20 Games That Changed The World

[TMM]

No Command & Conquer and/or StarCraft makes me sigh. Those two games were awesome, and basically created the strategy genre (or whatever the genre is called). How on earth they aren't on the list...just makes no sense.

Starcraft? Not really. It was Warcraft/Warcraft II that was Blizzard's first big RTS game, not Starcraft.

I did say "or"

Besides, maybe Warcraft was the first, but I think it's pretty fair to say StarCraft perfected it.

[gunnar hendershow]

This is an awful list. I don't even SEE a Zelda title or Final Fantasy I, two games which singlehandedly converted people from D&D to video games in the 1980's. And Halo 2 over Halo 1 is just ridiculous.

Edited May 14, 2006 by damshow

[Skummy]

Personally, I don't think Zelda is that much of a glaring omission. It's relatively big within game circles, but it hardly "changed the world". Gauntlet, perhaps, Zelda, no.

This list is dogwank, though.

[Toe]

You need to remember that the list isn't best games, but games that changed the world. That list is still fucked beyond belief, but saying Halo or Zelda changed the gaming industry is a bit far fetched.

[zero]

This is an awful list. I don't even SEE a Zelda title or Final Fantasy I, two games which singlehandedly converted people from D&D to video games in the 1980's. And Halo 2 over Halo 1 is just ridiculous.

Final Fantasy I didn't change the world at all. FFVI was the game that opened the floodgates for RPGs. Sure, FFI introduced it, but hardly anyone played it. Video games were still in their infancy at that time.

Although anyone taking anything from Gamepro seriously is pretty ridiculous.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Zero

[ONO]

Sonic at 11? Sonic is the fucking game of games.

[Guest clintcasey]

This is an awful list. I don't even SEE a Zelda title or Final Fantasy I, two games which singlehandedly converted people from D&D to video games in the 1980's. And Halo 2 over Halo 1 is just ridiculous.

Final Fantasy I didn't change the world at all. FFVI was the game that opened the floodgates for RPGs. Sure, FFI introduced it, but hardly anyone played it. Video games were still in their infancy at that time.

Although anyone taking anything from Gamepro seriously is pretty ridiculous.

[gunnar hendershow]

A lot more than 1,000 copies of FFVI were released to stores. But, yes, it wasn't shipped in the way that FFVII was. FFI was the only RPG before FFVII that saw a big marketing push behind it outside of RPG circles.

And, also, with my suggestions of adding Zelda and FFI I was considering the Japanese market too. Since they did say "THE WORLD".

Edited May 15, 2006 by damshow

[Vilge Duin]

I stopped paying attention to Gamepro over a decade ago, their reviews and content in general (like this list) is usually utter shit. But I have to comment on something...

A meere 1,000 copies of Final Fantasy VI where actualy released to American stores, and anybody else who wanted to play the game had to special order it Nintendo.

Edited May 15, 2006 by Vilge Duin

[zero]

Only 1,000 copies of FFVI released in America? Hahahahahaha. Wow, that's golden. Final Fantasy may have set the tone, but it did not change the world. I'm fairly confident that more people played FFVI than FFI, and even if you argue that FFVI changed the world, then FFVII surely did. FFI was a good game, but as pointed out above, Dragon Warrior brought Japanese RPGs to America. And Nintendo had a decent promotion with it if I'm not mistaken, I remember getting my copy for free for subscribing to Nintendo Power waaaaaay back in the day.l

Edited May 15, 2006 by Zero

[thatshortguy]

The main point to Final Fantasy 1, however, is that it saved Square from shutting down (the best proof I can give you of this is the "Icons" episode featuring the Final Fantasy series.)

With no Square, the road would have been (at the very least) a great deal different than what it turned out to be.

[Guest We Are Robots]

Any list of influential games that is missing Half-Life is completely illegitimate.

[thatshortguy]

Any list of influential games that is missing Half-Life is completely illegitimate.

It was a good FPS, damn good for its time, but I think the fact that it spawned Counter-Strike is what most people remember it for.

[Guest We Are Robots]

Half-Life was massive before Counter-Strike even got popular. Half-Life changed every game in it's genre to come after it and spawned a host of wannabes, no FPS has ever been the same since it. Not the most innovative game ever, but it's gotta be on the list somewhere.

Other things about this list that are stupid: Super Mario Bros. 3 but no Super Mario Bros. 1? Tetris at 12? Halo 2? Nintendogs? If you're going to include negatives, why isn't E.T. further up the list? Guitar Hero? Where's Myst? Where's The Sims? Where's Command and Conquer, or possibly Warcraft? Where's Quake? Where's Civilization, or possibly Populus?

[apsham]

Clintcasey:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI

Final Fantasy VI sold 2.55 million copies in Japan[6] and around 550,000 copies in the United States under the title "Final Fantasy III" (for the Super NES)

Your play.

[gunnar hendershow]

Any list of influential games that is missing Half-Life is completely illegitimate.

Or, more importantly, Quake 3.

[kliq]

I know I'm a Zelda mark, but the fact that the list doesn't contain one Zelda game, let alone the original, means it has no credibility whatsoever.

[Guest Professor Kou]

Lesse here.

20 - GUITAR HERO

Fuck that shit. Guitar Hero is in but Pong isn't? Gamepro smokes some pole

19 - POKEMON

Too low, I would have given it at least a 10-15 spot if I did the list. Pokemon was one of the first games to force it's way into every child's life without any other game replicating this effect. Well other than other Pokemon games.

18 - E.T. THE PEICE OF SHIT ATARI GAME

I agree with it being placed on the list because it was the match that lit the fire that was the video game crash. But it should have been numero 20.

17 - TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER

You could make the arguement both ways for this game being on this list. But think of it this way. If it wasn't for THPS no one would give a shit about skateboarding right now. THPS helped the X-Games. THPS helped anything that resembles skateboarding to be made into a game and more importantly, THPS made skateboarding what it is today.

16 - STREET FIGHTER II

Yes, yes oh god yes. If Street Fighter II was never made then we could bash the first one to death for being god awful. Street Fighter II is the primary catalyst for fighters becoming as big as they are. Not to say I play them a whole bunch because I find most of them repetitive to no end, but SF II was a rock solid fighter and it had Blanka. Motherfucking Blanka.

15 - GOLDENEYE 007

Too high but I'll tip my hat to the first real solid FPS on a console. No Goldeneye? Well then Halo stays on the PC where it belongs and there aren't so many My First FPS Halo bitches that I hate so much...wait a second. *time machine*

14 - NINTENDOGS

Fuck off.

13 - COUNTER-STRIKE

Being a former person who played in a CS league (CAL-I REPRESENT) I can fully endorse CS making the list. The damn thing basically legitimized mods to games on it's own. Fuck Half-Life 1's lifespan was lengthened by at least four years and many more to come as some people prefer CS 1.6 to Source.

Fuck AWP bitches though.

12 - TETRIS

12? You've got to be fucking joking around here. This is the main reason I never buy Gamepro anymore. They're all a bunch of bitchtits. Tetris and Pong are locks for top 5s in any list like this. Hell Tetris basically made the GameBoy and now DS what it is today. Tetris is probably one of the biggest cash cows in gaming history since it has multiple variations and about a version on every system known to man.

11 - SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

That's right Sonic, you stay down under Mario you spiky haired bitch. No real explination is needed for why Sonic is in this list.

10 - MORTAL KOMBAT

I'll always hold Street Fighter II over the first Mortal Kombat, granted later MKs pwn Street Fighter games but this is pitting the originals against each other. Too high in my tastes but it did spark one of the first "OMG VIOLENCE" debates. So it's fine at 10.

9 - DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION

I hate this game with a passion so no. God no. DDR > Pong? The fuck they smoking.

8 - SIM CITY

Hi, my name is Wil Wright. This game is going to show you how I'll be pwning your life for the next 30 some odd years with my excellent games. Enjoy!

7 - JOHN MADDEN FOOTBALL

Well the original Madden blew harder than Benji's mom after a night on the town but if you're going with the SNES or Genesis games then it can enter the list. Just not at 7. BOOM!

6 - HALO 2

Fuck. Off.

5 - PAC-MAN

Too high. Sure the Pac is a great game and all but it's not something I long to play over and over. I can do that with a SMB or Donkey Kong (The early arcade games you slaaag).

4 - DOOM

Perfect spot for the first megaWTFhuge FPS. Sure Castle Wolfiennazihitler is the father of the genre, but Doom is the over-acheiving son you want to kick in the nuts.

3 - SUPER MARIO BROTHERS 3

Hello darkness my old friend. I've come to meet you here again. SMB 3 was 8 bit heaven, SMB wrote the rough draft of the script and SMB 3 re-wrote it to be fan-fucking-tastic. Though SMB 2 was no slouch either.

2 - GRAND THEFT AUTO 3

No. You're too high. I know I love you and all but this is all about long term effect. San Andreas' Hot Coffee ripples will extend further into the future then you Mr. Three. Even though you're one of the finest games on the Playstation 2 you're too damn high on this list. Go back down to your 5-10 home.

1 - WORLD OF WARCRAFT

Even though I am a World of Warcracker I can't say it's number one of all time. Give this spot to Doom, Tetris, Pong or even SMB. WoW is top 10 material but I don't think it has the legs to run all the way to the top of this list. Sure, it did create a new job for Chinamen in gold farming but does that warrent numero uno? And seriously. Guitar Hero at 20? Fuck were they smoking.

[GhostMachine]

1 - WORLD OF WARCRAFT

Even though I am a World of Warcracker I can't say it's number one of all time. Give this spot to Doom, Tetris, Pong or even SMB. WoW is top 10 material but I don't think it has the legs to run all the way to the top of this list. Sure, it did create a new job for Chinamen in gold farming but does that warrent numero uno?And seriously. Guitar Hero at 20? Fuck were they smoking.

[Guest Professor Kou]

True that Goldeneye and Sonic can be tossed off the list, but I'll just address E.T.

E.T. is on the list not because of the movie or the Reese's peices. It's because it's possibly the worst game ever produced in the history of mankind. Singlehandingly creating the downward slide that was the video game crash is why that bitch is on the list. What other game can you think of that has unsold copies of it buried in a landfill in Vegas/Texas/I forget.