The greatest game, as voted by UK readers of Retro Gamer mag

[tom]

It's not right, but UK game players didn't know many USA classics of the 80s (not many had a VCS, even less had an 8-bit computer with a disk drive), so a real lack of C-64 or Atari 8-bit disc titles (as in Ultima series, Bards Tale series many EA softs (MULE anyone?), Broderbund, SSI, and many more.) Only one VCS classic (Pitfall) so to speak (not counting coin-up conversions), that is a real crime.

1 Elite by Acornsoft for BBC computer
2 Super Mario World
3 Manic Miner by Bug Byte for Spectrum computer
4 Final Fantasy VII
5 Zelda: Ocarina of Time
6 Space Invaders
7 Jet Set Willy by Software Projects for Sepctrum computer
8 Sensible Soccer by Sensible Software for C-64
9 Doom
10 Pac-Man
11 Sonic 1
12 Bubble Bobble
13 Super Mario Kart
14 Tetris
15 GTA: Vice City
16 Zelda: A Link to the Past
17 Super Mario 64
18 Halo
19 Tomb Raider
20 Frontier: Elite II by Game Tek for ST/Amiga/PC
21 Lemmings
22 Knight Lore by Ultimate for Spectrum computer
23 Paradroid by Graftgold for C-64
24 SMB
25 Wizball by Sensible Software for C-64 computers
26 Goldeneye
27 SF II
28 Chuckie Egg by A 'n' F for Spectrum/C-64 computers
29 Civilisation
30 Rainbow Islands
31 Boulderdash
32 R-Type
33 The Secret of Monkey Island
34 Dungeon Master
35 Head over Heels by Ocean for C-64/Spectrum computers
36 SMB 3
37 Resident Evil
38 Half-Life
39 Ghost 'n Goblins
40 Skool Daze by Microspher for Spectrum computer
41 Chaos
42 Sonic 2
43 Speedball II by Bitmap Bros for ST/Amiga
44 Out Run
45 Imposible Mission
46 Sabre Wulf by Ultimate (Rare) for Spectrum computer
47 Dizzy by Codemasters for Spectrum computer
48 SF II Turbo
49 Galaxian
50 Gubstar Heroes
51 Atic Atac by Ultimate for Spectrum computer
52 Jet Pac by Ultimate for Spectrum computer
53 Lords of Midnight by Beyond for Spectrum computer
54 Kick Off II for ST
55 Mortal Kombat
56 Sensible World of Soccer
57 Sonic 3
58 Yoshi's Island
59 Football Manager by Addictive for Spectrum computer
60 Worms
61 Cannon Fodder
62 Ultima Underworld
63 Laser Squad by Blade Software
64 Streets of Rage II
65 Flashback
66 Shenmue 2
67 James Pond II Robocod
68 The last Ninja II by System 3 for C-64 computer
69 Match Day II by Ocean for Spectrum computer
70 MGS
71 Magicland Dizzy by Codemasters for Spectrum computer
72 New Zealand Story
73 Repton by Superior Software for BBC computer
74 Secret of Mana
75 Soul Calibur
76 Turrican II by Rainbow Arts for Amiga/C-64
77 Donkey Kong
78 Exile by Superior Software for BBC computer
79 Jet Set Willy 2 by Software Projects for Spectrum computer
80 Mario Kart 64
81 Mayhem in Monsterland by Apex for C-64
82 Mr. Do!
83 Oids
84 Pirates
85 Pitfall
86 Shining Force
87 Star Wars
88 Double Dragon
89 Super Metroid
90 The Last Ninja by System 3 for C-64
91 Championship Manager by Domark for Amiga
92 Delta by Thamalus for C-64
93 Final Fantasy
94 GT 3
95 GTA 3
96 Missile Command
97 Resident Evil 2
98 Sim City
99 Spy Hunter
100 Turrican by Rainbow Arts for C-64

[Sniderman]

Actually, I find this list interesting due to the games in the Top Ten. There are several titles that I don't recognize. And there are other titles that I *do* recognize, but that would never appear in my Top 100, let alone Top Ten....

For example, 1 Elite by Acornsoft for BBC computer ? I've played Elite and it *is* a good game. But Number 1? :eek 2: And 7 Jet Set Willy by Software Projects for Sepctrum computer . I'm familar with this game and I know of its popularity in the UK. But it's not exactly a US property.

No problems with 2 Super Mario World ; 4 Final Fantasy VII ; 6 Space Invaders; 9 Doom; or 10 Pac-Man in the Top Ten. I wouldn't have gone with 5 Zelda: Ocarina of Time , but rather the original Zelda.

And I have NEVER heard of 3 Manic Miner by Bug Byte for Spectrum computer or 8 Sensible Soccer by Sensible Software for C-64. A soccer game in the Top Ten of all time . :hmm: Well, I betcha one of the Maddens would appean in a US list, so it's only fair.

It's an interesting look at what's insanely popular in the UK. Thanks for posting it. Gives me a few titles to check out to see what the hubbub's about.

[Cauterize]

And I have NEVER heard of 3 Manic Miner by Bug Byte for Spectrum computer or 8 Sensible Soccer by Sensible Software for C-64

SERIOUSLY! U NEED THESE GAMES!
except get a newer sensible soccer, the amiga one!

[tom]

The Spectrum computer with a tape recorder was the best selling computer in the UK (of the 80s), because games sold on tape for $3.00 or so (as compared to $40.00 for a VCS game)

Most UK Spectrum games were USA rip-offs (Manic Miner was a clone of Miner 2049er). A Soccer game in the Top Ten? Yep, only in the UK (Well, it could happen in Germany too)

Elite at number 1? Not in my book either, as I played the C-64 version, which stinks.

[Cauterize]

Elite at number 1? Not in my book either, as I played the C-64 version, which stinks.

i so agree with u there... Bubble Bobble should be there LOL

[tom]

Star Raiders (Atari 8-bit version) belongs at number 1

[jono]

Elite is very well regarded over here in the UK. It was THE killer app for the BBC Mirco.
You have to realise that during the eighties in the UK most people owned home computers (including myself) such as the commodore 64, sinclair spectrum, amiga and the atari st.
During primary school (kindergarden) i never knew anyone who owned an atari games console. It was only in the late eighties/early ninties that consoles like the NES became popular (in my area at least). Consquently i rarely if ever atari 2600 cartridges.

[kevincure]

The big difference between the Retro Gamer list and our lists are the BBC Micro/Spectrum titles. These computers are more or less unheard of in the US. I think most of us would choose titles like Sim City, Secret of Monkey Island, Zork, Ultima IV, etc., as far as early computer titles are concerned.

Mario 64 at 16 though? Way too low. It's also odd to see Tetris so far down the list - I don't remember a US top 100 with Tetris out of the top 5.

[Gunstar_Hero UK]

Yeah i was a bit dissapointed when i saw Elite at number 1.. and Gunstar Hero's at 50, outrageous..

On a more positive note, If you turn to the Arcade Hunt section in issue 9, the section on Arcadia was written by yours truely..

Joe. :)

[slip81]

How can FFVI not make the list O_O

[tyranthraxus]

Really interesting list. It gives a great perspective of what European gaming
was all about 10-20 years ago.

Not surprised Elite is the king in the UK. That game has a major cult
following. I loved playing Elite on my 64 in the mid 80s. But only in the UK
could Frontier Elite II make best games list. That game improved on much
but ruined the game with quite possibly the worst space combat system in
game history. It was supposed to be 'realistic' but it really was a bore and
the graphics were really quite lame compared to what Origin was doing at
the same time. I tried so hard to like that game.

I'm not surprised at the lack of 2600 titles, Pitfall and a few others are really
the only worthy exclusive games for any 'best of' list. The 2600 offered
weak conversions of arcade games which is where the real talent was up til
1984 or so. I'm surprised so few arcade games made the list, actually perhaps
I more surpised at the lack of Williams arcade games on the list.

Paradroid is a cool 64 game that is worth a look on an emulator.

[Mayhem]

How can FFVI not make the list O_O

Because it (as FF3 in the US) was never released in Europe. Neither was FF2 (FF4), Chrono Trigger, Earthbound and a wealth of other RPG titles. About the only major titles Europe got were Secret of Mana (18 months after the US release!), Terranigma (ironically not released in the US) and I think Secret of Evermore.

Most people were not into importing back then, so they went pretty much unnoticed apart from mentions in the magazines at the time raving about them. The only problem was many of them didn't work with the converters either, so people would need an NTSC SNES to go with it...

[Great Hierophant]

Well, the Europeans didn't get much. The Spectrum and the Commodore 64 used tapes when the rest of the world was using disks. The reason these computers sold so well was because they were extremely cheap. (The BBC Micro is sort of like the Apple II of the UK, everybody used one in school, far fewer owned one.) I'm surprised at the lack of Sgea Master System titles on the list (considering it was far more popular than the NES, Also, Final Fantasy I for the NES was never released in the UK, so I am surprised to see it on the list at all.

[The_EniGma]

Ok they didnt add MS2 time to get angry

/angry

there we go

[mezrabad]

Elite rocked my bloody world when I first played it. I'm glad to see it at the top of somebody's list. It may have been surpassed by other series (Wing Commander, Privateer (which was a lot like Elite) Tie Fighter etc.) but, for me, it still had that feel of "wow, I'm in a huge freaking Universe and I can go anywhere I want to as long as I can dock with the damn space station and afford fuel and repairs." No game prior to that (that I had encountered) gave me that feeling.

Can you imagine being in the U.K. and playing that game for the first time when you were 14 or so? I'd say that's a memory that would stick with you and I bet that played into a lot of people making it their top choice.

It's also probable that nobody voting on the list put Elite at number 1, but if it appeared consistently in everyones top 5 or 10 that could put it at number 1 if their other choices varied widely enough.

[shai hulud]

i am shocked and quite happy to see Bubble Bobble at 13

[Richter Belmount]

heh finally some love for shenmue and mr.do

[postulio]

honestly that list seems ok. some oddities of course due to regions but yes its ok.

and atari games dont belong anywhere near top 100 lists. sure they were cool back then, but they got their ass kicked so hard and all over the place once 8 bit took over i dont even wanna look at the vcs.

they were great then, but now honestly i cant stand to play one for more that 5 minutes. id rather be playing minesweaper.

[Fuyukaze]

I find it interesting what games are on that 100 list. I wouldnt exactly agree with it and would definitly have some of the lower rated games in the top 10, but its still interesting. A shame europe didnt get that many atari games. To many good ones like Yar's Revenge and Megomenia that deserve mention in a top 100.

I would never put ET on that list. Maybe top 200, but never top 100.

[tom]

Remember, this a a UK list only, not Europe.

In Germany for example, the outcome would be different as most people had a C-64 or an XL with Disc Drives, so did France.

Only UK believed in tape as a storage medium during the 80s.
(Hence the cheap and horrible Spectrum stuff)

[Cauterize]

horrible Spectrum

those two words dont go together really...

and to be quite honest you just "shat" on the majority of my computer childhood!

[tom]

I know, but you could have had C-64 with a Disc Drive (as I did, I lived in the UK from 1987 onwards, and it was not difficult to get decent Disc games (EA, Infocom, Origin and others) for the C-64, or even the XL/FDD).

[Flack]

What an interesting list! Even if you hadn't told me, I could have guessed that this was a UK list. The UK had a lot of those style games where it was a 3D'ish point of view (like Zaxxon) and the graphics were almost colored wireframes or something ... I don't know the name of the style, but I know they were a lot more popular overseas than here in the US.

The Commodore 64 with a disk drive and a C64 with a Datasette are quite literally two different computers. It's funny, here in the US I don't know of anyone who ever used a Datasette "seriously". The only people I know who had them (myself included) only had them until they had enough money for a disk drive, and usually used them for a month or less.

I can't imagine a top xx Commodore list without classic Electronic Arts games near the top of the list. I know Elite was big back then but I didn't realize it was THAT big!

BTW, for you '64 fans, I just sent in almost 300 new Commodore 64 screenshots to Digital Press. Once they're online, you'll be able to check them out from the main menu!

[KJN]

The Commodore 64 with a disk drive and a C64 with a Datasette are quite literally two different computers. It's funny, here in the US I don't know of anyone who ever used a Datasette "seriously". The only people I know who had them (myself included) only had them until they had enough money for a disk drive, and usually used them for a month or less.

I can't imagine a top xx Commodore list without classic Electronic Arts games near the top of the list. I know Elite was big back then but I didn't realize it was THAT big!
A lot of the games released on tape was also available for disk and the other way around so that doesn't make to much of a difference. It has more to do with what type of games that was popular.

In the US during the 80ies the people who had home computers played more "traditional computer style" games like huge RPGs, etc while platformers, arcade conversions and shoot em ups was more common on consols. But because consols werent as popular in europe the "consol style" type of games became much biger on home computers instead. It's not that some of the games that was popular in the US wasn't available, they were but they just wasn't the type of games the avarage UK home computer owner was looking for.

[SoulBlazer]

Ah, tape games, that brings back memories..... :)

I could start to load one and go take a shower, have dinner, watch a 30 minute TV program, and walk the dog before that thing loaded. LOL

Does anyone remember 8 inch discs? I had a friend WAY back in the early 80's who still had some games on them.

[Flack]

Does anyone remember 8 inch discs? I had a friend WAY back in the early 80's who still had some games on them.

Hah, here's a funny story. At a garage sale one time, I picked up an unopened box of 8 inch floppies for a quarter. Before I quit my job in Spokane as a LAN Administrator, I took one of the disks, labelled it "Emergency Boot Disk", and hung it on the wall, next to the server.

A year after I left I got a panicked phone call. It was the manager of my old office. The server had crashed, and they needed to know how to reload it by using the disk!