I posted the following message to rec.games.video.classic in March 1995, I believe. Additional comments not in the original post are enclosed in braces ({}).
Here's a little something I meant to post after I got back
from Australia. The February {1995} issue of _Hyper_ ("Australia's best
independent games mag.") has their list of the top 100 video games of
all time. Note that they did not number them, they simply said, "here
they are." Here are the ones of interest to classic gamers:
PAC-MAN (all formats)
Try to ignore Namco's recent (and sad) attempts to revive good, old
Pac - this legend of a game defines playability and has a great
character to compliment the classic sound effects. Wacka wacka!
[The picture they have is not the arcade version. Further more, it's
upside down! This also happens to be the very first game listed. I
wonder if "all formats" is really supposed to include the Atari 2600
version? 8)]
ASTEROIDS (arcade/Amiga/Atari 2600)
What made this game a classic was the unique wrap around screen that
kept you on your toes at all times!
{Was this really the first game with wrap around?}
SPACE INVADERS (arcade and all formats)
The mother of all games. The mystery bonus, the barriers decaying
with each shot! Oh what memories!
[The picture with this one is neither the arcade version nor the
{Super} Gameboy version. Maybe it's a PC version?]
DONKEY KONG SERIES (arcade/NES/Gameboy)
Some older gamers would remember the classic orange LCD game of Donkey
Kong, where we first met the Italian plumber who went on to become
world famous as Mario. While DKC on SNES breathe [sic] new life into
Kong, the old games still stand up to the test of time.
[The picture with this one is the Super Gameboy version on the SNES.]
{I have been called to task by Christopher Smith (shmed@ix.netcom.com)
for allowing Mario to be called a plumber. It is true that Mario was
not originally a plumber, but a carpenter. It was not until Mario
Bros. (note there's no "Super" in that) that Mario became a plumber.
This was also the debut of his brother Luigi. I have long since given
up harping on this, just as I don't harp on the enemies in Pac-Man
being called ghosts instead of monsters. Let the world think what
they want, I know the truth and will say so if anyone asks or insists
otherwise. The only thing that I still harp on is that they're
cartridges, not "tapes"!}
PITFALL SERIES (Atari 2600)
David Crane's most well respected title to date with cleverly
functional gameplay. Remember the Tarzan yell? Even if you don't
you'll get to experience it all over again when an updated version is
released early next year on SNES and Mega Drive, with the good news
being that the entire original game is hidden somewhere inside.
{And so it came to pass that Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure was
released with a incredible re-creation of the original.}
MARBLE MADNESS (arcade & all formats)
You control a marble from an isometric perspective and have to protect
it while on a wild ride. Addictive and tricky as hell.
ADVENTURE (Atari 2600)
Get keys, find treasure, dodge dragons. A classic fantasy romp with
the most basic graphics imaginable.
COMBAT (Atari 2600)
A game that could have the worst graphics of all time makes the top
100! Two player tank battles with rebounding bullets or double
players in a bi-plane dog fight. Champagne gaming!
[No picture with this one.]
{Trust me, there are games with much worse graphics.}
ZORK SERIES (C-64/PC/PC CD ROM)
Even though Zork 1, 2 and 3 were text-only adventures, they kept a
legion of gamers spellbound with their unique brand of puzzle-based,
surreal adventuring. Return to Zork added full-motion video and live
actors but kept the surreal gameplay.
[The picture, of course, is from Return to Zork.]
{Full-motion video and live actors is not necessarily a good thing.}
LODE RUNNER (PC/C-64)
Another crusty old game that had such fantastic gameplay, it's been
enhanced and re-released for the nineties. Grab the gold, stay alive.
Simple.
[The picture, of course, is from the new version.]
CALIFORNIAN [sic] GAMES (all formats)
It might seem a bit crap [sic] now, but California games [sic] was
possibly the first multi-player, multi-event sports game. That's
about it really.
[The picture is obviously a newer system.]
IMPOSSIBLE MISSION (C-64/Master System)
More than a puzzley platformer. Nothing flash to look at but the
gameplay is nothing short of special.
{What about the 7800 version, which really is impossible? 8)}
ZAXXON (arcade/PC/C-64)
A breakthrough in game design. The first true 3D shooter with the
player needing to consider the height of his/her ship! Cool game.
[No picture.]
PONG (arcade)
Sorry, but we just had to put it in. The simplest graphics
imaginable, but a hell of a lot of fun. Whatever happened to paddle
controllers?
[Good question.]
{Not to mention it was the worlds very first successful coin-op video
game.}
CHOPLIFTER SERIES (all formats)
POW rescuing, blasting fun. But who could resist the urge to squash a
few?
[Picture is definitely not the original!]
{Heh, heh. Once I got to the point of only trying for perfect games,
if I lost one, the rest were history! *SQUISH*}
DEFENDER (all formats)
Choplifter in space with a more frantic pace. Protect the innocent
humanoids before the aliens mutate them into unspeakably ugly
thingies!
BOULDERDASH (arcade/C-64)
Collect as many gems as possible witout a pile of boulders falling on
your head. Addictive as hell and very adrenaline charged.
GAUNTLET (all formats)
A multi player game that just begged to be played and game players did
just that. From above view maze shooter with tons of enemies. Still
doing the biz even today!
MOON PATROL (arcade)
Who could forget the music in this great lunar game of old? Two
buttons (shoot & jump) were all that were needed to give you a hard
time.
[Plus a two-directional joystick.]
BREAKOUT (C-64/Atari)
You've got a bat. You hit the ball into a wall and it bounces back.
Hit it again. As the wall's layers are broken down, the ball gets
faster and it's harder to hit. Incredibly simple, but an incredible
amount of fun.
[No picture.]
Note: In Australia, the Sega Genesis is called the Sega Mega Drive.