Editors note: HailtoTheGun has provided us with many great lists since Casualty Gamer first launched, and this is his list I’ve held out on publishing for the longest. Definitely not because it’s bad, it’s far from it, but purely because of my own obsession on article pacing and finding the right time for it.

So now for a relaxing Sundays morning read is HailToTheGun’s personal Top 20 favouite games, enjoy.
- Colin

*Note that these are my PERSONAL top 20 games of all time, not the definitive top 20 games.

#20: Mega Man X

Mega Man X epitomized exactly what a great side-scrolling action game is supposed to be. Awesome and unique boss fights, memorable characters, and a fairly intricate story behind the 16-bit game that still holds a place in my heart and the hearts of many gamers alike.

#19: Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Dinosaur hunting gone awesomely right. Turok 2: Seeds of Evil was like a high-octane Hollywood blockbuster that didn’t suck. It had the violence, the action, the baddassery – but most of all, what it had that any Hollywood blockbuster doesn’t, was the Cerebral Bore. Oh sweet, bloody fun.

#18: Breath of Fire III

The Breath of Fire series has a mediocre fanbase, but this particular titles was one of my early childhood favorites – and remains so till this day. The great dragon synthesis mechanic, the awesome characters and great plot pacing made Breath of Fire III easily one of the best in the franchise.

#17: Soul Calibur

One of the greatest achievements in the fighting sim genre, with the release of Soul Calibur IV having just passed, one can’t help but harken back to the first years of this franchise – Soul Edge. But it wasn’t until the second game, my number seventeen pick, that the franchise erupted into a fanatical success.

#16: Secret of Evermore

A mild success, and an attempt to capitalize on the format that made Secret of Mana so successful, Secret of Evermore was a cult classic that never reached the fame of Squaresoft’s other accomplishments. Regardless, the unique plot and incredibly endearing main characters – that dog, especially – make this one of the greatest low-key RPGs ever made.

#15: Super Mario Bros.

This NES classic is arguably one of the greatest games of all time – and rightfully so. It took the nameless red-jumpsuit man from Donkey Kong and turned him into gaming’s most iconic character. Whether you like him or not; whether you despise Nintendo or not, it’s undeniably because of him that gaming has become the success it is today.

#14: Starcraft

Another “arguable best,” Starcraft is often called the best RTS game ever made. While that’s generally a universal truth, it isn’t because the game is so deep or intuitive that it remains the best. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Starcraft’s simplistic interface and user-friendly mechanics make it one of the easiest RTS games to pick up and learn for even a non-gamer.

#13: Devil May Cry

These three words have become synonymous with action-adventure games. Often, this game has been the basis for comparison when any new title in the genre is released – including the successful God of War. Taking the clichéd image of a trenchcoat wearing “badass” to a new level, Dante has cemented his name and legacy in gaming history as a certified ass-kicker.

#12: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

This wouldn’t be much a list without the inclusion of this game. As much as I truly despise Link’s legacy as a character, I cannot help but praise this game and unanimously hail it as one of the medium’s crowning achievements. There’s really nothing else that needs to be said about this game that hasn’t already been said.

#11: Metroid Prime

In my eyes, one of the greatest First-Person Adventure games ever developed. Combining the familiar Metroid universe with the unfamiliar FPA/FPS territory, Metroid Prime was as much a gamble as it was a later-success. Samus has never been more beautifully designed than she was in her first foray into the First-Person 3D world.

#10: Secret of Mana

The best RPG experience available on the SNES, easily rivaling and exceeding that of Chrono Trigger – despite CT’s tremendous replayability and vast amount of characters. Secret of Mana’s limited number of adventurers (3) and linear storyline do not compete with Chrono Trigger, but it is in that storytelling and character development that trumps the time-traveling RPG.

#9: The Sims

The best virtual experience to date, hands down, and the best selling PC game of all time, easily crippling the figures of the earlier-king in Myst. The Sims is the casual gamer’s best friend, and the hardcore gamer’s worst enemy. Both types of players will easily get lost in this virtual world – and sadly, forget about the real world.

#8: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

One of the most cinematic video game experiences ever, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was both a visual triumph and a storytelling masterpiece. Combining some of the best boss sequences in gaming history and one of the most heartfelt endings ever, Metal Gear Solid 3 remains my favorite game in the entire Metal Gear franchise.

#7: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

My favorite platforming game ever, the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time combined beautiful visual backdrops, an engrossing story, a uniquely developed main character, and one of the best combat mechanics in an action game ever. The Prince also whips up some of the best comedic lines in a video game, especially during the run-around through The Baths.

#6: Shadow of the Colossus

A truly expansive and original world, Shadow of the Colossus was more than just a series of 16 boss fights. It was a perfectly-paced, dramatically-set descent into madness and torment, all the while in search of the cure for a lost love. Shadow of the Colossus is also one of the most aesthetically pleasing games of all time, and features one of my favorite video game animals ever – Agro, the main character’s trusty and loyal steed.

#5: No More Heroes

The beautifully cell-shaded world of Santa Destroy was trumped only by the hilariously over-the-top and surprisingly evocative story and endearing main character, Travis Touchdown. Sporting a personality so unique and a combat so visceral, No More Heroes is hands down my favorite Wii game and likewise one of the bloodiest games ever made. God of War? Eat your heart out.

#4: Half-Life 2

The only way to make a sequel to a successful FPS is to make the sequel 10x better. And that’s exactly what happened with Half-Life 2. Taking the familiar Half-Life world and turning it upside down and inside out, Half-Life 2 is everything the first game was plus everything it wasn’t. The music, the visuals, the shootouts – everything was nearly flawless. And Gordon Freeman is easily a gaming legend.

#3: Chrono Cross

The successor to the hugely successful SNES Chrono Trigger was met with mixed reviews; many diehard Chrono Trigger fans shunned the overload of available characters, while those unfamiliar with the franchise fell in love. Myself, falling into the category of a Chrono Trigger fan, loved Chrono Cross leaps and bounds more than the original. Containing some of the best characters in an RPG ever (Harle and Kid) and a heartfelt storyline, Chrono Cross became one of my favorite RPGs ever.

#2: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

The Shin Megami Tensei franchise is relatively unpopular in the states, but across the ocean in Japan, there is a fanbase for it as rabid as US’s own Halo-fanboys – in fact, much more so. The MegaTen series is just as expansive as the much more familiar Final Fantasy, but with only a handful of titles ever having reached shores outside of Japan.

Thankfully, this unique jRPG – Persona 3 – is one of those titles. Combining fluid simulation and RPG elements to make a brilliantly narrated story turns Persona 3 from a standard jRPG into the best game in the SMT franchise.

#1: Final Fantasy Tactics

Flawless storytelling (translation errors aside, but speaking strictly on the story), brilliant character development, immersive and rich combat, and the familiar Final Fantasy touch, Final Fantasy Tactics is – in my opinion – the very pinnacle of perfection in the Final Fantasy franchise. No other game has ever come close to the level of brilliance that still emanates from this timeless classic.

The story of corruption, betrayal, and a discovery of worldwide conspiracy is a familiar and often-attempted format, but never, in the history of not just games, but any story-telling medium, has that format ever attained the level of performance and development of Final Fantasy Tactics.