Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Essential articles
This page lists the most essential topics related to video games. It could be used to select candidates for Wikipedia 1.0, or perhaps even to create a Video games Wikipedia Book. It allows us to identify areas in need of work, so that we may become a more authoritative resource for video game history. Feel free to fill in the table by rating the quality and importance of articles. If you disagree with a grade, or believe that an important topic is missing, be bold and change it. If you change the rating of an article, please also change the rating on the {{WikiProject Video games}} template found on the article's discussion page. The status of the external links on these pages are updated by Checklinks weekly here.
General
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Amusement arcade | Top | B | ||
Arcade game | Top | C | Short sections, needs refs. | |
Game controller | Top | C | Needs refs in one section, possible cleanup elsewhere. | |
Gaming computer | High | C | ||
Handheld electronic game | High | C | ||
Handheld game console | Top | C | Good summaries of all handhelds, but needs refs. Some images (WS, GP2X) need replaced by public domain/GNUFDL images. | |
Handheld video game | High | Start | Short sections, only one ref. | |
Multiplayer video game | High | C | ||
Online game | Top | A large part of the Internet culture as well. | C | |
PC game | Top | C | delisted GA article. | |
Video game | Top | Our top-level article. | B | Could use a few more refs. Also former GA. |
Video game console | Top | B | Could use one or two more general references. | |
Video game genre | Top | C | A discussion of genres might be required, but is also perhaps the most problematic topic since there is no real consensus on genres. |
Consoles
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atari 2600 | High | B | Refs, obviously. A fairly good history, specs are fine, but little else. | |
ColecoVision | High | B | Significantly smaller than surrounding articles. Refs. | |
Dreamcast | High | ![]() |
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Game & Watch | High | Introduced cross-style D-Pad. Launched Gumpei Yokoi's career. | B | |
Game Boy | High | Nintendo's most successful console | C | Needs to be expanded. |
Game Boy Advance | High | Part of the Game Boy line | C | Refs. Jumps directly into the hardware, not much else. |
GameCube | High | B | ||
Intellivision | High | C | Could stand to be reorganized (History, features, peripherals, specs?). Image:Intellivision.jpg should be replaceable. | |
Magnavox Odyssey | High | The first video game console. | ![]() |
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Master System | High | SMS and NES were the two most important consoles of their era; head-to-head combattants. | ![]() |
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Nintendo 3DS | High | Produces "3D effects without the need for any special glasses". | B | |
Nintendo 64 | High | B | Lacks inline citations. | |
Nintendo DS | High | Cultural phenomenon. | C | Former GA. |
Nintendo Entertainment System | High | B | Former FA. | |
Nintendo Switch | High | B | ||
PlayStation (console) | High | Most important console of its era, first popular console with CD media. | ![]() |
Needs references. Lots of references. |
PlayStation 2 | High | C | Jumps into "history" with little context. Convert links to references, but needs more refs anyway. Not bad but not excellent. | |
PlayStation 3 | High | B | Former FA. | |
PlayStation 4 | High | ![]() |
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PlayStation 5 | High | Current-gen console. | B | |
PlayStation Portable | High | B | Former GA. | |
Sega Genesis | High | ![]() |
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Sega Saturn | High | ![]() |
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Super Nintendo Entertainment System | High | B | Former FA. | |
Vectrex | High | Start | ||
Wii | High | Cutting-edge motion sensing technology. | ![]() |
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Wii U | High | First 8th gen home console. | ![]() |
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Xbox | High | C | Standardize refs. Seems like there's a tone issue, although it's only slightly more prominent here than in other articles here. Needs more pictures. | |
Xbox (console) | High | B | ||
Xbox 360 | High | B | Former GA. | |
Xbox One | High | ![]() |
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Xbox Series X and Series S | High | Current-gen consoles. | B |
History
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Early history of video games | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | ![]() |
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Golden age of arcade video games | High | All VG history articles are essential. | B | FARC page |
History of video games | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | C | Bad lead, needs more refs, copyediting. The 1970s section is a mess. Perhaps fork off a timeline list as the article is quite large. |
First generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | ![]() |
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Second generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | ![]() |
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Third generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | B | |
Fourth generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | C | |
Fifth generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | C | |
Sixth generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | B | |
Seventh generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | ![]() |
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Eighth generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | B | Still happening. |
Ninth generation of video game consoles | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | C | Still happening. |
North American video game crash of 1983 | Top | All VG history articles are essential. | C | Former GA. |
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. | High | Firmly established Nintendo as a video game company, having stood its ground against a media giant. | ![]() |
Industry and development
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Game artificial intelligence | High | C | Has references, but might just be better to include the top article on AI. Stub sections. | |
Game design | High | C | ||
Video game development | Top | C | ||
Game engine | High | C | Needs references. | |
Game programmer | High | C | Needs references. Consider merging into game programming. | |
Game programming | Mid | C | For a second I thought I was reading the above article again; needs different pics. Consider merging? | |
Game testing | High | Start | Needs better layout. Consider merging game tester here. | |
Video game developer | High | C | Needs references, particularly for generalizations. | |
Video game industry | Top | C | Needs refs (currently has none), significant cleanup and expansion. Factual accuracy disputed. | |
Video game publisher | High | Start | Needs references, particularly for generalizations. |
People
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ralph H. Baer | High | Creator of the first video game console. | B | |
Richard Bartle | High | Co-creator of MUD1, first MUD and progenitor of MUD and MMORPG genres; author of Designing Virtual Worlds | C | |
Nolan Bushnell | High | Creator of Pong, kick-started the industry. | C | |
John D. Carmack | High | Main programmer of Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Quake. | B | |
Richard Garriott | High | Creator of Ultima series; in many ways the father, or the evolver, of CRPGs. | B | |
Trip Hawkins | High | Founder of Electronic Arts | C | |
Keiji Inafune | High | Creator of all the Mega Man and Onimusha series. | C | |
Satoru Iwata | High | President of Nintendo from 2002 to 2015. | ![]() |
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Hideo Kojima | High | Creator of the Metal Gear series. | B | |
Kōji Kondō | High | Prolific video game music composer responsible for the music of Mario series and The Legend of Zelda series. | B | |
Raph Koster | High | Lead designer of Ultima Online, creative director of Star Wars Galaxies, chief creative officer of EverQuest II, author of A Theory of Fun for Game Design | C | |
Ken Kutaragi | High | Father of the PlayStation. | C | |
Jordan Mechner | High | Creator of Karateka, Prince of Persia, The Last Express, the first game designer to use rotoscoping (a predecessor to motion capture). | Start | |
Sid Meier | High | Creator of Civilization | C | |
Shinji Mikami | High | Creator of the Resident Evil series (and other Capcom franchises). | C | |
Shigeru Miyamoto | High | Most widely-known and successful video game developer, creator of Mario and Zelda franchises, etc. | B | |
Peter Molyneux | High | Creator of Populous, one of the first graphical 'god games'. | C | |
Michael Morhaime | High | Co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. | Start | |
Yuji Naka | High | Creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. | C | |
Gabe Newell | High | Creator of the Half-Life series and founder of Valve Corporation. | C | |
Alexey Pajitnov | High | Creator of Tetris, arguably the most popular/recognized puzzle game, crucial to the success of the Game Boy. | C | |
John Romero | High | Game designer for Doom, Wolfenstein 3D and Quake | C | |
Hironobu Sakaguchi | High | Creator of the Final Fantasy series. | C | |
Tim Schafer | High | Creator of Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, etc. | C | |
Yu Suzuki | High | Creator of Out Run, Virtua Fighter, and Shenmue. | B | |
Nobuo Uematsu | High | Prolific video game music composer responsible for almost all the Final Fantasy soundtracks. | ![]() |
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Roberta Williams | High | Creator of Mystery House (the first first-person game), King's Quest series, Phantasmagoria, all best-selling games. Did for adventure games what Meier and Wright did for strategy games, one of the most famous female video game designers. | ![]() |
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Will Wright | High | Creator of SimCity, The Sims, and Spore. | B | |
Hiroshi Yamauchi | High | President of Nintendo from 1949 until 2002. | C | |
Gunpei Yokoi | High | Creator of Game Boy, Game & Watch, and other systems. | B |
Defunct companies
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Atari, Inc. | Top | Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200, Pong, Breakout, Asteroids, Adventure, Centipede. | C | |
Brøderbund | High | Lode Runner, Prince of Persia, Carmen Sandiego, Myst. | B | |
Bullfrog Productions | High | Populous, Syndicate, Magic Carpet, Theme Park, Dungeon Keeper. | ![]() |
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Commodore International | High | Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, Amiga. | C | |
Enix | High | Dragon Quest, Star Ocean. | C | |
Looking Glass Studios | High | Ultima Underworld, Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, Flight Unlimited, Thief. | Start | |
MicroProse | High | Pirates!, Railroad Tycoon, Civilization, F1 Grand Prix, Master of Orion, UFO. | B | |
New World Computing | High | Might and Magic, Heroes of Might and Magic. | B | |
Origin Systems | High | Ultima, Wing Commander. | C | |
Square | High | Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Vagrant Story. | ![]() |
Active companies
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Activision | Top | The first third-party developer; one of the biggest software publishers. | C | |
BioWare | High | Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, various engines. | C | Nothing beyond the lists of games and engines. |
Blizzard Entertainment | Top | Diablo, WarCraft, StarCraft, Overwatch | C | Too focused on Cease and Desists (POV). |
Capcom | Top | Mega Man, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, and more. | C | |
Electronic Arts | Top | The biggest third party publisher. | C | Good info but tagged for cleanup. |
Epic Games | High | Fortnite, Unreal Engine | B | |
Id Software | High | Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake | C | |
Konami | Top | Castlevania, Dance Dance Revolution, Metal Gear. | C | |
LucasArts | High | Monkey Island and many Star Wars games. | C | |
Microsoft Studios | Top | Division of Microsoft; creators of the Xboxs. | C | |
Midway Games | High | Developer of Mortal Kombat, Spy Hunter and Tron. Licensing & distribution of Pac-Man and Space Invaders. | C | |
Namco | High | Pac-Man, Ridge Racer, Soul Calibur, Tekken | ![]() |
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Nintendo | Top | Major console and game maker; created international gaming icons such as Mario and internationally recognized series such as The Legend of Zelda. | B | Former GA. References might be cited in the article itself, inappropriate formatting. |
Rare | High | Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007 and Jetpac | ![]() |
Prose needs improving for FA. |
Sega | Top | Former major console maker. | ![]() |
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Sierra Entertainment | High | King's Quest, various published/developed games. | C | Gigantic amount of information (i.e. too much). Needs more references, of course. |
Sony Computer Entertainment | Top | A subsidiary of Sony; creators of the PlayStations. | B | Needs references. |
Square Enix | High | Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts and others. | C | |
Taito Corporation | High | Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble series, Darius series and Lufia series. | Start | |
Ubisoft | High | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed, Myst sequels, etc. | C | Mostly a list of games. |
Valve | High | Developers of Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, and Portal. | B | Underdeveloped. |
Books
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Art of Computer Game Design | Mid | First book on video game theory. | C | |
Designing Virtual Worlds | Mid | Seminal work on MMO/virtual world development. | C |
Genres
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
4X | High | ![]() |
Promoted to featured status in August 2008. | |
Action game | Top | The largest and most important genre, tying together many video game concepts. | C | Might be hard to find research for a history / reception section. Will depend on adequate sources for subgenres. |
Action-adventure game | High | Many major franchises fit within this genre. | C | Most action-adventure subgenres are considered good articles, which could help this root article improve. |
Adventure game | Top | One of the oldest genres. A foundation to many other games. | B | Less popular now, and might require some digging to find appropriate references. |
Battle royale game | High | Each major title has tens of millions of players (July 2020). | C | |
Beat 'em up | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in April 2009. | |
Construction and management simulation | High | Most of the major Sim games fall within this category. | Start | Research doesn't always distinguish between these and vehicle simulations, let alone realistic games. |
Fighting game | High | A major genre, especially in arcades. | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in June 2009. |
First-person shooter | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in March 2009. | |
Government simulation game | High | C | Former GA. | |
Grand Theft Auto clone | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in May 2009. | |
Indie game | High | C | ||
Life simulation game | High | Start | ||
Light gun shooter | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in March 2009. | |
Massively multiplayer online game | High | Not really a genre, but still an important game category. | Start | |
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game | Top | B | Lost GA status due to unreferenced content. | |
Multi-user dungeon | High | Pioneering genre in multiplayer persistent world gaming, predecessor to MMORPG genre. | B | |
Multiplayer online battle arena | High | A big part of the esports category during 2010s with sensational origins. | B | |
Platform game | Top | Dominated gaming in the 8 and 16 bit era more than any genre has before or since. | B | Lost GA status due to excessive non-free image use and unsourced content. |
Real-time strategy | High | Important PC genre in the late 1990s and early 2000s. | C | |
Role-playing video game | Top | Far more important than the separate console versus computer RPG articles. | C | Produced through a merger of weaker articles. Ripe for improvement. |
Rhythm game | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in April 2009. | |
Shoot 'em up | High | A dominant genre until 3D gaming came along. | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in March 2009. |
Shooter game | High | Meta-genre. | Start | A decent disambig-style page. No history or references. Could become an good summary if only tactical and third-person subgenres weren't in rough shape. |
Sports game | High | C | Types section needs expansion, a history section is missing. Extreme sports games lacks mention. Might need a split. | |
Stealth game | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in June 2009. | |
Strategy video game | Top | Start | Needs expansion. No history. Might need to focus on subgenres like real-time strategy and turn-based strategy first. | |
Survival horror | High | ![]() |
Promoted to good article status in April 2009. | |
Vehicle simulation game | High | The root article for flight sims, tank combat games, and racing games. Very important. | Start |
Gameplay and design
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
1-up | High | Start | ||
Boss (video games) | High | Start | ||
Gameplay | High | Start | ||
Cooperative gameplay | High | Start | ||
Critical hit | Mid | Start | ||
Dialog tree | High | Start | ||
Experience point | High | Start | ||
Fog of war | High | Start | ||
Game over | Mid | Start | ||
Grinding (video gaming) | Mid | Start | ||
Health (gaming) | High | B | ||
Level (video gaming) | High | Start | ||
Life (gaming) | High | Start | ||
Looting (gaming) | Mid | Start | ||
Magic (gaming) | High | C | ||
Micromanagement (gameplay) | High | Start | ||
Mob (video gaming) | Mid | C | ||
Non-player character | Mid | Start | ||
Player character | Mid | Start | ||
Player versus environment | Mid | Start | ||
Player versus player | Mid | C | ||
Powergaming | High | Start | ||
Quest (video gaming) | High | B | ||
Side-scrolling video game | High | Start | ||
Spam (gaming) | Mid | Start | ||
Spawning (video gaming) | Mid | Start | ||
Syntax guessing | Mid | Start | ||
Tank (gaming) | Mid | Start | ||
Technology tree | Mid | Start |
Characters
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Donkey Kong (character) | High | C | ||
GLaDOS | High | Considered one of the most noteworthy villains and female characters in video games. Was responsible for popularizing the video game Portal to the point where it was selected as required reading at Wabash College and for "the cake is a lie" meme. | B | Needs some copyediting. |
Lara Croft | High | First game mascot to break the cutesy cartoon mold yet achieve mainstream recognition. Inspired glut of "sexy" heroines and pandering advertisements. | ![]() |
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Link (The Legend of Zelda) | High | One of the most recognized video game characters. | B | See FA review |
Luigi | High | Iconic sidekick character, commonly noted as "neglected". | C | Needs some more sourcing, plus expansion in "Reception". |
Mario | High | Considered to be the international symbol of video games. | C | |
Master Chief (Halo) | High | Protagonist of the Halo series. | ![]() |
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Mega Man (character) | High | Capcom's mascot, and star of a huge franchise. | C | Needs references and organizing. |
Pikachu | High | The face of the Pokémon franchise, absurdly popular character. | B | |
Pac-Man (character) | High | Mascot of Namco, considered one of the most recognizable video game characters of all time even outside of video games. | C | |
Samus Aran | High | The first major female protagonist in gaming. | ![]() |
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Sonic the Hedgehog (character) | High | Sega's response to Mario. Inspired a whole generation of mascots. | B | See GAR for concerns. |
Series
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Assassin's Creed | High | B | ||
Call of Duty | High | C | ||
Castlevania | High | C | ||
Command & Conquer | High | Popularized the real-time strategy genre. | C | |
Dance Dance Revolution | High | C | Failed GAN. | |
Diablo | High | C | ||
Doom (series) | High | Helped start the First-person shooter craze. | Start | |
Dragon Quest | High | ![]() |
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The Elder Scrolls | High | C | ||
Fallout (franchise) | High | C | ||
Final Fantasy | High | ![]() |
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Grand Theft Auto (series) | High | Best-selling series of its generation. | B | Former GA. |
Half-Life | High | B | ||
Halo (series) | High | Broke several sales records for entertainment properties, iconic in 6th generation-onward gaming. | ![]() |
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King's Quest | High | Start | Has a minor case of "list-syndrome". | |
The Legend of Zelda (series) | High | B | Proper footnotes now. Still some work to be done. See GAR | |
LucasArts adventure games | High | Highly successful range of adventure games from beginning, through peak and decline, spanning 14 years. | C | |
Mario (franchise) | High | Best-selling video game series ever. Nintendo's flagship franchise, influenced 2D and 3D platforming. | C | |
Mega Man | High | Start | Refs, long trivia section. | |
Metal Gear | High | B | ||
Metroid | High | ![]() |
Expansion and more references. | |
Need for Speed | High | C | ||
Pokémon | High | Crucial for keeping Nintendo's fortunes afloat during lean N64 and GameCube years. | ![]() |
Also: Pokémon (video game series) |
Pro Evolution Soccer | High | Start | ||
Resident Evil | High | C | Needs longer lead, more refs. See GA reassessment | |
Sonic the Hedgehog | High | Flagship game series for the Sega consoles. | ![]() |
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StarCraft | High | ![]() |
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Street Fighter | High | C | ||
Ultima (series) | High | B | Needs expansion. Failed GAN. | |
Warcraft | High | Series of real-time strategy games, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone. | C |
Arcade games
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asteroids (video game) | High | ![]() |
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Battlezone (1980 video game) | High | The first major 3D game. | C | |
Breakout (video game) | High | Start | ||
Centipede (video game) | High | Regarded as the first arcade game created by a woman. Also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female player base. | Start | |
Computer Space | High | The first commercially sold video game. | ![]() |
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Defender (video game) | High | WMS Industries and Eugene Jarvis's first video game. Widely considered one of the most difficult video games ever. Furthered the shoot 'em up genre and the idea that challenging video games can be commercially successful. | ![]() |
Prose needs polishing for FA |
Donkey Kong (video game) | High | Made Nintendo a major player. Shigeru Miyamoto's first game. Mario and Donkey Kong's debut. | ![]() |
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Double Dragon | High | Considered the first successful game of its type. | Start | More information in "Reception" section |
Dragon's Lair | High | The first successful game using an optical disc medium. The father of the twitch interactive-movie genre. | Start | |
Frogger | High | Start | More references. | |
Galaxian | High | Start | Add sources and footnotes. | |
Gauntlet (arcade game) | High | Introduced four-player cooperative/competitive style. Pioneered novel pay-per-play system in which money bought character health. | C | |
Gradius | High | Start | ||
I, Robot | High | The first commercial video game with filled 3D polygon graphics and featured flat shading, as well as being the first video game to feature camera control options. | Start | "Development" needs expansion. |
Mario Bros. | High | ![]() |
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Missile Command | High | Start | ||
Mortal Kombat | High | Pushed the limits of violence in games. Critical flashpoint for national violence debate. Directly led to creation of ESRB ratings. | Start | |
NBA Jam | High | Start | ||
Pac-Man | High | One of the most popular arcade games ever. First original gaming mascot. Established maze-chase genre. Gaming's first licensing success. | B | Comprehensive, but needs copyedit; other issues as well. 13+ items on to-do list. Failed a GA nomination in June 2006. There are many references, but still plenty of unreferenced assertions. |
Pole Position (video game) | High | Start | ||
Pong | High | First successful computer-based arcade game. Popularized home gaming. | ![]() |
Prose needs polishing for FA |
Robotron: 2084 | High | Introduced dual-joystick control method. Spawned many imitators. | ![]() |
Prose needs polishing for FA |
Space Invaders | High | First Japanese-developed hit game. Established traditional shooter genre. | ![]() |
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Star Wars (1983 video game) | High | Made Star Wars a gaming mainstay. Inspired countless cockpit-perspective action shooters. | Start | Needs more references. |
Street Fighter II | High | Launched the one-on-one fighting genre into the mainstream. Revitalized the American arcade. Landmark home version. | C | Doesn't adequately address the game's historical importance or the impact of the game on popular culture. More references would help. |
Tempest (arcade game) | High | Start | ||
Track & Field (video game) | High | Introduced the button tapping gameplay. | Start |
Computer games
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
3D Monster Maze | High | The 1st 3D game for a personal computer. | C | See FAR |
Civilization | High | Megahit game (and one that changed the way we think about turn-based strategy) started a series that continues to this day. | C | Need more references. |
Colossal Cave Adventure | High | The very first story-based adventure game. | C | |
Command & Conquer (video game) | High | Popularized RTS games. | ![]() |
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Counter-Strike | High | One of the most popular multiplayer online games ever. | C | Detailed, but needs references and some rewriting |
Deus Ex | High | Consistently ranked as one of the most important games ever released, and a decade-long touchstone for the philosophy of player choice-powered game design. | ![]() |
Development section needs expansion. |
Diablo (video game) | High | B | ||
Doom (video game) | High | Defined the FPS genre. Transformed the PC into a viable action platform. Successfully deployed the shareware model. Inspired the advent of user mod communities. Became a flashpoint for countless debates on media violence. | C | Former FA. Concerns stated at FAR. |
Defense of the Ancients | High | A community-created mod for Warcraft III which is largely attributed as being the most significant inspiration for the MOBA genre. | ![]() |
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Dune II | High | It's the precursor to the C&C franchise and established a few precedents for the RTS genre. | Start | |
Dungeon Master (video game) | High | Start | ||
Elite (video game) | High | B | ||
Fallout (video game) | High | Revitalized CRPG genre. | C | |
Fortnite Battle Royale | High | B | ||
Half-Life (video game) | High | Introduced interactive and scripted events into gameplay. Served as the model for a massive fan mod community. | ![]() |
|
Half-Life 2 | High | Defined the use of physics in gameplay. | B | Former FA. See FAR discussion for concerns. |
King's Quest: Quest for the Crown | High | The first adventure game with animation. Defined the adventure genre for the next decade. | Start | |
League of Legends | High | One of the most watched video games of all time. | C | |
Minecraft | High | Highly influential game, sparking an unprecedented presence in media. Also the best selling video game of all-time. | B | Former GA. |
MUD1 | High | First MUD, so origin point that MUDs and MMORPGs trace back to | C | |
M.U.L.E. | High | Precursor to god game and real-time strategy genres. One of the first titles to explore socio-economic networking. | C | |
Myst | High | Killer app for the CD-ROM. Spawned "Myst-clone" subgenre. Partially responsible for the decline of PC adventure genre. | ![]() |
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Mystery House | High | The first graphical adventure game. | Start | |
Populous | High | Created god game genre. Popularized hands-off approach to strategy gaming. First notable game to create a living world. | Start | |
Portal | High | One of the most influential video games. | ![]() |
|
Prince of Persia (1989 video game) | High | Established an effective template for dynamic cinematic events in games. Introduced rotoscope motion capture to games. Created the cinematic platformer sub-genre. | Start | |
Quake | High | Revolutionized FPS and deathmatch multiplayer gaming. | Start | Too long and needs more references. |
Rogue (computer game) | High | First screen-oriented video game take on the D&D concept. Introduced randomly-generated dungeons. Template for all roguelikes. | Start | |
SimCity | High | Pioneered the city-building genre. The success of the game also paved the way for the development and release of other sim games, including The Sims series. | Start | |
The Sims | High | The best selling computer game ever. Helped propel Electronic Arts to its current state of enormity. | Start | Needs to have a bit more depth to it. |
Spacewar! | High | One of the first video games. | ![]() |
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StarCraft | High | First RTS with three significantly different factions; hugely popular and highly influential. | ![]() |
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Tetris | High | Established market for games with universal appeal. Instrumental in success of Game Boy. Subject of one of the industry's most convoluted legal battles. Gave puzzle gaming a new definition. | C | Legal history of the game is very lacking, could do with a proper copy edit. |
Tomb Raider | High | Effectively translated Prince of Persia-style gameplay to 3D. | C | |
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar | High | First RPG to emphasize morality. Expanded the interactivity and importance of NPC characters via conversation trees. | Start | |
Ultima Online | High | Created the MMORPG genre. | C | |
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss | High | ![]() |
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Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord | High | Laid out the foundation for both branches of the RPG genre. | Start | |
Wolfenstein 3D | High | Hugely influential first-person shooter. | C | |
World of Warcraft | High | One of the greatest games of all time. | B | Poor prose, poor organization, insufficient breadth of coverage. |
UFO: Enemy Unknown | High | Established the turn-based tactics genre. | B | |
Zork | High | Popularized the interactive fiction genre. Pioneered the use of puzzles and narrative in games. | Start |
Console games
[edit]Article | Need | Rationale | Quality | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adventure (Atari 2600) | High | First console RPG/adventure. First major PC-to-console adaptation. | ![]() |
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Brain Age | High | Inspired a new demographic of gamers, one of the DS' most successful games. | C | |
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | High | Popularized the Call of Duty franchise, one of the highest rated video games of all time and considered to be among the greatest ever made. | ![]() |
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | High | Was one of the most popular multiplayer video games, and sparked heavy controversy over violence in video games due to the mission No Russian. | B | |
Castlevania (video game) | High | Voted "one of the best video games ever" on several lists. Started the Castlevania franchise. | C | Still needs some work (and refs). |
Contra (video game) | High | The NES version popularized the use of cheat codes. | Start | |
Dragon Warrior | High | Launched the most popular RPG series in Japan, set standards for console RPGs. | ![]() |
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Duck Hunt | High | One of the first and most popular light gun games. | C | See GA reassessment |
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (video game) | High | Considered the main cause of the North American video game crash of 1983. First of countless genuinely wretched licensed games. | ![]() |
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Final Fantasy (video game) | High | Saved Square from ruin, launched a major RPG series. | ![]() |
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Final Fantasy VII | High | Popularized console role-playing games in the west (especially in the PAL regions). First game to effectively integrate FMV video throughout the presentation. Set new records for production budget on a single game, contributing to today's rising costs of development. | ![]() |
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GoldenEye 007 (1997 video game) | High | The first pioneering console FPS. Introduced a number of new gameplay elements to the genre. Helped popularize the stealth genre. Still is benchmark for movie-film conversion, still regarded as best. | ![]() |
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Gran Turismo (video game) | High | Popularized simulation based racing games. Raised the bar for licensed content in racing games. Popularized tuning and customization in the racing genre. | Start | Needs expansion. |
Grand Theft Auto III | High | Resuscitated debate over violence in gaming. Popularized sandbox gameplay and Grand Theft Auto series. Cemented "thug" themes as the new trend in gaming. Made Rockstar a publishing giant. | ![]() |
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Grand Theft Auto IV | High | Most expensive game ever produced of $100 million. Broke several sales records. | ![]() |
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Grand Theft Auto V | High | Broke several Guinness World Records, was "fastest selling entertainment product in history" upon release. | ![]() |
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Guitar Hero (video game) | High | Popularized rhythm games in the West. Spawned two highly successful franchises (see also Rock Band) with considerable cultural impact. | ![]() |
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Halo: Combat Evolved | High | The most influential console FPS of all time. Crucial component of Xbox's uneven start. Bellwether of revitalized western dominance in game design. | ![]() |
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Halo 2 | High | The most popular online console game of its time. Popularized FPS multiplayer with a mainstream audience. | ![]() |
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Halo 3 | High | Broke entertainment records for highest first-day entertainment release; ended the Halo trilogy; blamed for low box office sales during the launch; massive marketing campaign and media coverage. | ![]() |
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The Legend of Zelda | High | Started the Zelda franchise, pioneer of the adventure genre. | ![]() |
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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | High | Set the standard for 3D action-adventure games, often cited as the best video game of all time. | ![]() |
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Mega Man (video game) | High | Start of a long-running and influential game series. | ![]() |
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Metal Gear Solid (1998 video game) | High | Popularized the stealth genre. | ![]() |
See featured article review for concerns. |
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | High | Gained notoriety for its political themes and served as an example of video games as an art form. Considered as a killer app for the PlayStation 2 and one of the greatest games of all time. | B | |
Metroid | High | Notable for its non-linear gameplay, moody atmosphere and introducing a female protagonist. | ![]() |
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Metroid Prime | High | Successfully transitioned Metroid gameplay to 3D, much critical acclaim. | ![]() |
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Nintendogs | High | Introduced millions of non-gamers to video games, million seller, increased the % of female DS owners, considered to be the DS' first mega-hit. | C | |
Pac-Man (Atari 2600) | Mid | First high profile port of one of the most popular games at the time that fell far short of expectations. Partially responsible for the North American video game crash of 1983.. | ![]() |
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PaRappa the Rapper | Mid | Created the rhythm game genre. Used CD format in a way vital to gameplay. Important in establishing PlayStation brand identity. | B | |
Pokémon Red and Blue | High | Started a multibillion-dollar franchise. Introduced link-enabled trading for handheld games. Invented multi-cart sales gimmick. | ![]() |
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Pitfall! | High | Ultimate demonstration of third-party developers' potential. First major run-and-jump adventure. Blueprint for modern action/adventure genre. | Start | |
Punch-Out!! | High | Milestone in sports games. | C | Doesn't really cover the game's massive popularity in North America. |
Resident Evil (video game) | High | Popularized survival horror genre. | C | Some sections need cleanup (specially concerning the ports); references |
Shenmue | Mid | The most expensive video game of its time. Introduced quick time events to modern gaming. | B | |
Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game) | High | Demonstrated the power of strong marketing. Established true speed in games. | ![]() |
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Super Mario 64 | High | Pioneer in 3D platformers, drove N64 sales. | ![]() |
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Super Mario Bros. | High | Established the basic rules of platform games. Became cornerstone of Nintendo's software empire and heralded the industry's shift in focus from arcade to home. | ![]() |
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Super Mario Bros. 3 | High | Highest selling stand-alone game, often cited as the best 2D platformer of all time. | ![]() |
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Super Mario Kart | High | Created the kart racing genre. Popularized concept of mascot spin-off games. Helped maintain Mario's position as most popular gaming mascot ever. | ![]() |
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Super Smash Bros. Melee | High | The best-selling GameCube game, a social phenomenon. | ![]() |
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Tony Hawk's Pro Skater | High | Popularized the extreme sports genre. Jumped the gap between games and mainstream popular culture. | B | Needs a lot of expansion and references. |
Wii Sports | High | Best-selling video game of all time. | ![]() |
Legend
[edit]Top | Subject is a must-have for a print encyclopedia. |
High | Subject is exceptionally important. |
Mid | Subject contributes a depth of knowledge. |
Low | Subject fills in important details. |
NA | Subject importance is not applicable. |
Video game articles by quality and importance | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Quality | Importance | ||||||
Top | High | Mid | Low | NA | Total | ||
![]() |
2 | 64 | 102 | 109 | 277 | ||
![]() |
4 | 97 | 101 | ||||
![]() |
37 | 37 | |||||
![]() |
9 | 119 | 513 | 1,537 | 2,178 | ||
B | 21 | 153 | 388 | 1,282 | 1,844 | ||
C | 33 | 323 | 1,168 | 4,709 | 6,233 | ||
Start | 70 | 639 | 19,896 | 1 | 20,606 | ||
Stub | 42 | 8,786 | 8,828 | ||||
List | 80 | 1,363 | 1 | 1,444 | |||
Category | 10,470 | 10,470 | |||||
Disambig | 157 | 157 | |||||
File | 39,130 | 39,130 | |||||
Portal | 9 | 9 | |||||
Project | 353 | 353 | |||||
Redirect | 14,984 | 14,984 | |||||
Template | 2,009 | 2,009 | |||||
Draft | 431 | 431 | |||||
Assessed | 65 | 729 | 2,936 | 37,779 | 67,582 | 109,091 | |
Total | 65 | 729 | 2,936 | 37,779 | 67,582 | 109,091 | |
WikiWork factors (?) | ω = 190,823 | Ω = 4.77 |
Class | Criteria | Reader's experience | Editing suggestions | Example |
---|---|---|---|---|
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The article has attained featured article status by passing an in-depth examination by impartial reviewers from WP:Featured article candidates. More detailed criteria
The article meets the featured article criteria:
A featured article exemplifies Wikipedia's very best work and is distinguished by professional standards of writing, presentation, and sourcing. In addition to meeting the policies regarding content for all Wikipedia articles, it has the following attributes.
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Professional, outstanding, and thorough; a definitive source for encyclopedic information. | No further content additions should be necessary unless new information becomes available; further improvements to the prose quality are often possible. | Final Fantasy Tactics Cortana Wii |
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The article has attained featured list status by passing an in-depth examination by impartial reviewers from WP:Featured list candidates. More detailed criteria
The article meets the featured list criteria:
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Professional standard; it comprehensively covers the defined scope, usually providing a complete set of items, and has annotations that provide useful and appropriate information about those items. | No further content additions should be necessary unless new information becomes available; further improvements to the prose quality are often possible. | List of Halo media List of Nintendo 64 games List of songs in Guitar Hero |
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The article meets all of the good article criteria, and has been examined by one or more impartial reviewers from WP:Good article nominations. More detailed criteria
A good article is:
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Useful to nearly all readers, with no obvious problems; approaching (though not necessarily equalling) the quality of a professional publication. | Some editing by subject and style experts is helpful; comparison with an existing featured article on a similar topic may highlight areas where content is weak or missing. | Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time Dante Clannad |
B | The article meets all of the B-Class criteria. It is mostly complete and does not have major problems, but requires some further work to reach good article standards. More detailed criteria
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Readers are not left wanting, although the content may not be complete enough to satisfy a serious student or researcher. | A few aspects of content and style need to be addressed. Expert knowledge may be needed. The inclusion of supporting materials should be considered if practical, and the article checked for general compliance with the Manual of Style and related style guidelines. | Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory |
C | The article is substantial but is still missing important content or contains irrelevant material. The article should have some references to reliable sources, but may still have significant problems or require substantial cleanup. More detailed criteria
The article cites more than one reliable source and is better developed in style, structure, and quality than Start-Class, but it fails one or more of the criteria for B-Class. It may have some gaps or missing elements, or need editing for clarity, balance, or flow.
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Useful to a casual reader, but would not provide a complete picture for even a moderately detailed study. | Considerable editing is needed to close gaps in content and solve cleanup problems. | Bushido Blade (video game) |
Start | An article that is developing but still quite incomplete. It may or may not cite adequate reliable sources. More detailed criteria
The article has a meaningful amount of good content, but it is still weak in many areas. The article has one or more of the following:
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Provides some meaningful content, but most readers will need more. | Providing references to reliable sources should come first; the article also needs substantial improvement in content and organisation. Also improve the grammar, spelling, writing style and improve the jargon use. | Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs |
Stub | A very basic description of the topic. Meets none of the Start-Class criteria. | Provides very little meaningful content; may be little more than a dictionary definition. Readers probably see insufficiently developed features of the topic and may not see how the features of the topic are significant. | Any editing or additional material can be helpful. The provision of meaningful content should be a priority. The best solution for a Stub-class Article to step up to a Start-class Article is to add in referenced reasons of why the topic is significant. | Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 |
List | Meets the criteria of a stand-alone list or set index article, which is an article that contains primarily a list, usually consisting of links to articles in a particular subject area. | There is no set format for a list, but its organization should be logical and useful to the reader. | Lists should be lists of live links to Wikipedia articles, appropriately named and organized. | List of Star Wars video games |