brief Posted August 22, 2001 Share Posted August 22, 2001 Just received my copy of October 2001's issue of PC Gamer, and here's what they have: It's been nearly two years since we last compiled our list of the 50 best games ever made, and as you'll soon see, two short years can make a big difference. Better still, we did some digging to find a bunch of fascinating insider secrets from the people who created these amazing games. And then we got the dirt on what the developers of these legendary games are working on right now. Future members of this exalted list? Possibly. To come to these conclusions, the editors of PC Gamer once again locked themselves in a room together -- arguing [often], screaming [occasionally], and eating pizsa [always] -- until we had a list of games any gamer would be proud to own. Pick one and play it: you won't find a loser in the bunch. 50. Combat Mission 49. Tribes, Tribes 2 48. Beavis and Butt-head in Virtual Stupidity 47. Sam & Max Hit the Road <blockquote><font size="1">LucasArts: 1993</font> <font color="#FF0000">Why is it on the list?</font> Back when LucasArts was as well known for its adventure games as it was for its Star Wars titles, the company achieved cult status with this loopy comic book-inspired tour de force. <font color="#FF0000">The developers are proudest of...</font> "Its legacy," says Producer/Director/Designer Sean Clark. "This game is eight years old, and it's still making top-50 lists. I think it's fantastic that it's remembered so fondly by so many." <font color="#FF0000">Did you know?</font> From start to finish, S&M took only 12 months to develop. <font color="#FF0000">Why hasn't there been a sequel?</font> "There are a pile of reasons, mostly revolving around timing and access to the license," says Clark. <font color="#FF0000">What's next?</font> While the flow of adventures from LucasArts has dwindled to a trickle, a source close to the project tells us that developer Infinite Machines is quietly working on a new console game using the Sam & Max license without LucasArts publishing.</blockquote> 46. Homeworld 45. Worms Series 44. No One Lives Forever 43. High Heat Baseball Series 42. Bard's Tale 41. Populous 40. Roller-Coaster Tycoon 39. Total Annihilation 38. Lords of the Realm II 37. Unreal Series 36. Monkey Island Series <blockquote><font size="1">LucasArts: 1990, 1991, 1997, 2000</font> <font color="#FF0000">Why is it on the list?</font> Can you think of a funnier, more distinguished adventure series? <font color="#FF0000">How'd they come up with that stuff?</font> Writer/programmer Tim Schafer reveals: "When [co-writer/programmer] Dave Grossman and I started writing dialogue for the first game, we were just writing dumb jokes to crack each other up and pass time. I thought Ron [Gilbert] would rewrite it to make it sound more like 'game dialogue.' But he didn't. He left it. And in the end, it was great." <font color="#FF0000">Best Monkey Island ever?</font> "What's always struck me as funny is the response to the newest Monkey game," notes Monkey 4 project lead Sean Clark. "The newest one is always 'not as good as the rest.' That is, until the next one comes out -- then the previous one is 'the best ever.'" <font color="#FF0000">What's next?</font> Schafer launched Double Fine Productions, and is developing an action/adventure game for the Xbox. <font color="#FF0000">And Sean Clark?</font> "Monkey 5! Okay, not really."</blockquote> 35. 1942: Pacific Air War 34. Star Control 2 33. Need for Speed Series 32. Gabriel Knight Series 31. Master of Orion 30. Ultima Underworld Series 29. Heros of Might and Magic Series 28. Panzer General 27. NHL 2001 26. Tomb Raider 25. The SimCity Series 24. Age of Empires II 23. System Shock Series 22. WarCraft Series 21. Ultima-Ultima VII 20. EverQuest 19. Wing Commander Series 18. Black & White 17. Quake Series 16. X-Wing Series 15. Doom, Doom II 14. C&C: Red Alert Series 13. Baldur's Gate Series 12. Duke Nukem 3D 11. The Sims 10. Deus Ex 9. Rainbow Six Series 8. MechWarrior 2 7. Diablo Series 6. StarCraft 5. Dark Forces Series 4. FallOut, FallOut 2 3. X-Com, UFO Defense 2. Civilization II 1. Half-Life ------------------ Wheeeeeeeeeee [This message has been edited by brief (edited August 22, 2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunken_Sailor Posted August 22, 2001 Share Posted August 22, 2001 Gee,I have few of the games on the list.Guess I have something to spend my money on the next days. ------------------ Poor Santa Claus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnusB Posted August 22, 2001 Share Posted August 22, 2001 1. Where is Doom? 15.? The genre defining, brilliant fps? First multiplayer. (Or at least first multiplayer that was good, and "famous") 2. What the hell is Warcraft doing so far down? 3. Most importantly, who the HELL, placed Half-Life on the top?? Check out Gamespy's top 50 Yes, they lack Monkey Island, and I was horrified, but I like the rest of the list better. [This message has been edited by MagnusB (edited August 22, 2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brief Posted August 22, 2001 Author Share Posted August 22, 2001 Write, b!tch, and complain to letters@pcgamer.com or to their snail mail address: <blockquote>PC Gamer Letters Imagine Media 150 North Hill Drive Brisbane, CA 94005</blockquote> Although, you may want to take a look through their article before you b!tch to them... I don't feel right about posting their entire article on the net, so you'll have to wait for the magazine to hit the newstands sometime next month. For your edification, I'll include here what their editors have said about their own favorites that didn't make the list... CHIAKI This is a Travesty! I'm completely aghast that the totally fun and cool Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 or the evil and dark American McGee's Alice didn't make the list. Whatever. ROB Eido's brilliant soccer-management series Championship Manager is purely text-based, but it's packed with incredible depth and addictive beauty. I've played it more than any other game. LI Frankly, I'm just appalled that none of the Jane's games made it on the Top 50 list. How can you pass up Jane's F/A-18, USAF, Longbow 2, or World War II Fighters? For shame! COREY Where's Earthworm Jim: The Whole Can o' Worms? Shiny's pre-MDK package of the first tow Jim games delivered heaps of hilarious, terrifically cool platform-game fun. CHUCK Umm, didn't any of these guys play Infocom classics like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or Zork? Heathens! Or how about Star Trek: 25th Anniversary and Judgment Rites? JEREMY Out of this World brought an exotic experience to PC users. The sound was completely digital, the graphics were fluid vector animations, and the story was thoroughly compelling. GREG Age of Wonders is definitely in my Top 50 list. It takes all of the best elements of the HOMM and Warlords series and puts them together to form one amazing game. DAN Hockey League Simulator II is a stats-based management sim that stole more of my time than any other game ever. No graphics, no sound -- just perfect sports-team management. JOE I can't believe we left off the original Pool of Radiance trilogy. When it came out in the late '80s it was my introduction to D&D roleplaying games on the PC. I've been hooked ever since. ...and where's what they have to say about Half-Life: <blockquote><font color="#FF0000">Why is it on the list?</font> In the year since its release Half-Life hasn't just changed the way first-person action games are made and played, it's changed gamers' expectations of what a game should be, or can be. It would have been easy to look at some recent spectacular games like Black & White or 2000 Game of the Year winner Deus Ex, or back at classics like Civilization II and Bard's Tale, and made a well-argued choice. But Half-Life has done it all. Aside from taking all the great elements of first-person action and simply doing them right, Half-Life's received support from the mod community that's resulted in the staggering success of amateur creations such as Counter-Strike, Firearms, and PCG favorite Day of Defeat. Simply put, if you want to play the best action games online right now, you simply must own Half-Life, and then download away. So, for the second time in a row, our hats go off to Valve Software and Sierra for creating a game that has defined the way every game is now developed and supported. For your money, it's the most game you can get. <font color="#FF0000">What you may not know about Half-Life:</font> Not only has Half-Life sold hundreds of thousands of copies, but an average of 40,000 people are playing Counter-Strike online right now, on 8,000 active servers. Over 240 mods and thousands of maps have been developed, and gamers playing Half-Life, its add-ons, and its mods are consuming over 390 million player minutes per month! <font color="#FF0000">Ladies and gentlemen, here to accept the award is Gabe Newell:</font> "It's ironic, given this award, how much better Half-Life has grown over the last two and a half years thanks to the Internet community. Form the support of the web sites, the Cyberathlete Professional League's adoption of the platform, and the huge number of servers (15,000-plus) for all the great mods that have shipped or are in development, the overall experience of a Half-Life player is much better than when we first shipped. <font color="#FF0000">And where is Valve going now?</font> "The critical and community reaction to Half-Life is a bit of a double-edged sword for us. It's made us very conscious of how much people are going to expect of us in our future games. We've actually taken every penny we earned for Half-Life and put it back into our games development. Our next-generation [products] will be a much bigger leap forward than we were able to reach with Half-Life."</blockquote> ------------------ No, I do not work for PC Gamer. [This message has been edited by brief (edited August 22, 2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnusB Posted August 22, 2001 Share Posted August 22, 2001 Ah, ok. I see their point, but I still think the winner should have been something else. I don't know what though, and yet, I'm very pleased to see Civilation (in 2nd). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarEye Posted August 23, 2001 Share Posted August 23, 2001 Half-Life on the top? No way. I have to admit I don't like FPSs but Half-Life will not be worthy to join the "best PC games ever" list for another 5 or 6 years. How can you say a game is a classic before it has reached puberty? Let it gather some dust at first. A good game is like wine, age is making it better. Another thing, Monkey Island series are way too long down and how can Gabriel Knight be a better series? They're certainly not Monkey Island quality. And where are the Leisure Suit Larry series? Can't believe it. Probably the two most succesfull adventure games in history (MI and Larry) are either left out or placed way down on the list below average quality games. And he who said Star Trek: 25th anniversary should be on the list, must have surely been in a state of insanity, when he said that. ------------------ THX to Brighteyesmonkey for this magnificent sig. Final Fantasy and all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girl of Pure Eeevil Posted August 27, 2001 Share Posted August 27, 2001 I wish MI was higher on the list. I mean, come on. They seemed to exclude a lot of the adventure games, so I guess I'm pretty glad that MI got on there at all. But some of those games... How did THEY make the list?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Feral Chicken Posted August 27, 2001 Share Posted August 27, 2001 Deus Ex only #10? It should be #1, with Half-Life at #2. Why does no-one here like Half-Life? It's a masterpiece of game design and a true testament to the nature of computer gaming. And Deus Ex...moreso . And, hey, Stareye, I don't know whether you noticed, but LSL is what is known as 'crap'. It wasn't serious enough, and the story was too contrived (except #3). ------------------ Feral Signatures & Imaging [This message has been edited by The Feral Chicken (edited August 26, 2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnusB Posted August 27, 2001 Share Posted August 27, 2001 Half-Life is a good game, but seriously, I think that the main issue here is CounterStrike.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarEye Posted August 29, 2001 Share Posted August 29, 2001 Originally posted by The Feral Chicken: And, hey, Stareye, I don't know whether you noticed, but LSL is what is known as 'crap'. It wasn't serious enough, and the story was too contrived (except #3). As if Monkey Island is serious. If LSL is a "crap" game because it's not serious enough, Monty Python should be hanged a long time ago. LSL is pure entertaining, and Larry is no more geeky than Guybrush either. The games has a lot of fans, maybe as much as Monkey Island. How can it be counted as "crap"? It's a best-selling series, has a lot of loyal fans, and is still regarded a an income-source at Sierra, since they haven't "Abandoned" it, like many others have with their older games. If Sierra still sells it, it's an income-sourse. Sierra isn't very known for thinking other than money (I think) which is why they abandoned their proffesion at the time (Adventure-games). LSL is regarded as crap. Tsk. ------------------ THX to Brighteyesmonkey for this magnificent sig. Final Fantasy and all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Feral Chicken Posted August 29, 2001 Share Posted August 29, 2001 MI was serious, especially MI1 & 2. 4 was crap because it took nothing seriously. I found the MI games (but not EMI) to be dark games with comedic undertones. LSL was crap because it was far too surreal (again, apart from LSL3, which was a work of genius). And considering LSL was out the same time as MI, it was poor. ------------------ Feral Signatures & Imaging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest El Pollo Diablo Posted August 30, 2001 Share Posted August 30, 2001 And you choose Half-Life for god sake, how much unreal can you get HALF LIFE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED ALONG TIME AGO AND PEOPLE ONLY BUY IT SO THAT THEY CAN PLAY COUNTER STRIKE ARSE WEED. ------------------ Madre de Dios es El Pollo Diblo - Captain Blondbeard Translated - Mother of God the Chicken Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KINGDOMY Posted August 30, 2001 Share Posted August 30, 2001 I can`t beleive it man!!!!! Where`s commandos series and where`s Age Of EmpiresII: The Conquers Expansion It`s better than age of kings.Why didn`t you list them?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarEye Posted August 31, 2001 Share Posted August 31, 2001 Originally posted by The Feral Chicken: MI was serious, especially MI1 & 2. 4 was crap because it took nothing seriously. I found the MI games (but not EMI) to be dark games with comedic undertones.... Considering LSL was out the same time as MI, it was poor. I'm not here to argue, but just wanted to state that I don't see how you can say that the original was more serious (darker, I can understand). Examples: SMI: "I'm Bobbin, are you my mother" (turned upside down) "I want to be a fireman!" The Treasure of Melee, a sweatshirt? 100% Cotton, though. enough examples, there are lots of examples to make the game not-very-serious. Games shouldn't take itself serously, since it's just a game. Anyway, I respect your opinion, I just don't see them as serious titles (more serious than LSL, yes). One more thing, I think LSL 3 (the best as you say) came about the same time as MI2, and LSL2 the same time as MI1. LSL1 came earlier, didn't it? SMI came in 1990/91, while LCR came in 1991/92, at least I think so. I'll check my boxes later (I believe they came first on the Amiga, if not the same time as on the PC?) ------------------ THX to Brighteyesmonkey for this magnificent sig. Final Fantasy and all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brief Posted August 31, 2001 Author Share Posted August 31, 2001 KINGDOMY: It's not my list. Read the subject line. StarEye: SMI came out in 1990, and LCR came out in 1991 (check the first post--the year each game came out is listed). I've only played one (or maybe two) Leisure Suit Larry games, so I'm not one to judge, but it seems that the puzzles for the LSL games do not make as much sense as the MI games. Another thing is that there's no real payoff for Larry. Larry doesn't get what he wants (i.e. get together with the hot girls). Guybrush, on the other hand, does become a pirate, and he does get the girl. Or maybe I never finished the LSL games I played... Don't even remember if I did or not. ------------------ "I think I'm gonna hurl!" --Garth, Wayne's World Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KINGDOMY Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 It`s been 2 days since I read the posts.sorry My mistake Dr.Briefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfinitySquared Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 Your all mofos. Half-Life beats Monkey Island and any other game for that matter into the ground (I haven't played Deus Ex yet) Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of every Monkey Island game, but until you play Half-Life all the way through and see the ending, games just don't get better than that. And whoever said that Half-Life is old, so it Monkey Island so shove it and go play Half-Life because you wont regret it. The emotions I felt at the end of the game were mind-boggling. I have yet to see a game beat it in terms of overall game design. What's even more impressive is that Half-Life was Valve's first shot in the game industry and it still sets a standard for games today. If only they would just drop Team Fortress 2... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Feral Chicken Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 I agree with this guy here. But, mate, go on and play Deus Ex. In your own words...you won't regret it ------------------ Feral Signatures & Imaging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scumm Posted October 10, 2001 Share Posted October 10, 2001 I just have to say that that list is a load of bs. How anyone could put "Beavis and Butt-head in 'Virtual Stupidity" at 48 and not even include Grim Fandango is beyond me. There aren't even 20 games on that list that deserve to be there... ...well, thought i'd just rant for a bit, it kinda makes me angry : p ------------------ "I have one word for the guys at PCG: THIEF." -Scumm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al-back from the BigWhoop Posted October 10, 2001 Share Posted October 10, 2001 i disagree w halflife, but OH YEAH, CIVILIZATION AS 2ND SURPRISED ME(BUT NOT JARRED, IT IS A GOOD GAME) ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadmeat1587246448 Posted October 22, 2001 Share Posted October 22, 2001 Just finished Half-Life for the second time. Also played opposing force. Havent got CS Half-Life=best game ever? Yes, probably. Its not only a hype, like with B&W (wich sucked), it is a fantastic game. I played it after playing No One Lives Forever, but it never bugged me the graphs were only half as good. Half-Life is pure gameplay. The controls are excellent, the storie is amazing, there are so many things that you didnt notice the first time you played, it has great replay value. And then, the mood. No other game has got such a creepy, violent mood, without getting gross. For example, the end opposing force (i wont spoil it): my mouth hung open the whole movie, and i was stunned for a couple of hours. This is a way to end a game: so impressive, so beautifull, so unexpected that you dont wanna play another game the whole next week, afraid to delete the memory of that ending. Only a few games (Half-Life, Final Fantasy, Deus Ex) have that. Half-Life deserves to be number one. Deus Ex is great as well, but cant match HL. It are the small things: story (little too complicated), controls (not as brilliant as HL) mood (very good, but sometimes it got boring) that make the difference. I dont care what the rest of the list says: HL & Deus Ex are best, and deserve to win ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://monkeyislandclub.homestead.com/files/deadmeat.gif" border=0> I'm the root of all that's evil yeah but you can call me cookie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaMonkey Posted October 22, 2001 Share Posted October 22, 2001 Now how can a game like NHL2001 pass Monkey Island in greatness? Give me a break here! ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.btinternet.com/~chickens/megamsigsm.jpg" border=0> I'm the biggest Monkey you have ever seen! And I'm a back, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted November 23, 2001 Share Posted November 23, 2001 wow, many posts by me today.... but but but where´s _ |\/| /|\/ |) /||/|\ ||_ | |/-|/\ | /-|| | \||_ ??????????????????????? Wasn´t it out when the article was published? and where is Quake and unreal tournament? ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://members.home.com/newfoundgloryboy/jack.jpg" border=0> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blaze_Marley-Flamestrike Posted November 23, 2001 Share Posted November 23, 2001 *looks at list* That... It's just wrong... *goes on a kill the PC Gamer's staff spree* ------------------ -Blaze Marley-Flamestrike Blaze@monkeymug.com AIM: Chocobo Blaze Neopets: perbulbadash Monkey Mug.com The Monkey Island Fan Site http://www.monkeymug.com Uh... I had a greet idea for a quote! IT WAS THE BEST QUOTE EVER! ....But I kinda forgot it... hee hee... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COJ Posted November 24, 2001 Share Posted November 24, 2001 wheres Age of Empire series?? Wheres Sim City?? THATS IT!! ------------------ <IMG SRC="http://www.angelfire.com/ab6/griswold/resto2.gif" border=0> You better listen to him..heu...i mean you better listen to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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