Destructoid's Top 50 Games of the Decade

[MJ4H]

Haven't seen anything like this in a while and since it is nearing the end of the decade, it is a pretty good time for this, so let's see what people think.

Part One – #50-41
<sub>50. Metal Slug 3
49. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
48. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
47. Vagrant Story
46. Super Smash Bros. Melee
45. Team Fortress 2
44. WarioWare: Twisted!
43. Banjo-Tooie
42. Psychonauts
41. Braid</sub>
Part Two – #40-31
<sub>40. Kingdom Hearts
39. Rock Band 2
38. Marvel vs. Capcom 2
37. Lost Odyssey
36. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
35. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
34. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
33. BioShock
32. Katamari Damacy
31. Civilization III</sub>
Part Three – #30-21
<sub>30. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
29. Shenmue II
28. Left 4 Dead
27. Skies of Arcadia
26. Paper Mario
25. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
24. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
23. Cave Story
22. Ico
21. Ikaruga</sub>
Part Four – #20-11
<sub>20. Final Fantasy IX
19. World of WarCraft
18. Persona 4
17. Pikmin 2
16. Deus Ex
15. Silent Hill 2
14. Okami
13. Metroid Prime
12. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
11. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</sub>
Part Five – #10-1
<sub>10. Resident Evil 4
9. Super Mario Galaxy
8. Valkyria Chronicles
7. Diablo II
6. Beyond Good & Evil
5. God of War II
4. Portal
3. Mother 3
2. Half-Life 2
1. Shadow of the Colossus</sub>

#11 Blows me away a little bit frankly. I loved it, but I didn't think many others did? There are some other eyebrow raisers, too. Like Cave Story, Ico and Skies of Arcadia. I love SoA but I don't think I'd put it in the top 50 unless I snuck it in at #50 or something. To see it at #27 is somewhat baffling. I think I put Rock Band 2 and Smash Bros. way higher, too.

Thoughts?

[DaddyTorgo]

awesome. i've only played 4 of those games.

hooray for lists that are heavily-weighted towards consoles

[Atocep]

I'm a huge Valve fan and loved portal, but it has no business at #4. I'd take TF2 and HL2 over it without hesitation.

I thought Bioshock was a solid game, but a bit overrated. I enjoyed MGS 4 more than any others in the series and I thought GTA 4 was way better than SA.

The lack of Bioware RPGs is sad.

[Karlifornia]

I haven't played any game in the Top 20. I have a lot of catching up to do!

[Subby]

I don't see poker stars client on there.

[thesloppy]

I've seen more and more of these lists recently, thanks to all the crappy video game mag subscriptions I've somehow unknowingly collected over the years. They remind me of lots of great moments from favorite games of the past, but more over they remind me of all the boring-ass games I bought on critic recommendations that I played for a handful of hours, then tossed.

I agree that people who make these lists tend to rate party/social games like rock band, smash bros, or even fighters like Tekken, too low, for whatever reason, whereas most gamers have usually put infinitely more time into games like those, rather than something like Ico, which you can play through once and only once. Likewise, I think the GTA games are consistently underrated, as they always make these lists, but I think people forget what a revolution they were when they came out and how much influence they've had since.

Personally, this list would better match my tastes if you turned it upside down. While I might have trouble defending them as appropriately epic games, I put way more time into and got way more fun out of Tony Hawk 3, Rock Band, Civ, and Katamari Damacy than I ever was able to churn out of stuff like Ico, Okami, and Shadow of the Colossus. Shenmue II above all of those I just listed? Come on.

[Groundhog]

What the hell is Shadow of the Colossus? I've never even heard of it.

[Big Fo]

Super Mario Galaxy should be number one because it is the best video game of all time. I like the rule about only selecting one game from a franchise, otherwise I'd have New Super Mario Bros. Wii pretty high up there too.

It's cool to see Persona 4 and Dragon Quest VIII that high up there.

It boggles my mind that whoever put this together selected Civilization III instead of Civilization IV, the person must not have played Civ IV. There is no other logical explanation.

Fallout 3 deserves a place in there somewhere. Maybe Assassin's Creed 2, I'm only just past the halfway point so far but it's really good.

I need to play Mother 3 at some point.

Obviously sports management sims are never going to make it onto these (even regular sports games in general aren't too popular among gaming journalists) lists but I'd have FM 2010 in my own list of best games to come out this decade.

Originally Posted by Atocep

I thought GTA 4 was way better than SA.

For me GTA IV is the worst of the 3D GTAs and is the second most disappointing game of this generation behind Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff. I agree with these guys that San Andreas is the best in the series.

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

hooray for lists that are heavily-weighted towards consoles

I thought it was a console only list until I saw Civ III on there. There really should be more PC games.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

It boggles my mind that whoever put this together selected Civilization III instead of Civilization IV, the person must not have played Civ IV. There is no other logical explanation.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Fallout 3 deserves a place in there somewhere. Maybe Assassin's Creed 2, I'm only just past the halfway point so far but it's really good.

Fallout 3 was one of the better RPGs I've played, but I there's 3-4 Bioware games that I think are easily better. I'm still amazed that not a single Bioware RPG made this list. It's the most glaring issue that I see.

Originally Posted by Big Fo

For me GTA IV is the worst of the 3D GTAs and is the second most disappointing game of this generation behind Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff. I agree with these guys that San Andreas is the best in the series.

See for me, GTA 4 was the only one in the series I actually enjoyed enough to play all the way through.

Originally Posted by Big Fo

I thought it was a console only list until I saw Civ III on there. There really should be more PC games.

Agree here too.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I don't even know who or what Destructoid is, so I don't trust his/its game list at all. The #1 game of the decade is actually Fairway Solitaire, so fuck this list.

[sterlingice]

This is the equivalent of a movie critic's best-of-the-decade list. Sure, there might be a couple of big budget blockbusters because they happened to be critically acclaimed (say, the Lord of the Rings movies). But at least half of the list will be played by the smallest segment of the gaming population.

Take, for example, Beyond Good and Evil- it might have sold 100K copies total. I thoroughly enjoyed the game and, at its core, it's basically Zelda + deeper story + photography mechanic. But, no one 50 years from now is going to remember it except a few of us who played it. Unless some new game mechanic really takes off (I kindof doubt it as, hell, the photography one was in Pokemon Snap and other before), it has no staying power.

This is the type of list that makes sure that Destructoid won't be in circulation years 50 years from now as they have no perspective.

SI

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

What the hell is Shadow of the Colossus? I've never even heard of it.

Me neither.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

What the hell is Shadow of the Colossus? I've never even heard of it.

Originally Posted by sabotai

Me neither.

You guys are clearly not part of the Video Game Elite. The Video Game Elite loves this game. They really, really do.

[Marc Vaughan]

Such lists are largely objective really - I know for me there would be a lot less 'arcade' titles and definitely no pure 'twitch' games (ie. ones relying on reflexes) .... got the reflexes of a particularly dazed slug me

[Calis]

Yeah Shadows of the Colossus is huge in the gaming press, everyone throws it around. It's made by the guys who also did Ico and I hear it harped about all the time in "games as art" conversations. It really is a pretty neat game though. Wouldn't be my #1 or top #20 probably but it was a pretty impressive game.

Cave Story really stands out as an oddball choice in there. I guess it is the requisite Indie freeware game. I did a double take when I read it listed. Definitely an impressive piece of work though.

I don't agree with the argument that it not being remembered in years means anything in these lists. The list is best games of the decade, we're not doing a list of longest lasting games or most important. I definitely think Beyond Good & Evil is a solid fit there. It's not like there is a shortage of huge sellers on the list either, the majority listed are.

Really though these lists are completely pointless if they just list the most popular games of the decade. You're going to know those games. The only thing I gain from these is occasionally finding the oddball choices they throw in to give it some flair that I somehow missed and trying it out.

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

awesome. i've only played 4 of those games.

hooray for lists that are heavily-weighted towards consoles

I've played 2, and haven't heard of all but about 4 of those games.

[Jughead Spock]

Originally Posted by Atocep

The lack of Bioware RPGs is sad.

KOTOR is #49. Criminally low.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by brassmonkey32

Where is Maximum Football? It should be #1

Their list of most customizable games comes out next week.

[Buccaneer]

Civ 3 and not Civ 4 just completely blows my mind.

[Calis]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Civ 3 and not Civ 4 just completely blows my mind.

Honestly they probably haven't even played either. They thought the Civ franchise was important and decided to be "edgy" by picking the older one, and maybe picked it because it is obviously not as good.

Agree on it being terrible though.

[Ramzavail]

how is Mass Effect NOT on this list?

I could have sworn Vagrant Story came out in the 90's.

[Passacaglia]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

I don't even know who or what Destructoid is, so I don't trust his/its game list at all. The #1 game of the decade is actually Fairway Solitaire, so fuck this list.

That reminds me, I never finished that game. Does your little guy ever get fully dressed?

[spleen1015]

Civ 3 and not Civ 4 proves who ever did this has no idea WTF they are doing.

World of Warcraft at 19? It is clearly the #1 game of the decade. Nothing even comes close.

While I think this list is nuts, I agree with omission of Halo.

[spleen1015]

It is even crazier.... FFIX instead of VII or XII?

This is stupid.

[Calis]

FF VII was definitely in the 90's and wouldn't qualify, but yeah that was an odd choice as I thought IX was considered lackluster.

Then again they put Mother 3 on the list which came out in the mid 90's. I guess there was an English fan translation released which they used to make it qualify.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

What the hell is Shadow of the Colossus? I've never even heard of it.

PS2 game. Basically, you have to kill 16 collosi in order to bring your dead girlfriend back to life. Beautiful game. It's just straight boss battles with no smaller skirmishes. Enjoyed it thoroughly (ICO, too). But I don't know that it is the game of the decade. They did pack in more emotional impact than most video games.

Other games on the list that I really enjoyed: Silent Hill 2 & Left 4 Dead.

[Tigercat]

Civ 4 and not Civ 3 should be on there.
Oblivion or Morrowind (probably Morrowind) should be on there.

Shenmue 2 was a very good and correct selection.
Would put Guitar Hero over Rock Band 2; not sure how you can pick any of the instrument games over the original that started it all.
Agreed that KOTOR should be higher.

[Terps]

Originally Posted by Tigercat

Oblivion or Morrowind (probably Morrowind) should be on there.

I think both of them should be on there, even.

[RainMaker]

No Fallout 3 is the first thing that hits me. Also not sure how San Andreas makes the list over the other GTAs when I thought it was considered one of the poorer games. Left 4 Dead was a fun game but seems awfully high as I didn't think it had a ton of replay value.

[Buccaneer]

Oblivion or Morrowind (probably Morrowind) should be on there.

Oh god no. Maybe for the Worst Games of the Decade (Oblivion more than Morrowind).

[lerriuqs]

WTF?? While I liked Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, how the hell does it make it in over Twilight Princess with not even a mention of it???

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Oh god no. Maybe for the Worst Games of the Decade (Oblivion more than Morrowind).

I am ashamed of you.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I'm still amazed that not a single Bioware RPG made this list. It's the most glaring issue that I see.

Not true. Star Wars: KOTOR is on the list. Though Baldur's Gate II (just made it, as a 2000 release) really should have been there.

[k0ruptr]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

No Fallout 3 is the first thing that hits me. Also not sure how San Andreas makes the list over the other GTAs when I thought it was considered one of the poorer games. Left 4 Dead was a fun game but seems awfully high as I didn't think it had a ton of replay value.

Who in there right mind considered San Andreas one of the poorer games? thats insane talk. San Andreas and GTA IV were both amazingly better then 3 or Vice City.

[ISiddiqui]

Vice City > San Andreas.

[Honolulu Blue]

Civ III wasn't bad, but I preferred Civ IV. And that's the ONLY game on this list that I've played.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Not true. Star Wars: KOTOR is on the list. Though Baldur's Gate II (just made it, as a 2000 release) really should have been there.

Yeah, I missed that one somehow. As stated earlier, though, criminally low for that game. Out of Baldur's Gate 2, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age - one of those games has to be on that list.

[ISiddiqui]

Well its quite evident that the people at Destructoid aren't RPG fans. It happens.

[Calis]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Oh god no. Maybe for the Worst Games of the Decade (Oblivion more than Morrowind).

I don't know if I'd go that far but I tend to agree with Bucc. I have a lot of issues with Bethesda games(even Fallout 3), and think they're ultimately big disappointments that get credit sheerly for size and not for what they do with it. I did enjoy Morrowind a little more because they had a more interesting setting and everything wasn't quite so blah. Both were helped out a great deal with some user created mods, but that can only do so much.

Bucc- Have you played Risen yet? I was really impressed with it. They went back to a more focused Gothic 1/2 style game, and pulled it off nicely. Runs great and stable also.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I thought Bioshock was a solid game, but a bit overrated.

The A/V Club list for the decade had it at #1.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I've only played a few games on this list. I loved Left 4 Dead, KOTOR, and Half-Life 2. I got bored really quickly with "Diablo 2" . I agree that Civ IV definitely deserves to be on there instead of Civ III. That's just laziness on their part.

There are a couple of games on there, Bioshock, Team Fortress 2, and Portal, that I own but haven't played yet.

I have dabbled with or seen other people play Valkyria Chronicles, WOW, and Shadow of the Colossus. A good friend of mine thinks "Shadow of the Colossus" is one of the greatest games ever. I didn't quite see it, but maybe if I played it all the way through I'd understand.

I assume that "Dragon's Age: Origins" is just too recent to be on the list.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Calis

Bucc- Have you played Risen yet? I was really impressed with it. They went back to a more focused Gothic 1/2 style game, and pulled it off nicely. Runs great and stable also.

I will be playing Risen over Christmas. Thanks for recommendation. I think this will be a placeholder until Arcania and Mafia II comes out next year.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Calis

get credit sheerly for size and not for what they do with it.

I have to disagree. Especially with a game like Morrowind, the immense size really gives you a feel for this massive kingdom you are playing in (which is actually an island which has a much larger landmass). Most RPGs just allude to this huge world, which really isn't that big at all. Elder Scrolls games allow you to actually see how large and diverse the world is. And they have fun things in many corners of the map. I remember just exploring the countryside of Morrowind and finding different small story arcs. And of course, all the books can keep you busy for hours on end.

It actually feels like you are in an actual world.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I have to disagree. Especially with a game like Morrowind, the immense size really gives you a feel for this massive kingdom you are playing in (which is actually an island which has a much larger landmass). Most RPGs just allude to this huge world, which really isn't that big at all. Elder Scrolls games allow you to actually see how large and diverse the world is. And they have fun things in many corners of the map. I remember just exploring the countryside of Morrowind and finding different small story arcs. And of course, all the books can keep you busy for hours on end.

It actually feels like you are in an actual world.

But there is nothing in that world except for dozens of nearly identical tombs. Also, while the forested hillscapes are nice to explore, there is very little variety in geography. I love to explore to 3D worlds but give me something to do along the way and give me everything from ice/snow landscapes to verdant forests to scorching deserts to lush swamps.

[Calis]

Yeah, Bucc detailed further my problems with it. Sure it is large in a sense of a lot of space to walk, but in Oblivion for instance there was almost nothing worth seeing. It was empty spaces or generic dungeons littered between towns.

I always use Gothic as a comparision because if you look at the Gothic games I absolutely loved exploring them. There were hidden areas and little "stories" all over the place. They didn't neccessarily tie into any overall narrative but you felt more like this was an actual world you were exploring, not to mention the sense of actually being in the wilderness and in serious danger was much higher.

Apart from that the Bethesda games tease this huge open world, but there's really very little that is open about it or the player impacts. NPC's are completely forgettable, and I'm not sure I could name one from either Morrowind or Oblivion off the top of my head, nothing sticks out. There is little player impact on the world, it's really not anymore open than a game like Dragon Age, sure you can choose to do one thing before another, but that's about it.

I don't really mean to blast the games. I don't think they're terrible and I spent quite a bit of time on them, but they get made out to be things they aren't.

[ISiddiqui]

I don't understand the "nothing in that world" complaint. The countryside is surprisingly rich. True there are parts with nothing but scenery, but Hell, that's like most places, but there were tombs with some really interesting things in them or stories or books.

FWIW, I also disagree on the openness of the world complaints. I find Elder Scroll games to be far more open than any other RPG and that's why I love them so much. I remember just completely going off and ignoring the main quest, and I had a blast while doing so. Finding my own quests and stories off of the beaten path. Which isn't about doing one thing before another, but just deciding not to do the main quest. Plenty of people have decided screw the main quest, I'm just going to go around and have played 100+ hours doing so.

I seriously don't think anyone can make a better RPG than Morrowind (well, that and Fallout 1). Oblivion was excellent, but Morrowind's diversity was amazing. Fallout3 was excellent and I do love that world, but I love the story that was created in Morrowind.

[Calis]

Well to clarify what I mean by the lack of open world is more with my belief of what an open world game should be. I don't consider a large area that you can choose in what order to go places to be good open world. I look at open as in the players actions and choices have an effect on the world and you see those effects. The world is open to change, not open to walking.

I think Bethesda fails miserably at that and maybe for good reason. People get pissy when they can't do everything and see everything. I can't really think of any meaningful decision I made in their games, apart from in which order I did the quests for a guild or what city I went to.

Agree on the off the beaten path, I would always have much more fun wandering and seeing things than following the main quest which is basically garbage in all the Elder Scrolls games. The fun was in wandering around but I never got the sense of discovery while doing so.

Obviously to each their own, and I think I'm in the minority opinion. I much prefer seeing their style of RPGs than more blah JRPGs, but I've been unimpressed with how they've evolved(or devolved). I do think Fallout 3 was a step forward after Oblivion was a step backwards from Morrowind.

I was absolutely mesmerized with Daggerfall for years. There was nothing like it at the time. Sure it was randomly generated and basically a complete mess but I spent probably hundreds of hours moving from city to city on my own little crime spree.

[cthomer5000]

Jet Grind Radio

[k0ruptr]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Jet Grind Radio

+1 gazillion.