The 90s were a vitally important decade for the gaming industry, as the 1983 crash was still fresh in people's minds, and many consumers still weren't convinced that home console gaming was a worthy successor to the arcades. While games like Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past had convinced those who had played them, it wasn't until gaming took its giant leap into 3D that mainstream audiences took notice and realized that gaming could become a leading form of entertainment in the future.
Although 3D visuals turned heads, the jump in dimensions was still a risk, as a lack of quality 3D games could have soured people on the innovation and set the gaming industry back many years. However, many development studios were able to hit the ground running and create incredible 3D games that instantly persuaded people that 3D was the future of gaming.
8 Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Crash Bandicoot: Warped was released in October 1998 and was the third entry in the platforming series Crash Bandicoot. The mascot platformer was created to be Sony's answer to Mario, and although the series went downhill after Naughty Dog stopped making the bandicoot's games, the character served its purpose of making the PlayStation marketable to younger audiences.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped is still regarded by some as the series' best entry, as Naughty Dog had clearly figured out what worked and what didn't in terms of "corridor" level design while also adding vehicle and swimming stages to offer a welcome change of pace.
7 Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 was originally released in January 1997; it was the first game in the Final Fantasy series to feature 3D visuals. The character models may look awful by today's standards, and, truth be told, they weren't that great for the time either, but the environments and cinematic cutscenes made the game a visual spectacle of the likes that hadn't been seen up until that point.
Along with its stellar visuals, Final Fantasy 7 is remembered for its epic storyline and fleshed-out character development.
6 Gran Turismo
As is the case with a lot of games on this list, Gran Turismo may not look like much by today's standards, but the game's visuals were attention-grabbing and ahead of their time upon release. Moreover, it could be argued that Gran Turismo was the best-looking game ever released when it first hit stores in Japan in December 1997, as the realism of the cars, tracks, and scenery were at a ridiculously high standard for the 90s.
Gran Turismo wasn't just a visual spectacle; it also featured some of the best driving mechanics of its era, resulting in a whopping 96 Metascore.
5 Half-Life
Half-Life was first released on PC in November 1998 before arriving on PlayStation 2 just under three years later. Half-Life differentiated itself from other first-person shooters at the time with its numerous puzzles for players to solve and its use of scripted sequences in the place of cutscenes.
Like Gran Turismo, Half-Life received a 96 Metascore, which is partnered by an impressive 9.1 user score.
4 Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid was first released in September 1998, just a couple of months before the aforementioned Half-Life. The game was initially a PlayStation exclusive but made its way to PC two years later.
Metal Gear Solid wasn't the first game to implement stealth mechanics, but it's widely regarded as the stealth genre's most influential release for showing how much potential there was in 3D stealth while immediately setting a high bar for games that followed.
3 GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007 is one of the most important releases in first-person shooter history. The game showed console gamers how enjoyable the genre could be, something that - believe it or not - many people were unsure of at the time.
Along with the excellent single-player campaign that stood out with its exceptional visuals for 1997, GoldenEye 007 had an addictively enjoyable split-screen multiplayer mode that friends could play together for hours.
2 Super Mario 64
With Mario being the gaming industry's biggest name, Nintendo needed to hit the ground running with their first 3D Super Mario release, as a fall at the first hurdle would have completely put many people off 3D gaming.
Thankfully, Nintendo's developers took to 3D platforming like a duck to water. The game features a plethora of incredible level designs and gives Mario a diverse, fluid moveset that still feels great today.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
The fact that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the only video game to have ever received a 99 score on review aggregator Metacritic should be enough of an explanation as to why it makes this list.
Like with Super Mario 64, Nintendo's developers didn't seem to have any issues with the jump to 3D, as they created one of the best ever 3D action-adventure titles while the vastly different technology was still new to them. Ocarina of Time isn't the flawless, perfect game that some claimed it was back in the 90s, but it's still one of the most well-rounded adventures available in gaming today, which is an unbelievable achievement.