Game Informer magazine has been around since August of 1991. It started as a bi-monthly publication before going monthly in 1994. In addition to always getting the hot scoop on the newest titles, they also are a trusted source for honest reviews.
Over their almost thirty-year history, the site has given only thirty-one games a perfect score. As a celebration of the magazine, the following list will go through all of these titles. One has to remember that some of these games have aged better than others, and that taste in the medium is highly subjective. In the end, though, most of these are worth celebrating.
29 Super Mario World
2D Mario reached its peak with Super Mario World. Who knew such depth and secrets could be hiding on a two-dimensional plane? The perfect learning curve and tight controls still hold up today.
28 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
THPS2 perfected the arcade skateboarding formula. Two-minute runs were addicting, and the competitive multiplayer either forged friendships or bitter rivalries, depending on one's sportsmanship.
27 Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear Solid 2's masterfully crafted narrative is made doubly special considering the year of its release.
It's not just a chilling conspiracy, it also discusses the implications and dangers of the then-burgeoning digital information technologies.
26 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
While GTA III brought the series into the third dimension, Vice City gave the world a unique personality fueled by the neon-soaked 1980's Miami. The world still holds up after its graphics and gameplay have long since been considered obsolete.
25 Metroid: Fusion
Metroid: Fusion brought a new 2D adventure to those who weren't fully satisfied by the Prime series. It added a little more structure to the exploration, but still wasn't holding the player's hand.
24 Grand Theft Auto III And Vice City (XBOX)
GTA III's PS2 release got a 9.5. It looks like the graphical upgrade and addition of a custom soundtrack was just enough to bump it to a ten. It also proved the game was still fun and valuable after its sequel hit shelves.
23 Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker had some fans worried before release due to its new, cartoonish art style. All concerns were assuaged once the stellar reviews started pouring in. This would start the trend of a string of perfectly reviewed Zelda games from the magazine.
22 Ratchet And Clank: Up Your Arsenal
A bigger focus on combat paid off for Insomniac's classic series. More enemies and bigger threats made the world more engaging. Platforming wasn't gone entirely, either, and there was still plenty of it for fans of the studio's older works.
21 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
San Andreas is so much more than its controversy. The massive open-world was truly breathtaking at the time. While the graphics have since aged considerably, going back in time to the early 90s is still a fun romp.
20 Halo 2
Halo 2 improved over every aspect of its predecessor and included an influential, robust online component. Master Chief has had numerous adventures since then, but the second entry still has a special place in many gamers' hearts.
19 Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4's the original GameCube release and PS2 port received perfect scores. The over-the-shoulder camera would become commonplace after this magnificent reimagining of the classic survival horror franchise.
18 God Of War
The PS2 still had some things to say in 2005, and God of War was one of its biggest statements. New IPs seldom come out near the end of a generation, and it's even rarer for a franchise's first title to come out of the gate swinging so hard.
17 The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The return of a more grounded aesthetic piqued interest, and the final product surpassed expectations. The formula was still satisfying appetites twenty years after the first game in the series established it.
16 BioShock
This game took narrative in first-person-shooters to a whole new level, linking it to gameplay and the player's actions. The systems and environment were so striking, people could easily forgive the disappointing final boss.
15 Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Along with revolutionizing competitive multiplayer, it also perfected the tight, blockbuster campaigns the series would be known for.
Modern Warfare's influence on the genre is still felt today more than a decade after release.
14 Grand Theft Auto IV
HD graphics and a new animation software weren't all this next-gen sequel added to the franchise.
Niko Bellic's grounded tale was the perfect counter-point to the prior entries' comical, sometimes ridiculous missions.
13 Metal Gear Solid 4
Snake's finale polarized gamers, but the care that went into both the gameplay and cutscenes is undeniable.
Some take issue with the actual content, but fans of Kojima came to expect a bombastic conclusion.
12 Uncharted 2
Drake's Fortune was a tight adventure, and its sequel blew everything up. More locations, more characters, and more set pieces populated this action-packed sequel that feels like a great Indiana Jones film.
11 God of War III
Kratos' third numbered entry was the peak of the fixed camera era. The following game, Ascension, was less beloved, sparking the recent re-imagining of the franchise.
10 StarCraft II: Wings Of Liberty
Fans waited over a decade for the first StarCraft II game, and it did not disappoint. It looked great and added enough innovation while still retaining the core RTS gameplay that made the original great.