IGN Top 100 Games of ALL TIME, 2007 edition

[Yegolev]

I'd agree with Nethack.  People need to play it at least once.

[rk47]

freespace 2?

[Merusk]

I see nothing from the * Quest series here. (King/ Space/ Police.. I only played a few so I can't speak as to which was 'teh best.')

Also missing are more flight/ space combat games (I nominate TIE Fighter)

[Sky]

I also think Civ II was the best of the series. Brian Reynolds ftw (Colonization and SMAC both > Civs of their time, with great improvements that never made it back to Civ, goddamn Sid).

BG..Eh, I wasn't a big fan. Liked 2 alot, but the first one never clicked for me. But I also liked Ultima 8 (post jumping patch!).

Can't mention space games without Wing Commander. I always like to give honorable mention to Sacrifice, for having the best spell effects evar. Ultima Underworld, the 3d game real gamers were playing while kids were donking around with crappy Doom deathmatch headless chickenism. Battlefield 1942 for doing a large-scale combined arms battle right (BF2 made tons of improvements but also brought in twitchier bunnytard gameplay). GTA is another amazing series.

Since nethack was mentioned, I'll toss in the old mainframe version of Adventure/Colossal Cave. Sure, I've played Zork, but it's not the real deal. Adventure has a hold on me because I could only play it when I went to work with my grandfather and he had lots of meetings, I'd log into a terminal and run through a game. I don't think I had save privs, so I had to start from scratch every time and I'd print out my results to study until next time I could play. The SA loved having his big central printer clogged up with my game when they were running payroll or something important ;)

On Exult. Sure, I've used it and it's great. But I also have my 486/100 loaded with 16MB RAM that runs it great, voodoo MM or not. I think I've still got my eight or so System Shock disks lying around. Also treasures of infocom. Someone mention retrogaming after the holidays when this bountiful release season is behind us!

[Bunk]

These are some of the games that friends and I played endlessly in thier day, and everyone should have had the chance to try.

Utopia (Intellivision)
Archon (C64)
M.U.L.E. (C64)
Paradroid (C64)
NHL 94 (Sega)
Earl Weaver Baseball (PC)
Hockey League Simulator (PC)
Empire (PC)

These are all games I'd likely still enjoy today.

[stray]

I'm in the Wing Commander camp here too... Tie Fighter is cool too, but it's just an offshoot. I don't really care about any other space games though. It's the dog fighting aspect that's thrilling. Don't really care for trading.

[WayAbvPar]

  Archon. Played that to death on my buddy's Atari 800, and later on my C64.

[Mortriden]

freespace 2?

Pure Love.  This game so Invaded my motherfucking.  I still boot it up every now and then.  If only the campaign wasn't so bloody short.  There was supposed to be a Freespace 3...

[Driakos]

Civilization. And Nethack. Core designs of much that follows.

Civ II was better, and I think the rogue-type games peaked with Nethack 3.2 , but that's just nitpicking.

I think the rogue-type games peaked with Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction.

[schild]

Along with Diablo 2 and in the turnbased category, it would be epic failure to not include Shiren the Wanderer. In fact, I'd say Shiren is more important than Nethack on this list. If you haven't played it, you simply can't know why.

[Tebonas]

I disagree with that opinion. Diablo is dumbed down in gameplay and possible interactions with the environment, and the real-time component takes away battle options.

It evolved Roguelikes into another category and is important in its own right. But not as a Roguelike. It plays completely different.

[schild]

The game I just listed, Shiren, takes Nethack to a new extreme. It's also a lot more intuitive. And imo, harder and less absolutely ridiculous. There's one coming out for the Wii (and the DS). I will play both until the consoles DIE.

[Tebonas]

Good to know, I will look into that once (if) it reaches my neck of the wood. Yes i'm still mad for never being able to secure a copy of Etrian Odyssey.

[schild]

You want me to get a copy and mail it over the ocean?

[Tebonas]

You know, I never thought about direct importing it because our import taxes would likely eat me alive. But that might just work if customs doesn't get too noisy.

[schild]

You know, I never thought about direct importing it because our import taxes would likely eat me alive. But that might just work if customs doesn't get too noisy.

I'll just turn the cover inside out if you don't mind it being open and call it a review copy. ^_^ Value: $0.00

[Triforcer]

There is only one game I play (and beat) at least once a year, every year...Crono Trigger.  I used to be the ultimate FF6 fanboy, but the story really flags in the world of ruin (still the best video game villain evar, though).

Crono Trigger is immensely enjoyable each and every time I play it.  Besides BG2, I can't think of any other RPG from now until then that is even close to being as good.  Its all about five minute animations to let emo kids call comets from the sky now. 

[rk47]

But what about...umm...Jagged Alliance 2?
I still play it. It's got personality and a dedicated mod with no high hardware demand.

Jedi Knight series was pretty shiny cool that time as well.

[caladein]

Gah, most of the low hanging fruit's been picked. From a "Game Appreciation" course standpoint I'd add SMB3 (shocked that's slipped by), Disgaea 2, SMAC, and Tribes.

Personally though I'd definitely have: Klonoa 2, FF5, KotOR, Rise of Nations, you almost have to put a GH game up there too, and UT is another series that needs a mention up there. There are people here that are much better versed in fighters that definitely need to throw some names out.

[Driakos]

Tribes.

Tribes!  Good catch.

[geldonyetich2]

Nethack is good, but I've always felt that ADoM's balance and general aesthetic is better.  Nethack only pulls out ahead in the 'crazy situation you didn't expect' department.

[stu]

I see nothing from the * Quest series here. (King/ Space/ Police.. I only played a few so I can't speak as to which was 'teh best.')

I had a blast playing the first Quest for Glory.

[geldonyetich2]

Loved that series.  I must have finished "Quest For Glory 2: Trial by Fire" about 6-10 times and all the other games in the series (except the last one) at least three times.  Dragon Wage was a bit of let down, though, I didn't finish it once.

[Strazos]

Obviously, I'm just about the biggest BG fan around here. 

I'm wondering what kind of games you guys would put up for the beat 'em up genre. I know something like Super Battletoads or Double Dragon and such are easy choices, but I loved me some Streets of Rage (specifically 2).

[Ragnoros]

Tri do you play the SNES cart, the PSone port, or a ROM? Used to have it in cart form but it went on an adventure to parts unknown and has yet to return. And the loading times on PSone before damn near everything seriously invade my mother fucking.

[Fordel]

Mechwarrior 2 (NetMech specifically) would get my vote. It was the first real 3D game and First online game for lots and lots of people. Probably one of the first games to spawn organized ladders and leagues based around it and the base IP. Fighting for your Clan/Merc/State unit was infinitely more interesting then a random DeathMatch.

The Leagues really got in depth and complex, EVE before EVE really. Except all of the spreadsheet game play was actually done in Excel and our 100vs100 battles were decided by dozens of 2v2 and 4v4 matches, with map location based around the planet you were fighting on and your Mech choices limited by your sides faction and resources.


Probably one of the first games to really have a ModScene (especially If you include Mech2:Mercs) and it had it's own anti-cheat police program made for it. Also had a strong RP scene around it, people really got into character on the forums and in chat.

All of this happening at a time when to most everyone AOL = Internet, should net it a spot on the list I'd say.

[Tebonas]

I'm a great fan of Adom and I play it more often than Nethack at the moment, but I would still rank Nethack higher on the To-Play list. Its the better all-around package, and tile graphics help along on the first time player front.

Another game I would rank to drive a whole genre into a new direction would be Dungeon Master. The first 3D-RPG with direct interaction environment interaction.

[Ironwood]

Damn you.

I'm reading down the list and wondering at DM not being mentioned.  Finally, I thought, I'll be able to contribute.  They've forgotten DM !

Damn you.

Lords of Midnight.


Actually, Edited to Add :  If we're talking about games that you ought to play, you should probably stick the original Lands of Lore on there.  It took DM and simplified it while at the same time making it more complex.  A great game.  Get the one with the voice (like System Shock) and it's an even better package.

[Jain Zar]

I never liked Dungeon Master.  Didn't enjoy it on the PC, got some modest amusement out of Theron's Quest on the Turbo Duo, and didn't get into whichever one got ported to the Sega CD.
Real time icky combat with ugly graphics and no character generation made me sad.  Eye of the Beholder kicked its ass.

Some games I would put on the list:  (* titles are ones that maybe should be more honorable mentions)  Im listing personal favorites not likely to be on any top 100 general list.
Atari Star Wars - Vector graphics arcade fucking PERFECTION.  Probably the best arcade game ever made.  Accessable, yet with a great difficulty curve.  Too bad its virtually unplayable on anything but an actual cabinet.
Ultima 5 - Best of the series.  Probably the first game to really try to do a living virtual world and do it well.  Clocks told time, seasons changed, and you could literally do anything anyhow and any way you wanted.  Sandbox gaming.  IN 1988!
 * Defender of the Crown (post Amiga versions..) - One of the first interactive movies.  And it was fun!  Mix Risk with cinema sequences and minigames and you have a winner!
Master of Orion 2 - There ARE NO OTHER CIV GAMES BUT MOO2.  The best exploration, tech research, civiization construction game ever made.  It also had an outstanding ship to ship combat system, something most other Civ games ignore.  Combat strategy mattered!
Adventure Construction Set - The best game construction set for non programmers ever made.  Easy and fun to use, and much more wide open than anything since.
* Phantasy Star 2 - Forget Sonic.  PS2 was the Genesis' killer app (until PS4 anyhow) for the RPG player.  Well written, great looking, and a complete revelation in early 1990.
Star Control 2 - Take Spacewar on steroids.  Add in an outstandingly well written and FUN adventure campaign in the style of Starflight on top.  Be totally awesome.
Pathway to Glory - The best turn based RPG/Tactics game since X Com.  Except nobody played it because it was on the N Gage.  A game and sequel worth buying the machine for.
* Wasteland - take Wizardry styled combat, put it in a top down post nuclear world.  Add in a decent level of freedom and options many modern RPGs don't have.  Get excellence.
* Wizardry Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord - Abusively hard by modern standards.  However, it was so well done it pretty much CREATED a modern standard to have alongside Ultima 1. 
* Ultima 1 - By modern standards its simplistic and dated, but alongside the above game, it created the RPG genre as we know it.  And its a heck of a lot of fun anyhow. 
World Class Leaderboard/Links - THE series of Golf videogames.  Usually years ahead of the competition, and done in a manner befitting the sport!  Possibly the best "realistic" sports game series of its time.

[Tebonas]

Which begs the question - when did you play Dungeon Master? When it was released its graphics were top notch. We are talking 1987 here. Of course, the PC port could have been years later and already dated.

Lands of Lore was an revolutionary step upwards, but I prefer to give credit to the parent of a line of games. Plus, it had quite some riddles going for it - I missed that somewhat in Lands of Lore.

[Lucas]

Two more "must play" from the coin-op/computer crossover: Moon Patrol (watch the C64 "longplay" you can spot on the right) and Punch Out (this is with the original coin-op sounds, which is also the best version: some arcade rooms were set-up with a monitor on the top, similar to Dragon's Lair).
----
While a LOT of horizontal scrolling games came out through the years, probably a lot better than Moon Patrol, I think Punch Out should be included among an ideal top 100 of all time. I think it's still the best boxing game ever, even tho "Final Round" comes close.

[Simond]

Which begs the question - when did you play Dungeon Master? When it was released its graphics were top notch. We are talking 1987 here. Of course, the PC port could have been years later and already dated.

You have to bear in mind that the US computer market either missed out on a bunch of classics or had delayed ports because 'home computer' there meant "expensive ms-dos system with crappy graphics and sound".

Oh, and some proper home computer games that need to be on the list: Populous, Lemmings, Worms, Turrican 2, Elite, Exile, Alien Breed.

And of course the Great Giana Sisters. 

[rk47]

Syndicate? It was really spiffy the first time I played it, it's by Bullfrog.

[Lucas]

I must say that, beside the AWESOME times I had playing them, I kinda "owe" a debt to the great "classics" of CRPGs (there are lots more than these, but let's say the triad: Ultima IV - Bard's Tale I - Dungeon Master), because I started learning english in a "playful" way thanks to them back when I was 5. My father, which is still passionate about videogames nowadays at 52, basically sat next to time all the time translating the conversations and what not in italian; so when I began studying english in junior school, I approached it with a not-so-serious and enjoyable manner.

But ok, that was on a more personal note :)

[Lucas]

By the way, I updated the first message of the topic with the other two brackets IGN posted. I'll continue to do so 'til the first position: somehow I thought this was going to be a weekly thing so I didn't think about checking it out more often.