FULL LIST: Techland's top video games of the 2000s.
It's not easy to go back through 10 years of gaming and choose just 10 titles to represent the best video games of the decade. (See the other "best of the decade" lists here).
Especially since Lev, Peter and I have different tastes; we went back and forth on games we personally loved and the ones we thought were some of the most influential titles. Titles that, without their existence, our new favorite games wouldn't even exist.
(More on Techland: Top 10 Video Games of 2009)
And think about it -- we've been through about as many consoles in as many years. Just this decade alone we got the GameCube, the Wii, the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3, the Xbox, the Xbox 360, the Game Boy Advance, the DS, the PSP, the iPhone and iPod Touch. Not to mention the myriad of browser-based games and Facebook games.
When we started thinking about this list, there were over 50 titles in it. Now, after much struggling and debate, we've painfully whittled it down to just 10.
So with blood, sweat, and even some tears (sorry Peter), here's:
FULL LIST: Techland's top video games of the 2000s.
More on Time.com:
. Especially since Lev, Peter and I have different tastes; we went back [...]&srcURL=http://techland.com){kind=link}
I am amazed that you were able to get a top ten list. I would have been okay with a top twenty.
just one question though: Did you guys play through all 50 titles you were considering or did you go by memory?
Either way, it must have been a tough job.
explosionhead
Dec. 11, 2009 12:52pm
@explosionhead - I think between the three of us, we had played most, if not all, the games that were under consideration. Yeah, picking just 10 was brutal! Were there any that you would've put in or taken out?
Tracey John
Dec. 11, 2009 14:32pm
Hm. I just don't see how Mario Galaxy can be left off a list like this. Not even an honorable mention. Glad to see WoW at the very top, at least (although my personal favorite of the decade is actually Warcraft III). The rest of my top 5 would include Metroid Prime, WoW, Galaxy and Fallout 3.
okkervil1
Dec. 11, 2009 14:45pm
@okkervil1 - For me, I don't think Mario Galaxy warranted a spot in the top 10 of the entire decade. Maybe if the list were expanded to 50. And actually, Warcraft III, Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion would be on my personal list of all-time favorite games.
Tracey John
Dec. 11, 2009 15:16pm
Yeah, it's all down to personal taste, of course. Still, seeing Animal Crossing and Wii Sports as the represenation of Nintendo games for this decade is a little disheartening. If this list was going for "most impactful" or "biggest" (in terms of popularity) of the decade, I might feel better about some of the choices. There just isn't enough to Wii Sports to grant it "best of decade" status. Is it important? Yeah, kinda, if getting grandma to play is that important. That's more of a breakthrough for video game marketing than it is for video game design, I think. Because honestly, I don't think the technology is quite yet where it needs to be to fulfill what the Wii originally promised.
okkervil1
Dec. 11, 2009 16:01pm
@okkervil1 - Actually, by "best," I think for this list we did go with games we loved along with what was "most impactful" or "biggest" (most popular), and Wii Sports would fit into that. Feel better?
I think Wii Sports is important because it convinced *us* to play, as well as Grandma. Maybe a lot of it was marketing but if it didn't play well or feel right to convince us that the motion controls worked and were fun, the Wii would've tanked.
Regarding the Wii's technology, what promises do you think weren't fulfilled?
Tracey John
Dec. 11, 2009 17:17pm