This is something my friends and I have debated for years: what are the criteria for a game to be considered classic? Is it a matter of age? A matter of quality? Something revolutionary? Perhaps a juxtaposition of said qualities? While there are a variety of opinions on the matter, many of which are rather well thought out, I thought it might be interesting to compile 4 of the best I have run into here.
So, without further ramble and all that:
Four rather decent criteria on the subject of awarding a game the title of Classic
1. A game that stands the test of time.
A good game, is a good game, is a good game. Just because you've had grandma's immaculate blue-berry pie since your where a wee lad doesn't change the fact that it's still damn good now does it? Or how about Journey's album Escape? OK, so that's up to personal opinion, but the point is this: a game that stands the test of time is a game that is just as fun now, as it was back in "X" amount of time. This often times speaks of the quality of the game as well: usually a poorly made game won't last long.
2. A game that revolutionizes a genre or gaming in some significant way.
Street Fight 2 revolutionized the fighting genre. Pit Fall revolutionized the idea of a game that progresses over multiple screens. Super Mario Brothers perfected that idea, and saved video-gaming after the 80s crash. Dragon's Lair showed us that a game could have a full Orchestra and movie-quality production. You get the idea. Any game that has brought a significant change to the face of our beloved hobbies for the good, gets this award.
3. A game that changes the over-all outlook/politics/ethics of the industry.
Two words: MORTAL KOMBAT. While games like Splatterhouse 2, (probably the most violent and graphic game yet. I mean come-on: can you think of any other game where you hack up aborted fetus's hanging from their umbilical chords?) slipped under the radar, it took a game like Mortal Kombat to bring gaming into popular politics, thanks to guys like Joseph Lieberman. Doom, Grand Theft Auto 3, Custer's Revenge, you name it: games like these have made a significant mark on gaming history.
4. Personal Nostalgia
We can talk all we want about what objectively makes a game classic, but often times when we get right down to it, it's all about a personal feeling of nostalgia. I'm sure we all have games we just love from our childhood that we still love today......that suck. Pit-Fighter man. I love Pit-Fighter. It's one of the worst games to ever grace the arcade, but I have fond memories of it, and events during that time. So, it becomes part of my personal nostalgia, and thus, I consider it classic...for myself. I hope not for you. God I hope not.
So, what do you think? What would you add for criteria, and what do you have for personal nostalgia?