Top 10 Favourite Computer Games

...in my opinions for the top few because they are really the games I know and love.

Although everybody likes different types of games, whether it sport, action, adventure, role-play or shooting; I think hearing opinions is the best way to hear about new gaming experiences. I'd like to think this list is useful to many in recommending new games to play, however old they may be. My games come from a range of eras and a range of gaming ...
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Below the top ten list you will find a quick list i typed showing the titles which just failed to make my top ten, but they are not necessarily any worse. I also included the original release date of each title, which is the European or UK date in which the game was first available, if it is on multiple formats then this refers to the date when it was originally released for the relevant original console. The lists of platforms refers ... more

I may not be that old but I can remember playing video games all my life, right back to the Ataris of the late 1980s, the Sega of the early 90s, my Playsation 1, N64, PS2 and my current Xbox 360. I have decided to compile a definite list of my all time 10 favourite video games. They span multiple game formats and consoles from my many years of gaming. For obvious reasons it's quite difficult to choose which order to put them in - for example there probably isn't much preference for the game I ranked 10th over the 9th one, I can be clear in my opinions for the top few because they are really the games I know and love.

Although everybody likes different types of games, whether it sport, action, adventure, role-play or shooting; I think hearing opinions is the best way to hear about new gaming experiences. I'd like to think this list is useful to many in recommending new games to play, however old they may be. My games come from a range of eras and a range of gaming platforms - remember its not always the shiny new graphics that make a game spectacular.

Below the top ten list you will find a quick list i typed showing the titles which just failed to make my top ten, but they are not necessarily any worse. I also included the original release date of each title, which is the European or UK date in which the game was first available, if it is on multiple formats then this refers to the date when it was originally released for the relevant original console. The lists of platforms refers to which consoles and PCs the game is available on should you consider buying any of them.

I've tried to write a little information about each game as well as my honest opinion about how the game looks, plays and sounds.

10. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is a 2D real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios and released for the PC in 2000 as the follow up to Command & Conquer: Red Alert, another game in the Command & Conquer series. The Allies and Soviets return in the game, and units and some structures from the first Red Alert make a reappearance. The game features better graphics, multiplayer and a continuation of the Red Alert story that we have grown familiar with. Taking influences from WW2 and the cold war but with a futuristic sci-fi twist; the strategy masterpiece puts you in charge of an army, sometimes you start with very little and have to earn your funds by mining ore and building your empire gradually.

Much like the other games in the franchise, there are multiple modes of play - many different storyline missions where you can play as either side and act out events in the fictional war. You can also quick pitch yourself against multiple CPU components in giant death matches, or for even more fun take the play online and face players around the world. The gameplay is unusually fast paces for a strategy game and their are literally hundreds of units to choose from (whether it be tanks, jeeps, planes or troops). Unlike some complex games of this genre this is relatively easy to play and has a quick learning curve - you basically control everything with the computer mouse. The graphics and animations may look a little dated (being 7 years old) but few games provide an addictive and long-lived strategy experience like this one.

Platforms: PC (Microsoft Windows).
Released: October 27, 2000.

9. Streets of Rage 2 is a side-scrolling beat 'em up released by Sega in 1992, it is a sequel to Streets of Rage. It is known as Bare Knuckle II in Japan and Streets of Rage II in Europe. It is the second game in the Streets of Rage series. Streets of Rage 2 met with critical acclaim and was a top selling game. The beauty lies with the simplicity of the gameplay - you move one of three characters through a linear level kicking the hell out of everything in your path. With just 3 controls to get used to it is relatively easy for anyone.

Compared with the original there are now 8 longer and more detailed levels - each with a boss at the end and with more hidden secrets, weapons, moves and specials. The co-op makes a welcome return meaning than you can team with a friend with no need for split screen and fight your way through hordes of criminals in a variety of city based landscapes. There is also a great new dueling mode where you can face each other with weapons - but this is quite limited. Being 14 years old means that the graphics do look very dated, the game was ahead of it's time when released on 16-bit cartridge for the Sega Megadrive all those years ago, but despite the 2D pixilated graphics the arcade classic is highly fun and addictive.

I could urge you now to go and track down an old Sega Megadrive (Genesis) if only for this game (*cough* ebay). But there are easy and free emulators to play this game and others from the era for free of charge. The game is also available on the new Nintendo Wii arcade for a price as well as games collection disks available for the Dreamcast and Windows PC's.

Platforms: Sega Megadrive, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, MegaPlay, Dreamcast, Virtual Console (PC emulator) and Nintendo Wii arcade download.
Released: January 13, 1993.

8. Gears of War is a tactical third-person shooting game developed by Epic Games (the creators of the Unreal Tournament series) using Unreal Engine 3 technology and published by Microsoft Game Studios and released exclusively for the Xbox 360 for Christmas 2006 as a marketing point. Most people are aware of this game because of the extensive media attention, advertising and critical acclaim and it does live up to a lot of the hype. The graphics are simply fantastic.

Unlike slower and more complicated tactical shooters (Ghost Recon) this game roots more from the shooting genres and is nearly all action. You control Marcus, a Cog soldier in charge of a small squad of troops, you must run, duck, take cover and shoot at the enemy over the course of around 10 large levels and settings. Visually the whole experience is stunning is the sounds - never before has a sci-fi, gun-totting, action adventure felt so realistic and involving, you really feel the bullets fly.

The story itself is a little cliched but it doesn’t detract form the fun you can have playing through the roughly 10 hours of storyline in a choice of three difficulties. The game also features both online and split-screen mulitplayer gaming, online deathmatches are great fun is the co-op which can be played split-screen with a friend. All in all this is a great example of next generation - I think it just lacks some originality and depth to be higher ranked, highly recommended nevertheless.

Platforms: Xbox 360.
Released: November 17, 2006.

7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 is a video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001-2002 across a total of 8 gaming formats. It was the first game released for the Playstation 2 supporting online play, and the last game ever released on the Nintendo 64. Despite being far more basic than newer additions of the game I still feel this was the last really effective title in the franchise - then it all became a little over the top.

If you've never played any games in the Tony Hawk's series this would be a suitable place to start. The idea is simple you play career mode and visit a number of reasonably small zones located across the world where by you have 2 minute runs to complete various tasks such as scoring high with tricks and moves, collecting objects or performing certain moves on certain pieces of the scenery. As with a lot of sport orientated games the learning curve is reasonably steep but it's one of those rare gems were the more you play the better you get.

THPS3 was the first in the series allowing the revert which meant for huge new trick combination options which boosted the quality and length of potential gameplay and made the title one which the gamers like to perfect their performance on. I think this game has the best level design (there being 9 reasonably sized levels in total) and the most authentic and down to earth feel than any of the other sequels or prequels. It also features a range of licensed all playable pro skaters. The additional free skating modes and extensive mulitplayer both offline and online offer many hours of addictive gameplay.

Platforms: Xbox, PS2, GameCube, Windows PC, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation.
Release dates: 2001, 2002 - varied across formats.

6. RuneScape (www.runescape.com) is a Java-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game operated by Jagex Ltd. With over nine million active free players and more than 850,000 paying members,RuneScape is amongst the most popular online games in the world, offering both an extensive free option and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location with an Internet connection and to run in an ordinary web browser without straining system resources.

When visiting the site by accident a few years ago and creating my character I realised how impressively huge the this virtual world is. It does take a while to get really into it but there is literally hundred of hours of gameplay to be had. RuneScape like many RPG's takes place in the fantasy-themed realm whereby you create and more or less become your desired character, you are shown on the screen as fully customisable avatars. You may set your own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available 22 skills to pursue. Players interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games. As well as skills such as cooking, crafting, fletching and fishing players can also engage in combat with NPCs and other players alike, all aspects of your character can be leveled up, meaning that it is a kind of race to reach level 99 by gaining experience from training within your chosen area. You basically use your mouse to click and move your character as well as clicking items and articles of the landscape to interact and perform actions.

With the system requirements of 64 MB RAM and a 300 MHz CPU in mind its hardly suprising that the games graphics aren’t particularly designed with the latest gaming generation in mind. The experience however will however be a huge one. I would urge you to try it out some day as there is a lot of gaming to be had for free and even subscribing costs only around 3 pounds a month (much less than rival online games).

Platforms: PC (Java Platform: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X can be downloaded from the site), you also need a reasonably fast Internet connection.
Released: 4 January 2001(updated 29 March 2004).

5. RollerCoaster Tycoon is a simulation strategy computer game that simulates theme park management. Developed by MicroProse and Chris Sawyer and published by Hasbro Interactive, the game was released for Microsoft Windows in 1999. It is the first game in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series which has since seen two sequels. In similar ways to the older rival Theme Park the premise of the game is to complete a series of preset scenarios by successfully building and maintaining theme parks. The key to any park is building a large amount and diverse range of rides for the visitors. Players can choose from dozens of roller coaster types and can also build log flumes, carousels, bumper cars, haunted houses, go karts, Ferris wheels, and swinging ships, among other rides. The player can also build their own roller coaster design. As with most strategy games you are limited by time and funds, you of course earn money from having an ideal theme park and you can customise a huge amount of the smaller details - not just rides.

There are just short of 20 official scenarios where location, customer attitudes and climate amongst other factors vary greatly. There is, of course a range of free play modes where you are free to set the options and build a theme park to your own tastes. This is certainly one of the hardest games to stop playing that I have ever experienced, the beauty being the authentic feel and large quantity of challenging gameplay.

Platforms: PC (Windows), Xbox.
Released: March 31, 1999.

4. Halo 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter developed by Bungie Studios and released for the Xbox game console in 2004, the game is the sequel to the blockbuster Halo: Combat Evolved. Since its initial release, Halo 2 had been the most popular video game on Xbox Live and one of the top selling titles on the Xbox. The game features a newly built game engine, the Havok physics engine, new weapons and vehicles, new multi-player maps, and a continuation of the storyline from Halo: Combat Evolved. The graphics are clearly greatly improved - as is the gameplay. Halo 2 is a "story-driven action-shooter game with a first-person perspective" you can a series of mission as either the suited human Master Chief or the alien Arbiter. The controls are quick to grasp and the gameplay is pure adrenaline filled shooting, the complete definition of a First Person Shooter.

The real beauty of the game really lies in the multilpayer. Unlike its predecessor, Halo 2 allows players to compete with each other via Xbox Live, in addition to the original game's support for split-screen and System Link multiplayer. All the FPS favourites are included, capture the flag, Territories, Assault and of course the deathmatch 'Slayer' mode. These are playable with up to four friends on one screen, system linking two consoles or with many players across Xbox Live. As well as deathmatches Halo 2 also features a great split-screen co-op for you to play with a friend. Note that this is also one of many Xbox games fully compatible with the Xbox 360 (provided you have the hard drive) including the online multiplayer.

Halo really reminds me of the simple but fun gameplay of old classic shooters like Doom and Duke Nukem; the top notch graphics help to bring the genre up to date and together with some intriguing ideas there is no doubt this is one of my all time favourites.

Platforms: Xbox, PC (Windows Vista), Xbox 360 Backwards Compatible.
Released: November 11, 2004.

3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the fourth video game in the highly controversial Grand Theft Auto franchise. Designed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. The game made its debut across the world in the autumn/winter of 2002. You play Tommy Vercetti as you follow a largely similar gameplay design and interface with GTA III with several tweaks and improvements over its predecessor. The gameplay is very open-ended, a characteristic of the Grand Theft Auto franchise; although missions must be completed to complete the storyline and unlock new areas within the city, the player is able to drive around and visit different parts of the city by stealing a huge range of cars, motorbikes, boats, helicopters and planes at your leisure and otherwise, do whatever you wish if not currently in the middle of a mission. Various items such as hidden weapons and packages are also scattered throughout the landscape, as it has been with previous GTA titles.

You feel as if you play a role in some kind of old gangster movie as the landscape in setting takes up the 'very 1980s' fictional city of Vice City. Heavy influences coming from the movies Scarface, Carlito's Way and of course Miami Vice - the city itself largely styled upon the real US city of Miami. You are in control of Tommy's every action you can run around and commit all sorts of felonies (hence the controversy). Beginning with small time odd jobs and slowly building your criminal empire has never been so entertaining. The games graphics are reasonably impressive considering its 5 years old already - more so impressive on the PC and Xbox due to the revamp prior to the later release. Beautiful sunsets, beaches and huge mansions are all brought to life in 3D.

There is certainly plenty to do with this game and hours of fun to be had achieving 100% completion, this is one game I can say is a must have. I had a hard decision contemplating which is better, this or San Andreas. I truly believe that the overall feeling, atmosphere and attention given to parodying the 1980s makes this almost an equal experience to the larger GTA:SA. Do yourself a favour and play it now.

Platforms: PlayStation 2, PC (Windows), Xbox.
Released: November 8, 2002 (UK PS2).

2. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a real-time historically based strategy game set in the Middle Ages. It was released in 1999, and it is the second game of the Age of Empires franchise, published by Microsoft.

You get to control a society and guide them through four "ages". The game begins in the Dark Ages, where very few buildings and units are available. After a short time, the user gains the ability to advance to the Feudal Age, where more upgrades, buildings, and units become available. The next age is the Castle Age, and finally the Imperial age, which are thought to be based upon the early years of the Renaissance. The player directly controls the citizens, and can order them to move or attack (all units), construct buildings or gather resources (villager units) or a range of other things. There are a total of four types of resources, all of which are necessary: Wood, food, gold, and stone.

The game has two main types of play, a more free playing mode which can be played almost infinitely with different outcomes. And there is a partly historical based, partly fictional story mode which sees you play through famous events from fantasy and history alike such as the Norman Conquest, Robin Hood and you can take control of so called elite units such as Atilla the Hun and William the Conquerer amongst many others. Both modes can prove vary fun, especially the fully customisable deathmatches which truly let you define the options and rules of play.

There is also a great free online mulitplayer where you are pitched against opponents across the globe, this greatly extends the longevity of the title. Create a scenario can also be very fun as the attention to detail is immense, allowing you to alter nearly every factor of your own storyline and create multiple missions of your own.

The graphics and sound of the game are both well developed, although a little dated. I could quite literally play this highly addictive title for hours and even 8 years after buying it I still return for the occasional quick match.

Platforms: PC (Windows), PlayStation 2, Apple Mac.
Released: 30 September 1999.

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a free roaming action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and fifth original game overall. Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2004, the game has received wide acclaim and high sales figures on all three platforms. San Andreas is my all time favourite game for the hours of gameplay involved - the title is almost perfect. The location of San Andreas is frankly huge and takes its influence from the state of California (USA), it features the cities of Los Santos, San Fierro and Las Venturas (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas; each city offering new experiences, things to do, places to visit, missions and vehicles.

This time the crime adventure is set in the fictional state of San Andreas (3 cities and the countryside, desert and seas in between); the year is 1992. You play Carl Johnson (CJ) out to revenge the murder of his mother in the hoods across SA and restore power to his old gang (Grove Street). Everything about this game has been multiplied, the core elements of third person shooting, adventure and driving remain but the options, and quantity of gameplay has greatly increased. New features to the franchise include the ability to swim, a colossal amount of new vehicles and the ability to affect CJs physical attributes. The map is now also an estimated 6 times bigger than the prequel game of the series Vice City. As well as the main story being increased in size and having a new variety of mission styles introduced the developers have also gone all out to offer almost endless events and possible things to do in the game, it would be near impossible to list them all.

Somehow there are still graphical updates that really went to prove the potential power of the games launch console, the Playstation 2. The whopping game may be controversial in its ideas but there is no doubt that this is the biggest gameplay experience on any console to date.

Platforms: PlayStation 2, PC (Windows), Xbox.
Released: October 29, 2004.

As you can tell I am a huge fan of the Grand Theft Auto franchise - the only game in my eys with potential to knock San Andreas off the top spot is the sequel for next generation consoles which is currently in development GTA:IV. It was extremely difficult selecting just ten games to include on this list (and even harder ranking them in order) so i have decided to brainstorm some other titles which could have so easily been in the top ten, you may also be interested in reading more about some of these titles:

Dead Rising, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Saints Row, Mega Bomberman, Golden Axe, SpiderMan 2, Timesplitters 2, Empire Earth, Couter Strike, Half Life 2, Doom, Duke Nukem, World of Warcraft, Freedom Fighters, Operation Flashpoint, Sonic 2, Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye, Silent Hill, Resident Evil 2, Bubble Bobble, Nightmare Creatures, Grand Theft Auto 2, Burnout Revenge, Medal of Honour, Quake 2, Call of Duty 2, Fifa 98, NFL 2002, Tony Hawks Project 8, Driver 2 - There are many others that I probably can't think of right now, may add too if any crop up.

Take a look at the pictures of the top 7 games which I have uploaded, unfortunately unable to upload all ten because of the 7 picture limit.

Thanks for reading.

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
2. Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
3. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
4. Halo 2
5. RollerCoaster Tycoon
6. Runescape
7. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
8. Gears of War
9. Streets of Rage 2
10. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 

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