The technology surge of the 90s revolutionized the video game scene like never before.
With console releases spanning from the classically nostalgic Super Nintendo and the handheld craze-starter Game Boy in 1990, to the soon-to-be powerhouse PlayStation in 1994 and the multiplayer’s wet dream Nintendo 64 in 1996, gamers could play like never before.
The introduction of 3D environments, memory cards, analog stick controllers, and the use of polygons instead of pixels paved the way for the high-tech gaming we do today.
But which actual games ruled this decade of video game gold?
See if you remember spending hours in front of any of these dope games, and then come tell us about them. Face to face, at The Dopest #TBT Ever.
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Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64)
Arguably the best game of the Legend of Zelda series to date, and rated among the best games of all time, Ocarina of Time is in a class of its own.
It’s been 17 years since it hit N64, more than twice as long as Link slept while Ganondorf rebuilt Hyrule in his image, and it still commands emotion from almost every gamer that has experienced it.
One of the most nurturing aspects is the wealth of moral direction and wisdom each side character gives you throughout Link’s travels, helping to forge a truly great hero from a naïve young boy. And how could we not bring up the brilliant music that is so cleverly and seamlessly weaved into the game?
More than any other in the Zelda franchise, there is a great sense of duty and destiny that Link is fulfilling, even though his expressions exhibit fear and doubt. If you haven’t played it, do so. We won’t spoil how it ends.
Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy)
xenobladechronicles Which is your favorite? Red or Blue? #quiz #pokemon #pokemonredandblue #shinypokemon #pokemonquiz #quizzes
Although it had a built-in fan base from the grossly popular television show and collectible cards mania, when the 1998 Pokémon games released in the United States, they became what can only be described as a phenomenon.
The addictive nature of catching wild Pokémon and raising them to be level 100 juggernauts was only half of the games’ appeal.
Further increasing both the challenge and the interactivity of the handhelds, each color variant had a specific amount of Pokémon that could be caught and to “catch ‘em all,” you had to trade with a player who had the opposite version.
With 22 sequentially expanding games, and more rumored to come, the handheld Pokémon world is one of the biggest games to ever hit the small screen.
Mortal Kombat (Super Nintendo/SEGA Genesis)
Sometimes, you just need to punch something. That’s the feeling that Mortal Kombat quelled when it first hit arcades in 1992. Soon developed for the SNES and SEGA Genesis, what this game lacked in graphics it made up for with gore, at least to some.
A cleverly made Blood Code allowed all the uncensored carnage to be seen, but this option was only available on the Genesis, much to SNES players’ chagrin.
Its sometimes cringe-worthy Fatalities and high-speed combat system opened up the eyes of gamers of all ages, creating the Kombat Empire that exists today.
It put a new and exciting light on fighting games, especially ones that could make you almost feel some of the deadly pain you were virtually inflicting. Don’t play the new Mortal Kombat X without a barf bag nearby.
Doom (PC)
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Who really needs a sequel to Wolfenstein 3D when all you have to do is to revamp the whole structure, enrich the gameplay and transform the environment to a play-through hell filled with demons, zombies and demonic aliens?
Sure, Mortal Kombat got the world to revere violence in video games, but Doom capitalized on this further because of its incredibly well detailed gore, haunting imagery, and hardcore action gameplay, at least for a 1993 first-person shooter.
Golden Eye (Nintendo 64)
game_old_school Best game of all time #goldeneye64 #nintendo #rareware #90s #retrogaming #instaretrogaming #jamesbond #007 #memories #nostalgia #retrogamer
After Doom set the precedent for the first-person genre in the 90s, Golden Eye seized the best of what it had set up and took off running.
Playing in the shoes of the world’s top secret agent James Bond, this game is traversed by using stealth rather than a gung-ho rampage of bullets.
This game also raised the bar in the multiplayer arena with its split-screen death matches.
Comprised of a huge variety of gameplay modifiers, levels and guns, players also had many different characters to choose from. Breaking free from staying in Doom’s shadow, Golden Eye is still a title that’s at the top of its class.
Street Fighter II (SNES/Arcade)
ny_knux Local comic shop found a box of posters that have been lost for 20 years. Picked this up for 5 bucks and I love it so much. #Streetfighter #streetfighterII #SUPERTURBO #capcom #blanka #chunli #retro
You can't talk about Mortal Kombat without paying a fair amount of homage to Street Fighter. With the original released five years earlier, thus launching Capcom into the yet-untapped foray of fighting games, Street Fighter II took the franchise to an entirely different level in 1992.
The sequel, first launched in arcades only, established a cast of interesting, playable characters. Wherein the first one you could only play single player mode as Ken or Ryu, Street Fighter II established a cast of canonical characters in Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief, and Blanca, the green beast gracing the game's cover.
Unlike Ken and Ryu, who really only differed in their appearance, each one of the new characters had a different set of unique moves and fighting styles, something expounded upon in every notable fighting game with increasing detail in configuration ever since.
,Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
The seventh installment of the legendary Final Fantasy series, FFVII is credited with single-handedly turning the tide of the console wars with its release in 1997. The game was originally slated to be for the Nintendo 64, making it the first FF game not on a Nintendo system.
Whether it was the intense feels of Aerith’s fate, or the obsession with Cloud and Sephiroth, the fandom goes hard to this day, from cameos throughout the beloved Kingdom Hearts series to their own movie, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Final Fantasy VII put RPGs and the PlayStation on the gamer map.
Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64)
Princess Peach has been captured by Boswer (again), and it’s up to Mario to save her (again)!
What made this Super Mario sequel unlike any of its predecessors was it became the first 2D video game franchise to jump shift into full 3D, revolutionizing the standards of how gamers play and interacted in video games.
Vast, open-explore environments with a symphonic soundtrack immersed players like never before. It is incredibly easy to spend hours merely exploring the immense castle grounds before entering a single level, which is a testament to how much life this game evokes.
It is a landmark in the history of gaming and it changed how games are made, played and adored.
Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
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Even though by ’94 the 16-bit Super Nintendo was starting to lose steam to the newer console generations, Rareware took a shot and brought back one of Nintendo’s oldest characters with a fresh update, revolving around Donkey and Diddy Kong chasing after King K. Rool for stealing their banana trove.
DKC became the must-play game of the year, and was the top thing to snag off the shelf when Christmastime came. Based solely on its graphics, it wasn’t a game-changer. However, its strength came from it being highly addictive and pushed gamers mercilessly to each new level.
Diablo (PC)
One of Blizzard’s crowning achievements, and one of the oft-forgot, unsung heroes of the 90s, Diablo takes control of a mythical hero battling to rid their town of Diablo, Lord of Terror, and his horde of demon minions.
It was one of 1996’s top-selling games and has become one of the most well known examples of the action-RPG sub-genre. As goes with the other golden RPG titles of yesteryear, Diablo's premise is fairly simple: find evil things and smite them repeatedly.
Who can’t get into that? And even though the game has a set number of monsters, only a few will be seen during each full game, upping the replay value quite a bit.
Tomb Raider (PlayStation)
mykel_see with Resident Evil Survivor on hold it's finally time to start completing the Original #TombRaider .. I'm ashamed to say I've never seen the T-Rex in person!! Time to start that Journey and follow it through to the end of the story =D #LaraCroft #TombRaider1 #TombRaiderPS1 #CoreDesign #EidosInteractive #FatBoxPS1Game
What began as an archaeological adventure game in 1996, turned into comic books, novels, theme park rides and movies centering around gaming’s first sex symbol, undying to this day, Lara Croft.
The double pistol-wielding protagonist became so popular, that in 2006 she got her own star on the Walk of Game in San Fransisco, which honors the icons and pioneers of the video game industry, and Guinness World Records has recognized her as the "Most Successful Human Virtual Game Heroine.”
From battling T-Rexes and terrorists, to launching off buildings on a motorcycle to only vault off mid-air while you hope to god she grabs that damn ledge, Tomb Raider has been epic from its very first installment.
Tekken (PlayStation)
The original 3D fighting game, Tekken first emerged in arcades around the world in 1994 before launching on PlayStation in 1995, boasting a colorful cast of characters and some particularly hard-hitting gameplay to the ever-growing fighting genre.
Tekken didn't feature any ranged attacks, which really set it apart from the wildly popular Street Fighter II, where Hadokens and Sonic Booms ran rampant.
It was the first PlayStation game to sell over a million copies and was awarded a Guinness World Record for "The Best Selling Fighting Series for PlayStation Consoles.”
All of the feels... Check out 14 Toys From the 90s You Wish Your Mom Never Threw Away.
[Feature Image Courtesy: Instagram]