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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
What is the best video game of the 21st century?
If you cast your mind back to the turn of the century, playing video games used to involve blowing on a cartridge like a pan pipe to get the dust out, untangling the wired controllers, and then turning the TV to channel 3. The thought of downloading full games over dial-up was laughable, and the idea of watching someone else stream themselves playing video games would have required too much explanation and infrastructure. Things have gotten a bit better since then. Our 25@25 series will finally put to bed the debates you've been having at the pub and around dinner tables for years – and some that are just too much fun not to include. But 2000 was a huge time for video games. The PlayStation 2 hit stores with a whopping 32MB of RAM, and was the first console to feature a new-fangled DVD drive. Games like Deus Ex, Final Fantasy IX, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Sims, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 were changing people's expectations for what video games could be. It's hard to imagine games now without Xbox, but Microsoft joined the console wars a bit later than Sony and Nintendo, with the original Xbox getting an Australian release in 2002, introducing us to games like Halo, Forza Motorsport and Gears of War. The occasion was marked with midnight launch parties at the 'Electronics Boutique' and Grace Bros, featuring ATVs, green lighting and a specially decorated Jeep to deliver the first Xbox. A few years later the, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era began, setting new benchmarks for online multiplayer gaming and how many slurs you could hear a 13-year-old American say during one game of Call of Duty. The year after that new console generation kicked off, Nintendo released the Wii, which then introduced everyone to the joy of games with motion controls. This was later followed up with the release of the Wii U, an objectively excellent console that almost no one bought. While most people generally think of Japan and the US for video game creation and production, Australia actually punches way above its weight, with Aussie developers finding particular success in the new millennium. Some notable Aussie-made games and gaming accessories include LA Noire (Sydney, 2011), the UDraw tablet (Melbourne 2010), Fruit Ninja (Brisbane 2010), Crossy Road (Melbourne 2014), Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (Canberra 2014), Untitled Goose Game (Melbourne 2019), the AFL video games (various), Unpacking (Brisbane 2021), Hollow Knight (Adelaide 2017), Cult of the Lamb (Melbourne 2022) and heaps more. Australian studios also work on Call of Duty and EA Mobile titles. Remember when the Adelaide Crows and Essendon Bombers footy teams bought Overwatch and League of Legends esports teams? Or when the Australian Open launched a Fortnite tournament with a $500,000 prize pool? Australia might not be the esports capital of the world, but we do know how to have fun with it. Plus, who could forget when Pauline Hanson used the unacceptable prospect of foreigners beating children from the bush at multiplayer games as an argument to improve the NBN? Drawing on that 25 years of gaming history, it's now up to you to determine the order of the 10 most impactful games and game franchises of the 21st century so far. Here is the shortlist of contenders: Minecraft It's hard to say what makes Minecraft so special, spawning film adaptations, Lego sets and campaigns to use it in education. Was it in the right place at the right time? Do the children truly yearn for the mines? Or is it simply that people love to create when given the opportunity, and Minecraft perfectly blends fun gameplay with a blank canvas. Kayleen Walters, Head of Mojang Studios told what makes the game special. 'At its core, Minecraft is a canvas not just for creativity, but for possibility,' she said. 'Every player brings their own spark, their own story, their own vision. Whether it's a simple shelter under the stars or a vast redstone-powered machine that defies belief, Minecraft gives players the tools and the freedom to build whatever they can imagine.' Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto first launched in 2D in 1997. However the majority of the franchise's success occurred in the last 25 years, so it still counts. Earning the title for 'most controversial video game series in history' from the Guinness Book of World Records, GTA III was originally banned in Australia until the ability to pick up sex workers in game had been removed. GTA is also one of the most successful franchises, perhaps partially because of all that free publicity the controversies garnered, proving that a good game is more than just the sum of its grossest parts taken out of context. GTA V was released all the way back in 2013, but it still routinely tops Australia's weekly video game sales charts, with the game having sold more than 215 million copies worldwide. GTA VI was originally supposed to be released this year, but the planned release date has now officially been postponed to May 2026. Many gamers are hopeful that it will be released some time before Christmas 2027. Fortnite There have been a lot of successful free-to-play games over the years, but few have scaled the heights of success that Fortnite has enjoyed. When Fortnite was released back in 2017, the focus was the Save The World mode, building was an important aspect, and so was the storm. But it wasn't until developer Epic Games took those ingredients and put them in a battle royale that the popularity of Fortnite exploded. Suddenly, kids everywhere were doing Fortnite dances on the playgrounds in numbers that had talkback radio hosts channeling the reverend from Footloose, acting as though kids copying dances they'd seen in a game was both novel and scandalous. The game has grown even more since then, with the current popular modes including Battle Royale, Lego Fortnite, Fortnite Festival, and Fortnite Creative, where anyone can make their own games that anyone else can then play. More importantly, thanks to all the collaborations on skins, it's the only game where Peter from Family Guy can hunt down Darth Vader and then dance with Batman to celebrate. But, more than all the numbers and modes and variety, it's just fun. It's the game that a generation of gamers will point to as the one that made them fall in love with video games, and it's likely that its influence will be felt for decades to come. Call of Duty In the last 25 years, there have been 22 Call of Duty games, with a further six free-to-play games. While some of its popularity has died down slightly in recent years, it's hard to articulate just how much of a cultural impact Call of Duty had in its heyday unless you were there. Matt Cox, senior vice president and general manage of Call of Duty, put it well when he told 'Call of Duty is more than a game—it's a signature piece of pop culture that continues to bring us together to create lasting memories with our friends, families and global community'. There aren't many games that can pull off conveying the seriousness of the Second World War, meditations on the nature of modern war from the perspective of a British SAS commando, and collaborations with celebrities like Nicki Minaj. And yet, somehow Call of Duty has managed to span the gamut of emotions around war and war games. While it certainly wasn't the first first-person shooter game series, it's likely the one most people think of when the genre is mentioned. Wii Sports Wii Sports is the only game on this list locked to a single, superseded console, and yet I think it's also perhaps the most universally beloved. Bundled with the Wii console, Wii Sports was designed to show off what the Wii Remote could do, introducing people to remote-based motion controls. For some people, it ended up being the only game they needed to play on Wii, becoming an instant hit for kids, university parties, family gatherings, drinking games, and old folks' homes. Even people who didn't like video games loved trying to get a strike in bowling, or absolutely destroy their friends at tennis. Other sports included boxing, golf and baseball, and the game struck the right balance of being easy enough that anyone could play, while being challenging enough that it took skill to win. Stardew Valley Stardew Valley is the most successful indie game of all time, and for many people it's their comfort game. It's cosy; all you have to do is farm, fish, mine, battle against unspeakable horrors (creatures in the mine) to please ancient spirits (Junimos), and fight against capitalism (JojaMart). Created by one man (Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone), it's gotten steady, free updates since its release in 2016, and has never had paid DLC or ads. It's currently available as part of the Apple Arcade subscription service, as well as the Xbox Game Pass service, or it's pretty cheap on basically any console. Pokémon Sure, Pokémon's popularity might be borne out of the 1990s anime and trading card game craze. But the game series also gave rise to the most iconic in-person gaming event of the last 25 years: The Pokémon Go winter of 2016. It was one of those events you had to be a part of to truly understand why it captivated so many people. The sense of community, and joy of getting to explore our towns and cities while playing a game we loved was somewhat magical. Pokémon Go is still going strong, of course, but nothing compares to the huge groups of people running through the Melbourne CBD, stampeding towards the Yarra to catch a Dratina, at a time when everyone was sharing this same experience and adventuring together. With the growing popularity of the Pokemon TCG Pocket mobile game, and the upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Pokemon isn't going anywhere any time soon. The Sims The concept for The Sims came after developer Will Wright's house burnt down, and he wanted to create a virtual doll house so people could build their homes in game, and create characters to tell their own stories. Ever since, players from all over the world have spent thousands of hours crafting the most beautiful castles and most messed up family plot lines. The Sims is easily one of the most iconic game franchises ever. When asked why The Sims games were so popular and why people should vote for them, an unnamed member of The Sims development team told 'In The Sims, if you can dream it, you can Sim it. Whether reimagining real life or building from scratch, your creativity takes centre stage. 'You can recreate your favourite reality drama, whatever is happening in pop culture or a story purely from your imagination. Life transcends beyond the boundaries of reality. 'Every moment is an opportunity to redefine life on your own terms. You can build fantasy scenarios or explore everyday life, or an unexpected mix of both.' World of Warcraft Who among us hasn't lost a week in World of Warcraft? There had been massively multiplayer online role-playing games before World of Warcraft debuted in 2004, such as Everquest, but none quite captured people's attention or imagination like WoW did. People have met, proposed and gotten married in game. It's the kind of game where you work your regular job, and then get to go home to adventure in this massive world with friends you're closer to than anyone else, despite living on the other side of the world. Darren Williams, the Associate Technical Director of World of Warcraft (who is originally from Adelaide) said the reason why Australians should Vote One WoW is because of those connections. 'So many people have formed lifelong friendships or relationships thanks to World of Warcraft, spanning distances and other communication barriers,' he explained. 'For most of this century people have been finding like-minded folks and forming deeply important and meaningful connections through the game. 'Families who met through the game are now sharing it with their kids; the game is generational and bridges many communities. World of Warcraft is an important part of so many people's lives.' FIFA/EA Sports FC Once known as the FIFA games, now known as EA Sports FC, this soccer series really defined what serious sports games could be. Nearly every time I've interviewed an athlete about video games, no matter which code they played (NBA, AFL, tennis, soccer, hockey, etc), they all played EA Sports FC more than the games that actually featured them and the team they played for, that's how good this game is. There are people out there who own consoles only so they can play each year's iteration of the game. When asked why Australians should vote for EA Sports FC as the best game of the last 25 years, the development team told 'EA SPORTS FC sits at the intersection of sports and entertainment and continues to shape football culture in an unprecedented way. Living out your ultimate football fantasy and connecting to fans all over the world is possible because of our commitment to community and our love of football and gaming.' Honourable mentions OK, that's all 10 up for your consideration. But, because it's impossible to distill 25 years of video games into just a top ten, here are some honourable mentions which didn't make it, but still deserve a shoutout. Mario Kart All of the Mario game series are classics, but there is something extra special about blue shelling your friend metres before the finish line on Rainbow Road, or heading down to Moo Moo Meadows. The Last of Us I don't think a week has gone by since I played The Last Of Us Part 2 that I haven't thought about it. This series has been so hugely impactful in so many ways, and it spawned the best TV adaption of a video game yet. Forza Horizon This is my personal favourite game series of all time because it so perfectly balances the best of how polished and realistic a driving sim can be (the amount of detail in the cars is absurd) with the best of the freedom video games gives you (I can take that realistic car and drive it off a cliff to get points). Halo It's Halo. Guitar Hero/Rock Band These games gave a whole bunch of people a love of music and rhythm, and gave some the confidence to try picking up a real guitar. I'm one of the many people who deeply miss the days of going to a party and just having fun on the full Rock Band set up in the games room. Tony Hawk Pro-Skater This is the game that introduced a whole heap of kids to skateboarding and punk music, and for that we are all grateful. Counter Strike Counter Strike really changed the face of esports. Every single one of the thousands of people who attended the finals at the Intel Extreme Masters tournament in Melbourne this year knows how electric the energy can be at a CS:GO event.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
What is the best new Aussie beer of the 21st century?
Foster's Lager was a staple in Australian pubs and homes for much of the 20th century, emblematic of our beer-loving culture. At the same time, no one fit the mould of what it meant to be Aussie more than Paul Hogan - who was often seen Foster's in hand, promoting his latest film. Fast forward to 2025, and Foster's has become a rarity on Australian shelves, its presence now replaced by a burgeoning craft beer movement and shifting beer-drinker preferences. Our 25@25 series will finally put to bed the debates you've been having at the pub and around dinner tables for years – and some that are just too much fun not to include. Foster's remains a recognisable brand globally but its domestic presence seems near invisible - just like 'chucking a shrimp on the barbie'. Emerging in its place? Enter the likes of summer and pale ales, hazy XPAs, and even double-fruited smoothie sours ... yes, a real thing. Successful craft beer brands such as Stone & Wood and Balter, the latter co-founded by Aussie surfing royalty and shark attack survivor Mick Fanning, have increased their total share of the market to more than 20 per cent. That's more than Foster's at its peak. But which new entrant is the best? Little Creatures Pale Ale Launched in 2000 by Howard Cearns, Nic Trimboli, and Phil Sexton in Fremantle, Little Creatures Pale Ale is seen by many as a pioneer in Australia's craft beer movement. It's American-style pale ale, brewed with Cascade and Chinook hops, has been lauded as the product that introduced many Australians to hop-forward beer. The brewery's name was inspired by the 'little creatures' of yeast that turn sugars into alcohol during the fermentation process. Dave Padden of Akasha Brewing previously told The Daily Telegraph, 'Little Creatures... was my introduction to craft many moons ago and it's still considered one of the classics'. Established in 2012 in Newtown in Sydney's hip Inner West, Young Henrys fast became a local favourite. Their flagship Newtowner Pale Ale is a tribute to the suburb's 150th anniversary. The brewery was honoured as Vintage Cellars Brewery of the Year in 2019, with Newtowner consistently ranking in the top 5 of the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer Awards from 2017 to 2019. It has remained independently owned. Earlier this year, facing potential relocation due to redevelopment plans at their brew site, co-founder Oscar McMahon told 'Young Henrys was born and bred in Newtown and we will do everything we can to always have a Newtown presence.' 4 Pines Pale Ale Founded in 2008 in Manly, NSW, 4 Pines Brewing Co. quickly garnered attention with its American-style Pale Ale, known for its balance and drinkability. In 2017, the brewery was fully acquired by the world's biggest beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev. Asahi absorbed 4 Pines in 2019 when it bought CUB. Mountain Goat Beer, established in 1997 in Melbourne, played a pivotal role in Australia's craft beer scene. Their GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer, a 4.2 per cent ABV lager, was introduced and is described as a straightforward, sessionable option. Asahi purchased Mountain Goat Beer in September 2015. The Mountain Goat Beer founders have since departed. Launched in 2015 in Adelaide, Pirate Life Brewing quickly made waves with its high hop profile beers. In 2017, Pirate Life was quickly snapped up by AB InBev via CUB and is now under the Asahi umbrella. The brewery describes South Coast Pale Ale as 'light-bodied, cruisy and brewed with the session in mind', capturing the essence of relaxed coastal living. Feral Hop Hog Founded in 2002 in Western Australia, Feral Brewing Co won over beer lovers with its Hop Hog, an American-style IPA. The beer was lauded by James Smith, the founder of online craft beer publiction The Crafty Pint in The Guardian as 'near to the perfect beer as you will find'. In 2017, Feral was acquired by Coca-Cola Amatil, but in 2024, it returned to independent ownership under Nail Brewing and Beerfarm. John Stallwood of Nail Brewing is quoted by The Shout as saying, 'Feral is an iconic beer brand and Hop Hog has started many Australians on their journey to love craft beer'. Balter XPA Established in 2016 on the Gold Coast by surfing legends including Fanning and Joel Parkinson, Balter Brewing Company quickly topped craft beer charts with its XPA, known for its tropical hop character. In 2019, Balter was acquired by Carlton & United Breweries. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the sale of Balter to CUB was worth between an eye-watering $150 million and $200 million. It too now forms part of the Asahi stable. Stone & Wood Pacific Ale Founded in 2008 in Byron Bay, Stone & Wood Brewing Co. introduced Pacific Ale, a beer that is an icon of the Australian craft beer movement. Originally named Draught Ale, it was rebranded to Pacific Ale, featuring Galaxy hops for a tropical aroma. Kirin now indirectly owns Stone & Wood through its ownership of Lion, which in 2021 acquired Fermentum, the previous, smaller-scale parent company of Stone & Wood and other brands like Two Birds, Fixation, and Forest for the Trees. Co-founder Jamie Cook recalled the beer's rapid success to the Crafty Pint, stating that in the summer of 2011, just three years from opening doors, 'we didn't have remotely enough beer' to keep up with its roaring popularity. Not just a beer drinker? Take the rest of our 25@25 polls Read related topics: 25@25 Join the conversation
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
What is the best Kmart product of the 21st century?
One major retailer has been a staple of Australian culture for 56 years, and has had many iconic products as part of its offerings. But, what items have Australians dubbed their absolute favourites over the last few years? Both the brand — and Kmart superfan Sue Kerr — have weighed in on the items that they think Australians will always remember. To celebrate the launch of the new app, we're celebrating the people, places and events we'll never forget from the first quarter of the 21st century by asking for Australia's view. Our 25@25 series will finally put to bed the debates you've been having at the pub and around dinner tables for years – and some that are just too much fun not to include. Ms Kerr, who posts under the name @sueshomefinds on Instagram, told she loved the brand because you could always buy things at an affordable price at the budget retailer — and it was always on trend. 'You can buy something every season, spending $100 on a couple of pieces such as a couple of cushions and a throw, a vase or a new quilt cover and a lamp, and update a room on a budget,' she said. 'It's just the best.' She said at the moment, she is loving the Riley Wave Lamp, that retails for $29, saying she was 'obsessed' and enjoyed the fact in addition to the table version it now came in a floor version. What's your favourite? Boucle everything Kmart first introduced boucle material items, which is a fabric known for its looped or curled yarn that creates a distinct textured surface, in 2022 with its $99 Sundae Boucle Chair. @kmarthackqueen told her 170,000 Instagram followers at the time to get in quick if they wanted to get the chair, predicting it would sell out quickly. 'If you see this beauty and want it, get it straight away, otherwise you might miss out,' she warned in an Instagram post. 'I think they might be very popular.' Others agreed, labelling the chair's $99 price tag, which has since risen to $129, a 'bargain'. The material has popped up several times since, capitalising on the trend just eight months later with the release of the $349 Boucle Swivel Chair. It's also released a bench and an office chair version. Ms Kerr said: 'I love the boucle chair with the timber arms. That is so comfortable and such a great price.' $49 Wave Mirror Kmart introduced the Metal Frame Wavy Floor Mirror for $49, as part of its Black Friday range in 2023. It was not the first retailer to have a full length wave mirror as part of its range, but others have a price tag ranging from $199 to a whopping $899 on designer homewares sites. TikTok user @rachael_hamilton said that social media users should take her video as a sign to get the Metal Frame Wavy Floor Mirror – especially if they were put off by the idea of transporting it home in a small car. 'I've got a little Hyundai i30, and it fit. Was it a squeeze? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes, because this is a f*****g awesome mirror,' she said. 'It looks so good.' Ms Kerr said to her 'dismay' it was not an item she was able to pick up for her home, saying sometimes when homewares blow up on social they can be hard to find in stores. 'It's like the Arch Cabinet from February 2024. I wanted that so bad and I was going to all the different stores and I finally found one on the floor,' she said. 'It was the only one I ever saw — you should have seen me try to wrangle that into a trolley and into my car.' The $99 Spot Cleaner Kmart first introduced the spot cleaner in 2023, and ever since many social media users and fans of the brand have raved about it - with Ms Kerr being among them. She picked it up for her brown couch, which she expected to be 'putrid' when she took to it with the $99 item. The video of the transformation, which showed dark grey water after using it, had Ms Kerr jokingly declaring herself a 'filthy person' and the clip gained a few million views as a result. 'Everyone was gobsmacked. My couch was dark brown, so you can imagine the hidden dirt that was in it. It was insane, the filthy water at the end, it was very satisfying but appalling at the same time. $289 pilates Reformer Kmart introduced the pilates reformer last year, as part of the Black Friday sales. It was quickly a Hunger Games-style situation with hundreds of Aussies hoping to snap it up for themselves. 'That went off in the Black Friday sales,' Ms Kerr said. 'I'm hoping that they bring that back because that was going like hot cakes. It was really popular.' 50 cent Mega Bubble Wand Last year, Kmart dubbed the 50 cent item its most popular of 2024 with it boasting a five-star rating on its website. 'These are the best ones I've bought,' said one review. 'It goes a long way'. 'A whole lot of fun for just 50 cents an item,' added a second. On TikTok, Perth mum blogger @basic_mumma_life called the Bubble Wand the 'ultimate mum hack' and says she leaves them in her nappy bag, camping kit and car to help 'diffuse any stressful situation', or 'distract when needed'. 'My mum even has them at her house,' she laughed. 'And we always have the 2L refill of bubble liquid. You can never have enough'. Ms Kerr said she had bought many of the bubble wands over the years, saying there was a family with five children living next door to her and she always included a few in a Christmas basket for them. 'They're insane for 50 cents, they're so good,' she said. 'You go into a store and the entire end of an aisle has bubble wands and then you go back two weeks later and they're almost all gone. They must sell so many of those.' $15 Microwave Toastie Maker The $15 item was released as part of the brand's August Living 2024 range, and Ms Kerr said her followers have not been able to stop talking about it since. 'They've got a new one out that prints 'Yum' onto the sandwich,' she said. Freeze Dried Candy Freeze dried candy was a huge hit in the United States and Australians were counting down until they could get their hands on it — and Kmart delivered. Kmart released six items in its freeze dried candy collection in February. It included Sour Worms, Rainbow Bites, Cola Bottles, Strawberries, Bananas and Marshmallow Twists. Each packet retails for $3. Food content creator, @cyansocial said to 'forget' the Strawberries and Bananas, but the Rainbow Bites, Cola Bottles and Sour Worms were worth the hype. Fugglers Fugglers are plush toys that are intentionally designed to look ugly, and are particularly known for their standout teeth. Last year, bizarre looking SpongeBob Square Pants and Patrick Star versions of the toys caught the attention of social media. Both had swollen eyes, wide smiles and teeth that took up most of its faces. Social media users couldn't help but poke a little fun at the SpongeBob Square Pants toys, with one saying; 'SpongeBob and Patrick ate a special Krabby patty.' One added: 'I can't deal. My son would probably love them ugly things.' 'These are creepy as. Their faces look very human like,' another social media user added. One revealed: 'They fart at you when you walk past them in the store and scare me every damn time.' It's wasn't the first time the toys have been available at Kmart in Australia, and the toys aren't just loved by children. Even adults are huge fans of the bizarre creations. TikTok user @saintbrianjames discovered Fugglers were back in stock in 2023 and immediately rushed into his local store to pick some up. He said he showed 'restraint' by only picking up three of the toys, and he wasn't the only one. 'I'm embarrassed to admit I currently have 27 fugglers. I'm 29 with no kids, like what hahahahaa,' one person shared. Another said: 'I want one so bad but I can never find them.' $39 Digital recorder Everything retro is new again, and Kmart is cashing in on the Y2K technology with the introduction of the Digital Video Recorder. The item retails for $39. The compact camera featured a two-inch LCD screen, offers up to 16x digital zoom, and records in 720p HD — perfect for creating home movies reminiscent of the 90s and early 2000s. It also includes an SD card, which you can insert into your laptop to transfer the files. 'Kmart just released little handy cams,' said influencer @cocodevile. 'I'm going see if I can find it before anyone else gets it cause I know they're going be very popular'. Once they found the item, they took it home and gave it a whirl, claiming, 'the quality is very bad' but 'I like that'.
