The Top 10 Greatest Video Games of All-Time

Ok so I was a bit nostalgic today (as I often tend to be) and for those of you who know me, know that I was born and bred on video games; always a favorite past-time of mine. So as I was going through my memory of all the games that I've played throughout my life - from the earliest days of Atari and Sega Master System to the current next-gen systems of Playstation 3 and XBox360 - I've finally compiled a list of my very own Top 10.

These Top 10 games have always been very close to me; in essence, these games defined my childhood and adolescence. Not only are they sheer entertainment on a scale never before seen (for their time,) but they also earned the spot of being timeless classics. Though there are easily hundreds of competitors for the Top 10 spots, these games were chosen not only for their amazing achievements and critical reception, but also for their genre-defining, convention-shaping, and of course, their sentimental value. What makes these games so special is that I can easily list many many other games that had almost the same lasting effect as these Top 10, but what makes these different from the rest is that, in addition to the awesome impact these games made, they also left many memories for a whole generation thirsting for remakes. So for whatever reasons of their own or for the influence they exhibited on the gaming industry at the time, each one of these is a classic only ignorant to those who have never held a controller before. Again, there were many other titles that came to mind for my Top 10 and I had to be cut-throat and take out some of my other favorite titles, but these definitely define the best of the best in every sense.

So without further ado, here are my Top 10 most treasured video games:

#10: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game



Well to be honest, it probably wasn't the greatest game of its era but it was up there with its production and presentation. But the main reason it made my list is because it was THE video game that got me into video games!! So for that alone it deserves a spot somewhere in the Top 10 out of respect. However, that's not to say this game isn't a good enough contender as a stand-alone. For its time, it was the best side-scrolling beat'em up in the arcades. In fact, it was probably the first of its kind to offer simultaneous four-player multi-playing. I remember the thrill of going to the arcade with my parents and my sister and brother just to play this game. Though my sister wasn't so into the arcades, my brother and I would race to get our hands on this one - and being that it was a childhood favorite of any creature under the age of 13 at the time - there was barely an opportunity to get in a coin or two. Looking back at the coin-up version, even in 2009 the visuals still manage to impress (or maybe its my childhood bias as this being the greatest game ever made!) Cowabunga dude!


#9: Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium

For those unfamiliar with the Phantasy Star series, it is sufficient to know that many consider it Sega's flagship RPG series (that is, Role-Playing Game.) The original Phantasy Star was released in 1988 here in the United States for the Sega Master System. It cost a whopping $90+ (considering this was back in the 80's that was roughly equivalent to $150+ for a video game today!!) But you know what? It was worth every penny! This game pushed the Master System's processor beyond anything anyone had ever seen at the time (which, granted, wasn't very much) but the sheer length of the game, the different worlds, the elaborate and engaging storyline, the characters, the music, the graphics - EVERYTHING was simply amazing!

Phantasy Star is widely regarded as one of the benchmark role-playing video games, and has been well-received by players since the time of its release and into the present. Electronic Gaming Monthly placed it at number 26 in their article "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time,"[2] which puts it as the #2 RPG on the list, behind Phantasy Star Online at #21. - Wikipedia

Now we come to the 4th Edition in the series, which, in my opinion (as well as the opinion of millions of others) remains the best in the series. Considering that the PS series made major break-throughs and set many RPG conventions, PSIV outdid all of the achievements of its predecessor(s) and pushed the standard for the series beyond what it could ever retain. Sadly the PS series, although seeing some short-life breathed into it at the start of the decade, and despite its online play, has become a white-dwarf compared to its greatest product in PSIV.


The story revolves around a young hunter Chaz, who by an act of fate, is thrown into a cosmic clash between Light & Dark and the forces of Good vs. Evil. He uses the help of his friends made from across the Algo Solar System to fight this "Profound Darkness" and restores peace once again to the Algo. All-around fun, PSIV had innovative story-telling (using manga-cells to progress the story,) great graphics, excellent soundtrack, fun game-play, lovable characters, atmospheric environments, a great story line, and lasting replay value. That is a winning RPG!

Phantasy Star: The End of the Millennium is almost universally praised by critics, whether established fans or newcomers to the series. It maintains an 85% rating on the aggregate site Game Rankings, where it is also the fifth highest ranking game for the Sega Genesis. Despite its few detractors, who mostly cite the considerable decrease in difficulty relative to the other games, it is the predominant favorite amongst fans of the series.[citation needed] It is also considered by series purists to be the definitive end of the series, as future games bearing the Phantasy Star name such as Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe have no direct relationship to the original games. - Wikipedia

#8: Shenmue

No matter what anyone has to say about Shenmue, they always agree on two things: that for its time, it was the most impressive graphical display ever seen. With an environment that was so atmospheric that you literally lost yourself - immersed yourself - in its own world.

Gaming Target, who gave the game a perfect 10/10 score, described Shenmue's visuals as "The greatest in-game graphics that have ever been seen for a console."[5] Even less favorable reviewers included strong praise for the game's visuals. RPG Fan...wrote "Shenmue is truly a benchmark game. The world and its complexity is flawless, easily the most impressive, real, and interactive world I've ever seen."[6] It was also voted number 25 on the GAME Greatest games of all time list in 2008. - Wikipedia

The other thing fans agreed on was the games amazing soundtrack. Personally, when I think of the best soundtracks in video game history there are many close contenders, but Shenmue has to be among the Top 5 best video game soundtracks, with the likes of Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, and Symphony of the Night. If Shenmue only had these two qualities alone it would've made for a great game, but as #8 on the chart, it has so much more to offer! Shenmue is a quest about a young man named Ryo Hazuki who sets out in search for the murderer of his father, a man named Lan Di. This quest becomes the premise of the entire game and takes you to places you never imagined you would go. The sheer scale of the world Shenmue had to offer was breath-taking and very engaging. Every day you would wake up in the game and feel like you were Ryo and the clock was ticking as your father's murderers were getting away. It's a crime drama action-adventure, and really the first of its kind. I have never seen such a dramatic game (with the possible exception of Metal Gear Solid perhaps) ever before in my life. This is Shenmue's greatest strength, its riveting storyline and its ability to totally suck you into its world. Despite the fact that many people criticized its lesser functions, this is still a game for the ages and truly deserve its recognition for changing the gaming industry.


#7:Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

In 1998, Symphony of the Night was awarded PlayStation Game of the Year by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[20] It was also ranked 4th place on EGM's 100 greatest games of all time, and the highest PS1 game on the list. It was also named Game of the Year by PSM in its list of the top ten games of 1997. It has made a number of "greatest game" lists, notably GameSpot's "The Greatest Games of All Time" list, being one of the first inductees.[21] It also placed 16th on IGN's "Top 100 Games of All Time"[22] and 18th in Game Informer's "Top 100 Video Games Ever".[23] It was nominated 25th best game of all time by Swedish game magazine Level, praising the game for its soundtrack and was named the best Castlevania game in the whole franchise. - Wikipedia

And even that doesn't sum up the incredible entertainment and fantastic bargain you get from this one little disc. With the arguable exception of Konami's ace-in-the-hole, Metal Gear Solid franchise, Castlevania is the most well-known franchise Konami has to offer. Competing against Capcom's rival side-scroller Megaman (Rockman,) Castlevania has consistently pushed the series and the genre to new lengths and with style I might add! If ever there was a threat to Capcom's hegemony throughout the years, it was due to Konami's Castlevania series. It was only a few years back that Capcom finally gave its own answer in the Devil May Cry series.


With that said, Castlevania SOTN is definitely the best in the series and totally dominates its competition in terms of game-play, style, atmosphere, soundtrack, and lasting value. You play as Alucard (Dracula's half-vampire half-mortal son) in the quest to rid the world of the accursed bloodline and to avenge the death of your mother by the hands of your own father. You travel through a castle that is truly enchanted and build your strengths along the way. Michiru Yamane composed a masterpiece for this game and all the fans can attest to the very poignant title of "Symphony of the Night" - In fact, in every sense of the phrase, the title itself is the best description for the game.

Quite possibly the best 2D action side scroller ever. - GameSpot

#6: Final Fantasy VII



1997 was a bad year for all other games and all other systems except the Sony Playstation simply for the existence of FFVII. The Final Fantasy series is the flagship RPG series that defines the genre itself and is Square-Enix's biggest gun to date. The mammoth franchise stretching what is now into its 13th official sequel (not counting the countless spin-offs over the years since the original) can look towards its 7th installment as the series' landmark mascot. Everything from the cast, to the story, to the world of FFVII - has all become something of its own sub-culture within the video gaming industry, sorta like how Lord of the Ring is with fans of fantasy. Nobuo Uematsu, the series' music composer always tends to outdo himself and his work in FFVII was nothing short of that. He created a very memorable soundtrack to a very memorable game. When people first played this game they were totally blown away by how grand this game was and how much work went into this labor of love. Aside from all its technical achievements, FFVII is an RPG contending with the best in terms of story, presentation, and lasting effect. In fact, it is often cited as one of the best RPGs ever made. So noteworthy is its acclaim that it is the first RPG to ever be made into a full-length film! (among other things)

The game received extremely favorable reviews from critics. GameSpot commented that "never before have technology, playability, and narrative combined as well as in Final Fantasy VII", expressing particular favor toward the game's graphics, audio, and story.[2] IGN's Jay Boor insisted the game's graphics were "light years beyond anything ever seen on the PlayStation", and regarded its battle system as its strongest point.[5] RPGamer praised the game's soundtrack both in variety and sheer volume, stating that "Uematsu has done his work exceptionally well" and "is perhaps at his best here".[66] In January 2005, it was selected by Electronic Gaming Monthly as sixth on their list of "the 10 most important games … that helped redefine the industry since … 1989". Citing its "beautiful cut-scenes and a deep, introspective narrative", they claimed that "Square’s game was … the first RPG to surpass, instead of copy, movie-like storytelling." In late 2007, Dengeki PlayStation named Final Fantasy VII as the "best story", "best RPG", and "best overall game" in their retrospective awards feature about the original PlayStation.[67] - Wikipedia

#5: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior

For any kid alive during 1992 who testifies, each recalls the arrival of SFII as a frenzy that swept the nation like nothing they had ever seen before. SFII was the game that ushered-in the Capcom-era and made it the industry giant it is now, and according to sales figures, the original SFII remains Capcom's best selling game of all time. (Wikipedia) It was the first time people had to reserve or pre-order a video game before its official release date, though very common in today's time for big releases, this was something unheard of in those times. SFII was not only an amazing fighting game in every sense of the word, it also was the first fighting game of its genre to change the mechanics of fighting games by making special moves more difficult to execute; forever altering the fighting game genre and its many conventions. Ever since SFII's original release, Capcom has been at the forefront of the fighting game genre with SF as its flagship series. With each successive SF game that was released, Capcom was able to keep the SF-craze alive and continue pushing the genre in new directions which lead countless of other games to try to copy its formula but never quite getting it right. What makes SFII so special despite the many contenders for this spot is the fact that it made Capcom what it is. Without SFII its hard to picture Capcom being the industry juggernaut that it is now, let alone being the reason for the fighting game genre itself to remain on its toes and produce high-caliber competition for the SF series. It sounds like an exaggeration but we can really credit SFII for being the innovative masterpiece it was for its time to inspire hundreds of other fighting games fans of the genre have come to love over the years. We can only wait to see how its true-to-spirit descendant SFIV will be when it is released later this year for the next-gen consoles.

Guinness World Records awarded Street Fighter II three world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records are "First Fighting Game to Use Combos", "Most Cloned Fighting Game", and "Biggest-Selling Coin-Operated Fighting Game." The numerous home versions of the Street Fighter II are listed among Capcom's Platinum-class titles (games which have sold more than 1 million units worldwide). As of June 30, 2008, the SNES version of the original Street Fighter II is still the company's best-selling game, having sold more than 6.3 million units, followed by the SNES versions of Street Fighter II Turbo (4.1 million) and Super Street Fighter II (2 million), and the Genesis version of Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition (1.65 million).[1] - Wikipedia

#4: Metal Gear Solid: Tactical Espionage Action



As was implied earlier, if it weren't for Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid, there wouldn't be a Konami. The Metal Gear series is just about as old as Castlevania but the course of development for the series went from being your average 8-bit game on the NES to the multi-million dollar investment that it is today; leaving fans breathless and in awe by the amount of work put in each title. The vision that the series has for itself is truly stunning and in every sense of the word - revolutionary. If ever there was a genius in the gaming industry, it would be Hideo Kojima, putting aside his perfectionist ethic and painstaking attention to detail, Hideo makes some of the best, most clever, thought-provoking, and revolutionary games in the entire video game industry. The gift this man has bestowed on the Metal Gear series is visible from the start, and though each Metal Gear game outdid itself in virtually all categories - including last year's release of MGS4: Guns of the Patriots, which earned Gamespot's coveted score of a perfect 10 - there is something unique to be said about the first Metal Gear Solid.


First of all, it was the game that made all eyes turn towards Konami again, towards Hideo Kojima, and it gave new life to the fictional anti-hero "Solid Snake." MGS was the game that brought Metal Gear back in the minds of the people and even before its release it was already given "best game of the year award 1998!" So you can imagine the impact the finished version had on the whole gaming industry. Thanks to Hideo for creating such a masterpiece of story-telling, espionage, and down-right fun! In fact, it was so good that they had to remake the game for the next-gen consoles because it was that much in demand! And finally thanks to Hideo we will get to see the Metal Gear Solid series entering theaters hopefully later this year in 2009! I really hope MGS4 wasn't the end of this amazing and inspiring series.

Metal Gear Solid is often recognized for popularizing the stealth game genre. The idea of the player being unarmed and having to avoid being seen by enemies rather than fight them has been used in many games since. It is also sometimes acclaimed as being a film as much as a game due to the lengthy cut scenes and complicated storyline.In 2002 IGN's editors ranked it as the best PlayStation game ever. Writer for the site David Smith said that just the demo for the game had "more gameplay [in it] than in most finished titles". They also gave it the "Best Ending" and "Best Villain" awards.[92] In 2005, in placing it 19th on their list of "Top 100 Games", they said that it was "a game that truly felt like a movie", that the fights were "unique and innovative", and that it was "the founder of the stealth genre." Guinness World Records awarded Metal Gear Solid with a record for the "Most Innovative Use of a Video Game Controller" for the boss fight with Psycho Mantis in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008 edition. - Wikipedia

#3: Resident Evil




Resident Evil (or Biohazard) is truly a frightening game. When it was first released in 1996 there was talk of a "new type of game," and my brother had borrowed a friend's PS and copy of RE to show my sister and I just how scary this game was. Well, we made our way through the now classic & cheesy opening cut scene for the first time with quite a few laughs so I really didn't know what my brother was talking about. ::ENTER THE MANSION:: Creepy music starts to play, but thankfully the bad voice acting springs a nervous chuckle or two. That is, until you are left to move the character for the first time. That's when I started thinking "ok, so maybe this games a little freaky." Fast-forward a bit and the dialogues all over, you are given a beretta and left in the main hall of a mansion you have NO IDEA the sheer size of just yet, all you know is that the music playing is the scariest music you ever heard in a video game. The graphics are gorgeous, the setting is a little too unsettling, and your new found resident neighbors will soon scare the shit out of you - oh and then there's that dog jumping out the window for the first time SURPRISE! And that's when it finally hits you - you are not going to enjoy this experience, but that's only because a game has successfully, and for the very first time in history, made you believe you were in a real horror movie. And for that alone, Resident Evil deserves an amazing award. I lied actually, you will enjoy the experience - in fact, there are only a handful of games that ever come close to the caliber of finesse as Resident Evil - it's just that good! Though the series has grown with each game being a treasure on to its own you nonetheless find that with each successive RE game, you never do quite get the same sense of fear that you did from the first experience in the zombie world. Maybe because it's lost its novelty? Who knows, but the fact remains that this game is a marvelous achievement - so much in fact that they also remade it for the Gamecube and managed to outdue themselves yet again! Also, its got a cult-following because of the Hollywood films based off the games.

The success of the Resident Evil series has resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series 8 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include Most Live-Action Movie Sequels, Action-Adventure Game with the Most Novelizations, and the dubious honor of Worst Game Dialogue Ever for the line "Here's a lockpick. It might be handy if you, the master of unlocking, take it with you". - Wikipedia

#2: Streets of Rage 2



Absolutely, positively, undoubtedly the greatest side-scrolling beat'em up (fighter) that has ever come into existence. Streets of Rage (Bare Knuckle) first came out in 1991 and already it raised the bar for beat'em ups so high that competitors literally..um, went out of business. To make matters worse, SOR2 came out the following year and totally changed the definition of what nirvana on a video game console was yet again; performing feats that still boggle the mind, like as to how a 16-bit sound card can produce the music that was coming out of this game. In fact, the music was so good that Yuzo Koshiro, by popular demand, had to go around DJ'ing and remixing the SOR soundtrack!! You can find videos of him on youtube actually. Yes, people jam to this soundtrack, and as a 12-year old kid I did precisely that as I went stage-through-stage beating up street thugs - man if ever a game glorified violence and chaos with a catchy beat, it was THIS game!! Aside from the obvious ways that SOR stormed the gaming industry it is sufficient to say that it set the standard so high that the beat'em up genre itself is actually DEAD thanks to it! Yes, it literally obliterated the contenders. How's that for rage? But sadly, though all three SOR games totally rocked ass, it has left the hardcore fan base wanting more...ever since 1994 - yea, so that kinda sucks. But that doesn't mean that loyal fans didn't find all sorts of ways to get their SOR-on; in fact, an entirely new remake was made back in '05 made entirely by fans! Why Sega doesn't wake up and realize they have some serious gems on their hands and make profit off of it is anyone's guess. They should just sell SOR & Shenmue to the highest bidder who is willing to actually make the fans happy ::growls:: Anyways, this game is so good I still play it every few months with my brother. Straight classic!


#1: Chrono Trigger

This is hands-down the single greatest RPG ever made. Since 1995, countless RPGs try to pull off the CT formula but fall way too short. Yet still they managed to do the impossible and make a sequel to a game that is absolutely peerless. Chrono Cross was an excellent sequel, GameSpot even gave it a perfect 10, a score they have only given to a handful of games ever, and say the cheesiest thing I've ever read off of their site: "Chrono Cross may not have had the largest budget, but it has the largest heart." - Gamespot. Ok..WHAT?? Have you people been so awestruck by a game that you lose your rational mind and make the cardinal sin of a critic and get your emotions all bundled up? Apparently so, and yes, I would agree. Chrono Cross was an amazing game in every respect, but the magnitude of its predecessor is unmatched. Sparing you all of the precious memories I have with this game, I will only say that there has yet to be a production that can come anywhere near Chrono Trigger in terms of plot, adventure, atmosphere, soundtrack, characters, fun, and nostalgia - it's simply impossible! But then again so is time travel..which is the premise of the game's story. Our young heroes are teleported to the future somehow (its story-related) and discover a terrible accident 400 years in the future and must go back in time, picking some interesting friends up from different epochs along the way, to stop the menace of Lavos once and for all. And as exciting as that sounds you haven't seen anything yet. This game will forever remain a timeless classic (no pun-intended) and wins my spot for #1 best game of all time.

Chrono Trigger has recently placed highly on all five of multimedia website IGN's "top 100 games of all time" lists—4th in 2002, 6th in early 2005, 13th in late 2005, 2nd in 2006, 18th in 2007, and 2nd in 2008.[63][64] GameSpot included Chrono Trigger in "The Greatest Games of All Time" list released in April 2006, and it also appeared as 28th on an "All Time Top 100" list in a poll conducted by Japanese magazine Famitsu the same year.[65][66] In 2004, Chrono Trigger finished runner up to Final Fantasy VII in the inaugural GameFAQs video game battle. In 2008, readers of Dengeki Online voted it the eighth best game ever made.[67] Nintendo Power's twentieth anniversary issue named it the fifth best Super Nintendo game. - Wikipedia

Well that's my Top 10, I know it was painfully long but I actually wrote this in one sitting and it took me a very long time! Feel free to post your feedback; either from people who have played these games or have a Top 10 of their own they would like to share. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :)