Games that are the best of their genre

Cafe Society
21

Child rearing sim: Princess Maker 2 .

I spent untold hours playing this game and haven’t begun to scratch the surface. There are so many possible endings, (even one where you marry your own daughter!), the RPG element is fun, the artwork is top notch, and the ending never ceases to bring me to tears, no matter what my daughter becomes. Much better than it’s mediocre succesor PM3

(Point of interest: It’s produced by gainax, the same company responsible for the Neon Genesis Evangelion and FLCL Anime series)

Chinese RPG: Xiang Jian Qi Xia Zhuan, If anyone knows an official english title, I’d like to know it.

I’ve never played ANY RPG, english or otherwise, that came close in the engrossing plot or beautiful(in 1997) graphics, and it actually makes the FF style combat system fun!
Fan made (doujinshi) game: Queen of Hearts 99

Again, untold # of hours wasted playing head to head, I bought 2 USB playstation controllers JUST to play this game. excellent artwork, considering it’s made completely by fans, a large number of unique, cute characters with interesting moves and combos == endless replayability. I haven’t managed to get the Special Edition yet, but if the online multiplayer works I suspect i will never leave my room again. QoH01 has somewhat more modern graphics and draws characters from Comic party, one of my fav anime shows, but the limited # of characters kinda lets it down.

22

Fighting game - I’m not sure; I’m torn between Street Fighter II and Killer Instinct.

3D platformer - Super Mario 64.

2D platformer - Super Metroid.

(On the whole, Super Metroid is a more refined game than SM64 is, but to be fair, they’re representatives of different genres.)

New category: Shoot-em-up (I’m not qualified to judge this one, since I’ve only played a few.)

23

Ah, Princess Maker…
I downloaded and played that a few years ago, and my friends came over and gave it a try and we all got hooked. We talked and laughed about it for a month, which earned very awkward (not to mention frightened) looks from my Parents.

“Man, on Princess Maker, its really hard to get enough money in the first year to buy your daughter a silk dress to help her chances in the dancing competition!”

Yes, very awkward.

24

Half-life sucks. Why does no one see this?

25

Seconded. I love both those games. I think R&C is more fun to play, because of all the guns and gadgets and stuff, but J&D looks cooler.

I’m playing JakII right now, and while it’s a pretty good game, I don’t like it as well as the first. Looking forward to R&C 2—comes out tomorrow!

26

4X: Alpha Centauri
TBS: Warlords III (so far)
Hybrid strategy: UFO
Classical: M.U.L.E.

27

Well, I can’t argue with that logic. You make an excellent point; I’m going to change my answer to say Hal-- wait. What was your point, again?

28

The thing is, some of the best games won’t appear on this list because they can’t really be cubbyholed. Where would you put the Diablo series? How about the Total War games? Even my favorite “pure” RTS, Ground Control is more of a Real Time Tactical game.

29

Pure puzzle - Not sure. Maybe Tetris Attack, but there are other good games.

Multiplayer puzzle - Tetris Attack (or the sequel, Pokemon Puzzle League).

Puzzle/adventure - Chip’s Challenge. (And nobody should say otherwise without at least having played Chip’s Challenge.)

And I think to date, the Dance Dance Revolution series epitomizes the music/rhythm genre most of all.

30

Horror - Silent Hill

Puzzle - Bombuzal

Run, jump and Shoot - Turrican I/II (cbm64 version)

Racing - Mario-Kart

Humor - Vice City

31

I finished Chip’s Challenge, does that count?

Even now I still get email from total strangers asking where they can download/buy the game. Not that I’d know, but it’s odd…

32

Well, my tuppence worth:

First Person Shooter: Goldeneye
Platformer: Mario Sunshine, but I expect most people won’t agree
Adventure: hazy category, but I’d say Metroid Prime or Ico
Turn Based Strategy: Civ 3. Or 2, not fussed, both incredible.
Real Time Strategy: Medieval Total War, or more ‘purely’ Starcraft
Music: Samba De Amigo
Racing: Mario Kart, of course
Beat 'em Up: Soul Calibur 2

33

FPS: Half-Life
RTS: Warcraft II (3 was good, but it didn’t have the atmosphere of 2)
RPG: Planescape: Torment
Adventure: The Longest Journey
Racing: NFS: Porsche Unleashed (PC), Rally Sport Challenge (XBox)
TBS: Worms, though it’s close with Heroes of Might & Magic II
Action RPG: Diablo I
3rd-person shooter: Max Payne I & II

34

Dreamcast lost soul here, the games I keep going back to…

RPG (with turn-based fighting): Grandia II

First person shooter: Toy Commander

Hand to Hand fighter: Soul Caliber

35

FPS: Tribes 1
RTS: Outpost 2
Adventure: Sam and Max (only hope new one can be 1/3 as good!)
3rd-person: Max Payne Series
Platformer: Ape Escape
Flying: Falcon 4

36

Fighting: Street Fighter Alpha 2
Puzzle: Super Puzzle Fighter 2
Adventure: Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Tactical RPG: Final Fantasy Tactics
Sidescroller: Super Metroid or Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Click on crap until it dies: Diablo 2
Strategy: I never liked much after Warcraft 2

37

Star Control 2 should damned well be the epitome of something, but I’ll be damned if I can categorize it.

38

Platformer (2d): Super Mario World
Platformer (3d): Super Mario 64
Beat em Up: SF2
Adventure: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
FPS: Goldeneye
Shoot em up: Truxton (arcade)
Puzzle: Kuri Kuri Kururin

Goddamn my nintendo obsession…

39

Console, Sports: Tiger Woods Golf

Almost as good as the real thing!

I’m not up on all this gamer lingo, so I hope I’m using the term “console” correctly. I mean XBOX or Playstation.

40

Adventure: Grim Fandango

Extreme Sports: Jet Grind Radio

Fighting: Street Fighter 2
runner up: Soul Calibur

FPS: Marathon

Music/Rhythm: Space Channel 5 Part 2

Puzzle: Chu Chu Rocket

Racing: Mario Kart

RPG (PC): Fallout 2

RPG (Console): FF6
runner up: Chrono Trigger

Shooter: Ikaruga

TBS: Worms