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[X-Factor]

...and reflect on all the excellent games that have been destroyed/mutated beyond all semblance of recognition lately. Yep, it's time for a trip down memory lane, folks. I'm not talking about the classics that started the gaming craze, but merely the original games that still today dominate over their mutated descendents.

-Warcraft: The PC game that had you scurrying around for resources and building an empire before crushing your opponent, much like Age of Empires. Was replaced with Starcraft and World of Warcraft, divorce rates skyrocketed.

-Grand Theft Auto: The amazing top-down PC game that led to so many current iterations that my head spins.

-The Need for Speed: circa the mid 90s this racing game was produced by Electronic Arts (back when it was CALLED that, not this "EA Sports" crap) and Road and Track magazine. Again, so many iterations of this game/genre have come to life it's insane, but NONE of them could touch the original.

-Duke Nukem: This game needs no introduction. It is, quite simply, one of the best FPS games of all time... I believe it was just remade under a different title.

-Mario Brothers: Remember the old sidescrolling SNES version? I remember being horrified when the 3D N64 version came out.....

-Quake: A classic, and excellent competition for the next on the list.

-Unreal: Simply amazing, and one of my all time favorite games. The newer version absolutely killed it for me, especially the move to consoles. The graphics engine lives on in other games, but the Unreal I remember and love died a long time ago.

There are others....