10 Best Games In My Backlog (Owned But Unplayed)

What gamer actually plays as much as he/she would like? I buy games with the best intentions, but it doesn't always pan out. Here are the 10 games I'm most embarrassed to say I've purchased, but never played.

Honorable Mention: King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (Master System)
I'd feel worse if I could remember where or why I got it, and were it on a system I played or for which I had more nostalgia. Oh well; I'll get to it someday.

10-8: Star Ocean: The Second Story, Wild ARMs & Chrono Cross (PS1)
Why must my favorite genre be the most time-consuming? Not long ago, I purchased all three of these via gift certificate/buy-two-get-one combo at a major game retailer. Slightly less long ago, I traded a bunch loose ends for a small, awesome bundle including Legend of Legaia at a smaller, homey-er store in much more sentimental, memorable fashion, and it's the only non-Dragon Warrior PS1 RPG I've played since.

7-6: Gunstar Heroes (Genesis) & Super Metroid (SNES) 
In the same game-trade-in purge that resulted in Legaia above, I also got these two gems. I don't even have a great reason for not having played them. I'm trying to think of anything to type to make it seem better... but I can't, so let's change the subject.

What's above brings me some shame, but the games below hit even harder as they were very excellent presents from very special people. To those people, I am extremely sorry, and I hope you know that it doesn't diminish the awesome quality of these gifts.

5-3: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GC), Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages (GBC)
I got these, along with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, in one of the best Christmas packages I've ever received. As an added surprise, the sender and myself thought I'd be receiving only loose games. However, the GameCube game came complete (Thanks, GameStop.com!), and in nice shape to boot. The Oracle games may be the highest priority on my backlog; old-school top-down Legend of Zelda games are among my favorite styles.

2-1: Banjo-Kazooie & Banjo-Tooie (N64)
I frequently bash the N64; count me among those who hate early 3D polygons and the controllers. Maybe if I actually played more of the good games patiently waiting their turn on my shelf - Blast Corps, Body Harvest, oh and these two games to name a few - I would appreciate it a little more. What's most important about these is that my wife picked them out for me for a gift all on her own; she managed to pick from the small cross-section between the system's best and ones I don't already own. It's impressive, and it's a great shame I haven't repaid the favor to the system and to my wife by playing them.

While you're here, I highly recommend watching N64 Glenn Plant's reviews of both games. They're excellent, painful reminders to my conscience that I have no good reason for not yet playing them.