Another Under .500 Top Ten List...(Insert Annoyed Grunt)

It's that time of year again, time for another list of 10 of my favorite things. The topic this time, oddly enough, is not sports related at all. It is time to talk some video games. Before anyone crucifies me over this, bear in mind that this is my list of favorite games that I've played in my lifetime. This is in no way supposed to be the 10 best games ever made because that would be silly and impossible to argue, these are just the games that I have enjoyed throughout my 22 years of gaming. That said, let us get this shindig started.

10. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)

Before I get ripped for this, let me begin with this sentence. I like all of the Zelda games. I've played almost all of them, short of many of the Game Boy iterations. Ocarina of Time, though, has been the one that stands out to me the most as my favorite. I can play this game over and over and have just as much fun as I did the initial time.

Favorite Moment: First time making the change from Kid Link to Adult Link, I mean wow.

9. Madden NFL (XBOX)
I love football, plain and simple. From the first time I played Madden when I got to college, I knew I was playing a game that I would enjoy for a long, long time. Regardless of the season, this game is one that I will set aside cash for every year that it is released.

Favorite Moment: Finally beating my roommate for the first time since I met him in 2004.

8. Tetris (NES)
One of the first games I ever played, I can waste countless hours playing Tetris more than I can any other game that I have owned. Great times all around when Tetris is involved.

Favorite Moment: Anything to do with Russia involved in that game. I have never had a better source for cracks about Russia in my life.

7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 (NES)
One of the only games I have ever played at an arcade, I spent more of my Mom's quarters on this game at the skating rink than she will ever know. Great game and one of the first XBOX arcade games I ever got, though it would not be the last.

Favorite Moment: Beating that bastard, The Shredder.

6. Contra (NES)
One of the only games my brother and I ever really played together that didn't end in us getting into a fight, probably because it was one of the only games we played together in which we worked together instead of against eachother. Great game and one that I gladly downloaded on XBOX Live as well.

Favorite Moment: Finally beating the game over a decade after the first time I played it, stupid broken Nintendo.

5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
Awesome game, awesome series, awesome story, and an even more awesome main character. Alucard, to me, is cooler than pretty much any Belmont you can find. This game was the one that got me back playing my PS1 games after playing through every PS2 game I owned.

Favorite Moment: Finally beating that damn game again when I re-acquired it after initially selling many of my PS1 games.

4. Final Fantasy VIII (PS1)
The Final Fantasy that took me 2 years to truly appreciate. The story isn't as bad as I initially had though, the music wasn't as bad as I had intitially believed, and the 4 discs definitely aren't as boring as I had originally though. The first time I tried to sit down and beat this game, I only got halfway through the first disc before getting bored. It wasn't until 2 years later that I sat myself down and saw how fun this game really is.

Favorite Moment: The Garden battle with Galbadia Garden at the end of disc 2.

3. Metal Gear Solid (PS1)
My favorite of all the Metal gear games, though I never played the first two until after this, it still holds up against the test of time after all these years. The Ninja, still my favorite, is great fun, and Psycho Mantis still creeps the bejeezus out of me. Though the fight with Metal Gear Rex is still one of my favorites of all time, it just falls short of my favorite moment.

Favorite Moment: Sniper Wolf. Enough said.

2. Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
Still my favorite game of the disc era, this game is one that I could play through and start over more times than any other. It still is one of the hardest games I've played to try and get everything, and I doubt I would play it again if I did. So many moments that stand out to me as just simply awesome, from the rocket launch to Aerith's death, just a great story all around.

Favorite Moment: I know everyone will be expecting Aerith's death here, but I'm definitely going to have to say no to that one, despite how amazing it is. My favorite moment is...ok, ya got me, it is Aerith's death. Damn that was anti-climactic.

1. Gunsmoke (NES)
Never before have I been so dedicated to a game and never beaten it. This game is hard as hell. It was stolen and I spent a long time trying to find it again, even going as far to play it on emulators that were no comparison to playing it on the NES. Finally, I found it again and still couldn't beat this damn game. Still great fun, though. I can play it all day.

Favorite Moment: Finding this game again after a decade and still failing to beat it. Someday...

Honorable Mention:

Halo Saga (XBOX/360)

Tony Hawk Saga (XBOX/PS1/PS2)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (360)

Super Mario Collection (NES/N64/Gamecube/Wii)

Street Fighter Collection (Sega/360)

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (360)

X-Men Legends 1&2 (XBOX)

NCAA Football (XBOX/360)
All pictures found through google images, good stuff, use them. Due credit given.