Top Ten Video Games of All Time (for Men)

Before we get to the Top Ten Video Games of All Time (for Men) there is a story that sets up how this list - and the argument that caused it to be created - came to be.

We humbly ask you to bear with us for a moment while we tell you this story - you may actually find this entertaining... We sure did!

Kevin, Montana

A few years ago in the late afternoon of a winter Sunday we were coming back from Calgary (the one in Canada) on our way back to New England and found, as we crossed the border into the US, that all of the petrol stations were closed in the tiny commercial settlement there. This is out in the middle of nowhere mind you, in a part of the world that is nothing but wide flat plains.

During a desperate search for an open petrol station with the car very nearly on fumes we ended up in a tiny town called Kevin, Montana (population 154) where there was a petrol station of sorts. Actually, have you ever seen the TV show Northern Exposure?

What passed for a petrol station in Kevin was a large wooden framed structure with two pumps tucked to the side that was very clearly a bar.

When we actually went in we discovered that in addition to being the town's only bar AND petrol station it was also (I swear to God this is true) its game room, video rental, tanning salon, grocery store, cafe, liquor store, and post office.

As we approached the front door I noticed a sign nailed to the outside that someone had hand branded into a plank of wood that read: 'If it's got teats or tires, you're gonna have problems.'

When we got inside and saw just how multi-use the space was, the only response possible was 'Jeee-sus!'

While we got our gas the guy behind the counter, noticing the gaming related shirt one of us was wearing, asked if we were gamers. We admitted that to be the case, and he smiled, explaining that video games kept the locals from killing each other each winter.

Now, considering just how far out into the bush we were, I believe that.

As the conversation continued he shared his Top Ten List of Video Games of All Time with us. Without our asking.

'You have a Top Ten List of Video Games of All Time? In your head?' I blurted.

'Don't you?' he replied.

'Well, no,' I admitted. 'Actually I mean... Yeah, no.'

Now to be fair we all have our personal lists - heck some of the people I know keep lists of lists, just saying - but the notion that we should be able to declare what we considered to be the Top Ten Video Games of All Time - from memory - well, can you? I didn't think so.

As we departed the rustic environs of Kevin, Montana, making our way back to the highway and, eventually after four days of driving, to home, we spent a considerable portion of that trip arguing about just what were the Top Ten Video Games of All Time (for Men) - which we will from hereon abbreviate as 'T3VGoATfM'.

That last distinction is critical, because if you try to make that list in mixed company... Well, let me just say that women are looking for something very different in video games than men are.

The important thing to understand here is that we did not just declare T3VGoATfM individually because we were, for that week in the car, a bloody community! We felt that it was crucial that we not only come up with that list, but that we do so in a democratic fashion, debating the merits of each game and, when one was questioned, hashing it out to determine if, indeed, it belonged on that list.

That is what you get when you put an expat Aussie in a car with New England Yankees for an extended period of time.

Recently the four of us came together again for another road trip and, naturally, we revisited and updated the list so that it reflected new games that clearly belonged on it. Shockingly enough the list was largely unchanged save for a few replacements.

So now you know the story and can appreciate that a lot of effort - days of effort - went into the crafting of this list. And here it is, with comments.

One last thing you need to know: all four of the people involved either worked in the video games industry at the time, or had in the past. Some still do.

10. Forza Motorsport 4 (2011 Turn 10)

Vote: 3/4

While it qualifies as a sports game, it is really a driving game, and a driving game that features both a wide and appealing garage of cars, and a massive and striking world full of challenging tracks and even more challenging opponents once you take your game online.

It wasn't just the racing -- there was the hours or perhaps days that were spent creating awesome decal and paint designs for your cars, and the grueling process of unlocking Achievements in the game that required a massive commitment of time and effort to driving -- and winning on -- all of the tracks in the world also to be considered.

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