Jaq's Top 25 Games of All Time
by Jaq

Yes, 4.

Rly. This is the first and only Final Fantasy game I could ever really play over and over again without getting bored at some point. It's even better after you've beaten it, since now you know what characters not to power level only to have them die a plot-related death later on. Japan is made of awesome for sharing this game with us, and hatred for not basing the Final Fantasy anime on this game.

Bonus points: I *STILL* haven't gotten that Pink Tail.



Mayhem. This game is pure mayhem, and being five years old only made it that much more enjoyable. I'd play this game nonstop until I ran out of quarters, then engage in the usual drill of "Hit the coin returns on every machine and see if any quarters fall out". It worked often enough to warrant its use at every trip to the arcade.

Bonus points: Seeing your former monster creep across the stage at the end. Naked.



There are many Zelda games, but none really captures the feel more than the original. The very first issue of Nintendo Power magazine (back when we looked forward to new video game mags) had a huge section on this game detailing all the dungeon maps as well as a foldout overworld map. The first truly epic game I ever played and one that still can be enjoyed on the Virtual Console. (Translation, Nintendo put me out five bucks for buying something again that I already own)

Bonus points: The second quest. As if the game really needed to be any bigger.



I am nearly certain that this game singlehandedly caused a drop in my GPA by no less than an entire point. Starcraft is perhaps the most frequently-played game on this list with well over 1000 matches on Battle.net alone. Koreans have DIED OF DEHYDRATION while immersed in marathon Starcraft sessions - Enough said.

Bonus points: You can still debate strategies 10 years after the game's release.



The best launch title and the best video game. EVER. It's been said more times than one can count that Super Mario Brothers saved the videogaming industry as a whole, and it's still correct. Coming from the Atari 5200 to the NES was like stepping into the holodeck - a new experience that completely boggles your mind. Anyone who has ever owned an NES can play the first level of this game blindfolded, and your 97 year-old Portuguese great-grandmother can identify the theme music.

Bonus points: Would this phrase even exist without Super Mario?



A virtual unknown among modern gamers, this Atari 2600 prototype was clearly designed after the Great Videogame Crash. Vibrant colors perhaps inspired by Activision dominate the appeal of this game. At any rate, Polly would be ashamed if I didn't have an article without at least a mention of you-know-who.

Bonus points: No next-gen release in the works, but there's always tomorrow.