Everyone has that one console that has been integral to the growth of their gaming identity and though the N64 was my first personal console, the Xbox 360 was when I first had disposable income. I had the opportunity to explore the medium like never before. It was great. There were so many influential games that were released during that time and that helped me to better understand what it means to be a great game.

Like all my lists, I have limited it to one entry per series, which is great because this list could have been the top 50 games on the system. Microsoft’s sophomore console initially had its issues and it was a breeding ground for poor industry practices that persist to this day but many franchises were born or evolved during this time too. There are no perfect consoles but the 360 generation (PS3 included) is…