200 Greatest Games Of The '90s- By The VGC Community

[S.N.N.]

25. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening



This is definitely my favorite of the portable Zelda games (well, until A Link Between Worlds stole the honour.) I'm shocked the VGC hasn't reviewed it yet. After all, he's reviewed every console Zelda.

[scotland]

Hey....I don't remember that Links Awakening image on my Game Boy Color?! Is it from the 90s?

I think the screen shots should be from the 1990s. At first glance, I thought someone had elected Wand of Gamelon.

On a side note, its interesting how subjective a list like this can be. To me, FreeCell was the Angry Birds of the 1990s - the game everyone has played. While Links Awakening is one of the Zelda titles, a franchise with almost an unparalled reputation. Yet this portable title flopped for me. It was a title I wanted to like, came back to several times, and now its lies in a crypt like box of abandoned games that sadly will never be loaded up again. Even 'greatness' is a matter of taste, isn't it? Tens of millions more people have played FreeCell and enjoyed FreeCell than probably have heard of Links Awakening, so which is greater? Its like debating if Floyd Mayweather is a great boxer because to casual boxing fans he is the face of boxing of his day.

Floyd Mayweather is the FreeCell of boxing.

[Sut]

26. Sonic 3 and Knuckles
MegaDrive/Genesis 1994

All the 16-bit Sonic games are awesome but for me this takes the crown. Using the (still) unique 'lock on' cartridge creates a huge and beautiful looking game. The gameplay is still classic Sonic but with more exploration elements and the option of playing through the game with 3 different characters adds replay ability, throw in the two sets of chaos emeralds and you've got a game that will keep you busy for a very long time. Also some of the music was by Michael Jackson using a pseudonym.

[Sut]

I promise I'm not trying to hog this thread but I need to get this game in !

27. Sega Rally Championship
Sega Saturn 1995

For me this is the pinnacle of the 90's racer. Fast smooth arcade based game play. Despite only having four courses and three cars you can spend months mastering this game. It truly is one of Sega's all time classics. The original is still the best handling rally game I've played, drifting right on the edge of a long turn and shaving milliseconds of your best time is extremely satisfying. Sega also seemed to have got to grips with the Saturn at this point and released a marvelous conversion.

[NAC2]

28. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis, June 23, 1991)


http://info.sonicretro.org/images/2/2d/Scrapbrain.png

As Sega’s answer to Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog redefined gaming in the 90’s. Inspired by lead programmer Yuji Naka’s desire to speed-run Super Mario Bros., Sonic is super-fast, and most of these stages are designed with that speed in mind. Unlike Mario, most of Sonic’s stages are composed of slopes instead of blocks. When Sonic is running downhill, he can roll into a ball to gain plenty of speed, sometimes enough to outrun the camera. Before Sonic the Hedgehog, platformers had one set maximum speed and jump height. In other words, Sonic the Hedgehog had emphasis on physics, which was rarely, if ever, implemented in platformers.

However, Sonic the Hedgehog is not just a historical spectacle. To this day, it’s still a super fun platformer. All six of the zones have unique themes that keep the game interesting. Green Hill Zone, the first zone, is very easy on the eyes with lush, green grass and shimmering water in the background. Green Hill Zone is also satisfying to blast through, and the 50,000 points for clearing a stage in less than 30 seconds are very rewarding. Star Light Zone is an attractive urban setting at night, and its music is possibly the best track in the game. There are also many loops in Star Light Zone, and they’re fun to spin through at high speeds. Scrap Brain Zone is practically one big death trap with many different obstacles such as buzz-saws, flame-throwers, and swinging ball-and-chains. Marble Zone and Labyrinth Zone aren’t quite as enjoyable due to being slower-paced, but they still have their moments. Obtaining the six chaos emeralds in the special stages is also rewarding, because it gives the player an extra goal to shoot for, which extends replay value. The rotating maze is challenging to maneuver through, but the feeling of getting that chaos emerald is gratifying.

I did not grow up with a Sega Genesis, and am therefore not nostalgic for Sonic the Hedgehog. Even then, however, I still find myself replaying it on many occasions; it’s just that good! Many sequels have followed, but I find myself going back to Sonic 1 more than I do Sonic 2 or Sonic 3. I can’t quite pinpoint my reason for this, but it could have to do with my dislike for Sonic 2’s special stages (too choppy and pixelated) and Sonic 3’s lengthy stages. One thing’s for sure though: Sonic the Hedgehog is the start to one of my favorite video game franchises of all time!

[Rev]

I updated several replies with simple spell checks and added the numbers to the posts to keep it orderly. I also updated the main post with the newest nominations. I like how this thread is going. I never would have thought of Free Cell or some of the other games that were posted. I'll make another nomination later today; just wanted to give people a heads up if they noticed there reply was slightly altered.

[SigSauerLover]

29. Body Harvest. Nintendo 64. 1998.

In Body Harvest, players assume the role of a genetically engineered soldier, Adam Drake, who must investigate and eliminate an alien attack force that has returned once every 25 years to "harvest" the human population of earth for their organic material. Being in possession of a time travel device, Drake must return to the past and do battle in five areas over a 100-year period that covers World War I-era Greece, Java in the 1940s, the United States in the 1960s, Siberia in the 1990s, and the near future (2016). The game is non-linear, as players can go anywhere and do anything within the limits of the game's boundaries.

The game pioneered in free exploration. You can explore the plains of each world, talk to local townsfolk, wipe out aliens, search for secrets in the many in-game interiors, and control many vehicles.

[Rev]

30. Panzer Dragoon Saga, April 30, 1998, Sega.



I figured the Saturn needed some love and what better game to do it than Panzer Dragoon Saga. PDS was one of the few RPGs for the Saturn that made its way across shores and is undoubtedly the best. Playing a young man named Edge, and his dragon, the game is a story of a man seeking revenge for the death of his comrades; Panzer Dragoon Saga is an RPG that stands out from the crowd because of its innovative battle system and the large level of customization. This game is widely considered one of the best games for the Saturn and is worth seeking out, if you can afford its high price tag.

[LoganRuckman]

31. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (SNES, 1995)



Yeah, this game shouldn't have 2 in the title since it's more of a prequel than a sequel. But it's still my favorite 3D platformer of all time. The swallowing enemies and throwing eggs mechanic was fun as hell. The visuals are some of the most beautiful I've ever seen, and interestingly enough, Miyamoto designed this game as a shot to Donkey Kong Country, which Miyamoto never particularly cared for. The music is also fudging amazing. Listen to The Flower Garden or Above Ground and tell me you don't crack the biggest smile. And Mario and metal is a glorious combination that should be used in every Mario game. It focused more on exploration, getting rid of the time limit, which was a good choice. I always loved the levels in the game, especially the acid trip that is Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy. I absolutely adore this game. The only platformer I like more is Super Mario 64.

[SigSauerLover]

32. ToeJam and Earl

ToeJam & Earl is an action/adventure game from 1991. It features rogue like gameplay, a funky soundtrack, a cartoonish art-style, and many powerups. It features fixed, as well as randomly generated stages, and 2 player cooperative play. The gameplay revolves around collecting pieces of a spaceship to get back to funkatron, and is relatively slow paced.