[Fop]

I think it depends on the scale. For a five-star scale, for example, not using the fifth star would be silly. For a 1-10 scale, ditto. For a 1-100 scale (or Gamespot's scale), 99 could be used for those games that are really, really awesome, while 100 would indeed mean perfection.

As to my previous post, even if Famitsu's highest score meant "the best that can be speculated to be achieved at this time", I still think those 38 and 39 scores are absurd. Unless XII somehow completely reinvents the franchise with an unprecedented number of gameplay innovations that work, I don't think 40 could be justified.