EGM and IGN (and GI!) "Top 100" Power Rankings!

[+kisrael]

So I'm a huge geek when it comes to "best ever" lists.

All the way back when EGM had its 100th issue "Best 100" list I started running the numbers against some scripts....just recently I went over that list, its 2002 update, and then IGN's 2003 and 2005 lists. I used a simple formula adding their cumulative "power points" (which is 101 - rank in list) and came up with the follow "best of the best":

 

Top 10 from EGM+IGN Powerlist Page....

 

1. Tetris (394)

2. Super Mario 64 (385)

3. Super Metroid (384)

4. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (381)

5. Street Fighter II (368)

6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (355)

7. Super Mario Bros. (343)

8. Chrono Trigger (324)

9. Super Mario Kart (316)

10. Super Mario World (309)

 

You can see all 235 games, along with if they went up or down from year to year, on my EGM+IGN Powerlist Page. I admit its a bit unfair to the newer games, since you can't be on a list if you're not out yet, but hey...this is a classic gaming forum anyway.

 

Let me know what you think! Are the lists good or not? I have links to the raw data I cleaned up so you can run your own numbers.

Edited August 11, 2005 by kisrael

[Famicoman]

Personally, I think the list is pretty good. As good as Tetris is though, I don't think it deserves to be "Top Dog".

[Gregory DG]

No way. Tetris belongs as #1.

 

There are far too many Mario games up there though...

[joeybastard]

I think it just reiterates the obvious: Most Mario games are good if not better than much of the other stuff released.

[n8littlefield]

I will say Tetris could very well earn it's top spot based entirely on universal appeal. The game sold Gameboys to every age group and appealed to both male and female gamers. While my personal preference isn't to put it at #1, I can see how it earned that spot.

[Famicoman]

I will say Tetris could very well earn it's top spot based entirely on universal appeal.  The game sold Gameboys to every age group and appealed to both male and female gamers.  While my personal preference isn't to put it at #1, I can see how it earned that spot.

907846[/snapback]

My thoughts exactly.

[spacecadet]

The top 10 are ok. Beyond that, I dunno. Wave Race 64? Come on.

 

Not that it's your fault or anything. But I think from #10 on, this is not really any better than any of the individual top 100 lists these publications have released, all of which are pretty ridiculous.

 

Just shows there are around 10 games that pretty much everybody can agree on being great.

[blastermaster]

For #2 i would say super mario bros not 64, but thats just me. I mean it is the first real mario game, besides mario bros. And IMO alot more long term funb the its 64 counterpart.

 

~Jon

[chrisbid]

trying to apply hard science and math to something completely arbitrary like "best 100 game" lists do make the lists or the results any less arbitrary.

[+kisrael]

Not that it's your fault or anything.  But I think from #10 on, this is not really any better than any of the individual top 100 lists these publications have released, all of which are pretty ridiculous.

 

Just shows there are around 10 games that pretty much everybody can agree on being great.

trying to apply hard science and math to something completely arbitrary like "best 100 game" lists do make the lists or the results any less arbitrary.

Look, it was just meant to have a bit of fun be a little interesting. I like seeing how games go up and how games go down,like how Ms. Pac Man went up 48 in 5 years at EGM, and then another 28 when she went to IGN the next year (and then down 7 after that)

 

Overall it's less interesting reading than the original articles of course. (Especially EGM's 1997, with it's "Coolest Part" section blurb for each game...couldn't find my copy from 2002 though, I'm relying on old numbers)

 

I think I found a Game Informer Top 100 from 2001 that might be fun to throw in there.

[sega saturn x]

I don think it's a shame that classics such as space invader, missle command, robotron and burger time are no where to be found.

[+kisrael]

I don think it's a shame that classics such as space invader, missle command, robotron and burger time are no where to be found.

The biggest insult was in the other wise great EGM100, where they had a small list of ten worst or something, and said 90% of all atari games...so bad they crashed the industry!

[sega saturn x]

What a pharse, even if the 2600 does have some bad games it's got a ton of classics as well.

[+kisrael]

What a pharse, even if the 2600 does have some bad games it's got a ton of classics as well.

Technically, their "Top 10 Worst Games of all Time" list was:

10. Shaq Fu - Super NES/Genesis

9. Rap Jam - NES

8. Friday the 13th -NES

7. Bubsy 3D - PlayStation

6. Club Drive - Jaguar

5. Total Recall - NES

4. Plumbers Don't Wear Ties

3. Shadow War of the Succession - 3DO

2. The "Make Your Own Video" series - Sega CD

1. 90 percent of the Atari 2600 games released in '83 and '84 (So bad, they crashed the industry!)

[JB]

Haw.

 

*shrugs*

So I find the stupid funny a lot of times.

[+kisrael]

So I updated the "powerlist" webpage with data from Game Informers August 2001 list...I also changed it from a static page (mostly generated by a script, though) to a dynamic page, so you can see the development of any subset of the lists, or just see the numbers for a single list.

 

Whew...really pushing my daily allotment of obsessive geekdom on this one.

 

With all 5 lists, the top 10 are now

 

1. Tetris

2. Super Mario 64

3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

4. Super Metroid

5. Street Fighter II

6. Super Mario Bros.

7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

8. Chrono Trigger

9. Super Mario Kart

10. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

 

Super Mario World gets bumped off, replaced by Z:OoT, and there's some other minor shuffling.

[Damon Plus]

Yes, there are too many Mario games up there. They´re good, but come on, leave some spots for other games. What about Sonic 2, for example?