This game bleeds with inspiration from the original settings of the first few FF games, and uses it to create what I believe to be the best lineup of characters in the entire franchise. Using the ATB system once again, combat is as classic and strategic as ever and exploring the various lands of Gaia is what keeps players drawn in.

What primarily makes this game shine for me is its characters. Every character in the game represents a classic FF job (with the exception of Quina) and their roles in battle are very clearly defined. There is plenty of grinding to be done with the ability system which allows for the 8 party members to learn new spells, passives and summons. Grinding levels and keeping each party member on par with the current stage of the game you are in is surprisingly satisfying.

The game is also not short of any content outside of the main story. There are plenty of side quests to pursue throughout the main story - with things like the Tetra Master card game, leveling up your chocobo and delivering moogle letters taking up a lot of your play time if you want to go for them.

Finally, the best part of the game is its world and story. A tragic tale of a war wrapped within a planetary struggle with 8 characters developing and discovering themselves while they try to save Gaia. I'm not going to go into the story really at all (I'll leave that to you), but I can assure you it is phenomenal. The world itself is fantastic, with the most charming and classic FF art style the series has to offer. The playable party members are diverse and come in all shapes and sizes which is contrary to the later and newer entries. (Not necessarily a dig at modern FF, but I've noticed that Square really does not care for non-human or humanoid party members anymore).

Overall, one of the best games of all time and for sure the best Final Fantasy game to date. A must play for any JRPG fan.

Twilight Princess decided to dive into an art style and theme that was unseen by the franchise at the time; instead of being a High Fantasy world, Hyrule was now a Dark Fantasy world. This game introduced the "Wolf Link" mechanic, where Link could pass into the Twilight world and use his abilities as a wolf to clear enemies and free the area from darkness. Another legendary story unfolds involving the triforce and the new Twilight Realm, with plenty of memorable characters along the way. Dungeons are very well designed and the overall Dark Fantasy atmosphere remains unmatched.

Many people have fond memories of this game, mostly because it is one of the best sellers on the Wii. The first Mario Kart to integrate online play, this game was fun even if you were playing alone. The course selection is arguably the best and easily the most iconic in the entire franchise, and the roster is expansive. While the game did go back to the original 1 person karts, everything is executed so well that its easy to forget that the last entry had 2 person karts. Very iconic, very fun, and a best seller for good reason.

A Link to the Past is undeniably the best 2D Zelda game with little to no competition. This game provided a scope larger than any other game seen at the time, and was regarded to be one of the most ambitious games ever made. With loads of iconic and challenging dungeons, numerous weapons and magic items, carefully placed collectibles and side quests, its hard to believe a game with such an incredible design philosophy was one that came out of the era of the Super Nintendo. Truly one of Nintendo's best works.

A game very obviously designed to be a quick and easy seller, since it was another game (Doki Doki panic) with Mario & co. Plastered onto it. The gameplay seen here is unlike any other Mario game and was never seen again after the games release. Instead of stomping enemies, you could pick them up and throw them, as well as use various items and weapons such as turnips to defeat them. The level design is actually pretty good and the bosses are also decent but a lot of the merit for this game falls apart when you consider that it was never actually a Mario game to begin with.

Arguably one of the best shooters of all time and one that has aged so unbelievably well. Half-Life 2 took what the first game brought to the table and ran with it, maintaining its fast paced and strategic gameplay while also completely shifting gears on its story. Half-Life 2 takes you through numerous locations ranging from the sewers of a dystopian city all the way to a town overrun with zombies. Utilizing the shockingly good physics of Valve's Source engine, Half-Life 2 set a new standard for what a shooter game should look and play like.

This game is surprisingly fun and has a very different vibe from other Mario games. This game was the first to feature Wario, who has taken over Mario land. There is a new rabbit powerup that allows Mario to hover and a new world map. The world map allows players to navigate through different worlds and tackle the bosses and levels within to collect the 6 coins. The zoomed in perspective of the game is a little bizarre and feels more akin to Wario Land but the game is very impressive for a GameBoy game.