Super Smash Bros Brawl (3)

[Nauren]

Here is some interesting info (ps...lunar rocked)

SSB showed up in the top 10 of 3 major magazines out of 22. Even Nintendo Power didn't list it in the top 10.

Keep in mind these are all user voted.

Nintendo Power (2006)
issue 200

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
2 Resident Evil 4 Capcom 2005
3 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
4 Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Nintendo 2003
5 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
6 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
7 Legend of Zelda Nintendo 1986
8 Super Mario World Nintendo 1991
9 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
10 Metroid Prime Nintendo 2002

Note: This is Nintendo Power's second list. They also made a list in 2005 (included below).

Electronic Gaming Monthly (2005)
issue 200

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
2 Pac Man Namco 1980
3 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991
4 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
5 Legend of Zelda Nintendo 1986
6 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
7 Space Invaders Taito 1978
8 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
9 Grand Theft Auto 3 Rockstar Games 2001
10 Pong Atari 1972

Note: This is EGM's third list. They also made a list in 2002 and 1997 (included below).

GamePro magazine (2005)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Resident Evil 4 Capcom 2005
2 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
3 Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 1997
4 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
5 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
6 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
7 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991
8 Metal Gear: Solid Konami 1998
9 Halo 2 Bungie Studios 2004
10 Super Smash Brothers: Melee Nintendo 2001

Gamefaqs.com (2005)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 1997
2 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
3 Chrono Trigger Squaresoft 1995
4 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
5 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
6 Super Smash Brothers: Melee Nintendo 2001
7 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
8 Metal Gear: Solid Konami 1998
9 Halo 2 Bungie Studios 2004
10 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994

IGN.com (2005)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
2 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
3 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
4 Civilization II Microprose 1996
5 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
6 Pirates! Microprose
1987
7 StarCraft Blizzard 1998
8 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991
9 Star Wars: TIE Fighter LucasArts 1995
10 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994

The Age newspaper / LiveWire (2005)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 The Sims 2 Maxis 2005
2 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
3 Half-Life 2 Valve 2004
4 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
5 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Rockstar Games 2004
6 Halo 2 Bungie Studios 2004
7 Gran Turismo 4 Polyphony Digital 2005
8 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
9 Ico Sony 2001
10 Metal Gear: Solid Konami 1998

Edge magazine (2004)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
2 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
3 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
4 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
5 Gran Turismo Polyphony Digital 1998
6 Quake II id
1997
7 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
8 Street Fighter II (Turbo) Capcom 1991
9 Half-Life Valve / Sierra 1998
10 Super Mario World Nintendo 1991

Retrogamer magazine (2004)*
issue 9

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Elite Acornsoft 1984
2 Super Mario World Nintendo 1991
3 Manic Miner Bug-Byte 1983
4 Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 1997
5 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
6 Space Invaders Taito 1978
7 Jet Set Willy Software 1984
8 Sensible Soccer Sensible 1992
9 DOOM id / GT Interactive 1993
10 Pac Man Namco 1980

* Retro Gamer Issue 1 also featured a "Top 100" list, though this one was actually 10 distinct "Top 10" lists segregated by platform.

IGN.com (2003)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
2 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
3 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994
4 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
5 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
6 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
7 StarCraft Blizzard 1998
8 X-COM: UFO Defense Mythos Games 1994
9 Final Fantasy II (IV) Squaresoft 1991
10 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991

Entertainment Weekly / GF (2003)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
2 DOOM id / GT Interactive 1993
3 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
4 Grand Theft Auto 3 Rockstar Games 2001
5 Madden 2003 Electronic Arts 2002
6 Half-Life Valve / Sierra 1998
7 The Sims Maxis 2000
8 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
9 StarCraft Blizzard 1998
10 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991

Note: Number 9 on this list was actually "Warcraft / Starcraft" which is kind of cheating since they are two different games.

Dorkclub.com (2003)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994
2 Chrono Trigger Squaresoft 1995
3 Metal Gear: Solid Konami 1998
4 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994
5 Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 1997
6 Half-Life Valve / Sierra 1998
7 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
8 Super Smash Brothers: Melee Nintendo 2001
9 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
10 Earthbound Nintendo 1995

Electronic Gaming Monthly (2002)
issue 150

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994
2 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
3 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
4 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Konami 1997
5 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
6 Soul Caliber Namco 1998
7 Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Nintendo 2000
8 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
9 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994
10 Super Mario World Nintendo 1991

Note: This is EGM's second list. They also made a list in 1997 (included below).

GameSpy.com (2001)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 DOOM id / GT Interactive 1993
2 Half-Life Valve / Sierra 1998
3 Warcraft 2 Blizzard 1995
4 Civilization Microprose 1991
5 Quake id / GT Interactive 1996
6 Diablo Blizzard 1996
7 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar Origin 1985
8 Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss Origin / Blue Sky 1992
9 StarCraft Blizzard 1998
10 Legend of Zelda Nintendo 1986

Game Informer magazine (2001)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda Nintendo 1986
2 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
3 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
4 Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 Activision 2000
5 DOOM id / GT Interactive 1993
6 Metroid Nintendo 1986
7 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994
8 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
9 Ms. Pac-Man Namco 1981
10 Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 1997

GameSpot.com (2001)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 1997
2 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
3 Resident Evil Capcom 1996
4 Virtua Racing Sega 1992
5 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991
6 Dragon Warrior Enix 1986
7 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
8 Legend of Zelda Nintendo 1986
9 Double Dragon Taito 1987
10 Commando Capcom 1985

Note: List was formally "most influencial" games of all time.

Computer and Video Games magazine (2001)
(I've had to piece this list together through second-hand sources. Please help me fill in the blanks)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
2 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
3 ?
4 ?
5 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
6 Super Mario Kart Nintendo 1992
7 Super Mario World Nintendo 1991
8 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
9 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
10 ?

GamesRadar.com (2000)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
2 Metal Gear: Solid Konami 1998
3 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
4 DOOM id / GT Interactive 1993
5 Civilization 2 Microprose 1996
6 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
7 StarCraft Blizzard 1998
8 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
9 Resident Evil: Code Veronica Capcom 2000
10 Street Fighter II (Turbo) Capcom 1991

Note: With the exception of SMB, GamesRadar recognized entire "franchises" in their list. The specific games mentioned are the ones the authors note as the "bests" of the series.

Nintendorks.com (2000)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
2 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
3 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
4 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994
5 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
6 Legend of Zelda Nintendo 1986
7 Super Mario Kart Nintendo 1992
8 Super Mario Bros. Nintendo 1985
9 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
10 Punch-Out! Nintendo 1987

Note: List was limited to games appearing on Nintendo platforms.

Next Generation magazine (1999)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo 1998
2 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
3 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
4 Civilization Microprose 1991
5 Quake II id 1996
6 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994
7 Super Mario Kart Nintendo 1992
8 Virtua Fighter 2 Sega 1995
9 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991
10 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997

Note: In this list Next Gen has made my life difficult by identifying four "series" in their top 10 (#1 is the "Zelda series," #3 is the "Mario series," #4 is the "Civilization series," and #6 is the "Metroid series"). To keep this list in the style of all the others, I have thus tampered with it, and inserted games from each series which I think they would be statistically most likely to have chosen as the "best" game of each franchise.

Note 2: This is Next Generation''s second list. They also made a list in 1996 (included below).

Electronic Gaming Monthly (1997)
issue 100

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
2 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
3 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
4 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
5 Street Fighter II (Turbo) Capcom 1991
6 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994
7 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Nintendo 1995
8 Contra III: The Alien Wars Konami 1992
9 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994
10 Saturn Bomberman Hudson Soft 1997

Nintendo Power magazine (1997)
issue 100

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
2 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Nintendo 1992
3 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
4 Mario Kart 64 Nintendo 1997
5 Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo 1990
6 Super Metroid Nintendo 1994
7 Goldeneye 007 Rare 1997
8 Final Fantasy II (IV) Squaresoft 1991
9 Final Fantasy III (VI) Squaresoft 1994
10 Street Fighter II (Turbo) Capcom 1991

Note: List was limited to games appearing on Nintendo platforms.

Next Generation magazine (1996)

Rank Title Publisher Year
1 Super Mario 64 Nintendo 1996
2 Tetris Alexey Pajitnov 1987
3 Super Bomberman 2 Hudson Soft 1994
4 Civilization Microprose 1991
5 Super Mario Bros.
Nintendo 1985
6 Virtua Fighter 2 Sega 1995
7 Street Fighter II Capcom 1991
8 Lemmings Psygnosis 1990
9 Quake id / GT Interactive 1996
10 Warcraft 2 Blizzard 1995

Note: Number 5 on this list was actually the "Mario series," which was an odd choice, since presumably Super Mario 64 is part of the "Mario series" as well.

Overall

Assuming these lists represent voices of authority in the gaming community, we can easily make a cumulative list averaging out the most universally popular games. I'm not smart enough to do mathematical averages of rank, but based on sheer popularity (as defined by appearing on 11 or more lists), the top four games of all time seem to be:

1 Super Mario 64 (17 out of 22 lists)
2 Tetris (appears on 16 out of the 22)
3 (tie) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (13 out of 22)
Street Fighter II (13 out of 22)
4 Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (11 out of 22)

As you can see, it's very close. Every time I update this list with a new chart number the top five fluctuates.

Other popular titles:

Super Mario Bros. (10 out of 22)
Goldeneye 007 (9 out of 22)
Final Fantasy III (9 out of 22)
Super Metroid (7 out of 22)
Final Fantasy VII (6 out of 22)

Platform totals

[tarick]

Tarick's Top 10 Games of all time

1. Final Fantasy Tactics
2. Chrono Trigger
3. Madden 2002
4. Final Fantasy X
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
6. Tecmo Super Bowl
7. Final Fantasy VII
8. Super Mario Bros.
9. Street Fighter II
10. Bubble Bobble

Add that to your results

[_Code]

No Dig-Dug 2?

bah!

[Sosa]

Bah, the entire argument of using gross sales to justify the quality of a game is completely pointless, in my opinion. Don't forget about the art that's obscured behind all of the commercialism. Games used to be about more than just the money.

Remember that little title called "I.C.O.?" Granted, it was a bit of an aquired taste... but it garnered phenominal critical acclaim and is widely held as one of the best experiences available on the PS2. It was also one of the lowest grossing games on the market. Games that don't have an extensive advertising campaign or other major exposure before arrival onto the market usually won't outgross consistant top-sellers like the yearly madden games, even if recent changes in the formulae for these games causes them to be significantly 'worse' than the previous installments. Gameplay is far more important than the sales demographics...

And yes, I'll concede that SSB: Melee is an aquired taste. It's not for everyone. If you like your fighting games to be button mashers, you'll have to look elsewhere. If you want a deep level of technical detail in the fighting system, you're better off with Tekken 5 or Soul Calibur III. But personally, I have NEVER found a fighting game as fun to play with a few friends as I have in Smash Bros Melee. It's not the most technical or immersive fighter on the market, but trying to compare it directly to the other 'big guns' of fighting games directly is an error of judgement... it is not intended to be as technical as these 'championship fighters.'

The game is designed to be played in short segments with friends, and focuses on fast-paced constantly shifting action. It's designed so that you can pick it up and play it without having to spend three weeks memorizing inane combo combinations. Most importantly, it was a departure away from the tournament-oriented mindset that plagued basically every fighting game available before it. There are so many different ways to mix up the "beat eachother until your life bar runs out" mechanic before it feels old. The departure away from traditional "health bars" and focus on knocking an opponent out of the ring instead of persuing a KO was one of the best changes to the genre that has ever been implemented, in my opinion.

You don't have to like the characters, but that's a huge selling point for anyone with nostalgic memories. What makes more sense than seeing your favorite video game characters beating eachother senseless in a fighting game? If you're getting caught up on how a foot-tall yellow rat with jack-rabbit ears can kick the shit out of an intergalactic bounty hunter armed to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction, you've completely lost the point of playing video games... lol

[Kaifu1]

sosa said:

Bah, the entire argument of using gross sales to justify the quality of a game is completely pointless, in my opinion. Don't forget about the art that's obscured behind all of the commercialism. Games used to be about more than just the money.


And yes, I'll concede that SSB: Melee is an aquired taste. It's not for everyone. If you like your fighting games to be button mashers, you'll have to look elsewhere. If you want a deep level of technical detail in the fighting system, you're better off with Tekken 5 or Soul Calibur III. But personally, [glow=red,2,300]I have NEVER found a fighting game as fun to play with a few friends as I have in Smash Bros Melee.[/glow]

The game is designed to be played in short segments with friends, and focuses on fast-paced constantly shifting action. It's designed so that you can pick it up and play it without having to spend three weeks memorizing inane combo combinations. Most importantly, it was a departure away from the tournament-oriented mindset that plagued basically every fighting game available before it. There are so many different ways to mix up the "beat eachother until your life bar runs out" mechanic before it feels old. The departure away from traditional "health bars" and focus on knocking an opponent out of the ring instead of persuing a KO was one of the best changes to the genre that has ever been implemented, in my opinion.

You don't have to like the characters, but that's a huge selling point for anyone with nostalgic memories. What makes more sense than seeing your favorite video game characters beating eachother senseless in a fighting game? If you're getting caught up on how a foot-tall yellow rat with jack-rabbit ears can kick the shit out of an intergalactic bounty hunter armed to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction, you've completely lost the point of playing video games... lol

I love you Sosa.

After Ember that is.

[Nauren]

I guess thats my problem....I don't have problems memorizing combos....I think most fighting games are too simplistic as is....I dont' want something easier..or something I can pick up for 5 min then put down...I want hours of gameplay logged...I just dont' feel i've earned my money's worth otherwise.

and I just can't agree with the "throw in your favorite charactors" and it would be a good game...I mean Erghiez still sucked.

[mirowr]

nauren said:

...I mean Erghiez still sucked.

most awful game ever.

EVER.

[_Code]

sosa said:

Bah, the entire argument of using gross sales to justify the quality of a game is completely pointless

QFT.

and 100% aggreed.

Critics suck, (The Crow got thumbs down from Siskel & Ebert and was one of the best movies ever imo), but the argument wasn't in regards to our opinion of a good game, the argument was in regards to SSBM being one of the top sellers of all times. A point that has been disproven with fact after fact for 3 pages.

_Code

[Kaifu1]

there were pages before this one?

Regardless, I'm still going to play this game, and enjoy it.

[mistform]

I like video games if they are fun. Simple as that. BTW just because there are alot of something doesnt mean its bad...Final Fantasy has like 20 games.

[Nauren]

Your right FF does have several games.....all with different charactors though. Only repeat charactors are cameo's. Which is one reason I love it.

[tarick]

nauren said:

I don't understand how a fighting game with old corny nintendo charactors is good? lol Shouldn't a fighting game have I dunno....decent fighting in it...I dunno about you..but I'm sure as shit I can kick Mario's ass.

As I get into Kingdom Hearts 2, and recall how hyped you were to get that game, I find this statement a bit funny. For instance, I just got to a part where the main protagonist from FFVIII asked me to kill some monsters for him....well not just me, me and a dog and a duck.

[Nauren]

Love the game..hate those guys..but the standard story avoids the majority of them..they are sort of fill ins. I switch them out at all costs.

[Kaifu1]

"This is my story..."

[Nauren]

Auron ftw. or Yuna..depends on which scene