"Perfect" Games
An incomplete list of games I find to be perfect in some way or another, be that aesthetically, formally, mechanically, narratively, or otherwise. All entries on this list fit multiple, if not all, of those criteria. I consider each game here to be almost entirely flawless, or the perfect realization of its intent. These are not necessarily my favorite games, nor are all of my favorite games on this list. I love plenty of games that are flawed, broken, or downright awful, and even more that fit just one or two of the aforementioned criteria while failing in others.
The majority of these are arcade games, or at least mechanically similar to arcade games, as refined simplicity results in "perfect" games more often than increased outward complexity. Some of the other entries in this list are games that I would consider to be flawed in some minor ways (Shogun 2, Hitman 3), but I have included them regardless in cases where I believe the game can still be considered the pinnacle of its respective genre. If I were to limit this to the only games I think are truly, genuinely, 100% perfect and without flaw, it would probably just be Tetris and Yume Nikki. That isn't a very fun list, so some small exceptions have been made.
Please feel free to offer any suggestions or objections
(not ranked in any way, but obviously Tetris is the perfect game)
The majority of these are arcade games, or at least mechanically similar to arcade games, as refined simplicity results in "perfect" games more often than increased outward complexity. Some of the other entries in this list are games that I would consider to be flawed in some minor ways (Shogun 2, Hitman 3), but I have included them regardless in cases where I believe the game can still be considered the pinnacle of its respective genre. If I were to limit this to the only games I think are truly, genuinely, 100% perfect and without flaw, it would probably just be Tetris and Yume Nikki. That isn't a very fun list, so some small exceptions have been made.
Please feel free to offer any suggestions or objections
(not ranked in any way, but obviously Tetris is the perfect game)
20 Games
Tetris is sort of like the Battleship Potemkin of video games when you think about it.
Picked the remaster for this list since it has the original cover art, but despite the relatively elegant and considered visual improvements it does have one really strange problem. For some reason, the ending song starts just a few seconds earlier in the final cutscene and because of this, the timing of the whole sequence is off. If you only played this version you'd never notice it but it is a bizarre downgrade compared to the original and I don't think I've seen anyone ever talk about it anywhere.
2 is a better game, and work of art, by far. But the original is definitely the more "perfect" game, by the standards I've set out for this list.
debated for a while between this and Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Ultimately I went with MvC2 because I like its tone and presentation a lot more.
Also deserves this spot for its sheer aesthetic perfection alone, it's crazy that this Japanese game has some of the best Marvel character designs ever. I've been meaning to read Hickman's House/Powers of X series for a while now but I don't think any modern take on the X-Men will visually surpass what was achieved here and in Capcom's other Marvel games.
Also deserves this spot for its sheer aesthetic perfection alone, it's crazy that this Japanese game has some of the best Marvel character designs ever. I've been meaning to read Hickman's House/Powers of X series for a while now but I don't think any modern take on the X-Men will visually surpass what was achieved here and in Capcom's other Marvel games.
I'm pretty outspoken about my distaste for remakes but considering how expanded this is in many aspects from the original, and considering it includes a fully playable version of the original game within it, I think it gets a pass. Beyond that, it is pretty perfect. Maybe not better than Super Metroid but it is easily the most playable and replayable title in the series.
this is not a game, or a series, without its fair share of problems. But in light of just how much content there is here, I think it still warrants it's position on this list. It sort of brute forces it's way to perfection. Like, Freelancer mode is certainly a "perfect" game, regardless of any other stuff surrounding it which you don't need to engage with anyway.
