1001 Spikes is a treacherous platformer that's hard to put down. Overcoming it's brutal and varied challenges is a great joy, and the dozens of playable characters make replays a no-brainer.

AMID EVIL wears its inspirations on its sleeve, and takes them to the next level with beautiful retro visuals and a relentless onslaught of enemies to vanquish.

The Armored Core series returns with an explosive, laser-focused adventure. Building on FromSoftware's past achievements, Armored Core VI strikes the right balance between old and new.

Baba is You is an incredibly creative take on the Sokoban genre that fully realizes its own potential. As quaint as it is, it makes you wonder what else is possible.

Impressive visuals, amazing music, and classic Rareware quirkiness help make Banjo-Kazooie a joyful collectathon adventure.

Slick, stylish, hilarious, and concealing extreme depth, Bayonetta is another one-of-a-kind hit from Hideki Kamiya.

Bloodborne enraptures players in a new world of horror while tweaking the Souls formula to varying degrees of success. The worldbuilding elevates its horror influences to new heights, and it's one of the better entries in the stellar lineup.

All-around great presentation and a killer soundtrack make Bomberman Hero's bizarre platforming action a great time.

Call of Duty: Black Ops sees the series at its most comprehensive: addicting multiplayer, dumb-fun campaign, and an awesome collection of zombie-survival maps.

Castlevania is crushingly intense platforming action, and a real achievement of its generation. Few games of the time can match the well-balanced but extreme difficulty.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is the perfect marriage of brutal old-school action and gothic horror. It's an awesome struggle to slay Dracula and his horde.

Cave Story is a legendary indie adventure that promises memorable action-platforming and merciless challenge.

Counter-Strike is ingenious team-based FPS design, and a competitive experience that might just endure for all time.

Don't let its squeamish visuals and bizarre novel mechanics fool you: Cruelty Squad is a competent tactical stealth shooter with tricks up its sleeve.

Cuphead is a true hallmark of 2D animation in games, and just about every other aspect of the adventure lives up to that same standard.

It's no surprise that every detail of this game is permanently etched into gaming canon. Dark Souls leaps from the shoulders of giants; an incredible triumph that resonates with all who take the rite of passage.

Demon's Souls is a bold, experimental collection of ideas layered over classically brutal game-design. The end result is a one-of-a-kind experience that's left a massive mark on gaming history.

Devil Daggers is a simple idea distilled into pure gold. Both the presentation and action are flawless in this Retro Arcade Survival FPS.

Devil May Cry may not be the flashiest game in retrospect, but its structure, framework, and attention to detail are still iron-clad, and its influence can be felt everywhere in today's 3D action. Passion and dedication shine through at every turn.

Devil May Cry 3 is an insane explosion of complexity that outmaneuvers everything that came before. The result is world-class fighting action.

DOOM is the greatest and most influential American game of all time, and an unmistakable piece of computer history.

DOOM Eternal cranks up the intensity to 11, and trusts the player to keep up. Those who dedicate themselves to mastering the tools and techniques will enjoy becoming the most overpowered FPS character in history; a god of destruction. The pulse-pounding soundtrack is the cherry on top.

With a few key additions, DOOM II completes the sandbox of its predecessor, and modding capability ensures endless action.

Duke Nukem personifies cheesy 90s action in his first 3D rampage: a stellar success and one of the best attempts at intercepting DOOM's legacy.

DUSK is a slick retro-styled FPS with seriously cool level design; a worthy vanguard of the "Boomer-Shooter" renaissance.

One of the craziest, most complex, and beautiful 2D-platformers ever made. The journey towards mastery is a long one, but it's worth every step.

Elden Ring dwarfs its predecessors in scale, while expanding on the rock-solid formula that runs throughout all of the Souls games. It's an incredible adventure in every sense, and I'd recommend it to just about everyone.

Few games can blend so many separately enjoyable elements and genres into an engaging RPG that (mostly) stays on the rails throughout. Fallout New Vegas is the fan-favorite for good reason.

F.E.A.R. is a technical marvel and a deeply tense horror-themed FPS game. This game is worth the price of admission for the SPAS-12 alone.

Play it.

FTL is a tense ship-management roguelike where every choice counts. It's difficulty is extreme and every run takes your crew in a completely different direction.

Garou is one of SNK's finest entries in the fighting game genre. Slick visuals and air-tight gameplay make this a must-play for any fighting game fan.

Over-the-top violence and heavy, visceral combat make Gears of War an enjoyable bloodbath. The multiplayer is both intentionally and unintentionally memorable.

A ridiculous, one-of-a-kind beat-em-up that you probably have to see to believe. On paper, how could something like this work? In practice, it's a blazing-fast ass-kicking brawler that will have you working your hands to the bone. You can gamble on racing chihuahuas also.

Goldeneye 007 exploded onto the gaming scene and proved that console FPS games were no joke. It's a seriously tough single-player game and wildly fun splitscreen multiplayer shooter.

Gran Turismo 4 is a legend of the racing genre, and the perfect game for car enthusiasts.

Perhaps the best Anime Fighting Game there is. Inventive, complex, technical, and unique, GGXX AC+R is what 2D Fighting Games are all about.

Half-Life performs action-packed story-weaving without taking the reins from the player. It's a magnificent game that rightfully kickstarted Valve's empire.

Half-Life 2 returns the series with massive impact: utilizing the new Source Engine in amazing ways to draw players even further into the experience.

A terrific campaign, unforgettable soundtrack, and an expansion of the great Halo sandbox, all playable on Xbox Live? This game changed the world.