Sight & Sound
My list of 10 games that I think are either the absolute best at what they accel at and/or are vital pioneers that are still worth playing. Basically, the games I would consider the most "important", at least for what I value most about the medium.
10 Games
Hideki Kamiya's finest work and the game that would solidify his and Platinum Game's overall approach to action games. A game that oozes confidence and elegance like few others.
You know it, you love it. The absolute GOAT of excellent pacing and efficient core mechanics. In a world of bloated 3rd person shooters, Resident Evil 4 is always a breath of fresh air to return to.
In a genre that was mostly concerned with mimicking Mario, Sonic The Hedgehog brought a strong alternative to the table with the player character's speed/acceleration being dictated by the terrain.
A game whos combination of its story, themes, lead character, and design philosophies equals something you simply won't see outside of the indie sphere. A game that asks you to try your hardest, not to prove yourself to the game, but to yourself.
The game to solidify Nintendo's mastery of player psychology by finalizing their now-famous "4-step level design" which is used in countless games.
Thanks to its timeless art direction that took the characters from the original JSR and gave them striking redesigns, along with an unsurpassed soundtrack and gameplay you can easily vibe out to, Future is the definitive counterculture game that continues to find new followers looking for something different.
Thanks to the "Closer Than Ever" system, along with other brilliant details, no other stealth game makes the simple act of sneaking up on someone feel so tactile and satisfying.
With controls and mechanics that feel so intuitive and delightful to pull off, Shinobi III is a step above its 16-bit action game contemporaries.
DOOM's enemy roster and weapon pool might seem quaint at a glance but their multipurpose nature has led to countless fanmade level packs that still find new ways to combine and arrange them in exciting ways.
No other fighting game character roster I've encountered has as much variety in playstyles, or imaginative concepts. Against all odds, UMVC3 manages to do all these iconic characters justice.
