by Eric Bailey

Created on: March 11, 2009

What makes something the "best"?

In today's entertainment-driven society, video games have earned a firm stakes in the collective consciousness of our culture. Millions and millions of players around the world enjoy home console gaming, creating massive demand for the innovations of the industry.

Among the countless thousands of titles released, most have been forgettable. Some, however, have enjoyed widespread recognition and popularity, whether as epic solo adventures or enjoyable party pastimes.

But which games are truly the best? New lists are provided every year, renewed the tired debate. Individual players have distinct tastes, causing some games to be both widely loved and broadly despised. While some have sold more units, been skillfully developed, or sport cutting-edge graphics, a few games have transcended the idea of a "game" and shifted entire paradigms. These selections have pushed the envelope of creativity and penetrated popular culture as a whole.

1. Pong

Entire other articles have been written concerning Pong. The relevant summary is this: Pong was the first true game to enter arcades and be played on a mass scale. Its controls are instantly intuitive and its premise immediately competitive. While other electronic gaming ventures, such as text-based programs on computers, had already existed, Pong was the first concept that proved video games could be a legitimate, viable, marketable fiscal force. Its effect will be felt for every generation to come, and all future video games owe their availability to its legacy.

2. Pac-Man

If Pong was the birth of video gaming, Pac-Man was its toddling maturity. Arcades soon became hang-outs for gamers, and they basked in a golden age of titles such as Defender, Asteroids, Sinistar, and others. With the advent of the high-score chart, replay value was added, as people kept pumping quarters into the machines to keep their initials at the top of the scores.

Pac-Man exploded onto the scene as a superstar. It was quirky, it was creative, it was competitive, it was unique, it was memorable, it was great. Perhaps its lasting legend, though, lied in its titular character, as it was the first game to feature a recognizable cartoon that stood as an icon. Several sequels throughout the years attested to its lasting power.

3. Super Mario Brothers

Soon, the Atari brought the arcades home, and now everyone could play their favorites right on their television. However, before long, third-party developed inundated the market with

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