“1000 Games You Must Play Before Game Over” [400 – 301]

The scientific man does not aim at an immediate result. He does not expect that his advanced ideas will be readily taken up. His work is like that of the planter—for the future. His duty is to lay the foundation for those who are to come, and point the way.

–Nikola Tesla, Problem of Increasing Human Energy

1000 Games Sunday Edition! It’s just like the other posts with lists of 100, except it’s on Sunday! So kick back, put on your Sunday shoes, and enjoy another list of recommendations! Looking for something to play? We gotchu.

#0400. Plants vs Zombies
A survival game with cute zombies and the best end credits song ever (“We don’t want zombies on our lawn…”).
-The Blue Moon Mage

#0399. Just Cause 2
I’ve never had so much fun just flying around and blowing stuff up. You can hook a boat to a plane, fly the plane up into the air, jump out of the plane into the boat in mid-flight, release the tether and soar to earth in a boat while the plane explodes above you, and if that doesn’t sell you on Just Cause 2 then I don’t know what will.
-The Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage

#0398. Guacamelee!
An independent, contemporary, Metroidvania set in a world based on Mexican folklore and luchador wrestling. Top tier visuals and soundtrack, as well as a story, peppered with actual humor.
-The ABXY Mage

#0397. Soul Blade
Before SoulCalibur was this game. An underrated, overlooked gem of a weapons-based fighting game featuring so many innovations that revolutionized fighting games that came after it.
-The Hyperactive Coffee Mage

#0396. Guitar Hero
There are a billion iterations it seems like, but pick any and you’ll have a good time. This game spurred a culture-wide phenomenon for a reason.
-The Mail Order Ninja Mage

#0395. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
It feels good to be bad sometimes. This game captures the feel of an entire state for you to explore and unleash mayhem upon.
-The Livid Lightning Mage

#0394. Master of Orion
One of the great 4x strategy games. Iconic for allowing players to design their own combat units, adding immense depth to gameplay (and also the fun of creating spaceships!).
-The Badly Backlogged Mage

#0393. Pokkén Tournament DX
Want to try a fighting game featuring a mix of 2D and 3D fighting elements, as well as Pokémon? Look no further.
-The Valiant Vision Mage

#0392. Pokémon Platinum Version
Pokémon Platinum brings us the mysterious region of Sinnoh, which has a gripping backstory. The game’s main villainous organization, Team Galaxy, feels like a true threat this time. Along with welcome depth to battle mechanics, the game’s aesthetic is a treat, and the music is phenomenal.
-The Iron Mage

#0391. Mystery House
At a time when all other adventure games were text-based, Mystery House dared to use graphics. It seems like a small change now, but it was a significant moment in the evolution of the video game.
-The Purple Prose Mage

#0390. Super Earth Defense Force
Reasonably difficult SNES shooter. Toyed really well with the idea of choosing a primary weapon before every stage that your auxiliary units could also use in various modes.
-The Dapper Zaffre Mage

#0389. Double Dragon
Old and clunky now, but this was the first great arcade brawler – its influence cannot be understated.
-The Hopeful Sega Mage

#0388. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
By the time that Friends of Mineral Town came around, the series had a perfect mix of farming, fishing, cooking, and dating that was topped off with Popuri being the sweetest bachelorette.
-The Final Fourteenth Mage

#0387. Super Mario 3D World
The best Mario game of them all, in my opinion. Nintendo’s imaginative reach here is quite astonishing, with seemingly endless levels that continue on and on, with new worlds arriving out of the blue. And the range and creativity seen in the stages are quite breathtaking. A Switch port is a must.
-The Moronic Cheese Mage

#0386. Overcooked!
Such a fun game to play with a friend, you really have to cooperate with each other on this one.
-The Midnight Mystic Mage

#0385. Beijing 2008
Oh deary me it’s not exactly the greatest game ever. And it’ll grate your palms. But that’s not to say it isn’t some of the most fun I’ve ever had multi-player.
-The Red Hot Chili Mage

#0384. Rock Band
So much fun to play with a group of people, especially if none of you are musically talented.
-The Shamrock Show Mage

#0383. SSX Tricky
If you want to shred that run to some dope music, but it’s not the right time of year or your balance-challenged like me, give SSX Tricky a shot.
-The Green Screen Mage

#0382. Helldivers
Helldivers is as fun as it is unforgiving. With friendly fire always active, playing this top-down shooter with friends is guaranteed to make you want to either laugh or rage at your friends but always have fun.
-The Timely Mage

#0381. Taiko: Drum Master
I am a drummer and I feel that this game is accessible to non-drummers. The cutesy characters and fun music make it fun for the whole family!
-The White Out Mage

#0380. Earthworm Jim
One of the wackiest platformers you could ever find, Earthworm Jim stars the titular invertebrate in a super suit battling killer junkyard dogs, bounty-hunting crows, heck-ish demon cats, professors with monkeys for their heads, and of course, the evil Queen Pulsating Bloated Festering Sweaty Pus-filled Malformed Slug-for-a-Butt. I personally enjoy it most on the SNES.
-The Well-Red Mage

#0379. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
A Lovecraftian horror story that spans centuries and truly tried to mess with your sanity. Unique plot and strong visuals. The rock-paper-scissors nature of the three elder gods that you encounter led to an unexpected level of replayability.
-The Slipstream Mage

#0378. Combat Tank
Fast paced, simple, addicting. Aside from Pong, this is a perfect example of a two-player game you always have time for. The rounds are short, the primitive sound effects are fun, the controls are simple enough to play with your children or your grandparents.
-The Indecisive Night Mage

#0377. NBA Jam
Sports games might not be everyone’s thing but you almost anyone can play NBA Jam and have a good time with it.
-The New Age Retro Mage

#0376. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
I don’t understand it, but sometimes Genesis games are beyond brilliant wonders to behold. One such experience is this RPG which really went a long way towards perfecting the genre. Red wouldn’t have me comparing it to Chrono Trigger, but, you know, if the shoe fits…
-The Normal Mage

#0375.We Love Katamari
Katamari Damacy is good. We Love Katamari kicks up the concept several notches.
-The Wandering Mage

#0374. Deus Ex
A stylish cyberpunk adventure with a deep conspiracy storyline and rich characterisation. With so many ways to approach each problem, Deus Ex is a joy to experience.
-The Regional Exclusive Mage

#0373. Red Dead Redemption 2
Take every great old Western movie you can think of, put them all into one huge game with hundreds of hours of experiences to be had with incredibly realistic graphics, mechanics, and a truly true-to-the-genre story to boot.
-The Off-Centered Earth Mage

#0372. Mafia II
Another game that started as a Grand Theft Auto clone yet evolved into a unique experience on its own. Fun gameplay with an excellent story to boot.
-The Kingly Yellow Mage

#0371. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
Learn about Zack’s story in the events preceding Final Fantasy VII and cry a lot. He became a hero.
-The Blood-Stained Metal Mage

#0370. Asteroids
How about a video game from the 70’s?! Not just any video game, either. Atari’s Asteroids was one of gaming history’s first major hits, attracting a wide audience with its minimalist vector display to this new kind of interactive entertainment in the arcades, helping to make video games more than just a novelty for computer engineers.
-The Well-Red Mage

#0369. Final Fantasy VIII
Poses the question of the relativism of truth and dares the player to confront it squarely.
-The Bookwarm Mage

#0368. X-Men [Genesis]
Extremely hard game but overall fun. And it’s classic X-Men so of course its great to play with them!
-The Keeper of the Darkness Flame Mage

#0367. Clock Tower 3
Clock Tower 3 is a magical girl survival horror game that’s as absurd as it sounds. It’s a far departure from the series’ point-and-click horror adventure roots, but the violence and insanity are always cranked up to 11.
-The Middle-aged Horror Mage

#0366. Bastion
The folks at Supergiant brought riotously colorful art, RPG mechanics, non-linear narration, and an epic soundtrack together in a way I had never seen before.
-The Ink-Stained Mage

#0365. Wolfenstein: The New Order
A lovingly crafted blend of old school shooter, modern shooter, and good story.
-The Bizzaro Mage

#0364. Bravely Default
One of the best JRPGs on the 3DS. Made in the style of a SNES RPG, it plays very cleanly and has a pretty good story. The name is based off an attack technique in which you can skip turns to increase your power. Visually appealing and lots of fun.
-The Beer Mage

#0363. Sonic Spinball
Until recently, most efforts to replicate a pinball experience on the television or on handheld consoles have mostly fallen flat. Sega took the approach of applying pinball-like mechanics to their wildly successful mascot platformer and struck gold. It’s rare to find first-party hidden gems, and this is definitely one of the best.
-The Optimistically Sentimental Alabaster Mage

#0362. Need for Speed: Underground
Bright colors and fast cars, no consequences and no cops.
-The Blue Moon Mage

#0361. Super Punch-Out!!
With original and imaginative opponents, and controls that are easy to grasp but hard to master, Super Punch-Out!! is just so fun. It’s simple on the surface but provides a thoroughly engaging experience throughout.
-The Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage

#0360. Limbo
A puzzle platformer that, through atmosphere, comes across as a surreal horror game. The puzzles are refreshingly rewarding in their logic and challenge.
-The ABXY Mage

#0359. Sly 2: Band of Thieves
Sly 2 got rid of everything that was wrong with the first game while reworking the things that did work to create this masterpiece. With huge, open maps that were ripe for thieving opportunities, three playable characters, and a gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Sly 2 is a game you mustn’t miss out on playing
-The Hyperactive Coffee Mage

#0358. Fantasy Life
This DS game is ignored by many, which is a crying shame considering it is basically an RPG meets Animal Crossing. I sunk 150 hours into this game…in a month. Don’t judge me.
-The Mail Order Ninja Mage

#0357. Mass Effect: Andromeda
This game’s biggest crime is that it isn’t as good as the original trilogy. That doesn’t make it a bad game.
-The Livid Lightning Mage

#0356. Missile Command
A 1980 arcade game from the cold war, and one of the more chilling games I have ever played, despite having no story or characters, and only two words of dialogue.
-The Badly Backlogged Mage

#0355. Splatoon
One of the most unique IPs from a AAA studio may have helped save Nintendo during a tough time (the Wii U era). Splatoon has some very fun moments, though the sequel also improved on most things.
-The Valiant Vision Mage

#0354. Pokémon Emerald Version
The new region of Hoenn is vast and intriguing. Being heavier on lore and exploration, Pokémon Emerald adds a plethora of unique locales, interesting new additions to the Pokédex and battle mechanics, as well as showcasing perhaps the most exciting plot in the series to date.
-The Iron Mage

#0353. Adventure
With adventure games now being so prominent, the legacy of the first adventure game, Adventure, is worth understanding. It established the fundamentals that are expected of the format and introduced the first Easter Egg with its special hidden room – can you find it?
-The Purple Prose Mage

#0352. Battle Hunter
Board game meets dungeon crawler. A discount title that earned every cent it was worth and then some, bringing this to a group night resulted in hours of shenanigans. Don’t let the deck run out!
-The Dapper Zaffre Mage

#0351. WWF No Mercy
I know we don’t really stretch to wrestling but AKI’s final licensed grappler transcended its core fanbase.
-The Hopeful Sega Mage

#0350. Rune Factory Tides of Destiny/Oceans
My favourite Rune Factory game. It’s beautiful and precious. The soundtrack is relaxing. The location is great. The characters that you can romance are all interesting. Plus the farming, animal mechanics, and dungeons are all solid.
-The Final Fourteenth Mage

#0349. Dead Cells
An exceptional roguelike/Metroidvania experience that offers 100+ hours of gameplay. It’s a bone-crunching, intense take on the Castlevania concept that’s enthralling and a prime example of how indie games on a small budget can effortlessly match AAA behemoths.
-The Moronic Cheese Mage

#0348. Peggle
Was hooked on this one from beginning to end, literally had to beat it in one sitting. It is an incredible puzzle game.
-The Midnight Mystic Mage

#0347. Rayman Legends
A little rougher around the edges than Origins but still an unforgettable experience.
-The Red Hot Chili Mage

#0346. Mortal Kombat
The game that started it all for most of us as far as brutally violent fighting games.
-The Shamrock Show Mage

#0345. Viewtiful Joe
2D side-scrolling fighting adventure, wacky comic-based animation, hot pink cape? Say no more.
-The Green Screen Mage

#0344. Motorstorm Apocalypse
This racer is just all out fun and mayhem. The roaring engines, dynamically shifting tracks, and wide variety of vehicle types make this game a must play for everyone.
-The Timely Mage

#0343. Diddy Kong Racing
I liked this game’s racing mechanics and I really enjoyed the adventure mode.
-The White Out Mage

#0342. Luigi’s Mansion
Why is this my favorite survival horror game? Because it’s such a twist on the typical qualities of the subgenre and the typical Nintendo game, placing Luigi squarely in a shivering frontman role as he tries to rescue Mario from a haunted house, armed with a vacuum cleaner.
-The Well-Red Mage

#0341. Forza Horizon 3
The KING of the arcade racers. Don’t get me wrong: the most recent sequel FH4 is great. But FH3 hit perfection first with its Australian setting, gameplay modes, and brilliant DLC (Hot Wheels tracks!).
-The Slipstream Mage

#0340. Ghosts and Goblins
You need to play this NES Game just so you can have a realistic idea of what “Nintendo Hard” truly means. It’s a great game, but around every half a screen or so it seems like an enemy is out to troll you worse than the whole internet. If you want the “marginally” easier experience, try the SNES and Genesis versions.
-The Indecisive Night Mage

#0339. Blaster Master
A hybrid sci-fi platformer/top-down shooter with great music. All to rescue your gigantic mutant pet frog.
-The New Age Retro Mage

#0338. Kirby Planet Robobot
Welcome to the traditional Kirby experience, perfected and wrapped in a bow. Calling this the best game on the 3DS is something I can do with conviction. Those who have played it will understand how much joy this game brings.
-The Normal Mage

#0337. Suikoden II
One of the best RPGs of all time, with the most playable characters ever (well, aside from the rest of the series).
-The Wandering Mage

#0336. Half-Life 2
If Half-Life reinvented the first-person shooter, its sequel perfected it. Every aspect of the plot, weapons, and level-design are close to perfection.
-The Regional Exclusive Mage

#0335. Marvel’s Spider-Man
Dubbed the most true to character web-swinging experience ever, this game is a must play for the fact that you can put in dozens upon dozens of hours simply using and enjoying the game’s main mechanics. Really makes you feel like Spider-Man.
-The Off-Centered Earth Mage

#0334. Army of TWO: The Devil’s Cartel
The finale to an amazing trilogy filled with a few flaws, but it’s filled with one of the best cooperative experiences on the market.
-The Kingly Yellow Mage

#0333. Condemned: Criminal Origins
With a heavy emphasis on tension and darkness, this survival horror mixes the usual gameplay with crime scene investigations. I liked the sequel, too.
-The Blood-Stained Metal Mage

#0332. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2
-The Silver Sentinel Mage

#0331. Katamari Damacy
Roll up the consumerist playground and make stuff into stars. Pure joy.
-The Bookwarm Mage

#0330. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
One of THE best platform fighters ever created. Tons of characters, tons of fun.
-The Keeper of the Darkness Flame Mage

#0329. Under Night in-Birth EXE Late(st)
There’s never been a better time to be a fan of 2D fighters and UNIST (because nobody wants to type out the full name) is one of the absolute best. With its fantastic roster of fighters, slick visuals, and (currently) the best tutorial of any fighting game ever, it’s no wonder UNIST has gained quite a following and earned a spot on the main stage at this year’s EVO tournament.
-The Middle-aged Horror Mage

#0328. The Oregon Trail
Pretty much every American kid of a certain age has stories about dying of dysentery on the trail out west. A piece of gaming history.
-The Ink-Stained Mage

#0327. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Return to form for the venerable horror series making use of a 1st person viewpoint.
-The Bizzaro Mage

#0326. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
Tactical turn-based warfare at it’s finest. This game packs a lot of replay value as you have several different armies to choose from. However, it really turns into a gem when you play 2 players and pass back and forth the Game Boy.
-The Beer Mage

#0325. Blackthorne
Shortly after the success of Lost Vikings in 1993, and before the success of Warcraft, the relatively obscure Amiga and Macintosh developer, Blizzard, released a game that is part Prince of Persia and part Metroid. It’s a shame that it also came out the same year Super Metroid; this game is a bit of a hidden gem and often underrated.
-The Optimistically Sentimental Alabaster Mage

#0324. God of War [PS2]
Where it all began. Fresh, fun, and groundbreaking.
-The Blue Moon Mage

#0323. 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Visual novels aren’t for everyone, but 999 has such a great plot that I have no hesitation recommending it to anyone. It has twists and turns in abundance, and a really fascinating framing device which ties together narrative and gameplay mechanics in a way I really wasn’t expecting.
-The Sometimes Vaguely Philosophical Mage

#0322. Civilization V
Every Civ game is better than those before it. Like every installment, V added and improved features. It is most notable for its advancements in the interface.
-The ABXY Mage

#0321. Ratchet and Clank
The one that started it all. A fun and frantic action/adventure game loaded with tons of over-the-top weaponry and chock full of humor. But it’s also a game about what it takes to be a true friend.
-The Hyperactive Coffee Mage

#0320. Lost Odyssey
Though the combat is pretty standard stuff, the story was engrossing and impactful. I prefer this over pretty much every Final Fantasy since FFX.
-The Mail Order Ninja Mage

#0319. Mass Effect 3
Don’t expect much variety in the multiple endings, but enjoy an epic and depressing trek through Commander Shepard’s last game.
-The Livid Lightning Mage

#0318. Donkey Kong
It launched Mario, Miyamoto, and Nintendo. What more do you need to know?
-The Badly Backlogged Mage

#0317. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Majora’s Mask is a time-looped, mask-wearing sequel to one of Nintendo’s greatest. Manipulate time and cure others of curses in order to stop the moon from crashing into Clock Town.
-The Valiant Vision Mage

#0316. Final Fantasy V
The fifth installment in the legendary series is often underlooked. Final Fantasy V tells a fantastic but tragic story, and boasts a typically wonderful soundtrack to boot. There is an excellent degree of versatility to the job system, allowing players to mix and match their characters’ classes and abilities.
-The Iron Mage

#0315. Spacewar!
Arguably the first “true” video game, though never widely distributed, Spacewar! is the reason there even are 1000 video games to play before you die.
-The Purple Prose Mage

#0314. Virtual On: Operation Moongate
Arcade fighting game featuring twin-stick 1v1 mech combat. Barebones story and almost nonexistent set-up for those times you really just want to get straight to smashing giant robots together.
-The Dapper Zaffre Mage

#0313. Outrun 2
A perfect sequel to a classic, simple but brilliantly done.
-The Hopeful Sega Mage

#0312. Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Origins and Legends are good but there’s something special about Rayman 2. It takes itself seriously and it’s better for it. I could only dream of Rayman going back in this direction.
-The Final Fourteenth Mage

#0311. Pikmin 3
A strategic survival game overflowing with charm. It scored rave reviews in 2013, but sank as it was on the Wii U. But it’s brilliant! Control up to 100 obedient plant-like aliens as you gather food to stay alive on an alien world.
-The Moronic Cheese Mage

#0310. Skate
This was the most well-done skateboarding game that I think was ever made. The later ones got away from couch co-op which was not a good idea.
-The Midnight Mystic Mage

#0309. Rayman Origins
In my opinion, the complete 2D platformer and the greatest game ever made. It’s beautifully designed but with a big heaping pile of silly thrown in.
-The Red Hot Chili Mage

#0308. Halo 2
Game-changing dual gun shooting game. Insane shooting for its time.
-The Shamrock Show Mage

#0307. Until Dawn
This game creates an intricately weaved story amongst the quick time and exploration aspects of this survival horror.
-The Green Screen Mage

#0306. Suikoden III
There are few games with as great of world-building as Suikoden and the third installment in the series is one of the best. Even with 108 recruitable characters, it manages to make each of them feel unique and fun.
-The Timely Mage

#0305. Kirby’s Epic Yarn
If you wanna relax and really enjoy gameplay, without all the stressful frustrations, I highly recommend this game! The Green Screen Mage and I have the best memory of playing this game together.
-The White Out Mage

#0304. Crystalis
This is one Zelda clone that stood on its own two feet: faster-paced than the original Zelda, taking influences from Studio Ghibli, this game could have very well been “Zelda II”, or 1.5, even.
-The Well-Red Mage

#0303. King’s Quest: Quest for the Crown
The game that put graphic adventure gaming on the map. Ken and Roberta Williams’ Sierra software ruled the 80s with their ‘Quest’ line series, and spawned dozen’s of imitators.
-The Slipstream Mage

#0302. Heretic
It’s Doom, with magic. Need I say more?
-The Indecisive Night Mage

#0301. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
Expanded upon the great DKC. Some of the best music on the SNES ever.
-The New Age Retro Mage

Red formerly ran The Well-Red Mage and now serves The Pixels as founder, writer, editor, and podcaster. He has undertaken a seemingly endless crusade to talk about the games themselves in the midst of a culture obsessed with the latest controversy, scandal, and news cycle about harassment, toxicity, and negativity. Pick out his feathered cap on Twitter @thewellredmage, Mage Cast, or Story Mode.