I’m constantly reminded that nostalgia is a bitch. Case in point, every game on this list is 10 years old or more.

30 – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Year Released: 2006 | Platform: Nintendo Gamecube

The last Gamecube Zelda game, or the first Wii Zelda game, depending on your perspective. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was the ‘realistic’ Zelda game we were all clamouring for back in the early 00’s. See, in 2002, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was released with a gorgeous, emotive cel-shaded art style that looked amazing. But all us edgy teenagers rebelled against it, calling it a baby game for babies. We wanted the dark and gritty browns that were so pervasive across all video games at the time.

In Twilight Princess, Link and Midna embark on an adventure to save the world from an encroaching darkness. With Link having the ability to transform into a wolf, and Midna having an ethereal hand to overcome… well, pretty much anything. Twilight Princess was the real follow-up to Ocarina of Time that fans at the time wanted, and while Wind Waker‘s art style has aged MUCH better than Twilight Princess has, the dark fantasy atmosphere did a lot to entertain my teenage brain.

29 – Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Year Released: 2005 | Platform: Nintendo Gamecube

Intelligent Systems first foray for Fire Emblem into the world of 3D was one of my favourite experiences. From centering the story not on a little lord trying to raise an army, but instead on a common man, Ike, who is thrust into a leadership role when the continent is embroiled in war, and his father Greil, the leader of the Greil Mercenaries, is cut down in front of him.

The moment that really sealed Path of Radiance into the upper echelon of video games, is the chapter that happens immediately after Greil dies. Two of your teammates abandon ship, and you’re left to defend the princess against a seemingly never ending onslaught of enemy forces. The despair and hopelessness I felt as a young lad, seeing more and more enemy reinforcements swarm in from all directions, each of my young characters desperately holding their choke points, was a formative gaming moment for me.

Beyond that single chapter, Path of Radiance also grapples with themes of racism and prejudice between the humans and the Laguz, a race of people who can transform into beasts. As most Fire Emblem games, there are politics in play, but the themes feel well executed and personal, as Ike struggles against a mighty empire, hell-bent on Laguz genocide.

28 – Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Year Released: 2007 | Platform: Nintendo Wii (multi-platform)

Guitar Hero 3 sits at number 28 on my top video games of all time list, simply for the sheer number of hours played. Guitar Hero 3 was the only guitar rythm game that I owned for a long time, and one of my friends bragged that he could beat every song on expert, so, naturally, I had to do at least the same.

It turns out he was lying at the time. While we were teenagers, neither of us managed Through The Fire and Flames (although he did send me a video of him accomplishing that feat almost a decade later), but Guitar Hero 3 was the game that forged my rhythm fingers, and trained me to be a video game guitar expert.

27 – The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Year Released: 2013 | Platform: Nintendo 3DS

You’ll find A Link to the Past near the very top of the overall list, but A Link Between Worlds holds a special place in my heart. Revisiting that version of Hyrule nearly 20 years later was a blast, but what made this even better was that I just so happened to have a day off work on the day this game released. I picked it up from the mall the moment it opened, then went home and played through the entire game, start to finish, in essentially one sitting. I don’t think I have ever done that before, and I had a phenomenal time doing it here.

What makes A Link Between Worlds unique was the Zelda’s team first foray into a more open-world design. Instead of getting a new item in the middle of a dungeon, you can rent items from Ravio, and tackle the dungeons in almost any order. Many of the puzzles of A Link Between Worlds has you slipping between cracks in the walls, and between the light world of Hyrule, and the dark world of Lorule.

Listen, I could go on, but A Link Between Worlds is a fantastic Zelda game, and perhaps it’s boosted by my love of a Link to the Past. But hey, this is a subjective list, what do you want from me?

26 – Stardew Valley

Year Released: 2016 | Platform: PC

Growing up, I remember ranting to my sister about how much I disliked Harvest Moon 64. It was boring, tedious, and obtuse. Why would anyone choose to play Harvest Moon?, I’d cry. “Why did you play it?” she asked me. At the time, I answered it’s because it was my personal ethos at the time to beat every game I owned. After all, I don’t get many games, so I need to make the most of the games I have. She rewarded me with buying Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, taunting me to either give up my ethos, or be miserable in my attempt.

While Harvest Moon wasn’t the game that broke my ethos, it did lay the groundwork for Stardew Valley, the indie PC darling that has absolutely taken over my family. It started with just me playing it, then I got my wife into it. We both had 100 hours into each of our farms, then we started a new multi-player farm. Then my mom came to visit, and she tried it, and now she has dozens of farms, all well beyond Year 3. Now my brother has gotten into it, including the mods, specifically Stardew Valley Expanded

Stardew Valley itself is a cross between a farming simulator, a dungeon dive, and a dating simulator. Obviously, it’s more than the sum of its parts, as it’s utterly charming, and the kind of game that demands “just one more day” out of you, despite it already being 2:30 in the morning, and you need to work your real job at 7am.

25 – Star Fox 64

Year Released: 1997 | Platform: Nintendo 64

In my honest, spicy opinion, Star Fox 64 was the first and last good Star Fox game. You’d think it wouldn’t be that hard to follow up on this on rails shooter. I mostly enjoyed Star Fox Command with it’s multiple endings, and Star Fox Assault, despite the annoying walking Arwing missions, but neither really managed to capture the magic that was Star Fox 64.

Star Fox, despite being on-rails, manages to get my heart pumping, every time I revisit this classic. The characters are all unique with their quips, alternating between being helpful and needing to be rescued, crafting the brotherhood forged in battle feeling. The levels all feel unique and intresting, many with several paths to discover, Star Fox 64 is one of my favourite games on the Nintendo 64, and is actually one that I make a point of replaying year after year after year.

24 – Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Year Released: 2003 | Platform: Game Boy Advance

The start of the Mario & Luigi series was magical. I remember standing in a mall, debating between Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga, and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. In the end, I’m glad I made the choice that I did (if only because I hadn’t played Golden Sun at that point yet), Mario & Luigi: Super Star Saga is a wacky and charming adventure through the bean kingdom to try and get Princess Peach’s voice back. It uses an active battle system, mapping Mario and Luigi to the A and B buttons respectively, encouraging you to press a button during an attack to get some extra damage, or, dodge attacks from enemies when timed correctly.

It was a bright, colouful, and fresh take on RPGs, and I adored this game. I haven’t enjoyed anything else in the Mario & Luigi series as much as this entry, but, this one, I wholeheartedly recommend.

23 – Super Mario Bros. 3

Year Released: 1993 | Platform: SNES

Alright, before all you NES fans get mad at me, for me, Super Mario Bros 3 was a part of the Mario All Stars collection on the SNES, and that’s where I experienced it, so this is the proper verion of Super Mario Bros. 3, for me.

It’s great. The levels are unique and can be challenging, the music is excellent, and the SNES sprite work is brilliant. SMB3 is one of the best platformers of all time, there’s no question there. I guess, the only question becomes, why are there 22 games above it?

Well, there are only 3 platformers above it, and each one is a special, nostalgic entry for me. Perhaps I’m not fair, but hey, neither is life.

22 – Heroes of Might and Magic III

Year Released: 2000 | Platform: PC

Goodness, just looking at this screenshot makes me want to drop writing for the night and start playing HoMM3

My earliest memories of HoMM3 involve hot seat with two other boys, huddled around their dads Windows 95 PC. In Heroes of Might and Magic III, you play as heroes, as they scour the lands surrounding their castle, recruiting creatures to fight in their armies, building up the castles under their control, and pillaging the land for resources. Another one of those “just one more turn” games that will literally keep you at your computer until the sun comes up, it’s hard to put into words as to just what makes Heroes 3 SO SATISFYING.

When your hero encounters a mob on the overworld, or another hero, or even another castle, the scene shifts to a 2d hex map where a turn based battle takes place. In order of speed, each of the creatures under your control move, and will do damage, with many having special abilities, such as flying, unlimited counter attacks, ranged attacks, and more. Whichever side manages to eradicate the other first, wins!

Most of the campaigns will have you trying to wipe out all of your opponents, or searching for various relics to outfit your heroes with. On and on the game goes, your power and empire slowly growing with you, until you achieve victory, and you start again from 0 on another map. It may seem anti-climatic, but again, it’s SO SATISFYING TO PLAY.

Heroes of Might and Magic represent hundreds of hours across various play-throughs. It’s the best in the series, and it’s not even close.

21 – Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Year Released: 2004 | Platform: Game Boy Advance

My first Fire Emblem. I don’t think Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is particularly well revered within the community, but for me, it’s the bar against which all other Fire Emblem games are measured. It’s fairly short, only 20 chapters long (although the story splits in the middle of the game, making a replay much more interesting), and pretty straightforward. I can’t help but be led by my baises here. This is one of the few games that I completed 100%. Getting every support conversation for every character made me fall in love with each and every one of them. While not all support convos were created equal, this is the game that made me love the Fire Emblem series! I can’t help but have it elevated in my top games of all time list!