Your top game in each year

[NeoZeedeater]

Pick one game as your favorite from each year. You don't have to be a listaholic like me and do this many, just whatever years you want. I'm interested in seeing the variations in peoples' lists.

I went with North American release years for my list. Shenmue II might have come out in Europe in 2001 but I listed it for 2002 because that's when my EB got it in. Plus 2002 was the year of the Xbox version anyway.

For over half the years it was nearly impossible to pick and I could have easily listed something else. Mine has a fairly high Sega/Nintendo/platformer concentration. It wasn't done on purpose as I enjoy a mich wider variety of stuff but they just happen to have my top picks a lot.

1977 - Combat(VCS)
1978 - Super Breakout(Arc)
1979 - Asteroids(Arc)
1980 - Battlezone(Arc)
1981 - Frogger(Arc)
1982 - TRON Deadly Discs(InTV)
1983 - Archon(C64)
1984 - Space Taxi(C64)
1985 - Super Mario Bros.(NES)
1986 - Safari Hunt(SMS)
1987 - Shinobi(Arc)
1988 - Super Mario Bros. 2(NES)
1989 - Wonder Boy III(SMS)
1990 - Bonk's Adventure(TG16)
1991 - Sonic(SG)
1992 - Space Megaforce(SNES)
1993 - Shinobi III(SG)
1994 - System Shock(PC)
1995 - Yoshi's Island(SNES)
1996 - Super Mario 64(N64)
1997 - Castlevania: SotN(PS1)
1998 - Legend of Zelda: OoT(N64)
1999 - Unreal Tournament(PC)
2000 - Deus Ex(PC)
2001 - Grand Theft Auto III(PS2)
2002 - Shenmue II(DC)
2003 - Beyond Good & Evil(XB)
2004 - Half-Life 2(PC)

[grayejectbutton]

Gotta be honest, I disagree with a lot of those! No places for Halo, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Doom, Tetris, Quake...? I don't think Sonic should be in there ahead of Super Mario World for 1991. It's not half the game that SMW is, although granted it probably had more of an impact on the industry. Personally, I think a list that has the top 3 games of each year would be better. I think it's almost criminal to omit Super Mario Bros 3!

[NeoZeedeater]

Gotta be honest, I disagree with a lot of those! No places for Halo, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Doom, Tetris, Quake...? I don't think Sonic should be in there ahead of Super Mario World for 1991. It's not half the game that SMW is, although granted it probably had more of an impact on the industry. Personally, I think a list that has the top 3 games of each year would be better. I think it's almost criminal to omit Super Mario Bros 3!

Doom was absolutely my pick for 1993 back then but I'm more going with what I enjoy today. The same goes for a few others like Donkey Kong, Phantasy Star and Street Fighter II which I would have picked back then.

Mario is my favorite overall series and it was represented on my list more than anything else but in a few cases it wasn't my top choice. I don't think SMB3 is the epitome of that series like many do although it is awesome.

[grayejectbutton]

I'd have stuck Halo in for 2001 and had Vice City instead of GTA 3 also... Vice City is the better game plus it was released a year later so it allows us to have room for Halo. :) Oh, and Beyond Good & Evil was a multiplatform release, not XB only. Not sure it was a Game Of The Year...I love it but...hmm, I dunno.

[NeoZeedeater]

I know BG&E is multiplatform. I listed my preferred version.

[SKVermin]

Not sure why people are "disagreeing" with favourites. Favourites are totally based on personal experience and opinion. With that said, here are what I'd probably class as my favs, based on the games that instantly came to mind. I figure if I remember them, they must count as favourites.

1977 - Combat(VCS)
1978 - Breakout (VCS)
1979 - Armor Battle (INTV)
1980 - Missile Command (VCS)
1981 - Astrosmash (INTV)
1982 - Zaxxon (CV)
1983 - Truckin' (INTV)
1984 - Space Taxi(C64)
1985 - Mail Order Monsters (C64)
1986 - Xain'D SleenA (Arc)
1987 - Double Dragon (Arc)
1988 - Ninja Gaiden (Arc)
1989 - Ivan "Iron Man" Stewart's Super Off-Road (Arc)
1990 - Devil's Crush (TG16)
1991 - ActRaiser (SNES)
1992 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
1993 - Super Mario All-Stars (SNES)
1994 - Final Fantasy III (SNES)
1995 - Daytona U.S.A. (SAT)
1996 - Full Throttle (PC)
1997 - Goldeneye 007 (N64)
1998 - Half-Life (PC)
1999 - Re-Volt (PC)
2000 - The Sims (PC)
2001 - Baldur's Gate II: The Throne of Bhaal (PC)
2002 - Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GCN)
2003 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GCN)
2004 - Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (GCN)
2005 - Mercenaries (XB)

[jslithy]

Wow, this took longer than I thought...I had a hard time remembering the dates for some of these old games.


1980 - Rogue (Unix)
1981 - Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Apple II)
1882 - Starcross (Apple II)
1983 - M.U.L.E. (C64)
1984 - Lurking Horror (Apple II)
1985 - Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (PCs)
1986 - Legend of Zelda (NES)
1987 - Phantasy Star (SMS)
1988 - Wasteland (C64)
1989 - Ys Book I & II (TG16)
1990 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
1991 - Civilization (PC)
1992 - Ultima Underworld (PC)
1993 - DOOM (PC)
1994 - System Shock(PC)
1995 - Chrono Trigger (SNES)
1996 - NiGHTS (Saturn)
1997 - Castlevania: SotN(PS1)
1998 - Half-Life(PC)
1999 - System Shock 2 (PC)
2000 - Deus Ex(PC)
2001 - Phantasy Star Online (DC)
2002 - Metroid Prime (GCN)
2003 - Unreal Tournament 2004 (PC)
2004 - Half-Life 2 (PC)

[link1110]

If a game was released in both japan and America, I'll go by the Japanese release year

1985 - Super Mario Bros.
1986 - Metroid
1987 - The Legend of Zelda
1988 - Super Mario Bros. 3
1989 - Ys Book 1&2
1990 - Final Fantasy 3
1991 - Zelda: A Link to the Past/Final Fantasy 4 (Tie)
1992 - Final Fantasy 5
1993 - Zelda: Link's Awakening
1994 - Final Fantasy 6
1995 - Tales of Phantasia
1996 - Arc the Lad 2
1997 - Tengai Makyou: The Apocalypse IV
1998 - Star Ocean 2
1999 - Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana
2000 - Tales of Eternia
2001 - Dragon Quest 4 (PS1)
2002 - Dark Cloud 2
2003 - Tales of Symphonia
2004 - Tales of Rebirth

[dbiersdorf]

I don't know certain dates too well.

1991 - Super Mario World
1992 - Super Mario Kart?
1993 - Super Mario All-Stars (that was 93, right?)
1994 - Donkey Kong Country
1995 - Donkey Kong Country 2
1996 - Super Mario 64
1997 - Banjo-Kazooie
1998 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
1999 - Sonic Adventure
2000 - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
2001 - Super Smash Bros. Melee
2002 - Super Mario Sunshine
2003 - Beyond Good and Evil
2004 - Grand Theft Auto San Andreas
2005 - Resident Evil 4

[DigitalSpace]

1985 - Super Mario Bros. (NES)
1987 - The Legend Of Zelda (NES)
1988 - Super Mario Bros. 2(NES)
1989 - Tetris (GB)
1990 - Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
1991 - Super Mario World (SNES)
1992 - Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Genesis)
1993 - Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES)
1994 - Super Metroid (SNES)
1995 - Chrono Trigger (SNES)
1996 - Super Mario 64 (N64)
1997 - Mario Kart 64 (N64)
1998 - The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (N64)
1999 - Driver (PSX)
2000 - Gran Turismo 2 (PSX)
2001 - Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)
2002 - GTA: Vice City (PS2)
2003 - Beyond Good & Evil (GC)
2004 - GTA: San Andreas (PS2)

[imanerd0011]

I'm gonna start with 1985, because I really haven't played many games that were released before then, other than Pacman and Donkey Kong.

1985 - Super Mario Bros.
1987 - Legend of Zelda
1988 - Super Mario Bros 2
1989 - Tetris (Gameboy)
1990 - Super Mario Bros 3
1991 - Super Mario World
1992 - Mortal Kombat (arcade)
1993 - Doom (PC)
1996 - Super Mario 64
1998 - Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time

[Ruffie]

I've actually kept such a list of my own personal "Videogame of the Year" for each year I've been collecting. They are the games that I got and played in those years, which does not mean by any stretch that they were the best game around that year, nor state of the art in those years. So when I award Alien Invaders Plus for the Odyssey 2 as my game of the year in 1981, it's because it was the only other game I had that year besides Speedway/Spinout/Crypto-Logic. And when Ultima II wins 5 years after its commercial release, it's because I finally got around to buying it and playing it that year. Remember - these are personal favorites for what I had and could afford in each year.

1981 : Alien Invaders - Plus (Odyssey 2)
1982 : Pick Axe Pete (Odyssey 2)
1983 : Crush, Crumble, and Chomp (Commodore VIC 20)
1984 : Miner 2049er (Commodore VIC 20)
1985 : The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Commodore 64)
1986 : The Bard's Tale (Commodore 64)
1987 : Ultima II : Revenge of the Enchantress (Commodore 64)
1988 : The Bard's Tale III - Thief of Fate (Commodore 64)
1989 : The Adventure of Link (NES)
1990 : Bonk's Adventure (Turbografx 16)
1991 : Military Madness (Turbografx 16)
1992 : Super Mario Kart (SNES)
1993 : Super Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back (SNES)
1994 : Doom (Atari Jaguar)
1995 : Wipeout (Sony Playstation)
1996 : Tomb Raider (Sony Playstation)
1997 : Goldeneye 007 (N64)
1998 : Ultima Online (PC)
1999 : Everquest (PC)
2000 : Ultima Online - Renaissance (PC)
2001 : World War 2 Online (PC)
2002 : Ultima Online - Lord Blackthorn's Revenge (PC)
2003 : Advance Wars 2 (GBA)
2004 : City of Heroes (PC)

Ruffie

http://home.columbus.rr.com/turbwaters/TURBWATERS1/Art/IMAG003.JPG (http://home.columbus.rr.com/turbwaters)

[NeoZeedeater]

1882 - Starcross (Apple II)
This I still need to check out. It sounds very intriguing although I hear it's one of Infocom's most difficult games.

[jslithy]

This I still need to check out. It sounds very intriguing although I hear it's one of Infocom's most difficult games.

Yep, it's a tough one. There were two infocom games that were given an "expert" rating: Starcross and Suspended. I've never played Suspended, but I've been told it's even harder than Starcross.