We're almost done with the top fifty countdown, so join us as we take a look at numbers 20 to 11!


20) Diablo 2 (PC, Mac, Linux)

One of Blizzard's finest moments, Diablo 2 took the series to new heights thanks to online and LAN play. Who could forget the late nights with friends looting lairs and killing demonic creatures?

Stand-out moment: Spending most of the weekend at a buddy's house with three other friends and taking out legions of monsters in caves. Cries of "I'm surrounded! Help me!" were the norm.


19) Deus Ex (PC, Mac, PS2)

With multiple ways to complete missions, nanotech augmentations for your character, a web of conspiracies drawn from real-life and multiple endings, Deus Ex set the bar for first-person shooter/RPG hybrids.

In an eerie real-world parallel, the game didn't include the World Trade Centre in the city skyline due to limitations in the game. The developers covered the landmark's absence in the storyline by saying that terrorists destroyed it. Bear in mind that the game was released a year before 9/11.

Stand-out moment: Finding more and more evidence of innumerable conspiracies, be it by hacking computers or reading news reports. The hole only goes deeper the further you delve into the game.


18) Super Mario Kart (SNES, Virtual Console)

Making the transition from platform game legend to kart racer would be no easy task for Mario, but somehow, Shigeru Miyamoto made it work. Released to critical acclaim in 1992, Super Mario Kart became the blueprint for every cartoony racing game since.

Multiplayer is where the series excelled in, with numerous weapons and characters to choose from. Arguments about who got to be Yoshi were not unheard of.

Stand-out moment: Being in second place on the final lap is one of the most frustrating experiences in the series. But not when you had a red shell, which homed in on the player ahead of you.


17) Portal (PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PS3)

Released as part of Valve's Orange Box compilation, the aptly-titled Portal saw players use (what else?) portals to solve a series of fiendish puzzles. The brainchild of university students, Portal's addictive nature, tough brain-teasers and a mean-spirited AI all made the title stand out.

Despite being relatively short, the game won numerous awards for 2007 ? and deservedly so. An updated version is available on Xbox Live Arcade while a sequel has also been confirmed for the end of the year.

Stand-out moment: Shooting two portals next to each other and watch yourself emerge from one into the other. My brain couldn't comprehend the awesomeness...

?Page 2: The countdown continues!