Video game ratings can be a rather fascinating subject. Aggregate sites combine all these reviews and scores into a single number. This makes it far easier to argue with your friends over which is better between Mario or Zelda, if you ask me.
When it comes to these aggregate scores, reaching 90-plus is a pretty remarkable achievement. But if you could get a 90-plus, certainly you could get a 97, right? Maybe a 99 if you’re really something special (kidding, only one game has ever hit this mark).
That’s exactly what we’re looking at today.
These games are rated 97-plus, but we’ve taken the opportunity to rank them all properly in a tidy little list for you. Some of these games being 97-plus may surprise you, but I suspect many of them will not. Competing against one another once and for all, here’s how all of these stone-cold classics shape up.
This list uses Metacritic scores. At the time of writing, all these games are ranked 97+.
15
NFL 2K1
Hut, Hut, Hike!
I’ll admit, I’m more of a hockey fan. That said, I’ve played my fair share of football games over the years.
NFL 2K1 was one that I remember playing quite a bit of. It was one of the games in rotation with my brother alongside our other regular excursions.
The Dreamcast made quite a name for itself with sports titles, as it was home to some fabulous games in the genre.
NFL 2K1 was the pinnacle of sports games at the time. The animation, presentation and finely-tuned gameplay are still an absolute blast.
If you owned a Dreamcast back in the day and enjoyed sports, you were in heaven during this time. NFL 2K1 is just one of many incredible sports games that have been released for the hardware.
14
Soulcalibur
A Tale Of Souls And Swords
In terms of fighting games, Soulcalibur was one that I didn’t have much experience with until the third entry.
As a lifelong Zelda fan, I was unable to resist the GameCube version that featured Link as a playable character. A few years ago, however, I put a lot of time into the original Soulcalibur.
There’s a very good reason it’s rated as highly as it is.
It’s one of the last home console fighting games that still maintains the spirit and unique energy of arcades in the late 1990s. The roster is wonderful, and the movement feels staggeringly good.
Weapon fighters are a bit rare these days, but Soulcalibur is one that you should absolutely try to track down if you can.
13
Perfect Dark
Welcome, Agent Dark
While GoldenEye may have been the opening salvo for first-person shooters on console, Perfect Dark was a brilliant evolution that turned out even better.
This sleek, futuristic dystopian shooter is just a marvel of its time. Everything about its movement, shooting, and world design feels sharp and polished.
It’s also a game that gets more and more out of control as it goes on. New characters are introduced rapidly, and the final stretch of the game is chaotic in the most charming way.
Shooters on consoles are common place in the modern era, but were it not for games like Perfect Dark, it’s difficult to imagine where they would be right now.
12
Grand Theft Auto 3
A Made Game
We’re hitting a bit of a saturation point with 3D, open-world video games these days. But back in 2001, something like that was a lot less common.
Grand Theft Auto 3 was way ahead of its time, and this game being rated 97-plus isn’t entirely surprising.
It may not be as richly detailed as modern open worlds, but Liberty City is still such a delight to explore. I probably know more about that map’s tiny details than I do about my own neighborhood.
Today, GTA is one of the biggest franchises in the world. But there’s something to be said about the dark, grimy feel of GTA III that the current day games don’t quite have anymore.
11
Grand Theft Auto 4
You Want To Go Bowling?
The thing that always stood out about Grand Theft Auto 4 to me is how different its story is, especially when compared to the other games.
While the franchise has consistently relied on satirizing the world we live in, GTA 4’s story is much more melancholy than the others. It doesn’t feel as broad as the rest of the franchise, which I always appreciated.
Its focus on the scars and lasting negative impact that war has on people is so unique to this game, and no other entry in the franchise feels this personal.
The gameplay is also some of the best in the series. Driving just feels perfect, and the whole world has a wonderfully consistent feel to it.
10
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
Next-Gen Skating Masterpiece
Growing up during the 1990s and becoming obsessed with skateboarding meant that I was the prime target for the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise.
Watching the series transition to next-generation hardware with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 felt like a revelation for my eyes at the time.
Trailers and TV coverage showcased the mighty impressive Los Angeles level, which looked like the greatest thing I’d ever seen to that point. Even now, I find the look of this game to be so endearing.
This era of Tony Hawk games was easily where the franchise peaked. There may not be a better skateboarding game than this one.
9
Super Mario Odyssey
Embark On Mario’s Greatest Odyssey
The Mario franchise desperately needed something like Odyssey back in 2017. The 3D games in the series had all been great, but a touch limiting in terms of their scope.
Even though they were 3D games, they still felt a bit on rails, so to speak. With Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo went all the way back to the philosophies that defined 3D platforming during the 1990s.
Nintendo took the shackles off, and just cut loose. And it only resulted in one of the greatest 3D platformers of all time. Not a big deal or anything.
Odyssey is still a game I go back to every so often. It just feels so good to play, and the level design is second to none.
8
Grand Theft Auto 5
Be A Good Guy For Once
A lot of GTA games have crafted huge worlds, often drawing direct inspiration from a real-life location. And while Grand Theft Auto 5’s version of Los Angeles feels like a theme park fever dream of the iconic city, it’s still one of the most amazing game worlds of all-time.
The scope of LA in GTA 5 is made even more impressive when you consider the innovation made with the character swap system.
Being able to just instantly take control of one of the three protagonists is so fun.
Speaking of those three charming anti-heroes, the trio of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor continue to be some of the franchise’s most endearing leads. Each one represents a unique view of this crime-ridden world.
7
Halo: Combat Evolved
FPS Evolved
First-person shooters on console were in a state of constant ascension during the early 2000s. They had already dominated the PC scene during the 1990s, but this decade saw massive growth for the genre on home systems.
Halo: Combat Evolved was the game that showed what this genre could achieve at its peak on consoles. It was the game that the Xbox needed in order to compete, but it was also the game that sold the public on shooters in this space.
It may be in a rough place these days, but Halo was one of the most ubiquitous games in the world at that time. Everyone was playing it, and doing so in a multitude of different ways.
It was a hit with college students, with young adults, and teenagers. It was a landmark moment for the genre, the likes of which we really haven’t seen since.
6
Super Mario Galaxy
A Galaxy Of Potential
The Wii generation of Nintendo is one that I look back at with a lot of nostalgia.
It wasn’t the innovative hardware that did it, as impressive as it was. Instead, this era of Mario is one that has an emotional choke hold on me.
Super Mario Galaxy is right at the heart of that. It is a game filled with so much whimsy, endless charm, and some of the best Mario level design of all time.
There may not be a game that defines this era of Nintendo more than Super Mario Galaxy, except maybe Wii Sports.
The amount of love and care that was poured into the development of Super Mario Galaxy still resonates today. And if you’ve got a Nintendo Switch, experiencing this timeless classic is easier than ever.
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