16. Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
Ubisoft Montpelier | Ubisoft | 2005

This expanded recreation of the effects-laden film will captivate you even if you can recite the entire script of all three King Kongmovies

What made it so great?
Despite a title that refuses to let you forget this is a licensed movie game, this is one of the most immersive games you'll ever play. There's no health meter or ammo count or radar. Whether you're playing in first-person as reluctant hero Jack or tearing it up in third-person view as Kong, all you see are the gorgeously-created visuals. Jack will say aloud how much ammo you have, and the blood-red tint your screen takes on when you get hit offers a clear message that you're about to get eaten alive.

Gameplay itself blends breathtaking, nail-biting set pieces: fighting off raptors while weaving through a herd of stampeding Brontosaurs, or floating down a river on a raft with T-rexes chomping at you from either side, then taking control of Kong and beating the hell out of them - with a living world, sandbox design. You're constantly grabbing rib bones to use as spears, setting brambles aflame to clear your path and using unfortunate animals as bait for more vicious predators. It even captures much of the story's tragic, poignant emotional impact, a rare feat for a video game.

Get ready to play
This game will take hold of you like few others can. Turn down the lights, turn up the sound (and probably the brightness on your TV) and enjoy it. Kong isn't incredibly difficult, and it's not long at all - most players can see it all in six or seven hours, though the alternate ending takes a bit longer. But this is one of those games that can literally take your breath away with its craftsmanship. It's epic. It's art. 

Been there, done that?
Like Kong's animal play? Conker: Live & Reloaded puts you in the boots of a potty-mouthed squirrel. Fabulous graphics, solid online play, and movie parodies aplenty fill this comical shooter. It's an acquired taste, but for some, it's one of the best games on the platform.