I’ve been playing video games basically my entire life.
One of my earliest memories is getting a Nintendo when I was really little. I was so small at the time that I genuinely thought the console worked like an arcade machine. Like the cabinets you see at arcades where you have to put coins in to play.
So naturally… I started putting pennies into it.
That’s a true story.
Thankfully my grandpa was able to fix it before I completely destroyed the system. But that’s basically where my gaming journey started. After that it was the classics: Duck Hunt, Mario, and just sitting in front of the TV figuring out what the hell video games even were.
Eventually we moved into the next generation. A lot of people had Super Nintendo growing up, but in my house we were actually a Sega Genesis household. So I played a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog growing up. But back then if you wanted to play another system you just went to your friend’s house.
One friend had Nintendo. Another friend had Sega. Someone else had something else. Sleepovers were basically a tour of every gaming system that existed at the time.
But if I’m being honest, my real love for video games didn’t fully click until the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 era. That’s when games started becoming bigger, deeper, and more complex. Stories got better. Worlds got bigger. Characters started to feel more real.
But even before that era there were still some unforgettable moments.
I remember the first time my brother and I beat Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo. That felt like a massive accomplishment when we were kids. That game is an absolute classic. It’s a little too short to make my top ten list, but it absolutely deserves an honorable mention. The arcade version and the Super Nintendo version are both incredible, and if I ever see that arcade machine somewhere I’m absolutely putting money into it.
Then the Nintendo 64 era hit, and honestly that might be the golden age of gaming memories for me.
Sleepovers back then were legendary. No phones. No social media. Nothing distracting you. It was just a bunch of friends sitting in a room playing video games all night.
Games like GoldenEye, Mario Kart 64, and the first three Mario Party games basically defined those nights.
I remember playing 50-turn Mario Party games at sleepovers and staying up ridiculously late. Those first three Mario Party games are still iconic. Those nights were chaos in the best way possible. Friendships were tested, controllers were almost thrown, and someone always got screwed by the game in the final few turns.
Mario Kart 64 was another big one. My friends and I used to run full tournaments where we’d play all 16 races and let the game keep track of the standings. And it always felt like everything came down to the final race on Rainbow Road.
Whoever won that race basically walked away with the bragging rights for the night.
Those kinds of nights are really hard to replicate now in 2026. Phones exist, everyone’s distracted, and people don’t really sit in a room playing the same game for six hours anymore.
But back then? That was peak male bonding.
Video games have always been social for me. Even later in life that never really changed. In college my roommates and I would play NHL constantly. Sports games were always a huge part of hanging out with friends.
And I’ll say it right now: NBA Live 2005 is still the best basketball game ever made.
I’ll die on that hill.
But beyond the multiplayer stuff, there were also games that hit me emotionally. Games that blew my mind with their stories. Games that made me fall in love with entire genres.
So with that in mind, I decided to put together a list of my ten favorite video games of all time.
This list isn’t ranked from best to worst because honestly that would be impossible. These are just the games that meant the most to me. The ones I replay. The ones I think about years later. The ones that shaped my love for gaming.
Before we get into the top ten though, there are a few honorable mentions that absolutely deserve some love.
Honorable Mentions
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
Like I mentioned earlier, this game is just an all-time classic.
Beating this game with my brother when we were kids felt like such a huge accomplishment. It’s simple, chaotic, and ridiculously fun. The bosses are great, the levels are memorable, and the arcade version still holds up today.
It’s definitely too short to make a top ten list like this, but it absolutely deserves recognition.
And again — if I see that arcade cabinet anywhere, I’m playing it.
Dynasty Warriors 3
If we’re talking about pure hours played, Dynasty Warriors 3 might honestly be near the top of my entire gaming life.
My cousin and I must have put something like 2,000 hours into that game growing up. We unlocked characters, maxed them out, played every stage on the hardest difficulty, and basically did everything there was to do in that game.
Seeing the character select screen filled with fully leveled characters felt like a badge of honor.
A lot of fans still say Dynasty Warriors 3 is the best one in the entire franchise, and honestly it’s hard to argue with that.
Those PS2 gaming sessions with my cousin are some of my favorite gaming memories ever.
Sports Games
Sports games deserve a shoutout too because they were such a huge part of growing up.
Whether it was Madden, NHL, or basketball games, those were the games you played when you just wanted to compete with friends sitting next to you.
In college my roommates and I would play NHL constantly. Those games got extremely competitive.
And again, I’m going to say it one more time for the record:
NBA Live 2005 is the best basketball game ever made.
My Top 10 Favorite Video Games
(No particular order)
#10 – Metal Gear Solid 4
Metal Gear Solid 4 is, in my opinion, the absolute pinnacle of the Metal Gear series.
Yes, this game is famous for having an insane amount of cutscenes. One of them is over an hour long. But honestly? I didn’t care. I loved every second of it.
The storytelling in that game is incredible, and it felt like the true ending to Solid Snake’s story. You’re seeing older versions of these characters, the world has changed, and everything the series had been building toward finally comes together.
The boss fights are fantastic, especially the Beauty and the Beast unit. Each one of them felt intense and cinematic, and I loved how they were essentially modern versions of bosses from earlier Metal Gear games.
But the moment that really sticks with me is the final fight between Snake and Ocelot. That fight is just legendary. As the fight progresses the music changes and references older Metal Gear games. It’s basically a love letter to the entire series.
For fans of the franchise, it was the perfect send-off.
#9 – Batman: Arkham City
Arkham City is one of the greatest sequels ever made.
Arkham Asylum was already amazing, but Arkham City took everything that worked in that game and expanded it perfectly.
The city was bigger. The combat felt smoother. The side missions were better. And the list of villains was incredible.
You had Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Ra’s al Ghul, and a bunch of other classic Batman villains all showing up in the story.
And then there’s the Clayface twist.
The first time I played through the game and realized what was actually happening there, my mind was completely blown. It’s one of the best twists I’ve ever experienced in a video game.
The Mr. Freeze boss fight is also one of the coolest boss fights ever designed. You can’t use the same tactic twice, so the game constantly forces you to adapt.
Arkham City just nails everything that makes Batman great.
#8 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This might be the most “complete” Zelda game ever made.
I debated putting A Link to the Past on this list instead because that game is also incredible, but for me Ocarina of Time represents everything that makes Zelda special.
The characters are great. The music is amazing. The dungeons are iconic. And the story still holds up today.
The mechanic of playing as both Young Link and Adult Link was such a cool idea. Watching Hyrule change over time made the world feel alive.
And the dungeons in this game are fantastic.
The Forest Temple, the Spirit Temple, the Shadow Temple — they’re all incredible. Even the Water Temple, which still annoys the hell out of me to this day.
The boss fights are amazing too. Fighting Bongo Bongo in the Shadow Temple is still one of the creepiest boss fights I’ve ever seen. The twin witches in the Spirit Temple are awesome. And the final fight against Ganondorf and then Ganon is just legendary.
For an N64 game, it really was the pinnacle of what that system could do.
#7 – Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II is one of those rare sequels that improves on basically everything from the first game.
The combat is smoother, the story expands on everything that happened in Kingdom Hearts 1, and Organization XIII became one of the most memorable villain groups in gaming.
Starting the game as Roxas was definitely weird at first. You’re sitting there thinking, “Wait… where’s Sora?”
But once you understand Roxas’ story and how he connects to everything, that opening section becomes one of the most emotional parts of the entire series.
The boss fights in this game are also incredible, especially in the Final Mix version with the data battles.
And the ending of Kingdom Hearts II is honestly one of the best endings in video game history.
When the music kicks in and everything finally comes together emotionally, it’s just perfect.
#6 – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Vice City might actually be my favorite GTA game.
The 1980s setting is just perfect. The neon lights, the cars, the music — everything about that world is amazing.
Tommy Vercetti is a fantastic main character, and the game clearly takes inspiration from things like Scarface and Miami Vice.
What I love most about Vice City though is the atmosphere. Just driving around the city listening to the radio stations never gets old.
And compared to something like San Andreas, which was massive, Vice City feels tighter and more focused.
It’s one of those games where the vibe alone makes you want to go back and replay it.
To Be Continued…
That’s the first half of my list.
In Part 2 I’ll be covering the remaining five games that meant the most to me — including the game that made me fall in love with RPGs in the first place.
Stay tuned.
