The Most Influential Video Games Ever!

While the accolade of ‘best ever video game’ is sure to provoke endless debate amongst discerning gamers, there’s simply no denying that certain games have had more cultural influence than others. Let’s delve into some titles that are widely considered as some of the most influential video games of all time.

The Top 8 Most Influential Video Games

Computer gaming is still a relatively new medium, however, its influence on pop culture cannot be underestimated. From slang and fashion to music and movies, video games have served as a defining influence on many aspects of our lives since catapulting into the mainstream back in the late 1970s. Video games also provide natural inspiration for many online casino titles, including some of the hottest slots available to play on the web. Take a closer look at our selection of the top 8 most influential video games of all time:

Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider was released as a PC game in 1996, the first time that the Lara Croft character was unleashed into the world. The game served as an innovative mash-up of the action-adventure game, the puzzle game, and the platformer. Since the release of the first title in the series, the iconic digital heroine has popped up in countless sequels, movies, and even online casino games, more specifically, slots. One of the most popular titles inspired by this game is Tomb Raider slot powered by Microgaming. This leading software developer is very popular amongst Canadian players and the game can be found in almost all top online casinos in Canada. In addition to the main Tomb Raider slot, there are several other releases, such as Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs and Tomb Raider Secret of the Sword.

Super Mario Bros.

No list of influential computer games would be complete without the inclusion of Super Mario and his brother Luigi. The loveable pair of plumbers and their adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom were first popularised in 1985 with the Super Mario Bros. title, which is undoubtedly the most influential platformer game of all time. Serving as a key influence on countless platform games such as Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, and Super Meat Boy, the Mario franchise has since branched out from its initial concept, spawning popular movies and subsequent games including the ubiquitous MarioKart racing series.

Tetris

Playing video games has been linked to improved academic performance, so it is no surprise that gaming can help to get your brain into action. No other game has proven this point more than Tetris, the influential puzzle-based game that was first unleashed upon the world in 1984. Popular with both adults and children alike, the original Tetris game has had an enduring influence on puzzles and ‘block-based’ games ever since. You can even spot the influence of Tetris in the spate of cascading/pattern mobile games that are currently doing the rounds.

Resident Evil

Resident Evil is a spooky Japanese adventure game that effortlessly combined elements of the first-person shooter, third-person shooter, and survival horror game genres to stunning effect. Released in its home country as Biohazard, the first video game in the Resident Evil series was unveiled in 1996 for Playstation, while the latest title to be released was Resident Evil Village in 2021. Resident Evil was one of the first video games to add a cinematic quality to its gameplay, manipulating the player’s perspective to add extra shock value to those scary moments and jumpscares. Its influence can be widely seen today in terrifying horror video games such as Silent Hill, Dead Space, and Outlast. There have even been Resident Evil-themed online slot machines, developed by the Skwind Group.

Street Fighter

If you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, chances are that you will be more than familiar with Street Fighter, which first brought competitive fighting games into the mainstream. Acting as a key influence on popular fighting video games such as Mortal Kombat, Tekken, and Virtua Fighter, the original Street Fighter title (first released in 1987) has spawned multiple sequels and spin-offs including the iconic Street Fighter II, released in 1991 to popular acclaim. The Street Fighter video game series is undoubtedly one of the most influential of all time – Hadouken!

DOOM

Regularly included as another candidate for one of the most influential games of all time, DOOM has earned a place in our list for good reason. First released in 1993, DOOM is a truly pioneering first-person shooter video game that made use of 3D graphics, multiplayer options, and third-dimension spatiality to provide an immersive environment never before seen in a mainstream computer game. Along with Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM has had a notable influence on the first-person shooter genre as a whole, especially when it comes to top titles such as Duke Nukem, Unreal Tournament, Half-Life, and Goldeneye 007.

Call of Duty

The Call of Duty game series has been credited with influencing a whole new genre of FPS games, so it deserves a spot on the list despite being relatively new on the scene. The CoD series has taken the torch from old-school FPS games (as typified by DOOM) and expanded the genre to dizzying new heights, especially in terms of multiplayer options, gamer interaction, and ultra-realistic graphics.

Space Invaders

As a staple machine in arcades since its release way back in 1978, Space Invaders is the highest-grossing video game of all time and the title that pushed computer gaming as a whole into mainstream consciousness. Following a simple but effective ‘shoot ’em up’ layout in which players must defend themselves from cascading aliens using a fixed laser cannon, Space Invaders has stood the test of time and spawned a whole slew of other games and portrayals in the media. Without Space Invaders, we would never have experienced the arcade game perfection of titles like Contra, Defender, and Star Fox.