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Name: Deus Ex
Platform: PC
Developer: Ion Storm Austin
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Year Released: 2000
Why it Made the Top 100 List: Reeling in defeat and failure after the underwhelming release of Daikatana, ION Storm needed something, anything, to save face and the business as a whole from total closure. Luckily the Austin branch of the oft-slammed developer came through with Deus Ex. When the first-person RPG Deus Ex flew out of the gate it stunned every gamer with a mouse and a keyboard. Ridiculously approachable, completely open-ended, soaked with fiction and panache, and so deep it shook the foundation of PC gaming, DX made others literally stop and look at their products wondering how they too could make something so grand and lovely.

Name: Halo: Combat Evolved
Platform: Microsoft Xbox
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Microsoft
Year Released: 2001
Why it Made the Top 100 List: There were plenty of first-person shooters to come before it, but no other console FPS came close to the visual, audio, and visceral sensations offered by Halo. With an imaginative and fully realized storyline, intense and near flawless gameplay, the best controls of any console FPS and the ability to play cooperatively with a buddy, it's not likely anything will match Halo's genius anytime soon... that is until Halo 2.

Name: Soul Calibur
Platform: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Year Released: 1999
Why it Made the Top 100 List: The first game in memory to look better on a console than it did in the arcade, Soul Calibur offered amazing visuals as a Dreamcast launch title, and still remains one of the best-looking and best-playing fighting games four years later. Featuring over a dozen characters wielding different weapons, a deep single-player mission mode, and the smoothest fighting engine to date, Soul Calibur will undoubtedly remain one of the best fighting games of all time.

Name: Madden '96
Platform: Sega Genesis
Developer: High Score Productions
Publisher: EA Sports
Year Released: 1995
Why it Made the Top 100 List: The franchise that sent sports games mainstream, Madden '96 brought innovations to the field like mini-games and throwback jersey's, and featured over 200 plays from Madden's own playbook, diving catches, pass blocks, custom touchdown celebrations, and left-handed quarterbacks. Madden's always been the ultimate in both season and head-to-head competition, and this version took the series to a superstar level it still maintains today.

Name: Super Smash Bros. Melee
Platform: Nintendo GameCube
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Year Released: 2001
Why it Made the Top 100 List: By combining an all-star cast with intensely quick, fighter-meets-platforming gameplay, Nintendo created a four-player phenomenon with this franchise. The original Nintendo 64 version introduced the concept, and the newer GameCube launch title nearly perfected it. The overall experience, refined, shockingly deep, and thick with nostalgic rewards is unparalleled in style and execution.

Name: Thief II: The Metal Age
Platform: PC
Developer: Looking Glass Studios
Publisher: Eidos
Year Released: 2000
Why it Made the Top 100 List: Thief: The Dark Project was the best and only example of how to take an overdone first-person shooter perspective and breathe new life into it. Rather than running head long into the opposition, the Thief series rewarded players who adhered to stealth, patience, and observation -- vital skills for any gutter runner (human or Skaven). The sequel to the definitive First Person Sneaker took the sub-genre to new heights with improved game controls and a host of new potions and gadgets to help gamers stay hidden, all while scoring more loot. While Thief was fantastic in its own right, Thief II really refined and perfected the series.

Name: Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
Platform: PC
Developer: Westwood Studios
Publisher: Virgin Interactive
Year Released: 1992
Why it Made the Top 100 List: As the first real-time strategy game to make a big impact on the gaming world, Dune II revolutionized PC gaming and gave the genre most of the conventions that it still holds today. Not only was it the godfather of the modern RTS, but it was also a great game in its own right, taking a fantastic work of fiction and showing a different side to it. Give this one the praise it deserves. Amazing games like StarCraft, Total Annihilation and Command & Conquer wouldn't be around if it weren't for Dune II.

Name: Wave Race 64
Platform: Nintendo 64
Developer: EAD, Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Year Released: 1996
Why it Made the Top 100 List: The concept is simple: jet skiers race around water courses while performing tricks and stunts. But as Nintendo has so often demonstrated, it's all in the execution, and one needn't look any further than Wave Race 64 as the proof of the theory. The title's unparallel wave physics combined with what were for its time some very pretty graphics captured the hearts and minds of console owners and propelled the racer into the very top tier of the genre as a whole. The racer's addictive nature still holds true today.

Name: Half-Life
Platform: PC
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Sierra Studios
Year Released: 1998
Why it Made the Top 100 List: In 1998, Valve redefined the FPS genre by introducing one of the most memorable and shocking single-player experiences ever seen in gaming. Its clever and innovative storytelling techniques, let alone the game's incredible AI (the grenade came back?) made sure that this was one game we'd never forget, and obviously we haven't. Still imitated today, Half-Life will be viewed as one of the greatest and most influential games of all time for years to come. Oh, and for what it's worth, there may not have been a Halo without Half-Life. Think about it.

Name: Gauntlet
Platform: various
Developer: Atari Games
Publisher: Atari Games
Year Released: 1985
Why it Made the Top 100 List: Possibly the greatest four-player game ever made, Gauntlet mixed simple top-down action with RPG elements that resulted in pure arcade bliss. Gauntlet games are still being released to this day with the basic gameplay intact, although none have captured the magic of the original. The only downside to the game was that carrying all those quarters eventually tore holes in your pockets. Elf needs pants badly.