5 Games that Changed the World

[jezzace]

Heres what I think are the top five games that changed the world. I realise the list isn't perfect (for starters, I know very little pre-mid eighties and theres bound to be an arcade game or two that had an impact) So refine the list or just come up with your own. Having only 5 is very limiting. I couldn't put Sonic or Mario Kart in there.

Not in any order.

1. Street Fighter 2
The first game to have powerful moves that took skill to pull off and perfect characters, all perfectly balanced, with some of the best game music ever. The benchmark for every single fighting game that will ever be created because it was so perfect.
2. Doom
It wasn't the first game to do first person but it was the first game to do first person properly. It creates an extremely tense atmosphere which is still eerie today and the weapons were so much fun to shoot. It was also the first game to have a decent online following.
3. Mario 64
Many sceptics wondered why nintendo delayed the release of the N64 just to get their mascot out, they were silenced when they played it. The first game to have a properly realised 3d environment, it also had ingenious level design which has yet to be bettered.
4. Final Fantasy 7
Not really a game but more of an epic story, this is still the best example of story telling and character design in the history of video games. It brought new audiences to the RPG genre by the bucket loads. The battle system isn't the best around, and the mini games are poorly conceived, but the story is too involving to make you care about those minor faults.
5. Gta 3
This is mainly in the list because it is the first game to incorporate ultra violence, crime and sharp humour and pop culture and almost 100% freedom in one package. Its incredibly arcadey gameplay meant that anybody who didn't read the Daily Mail would be instantly hooked. It deserves to be in the list just because its the first controversial game to actually have gameplay to back up the mindless violence.

Phew didn't mean to write that much.

[Fuddle]

i would replace Grand theft auto with Gran Tourismo.

great racing game that upped the bar in realistic graphics (not just in racers)...and is still only bettered by its own sequels in terms of gameplay.

i know a lot of people hate it...but i hate GTA

[lordcookie]

Mine would be;

Spacewar - for obvious reasons
Pong - Again pretty obvious
Donkey Kong - First sign of a franchisable character imo
Super Mario Kart - Its the reason why every remotely popular liscence now has a kart game of some description
I Robot - First game with polygons.

[John Beaulieu]

Donkey Kong - First sign of a franchisable character imo

Pac-man was the very first franchisable character - in fact it was the first character based game

[MD]

Donkey Kong - First sign of a franchisable character imo

Pac-man was the very first franchisable character - in fact it was the first character based game

Define character as the two gunmen in the 70s Taito Gunfight seem very character like to me. :P

My top 5 of games that changed the world would be....


Tennis - Magnavox Odyssey
Without this there probably would be no Atari, no pong, etc, etc....

Space Invaders - Taito - Arcade
The first game to really have any craze and to get national news support after Pong.

Sim City - Maxis - Apple Macintosh
Simple and basic, and although not the first 'Sim' like game it brought about control and power like no game before it. Brought back the concept of games not having an end and a game you can play for many hours without realising it.

Virtua Fighter - Sega - Arcade
The first game really to show how 3D games could be done, fast, smooth with movement never seen before in a game.

Pokemon - Nintendo - Gameboy
Love it or hate it, Pokemon brought boys and girls together like no other game has ever done. Now if the game worked on 20 year old women then it would be perfect.

Thats five, but there are others which are equally important, but those will have to do. :P

[John Beaulieu]

MD - did you notice the word 'franchiseable' before character? i didn't see any Gunmen pillow cases

camps

[Sieg]

1) Space Invaders
2) Pac-Man
3) Street Fighter 2
4) Super Mario Bros.
5) Quake

S.

[Mystery-C]

my list is as follows.

1. Space Invaders.
The start of my addiction i think. I remember going into the room at the rear of our local record shop, there was a couple of fruit machines, a pinball machine and then a gathering of us early to mid teens all cramped round the arcade machine, taking it in turns to get the highest score. You had to be good at it or you had to wait about an hour between go's.

2. Knightlore. ZX Spectrum.
not sure if this was the first isometric adventure on the spectrum, but was the progession on from Attic Attack etc. First game i ever finished. Funny how the problems that were apparent then are still a major fault in 3D adventures these days.. ie camera positions and charachters having to be inch perfect to make certain leaps etc.

3. Mario Kart.
Multi play at it's finest and never bettered. Many hours lost to this game, such a simple concept yet so addictive... as with item 1 really.

4. Daytona Usa
Got me back into the arcade scene again, still have to track a machine down now if i'm near an arcade. Top graphics, good handling, link up units, what more do i need to say.

5. Gran Turismo
Finally an almost realistic driving game on a home console, (well there still wasn't any car damage was there ). The graphics were incredible on a machine that nobody thought would be possible. Another game that kept me away from my social life for long periods, but i wasn't missing much as everyone else i knew was playing it to.

[bowser123]

I would chuck Goldeneye into the discussion.
Sure it wasn't the 1st FPS but it was probably the 1st really good one that many ever played if they never owned a PC. It was responsible for getting lots of people I know into games and still Rare's best game I reckon. The game mixed a good, solid one player game with a multi-player that has only ever been equalled by the mighty halo in terms of FPS IMO. The controls are perfect and the "obtaining cheats system" was a sublime introduction.
Remember using the sniper rifle for the 1st time, shooting the Russian guards hat off in Facility's toilet or trying to save that annoying Natalya?
And it still looks solid today.


All magic moments from a truly great game.

[dataDave]

...with a multi-player that has only ever been equalled by the mighty halo in terms of FPS IMO.

Perfect Dark"s multi-player pisses all over Goldeneye. Sorry, I have to keep prodding my PD stick every single time Goldeneye is mentioned.

Here are my top 5 games that changed the world...

Mortal Kombat
I remember '93 well. That year the hardcore were seperated from the casual with the release of MK in the arcades. It was ok for a laugh, the blood and fatalities were fun, but every damn character handled the same - this had nothing over Street Fighter (into it's Super stage shortly after MK was out) or Fatal Fury Special. It was always a ****e game IMO, but none of my friends would listen. It's funny, because those same friends are busy playing movie tie-ins on their Xboxes as you read this.

Goldeneye
This was a game everyone played and got reasonably good at. Even if they didn't like games. Most non-gamers still talk to me today about their memories of Goldeneye. God knows why I seem to be the only person in the entire world playing Perfect Dark". ft:

Super Mario 64
Same as above

Final Fantasy VI
Same reasons given above for FFVII without the character design and mass western advertising with every PSX owner jumping on the bandwagon eventhough 95% of them didn't know what the hell they were buying - hence VII being the most 'returned to store' game of all time.

Microsoft Flight Simulator
For those of you who can't figure out why this game changed the world - think of 9/11.

[Concept]

In recent times, the most obvious are probably:

Virtua Fighter (1993) - Dictated not only the evolution that all proceeding 3D beat'em'ups would follow, but also the dynamics of how 2D could metamorphosis into something else through expertly handled animation/perspectives within a 3D framework.

Doom (1993) - Inspired countless clones, and almost single-handedly helped build the foundations that would later inspire the FPS development base.

Super Mario 64 (1996) - Essentially defined the conventions and mechanics which all 'true-3D’ platform gameplay would follow, and also highlighted the implications of using analogue control in console gaming.

Final Fantasy VII (1997) - Influenced and brought the traditional Japanese RPG genre kicking and screaming into mainstream life of the west.

Metal Gear Solid (1998) - Along with Tenchu, at time of release, this game helped establish the stealth-action genre and such elements that were to be used countless times, again and again in other titles. Not only that, but MGS helped establish many of the conventions that are used today when delivering gameplay through a cinematic story-based format.

[paddyo]

what about the rhythm action genre ? surely ddr must have changed the world pretty much ? as least every female member of my family would agree anyway !!

also tetris , changed the world by showing how a hand held system could provide great entertainment wherever you are ?

just my 2 cents

[bowser123]

...with a multi-player that has only ever been equalled by the mighty halo in terms of FPS IMO.

Perfect Dark"s multi-player pisses all over Goldeneye. Sorry, I have to keep prodding my PD stick every single time Goldeneye is mentioned.

Perfect Darks Multiplayer? Good, but for some reason I tend to play more Goldeneye. PD has its plus points like the bots, facility level and the co-op mode but it just doesn't get played as much. Dunno why though.

Goldeneye
This was a game everyone played and got reasonably good at. Even if they didn't like games. Most non-gamers still talk to me today about their memories of Goldeneye. God knows why I seem to be the only person in the entire world playing Perfect Dark". ft:

That's because Perfect Dark went from being an exceptional game to a very average game in the last few alien based levels. Also Elvis, what's that guys problem? This little dude is nearly as annoying as Natalya in Goldeneye. Must agree with the bit about Goldeneye getting non-gamers interested though. So many people I know have only ever played a few games and actually bought a N64 just to be Bond.

[fatbatch]

I disagree with Jezzace that the minigames in Final Fantasy VII are 'poorly conceived' - the Golden Saucer constitutes perhaps the most ingenious way of integrating minigames into a narrative. It is the setting for important events in the story and you can revisit it to replay scenarios and play other funny little games like the mog dating one. It is also fitting that you cant revisit in the darkest days for Cloud and co ...

[quirky]

Perfect Dark just couldn't live up to Goldeneye. The level design wasn't as consistently good, too sprawly and samey, and the multiplayer was a load more hassle to set up. Yes it was infinitely customisable, but after a few beers who could be arsed?

I still go back and play it occasionally, the first few levels are brilliant, but only get dissapointed when I reach the later levels. The single player death match was a great idea, shame the difficulty level was either "stupidly easy" or "unfairly hard" and setting it just right took yonks.