So, remember when I mentioned “The Last of Us” and how it is getting some great early buzz?

Well, now that the first wave of reviews has hit, it appears that was just the early leaks of the wave of gushing love for the PS3’s biggest game of the year, as some are already calling it the best game of this generation at the least.

While that’s all great, it’s also time that we start viewing the game’s developer Naughty Dog in similar terms. As the winds of video gaming shift with the coming of a new generation, it is time to step back and examine who are the very best developers working in gaming today, and where Naughty Dog ranks among them.

5. Bethesda

The thing about Bethesda that almost took them off the list is that really, they’ve only  focused on two major franchises (“Elder Scrolls” and “Fallout”) in the last eleven years.

Yet the fact remains that all of the titles in those franchises get serious consideration for the top of several best of lists. It’s admirable that Bethesda has learned that they do one thing well (open ended RPG’s) and have worked to insure that they are the very best at that field, and that every entrant into the genre not only sets an impossible bar of quality, but also sends shockwaves throughout the entire industry.

Sure it’d be great to see them broaden their creative horizons, but only because they are so impossibly good at what they do now.

4. Naughty Dog

A fun fact. “The Last Of Us” marks the first time Naughty Dog has worked on two franchises in one generation, as the PS1 got the “Crash Bandicoot” games, the PS2 had “Jak and Daxter,” and the PS3 has had “Uncharted.”

Yet, much like Bethesda, instead of this being a hindrance it has instead allowed them to focus on doing one thing well. Unlike Bethesda, that one thing isn’t a single genre, but rather an intense focus on exploring the cinematic possibilities of gaming, while perfecting the “gaming” part itself. This started to become clear with “Jak and Daxter II,” but it was “Uncharted 2” that let everyone know that Naughty Dog was simply capable of creating experiences no other developer can.

It sounds like “The Last of Us” is continuing that trend in a big way, and at this point there can be no doubt Naughty Dog will be the first company to really show people the first true next gen PS4 title.

3. Valve

Hey, I’d love to put Valve higher, but the last 5 years or so haven’t exactly been filled with many actual games.

Still, does anyone need a reason for this? If so, I submit “The Orange Box,” which contained one of the greatest games of all time, it’s two equally good add ons, and just for the hell of it, the best multiplayer game of this generation, and another legitimate contender for the best title ever. Oh, and the whole changing the landscape of how the gaming industry works with their Steam system thing.

So while it would be great if you couldn’t nearly measure the time between full entrants to the “Half-Life” franchise in decades, it’s impossible to deny Valve their rightful place in the hierarchy of developing giants.

2. Rockstar

In 2001 Rockstar changed the way many developers approach video games with “Grand Theft Auto III.”

Since then? Along with maintaining that same revolutionary quality with each new “GTA” entrant, they’ve also managed to create the perfect Western game, adapt a cult classic 70’s film into a cult classic video game, and, most importantly, consistently pursue some interesting new gaming ideas and franchise revivals that may be hit or miss, but have never been dull (well…except for table tennis).

Rockstar may have the advantage of being made of several large studios, but each branch can claim the development of at least one classic video game, and all put them under the same logo that has become a stamp for quality.

1. Nintendo

The champ is here.

It almost seems impossible that Nintendo would have stayed on the throne as long as they have, but since 1985’s Super Mario Bros., they have been the one company not only synonymous with video games, but with the best gaming has to offer. No one can match the stable of classic characters and franchises that Nintendo boasts, and no other company is as dedicated to maintaining a level of quality with each new title over such a lengthy time frame. How they have managed to create revolutionary titles out of some franchises over two decades old seems impossible, yet they do it year in and year out.

What really puts them over the top though, is that they are the only developer on this list who also creates their own best selling systems. To quote a song from their 80’s roots, they’re simply the best…better than all the rest.