I'd say... The real top of the heap here are The Shining Force, S&K, Red Alert 2, and STALKER. I am sure you are Absolutely Shocked By Some Of These. STALKER especially surprised me, as a game I had heard a lot about for 12 years, it really met expectation placed on it. A rarity for me.

love when a game actually lives up to the hype! would love to hear more about it sometime