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.