#6. Pokemon Red and Blue (GB)
Pokemon Red and Blue are the games that started it all, enduring classics that have become fixtures of modern pop culture. They struck it so right and so perfectly the first time, today, almost twenty years later, Pokemon still largely adheres to the framework laid down by them. Everything about these games is iconic- from their characters, to how they play out, to the Pokemon themselves, the music and soundtrack, the villains, the urban legends surrounding them, to even the glitches that pervaded the game.
Really, few franchises, if any, have ever had a first showing as strong as Pokemon did with Red and Blue- they struck gold. They are such great games, and their game design holds up so well, that even in spite of the fact that they are thoroughly outdated today, you can go back to them and play them, and you will still enjoy them. Yes, there are problems abound that become obvious now, such as the lack of a post game, for example, but few games, if any, have ever had the kind of impact that Pokemon Red and Blue did upon release. It is highly likely that none ever will again.
