The Decade in Games

Prompted by barthel’s post, I’m going to list my favorite games of the decade. The main criteria for inclusion are whether I can remember devoting a large chunk of my time and thought to the game and whether I thought it was the greatest thing ever at the time I played it. I weigh heavily how games hold up now: Perfect Dark was great but it’s unplayable today.

  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (PSX, 2000)
  • Chrono Cross (PSX, 2000)
  • Halo (Xbox, 2001)
  • Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (PS2, 2001)
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (PS2, 2001)
  • ICO (PS2, 2001)
  • Metroid Prime (GC, 2002)
  • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2, 2002)
  • Ikaruga (GC, 2003)
  • Resident Evil 4 (GC, 2005)
  • Shadow of the Colossus (PS2, 2005)
  • Psychonauts (Xbox, 2005)
  • Guitar Hero II (PS2, 2006)
  • Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (360, 2006)
  • Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, 2007)
  • The Orange Box (360, 2007)
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360, 2007)
  • Rock Band (360, 2007)
  • Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (XBLA, 2007)
  • Grand Theft Auto IV (360, 2008)
  • Peggle Nights (PC, 2008)
  • Braid (XBLA, 2008)
  • New Super Mario Bros. (Wii, 2009)
  • Punch-Out (Wii, 2009)

If I had to name the best games of the decade, I’d go with the following:

  • Addictive Fun: Peggle Nights
  • Game Design: Portal
  • Sheer Perfection: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Work of Art: Braid
  • Best In Show: The Orange Box