What game is the greatest of all time?

It seems like every year, at least one of the dedicated video gaming magazines, blogs, and websites comes out with a list of “the top 100 video games of all time.” These lists are generally pretty short-sighted and include games that, ten years from now, most people won’t even remember. Generally, as you get to the top of the list, you find a few sacred cows — Final Fantasy VII, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid — that are good games, and maybe even great games, but certainly with some element about them that prevents them from being considered the greatest of all time.

Maybe part of the problem is that the criteria used to evaluate the concept of “the greatest games” are subjective rather than objective; in the writer’s head instead of on paper; made up as the list is compiled, not established ahead of time. So of course a lot of games that are nostalgic will wind up on the list, not because they are truly the greatest, but because they stuck out in the writer’s mind.

We also should avoid the GameRankings style of quantitative rankings based on qualitative reviews. I’m not going to get into the details, but there are many flaws with such a system, and when you look at the top games (available here), you find that there are lots of really excellent titles that have been snubbed because they didn’t receive the level of acclaim that they deserved since they weren’t AAA releases. Plus, the GameRankings system has some very arbitrary logic to it, and it’s really not a very good system for judging the worth of a game any more than Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic are good for weighing the worth of a film.

I’m going to offer a different take on this. I’m going to start with a set of guidelines, and then narrow my focus down to one title that stands above all others. When you see my conclusion, it probably won’t surprise you — nor should it. But understand that the purpose of this article is not to state what the greatest video game of all time is, but why it deserves such a title.

Are you ready? Here we go.

Let’s start by defining what we’re trying to to describe. We’re searching for a game that:

1. Was memorable: This game should be something that people can still recall playing years after they’ve actually played it. But let’s qualify this further by saying that it’s memorable in a positive way. Rygar (NES) is memorable to me for being ridiculously difficult and having a crummy ending, but that’s not what we’re looking for here.

2. Was ahead of its time: The game should be something that pushed the technological envelope when it was released and that stood out, in part, because it was an evolution in game design.

3. Was widely imitated: One of the surest signs of success is that a creative effort is copied by other people.

4. Appealed to both casual and hardcore gamers: This is an essential point since the “greatest” game would have to be something that anyone could pick up, play and enjoy. It would logically follow that the game should be simple to play, but difficult to master.

5. Was a bestseller for its time: Clearly, this is an important point since it indicates that the game was recognized for its genius when it first arrived, and not by some blogger digging up obscure gems ten years after the fact.

6. Stands the test of time today: The greatest game of all time is one that should be able to be played and enjoyed as much today as it was when it debuted. If it were to be re-released, it should be expected to sell many copies in today’s marketplace.

7. Inspired game developers: This is an important point, since the “greatest game of all time” would, in theory, be a title whose design has influenced and inspired game design that came after it. This is distinct from the point about imitation, since inspiration can take many forms, while imitation is an attempt to cash in on something that’s already popular.

8. Inspired existing gamers: A great game is one that makes gamers excited to be gamers again. The “greatest game of all time” would be one that would have generated excitement amongst gamers when it first caught on.

9. Created new gamers: The “greatest game of all time” should be associated not just with entertaining people who were already gamers, but with inspiring non-gamers to become gamers.

10. Became a part of mainstream popular culture: The “greatest game of all time” should have had an impact on popular culture at large, becoming a household name and gaining attention from the mainstream news media.

Now, I can think of several games that fulfill most of these criteria, if not all. Let’s examine them.

Doom: id Software’s bestselling first-person shooter spawned an entire genre of games, and though it was merely an upgraded version of Wolfenstein 3D, it was the FPS game that most people were familiar with. It was a technological marvel at the time, offering PC gamers a unique experience that couldn’t be easily had on a home console. It inspired tons of imitators, and it certainly brought many new gamers into the fold while keeping existing gamers entertained. It wasn’t so maddenly difficult that it was inaccessible to a casual gamer, and it certainly became well known in pop culture. But Doom can’t stand the test of time today; it’s such a mindless and simple game that it isn’t a lot of fun when it’s compared to other available FPS titles, and its graphics and controls have to be modified to make the game seem worthy of being played. It’s among the greatest, but not the undisputed champ.

Final Fantasy VII: As I mentioned in an earlier post, this game is good, but flawed. While I would argue that it did bring some casual gamers into the fold when it was released, that it had some neat technological feats and that it did inspire some gamers and game developers, FF VII had a lot of problems with its 3D camera, geometry, and inconsistent graphical style. I wouldn’t even argue that it’s the best Final Fantasy game, since VI and XII are far more consistent. But they’re both too hardcore of games to be contenders for the greatest ever.

Chrono Trigger: This game is often considered one of the best ever created, and you won’t get many arguments from me on its technical merits. It has a killer story, a great cast of characters, innovative mechanics, and wonderful graphics that still hold up today. But the game failed to endear itself to non-gamers or to the culture at large, and remains squarely a top-notch RPG aimed at hardcore gamers.

Pokemon Red/Green/Blue: It’s difficult to discuss the Pokemon games as single titles, since they’re all essentially the same formula applied with variations. So, we’ll begin with the three that kicked off the trend in Japan and North America. Pokemon R/G/B took the combat from Japanese RPGs like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy and breathed new life into the genre, creating a pop culture revolution that appealed both to hardcore gamers and new gamers alike. But there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of lasting inspiration from these games; aside from a few stale imitators, Pokemon is really a self-contained phenomenon, and it’s certainly lost a lot of its luster in recent years.

Metal Gear Solid: There’s no denying that Metal Gear Solid is a great game, and that it has an incredible sense of design. There’s no denying that it pushed the Playstation to its limits, and that it is as playable today as it was when it came out ten years ago. There’s no denying that it inspired developers and imitators, and that it was a game that excited gamers of the day. But where MGS falls short is in the fact that it is not a game that a casual gamer can pick up, play and enjoy. It’s difficult to control, it has some really tricky boss battles, and it’s fairly lengthy. A great game? Absolutely. The greatest of all time? Not quite.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Were it not for the fact that the technology has continued to improve on the GTA games, making Vice City rapidly obsolete, this game could be a strong contender. It’s actually a better candidate than the revolutionary Grand Theft Auto III, since Vice City was the game that got casual gamers interested in the series and the sandbox genre. But San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV both upped the ante so much that Vice City is almost an afterthought today. GTA IV, in the meantime, has yet to stand the test of time.

Half-Life: Man, Half-Life is a great game… well, the first 2/3 of it, anyhow. But as incredible as it and its expansions and sequels are, it’s really hard to make a case for it being something that would appeal to casual gamers. Generally speaking, any game that requires a mouse and keyboard is going to appeal to the hardcore gamer, and even the excellent Portal is a little tricky for someone who’s not used to looking around with a mouse and strafing around with a WASD setup.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: This is the best-reviewed of all the Zelda games, and probably the most memorable of the bunch. Personally, I favor the top-down The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past over the 3D adventure, but that’s just personal preference. Both are incredible games. But once again, Zelda is a game that is not intended for casual gamers. It requires a certain level of timing and skill that assumes a basic knowledge of video games. You can’t just pick this one up, start hitting buttons, and have fun; you have to learn how to play it, master the controls, and work your way through some pretty challenging dungeons.

Halo: Halo is a great game, and it’s the reason that the Xbox brand is still around today. Without Halo, the Xbox would have flopped. Without Halo, console first person shooters probably would not have been embraced as easily over their superior PC brethren. Without Halo, Sony’s PS3 would probably be the dominant console right now. So it’s important to rec0gnize that Halo is a title that’s had a lot of influence on gaming, and that it’s a very well-designed title at that. But even Halo has its flaws. It’s not very casual-gamer friendly, and it’s marred by some super-repetitive level design and a lack of weapon variety. The last third of the game also feels a little lazy, throwing enemies at you constantly instead of allowing you to use the tactics you employ in the first two thirds. Halo is very good, but it’s not the greatest game ever made.

World of Warcraft is quite possibly the greatest game in the genre of massively-multiplayer online roleplaying games. The game is vast, with a strong mythology and excellent design. While raiding and questing is a lot of fun, there’s a lot of tedium in between, and what has become known as “farming” in the game (killing stuff purely for much-needed gold) takes up a signficant amount of time. The level caps on the game and each expansion also add a weird sort of disincentive to play; sure, you can level up several characters, but then what? Add that to the fact that casual gamers are often treated very badly by the hardcore gamers on the servers, and you’ve got a game that’s very popular and very good, but certainly not the greatest ever made.

There are two games that I think really have a shot at being the greatest ever, but they both have some slight qualifications that hold them back.

Street Fighter II: When Street Fighter II first hit the arcades, it was a sensation. The Super Nintendo release was arguably one of the best ports of an arcade game ever developed. The game practically invented the fighting game genre, spawned dozens of imitators, and became one of the most compelling arguments for PC gamers to pick up a game console. Its odd cast of characters, secret moves, and technical style are staples of game design today. The game is still fun to play twenty years after its release, and Capcom has found it very difficult to improve on the basic formula without completely alienating the game’s multitudes of fans. So why is this not the greatest game ever made? I’d say that it could be, if it weren’t for the game’s steep learning curve. Street Fighter II is a game that rewards practice, knowledge and technique, and it really requires gamers to be able to anticipate attacks and to retaliate with a combination of moves that takes advantage of the situation. It’s a very technical game, and as such, it really alienates the casual gamer. But while I view this as a negative, many gamers might see this as a positive. As such, if you were to insist that this truly was the greatest game ever made, I’d have a hard time making a compelling argument to the contrary.

Tetris: It’s really, really hard to argue with the idea that Tetris is the greatest video game ever made, because Tetris is so simple in design, and yet so deep in playability. It’s a game that’s tremendously hard to improve upon, and it’s just as fun today as it was when it came out 25 years ago. It is the ultimate casual game, and yet, at the same time, appealing to hardcore gamers as well due to its extreme difficultly in later levels. The only sticking point for me is that the game is so simple that it’s never been able to push the envelope on any platform. I’m very conflicted about this, and once again, if you told me that Tetris was the greatest video game ever made, I’d have a hard time disagreeing with you.

So what is, by the guidelines listed above, the greatest game ever made? I think the answer should be obvious by now:

Super Mario Bros. is a game that revolutionized console gaming. Prior to Super Mario Bros., most games took place on a single screen, and the only goal was to finish the level and achieve a high score. Character animation was generally spotty, and sprites were typically not very detailed. Controls were loose and often frustrating, and once a game’s gimmicks were learned, the only thing left to master were twitch reactions.

Super Mario Bros. changed all that. It featured gorgeous graphics and fluid animations that many subsequent titles for the Famicom and the Nintendo Entertainment System were never able to match. The controls were extremely tight, and the player had a large amount of freedom play through levels with different techniques. The levels were all large and detailed, and the game gave a feeling of being inside an actual world instead of being trapped inside a box. And players weren’t running through levels mindlessly, either — they knew that they had the goal of defeating the King Koopa and saving the princess. Being able to “beat” Super Mario Bros. was a badge of honor in the ’80s, and it’s still a challenging goal for today’s gamers, despite the fact that the game is fairly easy compared to the many Mario games that came after it. Knowing the game’s many secrets — warp zones, hidden vines, invisible 1up mushroom boxes, and the infamous “minus world” glitch — was practically a required form of initiation to be considered a true gamer.

Did this game inspire developers and gamers alike? Oh yeah. And it definitely brought in new gamers as well, since it was the “killer app” for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and probably more responsible for the console’s success than any other feature. What’s more, the game is still as fun to play now as it was then. Casual gamers can pick it up and have a great time with it, since the controls are easy to learn. The challenge comes not in deep knowledge of the game or in reflexive actions (though those help), but rather in being able to judge distances and avoid enemies. It’s entirely possible to beat Super Mario Bros. without knowing a single secret. It’s just not as much fun.

Other games in the series, such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World and Super Mario Galaxy, have been as good or better than the original. You’ll get no argument from me there. But they’re good because they stay true to the elements that made the first game so much fun. No other game in the history of video games, both PC and console, has had as much influence as this title. And no other game in the history of video games has been this perfect or this polished. It’s truly a game that anyone can play and enjoy. And for that reason, it is the obvious candidate for the “greatest game of all time.”

Want to take issue with something I’ve said? Leave a comment with your own analysis. Just keep in mind, personal preference is not what I’m looking for here — I left many personal favorites off the list because I know they could never cut it when compared to the best of the best. They may be my favorite games, but they certainly don’t appeal to everyone.