06-08-2003, 06:56 PM
Street Fighter II
Revolutionized the Fighting genre, IMHO, and introduced me to some of the best gaming memories I've ever had. A tremendous game, simple yet elegant, and LOADS of fun. I bought this for the SNES after a tour on the arcade machine, and I still own it. "The World Warriors": choose from characters scattered across the world, and fly to their homelands to square off in one-on-one combat. No fancy combos or blistering graphics on this baby: simple cut-out backgrounds with the characters overlaid on top, but a nonetheless complex system of moves (light, medium, heavy). Although there were no official "combos", a skilled player could set up a sequence of moves that acted just like one. Flying at an opponent all balled up, and then dropping into an electric shock stance as Blanka is but one example. :D A tremendously fun game that not only spawned about a hundred different clones (even within its own series!), but brought fighting games back onto the market, big time.
Super Mario Bros.
What can be said about it? Classic platform adventure game, with minimal story, graphics, and gameplay, but more fun than you can box up in an aircraft hanger. Play as one of two lovable plumbers (Mario in SP, or Mario & Luigi in MP), and jump, stomp, and bash your way through multiple platform levels, collecint unique powerups along the way. Classic "hordes of monsters, with an end boss" gameplay of the NES era.
Legend Of Zelda
The best game of all time. Period. Revolutionized the 3/4 viewing style of adventure games (among other styles), and pit your wits in classic hack 'n' slash style gameplay, fighting a variety of monsters in a fantasy world in order to save the lands from evil, and rescue a dashing princess in distress. :) Had a great inventory system, decking you out with loads of items, each designed to aid you in a specific portion of your quest, or sometimes throughout your whole journey. 9 different labyrinths, each more complex and challenging than the last, combining traditional hack 'n' slash with incredibly simple, yet mind-blowingly effective puzzles. Holds a great number of similarities to the Rogue series of games, IMO. :) Simple graphics and music, but some of the best music score of all time (it's STILL remixed to this day). And when you finish the game, you can unlock the "secret quest" to redo the whole thing, with added challenge in more forms than one! :D Truly a masterpiece of a game, that has never been beaten to date.
Mortal Kombat
The next big step in the fighting genre, introduced massive gore and "Fatalities": finishing moves for after you had knocked your opponent into unconsciousness. Loads of characters, each with their own styles of play. Also vastly expanded upon the "special moves" style of gameplay from Street Fighter II, and paved the way for the "combo" style of gameplay. And, it was a game to truly shake the foundations of the entire market, bringing about the erection of the ESRB.
Killer Instinct
What happens when you cross Rare's incredible graphical and talent abilities with superb gameplay and a truly "killer" soundtrack, all on the best platform (console and otherwise) to ever hit the market? This. Incredible graphics on a 2D fighting game, it revolutionized the genre. Hands-down beat out every fighter to date; only SF2 even comes close to rivaling it. Beautiful graphics, traditional of Rare games (LONG before Goldeneye, there was Killer Instinct, Clayfighter, and Donkey Kong Country), combined with extremely innovative gameplay. Introduced the style of "combos", further enhancing the idea of "finishing moves", and brought forth the idea of changing the color of your character. A decent storyline wrapped up in it all completed the package. Without a doubt, this was one KILLER of a game. A truly must-have for any gaming addict, but particularly those who love a good brawler.
Road Rash
Motorcycle racing at its finest, rather than race over traditional, boring tracks, you rip it across landscapes and cities alike, duking it out with your fellow competition (oftentimes with weapons, like clubs, chains, and baseball bats) while striving to run over as many pedestrians as possible. Fastest win earns you the most cash, with which you can upgrade your bike to a truly monsterous machine. The Sega Saturn version included a REAL soundtrack, performed by such bands as Soundgarden (among others): a truly unheard of feat, that added SO MUCH to the atmosphere and immersiveness of the game. Countless hours of fun, if only to try and hit that poor teacher as she crossed the street to ramp off her body, vaulting yourself so high into the sky that you literally fly off screen. Pure fun, in all its bloody glory.
Warcraft II
Too much for words to be said about this game. Probably THE most addictive game I have ever played, or at least among the top. Superb gameplay despite simplistic "balancing" of the races, combined with (for the time) exemplary graphics, unlimited replay value in MP / SP skirmish modes, and the ability to play the game from two sides, this game had it all. Set in a fantasy medieval world ravaged by war and chaos, and worse things lurking behind the shadows of time, a typical RTS that revolutionized the genre. Command & Conquer ranks right up here with the game, but it wasn't until Warcraft II hit the shelves that the genre truly took off. Featuring far better graphics than its C&C competition, the only thing it lacked was the great cut scenes found in C&C. The game wasn't solely about conquest, either. Oftentimes, you'd find yourself needing to build up your army in order to promote stability in the region, find and rescue imprisoned legions in order to uphold an alliance treaty and enlist their aid for the future, or guard a force (or sole person) as they journeyed through dangerous lands. This game had everything you could ever want from an RTS, and then some. Eventually, it got "upgraded" and re-released, to promote gameplay over Battle.Net, along with a few other new features. It just doesn't get any better.
Descent
The first full 360 degree movement game, this brought about the reality of motion-sickness to gamers across the world. Classic arcade-style space shooter set in an entirely new environment: alien mines filled with mining robots gone berserk. A lone pilot sent in to find out what happened, and turn things around, you fly a ship through humongous, twisting caverns, danger lurking around every shadowy corner (yes, there were real-time shadows and lighting, along with an insane AI). Collect power-ups along the way as you fight through endless hordes, having to use actual strategy in order to outsmart and out-advantage your deadly opposition. One wrong move, and you were toast. This game has never been topped to date, except by its successors within the series. It gave birth to the 3D space-shooter as we know it, and gave gamers around the globe nightmares of killer robots for years to come. Toasters and blenders would never be looked at the same way again.
Terminal Velocity
Released a year after Descent, it featured a lot of the same gameplay style: 360 degree movement (albeit of a slightly different nature; more on that later), classic space-shooter, hordes of alien enemies all out to get you. What made this game so unique, so innovative, was that it took the great gameplay, style, and setting of Descent, and combined it with what would become the standard for space-shooters: overworld flight. Racing across huge worlds, you could stop on a time, moving around just like you would in Descent, or more as you would in a flight-sim. Collect power-ups and burn your "afterburners" to speed across dangerous lands, finding your objectives and eliminating them with extreme prejudice. When you're top on the top, dive into a massive "mine" and fly through, dodging lasers and blasting enemies, all while trying to avoiding smashing into the cavern walls. At the end of a tunnel: a huge boss, armed to the teeth and bent on your sole destruction. Everything you'd fought up until then looked like ants compared to what was bearing down on you now. A truly remarkable (and addictive) game, it didn't take off quite like the Descent series, but it nonetheless bolstered the future of space-shooters, and further helped pave the way for the genre's future.
Black & White
What do you get when you cross your classic, empire-building RTS with the innovative gameplay of the Sim City series, set it in a fantasy environment, add the best graphics ever of the genre in a fully 3D environment, mix with the style of gameplay not seen since Populous, and toss in a whole SLEW of unique, innovative additions? Something that falls short of what this game is. Hands-down, the most innovative, unique, wonderfully immersive game ever created. The ONLY thing this thing suffered from was a few game-breaking bugs (that eventually got fixed), which caused legions of would-be followers to get turned off, and made the wonderful starting press reviews flush it down the toilet. You play as a God - not THE God, but A God. You battle it out with other Gods in a fight to control the world. But... will you control it for good, or evil? The choice is yours, throughout the entire game. No set alignment paths allow you to play HOWEVER you want. Be as good or as bad as you want, with anything inbetween, and suffering no real "consequences" or dead-ends for your choices. Being evil is not crippling - in fact, it's one of the more amusing, fun, and powerful ways to play. Being good does not entail immortality - you'll spend your life bending over backwards all while trying to AVOID combat. Incredible graphics, mind-blowing gameplay, and some of the most innovative, INCREDIBLE control ever conceived by man. After playing this game for 3 DAYS STRAIGHT, when I took a break from it, I found myself trying to navigate my computer through the control-scheme of the game - and finding myself disappointed that I couldn't. Build up flowing cities, or tiny little villages. Command the respect (and/or fear) of a multitude of followers - each with their own respective strengths. Choose to impress villages in order to gain their favor (and join your side), or destroy them with utter cruelty, and rebuild from the ashes of the old. Cast spells through the use of prayer power (villagers worship you at your Temple, which itself grows and changes just as you do to match your power and alignment - the bigger you get, the bigger it gets; saintly-hood begets you a spiring, sparkling ivory tower, while devilry begets you a towering, dark monolith of terror), be it to aid your villages, destroy your enemies, or just have some fun. As if all this wasn't enough, you control a Creature - a pet animal that grows with time, and with you, and follows your alignment. You teach it how to act, what to do, and it will carry out your biddings as you have taught it. It has a mind and a will of its own, just like your people, but you cannot directly control it - just like with your followers. You can - and must - only direct it, influence it, shape it; never directly control it. Teach him to be good, and he will help your villages thrive. Teach him to be bad, and he will wreak havoc on anything that stands in his way. And, just as you can cast spells, so too can he - for good, or evil. One of the best games of all-time. Period.
"Are you a blessing, or a curse? Good, or evil? Whatever you are, you are destiny."
FPS Game Pack: Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, Half-Life, and Unreal
The three games that defined the genre. Wolf3D started out with you roaming through cavernous dungeons, set in WW2 Nazi Germany. Blast Nazis as you struggle to break out of the gigantic Castle Wolfenstein, all while uncovering a secret genetic experiment project by the Nazis, designed to re-animate the dead and create the ultimate fighting soldier. When the blood-haze clears and the dust settles, you find yourself outside, but when you finally make it back home to tell your forces about the Nazi's plans, you're sent right back in to finish them off.
Doom expanded upon this unique gameplay style, and boasted an even larger, yet no-less simplistic, storyline. Aliens from Mars hell-bent (literally) on the complete destruction of Earth, you're taken through alien worlds, back to your home planet of Earth, and even into the very depths of Hell to fight all manner of diabolical enemies all bent on seeing you dead - and dismembered. Endless hordes of varying atrocities, blood and gore galore, and home to some of the worst nightmares ever imaginable - everything you were afraid of as a kid was suddenly lurking around every corner. And worse. Blast through hundreds of levels in a suicide-mission, facing off against all the forces of Hell, all to save the world from ultimate Doom - only to get sent back again when it's all over.
Duke Nukem 3D was a Doom clone, for the most part. Alien invaders swarm Earth, but rather than some U.S. Army soldier breaking out of a Nazi prison dungeon, or an elite space marine for a similar organization, you're just a regular guy - Joe Shmoe with a pissy attitude and a lust for guns and carnage. Featured interesting new styles of weaponry (Pipe Bomb, anyone?), along with a serious attitude problem - both in terms of storyline, and gameplay - and all the "bad boy" image you could handle. After a long day's work of blowing apart aliens into little bitty pieces, kick back in the bathroom to let loose all the beer you chugged, and then hobble on back into the stageroom to watch the girls strip and dance for you. Before Mortal Kombat shook the scenes of gaming, there was DN3D - and boy, was it ever BAD. :D
Quake took everything we loved about its precursors, and added an even BETTER storyline, along with eye-popping, edge-of-your-seat terror. Real-time shadows, incredible graphics and sounds, and solid gameplay made this one a huge classic. Terror had a new name - and it was breathing down your neck.
Half-Life was every bit the same as its predecessors - and then some. A thrilling, immersive storyline that pit you headlong into it from the very beginning - WITHOUT having any foreknowledge of events; you weren't TOLD the story, you LIVED it. Mind-blowing graphics that still rival the latest-and-greatest games of today, to this very day, coupled with boggling puzzles and a real need for strategy and tactics - no run and gun gameplay here. You had to THINK just to survive - let alone win. Furthered the idea of "mods" that eventually created company-sponsored and supported mods, paving the way for the future of FPSes, and the modding community in general - who, up until then, had been left on their own to figure things out for almost the entirety of gaming history.
Much like Half-Life, Unreal was a game that set you up with no prior knowledge of events. You had a few bits and pieces of information about what had been going on up until now, and what was currently going on, and that was it - before you got thrust into the biggest event in history. It combined everything that made Half-Life so great with improved graphics, gameplay, and weaponry - and a true taste for terror. Real-time shadows and lighting, immersive sounds and environments that surpassed even those of Half-Life, this game would have you sitting on the edge of your seat every second - and screaming every minute as some new horror stared you in the face as you rounded the corner. It filled the very large shoes of Quake & Half-Life quite well, while still managing to stand out on its own without being bogged down as "just another clone".
Honorable mention (since you said no repeats :P):
Mega Man series (particularly the X series), Final Fantasy series up through 6, Wizardry Series, Ultima series, Baldur's Gate series, Diablo series, Command & Conquer (original, plus Red Alert), Dungeon Keeper (NOT the second one; it wasn't nearly as good as the first, which was INCREDIBLE), Master of Orion.
I picked 10 games, plus a "game pack" - collection of games that redefined (over and over) a genre, that were each important enough to stand on their own and warrant more than just a passing mention.
Revolutionized the Fighting genre, IMHO, and introduced me to some of the best gaming memories I've ever had. A tremendous game, simple yet elegant, and LOADS of fun. I bought this for the SNES after a tour on the arcade machine, and I still own it. "The World Warriors": choose from characters scattered across the world, and fly to their homelands to square off in one-on-one combat. No fancy combos or blistering graphics on this baby: simple cut-out backgrounds with the characters overlaid on top, but a nonetheless complex system of moves (light, medium, heavy). Although there were no official "combos", a skilled player could set up a sequence of moves that acted just like one. Flying at an opponent all balled up, and then dropping into an electric shock stance as Blanka is but one example. :D A tremendously fun game that not only spawned about a hundred different clones (even within its own series!), but brought fighting games back onto the market, big time.
Super Mario Bros.
What can be said about it? Classic platform adventure game, with minimal story, graphics, and gameplay, but more fun than you can box up in an aircraft hanger. Play as one of two lovable plumbers (Mario in SP, or Mario & Luigi in MP), and jump, stomp, and bash your way through multiple platform levels, collecint unique powerups along the way. Classic "hordes of monsters, with an end boss" gameplay of the NES era.
Legend Of Zelda
The best game of all time. Period. Revolutionized the 3/4 viewing style of adventure games (among other styles), and pit your wits in classic hack 'n' slash style gameplay, fighting a variety of monsters in a fantasy world in order to save the lands from evil, and rescue a dashing princess in distress. :) Had a great inventory system, decking you out with loads of items, each designed to aid you in a specific portion of your quest, or sometimes throughout your whole journey. 9 different labyrinths, each more complex and challenging than the last, combining traditional hack 'n' slash with incredibly simple, yet mind-blowingly effective puzzles. Holds a great number of similarities to the Rogue series of games, IMO. :) Simple graphics and music, but some of the best music score of all time (it's STILL remixed to this day). And when you finish the game, you can unlock the "secret quest" to redo the whole thing, with added challenge in more forms than one! :D Truly a masterpiece of a game, that has never been beaten to date.
Mortal Kombat
The next big step in the fighting genre, introduced massive gore and "Fatalities": finishing moves for after you had knocked your opponent into unconsciousness. Loads of characters, each with their own styles of play. Also vastly expanded upon the "special moves" style of gameplay from Street Fighter II, and paved the way for the "combo" style of gameplay. And, it was a game to truly shake the foundations of the entire market, bringing about the erection of the ESRB.
Killer Instinct
What happens when you cross Rare's incredible graphical and talent abilities with superb gameplay and a truly "killer" soundtrack, all on the best platform (console and otherwise) to ever hit the market? This. Incredible graphics on a 2D fighting game, it revolutionized the genre. Hands-down beat out every fighter to date; only SF2 even comes close to rivaling it. Beautiful graphics, traditional of Rare games (LONG before Goldeneye, there was Killer Instinct, Clayfighter, and Donkey Kong Country), combined with extremely innovative gameplay. Introduced the style of "combos", further enhancing the idea of "finishing moves", and brought forth the idea of changing the color of your character. A decent storyline wrapped up in it all completed the package. Without a doubt, this was one KILLER of a game. A truly must-have for any gaming addict, but particularly those who love a good brawler.
Road Rash
Motorcycle racing at its finest, rather than race over traditional, boring tracks, you rip it across landscapes and cities alike, duking it out with your fellow competition (oftentimes with weapons, like clubs, chains, and baseball bats) while striving to run over as many pedestrians as possible. Fastest win earns you the most cash, with which you can upgrade your bike to a truly monsterous machine. The Sega Saturn version included a REAL soundtrack, performed by such bands as Soundgarden (among others): a truly unheard of feat, that added SO MUCH to the atmosphere and immersiveness of the game. Countless hours of fun, if only to try and hit that poor teacher as she crossed the street to ramp off her body, vaulting yourself so high into the sky that you literally fly off screen. Pure fun, in all its bloody glory.
Warcraft II
Too much for words to be said about this game. Probably THE most addictive game I have ever played, or at least among the top. Superb gameplay despite simplistic "balancing" of the races, combined with (for the time) exemplary graphics, unlimited replay value in MP / SP skirmish modes, and the ability to play the game from two sides, this game had it all. Set in a fantasy medieval world ravaged by war and chaos, and worse things lurking behind the shadows of time, a typical RTS that revolutionized the genre. Command & Conquer ranks right up here with the game, but it wasn't until Warcraft II hit the shelves that the genre truly took off. Featuring far better graphics than its C&C competition, the only thing it lacked was the great cut scenes found in C&C. The game wasn't solely about conquest, either. Oftentimes, you'd find yourself needing to build up your army in order to promote stability in the region, find and rescue imprisoned legions in order to uphold an alliance treaty and enlist their aid for the future, or guard a force (or sole person) as they journeyed through dangerous lands. This game had everything you could ever want from an RTS, and then some. Eventually, it got "upgraded" and re-released, to promote gameplay over Battle.Net, along with a few other new features. It just doesn't get any better.
Descent
The first full 360 degree movement game, this brought about the reality of motion-sickness to gamers across the world. Classic arcade-style space shooter set in an entirely new environment: alien mines filled with mining robots gone berserk. A lone pilot sent in to find out what happened, and turn things around, you fly a ship through humongous, twisting caverns, danger lurking around every shadowy corner (yes, there were real-time shadows and lighting, along with an insane AI). Collect power-ups along the way as you fight through endless hordes, having to use actual strategy in order to outsmart and out-advantage your deadly opposition. One wrong move, and you were toast. This game has never been topped to date, except by its successors within the series. It gave birth to the 3D space-shooter as we know it, and gave gamers around the globe nightmares of killer robots for years to come. Toasters and blenders would never be looked at the same way again.
Terminal Velocity
Released a year after Descent, it featured a lot of the same gameplay style: 360 degree movement (albeit of a slightly different nature; more on that later), classic space-shooter, hordes of alien enemies all out to get you. What made this game so unique, so innovative, was that it took the great gameplay, style, and setting of Descent, and combined it with what would become the standard for space-shooters: overworld flight. Racing across huge worlds, you could stop on a time, moving around just like you would in Descent, or more as you would in a flight-sim. Collect power-ups and burn your "afterburners" to speed across dangerous lands, finding your objectives and eliminating them with extreme prejudice. When you're top on the top, dive into a massive "mine" and fly through, dodging lasers and blasting enemies, all while trying to avoiding smashing into the cavern walls. At the end of a tunnel: a huge boss, armed to the teeth and bent on your sole destruction. Everything you'd fought up until then looked like ants compared to what was bearing down on you now. A truly remarkable (and addictive) game, it didn't take off quite like the Descent series, but it nonetheless bolstered the future of space-shooters, and further helped pave the way for the genre's future.
Black & White
What do you get when you cross your classic, empire-building RTS with the innovative gameplay of the Sim City series, set it in a fantasy environment, add the best graphics ever of the genre in a fully 3D environment, mix with the style of gameplay not seen since Populous, and toss in a whole SLEW of unique, innovative additions? Something that falls short of what this game is. Hands-down, the most innovative, unique, wonderfully immersive game ever created. The ONLY thing this thing suffered from was a few game-breaking bugs (that eventually got fixed), which caused legions of would-be followers to get turned off, and made the wonderful starting press reviews flush it down the toilet. You play as a God - not THE God, but A God. You battle it out with other Gods in a fight to control the world. But... will you control it for good, or evil? The choice is yours, throughout the entire game. No set alignment paths allow you to play HOWEVER you want. Be as good or as bad as you want, with anything inbetween, and suffering no real "consequences" or dead-ends for your choices. Being evil is not crippling - in fact, it's one of the more amusing, fun, and powerful ways to play. Being good does not entail immortality - you'll spend your life bending over backwards all while trying to AVOID combat. Incredible graphics, mind-blowing gameplay, and some of the most innovative, INCREDIBLE control ever conceived by man. After playing this game for 3 DAYS STRAIGHT, when I took a break from it, I found myself trying to navigate my computer through the control-scheme of the game - and finding myself disappointed that I couldn't. Build up flowing cities, or tiny little villages. Command the respect (and/or fear) of a multitude of followers - each with their own respective strengths. Choose to impress villages in order to gain their favor (and join your side), or destroy them with utter cruelty, and rebuild from the ashes of the old. Cast spells through the use of prayer power (villagers worship you at your Temple, which itself grows and changes just as you do to match your power and alignment - the bigger you get, the bigger it gets; saintly-hood begets you a spiring, sparkling ivory tower, while devilry begets you a towering, dark monolith of terror), be it to aid your villages, destroy your enemies, or just have some fun. As if all this wasn't enough, you control a Creature - a pet animal that grows with time, and with you, and follows your alignment. You teach it how to act, what to do, and it will carry out your biddings as you have taught it. It has a mind and a will of its own, just like your people, but you cannot directly control it - just like with your followers. You can - and must - only direct it, influence it, shape it; never directly control it. Teach him to be good, and he will help your villages thrive. Teach him to be bad, and he will wreak havoc on anything that stands in his way. And, just as you can cast spells, so too can he - for good, or evil. One of the best games of all-time. Period.
"Are you a blessing, or a curse? Good, or evil? Whatever you are, you are destiny."
FPS Game Pack: Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, Half-Life, and Unreal
The three games that defined the genre. Wolf3D started out with you roaming through cavernous dungeons, set in WW2 Nazi Germany. Blast Nazis as you struggle to break out of the gigantic Castle Wolfenstein, all while uncovering a secret genetic experiment project by the Nazis, designed to re-animate the dead and create the ultimate fighting soldier. When the blood-haze clears and the dust settles, you find yourself outside, but when you finally make it back home to tell your forces about the Nazi's plans, you're sent right back in to finish them off.
Doom expanded upon this unique gameplay style, and boasted an even larger, yet no-less simplistic, storyline. Aliens from Mars hell-bent (literally) on the complete destruction of Earth, you're taken through alien worlds, back to your home planet of Earth, and even into the very depths of Hell to fight all manner of diabolical enemies all bent on seeing you dead - and dismembered. Endless hordes of varying atrocities, blood and gore galore, and home to some of the worst nightmares ever imaginable - everything you were afraid of as a kid was suddenly lurking around every corner. And worse. Blast through hundreds of levels in a suicide-mission, facing off against all the forces of Hell, all to save the world from ultimate Doom - only to get sent back again when it's all over.
Duke Nukem 3D was a Doom clone, for the most part. Alien invaders swarm Earth, but rather than some U.S. Army soldier breaking out of a Nazi prison dungeon, or an elite space marine for a similar organization, you're just a regular guy - Joe Shmoe with a pissy attitude and a lust for guns and carnage. Featured interesting new styles of weaponry (Pipe Bomb, anyone?), along with a serious attitude problem - both in terms of storyline, and gameplay - and all the "bad boy" image you could handle. After a long day's work of blowing apart aliens into little bitty pieces, kick back in the bathroom to let loose all the beer you chugged, and then hobble on back into the stageroom to watch the girls strip and dance for you. Before Mortal Kombat shook the scenes of gaming, there was DN3D - and boy, was it ever BAD. :D
Quake took everything we loved about its precursors, and added an even BETTER storyline, along with eye-popping, edge-of-your-seat terror. Real-time shadows, incredible graphics and sounds, and solid gameplay made this one a huge classic. Terror had a new name - and it was breathing down your neck.
Half-Life was every bit the same as its predecessors - and then some. A thrilling, immersive storyline that pit you headlong into it from the very beginning - WITHOUT having any foreknowledge of events; you weren't TOLD the story, you LIVED it. Mind-blowing graphics that still rival the latest-and-greatest games of today, to this very day, coupled with boggling puzzles and a real need for strategy and tactics - no run and gun gameplay here. You had to THINK just to survive - let alone win. Furthered the idea of "mods" that eventually created company-sponsored and supported mods, paving the way for the future of FPSes, and the modding community in general - who, up until then, had been left on their own to figure things out for almost the entirety of gaming history.
Much like Half-Life, Unreal was a game that set you up with no prior knowledge of events. You had a few bits and pieces of information about what had been going on up until now, and what was currently going on, and that was it - before you got thrust into the biggest event in history. It combined everything that made Half-Life so great with improved graphics, gameplay, and weaponry - and a true taste for terror. Real-time shadows and lighting, immersive sounds and environments that surpassed even those of Half-Life, this game would have you sitting on the edge of your seat every second - and screaming every minute as some new horror stared you in the face as you rounded the corner. It filled the very large shoes of Quake & Half-Life quite well, while still managing to stand out on its own without being bogged down as "just another clone".
Honorable mention (since you said no repeats :P):
Mega Man series (particularly the X series), Final Fantasy series up through 6, Wizardry Series, Ultima series, Baldur's Gate series, Diablo series, Command & Conquer (original, plus Red Alert), Dungeon Keeper (NOT the second one; it wasn't nearly as good as the first, which was INCREDIBLE), Master of Orion.
I picked 10 games, plus a "game pack" - collection of games that redefined (over and over) a genre, that were each important enough to stand on their own and warrant more than just a passing mention.
Roland *The Gunslinger*