Top 10 Video Game Weapons

Video games can stir many emotions in players, from the jubilation felt after defeating a final boss to the frustration of reaching a point that seems impossible to pass. Few feelings in gaming are better than the excitement that comes with getting to use some type of bad-ass weaponry to slay your foes. Whether it's a standard-issue piece of equipment available from the start, or a gun so large and powerful that it can clear an entire room with a single blast, these ten weapons are the best of the best.

10. AWP (Counter-Strike)

I will probably get some flak for this one, but love it or hate it the AWP is one of the craziest, most overpowered guns in gaming history. One shot from this massive sniper rifle to nearly any part of an exposed enemy was instant death, and combining this gun with a Desert Eagle sidearm made for a deadly soldier indeed. Although it was definitely taken advantage of by the folks who decided to run around using it as a shotgun, and even after being toned down to make the stopping power a bit more reasonable, the AWP will always be remembered as one of the greats in gaming weaponry.
9. Blades of Chaos (God of War Series)

Although this deadly weapon is a starting piece of equipment, it is no less impressive for it, and deserves to be here. Any hero can wallow through a group of enemies swinging a sword or axe to and fro, but it takes an absurd amount of coordination and dexterity to make swinging two blades connected by a chain look and feel as visceral as it does in God of War. Even if someone were to somehow sneak a gun into Kratos' world, they would have to stay at a significant distance to avoid the reach of the Blades. Whoever designed these things needs a medal, because they are sweet.
8. Lightsaber (any Star Wars game)

The lightsaber is not just one of the best video game weapons, but one of the best weapons period. Swinging this plasma blade into a group of baddies is awesome, plain and simple. It can slice through metal, it can deflect incoming blaster fire, and it makes one of the coolest sounds I have ever heard. Not all video game weapons would translate well into other games, but I would be happy to see the lightsaber as an option in every game. Just imagine running around like crazy in COD trying to knife people, except instead of a little knife you have a lightsaber! A side note: The beam katana from No More Heroes would be an acceptable substitution for the lightsaber at this spot on the list, but I'm a Star Wars guy, so the 'saber gets the nod.
7. RC-P90 (GoldenEye)

GoldenEye on the N64 will go down in history as one of the best multiplayer shooters of all time, even if it doesn't hold up as well now as it did in its heyday. Although there were many great weapons in the game (Moonraker laser, anyone?) and possibly one of the worst as well (KLOBB!), the RC-P90 was the ultimate in spy weaponry, and to this day remains one of the best. With its ungodly amount of ammo (80 rounds in a clip) and solid stopping power, all a player had to do was enter the room, pull the trigger, and spray away.
6. Fat Man (Fallout 3/Fallout: New Vegas)

Not much has to be said about this one. It is a shoulder-mounted launcher that shoots miniature nuclear warheads, and upon detonation wipes out nearly any nearby enemy, and produces a mini-mushroom cloud as a bonus. My only gripe about the Fat Man is that I didn't get to use it more often; ammo is very scarce, but nonetheless it has cemented its spot on the list. It shoots nukes!

 5. Red Turtle Shell (Mario Kart)

 The Red Shell might not be a traditional weapon in the gun or blade sense, but in Mario Kart it was as effective as the most powerful weapons in many other games. I can't count how many times I won (or lost) due to the power of the Shell. With its lock-on capabilities and being nearly impossible to avoid, it was easily the best pick-up in any Mario Kart race and in my opinion one of the best game armaments of all time.

4. Gravity Gun 

(Half Life 2)

The Gravity Gun is another non-traditional weapon in that it doesn't actually have any ammunition, but it kicks enough booty to land on the list. It has two functions: First, it can emit a blast of energy to push enemies back. And second, it can pull any object towards it to use as ammo. An explosive barrel becomes a makeshift grenade that you can propel towards an enemy, or perhaps you might choose a saw blade to hurl at the unsuspecting foe instead. The fact is that nearly anything in the environment instantly becomes a weapon when you have this gun equipped, making the player and Gordon Freeman a deadly hero indeed.

3. Pistol 

(Halo: Combat Evolved Series)

Any Halo veteran will be able to tell you stories about the infamous pistol from the original Halo. It was a hand-cannon that could function as both a close-quarters option and an impromptu sniper weapon. It could drop lesser enemies in a single shot, and even the larger and more powerful foes would succumb to three or four well-placed rounds. Add a zoom scope and you have one of the best guns in gaming, period. Unfortunately as the series continued, the pistol was changed and lost its stopping power, and although Bungie attempted to bring the beast back, it hasn't been the same. Ah, well, we will always have the good old days.

2. Spread Gun 

(Contra)

Back in the day when 'saved games' were not a possibility, completion of a little video game called Contra was determined by a few things: Whether or not you knew the Konami code, and how quickly you could grab (and then retain) the 'S' power-up. The Spread Gun was a bit overpowered, and if fired from the extreme left of the playfield could take out nearly any enemy, regardless of screen location (except for those tricky guys that started coming from behind you). Despite how easy it made killing the bad guys, it was necessary for success, as spamming the fire button with the Spread Gun was not only one of the coolest ways to dominate your foes but almost a requisite for beating the game without needing thirty lives.

1. BFG 9000 

(Doom)

I can't imagine anyone reading this being surprised to see this gun on the list, although some may question its spot at the top. Allow me to explain: There aren't a whole lot of weapons before this one (or after for that matter) that inspired such awe after firing for the first time as the 'Big Effing Gun,' and it has an awesome name. Yes, there are other weapons out there that are great at clearing out groups of enemies, but none that do it with as much style as the BFG. I still remember the first time I wielded this beast, and unleashed its green goodness into a room full of demons which were promptly decimated. Good times my friends, good times indeed.

There are a couple weapons that I think deserve an honorable mention: the Hammer of Dawn from the Gears of War series, and the Energy Sword from the Halo series. Both are bad-ass in their own right, but I felt were just shy of the top ten. If there are any that you think deserved a spot on the list and were left out, let us know in the comments below. Happy Hunting!