The Ten Most Important Games of all time

[gweenpea]

I like the concept of "saving important video games" , but I think their top ten list is a little sad. . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/arts/design/12vide.html?ex=1331352000&en=380fc9bb18694da5&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

[Mr Unoriginal]

Sensible World of Soccer?

[Salmonday]

I think the list is pretty spot-on myself. But being a cranky old person, I lived through the advent of most of those games, so I know the impact those games had at the time. I would have pushed for Street Fighter 2 to be on the list, but I can understand why they might not have gone with it.

[musha666]

No Tennis for Two? Would think that would be on there. These lists always suck.

[mykevermin]

Sensible Soccer was an SNES game, but I've never heard of "world of."

10 most important games? That's a hard list to assemble, living in a world where 5-10 games are released on a weekly basis. They did an admirable job, though.

[Puffa469]

They nees to replace SMB3 with original SMB. SMB3, as great as it was, simply followed the groundbreaking design of SMB.

And wheres Mario64? Without that or possibly Tomb Raider what kind of 3D games would we be playing today?

and WTF Soccer??? c'mon... :roll:

[botticus]

Not a horrible list, I suppose. Just hope that certain CAGs don't read who's on the committee, or they might have an aneurism.

[furyk]

Sensible World of Soccer?

Yes. All other soccer games before it were either nonsensical or slightly whimsical. It was a huge step forward in gaming.

[dopa345]

I would have put either Pac-Man or Pong in place of soccer, but otherwise those games are a pretty good list.

[Metal Boss]

I think the list is pretty spot-on myself. But being a cranky old person, I lived through the advent of most of those games, so I know the impact those games had at the time. I would have pushed for Street Fighter 2 to be on the list, but I can understand why they might not have gone with it.



I definitely agree that SF2 should be on that list.

[BLarR]

I don't see why Warcraft is on there, I don't recall Blizzard ever doing anything terribly new with either the RTS nor the MMO. I guess they put the ability to solo your way through an mmo in a realistic amount of time on the map, but then why play an MMO if your not even going to use the multiplayer element. Eh

[lordxixor101]

These lists are truely impossible to do, since there was more than 10 important games out there.

That being said, I like the list. I don't mind SMB3 over 1. 1 was important, but 3 really made huge leaps. The map system, being able to pick levels to go to. SMB3 was a great game, and it was a massive blockbuster when it hit (actually, SMB 3 got Nintendo to sue Blockbuster, which ended up being the test case for video game rentals).

So, it was an important game.

[GuilewasNK]

Sensible World of Soccer?

I don't get that one either.

[botticus]

These lists are truely impossible to do, since there was more than 10 important games out there.

That being said, I like the list. I don't mind SMB3 over 1. 1 was important, but 3 really made huge leaps. The map system, being able to pick levels to go to. SMB3 was a great game, and it was a massive blockbuster when it hit (actually, SMB 3 got Nintendo to sue Blockbuster, which ended up being the test case for video game rentals).

So, it was an important game.What was the lawsuit? I remember counting the days until I could rent SMB3 at Blockbuster, so clearly I was too young to pay any attention to lawsuits.

[Apossum]

Not a horrible list, I suppose. Just hope that certain CAGs don't read who's on the committee, or they might have an aneurism.


Well, I'm glad this is legit publicity for joystiq. rather than some, IBM wii chip deal again.

[flizmo007]

Mario 64 is missing.

[camoor]

Well, I'm glad this is legit publicity for joystiq. rather than some, IBM wii chip deal again.

What's up with the IBM Wii chip deal?

[Strell]

Mario 64 is missing.

What? I call shenanigans. That game never existed.

[Apossum]

What's up with the IBM Wii chip deal?


someone who wrote for joystiq posted up a hyped message about big news for the Wii, internet went crazy with speculation for a while, but it turned out to be some lame news about how IBM started manufacturing the chips.

[Genocidal]

Sensible World of Soccer was/is huge in Europe, especially among the Amiga community. I can see the Warcraft series, as they're probably including World of Warcraft in there, but not sure why Warcraft is allowed to be in there as a series while everything else is just a game. Otherwise, a fairly solid list; you couldn't go wrong in recommending any of these games to people.

[RedvsBlue]

Ok, so I went to Wikipedia to look up some of these and decided to give my opinion.

Spacewar! (1962) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacewar)-Apparently it was the first computer game ever made aside from this (http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/history/higinbotham.asp) so that's pretty self explanatory.

Star Raiders (1979) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Raiders)-Interesting game and seems to be the first space flight shooter in addition to packing quite a bit into an Atari game.

Zork (1980) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork)-This was a text based adventure along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons. I can see where this would be important because it seems to be the first example of a story-driven game.

Tetris (1985) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris)-duh I mean really, who wouldn't see this as an influential game? Not only did it basically invent the puzzle game genre but also pick up and play casual games that appeal to the masses. The only other game I can think of that brought so many people into video games was pong.

SimCity (1989) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simcity)-Invented sim games, what else can be said about it?

Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_3)-Like someone else said this should really be the first Super Mario Brothers. The first one laid the foundation that was needed for the third one to even exist.

Civilization I/II (1991) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_%28computer_game%29)-This is the first one I completely disagree with. It may be a good game but at the end of the day its really just expanding upon Sim City by bringing it to a larger field. I know the gameplay isn't even close to Sim City but I really don't feel like Civilization was that influential despite being a very solid game that is still held in high regard.

Doom (1993) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfenstein_3D)-Sorry, but Wolfenstien 3d really should be on this list in place of Doom. Once again, Doom may have done it better but it wasn't the first of its kind.

Warcraft series (beginning 1994) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warcraft)-Really? Who's gonna disagree here?

Sensible World of Soccer (1994). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensible_World_Of_Soccer)-So, apparently its some massive Soccer game that tries to include all the soccer clubs. I guess in America we don't really see much of an impact because Soccer isn't very popular but it seems as if it laid the groundwork for sports games including team management so I can understand.

[ViolentLee]

It's a very PC-centric list. I don't think SimCity, Civilization AND Warcraft need to be on there, but that's because I LOATHE RTS.

My off-the-cuff most important games list:

Space War - first game, essentially

Pong - first home game

Zork - book/D&D become game

Tetris - addictive puzzle

Super Mario Bros. - immersive world, huge levels, recognizeable character

DOOM - tapped into emotions, realistic

The Sims - bring in casual gamers, sandbox

Pokemon - games begat products, instead of other way around

EverQuest - I hate MMOs, but they're here to stay

GTA 3 - realistic, open world, creative violence

I just kind of picked the first ones to come to my head. Feel free to argue, but it's not like I publishd this in the NY Times. ;)

[botticus]

EverQuest - I hate MMOs, but they're here to stay
I wonder where MUDs fit in? God knows they were the first MMOs by far. Of course, my first professionally designed MUD was GemStone on AOL back in the 90s. Something probably came before that.

[Vinny]

It's a good list... it's not a list of the 10 best games but for 10 of the most significant games, it's pretty good.

I hate to say it but I think Madden should be in there. Yeah, I hate sports games too but it's the best example of milking the same game over and over while making billions of dollars from it.

[elwood731]

It's an interesting list because you start to consider influential versus important. For example, which is more influential--Ultima Online, Everquest, or World of Warcraft? Now, which is more important? Is there a difference between the two terms, and what is it? That would shape my opinion greatly. THe original Ninja Giaden on NES was an influential game for sure, but I am not sure if it's that important. Quality is a whole other issue. Someone else mentioned Wolfenstein 3D, which I agree is a very influential game, but wouldn't Doom be more important? It was the one which set off the FPS genre.

[strummerbs]

If they are including Warcraft, as they state in the article, as the first story-based RTS, I will disagree with it. Dune 2 holds that title, unless I am mistaken, and it was a damn fine game in its day. Still holds up pretty decently, actually.

[Apossum]

about the list-- screw Doom...Wolfenstein 3D is where it's at.

Doom is to Wolfenstein as Super Mario World was to SMB3-- a better game, larger in scale, updated graphics, but not as innovative or original as the game that came before it, clearly built on its predecessor's sensibilities. Wolfenstein was the important game, Doom was the mega hit.

fuck, not only is it the first truly memorable FPS (imo), it's the first game where you killed Nazis!!! Imagine going to synagogue your whole life, learning about the Holocaust, then having your friend show you Wolfenstein 3D. :lol:

[Vegan]

Zork (1980) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zork)-This was a text based adventure along the lines of Dungeons and Dragons. I can see where this would be important because it seems to be the first example of a story-driven game.


I'm not sure if I would say that Zork 1 had a story, aside from the letter in the mailbox. That game is literally a treasure hunt.

[ViolentLee]

about the list-- screw Doom...Wolfenstein 3D is where it's at.

Doom is to Wolfenstein as Super Mario World was to SMB3-- a better game, larger in scale, updated graphics, but not as innovative or original as the game that came before it, clearly built on its predecessor's sensibilities. Wolfenstein was the important game, Doom was the mega hit.

fuck, not only is it the first truly memorable FPS (imo), it's the first game where you killed Nazis!!! Imagine going to synagogue your whole life, learning about the Holocaust, then having your friend show you Wolfenstein 3D. :lol:
I haven't played a lot of Wolfenstein, but isn't the level design extremely basic compared to DOOM? Isn't it basically flat, boring corridors? DOOM uses indoor/outdoor environments, topography and multiple floors. It was also very controversial with its Hell themes and splattered dead. Its mod community was a first too, I imagine, with people creating their own levels.

[Vegan]

I haven't played a lot of Wolfenstein, but isn't the level design extremely basic compared to DOOM? Isn't it basically flat, boring corridors? DOOM uses indoor/outdoor environments, topography and multiple floors. It was also very controversial with its Hell themes and splattered dead. Its mod community was a first too, I imagine, with people creating their own levels.

Wolf3D also could only do right-angles.

[dwhelan]

I haven't played a lot of Wolfenstein, but isn't the level design extremely basic compared to DOOM? Isn't it basically flat, boring corridors? DOOM uses indoor/outdoor environments, topography and multiple floors. It was also very controversial with its Hell themes and splattered dead. Its mod community was a first too, I imagine, with people creating their own levels.

Not only that, but networked DOOM was a reason to go to work or school. Being able to GIB a friend or coworker was amazing. Doom brought with it a more mature feel to gaming, and it was one of the first games to be seriously used outside of the community for training. On top of that you introduced an easy modification system with WAD (Wheres all the data) files. No I think Doom deserves to be on this list.

P.S. I almost forgot about the lighting and texture mapping, which were also important factors in the games list status.

[dopa345]

I think Rogue should get consideration; the very first dungreon crawl RPG.

[dwhelan]

I think Rogue should get consideration; the very first dungreon crawl RPG.

I guess if you want to get technical, Hunt the Wumpus was the first dungeon crawler, atleast that I know of.

[soonersfan60]

What was the lawsuit? I remember counting the days until I could rent SMB3 at Blockbuster, so clearly I was too young to pay any attention to lawsuits.

I think that is where Blockbuster was not allowed to photocopy the instruction booklets for inclusion with the rented games. It didn't deter renting as much as Nintendo had hoped because the rental companies simply re-wrote basic instructions to include with the games.

[Vegan]

I think that is where Blockbuster was not allowed to photocopy the instruction booklets for inclusion with the rented games. It didn't deter renting as much as Nintendo had hoped because the rental companies simply re-wrote basic instructions to include with the games.

What a weird thing to take issue with. But yeah, now that you mention it, I do remember that I never ever got an instruction manual when I rented NES games. Made some of them downright unplayable.

[ViolentLee]

I guess if you want to get technical, Hunt the Wumpus was the first dungeon crawler, atleast that I know of.
I would consider dungeon-crawlers to be first-person, or at least third-person. HtW had a top-down perspective that was like an overhead maze or something. I don't think it counts. But another game I loved on the TI, Tunnels of Doom, fits the bill.

[dwhelan]

I would consider dungeon-crawlers to be first-person, or at least third-person. HtW had a top-down perspective that was like an overhead maze or something. I don't think it counts. But another game I loved on the TI, Tunnels of Doom, fits the bill.


Must being getting confused in my old age, I could have sworn Hunt the Wumpus was first-person'y'

[ViolentLee]

Must being getting confused in my old age, I could have sworn Hunt the Wumpus was first-person'y'
I only played it on TI, but this is how I remember it:
http://www.rewindmag.co.uk/images/issue1/ti/HuntTheWumpus.png

[Apossum]

I haven't played a lot of Wolfenstein, but isn't the level design extremely basic compared to DOOM? Isn't it basically flat, boring corridors? DOOM uses indoor/outdoor environments, topography and multiple floors. It was also very controversial with its Hell themes and splattered dead. Its mod community was a first too, I imagine, with people creating their own levels.


netplay and mods are definitely firsts, you have a point with that. If you go back and look at these games, Doom is going to stand out more, but I don't that has anything to do with importance. Wolfenstein had all the makings of doom in it--secrets galore, ultra violence, surprises, cool level design (despite being handicapped by angles.)

Wolfenstein was more immersive and insane at the time it came out because it was more close to home. Doom is demons and laser guns. The media made a big deal out of Doom because it was more popular and preceded that rash of school shootings, but the subject matter and atmosphere of Wolfenstein was completely new. guards shouting in german with swastikas every where touches a nerve that fictional demons can't really bring past the cheap thrill level.

One is technically better, but Wolfenstein had to sell like crazy to fund a game that was like Wolfenstein, but with lots of tweaks. When Doom was coming out, it wasn't a totally original idea-- it was "the next game from the guys who made Wolfenstein 3D"

[zionoverfire]

Warcraft series (beginning 1994) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warcraft)-Really? Who's gonna disagree here?


Me, Dune 2 came out 2 years before warcraft and is not only the basis for Warcraft but Command and Conquer as well.

[RedvsBlue]

Me, Dune 2 came out 2 years before warcraft and is not only the basis for Warcraft but Command and Conquer as well.

Fair enough, after reading the Wiki, I think I disagree with myself as well.

[zionoverfire]

Fair enough, after reading the Wiki, I think I disagree with myself as well.
I think they tried to round out the list with early 90s games that people would recognize, hence the "warcraft" series instead of warcraft 1 and civ 1/2 since most people didn't actually play the first one.

[crowbb]

Eh, have played both and sticking to the more "important" criteria I'd have to go with Warcraft. Dune 2 was a great game but it did not catch on. Warcraft wasn't the first great RTS but it was what caused a flood of them that continues to this day. I think there is a better argument for Wolfenstein over Doom on the list than Dune 2 over Warcraft (and I'd still take DOOM but it's closer).

[RedvsBlue]

Eh, have played both and sticking to the more "important" criteria I'd have to go with Warcraft. Dune 2 was a great game but it did not catch on. Warcraft wasn't the first great RTS but it was what caused a flood of them that continues to this day. I think there is a better argument for Wolfenstein over Doom on the list than Dune 2 over Warcraft (and I'd still take DOOM but it's closer).

I dunno, I think there's a fine line on this list between "what's first" and "what's more influential" so its really difficult to say for sure.

[zionoverfire]

Eh, have played both and sticking to the more "important" criteria I'd have to go with Warcraft. Dune 2 was a great game but it did not catch on. Warcraft wasn't the first great RTS but it was what caused a flood of them that continues to this day. I think there is a better argument for Wolfenstein over Doom on the list than Dune 2 over Warcraft (and I'd still take DOOM but it's closer).
Dune 2 was a fine sucess for its time, when war craft hit stores 2 years later quite a few more people actually had computers.

[Strell]

Ok. So Wolfenstein 3D wasn't picked over Doom, and Dune 2 wasn't picked over Warcraft. Especially when we are going for influential versus first.

I guess I fail to see the problem here, except that there aren't any adventure games on the list. But I guess that is because that genre has a near-dead pulse.

[Apossum]

Ok. So Wolfenstein 3D wasn't picked over Doom, and Dune 2 wasn't picked over Warcraft. Especially when we are going for influential versus first.

I guess I fail to see the problem here, except that there aren't any adventure games on the list. But I guess that is because that genre has a near-dead pulse.


I don't know about Dune, but Wolfenstein broke the genre to the public and was wildly popular, but Doom catapulted it. I guess "importance" comes down to whatever perspective you want to take at that point.

[assasin4hire]

i'm not a fanboy, but i belive Final fantasy 7 should be up there somewhere, i mean it really did introduce 3d gaming to the world( same thing with mario 64)

[62t]

If they list is based on worldwide than Dragon Quest should be in it. I also dont like how Warcraft got in as a series but the other series only have a single game.

[IkilledLassic]

I guess if you want to get technical, Hunt the Wumpus was the first dungeon crawler, atleast that I know of.

Not sure, but you might be referring to Tunnels of Doom for TI 99 4a.

Also, isn't Starcraft a more influentual game then say Warcraft? I understand the whole WOW following, and the insane addiction it causes, up to and including death, but its a competely different game then the first warcraft. Not seeing how Civ is on there; that would be my only argument -- Street Fighter 2/Mortal Kombat -or- GTA should at least get some attention. Both games captivated audiences and not only brought in massive amounts of money, but spawned many clones.

[IkilledLassic]

My question is WHERE IS LEISURE SUIT LARRY? Not the recent garbage, of course.

[dragonreborn23]

Yes. All other soccer games before it were either nonsensical or slightly whimsical. It was a huge step forward in gaming.

For whom?

[dragonreborn23]

Most important of all time? I guess these genres had to start somewhere, but I think the first great RTS would be more important than simply the first in the genre.

[Xevious]

Its a good beginning list. I'm sure they will add to it as time goes by. Space Invaders should be on the next wave of videogames to be added to that list.

[Puffa469]

I agree with that Wolf3D should be in over Doom. I guess their thinking is this: Doom is more important and influential than Wolf3D because Wolf influenced Doom, but Doom influenced every other FPS that came after it.