A list that Nintendo doesn't completely dominate?! oh em geez!

*agrees with the list*

Also, I'm surprised MHF2 made it to the best ever list

I bet in a year MHF2 wouldn't make the top 25!

Wow, I wasn't expecting to see Xenogears, but pleasantly surprised that it made the list.

Lost Odyssey? XBOX 360? JAPAN? WUT?

I'd have to say that would be... hmm, Sonic Adventure 1 or Animal Crossing, I donno.

@NeoAkira: yes. much love to xenogears, suikoden 2, chrono trigger and okami. great list for those.

Are you listening Squenix?! Bring me another damn Chrono Trigger. NOW! Not later... right the hell now!

Its nice too see Okami on the list there, I'm personally looking forward to its Wii debut.

Any normal man would see that FFVII needs a remake, but Squareenix isn't any normal man. Sadly no. Unless they are baking it in a giant cake

Chronotrigger, Suikoden 2 and Xenogears? Great damn responses, but there's nothing casual about those games. Where did they find the playing time?

I agree with the Best Ever list mostly, except its missing OoT or LttP and MHF2 definitely shouldn't be on there.

FF at the top? I am SHOCKED.

I'm glad to see Xenogears on that list. The game would easily have surpassed 100 hours had it been allocated the funds for completion, even abridged I loved it though, chair narration scenes included!

Yay for Persona 3. Can't wait for FES to come in April. My life is complete.

*agrees with the list*

Great second list. I've still yet to play Tales of the Abyss, though. As for FFVII being on top...Square Enix, stop bullshitting. I await the day you tease it with a trailer that comes with FF XIII.

@TheIrishNinja: Heh, I played Suikoden 2 many times...such a great game. They started to get the charm back with 5, but it wasn't completely there. Let's hope for a true sequel.

360 in Japan...NICE!!!!

@Bluejuan85: ...until persona 4...oops did i just make your life incomplete agian?.....

Nice to see how highly regarded Ar Tonelico 2 is in Japan. I hope this is enough to make NIS America take a hint.

MH is the PSO of this console generation. It's an experience that you have to really get into to care. I personally am not addicted, but i'm sure thats because I played the first three PSO's for hundreds of hours. I'm tired of that genre. But to me PSO is in my top 10 games of all time. Should be more like "Top 10 Game Experiences of All Time".

The second list doesn't include SMB3 and therefore is entirely inaccurate.

@Makaru: My thoughts exactly!

Sad to see that list.

Just cuz Xenogears and Chrono Trigger are dead.

Also, Suikoden V tanked, and they haven't had good sales and critical acclaim since Suikoden 3.

And Final Fantasy VII has been butchered with disjointed "compilations." (I am hoping Crisis Core is good though)

Is that dude playing an ocarina, or eating his controler?

@Lackshmana: It seems that all the good series of old have turned to lame shadows of what they once were, that's why im glad to see new stuff like lost oddesy.

Also, seriously kids, play something other than a JRPG now and then. Honestly, all time and last year in particular...some truly amazing games that don't involve leveling up and fighting the church/military/authority/god.

@Lackshmana: But Xenogears and Trigger live on through the fans, and I feel that is very important. As for Suikoden, there's always hope they get that Suikoden II magic flowing again. Also, heard good things about Crisis Core, so at least it's not going to be another Dirge.

Totally agree. Except, move Crisis Core to #1. /FFVII fanboy fo life.

@Saint Anima: Still longing to get Suikoden 2 back on day for less than $100. it kills me.
3 was a letdown for me, and skipped 4. I had a lotta love for 5 (tho not nearly as much as the first two) so i also think it was a step in the right direction. I pray we see a 6.

wow... someone needs to rush some good games to Japan STAT!

The only surprising things on that list are FFX (which I thought was considered one of the lesser FF games) and the lack of Ocarina of Time in the "best ever" list.

@Lackshmana: I think there was WAYYYY more to JRPG's than leveling up.

It's called a good story.

@dowingba: I was suprised about ocarina of time too.

Where's Portal? This list is a lie!

Should I just go and shove my head into a hole now?

No wonder Western devs have a hard time cracking Japan. These guys might as well be stuck in the Medieval ages when it comes to evolution of taste.

Or maybe Japanese people just love their text and anime chicks.

Right, that.

I don't see how lost odyssey would make that list, the 360 being the minority and all...

I actually think people clamoring for a return to Suikoden 2 is what has hurt the series so much.

Suikoden 4 and 5 were just attempts to rehash Suikoden 1 and 2 respectively.

Suikoden 3 got tons of hate on the internet, but it reviewed better and seemingly sold better than any other game in the series.

I put it in the same category as Chrono Cross, since they are both games that scored high, sold well, and yet managed to incur the rage of an overly vocal internet minority.

DQ6 and Lufia II

Welcome to the world of Monster Hunter.

That game is fantastic, though it has a huge learning curve and requires a major time investment.

@dowingba, @Sinnbox: I think I read somewhere that Zelda isn't as popular in Japan as it is in other places. Where I read that, I don't remember. It is surprising though that there is no Zelda mention at all.

Didn't except Super Robot Wars to appear as high as the fifth spot in the list.

@LittleBigPlaneteer:
The first thing that popped into my head.

Best game this year? Galaxy (I played through it even though it gave me no achievements).

Best game ever... It used to be Chronotrigger, now it might be Shadow of Colossus...

Game spent most time playing. Street Fighter 2

@Danin:
Your opinion of course...

@ffmusicdj: Most JRPG stories aren't good.

Some are, most aren't.

Same as any other genre.

As with everything else, most of the time they are laughable cliches built on the same premise over and over again.

wow! i'm surprised.. the 2nd list is exactly my top 10 games of all time.. in that same exact order.

@Lackshmana:
Most JRPG stories suck, sure, but the best JRPG stories are the best stories in gaming itself. Stuff like Suikoden II, Lost Odyssey, Final Fantasy VI, Valkyrie Profile, and Final Fantasy Tactics just crushes anything available in any other genre.

For example, looking for good story in FPS games is like looking for a hooker without herpes. You're going to find it eventually (Bioshock), but not after wading through so much disgusting shit your soul is crying out in pain just from the very thought of it.

Okami? Lost Odyssey? Barely 80,000 people played this game in Japan. These lists aren't representative of the more general population.

@Archaotic:
...but only after. Bleh. It's 3 AM. You know what I meant. Sorry for the double post, all.