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Aug 2 / Ozymandias

Top 100 Games of All Time…

… at least according to this article from Next-gen.biz. Remember my earlier opinions on game journalism and sites worth watching? This article is a great example of what Next-gen.biz can deliver. Kudos to Colin Campbell and Joe Keiser for a nice, methodical, data-driven view at what they believe are the top 100 video games of all time.


I’m not quoting the article at their request, but I highly recommend taking a look. It’s a great read, and a fun trip through memory lane as well.

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  • Diabolical

    Pretty cool list, but I think they did it only according to sales because if not I’m kind of shocked that they would put games like True Crime: Streets of L.A. and Spider-Man: The Movie ahead of God of War, haha. And also, it’s not of All Time, just of the 21st century ;)

  • Dissent

    Speaking of good games, Double Fine (the people who made Psychonauts and (some of whom) also made Grim Fandango and Monkey Island just announced there next project—Beetle Juice. Check it out at doublefine.com if your interested.

  • WiNG

    Ah, good news about their next project then, just as I am actually finishing Psychonauts by now. The list is interesting, but I am more interested in the pc list actually whenever its out, this one its a bit, erm… decaffeinated (at least for my taste)

  • Tephlon

    But you know what makes me sad?

    Tons of the games that made that list are multiplatform games, but their PS2 counterparts are what made the list.  Now, since this is purely a list of console games that made the most money, I can logically see why a game on the platform that sold 100million consoles sold more than a console that only sold 20million… but still.

    There isn’t a single multiplatform game that isn’t better (more enjoyable, prettier, better performing) on the xbox or gamecube than the playstation2 version.  At least, in my opinion.  No, I can’t think of any.

    I dunno.  I’m not sure what point I’m trying to make… I just think its sad somehow.

    How did sony sell so many damn poopstations?

  • WiNG

    ‘How did sony sell so many damn poopstations?’

    SuperNintendo directives to blame (really)

  • BrokenSymmetry

    In the first place, these are certainly not the top 100 games of all time, but the top 100 best-selling console games in the US since the year 2000. Furthermore, this is a bit of a strange list, for the following reasons:

    - PC games are excluded, for some reason

    - Games that have appeared on multiple platforms are only listed for the platform that they sold the most on, and then only for the number on that specific platform. If all platforms were counted, games like Soul Calibur II would be a lot higher.

    - Even stranger, for games that have or are sequels, only the game in the series with the highest sales number is listed. So, Halo 2, which sold around 4 million (probably very slightly less than Halo CE), is not even in the list!

    - The list only counts US sales. This point is mentioned in the "small print" of the article, but it certainly isn’t obvious.

    All in all, I think the next-gen.biz title "The top 100 games of the 21st century" is misleading in many ways. Certainly not an example of great games journalism, in my opinion. The title of this blog entry is even more misleading, however…

  • RealWeaponX

    I fail to see how this is journalism. This was an exercise in data mining, and gives no real sense of whether the game was any good or not. Sales do not indicate a good game, as people are more than happy to shell out money on awful games with a big franchise attached, especially kids.

    This sort of thing belongs in a marketing executive’s briefcase, not a game journalism site.

  • http://www.technophilia.org/ SimonX314

    I agree with RealWeaponX, dumb kids bought a lot of bad games that don’t belong on a list of the Top 100 Games.  Spongebob should not preceed Mario, metriod, zelda, halo, half-life, and FFVII.  

  • Keshik

    Worthless list.

  • Aedrin

    I am amused that a post critizing game journalism recommends such an unhelpful piece of marketing.

    I agree with others that the article should be named ‘Top Selling’ if their basis of ranking was indeed sales.

    "Stats, ordering and research: thanks to game publishers, retail analysis sources and NPD data."

    I wonder how much game publishers will adjust their data to improve their ranking…

  • WiNG

    While the list doesn’t meet my standards I do not think its a desprectable one. After all, what the objective values to rank a game are? While surely sales numbers do not feel my taste, its still more rational than my gutter instinct

  • maynard

    The fact that just about anything EA has made is up there is proof that this list is soley based on sales.  LoTR: Two Towers a top 100?  EA completely destroyed the LoTR license, which sickens me because I’m a big fan.  How great would it have been if a tried-and-true company like Bethesda got the license?  The thought makes me cry.  *end off-topic rant*

    Also, how can games that were ranked in the 40% range be considered a "top 100"?  They should have just made a list of total sales, across all platforms.  That would have peaked my interests, but this list is almost meaningless.  Sorry…

  • http://neutralx2.com/ NeutralX2

    Wow, there are some horrible games on that list.

  • http://Whitehorse SECJNP: Game Operator for Sucker Punch

    These are the actual top 100 games of all time:

    100.) Burnout

    99.) System Shock II

    98.) KillGore

    97.) Grand Theft Auto

    96.) Namco II

    95.) X-Men Legends II

    94.) Tony Hawk Underground

    93.) Grand Tour Racing ’98

    92.) Road Rash 3D

    91.) The Bully

    90.) Dune II

    89.) Kingdom of Hearts

    88.) Battlefield 1942

    87.) Ms. Pac Man

    86.) Chrono Cross

    85.) The Secret of Mana

    84.) Command & Conquer: Red Alert

    83.) Tekken

    82.) Spyro: A Hero’s Tail

    81.) Wave Race 64

    80.) CTR

    79.) Spyro II: Ripto’s Rage

    78.) Baldur Gate

    77.) Rayman III: Hoodlum Havok

    76.) Max Payne

    75.) Eye Toy

    74.) Rollercoaster

    73.) Frogger

    72.) Rayman

    71.) Star Control II

    70.) ICO

    69.) Tomb Raider II

    68.) Tekken III

    67.) Sly Cooper and the Thevius Raccoonus

    66.) Rome: Total War

    65.) Halo II

    64.) Half Life

    63.) Jurassic Park

    62.) Soul Calibur II

    61.) Dues Ex

    60.) Kingdom of Hearts II

    59.) Donkey Kong

    58.) The Original Star Wars

    57.) Spider Man

    56.) Final Fantasy VII

    55.) Star Wars: Galaxy Justice

    54.) Cross Country

    53.) Shining Force: 2

    52.) Gex

    51.) Ape Escape

    50.) Tomb Raider

    49.) Half Life – Counter Strike

    48.) Jak 3

    47.) Spyro Year of The Dragon

    46.) Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

    45.) Namco Museum 3

    44.) Advance Wars

    43.) Homeworld

    42.) Rollercoaster II

    41.) Sly 2: Band of Thieves

    40.) MechWarrior

    39.) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

    38.) Crash Bandicoot: Warped

    37.) Rayman 2: The Great Escape

    36.) Grim Fandango

    35.) Virtual Fighter 4

    34.) Tony Hawk 2

    33.) Mike Tyson R.A.W.

    32.) Sonic The Hedgehog

    31.) Spyro The Dragon

    30.) Zelda: The Twighlight Princess

    29.) Final Fantasy IV

    28.) Metroid Prime

    27.) Grand Turismo 3

    26.) Soul Calibur

    25.) God of War

    24.) Star Craft

    23.) Halo

    22.) DOOM

    21.) Resident Evil 4

    20.) Grand Theft Auto III

    19.) Star-Wars Battlefront II

    18.) Street Fighter

    17.) Pirates!

    16.) Civilization II

    15.) Half Life 2

    14.) Final Fantasy II

    13.) Burnout 3: Takedown

    12.) Super Mario 3

    11.) 007

    10.) Metal Gear Solid

    9.) Castlevania: Symphony of The Night

    8.) Super Mario Kart

    7.) Zelda: A Link To The Past

    6.) Chrono Trigger

    5.) Super Metroid

    4.) Tetris

    3.) Super Mario 64

    2.) Super Mario Bros.

    1.) Zelda: Orcarina of Time

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