Thought I'd throw together a list of the best (or at least in my view) games of their respective generation. Starting with SNES and ending with our current generation.

Generation 1 (SNES, Sega Genesis): What was the best game of this era? 3 words: Super Mario World.

I don't think I really have to go into detail about how this game influenced the gaming market as a whole, but I think thousands of us gamers could say that it was THIS game that made us true gamers. Not only did this game lay the framework for what platformers should be like, it was better than Mario 3, which was arguably the best game before it. Dozens of levels, each one being unique, combined to make this game not only gorgeous, but also full of variety and challenge. The graphics were stunning for its time (and even is today), as well as the music, who anyone (even non gamers) can recognize as Mario tunes. Great game, perfect gameplay.

Honorable Mentions for Generation 1:

NBA JAM:

Maybe it was only me, but this game was my first and favorite sports title of all time. The game truly captured the quickness of basketball, and its hilarious commentating, over the top dunks, and unlimited fouling definitely was a plus.

and

Street Fighter 2:

The first fighting game to be as close to perfection as it was.

Generation 2 (N64, PS): This generation was tough, so many good games, but only one stood out from the rest.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Now, you can hate on this game, but simply put, the game was flawless. It had puzzles, it had amazing boss fights, it had horse racing, fishing, even diving off the waterfall in the Zora Fountain. Hell, Link wore a skirt, and was followed by Navi the fairy, and he's still considered a badass. The game was an adventure of epic proportions. The amount of hard work and detail that went into making this title can't be explained in words. Many were skeptical about its switch to 3D, but Nintendo did it flawlessly.

Honorable Mentions:

Goldeneye:

What a perfect shooter. Countless nights I spent playing this game on mutliplayer and trying to beat the game on the 007 level. Also, I still consider this to be the best game based on a movie ever.

Chrono Cross:

Many of you are saying WHAT?!?!!? NO FF7? Well, no. Do I think Chrono Cross is a better game, well, yes. The game's story was riveting, and its system of leveling took away grinding entirely. Also, the decisions you made decided which characters you could play as later on (how badass is that?). Also, the music is amazing. I think the game was dismissed because of its different combat system, as well as it being less popular and acclaimed then Final Fantasy. If you haven't played this game, it is worth every penny spent on eBay for it. You'll be doing yourself a huge disservice as a RPG fan if you haven't played it.

Generation 3 (Gamecube/XBOX/PS2): Like the previous generation, this was also tough to choose a winner. But, I'm confident in my choice: Resident Evil 4.

This game brought back to life (pun intended) a genre and series that had been in a huge hole in the past. This was my first Resident Evil game that I truly enjoyed, and that cried perfection as I played. The games removal of fixed backgrounds and awkward angles and implementation of first (sort of) person brought up a lot of controversy. Capcom took a risk, and it paid off. Never in my life have I been more genuinely afraid of a game. It wasn't the fact that someone was chasing you with a chainsaw that added fear. It was the fact that someone is chasing you, and you have one bullet, no herbs, and Ohh, there are 5 other guys with axes and squid like arms behind the dude with a chainsaw. Although the story wasn't the best, the game did have very well performed voice acting as well as amazing looking cutscenes. Also, the fact that the player had to press A to dodge a stab in the middle of a cutscene definitely added a new level of immersion.

Honorable Mention:

Halo:

The title that put the XBOX on the map. Also the first shooter to be compared with Goldeneye as the best of all time. Like Mario, the music of Halo sticks with you. The story was great, the graphics were great. And I think we all can agree that without Halo, would there be a XBOX 360? I doubt it.

NFL2K5:

I can't find a better example of a game that was totally looked over. To this day, I still consider it to be the best football game of all time. I know I will turn some heads with this choice, but if you have played the game, you know that it put Madden to shame. The game was so well built, and so beautifully presented. Oh, and it only cost $20 when it came out. If you missed this game, go buy it from Gamestop for 3 dollars.

Generation 4 (PS3/XBOX360/Wii): Now, this generation isn't over yet, but my choice for the best game probably will remain after the generation is over. What game you ask? Super Mario Galaxy.

It seems as though each year, games get so much better, and the bar is set so high, that it's impossible to surpass. Mario Galaxy was, and still is, the game that proves to be the best showcase of what the Wii is capable of to date. Now granted, the game is only single player (well, more like one and a half player), there is no online play. However, the game did take a seemingly dead genre (platforming) and bring it back to life. Now, I've never said "Damn that was awesome" out loud when playing a game before Mario Galaxy. If you've played this game, then you shared the sensation of jumping off the edge of a cliff, then gravity spinning you all the way around the small planet. It's almost 4D (if that makes any sense). Not only was the game cool, its controls were spot on using the Wii's capabilities without overdoing them.

Honorable Mentions: I can't really fill this in yet until I play more games on systems that I don't have. Sorry :(

My note to the readers: I want to emphasize that this is MY list, maybe some favorites are the same as yours. Also, I realize that I may have missed some games in my gaming experiences, however, I think the ones I choose would still be the best regardless. Also, I want to stress that if you haven't played any of the games above listed, I highly suggest getting them, or in the case of Mario Galaxy, find a friend with a Wii to hang out with. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed my list. Thank you for reading!

Also, if you'd like to tell me your favorites of each generation, that'd be cool too!