) Puzzle: Tetris [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/games-that-are-the-best-of-their-genre/212333.md?page=4)