Classic Top 100 List - Next Generation September 1996

[cityside75]

Someone asked me to post this in another thread a while back. With all of the Top 100 lists popping up around the net these days, I've heard a number of people refer to the original NextGen list as one of the best ever. So without further ado here's the list to recall and discuss:

100 - Trinity (PC)
99 - NBA Jam (Series)
98 - R-Type
97 - Space Invaders (Arcade)
96 - Galaga (Arcade)
95 - Strike (Series)
94 - Rave Racer (Arcade)
93 - Burning Force
92 - Hard Hat Mac
91 - Resident Evil
90 - Xevious (Arcade)
89 - Summer, Winter, California Games
88 - Knight Lore (Spectrum)
87 - Discs of Tron (Arcade)
86 - Jumping Flash
85 - Leisure Suit Larry (Series)
84 - Centipede (Arcade)
83 - Joust (Arcade)
82 - Virtua Cop (Series)
81 - River Raid (2600)
80 - Falcon Gold (PC)
79 - King's Quest (Series)
78 - Track and Field (Series)
77 - Shining Force (Series)
76 - NBA Live '96 (Genesis)
75 - Balance of Power (PC)
74 - Tempest (Arcade)
73 - AH64-D Longbow (PC)
72 - Phantasy Star (Series)
71 - FIFA Soccer (3D0, Genesis)
70 - Metroid (Series)
69 - Links (PC)
68 - Pong
67 - F/A-18 Hornet 2.0 (Mac)
66 - A Mind Forever Voyaging (PC)
65 - Bump 'n' Jump (Arcade)
64 - Zelda (Series)
63 - Robotron (Arcade, Playstation)
62 - Bard's Tale (Series)
61 - Ikari Warriors (Arcade)
60 - Wizardry (Series)
59 - Super Sprint (Arcade)
58 - Star Wars (Arcade)
57 - Sega Rally (Arcade, Saturn)
56 - Dragon Warrior (Series)
55 - Ultima (Series)
54 - Mechwarrior 2 (PC, Mac)
53 - The Sentinel (PC)
52 - Spaceward Ho! (Mac, PC)
51 - Panzer General (PC, Playstation, 3D0)
50 - Donkey Kong (Arcade, Coleco ADAM, 7800)
49 - Command & Conquer (PC)
48 - World Series Baseball (Saturn)
47 - Worldwide Soccer 2 (Saturn)
46 - Formula One Grand Prix 2 (PC)
45 - OutRun (Arcade)
44 - Spectre VR (Mac)
43 - Rolling Thunder (Arcade)
42 - EF2000 (PC)
41 - Snake Game (Multiple)
40 - NHL Powerplay (Saturn, Playstation)
39 - Asteroids (Arcade)
38 - Zork (Series)
37 - Super Mario Kart (SNES)
36 - Rescue Raiders (aka Armor Alley) (Mac, Apple II)
35 - Duke Nukem 3d (PC)
34 - Nobanga's Ambition (Series)
33 - SimCity 2000 (Mac, PC)
32 - Wipeout XL
31 - Herzog Zwei
30 - Madden Football (Series)
29 - Syndicate (PC, Genesis)
28 - NFL Gameday
27 - Sam and Max Hit the Road
26 - X-COM: UFO Defense
25 - Nights
24 - Lurking Horror (PC)
23 - X-Wing/Tie Fighter (PC, Mac)
22 - Tekken II
21 - Daytona USA (Arcade)
20 - Sonic (Series - Genesis)
19 - Doom (Series)
18 - Micro Machines (Multiple)
17 - Final Fantasy (Series)
16 - Populous (Series)
15 - Marble Madness (Arcade)
14 - Elite (Micro, C64)
13 - Defender (Arcade)
12 - Ms. Pac-Man (Arcade)
11 - Virtua Racing (Arcade, 32x, Saturn)
10 - Warcraft II (PC)
9 - Quake (PC)
8 - Lemmings (Multiple)
7 - Street Fighter II (Multiple)
6 - Virtua Fighter 2 - (Arcade, Saturn)
5 - Mario (Series - NES, SNES)
4 - Civilization (PC)
3 - Super Bomberman 2 (SNES)
2 - Tetris (Multiple)
1 - Super Mario 64

[cyberfluxor]

I already see people going off about Mario 64. Just looking through it real quick it appears to be alright, could use some Taito games towards the top. And to have Warcraft II as the only Blizzard game, shame on them. :)

[roushimsx]

Oh man, memories. Civilization could be about a dozen or so notches higher based on addiction value alone. Yes, I know that'd put it at like -10. it's that awesome.

Never played Trinity. With a name like that, googling is going to be fun...anyone got a link to some info about the game?

Links should read "Links (Series)", because as awesome as the first one was, Links 386 was where it really hit its stride. What a completely awesome series...it's a shame Microsoft shut down Access (especially since that means no more Tex Murphy games :( ).

Panzer General was pretty popular back when it came out, but it seems to have become a true forgotten classic. Great wargame series with a nice learning curve so that anyone could get into it (unlike most PC wargames...I'm looking at you Steel Panthers).

Nice to see the Micro Machines games score so high as well. Those were a hell of a lot of fun, though I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't put much time into any of the ones released since then :( I'll have to get around to playing the PS2 versions sometime ... Hell, I want to play Micro Maniacs again, for that matter.

[smokehouse]

Meh, that list sucks. When making a “Top 100” you should never include a current system. Many of the games on that list wouldn’t make the cut today…it shows its age.

[tom]

Mario 64 should have been included with Mario (series)

[cityside75]

Never played Trinity. With a name like that, googling is going to be fun...anyone got a link to some info about the game?

It was an Infocom game if that helps.

[7th lutz]

I got that issue of Next Generaton.

[Kid Ice]

That's a poor list. Now I am reminded of why I thought Next Gen was overrated. SM64 was what, less than a year old when the list came out? I'm not saying it's not a great game, but it's very much a sign of the times it would be rated #1. And tom is right, it should be included in #5. Which is also pretty dumb, that you would include an entire series vs. single games, AND if you were to consider "Mario" a series how could you not make it #1?

Was the person who made this list one of Sid Meier's relatives?

Virtua Fighter 2 and Quake in the top 10. Virtua Racing #11. Ohh this is painful.

I've always found PC and arcade games out of place on a "videogame top xxx" list. IMO they belong on a different list.

[8-bitNesMan]

I think for its time it was a very good list. Mario 64 is radically different from all previous Mario titles, and let's face it: it was probably THE best console game to come out in 96.

I still have that issue somewhere and I do disagree with some of the choices (Jumping Flash? NFL Gameday? WTF?) but it's still not as bad as that EGM/MTV top games of the millennium bullshit. Or EGM's pathetic excuse for a 200th issue.

@ smokehouse: Why exclude masterpieces just because they're recent?

@ Kid Ice: Why exclude PC and arcade games? I'm strictly a console man myself (R.I.P arcades) but are they not video games too?

[cityside75]

That's a poor list. Now I am reminded of why I thought Next Gen was overrated. SM64 was what, less than a year old when the list came out?

In fact, SM64 had just been released - the review of the game was elsewhere in the same issue. Even at the time I found it hard to believe a game just released could be anointed greatest ever.

As an aside, remember when Myst represented the antithesis of hard core gaming? I find it funny that on the cover they make a point of saying that Myst is NOT on their list, just to boost their street cred I assume.

I've actually seen Myst on similar lists from other sources since.

[Gabriel]

Oh boy, do I remember this list.

When it hit the stands, Mario 64 wasn't even out yet. I hope the people at Next Gen were happy selling any semblance of objective journalism for whatever Nintendo paid them for the advertisement.

The other big advertising WTF is Virtua Fighter 2 topping Street Fighter 2 on the list. I don't even like Street Fighter 2, and even I can tell it's a vastly superior game to the entirety of the Virtua Fighter series.

At least Zelda is far down the list at #64. That's far more believable than it being in the top five as in more recent lists.

[drewbrim]

This is the worst list I've ever seen! The fact that the Zelda, Phantasy Star, Shining Force, and Metroid series are over 25-30 slots behind Zork is the only proof I need to provide. Though I am glad the Final Fantasy series was able to edge out Micro Machines.

I don't remember how to make the "eye roll" emoticon, so if my sarcasm isn't coming across very well in that last sentence, trust me, it's in there.

[bangtango]

NHL Powerplay at #40? Ha ha ha.

NBA Live 96 for Genesis is on here, too?

I don't even have to look at a more recent Next Generation Top 100 list to KNOW those 2 never made it onto another one of their countdowns.

[j_factor]

Although I disagree with a lot of it, I think that's a great list overall. Nice to see Lemmings highly placed. Syndicate? Sam & Max? Virtua Fighter 2? Thank you!

[Kid Ice]

@ Kid Ice: Why exclude PC and arcade games? I'm strictly a console man myself (R.I.P arcades) but are they not video games too?

Hmmm.....hmmmm.....hmmmm????......hmmmmm

The best I can explain it....I don't want to see Robotron next to Civilization. It feels wrong.

[Push Upstairs]

How is a (then) newly released game a "Classic"?

Seems like even back then the "Classic" title got thrown around a bit too much.

[crazyjackcsa]

I think it's a "classic" top 100 list. Not a top 100 list of "classic" games.

[Push Upstairs]

What exactly is the difference...aside from placement of the word "classic"?

[DefaultGen]

.....

[cityside75]

How is a (then) newly released game a "Classic"?

Seems like even back then the "Classic" title got thrown around a bit too much.

Sorry, classic is my word, not theirs. I was referring to the list being a "classic" (ie. old) list.

Speaking of which, this list had to be one of the first of it's type to make it into print. Before Next Gen there weren't really any publications that covered computer, console, and arcade gaming that I recall.

[Griking]

Other than a few wtfs here and there I love this list.

[Daniel Thomas]

Thanks a lot for posting this. I've been asking and begging for this for some time, so it's great to finally look at the old NG100 list from 1996 and see what I think.

Is there a Super Mario 64 backlash nowadays? I remember the Next Gen cover issue on Mario 64, with the blazing title, "The Greatest Videogame of All Time." Hyperbole? Probably? Did I agree with that assessment back then? Absolutely. Mario 64 was the best gaming experience I'd ever had. I'd say the only game that really topped it was Zelda Ocarina. It really was a transcendent rush into this new third dimension. Maybe you had to be a kid when Tron came out to appreciate that.

But, anyways, everyone has their opinions, which makes these lists so annoying and fun at the same time. No one is ever really happy. For me, I was always impressed that NG included such a wide range of games. Possibly is was name-dropping for street cred, but I prefer that to most of the "best games" lists issued by various websites and magazines, which always stick to the same handful of brand-name hits everyone knows about. It takes some courage to praise something like, oh, Sentinel. Who's ever played that game? Infocom text adventures?

I think my own current Top 10 List is pretty ecclectic (as seen on my games blog), but these things always change, and I probably should spend a lot more time with Civilization.

Anyways, thanks again for printing this. I'll have to post about it on the games blog....after I get some sleep....zzzzz......

[Daltone]

What a completely awesome series...it's a shame Microsoft shut down Access (especially since that means no more Tex Murphy games :( ).
.

You, Sir, are a winner.

Either I'm going blind or that list is seriously lacking in Monkey Island goodness.

[Push Upstairs]

Sorry, classic is my word, not theirs. I was referring to the list being a "classic" (ie. old) list.

Well that changes things considerably.

[Moo Cow]

That's a horrible list if you ask me. I wouldn't have half of those games on my list, but hey, that's just me.

[roushimsx]

That's a horrible list if you ask me. I wouldn't have half of those games on my list, but hey, that's just me.

How would you have felt ten years ago when the list was published? Would you have had more than half of them on there then?

[Moo Cow]

How would you have felt ten years ago when the list was published? Would you have had more than half of them on there then?

Ten years ago I would've been 7 and hadn't played but about a hundred games.
The following games I haven't played: Trinity, the Strike series, Hard Hat Mack, Knight Lore, Jumping Flash, Leisure Suit Larry, River Raid, Falcon Gold, King’s Quest, Track and Field, FIFA Soccer, Links, Balance of Power, AH64D Longbow, F/A-18 Hornet 2.0, Sega Rally, the Sentinel, Spaceard Ho!, Panzer General, World Series Baseball, World Series Soccer, Formula One Grand Prix 2, Spectre VR, NHL Power Play, Rescue Raiders, Nobanga’s Ambition, NFL Gameday, Syndicate, X-Com, Populous, and Elite.
Due to the high amount of racers and sports games in that list, I probably wouldn’t like a good chunk of those games anyways.

The following games I don't like
Virtua Racing
Warcraft 2: I hate real time strategy…I hate real time strategy…I hate real time strategy.
NBA Jam series: I had 97 about ten years ago, and I never got into it. If it ever improved though, I couldn’t tell you.
NBA Live
Rave Racer: There are very few racing games I like.
Discs of Tron: Everybody else loves this game, but I absolutely detest it.
Command and Conquer: I hate real time strategy.
Herzog Zwei: Yeah, I never got into this game either. Yeah, I know everybody else loved it. Yes, I forgive you people for liking it.
SimCity 2000: Building your own town games isn’t my cup of tea. However, I did enjoy destroying them. I’m not sure if it was 2000, but there was one where you could send aliens out to destroy the towns. That was really the only part I enjoyed.
Madden
Tetris: Ok, let’s get this straight: I enjoy puzzle games. I enjoy games that borrow heavily from Tetris (Cosmo Gang: The Puzzle for instance). I do love video games. I hate Tetris.
Snake: Well, I did enjoy it for five minutes…
Daytona USA
Civilization: I never got into this one either.
Super Mario 64: Ok, when I was about seven, I went over to a friend’s house who had an N64. I was so excited to finally get to play this new Mario game. Then, I held the controller, and automatically wanted to punch the guy who made it in the face. Oh, well, I decided I could deal with that. Then, I actually took the time to play it, quickly decided it sucked, went back home and put in Super Mario All-Stars and called it a day.

Games I enjoyed, but wouldn’t put on a top 100 list
Super Bomberman 2: Fun…but in a top 5? No fucking way.
Ms. Pac-Man: Fun, but I don’t think it belongs in a top 100 list.
Centipede
Virtua Cop
Metroid
Pong: I know, it’s the first game played by many. That doesn’t make it as fun as most of the other games on here.
Ikari Warriors
Bump n Jump
Super Sprint
Star Wars
Dragon Warrior series: OK, I don’t enjoy any of the newer ones and the only older ones I played were 1 and 2. They were fun and everything, but I certainly don’t consider them to be worth of top 100.
Mechwarrior 2: I’ve played it, but I don’t remember how good it is.
Donkey Kong: I’ll admit, the game is fun, but I always hated the way he jumped. Donkey Kong Jr. was MUCH better in my opinion.
OutRun: I’m not really sure if I liked this game or not, but I remember playing it.
Rolling Thunder: It was really fun, I’ll admit. But I don’t think top 100 quality.
Tie Fighter

However, they DID surprise the hell out of me by having the Wizardry games on here. I sometimes feel like I’m the only person who appreciates the knowledge of a talking tea kettle. It should’ve been higher.
I was also shocked about Micro Machines. That game kicked ass.

Here’s 20 that should’ve made it (although this could be just because it’s 2 in the morning).
Donkey Kong Country 2
Grim Fandango
Bosconian
Contra 3
Galaga 90
Black Tiger
King of Fighters series
Super Ghosts n Goblins
Pac-Man Jr.
GI Joe
Clash at Demonhead
Castlevania series
Smash TV
Bubble Bobble
Rocky and Pocky 2
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Super Mario RPG
Secret of Mana
Pokemon series
Kirby Super Star

[roushimsx]

Ten years ago I would've been 7 and hadn't played but about a hundred games.

Well that pretty much explains it, then. These top ### lists are little snapshots of the times that they come out in.

Grim Fandango wouldn't come out for another 2 years and at the time I don't believe the third King of Fighters game had even come out when they were working on the list, btw.

You should totally give Syndicate and X-Com a go sometime. They're fucking timeless. Sequels are spotty (especially for X-Com), but the originals are as awesome today as they were when they first came out.

[Moo Cow]

Well that pretty much explains it, then. These top ### lists are little snapshots of the times that they come out in.

Grim Fandango wouldn't come out for another 2 years and at the time I don't believe the third King of Fighters game had even come out when they were working on the list, btw.

You should totally give Syndicate and X-Com a go sometime. They're fucking timeless. Sequels are spotty (especially for X-Com), but the originals are as awesome today as they were when they first came out.

I have X-Com on my Playstation want list, and Syndicate looks pretty fun. I started playing King of Fighters around 99 actually, I was just looking back on games I would've put in it from around that era. Syndicate looks like Cannon Fodder, and I love Cannon Fodder.

[j_factor]

The following games I haven't played: the Strike series, Jumping Flash, Leisure Suit Larry, River Raid, King’s Quest, Track and Field, Sega Rally, the Sentinel, Nobanga’s Ambition, Syndicate, Populous

You lose. You really need to play more games.


NBA Jam series: I had 97

lol. NBA Jam '97 does NOT count.

[ryborg]

Super Mario 64: Ok, when I was about seven, I went over to a friend’s house who had an N64. I was so excited to finally get to play this new Mario game. Then, I held the controller, and automatically wanted to punch the guy who made it in the face. Oh, well, I decided I could deal with that. Then, I actually took the time to play it, quickly decided it sucked, went back home and put in Super Mario All-Stars and called it a day.

You hold the exact same opinions now as when you were seven? That's a terrifying thought.


Games I enjoyed, but wouldn’t put on a top 100 list

Centipede
Metroid
Dragon Warrior series
Donkey KongAny top 100 video game list that doesn't have these titles is not a list anyone other than the author should read.


Here’s 20 that should’ve made it

Bosconian
Contra 3
Black Tiger
GI Joe
Clash at Demonhead
Rocky and Pocky 2
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
(etc etc etc)No. No they should not have.

[Moo Cow]

You lose. You really need to play more games.



lol. NBA Jam '97 does NOT count.

I can't afford to buy every game I'd like to play. I wasn't around when a lot of them were released, and I'm still rebuying a lot of SNES and NES games that got lost in moving.


You hold the exact same opinions now as when you were seven? That's a terrifying thought.

Any top 100 video game list that doesn't have these titles is not a list anyone other than the author should read.

No. No they should not have.

Actually, I recently got an N64 and a friend brought over the game. I still hated it. I think I just generaly don't like 3D platformers. Besides, my tastes have gotten different. I now enjoy Asteroids and Metroid (when I was little, I really didn't like it, but a few years back I picked it up and started playing it and admitted I judged it a bit hastily when I was little).
Donkey Kong Country 2 is easily in my top ten games. It's the best Donkey Kong. Ever.
Besides, the fact that I don't have the same tastes doesn't mean anything. I could see people making a sound argument for Donkey Kong and Metroid, but not Centipede. Centipede's alright, but there are just a lot of better games. Donkey Kong Jr. was much better than the original and I've never been a big Metroid fan. Now, I wouldn't mind Super Metroid on the list. I think it improved upon the original in just about every area.
Also, I've always loved Bosconian more than Galaga. It could've been the fact that it let me explore and that I wasn't confined to the bottom of the screen. Galaga was great in its own right, but to me it'll never live up to Bosconian.
I'm not sure why I love Super Ghosts n Goblins. Maybe because despite being horrendously difficult, it's easier than the original, you can aim upwards, and it's just a lot more fun to me.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors appeals to me so much because I grew up watching cheesy 60s and 70s horror movies. And zombies kick ass.
I picked up Contra 3 near the end of the SNES. It was the last SNES game I bought in a store, and I would play it weeks on end. Could that have something to do with why I loved it so much? Certainly. A couple of the games on the list I now disagree with (I was really tired, looked up at the fact that I said twenty games and was to stubborn to narrow it down, so I tried to quickly think of 20 games). Ultimately though, everyone just has different tastes.

[roushimsx]

I can't afford to buy every game I'd like to play.

That's one of the reasons that I think emulation is so awesome. You don't have to buy all of those old games if you just want to give 'em a whirl (let's face it, you're certainly not supporting the company by shelling out money on ebay for used games). Compare the list of games that people have talked about against the list of games you haven't played and go hog wild on the usenet or whatever. You really missed out on a bunch of kickass stuff and it's never too early to start catching up :)

X-Com on Playstation is...ok. I recall the load times being a bit bleh and playing without the mouse completely sucks. There's a windows port that's decent, but the real money is on the patched up DOS version running in DOSbox. I have a couple of 1280x960 X-Com wallpapers that I like to set at work from time to time thanks to DOSbox. :) Make sure you use the patched version though...the original release had a bug where you could level your characters' stats up to max and then roll them back over to 0. That sucked ass.

Syndicate is a bit like Cannon Fodder, but with more depth and in a wickedly pessimistic cyberpunk setting. I uploaded a couple of simple gameplay videos to YouTube a while back... I think it's pretty obvious from them that I'm completely gay for the persuadetron.

As far as King of Fighters goes, I dug '94 and '96, but '98 was totally money. I have tons of fond memories of playing '99 till 2am when the arcade would close, but I didn't get into another KoF until '03 :(

Snag Jumping Flash I and II post-haste. They're fairly easy (I might die once or twice), but they're incredibly fun. There's a third game that's not worth looking into. Look into Ghost in the Shell (PS1) as well....same dev team, similar concept, but it's all dialed up to 11. Like Jumping Flash 1 and 2, it's fairly short, but it's quite a bit more difficult and it's got some really slick levels and gimmicks.

[Moo Cow]

That's one of the reasons that I think emulation is so awesome. You don't have to buy all of those old games if you just want to give 'em a whirl (let's face it, you're certainly not supporting the company by shelling out money on ebay for used games). Compare the list of games that people have talked about against the list of games you haven't played and go hog wild on the usenet or whatever. You really missed out on a bunch of kickass stuff and it's never too early to start catching up :)

X-Com on Playstation is...ok. I recall the load times being a bit bleh and playing without the mouse completely sucks. There's a windows port that's decent, but the real money is on the patched up DOS version running in DOSbox. I have a couple of 1280x960 X-Com wallpapers that I like to set at work from time to time thanks to DOSbox. :) Make sure you use the patched version though...the original release had a bug where you could level your characters' stats up to max and then roll them back over to 0. That sucked ass.

Syndicate is a bit like Cannon Fodder, but with more depth and in a wickedly pessimistic cyberpunk setting. I uploaded a couple of simple gameplay videos to YouTube a while back... I think it's pretty obvious from them that I'm completely gay for the persuadetron.

As far as King of Fighters goes, I dug '94 and '96, but '98 was totally money. I have tons of fond memories of playing '99 till 2am when the arcade would close, but I didn't get into another KoF until '03 :(

Snag Jumping Flash I and II post-haste. They're fairly easy (I might die once or twice), but they're incredibly fun. There's a third game that's not worth looking into. Look into Ghost in the Shell (PS1) as well....same dev team, similar concept, but it's all dialed up to 11. Like Jumping Flash 1 and 2, it's fairly short, but it's quite a bit more difficult and it's got some really slick levels and gimmicks.

I remember playing 99 on the Playstation. It's one of the only games my Dad would play. He kept kicking my ass until I discovered Boa. Jumping Flash 1, 2, and Ghost in the Shell I've been planning on getting for a while, but I just sent over 300 dollars on video games this summer: I'm playing through some before I go out and get some more. I've been at my Dad's most of the summer so I haven't gotten to play any of the games yet:(.

[j_factor]

I can't afford to buy every game I'd like to play. I wasn't around when a lot of them were released, and I'm still rebuying a lot of SNES and NES games that got lost in moving.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be snobby... I just thought it was weird to see you criticise the list and then say "I haven't played this and this and this and this".

[8-bitNesMan]

Donkey Kong Country 2 is easily in my top ten games. It's the best Donkey Kong. Ever.

Also, I've always loved Bosconian more than Galaga. It could've been the fact that it let me explore and that I wasn't confined to the bottom of the screen. Galaga was great in its own right, but to me it'll never live up to Bosconian.

IMO, DKC 1 is the pinnacle of the series. Diddy is okay, but he just can't compare to long dong Donkey Kong!

Galaga is a timeless masterpiece that I can still see myself playing (and heartily enjoying) in the old folks home. Bosconian is not worthy to lick Galaga's boots.

[Aussie2B]

Warcraft 2: I hate real time strategy…I hate real time strategy…I hate real time strategy.

Honestly, anyone who outright rejects any genre of games isn't really qualified to be judging a top 100 list, at least not so harshly. I mean, I'm with you, I not into real time strategy at all, but that doesn't mean I believe that they're all horribly designed and there's no such thing as a shining example of the genre that belongs to be placed among other very well-made video games. If I was participating in the creation of a top 100 list, I wouldn't feel comfortable or qualified to make one completely on my own (unless it was a personal top 100) based on the fact that there are genres that don't appeal to me and thus I have little knowledge of and, even with owning 800-some games and playing plenty more I don't have, I STILL don't think I've experienced enough to make some sort of "definitive" list. However, I would assume that this list and most others featured in magazines were created by a group of people, which really is the best way to go about it. I can say that if I was in such a group you wouldn't see me picking any real time strategy games, but I would be perfectly fine and happy with fellow voters choosing the best examples of that genre and other genres I don't care for and seeing the games listed among, or even higher than, the games I picked. Every genre of games should have a fair and equal shot.

Anyway, this list doesn't do a whole lot for me personally. There are plenty of games I haven't played and have no interest in and even a handful that I've never heard of. Maybe it's just my tastes but it seems like it's lacking in console games and, more specifically, Japanese-developed games. I guess you can chalk me up as another person that likes to see arcade, PC, and home console separate, even if they are all video games. If anything, it makes it more fair for the developers and games because there's a huge difference in the hardware capabilities of PCs and arcades than the hardware of home consoles, especially at that point in time. If I was to make a personal top 100 list, I don't think it would have more than 10 or 20 of those games/series on it.

Personally, I've always been a fan of the Nintendo Power top 100 list, and I'd say that's my favorite of any classic lists (or recent lists, possibly) I've seen. Of course, it's limited solely to Nintendo games, but for what it is, it's great. The only thing it really suffers from is N64 hype, as evident by the high placements of some of those brand new titles. They also seemed to have an issue with which game to pick out of a series. I think, for example, they listed Castlevania, but not 2 or 3. I think most people would agree that CV3 improves upon the original in nearly every way. Same kind of deal with Lufia. Anyway, the main thing that makes it a good list is that darn near every game on that list is worth playing, even to this day, and it made for a great shopper's guide when I started to get into collecting.