1)
Street Fighter 3: Third Strike
The best and latest installment to the Street Fighter series (until SF4 is released). Most competitive fun I've ever had in
any game and it's one of the reason I got into the tournament play. Not to mention
having the most memorable moment in fighting game history.
2)
Street Fighter II
Yes, Street Fighter II, although not as amazing in my eyes as Third Strike, does deserve a place as a separate game. This is, essentially, what set the bar for fighting games to come to strive to beat/achieve.
3)
Baldur's Gate II: Shadow of Amn
I could put the series down, but I found that this one stood out the most (as I did with StarCraft). The voice acting, the story itself, the
villain -- everything drew you in exceptionally well.
4)
Half-Life [Series]
As much as I wished to draw away from a series, I can't with this one. The entire thing is done exceptionally well, and I will also include Portals in the pack, as it has many ties to the storyline (or at least will, I think, come Episode 3). The first installment actually frightened me when I played it, and I loved all the expansions (such as the Ops and Cop ones), and have not been disappointed in Half-Life 2 or any of its episodes.
5)
Diablo II
I can't disregard the addiction this game can hold on someone. It's an over the top grindfest, and I would've rated the original Diablo in this spot if it wasn't for the online being
completely hacked from only a bit into its launch. The repetitive grinding is very addictive, and it is why #6 is, regretfully...
6)
World of Warcraft [Series]
I say "series" because it has expansions, and I must say... I hate this game with a passion, but that didn't prevent me from sinking four years into the game and
a lot of time that I won't get back over those four years. Whatever Blizzard has done, they've done it right -- the game can keep you entertained for god knows how long, and even with the amount of drama involved (worse than ALFA's in so many cases it's not even funny), people still stay and play. It's absolutely insane.
7)
StarCraft: Brood Wars
I played the demo before the game came out without even realizing exactly
what it was. This game got me hooked so fast and so hard. The expansion is probably my favourite part of the game, everything was just so dark in the end. I loved every ending and thought it couldn't have been done in any other way.
8 )
Garou: Mark of the Wolf
The beginning of the King of Fighters series, essentially. Absolutely amazing game, even by today's standards for fighting games. Like Street Fighter II, it is actually still played in tournaments worldwide and is regarded and overall solid game.
9)
Final Fantasy VII
Although I was prone to saying Chrono Trigger, I found that I spent many,
many hours on Final Fantasy VII in comparison. I just had to get as much as possible -- golden chocobo, KotR, Cloud's Ultimate Limit Break, ultimate weapons, etc. There was just so much to do, and there was a killer storyline to boot (well, in some manner).
10)
Shadow of the Colossus
If you haven't played it... play it. That is all. Absolutely beautiful game.