Name: MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
Platform: PC
Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Year Released: 1995
Why it Made the Top 100 List: Intelligent, demanding, technologically advanced, unique, brilliant...those are but some of the words often used to describe MechWarrior 2, a title that single-handedly redefined PC gaming as we know it and is readily seen as a near perfect blend of science fiction, simulation and action. To play as a member of Clan Wolf is to be a member of Clan Wolf. Let the blood of the freebirths spill before you. All pretty, polygonal and inspiring, MechWarrior took fiction to the sim fans, simulation to the action fans, and action to everyone with a computer.

Name: Advance Wars
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Developer: Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo
Year Released: 2001
Why it Made the Top 100 List: One of the earliest releases on the Game Boy Advance is still the best game on the system. Advance Wars is an absolutely fantastic take on the turn-based strategy genre that goes far and beyond the call of duty with an incredible amount of missions, drastically altering conditions during play, and completely customizable maps that can be traded to anyone with their own copy of the game. And let's not forget to mention incredible multiplayer support for as many as four different officers on the same map.

Name: Resident Evil 2
Platform: Sony PlayStation
Developer: Capcom Entertainment
Publisher: Capcom
Year Released: 1998
Why it Made the Top 100 List: Taking up where the first left off, the successor to the hugely popular original built an incredibly deep story into an engrossing and frightening adventure game. Though enemies attacked from off-screen and the control scheme annoyed less patient gamers, the dual-character gameplay, excellent assortment of puzzles, and sick, twisted monsters arguably created the most compelling, in-depth game in the series.

Name: Star Fox
Platform: Super NES
Developer: Argonaut/EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Year Released: 1993
Why it Made the Top 100 List: A polygonal action game on a 16-bit console? Sure, Nintendo's breakthrough sci-fi shooter sports a framerate we'd all deem intolerable by today's standards, but the gameplay remains as compelling as ever. Powered by the Super FX chip, Star Fox succeeds by making the environment just as much a part of the challenge as the incoming enemies. Varied levels, impressivce bosses, and a great score by Hajime Wakai make Star Fox an experience not to be forgotten.

Name: Return Fire
Platform: 3DO
Developer: Silent Software
Publisher: Prolific
Year Released: 1995
Why it Made the Top 100 List: Return Fire alone made the initially $600 3DO system worthwhile. Of course, it may have been the only game that did. At the most rudimentary level, it was militaristic two-player capture the flag. At the most extreme level, Return Fire was the reason we didn't have dates for a full year. We also blame it for us not having dates today. Very few games approach Return Fire's level of pure addictiveness and polish. Everything could be blown up, but unless you had strategic skills, you had nothing. Top down action with smarts has rarely been done better.

Name: Bionic Commando
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Capcom Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Capcom USA, Inc.
Year Released: 1988
Why it Made the Top 100 List: One of the best action platformers ever made, Capcom's Bionic Commando features a GI Joe with one very important enhancement -- a bionic arm that allows him to swing, grab and punch his way into the hearts of action fans everywhere. But just the arm isn't enough. This game is the perfect representative for the NES era -- a tough and addictive game that doesn't compromise on fun. And let's face it, the final boss -- a dude who looks quite a lot like Hitler -- is one of the baddest cats to appear at the end of any videogame.

Name: Gunstar Heroes
Platform: Sega Genesis
Developer: Treasure
Publisher: Sega
Year Released: 1993
Why it Made the Top 100 List: You simply can't think of shooters and not remember Gunstar Heroes. So fast it made eyes bleed, so pretty it made the then hot Cindy Crawford look like an aged cow, and so intense even crank junkies couldn't keep up, Gunstar Heroes is the epitome of the no frills, in your face, reflexes are a matter of life and death game. Treasure has an immense amount of quality under its belt, but no title had as lasting an impression as this side- scrolling shooter to end all side-scrolling shooters.

Name: Star Control II
Platform: PC
Developer: Accolade
Publisher: Accolade
Year Released: 1992
Why it Made the Top 100 List: The Ur-Quan needed to inflict pain upon themselves to escape the mind-controlling grasp of a sinister race of cute little aliens (probably why they were all bent on taking over the universe), but pain is going to be the last thing you feel when you're exploring, conquering, developing, upgrading and blasting in Star Control 2. From its awesome conversations to its immense universe to its buttery arcade action, Star Control 2 managed to deliver in nearly every way, and decades ahead of anything else. Even its follow-up paled in comparison.

Name: Ultima VII: The Black Gate
Platform: PC
Developer: Origin
Publisher: Origin
Year Released: 1992
Why it Made the Top 100 List: When the Avatar returned to Britannia to face the Guardian, gamers were utterly and rightly amazed. Ultima VII was the RPG that invented the design docs practically all modern-day PC role-playing games would follow. Party-based, real- time, an amazingly interactive world, branching conversations, an excellent storyline and some truly memorable characters made it grand. The fact that you could kill and rob nearly everyone made it a forbearer to all games featuring open-ended gameplay. Classic, timeless and amazing, Ultima VII is still considered without equal by many who have experienced the joys of Lord British's seventh baby.

Name: Contra
Platform: Arcade, NES
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami of America
Year Released: 1988
Why it Made the Top 100 List: The quintessential side-scrolling shooter, Contra defines what an action game was like on the NES. Even though you can only shoot in eight directions and everything in the game is pattern based, it's still a great game to play through to this day, and it's still hard as $&*%. As a bonus, Contra also has what is arguably the most famous and recited cheat code ever.