Top 10 Lists : The Top 10 Most Important Games In The History Of The Gaming Industry

Super Mario 64 is often credited with not only being one of the first 3-D platformers, but also for making 3-D gameplay an industry standard. The game launched with the Nintendo 64 game console, and while the system launched with a second game, PilotWings 64, it was Mario that got most of the attention. Gamers were awed by the grande 3-D world that Mario was able to explore. They were blown away when Mario first donned the wing cap and was able to fly in full 3-D. Their jaws dropped when they first saw an enormous King Bowser drop down to face Mario. Gamers nowadays take 3-D graphics and gameplay for granted. In reality, we wouldn't be where we are today in terms of 3-D without a little help from Mario.

Space Invaders was one of the first shoot-em-ups to ever be released, and also remains as one of the most influencial, as well as one of the most successful financially. It was so successful, in fact, that countless clones took the gameplay formula and ran with it. Several of these clones, such as Centipede and Galaga, became just as popular. To this day, the genre still survives, albeit not as strong as it once was. It's now a niche genre, with games such as Nanostray, Ikaruga, Chaos Field, and the like.

Star Wars was a first-person space simulator sporting 3D color vector graphics. The game was released in 1983 by Atari. Based on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the game puts plays in control of Luke Skywalker's X-Wing and has him play through the movie's final act, attempting to destroy the Empire's Death Star. Along the way, he must defeat enemy TIE Fighters, destroy laser turrets, and avoid the Death Star's defenses. At the time, the game was a technological marvel, and is still regarded as one of the best arcade games in history.

Shigeru Miyamoto's classic arcade game was one of the first video games to have an actual story. The game stars the Jumpman, a middle-aged Italian carpenter who must save his girlfriend, Lady, from his escaped pet, Donkey Kong. The miracle behind this game is the fact that the arcade cabinet and technology for the game were originally for Nintendo's shoot-em-up, Radarscope, which was a financial disaster. Thanks to Miyamoto's skill, however, Nintendo was able to survive the Radarscope disaster and actually ended up becoming a driving force behind the industry.

Breakout is my personal favorite Atari arcade game. Most gamers have played it or seen it at some point in their lives, but I'm sure most of them don't know it by name. The game has the player controlling a paddle and bouncing a small ball around the screen to destroy different colored bricks on the top of the screen. The game became very popular when it was first released in 1976, and had a sequel, Super Breakout, released in 1978. The third game in the franchise, Breakout 2000, was released on the Atari Jaguar. To this day, the game remains popular on cell phones and also on classic collections.

To this very day, first-person shooters remain insanely popular. In fact, one video game console, Microsoft's Xbox, essentially owes it's position in the console war to a 'fps', Halo. However, what most gamers don't know is that games like Halo and Unreal will eternally be in debt to the PC classic Wolfenstein 3D, which is essentially responsible for popularizing the genre. Of course, playing the game, it's hard to understand exactly why. Back then, most gamers hadn't seen anything like it, and it caught on among PC gamers. It's been ported to many consoles, and a new iteration in the franchise is in the works.

Tetris is a very notable game for several reasons. First of all, it's note-worthy for the fact that it was initially packed in with the original Game Boy, and as such, became one of the best selling games on the platform. Secondly, it was the world's first modern puzzle game, and there have been countless clones since it's release. Lastly, it's one of the most intuitive and addictive games ever made, and arguably one of the most popular games in history.

Pong. Easily the simplest game ever made. It was also the very first video game to become extremely popular. In fact, the home version was the most popular toy of Christmas 1975, despite being sold exclusively at SEARS stores. The game is a VERY basic version of table tennis. Of course, Pongs influence is still noticeable, as countless clones were released over the years, all leading up to the recently released Xbox 360 title, Rockstar's Table Tennis.

Back in the 80s, Pac-Man was a cultural phenomenon. Why? The arcade game feature extremely simple gameplay that anyone could learn in seconds. Plus, it was one of the first games to have an actual character to play as, instead of some blocky pixel character. The game was extremely addictive and, to this day, it still remains a favorite among gamers of that era.

Ah, yes, the most popular video game ever made. Having sold over 40 million copies on the NES alone, as well as several million more with future versions, it's easy to see why this game has obtained that title. Sporting tight controls, fantastic visuals (for that time period), and the then-rare side-scrolling screen, the game is, in my opinion, the best video game ever made. Gamers and game developers alike owe a great debt to this game for not only being so fantastic but also for saving the industry from death.

Games that truly change the gaming world as we know it are few and far between. But when one is released, it will always be remembered in the hearts and minds of the world. The titles mentioned above are but a few of the most influencial games. I believe they shine above the rest. However, what we can all agree on is that without these games, gaming wouldn't be the same today.

List by Metallix87 (06/27/2006)

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