Ok, here goes for my personal list of genre defining games



RPG: This most definitely goes to Final Fantasy VII without a doubt. The everchanging story, the characters who went through so much an changed right before our eyes, and the moment that no one could have expected, or forgotten, Aerith's Death. Classic through and through.

Action Adventure: For this I'd have to say, evne though it may technically be considered FPS, James Bond Goldeneye, for the N64. this game was top dog, replayable over and over, and had the best action sequences for a game of it's time.

Sports: Not really a big sports fan, BUT, since racing IS technically a sport, Mariocart wins this then. I could dies happy just playing this game over and over, attacking opponents, and generally having a blast racing everyone else.

Stratergy: I'm going to assume by strategy, we mean Real Time Strategy, in which case Homeworld for the PC wins, hands down. with an epic storyline, the ability to control almost any aspect of your fleet, down to individual ships, and a completely 360 degree map and movement system, this game took me in and never let me go.

Horror: Silent Hill, any of them, from 1, tilll 4, this series just keeps on scaring me, and it's not that it's even really scary, it's just the atmospehere that it sets for you, to scare yourself in. A masterpiece in itself.

PlatformSoul Caliber, for it's sheer will to succeed on any platform, no matter what.

Beat em Up: Smash Bros. melee, this game made me love the fighting genre more then anything in the world. There is nothing more satisfying then seeing Kirby chuck Mario off a ledge, only to smashed flat by Samus, and then shot into space by Starfox. It's doesn't get any better then this.

FPS: GoldenEye (N64)

If i remember correctly, Halo really defined the FPS genre with the usage of vehicles; or so i read

and halo 2 with their dual weapons system; it worked much better than other games with duel weapons

Genre defining? hmm:

RPG: FINAL FANTASY
Action Adventure: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Sports: MADDEN NFL FOOTBALL
Strategy: STARCRAFT
FPS: DOOM
Horror: RESIDENT EVIL
Platform: SUPER MARIO BROS.
Beat em Up: STREETS OF RAGE
fighting 2D: STREET FIGHTER II
fighting 3D: VIRTUA FIGHTER

those games i believe defined the genre and made it what they are today..

now for the best in those genres here is my opinion:

RPG: FINAL FANTASY VI
Action Adventure (You can split this is two if you want): THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME or CASTLEVANIA: SOTN
Sports: MADDEN NFL FOOTBALL 2006
Strategy: STARCRAFT
Horror: SILENT HILL
FPS: GOLDENEYE 64 (SINGLE PLAYER) / COUNTERSTRIKE (PC MULTIPLAYER) / HALO (CONSOLE MULTIPLAYER)
Platform: SUPER MARIO BROS. 3
Beat em Up: STREETS OF RAGE 2
fighting 2D: STREET FIGHTER i 3RD STRIKE: FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE
fighting 3D: VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 EVOLUTION

>>RPG: FINAL FANTASY VI

*SFZ3 announcer* YOU WIN, SIR!


>>Halo really defined the FPS genre with the usage of vehicles; or so i read

Halo made the usage of vehicles in FPS feel natural... and yeah, I don't remember any other FPS using vehicles before (there may be, but I don't remember).


And well, here is my list of genre defining (not putting all of them):

RPG: Dragon Warrior (sorry, but longevity, difficult level, charismatic enemies and overall simplicity > cute graphics and homoerotic chars). Favorite -> FF VI (not a DW, but I don't mind XD)
Action: Ninja Gaiden (NES games, lol). Favorite -> Otogi Myth of Demons.
Adventure: Megaman. Favorite -> Megaman 2.
Sports: Perfect / Fighting / Winning Eleven series. Favorite -> WE8.
FPS: Doom. Favorite -> Doom 3.
Horror: Silent Hill (real fear... RE is only a lot of "BOOS!" and surprising stuff). Favorite -> Silent Hill 1.
Platform: Sonic :o Favorite -> Sonic Adventure 2.
Shmups: Gradius (man, I love this). Favorite -> Parodius.
Music games: Beatmania. Favorite -> Pump it up.
Puzzles: Tetris (THE BASICS, DUDES! THE BASICS!). Favorite -> Tetris Attack AKA Panel de Pon.
2D Fighters: Street Fighter 2. Favorite -> Guilty Gear XX#R.
3D Fighters: Virtua Fighter. Favorite -> Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.

I don't remember any other FPS using vehicles before (there may be, but I don't remember).

i think goldeneye had that damn tank. but i think it was automatically controlled.. i forget. havent played it in ages haha.

oh yeah, mega man 2. i don't know how i forgot that game. till this very day, i believe the rockman 2 ost is "top tier".

>>i think goldeneye had that damn tank. but i think it was automatically controlled

If I remember correctly, you had to manually control that thing.

The problem is, the control of the tank pretty sucks A LOT, and it's incredibly frustrating to use it.


>>i believe the rockman 2 ost is "top tier".

And Capcom is extremely fool, because they haven't done a remake of that amazing soundtrack... well, some of the tracks were remade for Megaman Power Battle/Fighters (and reused (lol lazy) in MMAC), but not all of them! I want more Quickman, Woodman, METALMAN, Flashman and Willy 2nd phase!

The problem is, the control of the tank pretty sucks A LOT, and it's incredibly frustrating to use it.

yeah, the shells arc more like a grenade then a cannon

RPG - Final Fantasy 1 for NES...there are others but this is the first I played...
Action - Metal Gear for the MSX...that or Contra...
Adventure - Zelda for the NES...
Sports - Mike Tyson's Punch Out for NES...best sports game ever...
Stratergy - Warcraft and Age of Empires for PC
Horror - Resident Evil...not the first, but the mst known...and probably had the biggest impact...
Platform - The Atari...where would we be with-out it!
Beat em Up - The original Street Fighter for Arcade..Probably the most impacting fighting game every made...

-

I tried to go buy which games I could think of that I played that defined a Genre...

-BeyondSpectrality

RPG: A pure RPG? Well it has to be the first Dragon Warrior, most like what an RPG "really" is.
For J-RPG: Grandia.
For S-RPG: Disgaea
For U-RPG: KOTOR (where you stands for USA-RPG)

I don´t know what revolutioned the RPG genre with FFVII? The only thing that was "new" was the damn FMVs that now take more than 80% of the game... no big revolution there. Boring materia system sucks.

Beat em up: Street Fighter 2

Sports: International Superstar Soccer for soccer-games
Tennis(NES) for Tenis-games

Platform: Super Mario Bros for some kids, Sonic for others

Puzzle: Tetris

Strategy: Pure strategy games? Haven´t played any. for the Strategic RPGs, look above.

RPG: Baldur's Gate is the only answer. It beat Might and Magic VI by an inch, but it's better. After a long dry period without any CRPGs it was a blast :D
Action Adventure : Tomb Raider :D Lara came, Lara saw, Lara won. Nuff said.
Sports: I don't play any, but Chaos League :D Play it and you'll see what I mean.
Strategy: Well I'm one of the few who doesn't consider playing C&C strategy. For me strategy begins by a turn based standard. So the Breakthrough for me could be one of the Heroes games, but Hearts of Iron is the winner.
Horror: Silent Hill and Clock Tower. Both refreshed the genre, without a gun totting heroine/hero trying to decimate the undead/monster/both.
Platform: Klonoa :D
Beat em Up: The Bouncer. Refreshing, superb graphics, replayable, and fun to play with.

RPG= Final Fantasy VII, PS1
Action Adventure= Pitfall, Atari 2600
Sports= Tecmo Bowl, NES
Strategy= Final Fantasy Tactics, PS1
Horror= Resident Evil, PS1
Platform= Super Mario Brothers, NES
Beat em Up= Final Fight, Arcade
Fighting= Street Fighter 2, Arcade
Puzzle= Tetris, NES
Shooter= Raiden, Arcade
Gun Game= Operation Wolf, Arcade

RPG: Final Fantasy Series.
AVG: Resident Evil, Fatal Frame.
SPT: Winning Eleven series.
SLG: Disgaea, phantom kingdom, phantom brave.
FTG: KOF, DOA, Soul Calibur.
STG: Cherry Blossom!!
PZE: Puyo Puyo Fever
ACT: Metal Gear Solid series.

Action Adventure: Mega Man X
Sports: Rdige Racer
Platform: Mario Bros
Beat em Up: Tekken, Soul Calibur, Street Fighter

RPG - arg... between FFVII, FFX, and Kingdom Hearts. O_o;; you gotta give all of those major credits...
Action Adventure - Zelda. Hands down.
Sports - N/A, I don't play 'em.
Strategy - I. Hate. Dragon Quest. But it wins.
Horror - Resident Evil or Clock Tower.
Platform - Mario!
Beat em Up - ah hah... Super Smash Bro's.