Topic: Entertainment Weekly Names Zelda All-Time Top Game

[WindyMan]

A Link to the Past is the greatest game ever, and eight other Nintendo titles make the grade.

Entertainment Weekly and the G4 Network recently collaborated on a list of the 100 greatest games of all time.  The full list will be available in the May 9 issue of the magazine, but Nintendo jumped the gun to toot its own horn, revealing its own games to make the list.  Here is Nintendo's thrilling news release:

Did you know… from Nintendo®

The Legend of Zelda®: A Link to the Past® is ranked the #1 video game of all time on Entertainment Weekly’s “100 Greatest Games of all Time” issue (May 9, 2003) which is on newsstands now.  

Not only did Nintendo top the list with Zelda, it had more games on the list than any other video game publisher.  

In addition:

• At least one game is represented for each console Nintendo® has released -- Nintendo Entertainment System® (NES), Super NES®, Game Boy®, Nintendo® 64 and Nintendo GameCubeTM.  
• Donkey Kong® (#45), the game that revolutionized the video game industry more than 20 years ago, ranked higher than many games released within the past year.  
• Other Nintendo games included on the list are: Super Mario 64TM (#8), GoldenEye 007TM (#11), Super Metroid® (#20), Mario Kart 64TM (#30), Pokemon® (#49), Animal CrossingTM (#72), and Wave Race® 64 (#75).

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past was recently released for Game Boy® Advance. The game includes an all-new multiplayer game, The Four Swords. The latest installment in the Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, launched in March for Nintendo GameCube and has quickly become the top-selling game of the year thus far.

[Ian Sane]

So did they only put one game per series on the list because (unless Nintendo left them out) the other Zelda games aren't on the list and surely deserve to be on it?  Considering there's only one Mario and one Metroid that seems likely.

It's nice to see Pokemon on the list.  Because of it's fad-like nature many people seem to completely forget about the Pokemon RPGs and just assume that they're average games that appeal only to kids.

"At least one game is represented for each console Nintendo has released"

That of course only makes sense if the GBA and the Gameboy are the same thing and the Virtual Boy never existed.

Funny how the N64 is considering Nintendo's big flop yet 4 of Nintendo's listed games are on that console.

Edit: Okay so according to Windy both GTA3 and Vice City are on the list so they're not grouping them by series.  Then why the hell is there only ONE Zelda title on the list?  Is Nintendo not mentioning all of their listed titles in the press release?  Surely Ocarina of Time is on there somewhere.  Oh yeah having the GTA games at 3 & 4 is ridiculous.  In ten years those titles probably won't be able to crack the top 50.  

[Grey Ninja]

Try next year.  That's just shameful.  GTA 3 and 4 shouldn't even be on the list.

[nolimit19]

yea thats a complete rip off.....i mean metroid prime and wind waker are really recent so i can see them not being included, but orcarina of time should be top 5 at the absolute minimum. and smash brothers is popular and rates well with reviewers.....a true system seller.....this list robbed nintendo. nintendo could easily have 15 games on there.

[Michael8983]

I think the problem with these lists is the people who put them together are afraid to put too many Nintendo titles on them because they don't want to seem biased.  But, as a result, Nintendo nevers gets the praise it deserves. Honestly, I think at least a third of the 100 greatest games of all time are by Nintendo.

[Ian Sane]

Okay I found the list of these titles on the Penny Arcade boards.  Series are grouped together so the best game of each series is the one listed.  GTA 3 is on the list at number 4 and Vice City isn't (though the game is still ranked too high IMO).  The overall list isn't too bad but it has a lot of mainstream fad titles marked pretty high.  Madden and the Sims are both in the top ten ahead of Super Mario 64 which is something you would never see EVER in any list made solely by a videogame publication.

So anyway Ocarina of Time isn't in the list because A Link to the Past is and Metroid Prime isn't in the list because Super Metroid is.  Personally I don't really have a problem with that since they're consistent with the series thing.

[Djunknown]

Let's put it like this. I wouldn't trust a stinkin' word Entertainment Weekly says. In a great Irony (Since they're supposed to know what's what in Entertainment and seeing as how video games ARE entertainment) EW's knows as much about games as I know about brain surgery. They're too damn busy covering gossip about celeberties and the like, so EW can take that list and [expletive] [bad word] [foul language not fit for the boards]

I'll admit GTA 3 and Vice belong on that list but near the top? Get off it, that's bunch of... EW just want to be some trendy little posers.... What's number one, DOAX? Deer Hunter? Its times like these where you want to commit acts of violence against these wannabe gamers....

I admit to not knowing about G4's status and credibilty (I have Direct TV) so I can't really say anything about them but why EW? Dollar signs? They could've chosen somebody else who has some clout.

[joshnickerson]

I've never honestly trusted Entertainment Weekly covering ANY kind of "Entertainment", since their entire mag consists of snotty critics who only like movies about cowboys eating pudding.

[PaperAceChase]

Quote
Originally posted by: joshnickerson
I've never honestly trusted Entertainment Weekly covering ANY kind of "Entertainment", since their entire mag consists of snotty critics who only like movies about cowboys eating pudding.

A South Park quote, have we. Well, it was off by one word, but for good reason. ^_^; Nonetheless, don't bother paying attention to anything put out by magazines that don't actually cover video-games on a regular basis. What they do is not bother with video-games and then, out of the blue, decide to write something about them in order to get attention. And if Nintendo put enough trouble into having a press release about their mention in Entertainment Weekly, it seems EW's marketing scheme worked. They'll do it again next year and they'll get the same reaction. (OK, so my prediction contradicted my suggestion, but it doesn't alter the purpose of my post. Nya.)
 

[mouse_clicker]

"Because of it's fad-like nature many people seem to completely forget about the Pokemon RPGs and just assume that they're average games that appeal only to kids."

I completely agree. With the (crappy, IMO) anime, toys, card game, etc people seem to lose sight of what actually started the whoel thing, the GAMES, which are actually very good and thoroughly engrossing RPG's. Sure, you could say Nintendo's milking the franchise, but you can't discount the quality of the series and it's good that even Entertainment Weekly, whose opinion I don't care about, actually recognized that.

[Ninja X]

GTA 3 and Vice City are not both on the list.  GTA 3 hold the #4 position.  Vice City is not on there.  Only one game PER series is allowed.

[Exivee]

Chrono Trigger made the list....  which I think is great, but its hilarious how they refer to it.  They called it the "precursor to the Final Fantasy series".. hehe

[Raze]

What? The Olson Twins game didnt make the list!? *gasps in horror*  

[Ian Sane]

"its hilarious how they refer to it. They called it the 'precursor to the Final Fantasy series'"

HAHAHAHAHA

Isn't it interesting that if an entertainment magazine made a mistake this blatant about movies (say they said that Star Wars is a precursor to 2001) their credibility would be totally shot.  Yet because videogames aren't as well known they remain unaffected.  I don't see how anyone could figure that a game released in 1995 came out before any Final Fantasy games when there are TEN FF games and even if they released a title every year and FFX was released yesterday the most recent the series could have started was 1993.  Simple math and bare bones research can easily prove that statement wrong.

[MadBob]

Legend of Zelda series started 07-1987 and the year that FF started? 1987

First, Shigeru Miyamoto introduced his groundbreaking The Legend of Zelda in the summer of 1987.

Square followed suit in December of that same year with its own soon-to-be “legend,” Final Fantasy. The game was a success in Japan, prompting its release in other parts of the world. Finally, by 1990 America received its first taste of Square’s masterpiece. Simply titled, Final Fantasy, the game was an instant hit. Fantasy-based games had long been an important part of the industry; however, most of the previous titles consisted of either text-based adventures or arcade action exploits. Final Fantasy was one of the first video game RPGs. It helped redefine the genre with its world map and characters' abilities to switch weapons. Moreover, the game’s story of prophecies, the fight against a supernatural evil and the four elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water) enthralled gamers.  
Do We Need A Recount?  

Unfortunately, recounting the Final Fantasy series installments can be confusing, Final Fantasy installments are numbered differently in Japan than in the United States.

For example, Final Fantasy II and III, were not translated and released in North America. Not wanting, however, to make Americans feel left out of the Fantasy loop, SquareSoft opted to cut some Roman numerals on the American versions of subsequent Final Fantasy releases. Thus, they released Japan’s Final Fantasy IV as Final Fantasy II in America. Nintendo and Square then scrapped Final Fantasy V's U.S. release enabling the Japanese Final Fantasy VI to invade the States with another name change––Final Fantasy III.

it could be possible that FF copied Zelda but I consider it highly unlikely due to the short development period available, and unless Squaresoft had early inside information about Zelda it is more reasonable to assume they both spontaneously appeared on the scene at the almost same time.

[Bloodworth]

Hey don't give it to much credit.  Don't forget that Dragon Warrior came out before FF (at least in the US).  That said,  did you write this or did you copy it from someplace?  It's rather detailed, but maybe you're just a FFanatic.

[Ian Sane]

I'm pretty sure that Dragon Quest came out before FF in Japan as well.  Plus I believe Zelda came out in 1986 in Japan.  1987 is the release date in North America.

Where did all this talk about FF in relation to Zelda come from anyway?

[bonestormer]

You can't make everyone happy, and that's the beauty of 'lists'. Plus for a non-gaming mag, it's not that bad. And I gained some respect (SOME) for Christina Aguilara when shs says Super Money Ball 2 is her favorite.

Personally, my #1 would of been Half-Life (and all that is H-L like Counter Strike), but Zelda is a fine choice of course (my #2).

It's good to see Tetris at #3 and even Doom at #2. Plus it was really nice to see Punch-Out on there even if down at like #53 (why didn't Nintendo list this game in their press release?).

As for GTA. Come on, it's a great game series. I'm sorry if you Nintendo only owners disagree. Maybe #4 is too high, but might of made my top 10, maybe. Still you must remember this list seems to take into account not just what are great games, but games that made an impact on the gaming industy (like Doom and Tetris did). And no game has helped insure PS2's dominace as GTA has.

[Gamefreak]

"non-gaming mag"

The sad thing is these guys think they are a gaming authority...
Too bad gaming mags still focus on games while movie mags focus on...Making charts comparing the average divorce rates of actresses and the ratio of hotness of their husbands...
I guess there will never be a good entertainment magazine which covers all the entertainment industries well....music, games, movies, TV, books...