Not only is it the last day of 2009, it’s the last day of the first decade of the 21st Century. This was the decade I started my adult life, and ironically, reignited my childhood love of gaming. My favorite game of the last ten years? Well to be fair, there’s so much I haven’t played. But from what I have, it’s a tie for me between World of Warcraft and Portal. Below is a roundup of various gaming sites’ top games of the aughts. The consensus? Looks like I really need to try Half Life 2. What were your favorite games of the last ten years?
Crispy Gamer’s Game of the Decade, and runners up, as voted by readers.
Wired’s 15 Most Influential Games of the Decade.
Kotaku’s 20 Best Rated Games of the Decade, according to Metacritic. Surprising, and makes me a little more skeptical of aggregate scores.
Crunchgear’s PC Games and Console Games of the Decade.Adam Sessler’s A Decade of Gaming.
I definitely agree with you about both of these games. Portal was amazing, and WoW has provided years of entertainment. With 10 years of continuous game production, it’s hard to pick just one. Valve has created multiple games that I would suggest as “Top Games.” I really liked The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It’s from the early on in the decade (2003 in the US) but it really has lasted. The unique graphical spin on a classic franchise would earn it a space in my top games of the decade. I would also suggest Wii Sports. While it isn’t really special now, in 2006 it was awesome. It made the world re-invent their idea of “gaming.” These games were both made by Nintendo. I believe that other companies make great games, but as far as this decade, and the previous as well, Nintendo has been the most innovative.
WoW, as you’ve said, has been great and 2 games that have come out recently have been really great–Borderlands and Torchlight. In terms of Nintendo (where I resided ’till about ’08), Link and Mario are still rockin’, Samus is in her hayday, and all three together and more have made great fun out of Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl. This decade has been great fun for me in terms of gaming
I was so much astonished when i first played Portal. I mean, i’ve tried it without even knowing a single thing about it, except a “it’s cool, give it a try” heard from someone. Technically, Portal has blowed me away when i fjrst tried the portalgun (after i found out the gun in the room wasn’t shooting anything lethal XD )
WoW, in the other hand, provided looong time of funs for me. which is nearly unique to me (Diablo 2 lasted me for 5 years until i got bored of it ! ). No other multiplayer game felt so much polished and balanced (or at least in continual balancing…)
MMm
1 World of Warcraft (Clasice) played it the most and really like it… and mostly still play the expension thanks to the good memorys.
2 Red Alert play this game way to much when i was a kid!! really loved
3 a tie betwen Bio Shock and Dragon Age: Orgins love them both. and one of the few game i finnished more then once.
Not to be a party pooper, but Dec. 31st, 2009 was not the last day of the decade. Nor was 1999 the last year of the millenium. Both are a (very) common misconception. They would be true only if there was a Year 0, in the western (christian) date system. There isn’t, however. The years run from 1 B.C. (Before Current Era) to 1 C.E. (or A.D.), making the year 10 the last year of the first decade, 2000 the last year of the millenium, and 2010 the last year of the first decade of the new millenium. Check the website of the Naval Observatory: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/astronomical-information-center/millennium
Would they lie? Ok, maybe, but their explanation sounds pretty good.
Yeah I remember that came up in 2000. But culturally, it’s a new decade. We’re out of the aughts and into the teens. 1980 was the beginning of the 80′s and all the ideas we have about the 80s. People partied in 1999 like it was 1999. In fifty years people will look back at the twenty-teens, which started this year. Pop culture doesn’t care about technicalities, whether it should or not.
Some of us partied like it was 2000, but your point is well taken.