1. Super Mario Bros.
It was with Super Mario Bros. that man seemed to have reached the pinnacle of gaming greatness. Arguably the greatest game of all times (IGN's words) Mario was a game everyone had either heard about, seen or played. It brought together everything awesome gaming had to offer. The levels were challenging and each was better than the last. It had a soundtrack that, for its time, was superior to everything games had managed so far. You could run it single-player or with a friend, who'd then assume the mantle of Mario's younger brother Luigi. Super Mario Bros. made it impossible for anyone to hate the character a plump, moustachioed, Italian plumber out to do some good. For every child who hated eating mushrooms while growing up, the game gave a chance to jump on them or better shoot them with fireballs. You had to collect coins, because, you know, collecting coins is just awesome and because they gave you 1-ups. You could enter warp-zones and explore the murky depths where no man had ever placed foot before. The game gave you the feeling of being temporarily invincible with the help of Starman, who'd just across and surprised you every once a while. There were dragons and the game enabled every wimpy geek to take them down without having to leave the sanctity of his house. But most importantly, there was a Lady at stake and there can be no higher honour for a real man than to save the damsel from distress. And thus we fight, thus we shoot fireballs, thus we hop and leap over flags because there's a Lady to be saved. Did we miss any iconic classic games that you think should have made this list? Share your own picks below.