Popular Mechanics - Top 100 Greatest Video Games of All Time (reviewed)
Trying to get a ton of traffic for their website, Popular Mechanics published a 100-page slideshow on the TOP 100 GREATEST VIDEO GAMES OF ALL TIME.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/video-games/the-100-greatest-video-games-of-all-time
To save you the finger-exercise, here's the list (and which ones I have played before):
100. Hotline Miami (2012) have not played
99. TowerFall (2013) have not played
98. Gone Home (2013) have not played
97. Tempest (1981) have played
96. Super Meat Boy (2010) have not played
95. EVE Online (2003) have not played
94. Guitar Hero II (2006) have played
93. Myst (1993) have played
92. Forza Motorsport 4 (2011) have not played
91. Wii Sports (2006) have played
90. Donkey Kong (1981) have played
89. Shenmue II (2001) have not played
88. Fire Emblem: Awakening (2013) have not played
87. Braid (2008) have not played
86. Heavy Rain (2010) have not played
85. LIMBO (2010) have played
84. Zork (1980) have played
83. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec (2001) have not played
82. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2003) have not played
81. Team Fortress 2 (2007) have not played
80. Mike Tyson's Punch Out (1987) have played
79. Dungeon Master (1987) have not played
78. Double Dragon (1987) have played
77. Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) have played
76. Spy Hunter (1983) have played
75. System Shock 2 (1999) have not played
74. Earthworm Jim (1994) have not played
73. Dark Souls (2011) have not played
72. Galaga (1981) have played
71. Final Fantasy X (2001) have not played
70. Tomb Raider (1996) have not played
69. Gauntlet (1985) have played
68. Journey (2012) have not played
67. Donkey Kong Country (1994) have played
66. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (2008) have not played
65. Soulcalibur 2 (2002) have not played
64. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) have played
63. God of War (2005) have not played
62. Xenogears (1998) have not played
61. Grim Fandango (1998) have not played
60. Minecraft (2009) have played
59. Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) have played
58. Final Fantasy Tactics (1997) have not played
57. Secret of Mana (1993) have played
56. Simcity 2000 (1994) have played
55. Rock Band 3 (2010) have not played
54. Super Mario RPG (1996) have played
53. Dead Space (2008) have not played
52. Star Fox 64 (1997) have not played
51. NBA Jam (1993) have played
50. X-COM: UFO Defense (1994) have not played
49. Mortal Kombat II (1993) have played
48. Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) have not played
47. Fallout 3 (2008) have not played
46. Tecmo Super Bowl (1991) have played
45. The Sims 3 (2009) have not played
44. Resident Evil 2 (1998) have not played
43. Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) have not played
42. Silent Hill 2 (2001) have not played
41. Mega Man 2 (1988) have played
40. Tekken 3 (1997) have not played
39. Shadow of the Colossus (2005) have not played
38. Super Metroid (1994) have not played
37. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) have not played
36. Super Mario 64 (1996) have not played
35. Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) have not played
34. Final Fantasy VI (1994) have not played
33. Tetris (1989) have played
32. Super Mario Kart (1992) have played
31. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) have not played
30. World of Warcraft (2004) have not played
29. Star Wars: KOTOR (2003) have not played
28. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) have not played
27. Pokemon Red/Blue (1996) have not played
26. Chrono Trigger (1995) have played
25. The Last of Us (2013) have not played
24. Assassin's Creed 2 (2009) have not played
23. Red Dead Redemption (2010) have played
22. GoldenEye 007 (1997) have played
21. Civilization II (1996) have played
20. Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) have played
19. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) have not played
18. Ms. Pac-Man (1982) have played
17. StarCraft (1998) have played
16. Batman Arkham City (2011) have not played
15. Resident Evil 4 (2005) have not played
14. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) have played
13. Metal Gear Solid (1998) have not played
12. Doom (1993) have played
11. Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) have not played
10. Space Invaders (1978) have played
9. Half-Life 2 (2004) have not played
8. Final Fantasy VII (1997) have not played
7. Mass Effect 2 (2010) have not played
6. Street Fight II (1991) have played
5. Halo (2001) have not played
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) have played
3. Portal 2 (2011) have played
2. Super Mario World (1990) have played
1. Bioshock (2007) have not played
I ended up with "have played" for 40%. I've played all of the games prior to 1994 except Dungeon Master (25/26). I've only played 4 of the 27 games released since 2007.
The list isn't great as expected. Some of the choices are just silly and others are duplicative (do they really need Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4?). There's two racing games (Forza Motorsport 4, Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec), but when the list is published by Popular Mechanics I would have honestly expected a lot more!
Big misses that immediately came to mind: Worms, Metal Slug, Original Legend of Zelda and my favorite Dragon Warrior VIII (which I just discovered has been released for the iOs devices! Yippee!). The biggest issue for me actually was including Grim Fandango. It's a "hip" choice to praise this game, but the reality is that far more people played Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle (or the predecessor Maniac Mansion). Those LucasArts games have influenced (and entertained) for more people. It's cool to call out the games that are the most stunning or unique, but while Rez might be pretty there's a long way between that and being one of the best ever.
I did discover some new games that I'd like to play, so that was good. Indeed.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/video-games/the-100-greatest-video-games-of-all-time
To save you the finger-exercise, here's the list (and which ones I have played before):
100. Hotline Miami (2012) have not played
99. TowerFall (2013) have not played
98. Gone Home (2013) have not played
97. Tempest (1981) have played
96. Super Meat Boy (2010) have not played
95. EVE Online (2003) have not played
94. Guitar Hero II (2006) have played
93. Myst (1993) have played
92. Forza Motorsport 4 (2011) have not played
91. Wii Sports (2006) have played
90. Donkey Kong (1981) have played
89. Shenmue II (2001) have not played
88. Fire Emblem: Awakening (2013) have not played
87. Braid (2008) have not played
86. Heavy Rain (2010) have not played
85. LIMBO (2010) have played
84. Zork (1980) have played
83. Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec (2001) have not played
82. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2003) have not played
81. Team Fortress 2 (2007) have not played
80. Mike Tyson's Punch Out (1987) have played
79. Dungeon Master (1987) have not played
78. Double Dragon (1987) have played
77. Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) have played
76. Spy Hunter (1983) have played
75. System Shock 2 (1999) have not played
74. Earthworm Jim (1994) have not played
73. Dark Souls (2011) have not played
72. Galaga (1981) have played
71. Final Fantasy X (2001) have not played
70. Tomb Raider (1996) have not played
69. Gauntlet (1985) have played
68. Journey (2012) have not played
67. Donkey Kong Country (1994) have played
66. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (2008) have not played
65. Soulcalibur 2 (2002) have not played
64. Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) have played
63. God of War (2005) have not played
62. Xenogears (1998) have not played
61. Grim Fandango (1998) have not played
60. Minecraft (2009) have played
59. Ghosts 'n Goblins (1985) have played
58. Final Fantasy Tactics (1997) have not played
57. Secret of Mana (1993) have played
56. Simcity 2000 (1994) have played
55. Rock Band 3 (2010) have not played
54. Super Mario RPG (1996) have played
53. Dead Space (2008) have not played
52. Star Fox 64 (1997) have not played
51. NBA Jam (1993) have played
50. X-COM: UFO Defense (1994) have not played
49. Mortal Kombat II (1993) have played
48. Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) have not played
47. Fallout 3 (2008) have not played
46. Tecmo Super Bowl (1991) have played
45. The Sims 3 (2009) have not played
44. Resident Evil 2 (1998) have not played
43. Elders Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) have not played
42. Silent Hill 2 (2001) have not played
41. Mega Man 2 (1988) have played
40. Tekken 3 (1997) have not played
39. Shadow of the Colossus (2005) have not played
38. Super Metroid (1994) have not played
37. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) have not played
36. Super Mario 64 (1996) have not played
35. Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) have not played
34. Final Fantasy VI (1994) have not played
33. Tetris (1989) have played
32. Super Mario Kart (1992) have played
31. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) have not played
30. World of Warcraft (2004) have not played
29. Star Wars: KOTOR (2003) have not played
28. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) have not played
27. Pokemon Red/Blue (1996) have not played
26. Chrono Trigger (1995) have played
25. The Last of Us (2013) have not played
24. Assassin's Creed 2 (2009) have not played
23. Red Dead Redemption (2010) have played
22. GoldenEye 007 (1997) have played
21. Civilization II (1996) have played
20. Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) have played
19. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) have not played
18. Ms. Pac-Man (1982) have played
17. StarCraft (1998) have played
16. Batman Arkham City (2011) have not played
15. Resident Evil 4 (2005) have not played
14. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) have played
13. Metal Gear Solid (1998) have not played
12. Doom (1993) have played
11. Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) have not played
10. Space Invaders (1978) have played
9. Half-Life 2 (2004) have not played
8. Final Fantasy VII (1997) have not played
7. Mass Effect 2 (2010) have not played
6. Street Fight II (1991) have played
5. Halo (2001) have not played
4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991) have played
3. Portal 2 (2011) have played
2. Super Mario World (1990) have played
1. Bioshock (2007) have not played
I ended up with "have played" for 40%. I've played all of the games prior to 1994 except Dungeon Master (25/26). I've only played 4 of the 27 games released since 2007.
The list isn't great as expected. Some of the choices are just silly and others are duplicative (do they really need Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4?). There's two racing games (Forza Motorsport 4, Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec), but when the list is published by Popular Mechanics I would have honestly expected a lot more!
Big misses that immediately came to mind: Worms, Metal Slug, Original Legend of Zelda and my favorite Dragon Warrior VIII (which I just discovered has been released for the iOs devices! Yippee!). The biggest issue for me actually was including Grim Fandango. It's a "hip" choice to praise this game, but the reality is that far more people played Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle (or the predecessor Maniac Mansion). Those LucasArts games have influenced (and entertained) for more people. It's cool to call out the games that are the most stunning or unique, but while Rez might be pretty there's a long way between that and being one of the best ever.
I did discover some new games that I'd like to play, so that was good. Indeed.