The List: 2012

The 200 Most Acclaimed Video Games Ever: 2012 update.

1. Sid Meier's Civilization (series) (1991) [PC]
2. Tetris (1986) [PC / Arcade / NES / GB]
3. Super Mario 64 (1996) [N64]
4. World of WarCraft (2004) [PC]
5. Doom (1993) [PC]
6. StarCraft (series) (1998) [PC]
7. Metal Gear Solid (1998) [PS1]
8. Street Fighter (series) (1991) [Arcade]
9. Deus Ex (2000) [PC]
10. Pac-Man (series) (1980) [Arcade]
11. BioShock (2007) [PC / 360 / PS3]
12. Half-Life (1998) [PC]
13. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) [N64]
14. Half-Life 2 (2004) [PC]
15. Final Fantasy VII (1997) [PS1]
16. SimCity (series) (1989) [PC]
17. Goldeneye 007 (1997) [N64]
18. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992) [SNES]
19. Resident Evil 4 (2005) [Cube]
20. The Sims (series) (2000) [PC]
21. Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) [Xbox]
22. Portal (2007) [PC]
23. Space Invaders (1978) [Arcade]
24. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) [PS3]
25. Super Metroid (1994) [SNES]
26. Red Dead Redemption (2010) [PS3 / 360]
27. Mass Effect 2 (2010) [PC / 360]
28. Minecraft (2011) [PC]
29. Super Mario Bros. (1985) [NES]
30. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (series) (2007) [PC / PS3 / 360]
31. Mario Kart (series) (1993) [various]
32. Super Mario World (1992) [SNES]
33. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) [Xbox / PC] 
34. Ico (2002) [PS2]
35. Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) [PS3 / 360]
36. Gran Turismo (series) (1997) [PS1 / PS2 / PS3]
37. Okami (2006) [PS2]
38. Left 4 Dead (series) (2008) [PC]
39. Donkey Kong (1981) [Arcade]
40. The Legend of Zelda (1986) [NES]
41. Pong (1972) [Arcade]
42. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) [PS1]
43. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) [Wii]
44. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990) [NES]
45. Shadow of the Colossus (2006) [PS2]
46. Counter-Strike (series) (2000) [PC]
47. Diablo II (2000) [PC]
48. God of War (2005) [PS2]
49. Super Smash Bros. (series) (1999) [N64 / Cube / Wii]
50. Grand Theft Auto III (2001) [PS2]
51. Little Big Planet (series) (2008) [PS3]
52. Super Mario Galaxy (2007) [Wii]
53. Guitar Hero (series) (2005) [PS2]
54. WarCraft (series) (1995) [PC]
55. Chrono Trigger (1995) [SNES]
56. Metroid Prime (2002) [Cube]
57. Tomb Raider (1996) [PC / PS1 / Saturn]
58. Defender (1980) [Arcade]
59. Rock Band (series) (2007) [PS3 / 360]
60. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) [PC / PS3 / 360]
61. X-Com: UFO Defense (1994) [PC]
62. Virtua Fighter (series) (1994) [Arcade / Saturn / PS2]
63. Tempest (1980) [Arcade / Jaguar]
64. The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) [PC]
65. Braid (2008) [360 / PC]
66. Final Fantasy VI (1994) [SNES]
67. Mortal Kombat (series) (1992) [Arcade]
68. Fallout 3 (2008) [PC / PS3 / 360]
69. Unreal Tournament (series) (1999) [PC]
70. Command & Conquer (1995) [PC]
71. OutRun (series) (1986) [Arcade]
72. Maniac Mansion: Day of the Tentacle (1993) [PC]
73. Fallout (1997) [PC]
74. Grim Fandango (1998) [PC]
75. Wii Sports (series) (2006) [Wii]
76. Robotron 2084 (1982) [Arcade]
77. Resident Evil (1996) [PS1]
78. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (series) (2000) [PS1 / PS2]
79. Madden NFL (series) (1989) [PC / Gen. / N64 / PS1 / PS2 / Xbox]
80. Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (1992) [PC]
81. Heavy Rain (2010) [PS3]
82. Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) [PC / PS3 / 360]
83. Quake (1996) [PC]
84. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002) [Cube]
85. Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) [Genesis]
86. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) [PS2 / Xbox]
87. Lemmings (1991) [PC]
88. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003) [PC / Cube / Xbox / PS2]
89. Asteroids (1979) [Arcade]
90. System Shock 2 (1999) [PC]
91. Pokemon Red & Blue (1998) [GB]
92. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000) [PC]
93. Galaga (1981) [Arcade]
94. Team Fortress (series) (1999) [PC]
95. Metroid (1987) [NES]
96. Diablo (1997) [PC]
97. Rez (2001) [DC / 360]
98. Gauntlet (1985) [Arcade]
99. Star Wars: TIE Fighter (1994) [PC]
100. Burnout (series) (2004) [PS2 / PS3 / Xbox / 360]
101. Silent Hill 2 (2001) [PS2]
102. WipEout (series) (1996) [PS1]
103. WarioWare (series) (2003) [GBA / DS / Wii\
104. Battlezone (1980) [Arcade]
105. Dance Dance Revolution (1999) [Arcade]
106. Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1985) [PC]
107. Advance Wars (2001) [GBA]
108. SoulCalibur (series) (1998) [DC / PS2 / PS3 / Xbox / 360]
109. Tekken (series) (1996) [PS1 / PS2 / PS3 / Arcade]
110. Mass Effect (2007) [360 / PC]
111. Final Fantasy Tactics (1998) [PS1]
112. Star Wars (1983) [Arcade]
113. Assassin's Creed 2 (2009) [PS3 / 360]
114. Punchout!! (series) (1987) [NES / Wii]
115. NBA Jam (1993) [Arcade]
116. Angry Birds (series) (2009) [Android / iOS]
117. Halo 2 (2004) [Xbox]
118. Duke Nukem 3D (1996) [PC]
119. Elite (1984) [PC]
120. Panzer Dragoon Saga (1998) [Saturn]
121. Zork: The Great Underground Empire (1980) [PC]
122. Sid Meier's Pirates! (series) (1987) [PC]
123. Metal Gear Solid 2 (2002) [PS2]
124. Halo 3 (2007) [360]
125. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) [SNES]
126. Gunstar Heroes (1993) [Genesis]
127. F-Zero (series) (1990) [SNES / N64 / Cube]
128. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993) [GB]
129. Mega Man 2 (1988) [NES]
130. Planescape: Torment (1999) [PC]
131. Company of Heroes (2006) [PC]
132. Psychonauts (2005) [Xbox / PC]
133. Pro Evolution Soccer (series) (2006) [PC / PS2 / Xbox]
134. Batman: Arkham City (2011) [PC / 360 / PS3]
135. Contra (1988) [NES]
136. Ultima Online (1997) [PC]
137. Metal Gear Solid 3 (2004) [PS2]
138. Jet Set Radio (series) (2000) [DC / Xbox]
139. Ridge Racer (series) (1995) [PS1]
140. Portal 2 (2011 [PC / 360 / PS3]
141. God of War III (2010) [PS3]
142. Pitfall! (1982) [Atari 2600]
143. Sensible World of Soccer (series) (1988) [PC]
144. Gears of War (2006) [360]
145. Dragon's Lair (1983) [Arcade]
146. Double Dragon (1987) [Arcade]
147. Myst (1993) [PC]
148. NiGHTS into Dreams (1996) [Saturn]
149. M.U.L.E. (1983) [PC]
150. Final Fantasy XII (2006) [PS2]
151. Quake III: Arena (1999) [PC]
152. Daytona USA (series) (1994) [Arcade]
153. Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992) [PC]
154. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006) [Cube / Wii]
155. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002) [PC]
156. Donkey Kong Country (1994) [SNES]
157. Secret of Mana (1993) [SNES]
158. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (2010) [Wii]
159. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) [Genesis]
160. Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge (1991) [PC]
161. Shenmue (2000) [DC]
162. Ninja Gaiden [2004] (2004) [Xbox]
163. R-Type (series) (1987) [Arcade / PS2]
164. Wolfenstein 3D (1992) [PC]
165. Halo: Reach (2010) [360]
166. Alone in the Dark (1992) [PC]
167. Animal Crossing (series) (2001) [Cube / DS]
168. System Shock (1994) [PC]
169. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) [PC /  360 / PS3]
170. Syndicate (1993) [PC]
171. Dungeon Keeper (series) (1997) [PC]
172. Resident Evil 2 (1998) [PS1]
173. Joust (1982) [Arcade]
174. Dragon Age: Origins (2009) [PC / 360 / PS3]
175. Beyond Good & Evil (2003) [PC / 360 / Cube / PS3]
176. Bomberman (series) (1987) [various]
177. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) [PS2]
178. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (series) (2002) [PC / Xbox / PS2]
179. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (2002) [Cube]
180. Battlefield 2/3 (2005) [PC / 360 / PS3]
181. Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993) [PC]
182. Battlefield 1942 (2002) [PC]
183. EverQuest (1999) [PC]
184. FIFA (series) (1993) [PS3 / 360]
185. Frogger (1981) [Arcade]
186. Pokemon Black/White (2011) [DS]
187. Scribblenauts (series) (2009) [DS]
188. Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996) [PC]
189. Thief: The Dark Project (1998) [PC]
190. Dig Dug (1982) [Arcade]
191. LIMBO (2010) [360]
192. Katamari Damacy (series) (2004) [PS2]
193. Populous (1988) [PC
194. Homeworld (1999) [PC]
195. The Longest Journey (2000) [PC]
196. Centipede (1981) [Arcade]
197. Rome: Total War (2004) [PC]
198. Microsoft Flight Simulator (series) (1983) [PC]
199. Virtua Tennis (series) (2000) [DC]
200. Metal Gear Solid 4 (2008) [PS3]

Previous List Versions:
Beta [May 2010]
2010 [July 2010]
2011 [July 2011]

Note 1: the platforms listed in brackets next to an entry is not an exhaustive list, rather it denotes the platforms on which the game in question has received a significant amount of acclaim.

Angry Birds

116 - Angry Birds (series)

Year: 2009
Platform(s): Android / iOS
Designer(s): Jaakko Iisalo
Developer: Rovio Entertainment
Publisher: Rovio Entertainment

"Its popularity makes it an easy target for some, but Angry Birds is a sensation because it's an incredibly fun and wonderfully addictive experience. Whether you prefer the original flavor or one of the variations -- like Seasons or Space -- the pull-and-fling affair continues to endure as one of the most enjoyable iPhone titles around, with steady free updates making each a great value as well." - Andrew Hayward, MacLife

Recommended Titles:
Angry Birds (2009)
Angry Birds Rio (2011)
Angry Birds Space (2012)
Angry Birds Star Wars (2012)

115  |  117

Batman: Arkham City

134 - Batman: Arkham City 

Year: 2011
Platform(s): PC / Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3
Designer(s): Sefton Hill
Developer: Rocksteady
Publisher: Warner Bros.

"It’s hard to imagine a better superhero game than Batman: Arkham City. It’s also hard to imagine a better video game in general. Rocksteady Studios’ sandbox-style beat ‘em up took everything Arkham Asylum did right and magnified it tenfold. . . And instead of distilling Batman to a cowled martial arts expert, it also let us tap into Batman’s Sherlockian side, sneaking around the game’s city-prison wielding cryptographic jammers and remote control batarangs, tapping forensic abilities to backtrace sniper shots or save citizens from some cackling villain’s machinations." - Matt Peckham, Time

133  |  135

Ultima Online

136 - Ultima Online

Year: 1997
Platform(s): PC
Designer(s): Starr Long and Raph Koster
Developer: Origin Systems
Publisher: Electronic Arts

"Ultima Online was [Richard Garriott's] attempt to catapult the fledgling “persistently online” genre forward by combining state-of-the-art visuals with advanced social and economic mechanics, all housed within his elaborate Ultima fantasy mythos. He succeeded, quickly luring over 100,000 players (eventually a quarter million) at a point when alternatives like 3DO’s Meridian 59 were lucky to command thousands. Games that owe a debt to Ultima Online‘s “lessons learned,” in terms of player psychology and behavior (socially, economically) include EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot and World of Warcraft. Ultima Online also holds the record for the longest running MMORPG: It launched in September 1997, and it’s still kicking today." - Matt Peckham, Time

135  |  137

Portal 2

140 - Portal 2 

Year: 2011
Platform(s): PC / Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3
Designer(s): Joshua Weier
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve

"Give Portal 2 to someone who's never held a controller and after a bit of fumbling they'll probably have as much fun as you. This is because Portal puts everyone on an equal playing field - an FPS with no goon-shooting, ammo conservation or finicky circle strafing. Just clever puzzles you don't need to be a gamer to enjoy." - Ben Griffin, CVG

139  |  141