By the estimation of the Golden Joystick Awards, more than 1.1 million video games have been released since Atari’s Computer Space ushered in the medium’s commercial era in 1971. But is it possible to sweep away all the chaff and crown one single title as the “Ultimate Game of All Time”?
I still don’t know the answer to that question. But that’s not going to stop the people behind the Golden Joystick Awards from trying. And they want your help.
The “Ultimate Game of All Time” selection process started with a judging panel that was given a longlist of games derived from previous “Ultimate Game of the Year” winners at the Golden Joystick Awards, as well Top 100 lists from Edge and Retro Gamer. From there, this group of “industry experts and luminaries” (including Bandai Namco’s Katsuhiro Harada, DMA Design’s Gary Penn, The Guardian’s Keith Stuart and Keza MacDonald, and others) banded together to whittle the field down to 20 titles using a five-point set of standards:
- Critical Reception – how was the game reviewed upon release, and / or later re-evaluated by critics?
- Legacy and Influence – what role did the game play in influencing the industry to follow. For example, launching a new genre, spawning a series of copycats, or changing the way we think about games. Full stop.
- Commercial Success – Did the game sell? How many people have played and enjoyed it? This isn’t a critical factor when it comes to assessing a game’s true value, but neither can it be completely overlooked.
- Social Impact – How did the title change the conversation around video-games? What was its cultural impact? How did it affect people in the real world?
- Subjective Interpretation – We asked experts across various parts of the industry for their diverse, and personal, view on why some games deserve to be elevated above others. Sure, you know why a certain game is acclaimed, but why do you love it? What aspect of the game deserves to be uniquely celebrated?
With the judging criteria established, the real jockeying began. Judges weren’t just debating the merits of each game on the longlist, but also deciding how to best represent some of gaming’s biggest franchises. It’s the same old problem. Do you want to honor the influential games that did it first or their more refined sequels?
The judges for the “Ultimate Game of All Time” made their choice, so the final shortlist looks a little something like this:
Golden Joystick Awards
Ultimate Game of All Time (Shortlist)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Dark Souls
- Doom (1993)
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Half-Life 2
- Halo: Combat Evolved
- The Last of Us
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Metal Gear Solid
- Minecraft
- Pac-Man
- Pokemon Go
- Portal
- SimCity (1989)
- Space Invaders
- Street Fighter II
- Super Mario 64
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Super Mario Kart
- Tetris
But which game will prevail? That’s where you come in. Voting for the “Ultimate Game of All Time” is now open to the public at GamesRadar, and the winner will be announced on November 23.
UPDATE (11/23/21): The votes have been tallied at the Golden Joystick Awards, and From Software’s Dark Souls has officially been crowned “Ultimate Game of All Time” by the voting public. The runner-up position was filled by id Software’s Doom (1993) and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild rounded out the Top 3.
The organizers at the Golden Joystick Awards didn’t release vote counts for their “Ultimate Game of All Time” competition, but the full Top 20 can be found right here:
Golden Joystick Awards
Ultimate Game of All Time (Final Vote)
- 1. Dark Souls
- 2. Doom (1993)
- 3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- 4. Half-Life 2
- 5. Minecraft
- 6. Street Fighter II
- 7. Tetris
- 8. The Last of Us
- 9. Super Mario 64
- 10. Metal Gear Solid
- 11. Halo: Combat Evolved
- 12. Super Mario Bros. 3
- 13. Grand Theft Auto V
- 14. Portal
- 15. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- 16. Pac-Man
- 17. Super Mario Kart
- 18. Space Invaders
- 19. SimCity (1989)
- 20. Pokemon Go