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Axelay. One of the greatest shooters ever created, and definitely Konami's ultimate SNES game. I just wish the sequel would have happened.

9. Space Harrier II - Sega - Sega Genesis - 1989

This game is the reason I got a Genesis. I played it nonstop for a week after I first got it. That was twelve years ago, and I'm still not tired of it. I'll play this game forever.

8. Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night - Konami - PSX - 1997

This game alone was the reason I got a PlayStation. If you own a PlayStation and you like Castlevania - but you don't get this game - you're stupid.

7. Strider - Capcom - Arcade - 1987

The original. The first adventure of Hiryu, A-Class Strider... and one of the most addictive games I've ever played. I still gladly play it to this day - and I'll continue to do so well into the future.

6. Radiant Silvergun - Treasure - Sega Saturn - 1998

My second favorite Treasure game, and undoubtedly my favorite overhead shooter ever. Unfortunately, it stayed in Japan. It's too bad... if Sega had bothered to bring over games of this quality, maybe the Saturn would have ended up not being a failure here - but they didn't, and well... we all know what happened.

5. Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo - Konami - PC Engine - 1993

The lost masterpiece... one of the only Castlevanias that never saw the light of day here in the U.S. I'll tell you - U.S. Castlevania fans were robbed of such a fine piece of work. It's one of - if not the best - Castlevanias ever made.

4. Contra - Konami - NES - 1988

Still my favorite Contra after all these years. It was one of the first NES games I had ever played, and because of it, my interest in the old grey box was piqued. I've owned it and loved it ever since I got my first NES. I've gotten so good at it that it's gotten to the point where I haven't used the old Konami Code to get 30 men in almost a decade.

3. Gunstar Heroes - Sega/Treasure - Sega Genesis - 1993

My favorite Treasure game ever - and one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Combine Contra style gameplay with Mega Man-esque character designs, a dash of Double Dragon and a huge dose of originality - and you'll just be starting to come close to what Gunstar Heroes is.

2. Gradius III - Konami - SNES - 1991

My favorite Gradius game ever - and yes, I know Gradius Gaiden was better, but Gradius III is the one I have the fondest memories of. It wasn't the first Gradius I ever played (the first one I played was the NES port of Gradius), but this is the one that really sparked my interest in the series. It may have massive slowdown, it may look outdated - but I'll play it until they pry the controller out of my cold, dead hands. I love this game.

1. Castlevania - Konami - NES - 1987

This was the one. This was where it all started for me. Castlevania ushered me into a new era of video gaming... it opened up a whole new world for me. Yes, I had played the NES before Castlevania, but this was the game that captured my imagination (well, this and to a lesser extent, Contra). I never knew what was possible until playing Castlevania, and to think - if my parents had picked up 1942 for me instead of this (which they almost did), who knows how long it would have been until I discovered it? Frankly, I'm glad they picked what they did. This is one game I will play until the end of time.

Well, there you have it - my top 100 favorite games. You may not agree with me on all counts - in fact, you may never have even heard of half of them - but those are my absolute favorites.

Games that didn't quite make the list, but deserve an honorable mention:

Blaster Master (NES), Final Fight (arcade), Mighty Final Fight (NES), Legendary Wings (NES), The Guardian Legend (NES), Ys Books I and II (Turbografx-16), Gunbird (Sega Saturn), Gunbird 2 (Sega Dreamcast), Target Earth (Sega Genesis), Gun*Nac (NES), Guardian Heroes (Sega Saturn), Bulk Slash (Sega Saturn), Kirby's Adventure (NES), Double Dragon (Sega Master System), Bubble Bobble (arcade), Psychosis (Turbografx-16), Gargoyle's Quest 2: The Demon Darkness (NES), The Goonies (Famicom), Streets Of Rage (Sega Genesis), Strider (NES), 1943 (arcade), Uninvited (NES), Pitfall! (Atari 2600), Shenmue (Sega Dreamcast), Fantasy Zone (Turbografx-16), F-Zero (SNES), Waiwai World 2: SOS!! Paseri-jou (Famicom), Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (Famicom), Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shougun Matsuginesu (Super Famicom), Yar's Revenge (Atari 2600), Commando (arcade), Bangai-o (Sega Dreamcast), G Darius (PSX), Desert Falcon (Atari 7800) and Einhander (PSX).