Now that we have a topic of our E3 Favorites, I thought we should have a topic asking what everyone' s favorites are so far. E3 is for the future, now let' s take a look at the past three years or so, and see what are our favs. up to this point.

Remember: This is a list of your FAVORITES, not necessarily what games you think are the BEST. For example, I would certainly put Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on a " Best" list of this generation, but it won' t be going on my favorites list. I recognize the quality, but it just doesn' t do it for it me (maybe MGS 3 will be different).

Grand Theft Auto III/Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

My two very favorite games of this generation so far. Vice City wins by a nose for me (the 80' s setting simply can' t be beat), but I just never get tired with either. I could drive around the city listening to the radio, or undertaking certain missions, over and over and over. I' ve probably logged well over 200 hours total between the two games, and I haven' t regretted a second.

Final Fantasy X

It came out at the tail end of 2001, but I still think it' s the best RPG of this generation so far. The story, characters, and fresh new system that threw out the customary " levels" and introduced the freedom-based Sphere Grid was just phenomenal, and as usual, we were treated to some of the finest visuals of the time. It still stands up well even today. As an Honorable Mention, I' d like to throw Final Fantasy X-2 into the mix. Perhaps the first FF game that could accurately be defined as real-time on the default setting, FF X-2 was the least linear and fastest-moving of any FF title to date, and really added a great deal of spice. On top of it all, the class/job system was back in the form of Dress Spheres, reminiscent of FF V and Tactics...how could you go wrong?

Splinter Cell/Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow

Don' t ask me to choose between the two, but just like with the GTA' s, I' d have to give the slight edge to SC: PT. I go for realism above all else in my stealth games, and this is why I greatly prefer this series to MGS. Despite a few obvious drawbacks, these games are unbelievably rewarding for the patient and thoughtful. Ingenuity and life-like knowledge of your surroundings is required, and once I started playing these games, I would never stop until they were complete.

Gran Turismo 3

Still the best racer ever, and with GT 4 coming, I just recently popped it in again. Even after 100% Complete, I' m still amazed at the level of realism and attention to detail inherent to the GT series. Taking a spin in my pefectly tuned Jaguar or Honda, or later, an F1...it just doesn' t get any better.

Hot Shots Golf 3

Laugh all you want, but there are few games as addicitive as this one. Believe it or not, it' s one of the most realistic sports games on any system, despite its childlike portrayal. I' ve done just about everything there is to do, and that was two years ago. To this day, I' ll pop it in and play a few rounds...can' t wait for HSG 4!

Max Payne 2

Behind DMC and NG, this is the best action game of this generation, and by far the easiest to just pick up and play. I could play this game through from beginning to end without stopping, and never once get bored. The story is surprisingly GREAT, and that bullet-time technique just never seems to get old. Superb control tops it all off; I just have a BLAST playing this game.

Prince of Persia

I can' t remember the last time I' ve been so awed by a game, and I certainly didn' t expect PoP to make my jaw drop the way it did. The beautiful visuals coupled with the ingenious puzzles and world design blew me away, and allowed me to look past the somewhat repetitive and unbalanced battles. Another extremely rewarding title, I' ll be one of the first in line for the sequel.

Devil May Cry/Ninja Gaiden

I figured it would only be fair to list both these games, as I consider them both to be the best action games of this generation, by a longshot. NG is clearly superior in terms of technicals, but for fun factor, I think I' ll always go back to DMC. The level of satisfaction I got from beating NG is basically unparalleled, but I doubt I' ll ever play through it again, and I' ve already gone through DMC three times. They both offer something unique and AMAZING; I wouldn' t ever give up either.

Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance I, II

I had more fun with both of these than I ever could' ve imagined. I thought I' d get bored with the hack ' n slash routine, but the fluidity and great multi-player combat kept me coming back for more. Besides, BG: DA II was much deeper, in that you could add attributes to your weapons and armor, not to mention more characters, character-specific storylines, and a more diverse adventure the whole way ' round. These games are just damn entertaining, period.

Suikoden III

One of the best RPGs ever, IMO, and it just continued the trend of extremely high quality found in the Suikoden series. I never have more fun than when I' m searching high and low for the 108 Stars of Destiny, and nobody, and I mean NOBODY, has stories as finely woven as the Suikoden series. FF comes extremely close, but some lackluster storylines earlier on in the franchise' s history puts it a close second behind Suikoden, a series where all three installments so far have featured unbelievably well-written plotlines. A fun world to explore, and unique turn-based " buddy" combat...it was just a whole lot of fun. Suikoden IV should be another gem, hopefully.

Part 2 to come tomorrow!

it' s late and it' s bedtime, but off the top of my head here are some of the games of this generation that I really enjoyed/still do:

FFX
FF Crystal Chronicals
Time Splitters
SSX/Tricky

I know there are more, but I cannot think at the moment.

Hmmm - question is, are we including the Dreamcast in this generation or is it in its own transition generation?

DREAMCAST = Sonic Adventure, Blue Stinger, Biohazard Code: Veronica, Giant Gram, Giant Gram 2000, Shenmue I & II, Border Down, Ikaruga, Mars Matrix, Giga Wing, Gunbird 1 & 2, Daytona USA, Virtua Fighter III: Team Battle
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PANZER DRAGOON ORTA
A Panzer Dragoon' s fan come true. The music was alot like part 2 which was disappointing. The original Panzer Dragoon will forever remain the very best in the audio department to me!

VIEWTIFUL JOE
Viewtiful Joe left me speechless, giddy, excited, and just made me love life, lol..

KLONOA 2
One of the best platformers ever in my opinion.

DONALD DUCK: GOIN QUACKERS
A really good platformer that sports both side scrolling and forward scrolling levels.

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RPG:
FINAL FANTASY X
I know I hate RPGs but I can recognize a quality one If I focus hard enough.. I didn' t have to think too hard though with Final Fantasy X. I really liked the intro theme and as the PS2' s first Final Fantasy game it seemed to pack some enticing features. I guess technically I shouldn' t be listing it as it isn' t a game I play or care much for, I just found it to be the most appealing RPG released within the last few years.
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Racing:
RIDGE RACER V
I find Ridge Racer V to be a stylish and addicting racer. It may not have the wealth of options that Gran Turismo 3 or 4: Prologue have, but I find the all important gameplay to be better than most.
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Shooters:
IKARUGA
Treasure shooting goodness, yeah! The Dreamcast version had better audio and visual quality than the GameCube version but the Cube version had some cool new options, making both versions worth it to me.

GRADIUS IV
I prefer horizontal shooters over vertically scrolling ones and NEVER tire of Gradius shootin action. While R-type Final looked fantastic, Gradius IV was soo much better gameplay wise.
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GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY
The only Grand Theft Auto game I invested much time in. I absolutely loved this game. It' s funny how I hate Miami BUT couldn' t wait to get my hands on a game that' s based around there. The inclusion of 80s music made this game a MUST BUY for me, lol, I literally drove my household nuts by replaying that " Take these broken wings" song during every mission,lol.

BREAKDOWN
Namco' s first person fighter/shooter was certainly an interesting mixture of various gaming genres.

RESIDENT EVIL ZERO
Call me a woose but part of the reason why I loved this one more than part 1, 2, and 3 was because it seemed easier. Specifically it was hard to get lost on a train, there' s like only two directions to head in, hehe. The partner zapping system which Onimusha 3 seemed to borrow from was also quite good.

ONIMUSHA 3
Didn' t care for the original but I loved part 3. Capcom just went all out with it.

FATAL FRAME 2: CRIMSON BUTTERFLY
I' d have to say as far as Survival horror games go, this was my absolute favorite of the next-gen era.

P.N. 03
Probably the most repetitive game I' ve ever played. The environments were so low budget, there was more detail in Vanessa' s a$$ than there were in all of the environments combined. But the game was highly addicting and that was good enough for me.

ASTRO BOY
I was surprised by this one. I wasn' t planning to get it but when I saw the Sonic Team logo on the box I snatched it up and enjoyed the hell out of it! I can' t wait til the game is released in the U.S. so others can enjoy it to!

ULTIMATE MUSCLE
Very colorful and exciting comical wrestling game.

MR. DRILLER DRILL LAND
I' m totally digging Namco' s Driller games, can' t wait til the DS version. (blatant pun inserted)

VICTORIOUS BOXERS
Despite the somewhat annoying control scheme, I still found it to be the best boxing game released this generation.

F-ZERO GX
Thank you Sega!!

OTOGI 1 & 2

DEAD TO RIGHTS

SUPER MONKEY BALLS 2


There' s more but those are what immediately come to mind!

Some of mine are...
Beyond Good and Evil
Prince of Persia
Splinter cell
Viewtiful Joe(currently playing)
Skies of Arcadia Legends
Knights of the Old Republic
Tony Hawk 4(late bloomer to this series)

and and...my brain is dead...its too late

Part 2!

Red Faction

Is it a better game than Halo? Nah. Did I have more fun with it? Yep. In a game where your environment becomes a dog' s chew toy, I enjoyed myself immensely. The weapons rocked, the gameplay was fluid and well-balanced, and after Tribes, was the first FPS to introduce vehicles. Flying the airship was the best, but you could also pilot a submarine and drive a jeep several times during your adventure. IMO, this game had it all. Now, if they could just institute a more advanced version of this Geo-Mod technology into a modern-day FPS......

Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball

Make fun if you must, but I' ve put over 60 hours into this game, and I' ve loved every second of it. This isn' t a volleyball game; it' s not even a sports game, and that' s where most people go wrong. As the developers themselves stated, this is a niche, " relaxation and leisure game" , more than anything else. The volleyball is almost like a sidebar, but I love that anyway. Sure, once you' ve mastered it, you' ll probably never lose again, but it' s still tons of fun, IMO. Rip your favorite tracks into the Xbox and kick back on an island paradise with some hotties to hit the beach, do a little shopping, play at the casino, and in general, just relax. So sue me.

Gitaroo-Man

Yeah, I remember back when I was assigned to do this review at GW, and saying to myself...uhhhh....WHAT? I had never heard of it, and well, it just didn' t sound all that promising. After the first ten minutes, I had no clue what was going on, or what I was supposed to do. Then, something clicked. And ever since, I' ve been hooked. I traded it in once, but picked it up again six months later simply because I just had to play it again. Rhythm/dance games are, for the most part, insanely addictive in the first place, but this one just takes the cake for me. It' s off the wall in both graphics and " story," but the music is great and it is wholly UNIQUE.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

The franchise lived up to its name with this one, providing an unbelievably fast racing experience, coupled with kickin' soundtracks, tons of cars, and a variety of challenges. I haven' t yet completed it entirely, but I put a great deal of time into this one when I first picked it up. For the ultimate in speed, I still go back to it to jump in my Lamborghini or McLaren, and fly at 200+ m.p.h. down narrow, winding mountain roads.

Xenosaga

I don' t normally like futuristic-type RPGs, which is why I didn' t completely dig Xenogears. However, thanks to a great story, good character design, and very deep battle elements including both humans and massive mechs, I was sold. This game got better as it went, and actually provided a decent challenge. KOS-MOS is still one of my favorite characters of this generation, and I can' t WAIT for her return in Episode II!

Deathrow

Finding a gem like this when you least expect it is always a good thing. The odd sport seemed a bit silly at first, but when you throw in nasty hand-to-hand combat and brutal, foul-mouthed contestants, you' ve got yourself one hell of a fun game. The season I played was definitely tough, and beating the First Blitzers is still one of my bigger accomplishments in the past few years of gaming. Just all-around fun.

Madden 2004

The last time I played a football game this much, it was Madden ' 96 on the SNES. I can still remember hurdling my way to the endzone...but that was another year, and a whole other game. Today, Madden relies on the utmost in realism to provide its entertainment. After three full seasons, and now in my fourth, it has yet to get old. There' s just too much to think about when on the field for that to happen. The best so far.

Games I' m sorry I missed out on, but plan to remedy:

Need for Speed: Underground
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
Top Spin

I also just started Champions of Norrath, which has a darn good chance of surpassing both Dark Alliances, and I' ll be getting Onimusha 3 this weekend.

The inclusion of 80s music made this game a MUST BUY for me, lol, I literally drove my household nuts by replaying that " Take these broken wings" song during every mission,lol.

Damn straight! Heh...I' m a huge 80' s fan myself, and that soundtrack just ROCKED. Sometimes I' d sit in my room flipping through a magazine while just sitting in a vehicle somewhere listening to my three favorites: Flash FM, VRock, and Emotion 98.3. I remember the first time I stole a car and started flipping around the channels, and coming across Michael Jackson' s " Billie Jean." Oh man, I was SO hooked after that. LOL

I' m getting Onimusha 3 this weekend. Did you play Onimusha 2? That was a lot better than the original as well, although I still think the original was awesome.

I' ve been meaning to try Fatal Frame 2 for a while, but I have yet to beat Silent Hill 3. I' m about 75% of the way through, but other games have gotten in the way. I' ve been saying that once I beat it, I should try another survival/horror title, but I never was sure about FF...is it really that good?

I' m getting Onimusha 3 this weekend. Did you play Onimusha 2? That was a lot better than the original as well, although I still think the original was awesome.

Never played Onimusha 2. I kinda lost interest after trying to play through the original and getting stuck on one of the later puzzles.

I just found it somewhat amazing that Not only did I buy the import version of Onimusha 3, but I bought it on day 1, especially given my hatred for the puzzles in the original...

But I had an easier time with the puzzles in the import Onimusha 3 compared to the ones in the U.S. version of the original.

I' ve been meaning to try Fatal Frame 2 for a while, but I have yet to beat Silent Hill 3. I' m about 75% of the way through, but other games have gotten in the way. I' ve been saying that once I beat it, I should try another survival/horror title, but I never was sure about FF...is it really that good?

Well I think I' m a bit biased when it comes to Fatal Frame 2 though, hehe.. I didn' t care for the original, but when I first saw the E3 2003 trailer of Fatal Frame 2, since then I was left in a Fatal Frame 2 daze. The story of twin sisters trapped in a mysterious village, the whole premise behind a ceremony and a horrifying ritual that historically had twin siblings killing each other just TOTALLY appealed to me more than any other survival horror game has ever been able to. The controls could have been better but other than that I had no complaints. Well umm, the only other complaint I do have is that the sinister laughter of the evil kimono girl in the Japanese version was butchered in the U.S. version. I heard the U.S. version in one of the game trailers and she sounds like she' s joyously giggling. ARGH!!

But I still like the game enough to get the Xbox version when it comes out later this year even though I already own the PS2 version.

I' ll look into picking up FF 2, for either PS2 or Xbox at some point. I' m just so far behind that it' s getting tougher and tougher to catch up.

You should definitely play Onimusha 2. The sequel added a central town where you could purchase goods and items, as well as talk to the people and everything. Furthermore, they made a drastic change and added the " Friendship" system. There are several other characters in the game, and you can earn their trust by giving them little gifts throughout your adventure. You usually do this in the town, and there are gifts to buy and find. Each character likes different things, and there are five possible reactions they will have, depending on the gift and WHEN you give it to them.

Whoever likes you the most, based on these gifts, will show up in major battles to assist you. Furthermore, you will see a different side of the story, and even travel through different areas, depending on who your " best friend" is. There is a complex table of the gifts for each character in the strategy guide, so that will give you some idea.

The rest is basically Onimusha, but with more abilities and skills. I thought Onimusha was awesome in its day, but Onimusha 2 is just so much deeper. Well, deep for an action game, anyway. I haven' t played Onimusha 3 yet, but I' m certainly looking forward to it.

Fighting.
DOA 3,Soul Calibur 1&2

FPS.
HALO

Racing.
PGR 1&2,MM3

RPG.
Shenmue 1&2,Star Wars Knights of the old republic

Adventure.
GTA 3/VC,True Crime.

Other
DDR Ultramix

There are many. Fortunately my opinions count more than everyone else' s. :rolleyes:

Super Monkeyball 1 and 2
You can' t go wrong here. These games are crazy fun, and actually kept me interested in completing each and ever board, unlike most games where I get sick of it after it gets too hard. And yes, I can beat these gameson EXPERT at any time and I love it. I prefer version 1 due to the switches, warp gates and the like that were in the sequel.

F-Zero GX
I stopped caring about trying to beat this long ago, and instead just have FUN with it! I play it VERY OFTEN. But it' s Sega. It rocks!

Shenmue 1 and 2
These games are boring by design. I love it. In Shenmue 3 I want a task in which I must clip Ryo' s toenails or maybe even take out the garbage. Somehow the game designers make the mundane fun!

Daytona USA
A very nice racer for the Dreamcast that shows its potential. I don' t care what anyone says, the DC is right up there with the PS2 in the graphics department, even surpassing it in a few ways (like anti-aliasing). What most players who play this game don' t realize is that you must hold UP on the analog controller the entire time. This makes steering MUCH smoother and easier.

Downhill Domination
I always forget the name of this PS2 bike racer. I like to call it " Downhill Damnation" . But this game is crazy fun. Unfortunately it has the typical Sony setup, meaning that if I haven' t played this game in a long time, I can' t just pop it in and play. I must first remember how the menus are set up and how to get through them all and into the game. Other than that, this game ROCKS!

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2
This game is just fun. The PS2 version is the best. I like it more than Underground, but I like that game as well. But this one is just more fun.

Soul Calibur II
Xbox version for me with this fantastic fighter. Gotta have that Hi Def mode and Dolby Digital. Spawn is a great character to play (though I don' t care for the character in and of itself). This is the best version, bar none. The Gamecube has Link, who doesn' t play as well as Spawn, and the PS2 has some old guy whose name sound like the noise I make when I sneeze!

Crimson Skies
Fantastic game that kept me glued to the screen through the single player mission. And the online mode rocks as well. This is one of the few games that I enjoy playing online. The sound is amazing in Dolby Digital.

Rallisport Challenge 2
This game leans more towards arcade than sim, and that' s why I like it. Everyone else can have those boring sim games that try to show gamers what life is like beyond their living rooms (since they obviously never leave the house), but I' ll take a " fun" game any day that I can just play. Playing a game just to play. What a concept! The graphics are the most realistic in any console game yet, the 5.1 sound rocks, but the online mode is boring. I got tired of that really quick.

There are probably more, but I can' t think of them right now.

Project Zero
Prince of Persia: Sands of time
F-ZERO GX
Eternal Darkness
Viewtiful Joe
ZOE 2
Bujingai
Gun Valkyrie
Jet Set Radio Future
Virtua Fighter 4 evo
Gran Turismo 4
Initial D

This game leans more towards arcade than sim, and that' s why I like it. Everyone else can have those boring sim games that try to show gamers what life is like beyond their living rooms (since they obviously never leave the house), but I' ll take a " fun" game any day that I can just play. Playing a game just to play. What a concept!

So long as you realize that the concept of " fun" is entirely subjective, I have no problem whatsoever with this. I like both kinds, but I will invariably come back to Gran Turismo long before any arcade racer. Is it because I " never leave my house?" Uh, no. I work full-time and rarely have more than an hour or two a day to dedicate to games. Is it because I want to see what real life is like? Not necessarily...who' s " real life" has them hopping in a Viper and tearing down Laguna Seca racetrack?

Racing sims aren' t like " The Sims" or something like that, where all you' re doing is imitating real life to the best of your ability; these simulators are allowing you to experience something that you' ll probably NEVER have the chance to experience in real life. Personally, I have infinitely more fun performing mechanical upgrades to my car, tweaking gear ratios and weight transfer gauges, looking at things like limited-slip differential, etc. Games like Hot Pursuit 2 are freakin' awesome...for a little while. Then once you' ve had your rush...well...' yawn'

Arcade- mastering controls

Simulation- mastering controls AND understanding what it takes for a real car to perform, how to actually drive a vehicle at high speeds, etc. In other words, you' ll emerge from a racing simulation knowing more about cars...not going to happen with arcade racers. Heck, you' ll probably know LESS.

I like to play both kinds, but the allure of the simulation is much greater for me. Let' s not generalize what is " fun" and what isn' t.

That' s why I said " That' s why I like it."

I know nothing about cars, and they are not an interest of mine. So something like Gran Turdismo is very difficult for me to get into. I also find it hypocritical of a game to offer so much " realism" yet not allow any car damage whatsoever (other games with the same manufacturer' s cars have car damage). People often say " Ooo the cars in Gran Turdismo drive just like they do in real life!" Uuuhhh... why are they driving exotic cars in real life with a dual shock PS2 control pad? There is no way a control pad could compare to the real deal. Even videogame steering wheels will be different (but better).

This is tough, because to some extent I' ve been dissapointed with this generation. Anyhow here are my favourites:

Luigi' s Mansion
While admittedly it' s too short, this is one fun game. Full of polish and charm. A shining example of Nintendo' s occasional originality.

Mario Sunshine
An odd one this. I really hated it for an absolute age. Struggled to 20 Shines, and then one day it all clicked and it became an absolute joy to play. The sheer freedom offered cannot be matched.

Skies of Arcadia Legends
The Dreamcast version was always one of my favourite games of all time, and this is even better. Buffed up graphics and a wealth of worthy extras, that simply make the game even better. Simply superb!

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland
It' s the only installment in the Harvest Moon series I' ve played and to be honest I' d expect them all to be roughly similar. Great fun and once you get into it, it does become utterly compulsive. Top stuff.

Jak & Daxter
While I would be one of the first to criticise that it' s A) too easy and B) relies too heavily on collecting items, there is no escaping this game' s quality. Very polished and a whole lot of fun.

Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution Soccer series
This is simply the best sports seriesever. I' ve spent countless hours playing it in both single and multiplayer and yet I continue to be dazzled by it' e depth! Sensational stuff!

Ape Escape 2
Monkey are great, so a game where you have to run around catching monkeys rather unsuprisingly is great too. Possibly not the most polished of games but a cracking translation (that incidentaly was butchered for the US release) by Sony Europe make this a winner with me.

Plus if we are to include Dreamcast games (or ports of Dreamcast games) I' d also like to add Rayman 2, Crazy Taxi, Skies of Arcadia and Power Stone.

OOO super monkey ball. That was a fun one. We also used to play Mario Kart Double Dash a lot. That was so much fun.