Best games ever = the games that you, the gaming community, feel are the best games ever made. Not the most significant. Not the ones that were best AT THAT TIME. The ones that are the best today. Classic games that have stood the test of time and originals that are better than any sequel to follow apply, as does a game that was released last year.
This may seem like a daunting task, but I can't think of a community more familiar with building, tearing down, and tweaking game lists like the gang here. Let us proceed. This list consists of "home games", and can include computer games, handheld games, and console games. Not arcade games. That's for another list on another day.
Try to vote or dispute only on games that you have personally played. We'll address the obscure games separately so don't vote a game out just because you never heard of it.
Also note that we won't include "series" or "compilations" of any kind. A game has to stand on its own - though it may have stood on several platforms, assume "the one you like best" when voting in future.
UPDATED 09/20/04: Your job now is to lobby for games that are "missing", and you should also name a game to be removed. In order for this to happen, someone will need to SECOND your motion, so make your argument a convincing one!
Adventure (2600)
Baldur's Gate 2 (PC)
Bard's Tale, The (C64)
Baseball Stars (NES)
Blazing Lazers (TG-16)
Bonk's Revenge (TG-16)
Bubble Bobble (NES/SMS/PSX)
Burgertime (Intellivision)
Castlevania Symphony of the Night (PSX)
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Civilization II (PC)
Devil's Crush (TG-16)
Diablo (PC/PSX)
Donkey Kong aka Donkey Kong '94 (Game Boy)
Dracula X (PCE Duo)
Dragon Warrior IV (NES)
Dragonstomper (2600)
Dreadnaught Factor (Intellivision,/5200)
Elite (C64)
Final Fantasy III (SNES)
Final Fantasy VII (PSX)
Goldeneye 007 (N64)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PS2)
Grim Fandango (PC)
Guardian Heroes (Saturn)
Gunstar Heroes(Genesis)
Half-Life (PC)
Incredible Wizard, The (Bally Astrocade)
Jet Grind Radio (DC)
Kaboom! (2600)
Legend of Zelda, The (NES)
Legend of Zelda, The: Link to the Past (SNES)
Legend of Zelda, The: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Lode Runner (C64, Apple II, others)
Lords of Thunder (Duo)
Lunar: Silver Star Story (Sega CD)
Mega Man 2 (NES)
Metal Gear Solid (PSX)
Metal Slug 3 (Neo-Geo)
Metroid (NES)
Metroid Prime (GC)
Microsurgeon (Intellivision)
Mike Tyson's Punch Out (NES)
Military Madness (TG-16)
Miner 2049'er (800)
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (PC)
Ms Pac-Man (7800)
MULE (C64)
MUSHA (Genesis)
Nights into Dreams (Saturn)
NightWarriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge (Saturn)
Ninja Gaiden (NES)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn)
Phantasy Star IV (Genesis)
Phantasy Star Online (Dreamcast)
Pirates! (C64)
Pitfall II (5200)
Point Blank (PSX)
Radiant Silvergun (Saturn)
River City Ransom (NES)
R-Type (TG-16)
Samurai Shodown 2 (Neo Geo)
Saturn Bomberman (Saturn)
Secret of Mana (SNES)
Shining Force CD (Sega CD)
Sim City 2000 (PC)
Snatcher (Sega CD)
Sonic CD (Sega CD)
Soul Calibur(DC)
Space Invaders (2600)
Star Control 2 (PC/3DO)
Star Raiders (5200/Atari 8-bit)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
Suikoden II (PSX)
Super Mario Bros. (NES)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
Super Mario Kart (SNES)
Super Mario World (SNES)
Super Mario World 64 (N64)
Super Metroid (SNES)
Super Punch-Out!! (SNES)
Super Smash Bros. Melee (GCN)
Super Street Fighter II Turbo (3DO)
Tecmo Super Bowl (NES)
Tempest 2000 (Jaguar)
Terranigma (SNES import)
Tetris (Game Boy)
Tetris Attack (SNES)
Toe Jam & Earl (Genesis)
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Twisted Metal 2 (PSX)
Ultima IV (Apple II/C64/PC)
Ultimate Wizard (C64)
Utopia (Intellivision)
Vib Ribbon (PSX)
Warlords (2600)
Wasteland (C64)
Wipeout XL (PSX)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (SMS)