I can finally source Metacritic on a complete list of games across all systems. '95 seems to be the start of where they have enough reviews to use. I thought I'd post their list of top 14 games and then my current list of May retro plays picked for very different reasons. I do this just for fun and hopefully a little conversation.
Metacritic's List. The top 14, '95-'99:
1. Zelda Ocarina
2. Soul Calibur
3. Goldeneye 007
4. Tekken 3
5. Half-Life
6. Gran Turismo
7. Civ II
8. Quake
9. Grim Fandango
10. Metal Gear Solid
11. Diablo
12. Gran Turismo 2
13. Homeworld
14. Wipeout XL
My current retro list made by going chronologically through wikipedia game lists for PS, N64 and GBC (unfinished):
95: (done)
1. Doom (PS)
2. Road Rash (PS, own)
96: (done)
1. Star Wars Shadows of the Empire (N64, own)
2. Darkstalkers Night Warriors (PS, available in Capcom's Fighting Collection)
3. Final Doom (PS)
4. Destruction Derby 2 (PS)
5. Suikoden (PS, I own this digitally on PS3)
6. Star Wars Dark Forces (PS, recently remastered)
97: (PS to do)
1. Turok Dinosaur Hunter (N64)
2. Hexen (N64, own)
3. Clayfighter 63 1/3 (N64)
4. Duke Nukem 64 (N64)
5. Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
98: (PS and N64 to do)
1. Dragon Warrior Monsters (GBC, own)
2. Super Breakout (GBC)
99: (undone)
I'm torn. I like the Metacritic list a lot. I love that it includes PC games as well as console. I love that it has games that I love and ones I've never played before. To follow it would make my life so much simpler.
My list is largely games I've played before and loved and would play again. It comprises the beginnings of a permanent game library, which is a nice goal.
I don't know. I guess this is just more navel gazing, low-effort posting nonsense, but I like thinking about these things. I find it really exciting to revisit old games on a schedule month to month and try and build (and in some cases reduce) my collection. What do you think?
Ah, the late 90s. My college years. The 80s were the best times for arcade games, but the 90s were the best times for consoles. At least for me anyway. In the early 90s I had my SNES, and in the late 90s I had the PlayStation and N64. Here's a list of games I made up off the top of my head that you should try for the late 90s:
Chrono Trigger
Super Mario RPG
Yoshi's Island
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Banjo-Kazooie
Mario Kart 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Donkey Kong 64
Namco Museums vol. 1 to 5
Mega Man Legends
Mega Man 8
Mega Man X4
Pac-Man World
Tail Concerto
Ridge Racer Type 4
There are tons more I'm sure, but these are the ones that popped into my head and I didn't feel like doing any research right now. --Cary
I've played some of those. You remind me to try out the Mega Man X series. Also, I wonder how the Namco Museum games play on those 90s systems. I used to have one of them for Playstation. I should consider getting them again.
I noticed there are hardly any OG Playstation games on the Playstation store for PS4. I remember when they had much more on PS3, and I got a few. I wish they still had them though.
If you count the 5 PSOne Namco Museums as a whole, which I do, i consider them one of my top five favorite games of all time.
I'll have to look closely at them next time I get a chance.
My shortlist of 95-99 greats
Chrono Trigger
Super Mario RPG
Super Mario 64
Star Fox 64
Mario Kart 64
Goldeneye
Final Fantasy VII
Resident Evil 2
Shining Force III
Panzer Dragon Saga
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
SaGa Frontier
Parasite Eve
Xenogears
Ocarina of Time
Pokemon Red/Blue
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Final Fantasy VIII
Star Ocean: The Second Story
SoulCalibur
Great list! I feel like I might have Parasite Eve on my PS3, but I'll have to check. I may even have played it a little bit too.
I just saw a copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga at Game Junkies (local game shop) selling for a thousand or something like that. I'll take a photo next time I go there.
