Guinness lists top 50 games of all time

Mario Kart at No. 1, Tetris in second place.

News by Ellie Gibson Contributor

Updated on 27 Feb 2009

Guinness World Records has released a list of the top 50 most important and influential videogames of all time.

The list was decided on by "a crack team of industry experts" and some girl called Ellie. Games were ranked on their initial impact, lasting legacy, how fun they were to play and the colour of the box. Maybe not the last one.

The number one spot goes to Super Mario Kart. It was the best-selling racer on the SNES, fact fans, with 8 million units sold. And the N64 (9 million) and the GameCube (7 million) and the DS (10 million).

Tetris is in second place, followed by Grand Theft Auto and Super Mario World. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was in fifth place, meaning it's officially better than Halo at six.

The list appears in the astonishingly good new book Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2009, which someone at Eurogamer may or may not have a vested interest in because they helped write it. The book has already been met with huge critical acclaim on a scale previously unheard of in human history, with some analysts predicting it will be remembered for all time as the best work of literature ever produced.

The Guinness World Record's Gamer's Edition 2009 carries an RRP of GBP 15, but it's available now on Amazon for just GBP 7.49. Part of the proceeds from sales will go to help women forced to write acerbic reviews of rubbish Wii games all day.

Here's that top 50 list in full. FIGHT!