The games that made a generation

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We look back on an era that defined gaming as we know it, and pluck out the best

The era of the GameCube, Xbox and the PlayStation 2 has arrived at its end.

Sure, a few great titles will squeak out for the PS2 - but the other two are total goners, and the days of big-budget hits - and innovative games - are far behind all three of them. The PC, meanwhile, is entering into a new era thanks to the advent of Windows Vista and the game-powering DirectX 10 that comes bundled with it. Obviously, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii have established themselves. It's time to move on.

With that being the case, we take a look back at the games that shaped that generation we've all just left. Amazing games, genre-defining titles - there were plenty. Hidden gems, too. Whether a game was a massive hit or obscure, it merited discussion here. We've pulled together 25 games for each platform that we feel hit the highs in terms of quality and system-defining aura. To find out our choices, keep reading.

Contributors: Charlie Barratt, Eric Bratcher, Matt Cundy, Brett Elston, Tom Francis, Christian Nutt, Mikel Reparaz, Ben Richardson, Justin Towell, George Walter

Week 1: GameCube
Day 1: 25-21 |Day 2: 20-16|Day 3: 15-11 |Day 4: 10-6 |Day 5: 5-1

Week 2: Xbox
Day 1: 25-21 |Day 2: 20-16 |Day 3: 15-11 |Day 4: 10-6 |Day 5: 5-1

Week 3: PlayStation 2
Day 1: 25-21|Day 2: 20-16 |Day 3: 15-11|Day 4: 10-6 |Day 5: 5-1

Week 4: PC
Day 1: 25-21 |Day 2: 20-16 |Day 3: 15-11 |Day 4: 10-6|Day 5: 5-1