Thank you for your answer.
However, I'm of the view that graphics do not make a game, in the same way that visual post production effects do not make a film, or a book cover a true representation of its content. Narrative content, a good captivating or intelligent story, brilliant gameplay.. These are the things that form a good game regardless of the graphical style or age of their design. People still play the original Space Invaders or even Pong and enjoy it just as much as a current Wii game that uses the same mechanics of gameplay, but these old games graphics are some of the most primitive you will find. It proves that a good game, a favourite of gamers, just has to contain good gameplay, a control system that works, and something that sparks the player's imagination and they can relate to in order to deliver an enjoyable and fun experience whilst playing. Exactly as a film or book should entertain and captivate you.
I'm afraid you are reading in my approach the flaws I attributed to your preselection : I agree with you, and that's the reason why I intervened.
Talking of art or interactive digital art, I'm not referring to any specific angle such as graphics, gameplay, music, sound, animation or scenario. I'm not referring to the sum of them either : a masterpiece is not (or not only) a preconceived sum of successful elements, but a successful conception. I'm referring to art in the general sense of the word.
The artistic merits of a game, and the actual game itself are 2 very different things.
That's why I am obliged to mention "Maupiti Island" : to my knowledge the Amiga version (and Atari version to a certain extent but not the IBM-PC version which is a rather bad and poor copy of the original) is the only video game which demonstrates by itself that "the artistic merits of a game and the actual game" can be indissociable. From the artistic point of view, it means that Maupiti demonstrates that interactive digital art (hence video games) is a distinctive art form. And from the gaming point of view, it means that Maupiti demonstrates that quality of gaming experience may reach new levels if the gameplay and other subjective dimensions of creation are developed as only one creation process.
I know that such a statement may sound so grandiloquent that one could succumb to the temptation to attribute it to ordinary egocentricity, but it would be a mistake, and the stakes are so important that this thesis needs to be given at least the benefit of the doubt. Moreover I know that it may be too condensed to be received easily by a person who doesn't agree with it ; I just don't have the time to develop if nobody asks me so, and I still haven't written any essay or article on this subject, but I will answer any question or argument.
It goes without saying that I am and will always be looking for any conflicting argument, whether it is spontaneous or erudite.
With any survey of this kind it is impossible to please everyone completely who takes part. As I said before, that just is not possible.
I wish to make it clear that it is your own regret, not mine : I haven't mentioned any personal preference. On the contrary my purpose is to help you validate your selection hence your survey, beyond any personal view.
