As I’ve mentioned before and anyone who has read my forum posts knows, I like making lists of gaming-related things. I’ve posted the best and most useful ones of those already here — the futuristic racing games list, the save types list, and the TG16/CD multitap-games list. I have lots more much less interesting lists, though, but since I did spend time putting them together over the years and it gives me something to post, I’m posting them. There will also be the occasional review, because I have a few more of those to rewrite (they need a fair amount of work, though, the easy ones are done), but more of these for a while. This one is a pure opinion piece, unlike most.
I am only considering games in each series I have played, of course. I list subcategories for some series.
Mario overall (& 3D) – Super Mario 64 (N64)
2D Mario – Super Mario World (SNES)
Zelda overall (& 3D) – Ocarina of Time (N64)
2D Zelda – Link’s Awakening (GB)
F-Zero overall (& polygonal) – F-Zero GX (GC)
sprite F-Zero – F-Zero (SNES)
Wipeout – Wipeout 64 (N64)
Mega Man overall (& Classic) – Mega Man 4 (NES)
Mega Man X – Mega Man X4 (PC/PS1/SAT)
Mega Man Zero and ZX – Mega Man ZX Advent (DS)
Mega Man RPGs – Mega Man X: Command Mission (GC/PS2)
Heroes of Might & Magic – Heroes of Might & Magic II (PC)
Wizardry – Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge (PC)
Quest for Glory – Quest for Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero (though Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness is just about tied with it)
Star Wars (Overall & Space Sims) – TIE Fighter CD-ROM Collection (PC [DOS ver.])
Star Wars First or Third Person Shooters – Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight (and its expansion, Mysteries of the Sith; overall I think I have to rank the base JK1 higher than MotS, but the last few missions of MotS are so amazingly good…)
Star Wars Arcadey Flight Combat Games – Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GC)
Star Wars Platformers – Super Return of the Jedi (SNES; the GB version is also good)
Star Wars Strategy Games – Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds Saga (PC)
Star Wars Action/Beat ’em Up Games – Lego Star Wars Complete (Wii)
Ikaruga/Radiant Silvergun – Ikaruga (Arcade/DC ver.)
Strikers 1945 – Strikers 1945 II (Arcade/PS1/SAT)
Donpachi – Dodonpachi (Arcade ver.)
Monkey Island – The Curse of Monkey Island (PC)
Extreme-G – XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association (GC/Xbox vers.)
Rush – San Francisco Rush 2049 (N64 ver.)
Wario Land – Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (GB)
Lolo – The Adventures of Lolo III (NES)
Ninja Gaiden – Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Ship of Chaos (NES)
Startropics – Startropics (NES)
Soul Blazer – Illusion of Gaia (SNES)
Mana – Final Fantasy Adventure (GB)
Final Fantasy (franchise) – Final Fantasy Adventure (GB)
Final Fantasy (turnbased RPGs) – Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (franchise) – FFCC: My Life as a Darklord (Wii WiiWare)
Wave Race – Wave Race 64 (N64)
1080 – 1080 Avalanche (GC)
SSX – SSX 3 (GC/PS2/Xbox; have for GC)
Hardball – Hardball 3 (PC/Genesis; PC ver. is better)
Thunder – Hydro Thunder (Arcade/DC/PS1/N64; Arcade ver. is best)
Gradius – Gradius III (SNES ver.)
R-Type – R-Type (Arcade/TG16 vers.)
Advance Wars – Advance Wars Dual Strike (DS)
King of Fighters (series) – The King of Fighters XIII (PC/X360/PS3; played on PC)
King of Fighters (Neo-Geo) – The King of Fighters ’02 (Arcade/Neo-Geo)
King of Fighters (3D) – The King of Fighters 2006 (PS2)
Street Fighter – Street Fighter III: Third Strike (Arcade/DC/PS2/Xbox)
Last Blade – The Last Blade 2 (Arcade/Neo-Geo/DC/PS2)
Samurai Shodown – Samurai Shodown IV: Amakusa’s Revenge (Arcade/Neo-Geo ver.)
Dead or Alive – Dead or Alive 4 (X360)
Soul – Soul Calibur 2 (GC ver.)
Army Men – Army Men: Air Combat (N64 ver.)
Baldur’s Gate: Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC)
Banjo – Banjo-Tooie (N64/X360)
Donkey Kong overall – Donkey Kong 64 (N64)
Donkey Kong Country series: Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES)
Classic Donkey Kong – Donkey Kong Jr. (Arcade/NES)
Donkey Kong [’94]/Mario vs. Donkey Kong – Donkey Kong [’94] (GB)
Toshinden: Battle Arena Toshinden (Game Boy)
BattleTanx: BattleTanx: Global Assault (N64)
Dept. Heaven series: Riviera: The Promised Land (GBA ver.)
Castlevania (overall & Classic) : Super Castlevania IV (SNES)
3d Castlevania: Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)
Metroidvania: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
Bionic Commando: Bionic Commando: Elite Forces (GBC)
Shock (System/Bio) – System Shock 2 (PC)
Bomberman – Bomberman GB (US) aka Bomberman GB 2 (Japan) (GB)
2D Bomberman – Bomberman GB [US] (GB)
3D Bomberman: Bomberman 64 (N64)
Bubsy – Bubsy 3D (PS1) (yes really)
Burnout – Burnout 2: Point of Impact (GC/PS2/Xbox)
City Building Series – Caesar II (PC)
Cruis’n – Cruis’n Exotica (Arcade/N64)
Capcom vs. SNK – Capcom vs. SNK 2 (Arcade/PS2/Xbox/DC/GC; GC is my favorite version)
Castles: Castles – The Northern Campaign (expansion to the original Castles) (PC)
Starcraft – Starcraft w/ Brood War (PC)
Warcraft – Warcraft III (PC)
Age of Empires – Age of Empires II w/ The Conquerors (PC)
Supreme Commander – Supreme Commander Gold (PC)
Command & Conquer – C&C Red Alert 2 (w/ Yuri’s Revenge expansion) (PC)
Commander Keen – Keen III: Keen Must Die! (or the first trilogy, Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons, if we count it as one game) (PC)
Contra – Contra: Hard Corps (Genesis)
Crazy Taxi – Crazy Taxi (DC ver.)
Panzer Dragoon – Panzer Dragoon Orta (Xbox)
Space Harrier – Space Harrier (Arcade/Saturn/Dreamcast/32X/WiiVC vers.)
Thief – Thief 2: The Metal Age (PC)
Tenchu – Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (PS1)
Sega Rally: Sega Rally Championship (Saturn)
Daytona – Daytona USA (Arcade, first Saturn ver., or X360/PS3 ver.)
Disciples – Disciples II: Dark Prophecy (PC)
Doom – Doom (PC/etc.; SNES is my favorite ’90s console version)
Wolfenstein – Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC ver.)
Driver – Driver (PC/PS1)
Duke Nukem – Duke Nukem 2 (PC)
Annet series – El Viento (Genesis)
Excite series – Excitebike 64 (N64)
Final Fight – Final Fight 3 (SNES)
Fire Emblem – Fire Emblem [7] (GBA)
Frogger (series) – Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge (GBC)
Frogger (classic) Frogger (Arcade/etc.)
Frogger (modern) – Frogger 2: Swampy’s Revenge (GBC)
RayForce/etc. series – RayForce/Layer Section/Galactic Attack, whatever you call it
Castle of Shikigami – Castle of Shikigami III (Wii)
Metroid (franchise & 3D)- Metroid Prime 1 in the Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii ver. for better aiming)
Metroid (2D) – Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA)
Tales – Tales of Symphonia (GC ver.)
Gauntlet (series & 3D) – Gauntlet: Dark Legacy (GC/Xbox vers.)
Gauntlet (classic) – Gauntlet (Arcade)
Goemon – Goemon’s Great Adventure (N64)
Lunar (series) – Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (Sega CD ver.)
Lunar 1 versions: Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (PSX)
Grandia – Grandia (Saturn/PS1)
Guild Wars – Guild Wars: Prophecies (the original game) (PC)
Indiana Jones – Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (PC)
Shinobi – Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (Genesis ver.)
King of the Monsters – King of the Monsters 2 (Arcade/NeoGeo/SNES ver.)
Kirby (series) – Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (GB)
Kirby spinoffs – Kirby’s Pinball Land (GB)
King’s Quest – King’s Quest VII: The Princeless Bride
___Stalker – Landstalker: The Treasure of King Nole
Lemmings – Lemmings (original) (PC ver.)
Thunder Force – Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (Genesis)
Darius – Darius Gaiden (Arcade/Saturn/PS1; have on PS2 collection)
Raiden – Raiden (Arcade/etc.)
Lode Runner – Lode Runner 3D (N64)
Lords of the Realm/Magic – Lords of the Realm II
Civilization – Civilization II, w/ Conflicts in Civilization and Forgotten Worlds addon discs (PC)
Mario Kart -Mario Kart 64 (N64)
MDK – MDK 2 (PC ver.)
Maximo/Ghosts n Goblins – Maximo: Ghosts to Glory (PS2)
Battletech – MechWarrior 2 (PC)
Total War – Medieval: Total War (PC)
Turrican – Super Turrican (SNES)
Metal Slug – Metal Slug 3 (Arcade/Neo-Geo/etc.)
Micro Machines – Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament (PC ver.)
NBA Jam – NBA Jam T.E. (32X ver. is best; also on many platforms)
Neverwinter Nights – Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (expansion) (PC)
Darkstalkers – Darkstalkers 3 / Vampire Savior (Saturn ver.)
The Lost Vikings – The Lost Vikings (PC & Genesis vers.)
Outrun (series) – Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast (PS2/Xbox/PC/PSP)
The Longest Journey – The Longest Journey (PC)
Pac-Man (series)- Pac-Man (Arcade ver.)
3D Pac-Man – Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness (DC/PS1/N64)
Paper Mario – Paper Mario (N64)
Phantasy Star – Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst (PC)
Pokemon – Pokemon Puzzle League (N64)
Aleste – Super Aleste/Space Megaforce (SNES)
Puzzle Quest – Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (DS ver.)
Unreal – Unreal Tournament (PC ver.)
Hexen/Heretic (series) – Hexen 2 (PC)
Rayman (series) – Rayman 2: The Great Escape (DC/PS2/PC/N64)
Rayman (2D) – Rayman Legends (PC ver.)
Star Soldier – Soldier Blade (TG16)
Resident Evil – Resident Evil 2 (N64 ver.)
Rollcage – Rollcage Stage II/Death Track Racing (PC ver.)
Shadowgate – Shadowgate 64: Trials of the Four Towers (N64)
Silpheed/Sylpheed – Silpheed (Sega CD)
Gate/Lords of Thunder – Gate of Thunder (TCD)
SimCity – SimCity 2000 (PC ver.)
Sonic (Overall & 2D) – Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles(Genesis) (Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is only just barely behind it)
3D Sonic – Sonic Adventure 2 (DC/GC vers.)
Sonic racing games – Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed (PC ver.)
Star Fox – Star Fox 64 (N64)
Star Ocean – Star Ocean: The 2nd Story (PS1)
Star Trek licensed games – Star Trek: Voyager: Elite Force (and its Expansion Pack) (PC)
Summon Night (overall) – Summon Night: Swordcraft Story (GBA)
Summon Night (not Swordcraft Story games) – Summon Night Ex-Thesis (PS2)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – TMNT III:Â The Manhattan Project (NES)
Tiny Toon Adventures (overall)- Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge (SNES)
Tiny Toon Adventures (platformers) – Tiny Toon Adventures 2 (NES)
Tomb Raider – Tomb Raider (Saturn ver.)
Top Gear (overall) – Top Gear (SNES)
Top Gear (polygonal 3D) – Top Gear Rally (N64)
Tribes – Tribes: Vengeance (PC) (also my favorite Irrational Games title)
Turok – Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion (N64)
Mortal Kombat – Mortal Kombat II (Arcade/SNES/32X vers.)
Worms – Worms 2 (PC ver.)
Zork – Zork: Grand Inquisitor (PC)
Rygar – Rygar (NES)
Golden Axe – Golden Axe (Arcade/Genesis)
The Need for Speed – Need for Speed: High Stakes (PC ver.)
Half-Life – Half-Life 2 (PC ver.)
Wario Ware – Wario Ware Inc.: Mega Party Games (GC)
Chrono – Chrono Trigger (SNES/DS)
Picross (Nintendo) – Picross 3D (DS)
3-D Ultra (line of games) – 3-D Ultra Pinball: Lost Continent (PC)
7th Dragon – 7th Dragon (DS)
Etrian Odyssey – Etrian Odyssey III (DS)
Adventure Island – Super Adventure Island II (SNES)
Batman (franchise) – The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Genesis)
King’s Quest – King’s Quest VII: The Princeless Bride (PC)
Valkyrie (Namco) – The Legend of Valkyrie (Arcade/TG16)
Aladdin (franchise) – Aladdin (Genesis)
Alien Syndrome – Alien Syndrome (Wii/PSP game; Wii ver.)
Prince of Persia – Arabian Nights: Prince of Persia (DC)
Arkanoid – Arkanoid (Arcade)
Assault Suits – Target Earth (Genesis)
BattleTanx – BattleTanx: Global Assault (N64)
Wonder Boy / Monster World (overall) – Wonder Boy in Monster World / The Dynastic Hero (Genesis/TCD)
Wonder Boy or Monster Lair (ie non-Action-RPGs in the franchise) – Monster Lair (TCD ver.; also on Arcade, Genesis)
Bit Generations / ArtStyle (line) – Digidrive (GBA/DSiWare)
BlazBlue – BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II (PSP ver.)
Guilty Gear – Guilty Gear X2 #Reload (Xbox/PS2/PSP)
Bonk – Bonk’s Adventure (TG16)
Burnout – Burnout 2: Point of Impact (GC/PS2/Xbox)
Bust-A-Move – Bust-A-Move 3 / ’99 (Arcade/PS1/N64; N64 has the best version)
Dr. Brain – The Island of Dr. Brain (PC)
Centipede /Millipede – Centipede (Arcade, Atari 7800 vers.)
Choplifter – Choplifter (Arcade/SMS ver.)
Mickey Mouse (license) – Disney’s Epic Mickey (Wii)
Donald Duck (license) – Donald Duck: The Lucky Dime Caper (GG)
Dragon Quest/Warrior – Dragon Quest IX (DS)
Fatal Fury – Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves (Arcade/Neo-Geo/DC/etc.)
K.C. – K.C. Munchkin (O2)
Gunstar Heroes – Gunstar Super Heroes (GBA)
Hot Wheels (license) – Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge (PC ver.)
Jurassic Park (license) – Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues (SNES)
Legend of Kage / Demon Sword – Legend of Kage 2 (DS)
Looney Tunes (license) – Looney Tunes (GB)
Magical Drop – Magical Drop 3 (Neo-Geo/PS1/Saturn)
Medal of Honor – Medal of Honor: Infiltrator (GBA)
Moto Racer – Moto Racer 2 (PC ver.)
Naruto (license) – Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution (Wii)
Oddworld – Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath (Xbox)
Alabama Smith games – Arctic Adventure (PC)
Puyo Puyo (overall) – Puyo Puyo Fever (Arcade/DC ver.)
Puyo Puyo (by Compile) – Puyo Puyo CD (TCD)
Road Rash – Road Rash 3D (PS1)
Rolling Thunder – Rolling Thunder (Arcade/NES)
Columns – Sakura Wars: Hanagumi Taisen Columns 2 (DC)
Shanghai – Shanghai II (TCD)
NiGHTS – NiGHTS into dreams… (Saturn)
Mysterious Dungeon – Shiren the Wanderer [3] (Wii)
Tempest/Space Giraffe – Tempest 2000 (Jaguar)
Galaga/Galaxian – Galaga (Arcade or Atari 7800 vers.)
Space Invaders – Space Invaders (SNES)
Spider-Man (license) – Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge (Genesis/SNES/GG)
Tetris – Tetris DS (DS)
Blockout / 3D Tetris – 3D Tetris (VB)
Survival Kids / Lost in Blue – Survival Kids (GB/C)
Taz (license) – Taz-Mania (GB)
Tekken – Tekken 3 (PS1)
Test Drive – Test Drive 6 (DC ver.)
Toaplan Shmups – Truxton (Genesis) (2nd: Daisenpuu Custom (TCD))
Vectorman – Vectorman (Genesis)
Virtua Fighter – Virtua Fighter 5 Online (X360/PS3)
X-Men – X-Men (Arcade)
Yoshi (platformers) – Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario World 2 (SNES)
Ys – Ys: The Vanished Omens (SMS)
