http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-greatest-game-on-every-platform/a-20090127132418358010

The Greatest Game:  Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990)

No other game perfectly captures the NES (and Nintendo’s playful spirit) than Mario’s third romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. Released in 1990 at the height of the system’s popularity, Mario 3 improved on the original in not just every conceivable way, but also ways that the general gaming populace hadn’t even considered.

No more trudging through levels head-on – now you chose your path on an overworld map, complete with enemy encounters, games of chance and a unified theme that made each world feel totally unique. Forget eating flowers and tossing fireballs – now Mario could grow a raccoon tail and fly. Simply put, there was an abundance of absolutely everything, to the point where it seemed more a work of beautiful magic than plastic game cartridge.

It all sounds basic and unimportant now, but there was nothing that came close to the hysteria Mario 3 caused. Do we need to remind anyone that an entire movie focused on premiering Mario 3 in the final act? The crowd reaction in The Wizard is pretty damn close to reality. Every kid wanted Mario 3, and they wanted it now.

The last report we saw put Mario 3’s sales in the 15-18 million range. That’s more than any Halo, any GTA or any Final Fantasy. The only other games that come close to matching the NES’s crowning achievement are also by Nintendo, and this was the company at peak performance. We’re not sure if they’ll ever top this one.

The second greatest:   Mega Man 2 (1989)

Perhaps the first non-Nintendo sequel that stirred up an insurmountable amount of hype… and then came through on every single promise it made. From unbreakable gameplay to one of the best goddamn soundtracks ever, this is the best Mega Man of all time, hands down.

The Greatest Game:  The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992)

OK, all that stuff we just said about Mario 3, about how it changed the entire franchise and enhanced the core experience immeasurably, that’s what Link to the Past did for Zelda. The basic “overhead RPG” idea remained the same, but now there were more dank labyrinths to explore, more items to collect and more screen-filling bosses to fell than in either previous Zelda game. Then, right when you think you’re about to take on the final battle, you discover there’s an entirely different realm to scour, complete with its own set of treasures and baddies. The massively huge game suddenly becomes impossibly vast, and you’re beside yourself with joy because the adventure is far from over.

We expect better graphics and more stuff to do in a sequel, though, so what propels Link to the Past to the top of the heap? The presentation and story - for the first time there’s something at stake, and you’re treated to an epic tale that involves prophecies, gods and a whole lotta captured princesses. Up to this point, the series was fairly straightforward and somewhat barren – this was the first time Hyrule truly felt alive.

On a system inundated with top-notch RPGs, arcade-quality fighting games and unbeatable exclusives, it’s agonizingly difficult to choose just one. But when the dust cleared, there was no doubt in our eyes that Link to the Past was groundbreaking then, and still a hell of a lot of fun in 2009.

The second greatest:   Super Metroid (1994)

Nope, not Super Mario World folks, cuz it merely followed a template set by Mario 3. Super Metroid on the other hand turned a good series into a phenomenal one with its unprecedented atmosphere, immensely memorable music and tear-jerking plot twist. EGM ranked it as the best game of all time in issue 150, and we (almost) wholeheartedly agree.

The Greatest Game:  Super Mario 64 (1996)

There was never any doubt as to which of Nintendo’s gems would win the N64’s prime spot. The entire system, from its technical specs to the controller itself, was built around this one game, and it shows. Look how every other developer struggled to map controls on to the bafflingly ugly N64 pad, yet Mario can elegantly hop, skip and flip his way through the world with remarkable ease. The controller’s analog stick made 3D Mario an instant success, revolutionizing gaming and defining an entire console generation in the span of one game. How many other developers can say that?

Not surprisingly, Mario 64 went on to be the system’s biggest seller and to this day remains a favorite in the GR offices. Everyone can agree that most 3D games of the 32/64-bit era aged poorly (mostly the geo-nightmaric graphics), but Mario 64 remains as endearingly addictive as it was in 1996.

Every single keyword we used to build this feature applies to Mario 64. Is it beloved? Yes. Was it groundbreaking? Yes. Did it define the system for years to come? Yes. Is it still fun today? Of course, yes. And even though Ocarina fits that mold perfectly too, it’s safe to say that without Mario’s industry-changing test run in 3D, Link’s time-tested adventure might not have been the milestone achievement it turned out to be.

The second greatest:  GoldenEye 007 (1997)

Before the world caves in on itself because Ocarina isn’t here, realize that GoldenEye embodied everything Nintendo said the N64 should be. It used all four controller ports and delivered the deepest, bad-assiest solo and multiplayer experience on the system, and became the dorm-room-standard shooter for years. And by the way, it did outsell Ocarina by a slim margin.

The Greatest Game:  Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)

From its release less than a month after the GameCube's launch, until the console's sad and lonely death five years later, Super Smash Bros. Melee was consistently Nintendo's best-selling and most popular title. Still a favorite on the competitive gamer circuit, this joyously twitchy, button-mashing, happy free-for-all of a mascot fighter has stolen millions of players' hearts. The hardcore may moan about imbalance, but what they never seem to understand is that that imbalance - the often ludicrous changes in fortune during battle - are half the fun.

The other half comes from Melee's nearly suffocating amount of Nintendo nostalgia, with huge numbers of secret items and unlockable characters waiting for discovery by the truly devoted. Even before the game's release, message boards were buzzing about who would feature in the roster. The anticipation was warranted and rewarded. Once all the combatants and trophies have been won, you're left with a virtual museum, as well as an instantly entertaining pick-up-and-play experience.

The second greatest:  Metroid Prime (2002)

Despite Super Metroid’s many accolades, there wasn’t another game in the series until 2002’s Prime, which flawlessly revamped the 2D franchise as a stunning first-person adventure. One of the biggest gambles in Nintendo franchise history paid off wonderfully and set the stage for the next four Metroid entries. Looking forward to that Wii remake, guys.

The Greatest Game (so far):  Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

No surprise here. Twilight Princess is a GameCube holdover, Prime 3 was great but didn’t bring much beyond improved controls, and Smash Bros. Brawl is so unapologetically “Nintendo” it’s hard to say it encapsulates the typical Wii experience. Galaxy on the other hand, gets everything just right. For example, the motion controls are helpful instead of a frustrating nuisance and the gameplay itself is accessible enough for anyone to jump in and have some fun.

But as serious gamers who tore through Galaxy’s deepest secrets, we know how profoundly challenging the game can be. We know how much raw skill is required to beat Luigi’s Purple Coins and how furiously aggressive the final Bowser level is. This was a hardcore game in “fun for everyone” paint, and we salute Nintendo’s adherence to quality over quantity (Mario platformers have been a one-per-console affair since the N64).

We also want to call attention to something most Wii titles will never receive any notice for – the visuals. We firmly believe that parts of this game look on par with a lower-end 360 run-and-jumper, with dazzling colors and brilliant lighting effects that shame everything else on the system. Why, dear developers, can’t every game look and play as good as Mario Galaxy?

The second greatest:  Wii Sports (2007)

Loathe it all you want, Wii Sports does embody everything about the Wii and does it quite well. The motion controls aren’t without their faults, but an entire planet of family-night gamers ate it up and we have to say we did too… for a little while. We’re over the experience now, but it’s still hard to resist when a group of people turn it on and start waggling away. Hardcore/casual arguments aside, Wii Sports is just plain fun.

Next up: The champions on Sony and Microsoft consoles...

The Greatest Game:  Final Fantasy VII (1997)

It’s not necessarily the “best” game the PSone ever saw (and internet flame wars still rage to this day over whether it was ever any good at all), but when Final Fantasy VII was released in 1997, it was nothing less than a revolution in console-game storytelling. For many, FFVII was the first role-playing game they ever played, and it was the first to really prove that the genre could not only tell epic stories, but dazzlingly pretty ones as well. Almost single-handedly, it turned RPGs – long the numbers-heavy domain of the ultra-hardcore – into a mainstream phenomenon.

FFVII also remains one of the great shared experiences from the PlayStation years. Who doesn’t remember Aerith’s death, Sephiroth’s transformation or Cloud’s backslide into insanity after discovering the truth behind his own identity? Who didn’t trawl underwater canyons in search of the Emerald Weapon, or spend hours breeding Chocobos so they could eventually find the devastating Knights of the Round materia?

Sure, Final Fantasy VIII and IX improved on its formula, but when you think “PlayStation,” do you think of Squall or Zidane? Or do you think of the game that spawned a miniature empire of spinoffs, sequels, toys and animation, and still endures today as a franchise unto itself?  No other PSone game had the impact FFVII did – not even…

The second greatest:  Metal Gear Solid (199

With high production values - sound design, cutscenes and voice acting – Metal Gear Solid revolutionized storytelling and gameplay in the 3D era. Not only did this first entry in the franchise reinvent the modern action game using stealth, but it also challenged players through adult themes like the effect of war on soldiers, the dangers of cloning, the threat of nuclear weaponry and environmental concerns.

The Greatest Game:  Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

No game series better defined the PS2 era than Grand Theft Auto, and no GTA was as impressive in scale or scope as San Andreas. Spanning a state-sized landmass that included three full-sized cities, a few small towns and wilderness areas that ranged from pine forests to vast deserts, SA was, and still is, one of the biggest adventures ever pulled off on a console.

It’s also one of the best; for all its grand scale, SA still managed to have the tight gameplay, involving plot and wry sense of humor that GTA is known for. Carl “CJ” Johnson turned out to be one of the series’ most sympathetic and identifiable protagonists the series, and it was easy to get sucked into his convoluted story of gang warfare, corrupt cops, government conspiracies and high-stakes robbery. It was even easier to get sucked into the state itself, which offered up endless avenues of exploration and cool things to do.

Perhaps most significantly, GTA: San Andreas showed us that the PS2 was capable of beautiful, amazing things, something we could stand to remember now that it’s been relegated mostly to third-rate titles that publishers claim are only crappy because of the limitations of the system.

The second greatest:  Okami (2006)

More than just Sony’s cel-shaded Zelda-killer, Okami is a triumph of graphics and design... one of the few games that prove this hobby can be an art. After traversing the epic adventure and healing the captivating lands you encounter, we challenge you not to weep during the emotional ending.

The Greatest Game (so far):  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (200

We know, it’s a little premature to be calling out the “greatest” game on a platform that’s not even three years old, but there’s no denying that Metal Gear Solid 4 is an incredible achievement In storytelling, visuals and gameplay (unless of course you haven’t played it, in which case you’re probably denying it right now). Ignore the fact that its hero is a mustachioed old fart, or that its cartoonish villains contrast sharply with its more serious, realistic battlefields; MGS4 redefines what a “stealth action” game can be.

It’s linear, but it never quite feels that way, and you’ll almost always have the option of slipping through its high-tech active warzones undetected, killing everything that stands in your way with a staggering array of firepower, or just about every conceivable strategy in between. It’s also the most accessible installment of MGS since the first one, putting aside the series’ tirades about nuclear proliferation in favor of a relatively tight plot that wraps up the story in a surprisingly satisfying way. And then there’s the endless online play, which certainly doesn’t hurt.

Say what you will about its stupidly long interactive cutscenes, but no other game exclusive to the PS3 is quite as moving, interesting or adept at showing off what the console can do as MGS4.

The second greatest:  LittleBigPlanet (200

LittleBigPlanet is one of the prettiest, most addictively adorable games we’ve ever seen, and using it to create new levels is actually more fun than hopping through them as a casual player. If you own a PS3 and possess even a shred of creativity, you owe it to yourself to at least try this.

The Greatest Game:  Halo 2 (2004)

The original Halo was a groundbreaking and hype-worthy shooter, one that single-handedly sold gamers on the potential and promise of Microsoft’s foray into consoles. The sequel could have easily settled. Gamers would have been happy with a “slightly better” Halo, a “marginally improved” Halo or a Halo with two to three bullet points of “additional features.”

Instead, they witnessed a revolution. Yes, the action was improved, with dual weapon wielding, anytime vehicle jacking and access to the iconic energy sword. Yes, the plot was superior, with the revelation of a Covenant protagonist and a morally ambiguous, less black-and-white universe. Of course the graphics were enhanced, to the point that many people had trouble telling Halo 2 and Halo 3 apart at first glance.

What cemented the Xbox’s reputation and changed the direction of the industry as a whole, however, was this successor’s incredibly expanded multiplayer. Taking the already popular 16-player matches out of the system-linked college dorms and unleashing them upon the entire community over Xbox Live is what defined the console... and possibly gaming as we know it today.

The second greatest:  Knights of the Old Republic (2003)

Master Chief had the deathmatch demographic all sewn up, but how do you convince everyone else to give the Bill Gates box a try? Exclusivity on the best RPG in years, and the greatest Star Wars story written since The Empire Strikes Back, certainly couldn’t hurt.

The Greatest Game (so far):  Gears of War (2006)

What gaming trends have you noticed over the past few years? Overall, graphics have grown grittier, sacrificing color for realism. Stories have become bleaker, trading cartoon fantasy and whimsy for seriousness and weight. Multiplayer matches are less forgiving while cooperative teamwork is more encouraged. And perhaps most obviously, the blood, gore and violence has been amplified to unbelievable extremes.

Think about it. Ignoring the Wii and its unique contribution of wand-waving baby adventures, the source of this generation’s nearly every trend can be traced back to one game: Gears of War. Would you joke about “next-gen brown” if the planet of Sera was not so ravaged by war? Would the dark narratives of BioShock and Fallout 3 have been so well received without a depressing primer from Marcus Fenix? Would our Best Co-op of 2008 feature have had any serious challengers if not for this shooter’s original breakthrough? Would Dead Space even exist if Gears of War hadn’t added that flesh-chewing, gut-spewing chainsaw?

The sequel was an improvement in many ways, but nothing tops the impact and influence of this first entry. And although you may tire of the above trends’ appearances in other games, you must admit that they merged most harmoniously – and masterfully – right here.

The second greatest:  Rock Band (2007)

We tried to avoid multi-platform releases as best we could for this feature, but Rock Band and the Xbox 360 just go too damn well together. The microphone and drums helped transform Microsoft’s online hub from a simple shooting gallery into a true social gathering. Competition was finally joined by creative camaraderie and cooperation.

Next up: A Sega smorgasbord. The victors on Genesis, Dreamcast, Saturn, and yes, Game Gear...

The Greatest Game:  Phantasy Star (1987)

Before getting even the original Phantasy Star for Christmas way back in 1988, the excitement was pre-loaded: the cartridge was a whole 4 MEGABITS and cost $70. We’re talking 1988 dollars. Still, the game surpassed the hype. It had first-person “3D” dungeons that scrolled smoothly, which blew our 10-year-old minds into space. It came out before Final Fantasy, yet spanned an epic three planets and had far superior graphics. It had a friggin’ cat in your party, equipped with fang weapons, as well as floating cities and a final boss called Darkfalz that was about the scariest shit you’d ever seen in your 8-bit life.

The game was insanely difficult - the lowliest enemies were capable of wiping out your entire party near the beginning. The aforementioned dungeons were labyrinths devious, so much so that we often got lost to the point of needing to restart the game. Still, once you overcame the hardcore ass-and-mind kickings, the game became immensely satisfying and seriously epic in scope.

The second greatest:  Alex Kidd in Miracle World (1986)

Designed as a direct competitor to Super Mario Bros., Alex Kidd stood up well to the imposing task. It had standard platforming, punching enemies with a huge fist as your main attack. Notable were creative end battles done in rock-paper-scissors style - the bosses’ heads were shaped like actual hands performing the gestures.

The Greatest Game:  Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)

Expanding on the framework that made the first Sonic a viable contender to the 1990s platforming crown, this sequel was like a Godsend for Genesis owners. Proving to be the reason to own Sega’s system, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 sold a crazy number of copies and stood tall against the Super Nintendo and its mega popular Mario franchise.

Everyone knows Sonic is fast, but what time has seemed to erase in most people’s minds is just how methodical the gameplay could be. Sonic 2 contained better platforming mechanics than its predecessor, which was reflected in the inventive level design. With each themed zone came an equally inventive and catchy musical score as well. Equal parts rewarding and addictive.

While Part 1 may have kicked off the console wars and Part 3 may have expanded the technology, the second entry will forever be remembered as the Genesis’s greatest game and the best excuse for choosing Sega over Nintendo.

The second greatest:  John Madden Football ’93 (1992)

You don’t immediately think of a sports game when picturing the greatest games for every system, but Genesis was the console to play for your athletic fix. Even though actual team and player names didn’t hit the franchise until 1994, ’93 was a milestone. The co-op/competitive play has resonated to this day, recently being updated for Madden ‘09’s Collector’s Edition.

The Greatest Game:  Sonic CD (1993)

What a shame this edition in the Sonic series hasn’t been experienced by more people. If we had to blame anything, it’d be its exclusive appearance on a console/peripheral no one wanted... and possibly the first appearance of Amy Rose. Either way, Sonic CD retains the lightening-fast, spin-tastic formula we all look back fondly upon, with some subtle processing pop that predates the hedgehog’s current state of three dimensional ruin we see trotted out year after year.

In what should be cited as an example to Sonic Team today, Sonic CD managed to find a distinguishing cachet that didn’t harm the core gameplay one bit. Our favorite rodent could become “unstuck” in time, as each level took place during three temporal zones - past, future and the other one we forget. Blast processing clashed with the Butterfly Effect as your actions in the past affected events in the future, and quite anachronistically, vice versa. Whatever, Einstein was a total Nintendo fanboy anyway.

It’s true that there are certain pseudo 3D elements and advanced sprite work that couldn’t have been done on the Genesis, but the rest of it probably could’ve been (especially since CD levels were shown off as part of Sonic 2). What the disc format did bring, though, was anime style FMVs, audible upgrades and the throwback butt-rock that’s synonymous with Sonic to this day.

The second greatest:  Lunar: The Silver Star (1993)

Hopefully, time hasn’t forgotten our favorite planet ever to orbit the big Blue Star, nor the endearing characters and story-based objectives that call it home. For one, it’s said the original Lunar sold nearly as many copies in Japan as the Sega CD itself! Add to that a lovingly handled English translation, plus one of the greatest / cheesiest songs in gaming history, and you’ve got all the elements for an RPG to remember.

The Greatest Game:  Panzer Dragoon Saga (199

While most Saturn owners would’ve been happy to receive another pre-determined, laser-breathing portrait of dragon based bliss, Sega buckled to the cries of the “on-rails” detractors and unleashed their winged steed in all directions… and into a full blown RPG, no less!

Every direction was yours to take, both in air and - in yet another series first - on foot. Luckily, hoofing it through Saga’s post-apocalyptic, bio-organic setting never felt like a drag, thanks to a deeply enriched world of hidden wonders populated by NPCs who had something more to say than “I miss my Grandpa, please find my sword.”

Airborne dragon riding fared even better, with every plane of movement finally opened up to the player’s whim. The battle system kept pace with the cinematic scope by carrying out midair skirmishes in real-time, with replenishing action gauges that let players attack, heal or go “Berserk” at strategic will on a shifting 360 degree field.

Remember that kickass scene in The Never Ending Story, where Bastian takes revenge on those bullies while riding a talking Terrier? That’s what playing Saga was like... with eerily similar music come to think of it. Unfortunately, by the time the good word hit Western ears, it was too late. The Saturn went bust, a scant 30,000 copies were sent to retailers, and Panzer Dragoon Saga would become the greatest game few would ever get to play.

The second greatest:  NiGHTs into Dreams… (1996)

Come the mid-90s, it was becoming clear that 3D console gaming was the unavoidable leap from which there’d be no return. Once Sega embraced polygons and that extra dimension, there was nowhere to go but quite literally up. NiGHTs simultaneously realized our childhood hallucinations of soaring through imaginative dreamscapes and justified the need for analog controls with loop based goals and freestyle flights of fancy.

The Greatest Game:  SoulCalibur (1999)

You kiddies may never have to read the phrase “near arcade-perfect” in a preview ever again, but back in The Day, it was something every gamer wanted, nay, needed to hear. So we’d like to invite you to imagine our supple teenage heads exploding in unison when Namco ported over its coin-op exclusively to the Dreamcast with improved visuals and all new modes.

Whatever the cosmic forces at work, it’s hard to think of a deal more mutually beneficial than the one struck between Sega and Namco. Compared with its Edge/Blade predecessor, the second edition in the Soul series experienced a lukewarm reception during its initial arcade run. Not only did the Dreamcast version greatly expand SoulCalibur’s fanbase well into the foreseeable future, it convinced scores of gamers to climb aboard Sega’s ailing console, with over one million customers served. Suck on that, Blue Stinger!

Whereas most 3D fighters were burdened by constrictive movement and twitch precision, the OG SoulCal’s weapon-centric combos were easier for newcomers to pull off, plus the eight-way run added more defensive depth than a simple sidestep could ever hope for. If the Dreamcast can lay claim to one thing, it’s introducing the world to the ever-expanding Ivy… and for that it stands tall.

The second greatest:  Phantasy Star Online (2000)

Unlike the PS2 of a year later, the Dreamcast offered online play right out of the box. Few developers would take advantage of it in any meaningful way, so Sega built its own online world featuring essential group-based play, rudimentary player chat, and yes, monthly subscriber fees. You’re welcome?

Next up: Crusty old Atari winners and the best PC titles by decade...

The Greatest Game:  Zork: The Great Underground Empire (1982)

Join Grandpa GamesRadar as we regale you with fond memories of one of the best and most influential titles of all time - Zork: The Great Underground Empire. To younger gamers, this all-text adventure may look less like a game and more like an antiquated oddity that belongs on some dusty old shelf next to an abacus and your dad’s 8-track.

To more experienced (i.e. older) gamers, the Zork series laid the groundwork for just about every important genre to come. Searching for the Nineteen Treasures of Zork in the Great Underground Empire introduced the itch for exploration and discovery we’ve come to expect from both classic adventures like Myst and newer RPGs like Fallout 3.

But it was the way Zork enveloped you in a rich and detailed world, full of deadly grues and a fearsome Cyclops, that made it so memorable. When players discovered the “Elvish sword of great antiquity,” they knew they were playing a grand and immersive adventure that was deeper and much more mysterious than the simple candy-colored Pac-Mans and Donkey Kongs of the early 80s.

The second greatest:  SimCity (1989)

Build a thriving metropolis or create a hell on Earth, full of congested traffic jams, polluting factories and angry citizens. Besides making Will Wright one of the most famous design gurus of all time, SimCity also spawned the Sim series and introduced gamers to the perverse pleasures of playing god.

The Greatest Game:  Half-Life (199

Although the title alludes to decay and decrease, Half-Life’s 1998 release was more akin to an evolution. The first person shooter, a reliable stalwart of PC gaming for nearly two decades, had also grown rather predictable by that point. With one mild-mannered scientist and one incredibly unlucky day at the office, developer Valve reinvented the genre forever.

Before Half-Life, the average FPS would open with a clumsily rendered cutscene. Now, thanks to perhaps the best opening in gaming history, players are immersed in the situation as quickly as possible. Before Half-Life, the environment would consist of narrow hallways, flat rooms and color coded door keys. Now we enjoy fully realized, three-dimensional environments based in a recognizable reality. Before Half-Life, enemies were programmed to act as bullet fodder. Now they are taught to hide, retreat, flank and outsmart. Before Half-Life, the shooter genre was all about multiplayer. Now, fans of story and adventure can play as well.

Even today, Half-Life has lessons to teach. We wish every game could tell its story so seamlessly, link its levels so invisibly and create tension so effortlessly. Oh well, maybe in another decade or two...

The second greatest:  StarCraft (199

Saying that StarCraft was an influential real-time strategy is like claiming that Shakespeare was an important writer. StarCraft may not have been the first modern RTS, but it is the standard by which all new RTS’ are judged. StarCraft’s popularity has survived the test of time and its mark can still be felt in South Korea, where professional gamers continue to rake in big bucks and cheers from their adoring fans.

The Greatest Game (so far):  World of Warcraft (2004)

How good does a game have to be to make you fail all your classes or quit going to work? How addicting and immersive does a world have to be to ruin a marriage or long-term relationship? That’s the power of World of Warcraft. It’s so fun that it just might destroy you, transforming your once-normal self into a leet-speaking, loot-loving, full-time raider with three level 80 alts, two mules and an epic flying mount.

Don’t know what any of that means? With 11.5 million subscribers playing World of Warcraft, there’s a good chance that someone very close to you can tell you all about it.

Four years have passed since World of Warcraft was first released, but Blizzard’s proprietary blend of digital crack keeps us playing to this day with excellent expansions that continue to tap our primal urges for leveling up, completing quests, killing other players and exploring vast worlds. We’re not the only ones, either. According to Blizzard, World of Warcraft’s latest expansion Wrath of the Lich King sold more than 2.8 million copies during its first 24 hours of availability, making it the fastest-sellling PC game of all time.

The second greatest:  The Sims (2000)

Seven expansion packs - in less than four years - can’t be wrong. By transforming all of human life into an addictive interactive experience, The Sims captured the hearts and wallets of non-gamers, while still managing to earn hardcore players’ begrudging respect.

The Greatest Game:  Pitfall! (1982)

As the world’s very first third-party console publisher, Activision didn’t just arrive on the scene back in the early ‘80s – it detonated, setting off a zillion-megaton explosion that changed the gaming landscape forever. And if one single game could sum up all that made Activision fresher, more exciting, and just plain better than stodgy old Atari, it was Pitfall!

First off, laughable as it may seem today, Pitfall! was gorgeous. Main character Pitfall Harry was four different colors, and moved as gracefully as an Olympic decathlete. And the backgrounds and enemies were more detailed than pretty much anything Atari was doing.

On top of that, Pitfall! was vast, with hundreds of screens and a wide assortment of obstacles: Scorpions, snakes and logs that had to be leapt over, quicksand and pits to Tarzan-swing across, snapping crocodiles whose heads you had to jump upon… it felt bigger, bolder and better than other games. Because it was.

The second greatest:  Yars’ Revenge (1981)

Tons of shooters enable you to pilot a spaceship. But how many give you control of a giant, fireball-spitting fly made of living space metal? Just one. As a bonus, it also had the best box art in the history of box art.

The Greatest Game:  Centipede (1982)

The 5200 took a lot of heat for its controllers, with their side-mounted action buttons and non-centering joysticks that broke all the time. But there was one game that scoffed at such problems: Centipede, which used a high-quality trackball controller half the size of the actual console.

But solid controls weren’t the only thing that made this the 5200’s finest game. There was also the fact that this was a dead-on home port of one of the finest arcade games ever made – honest, Centipede still holds up today, though it desperately needs a trackball controller.

The 5200 would have a strong lineup of arcade ports, including Qix, Pole Position, Joust and a version of Pac-Man that didn’t make players want to stab their own eyes out with their joysticks (see Atari 2600). But Centipede was, and still is, the best.

The second greatest:  Rescue on Fractalus (1984)

It was a dead heat between RoF and BallBlazer – even Montezuma’s Revenge got a vote. But the precedents that this LucasArts-developed space shooter set – procedurally generated landscapes, real scares when you “rescued” an alien attacker instead of a friend, and the invention of the word “jaggies” – won us over.

The Greatest Game:  Tempest 2000 (1994)

We know what you’re thinking. “How could a crapheap like the Jaguar have any great games?” But not even the typewriter-sized controller of Atari’s doomed gaming kitty could obscure the greatness of Tempest 2000.

Conceived by iconic gaming guru Jeff Minter, Tempest 2000 was an absolute clinic on how to remake a classic arcade game. The essence of the original game was preserved – you were still an abstract crab-thing tip-toeing around the rims of various space tubes and vomiting bullets at other geometric shapes – but it evolved perfectly to suit then-modern technology and new players.

The camera was tighter and mobile. The original game’s sparse line graphics were replaced by vast washes of color and pyrotechnic special effects. There was a pulsing techno soundtrack. Your “ship” could jump. And you could turn most of these enhancements off and just play old school Tempest if you preferred to. What you couldn’t do was stop playing.

In fact, Tempest 2000 proved its greatness by outgrowing the system that birthed it. It showed up later on Saturn, PC, Mac, and PlayStation (as Tempest X3). Today, its greatness echoes in the freeware gem Typhoon 2001.

The second greatest:  Alien vs Predator (1994)

With only a passing resemblance to the PC game, the Jag’s version of AVP – the original – put players in the roles of three very different characters: A Space Marine, an armed-to-the-hilt Predator, and a vicious, air vent-crawling Alien. It also had a fairly decent commercial.

Next up: Handheld systems, including Game Boy, PSP and even the
Atari Lynx...

The Greatest Game:  Tetris (1989)

Does this one need any description? Arguably the perfect game, Tetris has been experienced by everyone, including you, your mother and possibly your great-grandmother. The seemingly simple puzzler latches on to your mind the moment you start, and even hours after stopping, the desire to match up blocks for an ultimate four-line “clear” can subconsciously invade your dreams. Most importantly, Tetris sold the Game Boy right from launch, making it a ludicrously popular system with incredible longevity.

Although versions existed before the Game Boy pack-in, and the game continues to be released in new iterations, Tetris never found a better home than on that spinach-tinted screen. You could play it for a few minutes before bed (warning: see above) or kill hours on end during a dull family vacation. Many copycats and admirable competitors have come along, but few games - puzzle or otherwise -can match Tetris for that ideal, object-manipulating meditation. And the purest form of that experience remains the one that released 20 years ago on Nintendo’s very first handheld.

The second greatest:  Pokemon Red / Blue (1996)

The ridiculously layered RPG formula that Pokemon Red / Blue pioneered is so perfect, it’s remained nearly unchanged throughout four generations (over 10 years) of Pokemon games. Kids can play through Red / Blue easily, without suspecting the depth that lurks below. For the dedicated, however, the world of EV training and IV breeding in Red / Blue is one of the most hardcore and rewarding experiences of all time.

The Greatest Game:  Mario Clash (1995)

Sigh… it’s hard to muster up genuine enthusiasm for a system that’s physically painful to play for more than 20 minutes. Be that as it may, Mario Clash represents the best mix of fake-virtual-reality gameplay and the original sewer-cleaning Mario Bros. game. Gameplay is as simple as the arcade ancestor – clear room after one-screen room of enemies by jumping on them and throwing their bodies at other enemies. Once the sewer pipes stop spewing monsters, you’re off to the next level.

Yes, it’s extremely basic. Yes, it’s far from a system seller. But when it comes to presenting faux 3D, where one pipe will take you “deeper” into the level and you throw your downed enemy’s body back toward your eyes, Mario Clash does as good a job as possible. Also, it’s one of only 14 US Virtual Boy games, and we sure as hell weren’t going to give it to Waterworld.

The second greatest:  Wario Land (1995)

A surprisingly robust adventure game in the style of Six Golden Coins, the black-and-red-only Wario Land was the first game that caused actual eye strain from too much play time. It lost the top spot because, well, this kind of game isn’t suited for the Virtual Boy, and as a result one can only take so much before less strenuous options win out.

The Greatest Game:  Advance Wars (2001)

Released fairly early in the handheld's life, Advance Wars was the standout original property from Nintendo for the GBA. While its bright, colorful visuals and simple yet intelligent translation helped it gain an audience, the real root of its appeal comes - as it should - from gameplay. Perfectly suited for stopping and starting at any time, and containing fantastic tutorials, Advance Wars brought turn-based strategy to the mainstream gamer. Quite a success for a normally niche genre.

The rock-paper-scissors core of the massive battles is uncluttered, and the intricacies of the many units are easy to learn, but each new sortie introduces an additional wrinkle to master. Eventually, you reach an end game that's riddled with shockingly dense rules... and yet you understand completely. After you finish the lengthy campaign, there are dozens of maps to unlock, stats to ratchet up to five stars and - should you feel particularly masochistic - an incredibly challenging "advanced" difficulty level. Is it any wonder our game clock topped 100 hours?

The second greatest:  Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)

Unlike other Castlevania titles, Aria of Sorrow wasn't caught in the shadow of Symphony of the Night. Instead, the game embraced its differences, showcasing a beefy tactical system and the best music you'll ever hear on the GBA.

The Greatest Game (so far):  The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)

Put simply, Phantom Hourglass is the ultimate DS experience. No other title uses the stylus and dual screen technology so perfectly. Every function is mapped to the little plastic pen: movement, attacks, ship steering, and note taking. None of it feels awkward or forced, reaffirming the ability of Zelda games to maximize the controls of whatever system they appear on. The DS mechanics are used here so well here, in fact, that other developers really don’t have much of an excuse anymore for not trying.

The colorful, cel-shaded graphics – adapted from Wind Waker on the GameCube – also push the very limits of the system. We didn’t think 3D like this was possible on a handheld until we witnessed Phantom Hourglass in action. Best of all, Phantom Hourglass marries all this new technology with old familiar gameplay in a way that enables an epic and meaty Zelda adventure to be digested in short, portable spurts.

The second greatest:  New Super Mario Bros (2006)

Put simply again, New Super Mario Bros

Oh man, I disagree with nearly everything.

Ok, NES is fine, but SNES, come on Super Mario World has to be above Super Metroid. I would put it as number one. Then on N64, come on, a top two N64 list without OOT is bunk.

Gamecube Smash Bros melee at one? Hello? Metroid Prime and RE4 say hi. Wii Sports as two on Wii? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I suppose on success alone. San Andreas and Okami on PS2? If Okami is PS2's second best game I pity PS2, though it is good. There are better games and San Andreas ehhhh, I prefer Vice City.

Halo 2 Xbox's best game???????? Did I miss something? KOTOR as second? Hmmmmm.

Gears of War on 360? Come on, there are better 360 games. Rock Band at 2? What?

The Megadrive list is cack. Where is Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion or a streets of rage game or mercs or something decent?

SCalibur as number one on dreamcast? Shenmue 2 says hello.

New Super Mario bros on DS? Fuck no. GBA with no mention of metroid? Or Zelda Minish cap? Or Fire Emblem? Fail.

The Greatest Game (so far):  The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)

SteelAttack said:

GG drives a Jaguar.
Vrooooooooooom!

It's a real Jaguar. I ride on her back like He-man with my sword, loincloth and headband. My bare balls on her furry back. Nothing sexual about it.

LOL Coopersville, good point.

Dvader, you like PS0 that much?

What was AVP on Jaguar like? That was the game that tempted me back in the old days.

Coopersville said:

gamingeek said:

LOL Coopersville, good point.

[...]

What was AVP on Jaguar like? That was the game that tempted me back in the old days.

Thanks, I made it specifically for this outrage.

There's some AVP videos on YouTube, if you haven't seen them. People seriously think a Wolfenstein mod is the best game for the Jaguar?

Sounds about right.