...Judged foremostly on the basis of innovation, though playability is considered.

EDIT: Also, it would be interesting to hear people's feedback on this.

RPG - 13

-- pedit5 (1974) -- first dungeon crawl game
-- Wizardry (1981) -- featured vastly more intuitive layout and interface than earlier CRPGs
-- Ultima III: Exodus (1983) -- popularized non-text based graphics in RPGs
-- NetHack (1987) -- refined formula of Rogue; popularized CRPGs
-- Dragon Warrior (1989)-- first wildly successful JRPG; subsequently influenced FF/DQ series'
-- Ultima Underworld (1992) -- first CRPG to use real 3D graphics; influenced Wolfenstein 3D
-- Diablo (1996) -- popularized point-and-click CRPGs
-- Fallout (1997) -- helped revive non-linear gameplay and moral choices in CRPGs
-- Final Fantasy VII (1997) -- used PSOne architecture to influentially modernize JRPGs
-- Ultima Online (1997) -- first widely successful MMORPG; influenced Everquest & WoW heavily
-- Pokemon Red/Blue (1998) -- started "fighting monsters" craze; popularized Game Boy link cable
-- Deus Ex (2000) -- influentially fused FPS and CRPG gameplay
-- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) -- fused "sandbox" design with CRPG gameplay

2D Platformer - 13

-- Donkey Kong (1981) -- first decided 'platformer' where player could jump over gaps; obstacles
-- Pitfall! (1982) -- popularized platformer levels spanning multiple screens
-- Legend of Kage (1984) -- first platformer to scroll fluidly in all directions
-- Knight Lore (1984) -- first successful isometric platformer; influenced Land Stalker, SMRPG
-- Super Mario Bros. (1985) -- saved games from '83 crash; playability and vastness influential
-- Contra (1987) -- helped popularize two-player simultaneous gameplay; multi-directional firing
-- Metroid (1987) -- helped popularize non-linear 'Metroidvania' subgenre of platformers
-- Prince of Persia (1989) -- rotoscoping allowed intensive detail; popularized PC platformers
-- Super Mario Bros. 3 (1989) -- set entirely new standard for depth of future platformers
-- Commander Keen (1990) -- first DOS platformer to feature smooth, side-scrolling graphics
-- Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) -- popularized speed in platformers; Genesis' killer app
-- Super Metroid (1994) -- helped sophisticate platformers; excellent graphics, sound
-- Castlevania: SOTN (1997) -- featured non-linear levels and well-integrated RPG elements

FPS - 11

-- Maze War (1974) -- proto-FPS; pioneered concept of shooting at opponents in 3D environments
-- Wolfenstein 3D (1992) -- created FPS template; used texture mapping to achieve 3D 'feel'
-- DOOM (1994) -- created 'deathmatches'; popularized the FPS genre; refined Wolfenstein formula
-- System Shock (1994) -- first FPS to allow players 3D range of movement; sophisticated genre
-- Descent (1995) -- first FPS to render in 3D using polygon meshes; feature six degrees freedom
-- Quake (1996) -- popularized robust Internet gaming; mod culture including CTF and TF
-- GoldenEye 007 (1997) -- popularized console shooters; helped sophisticate FPS genre
-- Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (1997) -- template for melee in FPS; groundbreaking presentation
-- Half-Life (1998) -- popularized storytelling in FPS, use of NPCs; featured groundbreaking AI
-- Metroid Prime (2002) -- arguably the finest example of its genre in the '00s
-- Half-Life 2 (2005) -- popularized using physics in FPS genre; refined FPS artistry, narration

Adventure - 8

-- Colossal Cave Adventure (1976) -- first text-based adventure game
-- Zork I (1980) -- popularized text-based adventure games
-- Mystery House (1980) -- first adventure game to feature graphical interface
-- King's Quest (1984) -- first graphical adventure game not in first-person
-- The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) -- first fully-realized SCUMM-engine adventure
-- Myst (1993) -- popularized CD-Rs; first adventure game to heavily use multimedia content
-- Grim Fandango (1998) -- first critically sucessful 'real' 3D adventure game
-- Shenmue (2000) -- apex of Japanese adventure games; influential use of ATBs, sandbox world

Strategy - 5

-- Artillery (1980) -- first artillery game; influenced Worms, GunBound
-- M.U.L.E. (1983) -- pioneered single-console multiplay; influenced strategy genre
-- Sid Meier's Pirates! (1987) -- Meier's first successful foray into strategy genre
-- Civilization (1991) -- first highly successful implementation of 4X conceit
-- X-COM: UFO Defense (1993) -- apex of turn-based tactics genre

RTS - 5

-- Herzog Zwei (1989) -- inarguably the first real-time strategy game
-- Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1992) -- established conventions of RTS genre
-- Command & Conquer (1995) -- caused commercial flourishing of RTS genre
-- StarCraft (1998) -- made online RTS gaming wildly popular; used entirely distinct teams
-- Homeworld (1999) -- one of first fully-3D RTS; featured movement in four directions

Racing - 5

-- Night Racer (1977) -- first racing game to extend racing genre into 3D
-- Pole Position (1982) -- popularized racing genre; featured enemy AI, real racing circuit
-- Virtua Racing (1992) -- first racer to feature 3D graphics coupled with high accessibility
-- Super Mario Kart (1992) -- departed from 'realistic' paradigm; popularized 'mascot' racers
-- Gran Turismo (1997) -- unprecedented realism for a racing sim; started GT franchise

Fighting - 5

-- Karate Champ (1984) -- popularized side-perspective; initiated fighting genre
-- Street Fighter II (1991) -- popularized fighting genre; introduced many of its conventions
-- Virtua Fighter (1993) -- first fighter to feature fully-3D graphics
-- Super Smash Bros. (1999) -- entirely different than previous fighters; begun SSB franchise
-- Soul Calibur (2000) -- influential in its curbing of the complexity of nineties-era fighters

Puzzle - 5

-- Lode Runner (1983) -- one of first character-controlled puzzlers; popularized level editor
-- Tetris (1986) -- first wildly successful puzzle game; influenced nonillion variants
-- Lemmings (1991) -- popularized multiple character control puzzle games
-- Bust-A-Move (1994) -- arguably most popular 'falling blocks' game to succeed Tetris
-- Portal (2007) -- popularized first-person puzzle games; innovatively designed

Arcade - 4

-- Pong (1972) -- popularized coin-operated video game machines
-- Space Invaders (1978) -- helped games reach mainstream; started 'high scores'
-- Pac-Man (1980) -- caused industry to diverge from Pong and Space Invaders knock-offs
-- Battlezone (1980) -- use of vectored 3D graphics made it effectively first VR game

Sports - 4

-- Intellivision World Series Baseball (1982) -- first sports game with voicing; camera angles
-- Madden Football (1990) -- begun EA Sports console tradition; advent of Madden series
-- The Sensible World of Soccer (1994) -- most ambitious sports sim developed; influenced genre
-- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (1999) -- popularized games based on extreme sports

Flight - 4

-- Spacewar! (1961) -- first multi-player computer game; popularized space shmup genre
-- Star Raiders (1979) -- out-of-the-cockpit camera innovative; influenced Wing Commander
-- Wing Commander II (1991) -- some of industry's first voice acting; sophisticated genre
-- Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) -- apex of flight genre; possesed many innovative features

Action/Adventure - 3

-- The Legend of Zelda (1986) -- combined several genres; popularized nonlinear CRPG design
-- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) -- benchmark for 3D design; revitalized Zelda IP
-- Grand Theft Auto III (2001) -- initiated 'sandbox era' of design; influenced countless titles

Simulation - 3

-- SimCity (1989) -- popularized 'city-building' conceit; influenced Sim titles, ActRaiser
-- Populous (1989) -- first 'God' game; began career of Peter Molyneux
-- The Sims (2000) -- popularized 'life simulation' games; expanded computer-game demographic

3D Platformer - 3

-- Alpha Waves (1990) -- first true 3D platformer
-- Super Mario 64 (1996) -- increased the credibility of and refined 3D platformer genre
-- Space Station Silicon Valley (1998) -- intelligent precursor to 3D GTA iterations

Stealth - 3

-- Metal Gear (1987) -- first ever stealth video game made
-- Thief: The Dark Project (1998) -- first use of light, shadow, audio puzzles in stealth game
-- Metal Gear Solid (1998) -- popularized stealth genre; influenced storytelling in games

Survival Horror - 3

-- Sweet Home (1989, JP only) -- pioneered conventions of survival horror genre; influenced RE
-- Alone in the Dark (1993) -- survival horror forefather; mixed polygons and 2D prerendering
-- Resident Evil (1996) -- popularized survival horror genre

Music - 2

-- Dance Dance Revolution (1998) -- increased profile of music games; spawned global phenomena
-- Guitar Hero (2005) -- popularized player use of pseudo-instrumentation in music games

FACTS

Games from the '60s: 1
Games from the '70s: 7
Games from the '80s: 31
Games from the '90s: 51
Games from the '00s: 10

Most Featured Developers:
-- Nintendo (12)
-- Konami (5)
-- Sega (4)
-- LucasArts (4)
-- id (4)
-- Looking Glass Studios (3)
-- DMA Design/Rockstar North (3)
-- Origin Systems (3)
-- Taito (3)
-- Valve (3)
-- Namco (3)
-- Capcom (3)
-- Sierra (2)
-- Blizzard (2)
-- Activision (2)
-- Maxis (2)
-- Westwood (2)
-- Atari (2)
-- MicroProse (2)

Wow you have WAAAAY too much time on your hands. I agree with SOME of your games. Different people different opinions I guess.

I agree with the FPS section, but I don't see Jak included in the 3D Platformer, please include! Precursor Legacy, or II. Not that 3 is bad, it's just more noteworthy to mention one of the first two.

Beautiful list.
Similar to what mine would be, great work on the effort !

I agree with some, but I think you put a little too much emphasis on what each game did. For example, you judge a lot of games based entirely on what they did first, not what they did best. You also threw in a few completely opinion based responses, like Psychonauts (it was a great game, but it didn't "revitalize" the 3D platformer genre; it just kind of sent it out with a bang). Still, it's a pretty decent list.

Going by innovations used, I'd say it was pretty well stacked.

By other standards it is far out placed. Just because it is the first of its kind does not mean it's generally the best of its kind.

Did you compile that list because that is seriously awesome.
There are some games on there that I'd totally forgotten about, but I wholeheartedly agree with their inclusion. A lot of innovative titles, like Space Station Silicon Valley, that got overlooked at the time did have a big influence on titles that followed, and this is often forgotten.

EzraPound:
-- Metroid Prime (2002) -- arguably first noteworthy Japanese foray into FPS genre

Wrong. Metroid Prime was developed by Retro Studios, a Texas-based team. And it's not a first-person shooter either but that debate has been run into the ground at this point so I'll let it slide.

Torment and Bg2 are missing!

Good list otherwise

Programmed_For_Damage:
Did you compile that list because that is seriously awesome.
There are some games on there that I'd totally forgotten about, but I wholeheartedly agree with their inclusion. A lot of innovative titles, like Space Station Silicon Valley, that got overlooked at the time did have a big influence on titles that followed, and this is often forgotten.

Yeah, I completed the list.

It's rarely talked about, but DMA designed several antecedents to GTA III prior to its release - Body Harvest, for example, found the player trekking across large locales and controlling vehicles, where SSSV featured the 'take-over-vehicle' conceit as essential to its gameplay.

Ico, Braid, Katamari Damacy, I'm kind of disappointed that most of the games are I'm not so familiar with but reasonable list.

Surely, you must put Starcraft in strategy.

Dragon Age.... Assassin's Creed games and so many others you have missed...

I think you missed a few

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
World of Warcraft(Vanilla)
Also, Thief, Splinter Cell and probably Metal Gear Solid all deserve to be there. Where's the stealth section? Seems a let-down, it's my favourite genre
Mike Tyson's Punch Out
Balder's Gate 2
Duke Nukem 3D
Also probably Warcraft III. Set a standard as far as story mode goes for RTS's. And set the stage for WoW.
God of War.
Fable

But generally a good list

You forgot Duke Nukem Forever!!!!!

But seriously, a good list, not sure about some of the games people are saying should be included though...

And I have to say... Merik's right, too much time mate... not that that's a bad thing. :P

I've played about 4 of these games....

Also why a flight genre?

How on earth can you remember all these titles?! I can only think of maybe 20 games I like!

Good list, but only if you're going for "most influential" games. You said you judge them on influence more than anything else, so call it that: there is a huge difference between "greatest" and "most influential." For instance, the original Legend of Zelda belongs behind almost every following Zelda game in terms of quality: it does not belong among the greatest games of all time, though it definitely has a place in the mot influential. Call it what it is.

Also, Halo. Umm... yeah, I don't mean to play the part of the fanboy, but it should be there. It really should.

Also, I have trouble believing that the Jak games were considered, but not the Crash games. Jak would not exist without Crash.

Overall, good list: just not what you called it.

I don't want to sound like some obsessive fanboy, but at least one of the Timesplitters games have got to be on the FPS section. They are beyond awesome.

And shouldn't Quake replace Doom? I mean it was the first FPS to populise online play and mods.

Great list, I agree with pretty much all of it (how bloody long did this take you man?!?!?!)

meh I agree on some of them but mostly I find this an insult to many great games.
and a gloryfication of many lousy games. seriously, Everquest but no Oblivion?
(or Dragon age: Orgins for that matter)
what have you smoked?

bagodix:

Jonny49:
I don't want to sound like some obsessive fanboy, but at least one of the Timesplitters games have got to be on the FPS section. They are beyond awesome.

What qualifies them to be on the list? I think Saints Row 2 is awesome but that doesn't mean I would include it on this list.

And shouldn't Quake replace Doom? I mean it was the first FPS to populise online play and mods.

Why should it replace Doom? They are both important milestones, and not just within the FPS genre.

Timesplitters was a game of many qualities. It was fun, fast and had a unique art-style. It's multiplayer had an a large amount of options with lot's of games modes. The weapons and levels were numerous, from all other different periods in time. Think Goldeneye/ Perfect dark, but with a bit more polish.

And Doom is a good game, don't get me wrong. But Quake, in my mind, had a far bigger impact on the industry. Not to mention the Quake engine was the same one used to make Half-Life.

bagodix:

EzraPound:
RPG - 15

You can't put CRPGs and JRPGs into the same category, they're different genres. System Shock 2 doesn't belong on the list because it's not a roleplaying game at all, it just has "RPG elements." Everquest was indeed a very successful MMORPG, but Ultima Online was successful as well, and predated Everquest. You might possibly include both. Your list does not include Baldur's Gate, which re-vitalized fantasy CRPGs and set the standard for what people now expect CRPGs to be like (for better or worse).

Instead of Morrowind you should include Arena or Daggerfall instead, though I'm not sure combining so-called sandbox gameplay with roleplaying is something that either of those were responsible for. Sandbox is really just a buzzword, because sandbox-like games existed before the term did.

It would make sense, potentially, to extricate CRPGs and JRPGs, slot System Shock 2 in as an FPS, and replace Everquest with UI (though this is debateable; Everquest was really the first MMORPG to scale major commercial peaks). As for Morrowind, I think it's appropriate that it makes the list as it was the first time the design model being pursued by Bethesda really "clicked" (i.e. wasn't plagued by so many bugs you couldn't play it), and it kick-started the threepeat commercial success and influence that would extend to Oblivion and Fallout 3.

FPS - 10

Omitting Quake from the list is a serious mistake. Quake is the blueprint for modern FPS games as it popularized if not practically invented multiplayer gaming over the Internet (with dedicated servers), the command console and modding (in its modern form, at least). The mods themselves gave us Capture the Flag and Team Fortress, and Valve built Half-Life using the Quake engine.

I would also include System Shock on the list because its gameplay was way ahead of its time; you could crouch, crawl, jump, fly, climb, lean, look around, and pick up and throw items. There were lots of different melee, projectile and energy weapons with different ammunition types and power settings, as well as grenades and "patches" that healed you or increased your reflexes. The list goes on. The game also introduced audio logs and had a person guide you through the game by sending you audio messages, which is very typical in all kinds of games now. In terms of technology it had the same kind of lighting as Quake, and it also had sloped floors, bridges, ladders and various 3D objects such as cameras and lab equipment. Certainly some or many of these features had been done before in some form (in Ultima Underworld for example), but all in all System Shock was ridiculously innovative and advanced, and not even modern FPS games are as sophisticated as it was.

I ultimately chose Descent over Quake as it was the first FPS to feature polygons (not to mention Quake's gameplay was, for its technical accomplishments, still Doom-esque), but I can understand your argument, and you may be right. The debate between SS and SS2 is interesting: though I should add that I believe Dark Forces pioneered crouching, etc.

Another game missing from your list is Thief. I believe it pioneered stealth gameplay.

It's there, just filed under stealth. And it more or less pioneered 3D stealth gameplay.

-- Half-Life 2 (2005) -- popularized using physics in FPS genre; refined FPS artistry, narration

I guess it's maybe worth mentioning because it did popularize physics, but "refined FPS artistry" is too subjective, especially when nobody can agree on what "art" means. In terms of narrative HL2 is quite weak, or at least nothing special.

I would insist HL2 should be there, though the bit about artistry is definitely BS.

Adventure - 7

No Zork? No Myst?

Myst popularized CD-Rs the heavy-handed use of multimedia in adventures, so perhaps it should be there (I cut it while assembling the final list but may add it in again), but on the other hand its first-person adventure fundamentals brought little knew to the fore. And Zork is definitely a contender, though I sided with Adventure and cut it so as to not saturate the list with adventure titles.

RTS - 6

-- Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1992) -- popularized RTS genre; established conventions
-- Red Alert (1996) -- along with first C&C, popularized online competitive RTS gaming

I would say C&C popularized RTS games. Dune II came before, but it was C&C that made the genre explode. I would also include BattleZone on the list. It was a slick combination of a tank simulator and a typical RTS game, and you could also move on foot. Instead of floating in the sky and controlling your forces from above, you were part of them and had to fight yourself. The game has been largely forgotten, and didn't inspire any copycats, but it was an innovative chapter in the history of RTS games.

C&C perhaps deserves a spot. God, I've never even played the RTS BattleZone.

Action/Adventure - 4

-- The Legend of Zelda (1986) -- combined several genres; popularized nonlinear CRPG design

Zelda isn't a CRPG.

-- Ico (2001) -- first use of Team Ico's "subtracting design" philosophy

How does this make the game notable?

Zelda isn't a CRPG, but what I meant to infer was that its relatively non-linear design influenced them. Also, Team Ico's "subtracing design" I think has had some subtle effect, though with Myst off the list I can sympathize with your quibble.

Flight - 4

There are all kinds of traditional flight simulators that you didn't include, such as Falcon.

I wouldn't claim my knowledge of flight simulators is very robust.

Thaius:
Good list, but only if you're going for "most influential" games. You said you judge them on influence more than anything else, so call it that: there is a huge difference between "greatest" and "most influential." For instance, the original Legend of Zelda belongs behind almost every following Zelda game in terms of quality: it does not belong among the greatest games of all time, though it definitely has a place in the mot influential. Call it what it is.

The first Zelda most certainly does belong among the great games ever made.

Of course, yeah... the first Zelda towered over other NES games in terms of playability, and had a large influence on both Japanese and American design (there are PC shareware games from the early nineties that clearly take their cues from it, like God of Thunder):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_Thunder_(video_game)

Also, I'd still rather play it more than almost any of its successors.

I disagree with a fair few of those.

Also, I hereby ignore your list, it has neither Saints Row 2 or HOTD: Overkill.

And what about the best movie adoptions? QoS or Goldeneye!

bagodix:

Renamedsin:
meh I agree on some of them but mostly I find this an insult to many great games.
and a gloryfication of many lousy games. seriously, Everquest but no Oblivion?
(or Dragon age: Orgins for that matter)
what have you smoked?

Why should Oblivion and Dragon Age be on the list? Everquest was very influential and one of the pioneers of MMORPGs, but what have Oblivion and DA done? DA hasn't even been out for a month, for fuck's sake.

It's true that it's quite difficult to assess a game's merits until several years pass - on this list, there are only ten games from the last ten years (which was less artistically productive than the nineties anyway, but I digress), and most of them are bunched around its early years (2000-2002).

Excellent list youve got there. Agree with most of it.

But i'd like to see a Vaporware section for announced games that didnt get released. Some important games didnt even see the light of day.
--Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans (1998)
--Full Throttle sequels (2000)
--Fallout Van Buren (2003)
--Starcraft Ghost (2006)
--Duke Nukem Forever (2009)

I think you should change the title from greatest games to most influential games. Nearly all of these games helped bring gaming to where it is today, but I highly doubt that they were so amazing. I mean, would you really rather sit down and play Pong for hours and hours straight when you could play Team Fortress 2 or Left 4 Dead?

All opinion based of course but I disagree with choosing the first title in a series to being the best or that which defined the series I believe it was GH2 that really kicked off the music peripheral genre.

Besides this I question many absenses most of all where was Elite on the list no list is complete without Elite.

This list feels American to me, choosing Maddens over the likes of EA's FIFA titles or even Pro Evo in the sports catergories. Leaving out ZX Spectrum classics Manic Miner or Jetset Willy?

Other titles couldn't be ignored would Shogun (or Medieval if it do you): Total War? IK+, Mortal Kombat or Way of the Exploding Fist?

miracleofsound:
That's an awful long list, and I didn't see:

Fallout 3
Shadow of the Colossus
Ico
Resident Evil 4

And most importantly, where is Zelda: A Link to the Past?

That had the first ever true open world structure and is one of the most innovative games ever built.

Fallout 3 doesn't deserve an entry as it's merely an Oblivion knock-off, Ico was eliminated due to its lack of relative stature, and RE4 was beat by RE as the latter pioneered the survival horror genre.

...And how is ALTtP the first "true open world" game?

popdafoo:
I think you should change the title from greatest games to most influential games. Nearly all of these games helped bring gaming to where it is today, but I highly doubt that they were so amazing. I mean, would you really rather sit down and play Pong for hours and hours straight when you could play Team Fortress 2 or Left 4 Dead?

Inflential is great.