The Gamesblog Top 50 Games of the Noughties - 30-11

Day two, and another varied selection of classics from the readers' poll. I would compliment you all on your excellent taste but neither Evo or Champman made it into the top ten Which is RIDICULOUS. Still, good to see the Gamecube getting a bit of a look-in, and as for developers, it looks like BioWare is cleaning up...

30. Zelda Wind Waker (2003, Gamecube) - Taking the fundamentals from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask on the N64, but giving the franchise an aesthetic recharge with a new cartoony look, Wind Waker was a fresh and compelling instalment of the much loved series. Most fans dismayed at the change in presentation were quickly won over.

29. Guitar Hero (2005, PS2) - A huge breakout mainstream success, and a game that deserves a lot of credit for taking a simple concept and executing it so well. The novelty does wear off after a while, but there aren't many videogames you could break out at a house party without getting some strange looks. Like Wii Sports, it may not impress hardcore gamers but its significance in the growing popularity of gaming should not be overlooked.

28. Uncharted 2 (2009, PS3)- Finally a game worth buying a PS3 for – Uncharted 2 was easily the most critically acclaimed game of 2009 and one of the more recent releases to feature on this list. The engrossing single-player mode coupled with excellent multiplayer online action make this probably the most fun you've had playing a treasure hunter since Indiana Jones on the NES. Lara who?

27. Rome: Total War (2004, PC) - One of only a handful of strategy games on the list, Rome Total War is seen by many as the pinnacle of the genre. Informative, educational (gasp), but overall deeply rewarding and immersive, Rome: Total War let you command huge armies and rewrite history, all from the comfort of your desktop. A big consumer of time, if you don't like football, this may well prove to be your Football Manager. This from commenter germit: 'Huge scope, epic conflicts and, best of all, flammable pigs'.

26. Left 4 Dead (2008, PC, Xbox 360) - FPS fun but with a tense zombie-shooting horror twist proved a surprise hit and has won legions of fans in the past couple of years. While the story mode may not be up to much, the game's online multiplayer options make it the first port of call for those bored of Call of Duty. As Gamesblog reader, sorbicol puts it, 'the best online co-op game I've ever played, coupled to the closest cinematic experience I've had in a game as well'.

25. Metroid Prime (2002, Gamecube) - Another rare Gamecube entrant, Metroid Prime won over fans of the classic Nintendo series, skeptical that it would still 'feel' like a Metroid game as a 3D first-person shooter. But with great level design and fun puzzles, Samus had never looked better. Now available for the Wii as part of the Metroid Prime Trilogy pack.

24. Mass Effect (2007, Xbox 360, PC) - Bioware maintained its usual level of high quality when making this science-fiction RPG. Well-realised characters, a fantastic storyline – Mass Effect is one of the greatest sci-fi RPGs of all time. Commenters appreciated both the moral choices available in the game, and the great 80s synth soundtrack.

23. GTA 3 (2001, PC, Xbox, PS2) - The first Grand Theft Auto was a cult success, GTA 2 was received with something of a nonchalant shrug. It's fair to say, then, that this third release was an important one for the franchise – and it certainly delivered. While it's been superseded in terms of quality and ambition by its sequels, it was still a major leap forward for both makers Rockstar and for PS2 gaming with its sandbox-style gameplay and frantic pace.

22. Elder scrolls: Morrowind (2002, PC, Xbox) - A huge fantasy RPG with hundreds of hours of sidequests, Morrowind won huge acclaim from fans of the genre thanks to its open world dynamics and malleable narrative. You could do pretty much what you wanted, and in any order. Many fans still consider it superior to its successor, Oblivion, which you voted slightly higher up the list – and the wide range of mods available means it's still played a great deal today.

21. GTA 4 (2008, Xbox 360, PS3, PC) - The GTA 4 launch was a huge event and rightly so: the momentum built up by previous releases meant the franchise's first sixth-generation outing had to be something special. Thankfully, it was. While it may not be the most fondly remembered of the series, Niko Bellic's exploits offered hours upon hours of sandbox fun along with dozens of varied and challenging missions. While it had its minor irritations (Roman calling every half hour asking to play a minigame with you chiefly among them) the scope of the game, and the way in which it realised its gorgeous cityscape make it easily one of the best releases of the last few years.

20. Football Manager (2000-2009, PC) - It's difficult to sum up the appeal of the Football Manager (formerly Championship Manager ) in a short synopsis. For football fans, people given to nerdish, obsessive tendencies at the best of times, it offers an unparalleled chance to immerse yourself in your favourite sport and experience genuinely addictive footie role-playing, for days, if not weeks at a time. A management sim – and time consumer – without peer.

19. Knights of the Old Republic (2003, PC, Xbox) - Bioware and the Star Wars universe was always a combination that was could create something special. It's a sign of KOTR's quality then that this exceeded expectations and is looked back on still as not just a great Star Wars game (probably the best) but a great RPG in its own right.

18. Shadow of the Colossus (2005, PS2) - A follow up to Ico, this time adding massive beasts and horse riding across desolate landscapes in to the mix. Another haunting, beautiful game that transcended genre to create a moving interactive experience. Homesgal described it as 'gorgeous, immersive, and affecting'.

17. Ico (2001, PS2) - A young boy with horns runs around a mysterious castle, solving puzzles. Doesn't sound like a promising premise, but Ico offered much more, creating a unique, haunting environment that stuck with fans long after finishing it. Frustrating at times, but ultimately a gorgeous creation - and who will ever forget the first time they held Yorda's hand and ran?

16. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006/7, PC, Xbox 360, PS3) - Perhaps seen somewhat unfairly as a poor relation to its Bethesda sibling Fallout 3, Oblivion offered sprawling RPG freedom within a vividly realised fantasy world. Like its predecessor Morrowind, it's a huge, atmospheric game with hours upon hours of sidequests available. This from Minion: 'Not may games or films scare me but every time I enter a cave or Ayleid ruin I feel genuine fear from the atmosphere that Bethesda have crafted so well'.

15. Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii) - The character who previously set the high watermark in both 2D and 3D platforming was always going to struggle to make a mark amongst a new generation of (more powerful) consoles – but Mario Galaxy didn't need dazzling graphics or sweeping cutscenes to sparkle. The seamless incorporation of the Wii remote into the action coupled with ingenious level design made Galaxy one of the most fun and original platformers ever.

14: Halo: Combat Evolved (2002, Xbox) - Halo could be seen as a fairly controversial entrant this high up the list – it didn't have a particularly good single-player campaign, and probably isn't the best FPS of the decade. However, what it did manage to do was bring multiplayer online gaming into the living rooms of thousands and away from PCs, setting the stage for the likes of Call of Duty to follow. Apart from Goldeneye, before Halo the multiplayer FPS simply wasn't a mainstream concern. Halo is often seen as the main reason for the Xbox's success, breaking sales records on its release in 2002 – if Halo hadn't done well, there may well not have been an Xbox 360...

13. Baldur's Gate 2 (2000, PC) - Very high up in many commenter's lists (described by McBegbie as 'pure RPG genius' and zaarin2003 as 'easily the best RPG of all time') Baldur's Gate 2 set a high watermark in role-playing gaming that hasn't really been met since. Addictive gameplay, compelling plot and likeable characters were all combined within a superlatively well-realised fantasy world that sucked you in like few others have in the world of videogames. The fact that there's a still an active community for a game released almost ten years ago speaks volumes for its enduring quality.

12. Pro Evolution Soccer (2000-2009, all platforms) - For a long time Konami had the football sim market completely sewn up with this enduring series – a feat made all the more impressive if you take into account the amount of failed pretenders to the Fifa throne (Actua Soccer, Virtua Soccer, Adidas Power Soccer etc). While the quality of the series has waned in recent years and EA's franchise has improved greatly, PES offered some of the finest football games ever made along the way. It's tough to pick a single release from the series, though 4 and 5 (released in 2004 and 2005 respectively) are often regarded as being the most fun to play.

11. Deus Ex (2000, PC) - While Half-Life set the standard for science fiction first-person gaming, Deus Ex took the genre in a slightly different direction, combining more RPG elements with a cyberpunk futuristic plot involving the Illuminati, Triads and, er, superpower-granting nanotechnology, to create a gaming experience of memorable freedom and atmosphere. Both forward thinking and excellent fun.

Tomorrow: Keith with numbers 10-2