Gamers active in the 90s will attest that it was a popular decade for video games with good reason. Between games like GoldenEye 007, Super Mario 64, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, the 90s brought the world of video games many top hits that still have strong replay value to this day.
The qualities of a game that determine popularity and success can vary depending on genre, release date, music, graphics, controls, and much more, as well as if the game is the third one someone has played in a year or thirtieth. Without further ado, these are the top games of the 90s with the best replay value.
7 Tomb Raider (1996)
One of the most popular video game series of the 90s, Tomb Raider is a well-known title that was also made into films starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. This original game, released for PlayStation, has excellent replay value for a bunch of reasons. The graphics and gameplay were impressive for the time and so playing the game now is a welcome blast from the past.
While there are plenty more games today than in the past that feature female protagonists, this game is particularly noteworthy from a historical perspective because it featured one of the first female video game protagonists, Lara Croft, an archeologist who goes on adventures to retrieve ancient artifacts.
6 Banjo Kazooie (1998)
Even though Banjo Kazooie was released for Nintendo 64 in 1998 (and later for the Xbox 360), it's still a good game today. Players control Banjo, a male bear, and a red female bird, Kazooie, on a quest to save Banjo's sister, Tooty, from a witch named Gruntilda. The plot is simple enough, the gameplay super fun, and the game itself received exceptional praise from critics and gamers alike.
One particularly noteworthy aspect of Banjo Kazooie is its musical soundtrack, composed by Grant Kirkhope. The tracks are playful but full and sharp (not in that way), with their own unique sound and tone. Like any good soundtrack, Banjo Kazooie includes songs that improve the experience of playing the game while also adding amusement and entertainment along the way.
5 Super Mario 64 (1996)
Out in 1996, this game has terrific replay value, as a Mario game and in its own right. The plot of Super Mario 64 involves Mario collecting all the yellow power stars in order to save Princess Peach from Bowser. Pretty straightforward and predictable, but worth playing again and again. The 3D aspects of this game make it especially worthwhile.
Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64, directed by the producer also responsible for creating Legend of Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto is a game in 3D that garnered a high variety of praise and popularity because of the music, because of the playability of the actual levels, and because it's a 3D experience of Mario worlds.
4 GoldenEye 007 (1997)
The game GoldenEye 007 made history as a video game and paved the way for subsequent first-person shooters. Released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, this 3D game was innovative and trendsetting for the time even for that reason alone, back in the day of sidescrollers and 2D action adventures. Players must navigate levels and shoot enemies with deadly weapons.
Once again, it's important to note the significance of a game's musical soundtrack, and once again that's true for this game. One of the musical composers of GoldenEye007 is Greg Kirkhope, the same composer for Banjo Kazooie, and his music always seems to capture the tone of gameplay expertly. Additional composers for this game include Graeme Norgate and Robin Beanland.
3 Super Smash Bros. (1999)
Released for the Nintendo 64, Super Smash Bros. includes beloved characters such as Captain Falcon, Fox, and Donkey Kong. Kirby and Link are there too, Mario, and many others. Over time the Super Smash Bros. series has expanded to include 89 characters, with many variations of weapons, levels, and special moves. Other games in the series are Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001), and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008), among others.
The definition of a good game is fun, entertainment, and replay value, isn't it? Well, the Smash Bros. franchise certainly brings those elements to the table, and much more. When this game was first released, it didn't take long for gamers to flock to the scene, and then the phenomenon continued over the years with more games and more tournaments.
2 Mario Kart 64 (1996)
Mario Kart 64 is a follow-up game to Super Mario Kart, which was released in 1992. The game consists of two single-player modes and includes characters like Princess Peach, Bowser, and Donkey Kong, Jr. For a popular video game, this one did especially well, becoming one of the best-selling games for the SNES, and is even considered to be one of the best games of all time.
The gameplay mechanics themselves for Mario Kart 64 are super fun and full of high levels of entertainment value. Making laps around the track going "woohoo" (if playing as Mario), and tossing shells and bananas at other players, all make for worthwhile gaming indeed.
1 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (1999)
Here it is, doing everything it can to stay an amazing game. Between 360 switch methods, heelflips, and switch indy nosebones, and the soundtrack of memorable ska grunge hits played in the background, this game has everything a good afternoon deserves. In case it's been a while, some of the better songs in the soundtrack include "Superman" by Goldfinger and "New Girl" by The Suicide Machines.
There's nothing like a good 90s throwback than Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, which has incredible replay value for several reasons. The playability itself of surfing through levels of abandoned warehouses and halfpipes with railings is enough for any skateboard fan to enjoy this game, or simply anyone who loves to play gaming and sporting video games and knows that Tony Hawk is a good go-to.