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My Top Games of the 2000's
Posted in: Blogs. Tagged: 'splosion man, 000, 2, 2000's, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, a crack in time, a spy in h.a.r.m.'s way, a spy in harms way, a-spec, advanced warfighter, alien, allied assault, among thieves, anniversary, arctic edge, area 51, arkham asylum, assassin's creed, assassin's creed ii, avp2, batman, battlefront ii, beyond good & evil, bioshock, borderlands, brothers in arms, brutal legend, bully, burnout 3, call of cthulhu, call of duty 3, call of duty 4, chains of olympus, challenge of the warlords, chinatown wars, chrono trigger, civilization iii, cod2, cod3, cod4, combat evolved, condemned, criminal origins, crisis core, crysis, dante's awakening, dark corners of the earth, dark mirror, dawn of war, dead space, deception, def jam, devil may cry 3, dirt, dmc3, doom 3, dragon age, ds, dub edition, empire at war, episode 1, escape from butcher bay, eternal darkness, eternal sonata, extraction, f.e.a.r., fable, fable ii, fallout 3, fear, fight for ny, final fantasy vii, final fantasy x, first encounter assault recon, freekstyle, frontline, galaxy, gears of war, gears of war 2, ghost recon, ghostbusters, god of war, gran turismo 3, grand theft auto iii, grand theft auto iv, gta3, gtaiv, guild wars, guitar hero, guitar hero ii, guitar hero iii, guns of the patriots, half-life 2, half-minute hero, halo, halo 2, heavenly sword, katamari damacy, killzone 2, kingdom hearts, kingdom hearts ii, knights of the old republic, kotor, left 4 dead 2, legend, legends of rock, mass effect, max payne, medal of honor, metal gear solid 3, metal gear solid 4, metroid prime, midnight club 3, mirror's edge, modern warfare, modern warfare 2, mortal kombat, most wanted, motorstorm, my top games, need for speed, nemesis, no one lives forever 2, oblivion, okami, origins, pacific assault, paper mario, phantom hourglass, predator, prey, prince of persia, pro skater 2, pro skater 3, psi-ops, psychonauts, pure, puzzle quest, rainbow six, ratchet & clank, ratchet & clank future, reign of chaos, remix, republic commando, resident evil 3, resident evil 4, resident evil 5, ridge racer, road to hill 30, rock band 2, rollercoaster tycoon 3, san andreas, sanity's requiem, season of flame, season of ice, shadow of the colossus, shaolin monks, shivering isles, silent hill, silent hill 2, skate 2, socom, socom 2, socom ii, special edition, spider-man 2, splinter cell, spyro 2, star wars, subsistence, super mario, super paper mario, swat 4, syphon filter, takedown, tesiv, the chronicles of riddick, the darkness, the elder scrolls iv, the incredible hulk, the legend of zelda, the lord of the rings, the lost and damned, the lost chapters, the mindgate conspiracy, the return of the king, the sands of time, the suffering, the two towers, the video game, tom clancy's, tomb raider, tony hawk's, top games, torchlight, tron 2.0, u.s. navy seals, ultimate destruction, uncharted 2, underground, underworld, unreal tournament, us navy seals, vegas, vs, warcraft iii, warhammer 40, warrior within, wwii. Leave a comment
I did my top games of the 2010's and it got me all nostalgic for games I actually grew up with. I might later do my top games of the 90's, but the 2000's were very memorable to me thanks to the PS2 dominating the first half of that decade. I wasn't so much a PC gamer until around 2005, and even then, I was playing older games as I didn't have a gaming PC until 2010. This topic will mostly focus on console and handhelds games. So, if you don't see a Zelda game on here you know was amazing it's not because I didn't like it, I probably never was able to play it even to this day. Games like Citizens: Kabuto or Hitman 2 were great games, but I just never played them. So, in light of all this, this isn't a "Overall Best Games of the 2000's" as you will see.
I will also not be putting any mobile games in here, while I had the first Droid phone in 2009, it was too late in the decade and too early for Android to make anything all that great. I did have an iPod Touch, but mobile gaming hadn't quite evolved into anything special, even on Apple's devices. Sure, there were fun and interesting games, but it wasn't anything to write home about. Resident Evil 4 and Rock Band were a blast, but the console versions were much better.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 – 2000
GameBoy Color – PlayStation – Nintendo 64 – PC – Dreamcast
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox
While Tony Hawk's Pro Skater was revolutionary, the second game pushed it over the edge. More of everything, better graphics, and it just overall felt more polished and better than the first game. I played this more than the first, and was a frequent rental on both PS1 and N64.
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis – 2000
Dreamcast – PlayStation – PC – GameCube
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: GameCube
While I didn't play this game until years after it was released, the Dreamcast version is by far the best (outside of the GameCube release) for the earlier versions. Cleaner graphics, better framerate, and it's for the Dreamcast! It was a well polished end to a great trilogy, and while not very scary, it was tense and kept you on your toes.
Paper Mario – 2000
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Wii U
Paper Mario caught everyone's eye because it was an RPG and it wasn't your standard platformer. My sister actually rented this and I got sucked in watching. When I finally finished the game I didn't want it to end. While it was a very simple and rather easy game it was fun and enjoyable and had JRPG elements everyone could enjoy.
PlayStation – PlayStation 2 – Nintendo 64 – PC – GameCube – Xbox – Mac
This is by far my favorite game in the series. It was the first PS2 game I ever touched and I couldn't put it down. I stayed up playing this all night at friends' sleepovers and mastered this game. Ever level, used every cheat, and got 100% in the game. It's a masterpiece and remains one of the best sports game ever made, period.
Grand Theft Auto III – 2001
PlayStation 2 – PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox
This game made me jealous I didn't have a PS2. I had a neighbor who had a PS2 and he always left his door open and I would walk by and see him playing this Silent Hill 2 and SSX. When I finally got a hold of it I realized I was holding one of the most controversial games ever made. It had fantastic writing, fun gameplay, and one of the first large open worlds on a console.
Halo: Combat Evolved – 2001
Xbox – PC – Mac
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC
What can you say about Halo? It's Microsoft's Zelda or Mario. It was the beginning of an era and online shooters would never be the same. It's not just one of the most iconic games ever made, but one of Microsoft's only standing exclusives they have left. I actually played this on PC first, but I saw this game on gaming sites and magazines on a daily basis for years.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec – 2001
Remastered: No | Best Played On: N/A
GT3 is by far one of the best racing simulators ever made, even to this day. The physics and graphics hold up so well and it was well beyond its time. I got gold in nearly ever race and almost bought every single car. I spent dozens of hours in this game with my dad and couldn't put it down. It still remains the best in the series and one of the best PS2 games of all time.
Civilization III – 2001
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC
This was a small game I bought from a school book fair a few years after it had released. It was only $20 so I grabbed it as I loved Age of Empire II. I got sucked in right away and played this on a 5 year old computer that couldn't run anything else. I became a Civilization fan after that.
Max Payne – 2001
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC – Mac – GameBoy Advance
While I played the inferior PS2 version when it was released I still had a blast with this game. The crying baby scene where you are running on the line of blood was a serious pain in the ass and I remember my mom yelling at me to mute the TV. The bullet time gameplay was otherworldly and the gritty comics and voice acting was top notch. Years later I played a better port on PC.
Silent Hill 2 – 2001
I never played this on PS2, but the PC version was fantastic and also scary as sin. The puzzles were a little vague, but the game was grotesque and strange, just how I remembered the first game being. While the story is convoluted, and the gameplay is stiff, you can't knock the game for the sheer amount of weirdness it throws at you.
Alien vs Predator 2 – 2001
Played years after release, the game was one of the best PC shooters I had ever played and was actually scary! The Alien and Marine campaign stood out the most for me, and it looked pretty good to. I never had a chance to play online, but the campaigns have great replay value and are worth checking out to this day.
Final Fantasy X – 2002
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One
Funny story about this game. I rented this from Blockbuster and the disc had a scratch that prevented me from getting past the cut-scene that showed Sin just before attacking the boat. I returned it and didn't finish it until years later. It was the first FF game I ever was able to beat and had an engaging story that was quite memorable, great locales, and gorgeous visuals.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell – 2002
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC – Mac – GameCube
While I played the inferior PS2 version, Splinter Cell got me into stealth games as Metal Gear Solid just couldn't quite do it for me. The lighting was amazing, and the the controls and animations were awesome. I loved how you could actually see how dark everything is around you and that would determine how hidden you are. The level design was great, but it could also be a tad difficult.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem – 2002
While not the best GameCube game it was so oddball I couldn't stop playing. I remember something about an Indiana Jones artifact recovery thing, strange puzzles, and just a bizarre story in general. It's a hidden gem, and I played it years after release, but there's nothing else like it on a Nintendo system. It's a must play.
WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos – 2002
I played this longer after release, it was one of the best real time strategy games I had ever played. It was fun, simple, had great visuals, and a story and characters were fun to watch. The campaign was well done with great scenarios, and it has replay value for sure. The collector's edition is currently sitting on my shelf.
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault – 2002
I was late to the Medal of Honor game as I skipped the first outings on PlayStation. Allied Assault took the PC community by storm with fantastic visuals and great gameplay. I played this after Finest Hour for PS2 came out and realized what I was missing out on. The best Medal of Honor games are on PC.
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way – 2002
This is by far one of the most original shooters ever made. It's a spoof on 60's spy movies like James Bond. The clever writing, great humor, interesting characters, and funny gadgets used in the game just keep you hooked. This was one of my first FPS games on PC and it made me realize that PC has some of the best shooters on the planet.
Ratchet & Clank – 2002
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PlayStation 3
Ratchet & Clank aren't just some low budget mascots like Bubsy. These are Sony's, and PlayStation's, icons and also some of the best platforming you will ever find even to this day. While the sequels were equally as charming, the first game made the largest impact on me, and it's the only one I played, thanks to its witty humor, great characters, and memorable levels. This game also put Insomniac on the map for being fantastic weapons designers and their famous unique alt fire modes.
Medal of Honor: Frontline – 2002
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube
This was the first ever Medal of Honor experience I had. I had played a demo of the original back when it came out, but it was boring to me as a kid. Frontline blew my mind away when the opening scene of the Normandy beach on D-Day rattled my TV speakers. While today, it's rather dull and not very interesting, Frontline was back-to-consoles basics, and looked good doing it.
Kingdom Hearts – 2002
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4
Disney plus Final Fantasy was something no one saw coming and I was so exciting reading about this game in magazines and online articles up until release. I didn't pick this up until nearly 2 years after release, but when I did I had a blast. Revisiting old Disney favorites with my siblings was so much fun, and the the characters were great despite not being able to follow any of the story. Admit it, we played it so we could Final Fantasy inside Christmas Town.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs – 2002
My first ever online console experience. I was late to the game on this one, but I picked up a network adapter just for this game and spent dozens of hours online. It made me love online shooters on consoles, I never finished the campaign and solely focused on fragging online which is fine right?
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2002
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – GameBoy Advance
As a kid, The Lord of the Rings movies were part of my universe. I watched them in the theaters and rewatched on DVD. I couldn't get enough. The games were nearly perfect recreating the scenes of the movies with tight controls, a fun upgrade system, and great visuals. They have great replay value to this day.
Freekstyle – 2002
PlayStation 2 – GameCube
Remastered: No | Best Played On: GameCube
Out of all the motorcycle games that were a huge deal in the early 2000's, Freekstyle won me over, mainly as I picked it up on a budget and loved the high octane tricks and crazy arenas. I got obsessed trying to get the highest scores on all the races and played this for dozens of hours.
Spyro 2: Season of Flame/Ice – 2002
Some of the finest mobile platforming is right here, and it's all thanks to the isometric view rather than cramming terrible 3D visuals onto the system. The clever level design, tight controls, and classic Spyro gameplay we have grown to love was in handheld form. This was one of the few GBA games I owned growing up and I couldn't get enough.
Metroid Prime – 2002
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Wii
I played this many years after release, and I didn't like it then, but now I've grown to appreciate the game and series overall. Metroid took awhile to grow on me and sadly this is the only game in the series I ever touched. I finished it, shrugged, and tossed it aside, but after loving the series like I do know, I will someday go back and play all three.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – 2003
Another game played many years after release, KOTOR is considered by many to be the best Star Wars game ever made. With an original story not following the movies, great RPG battles, lightsaber customization, good writing, voice acting, and more Star Wars lore than you can shake a stick at. It looked fantastic and remains one of the best Xbox games as well.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC – GameBoy Advance
Most people had never heard of the Prince before The Sands of Time. Ubisoft's reboot was an instant hit and classic. Using time rewind skills, great combat, and platforming, this was almost a perfect game. While I didn't get a chance to play it upon release, I got to play the PC version a couple years later.
Call of Duty – 2003
PC – Mac – N-Gage
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Considered by many to be the best WWII franchise, Call of Duty set higher standards than even Medal of Honor. Less arcade feel gameplay, more bombastic scripted events, and addictive online play. Call of Duty went on to be a fan favorite and is far different from what the series is today.
Tony Hawk's Underground – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PC
While THPS4 felt a little mediocre and samey, THUG mixed things up again with an actual story, off board exploration, and a return to amazing level design and overall fun that the series was known for. This was the end of an era as later games in the series flopped and never felt the same.
SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs – 2003
The last SOCOM game I would ever play, the campaign was a lot better, visuals improved, and the online gameplay was even more fun, but for some reason a lot harder. The first game felt a little more arcade like and SOCOM II took a very realistic approach to shooting. I was too young to really care, but I appreciated it nonetheless.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2003
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – GameBoy Advance – PC – Mac
The last of the two great Lord of the Rings games, and the last of any good game in the series for at least a decade. Return of the King bumped up the visuals and gave us all the great scenes in the movies to play with unlockable clips, behind the scenes, and more. It was nearly a perfect action game and has great replayability to this day.
Tron 2.0 – 2003
I loved Tron growing up as a kid, and when I found out this game released on PC I was excited. While it didn't run well, Tron 2.0 was a mind trip. It felt like you were in the movie, and despite being difficult, it had a lot of great gameplay and some nice RPG elements thrown in. It felt like a true adventure and like I was slowly getting towards my goals and growing as a whole.
Beyond Good & Evil – 2003
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
I played this years after release on PC at about 20FPS, but I played it and it was a blast. It was one of the first games I ever bought on Steam back when the store had only a couple hundred games. It felt like a true adventure with great characters, voice acting, and memorable environments.
Half-Life 2 – 2004
PC – Xbox
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PC/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
The beginning of an era and FPS games would never be the same. I was barely able to run this game on PC, but it was the first game I ever bought on Steam, back when Valve games were all that were available. I played through the game numerous times and I never experienced anything like this — it was a PC only experience and it showed. While it was bug city, and didn't run well on older hardware, it was a blast to play and the style of storytelling is something I will never foget.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox/PC
One of the most contraversial games ever created, San Andreas took the industry and world by storm. Making it to the 6 o'clock news and then some. I had never had more fun in a game until San Andreas. The story and characters were fun and entertaining, the RPG elements were interesting, and was just good 'ol GTA that you would screw around in and always find something to do. It rang through the industry long after release too.
Halo 2 – 2004
Xbox – PC
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One
I didn't get a chance to play this until I had an Xbox 360, but when I did I understood why it was such a big deal. Halo 2 was probably the biggest game in 2004 just due to the fact that it was the best online shooter you could play on a console. The story and visuals were top-notch, the campaign was amazing, and who doesn't love online fragging? I missed out not owning an Xbox, and hated on the game for years, but it remains one of the best games in the series.
Burnout 3: Takedown – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox
Burnout 3 remains one of my favorite racers of all time. The crash mode is all I need to say. Slow down time and rack up points by causing crashes? Who didn't like that. It was fun, the physics and sense of speed were perfect, and there were a ton of events and it never got old. It remains one of the few perfect racers out there.
Unreal Tournament 2004 – 2004
I was late to the game, but Unreal 2004 was a blast, and actually ran well on my old school PC I used at home. While the campaign was entertaining for practice, I spent hours modding the game with skins, models, and maps, and playing online was never more fun. It still plays well to this day, but I finally had an online shooter I could play daily that had a large community.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay – 2004
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3/PC
Another reason to own an Xbox or high-end gaming PC. Riddick was a surprise hit that no one expected. It was dark, gritty, had good controls and gameplay, and a decent story with Vin Diesel himself starring in it. I remember my family rented Pitch Black from Blockbuster and the movie included a demo of this game, but alas, no Xbox. I finally played it years later on PC.
Doom 3 – 2004
PC – Xbox – Mac
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: PC/PlayStation 4/Xbox One
How many more reasons did I need to finally cave and get an Xbox? It wouldn't even launch on my then 6 year old PC, so I was stuck watching videos online. The game was so awesome, but fans were divided. I eventually played it on Xbox a few years later, but I could understand the hype. It looked so real when I saw it at launch with fantastic lighting effects, and the gore!
Katamari Damacy – 2004
Remastered: Yes| Best Played On: Switch
Not only was it appealing because it was $20, but it was weird and every PS2 owner was talking about it. The low budget Japanese adventure game had you playing as the Prince of Cosmos rolling up random crap into bigger and bigger balls. It was satisfying, fun, had decent controls, and great personality and charm. It shook-up the game industry and was one of the first examples of an indie game that can become really popular.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – 2004
One of the best RTS games I have ever played. Period. My parents couldn't afford to get me the stuff for the board games so the video games was all I had. Dawn of War was the first game set in the Warhammer universe I ever played and I got hooked. The interesting lore, factions, and base building and unit management were top notch with some great expansions as well.
Def Jam: Fight for NY – 2004
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PSP
Love or hate rap music, it is the single most influential music genre on the planet spanning nearly every culture and country. Def Jam turned into an okay fighter into something awesome with Fight for NY. Plenty of East Coast rappers brawling it out with a fantastic fight system.
Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy – 2004
Psi-Ops was a weird game, but somehow a sleeper hit. It featured an interesting story with great voice acting, and one of the most questionable cliffhangers ever. Everyone wants a sequel, but it sadly died and went down with Midway. I discovered the band Cold from the music video on the disc at least.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – 2004
PlayStation 2 – GameCube – Xbox – PC
This is actually my favorite game in the series. People hated on the darker and grittier game, but I loved it. The awesome metal music, the blood and gore, and darker tones were just awesome to me. Ubisoft took risks that most other developers wouldn't with a AAA franchise. It had improved combat and some fantastic level design.
Spider-Man 2 – 2004
By far one of the few great movie-game tie-ins that worked. This game had a huge sprawling Manhattan you could explore and the combat system was excellent. Climbing the Empire State Building and diving off was a blast. It made a huge splash back in the day and influenced the new Spider-Man for PS4.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 – 2004
A lot of people like roller coasters, but how about taking an already popular simulation game and making it 3D with POV roller coaster rides? It was an absolute blast and I spent countless hours building coasters and riding them in real-time. The park management aspect was something I didn't care for until I was older, but with an easy to use coaster builder you're going to set off the imagination of many.
Mortal Kombat: Deception – 2004
This was the first video game I ever pre-ordered and was the first video game I truly got amped up and excited for leading to release. I watched every trailer, clip, screenshot, and article multiple times over. It was also the first ever online fighting game for consoles and had great net code and worked. I spent so many hours fighting online to keep my win ratio up, and was the best of the 3D Mortal Kombat games. It had a fantastic Puzzle Fighter and Chess Kombat mode, but the Konquest mode was complete filler and was awful with terrible controls and visuals, but you had to play through it to unlock stuff in the Krypt.
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault – 2004
EA took the series back to the PC and the Asia-Pacific theater. It was bombastic, looked amazing thanks to PC hardware, and sadly I didn't get to play this until almost a decade after release, but I grew to appreciate the game for what it was and how well it was made.
The Suffering – 2004
The Suffering was another game in Midway's peak just before they declared bankruptcy. Midway had some of the best franchises on the planet and The Suffering wasn't amazing, but the dark atmosphere, and psychological stuff really got me hooked. It was a hard game and I never finished it, but it's a great franchise that I wish was picked up again. The inspiration of real-life asylums and prisons is what got me hooked.
Ridge Racer – 2004
When I got my PSP, which remains the only console I ever pre-ordered, it felt like I was holding the future. It remains the slickest portable console ever made, and it was ahead of its time. With PS2 level graphics in your hand, and a fantastic library, the PSP is a must have system. Ridge Racer remains the best game in the series and one of the best racers on PSP. I actually got 100% completion in the game and was so satisfied when I did.
PlayStation 2 – GameCube – PC – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4
RE4 is by far in my top ten games of all time. It has to be. While GameCube players got the game for a few months it was quickly released on PS2, and not only sold way more there, but a premium edition was released which I have to this day. It didn't look as good on PS2, but it was still a memorable experience. The 20 hour story was nearly perfect with exciting enemies, great gameplay, and the RE reboot that took over the industry and inspired games like Gears of War after it.
Another game in my top ten, God of War shook me to my core. It made me rethink how games should be made and played. The revolutionary combat system, the great use of Greek lore, great voice acting and story, and the huge open vistas with no loading was out of this world. It was gory, exciting, and I replayed it many times over on various other platforms as well.
Guitar Hero – 2005
Guitar Hero was the beginning of an era and a short lived push for rhythm games on consoles. It literally took over the entire world with so many knock-offs and sequels, parties, competitions, and world records. Guitar Hero got me to buy a real guitar and learn to play and it just somehow worked. Sure, the game didn't have any original tracks, they all had to be cover songs, but they were well done and the game was so addictive. I spent dozens of hours in this game and many of the songs are well known to younger generations because of this game.
Shadow of the Colossus – 2005
Another game that made me see them differently, Shadow of the Colossus didn't just look like one of the best games ever made at the time, it ran poorly, sure, but it was memorable. Running around and empty wasteland taking down larger than life beasts was unheard of back in the day. The fact that it could be done on the PS2 was astonishing, and with the next-generation of console just around the corner it seemed silly not to wait. What we got was one of the best PlayStation games ever made that has only improved with the recent remaster.
Guild Wars – 2005
My first ever MMO and only because it wasn't subscription based. With World of Warcraft still dominating the charts and being talked about daily, Guild Wars used it's free-to-play concept to lure players in. I didn't understand the concept of an MMO back then, it was complicated, but I got a good way into the story before finally moving on to other things as I didn't get into the game until much later after release.
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 – 2005
I played this years after release on PC, but what we had was a WWII shooter that left the arcade gameplay behind and gave us a gritty and gripping story with great voice acting and realistic tactical combat. Not to mention the first WWII game to finally have gore and blood. It was a very tough game, but was so good, just avoid the PS2 version as it runs like garbage.
F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon – 2005
PC – Xbox 360
FEAR was probably the first game where I was jealous I didn't have a gaming PC. You needed a monster rig to run this back in the day, and when I walked into Sam's Club and glanced over at the video games one day, I finally decided I wanted to be a PC gamer. It is still considered one of the best shooters ever made. I didn't get to play this until it was released for Xbox 360, but it's hard, fun, and one of a kind.
Psychonauts – 2005
I played this years after release because the PS2 version is awful, but we got was a charming lovable platformer that is thankfully finally getting a sequel 15 years later. It had great voice acting, fun levels, and a trippy atmosphere.
SWAT 4 – 2005
Being able to slowly walk through a level and yell, "Police! Hands in the air!" and have a button for that is just awesome. The game has so much replay value and being put into small areas with multiple outcomes is addictive. I loved playing through each level and going in with non-lethal approach and then lethal. I tried to get a perfect score in every level. It didn't run very well on my PC at the time, but it didn't stop the fun.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction – 2005
I played this long after release, but it is one of the best comic book video games ever made, and for sure the best Hulk game in existence. With a large open world you can smash everything in sight. It had fun missions, lots of Hulk lore, and you felt like a real comic book hero. This was back when comic book games were mostly bad and when a good one came along everyone clung to it.
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening – 2005
While most people skipped DMC2, DMC3 came back with a vengeance. It was one of the most talked about games and not only was it hard as nails it was fun, stylish, and looked amazing. I remember beating this game and being incredibly satisfied.
PlayStation 2 – PSP – Xbox – PC
I prefer this game over the first one as it was louder, bigger, looked better, and just had more content overall. It was a smash hit and one of the best online shooters of the time. It was sadly one of Pandemic's last games as well.
Fable: The Lost Chapters – 2005
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox 360
I finally got a chance to play Fable long after release, and when I did I loved it. It has a wonderful British charm, great medieval fantasy atmosphere, and the choice system, combat, and dialog were great. I didn't have many complaints about this game and it remains an Xbox game that needs to make a return.
Condemned: Criminal Origins – 2005
Man this game really takes me back. I remember watching the reveal of the PS3 at E3 2005 live on GameSpot. I remember watching the Condemned tech demo by Sega and being absolutely stunned. This was one of three games I first bought for my Xbox 360. I replayed this game a few times and couldn't put it down. It's actually quite scary, tense, and has great combat.
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks – 2005
The last Mortal Kombat spin-off we would ever see, Shaolin Monks had a fantastic fight system, and despite being really short, helped bring MKII to life which is a lot of fan's favorite game in the series. The voice acting and story were dreadful, but it had great co-op gameplay as well. I still have my action figures that came with the pre-order.
Star Wars: Republic Commando – 2005
I played this on PC long after release, but it's something in the Star Wars universe that feels unique and rare. It has a great atmosphere, and FPS games in the Star Wars universe are quite rare. It was a solid tactical shooter that sadly didn't get the attention it deserved.
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth – 2005
I played this game on a PC that could barely run it, but it got me into HP Lovecraft's writing. The game wasn't perfect, but the atmosphere was tense and scary, and it just felt like a great adventure. It was horror at its finest, and there really isn't anything out there like it. It's the best Cthulhu game out there, and sadly didn't get much attention.
Area 51 – 2005
I remember getting really excited for this game up to release. I got it on day one and had a blast. I played through the campaign a few times to get all the collectibles and played online quite a bit. It had a great atmosphere, and featured some AAA voice talent like Marilyn Manson and David Dechovny.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted – 2005
PlayStation 2 – GameCube – Xbox – Xbox 360 – PC – Nintendo DS – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360
I played this game for hours and hours trying to get 100% completion. It wouldn't run on my PC so later the following year I picked it up cheap and went to town on my 360. I remember playing this for hours listening to my custom soundtracks in the background.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence – 2005
This was the fist MGS game I actually beat and could really get into. Snake Eater was fine and all, but I was still too young and impatient to care for it. I loved the story, characters, and gameplay and it looked fantastic as well. In fact, this was the first game I played using component cables for my PS2 and it looked sharp and detailed. I'm still not the biggest MGS fan, but I appreciate the series for what it is.
Kingdom Hearts II – 2005
This was the only video game ending that made me cry. I rented this right when it came out and actually finished it. The first game was too hard for me to beat, but Kingdom Hearts II had more Disney locations and more Final Fantasy characters that I liked. It remains one of the best PS2 games, but the story was so convoluted and confusing.
Gears of War – 2006
Gears of War is in my top ten favorite franchises of all time. This game changed the way I see and play games and was a real stepping stone for true next-generation games. It was one of three games I first played on my 360 and I have beaten it numerous times on every system it has been out for. I've read the novels as well and just love the world and characters that this game has. It's a surprisingly deep rabbit hole of lore and story if you look in other media.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – 2006
Oblivion holds a special place in my heart. It was the first Elder Scrolls game I ever played and it was the only time from before or after that I sat and did 12 hour gaming marathons. I explored every nook and cranny of this game, read all the in game books, and even tried it on PC. The game is so deep and has so much going for it that it pushed gaming into another generation. Sure, it has flaws like numerous bugs, dated visuals, mediocre combat, and menus aren't the best, but it was magical nonetheless.
Okami – 2006
PlayStation 2 – Wii
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Xbox One/PlayStation 4/PC
Okami was a game I greatly anticipated. When I saw preview for it at E3 2006 I freaked out. The Celestial Brush really caught my eye and the art style is still to this day one of a kind. We got an open world adventure with gorgeous visuals and music, and some great combat. It remains one of the best reasons to own a PS2, and was a great way to help end that generation of games. While the HD version is the way to go today, I will never forget the 30 hours I put into this game.
Guitar Hero II – 2006
I honestly couldn't wait for more Guitar Hero. While the game still featured cover songs, it had so many great classics with better visuals, gameplay, and an improved controller. I owned this on PS2 and then later 360 because it had some DLC which was a blast. The rhythm genre was really still getting started and hadn't tired out yet.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas – 2006
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – PSP
I had played the original Rainbow Six on PS1 and PC and couldn't get into it. The new third person camera and more arcade style action was a blast and it actually had a decent story from what I remember. The game was a ton of fun, looked great, and was a blast to play online.
Half-Life 2: Episode 1 – 2006
The long anticipated Episode 1 finally came out and I downloaded this sucker right at midnight. It was short, but sweet, and improved the visuals, there were less bugs, and I loved played as Alyx in the new locales. It was more Half-Life 2 and everyone ate it up. It was one of the most talked about games for some time.
Bully – 2006
I remember this being GTA for kids. While it was still crass and had adult humor it was smaller in scale than GTA, but had great characters and setting just like GTA. I was so excited when this game released and rented it immediately. I just remember it being short and wanting more, and I later played the Scholarship Edition on PC which is the way to go.
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix – 2006
Midnight Club 3 was a fantastic arcade racer that featured real world cars. The customization was insane and even had some great licensed music. I remember having a blast with this game, but also remember it being really hard in later races. The Remix version added more content for $20 and this was the version I wound up playing.
Prey – 2006
Xbox 360 – PC – Mac
Prey was one of the first games I ever played on my 360 and man was it a blast. It's weird, interesting, a game out of development hell, and a game we will likely never see again. It felt like a mix between Turok and Quake. The weird room flipping with portals, the interesting alien guns, and the environments were just crazy. It's a one-of-a-kind game and I will always remember this game as one of my favorite 360 games.
Tomb Raider: Legend – 2006
PlayStation 2 – Xbox – GameCube – PSP – Xbox 360 – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PC
Legend was the reboot Tomb Raider needed. The series was seriously tanking, and Legend introduced revitalized gameplay and a new Lara Croft. Legend was also highly touted as one of the first true next-generation games on Xbox 360, and it looked damn good. It was one of the first next-gen games I was incredibly excited about, and the excitement paid off.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter – 2006
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox – Xbox 360 – PC
GRAW was one of the first of three games I played on 360 that showed me what the next-generation of games was going to be. GRAW was a different games on every system, and the only good one was 360. It was a dull FPS on PC, a crappy FPS on PS2 and Xbox, and was incredibly buggy on PS3. I played this game twice over even on the hardest difficulty and loved it. It was just the right mix of tactical gameplay and arcade gameplay.
Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror – 2006
PlayStation 2 – PSP
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP
Syphon Filter is one my top ten favorite games of all time. When I found out it was being rebooted on PSP I lost my mind. While it's a far cry from the original games, it revolutionized the PSP system as a whole and showed you can make a shooter work on the handheld. It had great graphics, gameplay, and continued the story and featured characters that fans would really appreciate.
Star Wars: Empire at War – 2006
I'm not a huge RTS fan, but when a good one comes along I pick it up and Empire at War was an absolute blast. I played it on a PC that couldn't run it very well, but I still had fun building bases and living the Star Wars dream. It felt like Starcraft meets Star Wars and was easy to pick up, but hard to master. This is by far the single best Star Wars RTS and I hope a remaster comes along at some point.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock – 2007
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – Wii – PC – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
The last great Guitar Hero game. This was the height of the rhythm genre, not the start of the decline, and Guitar Hero III had some of my favorite songs in the whole series. It had a new "sliding touch bar" feature for faster paced solo sections, and just had sharper gameplay, great visuals, and awesome DLC, I found some of my favorite bands of all time through this game as well.
Super Mario Galaxy – 2007
My all time favorite 3D Mario game for sure. Galaxy opened my eyes to a whole new Nintendo after years of bagging on them. It made me happy to be a Wii owner, and it was something you couldn't get on any other system. I played this game twice through and collected every star there was. It was so much fun and addictive and I just couldn't put the game down. I was very skeptical at first, but it's a game you must play to truly understand how special it is.
BioShock – 2007
BioShock was one of the most anticipated next-generation games of the time and I remember playing the demo several times over, and staying up until midnight for it. It looked fantastic, and had a wonderful atmosphere, great gameplay, and was so much fun to play through multiple times. It's still a classic to this day, and has thankfully been remastered since. BioShock is by far one of the best games of the last generation.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – 2007
PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Mac – Nintendo DS – Wii
I remember being blown away by the E3 2007 demo of this game. The clip from the Pripyat level with Captain Price is legendary, and the level more so. Call of Duty 4 pushed shooters out of the WWII genre and into modern combat. The game featured revolutionary multiplayer that changed online shooters forever. It's sad to see where the series wound up, but the remastered version is the way to go these days.
Mass Effect – 2007
One of the most exciting next-generation games that really made you want to own a system at the time. It featured fantastic visuals and facial animations, a lore as expansive as Star Wars and great gameplay and choices you could make during dialog scenes. The game was epic and it's one of my all time favorite games. The series got better as it went on and that's kind of rare for franchises these days.
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – 2007
Phantom Hourglass was the first handheld Zelda game I had played to the end, and it used every single feature of the DS cleverly, even the sleep mode. Copying a map required you to close the screen and open it. It's such a simple and stupid thing but it made me smile so much. The gameplay was fantastic with a charming story and characters. It still remains one of my favorite Zelda games to this day.
Crysis – 2007
Crysis was revolutionary back in the day for the sheer amount of graphical power the game delivered. Not a single GPU could run the game at full specs at 60FPS and you needed two GPUs to do so. It remained a benchmarking game for nearly a decade and for good measure. It used the new DirectX 10 graphics architecture and made you jealous of any PC gamer who could run it. It was the first game I played on my first gaming laptop back in 2010 and even that thing couldn't play the game at highest settings. It still remains a great open world game and the best in the series.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords – 2007
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – PSP – Xbox 360 – PC – Nintendo DS – Wii – Mac
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PSP/Xbox 360/PlayStation 3
Puzzle Quest wasn't a game I thought I would love. It was one of the first popular match 3 gem puzzle games with RPG elements and it worked so well. I spent 40 hours completing every puzzle on my PSP during grueling work hours where there was nothing to do. It has great replay value and remains one of my favorite puzzle games of all time.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles – 2007
Shivering Isles somehow made Oblivion better. The introduction of Sheogorath and the Jabberwocky and his crazy dialog were just icing on the cake. The giant mushrooms, enemies, and awesome new quests made the $30 expansion worth while. It's one of the best Elder Scrolls expansions to date as well.
Super Paper Mario – 2007
I never thought Paper Mario would return, but the third game in the series is the best and a blast. I loved transitioning from 3D to 2D and the game was just so much fun, I couldn't put it down. This is by far one of my top five favorite Mario games of all time and for good reason.
DiRT – 2007
I really didn't care for racing simulators after Gran Turismo 3, but the Colin McRae series has always been the top rally simulator for years. With DiRT Codemasters restructured their IPs and made one of the most successful racing series of all time. I didn't get gold in every race by one of my sisters did which is saying something. I didn't have a PC to run this game back in the day, but the console versions were such a blast.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary – 2007
PlayStation 2 – Xbox 360 – Wii – PSP – Mac – PC
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PC/Xbox 360
Remaking the first Tomb Raider was a smart move, but being better than the original is another thing entirely. Anniversary was so much fun to play and felt fresh with the Legend style gameplay. Puzzles were fun, combat was improved, and Lara looked better than ever. It was on so many systems, but I chose to play it on PC where it could barely run for some reason.
The Darkness – 2007
I didn't even know this game was based on the comics until years after playing it. It remains a sleeper hit and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games to date. The use of the arms was so awesome, and the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere that also added to the replay value. The gunplay was fantastic as well and I couldn't get enough of it.
Assassin's Creed – 2007
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: PlayStation 4/Xbox One/PC
One of the most anticipated games of the last generation, and now of the most run-down franchises of all time. Assassin's Creed went through some development hell before finally coming out, and not keeping up with promises. The crowd AI wasn't exactly the best, and the game was very repetitive and limited in scope, but it still showed what the next-generation of games could do and there was nothing else like it at the time of release. While it's not my favorite AC game it remains one of the most memorable.
Eternal Sonata – 2007
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation 3
I am not the biggest JRPG fan, but I usually love the art style, combat, and visuals and story that they can bring. Most JRPGs are generic and dime-a-dozen, but Eternal Sonata caught my eye when it used the life of composer of Chopin and infused the character's names that related to music. I even named some of my animals after these characters. It was a short RPG, about 20 hours long, and wasn't so grindy that you would get bored. It was beautiful, fun, and one of my favorite JRPGs to this date.
Heavenly Sword – 2007
Heavenly Sword may not be an amazing game on its own, but it was showcased at E3 2005 and I remember seeing the demo of this game live. It looked like a next-generation game and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It was a well made game, and looked fantastic, but was very linear in scope and short.
Silent Hill: Origins – 2007
PSP – PlayStation 2
The last real Silent Hill game we ever got. Origins looked amazing on the PSP and was actually quite scary and felt like a Silent Hill game. I don't think I ever finished it because I was too scared to, but staring into mirrors to get to the "Other World" with haunting music, and crazy enemy design. Yeah, it's Silent Hill all right and one of the better ones too.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – 2007
Anything Final Fantasy VII related is going to get big, and when Square Enix did their FF7 reboot stuff Crisis Core and the movie proceeding it was a huge deal. While it helped muddy the story more than needed, we got a glimpse of Zack's life during the events of the original game. Many hated on Crisis Core for the "roulette" style gameplay, but I loved that it was hack and slash battles over turned based stuff. It remains one of the best looking games on PSP and had gorgeous CGI cut scenes.
Grand Theft Auto IV – 2008
Every GTA is a worldwide phenomenon and event. It's not just a game release. It makes the global news channels, creates controversy, break records, etc. GTAIV was no different, and while I played it much later after release, it was a blast. It's not my favorite GTA game, but the characters were great and it was an evolution that the series needed.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – 2008
MGS4 was a serious heavy hitter back in the day. It showed off the power of the PS3 during E3 and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. The game featured 45 minute long cut-scenes, great visuals, and classic MGS gameplay. It was the first MGS I fully enjoyed, but still didn't convince me to be a huge fan. I love the series for what it does, but stealth games are hard to hold my attention.
Fallout 3 – 2008
One of my top favorite games of all time. Fallout 3 may have upset some fans, but it was the fist game in the series for me and I loved it. Even upon release it was dated visually, and had numerous bugs, but I played the game to death and explored every corner and all the DLCs. I have the collector's edition sitting on my shelf to this day.
I remember going to the midnight launch for this. I was so excited for more Gears, and remains one of the best in the series. The fun new online modes, longer campaign, improved visuals, and expanded story were just mind-blowing back in the day. Gears of War was one of the games that made you want an Xbox 360.
Rock Band 2 – 2008
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – Wii
Remastered: No | Best Played On: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
While Rock Band 1 was the next evolution in the rhythm genre, Rock Band 2 just did it better and you could import the original songs. The game had improved instruments, better visuals, more music, and an insane amount of DLC. EA was able to get more bands on board than Activision. Rock Band's rival was Guitar Hero 4, but Activision just didn't do the whole band thing as well.
Chrono Trigger – 2008
Remastered: Yes | Best Played On: Nintendo DS
Some say the DS version is the best port of the game before and after. It remasters the game so well and looks so good without making too many weird alterations like later ports down the road. Chrono Trigger is considered by many to be Square's greatest RPG and one of the best games of all time. I still haven't completed the game, but when I dabble in it here and there I appreciate the game for what it is.
God of War: Chains of Olympus – 2008
This is probably the only PSP game I really got excited for and pre-ordered right away. The demo was replayed numerous times and the game blew me away. It was a full scale God of War game, just on a smaller screen. It was very short, four hours long, but looked as good as a PS2 game. It was memorable, and shook the industry for a good while.
Fable II – 2008
Fable II was much improved over the first game. It had better mechanics, visuals, combat, and was overall more charming than the first if that's possible. It remains the best game in the series, and one of my favorite Xbox 360 games to this date. It really does need a remaster already.
Dead Space – 2008
I didn't really know much about this game leading up to release and only heard a lot about it just before. I bought the game on launch day and was blown away by the visuals, dismemberment combat, and fantastic story and lore. It was incredibly scary and has so much replay value. I played the game to death and replayed it a few times before finally putting it to rest.
Pure – 2008
Pure is a sleeper hit by Disney which was a huge surprise. The game is one of the best arcade racers of the last generation, and was just an absolute blast. Huge jumps, high sense of speed, and decent customization and it looked pretty good to boot. I love when sleeper hits are just really entertaining and Pure desperately needs a sequel.
Mirror's Edge – 2008
Mirror's Edge wasn't received amazingly well, but I loved the first person parkour action and the art style. The pure white and red and the dystopian future is right up my ally. Faith is a great character, and while the story was seriously lacking, it had potential, but the time trials is where the challenge was really at.
Tomb Raider: Underworld – 2008
PlayStation 2 – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360 – PC – Wii
The last of the second generation of Tomb Raider games, Underworld was a game I was really excited about, it had larger levels, better puzzles, and a decent story to boot. Lara Croft looked great in this game, and the visual improvement over Anniversary was astounding. Some people didn't like Underworld, but it was polished and even has a lot of mods on PC.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 2008
While Uncharted 1 looked great, it didn't blow me away. Uncharted 2 did with its bombastic scripted events, and holiday style action. The story was great, Nathan Drake is an awesome character to watch on screen, and it was the best looking game to be released at the time. It remains my favorite game in the series to this day.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 2009
I didn't think Modern Warfare could be improved upon but it did. While this is sadly the peak of the series, it had a lot of controversy, and the best maps of any Call of Duty game. I spent the most time playing this online over any other Call of Duty game. It looked fantastic, had a great campaign, and just felt like a true sequel with a larger package to offer.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars – 2009
Nintendo DS – PSP
The only GTA game that didn't make a big splash, Rockstar gave the portable systems some attention with a top down GTA game that was just as good as the larger games. Great story, characters, gameplay that suited each system, and was just highly entertaining. Yes, it was shorter than the larger games, but it made you proud to be a handheld gamer. We got a GTA that the others didn't.
Batman: Arkham Asylum – 2009
Considered by some to be the best super hero games ever made, Rocksteady raised the bar for super hero games and pushed them past crappy movie tie-ins. It had amazing visuals, great voice acting, and gameplay that made you feel like Batman. While later games were more open world, the Asylum was a great place to explore with lots of puzzles and hidden content, and the fight system is one of the best action adventure fight systems ever made. Many games copy it to this day.
Assassin's Creed II – 2009
ACII remains my favorite game in the series, and it really improved upon the first game. So many things were added and built upon that it felt like a new series all together. New protagonist, story, location, and a larger open world was just a blast to play through. More puzzles, secrets, and much improved visuals helped as well. The series will never be able to capture the lightning in a bottle that was ACII again.
Killzone 2 – 2009
Killzone 2 was one of the most hyped up games leading up to the PS3 launch. It looked too good for even a next-generation game, and when released it delivered. It still remains my favorite game in the series with visuals that hold up to this day, great gunplay, and a fun online component.
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned – 2009
I played this game long after release, but when I did I was engrossed by the great characters and writing. It was written better than GTAIV and kept me playing all the way through to the end. The introduction of biker gangs, territory, and new motorcycles was awesome.
Left 4 Dead 2 – 2009
One of Valve's greatest games. Left 4 Dead 2 is still played a lot even 11 years later. While the Xbox 360 servers are down, the PC version has a ton of mods, and a large community. The variation of zombies, the sheer amount that come after you, and the unique characters make for endless amount of fun. Each experience is never the same.
Dragon Age: Origins – 2009
Origins was one of the last truly epic Western RPGs that I fell in love with. While the Xbox 360 version was the worst, I still loved the lore, characters, writing, story, and gameplay that came with it. It was a true call back to PC RPGs of the 90's and pulled it off so well. I played the game all the way through and finished every side quest even.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time – 2009
The second generation of Ratchet and Clank games were a blast and helped show off the power of the PS3. Insomniac gave us more original weapons, great writing, dialog, laughs, and something to write home about. This was the last of the second trilogy and it went out with a bang.
I went to the midnight launch for this and RE5 had large shoes to fill after what was given with RE4. Another game that copied it but with Chris Redfield and a brand new character, Sheva, in the mix. While it wasn't as memorable or as impactful as RE4, it was a solid game with a good run time and more story behind the events of RE4. It looked amazing as well with next-generation visuals.
'Splosion Man – 2009
A crazy 2D platformer that allowed you to explode when needed. This was a sleeper hit that no one knew would actually work but it spawned a successful sequel. Sadly, Splosion Man hasn't been seen outside of the Xbox 360 and needs a remaster or port.
Skate 2 – 2009
While Skate 3 is the definitive ending to the series, Skate 2 greatly improved upon the first game and gave us some last hope of a real skateboarding simulator, and sadly nothing else has come out in the last decade that has topped it. The flick stick system is amazing, the physics are great, and the online components were fun while they were still online at the time.
Borderlands – 2009
Borderlands was the beginning of the looter shooter era. While the game was dull alone, it had some crazy characters and fantastic shooting which is what the game is all about. Sure, the locales are boring, and it gets repetitive, but the DLC is awesome and playing with a buddy makes this a game worth playing. While the sequels are much better, nothing compares to the impact the first game made.
Half-Minute Hero – 2009
A small indie game that you would be surprised to see on this list. Half-Minute Hero is a blast by taking shots at JRPG tropes and making an entire game playable in 30 seconds. It's hard to understand, but playing through multiple times to level up is so much fun. It's funny, looks good, and is a rush to experience.
Torchlight – 2009
Torchlight was the answer to Diablo III by giving players with lower end PCs a looter game to play, and it was fun. The use of dungeon levels that go down and coming up to spend your cash was so much fun. I played this on a crappy netbook back in the day and the game actually had a netbook mode!
Dead Space: Extraction – 2009
A surprise hit that no one saw coming. While the Wii couldn't handle the visuals of the main game players got an on-rails shooter that was just as stunning as the first game. It was gory, scary, brutal, and very cinematic to play and experience. I was personally shocked at how good it was and it remains one of the best shooters on the system.
Brutal Legend – 2009
Tim Schafer couldn't get Psychonauts 2 greenlit so he partnered with Jack Black and gave us an 80's metal anthem in game form and it was awesome. The RTS elements were the weakest, but it had a ton of humor, great characters, and fantastic music. It's a widely overlooked game that should be played by all.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game – 2009
There aren't many good Ghostbusters games, and most consider this the third official Ghostbuster movie. It has all the original voice actors, it lets you blast ghosts with a Proton Pack, and has nods for fans. While it was repetitive, slightly clunky, and short, it was great for fans of the movies to finally play a game that the developers put love into.
Motorstorm: Arctic Edge – 2009
The last of the Motorstorm games, this game stunned gamers when it was shown at E3 2005 using it's terrain deformation physics. It looked like real-life TV. While the actual game didn't live up to that, it was still a blast to play and one of the best arcade racers of the last generation. Motorstorm skipped the big consoles and showed off the power of the PSP. It was one of the last first party titles to hit the console and remains one of the best racers on the system.


text:
Interviews /
By Paul Teasdale
By the Boundary
To accompany frieze.com hosting his latest film for a limited period, London-based artist Steve Bishop gives an insight into how it came about
Paul Teasdale I saw By the Boundary (2016) as part of your Statements presentation with Supportico Lopez at Art Basel this Summer. How did you come to make it?
Steve Bishop I made it really gradually, over the space of the last year. It's a mixture of footage that I've collected and footage that I shot on my iPhone. A lot of the night-time footage was shot around where I live and where I have my studio in Hackney, London. Whenever I noticed malfunctioning streetlights and security lights blinking in the night I recorded them, not quite knowing what I'd do with it. At the same time I was collecting footage from documentaries – night shots again, but of internal spaces, of homes and mundane domestic situations that I thought were poignant in some way. A lot of clips I made were only a couple of seconds long, when someone exits a room but the camera lingers on the empty doorway for too long before the cut, for example – those moments where you became aware of the cameraperson's presence. There's no specific narrative, but I'm definitely interested in themes of interiority and exteriority, and investigating very personal boundaries, between people; their houses – a lot of the footage is very voyeuristic. Some of it I shot through windows of my neighbours' houses. They had moved out so it wasn't illegal. But I was definitely interested in the question of how close you can go with the camera before crossing a boundary.
PT With it being mostly shot at night there's something quite mysterious and trangressive about it.
SB Being aware of that mood and trying to continue it, to sustain it, was definitely something I was aiming for. I think the mood seems quite intangible in a way, as if you're having an out of body experience and are floating around a city. The long-distance shots of cars was filmed in Los Angeles, when I was there for an art fair last year. I took it by putting my iPhone up to one of those 25-cent viewing cams that you get at look out points.
PT There's a part of it that lingers over a pickup truck, where is that from?
SB That and a lot of the interior shots are from this crime scene footage from the Wonderland murders in Los Angeles in 1981, which weirdly is on YouTube – I'm not really sure it should be. It's the actual police footage, unedited and totally raw. I've just taken parts of it where you don't really see anything connected to the murders other than maybe a trashed room or a lamp knocked over, but the original footage shows everything.
PT That section of the film definitely feels sinister.
SB The electricity was disconnected to the building so it's all lit by police flashlights, I think that gives it that atmosphere. There's a shot of two pink armchairs that have really long shadows because they're only lit from the light on the camera. It gives it a really eerie and unusual aura.
PT There's a very 1980s camcorder quality to it too.
SB Yes and strangely that matches the footage shot on my iPhone as a lot of it is heavily zoomed in and heavily cropped. I guess the lo-res blurriness matches the early 80s camcorder so they probably both have a low resolution, but they both have a softness which I liked.
PT Can you talk about the audio?
SB The soundtrack is a continuation of ideas from a show I did at Carlos/Ishikawa last year where I made a sound and video installation using covers or amateur recordings of famous ballads [Standard Ballad, 2015]. Each of the clips in the video are either people playing along to or the karaoke backing track of these ballads. There's something I find interesting about amateur recordings, or cover versions of songs, in the emotional response. It seems like there's a translation between the songwriter's original intention with the lyrics and then someone being touched by it enough to want to do their own cover. And it might mean something different to them, so there's a translation of meaning. But what better way to connect with someone personally than through a touching song? The more heartfelt the ballad, the stronger the effect. I use this phrase 'emotional weight' to describe it, almost in a formal sense of using that dynamic strategically. The audio in the beginning is the karaoke backing to a Sheryl Crow song, there's a Beach Boys cover by Bill Frisell, a jazz guitarist. Then towards the end there's a Bonnie Raitt cover which is from a great video on YouTube of someone in their bedroom playing guitar over the top of it.
PT Cover songs and karaoke almost inevitably brings up ideas of nostalgia which is enhanced by the '80s-looking footage. For me there's something quite sweet about nostalgia that jars with the Wonderland detail. Were you playing with that?
SB I wasn't thinking so much in terms of nostalgia, more about memory. Specifically memories and associations to do with place, and space. I'm interested in that subjectivity and objectivity binary. Taking things like ballads and places which have strong personal connections and then trying to use them objectively in some way. There's always going to be this trade off between personal experience and secondary experience. It's about deploying emotional weight as a formal gesture but at the same time there's no irony involved, I really do like Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt! I think people have sometimes misconstrued this as me being ironic or insincere with this. I'm all for humour, and I think there are moments of levity in this video, but overall I really am sincere about the elements I'm using.
Paul Teasdale
Paul Teasdale is editor of frieze.com. He is based in London.
Steve Bishop (b. 1983) lives and works in London, UK. His recent solo exhibitions include: 'You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To', presented by Supportico Lopez at 6817 in Los Angeles, USA (2016); 'Insulated by the Boundary', ANDNOW, Dallas, USA (2016), 'Noclip', La Salle de Bains, Lyon, France (2015); 'Standard Ballad', Carlos/Ishikawa, London, UK (2015). Recent group exhibitions include: 'Ver Lento', Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City, Mexico (2016); 'Borrowed Alibis', Freymond-Guth, Zurich, Switzerland (2015); 'In The Wake', Truth and Consequences, Geneva, Switzerland (2014). His artist's book Strangers' Guide to Home Territories will be published by Motto Books later this year.
Steve Bishop
Supportico Lopez
What's Behind the Voluptuous Horror of Kembra Pfahler?
How Artist Dora Budor Transforms Noise Pollution Into Sculpture
'We Need to Embrace the Gloom': Artist Rosie Grace Ward on Environmental Apocalypse
Possibilities of Creation
Patrick Charpenel talks to César Reyes
Nil Yalter's Epic Poetry
Big Strong Polemics: Ingrid Pollard's Photographs
How Keller Easterling Wants to Hack Migration and Capital Flight
Nan Goldin on Why the Art World Must Shun Sackler Money
Sculptures That Bite
Daniel Birnbaum Interview: From the Traditional Museum to the World of VR
Do It Yourself! A New Film on the Life and Work of Donna Haraway
Paola Pivi: 'Every Cell in My Body Is a Workaholic'
'Society Has Become the Biggest Panopticon': An Interview with Shu Lea Cheang
Neither, Nor: What to Expect From the Italian Pavilion of the 58th Venice Biennale

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sheffield United plan to reopen contract talks with Simon Moore despite claims Jamal Blackman is open to the possibility of rejoining them next season.
Moore will enter the final year of his present deal later this summer but, with the Championship club believed to have the option of extending it for a further 12 months, negotiations were postponed towards the end of last term as Chris Wilder focused on trying to reach the play-offs.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his own future at Bramall Lane as co-owners Kevin McCabe and HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud press ahead with their respective takeovers, Wilder has started preparing for the 2018/19 campaign. And that, given his previous comments on United's goalkeeping situation, is expected to see Moore's representative invited to resume discussions about his client's agreement.
Blackman emerged as United's first-choice number one after arriving on loan from Chelsea in July but Moore started the final match of the season against Bristol City. Despite being granted permission to return to Stamford Bridge, Blackman opted to attend his former team mates' end of season trip to Las Vegas instead.


Who is the famous khatri?
What year was the MKA Community Centre purchased?
Who opened the first Halal takeaway in Leicester?
When was Bond Adams Solicitors formed?
what is 87 + 56?
how many khatris are listed in the August 2013 edition of the Khatri List?


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Select models take temperature management even further. BlackICE™ Memory Foam takes our Micro Diamond™ Memory Foam and applies a new breathable gel technology to the surface designed to help provide an ideal sleep climate.
SurfaceCool™ Plus Fiber, located just beneath our luxurious Beautyrest Black surface fabric, works to dissipate heat away from the body to keep you comfortable throughout the night.


today … bout three minutes ago, a large aftershock shook chengdu. the largest in a long time, maybe since the original quake. and it lasted for about one minute. here things rattled and my heart raced, but nothing damaging happened. but if it was this heavy here, then up north people died.


Is EU Development Policy on a Path to Corporate Sponsorship?
Damir Kurtagic via Fair Observer | With nothing to require companies to invest in line with the development agenda, corporate ventures in Africa might come to resemble Chinese neocolonial corporate models that do not actually alleviate poverty but rather enable it.
The European Union's annual Development Days event brings together hundreds of policymakers, experts and practitioners to discuss how to invigorate development assistance. The gathering serves as a convenient point of reflection, not only on the EU's overall policy approach, but also on the major policy developments of the previous year, such as the introduction of the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) in late 2017 and the European Parliament's April proposal to restructure the sovereign debt financing system.
Coupled with an overall increase in development funding over the next decade, one could argue that the EU is taking major steps to magnify the impact of its development assistance. However, significant concerns about the ultimate effectiveness of the EFSD, the private sector component of the European External Investment Plan (EIP), as well as a weak response to the European Parliament's sovereign debt initiative have dampened enthusiasm about where the EU's development policy is heading in the long term.
In May, just before Development Days, the European Commission unveiled the EU's new budget for 2021-2027. Coming in at €123 million, the final budget exceeded all expectations and includes a 20% increase in allotments for development policy. This is even more impressive when considering the eventual loss of €1 billion from joint EU programs due to the United Kingdom's expected departure from the union.
However, this optimism is tempered by uncertainty surrounding the new EFSD that aims to promote private sector investment in Africa and countries "near the EU" by leveraging investment risks through public funding guarantees. Also known as "blending," private sector involvement in development has been around for a decade to help implement the EU's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which attempts to tackle the most pressing challenges facing humanity by the ambitious deadline of 2030.
But if private sector development financing is counted toward official development assistance (ODA), as a new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development methodology proposal suggests, this will mean rerouting funds to companies instead of traditional financing recipients, such as governments and civil society organizations. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as private sector actors are ultimately as effective in achieving the sustainable development goals normally funded by ODA.
This aspect of blending still seems to be aspirational. A European Commission evaluation of similar blending instruments over the past 10 years did not demonstrate a substantial development impact. The exception was among middle-income countries, as opposed to the poorest nations the EFSD purports to assist. Additionally, a separate EU evaluation of previously used blending mechanisms shows that some projects could have been financed solely through private capital. This contradicts one of the main arguments in support of blending, which is that private financing would have been too risky.
Another concern with the EFSD is that the system which is supposed to ensure a company's investment goals is aligned with the sustainable development agenda is rather weak. While a number of civil society organizations pushed for the mandatory inclusion of corporate, governance and environmental criteria in the selection process in the end, the final regulation just includes a watered-down "preference" for companies that disclose this information. In addition, the European Parliament was only given observer status on the EIP steering board, meaning it does not have decision-making influence on the strategic direction of the fund. The overall success of the EIP will depend on the ability of the European Parliament to fully exercise its observer role and call out potentially dubious investment projects.
**This article was originally published by Fair Observer. Continue reading here.


text:
Name: NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED (NAL)
(This company subsequently changed its name and is now SINO-EXCEL ENERGY LIMITED. You should refer to that name for Status.)
Date of Listing: 02 August 2000
SINO-EXCEL ENERGY LIMITED 18/07/2011
This company subsequently changed its name and is now SINO-EXCEL ENERGY LIMITED. You should refer to that name for Stock Exchange Status.
This company subsequently changed its name and is now SINO-EXCEL ENERGY LIMITED. You should refer to that name for Legal Status.
This company subsequently changed its name and is now SINO-EXCEL ENERGY LIMITED. You should refer to that name for Capital Gains Tax Status.
NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED (NAL)
(updated at weekends)
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 ALL
NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED 18/07/2011
Computershare, Yarra Falls, 452 Johnston Street, Abbotsford VIC 3067
Tel : +61 (0)3 9415 4000 or 1300 850 505 (within Australia)
Fax : +61 3 9473 2500
RegistryWebsite RegistryEmail
Address: Level 7 , 470 Collins Street , MELBOURNE , VIC, AUSTRALIA, 3000
Tel: (03) 9782 7333 Fax: (03) 9782 7336
Date first listed: 02/08/2000
Company Secretary: Mr Jeffrey Bell, Mr David James Semmens
Sector: Health Care Equipment & Services
Industry Group: XHJ
Activities: Research, development and commercialisation of medical products for drug delivery and other therapies
name changed to Sino-Excel Energy Limited
all resolutions as per the Notice of Annual General Meeting were passed on a show of hands at the Annual General Meeting of shareholders held today at 2.30 pm
the following reports were lodged with ASX on 29 th April 2011: 1) December 2008 Half Yearly report 2) 2009 Annual Report 3) December 2009 Half Yearly report 4) 2010 Annual Report 5) December 2010 Half yearly report 6) Letter to shareholders 7) Notice of Annual General Meeting / Explanatory Memorandum / Independent Experts Report 8) Appendix 3B 9) ASX Waiver from Listing Rule 7.3.2 10) Prospectus
lodges a prospectus for the issue of: (i) up to 14,705,882 Shares (full subscription) at an issue price of 51 cents per Share to raise a minimum of A$2.5 million and up to A$7.5 million (Public Offer); (ii) 117,647,059 Shares to the Vendor Parties of Sino-Excel Energy Pte Ltd (Vendor Offer); and (iii) 3,090,183 Shares to specified creditors of the Company (Creditor Offer)
the Company is undertaking a public share offer at 51 cents (post the proposed 30:1 share consolidation) per Share to raise a minimum of $2.5 million and up to $7.5 million (Capital Raising). The primary purpose of the Capital Raising is to raise working capital for the Company going forward and to demonstrate sufficient spread requirements to enable the Company to apply for re-quotation of its securities on ASX following completion of the Sino-Excel Acquisition
the Company has previously advised that Sino-Excel Energy Pte Ltd (formerly Sino-Excel Petroleum Holdings Pte Ltd) ["Sino-Excel"] is to list through a merger and share exchange with Norwood Abbey Ltd. As shareholders are already aware, the due diligence process has extended for a much longer period that expected. The delays have been unavoidable and derive from the need for a range of structural matters having to be addressed at the Chinese level. To this end, due diligence has been considerably more involved than a local transaction. The company is now pleased to confirm that a final draft of the Chinese legal due diligence has been received. Further, the audits of the Chinese operating entity have also been completed and released to Norwood. Accordingly, preparation of the Independent Expert's Report (IER) and Investigating Accountant's Report (IAR) are now proceeding
issues 60,893,082 fully paid shares to creditors
the company has negotiated an extension of the convertible loan from Lettered Management Pty Ltd to December 31 2010. The loan will be interest free and will convert automatically upon a completion of the proposed Sino-Excel deal - the company has also raised $250,000 through an additional converting note issue. The notes expire on October 27 2010
company advises that it has entered into a Settlement Deed with major creditor TER in accordance with parameters previously provided for in the accounts, in a mix of cash and shares - the proceedings initiated by TER have been discontinued - all liabilities will be extinguished subject to the company issuing the share component at the earlier of the completion of the China coal transaction or February 26 2010
Norwood Abbey Ltd [ASX:NAL] is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Sino-Excel Petroleum Holdings Pte Ltd ("Sino-Excel") and DeBang Resources Ltd ("DB") under which Norwood will acquire a 100% interest in Sino-Excel
releases Preliminary Final Report
company advises that Norwood Immunology Ltd's ("NIM") half year report has been lodged and is posted on the NIM website
the company advises that Norwood Immunology Ltd has now completed the transaction to sell its equity in Bestiwil Holdings NV and subsidiary Virosome Biologicals NV
company confirms that its merger plans are continuing to progress - the merger candidate is currently dealing with certain internal issues for which resolution is required prior to a final agreement with Norwood - the company is working towards completion of its half-yearly accounts, which are being impacted by the merger plans
Norwood Abbey Ltd (ASX:NAL) advises that the 21%-owned Norwood Immunology has signed an agreement with NASDAQ-listed Mymetics Inc for the sale of Bestiwil. Bestiwil is the parent entity of the group holding NIM's Virosome assets
securities suspended from quotation following failure to lodge financial reports for the period ended 31 December 2008
the suspension of trading in the securities of Norwood Abbey Limited (the "Company") will be lifted before the commencement of trading on Monday, 6 October 2008 in accordance with listing rule 17.8, following receipt of the Company's annual report for the year ended 30 June 2008
securities suspended from quotation following failure to lodge financial statements for the period to 30 June 2008
securities reinstated to quotation
shares reinstated to quotation
securities suspended from quotation because of failure to lodge full year accounts for the period to 30 June 2006
NORWOOD ABBEY LIMITED
Spencer Ee Chairman, Non Exec Director 29/09/2009
Jeffrey Bell CFO
Rohan Boman Director 04/11/2009
Leo WeiLe Director
Wong Hong Director 03/12/2010
Ian Hunter Director


The 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards finalists were released today by the Lambda Literary Foundation.
Finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards were announced today by the Lambda Literary Foundation (LLF) in Los Angeles. Books from major mainstream publishers, from academic presses, from both long-established and new LGBT publishers, as well as from emerging publish-on-demand technologies, make up the 687 submissions for the "Lammys." The finalists were selected from a record number of submissions, and, for the first time, the judges were encouraged to choose more finalists in those categories that drew a large number of submissions.
Next > ARE YOU READY?? Wilde City Press is here!!


I think I've discovered my dream job. Training people to be life coaches. Let me explain before you stop reading or think I've abandoned the ship.
I think you know I have three college degrees. One from Michigan State University. One from University of Colorado and one from Johns Hopkins University. These aren't shabby institutions and yet, I would trade in all three degrees just to have my certification as a life coach.
Why? Because I can use my coaching skills with every single human on the planet in any place, industry, discipline, or environment - at home, at work, in the community, with family, with friends, with complete strangers, and even at 30,000 feet! Yep, I've coached on airplanes before.
Whereas my colleges degrees from said institutions are lovely and beautiful to romanticize about, if you are a practical person like me, you want skills that can transcend all areas in your life and can be used daily. My coaching skills are all that plus more. If you are unfamiliar with the kind of coaching I am talking about, the kind of coaching I'm talking about supports another human move from Point A to Point B and beyond. Isn't that what most of us do in life for ourselves and others - in education, in parenting, in business, as leaders? We support ourselves and others' growth and life journey. We support other humans (and ourselves) as we adjust our awesome dials (hence, the graphic above) to find our own individual sweet spot to live the most fulfilling and engaged life as possible.
AND, what if more people did that? What if more people lived their optimal, best, most fulfilling, healthy, low stress, engaged lives? What impact would that make on our society, our world, our lives?
I'll tell you what impact it would make. It would translate to more bliss. More joy (the message and research of this book). More connectedness. Less violence. Higher engagement, so we don't have to be this dismal poll any longer. And if you need more hard line research about this, let Harvard Medical share their work or let ICF convince you. Or just trust me. Seriously, when have I steered you wrongly?
With the help of an amazing friend and fellow coach, Sue, we co-created and co-lead my college's first ever Engagement Coach Training Program last academic year. Yep, my college is now in the business of training life coaches (we call them "engagement" coaches at my college). AND, I am over-the-moon proud to announce, our coach training program received ICF accreditation which means we are now the only community college in the nation to have an accredited ICF coach training program.
Cue the largest confetti drop you have!
In the mid-Atlantic, where I live, we are also one of just five higher education institutions that offer a general, coach training program that is ICF approved. My college joined the ranks of Duquesne, Rutgers, George Mason and Georgetown Universities. I would say my college keeps great company and our program, by far, is more affordable and - if I may brag - our coach training program is super high quality, hands-on, well-designed, and dare I say transformation and enjoyable! I might be bias and honest. What can I say?
Go see what we created - my college's coach training program - and better yet, what if we came to your organization and lead the coach training just for your people?! Wouldn't that be amazing?! We would get to spend nine days together in person over 3-6 months, learn a new set of coaching skills that will literally change your life (and the lives of others) immediately, and have the best time doing so. Plus, we can come to your school, business, non-profit, or organization anywhere in the world!
Let's do that! Email me. Leave a comment below. Send a smoke signal. We are going to see each other in person and train coaches! I am not fooling around. You know, I am serious.
....I just have to point out, I literally have to self-coach myself to calm down. I am sooooo darn excited about this and the impact having more trained coaches will have on our lives and the lives of others.
Totally psyched and even more psyched that we will get to see each other this year or in 2018!
PS - I am a hugger. So when we see each other in person, if you aren't a hugger, you have two choices: Either quickly become a hugger or let me know not to hug you. In that case, we can just smile at each other. Ha!
Etsy Shop Launch - Yay!


Austin Mack was one of six true freshman who enrolled in classes at Ohio State in January and competed in the team's 2016 spring drills … had a productive and impressive spring drills, including having his black stripe removed – a first for a spring drills true freshman – and signaling he is doing what it takes to be a key member of the team … spent three days this summer interning in New York City at Goldman Sachs as part of the Real Life Wednesdays program … Mack was a consensus 4-star (Rivals, 247Sports, Scout and ESPN) prospect coming out of high school with could run, catch and return kicks … he scored 49 career touchdowns, including six on kickoff returns, and had 2,672 career receiving yards off 167 receptions with 24 touchdowns … he gained 718 yards rushing as a senior when injuries forced him into action as a back … still caught 41 passes for 805 yards in 2015 and helped the Knights, coached by Kyle Lindsay, to the third round of the Indiana state playoffs … had a breakout junior season when he caught 69 passes for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns … is listed among the Top 12 receiver prospects nationally by 247Sports (No. 10) and Scout (No. 12) … is the son of Shannon and Ernest Mack.