Even non-gamers have to admit that video games are an incredibly important part of our modern cultural landscape. They're also a big part of our modern mythology--instead of thrilling to tales of Heracles or Theseus, we now "live" the adventures of Link and Solid Snake.

 

Time magazine, the largest-circulation weekly news publication in the world, has compiled a list of some of the most influential and historically-important titles ever released, from the 1970s all the way up to our current generation. The list is organized by decade, and as Humberto Saabedra pointed out, it's written from "the old fart perspective," so you young'uns should be prepared for some titles you've never heard of.

 

The 1970s

The Oregon Trail

Hunt the Wumpus

Pong

Breakout

Space Invaders

Adventure

Asteroids

 

The 1980s

Battlezone

Defender

Pac-Man

Zork

Castle Wolfenstein

Centipede

Donkey Kong

Frogger

Galaga

Tempest

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

Joust

Pitfall!

King's Quest

Lode Runner

M.U.L.E.

Paperboy

Tetris

Super Mario Bros.

Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar

Castlevania

The Legend of Zelda

Metroid

Outrun

Contra

Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards

Mega Man

NetHack

Punch-Out!!

Tecmo Bowl

Prince of Persia

The 1990s

Solitaire

Wing Commander

Sonic the Hedgehog

Street Fighter II

Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty

Mortal Kombat

Doom

Myst

NBA Jam

Madden NFL '95

Marathon

SimCity 2000

Chrono Trigger

Quake

Resident Evil

Super Mario 64

Tomb Raider

Final Fantasy VII

Goldeneye 007

Myth: The Fallen Lords

Ultima Online

Final Fantasy Tactics

Grim Fandango

Metal Gear Solid

StarCraft

Thief: The Dark Project

EverQuest

Silent Hill

The 2000s

Diablo II

Deus Ex

The Sims

Animal Crossing

Grand Theft Auto III

Halo: Combat Evolved

Ico

Rez

Counter-Strike

Splinter Cell

Metroid Prime

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Cave Story

Half-Life 2

Katamari Damacy

World of WarCraft

Guitar Hero

Shadow of the Colossus

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Gears of War

Okami

Wii Sports

BioShock

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Desktop Tower Defense

Portal

Rock Band

Braid

Angry Birds

Demon's Souls

flower

The 2010s

Batman: Arkham City

Mass Effect 3

That's quite a list! Going by the criteria of being historically important and influential to game design, I'm surprised by a few things: Half-Life changed shooters in 1998, but why is its sequel on the list instead? What about innovative, out-there Dreamcast titles like Shenmue or Project Seaman? On that note, why is Angry Birds (which does belong here) the only portable game on the list?

 

All in all, though, Time got the important stuff, and a few greats that would otherwise go overlooked, like Animal Crossing and Rez. What do you think? I'm not gonna ask for your top 100s, but what do you feel are the three most timeless, truly influential games that you've played?