Japan was often ahead of the West in terms of big video game releases. That’s just how video games worked in the 80s and 90s, but now most games launch worldwide in most territories. It is fun to remember the simpler times of the 90s and how video games grew experimentally in such a short span between consoles like the NES, SNES, and N64.
Games Everyone Was Obsessed With In The 90s
These may not have been the undisputed "best" games of the 90s, but they were undiniably the most popular, and their influence is still around today.
Including the PS1, arcades, computers, and various other consoles, let’s go through the best of the best that each year, between 1990 and 1999, brought to the table. Do these games hold up? Also of note, this list will go by the Japanese release dates because once again, they were ahead of the curve.
Mega Man 3
Rushing To The Scene
Mega Man 3
- Released
- September 28, 1990
WHERE TO PLAY
Fans debate which Mega Man game is better between the second and third games, but there are many positives to Mega Man 3. It introduced Rush to the series, Mega Man’s trusty robot hound, along with Proto Man as an antagonist alongside Dr. Wily.
More so than anything, the music is still some of the best in the series, from Snake Man’s stage theme to the Boss theme to the password select jingle. All of these tunes are still stuck in the heads of fans decades later. Beyond the music, the various bosses and powers were also cool.
Super Mario World
Welcome To Dinosaur Land
Super Mario World
- Released
- August 23, 1991
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Super Mario World was released in 1990 in Japan, ahead of North America in 1991, which made sense given that the SNES didn’t even launch stateside until 1991.
This is still one of the most replayable 2D Mario games ever made, thanks to the world map, which allows players to go into levels an infinite number of times, and some even have secret exits leading to new areas, such as the various Ghost Houses. The biggest addition the game made to the franchise was introducing the various Yoshi creatures to ride and power-up around Dinosaur Land.
Wolfenstein 3D
Looting Nazi Gold
Wolfenstein 3D
- Released
- May 5, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Wolfenstein 3D is considered one of the first great modern first-person shooters, which is wild considering the previous Wolfenstein games were more stealth-based.
Even though there are more exciting FPS games now, there’s still nothing wrong with going around the maze-like levels looking for gold and hunting down Nazis. It’s an important step for FPS games, and Wolfenstein 3D may be worth jumping into for a history lesson, along with a surprise final boss that is a bit unreal even by today’s wacky standards for twists.
Doom
The First Metal FPS
Doom (1993)
- Released
- December 10, 1993
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Doom was hot on the heels of Wolfenstein 3D in 1993, and for many, it was an even cooler game for an older crowd on PC platforms. That’s because it was an original sci-fi concept instead of focusing on past engagements like fighting the Nazis during World War 2.
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The story found the Doom Guy fighting demons on Mars after a portal to Hell was opened. It’s an incredible metal soundtrack that ramped up over the game’s campaign. The wild weaponry and demons are what fans remember most about this game, and if anyone is curious to play it, Doom can be found on a plethora of systems, including pregnancy tests.
Super Metroid
Mysterious And Haunting
Super Metroid
- Released
- April 18, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure, Metroidvania
Super Metroid is a haunting ride from start to finish, featuring bounty hunter Samus Aran in yet another Metroidvania-like maze through a foreign planet.
Players will find power-ups to open up new pathways, from missiles to a freeze ray, and punctuating each biome is a giant boss that takes over the screen. There’s something refreshing about being let loose in a game like Super Metroid without a story or much guidance, wherein players have to rely on themselves to make notes to remember which way they need to go to proceed.
Chrono Trigger
Time Is On Its Side
Chrono Trigger
- Released
- March 11, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Chrono Trigger is a miracle on every account, which was made by some of the best developers of the era between Squaresoft and Enix. In this early collaboration, they thought outside the box and attempted to subvert RPG expectations by doing away with random battles and injecting more flavor into the battle system with combo attacks.
Also, the time travel feature and how it affected the world were unique, along with the multiple endings, and the inclusion of New Game Plus in one of the earliest instances, making Chrono Trigger even more important.
Super Mario 64
Mario Goes 3D
Super Mario 64
- Released
- September 26, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone
- Genre(s)
- 3D Platformer
Super Mario 64 paved the way forward for all 3D platformers that would follow, as Nintendo once again set a high bar. Mario could explore the Mushroom Kingdom castle, jump into paintings, which were the levels, and collect Stars, which would unlock new areas of the castle to explore.
Mario controls much better in 3D games now, admittedly, but at the time, this was a phenomenal breakthrough, and thanks to the inventive levels and jaunty music, Super Mario 64 is still a blast no matter which version players check out.
Final Fantasy 7
The PS1 Has A Winner
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The PS1 showed steady growth between 1994 and 1997, but Final Fantasy 7 was like the turning point for the system and the Final Fantasy franchise overall. It showcased everything the N64 couldn’t do in terms of power and RPG offerings, and gave Sony the edge they needed.
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The game was more mature than previous entries, the CG cutscenes were jaw-dropping, and the combat, accompanied by Materia system, was addictive to experiment with. What really sold the game was the marketing, which made it out to be something that it was and wasn’t. Overall, it was the reason to finally buy a PS1, and beyond the blocky polygons, Final Fantasy 7 still slaps.
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
A Link To The Future
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Released
- November 21, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was another groundbreaking game from Nintendo for the N64, which pushed the Zelda franchise into 3D. The journey with Link as a boy is a bit slow, but once the time-traveling aspect gets revealed, things really heat up with Adult Link.
Slow starts aside, the ability to explore Hyrule on foot or on horseback was an unbelievable sight in 1998, alongside an interesting cast of NPCs and well-designed dungeons that made players think. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is still a treasure.
Pokemon Gold/Silver
A Surprise Ending
Pokemon Gold and Silver
- Released
- October 15, 2000
- ESRB
- Everyone // Mild Cartoon Violence, Simulated Gambling
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver were released in Japan first in 1999 before lucky North Americans got their hands on them in 2000. It was everything a Pokemon sequel should be and more. There was a day/night cycle, the phone gear, the bigger world, and the additional Pokemon.
The crowning achievement was the secret second campaign tacked on after players defeated the Elite Four of Johto. Players could go back to Kanto from the first game and replay a remixed region. They could challenge gym leaders, leading up to a confrontation with Red, the previous playable character, and it’s still unbelievable that this secret happened.
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