Essential Titles in Video Games

[Min]

If someone is looking for some Criterion/Kino Lorber level experiences in the video game space what would you recommend, and while I'm using Criterion/Kino Lorber as metrics of quality, history, and diversity, this doesn't mean recommendations have to be a "cinematic experience." Mainly the heart of the question is what games are essential to any person looking for a deeper understanding and appreciation of video games as a medium?

Hit me with your

Era.

 

[Almeister]

Portal. It is a masterclass in subtly teaching the player how to adapt to a different way of thinking and is a great example of lean game design. Also memes.

 

[NuclearCake]

Super Mario Bros

 

[Shelbyville Milhouse]

Tetris

It's basically the perfect game. Easy to learn, intuitive and almost infinitely scale-able

 

[Chivalry]

metacritic top 100

 

[Komo]

metacritic top 100

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Nah don't do this lol half those games don't deserve those scores.

 

[McNum]

Doom

The original, of course. See the game that codified the first person shooter genre and how much of it still holds up today.

 

[Mona]

Portal is deff. on the list

 

[Deleted member 18807]

nevermind

 

[Lant_War]

Sonic 3 and Knuckles has the perfect balance of story, gameplay, music, graphics, everything. The best 16-bit game.

 

[aboatofcourage]

Ms. Pac Man -- nothing comes close

 

[xxracerxx]

metacritic top 100

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Hell fucking no.

 

[Procheno]

Dooooooooooooooom *spider crawls on face*

 

[NoalleGospell]

Final Fantasy X

 

[Avis]

Dishonored 2

 

[theaface]

Her Story. Probably the least 'gamey' game you'll see posted, but a perfect example of the potency of interactive entertainment.

 

[Deleted member 13101]

Portal.
Tetris.
Journey
Thomas Was Alone
Pushmo
Boxboy
Freecell and Tri-peaks (yes, the card games).

With titles that go beyond these in complexity, you're going to have a hard time reaching most people, game-mechanics wise or game-length wise. (Assuming the audience is general people and not people already familiar with video games)

 

[Deleted member 11822]

Sonic 2
Super Mario World
Megaman 2
Portal 2
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
Dark Souls
Slay the Spire
Dead Cells
Doom (2016)
Final Fantasy Tactics

 

[CannonFodder52]

This is my list of games I would want to show someone who had no prior experience of video games. Stuff that I think makes great use of the medium, that's impactful, meaningful and fun. It's not based on historical impact.

Shadow of the Colossus
Killer7
Gone Home
Silent Hill 2
Tetris
Her Story
Snatcher
Night in the Woods
Nier Gestalt
Metal Gear Solid 2
Dark Souls
Yakuza 0
Resident Evil Remake
Katamari Damacy
Return of the Obra Dinn
Deadly Premonition

If I had to go with suggest one single entry it would be: Katamari Damacy

 

[Qwark]

Sonic 2
Super Mario World
Megaman 2
Portal 2
Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
Dark Souls
Slay the Spire
Dead Cells
Doom (2016)
Final Fantasy Tactics

Click to shrink...

This list speaks to me, really excellent choices. I'd replace Going Commando with Up Your Arsenal, but I'll settle for any Ratchet representation.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

the edge magazine 10/10 list is a decent start:

Super Mario 64 (1996)
Gran Turismo (1997)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Half-Life 2 (2004)
Halo 3 (2007)
The Orange Box (2007)
Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Grand Theft Auto IV (2008)
LittleBigPlanet (2008)
Bayonetta (2009)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)
Rock Band 3 (2010)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
The Last of Us (2013)
Grand Theft Auto V (2013)
Bayonetta 2 (2014)
Bloodborne (2015)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

 

[Ultimate Bear Cub]

Yoshi Island
Mega Man X
Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Tetris Effect
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising
F Zero GX
Super Mario 3D Land
Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Zone of the Enders: 2nd Runner
Metroid Prime
Silent Hill 3
Age of Empires 2

Just top of the head.

 

[Secretofmateria]

You only need one game, banjo kazooie nuts and bolts of course, along with a copy of metal gear solid portable ops.

 

[DoubleTake]

Tetris
Doom
Super Mario Bros.
Super Metroid
A Link to the Past
Portal
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Dark Souls
Morrowind
Silent Hill 1/2
Shadow of The Colossus
Halo: Combat Evolved
Street Fighter 2
Tekken 3
Devil May Cry
Super Mario 64
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Metal Gear Solid
Journey
Resident Evil 1/4
Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Super Smash Bros.
Castlevania
Planescape: Torment
Diablo 2
World of Warcraft

These would be my essentials in terms of showing where we started, how the medium has evolved, and what its biggest influences are currently.

 

[Van Bur3n]

Bloodborne. That's it. You can go home now.

 

[Deleted member 18944]

Nah don't do this lol half those games don't deserve those scores.

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Yall are insane, i just browsed the top 100 and they are all incredible titles. Tony hawk's proskater 2 is listed like 4 times.

 

[super moustique]

Chrono Trigger
Super Mario Galaxy 2
RE4
MGS
Zelda A Link between Worlds
Metal Gear Rising
Virtua Tennis
Metroid Prime
Onimusha 4
The Wonderful 101

And a lot of other games I guess :P

 

[Kung Fucius]

Bioshock?

 

[Kazooie]

- Several Super Mario games (SMB, 64, Galaxy 1 / 2)
- Several Zelda games (ALttP, OoT, MM, SS)
- Pikmin 3
- Metroid Prime
- F-Zero X

- Sonic 2
- Super Monkey Ball
- Crazy Taxi

- Banjo-Kazooie
- Blast Corps

...

You know, I give up, there are so many games that are very special in their own ways and illustrate the breadth and depth of the medium, making a list like that will take many hours and in the end, there will not be an agreement over the list whatsoever anyway. So, probably very similar to the matter of essential movies. Or books.

 

[Z-Beat]

Super Mario Bros
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Third Strike
Doom 64
Super Mario World
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil 4
Marvel vs Capcom 2
Tetris
Call of Duty Modern Warfare
Halo 2
Portal
God of War 2
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Mario Kart
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Pokemon (any)
Double Dragon
Phoenix Wright
Starcraft
Final Fantasy 7

I think you'd be able to branch out into any game in any genre with this list, or recognize a reference when you see it

 

[Morrigan]

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