PAX East 2011 – Top 10 Games of All Time: Season 3

These Top 10 lists happen all the time, but this one seems to have some titles that aren’t normally listed. There is no Super Mario 64, Final Fantasy VII, Super Mario Bros 3, Halo, and a whole bunch of other usual suspects. Instead, we get quite a variety of older titles and modern games as well. Reason being is that they use a distinctive system in ranking the games which they refer to as the Canon Fodder. They started with the GameRankings.com aggregate Top-10 list, but that was just the beginning. In Season 1, they had 15 journalists and game developers who got the list one at a time. They then had the option of swapping two games on the list or removing a game and putting another one on the list. Then the list got passed to another person and they had the same option. It is a bit complicated to understand how the listing works at first, but if you watch from the 6minute point in the first video, it clarifies how the ranking system works.

The Legend of Zelda made the list at the #3 spot, but not with Ocarina of Time… or with the original Legend of Zelda. Instead, the Zelda title that made the list was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The video embedded in this post has the bit about A Link to the Past and it takes the #3 spot away from Dance Dance Revolution. The panel talks briefly about the game and the impact of the Zelda series.

I actually really like this method of ranking the Top-10. However, it doesn’t accomplish the goal of actually giving an accurate top-10 list as there is too much weight given to a single person. I do like how each person can only make one move, so they have to weigh their options. In fact, I like this system so much, that I’m thinking of doing something similar here at the site. Back to the list though… there is no way certain games that are listed in the final Top-10 should be up there, but because of how the system works, they do get listed. I’m glad that A Link to the Past made the list and wasn’t removed even after a number of other choices were made. The list at the start and finish of Season 3 can be seen below. You can watch the full show over at Kotaku.

~~Start of Season 3~~
1. Doom
2. Super Mario 64
3. Dance Dance Revolution
4. Civilization
5. Tetris
6. Half-Life Counter-Strike
7. World of Warcraft
8. Mega Man 2
9. Street Fighter II
10. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

~~End of Season 3~~
1. Super Mario World
2. Tetris
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
4. Street Fighter II
5. Ultima IV
6. Half-Life Counter-Strike
7. Rock Band
8. X-Com
9. Master of Orion
10. BioShock

So what are your thoughts about the listing? Do you like the analysis of the inclusion of each game? Have you even heard of all the games on the list? Be sure to post in the comments below.

Source: Kotaku
Related: A Link to the Past Walkthrough