Top 10 Landmark Video Games That Defined the ’90s

The 1990s: a decade of dial-up internet, iconic fashion, and, most importantly, a revolution in video games. This era saw gaming explode into the mainstream, thanks to groundbreaking innovations in arcades, home consoles, and PCs. The sheer volume of quality games that emerged from this decade is staggering.

While the ’90s boasted a myriad of successful titles, not all of them left an indelible mark on the industry. The following ten games not only achieved commercial success but also introduced innovative concepts and mechanics that shaped the future of video games.

Ultima Online (1997)

Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) are a ubiquitous part of the gaming landscape today, with titles like World of Warcraft dominating the market. Their success can be directly attributed to Ultima Online.

When Origin Systems launched Ultima Online in 1997, they anticipated around 15,000 subscribers. However, within six months, the servers were overwhelmed with approximately 100,000 players. That’s an incredible success!

Ultima Online captured the attention of gamers worldwide, pioneering massive in-game events that drew thousands of participants. While it has since been surpassed in popularity by newer titles, its servers remain online, a testament to its enduring appeal.

NBA Jam (1993)

Sports games experienced a significant evolution in the 1990s, thanks to technological advancements that broadened their appeal. Among these, NBA Jam stands out as the most important.

Released in 1993, NBA Jam was not only one of the first arcade basketball games but also one of the first to feature NBA-licensed teams and players. Building upon the success of Midway’s Arch Rivals (1989), it quickly gained immense popularity across the United States.

The game demonstrated how lucrative licensing deals could be for professional sports organizations, paving the way for similar partnerships with the NHL, NFL, and MLB.

Civilization (1991)

Turn-based strategy games existed before 1991, but it was Sid Meier’s Civilization that truly captured the public’s imagination. The game introduced several mechanics to the genre that remain staples in almost every title that followed.

Civilization helped establish the 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) subgenre of strategy-based computer games. Its emphasis on intricate empire-building details is at the core of what makes 4X games addictive and successful.

The Civilization franchise has sold an estimated 33 million copies across 66 versions, with players collectively spending over one billion hours playing the game.

Pokémon Red and Blue (1996)

Released in 1996, Pokémon Red and Blue (originally Pocket Monsters: Red and Green in Japan) launched a multi-billion dollar franchise and had a seismic cultural impact. It established the norms of collecting, battling, training, and trading, with the trading aspect becoming particularly addictive thanks to the Game Link Cable.

Pokémon intrigued young players through exploration, training, and socialization. With this game, the franchise has grown to become the highest-grossing media franchise of all time.

Super Mario 64 (1996)

Mario dominated video games throughout the 1980s, and that continued into the ’90s. When he made the jump to the N64, he did so in a big way, changing video games for the better. Before Super Mario 64, platformers were mostly limited to 2D side-scrolling adventures, but this game changed everything.

The game, with its 3D open-world environment and dynamic 360° camera, became a template for ‘what works’ in 3D games, and its influence continues to this day.

Super Mario 64 became the top-selling game for the N64, with more than eleven million sales as of 2003.

Dune II: The Building Of A Dynasty (1992)

Dune II: The Building Of A Dynasty is a successful strategy game that had the most impact on its genre. It established norms for Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games that didn’t exist before, becoming the standard in every game that followed.

Dune II introduced the concept that different sides in a conflict could create different units and weapons, establishing a solid resource management system tied to a real-time battlefield.

Resident Evil (1996)

These days, the survival horror genre is one of the best-selling genres on any console or PC, but it didn’t exist before 1996. That’s when Resident Evil was first released. Because of this, it is a true pioneer.

Resident Evil’s 3D graphics and third-person perspective became the norm for the genre, and the game was a major success. It’s been credited with repopularizing zombies, which saw a massive resurgence in the 2000s.

Myst (1993)

When Myst was released in 1993, its beautifully rendered static graphics became a significant achievement, influencing PC games for years. In Myst, the player travels to a beautiful island, where they unlock secrets and travel to different worlds via puzzles they solve. It features a 40-minute synthesized score that places the player in a complex yet relaxing environment.

The game sold more than six million copies and became the best-selling PC game, a title that it held until the 2002 release of The Sims.

GoldenEye 007 (1997)

While games like Duke Nukem 3D, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Heretic, and Quake dominated the PC market, the game with the most significant impact was GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64.

GoldenEye 007 offered an immersive campaign that included stealth tactics. The game’s most significant impact on the industry was its quad-screen multiplayer deathmatch mode, showing that consoles could play FPS’ as well (or better) than PCs.

Street Fighter II (1991)

Street Fighter II exploded in popularity to become the best-selling game during the Golden Age of Video Games. It sold over 200,000 arcade cabinets and was ported to every console that could run it. It became a tournament game people could play all over the world which resulted in the creation of multiple updates and reissues of the game.

Games like Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Tekken, Soul Caliber, and Virtual Fighter all owe their existence to Street Fighter II.

Street Fighter II is 30 years old, but it still holds up, and people continue to play it because it’s an incredibly well-programmed fighter that stands the test of time.

The 1990s were a transformative decade for video games, marked by technological advancements and groundbreaking titles that continue to influence the industry today. From the immersive online worlds of Ultima Online to the competitive fighting action of Street Fighter II, these ten games represent the pinnacle of innovation and creativity that defined the era.

Which of these iconic ’90s games is your favorite? Share your thoughts and memories in the comments below!