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21. Beyond Good & Evil

Tragically ignored by consumers, Beyond Good & Evil was a financial disappointment despite critical acclaim. Set on an alien world, Beyond Good & Evil follows the exploits of an investigative reporter named Jade, who stumbles upon a massive conspiracy. Stealth is an important component of the gameplay in Beyond Good & Evil: while Jade does carry an offensive weapon, she often has to embrace a clandestine approach when faced with overwhelming enemy forces. One of the most engaging and immersive elements in the game is the ability to take photographs with Jade’s camera. The camera can be used to photograph evidence of the conspiracy or simply to snap pictures of the fauna on Hillys.

22. Tomb Raider II Starring Lara Croft

Its very title indicates that the cult of Lara was already in full-effect by 1997, but Tomb Raider II is surprisingly non-exploitative; Lara Croft continues to be one of the industry’s greatest heroines, not merely a subject of sex. In Tomb Raider II Croft is once again raiding tombs, crypts, caves and long-forgotten temples. Her latest target is the Dagger of Xian, which is also coveted by a dangerous Italian mobster named Marco Bartoli. Although Tomb Raider II uses the same engine which made the original Tomb Raider such a hit, it improves upon the graphics and play control of its predecessor. Environments are bigger and are capable of presenting larger and more complex polygons. Tomb Raider II is more action-oriented than the original and the first Tomb Raider game to feature vehicles.

23. Metroid: Zero Mission

The Game Boy Advance has made a living off its enhanced remakes and ports, from Super Mario Advance to Final Fantasy VI Advance. Its best, however, is Metroid: Zero Mission, a retelling of the events of the first Metroid game. As in the original, Zero Mission takes place on Zebes, where Samus has tracked the Space Pirates, scourge of the galaxy and abductors of Metroids, highly dangerous parasitic life forms. Because of its familiar storyline and geography, Zero Mission is a treat for fans familiar with the Metroid mythology who wish to relive one of the most important games on the NES; it’s similarly a perfect starting point for those new to the franchise. Although Zero Mission closely follows the chronology of the original, it does not quite finish where Metroid ended.

24. Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers

For some strange reason, Street Fighter II Turbo is generally considered the best console version of Street Fighter II, but it pales in comparison to Super Street Fighter II, the game with the most characters, moves and modes. Super Street Fighter II features sixteen playable characters, twelve carried over from the previous games and four new to the franchise: Cammy, T. Hawk, Fei-Long and Dee Jay. Other novelties include eight color schemes for each character’s costume, new moves and new animation frames, music and sound effects, as well as adjustable game speed. Its greatest achievements, however, are its new game modes, which include time trial, group battle and tournament battle, an eight-player single elimination tournament.

25. Banjo-Tooie

The much-anticipated sequel to Banjo-Kazooie again pits the bear-bird duo against the evil witch Gruntilda along with her two wicked sisters. As in the first installment, players explore several enormous game environments with hidden collectables, the most important being “jiggies,” golden jigsaw pieces which allow the player to progress through the game. Additions include the ability to play as former non-player character Mumbo, new moves, and the option to split Banjo and Kazooie apart, thus taking advantage of the unique skills each possesses. The varied and expansive worlds include a prehistoric wasteland, an amusement park and a factory. Banjo-Tooie also features several hidden Easter eggs which first appeared in Banjo-Kazooie.

26. Halo 2

Bungie Studios described Halo as "Combat Evolved." And although it didn't redefine the rules of war, it certainly redefined a genre. Halo 2 could just as easily have been called "Multiplayer Evolved." Its multiplayer modes and networking options were second-to-none when it arrived in homes in late 2004; it’s still a blast to play today. The one-player campaign is shorter and more episodic than that in its predecessor, but to call it an afterthought would be wrong. Although brief (somewhere between 10 and 15 hours), the campaign in Halo 2 is nothing short of brilliant, with inspired level design, incredible production values and top-flight mechanics. The most exceptional and unexpected feature of Halo 2 is the ability to play as both Master Chief and a disgraced Elite (a Covenant infantryman).

27. Panzer Dragoon

Every video game system has at least one game or franchise unique to it and representative of its processing power and philosophy. For the short-lived Sega Saturn, the game was Panzer Dragoon, one of the titles released during the Saturn’s accelerated launch on May 11, 1995. In Panzer Dragoon, players assume the role of a young hunter entrusted with a vital mission and a powerful blue dragon. Panzer Dragoon is a rail shooter, not unlike Star Fox, and thus movement is limited along vertical and horizontal axes. Players can attack enemies with a rapid-fire rifle or with a lock-on energy blast which can seek out several targets at once. Panzer Dragoon also allows players to rotate the camera around 360 degrees to fight off enemies coming from the north, south, east and west.

28. Tetris

For its relatively short life, the video game industry has been dominated by Japan and by the United States, by England and by France. In 1984, however, the U.S.S.R. made a hugely significant contribution to the video game world with Tetris. Designed by Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris appeared on a number of personal computers throughout the 1980s, but its Game Boy version is the one that catapulted the game to stardom. Bundled with the Game Boy in 1989, Tetris introduced huge audiences to the greatest puzzle game ever made and created a generation of Tetris-addicted kids. The object of the game is to prevent blocks from piling up and reaching the top of the screen. Endlessly imitated but never duplicated, Tetris is the alpha and omega of puzzle games.

29. The Legend of Zelda

Within three years of its existence, the NES had produced two of the most important video games ever made and, in the process, introduced the world to what would become two of Nintendo’s most popular and profitable franchises: Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Although both were developed by a team led by Shigeru Miyamoto, The Legend of Zelda was a far cry from its cousin Super Mario Bros. Set in a fantasy world of swords and sorcery, The Legend of Zelda is a nonlinear action-adventure game that introduced a quest so large that new technology was needed to support it. It was the first console game to feature an internal battery that allowed players to save their progress; no longer did would-be adventurers have to complete a game in a single sitting.

30. Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Hardcore fighting fans no doubt point to the Street Fighter, Tekken and Soul Calibur series when discussing the industry’s best one-on-one fighters, but the Super Smash Bros. brand has slowly but surely inserted itself into the conversation. Uncomplicated compared to more serious fighting games, the crossover Smash Bros. franchise reached its peak in 2008 with Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Like its predecessors, Brawl uses a simple battle system and features a huge assortment of Nintendo mascots. Brawl for the first time also introduces non-Nintendo characters: Sonic the Hedgehog and Solid Snake. Apart from supporting excellent offline and online multiplayer modes, Brawl features an incredible one-player adventure mode called “The Subspace Emissary.”