10. Skies of Arcadia
This is the dark horse on my list, I guess. I doubt many people played it, as it was a Dreamcast RPG overshadowed by many more popular Playstation RPGs. But you know what? I loved it. It was obscenely long and immersive, the graphics were rich, and the ship battles were fantastic. The story was pretty formulaic, but it was fun all the way through.
9. Dynasty Warriors 3
My friend and I discovered the cooperative mode on this game, and ended up playing it all night. The gameplay is pretty repetitive, but it's some of the best "big battle" action you can find. The style is pretty laughable, but we had tons of fun. We played the crap out of that game, leveling up our favorite fighters, collecting new items, and playing battles from different points of view. Awesome.
8. Knights of the Old Republic
Kudos to BioWare for giving us the first truly deep Star Wars-themed video game ever. I didn't know if the concept would sell because the story was so far removed from the films (that everyone knows), but it was an incredible experience. It is one of the best (and best looking) RPGs to date.
*SIDE NOTE: Playing through as a good guy was fun, but playing through as a bad guy was divine.
7. NFL 2K
My friends and I played this religiously for months, despite the updated versions (and updated competition games) that were released. It was just a blast, and we loved trying to hit each other between plays - it was like a built-in mini-game.
6. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
This was the first 3D Resident Evil, and boy was it sweet. I played through it in about a week, because I couldn't stop. It was incredible.
5. Shenmue
I don't care what anyone says, this game is a blast. It's innovative in every way, and I thought it all went together well. The story wasn't very deep, but it was compelling to play through (trying to find that next clue, and getting attacked from out of nowhere). And the character interaction is some of the best I've seen, because it was like really having a life inside the game. Still one of my favorites, and I hope Yu Suzuki continues the line.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
This one caught me off-guard in nearly every way. I wasn't a fan of the graphics until I played it, and I wasn't really crazy about the story concept until I played through it. What I thought was something very distant from my beloved Zelda games was actually something that sat very close to them. It was a sequel to Ocarina of Time - something I never thought I'd get, and wasn't expecting - and the story was absolutely stunning. That segment in Hyrule Castle is, I would argue, one of the all-time best video game moments. It gave me chills.
3. Resident Evil 2
I completed this game entirely. I played through every scenario, every point of view. I explored all the secrets, and completed all the sub-quests. I LOVE this game. This, I think, along with the Gamecube remake, is Resident Evil at its best. The environments, the story, and the action - they just sucked me right in.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The best game of all time is also nearly my most favorite, and for good reason. No game has ever gotten any closer to perfection. Ocarina symbolizes everything video games should be, and because of that, it sets itself apart from all other games. For me, it is more than just a game. It is a complete and untarnished masterpiece, and no matter how old it gets, it will still be just as enjoyable as the day it was released (which is the day I fell in love with it).
1. Halo
I've never played a video game so much in my life. My friends and I played this consistently for three years without taking breaks. It never got old, never got boring. The smoothness and sophistication of this game's gameplay is unrivaled. I've never had more fun playing a game, and I doubt I ever will. I was used to the same types of shooters, and this was different. New. Evolved. It ceased to be a game, and became an experience, a struggle. Never has a game challenged me so much, and never have I felt so accomplished for meeting and overcoming those challenges. My friends and I play Halo 2 all the time now, but when I'm at home, I STILL play this game (and as a matter of fact, we still play it when we feel like revisiting our old stomping grounds).