Here they are: the best games of the last ten years, as decided by Snackbar staff.  Each day this week, we’ll be revealing the next ten games in the list.

#50-41 – #40-31 – #30-21 – #20-11 – #10-1

Graham Russell: Intelligent Systems rarely does wrong, and this is potentially their magnum opus.  Following after Square’s Super Mario RPG, the team went a different path, and we all benefited from it.  This was also the first time we saw the full potential of Nintendo’s Treehouse localization team, as the good-for-all-ages humor is a rare thing in games.

Andrew Passafiume: Nobody expected another Mario RPG, not since the original on the SNES, but Paper Mario takes what we knew and loved about that game and improves upon it in every way. 

Andrew Passafiume: This is one of the best shooters not just of the decade, but of all time, because of one thing: the multiplayer. The campaign itself is truly excellent, but the multiplayer is what kept everybody coming back for more. Even with the sequel out, many people still play this title, and even prefer it over the sequel. 

Shawn Vermette: I give Infinity Ward props for not playing it safe with such a guaranteed hit. Making the changes they did make worked out, and putting in such a controversial scene, in order to make the story more powerful, was also something I admired in this game.

Andrew Passafiume: Very few games actually feel like a big Hollywood blockbuster, but the ones that do (and actually get it right) become some of the most thrilling gaming experiences you will ever have. Uncharted 2 is one of those experiences, as it not only exceeds the original in every way. 

Justin Last: Gunfights are entertaining, multiplayer is great regardless of whether you’re playing competitive or cooperative, and it never stops feeling like an action movie. The commercials were right though – I could only play this one while my wife watched.

Chris Ingersoll: Usually when a celestial object is about to collide with a planet, you can take your sweet time before actually dealing with it. While that was technically true in Majora’s Mask, the time limit was still very real and affected your game play accordingly. Being able to give each NPC their own lives was a brilliant touch. 

Eric Schabel: A wonderful sequel to Ocarina that introduced gamers to a slightly darker, twisted side of the Zelda universe. I really enjoyed this title, even if the ever-constant time limit did stress me out on occasion. There is no denying the superbly-designed dungeons and overworld that make up Majora’s Mask, and something must also be said of the NPCs, almost all of whom had their own memorable back stories and unique personalities. Using masks to transform was also a blast, especially when it came to swimming around as a Zora.

Graham Russell: Is it fair to have the box count as one game?  I’m not sure, but there isn’t a disc out there packed with more goodness and variety.  Valve works hard to please the fans with updates and extras, and it shows, because this game isn’t close to fading from view.

Shawn Vermette: The Orange Box had 2.5 full games packed into it, all of which were great games-much as you would expect from Valve. However, the star of the pack wasn’t Half-Life 2 or Team Fortress 2, as many expected. It was Portal. Portal is a physics-based puzzle game, and it housed one of the most humorous stories I’ve enjoyed in awhile.

Andrew Passafiume: Combining a truly brilliant world, an excellently told story, and building an engrossing and incredibly fun shooter around it, BioShock has become an instant classic for many gamers. 

Shawn Vermette: Fallout 3 is almost perfectly designed to what interests me in a game. It had great atmosphere, a great story, a huge open world to explore, and great combat. With the VATS system providing a link to previous Fallout games, Fallout 3 became one of my favorite games of all time.

Andrew Passafiume: Bethesda took the Fallout series and changed it for the better, using the amazing engine found in Oblivion to re-create the Wasteland. Fallout 3 manages to blend RPG and shooting elements in a truly compelling title that could very well last you over 100 hours.

Chris Ingersoll: Sadly, this version of Zelda will forever be tainted by how awesome it could have been. The missing dungeons were really obvious, and hunting for the Triforce was a new lesson in tedium. Yet despite that, Wind Waker still delivers the usual Zelda excellence, including one of the most memorable endings ever. 

Eric Schabel: People to this day either love or hate the visual style of Wind Waker, but no one denies that it was, in the end, a true Zelda classic. While I really enjoyed Wind Waker, I did have a few gripes, namely the time-consuming sailing segments, the tedious end-game treasure hunt, and the game’s overall brevity. That said, I found Wind Waker’s visuals to be stunning, and I really enjoyed the dungeons, even if there weren’t enough of them.

Andrew Passafiume: Love it or hate it, the MGS series contains one of the most compelling and truly unique stories in gaming history. And with a few key gameplay changes that allows MGS4 to be played both like an action title and like a stealth game, this is one game that makes the PS3 well worth owning.

Graham Russell: Like Super Mario Bros. defined the ’80s and Super Mario 64 was the model for everything after it in the ’90s, Galaxy was just one of those that sets the bar for others to try to clear.  It was visually stunning on a technologically inferior system, mechanically refreshing despite years of sequels, and just plain fun.

Andrew Passafiume: Although everyone seems to have their favorite Mario game, when a new game in the main series comes out, it usually becomes an instant classic. Super Mario Galaxy is no exception, as it remains one of the best games in the past ten years and one of the best platformers of all time.

So that’s our list.  What did we miss?  What did we get wrong?  Tell us in the comments!

#50-41 – #40-31 – #30-21 – #20-11 – #10-1

Here they are: the best games of the last ten years, as decided by Snackbar staff.  Each day this week, we’ll be revealing the next ten games in the list. 

#50-41 – #40-31 – #30-21 – #20-11 – #10-1

Chris Ingersoll: This game quite possibly set a record for number of useless playable characters, especially considering that you could only have three in your party at any given time. It could never hope to live up to the long, deep shadow cast by its predecessor, but on its own merits Chrono Cross a very solid RPG. 

Shawn Vermette: Chrono Cross is the sequel to one of my favorite games of all time, Chrono Trigger. However, Square didn’t have any trouble creating a unique battle system and making sure Chrono Cross could stand on its own. With a storyline as unique and odd as the original, and a great and strategic battle system- Chrono Cross made its mark as a gem of an RPG.

Chris Ingersoll: I don’t think I have ever waited so long for a game. It was nearly two years after my wife first pre-ordered this as a Christmas present before I would actually be able to play the game — including one excruciating week where I owned the disc but not a Wii on which to play it! While not as revolutionary as Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess was every bit as epic and well worth the wait. 

Eric Schabel: The most epic Zelda game yet, clocking in at around fifty hours of gameplay. Twilight Princess features the most well thought out storyline yet for the franchise, with numerous cutscenes and great music to back it up. The graphics, while not too impressive for the period, did a respectable job of updating the “realistic” style first used in the classic Ocarina of Time. While it isn’t my favorite Zelda game, I still absolutely loved it; I especially appreciated the length of the game and the size of the world. Also, you could transform into a wolf, which is always cool.

Graham Russell: This one took a few turns that I didn’t like, but it was still the charming, saccharine timesink that I knew and loved.  I liked Super Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi games, but it’s a shame that this series seems to have been thrown aside.

Shawn Vermette: Mario’s adventure and platforming games have always been great, so it’s no wonder that Mario would make a great RPG protagonist also. The story is memorable and classic Mario, the gameplay is great, and the characters are characters, as usual.

Shawn Vermette: Star Wars has almost as sad a history with games as Star Trek does. I say almost because Knights of the Old Republic single-handedly saves Star Wars from the doldrums of game license tie-ins. With a great, original story set in Star Wars’ past, and a combat system that can be as real-time or turn-based as you want, Knights of the Old Republic is easily the best Star Wars game ever, and probably the best RPG the Xbox ever had.

Chris Rasco: KOTOR was my introduction into turn-based role playing games, even though it didn’t utilize a true turn-based system. The story was epic and showed that games were more just as good as movies at storytelling.

Chris Ingersoll: The number of innovations added by the second iteration of Pokemon over the originals was staggering. A day/night cycle, friendship evolutions, breeding, held items, two additional elemental types (one of which punishes the previously-overpowered Psychic type), and two whole regions to explore (more or less); it all combined to make Gold/Silver possibly the best version of the franchise yet. Since Diamond/Pearl is the other top contender in my eyes, I’m looking forward to seeing what changes the HeartGold/SoulSilver DS remakes will receive. 

Graham Russell: Ah, I remember the days when catching ’em all was actually a reasonably attainable goal.  Gold and Silver added just enough to make things interesting.  It edges out the Zelda titles as the best the GBC had to offer.

Chris Ingersoll: I can never recommend this game enough. Even though it’s little more than a Zelda clone, the heart that went into creating it was apparent from the opening scene. BG&E has become the poster child for inept marketing and why not every title needs to be released at the end of Q4, which is a sad legacy to bear. 

Eric Schabel: BG&E is a criminally overlooked game. Any fan of the Zelda franchise should do themselves a favor and play it; the characters, the setting, and the story are all of the highest quality. There is no doubt in my mind that BG&E is one of the best action adventure games to be released in the last ten years.

Shawn Vermette: Final Fantasy XII is a departure from the standard Final Fantasy formula, as Square Enix went with a real-time combat system rather than the standard turn-based battles. It’s a testament to the series that not only did Final Fantasy XII succeed, but it was arguably the best JRPG of its generation.

Graham Russell: Keeping in the spirit of the console, Mario Kart Wii had a host of new tracks, online play, retro throwbacks and just a touch of waggle.  While the SNES original is still the king of 2-player, MK Wii absolutely outclassed its predecessors with larger groups.

Chris Ingersoll: I still prefer the GameCube’s Double Dash!!, but MK Wii deserves credit for its amazing online play as well as its crazy staying power on the sales charts. Playing with the Wii Wheel is a blast, once you get the hang of it. 

Chris Ingersoll: Possibly my favorite of the Advance Wars series, Black Hole Rising upped the stakes from the original in just about every way. Being able to use all of Wars World’s commanders instead of just Orange Star’s was huge, and the Black Hole opposition was fierce. 

Shawn Vermette: Advance Wars 2 took the balanced and strategic gameplay of Advance Wars and made it even better with the addition of even more COs and more units. With such addictive gameplay, multiplayer, and level editing added in, Advance Wars 2 is the best tactical strategy game of the decade.

Graham Russell: It’s a very simple concept: add decision-making into RPG plots.  It didn’t quite reach the potential that idea had, but it was deep, compelling and full of eye candy.  And it changed what I expected out of the genre.

Eric Schabel: Mass Effect is my favorite western RPG. Maybe that’s because playing Mass Effect doesn’t really feel like playing an RPG, thanks to the real time combat and the over-the-shoulder perspective. Couple the game’s great story and dialog with beautiful graphics, and you have a sci-fi treat that leaves you begging for more. The only gripe I have with Mass Effect is the planet exploration; most of the planets you can land on are absolutely barren and devoid of any truly rewarding gameplay experiences. I suppose all of that is forgiven, however, since you can do the nasty with a blue alien babe.

#50-41 – #40-31 – #30-21 – #20-11 – #10-1

Here they are: the best games of the last ten years, as decided by Snackbar staff.  Each day this week, we’ll be revealing the next ten games in the list.

#50-41 – #40-31 – #30-21 – #20-11 – #10-1

Shawn Vermette: Halo revolutionized the shooter on consoles, but Halo 2 took it even farther and turned the Xbox into a viable platform. Its multiplayer and revolutionary online play was so enjoyable that it was the most played game on Xbox Live for nearly 5 years.

Chris Rasco: Halo 2 was the most anticipated sequel to any game I’d ever played and the birthplace of the midnight launch. We played it until our hands hurt and our thumbs were numb and then we played a few more rounds. One of the best multiplayer experiences out there.

Andrew Passafiume: Although some may fault the single player campaign for having an incoherent story, this game improves upon the multiplayer in every way and brings a fantastic new co-op mode to the table.

Graham Russell: This one probably isn’t on a lot of hardcore gamers’ lists, but it absolutely defined the decade.  This was what started the casual revolution that led through Bejeweled and Diner Dash to today’s Facebook offerings like FarmVille. You know what, on second thought, I hate this game.

Shawn Vermette: The Sims was the first simulation game to put you in control of every aspect of a person’s life. From their house to their family, from their personalities to their every day activities. You could play god with your sims’ lives, making them happy or miserable. As the first such game to do so and do it enjoyably and addictively, the Sims deserves its spot among the top games of the decade.

Eric Schabel: Possibly the greatest Resident Evil game to date—which is saying a lot, if you happen to be a fan. After years of clunky “tank” controls and mindless zombie hordes, RE4 finally updated the survival horror formula with a new over-the-shoulder perspective and quick, somewhat less mindless enemies to go along with a host of new nasty creatures. Oh, and don’t forget the gorgeous graphics, which still impress. The Wii edition is perhaps the best example of how to retro-fit an old game with pointer controls.

Andrew Passafiume: Changing almost everything for the better, RE4 takes everything from the series we knew and takes in a new, much better direction.

Chris Ingersoll: Say what you will about Suda51 and his studio’s offerings, but they’re always out there. NMH was a blast to play; even the parts that were intentionally boring were amusing (although I’m not sorry to hear that there won’t be an overworld in the fast-approaching sequel). When your hero is a beam-katana-swinging, pro-wrestling-loving otaku assassin, you certainly know your audience! 

Andrew Passafiume: A completely over-the-top action game in every sense of the term, NMH is an incredibly slick and satisfying Wii exclusive. Travis Touchdown is still one of the coolest protagonists I’ve seen in any game. 

Eric Schabel: I think I spent more time playing Melee than I have playing any other game ever, including a slew of MMORPGs. I played Melee with my close friends about three times a week for at least five years, and I always had a blast. At competitive levels of play, there is no doubt that Melee is as good as it gets; people still play it regularly today, and many continue to prefer Melee over its successor, Brawl. 

Chris Ingersoll: I’m a little surprised to see this get the nod over Brawl, but in the end it really doesn’t matter. The Smash Brothers series is just pure awesome no matter which version you’re playing. Melee in particular got me through a good chunk of some epic unemployment (which spanned ALL of 2002, plus a few months on either end) when my funds were technically nonexistent. 

Chris Ingersoll: I don’t think I’ve ever quite forgiven Namco for giving me this awesome game and then not bringing any of its sequels to my consoles of choice. But then again I don’t have them tainting my memories of this one either, so I guess it’s a wash.

Graham Russell: The later games added customization…and I love customization.  They still didn’t stack up to this one, and I guess they never will, since it would take a herculean effort to get me back into a fighting game.

Chris Ingersoll: Stepping back into the ring after 10 years without missing a beat was an amazing accomplishment. The Wii motion controls really work well here, and although there’s only one new character (plus one secret character), the ones who reappear are all brilliant. But for me, the real selling point is Title Defense mode. 

Andrew Passafiume: Don’t let the simple gameplay mechanics fool you, Punch-Out!! is a game that requires precise timing and pattern memorization that makes this a pretty challenging game later on. It’s truly addictive, despite its simplicity. 

Chris Ingersoll: I love everything about this game: the characters, the concept (a world of sky pirates! How awesome is that?!), the story, discoveries, bounties… everything. Well, maybe not the frequency of the random encounters. Other than that, though, there are few RPG experiences that are original enough to be as truly memorable as Skies. 

Andrew Passafiume: With a great cast of characters and a truly inventive world, Skies of Arcadia is one of the best RPGs to come out in the past ten years. Gameplay wise, the game is nothing special, but it manages to combine a lot of elements we were familiar with to make a truly memorable experience in the end.

Chris Ingersoll: For me, the separation of attack type (physical/special) from its element was a revolutionary step in the evolution of Pokemon (and yeah, I used that word intentionally). That completely changed the way many ‘mon played on both offense and defense. Having true WiFi play (unlike the LeafGreen/FireRed’s sad attempt at wireless on the GBA) was also a huge bonus, although the implementation of the touch screen was a little ham-handed. 

Eric Schabel: It’s simple: if you enjoy Pokemon games, you will enjoy Diamond and Pearl. Even after playing the hell out of previous Pokemon titles, I found myself addicted all over again with this iteration. It’s a drug, and I’m ready for my next hit already. 

#50-41 – #40-31 – #30-21 – #20-11 – #10-1