Think of your 5 favourite games, did any of them come out in the last 5 years?
 

Certainly the answer for me is no

My 5 favourite games are prolly

1 - Kick Off 2 (Amiga)
2 - Vandal Hearts II (Playstation)
3 - Sensible Soccer 2 (Amiga)
4 - Final Fantasy 7 (Play Station)
5 - Civilisation II (PC or Playstation)

__

Im not a great example but I still think a lot f people will fall into saying no also. Ive played later games pretty fully - Final Fantasy X, Madden 2007, Halo, GTA San Andreas, Grand Turismo, but I havent enjoyed anything as much as these games

Is it really cos the games of the mid 90's to very early 00's were just better in terms of gameplay, or is it cos we just outgrow the playing of games a little bit, and nothing is ever as good as what we are into between sa 14-21?

Bioshock is certainly in the top 5 for me and it came out in 2007.

Metroid Prime came out in 2002 and it's in the top 5 also.

Half-Life 2 came out in 2004.

The only thing I'm starting to notice is how the only good games that come out nowadays are first person shooters. :(

Mechwarrior 2 (1995)
Starcraft (1998)
Unreal Tournament (1999)
Star Wars Battlefront (2004)
Mass Effect (2007)

Battlefront and Mass Effect are both highly enjoyable games, albeit for entire different reasons. I turned 21 in August of 2004, which was a month before Battlefront was released. It may have a lot to do with your circle of peers. Many of my peers still very much enjoy console and PC games, and they act as a social activity. I'll continue to play games, and enjoy them, as long as my friends do, I'd guess.

Alpha Centauri
Super Metroid
Fallout 1&2
Dragon Quest 8
X2: The Threat


I think Dragon Quest might be within the last 5 years.

Well for me
Elite
The Bards Tale
Neverwinter Nights
Civ 2
Tac Ops (online shooter - unreal spin off)
So none in the last 5 years

I think it does have to do with your age. I'm 27 and the newest game in my top 5 would be an Original Playstation game. I don't know, Maybe it doesn't have so much to do with age as it does with your mind being more first come first serve that it's not willing to accept new games into your top 5 so it holds on to the old games. I've played some REALLY good games in the last 5 years. God of War 2, Gears of War, Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Bioshock etc. There have also been great arcade games like Geometry wars and Braid which are absolutely fantastic.

I just can't bring myself to say they're as good as FF7, Zelda:Link to the past, Castlevania:SOTN and a few other games though. I've gone back to each of those games over and over and I still love them.

After some consideration, my five (in no particular order) would have to be:

EVE Online
Dawn of War (with all the expansions)
Fallout 3
Gears of War 2
Civilization IV

I can't really put them in an order but my top 5 would have to be

God of War
God of War 2
Resistance 2
Final Fantasy VII
Burnout Paradise

Unreal Tournament
Portal
Half-life 2
Final Fantasy VII
Rainbow 6 Vegas

So, I would say yes.

I'm 29 and I'd say that a few of my favourite games have been made in the last few years. I don't know exactly what my top 5 would be, but I'm pretty sure it would have to include Bioshock, Half Life 2 and Oblivion. Then there's a few recent games that while not top 5, they're definitely up there - games like Mass Effect and GTA IV.

1. Fallout (the original)
2. Doom II
3. Super Mario Bros. 3
4. UT2004
5. Hmm... Call of Duty...or Dragon Warrior III...or Final Fantasy IV...hmmm...I dunno.

Those aren't really in order, I just listed them as I thought of them.

rainbow six Vegas
assassins creed
American Mcgee's Alice
Beach vollyball
left 4 dead

hmmmmmm?

Let's see:

Command and Conquer: 1995
Mechwarrior II: 1995
Final Fantasy Tactics: 1998 in the US
Assassin's Creed: 2007
Bioshock: 2007

Pretty evenly split between old and new. If we went amount of time played I'd have to add in DAoC, AC, SB, and WoW, but MMOs are always time wasters.

All of my favorite games are from the early '90s:

- X-Com: UFO Defense
- X-Com: Terror from the Deep
- Master of Magic
- Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games

I could play any of them for days... even after having already played them for years.

Gotta run 'em on DOSBox now, but some games go beyond their shitty graphics and provide simple satisfaction.

Master of Magic --> So there is still somebody else who remembers this game ! :)

Agreed on X-Com, both games, agreed on Master of Magic,

would like to add Warhammer - Shadow of the Horned Rat as well

and Strife if anybody here ever heard of it? Liked that one alot too.

I can't believe I forgot about X-Com. I never played UFO Defense but I used to love Terror From the Deep. I'm going to have to find that again and try to get it to run on this machine.

UFO Defense, despite having less gameplay features and slightly less quality in the graphics department, is more satisfying due to the urban environments. I find both of them to be timeless classics. They never get old. You can also edit the hell outta them with OBJUFO and XC2ME2 to change the alien/ship/gun/armor stats. I've used such tools to make the weapons more realistic and pump up the stats on some of the weaker enemies. Makes for a very rewarding remix.

...

The Lobstermen in TFTD scare the shit outta me. :( They're very menacing.

Jet's Video Game Enterprise
 

My Top Five + Two

1. Super Mario World (SNES, 1990)
2. Super Smash Bros. (N64, 1999)
3. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (PS2, 2001)
4. Tekken 3 (Arcade-PSX, 1997-98)
5. Super Monkey Ball 2 (GCN 2002)
6. F-Zero: GX (GCN 2003)
7. Galaga (Arcade, 1981)

Now, this list is most likely my top favourite games in terms of "replayability": games that are able to be run into the ground in terms of gameplay, and you can still keep coming back for more entertainment each and every time you touch the controllers. The one exception to this rule may be Gran Turismo, but there are so many "easter eggs" and goals to accomplish in order to obtain 100% completion that it nearly never gets old. Also, it is just a right coincidence that nearly all of the games listed are found and played exclusively on separate consoles. Some honourable mentions I would have included if given the chance would be Donkey Kong Country (1994), Kirby's Block Ball (1995), Sonic Adventure 2 (2001), Fire Emblem (2003). Last vestiges of goodness include The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Earthbound, Goldeneye 007, and Metroid Prime.

And to clarify, I'll mention that I haven't played and/or bought a new console game in nearly five-six years, so I am perhaps skewing myself because I have not consumed the next generation of XBOX360/PS3/Wii games that I could probably get into, but as it is, these games are set into my archive of historic favourites. Most of my consumership of video games came in-between 1983-92 for video arcades, and 1988-2002 for console-based products. In all, my scope in gameplay is very limited, and I'll bet that I've played less than 40 titles overall in my lifetime.

Finally, I'll say that my mind acquires joy, and denotes the enjoyability of a game based most importantly and with utmost priority on "replayability"; I could never get myself into first-person shooters or role-playing sagas because if I should ever start on a game, it is my sole mission to play the game to its completion 100%, and that is too wholly-engrossing an endeavor for me, and with that, I ignore all other games until I finish the game in question I have yet to "beat". This is why I much prefer multiplayer-based games, those that can be enjoyed more fully with accomplished friends, and video games that are more in-line and classified as "platformers". I also notice that Nintendo through different consoles and decades have provided what are the most enjoyable gaming experiences thus far, particularly for me. Must be the memorable characters. Now, I'd say select XBOX360 titles are among the best in the biz.


Here is an informative link and rankings of the greatest titles throughout the years: The Top 10 Best / Greatest Video Games of All Time

Crompsin:

Can you share those files perhaps? Seems like a good idea with more realistic weapons, would like to try that.

Ha. Master of Magic was a classic. Games nowadays rely too much on flashy graphics to cover crappy gameplay. All the great games that came out when I was younger, Ulitma III & IV, Dungeonmaster, Civilization, Starcontrol II, Starflight, etc. Had great gameplay and so-so graphics.

Nope.

Baldur's Gate II (2000)
Medieval (1999)
Warcraft 3 (2002)
King's Quest (I liked the whole series, but my favorite was 4...so 1988)
Space Quest (3 & 4 especially... '89 and '92)


Rock Band would probably be next, which obviously is a lot more recent, and a completely different type of game.

One thing I like about older games is that there isn't such a focus on the graphics. I'd pick an all-text game with a good story over an ultra-pretty game with no real plot anyday.

In no order:

*Baldur's Gate 1+2
*Rome: Total War (with realistic game mod) Does it count if you play a mod that came out in the last 5 years?
*Final Fantasy III
*Diablo 1+2
*Zelda: A link to the Past

I can't do just 5 games....
Honorable Mentions:
Simcity 2+3000
Warcraft 1-3
World of Warcraft (this just celebrated it's 5th year... it was real close to being within the OP's parameter)
Medieval: Total War (Any game that announces "You have conquered the French" makes me happy)
Civ 2+3
Tetris
Chrono Trigger & Secret of Mana

I like some of the games that have come out in the last 5 years. Some great RPGs have come out, along with some great simulation games. I like the fact that RPGs can have TONS of content and multiple ways you can beat the game. I got out of my first person shooter days when I was young, so I can admit that I've never played a Halo game. I think I burnt myself out on Duke Nukem 3d, Quake, and Doom. We are also nataglic gamers. We are the "old timers" compared to most gamers out there, we remember Nintendo and being fucking awe-stuck because of the Super Nintendo (THERE ARE 4 MORE BUTTONS!?! I CAN'T USE ALL OF THEM!).

Deep down inside all of us there is a Martian or Crompsin saying, "Damn wipper-snappers, in my day we only had 16-bit graphics AND WE WERE HAPPY".

What? I'm not that old. I just stopped paying for fancy consoles and switched to emulators.

I largely gave up video games for Real Life Action (TM) when I discovered it was more fulfilling.

Martial arts, motorcycles, gun schools... stuff is way fun even if you can't hit a reset button.

Age is not what I'm referencing, neither you or Martian are old. Martian is a self styled Crumudgeon and you dislike newer games. It shows with the fact that you just called it a "Fancy Console".

That also was a joke. Funny Haha and stuff.

****

Real life is more fun, but that's not we are talking about in this thread.

It was that way when I was a kid. Only major difference is we were playing the arcade games. Asteroids, Pac Man, Galaga, Centipede, etc.

Hmm my all time favorites (in no particular order):

1) Starcraft
2) Warcraft 2
3) Diablo 1/2
4) Quake 2
5) Counterstrike

---------- Post added at 10:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 PM ----------


QFT :(

1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Zelda: Ocarina of Time
3. Halo
4. Assasins Creed
5. Rainbow 6 Vegas

Sonic 3
Metal Gear Solid
Fallout 3
BioShock
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time

So yeah, a few have been released in the past five.

I have noticed one thing though: I seem to be a lot more disappointed in games for the past five years though. I've played a lot of games that have great premises, but somehow fail in execution or just fall short in some way. I don't know if anyone else has found this to be their case or not, but this generation is just bleh.

I'm curious as to how my name got dragged into this.

I don't think I have five favourite games. I switch it up based on mood, and tend to stick to one game at a time. Right now I'm playing an inordinate amount of Sid Meier's Pirates! The remake, not the original. The first game was released some time in the early nineties, and the new one was 2002 or 2003 I believe, so neither one qualifies. I enjoy both because who doesn't want to be a pirate, and will readily admit that the new one is nice because it's so much prettier. I'm not entirely sure that it's an accurate depiction of life as a 17th century brigand on the Spanish Main -- there's certainly much less scurvy than I've been lead to believe, anyway -- but it's fun to sail around and spout cliches all the same.

I like games that capture my imagination in some way. X-COM, Civilization, and Master Of Orion are good examples of games that managed to do that. I also play some first person shooters, but I'm not particularly interested in online gaming as a rule so most of these games don't really appeal to me. The Half-Life series is fun because it's apparent that the developers put just as much time into developing an interesting story set in a believable world as they did drawing scary-looking monsters. Left 4 Dead is an anomaly for me, although part of that may be because I only play with a select circle of people and therefore avoid the douchebaggery that online play is generally rife with.

By rights, newer games should be better. Newer hardware gives developers the ability to do things that the guys in the eighties or nineties wouldn't have bothered dreaming about. Perhaps this is the problem -- when one has to tell a story with 256 colours and PC speaker blips and bloops, one must necessarily get creative and do something new and interesting. Removing restrictions also removes the drive to innovate.

EDIT - Regarding X-COM, I also prefer UFO Defense to Terror From the Deep. I never could get interested in Apocalypse.

Now that I think about it... Metal Gear Solid is perhaps one of the best games ever made.

That game is a total action epic. All it needs is a sex scene... has the napalm and car chases.

Metal Gear Solid for PS1 is definitely in my top 5, it's probably #1.

1. Chrono Trigger
2. Final Fantasy VI
3. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
4. Shadow of the Colossus
5. Super Metroid

I guess I am a nostalgia whore. I have tons of honorable mentions that have came out in the past 5 years but there are no games in my mind that can top these games. 4 of them are from my childhood so it's probably just nostalgia but I have played these games over and over and over so many times and they never lose their appeal to me. I guess 2D gaming was the pinnacle of gaming to me. I wish they would try to release some amazing side scrolling game that takes full advantage of current console capabilities (I know about games like Braid on the online stores but I'm talking about full, massive games). How awesome would it be for a new Metroid or Castlevania side scroller on a next gen console? How about even another top down Zelda? These games could be epic but I guess everyone just wants their cheap thrills from an FPS shooter that lasts 6 hours.

In my opinion, Zelda's move to 3D was horrible. OoT and Majora's Mask were two of the absolute worst Zelda's to me (barring the CD-i games). But then again, I never really liked the Nintendo 64 in the first place.

---------- Post added at 01:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------

QFT

Definitely. I concur... a simple side-strolling platform game or top-down game with today's graphics would rock my socks.

Games like "Metal Slug" never cease to be amusing... and if you add in a groovy plot as well as character development and a ton of different locations, bad guys, and weapons... you're busy for hours.

The newest games I own are Doom 3 (played for 30 minutes or so in the past 3-4 years), and a star wars game called Jedi Outcast or something to that effect for 2001 or 2002. I finally have the hardware to crank up the settings on Doom 3 but have more important things to do with my time now.
I have enjoyed that new Wolfenstein 3D game on my dad's system but that is likely more than 5 years old.
some of my favourites:
- Chuck Yeager's Air Combat (1991)
- Bard's Tale
- Rise of the Triad
- F-15 Strike Eagle 3. Fun to play when it worked but it required 2 MB Expanded Memory just to load and that was damn near impossible to get while still loading drivers for the joystick
- That Micropose game with the Apache attack helicopters from 1994 or so, spent many hours on that one.

never have seen or played anything more recent than Doom 3 for the PC personally, and my idea of a current fun console to play is a Sega Genesis or Atari 7800.

This thread makes me want to find my ancient copies of Mechwarrior. I sincerely doubt any of them will run anymore, I think the last one (Mech 4: Mercs?) is like seven years old as it is . . .

My Favourite Top Five games are:
1)Bounty Hunter – GameCube and PS2 :It's a nice Star War games
2)Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
3) Final Fantasy X
4) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
5) Shadow of the Colossus
6)Fighting Vipers

I tihnk it depends on your favourite genre. My Top Five is mostly older, because I worshipped BlackIsle.

1. Fallout 2
2. PlaneScape Torment
3. Baldur's Gate 2
4. X-com UFO Defense
5. Neverworld? That clay-animation puzzle game. Damn that was the best puzzle advernture game evar.
6. Split between HOMM2, Mechwarrior 2, Unreal Tournament, Far Cry and Gears of War 2, KOTOR 2

FPS is currently going through a Golden Age. I gamed mostly through the Turn-based and D&D golden age. The nostalgia factor heavily biases me in favour of those games, although I've possibly spent more gaming hours on more recent games like GOW2, Soul Calibur 4, Halo3 etc.