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As a research firm that tracks the interactive entertainment industry, DFC Intelligence is regularly asked for its opinion on the best games. Questions we are used to hearing include "what is the best game system for my 10 year old," "what is the best real-time strategy game," "which system has the best sports games," "should I subscribe to Ultima Online or Everquest," and so on. Journalists often ask us about the hottest upcoming games. Then, of course, there are investors and executives that are trying to understand why all the fuss about games. Unfortunately, it often seems that many of the decision makers in the interactive entertainment industry have trouble understanding the appeal of the products they sell. When it comes to comprehending the range of interactive entertainment products we can relate to the confusion. There are literally thousands of games released each year. Interactive entertainment products range from casual puzzle/board games to complex strategy/simulation games. There are sports games, action games, role playing games, fighting games, real-time strategy games, first person shooters, military flight simulations, civilian flight simulations and countless other game genres. Each type of game has its own unique user base. Some games are targeted toward 8 year old kids, others appeal mainly to 25-45 year old males. There are games targeted toward a casual, mass market audience, and games targeted toward very specific niche audiences. All this is compounded by the very nature of games. Games can take a significant investment of time. A good game should provide the consumer with ten to forty hours of entertainment. It is simply impossible for one person to become an expert in even the top 10% of games. To help with the confusion, DFC Intelligence has compiled this subjective list of the top games. We emphasize the word subjective. This list is by no means comprehensive and many people will debate the titles we selected. However, we feel that the games on this list provide a solid overview of the wide range of interactive entertainment products. We have picked games that cover a wide array of genres and appeal to a diverse audience. To pick the titles on this list we did an informal survey of our close friends and associates. We surveyed people aged 7 to 70, and our survey included both hard core gamers and casual gamers. In the end, we feel that anyone familiar with all the games on this list will have a solid understanding of interactive entertainment products. Of course, we challenge people to try and play all the way through the games on this list. We estimate that the average game on this list would provide about 20 hours of entertainment. It would be a full-time job to fully enjoy our list of top games. If anyone can make it through this list let us know and we can provide you with the names of hundreds of additional games that should keep you busy for years to come. What Games Have We Missed? This list consists of only the games we have played. We know there are many great games that we have not had the chance to play. Please let us know if there is a game we have missed that deserves to be on this list. Console Video Games Sony PlayStation 2 The Sony PlayStation 2, released in the U.S. on October 26, 2000, now has a huge software library that includes many impressive titles. This system may not be as powerful as the Xbox or GameCube, but in terms of a solid software library, the PS2 can’t be beat. 1. Grand Theft Auto III (Take-Two Interactive)GTA III, and its equally impressive sequel Vice City, shows where the video game industry is likely headed. While GTA III has been widely discussed because of its mature content, what makes the game so powerful is its gameplay. GTA III is an open-ended game where characters are free to wander through a large city as they please. It is very hard to classify GTA III, it has shooting elements, racing elements, RPG and adventure elements. In the end it is the type of game that keeps consumers coming back to play again and again. The game was developed by U.K based DMA Design, a company best known for the Lemmings series. However, sadly ignored games like Space Station Silicon Valley and Body Harvest were indications of how the company evolved toward GTA. 2. Metal Gear Solid 2 (Konami) The Metal Gear Solid franchise is the leader in the action/adventure category. MGS2 has action, puzzles and a “B” grade movie plotline. All in all this is a great example of where big budget games will likely be going as games truly start to involve an interactive storytelling experience. 3. Gran Turismo 3 (Sony) Sony’s racing series is proving to be one of the great video game franchises of all-time. More than any other game, this shows off the power of the PlayStation. 4. Jax & Dexter: The Precursor Legacy (Sony) Created by Naughty Dog, the development team behind Crash Bandicoot, Jax & Dexter is a platform/adventure game similar in style and quality to some of the monster hits from Nintendo/Rare (Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie etc). This is one of the few PS2 games that appeals to all ages. 5. Red Faction (THQ) A surprisingly good first-person shooter, where the focus is primarily on the single-player mode. This is one of the best games THQ has ever published. 6. SSX/ SSX Tricky (Electronic Arts) It is surprising that an extreme sports game can still capture our attention. However, SSX is a great snowboarding game with speed, graphics, racing, tricks and simple controls that make it easy to learn, hard to master. This early PS2 game and its excellent sequel, SSX Tricky, are right up there with Tony Hawks and 1080 Snowboarding as the best in extreme sports. 7. Madden NFL series (Electronic Arts) The Madden series of football games have always delivered, in both quality and sales. The PS2 version is no exception. In the first few months of the PS2, Madden NFL 2001 sold more than twice as much as any other game. This is truly a great football series, with many of the little touches that are missing from competing games. There is a debate about which is better, Madden or NFL 2K from Sega. It is a close call, but there is no doubt, a football fan can’t go wrong with Madden. 8. ICO (Sony) ICO is a slower-paced adventure/storytelling game. This unique game is a direct descendent of such classics as Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia and Myst. One of the first truly unique PlayStation 2 games. 8. NHL hockey series (Electronic Arts) Even if you’re not a hockey fan, EA’s NHL series has always been a great game. Like Madden, EA’s NHL games for the PS2 feature improved graphics built around familiar gameplay. In the case of this always excellent series that is all one can ask for. 9. Kingdom Hearts (Square) Final Fantasy X was of course another great RPG game. However, Square truly showed the potential to expand the RPG audience with Kingdom Hearts, an action RPG that combined Disney characters with Final Fantasy characters. While targeted for a younger audience, the game play was not dumbed down. Kingdom Hearts is a difficult title that will give hours of game play to even hard-core RPG gamers. 10. Twisted Metal Black (Sony) Sony’s Twisted Metal series are car combat games that have had a mixed reception. Twisted Metal Black was a return to quality for the series. This dark and difficult game is not for everyone, but fans of this genre will not be disappointed. Microsoft Xbox The Microsoft Xbox launched in November 2001 with what was arguably the strongest launch line-up for any game system ever. Microsoft did a good job making that there were solid games in almost every major genre. 1. Halo (Microsoft) Halo was Microsoft's "killer ap" for the Xbox launch. This first-person shooter provided an enormous amount of play time, in both single player and multiplayer modes. First-person shooters may have started out as a PC-based genre, but Halo shows their future may be on the console systems. 2. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (UbiSoft) Splinter Cell is a mission-based stealth game, much along the lines of Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. However, this is much more than a clone of MGS. Splinter Cell is a deep game that truly shows off the power of the Xbox. This is the best Xbox title of 2002. 3. Project Gotham Racing (Microsoft) This racing game is actually quite original as the main goal is not necessarily being the fastest racer, but instead trying to earn the most style points (kudos). 4. Oddworld Munch's Oddysee (Microsoft) The Oddworld games have always been quirky titles that work at a slower pace than most action games. The emphasis here is on puzzle-solving and execution. These games are definitely not for all tastes, but for those that like a leisurely paced game with an off-beat sense of humor, Munch's Oddysee is a true classic. 5. Rallisport Challenge (Microsoft) Gran Turismo 3 makes the PlayStation 2 the king of racing games. However, with first Project Gotham Racing, and now the excellent Rallisport, the Xbox holds its own for racing fans. Nintendo GameCube The Nintendo GameCube is a very strong competitor in the video game race. Not only does the system have a compelling price, but it is the first disc-based system from Nintendo. This means software prices can now be competitive with the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Furthermore, third-party franchises like Madden, SSX Tricky, Tony Hawks and others are now coming to a Nintendo system in all their glory. When you add the always strong Nintendo games, one can’t go wrong with a GameCube.
1. Metroid Prime (Nintendo) Metroid was a popular action/adventure franchise for the 8-bit and 16-bit Nintendo systems that had been dormant for years. Therefore Metroid Prime was highly anticipated by the time it was released in late 2002. The game proved well worth the wait, not only did it take the series to high-end 3D, it kept all the elements that made the originals so popular. 2. Super Smash Brothers Melee (Nintendo) This game is an amazing sequel to the smash Nintendo 64 hit. Much more than just another fighting game, Super Smash Brothers has an incredible number of options, and both a great single-player and multi-player experience. 3. Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo) This game is basically the sequel to the smash 1996 hit Super Mario 64. While Sunshine is nowhere near as revolutionary as SM64, it is a truly solid 3D platform game, designed to keep users busy exploring and puzzle-solving for hours on end. 4. Eternal Darkness (Nintendo) The horror game, led by the Resident Evil franchise, has been one of the hottest genres in recent years. Like most good games in this genre, Eternal Darkness nicely combines action with puzzle-solving and storytelling to create a truly compelling and scary experience. This title shows Nintendo can reach older gamers if they so choose. 5. Super Monkey Ball series (Sega) A major plus for the GameCube (as well as the other major game systems) is that Sega will now be releasing its excellent product line for the platform. The two Super Monkey Ball games are incredibly difficult action/puzzle titles that demand intense hand/eye coordination. Like many Sega titles, this series harks back to an older style of gaming where simple controls and gameplay hide what in reality is a very deep and compelling title. Sony PlayStation Games There are scores of good games, in all genres, for the Sony PlayStation. A fan of video games can not go wrong by buying a PlayStation. However, it was difficult to pick out a best of list for the PlayStation. While the PlayStation has many good games, there are relatively few standout games. We could have easily come up with another 10 PlayStation games that are just as good as the games on this list. Another issue we faced was the fact that many top PlayStation games, like Tekken, Resident Evil and Tony Hawks, are also available for other systems. Because no one PlayStation game stands head and shoulders above the rest, we have listed these games in alphabetical order.
Sony has never been the most inspired first party publisher. Sony’s strength has been doing solid imitations of games done by other companies. Ape Escape is a character-based action game that takes some of the best elements from Nintendo’s epic adventure games and combines them into a truly unique experience. Crash Bandicoot is Sony’s answer to Mario and Sonic. The series was obviously inspired by Nintendo’s 16-bit Donkey Kong Country series. However, over time, the Crash series has evolved to become a classic example of how to update old-school platform gameplay for a high-powered game system. The three Crash games are a must buy for fans of traditional video game console action. Because Sony published the game, Final Fantasy VII is the most widely known of Square’s epic role playing games (RPGs). RPGs are definitely not for everyone and FFVII is no exception. A game like FFVII features a lot of text and beating the game requires thinking, not button pushing. However, even some of us that are not RPG fans could not stop playing FFVII. FFVII shows that not all console games have to feature thumb blistering action in order to be successful. Other great Final Fantasy alternatives on the PlayStation include Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy Anthology. The market is flooded with uninspired racing games. Gran Turismo is a racing game that leans towards realistic racing action, as opposed to the unrealistic arcade action found in many racing games. If the truth be told, most of us generally prefer the more unrealistic games. Driving a car is something we do every day, so who needs realism. Despite this, GT is a great racing game that is now a true bargain at $20. GT can be difficult and complex (you have to buy parts and tune-up your car), but it can also serve as a straight racing game for those that don’t want to delve into the simulation mode. For sports game fans the PlayStation has all kinds of solid choices. Football is our favorite sport and both EA’s Madden series and Sony’s NFL GameDay series are excellent. However, ever since the Dreamcast came out we have been spoiled by Sega’s NFL 2K football game. On the other hand, EA’s hockey game has been a favorite of ours for years, and none of us are hockey fans. NHL Hockey is just great two-player video game action. Resident Evil is a violent, horror-themed video game. When played late at night, in the dark, Resident Evil can be a truly scary experience. Resident Evil is a mix of action, puzzle-solving and storytelling and is not easily classified. For some people this is a problem as the action can be slow-moving, the puzzle-solving tedious and the storytelling weak. However, even with its weaknesses, Resident Evil is a true classic for hard-core video game fans. We have to admit that we are not big fans of fighting games. To excel at fighting games requires learning all kinds of finger blistering moves that we can never quite seem to pull off. Despite this, Tekken is still fun. There are many fans of fighting games and Tekken games are PlayStation fighting at its best. It should be noted that Tekken is a 3D fighting game. Many people we know still favor the old 2D fighting games, the most popular of which is the Street Fighter series. Tomba is an action/role-playing game that is one of the few truly unique titles that Sony has ever released. At first glance, the game is the type of old-fashioned platform game that was commonplace on the 8-bit and 16-bit video game systems. However, at its heart, Tomba is a true adventure, with 100+ quests to solve. Unfortunately, Tomba never sold very well so most people don’t know what they are missing. The PlayStation has all kinds of extreme sports/snowboarding/jet ski/skateboarding titles. Unfortunately, most of these games are just plain boring. Tony Hawks is the shining exception. No other extreme sports title comes close to being as fun as this skateboarding game.
Other Top PlayStation Games: Chrono Cross (Square/EA), Devil Dice (THQ), Medievil (SCEA), Metal Gear Solid (Konami), Silent Hill (Konami), Spyro the Dragon series (SCEA/Universal), Ridge Racer series, Street Fighter series (Capcom), Syphon Filter (989). Nintendo 64 Games The Nintendo 64 is essentially a hardware platform for Nintendo published software. Almost all the top games for the N64 come from Nintendo and Rare, a development house closely aligned with Nintendo. Third party software publishers do publish N64 games, but for the third party publishers, the PlayStation has proven to be the most profitable platform. The Nintendo 64 has been able to do well because Nintendo is the best software publisher in the world. The top Nintendo games are the best interactive entertainment products on the market. The problem is Nintendo only publishes a limited number of products; the company truly focuses on quality over quantity. It was a fairly easy job to pick the top N64 titles. With a handful of exceptions, the titles on this list are far superior to other N64 products. The PlayStation list was organized alphabetically because we felt the titles were fairly equal in terms of quality. For the Nintendo 64 list the titles are ranked by order of preference. With the N64 the best titles truly standout.
Zelda is our favorite video game series of all time. Zelda combines action with adventure and role-playing elements in games that are truly epic. For comparisons, we went back and played the old Zelda games, and Ocarina of Time is definitely our favorite game of all-time. The Ocarina of Time keeps the classic Zelda gameplay but adds incredible 3D graphics. This is a game that people enjoy watching almost as much as playing. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is a solid sequel. This is a great game, although not quite as good as Ocarina of Time. Goldeneye 007 and its sequel, Perfect Dark, are the best first-person shooter games for the console systems. The one-player game is a great, if somewhat difficult, adventure. However, what has kept us playing Goldeneye for years is its two to four player deathmatches where you take on the role of famous characters from the James Bond series and shoot it out with your friends. The newer Perfect Dark is very similar to Goldeneye, but does not feature James Bond. Super Mario 64 was the first game for the N64 and it still remains the best game in its class. Super Mario 64 was a major transition in video games where character-based platform games went 3D. With Super Mario 64, the emphasis shifted from pure action (defeating enemies/making difficult jumps) to exploring, item collecting, problem solving and wrestling with difficult camera angles. This game was the first 3D epic action/adventure and it still has yet to be surpassed. These two games are both go-cart racing games where you can collect items to help you win the race. The games take place in a cartoon world and are not designed to be realistic racing simulations. These are our favorite type of racing games and we play both Mario Kart 64 and Diddy Kong Racing over and over. Mario Kart 64 is a bit easier and is probably the best multiplayer game. Diddy Kong Racing is a more advanced game and features a challenging one-player adventure. Banjo-Kazooie is Rare’s answer to Super Mario 64. Banjo is another epic 3D adventure featuring cute cartoon characters. Banjo did not excite us as much as Mario, but in almost every way the game is the equal of the level set by Super Mario 64. Banjo-Tooie, released in 2000, is another great N64 epic adventure. DK64 is another Rare developed epic adventure along the lines of Super Mario 64/Banjo-Kazooie. The game was released in 1999, long after these type of games had become commonplace. If DK64 had come out several years earlier it would undoubtedly be considered the best video game ever. The adventure is huge and the game even has a great multiplayer mode. The problem with DK64 is that the game may be too large. DK64 requires the player to go through levels multiple times, and it is easy to get lost. This game almost requires the player to have a hint book so that they can figure out what to do next. Like Rare’s Jet Force Gemini, DK64 is a great game whose major weakness is it is too big for its own good. NFL Blitz is an arcade football game with outrageous gameplay and rules that are nothing like real football. The games are fast, furious and loaded with action which makes NFL Blitz a perfect two-player game. The N64 really lacks arcade-style games, so NFL Blitz is a true standout. We have never been able to pull off a 1080, but we still love this game. Great graphics, combined with smooth play control make this a standout among the loads of snowboard games on the market. Super Smash Brothers is a 2D fighting game that use popular characters from other Nintendo games. This game is great for four players and fun for people of all ages and skill levels. This may be the first fighting game for the masses.
Other Top Nintendo 64 Games: Blast Corps (Nintendo), Excitebike 64, Jet Force Gemini (Nintendo), Mario Tennis (Nintendo), Pilotwings 64 (Nintendo), Space Station Silicon Valley (Take-2 Interactive), Starfox 64 (Nintendo) Sega Dreamcast The Dreamcast, released in the U.S. in September 1999, never had a chance to make a huge impact on the game market. In early 2001, Sega announced that they would quit manufacturing the Dreamcast to focus on becoming a software publisher.
In terms of graphics, NFL 2K1 is the most realistic football game ever. However, as many sports games have shown, good graphics wear off rapidly. What surprised us about Sega’s football game was the high quality gameplay. For years we felt that nothing could beat the Madden football series from Electronic Arts. Now the crown has passed to Sega. If you like sports games, you may want to buy a Dreamcast just for the NFL 2K series. Hey, you can even play it online. Skies of Arcadia is an RPG game to rival the best from Square. RPG/adventure games just keep seeming to grow in popularity. For its first year on the market, the Dreamcast sorely lacked a good RPG. Skies of Arcadia more than makes up for that absence. With Jet Grind Radio, Sega once again reminded us that they are the leader in creating edgy, original, action oriented games. This game involves rollerbladding around, spraying graffiti, while trying to avoid the cops. Not something to make parents happy, but with the cartoony feel it is hard to find this game offensive. Shenmue is reported to be one of the most expensive games ever developed, and looking at it one can see why. The game was described as revolutionary and unique, but it really is just a great interactive storytelling adventure with very strong production values. There are arcade fighting elements, but the heart of Shenmue is a detective story similar to the PC adventures from LucasArts and Sierra On-Line. Shenmue, may not tread new ground in terms of gameplay, but it may be a very strong indication of where high-end games will go in the future. Crazy Taxi is an arcade game where you race around picking up fares and delivering them to their location. The game is simple in concept, but it keeps you coming back again and again. There are no levels or long term adventures, you simply compete for the high score. The great thing about this game is that an individual game only takes five minutes, but the game is so addicting you are likely to play it for hours. Crazy Taxi is a great example of raw video game action at its absolute best. Soul Caliber is yet another 3D fighting game. At first, the only thing that seems to make the game standout is its incredible graphics. However, many fighting game fans feel that Soul Caliber is the best fighting game ever. While we are not experts on fighting games, we can appreciate the graphics and control that make Soul Caliber a powerhouse. The Dreamcast is heavy on thumb blistering action games, but sorely lacking in 1) slower paced epic adventure games and 2) games targeted to the under-12 year-old crowd. Sonic Adventure is the one exception, sort of. The Sonic series has always featured a difficult balance between blazing speed and the need to move carefully through large levels. Sonic Adventure is the first 3D adventure where the character can move really fast. However, there are many points in Sonic Adventure where you have to move with caution. Like all Sonic games, Sonic Adventure is an enjoyable, cutting-edge game where the play balance just seems slightly off. Sports games are the bread and butter of any good console system. Sega not only has a great football game, but one of the best basketball games. Like NFL 2K1, NBA 2K1 can be played online. Quake III Arena for the Dreamcast may be a harbinger of a future convergence between console games and PC games. Quake is known as a PC game, but the Dreamcast version is very faithful to the original. Quake III Arena is not for the casual gamer. This game can be played online and to truly be enjoyed requires a mouse and keyboard.
Portable Games When we talk about the best portable games, we are really just talking about the Nintendo Game Boy franchise. The Game Boy has dominated the portable game market for over a decade. With the release of Pokemon and the Color Game Boy, the Game Boy became more popular than ever, and with good reason. The Color Game Boy was a solid reminder that portable games are extremely compelling. It is hard to beat being able to play games anywhere. However, with its poor graphic quality and resolution, we did not care for the original Game Boy. The graphics on the Color Game Boy pale in comparison to the Nintendo 64, but they are far more attractive than the original Game Boy. We now play the Game Boy just as much as any other game system. With the release of the Game Boy Advance, in June 2001, the games are just getting better. Not only that, but the old Game Boy titles can be played on the Game Boy Advance. Of course, like with the Nintendo 64, it seems that all the good Game Boy games come from Nintendo and not third party publishers.
Among adults, Pokemon is known more as a bizarre childhood craze than a series of games. However, anyone interested in the game industry needs to play the Game Boy Pokemon games. Pokemon for the Game Boy is arguably the best traditional role-playing game ever. The game is almost as complex as an RPG like Final Fantasy VII. A player must try and catch and train over 250 Pokemon, each with its own attacks, strengths and weaknesses. At anytime a player can only carry six Pokemon, so the possibilities become endless. What is perhaps most amazing is that so many kids got into a game this complex. A company like Square ought to be ecstatic that Pokemon is training a whole generation of kids to play more advanced games. From a business perspective, Pokemon is even more compelling. Pokemon may be a great game, but we are more fascinated about the economic bonanza that can come from a franchise like Pokemon. Pokemon is really its own universe, with a background story that makes sense of the gameplay (unlike almost all adult RPGs). The Pokemon universe is the perfect setting for video games, movies, books etc (a card game could be an interesting idea). With 250+ unique characters, Pokemon is a brand with unlimited possibilities for all different types of games and products. Pokemon is the type of franchise that can and should last for years. Pokemon is also a great driver of hardware sales and one of the few games where many consumers want to own multiple copies of the same game. The game is designed so that every kid in the house will want their own copy of Pokemon, as well as their own Game Boy Color. Nintendo has finally started linking the Game Boy Pokemon to the Nintendo 64 (with Pokemon Stadium). Of course, Nintendo should have done this earlier, but by linking a franchise like Pokemon between a portable and console system, Nintendo has a unique opportunity for its future hardware systems.
Nintendo upgraded this old portable version of Zelda when they released the Color Game Boy. In terms of gameplay, Link’s Awakening is very similar to the 16-bit version of Zelda. We feel Zelda is the best game series of all time, in part, because it translates so well to a portable system. The Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons games, released in 2001, are even better.
This early Game Boy Advance title is an update of the classic Super Mario Kart for the SNES. This classic console racing game plays surprisingly well on a portable system.
This sleeper title is a complex turn-based strategy game, the type normally played on PC. The Game Boy Advance proves surprisingly adapt at handling this type of game. Portable systems are perfect for the right type of strategy games.
Donkey Kong Country is an amazingly faithful reproduction of the classic 16-bit game. When this game was released for the SNES in 1994 it was hailed as one of the most revolutionary games ever in terms of graphics. Now it has all been squeezed into a Game Boy cartridge.
This is the type of game that portable systems were invented for. The Pokemon card game is of course a real-life card game. The problem with the game has always been the difficulty and expense of collecting the best cards. The Game Boy version allows you to collect and play with all the cards, so it is a real enhancement to the real-life game.
The gameplay for Mario Tennis is amazing for a portable system. On top of that there are the Pokemon like roleplaying aspects and the ability to connect with the Mario Tennis version for the Nintendo 64. This game is a prime example of why Nintendo has a potential goldmine with the ability to connect a portable system to a console system.
Golden Sun is an RPG for the Game Boy Advance. This incredibly deep game is right up there with some of the top RPGs for the console platforms. This is a shining example of how well suited this category is for portable systems.
Before most Pokemon fans were born, Tetris was the game that drove Game Boy sales. Tetris is a deceptively simple and addicting puzzle game. There have been all kinds of variations on Tetris for every game platform. However, Tetris is a perfect game for portable systems and the Game Boy version is probably all the Tetris that the average person needs.
Super Mario DX, released in 1999, and Super Mario Advance, the launch title for the Game Boy Advance, bring two classic 8-bit action/platform games from the mid-1980s to the Game Boy platforms. These games are an example of what consumers bought in droves in the 1980s and they are still great games to play. It is always interesting to look at the original Super Mario games to see how a classic video game franchise has evolved with technology. PC Games We have a love-hate relationship with games played on the personal computer. On the one hand, top PC games can be incredibly open-ended and expandable and provide for sophisticated, mind-expanding entertainment. However, the depth of PC games often come at a cost. PC games are notoriously buggy and can tax the most high-end computer. We do not like to run PC games on the computers that contain all our important business files and this means every two to three years we have to invest in a top-of-the-line PC that does nothing but play games. The PC does certain types of games extremely well and in preparing this list we have focused on the genre of game, as opposed to the individual title. Our favorite games for the PC tend to be strategy and simulation oriented. We prefer playing action games on the console systems. This list reflects that bias.
: SimCity series (EA/Maxis); The Sims (EA/Maxis) Pure simulation games are unique in that they are open-ended and a player generally doesn’t "win or lose" the game. SimCity (the latest version is SimCity 3000) and the Sims are essentially Lego sets and Barbie Doll/G.I. Joes for grown-ups. SimCity involves building and managing a city, while the Sims involves running the lives of individual characters. Both games are extremely open-ended and appeal to all ages, sexes and game playing abilities. Playing the Sim games are entertaining, but at the same time they make you feel you are learning a solid lesson about the checks and balances of life and society. Games in the SimCity series have been among the most addicting and best-selling PC titles since the late-1980s. The Sims is a new game released in early 2000. We feel the Sims is a compelling concept that will only improve over time. In its current version, the Sims is fun, but can get bogged down by the constant need to manage the drudgery of the Sim’s life (going to the bathroom, fixing meals, doing dishes etc). The Sims has the potential to be one of the greatest game franchises of all-time. Honorable Mention: Roller Coaster Tycoon (Hasbro); Zeus (Sierra Studios) Building simulations with unique themes are becoming popular. Roller Coaster Tycoon is an incredibly addicting game that involves building and operating a theme park. Best of all you get to design your own roller coasters. Zeus is the latest, and best, in a line of historical city-building games from Impressions Games/Sierra Studios. Of course, Zeus takes place in ancient Greece.
Best Games: Civilization (Microprose), Civilization II (Microprose), Alpha Centauri (Firaxis) Sid Meier and Brian Reynolds are the masterminds behind the three best games in the Civilization series (Alpha Centauri is the third). A game of Civilization involves taking a single settler in the year 4,000 B.C. and over the next 6,000 years building a society that can colonize Alpha Centauri. During this time a player must make choices about how to balance building a military, exploring the world, growing trade and doing scientific research. A game of Civilization has definite goals and a set ending. However, there are countless strategies that can be utilized and Civilization is a game that will be different every time it is played. Of course, considering that an individual game takes about ten hours most players will only scratch the surface of what Civilization has to offer. Honorable Mention: Railroad Tycoon (Microprose); Railroad Tycoon II (G.O.D./PopTop) Before Civilization, Sid Meier created Railroad Tycoon, a game that involves building and managing a railroad company over the course of several hundred years. With Railroad Tycoon II, PopTop did an excellent job of updating the original. Railroad Tycoon is an excellent game, however it is more complex than Civilization and as such has a narrower appeal.
Best Games: Warcraft II/Starcraft (Havas/Blizzard) Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games are a unique combination of strategy and action. In a turn-based game like Civilization, a player takes their time to carefully plan their moves, the moves are executed and then the player’s opponents make their moves. In a RTS game both players are moving units, building units and looking for resources at the same time. Often games come down to who is the fastest at clicking with the mouse. Many people love the fast-paced action, while others prefer the more deliberative style of turn-based games. A good RTS should be enjoyable both as a single player versus the computer or in a multiplayer game over a network or online. There are many good RTS games and it seems everyone has their favorites. However, in the end we find that it is hard to beat the Blizzard RTS games. Warcraft II and Starcraft have depth and atmosphere, but are also easy to learn. With Blizzard’s free Battle.net service, both games are great for multiplayer play. Honorable Mention: Age of Empires series (Microsoft), Command & Conquer series (EA/Westwood), Seven Kingdoms II (UbiSoft), Total Annihilation (GT Interactive/Cavedog) You can’t go wrong with any of the top RTS games. Many players choose their games based on the theme and atmosphere (sci-fi, fantasy, historical etc). Age of Empires I and II take the player from the Stone Age through Medieval times and many players enjoy the historical perspective. In addition, Age of Empires is one of the best multiplayer RTS games. The Command & Conquer series is a true classic set in the modern world with a slight sci-fi twist. Seven Kingdoms II is an excellent, but unheralded, dark horse with a fantasy setting. Total Annihilation has a sci-fi setting that pits machine against machine. TA is the favorite game of many hard-core RTS fans. On the other hand, many people are turned off by what they feel is Total Annihilation’s lack of character and atmosphere.
Best Games: Quake series (Id)/Unreal Tournament (GT Interactive) First-person shooters are the action game of choice for the PC. These games do best when you have several players all trying to gun each other down. A multiplayer first-person shooter deathmatch is best when played on the office network. These games can be an incredible amount of fun for those people that don’t mind the fairly realistic violence involved with trying to shoot their buddies’ character.
Best Games: Everquest (Sony); Ultima Online (EA/Origin) When it comes to role-playing games (RPGs) there seem to be two ways to classify an individual: 1) people that will not go near an RPG and 2) people that would like to do nothing more then spend every waking moment playing their favorite RPG. RPGs are generally not for the casual gamer. These games involve carefully building up an individual character and having that character interact with other characters in a fantasy world. It takes hours and hours to get into a good RPG and most people simply don’t have the time. RPGs got their start in the late 1970s with the board game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). While D&D was a social experience enjoyed by a group of people, PC RPGs have traditionally been single player experiences. Ultima Online changed this by successfully introducing the concept of a massively multiplayer persistent universe. After paying $40 or so to buy Ultima Online, users then must subscribe to the Ultima Online universe for an additional $10 a month. There is no single player option. Everquest works the same way. Ultima Online and Everquest both have the ability to suck in hard-core gamers like no other games we have seen. These games also tend to generate a great deal of complaints and conflicted love/hate emotions among their users. Ultima Online has often been described as a buggy, flawed beta game that is constantly in need of improvement. The main complaints about Everquest are that it is 1) too demanding on a system’s hardware, and 2) too difficult and tedious to build up a solid character. Right now, we would have to say that the majority of RPG gamers we know prefer Everquest.
Best Games: Half-Life (Havas)/Dark Forces series (LucasArts) We think first person-shooters are best enjoyed with several friends playing over a network. Running around killing computer controlled monsters/bad guys seems something best left for the video game console systems. It just doesn’t seem right to be using a keyboard and mouse for an action game. That being said, Half-Life and the Star Wars themed Dark Forces series make excellent one-player games. In fact, Half-Life is probably the best first-person shooter ever.
Best Games: Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within (Sierra); Grim Fandango (LucasArts) Interactive storytelling was a popular PC game genre that has all but died out in recent years. Developing a good adventure game is an expensive undertaking, especially considering that these games tend to have a limited audience. These type of titles need to combine the storytelling strength of a book or movie with actual interactive gameplay. Very few games have successfully done this. The gameplay in these titles essentially involves solving a puzzle to make the story move forward. Adventure games are notable for incredibly obscure puzzles that can only be solved through repeated trial and error. Gabriel Knight 2 and Grim Fandango standout because they have compelling stories that make solving the puzzles rewarding. Gabriel Knight is one of the only titles we can think of that successfully uses video and real-life actors. Grim Fandango is a classic graphic adventure. Neither of these games were best-sellers, but they are both great games. Honorable Mention: Freddi Fish series, Pajama Sam series, Putt-Putt series, Spy Fox series (Humongous) Humongous creates graphical adventures for kids age 6-12. Playing a Humongous game is probably the most fun a child can have with a personal computer.
Best Game: You Don’t Know Jack (Havas/Berkeley Systems) You have to love games that are simple to use and appeal to almost everyone. Long before Who Wants to be a Millionaire, but after Trivial Pursuit, You Don’t Know Jack showed how compelling computer-based trivia games can be when they are done right. Honorable Mention: email Scrabble (Hasbro); Freecell (Microsoft) We can’t believe how many people we know that are addicted to email Scrabble. Most amazing is that that these are people we would never imagine playing a PC game. The concept is incredibly simple: the ability to email your move to a friend anywhere in the world allows one to socialize and play a game at their own pace. This game is great for harried working mothers wanting to interact with an old college friend across the country, or for young adults wanting a way to keep in touch with their parents. Even more basic is Freecell, a solitaire card game that comes bundled with Microsoft Windows. Freecell is easy to use, takes less than five minutes to play and, best of all, is a game that a skilled player can win 100% of the time. Freecell shows how compelling the simplest of games can be.
Best Game: MS Flight Simulator (Microsoft) A civilian flight simulation as a top game? With Microsoft’s Flight Simulator you try and fly a plane exactly as you do in real-life. If you want to recreate that 737 trip from New York to LA in real-time you can do it with Flight Simulator. While most people might find this incredibly boring, Flight Simulator is a great learning tool if you ever do want to fly a plane in the real world. No other game so closely simulates a real-life experience in such an educational way. Honorable Mention: Tiger Woods golf series (Electronic Arts) or Links golf series (Microsoft) Like flight sims, golf games attract their own audience of dedicated players. We are not hard-core golf players, so we wouldn’t want to go out on a limb and say which game is best, but both the Tiger Woods series and the Links series are very detailed golf simulations.
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