Remembering the 7 Best 1990s Games

The 1990s were a big bang decade for the video gaming industry, during which games transitioned from flat 2D into 3D landscapes. It was a decade that started with relatively basic 8-bit consoles and ended with 64-bit monsters that offered a plethora of exciting 3D games for players to enjoy in the 21st century. Developers like Nintendo, Capcom, Square, Rare, and Valve released classic 2D and 3D games for 8, 16, 32, and 64-bit consoles during that decade. These are some of the best 1990s games to play with emulators or retro consoles today.

Super Mario World

The Super Mario World launch game for the Super NES was a vibrant explosion of color and creativity that perfected the 2D platformer formula in the 16-bit console era. It was a significant graphical leap forward from the 8-bit Mario game era that preceded it. Super Mario World was one of the best 1990s games because of its revolutionary gameplay mechanics (with Yoshi as a dinosaur sidekick), huge interconnected world map, responsive gaming controls, and iconic design.

There are a few ways you can play Super Mario World today. Firstly, via the Nintendo Switch Online SNES library of retro games. Alternatively, you can play the game on the SNES Classic Edition console.

Zelda: A Link to the Past

Zelda: A Link to the Past set the standard for action-adventure RPGs during the 1990s. It delivered a structured, epic narrative mixed in with refined 16-bit visuals. What set Link to the Past apart from other adventure RPGs was its ingenious dual world system, with players warping between Light and Dark worlds with the Magic Mirror for both wondrous and more complex map exploration. Link to the Past was also among the best 1990s games because of its exceptional dungeon design, refined top-down gameplay, and visually appealing 16-bit art style. Thus, A Link to the Past represented the pinnacle of the top-down Zelda era before Nintendo shifted the series to 3D.

Street Fighter II

Capcom unleashed an arcade and home console phenomenon with its Street Fighter 2 game during the early 1990s. Street Fighter 2 was a phenomenal fighting game because of its diverse character roster, deep competitive gameplay, combos, revolutionary six-button layout, polished graphics, and iconic soundtrack. This game enthralled players throughout much of the 1990s and almost single-handedly invented the competitive structure for esports to flourish.

The best way to play Street Fighter II is to check out the remastered edition on the Switch. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is the remastered version that enables you to play SF II with high-definition graphics or the original pixel art style. It also includes the 16 playable characters from all the SF II games, alongside three new ones.

Mario 64

Mario 64 blasted Nintendo gaming into the third dimension. This was one of the best 1990s games because of its revolutionary movement & control, with the N64’s analog stick, and groundbreaking camera system for exploring immersive 3D worlds. Mario 64’s open-ended level design was a significant departure from the prevalent 2D platformers of its time. It was a game that established a foundation for 3D platformers, as Super Mario Bros did for 2D side-scrollers.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Zelda: Ocarina of Time was the game that propelled Link into a 3D universe. Players loved Ocarina of Time because of its immersive 3D Hyrule world, memorable music, compelling storyline, and revolutionary 3D combat with Z-target locking. With a Metacritic score of 99, Ocarina of Time is the highest-rated game in history.

Today, you can play Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo Switch Online app. Another option for PC players is to play it with N64 emulators, such as Project64. However, note that downloading game ROMs to play on emulators is generally unlawful.

Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII was a masterpiece of an RPG for the Sony PlayStation. This game revolutionized RPGs with its cinematic 3D visuals, materia combat system, and compelling Cloud Strife story. By utilizing the PlayStation CD-ROM format, Final Fantasy VII had breathtaking cinematic FMV cutscenes and pre-rendered backgrounds for its time.

Today, Final Fantasy VII is a timeless classic with two remakes you can play on the PlayStation 5 and PC. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are two parts of the FF VII trilogy, with the third instalment currently in development. Or you can play the original Final Fantasy VII on Android mobiles.

Half-Life

Valve released Half-Life near the end of the 1990s, a game that profoundly changed the first-person shooter genre. This was one of the best 1990s games because of its strong emphasis on narrative, with the story unravelling through the eyes of Freeman rather than cutscenes. That kind of environmental storytelling was unique for its time, but the atmosphere and mystery in Half-Life also set it apart from other first-person shooters. The advanced enemy AI and seamless level design of Black Mesa also made Half-Life one of the best games ever.

The original Half-Life is still available on Steam. However, I recommend playing Black Mesa, an unofficial remake of Half-Life, for somewhat better visual quality. Black Mesa also includes redesigned XEN levels that enhance the game’s finale.

The seven best 1990s games above represent the gaming pinnacle of their decade. Those are games that have lasting legacies because of how they defined (or redefined) establishing genres, such as FPS, RPG, action adventure, fighting, and platformer. Sure, other great 1990s games might deserve a mention, such as GoldenEye 007, Daytona, Sonic 3, and SoulCalibur, but the games above were undoubtedly gems.