So, some time in 2006 (back when I actually had a website worse than this one) I had a friend who visited Japan for six months. Now, unlike a lot of people who visit Japan, he wasn't just going there to buy an obscene amount of anime girl statues/ogle the staff at the local maid café/[insert your own cliché here] or anything like that. While he did manage to pick up a Dreamcast with Samba de Amigo, he was actually there as one of those temporary English teachers they have over there- a bit like the comedy genius who runs that rather amusing Gaijin Smash website, just on a smaller scale. To say that he had an amazing experience is a minor understatement- he climbed Mt. Fuji and all he got was a lousy bell, among other things.

I'm sure you're finding this riveting, but there's a pay-off. While he was over there, I received... A package courtesy of Japan Post?!



And inside this absurdly large package was... A paper bag from some kind of bookshop?!



And inside that was... Famitsu: The 900th Anniversary!



My friend, knowing that I am an insane video game nut, picked this up for me, and for that, I thank him. While I can't actually read Japanese, Famitsu uses lots of pretty and colourful screenshots and artwork, which was enough to keep me entertained, and it came with a DVD involving more Japanese words I don't understand as well as a preview of Metal Gear Solid 4. The biggest draw for me, of course, is that somewhere in the middle there's a full-page ad for the amazing Zombie Vs. Ambulance, also know as Zombie Virus, a game with a special place in my heart. As a bonus, it doubles up as a home security measure, because by God this thing is thick enough to knock someone out. Not telephone directory thick, of course, but still enough to be considered a threat to home invaders/particularly large insects. It's the 900th anniversary, after all. I'd love to scan some of this stuff, but my scanner is somewhat lacking, and to be honest, I don't want to damage it. I've kept it preserved for about 3 years now (having only remembered I had it because I'm clearing shit out) and it's one of the few magazines I've got that doesn't look like it's been dragged through a hedge backwards by a particularly determined Rottweiler, so I'm keeping it pristine foreverrrrr!

However, it also came with... A little pink-ish book, with the 100 greatest games as voted by the Japanese readership.



Since it's pretty interesting, this is the meat of today's article, then. That list.

I've put the Japanese names first, then the English ones because that's what makes sense. Kind-of.

#100 #99 #98 #97 #96 #95 #94 #93 #92 #91 #90 #89 #88 #87 #86 #85 #84 #83 #82 #81 #80 #79 #78 #77 #76 #75 #74 #73 #72 #71 #70 #69 #68 #67 #66 #65 #64 #63 #62 #61 #60 #59 #58 #57 #56 #55 #54 #53 #52 #51 #50 #49 #48 #47 #46 #45 #44 #43 #42 #41 #40 #39 #38 #37 #36 #35 #34 #33 #32 #31 #30 #29 #28 #27 #26 #25 #24 #23 #22 #21 #20 #19 #18 #17 #16 #15 #14 #13 #12 #11 #10 #9 #8 #7 #6 #5 #4 #3 #2 #1

Biohazard 4/Resident Evil 4 Super Mario Bros. 3 Gradius Seiken Densetsu 2/Secret of Mana Tetris Family Stadium '87 SaˇGa 2: Hihou Densetsu/Final Fantasy Legend 2 Sim City Tales of Rebirth Sakura Taisen 4 ~ Koi Seyo, Otome~ Kamaitachi No Yoru Tales of Destiny II Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You Spartan X/Kung Fu Fushigi no Dungeon: Fuurai no Shiren 2 Monster Hunter G Final Fantasy Tactics Monster Hunter Portable Final Fight Shin Sangoku Musou/Dynasty Warriors 2 Street Fighter II Turbo Tales of Destiny Torneko no Daiboken: Fushigi no Dungeon Super Monaco GP Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Gran Turismo 4 Biohazard 4/Resident Evil 4 Grandia Best Play Pro Baseball Monster Hunter Shin Sangoku Musou 2/Dynasty Warriors 3 Super Mario Kart Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo Hokkaido Murder Mystery Wizardry Family Stadium Pro Baseball Puyo Puyo Final Fantasy To Heart 2 Super Mario World Final Fantasy II Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga - Megami Tensei II Tales of Eternia Biohazard 2/Resident Evil 2 Super Robot Taisen Alpha Tokimeki Memorial Romancing Sa-Ga Ys I & II Pocket Monsters Green + Red Metal Gear Solid Sonic the Hedgehog Fushigi no Dungeon 2: Fuurai no Shiren Virtua Fighter 2 The Legend of Zelda Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen Tales of the Abyss Animal Crossing: Wild World Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Dragon Quest V: Tenkuu no Hanayome Virtua Fighter Mother Mother 2 Sakura Taisen 2 F-Zero Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi Bio-Hazard Final Fantasy X-2 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Dragon Quest Kingdom Hearts II Chrono Trigger Valkyrie Profile Metal Gear Solid 3 - Snake Eater Final Fantasy VI Final Fantasy IX Tokimeki Memorial ~Forever with You~ Final Fantasy VIII Super Mario Bros. Street Fighter II Kingdom Hearts Sakura Taisen 3 ~Pari wa Moeteiru ka~ Dragon Quest II Xenogears Final Fantasy V Dragon Quest IV Sakura Taisen Tengai Makyo II: Manjimaru Dragon Quest V The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Dragon Quest VII Final Fantasy III Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together Final Fantasy IV Machi Dragon Quest VIII Dragon Quest III Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy X

PS2 NES NES SNES GB NES GB SNES PS2 DC SNES PS2 SS NES N64 PS2 PS PSP SNES PS2 SNES PS SNES MD PS2 PS2 GC SS NES PS2 PS2 SNES SNES NES NES NES MD NES PS2 SNES NES SNES NES PS PS PS PCE SNES PCE GB PS MD SNES SS NES SNES PS2 DS PS2 GC PS2 SS NES SNES SS SNES SNES PS PS2 SNES NES PS2 SNES PS PS2 SNES PS PS PS NES SNES PS2 DC NES PS SNES NES SS PCE SNES N64 PS NES SNES SNES SS PS2 NES PS PS2

Remember, this was a reader-based poll from 2006, so not only is it a bit old, it's also not really what Famitsu themselves thought at the time. I can't really be bothered to talk specifics about the listing (aside from mentioning the absurd amount of RPGs on this list, and the distinct lack of Metal Slug 2) but there's at least two weird things here, mostly about the versions of individual games that got onto the list. First off, a lot of games that were originally arcade releases- Final Fight and Street Fighter II in particular- are represented by their home conversions, mostly the SNES ones. That's a bit weird, because the SNES version of Final Fight is absolutely terrible, but I can only assume that the arcade versions weren't viable for voting. Definitely a weird decision.

The other thing is that, for some completely insane reason, Tokimeki Memorial- a dating sim developed by Konami- shows up three separate times on this list; the Saturn game at #88, the PCE version at #54, and the Playstation version at #23 (?!). This is a bit bizarre as they're pretty much the same game, with the SS and PS versions being tarted up a little; they're not even sequels, they're remakes. The same thing happens with Resident Evil 4 (The PS2 version clocks in at #100, but the GC one's at #74?!) and maybe it's just me, but I found that really odd- there aren't really many differences between these games, but I suppose it's because people voted for specific versions. They could've got past this by lumping the votes of different versions of the same game together- especially for Resident Evil 4- but it's just odd rather than being a bad thing.

Also, what in God's name is a game like Machi doing at the #5 spot?! I mean, really?

I've never played the game, but talk about obscure stuff. It's described as a 'sound novel', so whether it's any good is a total mystery.

That's all I can say, really. Hope you found that interesting

Anyway, here's some nice scans for you! Click to embiggen, as always:



And yes, this is a bit more self-indulgent than most articles- more about me and my friend than video games, but hey...

After over a year of talking incessantly about video games, don't you think I deserve a break? Hmm?!

Now that you've been enlightened, let's go back to the index!