I recently purchased a system and had to go through the same monitor selection process you're going through now.
Samsung, Viewsonic, and NEC/Mitsubishi are all brands you'll be safe with. Here's a few monitors:
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-001-119&depa=1 -- This is the monitor I purchased and I am VERY happy with it. It's two tone, so the color scheme fits perfectly with my other components (see sig). The front panel is nicely made, with easy to navigate buttons. i have played several games on it and again, i'm impressed.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=24-116-201&DEPA=1 this model is similar to the samsung one. it's two tone. in my opinion this monitor is pretty ugly though, the control buttons aren't very professional looking, and it is noticeably bulkier than the samsung -- the samsung has a sleeker slope as it goes back, this viewsonic seems more like a rigid box. now, to me, all of these factors were important. i wanted a monitor that looked very sleek at my workstation and the samsung was just better. now, about image quality. this viewsonic is a BIT more vibrant in color than the samsung. when you compare the two side by side you can tell the slight difference. when i went to computer stores to compare this viewsonic and the samsung, i noticed that the samsung seemed blurier, but i later learned that this was a misrepresentation. when you compare monitors at a hardware store you're looking at degraded images-- having several of the monitors connected from a single power source does this. once i purchased the samsung and set it up, i was very impressed by the vivid image and the sharp, sharp picture. so in the end, i chose exterior aesthetics over subtle differences in image quality and ended up with the samsung.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-002-220&depa=1 -- to my knowledge, this is one of the best 19" CRTs on the market. IMHO you're paying more money for a better image quality that you'll forget you had after 2 weeks of use.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=24-116-232&depa=1 -- this monitor has already been recommended. I'm not familiar with it really, but I've heard it's very good.
really, any of these 4 would be excellent for games. you CAN'T go wrong... the only real decision here was to get a 19" CRT, a flat screen, and buy it from a reputable company. since my 4 recommendations all fit those parameters i highly doubt you'll be disappointed with any of them... just go with what appeals to you the most.
As far as reliability and lastability is concerned, i've heard it all: samsungs last longer than viewsonics; viewsonics last longer than samsungs; samsungs have better warranty, etc etc etc... i'm pretty sure than any of the 3 brands i mentioned make monitors that are reliable and last long.
hope that helps
