The Edge Magazine 200th edition is finally out on sale in the UK and when a magazine as highly respected as Edge produces a list of the top 100 games EVER, it is kind of a big deal.
The list is made up of games that ‘define modern gaming’, that stand the test of time and of games that despite their age, are games that we would want to play even today without the nostalgia to cloud our judgment. Edge also acknowledges that the March of next-gen gaming has certainly taking its toll with many more next-gen games being featured as apposed to 8-bit classics.
The list contains those games which anyone would expect to find, the classic games that inspire ‘games as art’ such as ICO (no.54), Shadow of the colossus (no.68) and BioShock (no.34) also take respectably high places. The RPG Empire of Square Enix sees Final Fantasy VI, VII and XII included, and XBLA holds its own with Space Giraffe, Braid and Geometry Wars being placed. While the modern onslaught of Gears of War 2 (no58), Fallout 3 (no37), Street fighter IV (no.14) and Left 4 Dead (no.13), to name just a few, are featured heavily proving that modern gaming still has the ability to bring something new or do something and do it well.
Yet the top 10 is admittedly the only list anyone really cares about. I have to give it to Edge it’s a verity like no other with a mash up of titles, of platform and of ages that have truly had some of the biggest effects on modern gaming we have ever seen…
10) Yoishi’s Island (Nintendo SNES)
9) Halo 3 (Bungie, 360)
8 ) Super Mario Galexy (Nintendo, Wii)
7) Tetris (Alexey Pajitnov, various platforms)
6) Super Mario World (Nintendo SNES).
5) Zelda: A Link To The Past (Nintendo SNES)
4) Resident Evil 4 (Capcom, Wii)
3) Half Life 2 (Valve, 360, PC, PS3)
2) Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, N64)
1) Zelda Ocarina of Time (Nintendo, N64).
Before we get down to business even I couldn’t help notice that the top10 includes 7 games either on a Nintendo console or/and published by Nintendo. However, in this day and age many of the hardcore gamers feel Nintendo; the company responsible for a huge amount of classic games, has turned its back upon us. Despite its move towards Casual games Nintendo still have the power to dominate lists such as this, it is responsible for games that not only shaped modern gaming but shaped us as gamers and admittedly, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time really has had the biggest effect on me as a gamer.
When I turned the page to see Zelda OoT had been placed number one I produced the biggest Cheshire Cat grin, that game made me who I am today as a geek. Do you remember breaking free and taking Epona across Hyrule field for the first time? Never before has a game created such an amazing sensation, told such a strong story in an open yet linear environment. Zelda Ocarina of Time has achieved something amazing and personally, I believe it deserves the number one spot.
And if anyone is interested, I got the Papa the Rapper front cover (you gotta believe!)
