Here at GameCola, we know that videogames are much like any other entertainment medium in that greatness is a rare buoy in a sea of revolting garbage. For every Casablanca there are 100 Norbits, for every Rolling Stones there are 100 Insane Clown Posses, and for every Legend of Zelda there are 100 Jenga: World Tours. For this reason, greatness deserves to be identified and celebrated.
So to do this, we gathered together our crack team of professional Internet videogame journalists and polled them on their personal top 25 favorite games of all time. These lists yielded 224 different games which were whittled down into a definitive list of the top 50 videogames of all time as far as we, the GameCola staff, are concerned. Since we are, of course, the most respected team of game journalists in all of Internetland, that makes this the most reputable, indisputable top 50 list in existence. However, everybody has their own opinion and nothing fuels fan rage quite like finding your favorite games were left off a Top 50 list—or, worse yet, that your favorite games were outranked by your least favorite. So I’ve included who voted for each game for your rage-flaming pleasure. If you’d like their home addresses I also accept bribes.
50. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Who’s to blame:
Zach Rich – #2
I don’t mention it much, but the Fire Emblem series is one of those series that make me pee a little every time I see a screenshot of it. Here’s a series that offers some of the best strategic thinking you can get this side of a chess board, with more statistics and equipment than you can shake a dungeon master’s guide at. It was really hard for me to narrow it down to one entry from the series to put on the list, but at the end of the day, the GameCube chapter, Path of Radiance, is the one that still stands out to me the best, thanks to a solidly engaging story, almost too many memorable characters, and so many little tweaks to what makes the series so great. If you want to get someone into the series, toss them this gem first. Ike’s story is a sad but exciting one, and it’s one I’ve had the pleasure of playing through again, and again, and again.
—Zach Rich
49. Faxanadu
Who’s to blame:
Jeff Day – #2
Faxanadu is an odd choice for this list. It was never extremely popular and it didn’t fly off the shelves to game-hungry children. However, I declare it one of the finest action-RPGs to hit the NES. Sure, it may be ugly and earth-toned, and the character design is a tad demented, but with solid controls, an interesting story (mingled with useless NPCs giving their two cents about nothing pertinent, such as getting my autograph), a truly wicked soundtrack, and one of the best sound effects for slaying I have ever heard grace the NES, this is definitely worth trying out. Plus, hearing that you don’t have enough Golds or the Guru’s phonetically disturbing mantra meditation/game password delivery is mind-blowing.
—Jeff Day
48. Mega Man 4
Who’s to blame:
Nathaniel Hoover – #2
Mega Man 4 set a new standard for what a Mega Man game should be. From slightly cleaner and more responsive controls to more detailed and less flickery graphics, Mega Man 4 made a host of subtle technical improvements over its predecessors. Though perhaps there are things that other Mega Man games do better, Mega Man 4 does more things well all across the board than virtually any other game in the series.
Mega Man 4 offers a wide array of fighting and platforming challenges as well as powerful, fun-to-use weapons that appeal to a variety of play styles. There’s a handful of references to previous games, a modest assortment of multiple paths, a bona-fide plot twist, and a high number of inadvertently glitchy things you can do to amuse yourself. Multifaceted in its entertainment value, Mega Man 4 is the kind of game all its offspring for the next decade wanted to be like.
—Nathaniel Hoover
47. Perfect Dark
Who’s to blame:
Justin Luschinski – #11
Matt Jonas – #16
Now, to most gamers nowadays, and to most PC gamers, this game might look like shit wrapped up in a blanket drizzled with fail. But back in the day it was amazing for anyone who owned an N64. Even now, concepts like different weapon firing modes have been left in the dust, to the dismay of many gamers. But at the time, it had amazing graphics, intriguing mutliplayer, a great story, great co-op gameplay, and it even had a mode where the first player attempts to beat a mission while a friend plays as one of the henchmen, which still hasn’t been topped to this day. For innovating wherever it could, Perfect Dark gets a high recommendation. Just don’t be a douche and use the Farsight, OK?
—Justin Luschinski
46. Deus Ex: The Conspiracy
Who’s to blame:
Justin Luschinski – #1
For PC gamers, this name is essentially the equivalent of Jesus for Christianity. Although the story, setting, and characters were well realized for their time, the most intriguing aspect of this game was the perfect blending of first-person action and role-playing game elements. You could level up your main character however you wanted. Want to go in with an assault rifle and repaint the enemy stronghold in grey matter? You can do that. Want to hack the controls for the gun turrets and turn them against their creators? You can do that. Want to become a one-man spy ass-kicking machine and sneak around bases beating people up with nothing but a riot baton and a pair of shades from Sport Check? You can do that. It was that personal touch of choice, combined with a great setting, that truly made Deus Ex a marvel to behold.
—Justin Luschinski
45. Flower
Who’s to blame:
Elizabeth Medina-Gray – #1
Without any text, overt storylines, or even much in the way of instructions, Flower shows us the sort of power that videogames are capable of. The premise behind this PSN game is remarkably simple: the player controls a single flower petal (or perhaps the wind?) and guides this petal through six different levels, awakening other flowers and generally making the world a better place. The game is innovative in its design and gameplay, and it’s a joy to control.
Flower is visually and aurally stunning in new and interesting ways, and that’s one reason, certainly, why it’s on this list. But this is much more than just a “pretty” game. I feel fairly secure in saying that some of my strongest emotional responses to videogames—ever—have happened while I was playing Flower. And those are emotions from very different extremes: joy, serenity, excitement, fulfillment, terror…I can’t really say much more without spoiling the experience for those of you who haven’t played the game yet, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Flower is a short game, but it is well-structured and does exactly what it sets out to do in the time that it gives itself. With astounding graphics and sound, and intensely absorbing and fulfilling gameplay, Flower is, in my opinion, very nearly a perfect game.
—Elizabeth “Lizo” Medina-Gray
I would like to point out that Knights of the Old Republic has a much better story than George Lucas could have ever hoped of writing, and if you haven’t played it yet, you are not allowed on the internet until you do so.
Any time I hear anyone complain about Feature Creep in the Mega Man series, the first thing I think of is Cranky Kong complaining about how, back in his day, all players had were a joystick and one button, and they LIKED it. We’ve got complex games like Smash Bros. Brawl on the list, and people are whining about having the OPTION to hold down a button to charge up a shot?
I’m just railing on you because Mega Man 10 was Feature Creeped to the max, yet it didn’t have the two features–sliding and charging–that would have made the game more fun.