Well, my two cents now that it's over: I roughly agree with half the list, although I would have shuffled a great deal of titles. That said, I feel the Top 25 is weak with some newer games that don't warrant such high spots.
Anyway, here's my Top 10 games that didn't make it to the list:
1. Death Gate
Enough has been said about this. Terrible omission.
2. Space Quest III
Very surprised about this one because it's definitely on par with
Space Quest IV and is generally considered the better game. I would have included it for its wonderful MT-32 soundtrack alone
3. Dragonsphere
One of the best fantasy adventures ever made, period. Extremely polished, tight design and a riveting story.
4. Mission Critical
Probably THE best science-fiction adventure to date, or at least surely the best original one. Admittedly a weak beginning, but the latter half features outstanding writing and one of the most thought-provoking finales ever in ANY game. Seriously, I mean that.
5. Leisure Suit Larry 3
Another surprise. I agree with the seventh chapter, but this one warranted a spot in the Top 100 as well. Many consider this the better Larry, and I have to agree.
6. The Gene Machine
Fun. Great puzzles. Charming characters. Fun. Excellent story and setting. Perfect pacing. I can't understand why this adventure remains so ignored.
7. Alone In The Dark
Let's face it, if you decided to include "pseudo adventures" such Portal, Amnesia and others, there's NO WAY you can leave this title aside. It's pure classic.
8. Rex Nebular And The Cosmic Gender Bender
How could you?
Microprose deserved more with their excellent trilogy of adventures. Rex Nebular is far from being a Roger Wilco copycat. Excellent puzzles and storyline; the final sequence in Macho City is worth the entire game.
9. Legend Of Kyrandia 2: The Hand Of Fate
Such a lovely, entertaining and polished installment of a classic series. For sure better than many games on the list.
10. Chronomaster
Before Sanitarium, there was Chronomaster by the same team. Awesome concept (bottled universes where time stands still) that translated into truly creative puzzles. Uneven, yes, but damn good science fiction with plenty of choices, non-linearity and settings.
Honorable mentions: A shame that no game from Dynamix made it either. I'm torn between
Heart Of China and
Rise Of The Dragon, but I'd have included one of them. Also,
Case Of The Rose Tattoo is superior in every way to the first chapter, and different enough to warrant its inclusion. Finally
Normality, which would be very low on my Top 100 but definitely there.
I never played
Azrael's Tear but I know some folks swear by that title.
That would be all, I had to vent
