The List: 26 – 50

The second quarter of the “Meta Top 100″ has a bit of a split personality between more modern fare and some of the classics of the Atari/NES/Super NES eras. Four more Mario games (Super Mario Kart, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island) cracked the top 50 alongside The Legend of Zelda and Street Fighter II. This section of the “Meta Top 100″ is also home to both Portal games, the first “modern” JRPG (Final Fantasy VII), three groundbreaking first person shooters (Halo: Combat Evolved, GoldenEye 007, and Half-Life), and the granddaddy of the open world genre (Grand Theft Auto III).

26. Metal Gear Solid (1998)
Average Ranking: 47.6

27. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Average Ranking: 47.6

28. Street Fighter IV / Super Street Fighter IV (2008)
Average Ranking: 48

29. Ico (2001)
Average Ranking: 48.4

30. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
Average Ranking: 48.5

31. Portal 2 (2011)
Average Ranking: 48.7

32. Street Fighter II / Super Street Fighter II Turbo / Street Fighter Anniversary Collection (1991)
Average Ranking: 49.5

33. Deus Ex (2000)
Average Ranking: 49.9

34. Super Mario Kart (1992)
Average Ranking: 50

35. Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Average Ranking: 51.2

36. Portal (2007)
Average Ranking: 51.6

37. GoldenEye 007 (1997)
Average Ranking: 51.9

38. Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Average Ranking: 52.6

39. Final Fantasy VI (1995)
Average Ranking: 52.9

40. Grand Theft Auto III (2001)
Average Ranking: 54.9

41. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1995)
Average Ranking: 56.7

42. Half-Life (1998)
Average Ranking: 58.6

43. The Legend of Zelda (1987)
Average Ranking: 58.7

44. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
Average Ranking: 63.3

45 (tie). Metroid Prime (2002)
Average Ranking: 64

45 (tie). Rock Band 3 (2010)
Average Ranking: 64

47. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)
Average Ranking: 64.1

48. God of War (2005)
Average Ranking: 64.3

49. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
Average Ranking: 64.8

50. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)
Average Ranking: 65.4

51-100

Titles in the bottom half of the list often made their way into the “Meta Top 100″ on the back of a particularly passionate source. For example, id’s seminal first person shooter Doom was given a #9 ranking by Game Informer, but barely scratched the surface of any other list. However, that was enough for a spot in the “Meta Top 100.” But the most amazing statistic is that Nintendo-published games account for more than 20% of the “Meta Top 100.” Say what you will about their business philosophy, but their game design philosophy is one of almost universal acclaim.

On a personal note, I am thrilled that both Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 and Secret of Mana both made the “Meta Top 100.” Geometry Wars 2 is my favorite game of the current generation and Secret of Mana, which squeaked in at #100, is probably my favorite from the days of 16-bits.

51. Pokemon Red / Blue / Yellow (1998)
Average Ranking: 65.5

52. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003)
Average Ranking: 66.6

53. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
Average Ranking: 67.1

54. SimCity 2000 (1993)
Average Ranking: 67.8

55. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (1987)
Average Ranking: 68.2

56. LittleBigPlanet (2008)
Average Ranking: 68.2

57. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
Average Ranking: 68.3

58. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 (2000)
Average Ranking: 69.1

59. Advance Wars (2001)
Average Ranking: 69.3

60. Mega Man II (1988)
Average Ranking: 69.7

61. Diablo II (2000)
Average Ranking: 70

62. Fallout 3 (2008)
Average Ranking: 70.4

63. Doom (1993)
Average Ranking: 71.5

64. Counter-Strike / Counter-Strike: Source (2000)
Average Ranking: 71.6

65. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010)
Average Ranking: 72

66. Civilization IV (2005)
Average Ranking: 72.3

67. Doom II (1994)
Average Ranking: 72.7

68. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater / Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (2004)
Average Ranking: 72.9

69 (tie). Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
Average Ranking: 73

69 (tie). Gears of War 2 (2008)
Average Ranking: 73

71. Contra (1988)
Average Ranking: 73.2

72. Final Fantasy Tactics (1998)
Average Ranking: 73.3

73. Okami (2006)
Average Ranking: 74

74. Company of Heroes (2006)
Average Ranking: 74.9

75. Super Bomberman / “Bomberman Series” (1993)
Average Ranking: 75.3

76. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Average Ranking: 75.7

77. Civilization V (2010)
Average Ranking: 76

78. Soul Calibur (1999)
Average Ranking: 76.1

79. Pokemon Black / White (2011)
Average Ranking: 76.7

80. Final Fantasy XII (2006)
Average Ranking: 76.9

81. Quake III Arena (1999)
Average Ranking: 77.2

82 (tie). Left 4 Dead (2008)
Average Ranking: 77.2

82 (tie). Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 (2008)
Average Ranking: 77.2

84. Virtua Fighter 5 (2007)
Average Ranking: 77.7

85. Team Fortress 2 (2007)
Average Ranking: 77.8

86. Civilization II (1996)
Average Ranking: 78.2

87. Rock Band 2 (2008)
Average Ranking: 78.2

88. Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998)
Average Ranking: 78.3

89 (tie). Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (2001)
Average Ranking: 79

89 (tie). Minecraft (2011)
Average Ranking: 79

91. Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
Average Ranking: 79.25

92. Perfect Dark (2000)
Average Ranking: 79.4

93. Burnout Paradise (2008)
Average Ranking: 79.6

94. Gran Turismo (1998)
Average Ranking: 80.7

95. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
Average Ranking: 80.9

96. Rez / Rez HD (2002)
Average Ranking: 81

97. Grim Fandango (1998)
Average Ranking: 81.3

98. System Shock 2 (1999)
Average Ranking: 81.7

99. Final Fantasy X (2001)
Average Ranking: 81.7

100. Secret of Mana (1993)
Average Ranking: 81.8

Beyond the Top 100

An additional 233 titles were included on at least one Top 100 list, but they weren’t able to gather enough points to crack the “Meta Top 100.” Some of these also-rans include classics from the early days of arcades including Galaga (#125), Donkey Kong (#127), Space Invaders (#132), Pac-Man (#190), and Pong (#332). But others are more recent titles that are sure to rise as new Top 100 lists are produced, including Angry Birds (#135) and the newest game on the list, Mass Effect 3 (#323).

Most of the games that you would expect to see on your average Top 100 list were selected by at least one source, but I was most surprised by the exclusion of Midway’s twin-stick shooter Smash TV. Not a single publication picked it, likely because that spot was taken by the forefather of the genre, Robotron 2084 (#168). I guess we all have our favorites that have been forgotten by the critical community at large.

Once again, The Complete List can be viewed on Google Docs