The True Top 100?
By: Eric M. Martin |
Thursday December 27, 2007 |
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Opinions of a Games Editor |
| Anyone paying attention to IGN’s Top 100 Games of All Time list will more than likely not disagree with the picks for the Top 10. In fact, one of the comment posts mentioned something about a possible prediction failure. Personally, I was expecting to see Halo 2 top IGN’s list, albeit undeservingly. Instead, we got the original Super Mario Bros. at number one. Two words: mixed feelings. I agree that it’s a great game, but are these the true feelings of one editorial staff or merely a vote of nostalgia to placate the gaming masses? IGN gave a couple of stipulations for their list. First, games could not have been released after December 31, 2006. Second, no expansion packs or extensions, only original releases. Sounds fair, right? Anyway, after checking out the entire list, a couple of thoughts came to mind. At the top of the list was: “Didn’t they do this in 2003?” Please tell me what the compulsion is to come back four years later and change your mind. To top that off, many of the games in the first list changed places in the second list, some with drastic drops. This isn’t an update to reflect the times; this is merely another showcase of inconsistency. To begin at the top of my nitpick list, tell me why neither Diablo title made any sort of showing on the list whatsoever. You’re talking about games that people spent years of their lives playing. These games even gave rise to titles such as Darkstone and Sacred, which manage to be addictive to this very day. Even Diablo II’s Battle.net servers are still running and re-setting ladder games on a semi-regular basis. The replayability of the Diablo franchise should have made some sort of impact on the gaming world at large. Coming in at a close second, and somewhat of a heartstring for an avid RPG gamer like myself, where was the original Breath of Fire for the SNES? One, this title was part of the golden age of gaming. Two, Breath of Fire is a largely successful series, with the exception of Dragon Quarter. Eck, that game should be on the 100 Worst Games of All Time. The storyline wasn’t the best, but there was a great character selection and some unique RPG elements such as merging characters and opening up your own shops. That gets carried on in future titles with fishing, managing faerie villages, finding secret dragons, and so on. No disrespect to Mega Man 2, for it is truly deserving to be amongst the Top 100, but the first four games of the Mega Man X series are undeniably unstoppable. Once again, no showing, no mentions, no recognition. True, as the series went on and on, the games got worse and worse. For all of you reading this, there is absolutely no reason to play beyond Mega Man X5. None. Soul of a Ball of Junk, I mean Katamari Damacy, received a completely unexpected nomination for video game soundtrack at the first ever Spike Video Game Tragedy. Honestly, people have crapped better shows. But I digress, it’s quite a feat to get a mention in a steroid-infused production such as that. Let’s see…nope, no mention in IGN’s Top 100. Clear proof of the concept that “less is more”, this is a game with one purpose. Although the sequels have not been as well-received, there is no reason that Katamari Damacy should be deprived of any recognition when it comes to the best games ever. To close out the complaint file, and give our readers a break, perhaps the greatest travesty of all time. Looking at the LucasArts lineup, we have Tie Fighter, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle and Alone in the Dark. All great games, no doubt, but there is something missing. A certain “pirate-y” something. A specific (mon)key element that made LucasArts games irresistible. It certainly is no “secret” that this series proved that one man could, in fact, be an “island” unto himself and the rest of us who love, love, love witty dialogue and puzzle games. Sadly, since IGN is a representation of all that is gaming, and since this title has no mention in the best games of all time, I find it hard to remember. Perhaps this “curse” could be lifted somehow with a “return” to my computer box. No matter, I shall “escape” this final paragraph and return to my parting words. There you have it, gamers! I’m not saying that we are perfect and could have done any better, but there’s always hope. In the end, this compilation felt more like a random lottery with the big winners pre-determined long beforehand. Everyone else was just lucky to get a spot in, I guess. Perhaps, in due time, Static Multimedia will compose their own Top 100 Games of All Time list and then the gaming public at large can compare notes. |
