The Japanese video game magazine Famitsu reviews video games by having four critics each assign the game a score from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest score. The scores of are then added together for a maximum possible score of 40. As of 2024[update], thirty games have received perfect scores from Famitsu.
Famitsu was first published in 1986, and gave its first perfect score in 1998 to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Nintendo is the publisher with the highest number of perfect scoring games with ten total, followed by Square Enix with five, Sega with four and Konami with three. Nintendo is additionally the developer with the highest number of perfect scoring games with eight total, followed by Kojima Productions and Square Enix with four each. The console with the highest number of perfect-scoring games is the PlayStation 3, with seven total. Four of the perfect-scoring games on PlayStation 3 were also released on the Xbox 360, which is tied with the Wii for the second-highest number of perfect scores at five total. Video game franchises with multiple perfect scoring games include The Legend of Zelda with five, Metal Gear with three, and both Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy with two. Of the games to receive perfect scores, only three were either published and/or developed by a non-Japanese company – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto V, and Ghost of Tsushima.
Reviews
Perfect scores
As of January 2024[update], thirty games have received perfect scores from Famitsu.
Near-perfect scores
As of 2023[update], fifty-three games have received a near-perfect score of 39.
| Title | Year | System | Publisher | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | 1991 | Super Famicom | Nintendo | [28] | |
| Virtua Fighter 2 | 1995 | Sega Saturn | Sega | [28] | |
| Ridge Racer Revolution | 1995 | PlayStation | Namco | [28] | |
| Super Mario 64 | 1996 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo | [28] | |
| Tekken 3 | 1998 | PlayStation | Namco | [28] | |
| Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram | 1999 | Dreamcast | Sega | [28] | |
| Final Fantasy X | 2001 | PlayStation 2 | Square | [28] | |
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | 2001 | PlayStation 2 | Sony Computer Entertainment | [28] | |
| Resident Evil | 2002 | GameCube | Capcom | [28] | |
| Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King | 2004 | PlayStation 2 | Square Enix | [29] | |
| Gran Turismo 4 | 2004 | PlayStation 2 | Sony Computer Entertainment | [28] | |
| Kingdom Hearts II | 2005 | PlayStation 2 | Square Enix | [30] | |
| Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence | 2005 | PlayStation 2 | Konami | [28] | |
| Dead or Alive 4 | 2005 | Xbox 360 | Tecmo | [31] | |
| Ōkami | 2006 | PlayStation 2 | Capcom | [32] | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | 2007 | Nintendo DS | Nintendo | [33] | |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | 2008 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Rockstar Games | [34] | |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 2009 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Activision | [35] | |
| Final Fantasy XIII | 2009 | PlayStation 3 | Square Enix | [36] | |
| Red Dead Redemption | 2010 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Rockstar Games | [37] | |
| Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 | 2010 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Namco Bandai Games | [38] | |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops | 2010 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Activision | [39] | |
| Monster Hunter Portable 3rd | 2010 | PlayStation Portable | Capcom | [40] | |
| L.A. Noire | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Rockstar Games | [41] | |
| Tales of Xillia | 2011 | PlayStation 3 | Namco Bandai Games | [42] | |
| Gears of War 3 | 2011 | Xbox 360 | Xbox Game Studios | [43] | |
| FIFA 12 | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Electronic Arts | [44] | |
| Final Fantasy Type-0 | 2011 | PlayStation Portable | Square Enix | [45] | |
| Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - HD Edition | 2011 | PlayStation 3 | Konami | [46] | |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Activision | [47] | |
| Resident Evil: Revelations | 2012 | Nintendo 3DS | Capcom | [48] | |
| Tekken Tag Tournament 2 | 2012 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Namco Bandai Games | [49] | |
| Resident Evil 6 | 2012 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Capcom | [50] | |
| Animal Crossing: New Leaf | 2012 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo | [51] | |
| Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance | 2013 | PlayStation 3 | Konami | [28] | |
| Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 | 2013 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Namco Bandai Games | [52] | |
| The Wonderful 101 | 2013 | Wii U | Nintendo | [18] | |
| Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn | 2013 | PlayStation 3 | Square Enix | [53] | |
| Pokémon X and Y | 2013 | Nintendo 3DS | Nintendo | [54] | |
| Like a Dragon: Ishin! | 2014 | PlayStation 4 | Sega | [55] | |
| Dragon Quest Heroes II: The Twin Kings and the Prophecy's End | 2016 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita | Square Enix | [56] | |
| Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | 2016 | PlayStation 4 | Sony Interactive Entertainment | [57] | |
| Persona 5 | 2016 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 | Atlus | [58] | |
| Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | 2016 | PlayStation 4 | Sega | [59] | |
| Nier: Automata | 2017 | PlayStation 4 | Square Enix | [60] | |
| Super Mario Odyssey | 2017 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo | [61] | |
| Monster Hunter: World | 2018 | PlayStation 4 | Capcom | [62] | |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 2018 | PlayStation 4 | Rockstar Games | [63] | |
| Kingdom Hearts III | 2019 | PlayStation 4 | Square Enix | [64] | |
| Final Fantasy VII Remake | 2020 | PlayStation 4 | Square Enix | [65] | |
| The Last of Us Part II | 2020 | PlayStation 4 | Sony Interactive Entertainment | [66] | |
| Elden Ring | 2022 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | FromSoftware | [67] | |
| Splatoon 3 | 2022 | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo | [68] | |
| Final Fantasy XVI | 2023 | PlayStation 5 | Square Enix | [69] | |
Lowest scores
The lowest score ever given out by Famitsu is 12 points out of 40. Only three games have received this score: Shura no Mon (Kodansha, PlayStation, 1998), Pachinko CR Daiku no Minamoto-San GB (Telenet Japan, Game Boy, 1998), and Pro Golfer Saru (Namco Bandai Games, Wii, 2008).[70][71] Additionally, few games have received under 15 points; among the more recent of these are Ookuki (Global A Entertainment, PlayStation 2, 2008) receiving 13,[72] and Appleseed EX (Sega, PlayStation 2, 2007), Beijing 2008 (Sega, PlayStation 3, 2008), and Galaxy Blaster (RCMADIAX, Nintendo 3DS, 2017) receiving 14.[73][74][75]
Awards & accolades
Famitsu Awards
Famitsu administers the Famitsu awards. Video games receive a number of different awards in categories like Innovation, Biggest Hit, Rookie Award, Highest Quality, etc. One or two "Game of the Year" awards are granted as the top prize. Top prize winners are determined by a combination of critical and fan review scores as well as sales figures. They also give an "Excellence Prize" to other games that don't receive the top prize.
Prior to the formal establishment of the Famitsu Awards ceremony, Famitsu had been publishing annual lists of "Best Hit Game Awards" since early 1987 (for games released in 1986). The following titles were "Game of the Year" winners in the "Best Hit Game Awards" (between 1986 and 2004) and the Famitsu Awards (from 2005 onwards).
| Number | Year | Game of the Year | Platform | Genre | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1986 | Dragon Quest | Famicom | Role-playing game | [76] |
| 2nd | 1987 | Dragon Quest II | Famicom | Role-playing game | [77] |
| 3rd | 1988 | Dragon Quest III | Famicom | Role-playing game | [78] |
| 4th | 1989 | Final Fantasy II | Famicom | Role-playing game | [79] |
| 5th | 1990 | Dragon Quest IV | Famicom | Role-playing game | [80] |
| 6th | 1991 | Final Fantasy IV | Super Famicom | Role-playing game | [81] |
| — | 2004 | Monster Hunter | PS2 | Action role-playing game | [citation needed] |
2006 readers' poll
In March 2006, Famitsu readers voted for their 100 all-time favorite games.[99]
- Super Mario Bros. (1985, FC)
- Spartan X (1985, FC)
- Gradius (1986, FC)
- The Legend of Zelda (1986, FCD)
- Dragon Quest (1986, FC)
- Pro Yakyū Family Stadium (1986, FC)
- Final Fantasy (1987, FC)
- Dragon Quest II (1987, FC)
- Wizardry (1987, FC)
- The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance (1987, FC)
- Pro Baseball Family Stadium '87 (1987, FC)
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988, FC)
- Final Fantasy II (1988, FC)
- Dragon Quest III (1988, FC)
- Best Play Pro Yakyū (1988, FC)
- Tetris (1989, GB)
- Mother (1989, FC)
- Ys I & II (1989, PCE)
- Super Mario World (1990, SFC)
- F-Zero (1990, SFC)
- Final Fantasy Legend II (1990, GB)
- Final Fantasy III (1990, FC)
- Final Fight (1990, SFC)
- Super Monaco GP (1990, MD)
- Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II (1990, FC)
- Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (1990, FC)
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991, SFC)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (1991, MD)
- SimCity (1991, SFC)
- Final Fantasy IV (1991, SFC)
- Tengai Makyō II: Manjimaru (1992, PCE)
- Romancing SaGa (1992, SFC)
- Shin Megami Tensei (1992, SFC)
- Puyo Puyo (1992, MD)
- Super Mario Kart (1992, SFC)
- Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (1992, SFC)
- Final Fantasy V (1992, SFC)
- Street Fighter II (1992, SFC)
- Ogre Battle (1993, SFC)
- Torneko's Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon (1993, SFC)
- Street Fighter II Turbo (1993, SFC)
- Seiken Densetsu II (1993, SFC)
- Final Fantasy VI (1994, SFC)
- Virtua Fighter (1994, SAT)
- Mother 2 (1994, SFC)
- Tokimeki Memorial (1994, PCE)
- Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (1994, SFC)
- Kamaitachi no Yoru (1994, SFC)
- Virtua Fighter 2 (1995, SAT)
- Chrono Trigger (1995, SFC)
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (1995, SFC)
- Tactics Ogre (1995, SFC)
- Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You (1995, PS)
- Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer (1995, SFC)
- Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You (1996, SAT)
- Sakura Wars (1996, SAT)
- Resident Evil (1996, PS)
- Pokémon Red and Green (1996, GB)
- Final Fantasy Tactics (1997, PS)
- Tales of Destiny (1997, PS)
- Grandia (1997, SAT)
- Final Fantasy VII (1997, PS)
- Metal Gear Solid (1998, PS)
- Machi (1998, SAT)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, N64)
- Sakura Wars 2 (1998, SAT)
- Resident Evil 2 (1998, PS)
- Xenogears (1998, PS)
- Final Fantasy VIII (1999, PS)
- Valkyrie Profile (1999, PS)
- Shiren the Wanderer 2: Shiren's Castle and the Oni Invasion (2000, N64)
- Tales of Eternia (2000, PS)
- Dragon Quest VII (2000, PS)
- Super Robot Wars Alpha (2000, PS)
- Final Fantasy IX (2000, PS)
- Sakura Wars 3 (2001, DC)
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001, PS2)
- Dynasty Warriors 3 (2001, PS2)
- Final Fantasy X (2001, PS2)
- Kingdom Hearts (2002, PS2)
- Tales of Destiny 2 (2002, PS2)
- Sakura Wars 4 (2002, DC)
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002, GCN)
- Final Fantasy X-2 (2003, PS2)
- Dynasty Warriors 4 (2003, PS2)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2004, PS2)
- Gran Turismo 4 (2004, PS2)
- To Heart 2 (2004, PS2)
- Dragon Quest V (2004, PS2)
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004, PS2)
- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004, PS2)
- Tales of Rebirth (2004, PS2)
- Monster Hunter (2004, PS2)
- Resident Evil 4 (2005, GCN)
- Kingdom Hearts II (2005, PS2)
- Resident Evil 4 (2005, PS2)
- Animal Crossing: Wild World (2005, NDS)
- Tales of the Abyss (2005, PS2)
- Monster Hunter Portable (2005, PSP)
- Monster Hunter G (2005, PS2)
Notes
- Only the Xbox 360 version of the game received a perfect score; the PlayStation 3 version received a 38 out of 40.[8]
References
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