20 Games that Changed the World
- April 04, 2006 09:33 AM PST
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From Tetris to Tony Hawk, we lay out the most important and influential games of all time. Head inside to see if your favorites made the list of 20 games that changed the world.
With everyone's attention focused on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Revolution, we thought it the perfect time to ponder the path of video games to their current level of global popularity and acceptance. For this, we look back on the influential games of all time, all originators and influencers; 20 games that changed the world.20. Guitar Hero
Platform: PlayStation 2
Year: 2005
Key features: Innovative guitar controller; enormous mass-market appeal
Guitar Freaks may have originated the guitar-rhythm game in Japan, but Guitar Hero spawned a massive craze in North America and Europe in late 2005 -- a retail feat that Guitar Freaks just couldn't match. The game's mix of classic and modern rock hits enthralled Americans, while proving that a small publisher can still succeed in spite of the EAs and Activisions of the world. The bundled guitar controller drove the final price tag to $70, but most fans will admit that the game is worth the extra cost. The CEO of Red Octane, publishers of Guitar Hero, recently mentioned that some "five or six" new versions of Guitar Hero are in the works.
19. Pokemon
Platform: Game Boy
Year: 1996
Key features: Hunting and gathering gameplay; broad, mass market appeal
When this game first appeared on the horizon, industry insiders thought Nintendo had finally gone insane. No one had any idea how deeply this game would become ingrained in the culture of gamers, both young and old. Pokemon emphasizes the core elements of all great games: humor, adventure, competition, and the RPG-like ability to improve your skills. It also celebrated creature collecting... and again, no one predicted how much fun the idea of hunting and gathering strange beasts would be (except for Game Freaks and Nintendo, that is). It's easily earned a spot as one of the greatest game franchises ever, inspiring everything from Nintendogs to Yu-Gi-Oh! Pokemon is far, far more influential than you'd like to admit.
18. E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial
Platform: Atari 2600
Year: 1982
Key features: Atrocious gameplay; crippling bugs; first major movie-licensed game
Made for the Atari 2600, E.T. was one of the most transparent cash-ins in gaming history, one that has been credited with triggering the infamous video game crash of 1983. Shamefully churned out in six weeks and rushed to store shelves in time for the 1982 holiday season, gamers unwittingly brought this cart, only to see the friendly alien befouled and defiled in one of the worst games ever created. Fortunately, E.T. didn't sell well, and Atari was stuck with almost 5 million copies of the game.
To deal with the surplus inventory (i.e. destroy the evidence), Atari dumped the carts into a New Mexico landfill. But after people found the site, Atari crushed them up and filled the landfill with cement. Environmental considerations aside, E.T. practically set the standard that all video games based on movies will suck. And other publishers adopted Atari's "must-be-released-the-same-day-as-the-film-no-matter-what" mantra, a marketing tactic that's still in practice today. Just play Catwoman, Enter the Matrix, or other gazillion-dollar licensed movie property, and see if you last three levels.
Platform: PlayStation
Year: 1999
Key features: Accessible controls; thrashing soundtrack; first meaningful "extreme sports" game
Skateboarding has never been more mainstream, and you can thank Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. Not only did THPS feature the most influential skateboarder of all time -- Tony Hawk -- but also created simple, intuitive gameplay mechanics that allowed even the youngest of children to enjoy and appreciate skateboarding. Dominating its niche in the genre, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater has eliminated the competition with its big name boarders, musicians, and famous locals. Now, grab your safety gear and go stick that gymnasium roof gap.
Platform: Arcade
Year: 1991
Key features: Deep, strategic play styles; hardcore two-player competition
A landmark game, Street Fighter II single-handedly propelled the fighting genre, a tiny splinter of the overall games market at the time, into the spotlight. Politicians were outraged, players were overjoyed, and gaming magazines scraped together every last ragged shred of strategy and gossip they could in order to appease the screaming masses. After the incredible success of Street Fighter II (and its many, many spin-offs), games like Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct set up their own empires -- proof that Capcom's classic franchise was not just another game, but the gold standard for fighting games. Even today, the Street Fighter series is widely considered to be the king of the hardcore fighting games, beating out modern 3D brawlers like Tekken and Dead or Alive.
