The following list identifies 15 computer games considered to be excellent examples of game design, and hence worth careful study by aspiring game designers. While there are many games not on this list that are have exemplary game design, this list is intended to capture a series of excellent games at interesting points in the evolution of game design over the past 20 years. Specifically, there are five games from the Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, and Playstation 2. Each game is linked to its Wikipedia entry, and has its UCSC Science and Engineering Library call number in parenthesis.
Each of these games is available from the UC Santa Cruz Science and Engineering Library. It is possible to check out a console, and games for that console, using your normal library card (student ID). To check out consoles and games, you must go to the Science and Engineering Library (not the McHenry Library) with your student ID card. Once at the library, go directly to the checkout desk, and ask the person there for the console and/or games you would like to check out. For consoles, you just need to state the name of the console. For games, you need to give the library call number for the game (listed next to each game below). The library's web site details the availability (whether they are checked out) of consoles and games. Consoles and games may be checked out for 24 hours. Please let Prof. Whitehead know if that is too short of a time, as many details of library access to consoles and games are currently under exploration.
The NES is the first console to give game developers sufficient computational and storage resources such that they could have games with substantial narratives and fictional backgrounds. While the Apple II computer is arguably the first mainstream game platform with these qualities, the NES is more approachable today, with easier to operate emulators, and with still low-cost hardware. As well, the NES has a larger number of games that started beloved and long-running game series such as Legend of Zelda, while the Apple II has only the Ultima series. For students in CMPS 80K, the NES platform is additionally interesting, since games developed for the NES are similar in scope to what is possible for student game projects using Game Maker.
3D graphics are what makes the N64 important from a design perspective. On this platform, game designers worked out the conventions for 3D platformers (Super Mario 64), and had design breakthroughs in action adventure games (Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time) and first-person shooters (007 Goldeneye). This platform also introduced several Nintendo mainstays, among them Super Smash Brothers, and Mario Party.
The Playstation 2 is easily the most influential console of its generation, hosting the vast majority of games with interesting design qualities. Like other consoles of its era, the PS2 has sufficiently strong 3D graphics capabilities that designers can create large game worlds, giving designers the ability to craft stories with broad (at times epic) scope. The console also had several quirky breakthrough hits, including Katamari Damacy and Guitar Hero.