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Reader's Choice Top 300 Games Of All Time
For the 300th issue of Game Informer magazine, we crafted a list of the top 300 games of all time. Despite all the arguing and life-long interpersonal grudges that resulted from the discussions, we had a good time, and we wanted to extend that opportunity to the reader. At the end of February we opened the polls to let readers vote for their favorite games of all time. Readers were able to submit an ordered list of three games. We took those results, weighted them, and the result is the list you will find below! If you think the list is wrong you only have yourselves to blame, but we will happily absorb your criticism in the comment section below!
Special thanks to Margaret Andrews, Curtis Fung, and Brian Shea for helping to put together this deceptively complicated project!
300. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
299. Mega Man X4
298. Dragon Age II
297. Limbo
296. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
295. Divinity: Original Sin 2
294. Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
293. Donkey Kong
292. Battlefield 4
291. The Witness
290. OverBlood
289. Heavy Rain
288. Star Wars: TIE Fighter
287. Catherine
286. Shenmue II
285. Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra
284. Fallout 2
283. Membrane
282. Ico
281. Rome: Total War
280. SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs
279. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
278. XCOM 2
277. LittleBigPlanet
276. Gears of War 4
275. Call of Duty: WWII
274. Star Wars: The Old Republic
273. Ori and the Blind Forest
272. Sid Meier's Pirates!
271. Everquest
270. Final Fantasy XIII
269. Mass Effect: Andromeda
268. Starflight
267. Mount & Blade: Warband
266. L.A. Noire
265. Streets of Rage 2
264. Splatoon 2
263. Sid Meier's Civilization IV
262. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
261. Team Fortess 2
260. Valkyria Chronicles
259. Galaga
258. Heroes of Might & Magic III
257. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
256. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
255. Splatoon
254. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
253. Spec Ops: The Line
252. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
251. Jet Set Radio Future
250. Jak 3
249. Breath of Fire III
248. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
247. Tomb Raider (1996)
246. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
245. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
244. Final Fantasy III
243. Ratchet & Clank
242. Radiata Stories
241. Zork I
240. Diablo III
239. The Bard's Tale
238. Resident Evil (GameCube)
237. Lego Dimensions
236. Phantasy Star Online
235. Final Fantasy XII
234. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
233. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
232. Planescape: Torment
231. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
230. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
229. Sonic Mania
228. Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands
227. Life is Strange: Before the Storm
226. Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
225. Bayonetta 2
224. Mafia II
223. Donkey Kong 64
222. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Conquest and Revelation
221. Fire Emblem Awakening
220. Gran Turismo
219. Super Smash Bros.
218. Shining Force II
217. Inside
216. Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
215. BioShock 2
214. Banjo-Tooie
213. TimeSplitters 2
212. Prey (2017)
211. Panzer Dragoon Saga
210. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
209. Rocket League
208. Tomb Raider (2013)
207. Flower
206. Sonic Adventure 2
205. League of Legends
204. Mortal Kombat 2
203. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
202. Fable
201. Tecmo Super Bowl
200. Mario Kart 64
199. DotA 2
198. Call of Duty: Black Ops
197. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
196. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
195. Mega Man Legends
194. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
193. Deadly Premonition
192. Spyro The Dragon
191. God of War II
190. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
189. Sid Meier's Civilization V
188. Pokémon Emerald
187. Mega Man 2
186. The Pandora Directive
185. Counter-Strike
184. Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
183. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
182. Assassin's Creed Origins
181. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
180. Terraria
179. Psychonauts
178. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
177. Borderlands
176. Diablo
175. Legend of Legaia
174. Hearthstone
173. Shovel Knight
172. Grand Theft Auto III
171. Gears of War 2
170. Super Mario Sunshine
169. Mario Kart 8
168. Fortnite
167. Sly 2: Band of Thieves
166. Fallout
165. Doom II
164. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
163. Skies of Arcadia
162. Rise of the Tomb Raider
161. Sonic The Hedgehog 2
160. Tales of Symphonia
159. Sonic the Hedgehog 3
158. Dead Space 2
157. Dishonored
156. Destiny 2
155. Crash Bandicoot
154. Baldur's Gate
153. Bully
152. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
151. Dragon Quest VIII
150. Beyond Good And Evil
149. Demon's Souls
148. Nier
147. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
146. Final Fantasy IV
145. Pokémon Crystal
144. Grim Fandango
143. Chrono Cross
142. Fable II
141. Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
140. Pokémon Yellow
139. Dead Space
138. Shenmue
137. Suikoden II
136. Jak and Daxter: The Precurson Legacy
135. Guild Wars 2
134. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
133. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
132. Age of Empires II
131. Monster Hunter: World
130. Perfect Dark
129. Undertale
128. Final Fantasy XI
127. The Last Guardian
126. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
125. Journey
124. Batman: Arkham Knight
123. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
122. Stardew Valley
121. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix
120. EarthBound
119. Gears of War 3
118. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
117. Street Fighter II
116. Mega Man X
115. Tetris (Game Boy)
114. Rainbow Six Siege
113. Banjo-Kazooie
112. Gears of War
111. The Legend of Dragoon
110. God of War
109. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
108. Telltale's The Walking Dead Season 1
107. Doom
106. Secret of Mana
105. Baldur's Gate II
104. Super Mario Galaxy 2
103. GoldenEye 007
102. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
101. StarCraft
100. Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)
99. The World Ends With You
98. Super Mario Bros.
97. Final Fantasy VIII
96. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
95. Resident Evil 2
94. Dark Souls III
93. Halo: Reach
92. God of War III
91. Half-Life
90. Batman: Arkham Asylum
89. Portal
88. Grand Theft Auto IV
87. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
86. Final Fantasy Tactics
85. Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
84. Diablo II
83. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
82. Xenogears
81. Alan Wake
80. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
79. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
78. Pokémon Gold and Silver
77. Resident Evil
76. Assassin's Creed II
75. Persona 3
74. Minecraft
73. Deus Ex
72. Life is Strange
71. Super Mario Odyssey
70. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
69. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
68. Nier: Automata
67. Dragon Age: Inquisition
66. Pokémon Red and Blue
65. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
64. Fallout 4
63. Okami
62. Xenoblade Chronicles
61. Silent Hill 2
60. Super Mario Galaxy
59. Metroid Prime
58. The Legend of Zelda
57. Super Smash Bros. Melee
56. Destiny
55. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
54. Halo 2
53. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
52. Borderlands 2
51. Final Fantasy XV
50. Batman: Arkham City
49. Final Fantasy IX
48. Grand Theft Auto V
47. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
46. Dragon Age: Origins
45. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
44. Persona 4
43. Mass Effect 3
42. BioShock Infinite
41. Kingdom Hearts
40. Half-Life 2
39. World of Warcraft
38. Super Mario 64
37. Super Mario Bros. 3
36. Fallout: New Vegas
35. Persona 5
34. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
33. Final Fantasy X
32. Portal 2
31. Halo 3
30. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
29. Overwatch
28. Horizon Zero Dawn
27. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
26. Super Mario World
25. Super Metroid
24. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
23. Halo
22. Fallout 3
21. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
20. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
19. Kingdom Hearts II
18. Mass Effect
17. Shadow of the Colossus
16. Metal Gear Solid
15. Resident Evil 4
14. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
13. Final Fantasy VI
12. Dark Souls
11. Chrono Trigger
10. Bloodborne
9. BioShock
6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
That's not all! Head to page two from some interesting stat breakdowns, details about the games that didn't make the top 300, and more!
The previous page showcases the list of the top 300 games of all time according to our readers, but the total number of potential games submitted was 880. Here are some of the standout patterns.
Final Fantasy was the most well-represented franchise with 16 games cracking the top 300, but there were 20 on the larger list. The original Final Fantasy, Crystal Chronicles, Type-0 HD, and V were the four that appeared on readers' lists, but didn't make the top 300.
Thirteen games with Mario in the title cracked the top 300, but there were 29 on the larger list. Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario Bros., Mario Party, Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Super Paper Mario, Dr. Mario, Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Party 7, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Super Mario 3D World, and Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World were among readers' favorite, but were not top 300 material.
Ten Legend of Zelda games cracked the top 300, but there were 15 on the larger list. Link Between Worlds, Majora's Mask 3D, Zelda II, Minish Cap, and Phantom Hourglass were the five that appeared on readers' lists, but didn't make the top 300. Breath of the Wild was the highest, most recently released game to make the list, and Ocarina of Time was the oldest game to reach the highest on the list.
Four Call of Duty games cracked the top 300, but there were nine on the larger list. Big Red One, World at War, Black Ops III and II, and Modern Warfare 3 were the five that appeared on readers' lists, but didn't make the top 300.
Here are some of the oddball choices that stuck out to me as I explored the list. These certainly aren't condemnations of anyone's favorite games – just games I was surprised to see make others' personal top three list.
Pajama Sam: Don't Fear the Dark, Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017), Ghostbusters (1985), and One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird each received one third-place vote.
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure, Azurik: Rise of Perathia, Roblox each received one second place vote.
Tex Murphy: Overseer, Omikron: The Nomad Soul, No One Can Stop Mr. Domino, and Zoboomafoo: Leapin' Lemurs! each received one first place vote.
Thanks to everyone that voted! If you have any issues with the list, please feel free to speak among yourselves!
- For more on our 300th issue, head here.
- To hear and watch us chat about Game Informer's 300-issue-long history, head here.
- For a statistical breakdown of our own top 300 list head here.
- To read about the snubs that didn't make our list, head here.
- For each of the staff's personal top 10 games lists, head here.
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