We look into a whole new year now. What better way to start off a new year than to look back on the year that was and select some of the highlights for gaming?
This years top 10 great games list certainly didn’t disappoint. All great games that come from a small variety of different systems is something I always like to see. Before we get in to what made this year so special, we wanted to tip our hats to the latest Game of the year winners. This year, there are a few games we’d like to honor.
The first winner goes to a game that faced some incredibly tough competition to win. For this, we go back to the year 2000. The year represents the height of early 3D game development in our view. Bold new concepts were being tested out and experimentation was still quite a thing. Graphics and general gameplay kept improving and building on the previous years to produce some seriously great games. These great games include San Francisco Rush: 2049 (and the Dreamcast version), and Vigilante 8 – 2nd Offense. All three games amazingly scored north of 90%. Who could also forget other hits like Wario Land 3, Destruction Derby Raw, or even Midtown Madness 2?
While all of these games were great, there can be only one game that wins the title for the year. That game, of course, is the amazing FPS game Perfect Dark. A game that has so many amazing features, intriguing storyline, incredible challenge, and more details than I could possibly mention in a single paragraph. Let’s just say that, though it just barely edged out a few other strong titles, this game truly deserved the top honor for the year.
Our next Game of the Year winner comes from the year 1992. That year saw innovation on all fronts in the world of gaming. Some innovations came from console systems. Other innovations came in the portable screen. The year saw hit titles such as Boggle Plus, Dune 2, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, On the Ball, Wolfenstein 3D, Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, and Gradius – The Interstellar Assault.
While all of those games proved to be great candidates, the winning title for the year is non other than Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins. This game proves that you can have an amazing experience on the little screen. With amazing music, great graphics, and whole worlds to explore, this game is an excellent one from beginning to end. As a result, it scored an impressive 92%. Another great game worthy of the title.
Believe it or not, we’re still not done. We have one final year to look at. For this, we look back at 1990. That year turned out to be a rather crowded year. Many different systems were vying for console domination. Thanks to competition, this year churned out some great titles. These titles included Captain Skyhawk, Mega Man 3, Paperboy, Pipe Dream, Prince of Persia, Skate or Die 2 – The Search for Double Trouble, and Snow Brothers.
Again, an incredible list of great games from there year, but the game of the year goes to a title that manages to get as mathematically close to gaming perfection as you can get. The game of the year for that year goes to the legendary title Super Mario Bros. 3. A much anticipated title for the time that lived up to it’s reputation in spades. With amazing graphics and gameplay, the game managed to score a massive 98%. In my view, a truly deserving game for the game of the year.
With so many amazing titles already listed off, it’s going to be tough to top it. We will certainly try as we now count down the top 10 greatest games we’ve reviewed this year.
10. Paperboy (Sega Genesis)
A good combination between a simple, yet fun game combined with a rather powerful system for the time. This game did tweak the formula for success somewhat, and it proved to catapult this game into the top 10 list this year. An approachable game with plenty of challenge.
Score: 80%
9. Rampart (Game Boy Color)
A unique game that forces you to use Tetris pieces to build up your defenses. This game combines several different elements to become a surprisingly strong game. It’s impressive because the game looks so simple on the surface, yet you can develop meany different strategies that contribute to your success.
Score: 80%
8. Qix Adventure (Game Boy Color)
This not quite as well known title manages to encapsulate what made an older game great and bring it into a more modern era. While it may be difficult to imagine how one could build on the original formula, this game manages to successfully do just that to deliver a great title.
Score: 80%
7. Pong: The Next Level (Game Boy Color)
It might be hard to visualize a game like this being pure fun when you look back to the original title from years earlier. This game, however, manages to exceed expectations thanks to many different modes of play. It’s surprising that a game with “next level” in the title really did deliver what it says on that box, but this did just that.
Score: 80%
6. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe (Game Boy Color)
While this game does incorporate the original title, the developers chose not to stop there. Small things were tweaked to make the original mode exciting for more modern gamers. In addition to this, several new features were added to keep making this classic a hit on the small screen.
Score: 84%
5. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)
Moving up into the top 5 is an entry into Sega’s most legendary franchise. This sequel manages to take what made the original great and bring new features to the table. This game proves why this series was so popular in the first place with great gameplay and even more raw speed.
Score: 84%
4. Wario Land 3 (Game Boy Color)
While Wario Land 2 failed to impress, this sequel manages to turn this series around very nicely. Building on the elements brought forward by the first two games, this title manages to knock things out of the park in an impressive fashion.
Score: 86%
3. F-Zero X (N64)
Moving into the top 3 for this year is this game. As far as N64 titles are concerned, this game proved to be a star attraction for many good reasons. With an amazing rock soundtrack and incredible gameplay, this game backs its reputation with one of the most solid experiences we’ve had for this year.
Score: 88%
2. Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)
Taking the number two slot this year is one impressive title. If you’ve played the N64 version, you may be in for a surprise on how this game is played. Unlike the bigger N64 title, this version incorporates RPG style elements to give the player a sense of improvement all throughout the game. Combined with elements that makes the N64 an amazing game, this title manages to soar incredibly high in this years list.
Score: 88%
1. Tetrisphere (N64)
Taking Tetris into the world of 3D? How does that work? How does that work so well? When you play this game, you’ll find out what a re-imagined game of Tetris is capable of. With many many features that will keep you playing for hours, this game not only tops the list, but tops it by a sizeable margin. The amazing graphics and stunning soundtrack certainly didn’t hurt either.
Score: 96%
Honorable Mentions
This year, we managed to snag an honorable mention that just barely didn’t make the list. So, here it is:
Paperboy (Game Boy Color):
It’s not often two versions of the same game manages to make it onto a list like this, but this game manages to score high enough to do just that. Joining the ranks of the Genesis version, this portable version introduces some interesting features that rounds out gameplay nicely.
Score: 80%
That’s it for this year. We hope you enjoyed this years list as much as we enjoyed making it. Here’s to another successful year of video game reviews! Until then, stick around for another interesting year! Also, stick with us because, tomorrow, we count down the top 10 greatest music tracks we’ve heard this year.
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
