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[MauroNL]

http://time.com/4458554/best-video-games-all-time/

From arcade classics to recent console hits, these are the 50 greatest games ever

Whether you play video games or not, they’ve become an integral part of our culture. For some, it’s hard to imagine a world without video games—the chup-chup-boop of an arcade legend like Space Invaders or the growling “Finish Him!” in Mortal Kombat can be as evocative as a Michael Jackson or Beatles tune. Representing multiple generations of gamers, TIME’s tech team put more than 150 nominees through a multistage ranking process to compile a cross-section of gaming’s best ideas across nearly four decades. Here are our picks for the 50 greatest video games of all time.

Top 10:

10. World of Warcraft
9. The Oregon Trail
8. Super Mario Bros.
7. The Legend of Zelda
6. Minecraft
5. Ms. Pacman
4. Doom
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
2. Super Mario 64
1. Tetris

Designed by a Russian computer scientist, mass-distributed by a Japanese company and devoured by gamers—casual or compulsive—around the world, Tetris has been a global phenomenon since its arrival in 1984. In 1989, Nintendo put the legendary tile-matching puzzler on the NES and Game Boy, where it catapulted the latter to meteoric success. It’s been available on nearly every platform since, a testament to our never-ending zeal for stacking blocks. However addictive, Tetris also appears to have modest health benefits, like cravings control and PTSD prevention. Devotees would probably nod and note how much a high-scoring, in-the-zone session can feel like meditation. And speaking of Zen, the game’s also generated its share of life lessons, including this apocryphal truism: “If Tetris has taught me anything, it’s that errors pile up and accomplishments disappear.”

Some really interesting and sometimes odd picks. Complete top 50 at the link.

 

[Cess007]

Tetris at #1?

I agree 100% on that. I can't think of other game that my father and even my grandma played.

 

[Neoleo2143]

Tetris is the closest thing a human has produced to perfect at its core.

 

[TheGhostSix]

This is one of those "of course they choose this" lists

Most important games or something like that.

 

[Ralemont]

I haven't played it, but there's a bunch of classic games and then Rise of the Tomb Raider at #18, lol. Talk about a hard right.

 

[Gunslinger]

I agree with that no.1 choice. No really its probably the best no.1 I have seen for this type of list.

Edit: lol mk is on that list bit sf isn't.

 

[Toxi]

This list makes more sense as "50 famous games of varying quality"

actually, "49 famous games of varying quality and Rise of the Tomb Raider"

 

[purseowner]

Bioshock so low, with an NFL game just above it. Christ.

Also hate how they bundle some franchises into an entry (Smash Bros) and have others individually (COD).

 

[Window]

Rise of the Tomb Raider? An unexpected recently released choice.

 

[Kill3r7]

Top10 is okay but Rise of the Tomb Raider in the top 20 is just ridiculous.

 

[Acquiescence]

Angry Birds is there, but no mention of The Last of Us.

Okay, sure. Hey, it's your list.

 

[Brat-Sampson]

18. Rise of the Tomb Raider

was the only one to make me double-take. I haven't played it so can't judge but... yeah, it came as a surprise.

 

[Branduil]

No Super Metroid in the top 50?

 

[SEGAvangelist]

That's not an awful list, but the top ten doesn't reflect the contributions to the industry from Sony, SEGA, and MS.

It seems like a PC/Nintendo top ten pretty much.

EDIT: Just read through the entire list and yeah... Sony, SEGA, and MS contributions are sorely lacking. Also, I love Rise of the Tomb Raider, but I don't think it has any business being in a top 50 list.

 

[DylanEno]

Greatest? Ehhhh. Influential? Absolutely.

 

[tioslash]

Would throw DeusEx in there somewhere in the top20. Rise of the Tomb Raider? Really?

 

[Rich!]

Angry Birds is there, but no mention of The Last of Us.

Okay, sure. Hey, it's your list.

The last of us has nothing on angry birds in terms of impact.

 

[Wyndstryker]

Tetris at number 1 is understandable.

Top 10 is pretty safe. Nothing that looks like it shouldn't be there

 

[maxcriden]

That's not an awful list, but the top ten doesn't reflect the contributions to the industry from Sony, SEGA, and MS.

It seems like a PC/Nintendo top ten pretty much.

And not much Nintendo (or Sony?) elsewhere.

 

[prag16]

I liked Rise of the Tomb Raider a lot, and will certainly be in my top 5 for GOTY (PC version) this year.

...

but..

come on. Seriously?

 

[Arkeband]

Why they'd pick Starcraft 2 over Brood War is beyond me.

Otherwise it's a decent list of industry firsts and influencers. King's Quest 3 making the list was fun, the beginning of the game easily puts it over the others, though I have a soft spot for 6 in my heart.

Rise of the tomb raider is the only one that reeks of advertisement, since no one actually believes that.

 

[kubus]

No Last of Us but Rise of the Tomb Raider is #18?

ROTR is a great game but come on...

 

[mrmickfran]

This is one of those "of course they choose this" lists

Most important games or something like that.

Yup

 

[Acquiescence]

The last of us has nothing on angry birds in terms of impact.

Is this The 50 Best Video Games of All Time or The 50 Most Impactful Video Games of All Time?

 

[Brocken]

Street Fighter 2 is mandatory in every top 10

 

[hydrophilic attack]

Lack of Souls makes the list objectively incorrect and I'm mad as hell about it.

In general, the list is much too Western-focused for my taste

 

[SolidSnakex]

Scrolled through the list several times and Symphony of the Night really isn't on there. And no Metal Gear. Or Street Fighter.

 

[Dr. Benton Quest]

That number one choice is interesting. I encourage everyone in this thread to watch Matthew Matosis' video on why Tetris might be that perfect game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnztj1UlkQs

 

[VendettaRed07]

2. Super Mario 64

List is good enough for me

 

[hydruxo]

Rise of the Tomb Raider at #18 invalidates the entire list for me tbh

It's a good game, but that high on a best videogames ever list? Come on

 

[benzopil]

This is one of those "of course they choose this" lists

Most important games or something like that.

Especially Rise of the Tomb Raider and Fallout 3.

 

[Ralemont]

Is this The 50 Best Video Games of All Time or The 50 Most Impactful Video Games of All Time?

They have Ocarina of Time but not Wind Waker, so I'll go with the latter.

 

[dose]

Zork is a terrible game and should be nowhere near any 'Top 50 Best' charts.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Galaga is better than Bioshock confirmed.

Angry Birds is better than Super Metroid (not listed) confirmed.

Time:

 

[hobblygobbly]

Really bizarre list because of how it glosses over games that fundamentally changed the games industry on both technical and design levels such as Elite 1984.

 

[Flare]

There are some questionable titles in there, but it's all subjective I suppose.

 

[fr0st]

Street fighter at num....wait what

 

[mnz]

Was Oregon Trail really that good and/or influential? I didn't know it's held in such high regard.

 

[Last Hearth]

I could maybe understand putting the original Tomb Raider on this list, but Rise of the Tomb Raider, wtf?

 

[RowdyReverb]

Is this The 50 Best Video Games of All Time or The 50 Most Impactful Video Games of All Time?

Are the two categories mutually exclusive?

 

[LelouchZero]

Opinions and all but this list is trash lol

 

[SolidSnakex]

Is this The 50 Best Video Games of All Time or The 50 Most Impactful Video Games of All Time?

It can't be most impactful because how do you make a list like that and not include Street Fighter 2 or Pole Position or Metroid.

 

[Exploratory]

Looking at the top 10 alone plus seeing Rise of the Tomb Raider at 18 I can tell this list is bad. I hate lists like these.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

18. Rise of the Tomb Raider

 

[DarkConfidant]

This list makes more sense as "50 famous games of varying quality"

actually, "49 famous games of varying quality and Rise of the Tomb Raider"

Yeah, it's what I expected when Time was the publication.

 

[FloatOn]

list is trash

 

[Moff]

How does the oregon trail hold up? still nice gameplay for todays standards?

 

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

Doom instead of Doom II? The fuck is this?

 

[JayEH]

Lists like these are usually garbage but how do you have Mortal Kombat but not SF2? No RE or MGS game, etc but then have Tomb Raider at 18.

edit: missed re4

 

[The Emperor]

No FFVI or FFVII in the Top 10. Or Chrono Trigger