ign's top 100 games

[shvnsth]

http://top100.ign.com/2005/index.html

scope it out, they usually have good top 100 lists

nice to see mafia for the pc on there. its my favorite pc game of all time, awesome story, better gameplay, and even better atmosphere. i don't think that any game as created another time period other than the present better than mafia (and that include gta)

[Lothars]

hmm interesting thanks for the list gonna have to go through that and check it out.

[PDorr3]

thanks for the link, I had better see some beyond good & evil, klonoa, and Ico on there!

[pacmanhat]

I thought their last list was really good...I'm looking forward to see how this one unfolds. I'm guessing SMB is gonna stay at #1, though...anyone else?

[shvnsth]

I'm guessing SMB is gonna stay at #1, though...anyone else?

zelda ocarina of time. it has to be, i think that althought smb is a great game and a classic, it came before game story's really meant a lot to a game, and thats what will put zoot in 1st. but they prob don't think like i do

[pacmanhat]

I'm guessing SMB is gonna stay at #1, though...anyone else?

zelda ocarina of time. it has to be, i think that althought smb is a great game and a classic, it came before game story's really meant a lot to a game, and thats what will put zoot in 1st. but they prob don't think like i do

I'm inclined to agree with you (the massive survey I did a couple of years ago resulted in OoT finishing in 1st by a massive margin), but I'm thinking more in terms of what IGN is gonna decide. I just don't see them switching that choice.

[EndlessChris]

Klonoa? Is that a joke? It's a decent platformer to be sure, but nothing groundbreaking.

[PDorr3]

Klonoa? Is that a joke? It's a decent platformer to be sure, but nothing groundbreaking.

well, its just your opinion, but in my mind and many others its a platformer beyond decnet status, its truly classic.

[Bluteg]

I just hope Halo isn't on the list!

Well from what I see so far so good.

[felix]

ROFL.. I about screamed when I read the "readers poll" on accident instead of the offical one lol!!.. I about vowed to never read ign ever again LOL

[Zap!]

delete.

[THATinkjar]

They've got F-Zero on the SNES down as released in 1996. :roll:

[pacmanhat]

EDIT: Ignore this...

[le geek]

Heh, why is Battletoads on there? Quake 2 also seems an odd choice. This lists are always fun to see what you agree /disagree with...

Will be curious if Lemmings and/or Pitfall! are on the list... Or any of the point and click Adventures (Sam & Max, Space Quest, etc)...

Cheers,
Ben

[dieourumov]

much much much much better than the top 100 reader games of all time, which had RE 4 as #1 and only like 7 NES games

[UnInformer]

Klonoa? Is that a joke? It's a decent platformer to be sure, but nothing groundbreaking.

well, its just your opinion, but in my mind and many others its a platformer beyond decnet status, its truly classic.
Count me in, it is one of my favorite platforming series.

And games don't need to be groundbreaking to be fun. 8-)

[UnInformer]

much much much much better than the top 100 reader games of all time, which had RE 4 as #1 and only like 7 NES games
The reader top 100 was a joke. Roughly 90% of the games on it had been released less than 2-3 months before the list was compiled. Okay, so that figure was a bit of an exaggeration, but not by a whole lot.
It seemed all their readers just voted for the last couple games that they played.

Although it did have a few surprises, but I can't remember all of them. Radiant Silvergun was on it I think, as were a couple other Saturn games I certainly did not expect to see on a reader top 100. So I guess that list did have some at least some voters who have hit puberty, and there was some redeeming value.

[IntvGene]

I know that these lists are never going to stop, but I just wonder about the feasibility of a list that now spans 30 years of gaming. I REALLY don't think that it can be done any more. Sure, if you want to start classifying lists into eras or systems and then doing it, you'd have a better shot, but this is just ludicrous. Comparing the games of Atari to the Xbox to the arcade to MMORPG's is impossible to do objectively. Nevermind the sheer numbers of the games that have been made to date.


Our criteria for this uber-list of games consists of a variety of factors, including how good the game was compared to others at the time, the overall game design, how well it stood up over the long-haul, how influential it was in the realm of gaming and just plain how much fun we had playing the damn things.

I'd love to see how they measure "how well a game stood up over the long haul and how influential it was" when they add in newer games (already have a game that's three years old). And, those criteria also make it flawed against the older (and less graphically developed) games.

It wouldn't bother me if someone made a simple list of their choices, but it's just the way that IGN handles it. They make it sound like they've rewritten the bible here.

But, I guess I'm still speaking a little too early. Hey, maybe they'll surprise me and put an arcade game in the top ten. LOL

[chrisbid]

much much much much better than the top 100 reader games of all time, which had RE 4 as #1 and only like 7 NES games
The reader top 100 was a joke. Roughly 90% of the games on it had been released less than 2-3 months before the list was compiled. Okay, so that figure was a bit of an exaggeration, but not by a whole lot.
It seemed all their readers just voted for the last couple games that they played.

Although it did have a few surprises, but I can't remember all of them. Radiant Silvergun was on it I think, as were a couple other Saturn games I certainly did not expect to see on a reader top 100. So I guess that list did have some at least some voters who have hit puberty, and there was some redeeming value.


nobody "voted", the numbers were based purely on user ratings. which is why radiant silvergun, panzer dragoon saga, and shining force III were on the list. the few people that have played the games gave them good marks



im with gene, a top 20 from each major generation would force the editors to pare down the good-but-not-excellent current gen games that clutter all of these lists.

but baring that, i just hope we can see 5 games from before 1985. last time, there was only pitfall i believe :\

[NeoZeedeater]

but baring that, i just hope we can see 5 games from before 1985. last time, there was only pitfall i believe :\
Last time they had:

Pitfall!
Adventure
Battlezone
Discs of TRON
Galaga
Archon
Star Wars
Ms. Pac-Man
and Excitebike which came out in '84 in Japan.

[chrisbid]

i would lump archon and excitebike into the "8-bit" generation (i use quotes, since arguing bits is silly)

[UnInformer]

nobody "voted", the numbers were based purely on user ratings. which is why radiant silvergun, panzer dragoon saga, and shining force III were on the list. the few people that have played the games gave them good marks
Forgot about that, explains a lot.

[pixelsnpolygons]

Ugh, no thanks. I just looked over the list and I can predict how things will turn out. I think they probably put FFVII after FFX just to get fanboys creating a stir everywhere and hyping their list - which is something I am sure they'll repeat throughout the list. See they just want traffic and attention - the best way to get that is to award Halo 2 or True Crime: Streets of LA #1 (I swear of True Crime is even on that list...) but there I go, proving them right. You get more notoriety by creating a fucked up list that angers people and gets them talking than creating one that seems on the whole fair.

No list will ever be agreed upon, that's not what I am saying - there will be no way to stop people bickering about a game left off or a game that deserves to be higher/lower - but deliberately placing in odd, undeserving games to achieve that, it becomes less of a Top 100 Games and more of a publicity attempt. That doesn't surprise me, all I am saying is, I know what a hollow list this will be and I'm detaching myself from it now.

[Lothars]

that's awesome especially since Final Fantasy VII is only 88 on the list but so far otherwise it's been an awesome list so far

[poe]

I give *less* credibility to a list that puts FF7 above FF6 :P , but thats for an entirely different topic.

Seriously, having seen PC games on the list period is pretty encouraging, especially given *what* they've acknowledged so far(MOO, AITD, Ultima). I'm actually interested in seeing the top ten, regardless of what it is, just because some of the people behind this have obviously been gaming since well before the Playstation era.

[slip81]

Seems like a good list so far. I usually heavily disagree with these sorts of things, but there are a lot of games on there that I would add to a top 100 list of my own.

[Anthony1]

I can't stand it when they do this type of crap and drag something out.


When it's all over, somebody print the list in order from 100 to 1.


Then I'll comment on it.








By the way, I think we should do a top 1000 games list. What you do is you take a bunch of systems and you do top 50 lists for all the major systems, and top 25 lists and stuff like that, then you use those games to make up your top 1000.

[Lothars]

I can't stand it when they do this type of crap and drag something out.


When it's all over, somebody print the list in order from 100 to 1.


Then I'll comment on it.



By the way, I think we should do a top 1000 games list. What you do is you take a bunch of systems and you do top 50 lists for all the major systems, and top 25 lists and stuff like that, then you use those games to make up your top 1000.



That's a really good idea,

hmm something to try to help put together

[Griking]

Heh, why is Battletoads on there? Quake 2 also seems an odd choice. This lists are always fun to see what you agree /disagree with...

Maybe because they were fun games? ;)

I'm also encouraged to see as many PC games listed as there are. One of the main things that I'm surprised at is the amount of sports titles on the list. Lakers vs. Celtics? WTF?

[sealboy6]

I just hope Halo isn't on the list!

Well from what I see so far so good.

Well, from what "I" see, Halo and Halo 2 will both be in the top 30. You know they will be there so just live with it. They will be there, trust me...

[JSN]

Quake 2 also seems an odd choice.


For me, this is one of the greatest games ever. Back in the late 90's we had LAN parties almost every Saturday night. Eventually Quake III and Unreal Tournament took over our network, but I always have a soft spot for good ol' Q2. We've always made it a special point to download the base Q2 map mods for whatever the new FPS was... nothing beats 'The Edge' for me, my all time favorite. And single player was no joke either. The mutated enemies were so messed up, they were extremely creative in design. Most FPS today have maybe 4-5 different enemy types throughout the entire game (I’m looking at you Halo).

Every time someone tells me that Halo is the best multi-player FPS, I die a little inside. Q2 is fast an furious, Halo plays in slow motion by comparison

Aside from maybe Dark Age of Camelot, I'd say that Quake 2 is the game I've spent the most time playing. And you know what, I loved every single minute of it.

[Daniel Thomas]

It's not a bad list, actually. There's clearly an effort to distribute attention between console and computers, although I expect the top games to be heavy on the fanboy-friendly hits of today (Halo will definitely be in the top ten).

Am I the only one who's noticed the sheer lack of classic arcade games? Very, very little that predates the 16-bit era, which is odd. Of course, these kind of lists are always meaningless and arbitrary. There's too much history and diversity now to not leave something important out.

My favorite "greatest games" installments was the first one by Next Generation back in '96 or '97. It was extremely diverse, singing the praises of Infocom's text adventures, touching on every era, and choosing gameplay over flashy graphics. Super Bomberman 2, Micro Machines, Elite, Tetris...yadda yadda.

Personally, I don't mind, as long as my site gets some visits from kids eager for more "greatest games" material.

[felix]

I am starting to get a little... well... O_O -ish on some of the placement of the games...
God of war is a better game than Super Mario World??
sigh..

[SkiDragon]

Somebody should create a list of top 100 game lists.

[scorch56]

Glad to see Mechwarrior 2 was in there. It's the reason I bought my first PC; and I've been gaming ever since.

[YoshiM]

Huh, didn't see this thread before I posted in my blog.

After looking at this list so far, what do YOU all think makes a game worthy of being on an "all time" list?

The reason I ask is that I'm currently embroiled in a debate on IGN about whether or not Metroid Prime should be even ON the list. Personally I don't think so as at this stage of the game it's "just another game". Not saying it's bad but in the grand spectrum of things it doesn't stand out....yet. Of course I get the third degree like I was some sort of heathen (I was on the Gamecube boards, I should have known better LOL).

So I ask this question here as DP members seem to be more grounded and logical (at times :P ) in regards to games and the "grand scheme" of things.

Personally, I don't like the list. A lot of modern games, while fun, shouldn't be on an "all time" list just yet. Madden 2004's entry is just plain wrong.

[Griking]

NHL '94 and Laker's vs Celtics for the Genesis were rates way ahead of Final Fantasy VII. That should cause some foaming of the mouth around here. LOL

Bionic Commando?

Crimson Skies?

I've never even heard of or played Return Fire for the 3D0

[hydr0x]

well, they have some great choices on their list which a lot of lists are missing, BUT there are some absolutely stupid decisions too, most likely coming from the same staff member

Madden 2004? what exactly is new, revolutionary or even extrodinary good about this?? imho sports games may only be on such a list for two reasons

- they take a different approach, may it be fun, perspective or whatever. of course they must be really really good to, Tecmo Super Bowl and NBA Jam are examples of this

- they add a new dimension or at least a bunch of important new features to the genre, can't even think of a real good example here as usually they improve sports games step by step (usually with small steps)

now, on to Metroid Prime

i think you are missing something here Yoshi. I'm not sure if it belongs on such a list too, but you're not seeing why it might deserve that spot. It's not just a game like others and it's also not just a 3D conversion of (Super) Metroid. The important thing is that a conversion of Metroid to 3D actually equals the creation of a new type of game, a new sub-genre. It's hard to define what exactly MP even is. It's not a FPS, it's not an Action-Adventure, i'm not sure what it is. But it adds aspects to the 1st-Person perspective that never were before, and it creates a new experience. And that's definetly something justifying it's inclusion on a top-list.

[hydr0x]

more rants, be warned :D

#98 Battletoads

ok, what the heck? sure, this is a good game. If we only count pure game fun, is this one of the best 100 across all systems? NO. So, it has to be innovative/influential then.... mh i can't see that too, sorry, doesn't belong here

#94 Rainbow Six

now, i see why it is there, because it's the first tactical team fps.... huh, wait, i'm pretty sure it isn't, i'm not 100% sure, but still, there must be something before Rainbow Six and thus it's nothing special

#87 Thief II

ok, no discussion, if it was a best games list than this would be ok, but as the list also reflects innovation Thief I has to get this spot, not part two

#86 Final Fantasy X

i just don't see what's so different from FF7 or other RPGs of the PS2 that it deserves this spot

#69 Lakers vs Celtics and the NBA Playoffs

see sports rant above, not enough innovation, especially not for place 69

#62 PoP: Sands of Time

while this is a fantastic game i just don't see how it stands out of the Action-Adventure crowd with Beyond Good & Evil and others

#52 Panzer Dragoon Saga

haven't played this but it just feels like this one is overrated due to the fame it got

#50 Wing Commander II

ok, you either include every WC which is bullshit or you include WC I, WC III and WC Prophecy or even less, WC II just doesn't belong here, it's not too much different from part one

#48 Secret of Mana

might be worth it because of the MP-part, but the Single Player just can't hold up to a lot of other games of that era and genre because of the horrible AI

#42 Gran Turismo 3

now WHAT THE HECK, you can include Gran Turismo 1 but nothing else, the rest are mainly just graphic updates, ESPECIALLY part 3, 4 would have been the better choice but still doesn't deserve a spot

and real-time photorealism??? ahahahaha, you got me laughing IGN

#38 Madden 2004

see above

#36 Command & Conquer: Red Alert

ok, why Red Alert and not C&C itself????

#34 Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2

why 2 and not the original???

#33 God of War

oh come on, nr 33 of ALL TIME??? it's really good but no way, no way

[YoshiM]

now, on to Metroid Prime

i think you are missing something here Yoshi. I'm not sure if it belongs on such a list too, but you're not seeing why it might deserve that spot. It's not just a game like others and it's also not just a 3D conversion of (Super) Metroid. The important thing is that a conversion of Metroid to 3D actually equals the creation of a new type of game, a new sub-genre. It's hard to define what exactly MP even is. It's not a FPS, it's not an Action-Adventure, i'm not sure what it is. But it adds aspects to the 1st-Person perspective that never were before, and it creates a new experience. And that's definetly something justifying it's inclusion on a top-list.

Maybe I am. I tried playing it but it just never clicked with me. I don't really see it as unique as I've seen other games that were close to it. System Shock II, even though it is gun heavy (though I can't really recall it being TOO gun heavy, especially during its time) has more of an adventure theme and the Tex Murphy games (Under a Killing Moon and forward) are pure first person adventures (ie lacking the twitch action and jumping). If you wanna talk FP platforming, look no further to the Star Wars Dark Forces/Jedi Knight games.

To me the game just screamed FPS-lite. Kinda like if you take Jedi Knight, strip out the Force powers and add in the need to scan and drop-dead gorgeous graphics then wrap it up in the Metroid world. Maybe I should strap myself to a chair and play it all the way through, come hell or high water to see why people praise this game so much or at least hold it in high regard.

[buttasuperb]

Wow Sam N Max made the list...amazing.

And I thought the PC version of Crimson Skies was buggy as hell and the xbox one was much better.

[smork]

I've never even heard of or played Return Fire for the 3D0

Heh, I've played the hell outta the Return FIre port to the PS. It's like Capture the Flag with heavy vehicles. 2 player head to head is nice and frantic. I thought it was great, specially in 1995 or so....

[blissfulnoise]

Any list that puts Sam and Max at #61 and Grim Fandango at #49 in an all time video game list is ok by me.

Observations and comments:

Here's hoping Sierra can make an impact in the top 20. I suspect we'll see at least a Quest for Glory and/or a Kings Quest game on there.

I betcha Ico and Beyond Good and Evil make it into the top 20.

MoO II was better in every way than MoO.

I <3 Bionic Commando (scrawled on a Trapper Keeper)

In response to hydr0x:

I say PDS deserves better than #52. If you haven't played it, then I guess you're not qualified to judge. It's in my top 5 and I've played every game in the list so far.

Tony Hawks Pro Skaker 2 was the apex of the series. As were C&C:RA, Thief II, and WCII. There's certainly room for disagreement but popular opinion backs their choices as would I.

As for God of War. I'll give you that. #33 is a bit high, but I could certainly see it elsewhere on the top #100.

[hydr0x]

Here's hoping Sierra can make an impact in the top 20. I suspect we'll see at least a Quest for Glory and/or a Kings Quest game on there.


don't bet on it, Quest for Glory hasn't been on a single Top100 list i have seen, and i've seen a lot. King's Quest IV is probably going to be up there, we'll see



I betcha Ico and Beyond Good and Evil make it into the top 20.

yeah, because they tend to showcase underrated games. While BGE is a fantastic game i don't think it deserves top20, it had some flaws after all and in the end didn't offer anything new



MoO II was better in every way than MoO.


agreed



I say PDS deserves better than #52. If you haven't played it, then I guess you're not qualified to judge. It's in my top 5 and I've played every game in the list so far.

that's why i said "it feels like it's overrated", i didn't actually judge the game at all ;) it's just that with every review and so on you read about the game you can smell that the reviewer is biased either because he is proud he got this rare game or he wants to let everyone know about this overlooked game to make sure it gets the attention he thinks it needs



Tony Hawks Pro Skaker 2 was the apex of the series. As were C&C:RA, Thief II, and WCII. There's certainly room for disagreement but popular opinion backs their choices as would I.

none of them where very innovative compared to the prequel, that's the problem, they might be better games overall, but that's true for a lot of sequels. The innovation has to weigh more than the small increase in quality for such a list imho



As for God of War. I'll give you that. #33 is a bit high, but I could certainly see it elsewhere on the top #100.

mh could you elaborate why?? i just don't think it's one of the top100 most polished and/or innovative games, but maybe that's just me

[blissfulnoise]

Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 was the apex of the series. As were C&C:RA, Thief II, and WCII. There's certainly room for disagreement but popular opinion backs their choices as would I.


none of them where very innovative compared to the prequel, that's the problem, they might be better games overall, but that's true for a lot of sequels. The innovation has to weigh more than the small increase in quality for such a list imho

Taking THPS2 for example; the inclusion of the manual completely redefined the game and made it infinitely more playable then its predecessor. While every THPS/THUG game has progressively added, or, in some cases, stepped back from the original game, THPS2 was when the series finally game into its own. THPS is more like v0.5 compared to the polish and playability of its sequel.

I'll agree with you that innovation has to be high to include a sequel over an original, but in these cases, I think that criteria is met and the sequel better represents the series than the original does. Thus why I'd choose MoO II over Master of Orion (and seemingly, so would you)

Though Star Control 2 should be ranked higher than either ;)



As for God of War. I'll give you that. #33 is a bit high, but I could certainly see it elsewhere on the top #100.


mh could you elaborate why?? i just don't think it's one of the top100 most polished and/or innovative games, but maybe that's just me

For the pure visceral content of GoW. I can't think of a single 3D action game, or action game period, that feels as satisfying as GoW does in the combat arena.

If you've played it, and you didn't get a huge adrenaline rush driving the Hydra head into the splintered mast of the Spartan warship, well, I don’t think that person exists.

Kratos is also, easily, one of the coolest characters to come out in recent memory. Sure he pretty much boils down to just another "badass" anti-hero, but there is some real effort put into his backstory. An effort to give him depth that, in my opinion, succeeds admirably. The amazing voice work by Terrence Carson adds another element sorely lacking in other offerings. You can include Devil May Cry in that list. I'd put Kratos on a pedestal next the legions of other nameless "toons" slapped into games this year (or any previous years).

Not only that, but as a former JCL member, I have a soft spot for Greek and Roman themes and rarely have world environments (Greek or otherwise) been pulled off as beautifully as the ones in God of War have.

Anyway, my $0.02 on that topic. I can certainly understand arguments to not include GoW on top 100, or even top 1000 lists. But when I first called the hidden phone number and heard Kratos on the other end, yeah, that cemented the game in my memory forever.

[blissfulnoise]

I say PDS deserves better than #52. If you haven't played it, then I guess you're not qualified to judge. It's in my top 5 and I've played every game in the list so far.



that's why i said "it feels like it's overrated", i didn't actually judge the game at all ;) it's just that with every review and so on you read about the game you can smell that the reviewer is biased either because he is proud he got this rare game or he wants to let everyone know about this overlooked game to make sure it gets the attention he thinks it needs

And regarding PDS, I think you're confusing bias with a fair and even handed review to a game that's tantamount to a religious experience.

I know that sounds biased in and of it self, but I can say, with no trace of fanfare, that Panzer Dragoon Saga is the finest example of a Role Playing Game I've ever come across, be they console or PC.

I could care less about any perceived rarity or monetary value on the title. I'd STRONGLY encourage Sega to re-release this game so that others can finally see what all the "hype" is about.

I know others who have been very "meh" to PDS after playing copies or shelling out on eBay, and, to be blunt, I pity them. These are the kinds of people who can't lose themselves in a world as artfully crafted as the one presented in the Panzer Dragoon series, in Saga specifically.

I never really applied the word "art" to a video game until Panzer Dragoon Saga came along. There is a unique vision in the game unlike any other. The world is alive and vivid, but not the sense most people tie those words too. Minimal color, barren fields populated solely by beasts, mutated and otherwise, and sprawling technological monstrosities. Everything feels natural and fluid but alien and remote. The true beauty of PDS is in the atmosphere of the game. And there is always something laying right beneath the mind's eye that Team Andromeda planted for that specific reason.

IGN justifies the games position via it's excellent combat system. And that's valid. There's not another game like it. But, while I think it would still be justified in my top #5 list for presentation and innovation alone, I justify its spot on story.

There's no merry band of adventures. There aren't any feel good comeback stories or speeches realigning the moral compass of man. You don't experience the game through another characters perspective or have “heart to hearts” to keep up morale. These sorts of clichés are left for other games.

All that's left, at the heart of Panzer Dragoon Saga, is a coming of age story; about a young man, a young woman, both in extraordinary circumstances, and the choices that they make.

Maybe I'm just drawn to those sorts of narratives (see: Ico) but it resonates very, very deeply with me. And I will always cherish this game.

[b0bby]

we should make a list...no joke i'd be kinda sweet


unlees its already been done before ;)

[tritium]

I'm sorry. But IGN has stopped being a reputable source (from my point of view) around the time they did the McGriddle's advertising. That was just wrong.

And they tasted bad.

But top 100 lists are always good fun =)

[TurboGenesis]

I guess the list is ok so far.

The real question is what kind of list is it? Is it the 100 MOST INFLUENTUAL games of all time, or the BEST games of all time or Games that look good and play good? Some examples, Battletoads--its a cool game, looks nice, high diffuculty, good sound, but in the end its just another beat em up with a few small twists. How bout Super Smash melee, ok its going to be faster and prettier on better hardware but this should not take away from the original. Ok I've said enough. I really hate lists like this because they cross tomany things in their criteria.

Of side note:
PDS is a good game and has alot of unique elements and does well for the genere BUT if I have one complaint that all who don't know should know is that it is SHORT. As in a breif game. Still good otherwise though that is my opinion.

[Famidrive-16]

thanks for the link, I had better see some beyond good & evil, klonoa, and Ico on there!

As if I couldn't tell by your sig. :wink 2:

I'm actually surprised that Wave Race 64 is higher than SMW :/ Least it wasn't that crappy GCN version though...

[Nature Boy]

Comparing the games of Atari to the Xbox to the arcade to MMORPG's is impossible to do objectively.

I disagree to a certain extent. If you take a large enough sample, biases should disappear and will by and large.

You're never going to agree with such a list, but that's what they're their for!

[McBacon]

The List so far:

100 - River City Ransom
99 - Ultima Underworld: The Sygian Abyss
98 - BattleToads
97 - F-Zero
96 - Mafia
95 - Herzog Zwei
94 - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
93 - Quake II
92 - Dragon Warrior
91 - Virtua Tennis
90 - Master of Orion
89 - Alone in the Dark
88 - Final Fantasy VII
87 - Theif II: The Metal Age
86 - Final Fantasy X
85 - Prince of Persia
84 - Ultima VII: The Black Gate
83 - Contra
82 - Gunstar Heroes
81 - Freedom Force
80 - Baseball Stars
79 - Shining Force II
78 - Star Wars (Arcade)
77 - Archon: The Light and the Dark
76 - Tetris Attack
75 - Crimson Skies
74 - Syndicate
73 - Return Fire
72 - Galaga
71 - Half-Life: Counter-Strike
70 - Pokémon Red/Blue
69 - Lakers vs/ Celtics and the NBA Playoffs
68 - Starseige: Tribes
67 - Rayman 2: The Great Escape
66 - Homeworld
65 - MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
64 - Advance Wars
63 - Sonic the Hedgehog
62 - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
61 - Sam & Max Hit the Road
60 - Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle
59 - Bionic Commando
58 - Super Smash Bros. Melee
57 - Mike Tyson's Punchout!
56 - Final Fantasy III (VI)
55 - Fallout
54 - Panzer Dragoon Saga
53 - Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
52 - Metroid Prime
51 - Grand Theft Auto III
50 - Wing Comander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi
49 - Grim Fandango
48 - The Secret of Mana
47 - NHL 94
46 - Super Mario World
45 - Battlefield 1942
44 - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
43 - Soul Calibur
42 - Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
41 - System Shock 2
40 - Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution
39 - DOOM
38 - Madden NFL 2004
37 - Wave Race 64
36 - Command & Conquer: Red Alert
35 - Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
34 - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
33 - God of War
32 - Resident Evil 4
31 - SimCity 2000
30 - Halo
29 - GoldenEye 007
28 - Half-Life 2
27 - Burnout 3: Takedown
26 - Final Fantasy II (IV)
25 - Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
24 - Temco Super Bowl
23 - Super Mario Bros. 3
22 - Half-Life
21 - Deus Ex

[kevincure]

How about a little contest? Guess the final 20. Most right wins. No order needed.

Here're mine: Tetris, SM64, Zelda:OoT, Super Mario Bros., , Zelda SNES, Diablo 2, Ico, Tekken 3, SF2, Super Metroid, Everquest, SW:KotOR, GTA:SA, Metal Gear Solid, Chrono Trigger, Starcraft, Ms PacMan, Symphony of the Night, XCom: UFO Defense, Civilization 2.

Neglected altogether in a great injustice: IQ, GTA:VC, BG&E, Secret of Monkey Island, Rez, NFL2k1, Skies of Arcadia, Animal Crossing, Defender, HoMM3, Ultima Online, Warlords (!), PSO, Pirates!, The Sims, TIE Fighter.

[Famidrive-16]

I'll just go with your list and throw in Super Mario Kart...

[Zap!]

I totally disagree with Super Mario 3 being listed ahead of SMW. The only Mario game I MIGHT put ahead of SMW would possibly be SM64. However, I seem to be in the minority on this one.

Anyway, I'm praying to God that Ys: Book I and II makes the top 5. Any chance? Zelda: LTTP also belongs in the top 5.

[Daniel Thomas]

Hmm. Interesting. Good thing I didn't bet any money on this, because I'd be out already. Now I'm looking forward to the next segment.

[midgey]

rant about innovation


In my eyes, innovation != instant good game. I could make a game that uses a completely brand new interface where you go to the bathroom on a controller and the game judges the quality of your waste, and I wouldn't expect anyone to think this is a good game. Sure its innovative and never been done before, but it just doesn't work.

The games that you ranted about happen to be the pinnacles of their respective series as far as I'm concerned. Its were the innovation worked with all of the other mechanisms of the game and created a much more refined experience.

I think I may be alone in this, but I think Battletoads belongs on this list. Its caused me many a frustration, but it was still one of the most satisfying games I've ever beaten. Calling this game a beat'em up is pretty misleading to me. People that play the game alot don't die from fights, they die from the absurdly difficult vehicle levels, or not timing a jump correctly, or anywhere in the tube level. There's alot more to battletoads than just a simple beat'em up.

[hydr0x]

I totally disagree with Super Mario 3 being listed ahead of SMW. The only Mario game I MIGHT put ahead of SMW would possibly be SM64. However, I seem to be in the minority on this one.

no no no, SMB3 was fantastic and added almost everything to the series that SMW had. Sure, SMW had far better graphics, but every 16-bit game had that compared to 8-bit. It also had Yoshi who was a nice addition to the series but didn't change gameplay too much imho. Everything else (Cape and stuff) was just different from SMB3 because they didn't want to use the exact same stuff again. It didn't change the overall feeling of the game though, to me, both games feeled pretty much the same. Of course, SMW was more polished when it comes to level design, on the other hand the whole worlds thing was used better in SMB3. All in all, imho SMB3 was the game that was the biggest step forward in the series while SMW to me was just a perfect port to a new era.

[hydr0x]

rant about innovation


In my eyes, innovation != instant good game. I could make a game that uses a completely brand new interface where you go to the bathroom on a controller and the game judges the quality of your waste, and I wouldn't expect anyone to think this is a good game. Sure its innovative and never been done before, but it just doesn't work.


of course you're right about this, but obviously we are talking about positive innovation here, so what does that have to do with it??



The games that you ranted about happen to be the pinnacles of their respective series as far as I'm concerned. Its were the innovation worked with all of the other mechanisms of the game and created a much more refined experience.

right, the question is, for a list like this that mixes innovation and quality, do we value the innovation of the prequel more than the step forward in quality and content of the sequel. Imho, by default it has the be the innovation, unless you can "prove" that a sequel added a lot to the concept and/or took the concept to perfection.

About the examples. I didn't think about the manual thing in THPS2 because it wasn't that important to me :o . Maybe because i'm not a skateboarder but only a gamer, dunno. I can see a reason for it now though and i kind of understand that decision. To me, THPS2 wasn't much different than THPS (yeah, i actually played both for quite a while back then). I'm not too sure everyone would agree it was the climax of the series, i know quite a few people who think every part was better than it's prequel.

This is an important part too imho, IF you consider taking a sequel over it's original then it should be a sequel where >80% of the fans would agree on as "best in the series". I can't see this for THPS2 and C&C:RA, and especially not for Thief II and WC II. Well, Thief II might fit this criteria but to me it's just a more polished version of Thief. And while we are speaking of Looking Glass/Warren Spector, god damnit, why is every Top100 list missing Terra Nova, THAT game deserves it's place on such a list, way ahead of it's time but still really really good.

[hydr0x]

rants of today LOL

#30 Halo

of course i knew this one would be on the list, and i guess we can be lucky it only made spot 30, but still

here's the reasons they give for including it

1) overall quality and polish
2) multi-player quality
3) fantastic controls for a console fps
4) shows off Xboxs power and sold the system

to 1) well, i'd just disagree with that, i could name >20 fps out of my head that are better in overall quality

to 2) this is difficult, now, Co-Op is a fantastic mode and surely it took console fps mp to a new level, the question is, is that enough? imho, NO. Compared to PC mp fps it's not that outstanding anymore (and don't try with co-op, Duke Nukem was better on that LOL ) and you can't just include it because it took MP FPS to the console market as it already was present on PC AND would have happened sooner or later in this generation anyway.

to 3) so because it makes up for a systems flaw it is worth a top-list-entry?? not to mention the fact that Perfect Dark did the job better

to 4) now this is obviously just bullshit, you can't credit a game (in such a list) because it shows a systems power, neither because it sold a system, if you start like that you'd have to include every Pokemon too (the original obviously deserves its spot ;) )

#27 Burnout 3

while the speed feeling is indeed something not seen before i somehow feel this game would not even be considered for a list like that in 3+ years from now

[Bluteg]

As much as I want to dissaprove of this list...

I cannot hate it...

Honestly taking it as a list that is not in order, its great so far. I'm very happy with Fallout (although I like 2 more) and River City Ransom making the list, which are 2 of my top five. I don't like seeing Halo, Madden, RE4 and GoW ahead of SMW... but as a NONORDER list I can't say it's horrible as I only dissagree with under 10 of the games so far and out of 80 thats not bad for a site that throws in a few gimmes for sports fans.

I love seeing the PC games that completely defined the RPG genre that has evolved today... Baldurs Gate, Ultima even Dues Ex. It seems that IGN took a top 100 "experience during the era" and a top 100 "innovation for the future titles" lists threw them in a blender and spit the results at us, but taken as a whole its not that bad.

[hydr0x]

How about a little contest? Guess the final 20. Most right wins. No order needed.

hehe ok

Castlevania: SOTN, Civilization II (maybe III), Super Mario Kart, Ms. Pac-Man, Chrono Trigger, TIE Fighter, Street Fighter II, X-COM: UFO Defense, Starcraft, Zelda: Alttp, Mario 64, Tetris, Super Metroid, Zelda: OoT, Super Mario Bros.

ok, that's 15, let' see what else we got...

ok my last 5 guesses are:

Pirates!
Metal Gear Solid
Ico
Beyond Good & Evil
Star Wars: Kotor

[hydr0x]

As much as I want to dissaprove of this list...

I cannot hate it...

absolutely agreed, it IS a good list, but you could expect that looking at their 2003 one. If they had reduced the sports stuff, cut off everything of the last 12 months and remove a few of the fanboy games then it would have been a very good list ;)

i don't get it though, why is it so hard to make such a list? now, STOP, don't start about how hard it is to select 100 games out of everything and that it's impossible to include everyone's favourite. That's out of question. What always makes me wonder is how in gods name do they manage (especially considering that they list 100 games out of >100k) to add a few games that you (and everyone else) just can't agree with. I can't blame them for not including a Monkey Island (although i disagree with that) because i know you HAVE TO leave stuff out. But i can definetly blame them for having Madden 2004 on the list and taking up a spot another few hundred games deserved better.

[badinsults]

How the hell did Gran Turismo 3 get on there? It was a gameplay downgrade from GT2. :p

[UnInformer]

I give them a round of applause for putting four FPSs above Halo, on the same page even. Halo is a good game and all, but damn, it is not that good and I really get sick of hearing about it constantly from the most annoying network of fanboys ever.

[shvnsth]

ico? 18? ico?

[hydr0x]

mhhh, didn't expect Rome, haven't played it yet though, so no comment

let's see which top ranked games of 2003 are still left

27 Pirates!
15 Civilization II
11 Star Wars: TIE Fighter
10 Street Fighter II
7 StarCraft
5 Super Mario 64
4 Tetris
3 Super Metroid
2 Legend of Zelda, The: Ocarina of Time
1 Super Mario Bros.

makes 10 games already, so they either dropped a former top30 entry or they did not include Kotor ;)

[classicb]

#24 Tecmo Super Bowl

the list is OK with me since it got above Madden. Of course I would have put it at #1 :)

[kevincure]

From my picks for the last 20, I hit 7 (Zelda SNES, Ico, MGS, CT, Ms Pacman , C:SotN, Xcom). There are only ten left. That means that only ten of the following 28 are even in the top *100*: SM64 (my vote for the best game ever), Zelda OoT, Super Mario Bros. Diablo 2, Tekken 3, SF2, Super Metroid, Everquest, KotOR, GTA:SA, Starcraft, Civ 2, IQ, GTA:VC, BG&E, Secret of Monkey Island, Rez, NFL2k1, Skies of Arcadia, Animal Crossing, Defender, HoMM3, Ultima Online, Warlords, PSO, Pirates!, The Sims, TIE Fighter.

I think Hydrox is right that the final 10 are almost certainly those that were in the top 30 two years ago. If that's true, then four of my guesses for the top 20 don't even appear in the top 100 (EQ, GTASA, Tekken 3, Diablo 2). How can they leave out EQ? Are there no MMORPGs, arguably the most important genre worldwide today, in the top *100* videogames ever made? WoW, UO and EQ would be the top 3 (with City of Heroes lurking), and I think at least 2 should be considered top 100 titles. I think the list, on the whole, has been quite good so far though. I also think that there are a few more worth early titles (Defender and Warlords would be my picks) left out. The pick of Rome: Total War is an interesting one, though; it sliipped my mind and it's surely a top 100 game.

[SkiDragon]

These lists would be better, if not as fun, if they were simply "100 good games in no particular order" lists.

[McBacon]

Here is 20-11:

20 - Ms. Pacman
19 - Metal Gear Solid
18 - Ico
17 - Star Control 2
16 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
15 - Super Mario Kart
14 - Rome: Total War
13 - Chrono Trigger
12 - X-COM: UFO Defense
11 - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Ze;da OOT will defnatly be in the top 10. :P

[IntvGene]

Well, let's see how the early systems are doing so far (rant warning):

ANY Atari console: 0
Colecovision: 0
Intellivision: 0
Vectrex: 0
C64: 1 (Archon)
Arcades: 3 (Galalga, Ms. Pac, Star Wars)

Christ, you think that there were a few arcade games that started it all off. They mention Pong in their choice of Virtua Tennis (I guess it was the more popular game). The early home computers AND consoles have been completely neglected. How did Commodore become the best selling computer of all time? Jeez.. It must have been that Print Shop program. I guess the videogame crash of the early eighties must have taken all of the history with it.

Space Invaders... Gauntlet... Asteroids.. Battlezone.. Missile Command... Donkey Kong... Defender.. Robotron 2084... Dragon's Lair.. Tron..

And, can we suck Valve's dick any more? 3 Half-Life games? Jesus! I just can't wait for the Blizzard homage to start. Starcraft, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, all have possibilities for their "top ten".

Paradroid... M.U.L.E... Seven Cities of Gold.. Impossible Mission... Ultima IV.. Alternate Reality: The City.. Defender of the Crown... Castles of Dr. Creep... Elite..

They must have the attention span of twelve-year olds, because they have no concept of history or how gaming was shaped at all in the last thirty years. Maybe the IGN staff is a bunch of twelve-year olds? That would actually explain a lot.

Adventure... Raider's of the Lost Ark.. Pitfall.. Utopia.. River Raid.. INTV Baseball.. Yar's Revenge.. Breakout..

Well, they've got ten games left, and they're missing alot. Unless they start adding decimal points, they're won't be addressing a lot of my points. About half of the games that are on this list deserve to be there. They've made some right choices, but unfortunately, they've just missed alot.

[Dr. Morbis]

Well, let's see how the early systems are doing so far (rant warning):

ANY Atari console: 0
Colecovision: 0
Intellivision: 0
Vectrex: 0
C64: 1 (Archon)
Arcades: 3 (Galalga, Ms. Pac, Star Wars)
That is truly pathetic. No Adventure? No Pitfall? And they couldn't find any good games from the C64's library of like 10,000!?! It's as if the history of video games began in 1985 with Super Mario Bros.

I cannot believe Zelda 64 was #2 and the much better original didn't even make the list.

[Zap!]

Another all-time list with no Ys: Book I and II on it. <sigh> What the hell is wrong with people?

[Gothic_knights]

Ok I rarely post but gotta this time. A top 100 list with Final Fantasy VII at 88th. Bull Sh--, I love all the Mario games, but would I put them before FFVII, HELL NO. What were they smokin'. =)~