Empire's 100 Greatest Video Games Of All Time

[Shauna]

http://www.empireonline.com/features/100greatestgames/

I haven't had a chance to actually go through it all, but I thought I'd share!

Any games you think should be on there that have been sadly missed out? Anything you don't think deserves a spot that has one?

[Loony BoB]

Not sure about the ordering, but it's a pretty great list.

[Mo-Nercy]

No Final Fantasy VI. Chrono Trigger nowhere near close enough to the pointy end.

I think Heavy Rain is a pretty subjective choice. A 'safer' pick that would've made everyone happy might be one of the God of Wars or Devil May Crys (which I'm surprised don't make it on there).

[Bubba]

A pretty good list by all accounts. Obviously there are going to be people upset that "game x and game y didn't make it? How is this possible?" but that will always happen.

Some of the fan comments have annoyed me though. For example on Super Mario Kart for the SNES

"Going round to a friend's house who had a four way controller connector for the SNES. Incredible scenes."

Really? Even when Super Mario Kart was only a two-player game. DID YOU REALLY???!!!

[Noire]

I hate lists like this. "Greatest" and "Most Popular" are two completely different things. I suppose it's all subjective, but I just get sick and tired of seeing it. Still, this is better than IGN's infuriating attempt, I will say that much.

[Night Fury]

I like that FFVIII beat FFIX, and that FFXIII isn't on it.

[Ayen]

Ew Resident Evil 4.

Solid list overall.

[The Man]

Not too fond of this list. Super Metroid and Chrono Trigger should be way higher, for starters. Like, maybe #1 and #3 respectively. Ocarina of Time, World of Warcraft and FFVII are way too high as well, and the omission of FFVI and Yoshi's Island from this list is unforgivable. It's as if they regarded 2D gaming as an afterthought, which is unbelievably stupid.

[Colonel Angus]

Protip: Scroll all the way down to see the complete list.

Interesting list. Quite a few I haven't played, but not bad. Interesting they went w/ SFII instead of Champion Edition or Turbo/Hyper Fighting, since those were more "complete" games. Also good to see Metroid Prime there, as it used to be @ the top of my list.

[Loony BoB]

Genuinely weird that they went with Civ rather than Civ II or Civ IV.

[AssassinDX]

I hate lists like this. "Greatest" and "Most Popular" are two completely different things. I suppose it's all subjective, but I just get sick and tired of seeing it. Still, this is better than IGN's infuriating attempt, I will say that much.

Totally agree, this isn't the 'greatest 100 games of all time,' simply what Empire thinks is. Which in turn is no different to what you or I think, or even what IGN thinks.

I suppose there is no way to put together a true 'greatest 100' list, too much rides on personal opinion. Like in this particular instance The Last of Us is not the greatest game ever made in my opinion, as good as it is. Also not enough sequels are included or if they are they're in the wrong order, like Left 4 Dead 2 is a better game than its predecessor, Resident Evil 2 (and 3 for that matter) are miles better than the original and indeed eww Resi 4, Doom II is better than the first, Curse of Monkey Island is better than Secret and contrary to popular opinion I didn't like Uncharted 2 as much as 1 or 3.

And finally Ocarina of Time flat out sucked, its inclusion in any list annoys me to no end.

[The Man]

Ocarina of Time didn't suck, but no way in hell does it deserve to be #2 on any game list (or did they have it at #4? Either way it doesn't deserve that either). Basically everything Egoraptor said about it in his Sequelitis video was pretty much on the money. The mechanics of the game aren't particularly conducive to fun gameplay (too much waiting around); there are tons of stupid, boring fetch quests; the exploration factor that made the early games in the series so much fun is almost completely absent; and the puzzles are dumbed down from anything you got in the first four games. It has some pluses; it's a beautiful game (for its time), the soundtrack is excellent, and the dungeon design is mostly very nice (apart from the stupid Water Temple). But on the whole it's a consistently overrated game.

[Dat Matt]

I preferred Skyward Sword to Ocarina of time. Ocarina of time itself was good in the day, but there have been so many better instalments in the series since.

[Ayen]

And finally Ocarina of Time flat out sucked

Hey, hey now. Let's not get carried away here, it's what Empire wants.

[AssassinDX]

Heh, true. The Man has hit the nail on the head with Ocarina of Time, consistently overrated describes it perfectly.

[Noire]

I can appreciate the influence that Ocarina of Time (and other titles such as FFVII) has had on modern gaming, but I honestly think OOT has long since been surpassed by other Zelda titles, and others as well. It was a skeletal framework. It's been years since it was released, and things have gotten better as the formula has been refined and improved. Just because it was the first (or, rather, the first one that was recognized by a huge number of people) does NOT mean it was the best; far from it in fact.

I think that is one of the primary reasons lists like these bother me - they're stuck in the past. Nothing can ever be as good as the first one, and if you even think otherwise you're obviously wrong. Voice it and you're liable to be burnt at the stake for heresy. If I had the kind of attitude Empire and IGN have, I'd never play newer games at all. The whole idea is that things improve over time, and I think that should be recognized. Really, the list should be called either "Most Influential Games Of All Time" or "Most Popular Games Of All Time" rather than the "Greatest".

I wouldn't say it was overrated, but poorly represented by the media and the fanbase? Absolutely.

[Del Murder]

the omission of FFVI and Yoshi's Island from this list is unforgivable. It's as if they regarded 2D gaming as an afterthought, which is unbelievably stupid.
Completely agreed. I understand that our love for FFVI at this website is pretty biased, but out of 100 games it has to be on there, certainly if FFVIII and IX are on the list as well. Also I can't understand why Yoshi's Island is so overlooked. It pretty much represents the peak of 2D platforming. It is as close to flawless as you can get in a game.

[The Man]

Completely agreed. The only other game that approaches the level of artistry Yoshi's Island set for 2D platforming is Super Metroid, and some people don't even consider Metroidvanias as platformers.

[Ayen]

This thread just reminds me that I REALLY need to play Super Metroid.

[Pete for President]

It's a pretty good list. Dark Souls is high. I dig.

[Del Murder]

This list was obviously made by someone born in the 1990s. It has a few classic games sprinkled in there for effect but it is very heavy on the most recent generations. Some glaring omissions (other than Yoshi's Island and FFVI mentioned above):

Super Mario Bros. 3 - Not only should this be on any top 100, I'd say it has a fair argument for being number 1.
The Legend of Zelda - Seriously, you have the last like, 5 Zelda games on there but not the original, and also greatest, Zelda?
Ms. Pac Man - Maybe not the best game ever but how many games ate up more quarters and are still fun to play to this day? The lack of anything from the golden arcade age is disgraceful.
Sonic 2 - Did they forget the '2' when they listed Sonic the Hedgehog?
Mega Man 2 - Got to have some representation from the Blue Bomber on any top 100 list
Castlevania Symphony of the Night - Also the lack of a Castlevania is pretty bad, particularly this game.

[The Man]

Well, a case could be made that LttP is greater than the original Zelda. I go back and forth on which is the best. It's probably one of those two though.

Can't disagree with most of the rest of what you said.

[Aulayna]

The Last of Us as #1?

Well, it's a very good game alright... but can't help but feel it's a tad overrated.

[Ayen]

Anything that becomes popular is overrated by default.
Source: the internet.

[Colonel Angus]

That is a pretty great list, Del. It's sad that those have been omitted.

SotN is my favorite Castlevania. But even if they even included Castlevania III or Super Castlevania IV, it would've been alright. But to not include one?

Not including SMB 3 is an act of terrorism. The compilers of this list should be tarred, feathered & waterboarded.