“Challenge everything” and “It’s in the game” are just two taglines that gamers are more than familiar with. Electronic Arts is one of the biggest and best-known video game companies in the world, with a huge roster of popular franchises, from Medal Of Honor and The Sims to Mass Effect and FIFA to name just a few.

The 2000s was an enormously successful decade for EA, seeing them release a range of excellent games and acquire some very talented game development studios. While they published and distributed several well-received titles, they also developed some fantastic games themselves.

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10 2000: The Sims

Metascore: 92

EA kicked off the millennium with a slew of excellent games with new entries in several flagship series, such as SimCity, Need For Speed, Medal Of Honor, and Command & Conquer. This was even the year they released Shogun: Total War and a game adaptation of the latest James Bond film The World Is Not Enough, along with the first sports games of the millennium. However, there’s no debate that 2000 was defined by The Sims.

The Sims kicked off an enormous franchise that's still going strong over two decades later. Praised for attracting even casual gamers, The Sims is a life simulation game in which players create whoever they want and manage their lives. At the most basic level, players just have to keep their Sims alive, instructing them to go to the bathroom, eat, and go to bed. But players can go further by choosing their job, skill, and both how and who they socialize with. It's even possible to customize a Sim’s appearance, personality, and house, giving players complete freedom.

9 2001: SSX Tricky

Metascore: 92

2001 was another year of great games for EA. They kicked off their run of Harry Potter and James Bond titles, and continued their successful run of sports games, with NHL 2002 and NBA Street being particular highlights. But it was SSX Tricky that proved to be the sports game that stood above the rest.

SSX Tricky is the second game in the SSX series of snowboarding games that made several improvements to the original. Players choose from twelve characters to play as and take part in races and competitions. These characters aren’t just silent, passive snowboarders, though. Each are voiced and have their own personality. In fact, players are encouraged to interact with other characters by knocking them down and making them react. Unlike other EA sports games, SSX Tricky was never meant to be realistic – it was all about having fun, hence the Uber Tricks that unlock when players fill the adrenaline bar, allowing them to perform ridiculous, over-the-top stunts. This is a captivating snowboarding game that still has fans begging for a remake to this day.

8 2002: Medal Of Honor: Frontline

Metascore: 88

Madden NFL 2003 and NCAA Football 2003 made big splashes this year, along with several other titles. EA released their latest Need For Speed game, a Buffy The Vampire Slayer adaptation, and even introduced the world to Ty The Tasmanian Tiger alongside fan-favorite Harry Potter and James Bond titles. However, EA’s 2002 was defined by war, whether it was fantasy war in The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, Battlefield 1942, or Medal Of Honor. EA only developed one of the two Medal Of Honor games they published in 2002, but it was an excellent one.

Steven Spielberg himself kicked off the Medal Of Honor series shortly after making Saving Private Ryan, and EA’s fourth entry in the series continued the high quality that the series had enjoyed to date. Medal Of Honor: Frontline follows Lieutenant Jimmy Patterson as he fights his way into Germany during the Second World War. Players battle through a range of different missions in the game, from landing on D-Day to infiltrating a German U-boat. The whole experience feels impressively immersive thanks to the authentic briefings before each mission and the use of historical weaponry.

7 2003: The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King

Metascore: 85

For EA, 2003 marked a successful continuation of some of their best franchises. SSX 3, NBA Street Vol. 2 and F1 Challenge ’99-’02 led the way for sports games, with new releases for their SimCity, Command & Conquer, and Battlefield series. Surprisingly, though, some of EA’s most beloved games were inspired by fantasy films. Although some fans adored Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, it’s The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King that has stood the test of time to become EA's best game of 2003.

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EA’s adaptation of the final film in Peter Jackson’s The Lord Of The Rings trilogy seems like a simple hack-and-slash on the surface, but remains a game that’s adored by fans who have been longing for a remaster. It shares many similarities to The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers game released the previous year but improves on it in many ways. Besides multiple storylines and better interactive environments, players could unlock a greater roster of characters, from Gandalf to Frodo, and level them up. For many players, however, the best part of this game was playing co-op with a friend and defeating Sauron together.

6 2004: James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing

Metascore: 84

In 2004, players enjoyed the return of Ty The Tasmanian Tyger as well as another Def Jam game and the hotly anticipated release of The Sims 2. Driving games were also particularly popular, with the release of titles like Need For Speed: Underground 2 and Burnout 3: Takedown. But it was games inspired by cinema that were the most interesting. Although many fans disliked Catwoman, EA enjoyed success with their latest Harry Potter entry, two more games in The Lord Of The Rings world, and a fan-favorite James Bond game.

Hot on the heels of the success of both Agent Under Fire and Nightfire, Everything Or Nothing was the 007 game fans had been yearning for. A departure from previous titles, this one wasn’t a first-person shooter. Instead, fans could enjoy Piers Brosnan in his final outing as Bond. Even better, Judi Dench and John Cleese reprise their roles as M and Q, as well as Richard Kiel as Jaws. Along with Willem Defoe as the villain, both Heidi Klum and Shannon Elizabeth as Bond Girls, and a globe-trotting plot about nanobots, Everything Or Nothing feels surprisingly cinematic. Its gameplay is varied and high-octane too, with a range of weapons and gadgets on hand as well as adrenaline-fueled driving levels to make players feel like 007.

5 2005: Burnout Revenge

Metascore: 90

EA continued to delight movie fans in 2005 with the release of both Batman Begins and 007: From Russia With Love, while comic fans were treated to Marvel Nemesis: Rise Of The Imperfects. However, racing games reigned supreme this year. Alongside NASCAR SimRacing, EA released two more games in the highly successful Burnout series. While Burnout Legends pleased gamers on handheld consoles, others were even more delighted by Burnout Revenge.

After impressing EA so much with Burnout 3: Takedown, EA had high hopes when they acquired Criterion Games. Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint. Burnout Revenge is once more all about fast and furious driving as players participate in races during rush hour traffic. The Takedown mechanic from the previous game was included again, encouraging players to use their cars as weapons wherever possible. With 169 events across three continents, seventy-seven cars to unlock, and several game modes available, each race feels fresh, fun, and frantic.

4 2006: The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth 2

Metascore: 84

EA continued some of their popular franchises in 2006, such as a new Need For Speed game, a Command & Conquer collection, and a string of sports games – not to mention two popular expansion packs for The Sims 2. However, they also focused on game adaptations of films. Although Superman Returns was considered a flop, The Godfather: The Game was a success, as was the sequel to a previous Middle-Earth game.

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The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth 2 is a real-time strategy game based on Tokien’s Middle-Earth. This series was a departure from their hack-and-slash film adaptations or the turn-based combat of The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age, requiring more thought and planning. Players command a range of units, from infantry to cavalry and even hero units that feature famous characters. These characters depend on whether players select Good or Evil campaigns. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are available for Good campaigns while the Witch-King, Saruman, and even the Mouth of Sauron are unlocked for Evil campaigns. The Lord Of The Rings lore works particularly well with the real-time strategy genre, and this game remains a beloved one by fans to this day.

3 2007: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

Metascore: 85

2007 saw the release of The Simpsons Game and the latest Harry Potter game adaptation, but it’s perhaps more famously remembered for being the year that gamers were introduced to Rock Band. However, although distributed by them, EA didn't develop Rock Band and so can’t take full credit for its success. Nevertheless, EA still saw huge success with their release of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

After the success of their last two The Lord Of The Rings-inspired real-time strategy games, 2007 was the perfect moment for another EA flagship franchise to make a comeback. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars was the first Command & Conquer game since 2003 and a direct sequel to 1999’s Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. As with the other games, players assume the role of a military strategist, ordering units and commanding attacks as they battle against the Brotherhood of Nod and the Scrin. EA also introduced new mechanics to make the franchise’s comeback more impactful, such as tech buildings, unit upgrades, and special abilities for each faction.

2 2008: Dead Space

Metascore: 89

Hot on the heels of the success of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, 2008 saw EA release an expansion to this game as well as another entry in the series. They also distributed Rock Band 2 and Left 4 Dead while introducing the world to Spore and releasing some more excellent sports games, such as NHL 09 and FIFA 09. However, 2008 is best known as the year in which EA released Dead Space.

Dead Space is the award-winning survival horror game that kicked off the popular franchise and is now considered to be one of the greatest games ever made. The player assumes the role of Isaac Clarke, an engineer onboard the Ishimura mining spaceship, whose sole aim is to escape from the deadly Necromorphs. Inspired in part by horror games like Resident Evil 4, players explore the spaceship and solve puzzles, occasionally in zero gravity, while doing their best to find upgrades and conserve enough ammunition to stand a chance against the Necromorphs. Dead Space is an innovative game that focuses on sound and even removes the HUD to truly immerse the player into the horror.

1 2009: Dragon Age: Origins

Metascore: 91

EA continued distributing popular games like Left 4 Dead 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band in 2009, as well as releasing the latest game in the beloved The Sims franchise. However, 2009 also heralded the downfall of game adaptations of films, with the likes of G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra, Star Trek: The Video Game, and The Godfather 2 disappointing many gamers. But fortunately, 2009 was still a strong year for EA, thanks in no small part to Dragon Age: Origins.

After successfully starting the Dead Space franchise one year earlier, EA kicked off yet another one in 2009. Dragon Age: Origins is the start of EA’s famous Dragon Age franchise. It’s an RPG set in the fantasy kingdom of Ferelden, a world inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. Players create their own main character, choosing both a class (warrior, mage, or rogue) and a race (elf, dwarf, or human). The player then joins the Grey Wardens before teaming up with some well-written companions and setting off to defeat the Archdemon and save the world from the Blight. The gameplay is familiar to many gamers and bears a striking resemblance to Dungeons & Dragons video games, such as Baldur’s Gate (1998) and Neverwinter Nights (2002), and sparked a successful, well-loved franchise with fans eagerly anticipating a fourth entry.

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