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71. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

The Tony Hawk series of skateboarding games have now become a video game empire, but the franchise began rather humbly in 1999 on the Sony Playstation. Players skate through several single-player and multiplayer modes as one of ten celebrity skaters, including Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska and, of course, Tony Hawk. The single-player career mode includes nine open-ended environments in which players perform stunts, tricks, jumps and all manner of daredevil maneuvers. In six of the nine stages, skaters are asked to collect five tapes, some of which are unlocked by achieving high scores, some of which are hidden somewhere in the environment. The physics engine in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is really something of a miracle, allowing players to do everything a real skater can do.

72. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure

In an industry dominated by fast-paced action games, adventure titles like Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure are rare indeed. In Zack & Wiki, players control Zack, a young boy whose aspirations stop at nothing short of being the greatest pirate in history, and his magical sidekick Wiki, a golden floating monkey capable of magically transforming living items into objects useful for solving puzzles. Early in the game, Zack and Wiki discover the talking skull of the famous pirate Barbaros, who promises guidance to Treasure Island should the would-be pirates collect the rest of his scattered bones. The puzzles in Zack & Wiki, which require cleverly using the Wii remote, become progressively more difficult as the game moves on; the penultimate level is insanely tough.

73. Final Fantasy II

The real Final Fantasy II never made the journey from the Super Famicom to the Super Nintendo; what is called Final Fantasy II on the SNES is really the fourth Final Fantasy game. Set in a fantasy world on the brink of chaos, Final Fantasy II unites heroes from different backgrounds who fight against an evil sorcerer trying to destroy the world. Although it’s not as masterful as its younger brother Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI in Japan), Final Fantasy II is one of the most important RPGs of its or any generation. It largely introduced the idea of dramatic storytelling in an RPG, which has since become one of the genre’s defining characteristics. Final Fantasy II also features an incredible musical score and an Active Time Battle (ATB) system in which players input commands in real time.

74. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

From the creator of the best-selling franchise Crash Bandicoot comes one of the best platformers on the Playstation 2, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Following in the footsteps of some of the greatest platform games ever made, Jak and Daxter opens up for players large, diverse environments littered with nasty enemies and tons of collectable items: power cells, “Precursor orbs,” etc. The story is representative of its genre and thus not especially deep; best friends Jak and Daxter trespass on Misty Island, run afoul of an angry “Lurker” and Daxter is thrown into a pool of “Dark Eco,” transforming him into a furry “Ottsel” (think otter meets weasel). Soon after the dynamic duo are searching for a cure, exploring richly detailed environments and gradually becoming real heroes.

75. Super Street Fighter II Turbo

The Street Fighter II franchise, which is largely credited with popularizing the fighting game genre, came to a close in North America in 1994 with the release of Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Super Turbo), an updated version of Super Street Fighter II. Although the SNES port of Super Street Fighter II is a better overall package than Super Turbo, the latter tops the former in terms of graphics, sophistication and balance. Super Turbo is the first arcade Street Fighter to feature adjustable game speed, special moves called “Super Combos” and a hidden player named Akuma. Considered by many hardcore fighting fans to be the series’ ultimate accomplishment, Super Turbo is still played in worldwide competitive tournaments.

76. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

The Call of Duty games have long dominated the pool of World War II shooters, but in 2007 developer Infinity Ward fast-forwarded to the not-too-distant future when American marines and British Special Forces are pitched in a global battle against Russian ultranationalists and Middle Eastern radicals. Because of its emphasis on the rules of modern warfare, Call of Duty 4 introduces weapons and technology which never before appeared in previous installments: soldiers can fire high-powered sniper rifles, use night-vision goggles and call in air strikes on unsuspecting targets. The multiplayer modes in CoD 4 are especially good, rivaling Halo 3 in terms of replay value and intensity. In each match, players can select one of several classes of soldier, each with its own weapons and “perks.”

77. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

One of the most unique games on the SNES is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, an RPG developed by Square with direct guidance from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. Super Mario RPG begins like most Mario games: Princess Toadstool is captured by local tyrant Bowser and mustachioed Mario flies to her rescue. The rescue attempt is interrupted, however, when a giant sword crashes through Bowser’s keep. As the story progresses, players learn that much more sinister forces than Bowser are attempting to overrun the Mushroom Kingdom. Although developed by Square, Super Mario RPG is a much simpler RPG than any of Square’s Final Fantasy series. The battle sequences are less complicated, the inventory is less robust, the playing time significantly reduced.

78. Rayman 2: The Great Escape

The first three-dimensional outing for the limbless hero Rayman is an excellent platform game with terrific graphics, sound and play control, one which ranks among the very best Nintendo 64 games. Rayman 2 is the story of an evil invading army of robotic pirates who are enslaving the population of Rayman’s home world. Equipped with powerful fists, which can fire charged projectiles, and aided by a group of friends, Rayman jumps, runs and floats through gorgeously-designed environments (aided by the expansion pack), defeating the minions of Razorbeard. Although Rayman 2 embraces traditional platform elements, the developers at Ubisoft added several unusual features, including waterskiing and riding “shells,” mule-headed missiles which can gallop or fly through the air.

79. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Although it comes with a certain sense of déjà vu, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a worthy successor to the best game of 2002 Metroid Prime. Set six months after the events on Tallon IV, Echoes follows space hunter Samus Aran and her adventures on Aether, a planet which has two parallel realities. Like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Echoes asks players to maneuver between “light” and “dark” worlds; both realities must be explored to complete the game. Apart from its emphasis on duality, Echoes largely resembles its immediate predecessor in both appearance and gameplay, but adds, for the first time in the franchise, a multiplayer mode in which four players can do battle; unfortunately it adds almost nothing to the overall experience.

80. Street Fighter Alpha

While not nearly as good as its cousin Super Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha is an excellent fighting game and a tribute to the programmers and developers at Capcom, who packaged together a new artistic style and brand new mechanics with the essentials which make Street Fighter so much fun to play. At its core, Alpha is similar to Street Fighter II and all its immediate variations, but the game features a combo system which is light years ahead of the seminal fighting game. Alpha boasts a three-level Super Combo gauge, which gradually fills as players complete basic and special moves; when the gauge reaches a certain level, players can input button sequences to perform devastating Super Combo techniques. New moves include mid-air blocks and counter attacks.