49. Uniracers
Platform: SNES
Release Date: 1994
Video:
This one is probably more of a personal favourite than an all-time game. It's not influential in the same way that a Super Mario Kart or even an F-Zero is, but at the same time it's so unique that it stands out. Plus it's just damned good.
Uniracers is an ultra-simple racing game based on doing tricks instead of cutting sharp corners. In that sense, it's actually more influential to games like SSX or Tony Hawk than any 2d games. It's a side-scrolling racer, something that I'm not sure exists anymore and barely existed then. You move your unicycle by pressing left and right instead of having a "go" button. It's definitely not a traditional game. You'd compare it to Excitebike before anything else, probably.
But 17 years later, it's still the most fun racing game on the SNES, and in my mind the best 2d racer ever. I'm far from its only fan, too. It would be an absolutely fantastic XBLA game. It's so simple that anyone can play it and it's a blast multiplayer -- provided two people are of the same skill, that is.
Play this game.
--
xyzzy