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 tothe arcades. While games likeSuper Mario Bros. 3andThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pasthad 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.
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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.
8Crash Bandicoot: Warped
Crash Bandicoot: Warpedwas released in October 1998 and was the third entry in the platforming seriesCrash Bandicoot.Themascot platformerwas 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: Warpedis 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.
7Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7was originally released in January 1997; it was the first game in theFinal Fantasyseries 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 avisual spectacleof the likes that hadn’t been seen up until that point.
Along with its stellar visuals,Final Fantasy 7is remembered for its epic storyline and fleshed-out character development.
6Gran Turismo
As is the case with a lot of games on this list,Gran Turismomay 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 thatGran Turismowas thebest-looking game everreleased 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.
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Gran Turismowasn’t just a visual spectacle; it also featured some of the best driving mechanics of its era, resulting in a whopping96 Metascore.
5Half-Life
Half-Lifewas first released on PC in November 1998 before arriving on PlayStation 2 just under three years later.Half-Lifedifferentiated 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.
LikeGran Turismo,Half-Lifereceived a96 Metascore, which is partnered by an impressive 9.1 user score.
4Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solidwas first released in September 1998, just a couple of months before the aforementionedHalf-Life.The game was initially a PlayStation exclusive but made its way to PC two years later.
Metal Gear Solidwasn’t the first game to implementstealth 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.
3GoldenEye 007
GoldenEye 007is 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.
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Along with the excellent single-player campaign that stood out with its exceptional visuals for 1997,GoldenEye 007had an addictively enjoyablesplit-screen multiplayer modethat friends could play together for hours.
2Super Mario 64
With Mario being the gaming industry’s biggest name, Nintendo needed to hit the ground running with their first 3DSuper Mariorelease, 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 ofincredible level designsand gives Mario a diverse, fluid moveset that still feels great today.
1The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
The fact thatThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timeis 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 withSuper 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 Timeisn’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.
