Like many things that have sprung up over the years from youth culture video games were something that were supposed to be a fad. Just like the Internet. We are many years later (30? 40?) and video games are still wildly popular and going strong.
Over the years there has been many a writer who has tried to make a comprehensive list of the 10 best video games of all-time. Most have failed. I have decided to take up the challenge and boldly go where so many others have tried only to be unsuccessful. The criteria for my list were general amazingness, popularity, influence, and longevity. Here we go…
10) Call of Duty: A first-person shoot type game that began on PC and then moved onto consoles and handhelds. Because of its popularity there have been several spin-offs. The early games take place during World War II and the more recent ones move onto more modern warfare. The games are owned by Activision and developed by Infinity Ward. As of 2011 the series had sold over 100 million copies.
9) Halo: The series has taken in multi billions in revenue. It is owned by Microsoft Studios and developed by 343 Industries. The premise behind the series is the battle between humanity and a species called The Covenant. Many of the games have genetically engineered super soldier Master Chief John 117 as its main character. Another important character is the artificial intelligence machine Cortana. The name of the game comes from the rings or halos created by the Forerunners to eradicate the Flood. It is a first-person shooter type game. Because the video games sold so well it has gone onto other media types like novels, graphic novels and other novelty items. People who play it have been labeled as part of Halo Nation.
8) DOOM: Started in 1993 as a first-person (can you detect a trend?) shooter game. For the game the player takes on the persona of a space marine or DOOMGUY. DOOMGUY wages battle against an invading group of beings from Hell. It was first released partially as shareware and initiated a whole gaming community. As one of the grandfathers of first-person shooter games it is credited with developing 3D graphics for games and networked multi-player games. So popular that a film based on the game was released in 2005.
7) Grand Theft Auto: A video game series created by programmers David Jones and Mike Dailly. The series, which is as its title infers based on the theft of cars, has won several awards and has been largely critically acclaimed throughout its series. The game is based largely in U.S. cities and allows the player to accept one of a number of missions. Skills involved are sneakiness, quickness and good driving. It is seen as a satire of American culture though its violence has been criticized. Because of its influence Hollywood stars like James Woods, Burt Reynolds, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, and Gary Busey have provided voices for the game. As of the end of 2012 the series had sold over 125 million units.
6) Resident Evil: Another video game that has become so huge that is has spawned a series of films. The popularity has also led to it being turned into novels, graphic novels and comic books. It is owned by the video game company Capcom and was created by Shinji Makami. It started in 1996 and is a horror/survival type game. As of the end of 2012 it had sold over 50 million units. It has been a commercial and critical success.
5) Street Fighter: A series of fighting games that was developed in Japan. The game’s characters hail from around the world and each has its own signature fighting style. Owned by Capcom, it was first released in 1987. Originally could be played at home or at the arcade. Has generated over a billion in sales revenues qualifying it for the list of best-selling video games of all time. The success of the game has been worldwide taking in billions of dollars.
4) Final Fantasy: Another video game that was so successful it spawned a film version as well as an anime series. It was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and is owned by Square Enix. The game is science and fantasy based role-playing. It first came out in 1987. As it was an immense success it led to sequels. Most of the installments are stand-alone stories but they do have some common elements. It has sold over 100 million units making it one of the best-selling games of all time. Involves elements of fighting, action role-playing and third-person shooting. The stories involve a group of heroes fighting villains. It has become known for its innovative visuals, use of music and graphics.
3) Tetris: A tile-matching puzzle video game. Very different from the others on this list. It was originally designed by Russian Alexey Pajitnov. Was first released in 1984. The game name is a combination of the Greek word “tetra” and tennis. The game is available for almost every console, mobile phone, computer, and PDA. The publication Electronic Gaming Monthly named it the greatest game ever.
2) Super Mario Bros.: Everyone’s favourite little Italian brothers featuring different coloured hats and bushy black moustaches. First put out by Nintendo in 1985, the game was so successful that it came packaged with almost every Nintendo console. The game features Mario and his brother Luigi as they travel through Mushroom Kingdom trying to rescue the Princess Toadstool from bad guy Bowser. It is the second best-selling video game of all time after Wii Sports. As one of Nintendo’s most popular games it has been released and re-released several times. Different games have spun off from it like Vs. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario World 2, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Bros. 3.
1) The Legend of Zelda: Another video game from Nintendo. It takes place in the fantasy world of Hyrule where a young boy named Link lives. Link is attempting to collect the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom with the aim of using them to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon. You have to make your way through dungeons, the overworld, beat enemies, and solve puzzles. It involves action, role-playing and puzzle games. The original Japanese version was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Because of its popularity, which came as a surprise to Nintendo, there have been several sequels made. Plenty of merchandise has been released in association with the game like watches, guidebooks, toys, and clothes. There was even an animated series called The Adventure of Link. It is generally thought of as the forerunner of role-playing video games. The Legend of Zelda was the first video game to introduce a battery saving function.
