The 1990s not only provided us with fantastic video games but also set up a standard for future video games. It was the decade when pixels were literally transformed into worlds, cartridges were replaced by discs, and the combination of arcades, consoles, and PCs essentially made the whole process of gaming development move at an incredible speed. New genres came to life, new controller designs appeared, narrations got more involved, and the gamers evolved from being just button mashers to becoming skilled at the whole gaming system. Each year had at least one game that not only provided fun but also reshaped the conversation around games. From 16-bit perfection to the rise of 3D, here is a list of the greatest video games of each year in the 1990s.
1990: Super Mario World (SNES)
Nintendo launched the Super Nintendo with this platforming perfection. This game was Yoshi’s debut with a massive world map that had secrets, and levels that still challenge speedrunners today. It ended up selling 20 million copies and set the status for 16-bit grace.
1991: Street Fighter II (Arcade/SNES)
Capcom changed gaming forever with this fighter. Arcades exploded, the competitive scene was born, 16 world warriors with deep combos. Home ports made it massive. This title revolutionized versus games for everyone, from kids to pros were mashing Hadoukens.
1992: Wolfenstein 3D (PC)
The granddaddy of FPS. Maze-like Nazi castles, secret rooms full of treasure, and that chainsaw? id Software basically invented the genre here. It ran on potatoes and had you hooked blasting everything. “Heil Hitler” never felt so satisfying to interrupt.
1993: Doom (PC)
id Software invented the modern FPS with the release of this game. Demons on Mars, shotgun blasts, deathmatch multiplayer – shareware model made it viral. Multiplayer LAN parties were born here. Gaming’s DNA changed overnight.
1994: Super Metroid (SNES)
Samus Aran’s lonely masterpiece. There was no hand-holding as you map the alien hellhole yourself, backtrack for power-ups, and fight massive bosses. The atmosphere in the game is so thick that you feel isolated. Metroidvanias owe everything to this.
1995: Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Chrono Trigger is a time-travel RPG with all these different endings, awesome characters you actually cared about, and a story that hit hard. The battles were fresh, no random encounters, grinding.
1996: Super Mario 64 (N64)
3D Mario burst onto the N64, ditching sidescrolling for open hub worlds in paintings. The video game had analog stick mastery, 120 Stars to collect, camera challenges that aged like wine. It sold over 11 million copies and defined 3D platformers.
1997: Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy VII came out on PlayStation, and those insane cutscenes made RPGs very popular. It was an enormous game world and a story that not only amused you but also made you feel different things during the game. This title proved that games could tell deep stories like movies.
1998: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
This game provided a huge world, lock-on fighting, mega dungeons, and brain teasers. The combination of adventure, story, and exploration was nothing short of brilliant; hence, it is the reason that it is still being ranked among the best games.
1999: Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation)
Hideo Kojima, the creator of this game, went full cinema with stealth gameplay, great voice acting, twisted plot, and characters you remembered. It really pushed how stories could be told in games, almost like playing a movie.
