The '90s surge in gaming was met with positive reception. While the '80s contained the great gaming crash of 1983, in which Atari nearly went bankrupt, renewed popularity for '90s gaming created a prosperous industry. Video games are popular today because they are educational and can improve people's social skills, among other reasons.
The '90s saw the prominence of several genres, including action-adventure, RPGs, and platformers. For the first time, 3D games were being produced on a massive scale and appealed to the general public. Real '90s kids have played all these games—and multiple times in some cases.
10 Pokémon Red And Blue
'90s nostalgia looks a lot like Pokémon Red and Blue. The Pokémon fever craze started in the second half of the '90s, spreading throughout the world. Pokémon Red and Blue are two editions from the same generation of Pokémon. These are the best-selling Game Boy RPGs of all time. Pokémon is a conglomerate trading card game, anime series, and movie franchise. However, it was a video game on the Nintendo Game Boy before all these things.
9 RollerCoaster Tycoon
Any '90s kid remembers Roller Coaster Tycoon. The original game served as the foundation for a series of subsequent games. There were three sequels after the original Roller Coaster Tycoon due to the original's acclaim. The game launched on PC and was later ported to the original Xbox. The game educates you on the hardships of running an amusement park. It allows you to design roller coasters, but there's much more than that beneath the surface.
8 Mario Kart 64
Local multiplayer was the prevalent way to play with friends when Mario Kart 64 released. Few games had online support, which is why people were forced to play at people's houses. Looking back, it wasn't the worst to have an excuse to visit friends, even if local multiplayer had limitations. Nowadays, people can play Mario Kart around the world with friends. This kart racer was the first Mario Kart game in 3D. Its impact on the racing genre is still seen today.
7 GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007 was a leap for first-person shooting games because of its extensive weapon selection, robust weapon selection, and intense story-based missions. The game was based on the GoldenEye movie, which was released less than two years before the game.
The game had a broad selection of cheat codes, an enhancing feature seldom seen in games today. Whether you played GoldenEye 007 for its multiplayer or single-player campaign, it's hard to ignore its dominant influence in the '90s.
6 Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog 2 initially released on the Sega Genesis, and the game has been ported numerous times since then. While the first Sonic the Hedgehog game punished you for going too fast, the sequel was all about speed. It was only a two-player game because of the platform's limitations, yet almost every '90s kid played it at one time. Your objective is to prevent Dr. Robotnik from finding the Chaos Emeralds, which he intends to use for his Death Egg.
5 Unreal Tournament
This game was released in the late '90s, bringing a first-person shooter experience like none other. The ability to reduce the amount of gravity made matches competitive on a whole new level. Epic Games' Unreal Tournament has unique weapons that are unforgettable. While Doom was grueling and scary, Unreal Tournament offered players a surreal experience. The multiplayer was possibly the game's most attractive feature.
4 Final Fantasy VII
Now that Final Fantasy VII has renewed popularity with the Final Fantasy VII remake, players are going back to play the original game. The Final Fantasy VII remake might be a three-part escapade, yet the original contains the full adventure. If you are buying into the Final Fantasy VII frenzy, it could be worthwhile to back and play the original. The final part of the Final Fantasy VII remake could be four years after the first part's release if it follows Final Fantasy XIII.
3 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
If you are like many '90s kids, you remember the days when playing a video game looked like going to a Blockbuster Video and choosing a game for a rental. When you received the game, it had existing game saves, which you could either delete or continue.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time dominated the '90s and was way ahead of its time. A remake was made for the Nintendo 3DS, which is nothing short of spectacular. The industry might look vastly different if it weren't for Link's first 3D adventure.
2 Doom
Kids who grew up in the '90s might not remember Doom as well as others. This classic first-person shooter was released in 1993 and was considered a massive leap for the genre. Today, we see Doom games and see the parallels between the recent and the retro.
The game holds up well, and it presents a significant challenge for newcomers. This game was scarier, faster-paced, and was a considerable improvement over past first-person shooters. Plus, you didn't have to insert coins into an arcade machine to play it.
1 Super Mario 64
The Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation were the defining video game consoles of the '90s. While Sony was doing great platforming with Crash Bandicoot, Nintendo had Super Mario. Super Mario's first jump to 3D was met with positive reception. It didn't contain a multiplayer option, but the story and level designs were fantastic. The Mushroom Kingdom castle was filled with a treasure trove of secrets waiting to be discovered. Only a genuine '90s kid has played Super Mario 64.