The era before the middle of the 90’s is remembered for being a time of simpler video games and more bare-bones design. The release of the Sega Saturn, PlayStation and N64 would lead to the 3D-era of gaming. However, the game that came before would inform the types of games that would be made for decades after. With that in mind, get ready to take a trip back to the late 80’s and early 90’s, as we talk retro games! Here’s our ten favorite games released before 1996!
Phantasy Star II
Photo Credit: YouTube
Sega might not make consoles anymore, but there was a time when they were one of the biggest names in gaming. A key aspect of their ongoing duel with Nintendo was the Phantasy Star franchise. These dark, critically acclaimed sci-fi RPGs defined the Genesis era as much as Sonic did. Interestingly, the game was released a few months before Final Fantasy in the US, which helped its popularity immensely. While Final Fantasy would go on to become a very well-known series, Phantasy Star was huge in the late 80’s. Phantasy Star II was also the first game on a six-megabit cartridge, which made it a technological wonder at the time!
The gameplay wouldn’t wow you today, especially if you’ve already played a number of classic Final Fantasy titles. That said, it’s still a well-made and fun RPG. Interestingly, the game was an early model of many tropes that would come to be genre-standard. The pathos, storytelling and heart on display here would go on to define story-driven RPGs. Sega might not make consoles anymore, but games like this remind us why they once did.
Mega Man
Photo Credit: Redbubble
No, we’re still not sure what’s going on with that box art. Hailing the game’s “high definition graphics” (seriously?) and state-of-the-art make, the box art belies one of the greatest games ever made. Mega Man is a side-scrolling platformer where you assume the role of the titular character. Your mission is to hunt down and decommission a number of robots who have gone rogue. Once you take them down, you take their weapons and increase your own power.
Mega Man is remembered for its engaging side-scrolling action, tense boss fights and feeling of progression. As you learned the levels and boss fight patterns, you felt ever stronger. Then, when you brought a boss low, you’d equip their weapon and your strength would grow greater still. Mega Man when on to have about ten thousand sequels, so you’ve definitely heard of the Blue Bomber.
Gunstar Heroes
Photo Credit: Retro Gamer
Side-scrolling shooters were hot in the early 90’s, from Contra to Gunstar Heroes. The latter was a huge hit for Sega, and a defining game on the Genesis. Featuring fast-paced, flashing action and intense boss fights, Gunstar Heroes was a technical marvel for Sega. Compared to other games in the genre, Gunstar was a white-knuckle rush with bright colors and detailed sprites. While games like Metal Slug and Contra would go on to be more well-known, the early 90’s were Sega’s era.
Chrono Trigger
Photo Credit: Nerdist
If that art style looks familiar, that’s because it’s Akira Toriyama, the acclaimed artist behind Dragon Ball. With Toriyama’s art gracing the box and Square’s pedigree for great RPGs carrying the name, Chrono Trigger was a big deal. Games released before 1996 didn’t often have this level of lavish detail or in-depth plotting. Featuring graphics that charmed as well as delighted and a fantastic story, Chrono Trigger felt like a game from the future. It helped that its story followed time-travelers!
The game has simple-but-intriguing RPG mechanics that never overwhelm the player. The game branches in different ways and offers multiple endings. New Game Plus allows you to go back through the game with your built-up characters. This also lets you see the other endings! Chrono Trigger was a monumental game, and the impact can still be felt today.
Super Mario Bros
Photo Credit: Emulator.Online
What can be said about Miyamoto’s masterful Super Mario Bros that hasn’t been said? This game defined a generation of gaming. Pitch-perfect controls, iconic sound design and those bright graphics introduced millions of people to Nintendo. Who hasn’t heard of Mario? You have this master piece of platforming design to thank for it. Everything from the sound and height of Mario’s jump to the music that plays when you enter Bowser’s castle just screams “fun.” And, in the end, that’s what defines this franchise: an overall sense of fun and whimsy. Whether you’re 8 or 80, Mario has something for you.
Bouncing off of Koopas, swimming around Bloopers, throwing fireballs thanks to the Fire Flower; it’s all so much fun. If you were a kid in this era, you definitely remember the first time you sat down in the floor and played Mario.
Sonic the Hedgehog
Photo Credit: Emulator.Onlne
While Nintendo had Mario for their mascot, Sega had the Blue Blur, Sonic. If you were around in this era, you remember the superheated marketing campaigns with Sega and Nintendo exchanging jabs. Sonic was a fast-paced, too-cool-for-school mascot for the edgy and cool Sega. Mario was the stuffy, boring stooge, according to Sega’s marketing, and he just couldn’t keep up with Sonic.
The first Sonic game definitely lived up to its name in a few ways. For one, the game was blisteringly fast. When you acquired a mastery of the levels and control, you could zoom through them at sonic speeds. The other way it lived up to that name was through the great music, a feature that would be a staple of the series. While Sonic has struggled to find an identity in the aftermath of Sega leaving the console market, he was once a pretty big deal. Nowhere is that more evident than in his triumphant Genesis titles.
Final Fantasy
Photo Credit: RetroSelection
RPG games were staples among games before 1996. The technological limitations meant that top-down exploration and turn-based battles were necessities of the hardware, not stylistic decisions. When technology got stronger, some RPGs, like Final Fantasy 12, broke the tradition, but others, like Bravely Default, simply iterated on it. However, the game that would define RPGs in this era was supposed to be its creator’s last game: Final Fantasy.
The game took inspiration from American tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons. Final Fantasy appealed to a generation of kids who grew up playing D&D with their friends and loved seeing the adventures come to life on-screen. While the graphics weren’t revolutionary, the enemy design and open-world inspired gamers and game makers alike. As you might guess, since the 15th game in the series just released a few years ago, it was a huge success. And it all started with the humble NES RPG in the late 80’s.
Donkey Kong Country
Photo Credit: The Punished Backlog
Rare’s masterpiece of platforming action redefined just how good a 2D game could look. Using a revolutionary style of converting 3D models into 2D sprites, Rare wowed gamers in 1994 with Donkey Kong Country. It helped that the game felt great to play, too! With controls tight and polished enough to rival Mario, DKC served as the start to a great series of platformers.
And you can’t talk about DKC without talking about its soundtrack. Ambient, beautiful music scored by legendary David Wise graces the game’s levels. Atmospheric, memorable and occasionally, haunting, the songs are almost too good to accompany a goofy game about jumping apes. That said, this game remains one of the greatest of all time, and it was a huge success for Nintendo in the early 90’s.
Super Metroid
Photo Credit: Polygon
No discussion of games released before 1996 would be complete without Super Metroid making the list. As one of the most influential adventure games of all time, Super Metroid redefined what you can do in an adventure game. Featuring unrivaled visual storytelling and an oppressive atmosphere, Super Metroid really puts you in Samus’ shoes. The boss fights are intense and challenging, the enemies are merciless and well-animated, and the power-ups feel earned and powerful. The feeling of growing into an unstoppable pirate-killing badass pervades every aspect of the game.
The only thing one could say to detract from Super Metroid, if they wanted to do such a thing, is criticize how long it took for Nintendo to follow it up. And follow it up they did, but that’s a story for another article! Improving upon everything delivered in the first Metroid, Super Metroid is one of the finest games of all time.
The Greatest Game Released Before 1996: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Photo Credit: The Verge
It’s a stormy night, and you awake from a nightmare. The princess said she was in danger, and it seemed so real. Your uncle is visibly upset, getting ready to head out into the storm. He tells you to stay in, as it’s dangerous out tonight. He opens the door, and rainwater is blown in by the storm, covering the floorboards. He ventures out into the night, and you grab your lantern; you can’t let him go to the castle alone!
That’s how the finest video game of all time opens. What follows is one of the most inspired, exciting and purely fun adventures ever made. Brilliant puzzles, excellent dungeons and gorgeous sprites flesh out the sprawling fantasy world, always drawing the player in. The story isn’t Game of Thrones, but it’s still affecting and epic in scope. While the villains’ motives are rarely more than “acquire power, torture people,” they offer a great foil to the player’s quest for justice. If you’ve never played this masterpiece, you need to. If you have, you certainly remember it as the game that made you a lifelong fan of Zelda and Nintendo.
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