Okay, fine.
You talked me into it. I made my own list. It's not perfect, but I think it covers everything that needs it.
No, GTA was not forgotten. I feel that GTA III/San Andreas would fit fine as a 12, but if I put that, why not a 13? Soon, I'd have a "Top 50" list, and I just don't have the time for that right now. xD
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THE TOP 10 GREATEST GAMES OF ALL TIME
(and the runner up!)
11.) Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The Super Smash Bros. series has been a revolution to fighting games, contained in one little disk (or cartridge in the early days). Though the original did not receive much attention, the second in the series, Super Smash Bros. Melee, built a massive fan following that was multiplied several times over when the most recent installment was released. With national and international tournaments held worldwide, Super Smash Bros. seems like the perfect move for the industry giant Nintendo to have made. It might not have made it on the Top Ten, but it is far too important to sweep under the rug!
10.) Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy is one of the most popular RPGs of all time, its only true rival acknowledged as the Legend of Zelda (which is considered Action/Adventure by most). Though the game has an ironically long history in contrast to its name, the series’ popularity was built gradually, gaining more and more fan base with each release-- that is, until Final Fantasy X. This PS2 release saw an unprecedented explosion of sudden, first-time followers who fell deeply in love with the game, and then played backwards through the series. The game held all of the standards of the series, and people were happy to see them again. Those same standards have become standards for most of the Japanese RPG scene since then, making Final Fantasy X a revolutionary game in the genre.
9.) Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
RPG fans all over the country were shocked to see the Elder Scrolls series brought to a whole new level when Bethesda Softworks released Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. This game took the RPG genre and took it ten steps up the ladder by introducing countless side quests, faction quests, and unnecessary items in the game that provide unspeakable immersion. The main story of the game kept players interested, and the additional content provided countless hours of game play, making the game overall one of the most freeform single-player RPGs in history-- and that’s not even considering the mods available for the PC platform using the Construction Set.
8.) Guitar Hero II
Music and rhythm games have always been selectively popular, but even considering giants like Dance Dance Revolution, the series did not see its popularity explosion until the release of Guitar Hero II. Individuals around the world picked up their plastic guitars and struggled to reach that orange button to popular tunes of the time as well as unknown musicians. Some bands saw their first fifteen minutes of fame through contract songs given to Red Octane, for use in this game. After the release of Guitar Hero II, the knock-offs are all evidence to support the one, undeniable fact: the Music game genre will never be the same.
7.) Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
When Eiji Aounuma signed on to Nintendo at Miyamoto’s right hand, Zelda fans were afraid. But when The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask was released as a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, most of those worries were put to bed. This game took the face of the Zelda franchise and twisted the happy childish smile of the series and turned it into a dark, evil smirk. With serious, evil tones to the game, and an inexplicable darkness sure to give chills at certain points, Majora’s Mask has been called the strangest game of the decade. The game was also the first to feature free-form side quests to the franchise, which has become a stable in RPGs overall. Also, the policy of every character having a name originates in this game, which, again, has become an important quality in games for the detail of immersion.
6.) Super Metroid
Many agree that Super Metroid is not only the best game in the series, but also the best game ever released for the SNES. This game, a loose remake of Metroid, originally released for the NES (which provided even less story than the later SNES release), captivated gamers of the day and changed their view on the Sci-Fi genre as a whole. Star Wars and Star Trek suddenly had a new threat-- one that was likened more to Aliens than either of those. The haunting tones of the game and the lack of detail, for the first time, work together to make the game terrifying and suspenseful in its own way. It was the explosion of popularity that made our power-suited bounty hunter an addition into Nintendo’s roster of superstar character.
5.) Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
The Pokemon series has been called the most popular franchise of all time, and that is very possible. Though many who are fans of the series are ashamed or embarrassed, many ‘grown-ups’ love Pokemon even more than the children for whom it was intended. The serious, addictive RPG tones are unique to the game, and 493 Pokemon after the original release, the game still holds a major cult following. After inspiring dozens of horrible rip-offs, Pokemon still holds one of the most successful spots in Nintendo history, and it can be confidently said that it will always be that way. The Gold/Silver/Crystal series introduced many things that fans had never seen before: for one, the next generation of Pokemon, which has become may fans’ favorite. But the use of the internal clock in the game was certainly the most important accomplishment, and fans play the game to this day partially due to the schedule system unique to those games in the series.
4.) Super Mario 64
The Nintendo 64 was a massive breakthrough in its day. It brought in the possibility to do away with platformers, and introduce hardcore console games, such as FPSs. But Nintendo saw things differently, and the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 was instead used as a red carpet for their mustachioed superstar. Mario 64 proved to the many that the platforming genre was not dead, but alive and well, and fans accepted it with open arms. Before this game, the true potential of a 3D platformer had never been tapped. Though still not as popular as it once was, the platforming genre once again has a massive following, and that can be largely attributed to the point that this game proved.
3.) 007: Goldeneye
This is one of a handful of games to be a candidate for the title of “Greatest Game of All Time”. After this game, the FPS genre took off, producing hundreds and hundreds of games that had no one to thank but Rare for their success. 007: Goldeneye took the already-immensely popular James Bond series of Ian Flemming’s books and the Hollywood reproductions, and thrust it into the action-packed 3D setting of this magical FPS. Even from a technical perspective, this game was a masterpiece-- audio technicians often use this game as a gold mine for all the generic, iconic sound effects. The FPS genre would not be the most popular gaming genre right now had it not been for this game.
2.) World of Warcraft
When the MMORPG genre came onto the field in the 90s, no one could have imagined potential like this. World of Warcraft, though many hate it for its popularity, is largely acclaimed as the greatest MMO ever created. It introduced an unprecedented fan base of an already popular franchise into the limitless world of teamwork and rivalry, all the while fighting to find that next weapon and level up. With two expansions and over ten million players worldwide, World of Warcraft is recorded as one of the most popular games in world history; no small feat, for a game that requires twenty-four hour maintenance. Since its release, nearly all MMOs have strived in some way to be like World of Warcraft, not just to reproduce its popularity, but its quality as well.
1.) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The fact that this game is so predictably number one on almost everyone’s “Greatest Game” list is a simple, yet evidential testament to this game’s worth. When released in 1998, this game not only revolutionized the Legend of Zelda franchise, but also made certain elements basic in the RPG genre. The Legend of Zelda has a fan base like no other, and many of them saw their introduction into the series because of this amazing game. It had all the elements of the Zelda games in the past, but took it to a whole new level using 3D graphics, addictive dungeon-delving game play, a few side quests for fun, and an epic storyline suited for a novel rather than a game. Surprisingly, Zelda has not seen as many rip-offs as other franchises, but it is an undeniable fact that almost any given fantasy writer or gamer has, at some point, been wholeheartedly inspired by this epic game. For ten years, this game has been #1 on the acclaimed charts, and in this writer’s humble opinion, it deserves the next ten as well.