If Japan gets its own thread, it's only fair...
1. Wipeout series - Brobzoid nailed why. Absolutely mindblowing style, tight controls, fast-paced and challenging (almost too much so) gameplay. And of course, the music. The series started out right when I was getting into dance music/club culture, and nearly every release aside from Fusion is godly.
2. Ultima series - arguably the most influential RPG series of all time. Fresh full of ideas and concepts, from the mishmash of medieval and sci-fi, to storylines that shake up what is typical for the genre, and still some of the best examples of living, breathing worlds in all of gaming. Frequently pushed the technological envelope. Gives almost limitless choices in how you want to play. Too bad it didn't get a proper sendoff
3. Fallout series - another excellent example of the western RPG genre, with a memorable setting, and lots of choice and options on hwo you want to dictate the story.
4. Sim City series - I've always been interested in urban planning, and playing the original at summer camp on a black and white Macintosh was the reason.
5. Mirror's Edge - A fresh take on first-person gaming, with an unorthodox but effective control scheme, tight mechanics and level design (the latter something lacking in games of today) that encourage speed running, awesome graphical design, and fantastic music. Awkward, forced combat is the only fly in the ointment.
6. Planescape Torment - Haven't delved into the game too much, but was hooked when I saw a college friend playing the game. A 'murkin RPG with a detailed and intricate storyline and a creative setting/art style? I'm down!
7. Mass Effect 2 - some may complain that it sheds the RPG trappings from the first game, but it's a much better game for it. One of the most polished western gaming experiences ever, and while taken in from the first game, has an interesting lore. Not to mention, pretty damn good graphics, a workable combat system, and a great electronic music soundtrack. And crates, lots of crates everywhere.
8. Mortal Kombat 2 - of course, Street Fighter 2 holds up much better, but I have a lot of nostalgia for this game. All the secret characters, the fatalities, the lore... I was addicted to this game when it was in the arcades (and later when it came to the consoles). No other MK compares.
9. Donkey Kong Country series - Although they have the challenge and frustration oldskool British games are known for, they also have a level of polish seen only in other top-tier Nintendo games from the era. The pre-rendered graphics made our jaws drop, and the David Wise soundtrack is epic.
10. Unreal Tournament (original game) - One of the very few multiplayer games I got into. Used to stay up into the wee hours of the morning to play against friends. Extremely fast and tight gameplay, and a huge variety with the weapons and levels. Tons of additional content in the form of mods. Playing this on a high-level PC (at the time) made me wonder why the hell everyone was going so ga-ga over the original Halo.
runners up: Half Life 2 (especially episode 2), Portal, Uncharted 2, the LucasArts adventure games (though granted I haven't played many... yet.)
EDIT: fuuuu, totally forgot about Sim City. Thanks Beezy!
