Video Games
This is an incomplete, mostly accurate list of the many video games I own. It doesn’t compare to any of those colossal collections you see up for sale on eBay, but it’s still a pretty satisfying pile of games. Without these games–especially those 16-bit era games–I’d likely be a much different person now, for better or worse. I shudder to imagine a version of myself that enjoys leaving the house for any length of time.
My highest recommended games are in bold. Asterisks (*) are next to the consoles where a large fraction of game ownership is actually shared within the family; after all, it’s not like I was buying up NES games when I was an infant.
Nintendo Entertainment System Games*
Game Boy Games*
Game Boy Color Games
Super Nintendo Games*
Turbo Grafx-16 Games*
Sega Genesis / Sega CD Games*
Sega Game Gear Games*
Nintendo 64 Games*
PlayStation 1 Games
Sega Saturn Games*
Dreamcast Games
Game Boy Advance Games
Nintendo DS Games
PlayStation Portable Games
Nintendo GameCube Games*
PlayStation 2 Games
Xbox Games
Wii Games
PlayStation 3 Games
Xbox 360 Games
Wii U Games
Nintendo 3DS Games
PlayStation Vita Games
Nintendo Switch Games
PlayStation 4 Games
Xbox One Games
Nintendo Entertainment System – Game Boy – Game Boy Color
Nintendo Entertainment System | Game Boy | Game Boy Color |
Battletoads | Battletoads | Crystalis |
Bionic Commando | Castlevania: The Adventure | The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX |
Blaster Master | The Final Fantasy Legend | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages |
Castlevania | Final Fantasy Legend III | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons |
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest | Godzilla | Lufia: The Legend Returns |
Double Dragon | Killer Instinct | Pokémon Gold |
Double Dragon II: The Revenge | The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening | Pokémon Trading Card Game |
Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones | Mega Man: Dr. Wily’s Revenge | Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories |
Dr. Mario | Metroid II: Return of Samus | |
Dragon Warrior | Pokémon Red Version | |
Dragon Warrior II | Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition | |
Dragon Warrior III | Super Mario Land | |
Dragon Warrior IV | Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins | |
Final Fantasy | The Sword of Hope | |
Gauntlet | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan | |
Gauntlet II | Tetris | |
Godzilla: Monster of Monsters | ||
King’s Knight | ||
The Legend of Zelda | ||
Mega Man | ||
Mega Man 2 | ||
Mega Man 3 | ||
Mega Man 4 | ||
Mega Man 5 | ||
Mega Man 6 | ||
Metal Gear | ||
Metroid | ||
Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! | ||
Ninja Gaiden | ||
Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos | ||
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom | ||
River City Ransom | ||
Shadowgate | ||
StarTropics | ||
Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet | ||
Super Mario Bros. 2 | ||
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | ||
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game | ||
Tetris | ||
Tetris 2 | ||
Ultima: Exodus | ||
WCW Wrestling | ||
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | ||
Zoda’s Revenge: StarTropics II |
Super Nintendo – TurboGrafx-16 – Sega Genesis / Sega CD – Sega Game Gear
Super Nintendo | TurboGrafx-16 | Sega Genesis |
ActRaiser | Bonk’s Adventure | Batman Returns |
Alien 3 | (We own a few more, but heck if I remember which.) | Beyond Oasis |
Boxing Legends of the Ring | Mega Bomberman | |
Brain Lord | Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World | |
Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA Playoffs | Phantasy Star IV | |
Chavez | Sonic & Knuckles | |
Chrono Trigger | Sonic the Hedgehog | |
Daffy Duck: The Marvin Missions | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 | |
Donkey Kong Country | Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | |
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest |
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Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble! | Sega CD | |
Doom | The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin | |
Dragon Quest V (NTSC-J Japan Super Famicom release) | Lunar: The Silver Star | |
Dragon Quest VI (NTSC-J Japan Super Famicom release) | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | |
Earthbound | Sonic the Hedgehog CD | |
Final Fantasy II | Sewer Shark | |
Final Fantasy III | Vay | |
Final Fantasy IV (NTSC-J Japan Super Famicom release) | ||
Final Fantasy V (NTSC-J Japan Super Famicom release) | Sega Game Gear | |
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest | Mortal Kombat | |
Final Fight | Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya | |
George Foreman’s KO Boxing | Sonic Chaos | |
Gradius III | Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble | |
Illusion of Gaia | Star Wars | |
Killer Instinct | ||
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | ||
Live A Live (NTSC-J Japan Super Famicom release) | ||
Lufia & the Fortress of Doom | ||
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals | ||
Madden NFL ’94 | ||
Mario Paint | ||
Mega Man Soccer | ||
Mega Man X (cartridge autographed by Keiji Inafune!) | ||
Mega Man X2 | ||
Mega Man X3 | ||
Mega Man 7 | ||
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | ||
Mortal Kombat II | ||
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen | ||
Phalanx | ||
Robotrek | ||
Rockman & Forte (NTSC-J Japan Super Famicom release) | ||
Secret of Evermore | ||
Secret of Mana | ||
SimCity | ||
Soul Blazer | ||
Star Fox | ||
Street Fighter II | ||
Street Fighter II Turbo | ||
Super Bomberman 2 | ||
Super Mario All-Stars | ||
Super Mario RPG | ||
Super Mario World | ||
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island | ||
Super Metroid | ||
Super R-Type | ||
Super Star Wars | ||
Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi | ||
Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back | ||
Super Street Fighter II | ||
Tecmo Super Bowl | ||
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time | ||
Terranigma (PAL UK release) | ||
WWF RAW | ||
WWF Royal Rumble | ||
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse | ||
Zombies Ate My Neighbors |
Nintendo 64 – PlayStation 1 – Sega Saturn – Dreamcast
Nintendo 64 |
PlayStation 1 |
Sega Saturn |
Banjo-Kazooie | Beyond the Beyond | Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean |
Banjo-Tooie | Breath of Fire III | Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter |
Donkey Kong 64 | Crash Bandicoot | Saturn Bomberman |
GoldenEye 007 | Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back | Shining Force III |
Hybrid Heaven | Digimon World | Shining the Holy Ark |
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask | Dragon Warrior VII | Sonic R |
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | Final Fantasy Anthology | Street Fighter Collection |
Mario Kart 64 | Final Fantasy Chronicles | Street Fighter: The Movie |
Mario Party | Final Fantasy IX | Virtua Cop |
Mario Party 2 | Final Fantasy Origins | Virtua Fighter Kids |
Mario Party 3 | Final Fantasy Tactics | |
Mortal Kombat 4 | Final Fantasy VII | Dreamcast |
Mortal Kombat Trilogy | Final Fantasy VIII | Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child |
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon | Gundam Battle Assault | Phantasy Star Online |
Paper Mario | Gundam Battle Assault 2 | Sonic Adventure |
Perfect Dark | Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete | Sonic Adventure 2 |
Pilot Wings 64 | Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete | |
Pokémon Stadium | Mega Man 8 | |
Rampage World Tour | Mega Man Legends | |
Robotron 64 | Mega Man X4 | |
Shadowgate 64: Trial of the Four Towers | Mega Man X5 | |
Star Fox 64 | Mega Man X6 | |
Star Wars: Episode I: Racer | Metal Gear Solid | |
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire | Missile Command | |
Super Mario 64 | RPG Maker | |
Super Smash Bros. | SaGa Frontier | |
WCW vs. nWo: World Tour | Sim City 2000 | |
WCW/nWo Revenge | Spider-Man | |
WWF No Mercy | Spider-Man 2: Enter: Electro | |
WWF War Zone | Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf | |
Yoshi’s Story | Wild Arms | |
Xenogears |
Game Boy Advance – Nintendo DS – PlayStation Portable
Game Boy Advance | Nintendo DS | PlayStation Portable |
Advance Wars | Advance Wars: Days of Ruin | Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles |
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising | Advance Wars: Dual Strike | Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII |
Astro Boy: Omega Factor | Animal Crossing: Wild World | Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy |
Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge | Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled | Dissidia Final Fantasy |
Breath of Fire II | Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow | Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection |
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow | Blue Dragon Plus | Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions |
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon | Bomberman | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories |
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance | Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow | Half-Minute Hero |
ChuChu Rocket! | Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia | Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep |
CIMA: The Enemy | Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin | Lumines |
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku | Chrono Trigger | Lunar: Silver Star Harmony |
Final Fantasy VI Advance | Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans | Mega Man Maverick Hunter X |
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance | Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen | Mega Man Powered Up |
Fire Pro Wrestling | Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies | Metal Gear Acid |
Golden Sun | Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride | Metal Gear Acid 2 |
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories | Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation | Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker |
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords | Final Fantasy III | Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops |
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap | Final Fantasy IV | PaRappa the Rapper |
Lufia: The Ruins of Lore | Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift | Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2: Innocent Sin |
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light | Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable |
Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days | Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together |
Mario vs. Donkey Kong | The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | |
Mega Man & Bass | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | |
Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge | Lunar: Dragon Song | |
Mega Man Battle Network | Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS | |
Mega Man Battle Network 2 | Mega Man Star Force: Leo | |
Mega Man Battle Network 3: White | Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker × Saurian | |
Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun | Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker | |
Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Gregar | Mega Man Zero Collection | |
Mega Man Zero | Mega Man ZX | |
Mega Man Zero 2 | Mega Man ZX Advent | |
Mega Man Zero 3 | Meteos | |
Mega Man Zero 4 | Nintendogs: Dachshund and Friends | |
Metroid Fusion | Phantasy Star 0 | |
Metroid: Zero Mission | Pokémon Diamond Version | |
Phantasy Star Collection | Sands of Destruction | |
Pokémon Ruby | Scribblenauts | |
Sonic Advance | Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood | |
Sonic Advance 2 | Sonic Rush | |
Sonic Advance 3 | Super Scribblenauts | |
Sonic Battle | WarioWare: Touched! | |
Street Fighter Alpha III | The World Ends with You | |
Super Mario Advance | Yoshi Touch & Go | |
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Yoshi’s Island DS | |
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | ||
Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival | ||
Sword of Mana | ||
Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 | ||
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! |
Nintendo GameCube – PlayStation 2 – Xbox
GameCube | PlayStation 2 | Xbox |
Donkey Kong Konga | Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana | Blinx: The Time Sweeper |
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles | Castlevania: Curse of Darkness | Deus Ex: Invisible War |
Ikaruga | Castlevania: Lament of Innocence | The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind |
Killer7 | Devil May Cry | Fable |
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | Dragon Quest VIII | Half-Life 2 |
Luigi’s Mansion | Final Fantasy X | Halo |
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | Final Fantasy XI | Halo 2 |
Mario Party 4 | Final Fantasy XII | Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance |
Mega Man Anniversary Collection | Gradius V | NFL Fever 2004 |
Mega Man X Collection | Grand Theft Auto III | Ninja Gaiden |
Mega Man X: Command Mission | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Robotech: Battlecry |
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Silent Hill 4: The Room |
Metroid Prime | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | The Simpsons: Hit & Run |
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes | Kingdom Hearts | Star Wars Battlefront |
Resident Evil | Kingdom Hearts II | Star Wars Battlefront 2 |
Resident Evil 4 | Mega Man X7 | Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy |
Resident Evil Zero | Mega Man X8 | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
The Simpsons: Road Rage | Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords |
Sonic Heroes | Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection | Street Fighter Anniversary Collection |
Sonic Mega Collection | Mobile Suit Gundam: Journey to Jaburo | TimeSplitters 2 |
Super Mario Sunshine | Onimusha | TimeSplitters: Future Perfect |
Super Smash Bros. Melee | Red Faction | Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3 |
Viewtiful Joe | RPG Maker II | Ultimate Spider-Man |
WWE WrestleMania X8 | R-Type Final | |
X-Men Legends | Shadow of the Colossus | |
X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse | Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne | |
Silent Hill 3 | ||
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht | ||
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse | ||
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra | ||
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner |
Wii – PlayStation 3 – Xbox 360
Wii | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 |
Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors | 3D Dot Game Heroes | Blue Dragon |
The Last Story | Batman: Arkham Asylum | Call of Duty 2 |
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | Batman: Arkham City | Dance Central |
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | BioShock Infinite | Dead Rising |
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption | BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition | Dead Rising 2 |
Metroid: Other M | Castlevania: Lord of Shadows | Grand Theft Auto IV |
New Super Mario Bros. Wii | Catherine | Halo 3 |
No More Heroes | Dragon Age: Origins | Lost Odyssey |
Rayman Raving Rabbids | Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening | Marvel Ultimate Alliance |
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II | Dragon Age II | Mass Effect |
Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | Mass Effect 2 |
Super Mario Galaxy | Final Fantasy XIII | Resident Evil 5 |
Super Paper Mario | Final Fantasy XIII-2 | The Simpsons Game |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Grand Theft Auto V | Sonic Free Riders |
Xenoblade Chronicles | The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection | Star Wars: The Force Unleashed |
Infamous | ||
The Last of Us | ||
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII | ||
LittleBigPlanet | ||
Mass Effect 3 | ||
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance | ||
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | ||
Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection | ||
ModNation Racers | ||
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch | ||
Persona 4 Arena | ||
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax | ||
Portal 2 | ||
Resonance of Fate | ||
Sonic Generations | ||
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions | ||
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows | ||
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune | ||
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | ||
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception | ||
Zone of the Enders HD Collection |
Wii U – Nintendo 3DS – PlayStation Vita
Wii U | Nintendo 3DS | PlayStation Vita |
Bayonetta 2 (with Bayonetta) | Bravely Default | Lumines: Electronic Symphony |
Child of Light (digital) | Kid Icarus: Uprising | Persona 4 Golden |
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (digital) | Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance | Persona 4: Dancing All Night |
Mario Kart 8 | The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | Soul Sacrifice |
New Super Mario Bros. U | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D | Tearaway |
Nintendo Land | Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven | Uncharted: Golden Abyss |
Sonic Lost World | Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon | |
Star Fox Zero (with Star Fox Guard) | Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D | |
Super Mario 3D World | Metroid: Samus Returns | |
Super Mario Maker | Paper Mario: Sticker Star | |
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth | |
Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE | Pilotwings Resort | |
The Wonderful 101 | Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology | |
Xenoblade Chronicles X | Rayman 3D | |
Resident Evil: Revelations | ||
Shin Megami Tensei IV | ||
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse | ||
Star Fox 64 3D | ||
Super Mario 3D Land | ||
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | ||
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition | ||
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy |
Nintendo Switch – PlayStation 4 – Xbox One
Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Xbox One |
(Will be filled out at the end of its life span) | 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim | Cuphead (digital) |
Alien: Isolation | Halo: The Master Chief Collection | |
Axiom Verge (digital) | Ori and the Blind Forest (digital) | |
Berserk and the Band of the Hawk | Rare Replay | |
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (digital) | Sunset Overdrive | |
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | ||
Catherine: Full Body | ||
Cosmic Star Heroine (digital) | ||
Cyberpunk 2077 | ||
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan | ||
Death Stranding | ||
Doom VFR | ||
Dragon Age: Inquisition | ||
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 | ||
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD | ||
Final Fantasy VII Remake | ||
Final Fantasy XV | ||
I Am Setsuna (digital) | ||
Killzone: Shadow Fall | ||
Kingdom Hearts III | ||
Knack | ||
Knack 2 | ||
The Last Guardian | ||
The Last of Us Part II | ||
Marvel’s Spider-Man | ||
Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes | ||
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain | ||
Mighty No. 9 | ||
Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom | ||
Outlast (digital) | ||
Persona 5 | ||
Persona Endless Night Collection | ||
Resident Evil 2 | ||
Resident Evil 3 | ||
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard | ||
Star Wars: Squadrons | ||
Tetris Effect | ||
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End | ||
Until Dawn | ||
Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (digital) | ||
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition | ||
The Witness (digital) | ||
World of Final Fantasy |
Reading over this list, I was struck by how similar our tastes are in games! Of course, I was born in ’88, so we’re almost the same age, and I love JRPGs just as you do– but still, I agreed with almost all your choices for best games on each system!
Loves Mega Man X and X2, but not X3? Check. Irrationally a fan of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest? Check. Loves Banjo-Kazooie, but not Banjo-Tooie? Yup! Metroid Prime, but not Metroid Prime 2? Absolutely agree!
I’m not a fan of Half-Life 2 either, which most people seem to be, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it not be one of your favorites either.
I too love Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma, which is how I found your site in the first place today.
The biggest differences were that I loved Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow (but agree that Harmony of Dissonance and Portrait of Ruin are less appealing), and I love the Elder Scrolls series. Otherwise, your list is totally on point, and I agree with almost every choice!
Here’s a question for you: What’s your opinion of Mega Man X6? For me, it’s the worst game I’ve ever played.
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Haha Taste is a fickle thing! Thanks for dropping by. I don’t know if I’m actually capable of hating a Mega Man game, (Although, I had the chance to try the Mega Man Universe demo at New York Comic 2010, and the controls just did not feel like Mega Man at all. I sadly understand why it was canceled.) so I don’t have any intense dislike of Mega Man X6. It has a couple pretty cool boss battles at least. The game makes way too many baffling rookie design mistakes though, like making it impossible to proceed if you bring the wrong character or making it easy to run out of souls to feed Zero to power him up. It’s not a great game by any stretch, and whether X6 or X7 is worse is a matter of personal preference. I wrote Nintendo Enthusiast’s reviews of the two X Legacy Collections, if you’d be interested to read more of my rambling on the subject. Regardless, more than anything, I’d really love for Capcom to make a Mega Man X9.
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Read the two reviews– I liked them! I wasn’t as fond of X4, but I need to give it another shot– I’ve only played it once.
I also found X1 to be harder than X3– as a kid, I beat the latter first (the final Sigma form in X1 was too hard for 6 year old David, at least until he got some power ups and turned into 9 year old David).
I too would love a Mega Man X9!
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