ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, and respected website ComputerAndVideogames this morning published the results of their poll, announcing their readers’ favourite games from the last 30 years. The list of games reveals catholic tastes – Doom and Tetris sit happily together just outside the top ten, for instance - and it’s nice to see some genuine oldies-but-goodies still hanging in there (hello Lemmings, welcome Space Invaders!). More recent games showing strongly are Halo, Shenmue, the majestic Gran Turismo 3 from Polyphony, and the genius double whammy from Rockstar that is GTA III and Vice City.

Let the arguing commence, as offices, forums and chatrooms around the globe peruse the top 30. Here goes…

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 1991
2. The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time 1998
3. Pac-Man 1983
4. Tomb Raider (Lara Croft) 1996
5. Space Invaders 1980
6. Final Fantasy VII 1997
7. Elite 1985
8. Super Mario 1985
9. Half-Life 1998
10. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002
11. Doom 1993
12. Tetris 1987
13. Halo 2001
14. Goldeneye 1997
15. Grand Theft Auto III 2001
16. Final Fantasy VI 1999
17. Super Mario Kart 1992
18. Super Mario World 1990
19. Metal Gear Solid 1998
20. Resident Evil 1996
21. Street Fighter 1988
22. Gran Turismo 3 2001
23. Championship Manager 1992
24. The Sims 2000
25. Quake 1996
26. Shenmue 2000
27.Lemmings 1990
28. Manic Miner 1997
29. Medal of Honor 1999
30. Asteroids 1981

On hearing the news,Yuji Naka, creator of Sonic the Hedgehog said, "I am delighted and extremely honoured that Sonic the Hedghog has been chosen as the most popular game over the last 30 years, especially against such strong competition. Sonic and I would dearly like to thank the wonderful game lovers that have voted for us. I hope to keep creating games that will be loved by everyone forever."

Roger Bennett, director general of ELSPA, said: "We wanted to find out what the people who play video games consider to be the best games of the last 30 years. Not the ones you think are great intellectually but the ones that have touched your heart and made your stomach churn as you battled for supremacy or raced to the winning line."